JC Wilder's World

I have a new....

2009-11-27T10:32:00.001-05:00

BLOG! It's located here: http://www.jcwilder.com/.
This one will become extinct at some point.

Lessons Learned Again...and again...

2009-11-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

"When people show you who they are, believe them...the first time." — Dr. Maya Angelou

This is one of my all time favorite quotes and I definitely try to live by it. So why am I bringing this up?

A local woman was murdered when she reunited with her estranged husband. He'd been arrested for numerous domestic incidents and had a record of crimes that were escalating in violence with each new incident. Her family begged her to avoid him, law enforcement warned her off, she'd taken out a restraining order...she then ignored it and invited him back into the house. Dead at twenty-nine, she left two children behind. The perp was shot and killed by the police - thumbs up for the boys in blue.

Did you know?
- Every nine seconds a woman in battered in the U.S.
- One out of four have been assaulted by an intimate partner.
- One in five High School Students have been assaulted by a boyfriend.
- 37% of emergency room visits by women are DV related.
- 1.3 million woman are battered each year in the US.
- 50% of all homeless women and children are fleeing abusive husbands / spouses / relationships.
- The greatest risk of transmitting this behavior to the next generation is for a child to see a parent being beaten.
- 50% of state prison detainees for DV killed their victim.
- In 70-80% of intimate partner homicides, no matter which partner was killed, the man physically abused the woman before the murder.

If you or someone you know is in danger, call the National Domestic Violence hotline at any time of the day or night.

1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 1.800.787.3224 (TTY)

This is a disease with a cure.

Tempt Not The Cat...or the Contest!

2009-10-30T17:45:00.001-04:00

Tempt Not The Cat is now available!

This is the third book in the Shadow Dweller series though it has changed quite a bite since it's first incarnation. How much do I love this novel? Just let me count the ways.

Top 12 Reasons You Should Run, Not Walk, To Buy This Book

12. Lots of new stuff in this version of the book

11. High body count - nothing says romance like a pile o' corpses

10. It's written me by and I'm FABulous! :)

9. Verra Sexy Hero

8. It's on sale @ a discount!

7. The heroine is a romance writer

6. Verra Sexy Shapeshifting Hero

5. Set in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

4. Uber sensual love scenes, food scenes and water incidents

3. Verra Sexy Shapeshifting CAT Hero

2. The blatant and often hilarious misuse of catnip

1. Did I mention the uber sexy, hot, gorgeous yummy shapeshifting CAT hero?

Want to win a paperback copy of the first two books of the series? Send a blank email to lists @ jcwilder.com and you will be entered into a random drawing. There will be FIVE winners so what are you waiting for?

Legal Stuff:

One entry per household.

Void where prohibited.

Babs

2009-10-13T11:31:00.001-04:00

Over the course of your lifetime you'll meet many people who have a story to tell. If you're lucky, a handful of those stories have the potential to change the course of your life.

Meet my friend Babs - one of those amazing spirits who tranformed hundreds of lives simply because she was breathing. We worked together for several years and during that time we laughed, we cried and had long talks about every topic under the sun. Even though she had MS, she never let her daily struggle diminish her cheerful nature and everyone she met adored her.

I received an email today letting me know that this darling creature passed away on October 2.

You will be sorely missed and I'm a better person for just having known you.

This one is for you, Babs:

Some of the many reasons why I adored Babs.

12. With her illness she had issues with her speech (she constantly struggled to find the right words) and when she used the wrong ones she'd laugh, laugh, laugh.

11. Was addicted to anything sweet and was always willing to share.

10. Her infectious laugh.

9. Hysterically funny without being mean or snarky.

8. Loved to talk about anything to anyone.

7. Always saw the good in people.

6. Loved the color purple and wore it often.

5. Sang jazz standards (off-key of course) all day while we worked.

4. Adored anything related to Hollywood be it movies, gossip or Mel Gibson.

3. Major Foodie.

2. Was generous with her time no matter what the situation was.

1. Always reminded me that if you're not having fun then you're doing it wrong.

And something from one of her favorite authors:

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER by Erma Bombeck

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love yous".. more "I'm sorrys"... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it... live it...and never give it back.

Weigh Loss & The Biggest Loser

2009-10-04T20:44:00.000-04:00

I'm watching the first show of season 8 of The Biggest Loser. I have a love/hate relationship with this show. I love Bob Harper - he's really hot and he makes for good scenary. I hate watching these people broken down again and again though. They might lose weight, but how many of them actually keep it off?

What is the deal with the trainers looking like raging psychopaths this season? I realize this is a 'reality' show and its all about the ratings - but their behavior enforced it this time around. In order to lose weight, everyone needs encouragement but this, IMO, isn't encouraging. It's nothing short of abusive - to yell and scream in someone's face like that is just messed up. If I had to go through that to lose weight, I'd grab another Twinkie and turn to HBO.

Also - anyone who has studied the science of weight loss knows that to lose more than 1% of your body weight per week is too much. I understand why the first week these contestants lose big numbers, a lot of it is water weight as salt is pretty much being removed from their diet. If you drop the salt & salty foods I can guarantee that you'll drop some pounds as well.

While it might look good to see people watching big chunks of blubber each week, what is the real cost to their bodies? Hormone levels go nuts, stress hormones increase and the tissues become inflamed. Inflamation , for those of you who don't know, is almost the same as an injury - it causes your body to go into overdrive to repair the inflamed tissues. The metabolism starts doing gymnastics and your body goes into fight mode which means it hangs onto every calorie, every pound that comes your way. Its a vicious cycle which takes me back to - how many of them gain their weight back?

Daniel, a contestant from Season 7 - lost a good amount of weight and he's returned for this season. At the finale, he won 312 pounds and at the beginning of the season he weighed...312 pounds. Now this man states that he's been working out for four hours a day and lost...nothing?

I know how everyone loves to chant the weight loss mantra of calories and exercise but somtimes that equation doesn't equal success. Sometimes its about WHAT you are eating, not how much you are eating. I'm sure there are many who would argue with me on this but I've fought with my weight all my life and this has been my experience.

Show 1 - Julio should've been sent home because he's a whiner.

Men of SWAT

2009-10-04T17:44:00.000-04:00

I gots news....

I just recieved a contract for the next Men of SWAT title, Kissing Cowboy. No release date yet so stay tuned. :)

He was a Giant...

2009-09-14T21:17:00.000-04:00

1952-2009

New Cover

2009-09-13T11:18:00.002-04:00

Coming October 31, 2009

Yikes...

2009-08-04T19:48:00.001-04:00

Is my blog neglected or WHAT? :)

Greatest Standup Comedians of All Time

2009-06-27T18:01:00.003-04:00

I love comedy. If you can tell me a good story or make me laugh, I'll sit at your feet and beg for more. I have the utmost respect for anyone who can get on a stage and intentionally be funny because it just ain't easy.

12. Lenny Bruce - I admit, he was before my time, but he is the father of shock comedy and without him we never would've had such greats as Richard Pryor or Sam Kinison. Prior to this comedy consisted of knock-knock jokes and Bruce took an unflinching look at the ugly side of life - racism, hatred.

11. Bill Cosby - If you haven't seen his movie entitled, Himself, you're missing out.

10. Richard Pryor - This man set the world on its ear with his third album, That Nig***s Crazy and his popularity continued to grow with each successive album release. He was one of the writers on Blazing Saddles, Car Wash and numerous television shows.

9. Carol Burnett - One of my earliest memories was watching the Carol Burnett show in the early seventies. She was ahead of her time in that she knew her worth and retained creative control of her show in an era when it was unheard of.

8. Roseanne Barr - Love her or hate her - this woman kicks ass. She knew her value to the entertainment world and she retained control of her show and called all the shots.

7. Chris Farley - His timing was spot on - its too bad that he couldn't see himself as we saw him.

6. Joan Rivers - She was one of the first female comics, I believe Moms Mabley and Phyllis Diller are the only ones before her, and she is utterly hilarious. The first comic to openly talk about sex and issues that are important to women, she paved the way for those who came after.

5. Phyllis Diller - The first female comic to really make a name for herself. I remember seeing her on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and she constantly had him blushing.

4. Bob Hope - I grew up on his movies, watched his specials and was constantly amazed by him. He was the comedian who could stand in front of presidents and heads of state and make fun of them without recourse. He gave thousands of hours of his life to entertain the troops all over the world and this country owes him a debt of gratitude for his service.

3 . George Carlin - What can I say about him? He was a genuis and I was lucky to see him do a trial run of what would become his last HBO Special - It's bad for ya.

2. Red Skelton - Most of you are going...who? He was one of the funniest men and he was known as America's Clown. He appeared on several shows with Lucille Ball and he was a master of physical comedy. Go to his website and listen to his Guzzler's Gin piece and experience America as it was in the 50's.

1. Sam Kinison - I suppose some feel that Carlin or Pryor belong here but I just adored Kinison. He was sharp, funny, intelligent and utterly, completely fearless. I saw him perform once and it was an experience like no other. People make a big deal about Dane Cook filling stadiums and Kinison was doing it when Cook was still playing with G.I. Joe. He was a legend.

Others that I adore, Ellen Degeneres, Lewis Black, Katt Williams, D.L. Hugley, Woody Allen (in his early days), Andy Kaufmann, Bill Hicks, Johnathon Winters, Dom DeLuise, Red Foxx, Dennis O'Leary, Stephen Wright, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart - I could go on for days.

Who are some of your favorites?

More Amazon Hijinks

2009-06-20T16:28:00.002-04:00

A friend set me this link and I'm not happy. What is it with Amazon that they just can't come out and say what they mean? They always wait until an issue turns into a PR nightmare and they are exposed as the 800lb bully in the playground.

Yeah, I think I'll be shaking loose of my Kindle and switching to a new team.

http://www.geardiary.com/2009/06/19/kindles-drm-rears-its-ugly-head-and-it-is-ugly/

Email, Email and even MORE email

2009-06-19T08:18:00.002-04:00

Do you ever feel like Microsoft Outlook owns your soul? Do you hear that little 'ding' of arriving mail then close your eyes while animal-like whimpering souls escape from your mouth?

Yeah, me too.

I spent all of yesterday answering email. No writing, no promotion, no nothing - just email. About ten hours worth. It was truly staggering. Of course, one of the reasons why I had a ton o' email was because I have a nasty tendency to put things off when I'm writing. I don't want to take the time to answer it because work must be done. Then I get cranky when I have to take an entire day to do all the email I'd neglected.

When I was in high school my home ec teacher - what the heck was her name? - said to avoid spending your Saturday cleaning you should take ten minutes a day to straighten up. I think I need to use that strategy to keep my email in line.

Then again, I probably won't. :)

Check out...

2009-06-02T07:44:00.000-04:00

my thoughts on Romancelandia.

OW!

2009-05-16T10:46:00.002-04:00

You know its going to be a rough day when you have a fat lip before 8am.

Stopped at my neighbors on the way to the grocery store. I went to pet the dog and Butch (said dog) jumped up and hit me full force in the mouth. Busted my lip open, blood everywhere. Mark (owner of said dog) had to haul me in his house and doctor me.

My lip is So Big...

(this is where you say, "how big is it?")

I have to watch walking through doorways so it doesn't get caught in the door.

OW

Hmm...

2009-05-13T20:20:00.001-04:00

I'm watching the final show of The Biggest Loser and eating a Twinkie. Is that wrong?

Reinventing Jane Porter

2009-05-12T10:10:00.004-04:00

You know it's going to be one of those days...

2009-05-07T13:55:00.000-04:00

Messy!

2009-05-05T10:44:00.002-04:00

In my never-ending quest for a neat house, I threw myself into cleaning the garage yesterday. My method of cleaning is this - I put everything where I want it then I end up with this weird pile o' crap that I'm never quite sure what to do with. My solution has been to throw it in a box and toss it in the garage for the moment.

Now, years later, my garage is a mess. Surprise - bet you didn't see that coming.

Amvets is coming next Tuesday so I'm in a mad scramble to empty the garage and make a huge donation to charity. Literally, I have an entire kitchen stored out there somewhere and I'm sure someone can use it.

So in my frenzy I came across a box of stuff from past boyfriends and other people that I consider(ed) important in my life. I went through the box and spent my time shaking my head and trying to remember if I'd had a head injury when I dumped all that stuff in there. Why did I keep all of it?

My immediate answer is that it hurt too much to look at it so I threw it into a box to deal with when I wasn't so pissed off. The funny thing was I dumped him for screwing around on me which begs the question a second time - why did I keep this stuff again?

I sifted through the box and either tossed it or put it in the charity box. I did fish out a beautiful set of gold pens he'd given me - hey, I'm not stupid! Quality pens cost mucho dollars, but that was it. My garage would be much cleaner if I'd done that with everything else instead of letting it pile up.

Do you keep the remnants of past relationships hanging around in your house??

Belly Button Lint...

