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.

August 25, 2010 | Filed under: Stuff

Do you remember them? Do they really matter in the grand scheme of the whole book? I always wonder. Not too long ago I started a new book and I agonized over the first few paragraphs for days.

And then I ate a box of cookies and felt better. Chip A’hoys, if you’re wondering.

But back to the opening of a book. I’m writing a new series (Lucky Harbor novels). Three disenchanted, estranged sisters stuck together when they inherit a falling down on its axis beach inn. Three books, one for each sister; The Mouse, The Steel Magnolia, and The Wild Child.

The Mouse’s story is Simply Irresistible, out 9/26. Here’s Maddie’s opening few lines:

Maddie drove the narrow, curvy highway with her past still nipping at her heels after fourteen hundred miles. Not even her dependable Honda had been able to outrun her demons.

Or her own failings.

Good thing then that she was done with failing. Please, be done with failing, she thought.

Then comes book two, The Sweetest Thing (4/11). Our feisty heroine Tara takes crap from no one. Her opening lines:

“Muffin?” Tara asked as she walked along the long line of people waiting to enter the pier’s summer festival. “Have a free Life’s-A-Peach Muffin?”

The large basket was heavier than she’d anticipated, and the late afternoon June sun beat down on her head like a Congo drum. Perspiration beaded on her skin, which really chapped her hide. It was the steel magnolia in her. Perspiring wasn’t just undignified, it contradicted her never let ‘em see you sweat motto.

Telling herself that she was merely glistening, and hopefully looking luminous while she was at it, Tara amped up her smile and kept going. At least her sundress was lightweight, the material gauzy and playful against her skin. She’d bought it to look sophisticated and elegant. And to boost her confidence.

It was a tall order for a dress.

And last but not least is the Wild Child, Chloe in Head Over Heels. This is the book I’m writing now. And frankly, I’m not that far. And the pages are rough. And this book actually opens in the hero’s pov, the only man I could see being able to handle Chloe — a real tough alpha guy. (Remember, ROUGH page here):

Sawyer Thompson walked into his bedroom, dropped his gun and cell phone to the nightstand, and glanced at his bed. Empty. The only thing that could possibly have improved this sorry-ass excuse for a day would have been to find a woman there waiting for him.

Naked.

With nefarious intentions in mind.

Yeah, I think Sawyer is going to be a lot of fun to write. But I digress. First lines … how much do they mean to you? Do you remember them? Do you have a book that sticks out with a great opening?

August 24, 2010 | Filed under: Stuff

SCHOOL STARTS TOMORROW. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself with the all caps there for a moment… So for the second to last evening of summer, we went out on the boat as a family. Here is a very rare sweet moment between Oldest And Middle. Actually “moment” is too long. It lasted for a single second:

Literally. Because in the next second, Oldest ever so helpfully gave Middle a nice shove off as she was doing a dock start on her wakeboard:

Such sisterly love …

Buh-bye long days of summer, filled with sisterly warfare, “Mom, make her stop”, and “I’m hungry!” … I’ll miss you. But don’t call me, I’ll call you.

August 23, 2010 | Filed under: Stuff

I swear I’m not too lazy to write a blog today. That is NOT why I’m posting another commercial. I’m posting it because it made me spit my iced tea across my computer screen and laugh on and off all day whenever I thought of it, and I wanted to share. Thanks to Robyn Carr (yes THAT Robyn Carr, who writes the wonderful Virgin River series) for sending me this one. Oh, and warning — don’t watch while drinking iced tea.

August 20, 2010 | Filed under: Stuff

I might have shown you this commercial before but given the week I’ve had with the teenagers, it bears repeating. Warning, if you are a parent, the ending will cause varying degrees of smile and/or laughter, depending on the week YOU’VE had.

August 19, 2010 | Filed under: Stuff

Seeking the answers to the following questions. Please feel free to add your own mysteries of life.

1. Why is there always a spider when no one else is home?

2. Why am I always the one to drive the car when it’s on empty?

3. Why do the teenagers eat so much?

4. Why does the puppy wait until I get comfy to have to go potty?

5. Why does Alpha Man always think I know where his wallet is?

August 18, 2010 | Filed under: Stuff

It’s looming over my head and yet my camera woke me up the other morning, calling my name.

“Psst!” my camera said. “Forgetaboutwork … I’m more fun.”

And damn if my camera wasn’t right. It was WAAAAAY more fun to walk along the Truckee River than work. And I only had to climb two fences and pass a DO NOT TRESPASS sign …

I cut my calf. Never let it be said that I don’t suffer for my art. At the time though, mostly I was worried about the scent of my blood drawing bears and coyotes oh my.

Probably I should have been more worried about where I parked, since I got a ticket.

If Alpha Man is reading this, I’m just kiddin’. Of course I wasn’t stupid enough to park in the same place I parked last time. And I most definitely wasn’t stupid enough to get yet another ticket. Probably.

And if my editor is reading this, this whole blog is a figment of your imagination because I am writing. Writing like a dog. I swear it.

On the two tickets I didn’t get …