Welcome to my daily blog. If this is your first time, I'm a romance writer and a misplaced city girl currently living in the wild Sierras. I tend to have a lot of I-Love-Lucy moments that I share here but sometimes we talk about books, TV, and our favorite cookies. Okay, my favorite cookies. In any case, please feel free to comment by clicking on the Comments at the bottom of any entry. If you're too shy, that's okay, just know I love having you.

October 13, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

Here’s the view of my office this morning.

Sob.

I’m afraid the time has come. I’m moving back inside to write. I’m going kicking and screaming, just so ya know.

The problem with being inside is that I’m distracted. Distracted by laundry and dust and TV. Yes, I admit it. TV is my crack. There’s a DVD of The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past sitting on the table and I just might watch it instead of working. To warm up.

What’s the last movie you watched? I’ll be taking notes for further procrastination …

October 12, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

I was babysitting for a neighbor not too long ago, and in the olden days, that is when I was a twelve year old babysitter, this responsibility never seemed as huge as it does now with all the dangers lurking in every corner of my house. The DVD tray must look like a toaster because a piece of bread was shoved into it. My laptop’s cord must look like a piece of spaghetti, since it was shoved into the mouth and devoured like a pizza loaded with the works. After an hour, I was completely frazzled and went into the kitchen for nourishment (read: cookies). I had to climb high up on the counter and then over the refrigerator to get to the secret secret SECRET stash, but lo and behold …

SOMEONE HAD BEATEN ME TO THE STASH.

At this point, I might have uttered an entirely inappropriate word. And in the next beat I hear a two year old breathlessly repeat that entirely inappropriate word.

I froze. Surely she hadn’t really said—

Oh boy. She’d said it all right, laughing now with delight for being ever so clever as to render me nearly speechless. “Okay,” I said (begged). “Maybe you could forget that you heard that word here.”

It was repeated again, with a toothless, cheeky grin.

Oh God. The word was bouncing off the inside of my brain. Now what? How do you UNTEACH THAT WORD? Not five minutes later her momma came and got her, and I tried to shove them out the door before my unintentional lesson in swearing became evident but there is no rushing some people. Mom sat on the floor of my living room while I ran around cleaning up the toys, and damn if the first thing the little rugrat didn’t do was point to me and say IT.

The mom looked up at me as I stood there holding a toy fire truck. She didn’t kill me. In fact, she smiled. “Oh, listen, did you hear that?”

“No,” I said quickly. “Didn’t hear a thing.”

“She said truck.” The mom beamed. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

SO wonderful.

October 9, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

Went on a hike today and ran into Charles. Charles is probably sixty-five but maybe eighty-five. It’s hard to tell, but he is a mountain man at heart, faithfully walking the trails every day. And every day, no matter what trail I’m on, or which direction I’m going in, I run across him.

Huh.

Maybe he’s king of the mountain, I don’t know. I know nothing about him other than he knows my name and always stops to pet Ashes. Normally, our conversation is “hi, how are you, fine, thanks.”

Today it started out the same.

Me:
Hey, Charles. How are you?

Charles:
I had a bear.

Me:
(I think I blinked. Did he mean he … ate a bear?) Um, what?

(Yep, that’s me, master communicator.)

Charles:
Went to the store yesterday and bought raspberry pastries. Four of ‘em. My favorite. Went on a walk and came back and there was a bear sitting on my kitchen floor eating the damn pastries. Bastard.

Me:
But you live only four houses down from me.

Charles:
Yep. I don’t recommend you buy any raspberry pastries.

(It’s a good thing it wasn’t cookies. Raspberry pastries are amazing but I can give them up. I’m not sure how I would give up cookies …)

October 8, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

Mostly in this case because I’m too tired and overworked to give you a 1000 words. Hi, Youngest, my baby …

You’re so cute. And you’re a better photographer than me. And I’m not just kissing up because I asked you to dump your boyfriend.

Just remember, Youngest. And Middle. And Oldest … Boys are like drugs. Just say no.

At least until you’re 35. Or I’m dead. Whichever comes last …

October 7, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

Okay so if you have a significant other, and that significant other does something shocking and MAKES THE BED and you notice and think “how LOVELY” but you don’t say anything because after all, you make the bed every single day and he doesn’t mention it, would you too get annoyed when later during an argument he says “and you didn’t even thank me for making the bed”?

Inquiring minds would like to know, thank you very much.

Which brings me to another question. In your current relationship, or the last relationship you had, what is the most common thing you argue about?

October 6, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

I forgot! Kensington has reprinted last October’s novella into mass market. It used to look like this in trade sized paperback:

I know, right? Drool Town. But this year they put it out in mass market, so if you didn’t get it, it’s now a little cheaper. It’s not the same cover either. It’s this:

And it should be on the shelves right this very minute, but if it’s not, you can get it online here if you’re interested.

Excerpt:

For two months, Maggie Bell walked by him every day on her way out of the office, and every day she took in that tall, leanly muscled body, those incredibly well-fitted Levi’s hanging low on his hips thanks to his tool belt, and forgot everything else just to take it all in.

Take him in.

As the guy in charge of retro-earthquake fitting her building, he usually carried a roll of architectural plans in one hand and a radio in his other as he dealt with his men, looking confident — not to mention smoking hot — and every day she thought the same thing.

Yum.

Oh and while we’re discussing books, what are you reading right now? I am reading copy edits of the last Wilder brother, Instant Temptation, and also last pass pages for Slow Heat. I’d love to hear what YOU’RE reading!