2009-05-03T21:53:00.002-04:00

I have been so frustrated lately. I have contracts to fulfill - books to write - and everything I've tried to put on paper is absolute crap. Yeah - in general writers believe everything is crap until we hit the end of the book. Once we write The End we're pretty sure we've written the Next Great American Novel.

Until then - the writing process just sucks. :)

I have some really fun projects on deck:
Rites of Spring, the sequel to Winter's Daughter
Tactical _____, the next SWAT story
Santo's story from the Jane Porter series...
A cool Urban Fantasy with no title...
But I'm having a hell of a time writing them. I've started Rites - the Prologue is is done and I've written three chapters...but let me clarify - I've written the first chapter three times...and thrown them all out.

I keep telling myself that it just needs more time to percolate. I've found that some books just flow from my brain - the Jane Porter books - and others need to be wrenched from my soul (Winter's Daughter). I guess this one will need to extracted with force.

Now where did I put the aspirin... :)

Snicker...

2009-04-30T11:53:00.000-04:00

WLW: I'm a slacker...

2009-04-29T18:29:00.004-04:00

Whee! I've been in a rough spot lately. I had to have a root canal last week and it was ugly now. I've had a root canal before and it was no big deal - but this one was the gift that kept on giving. With the first one I didn't have hardly any pain after 24 hours - I can't say the same for this one. I had to eat soft food (ICE CREAM, BABY!) for about 3 days and now the pain is finally slacking off.

I gained a few pounds but I do consider this extenuating circumstances. It was ice cream...or DIE. LOL.

But I'm back on my 'program' and I hope to shed my little gain by Monday and be back at my 45lb loss.

How did you do this week?

Hee!

2009-04-23T08:50:00.000-04:00

Say WHAT?

2009-04-16T09:32:00.003-04:00

If you were watching CNN this morning then you heard about the new 'rule' United Airlines is instituting. http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1529524,CST-NWS-united16.article

Yes, you read that correctly. United Airlines (the bad guys) have instituted a policy in which overweight passengers may be forced to purchase two airline tickets in order to fly with them.

Wow, what next? Smelly people will have to charter their own planes? Skinny people will have to sit two per seat? Better yet, the skinny people plane can have double the seats added...

Their rationale is they received 700 complaints...out of 63 million flyers who used United Airlines. Now that is really messed up. They are going to piss off roughly 40% of their passengers (and that's a kind statistic if you go by the obesity rate in America) so that less than one one-hundreth of a percent of their passengers won't be annoyed? And I thought Amazon was a corporate bully for pulling their sales rankings - United Airlines makes them look like altar boys.

One thing I've learned in spades is some people will never, ever be happy. You can never do enough, say enough or give them enough to make them pleasant to be around. In short, bitterness is more than a fashion-statement - its a lifestyle. I would hazard a guess that these odious types comprise the majority of the 700 whiners.

Other mere mortals, like you and I, have a little-acknowledge facet of our personalities called...compassion. (Shhh, don't let that get around or everyone will want it) When we see someone in an uncomfortable situation we feel for them and we try to lend a smile when we can. We are the 63 million...

This is why United Airlines is the unlucky recipient of the J.C. Wilder...You SUCK award...

Amazon in the Naughty Chair...

2009-04-13T11:33:00.002-04:00

Remember the show Hee Haw? There was a skit that started out with the intro song:

Despair and agony on me...whoa!
Depression excessive misery...whoa!
If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all...whoat!

That is Amazon's new theme song because if pissing off your customer base was an Olympic sport - Amazon would win the gold by a Big Margin.

So what are they doing now? In a nutshell, when you do a search on Amazon the back end uses the sales ranking to determine which titles are returned in the search results. So in order to find an author's books, they need to have a sales ranking on their book pages.

Amazon (aka, the Evil Empire) has decided to start sectioning off 'adult' content for the protection of our delicate sensibilities. When a publisher sets up a book, they select terms that would apply to the book such as, erotic, erotic romance, sex, love, mystery, violence - you get the picture - this is called Metadata. At Amazon, customers can also select tags for each book so if your book is tagged as erotic - well you end up on the naughty list. Consequently, if the book you are looking for is tagged as erotic, then it won't show up on the search results.

So what have they removed? Erotic romances for one. Go search for Dominique Adair and should have at least 10 books...only one comes up. Heaven forbid if you're looking for GLBT titles because you'll be out of luck. JL Langley's My Fair Captain will only come up if you search for the complete title and there are thousands of others who've had their sales ranking stripped including Maya Banks, Jaci Burton.

But you can still search for sex toys...

According to Publisher's Lunch, Amazon has reported that this is an 'error' on their end and it will be fixed shortly. Uh...right.

Want to sound off? Amazon Customer Service: ecr@amazon.com or via phone: 1-800-201-7575 and there is a petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/in-protest-at-amazons-new-adult-policy

Ye Olde Closets....

2009-04-12T14:10:00.003-04:00

Remember my closet cleaning odyssey? (http://jcwilder.blogspot.com/2009/01/closet-update.html) Well I finally have my closets all nice and clean and everything is organized to within an inch of its life.

To catch up - the master bedroom is now my library and my bedroom is the smallest room of them all. It's a little tedious - you walk in the door and you can just throw yourself on the bed - but I don't spend enough time in the bedroom to warrant staying in the big room. Since I spend so much time working, I converted over the master bedroom for the library. Tada! I have space to put in comfy chairs and bring some of my beloved books in from the garage. WOOT!

This is my first collection that went to Amvets - everything goes to help the Veterans - and I'm working on my second collection and it promises to be twice as much stuff. My house feels slimmer already - LOL!

WLW: Progress is measured...

2009-04-08T11:48:00.002-04:00

in inches, literally. :) I gained...I'm losing again - almost back to my 45 pound loss. It just amazes me how quickly I can get derailed. My knee has been acting up because my schedule is crazy and I haven't been going to the pool. Big No No for me. So I've been sitting with my leg up and the ice packs and the bandages...and breathing puts pounds on me.
So I've been watching what I eat and forcing myself to move around no matter how much it hurts. I've reclaimed 3 of my lost pounds and 1.6 more gets me back to my 45.
Ugh, haven't I been here before?

The Price of eBooks

2009-04-06T20:35:00.004-04:00

There's been a lot of talk lately about the cost of ebooks versus their print prices. To most of us, it only makes sense that the ebook should cost less, quite a bit less than the print counterpart.

Why?

1) Lack of printing costs
2) Lack of warehousing fees
3) Lack of distribution fees (mailing, shipping etc)

This is quite a big chunk of change when you look at the price of an individual title. Ingram (the biggest book distributor in the US) demands 55% of the cover price up front. Currently they aren't in the digital market but they're working on it and I'm sure they'll suck up 55% of that too...though for what I'm not entirely sure.

Anywho - there are some costs associated with ebooks that don't come into play with the print versions.

1) DRM - gotta pay for that technology...which hackers can break faster than the legit guys can dream it up
2) Delivery - there has to be a delivery back-end needed to deliver the ebooks to the buyer

The print version's costs versus the ebook's cost...it doesn't add up. Here is the reality of ebooks - once the file is edited and sent off to the printer you are only one step away from an ebook. All that is left is to format it to the specs required by .pdf, .epub, .prc designers and toss in the DRM and voila - you have an ebook ready to be sold.

Yes, that is a bit of a simplification but the basic information is there. In order to create the four 'standard' formats...it takes less than 20 minutes apiece and you end up with a product that could conceivably be available for sale until the end of time.

So let's look at a Kindle title, No Rest For The Wicked by Kresley Cole. On Amazon the paperback price is...7.99. Guess what the Kindle price is...7.99. What are they thinking? Where is the enticement to buy the ebook?

There isn't one.

I already have the a Prime account that I pay 79.00 a year for so I have free shipping on whatever I buy (yes, I place that many orders!) it would make no sense for me to buy the ebook. Why?

1) no discount for the fact that the overhead is less than half for the ebook as it is the print
2) I have nothing to show for it. eBooks can't be resold but if I buy the print one, I can get a few dollars out of it at the used bookstore.
3) I already paid 359.00 (no shipping though! ) for the Kindle so there's no way I would pay full price for the paperback - a discount should be automatic if you want me to buy your hardware...which you're making money off of anyway. Make a decision, make money off the device or the book but not both - unkewl.
4) I can buy the same 7.99 for roughly 6.00 at my local Target, WalMart etc.

The Cole title came out in 2006 while J.R. Ward's Lover Eternal (also 7.99) came out in 2006 and the Kindle price is...6.39. Not great in my opinion but more managable.

And the best one of all...Jim Butcher's Small Favor is a 9.99 paperback...and the Kindle version was 11.99 (it has been repriced to 7.99). No one will ever be able to make a rational explanation to me as to why this should be okay.

My response? Buy ebooks from the smaller presses - the prices are better and if you buy from a good-quality, reputable press - the books are excellent too.

10 Greatest Rock & Roll Frontmen Ever

2009-03-27T13:36:00.003-04:00

13 - Steven Perry - Journey is underrated in my opinion. Because they were pop-rock most of the R&R mainstream snubbed them for being 'girly'. They can say what they want but Perry's amazing vocal range is undeniable.

12 - Bret Michaels - not a fan of Poison and after watching one of his 'reality' shows where he proves he's a sexiest child (Hey Bret - women are more than their bust size) - you can't deny his vocal range. That gruff, sexy voice is pretty damned hot.

11 - Ronnie James Dio - Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Dio - When it comes to the classic heavy metal voice - this man is it. Don't believe me? Go find a copy of his 1983 (Dio) Holy Diver and listen to Rainbow in the Dark - nuff said.

10 - Ozzy Osbourne - Black Sabbath wasn't the same without him.

9 - Axl Rose - Okay, he is a self-centered egotistical butt-wipe, but his voice was memorable. But JC, he's not dead... No he isn't but he might as well be. Chinese Democracy? Puhleeze...

8 - Tom Petty - I'm a huge fan of Petty even though he sounds like three miles of bad road. He's also a brilliant songwriter.

7 - Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) - excellent voice and amazing stage presence.

6 - James Hetfield - Metallica, what more can I say?

5 - Elvis Presley - I'm not an Elvis fan but you can't deny his vocal talents. Overlook the rock and roll he did and take a listen to the gospel songs. Utterly fabulous.

4 - Steven Tyler - That man is STILL hot and his vocal range is impressive. Any man who can hit those notes and not have to cut off his balls to achieve it - he's aces in my book.

3 - Robert Plant - Led Zeppelin need I say more? Stairway to Heaven wouldn't be the same without his voice.

2 - Rob Zombie - The voice is meh...but his stage presence is worth the cost of a ticket.

1 - Chad Kroeger (Nickleback) - Probably one of the best voices out there today.

Who else should be on (or off) the list?

What the hell?

2009-03-18T17:59:00.002-04:00

Just a few things that threaten to spin my head off my shoulders...

A woman in Ohio receives food stamps and she owns a 300k home (fully paid off), has 80k in her savings account and drives a Mercedes...but because she has no income, she is 'eligible'. Hmm...selfish much?

I use a wireless keyboard and mouse, both bought at the same time in the same package from one company. Why in the hell do they use two different types of batteries?

Laura Ingraham - This woman makes other women look bad. Megan McCain (John McCain's daughter) is a blogger and she commented upon Ann "I dress like a hooker" Coulter's politics saying that she was radical and dangerous. This Laura woman (who is she again?) called Megan an overweight valley girl...

Huh? Is that all you've got? My father always told me that if I couldn't express myself eloquently then I just needed to keep my mouth shut. Too bad Ingraham's father didn't tell her the same.

Who is she again?

The age-old conundrum - why do hotdogs come in packs of ten while buns come in packs of eight? I'll never understand that one...

BWAH....

2009-03-18T17:44:00.005-04:00

I must have one. Thanks to Dave Navarro for the heads up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-sN8gL-v9w

Since when does Blogger not allow YouTube videos? Another reason to leave blogger behind...

The latest news...

2009-03-16T17:43:00.002-04:00

Boy it's been a while since I've posted. Went to Portland Oregon for Celebrate Romance - what a fabulous city. Tons of bookstores, coffee shops and these fabulous little indie stories all over the place. Portland is a city with personality...so unlike where I live.

Oh, and the conference was good too. :)

Men of SWAT

2009-02-22T12:40:00.002-05:00

It's past time for a Men of SWAT update. I've picked up the series again and I'm working on a sexy short that has no name as of yet. This will be Ro's story (Miranda's sister) and it will be a rockin' good time. I anticipate it will be out in late summer or early fall so stay tuned for the details!

PS - I'm so glad to be working on this series again - I do so love those boys in blue. :)

Latest Shadow Dweller News

2009-02-22T12:27:00.002-05:00

I've been receiving a flood of emails asking about my Shadow Dweller series so I thought I'd answer here.

