My Brain Hasn’t Been This Messed Up Since College Finals

Bliss
June 25, 2014

So I’m getting ready for this trip to New Orleans. The trip of a lifetime. Between staying functional at the day job, taking care of my hip-replacement-recovering Ma, sending out agent queries, rewriting the second book, and trying to find enough sundresses to take on this trip so I don’t melt, I am losing my flippin’ mind.

What happened this morning proved it.

Let me back up. A few weeks ago, during a brain spasm whim of trying to use all-natural products, I bought some jojoba oil/cocoa butter on sale for my summer moisturizing needs. Only problem is, at room temperature, it’s kind of solid. As in not easily applied to skin solid. So I’ve taken to gently melting it in the double boiler in the morning to render it a silky, smoothing-onto-skin consistency. This works great.

Caution: Do Not Overheat.

Except when you walk away and forget about it. Which is what I did this morning.

After making my bed and putting on my makeup, I wandered back into the kitchen and sniffed. It smelled like burning metal in there. Yep. I left the stove on again. I turned it off. Huh. Flames licked up the side of the pan. Actual flames. I tossed water toward the pan. Hm. That made the flames worse. Oh. Because it was an oil fire. Because I had been attempting to heat up oil. I set the pan with the lid on it in the kitchen sink to let the lack of oxygen do its work.

Then I panicked. Shit! Please don’t let the smoke alarm go off.

Yeah. That was my main concern. Not that I almost set my kitchen on fire. But that the smoke alarm might actually work and expose me and my snafu to the neighbors and the hot firemen. While I was still in my underwear.

That got my ass moving. I ran around the house, flinging open windows and turning on fans. My two cats looked supremely irritated as they got the heck out of my way.

Obviously, I just need to chill the f— out.

Weekend Reading: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance, Contemporary Western Romance, Oh, Did I Mention Romance?

Read
June 16, 2014

After finishing the entire wonderful The Mortal Instruments series, I experienced a bit of Twilight syndrome: that bereft, befuddled, “what the heck am I going to read now?” daze.

Fortunately, several authors in my LERA group have just come out with new releases.

Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones

The latest installment of the Charley Davidson series is out. Thank snarky, sexy goodness.

 

The Mark of the Tala by Jeffe Kennedy

I’m pretty excited about this first book in Kennedy’s new The Twelve Kingdoms trilogy. Look at that gorgeous cover.

 

A Match Made in Texas by Katie Lane

I have a bit of catching up to do. This is book 6 from Deep in the Heart of Texas.

With This Ring by Celeste Bradley

Book 3 of the Wicked Worthingtons comes out July 1^st.

Tempting Meredith by Samantha Ann King

One of King’s favorite quotes from the book is “No one in his right mind would mistake Meredith for sunshine. Unless the man was referring to her hair color.” That’s more than enough to sell me.

I think that slew of new books will tide me over. For just a little while, anyway.

A New Me! Or, A New All “About” Me

Write
June 9, 2014

I finally updated my “About” page. It’s been on my to-do list for, well, a really long time. It was getting ridiculous. What finally kicked my ass in gear was a peek at my last update. It had a reference from last year. Yeah. I needed to update my bio, like, now.

So pretty much anything would be an improvement. Let me know what you think of my new bio.

In other news, one of my beloved Hot Tub Readers, Vic, moved out of state (sniff!) and left me this plant. It’s supposed to bloom about the time of our winter birthdays. Hopefully I (or the cats) don’t kill it.

Well, you never know. It could happen.

Bliss
June 2, 2014

Finally, finally, we got to see Belle, and we were practically giddy when we left the movie. As you can see.

“You are having way too much fun,” said the (very) young ticket-taker, observing our antics. “Did you enjoy the movie?”

“Yes, we did.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

Me, still in a rose fog of optimism, said to this white, male, teenaged ticket-taker, “Have you seen it?!”

“Which one?” he said.

Right. Ha ha! Silly me.

Refraining from saying, “Hello! The movie on the poster we’re taking pictures of, what do you think?” I instead pointed and said, “Belle.”

He shook his head with a slight deer-in-the-headlights look.

“Oh, you should,” I gushed. “It’s really good.”

He nodded and said “Okay,” but I’m now kind of worried that what he actually meant  was, “Yeah, thanks for the recommendation, but it’s just really not my thing.”

But you never know. I’m still in a haze of optimism.