Currently, only the first two of the six titles are now available. One With The Hunger and Retribution. I received the rights back to the other four titles in October. Once I find them a home, I will be continuing the series. Not only is Renault's book (yumEE) still in the wings, there's also the Shadow Hunter series still crowding my head.

By mid-April I whould have a solid plan in place so stay tuned!

WLW - Think positive

2009-02-18T06:22:00.003-05:00

Good morning!

It's Weight Loss Wednesday and I'm pleased to report I've hit a milestone. Drum Roll Please...

I've lost a total of 45 pounds. BOOYah. :)

Let me tell you that every single pound has been a struggle. If I have to fight this hard to lose a pound at my current weight, I don't even want to think about what it will be like 145lbs from now. :(

Lately I seem to be on a seesaw from hell. Last week I hit the 45th pound and was working on number 46 then WHAM - gained three pounds. There is no reason that I can discern. I didn't do the candy bar polka or dive face first into a cake. So I'm still working on getting those three pounds back off and outta here. The best part is people are now noticing I'm losing - myself included. I have some shirts that were tight around the belly - my zone of HELL - and now they are loosening up. My old sweat pants are about to hit the charity bag because...well...they fall down. :)

So how are you doing?

Many people have emailed me to ask what I'm doing to lose the weight. First is what I call, Intentional Exercise. I go to the pool three days a week for one hour each day. This week I've added one more day of intentional exercise and my plan is to finish my bedroom this week. (I've been redecorating - don't ask).

Food - my calorie intake varies from 1400 to 1800 depending upon what I'm doing that day. Most doctors will tell you to pick a calorie level and stay there but it doesn't work well with me. It almost feels like my body gets used to that calorie level and wham - I stop losing. So I try to mix it up a bit and that usually helps. I might spend a week at 1400 then increase to 1600 for a few days then back to 1400 - might not work for you but it does for me. Then again I have quite a bit to lose so I have that luxury.

Breakfast - For me I need to keep it as simple as possible. A protein shake and fruit. I use a powdered shake with skim milk and on pool days I use Slim Fast. My fruit is a banana when I have them in the house - they keep me full. I usually have breakfast around 7:30 am - gotta hit the pool early. No fruit? I eat yogurt. I'll be honest, I don't like the light stuff so I stick with the 6oz yoplait line.

Snacks are a little tricky and this is when I'm most likely to go astray. My snacks vary from granola bars to yogurt, fruit, cheese and crackers - my only guideline is to keep it around 150 calories or so. I usually try to avoid sweet things as they will trigger you to eat more.

Lunch - High protein! My favorite lunches are Big, Big salad with lean meat, strawberries, feta cheese, pasta on occasion, chicken, steak, fish - something like that. I will have a small amount of bread or crackers but this is the end of my bread for the day. This is also my biggest meal of the day.

Snack time is around 3 - did you know your metabolism dips around this time every day? This is what drives you to the snack machine. My afternoon snack is usually protein or fruit.

Dinner - small meal. Usually meat and two veggies. No carbs.

Snack - same as above. I will allow myself to have a little something sweet here. Check out the Weight Watchers desserts or low fat ice cream, pudding etc.

Emergency snacks - My emergency snacks are low fat cheese, granola bars or those 100 calorie packs. I'm still ingesting more sugar than I'd like but that seems to be the hardest thing for me to break. I can leave the chips alone but sugar? It's my kryptonite.

I'm off to the pool - wish me luck!

Light at the end of the tunnel...

2009-01-31T21:06:00.002-05:00

I'm pushing through the final edits on the third Jane Porter novella, Reinventing Jane Porter. I'm about two weeks behind where I'd wanted to be but what can you do when life intrudes? It's the last day of January and it feels like the past 31 days were squished into four hours and I slept through half of it. :)

I just keep telling myself that no matter what happens the manuscript is due Sunday at midnight so at 12:01, I can fall down and sleep for two days straight. Or, at the least, I will spend a few days zoning out in front of the television watching the thirty hours of shows I've DVRed because I was trying to get caught up on writing...

Its a vicious cycle.

A question of...morality?

2009-01-29T20:45:00.003-05:00

I belong to a writer's group and every year they have a big contest to judge the work of their peers (koff) and drama is never far behind. Every year there is teeth gnashing, hair pulling - you name it - and I can only roll my eyes so much before it becomes too much effort to do even that much and I'm reaching that point now.

So on the email loop for said group the conversation has turned to...the contest. One of the authors mentioned some judges were sending back books (meaning they won't read them for judging) that were Erotic Romance not because it wasn't to their liking - it was a question of MORALITY.

Rut-row (ScoobieDoo imitation)

I cannot tell you how sick and tired, tired and sick, weak and weary I am of the mentality that writing sex is immoral. I've got news for the woman who wrote this - if it weren't for sex she wouldn't be here. (I know, its like telling a child that the Easter Bunny doesn't exist but sometimes life is just tough and you've got to take like a big girl)

I don't think those who write sweet or inspirational romances aren't having good sex. I also don't believe all 'moral' people wait until marriage to have sex. Why would someone pass judgement like that on erotic romance? Saying you don't like it or don't read it is one thing, saying it is a question of morality is completely different. It carries the implication that the author of the comment is morally superior to those of us who enjoy writing and reading ER.

It just makes you shake your head doesn't it? I feel sorry for her - she must lead a very small life and only feels better when she's looking down on someone else.

One of the most important lessons my father taught me was that no man is superior to another, period.

Free eBooks!

2009-01-29T15:16:00.001-05:00

Come and get 'em.....

http://www.harlequincelebrates.com

I Read Romance

2009-01-27T09:28:00.004-05:00

There is a great romance website (www.ireadromance.com) and they are starting up their own chat list and guess what...they will talk about BOOKS. What a concept, a romance list actually talks about books. No drive by author promos, no random promotional companies spamming you with ads...

The grand opening is Friday and I will be one of the featured authors! So stop on by because I'll be posting exclusive excerpts from Educating Jane Porter and Rites of Spring, the second installment in the Coven series.

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/i_read_romance/)

Love Romances & More Award

2009-01-22T12:35:00.002-05:00

I just received the fabulous news that Winter's Daughter took second place in the Love Romances & More Best Book 2008 awards for Best Mystery / Suspense. I am utterly thrilled to have been nominated let alone taking second. (It was a tie with Josh Lanyon & Sarah Black's Partner's In Crime)

I cannot convey to you what this book means to me. Writers are always encouraged to write the book of our heart and Winter's Daughter is just that book. Of all of my characters Syn is the one I feel the most deeply.

I'm hard at work on the sequel, Rites of Spring, and this is Syn's younger sister Chloe's story.

For more information on Winter's Daughter -http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599989867?ie=UTF8&tag=homeofjcwild-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1599989867

Upcoming Workshop

2009-01-21T13:21:00.000-05:00

PR Isn’t a 4-Letter Word

Self-promotion. Say the word aloud in a room full of authors and watch a fingernails-on-the-blackboard shudder run through the crowd. Promotion can be a scary drain on time and finances. But there are also many entertaining and often free opportunities to get one’s name in front of readers.

Marcia James and over 20 PR-savvy guest lecturers—Melissa Alvarez, Dianne Castell, Kate Douglas, Carol Ann Erhardt, Karen Harper, Susan Gee Heino, Donna Hill, Linda Keller, Laurie Kingery, Karen McCullough, Donna MacMeans, Janice Maynard, Beth Morrow, Jenna Petersen, Patricia Sargeant, Barbara Satow, Jenn Stark, Jennifer Stevenson, Kay Stockham, DeNita Tuttle and J.C. Wilder—will present affordable author self-promotion strategies from author branding and press kits to blog/chatroom opportunities and niche markets.

The speaker fees will be donated to Best Friends Animal Society (http://www.bestfriends.org/), which has the largest no-kill animal shelter in the U.S. For workshop registration information, go to the Yosemite Romance Writers’ site: http://www.yosemiteromancewriters.com/6.html - you have to scroll down to find it. :)

Misplaced Treasures

2009-01-20T09:55:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I was in my closet - you just never know where I'll turn up - and I found a case of book from my keeper shelf. Well, in this case I guess I'd call it a Keeper Closet because I have so many Keepers that it would take an entire room to display them all.

So who was in my Keeper box? Old Sharon Sala including the first McCall titles, three Debbie Macomber titles and...Elizabeth Elliott. I knew EE from the CompuServe LitForum back in the mid nineties. She wrote three books, Warlord, Betrothed and Scoundrel, then vanished. If I remember correctly, there was an illness in her family or something of that nature. If you can find these three books - BUY THEM. They are beautifully written medieval historicals that combine romance with some of the grit from those times. I love medieval titles and just seeing these little gems again made me smile.

It also caused me to remember why I started writing in the first place. I love everything about romance novels. The adventure of finding love, the meshing of two lives, the trials and the victories and most of all, overcoming whatever obstacles face them.

Happy sigh.

As I poured through my misplaced treasures - you should've seen me just running my hands over my beloved books and grinning like a fool - and I started thinking about how much romance novels have changed over the past 15 years. When I started writing in the ninties, erotic romance was the exception not the rule. The only authors writing ER was Susan Johnson, Thea Devine and Bertrice Small. I've always written ER starting with my first book, One With The Hunger. In reading it now, you'd probably think it was tame but back then...girllll....I got so much crap for that knife scene. Reviewers said I was glorifying violence against women, that I wrote kink....blah blah blah.

In ER now if the couple doesn't use some sort of toy then people don't think its hot enough. Spanking or menage rules the day along with GLBT (specifically m/m) and straight sex (no kink) seems to have faded into the background. What's going on here? I love ER or I wouldn't write it. But when I started looking through my Keepers (and I have hundreds) not a single one was an ER title. Somewhere I have my stack of early Susan Johnson's - it was her books that convinced me it was okay to not only write the naughty stuff but to enjoy it too.

But romance isn't about SEX. Can you believe it - I said that and the sky didn't fall. Who knew? :) Sarcasm is the next hot accessory in fashion...

Sex is certainly a component, but it isn't the end all be all of a romance novel. More and more I'm seeing books that are high in sex and low in plot or the 'sex as plot' books. When did the character arc turn into a guideline rather than the rule? I like sexy books, but none of my keepers are the hot stuff. Why? Because good sex doesn't equate to a solid, lasting relationship. Would you love your spouse any less if they couldn't have sex?

Looking at my career, in general, my writing has become hotter and hotter. I never write anything that I don't love, period. But in working on my latest project, I caught myself looking for ways to inject more heat in to the manuscript. The plotline does lend itself to being very sexy but love scenes should work to move the plot forward - not for titilation. Love scenes should explore character and work to cement the bond between the characters not to increase the sex count. The interesting thing is I couldn't figure out why the book was giving me fits. I was fighting writing it, it felt so forced and just plain wrong. Yes, writers do get sucked into trying to write to the market. I've seen it happen many times and it sa great way to kill a career. If you don't write what you love, you will burn out pretty fast.

My solution? I emailed my editor to ask for more time and she agreed because she's a goddess. :) I then went back to the manuscript and tore it in half - three weeks worth of work now gone. But its okay, is what the book needed. The last thing I want is to write something that not only cheats the readers but also the characters. I love, love, love romance novels and in finding that box I now remember WHAT it is I loved and why I started writing.

So what books are in my Keeper box?
Sharon Sala - Chance McCall, Queen
Dinah McCall - Jackson Rule, Dreamcatcher, Tallchief
Katherine Kinglsey - No Sweeter Heaven
Elizabeth Elliott - Soundrel, Warlord, Betrothed
Robyn Carr - The House on Olive Street

WLW: Updates

2009-01-15T12:26:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know it isn't Wednesday...but I didn't manage to post yesterday so git over it. :)

It was a good week - I lost two more pounds. Even more exciting is that is, right now, as I type I'm wearing a pair of jeans that I haven't been able to fit into in more than a year. Now THAT is what I call progress.

So far I've lost a grand total of 38 pounds but honestly, I don't see it. I know I feel much better, have less pain in my knees, have more energy, but I don't see it when I look in the mirror. A friend said my face was thinner and my response was 'That's nice but a smaller face will only make my belly look even BIGGER." LOL!

That's why I'm excited about wearing the jeans. I could wear them this time last year, but breathing was optional and if I was bending over - it was impossible. Now I'm not going to say they are totally comfy now - but I can breathe this time around so I'll take that as a victory.

So who caught Oprah on Monday? One of her guests was Erik Chopin from The Biggest Loser 3. In total, he lost 214 pounds and now, three years later, he's gained 107 pounds back. IMO, Erik is the reality of weight loss.

Statistics say that 95% of people who diet and lose weight will gain it back. In most cases, they will gain what they've lost and thensome. That's certainly been the case with me. I've lost at least 600 pounds in my lift and I'm still 200 pounds overweight. Did I weigh 1000 pounds? Nope but sometimes it feels like it.

It started in high school. I was around 230 and I was 5 foot 11 inches. (I say that because I'm SHRINKING DAMMIT!) I lost 70 pounds by not eating and taking diet pills. Three years later I was in the mid two hundreds...went to Weight Watchers and back then the scales only went to 250 and they made me feel like crap because they had to jump through hoops to weigh me. I'm still not a WW fan but if it works for you - go for it. :) Lost weight...gained more back... In my early thirties I went to Jenny Craig...lost 90 pounds...gained more back...I think you get the picture. I think I'm like most people when it comes to weight loss. We're of the idea that once we get 'it' and we lose the weight then we're done - the problem is cured. Oh how wrong we are.

After watching Oprah and Erik's conversation I have finally (well hopefully its the LAST time) decided that weight is something to be managed like a serious illness. People can live with AIDS or Lupus or CFS because they work their lifestyle to take their illness into account. They actively work to be healthy, to stay healthy, to get enough rest, take vitamins etc.

Weight loss is something to be managed, not overcome. I will never be free of needing to watch what I eat and chances are neither will you. Sucks doesn't it? But here is the deal - embrace it now because if you wait until after you've lost weight then gained it back plus another 15 - you'll be kicking yourself hard like I did. And that really sucks.

So how was your week?

Creepy...

2009-01-14T08:05:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else think the Burger King guy is creepy?

Yeah, me too.

Closet Update

2009-01-10T11:39:00.002-05:00

So I'm still working on the Great Purge of 2009. Three weeks ago I began sifting through the flotsam and jetsum of my life to rid myself of the clutter. I'm looking for the key pieces that have sentimental value (such as my father's tobacco pipes) or items that make my heart lift (my selection of gypsy-chic skirts) and I'm bringing them out into the light of day. All too often we end up burying what we love under the daily clutter and I'm done with that nonsense.

So today I tackled the closet in my new bedroom. This is not a big room but the closet is a decent size and it was packed from stem to stern. I cleaned this closet out about a year ago but you'd never have known that by looking at it. Slowly but surely it was filled up again by clutter that I didn't have room for.

So what little nuggets of fun did I find?

A bag of clothing in a size that I won't fit into in at least a year. I vaguely remember someone giving me clothing but I couldn't even tell you who it was. Those will fit a friend perfectly so I've created a pile for her.

Two pairs of houseslippers I bought last year then buried...

More candles than any one person should own. Those are being shipped out to a special shelf in the garage.

The biggest collection of broomstick skirts known to God and man. I love those crinkle skirts because they pack well in a suitcase and they're super simple to throw on and go. Little did I know that I'd somehow amassed at least 15 of them. Since you store them all wadded up I found them tucked into crevases of the clutter the way a real rat would pack their den!

Jackets I'd thought I'd gotten rid of a few years ago.

A zip drive in the box. Do people still use these?

A suede duster I'd forgotten I even owned.

Clothes...clothes...clothes...

The scary part is I still have another closet to go!

Writing Update

2009-01-09T16:37:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm supposed to be writing - I've allowed myself to become diverted by a lively thread over at Dear Author (http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2009/01/08/elloras-cave-sues-borders-for-1000000/) and all I can say is that some people have their own special brand of crazy.

I'm putting the finishing touches on Reinventing Jane Porter coming in May from Samhain Publishing...

WLW - It's a new year!

2009-01-07T08:22:00.006-05:00

Good morning my fellow BBW's and BBB's (big beautiful boys!).

It's a new year and the counter is set to zero. If you're like me and you had a rough-weight year in 2008 then its time to put that behind you. Do you know the difference between those who succeed and those who get bigger?

Perseverence.

Today, anything you did before now doesn't count. Did you lose 10 pounds only to gain 15? I did - gained 18 actually - but that's behind me. What I did in 08 doesn't count - what counts is what I do today...and tomorrow...and the next day.

I did gain 18 lbs in 08 and I own it. Yes there were health issues involved but that doesn't explain why I chose to eat ice cream rather than something healthier. Those were my decisions and while they weren't very smart, I'm not going to make excuses for it. The best news...the very very best news is that I actually LOST 5.8 pounds between thanks giving and new years.

I'LL TAKE IT! :)

How about you - are you ready to shed some weight for once and for all?

Blogging!

2009-01-05T14:12:00.001-05:00

I'm the featured blogger over at TRS Blue - http://trsblue.blogspot.com/ Go check out my adventure - its worth the trip. :)

Teenage Anthems

2009-01-04T15:27:00.004-05:00

Music has always been very important to me and if you've read my bio, you already know that I travelled with an alternative rock band in the 90's. I can't imagine my life without music and almost every hour of the day I will be listening to something.

Welcome To My Nightmare - Alice Cooper - A true legend of rock and roll - my mother was appalled when I bought this album. Of course scaring my parents was part of the appeal of AC. :)

Back In Black - AC/DC - Classic rock & roll. First release with Brian Jones as the singer - it was an instant classic.

Cum On Feel The Noise - Quiet Riot - It was a mix of hair/pop/heavy metal. The song is a cover of the original by Slade and I used to just crank this sucker up - drove Mom crazy. The lead singer Kevin DuBrow died in 2008 of a cocaine overdose and it was sad. He was a consumate showman.

Video Killed The Radio Star - The Buggles - First song played on MTV - just a fun, bouncy song.

Breaking The Law - Judas Priest - The Godfathers of Rock and Roll - I heard this song and that was it - I was hooked. I saw them in concert twice and they were most excellent.

Love Hurts - Nazareth - I can't say much about the band as I don't remember anything else they did. When I began going to concerts in the late 70's and early 80's it seemed that Nazareth opened for every heavy metal show there was.

More Than A Feeling - Boston - It came out several years before I really got into music but the vocal range of this singer just stunned me. Brad Delp passed away in 2007. One of my favorite mix CDs contains a selection of songs with Boston - just fun bouncy music.

Kashmir - Led Zepplin - Another song that came out before my rock and roll heyday but the moment I heard it I was hooked. Physical Graffitti is, in my opinion, one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time.

Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppellin - LZ was a pivotal band for me. What a sexy song!

Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd - The Wall is one of the greatest rock albums of all time. I spent many hours of my life zoning out to The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon. Roger Waters is one of the greatest song writers of all time.

Dirty Deeds - AC/DC - I cried when Bon Scott died. I was a huge fan and had seen them twice live before I was 16. This song is what turned me on to heavy metal and I've never looked back.

Photograph - Def Leppard - Fun music, I still grin when I hear any of their hits - Pour Some Sugar On Me, Foolin', Armageddon It, Let's Get Rocked - good old fashioned rock and roll.

I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett - Who knew women could rock? Watching her was an eye-opening event for me.

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen - In sixth grade we had a music class that started out exploring all types of music. We were asked to bring in our favorite records (45's actually) and most kids brought in the Carpenters and Captain and Tenille - I showed up with this song. Says a lot about me doesn't it? Freddie Mercury died in 1991 and the music world has yet to recover.

By-Tor and the Snow Dog - Rush - From their first album Fly by Night - this song made numerous appearances on various albums. This was the first band I ran into that was as much about the music as it was the lyrics. Full of mythical themes - I loved the stuff.

Run To The Hills - Iron Maiden - Easily the precursor to speed metal, this song is one of the most difficult to master due to the blistering speed of the guitars. Many guitar players said learning this song gave them cramps in their fingers. :)

Running With The Devil - Van Halen - Eddie Van Halen is a guitar legend and his riffs are among some of my favorites. I saw VH in concert 3 or 4 times and to this day I will say they had one of the best stage shows of the 80's.

Paranoid - Black Sabbath - Ozzy and Sabbath - the first heavy metal band (its either them or Judas Priest) of its kind - they started a revolution.

Rock You Like A Hurricane - Scorpions - When I bought my first car stereo (1984) I had the tape of this album (Love At First Sting) and I had it queued up to this song as my 'first' song on my new stereo. I got in my car and just blasted it. I'm surprised my car didn't fall apart from the vibrations. :)

Last Child - Aerosmith - If you're looking for pure vintage American Metal - this song and this band is it. Raw, shocking evocative - I've been an Aerosmith fan ever since.

Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne - It's Ozzy, what can I say?

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T11:40:00.002-05:00

Check out my post at http://www.thesamhellion.com - I wrote about Today.
Enjoy!

It's Grinch-a-polooza Time!

2008-12-23T11:48:00.000-05:00

Tired of the holidays? Are you ready to strangle the next person who says 'Happy Holidays' to you? Do you secretly dream of capturing Santa and putting him to work cleaning out your garage?

If you answered yes to any of these questions - Come join J.C. Wilder and Friends at the Annual Grinch-a-polooza chat event!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/samhaincafe/

The fun begins at 6pm EST on December 24th. So grab a cup (or bottle) of your favorite libation, don your ugliest Christmas sweater and break out the matches - It's Grinch time...

Dignity

2008-12-22T19:53:00.000-05:00

http://ihasahotdog.com

eBook Piracy

2008-12-22T16:44:00.004-05:00

From the moment eBooks were created, pirates have reared their fat, ugly heads. They distribute our books for free without a single thought given to the fact that authors work hard to create their novels and should be rewarded for that hard work - not ripped off because its the easy thing to do.

In the past two weeks, several people have emailed me to let me know various people are giving away my books. One intrepid soul was giving away six of my novels.

Six.

Over three years worth of work given away to anyone who happened to find their website. One pirate had a copy of my brand new release, Seducing Jane Porter, up for grabs and it had been downloaded 167 times. That is approximately $140.00 out of my pocket.

Seeing that is only ONE pirate, can you image how much authors are losing each and every day? If the pirate who had six of my novels up for grabs were to give away 167 copies of each one - that is 840.00 out of my pocket. That's enough to pay for my health insurance for two months...it would make my car payment plus insurance for two months...two months of groceries...

And thats only two pirates out of tens of thousands. The worst part is when you find one pirate they are usually linked to others...and those are linked to more pirates...it doesn't end.

Looking at those kinds of numbers I have to wonder why I even bother to write. If readers are going to download my work for free, why even do it? I can just get a full time job with benefits and not have to worry about being ripped off. If I'm going to be disrespected then at least I should get health insurance out of it.

I love books...I love reading...I love writing...and to have readers steal my work is the ultimate slap in the face. What happens to readers when authors stop writing and there's nothing left to read?

Stop ebook piracy now. You're hurting the very same people who create that which you adore. Is it worth saving 5.00 knowing you're taking payment away from someone whose work you admire? Those who put time and energy into creating the books we all love are being hurt and its time to stop the bleeding before more of us walk away from doing what we love the most.

Save an author, buy an eBook.

Tis the season of plenty...

2008-12-21T12:43:00.003-05:00

We are a country drowning in commercialism. Everywhere you turn someone vies to get into your pockets and liberate you from your cash. Buy, buy, buy...more, more, more...bigger, bigger, bigger...

The holidays are here and you're about to receive more stuff than you will ever need, want or desire. Sheets that you will tuck away and find a year later only to realize you never used them. Clothing that isn't your style, the wrong color, the wrong fit - etc. Do you really need one more sweater? One more pair of shoes? One more jacket? More bath towels?

I know I don't.

This past year I've been redoing my bedroom and today I walked in there to realize I had as much if not more stuff in that room than when I started. Over the year I've purchased more bits and pieces - clothing, shoes, linens etc - and somehow all of it ended up in the one empty room in the house. The same room where I labored to paint the walls and celiling - the same room I need to somehow squeeze my queen sized bed into. At this point there is no way I can move back into my freshly painted room - I have no space!

Whats up with that?

It's time to seriously downsize. I've been in give-away mode most of the year. I've donated about 30 garbage bags of clothing, linens, curtains, sheets etc and I easily have that much more to give. I have 7 sets of sheets and I only use three of them so why am I keeping them?

So today I began seriously downsizing. My rules are:
-haven't worn it in the last six months - it goes
-don't like it - it goes
-have ten of them - at least 1/2 goes
-no more room - it goes

There are millions of people out of work and struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Millions who go hungry...who are homeless...who can't get a job because they don't have clean clothing...

You get the picture.

This year, why don't you give something you don't use to someone who who will? So, go look in your closet - what are you going to donate to charity today?

Manly Monday

2008-12-15T18:03:00.002-05:00

Mmmmm......I'll take two. :)

Defining Art

2008-12-13T18:57:00.004-05:00

At what point does art become craft? (Craft as in something you can do in your sleep such as painting a wall or using caligraphy on an envelope)

Warhol is considered one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century yet I have to wonder if he were to create the Cambell's soup can today if they would laugh him out of the art world. Let's face it, he didn't design the label - all he did was copy something that already existed and he didn't add any of himself to it. There are no changes, no interpretation of what he saw when he looked at a can - it is no different than a photograph.

So is it art because he painted it?

IMO, very little of Warhol's 'art' was something of his creation. He took images of the day and painted them - sometimes in colors different from the original but sometimes they were the like this soup can. He would also do custom colors - such as the soup can in blue - which someone would request because their living room was blue.

Where does art end...and craft begin?

In my mind, art is something you pour yourself into. Your art could be baking, gardening, decorating, writing, raising children, painting - whatever it is that turns you on. It's what gets you up in the morning and it burns bright in your body. It is the one thing you are willing to sacrifice everything else for.

So was Andy Warhol an artist? Yes...but I still think it's just a soup can. :)

WLW - Here we go again!

2008-12-10T12:09:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's Wednesday again. Boy time flies when you're HUNGRY. :) Just kidding.

This time of year is the hardest to keep yourself on the straight and narrow. Knowing this I set myself the goal of losing 15 pounds between Nov 26 and December 31. It roughly averages .5 pounds per day and yes, its been rough...but doable.

So far I've lost 7.8 pounds of my 15 - WOOT!

The most frustrating part is not seeing results. For a smaller person, losing 10 pounds is a dress size. For me, at my size, its more like 30 is a dress size. So I work and work and don't see a difference. Yes, I realize I will see one, but it would be nice to pull on a pair of pants and go..Hmm...these are a little loose. It hasn't happened yet - but it will. :)

How did your week go?

Santa's Younger Brother

2008-12-08T16:16:00.000-05:00

Ho
Ho
Ho
Holy smokes...

Priceless

2008-12-07T09:35:00.000-05:00

RWA - Same old song and dance...

2008-12-06T06:55:00.003-05:00

Recently the Romance Writers of America (www.rwanational.org) announced rule changes for their most coveted award...the RITA. The rule change is this, all books entered must be published by a non-vanity (author didn't self-publish), non-subsidy (author did not financially assist in said publishing) and the book must be mass-produced.

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the definition of mass-produced is: to produce in quantity usually by machinery.

Personally I don't care that they threw in the 'mass-produced' qualification - my issue is that once again, RWA is using non-quantitative terms for a rule that clearly has an undisclosed quantity attached. What is RWA's definition of mass-produced?

I've heard the random sum of a minimum print run of 500 books being bandied about. Okay - if that is the rule they are using, why not just fess up? Print it and there can be No Question as to the number of books produced at one time (ie mass-produced) rather then forcing the publishers to 'hope' they meet the mark?

After this declaration came out I spoke to management of some of the small presses, the same publishing houses that would possibly be excluded with this ruling, and this is what they told me:

- RWA has requested copies of distribution agreements - distribution agreements are the contracts between publishing houses and distributors like Ingrams and Baker & Taylor. In most cases, these contracts are confidential.

- They have also requested sales records - once again, proprietary information.

- They have also requested copies of discount schedules - I believe these are the discount levels given for either purchase amounts (meaning if Ingrams purchases 1000 copies they receive X amount off or if they purchase 5000 copies they receive xy) once again, this information is confidential and different for every publisher.

WTF?

For those of us old broads, doesn't this smack of the nonsense that went on in 2000 and 2001? Back then it was the discussion of what constituted a published book - the first number was 1500 copies sold (in which RWA requested sales records and distribution agreements - see above) and then it was magically changed to 5000 copies sold.

What is it with RWA that they feel they should be privy to information that no publisher would ever think of turning over to them? If a publisher were to give them a copy of the distribution agreement (which is negotiated with each publisher) it is well within the distributors right to either sue or negate the contract. So basically RWA is asking the small presses to put their professional relationships on the line in order to enter a contest that most readers don't know about anyway.

Uh...how about no?

A message to RWA:

When are you going to become inclusive rather than exclusive? Over the years the board has wasted a great deal of time (and money) coming up with rules that are ultimately thrown out or altered later when they realize the error of their ways.

If 500 mass-produced books is the magical, unwritten target - what is to stop a POD publisher from ordering 500 copies of each title for authors who want to enter the RITA?

If the publishers buy a super-fancy copier that can bind books and they create 500 books at one time - don't they qualify?

I am so deathly sick and tired, tired and sick, weak and weary of all the crap the board comes up with to try and keep 'those books' out of the reindeer games. At this point I honestly have to ask myself - what are they afraid of? Are they scared that a small press title will win the RITA and then (gasp) all sorts of small press authors will want to enter?

I've got news for you - a small press book already finaled in the RITAs years ago - Oracle from Lionhearted Publishing - a publisher that would not be allowed to enter today...

RWA's attitude toward small presses is so 1970's - are they ever going to see the error of their ways and quit trying to disenfranchise a growing segment of their membership.

Or maybe the bigger question is, when are the small press authors going to wise up and tell RWA to piss off instead of getting their panties in a twist over a ruling that will have no impact on their careers?

I'm Bloggin'

2008-12-04T11:25:00.001-05:00

Come on over to:

http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog

WLW - Just keeps getting better and better!

2008-12-03T19:32:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's scale time - I've lost (drumroll) 3.8 lbs this week. WOOT!

Of course I want a Snickers to celebrate. :)

WLW - Victory is mine!

2008-11-26T07:11:00.002-05:00

Greetings Readers - yes, it's Wednesday again. I know it's painful and I feel for you. So put down your Snickers bar and strip down to your bare skin - it's scale time. Since I started up WLW again, I've lost a total of six pounds.

Well - I think it should be 6.2 pounds because I was wearing my socks on the scale. :)

It's been a struggle - no lying here. And we're heading into the most calorie laden time of the year. Some of my tricks to keep my butt from taking over my zip code are:
- Water, it's all about the water. The more you drink, the more you'll lose. It keeps you hydrated and it helps you to feel full sooner.
- Going to a friend's for dinner? Volunteer to bring a fruit or veggie plate.
- Don't deprive yourself. I'm not a fan of stuffing so I'm safe there, but I do love mashed potatoes and gravy. My trick is to take a smaller portion and for every bite of that decadent dish, take two bites of veggies and big water.
- Desserts - did you know pumpkin pie has the least amount of calories of all pies? 1/8 of a pie sans whipped cream, is about 300 calories. Light whipped cream (in a moderate amount!) can add 25 - 50 extra calories.
- Snacking - think raw and avoid processed. Veggies w/ cream cheese are tasty and filling.

What are your strategies for watching the calories?

WLW: Where I Am Now

2008-11-19T21:02:00.004-05:00

The Numbers - 6 :)

Yes ma'am - I've lost a total of six pounds and let me say, each pound has been a struggle. I admit, I'm having a really difficult time just keeping myself on my program. I accept full responsibility for what I put in my mouth - and I realize that willpower alone will accomplish nothing - but I feel like every meal is an uphill battle lately.

What's really frustrating for me is that in general, I eat pretty healthy. I love veggies, salad, fruit and while I have a weakness for carbs, it's already ingrained in me to eat the bulk of my carbs by lunchtime. I just seem to be HUNGRY all the time! GRRR....

I am an emotional eater and it doesn't help that it is abnormally cold here in Ohio. I have a tendency to hibernate when the weather is really cold so I'm fighting against staying inside and being warm and getting my chubby butt outside in the cold for some exercise. Lame excuse - I know. The good news is that I have been hitting the pool three times a week and that is helping out a lot.

So my goal for the week is get back on track, stay on track and have a good week. What's your goal?

My blog has won an award!

2008-11-18T15:45:00.003-05:00

The oh-so-fabulous Tilly Greene has nominated my blog - this very page that you're reading, for the I heart your blog award. The award originated from The Romance Studio - Tilly won then nominated me.

Thanks, doll!

Okay so the things I'm suppose to do are:

Add the logo of your award to your blog - There it is, all nice and shiny

Add a link to the person who awarded it to you - She's up above.

Nominate at least 7 other blogs - its going to be tough!

Add links to those blogs on your blog - I can do that.

Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs - I can do that too - I love to hit blogs and add comments. :)

My Nominees:

http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ - You can't love romance and not appreciate these bitch-divas.

http://www.goodbadandunread.com/ - I'm always looking for something good to read.

http://www.karenknowsbest.com/ - Love her or hate her, she always tells it like it is.

http://www.dearauthor.com/ - book reviews and more

http://ladiesoftheclub.blogspot.com/ - a group of wildly talented authors who share their work and their lives.

http://projectrungay.blogspot.com/ - I loves me some Tom and Lorenzo - that are just FAB.

http://www.topmodelgossip.com/ - I can't help it, I'm an Americas Next Top Model Junkie

Corporate Bad Guys

2008-11-17T10:45:00.003-05:00

Small Publisher's Feel the Power of Amazon's BUY Button

This story began earlier in the year when Amazon demanded a deeper discount from some publisher's than is the norm which is 50%. This time around it is Hachette Publishing - a larger publisher in the UK.

The publisher’s chief executive, Tim Hely Hutchinson, sent a defiant letter to many of his authors explaining the “oddities” of vanishing buy buttons. The online retailer, he said, was demanding a bigger slice. Publishers traditionally sell books to retailers at a discount off the recommended retail price, but Amazon was demanding more than its existing 50 percent.

The dispute with Hachette is not the first in which Amazon has resorted to removing the “buy now” buttons for certain books. In the spring it started disabling the icons for some small publishers in the United States that resisted Amazon’s demand that they use an Amazon-owned company, BookSurge, for print-on-demand services. Amazon is the dominant seller of such titles.

I used to love Amazon when it was the new kid on the block. They were so cutting edge and offered the best discounts...then they turned into a corporate monolith intent upon screwing those of whom their income is dependent. As an author, I applaud Hachette for standing up to the suck-tastic bully that Amazon has become.

Amazon - you suck.

Book Recommendation: Hot, Wicked and Wild: Desiree Holt

2008-11-06T17:08:00.003-05:00

Blurb: Tracie Hill is having a bad day. Her boss has sold the investment company to a much larger corporation, a new boss with a reputation as a tyrant is arriving tomorrow morning, and she's just torn her last pair of pantyhose. As she's stripping them off to toss in the trash, she sees the most gorgeous man ever standing in her doorway. Then the power goes out, locking them inside.

It is a wild beginning for Tracie and sexy Pete Montgomery, but as they move in together and he introduces her to the erotic delights of a BDSM relationship and the excitement of an occasional ménage, she learns what she's been missing all these years. It isn't, however, until she accompanies Pete to a secluded island in the Caribbean, to a house party where the theme is "anything goes" that she learns just how uninhibited she can be. And whether Pete will finally claim her as his forever.

Excerpt:
She looked at him helplessly.
Then he burst out laughing.
“I’m glad you think this is so funny,” she spat at him.
“It’s priceless, is what it is.” He took off his blue blazer and dropped it and his tie on an armchair. “Do you know how many men would love to be marooned like this with a gorgeous female?”
Gorgeous? He thought she was gorgeous?
“I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me.” He moved closer to her.
She backed up until the desk hit her ass. “W-What do you have in mind?”
He flashed his wicked grin at her. “Well, let’s see. It appears we’re liable to be here for a while so we need to do something to pass the time.”
“Pass the time?” She sounded like a parrot.
“Mm-hmm. I’m not much of a card player. Chess, maybe but only an idiot would waste time alone with a beautiful woman playing chess.” He rubbed his jaw. “There’s always word games.”
She stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “You want to play word games?”
“Nope. I want to do this.” He was right up against her, his obviously swollen cock pressing into her belly, his face not more than an inch from hers. Then his arms came around her, pulling her tight against him and his mouth came down on hers.
Too shocked to even move, she opened her mouth to protest and his tongue swept in like a marauding bandit, tasting, touching stroking the lining of her mouth. His hands slid down to her ass, gripping it and pulling her closer. She couldn’t believe her own hands actually crept around his neck and her fingers threaded through his hair. This was a kiss beyond belief. He tasted of mint and fresh air and smelled of something delightfully spicy.
I’m kissing a man and I don’t even know who he is. My god! Well, wasn’t this her fantasy? Hadn’t she dreamed of this after the last fiasco with Rex? Meeting a gorgeous, sexy man, totally unknown and having wild, uncontrollable sex with him?
She pulled her head away a fraction. He hadn’t given her much room to maneuver.
“I don’t even know your name,” she gasped.
He flashed his magic grin. “Pete. Just call me Pete.”
“Tracie.” She was surprised she could even get out the word.
“What?” He stared at her with those hot emerald eyes, his face co close she could count his eyelashes. “What did you say?”
“Tracie,” she gasped. “My name is Tracie.”
“Oh. Well. Hi, Tracie, nice to meet you.”
Then his mouth came down on hers again, his tongue invading the inside of her mouth like a candle lighting the sensitive tissues and she felt herself melting again. What was left of her brain kicked in and she found the strength to pull back from him. She tried to push him away but he held her too close for any movement. His hands moved up and down her back, creating friction under the cloth of her dress.
“We can’t do this.” Her breath fell in uneven pants as she pushed at his chest again.
“I don’t know why not. Here we are, trapped in these offices, no idea when we’ll get out of this place. I’ve had a hard-on since the minute I laid eyes on you. And if the way you returned that kiss is any indication, you don’t exactly find me unappealing.”
“B-But we don’t even know each other.”
“Sure we do,” he grinned. “We just introduced ourselves. And we’re about to get to know each other a whole lot better. Right?”
While they were talking, he slid one hand down over her hip and ever so lightly eased up her skirt until his palm touched bare flesh.
Tracie jerked. What the hell does he think he’s doing?
“Touching that ass that looked so appealing when you were doing your mini-strip tease before.” He grinned at her.
She hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud and her face flooded with embarrassment. But she couldn’t make herself move away from him. His hand was like a burning coal on her ass, leaving traces of fire wherever he touched. Her mind shrieked Stop! but her body said, Don’t stop, you damn fool.
Pete dropped his mouth to her shoulders and began biting gently at the place where her neck and shoulder met. She felt liquid begin to seep from her body and wished she had panties on to absorb the moisture. This was nuts! She was creaming over a man she’d known for five minutes and letting him feel her bare ass.
And loving it! His presence somehow surrounded her and his male essence drugged her, put her off guard. All she had to do was look at him and she was wet, soaking, dripping.
“I… We… That is…” She couldn’t figure out what to say. He made her mind foggy with just the lightest of touches.
“Look at it this way.” He was still nipping her shoulder, sending feathers of sensation skittering along her spine. “Haven’t you ever wondered what it would be like to have hot, sweaty sex with a stranger? Someone you didn’t even know but who made you hotter than a burning log? Someone you could do anything with because you didn’t think you’d ever have to face them again?”

Hero: Lucy Burns

2008-11-03T19:39:00.003-05:00

Lucy Burns was a pivotal figure in the National Woman's Party. With her distinctive flame red hair, she is characterized as charming and a firebrand - she was crucial in supporting Alice Paul (the figurehead of the NWP) in the fight for the right to vote.

Born in Brooklyn, she attended Vassar College, Yale, Oxford and the University of Berlin in Germany. While at Oxford, Burns witnessed the British suffragist movement which was far more militant than the American movement.

In 1909, Burns became an activist and she perfected the art of street speaking. During her work for the Women's Social and Political Union, she was arrested multiple times and imprisoned four times.

Burns met Alice Paul in a London police station after both were arrested during a suffrage demonstration outside Parliament (London). Their alliance was powerful and ultimately changed our nation forever.

Burns returned to the US in 1912 (Paul in 1910) and they began to work with the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) as leaders of its Congressional Committee. In April 1913 they founded the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (CU), which later evolved into the NWP. Burns organized campaigns in the western states (1914, 1916), served as NWP legislative chairman in Washington, D.C., and, beginning in April 1914, edited the organization's weekly journal, The Suffragist .

Burns was a driving force behind the picketing of President Woodrow Wilson's administration in Washington, D.C. in early 1917. Six months later, she and other NWP members erected banners outside the White House declaring that America was not a free democracy as long as women were denied the vote. Later that month, Burns (and others) were arrested for obstructing traffic.

Burns was arrested and imprisoned six times during this time. She declared suffragists were political prisoners and she was among those in the Occoquan Workhouse who instigated hunger strikes in October 1917. Ultimately they were placed in solitary confinement.

She was jailed again while protesting the treatment of the imprisoned Alice Paul, Burns and others joined Paul and others in another round of Occoquan hunger strikes. Burns was present in Occoquan for what became known as the “Night of Terror” on November 15, 1917, during which she was beaten and handcuffed with her arms above her head in her cell. Brutal force feedings followed and the public outcry ultimately forced the President to release all of the suffragist from the workhouse.

After her release, Burns commenced nationwide speaking tours. After the success of the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote, Burns retired from public campaigns and spent the rest of her life working with the Catholic Church.

JC's Comment - Who said civil disobedience was a bad thing? If it wasn't for the NWP and their willingness to be arrested for their convictions - how long would women have had to wait for the right to vote? The suffragist movement began before the Civil War and the woman who'd started it all - Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were long dead.

Sometimes you have to be willing to take one for the team in order to accomplish what is best for many others. I think we forget that when it becomes crunch time.

Go, Vote.

Michael Moore - Free movie!

2008-11-02T19:17:00.004-05:00

Michael Moore has released his new movie online for FREE. Yes, free. You can download the entire movie here: http://slackeruprising.com/

Guest Blogger: Mechele Armstrong

2008-11-01T15:11:00.000-04:00

Title: Getting it right

It used to be to research things, you had to find a book and read it. Go talk to an expert on the subject. Read journals and papers.

Now we have Google. And Yahoo and several other Internet search engines that provide a myriad of results on a variety of subjects. We have International Movie Database (a show biz roster of who’s who and what’s what), many question and answer forums, and Wikipedia. And there are still books and experts out there to read and write to. Email makes conversations with experts even easier when you can jot off something to someone a half a world away.

When I write something, either set in a place I don’t know as well as I know where I live or in a different time period, I’m terrified I’m going to get something wrong. And unfortunately, I did get something wrong. I didn’t double check a fact and…busted, though it’s now fixed.
It taught me the importance of checking about three times from several different sources whatever I research.

But oddly enough, I’m not the only one who gets things wrong. I was amazed that Night at the Museum has a few facts wrong. The little monkey, for example, was in the wrong exhibit. He’s a Capuchin but is in the African Wing. Capuchins live in South America. I was quite shocked to find that out, especially as the museum is based on the Museum of Natural History in New York City.
But them I remember my mistake. And how we are all human. My father used to say, "Nobody’s perfect. That’s why they put erasers on pencils." And he was right. We all do slip up from time to time.

But, with all the resources available, I really don’t want to screw up a factoid in my books. I definitely try to minimize my errors.

A few my favorite links to research:
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.imdb.com/
http://www.etymonline.com/
http://thesaurus.reference.com
http://dictionary.reference.com/
http://www.squidge.org/~minotaur/classic/eroc.html (guide for writing slash fanfiction *not work safe*)

Feel free to list any good reference sites in comments.

I usually try and verify facts with a number of different sites. And read a book if I can on the subject. There is a lot of misinformation on the Internet.

A good rule of thumb to follow: Check your sources. Check your facts. And most of all, try to get it as right as you can.

Mechele Armstrong aka Lany of Melany Logen
http://www.mechelearmstrong.com
http://www.melanylogen.com

New Paperback Release!

2008-10-29T20:02:00.003-04:00

Winter's Daughter is now available in Trade Paperback. I am OVER the moon.

Latest Reviews for Winter's Daughter

"I can not wait for the rest of the Coven series. It is an absolute keeper!" Enchanting Reviews

"I read Winter's Daughter one Saturday, totally ignoring everything around me. Engaging, gripping, and page-turning are a few terms I would use to describe Matt and Syn and their path to the truth and lasting love. I will be keeping a close eye on Ms. Wilder's site to see when the next sister's book is going to come out. For all of these reasons and some I can't seem to put words to, I Joyfully Recommend Winter's Daughter." - Joyfully Reviewed

"Winter's Daughter is an excellent tale that is well balanced and one of those rare finds that you will want to revisit again." eMuse Mag

"The depths of J.C. Wilder's story drew me in immediately. Her characters walked right off the page and engaged me, as real as any person I know. Intrigue, magic, romance--Winter's Daughter captivated me and left me wanting more." ~Cheyenne McCray, USA Today bestselling author of SEDUCED BY MAGIC

"If you buy no other book this month you have to get this one" - Fallen Angel Reviews, Recommended Read

Hero: Inez Milholland-Boissevain

2008-10-27T20:31:00.007-04:00

Inez Milholland-Boissevain (1886-1916) was born a child of privlege in 1886. The daughter of John Milholland, a newspaper editorialist and a reformer with the NAACP. She graduated from Vassar in 1909 and earned her law degree from New York University - a very gutsy move for a young woman in the early twentieth century.

After college, Inez joined a Greenwich Village group of progressives and socialists who created The Masses - the first magazine to fuse radical art, political commentary and graphic satire. She also protested the US entering into WWI, going so far as to travel to Europe to spread her message.

After meeting Alice Paul, Inez was recruited to join NAWSA Congressional Committee's. She soon revealed a powerful ability to move crowds at rallies on behalf of the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (CU).

In 1913, Inez led the first woman's sufferage parade in Washington DC on the same day Woodrow Wilson was sworn into office. Dressed as a warrior on a white horse, Inez became the icon of the sufferagist movement.

By 1916 Milholland had become one of the highest-profile leaders of the CU. She traveled all over the US making speeches, gathering women to join the cause. Despite warnings from her physician she persisted in touring despite pronounced ill health. While speaking in Los Angeles, Inez collapsed at the podium while delivering a suffrage speech. She was rushed to the hospital and, despite treatment for pernicious anemia, she died weeks later on November 25, 1916.

Her dedication, iconic idealism, and tragic death made her a martyr of the suffrage movement. Her last public words were, “Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?”

In January 1917, Woodrow Wilson spurned a delegation that attempted to present him with resolutions crafted in Milholland's honor. The National Women's Party (formerly the Congressional Union) changed tactics from a focus on lobbying to more direct action. Within days the NWP began a new campaign of picketing the White House and three and half years later, women received the right to vote.

Those we honor...

2008-10-27T11:17:00.002-04:00

Next Tuesday is election day. It is on that day that we, as citizens of the United States, have a chance to have input into our government. It was only 88 years ago that women, after many years of sacrifice by thousands of women, received the right to vote.

88 years.

That really isn't that long ago. And if you think about it, it's only been 31 years since the Equal Rights Amendment was passed. Remember the ERA? The amendment that was added to the constitution stating women should be paid and treated as equals to men. Its such an antiquated idea in my mind that people would presume that because we have breasts that we must not have brains...or ability....or talent.

It wasn't that long ago John McCain was quoted as saying the reason women don't make the same amount of money as men is that we don't have the training to do so...

Screw you McCain - bet mine is bigger than yours.

So anyway - in an effort to honor those who fought for the right, nay, obligation to vote, I'm going to post a few profiles of the women who put their lives on the line to stand up and demand democracy for citizens of this country. These are my heros.

Ship goes down in the Bering Sea.

2008-10-23T14:44:00.002-04:00

Four were rescued, five are dead and two are missing. I can't help but think of my friends fishing on the Bering Sea right now.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/565157.html

It's time to celebrate!!

2008-10-23T07:07:00.003-04:00

Winter's Daughter will be released on Tuesday! To celebrate, I'm holding a free-for-all on my chat list, The Wilder Side. Post a message from now until Tuesday and you will be entered into a drawing for a free paperback or ebook.

New drawings every day!

Run, don't walk to join the fun!

WLW - Victory is MINE!

2008-10-22T16:10:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's that time again. Time to hop on the bathroom scales and wish you'd weighed yourself before chugging a 32 ounce glass of water. The bill is now due for that one little cookie you snitched from your kid's lunch.

No, I haven't been looking in your windows. LOL!

My total for the week is...two pounds. Yes, I actually LOST this week. LOL. I wish it had been more but then again, I always wish it was more. I have to admit that I haven't been on my best behavior either so I'll take my two pounds and run with it.

Some of you have emailed me to ask what I'm doing to lose weight and my answer is simple - eat well and exercise. I know - not nearly as exciting as you'd hoped...but there it is.

Exercise - I have some physical limitations that prohibit me from doing standard exercises. Thanks to my craptastic knees, I can't run (wouldn't want to) and my walking is limited. So instead I go to the pool.

First off - I would live in the water if I could. It is the best thing you can do exercise if you have joint pain - the arthritis foundation recommends water aerobics.

I took a few classes then figured out I'm not a team player. So now I go to the gym (its pricey but you have to ask yourself - aren't you worth x number of dollars a year?) three days a week and I do my workout for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Basically my goal is to be in the water and move all of my limbs for that length of time without stopping.

According to my weight calculator (www.keyoe.com) it burns about 400 calories.

I think the trick to exercise is to find something you really enjoy that doesn't include having a couch strapped to your butt. I love to walk and years ago I would walk every morning. Now with my knee degenerating - if I walk then I pretty much have to take it easy the rest of the day. And if I overdo it, I run the risk of not being able to walk for a couple of days - so its the water for me.

How did you do this week?

And the award goes to...

2008-10-20T13:13:00.003-04:00

For some reason, Maxim magazine has started sending me issues even though I've never read the mag nor requested it. Seeing that I'm female - that hasn't deterred them from wasting more trees in order to give me a good laugh.

Out of curiosity, I opened one and scanned the pages. It is a nice, glossy magazine that would appeal to the hormones of young men as its designed to do. Should it surprise me that every photo of a woman, with the exception of an unflattering Photo of Hillary Clinton - was naked or in lingerie?

Women on their backs with their legs in the air - high heels of course because no one could walk in those things so you'd have to be on your back in order to not fall off and get hurt - nude with only a towel - sexy tousled hair - noisy lipstick - sprawled on a bed - in lingerie stretched out on the floor - mouths open...you get the picture.

And they say romance is soft-core porn?

Any photo of a woman with clothing on was unflattering and usually an advertisement. One was a housewife in the cliched terry cloth robe, curlers in the hair, green face mask - next to a woman in lingerie.

On the other hand there were the men. All dressed in suits with women in skimpy night-out attire hanging on their arms...that's what draws us ya know. Suits and enough hair product to dent steel - that REALLY turns us on.

Men...you want to know how to impress the ladies? Read a romance novel - that will get you much farther than Maxim will.

Project Runway Finale

2008-10-18T10:59:00.003-04:00

So, who watched the Project Runway finale and was bored stiff like me? I love, love, love that show but I found the runway shows to be a little...meh.

Let's start with Kenley. I admit, I'm not a Kenley fan and I do think she needs to go to charm school. If you look up the word RUDE you'll see her photo in the dictionary.

I thought her clothing was very costumey, overworked and 80's. Sorry Kenley, I lived through the 80's once and I'm not going back! Many of her fabrics were handpainted which is an interesting and creative concept - but several of them looked as if the model had fallen into a tub of tempra paint.

So what did I like from her collection?

The white dress with the swoosh of flowers was very Audrey Hepburn-esque. It looked as if it belonged on a 50's lady of the manor but I thought it was cute and fun.

WLW: I'm not surprised!

2008-10-16T20:36:00.003-04:00

For many months I put off resurrecting my Weight Loss Wednesdays because I had a secret fear that the moment I told people I was trying to resize my butt that I'd gain weight. So I started up the WLW last Weds and what happened...

I gained a pound.

LOL! The universe has a really sick sense of humor.

I have a tendency to be private about some things and weight loss in one of them. Seeing that I'm an emotional eater, I honestly don't know how I will do from one day to the next. I know - all you skinny people are thinking "well if she'd just step away from the donuts" but I'm here to tell you that it just doesn't work like that...and I'm not a fan of donuts. :)

Emotional eating stems from being unable to express your feelings. The reasons for this is as varied as snowflakes, child abuse, child neglect, domineering relationships, feeling ignored, low self esteem, alcoholism, drug abuse - you name it, someone is suffering from the inability to embrace and express their emotion side. Most obese people have some sort of issue that plays into their obesity - people don't just sit down one day and say wow, think I'll gain two hundred pounds - that will REALLY make me happy.

There are also medical reasons for obesity, Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome has a side effect of obesity. There is something called Insulin Resistance which means that the body doesn't handle insulin properly so instead of burning calories it takes them and turns them into fat. Some hormonal imbalances can be a cause of obesity - the list goes on and on.

So anyway - emotional eaters stuff our feelings by stuffing our faces. Big calories = Big emotional relief. We've all heard the term Comfort Food - these foods are usually high in fat, sugar and carbs (mac & cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, ice cream, snickers) that the moment we ingest them we are assailed with feelings of safety, security, familiarity - you get the picture.

Unfortunately broccoli, carrots and rice cakes are not comfort foods!

So one of the reasons I don't discuss weight loss with friends is because inevitably I'll have a bad week and someone will say, "How's the weight loss coming?" I'll mumble something appropriately noncommittal but their innocent question only reinforced the fact that I've been slacking. Then I'll dwell on that...you get the picture. No, I won't rush out and molest a Krispy Kreme truck but I don't want the negative thought in my head. I know when I'm slacking and I don't need to be reminded! (Do I sound psychotic yet)

So there are two choices. I can continue the downward spiral of emotional eating (It's only a potato chip, I'll only eat one...then you wake up with salt on your face and chip crumbs in your bra) or I can say no, this isn't the path I want to go down.

The difference between those who fail to lose weight and those who succeed is...pay attention...this is a huge secret...those who succeed go back onto their plan after they screw up. Wow, who knew? They don't kick themselves and load up on McDonald's, they promise to do better and then they follow up by walking the walk. Kicking yourself for eating badly at lunch doesn't help you achieve your goal. It doesn't help how you feel about yourself and your body. Why are you beating up on yourself so much?

Let's face it - the cosmetic, weight loss and diet industry makes billions each year by making you hate the way you look. They put unrealistic images of beauty in front of you and promise that if you buy this then you can look like a prepubescent girl once again.

Not a wrinkle will mar your skin if you put sperm whale urine on your face.

Your husband will never leave you if you lose just ten more pounds...

Lose the love handles by spending 399.00 on Suzanne Somer's Love Handle Destroyer...

We can all look better with some effort, weight loss, exercise, eating right - but must we hate ourselves during the process? Not all of us were meant to look like Demi Moore. Hell, even Demi wouldn't look the way she does without tens of thousands of dollars in plastic surgery, personal trainers and chefs. So how about we take all of the self-hated the beauty industry heaps upon us and toss it out the window for a change?

No matter what you see in the mirror each morning, I think you're beautiful both inside and out.

LAST CALL!

2008-10-11T17:02:00.002-04:00

If you've been waiting to read the Shadow Dweller series - you can wait no longer! The last four titles: Tempt Not The Cat, Atonement, Sins of the Flesh and Tempation are going out of print as of Tuesday, October 21st!

You can find them here: http://www.ellorascave.com/AuthorsBooks.asp?AuthorCode=JCW

As of right now I don't have immediate plans for their rerelease. This is such a series of my heart and I'll come up with a plan before the end of the year. :)

SOUND OFF: Politics and Treason

2008-10-10T21:15:00.003-04:00

According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, treason is defined as:

Main Entry: trea·son

Etymology:
Middle English tresoun, from Anglo-French traisun, from Latin tradition-, traditio act of handing over, from tradere to hand over, betray — more at traitor
Date:
13th century
1 : the betrayal of a trust : treachery 2 : the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family

I was watching the news (can't help it I'm a news junkie) and I can't help but feeling that the Republican party (John McCain's camp in particular) is commiting treason upon the American people.

What has happened in the race for the White House is a complete and total betrayal of the American trust. Our economy is in the crapper, 1 in 489 homes is in foreclosure, the unemployment rate is increasing every passing day, we're a country at war, greed has toppled the global economy, people are losing their hard earned savings and these boneheads are running aroung inciting hatred and fear among Americans by spreading lies about the Obama camp.

Americans are calling Obama a terrorist because his middle name is Hussein. Uh...what? So I should fear anyone with the last name of Bundy or Dahmer because they just might be a serial killer because someone with their same NAME was a nutbag?

Come on people...my mother is 77 and can't remember to take her pills and even she didn't fall for that one.

Sarah Palin (who reminds me of that one bitchy cheerleader that made my life hell in high school - that smile is SO fake - she's the type to tell you that you look good in a skirt then tell everyone you have a fat ass) is running around saying that Obama can't be trusted while the Alaska Legislature found her liable for abuse of power. She allowed her husband to use the office and resources of the governor's office to coerce someone to fire her brother-in-law, a state trooper. And she says Obama can't be trusted?

McCain keeps saying that Obama is the one who doesn't have enough experience to be President...and he does? McCain is out of Washington more than he's in - he missed more than 400 votes so far this year - when is he going to do the job to which he was elected? Senator...pfft!

And Obama - running around digging up the Keeting Five on McCain? DUDE - he was not found guilty of any crime AND he apologized for associating with the wrong people. Get over it.

Joe Biden - I adore him. I wish he'd run for President. :)

When I hear Americans screaming 'Bomb Obama' and 'Terrorist' at political rallys it just makes me completely crazy. I grew up believing in my country - most of the men in my family fought for it, my father in two different wars - and now I'm sickened by what I'm seeing. We are not a county of radicals who believe violence is the answer - we are reasonable, intelligent, forward-thinking people and its almost as if someone has hijacked our sense of country and our pride.

Calling someone a terrorist or wanting them killed isn't a reflection of the country I love. The USA that I know and love rewards diversity and celebrates the differences in people. We enjoy a healthy debate and we work to be reasonable and try to walk in another's shoes - not call for violence when someone disagrees with what we happen to believe. That isn't being civilized, that's being a barbarian.

Negative campaigning is the norm and most of these candidates act like children who haven't been taught proper manners. Calling someone names, telling lies - aren't these offenses that we correct our children about?

I'll bet Bill Maher is having quite the laugh this evening...

Tell me how you feel! Where has our country gone?

P.S. - the government was caught redhanded recording the phone calls of American Troops to their families and passing around the 'phone sex' calls. Our country is spying on its soldiers? Does anyone else see the idiocy in this?

Saturday Night Live

2008-10-09T14:51:00.001-04:00

Weight Loss Wednesday

2008-10-08T11:42:00.000-04:00

Its time to get serious and face the music. My butt is so big...(how big is it)...it now requires its own zip code. :)

Seriously - I've been fighting the battle of the bulge since the day I was born. Its only in the past few years that I've come to understand why I am overweight and why I eat emotionally - more on this later.

But let's start from the beginning. In August of 07 I decided its time to take off the gloves. I've always been a haphazard dieter. Nother ever lasted more than a few weeks with the exception of Jenny Craig. I think the only reason that worked for me was because I was forced to invest Big Money to stay on the program. I lost about 72 pounds then gained all of it back plus 48 more.

The lesson learned? Diets don't work. There, I said it. That 700 million dollar industry that claims you can lose weight IF you use their product...is lying to you. If some pill really worked don't you think everyone would be all over it? That was a tough realization because I kept thinking that it was something *I* was doing wrong. Instead I forgot the prime rule of advertising - they want your money and they will lie to get it.

So would I say that Jenny Craig worked? Yes, using any calorie / fat restricting food plan will work BUT you have to do the homework and find out why you overeat. Simply resticting calories will cause you to lose weight, but you won't keep it off until you understand HOW you got there in the first place.

But before we go into that I want to share with you the life changes I've made to lose 27 pounds so far! :)

1 - Change of Attitude - Success starts with a healthy dose of 'I Can Do This'. There was a study done in the Netherlands which found the people who had the confidence in their ability to control their weight lost more than those who doubted themselves.
Be realistic in your goals and think in small portions. Set a goal of 5lbs rather than 25lbs. The more goals you reach, the more focused (and successful) you'll become.
Got a pair of pants or a dress that is too tight? Hang it up on your bedroom door so that you see it day in and day out.

2 - Clean up that Kitchen - This is a key to success. Get rid of the junk food - just having it in the house will entice you to overeat when you're having a weak moment. Heck - even when you're feeling strong you can stray from your life plan! I know I do.

3 - Get cooking - The more you cook the better you'll be at doing it. People who eat at home are more likely to stick to their eating plan. (raising hand) Me too! I try to eat out only 1 - 2 a month.
When you come home from the grocery story, clean and cut up your veggies (celery, carrots) and put them into baggies where you can grab them quickly.
Research new, light recipes at www.allrecipes.com - get a subscription to Cooking Light Magazine and Weight Watchers Magazine. I have both subscriptions and they're great!

4 - Make Friends - If you have friends that are trying to lose weight also, get together or join an exercise or weight loss program. Another option is to join a weight loss group online. Heck - comment on this blog - I'll keep you company. :)

5 - Get Ready to MOVE! - Research indicates people who move more, lose more. Yeah - sitting on the couch watching movies doesn't burn nearly as many calories as walking. (I hate math too)
Find an exercise you enjoy. For me it was swimming / water aerobics as I absolutely LOVE being in the water. The best part is that I go to the pool and join up with a group of health-minded indivduals and I'm the youngest! :)
Make a scedule for your exercise. It is as important as going to the doctor or taking your car into the garage. Those activities are scheduled - shouldn't your exercise be scheduled too?

6 - Drink - Bring on the water! I've found the more consistent I am with my water intake the more weight I lose. Also, I'm less likely to retain water which is important.
Bored with water? Add some lemon or mint, chunks of fruit, cucumber - anything to add a little flavor.

7 - Be Honest - Math doesnt lie. If you eat too many calories and don't burn them off with exercise you WILL gain weight. No ifs ands or big butts about it.
Keep a food journal - yeah, I hear the groans already. I hated doing this until I discovered a little program at http://www.keyoe.com/ - and it tracks everything for you. Woot!
The scale really is your friend. Keep track of your weight and the above program does that too.

8. It's all about Habits - This is not a diet - this is a Life Plan. Either you manage your life or it manhandles you, its as simple as that. Plan ahead and keep foods on hand that will enable you to stay on track. Yogurt, cheese, high fiber cereal, fruit, oatmeal, peanut butter, whole grain crackers - those are staples in my kitchen.

9. Forgive yourself - If you slip it isn't the end of the world. Losing weight is is a long term goal - it isn't something that happens overnight. If you have a small slice of cake, you won't gain all your weight back but you have to remember to get back to reality the next morning.
I allow myself snacks - I'm a sucker for chocolate cake. Do I eat cake? Yes, in moderation. I will bake a cake (no icing - not a big fan of it) and freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic. How do I keep from eating the whole thing? I keep telling myself that eating the cake will not enable me to reach my goals. I want to feel better, look better and move more easily.

10. Learn from your mistakes - Keep a journal for emotional support. Write down WHY you want to eat that cake. What is going on inside of you? What are you trying to fill with that cake? Keep doing this and you will, over time, see the pattern to your overeating.

Now, ready...get set...GO!

My Latest Obsession

2008-10-05T10:48:00.003-04:00

Have you checked out Buck Hollywood? I'm in complete adoration and I want him to be my new BFF!

5 Friends

2008-10-02T19:33:00.001-04:00

What the...

2008-10-01T14:22:00.006-04:00

The funniest thing happened to me today. I had to pop out and pick up some cover flats I had printed at Office Max. When the guy saw the covers he started asking me questions and I told him I was the author.

Slowly a number of the Office Max employees wandered over to see the cover so I gave them my card which has my name, URL etc and the line "Vampires, Witches and Werecats...oh my!" Another customer asked for a card so I gave her one too and she tells me how much respect she has for writers.

Not two seconds later, she gives it back and says,

"I'm not into that kind of thing."

The first thought that popped into my head was, "So you don't want to hear about the bondage books then?"

Instead I said something about writing all different types of genres but she wasn't interested in listening to me. She'd already presented me with her back by then. So I guess what she meant to say was that she has respect for writers who create what she deems acceptable. Needless to say I was snickering all the way out the door.

Now, I could care less that she handed the card back. I don't embarass easily so do what you will. What got me was that she ASKED for the card and then snubbed me because she didn't like what it had to say. I don't know about anyone else but my Mama taught me to accept what people give you then throw it away later if you don't want it.

It's called manners.

So what is the moral to the story? If you can't laugh at yourself then others will spend time laughing at you.

So the You SUCK award goes to...the lady in the Office Max. :)

My new cover!!

2008-09-30T11:47:00.004-04:00

Paul Newman

2008-09-27T20:13:00.003-04:00

Paul Newman, dead at 83. He was one of my favorite actors and he eschewed the Hollywood scene as being 'rubbish'. Married twice, he was married to Joanne Woodward for fifty years before his death - how un-Hollywood is that?

Blowing in the wind...

2008-09-19T13:21:00.002-04:00

I'm back...

Ohio was hit hard by the remnants of Hurricane Ike. About 700k lost power including the Wilder Castle. We were out for 48 hours and it took another day to get my internet working. Talk about roughing it!

We received a lot of wind damage. Two of our trees literally shredded and took out the power lines. We have gutter damage and my patio was wiped out. Other than the minor inconveniences we're good to go. I still need to call some contractors but now that I have electricity - its all good. :)

I spent a lot of time looking around at the items in the house realizing just how useless 90% of it is without power. Thank goodness for my Kindle or I would've gone out of my mind. By turning off the wireless I can use my reader for about 9 - 10 hours before it needs a charge.

Mills and Boon...Erotica?

2008-09-11T12:17:00.004-04:00

According to this source, Mills and Boon will be publishing 'its first pornographic book.' Wow - and who said publishers didn't listen to their readers?

I have to admit it's been many years since I've read a M&B title. I stopped reading them in 1979 when I discovered Ginny and Steve from the old time bodice ripper books. Somehow reading about virginal, blonde, English, Nurse heroines and Greek, Shipping Magnet, Sardonic heros didn't have the same appeal as Ginny and Steve as they loved and raped their way all over the world.

Let's face it - M&B is pretty well known for their characters being numb from the waist down.

When I read about this upcoming change in the M&B lineup, I had to admit my immediate thought was of an oil sheik asking his woman to suck his well dry as she screams for him to drill deeper into her dewy sands...

Thanks to the Smart Bitch site for the heads up.

Sleepy Sunday

2008-09-07T12:08:00.003-04:00

Maddie is ready to snooze. She has the remote and a mountain of pillows to get comfy on. See Bella in the corner? She burrows into the pillows all the time. :)

Gustav

2008-08-31T20:33:00.002-04:00

I've been watching the Weather Channel off and on today. I have to admit that just watching the hurricane coverage makes me more than a little sick. When Katrina hit I packed up my dog and supplies for infants and raced off to Louisiana. I can't do that this time as I have a medical condition that is preventing me from going anywhere. I'm praying for a decent outcome.

Let's Talk...reselling ebooks is ILLEGAL

2008-08-31T12:32:00.003-04:00

How many times does this have to be pointed out? I ran into a seller on an auction site (not ebay) who was selling a slew of ebooks. None of them were mine but I knew a lot of the authors this person was ripping off. I emailed said seller and she did remove the books but book pirates are like roaches - you stomp one out and three more pop up.

Used bookstores - I personally like used book stores. The reason being that as reader, I'm more likely to pick up a new author at a used store than paying full price. If they catch my attention, then I will buy the rest of their books new.

But ebook pirates? Nope! They pay for one book (the file) and then can sell it limitless times. That's outright stealing and its wrong.

Can't we all get along?

Over the edge...

2008-08-28T21:18:00.003-04:00

The question of the evening is...just how many tech support reps does it take to answer an email question?

I'm currently on hold with Time Warner cable and my mission is simple - to get the email addy assigned to my road runner account. Sounds simple doesn't it.

Not to Time Warner.

I'm on my third person now and so far all of them have been unable to help me...okay, the rep came back to tell me I'm being transferred to lucky number four. Let's see how well this works out...

(listening to very bad muzak)

Hmm...I really need to do my nails. I have a signing on Saturday and I don't want to look like a castaway...

No idea what to do with my hair. I'm growing it out but I almost always wear it up. What is the point of having long hair when I always wear it...

THE BITCH HUNG UP ON ME.

The reason we have random acts of violence in this country is because we have to DEAL WITH UTILITY COMPANIES. I'M NOT A VIOLENT PERSON BUT IF THE TIME WARNER REP WERE TO KNOCK ON MY DOOR...THEY'D ONLY HAVE A FEW SECONDS TO LIVE.

My mother is very fond of saying, 'why can't people just do what they are paid to do?' I have to agree with her. I'm not asking for serious tech support - I need the email addy I received when I signed up TEN YEARS AGO. Is this rocket science?

No.

Am I trying to solve world hunger?

No.

I JUST WANT THE EMAIL ADDY I'VE BEEN PAYING FOR...

I'm now talking to the fifth person...who probably can't help me. He sounds like he's nine.

(whistling as he pulls up my account)

Not sure what I might wear this Saturday either. Its going to be hot and humid...

What does my operating system HAVE TO DO WITH MY EMAIL???

Fuck, I'm on hold again.

(nose picking)

Sweet Mary and Joseph....I have my email addy. Please dear Goddess - let me remember my password or they may ask for my blood type and a genetic sample before they'd give me a new one...

Maddie Update!

2008-08-27T18:31:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who sent me well wishes about my dog, Maddie. She's doing well and getting stronger every day. Yesterday her staples were removed with nary a whimper and she's now happily scratching her back across the living room floor.

Her hind legs are still weak and she jacknifes herself from time to time. But her balance is improving and she's getting around much better. I still don't let her near the steps which annoys her but I don't want to take a chance on her reinjuring herself either.

More later!

Drama in the Wilder Household

2008-08-19T09:31:00.002-04:00

Ugh - where do I begin? Last Thursday Maddie, my dog, was limping a bit and generally acting slow. I put it down to possible arthritis and gave her some aspirin. (baby aspirin, no more than 1 per 12 hours!)

At 1:30 on Friday morning she woke me up in obvious pain. I grabbed the dog and ran across town to the 24 hour vet hospital. Within minutes they diagnosed her as having a possible ruptured or herniated disk.

OW!

They wanted to run some tests to make sure what was going on and see if she needed surgery. So I had to leave her there...sniff. I stopped by the desk on the way out and they wanted a deposit...of $2200.00!!! YIKES.

Now you tell me, who has that kind of money just lying around, especially in the middle of the night. I couldn't just give them a check the next day, they wanted it immediately or they wouldn't touch her.

I guess a person's word isn't worth much these days.

So I had to break out a credit card and make the downpayment. The next morning they called and yes...she needed surgery. And the pricetag? $3500.00.

I know...some of you are going to say I'm nuts - maybe I am, but I couldn't give up on my girl. She's only nine years old and that girl and I have been through hell together. She's travelled with me all over the U.S. and we did Katrina work for many months on end. She's more than just a dog to me.

Hey! Isn't that a commercial?

Anyway - my baby is home and she's recuperating well. Her back legs are weak - they had to move her spinal column during the surgery so it was bruised. She's been home almost 2 days now and i can see a big difference in her.

Recovery will be slow and long - about a month of being confined - so I've moved my office onto the first floor with my girl.

More later

Sapphire Blue Publishing

2008-08-16T19:58:00.002-04:00

Sapphire Blue Publishing
http://www.sapphirebluepublishing.com/

Press Release

Contact Info:
Name: Maria Clayton or Tina Gerow
customerservice@sapphirebluepublishing.com

For Immediate Release
August 2008

Phoenix entrepreneurs take on electronic publishing

Phoenix, AZ – Local entrepreneurs Maria Clayton, and Tina Gerow are pleased to announce the grand opening of their publishing house, Sapphire Blue Publishing, on August 15, 2008. With their diverse business backgrounds they seek to form a win/win partnership in an industry they love.

“Our goal is to bring Corporate America know how and innovation into perfect balance for the best experience for readers and authors,” says Maria Clayton, former Director of Technologies for a fortune 500 company. “We believe in a work environment that is fun and provides challenges that encourage play, innovation, and nimble out-of-the-pack thinking without boundaries.”

Sapphire Blue’s focus will be electronic books, or ebooks. These titles will take the form of a download that can be read on any number of electronic devices from the iPhone to dedicated electronic readers.

“Electronic book sales have doubled each year since 2001 and the projections are the market share will continue to climb,” says Tina Gerow. “Think about all the trees we’ll save. There’s no better time to embrace our ecological concerns and pair that with what we love, reading good books.”

Free KINDLE book

2008-08-07T20:24:00.002-04:00

Samhain Publishing is giving away another Kindle title. It is Giving Chase by Lauren Dane. Dontcha just love these freebies...and I love my Kindle like a fat kid loves cookies. :)

Sounding Off

2008-08-06T11:38:00.002-04:00

This morning the popular publishing newsletter Galley Cat featured a story posing the question, 'Should Authors Take Their Publishing Complaints Public'?

In their article they spotlighted an author who leveled a charge against their publisher for not paying royalties correctly. That said, it appears to be a case of sour grapes as GC hinted that the author greatly inflated their sales numbers. While Nielson's BookScan doesn't lie, it also doesn't portray total sales numbers as every store doesn't report to BookScan.

So should authors take their complaints public?

I believe so...with a caveat - they'd better be sure what they are saying is correct or they are shooting themselves in the foot...or career.

If authors (including myself) hadn't spoken out about Triskellion then who knows how long that company would have limped along scamming authors? Trust me, I tried everything to settle with them amicably and the owners weren't having it. Sometimes public humiliation is the only weapon we have left and in the case of Trisk - it worked.

There are any number of examples such as the Trisk debacle - and who knows how many authors avoided the train wreck because those involved spoke out? Sometimes you have to stand up and risk taking a hit in order to do the right thing.

So you want to win a book?

2008-08-02T09:02:00.006-04:00

Greetings, my friend Judy Mays gave me permission to give away a copy of her ebook, Celestial Passions: Meri. To enter simply post a comment on this entry and say...Hey JC, I'd like to win a book....or curse me out - whichever seems more appropriate. :)

Winner will be drawn on Tuesday. :)

Cover Blurb: Generations after the dols and orcs disappeared from Mediria, Lillalistross don al' Ademis from Drakan arrives with a tattoo of his clan totem, a dol leaping from the waves of a rolling blue sea, on his shoulder. Is he the prophesied "Path to the Dols and Orcs"? Can he lead the Medirians to them?Princess Merilinlalissa, eldest daughter of Mediria's monarch, has no doubts. This Drakian, somehow, someway, is connected with finding the dols and the orcs, and she's going to find out how. The fact that he's very tall, very handsome and very sexy only makes her determination to discover all she can about him, both in and out of bed, that much stronger.

Politics as usual...

2008-08-01T11:22:00.002-04:00

Is anyone else annoyed with the smear campaigns that our Presidental candidiates are indulging in?

"He sucks..."

"No, he sucks more!"

These two fools are running for the highest position in the US government and their behavior has degenerated into grade school rumbles on the playground! If I had kids that behaved like this I'd blister their little butts.

Every week 8000 home loans are defaulted on - 1 in 171 homeowners will lose their houses this year - HIV is on the rise - Education levels are dropping - gas prices are rising - food prices are rising - our environment is degrading every year - drug prices are on the rise and older people can't afford to buy the medication they need to LIVE....and these two fools think its more important to poke at each other rather than tackle the issues that are important.

I'm SO over the presidential nonsense...