Book Review Time - "The Search" by Nora Roberts

So this is my first Nora Roberts read.  Yes, yes I know, everyone's read Nora.  Well, better late than never I say.  Anyway, a friend loaned this book to me, and I'm glad she did.  

First off, if you like dogs, you'll enjoy this one.  There's plenty of fur flying in between these pages.  The setting is a remote island off of the State of Washington, and the story involves a dog training protagonist who escaped a serial killer years previous.  But recently, the killings have resumed.  How can this be?  He's in jail.  Is it a copycat?  Well, you'll just have to read to find out.

The characters are likable and in true Nora Roberts style, a little romance blossoms from an unlikely cast.  But that makes it all the more palatable as you find yourself routing for these two opposites to connect.

My rating . . . . thumbs up!

Something's Brewing . . .

Last night I received word about an exciting new project that will launch later this spring/summer.  If all goes well, it just might involve one of my stories.  That's all I'll say about it for now until things are ironed out, but new information will be posted when everything falls into place.

Cheers!

"Saving Sylvia" Going Live Today!

Hi Folks,

My new story, "Saving Sylvia", is going live today on The Story Shack.  If you have a few moments, I do hope that you check it out.  As always, feel free to comment.

Thanks to reading!

Illustration for "Saving Sylvia"

Well, the illustrator had a snowy day today and finished the piece already.  He did a really nice job of capturing the key elements to my story.  I can't wait for you all to see it.   See, snowy days are really a great opportunity.  Carpe Diem!

Publishing Date for "Saving Sylvia"

Good Morning!  A schedule date has been set for my newest piece, "Saving Sylvia".  It will be published by The Story Shack on Friday, February 8th.  On this collaboration I have been paired with the very talented James Brown out of the U.K., and I'm excited to see his illustration and the final result of our pairing.  

Stay tuned!

New Story to be Published "Saving Sylvia"

Hi everyone.  I just received word this morning that another story of mine, "Saving Sylvia", will be published in the upcoming months by The Story Shack.  I'm excited to see this one published and will inform you of the date when I receive same.  I have to say that I think The Story Shack has been doing such a wonderful job of linking up writers and illustrators from all over the globe.  Martin, the editor, has been so great to work with, and I am proud to be a participant in their new format.  Anyway, do look for updates in the future.

Have a great weekend!
Chris

Join Me February 1 on National Wear Red Day!

Friends,

As many of you know, I wholeheartedly support The American Heart Association's National Wear Red Day.  This year the 10th annual National Wear Red Day takes place on Friday, February 1st.  Won't you please join me that day in helping to bring awareness to this silent and deadly killer?  Heart disease does not discriminate as it effects women and men of all ages.  This is a fact that was once again drilled home for my husband and I when we lost a  friend to heart disease just weeks ago.  Some may not realize this, but heart disease is the number one killer of women over all other cancers and diseases, more than even breast cancer.

For more information, please go to:  www.heart.org, where you can find out the silent warning signs of heart disease, get great heart healthy recipes, and much more.  You may save a life.  It could even be your own.

Thank you.

Quote of the Day

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will then know peace."

-- Jimi Hendrix

Quote of the Day

"Follow an old path and you find the expected.  Blaze a new trail and you have an adventure."

-- Evelyn Loeb

"The Early Bird" Just Went Live

Hey Everyone,

"The Early Bird" just went live on The Story Shack (www.thestoryshack.com).  I welcome you to check it out when you have a couple of minutes.  Also, The Story Shack previously published my stories "Under" (may not be appropriate for children) and "A Homecoming Revelation".  If you haven't read these yet, feel free to do so.  All of my stories on The Story Shack are searchable in the upper right corner of their site.

Thanks for reading!

Today's Mindless Trivia: Three Dog Night?

So as the nighttime temperatures dipped down into the teens the other evening we had what some would refer to as a Three Dog Night.  Of course in our case this winds up being a Two Dog One Cat Night, but who's counting?  Anyway, getting the general gist of what it means to have a Three Dog Night, I pondered its origin.  Of course its not from the '70s American rock band who's hits included "Mama Told Me Not to Come" and popularized "An Old Fashioned Love Song" by Paul Williams.  And obviously the phase meant that it was so cold outside that you needed to share your bed with three large furry dogs, but as to who came up with the phase?  Well, some say it was the cowboys and some say it was the Eskimos or those living in Siberia who used their husky dogs to keep warm, and others yet claim it was from the aboriginal Australians in the bush.  But no matter who is right they all agree on one thing:  It's a temperature scale.  One dog means it's cold, two dogs colder, and three dogs, well brrrr the heck with the blankets, pile them on!

Update - Story Going Live TOMORROW - The Early Bird

Hey everyone,

Apparently there was a little mix-up and my story "The Early Bird" will be published tomorrow instead of today.  So be sure to check out The Story Shack at www.thestoryshack.com tomorrow.  

Thanks!

Story Going Live - "The Early Bird"

Hi Everyone.  Today my flash fiction piece entitled "The Early Bird" is going live on The Story Shack.  Be sure to check it out.  Comments are always welcomed.

Also, just a reminder that you can do a search for all of my stories on The Story Shack by entering my name in the search box in the upper right corner of their website.

Thanks for reading!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Ah, yes another year has passed.  It all goes by so quickly doesn't it?  What will 2013 bring for us?  What resolutions will we make?  And which ones will we actually keep?  Will you be ringing in the New Year on the town with your party hat on, or toasting the new day from the comfort of your living room sofa?  Will you be preparing for a New Year's Day feast with dishes said to promote luck (black-eyed peas), or nursing a wicked hangover?

Well, regardless of your party plans and resolutions, as we welcome in the New Year this evening, please be safe.  Many local cab companies offer free rides tonight.  If you don't have a designated driver, please take advantage of these generous offerings from our local cab companies and get a ride.  We want to see everyone to have a fun and memorable New Year while remaining safe.

Best wishes to all for and healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

Artwork for Story "The Early Bird"

I have received a copy of the artwork for my next story, "The Early Bird" scheduled to be published by The Story Shack on January 3rd.  This illustration is by the talented Mike S. Young, a California native and regular contributor to the publication.  A really like Mike's visual spin on my story and think you will as well.  Look for it soon after the Holidays.

The Lovable Grinch, the HOA Community and the Endless Roast Beast

Ah yes, 'tis the season once again.  Out come the armfuls of Christmas themed videos and the cups of hot cocoa as we settle into the sofa to watch our favorite movies.  Some make us laugh, others make us sing, and an occasional one may even bring a tear to our eyes.

Last year I wrote fondly about one of my favorites, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in my blog entitled, "Grumpy Santa and the Non-Conformists", and this year, I'm going to reflect on . . . . (insert drum roll here), The Grinch.

Oh now, I love this one too.  Of course I realized early on that there was a clue that this green menace must have a bit of a heart.  After all, he did have a pet dog.  Now, his treatment of said dog I do admit would have put PETA and the SPCA on high alert, but he did pat the little dog on the head before throwing him out in front of the runaway sleigh.

And who can forget the littlest cast member?   I adore little Cindy Lou Who and her questioning eyes as she asks the mean old Grinch, "Why Santa, why are you taking our Christmas tree?" Poor little darling was too young I suppose to have a clue something was amiss.  Never did I remember seeing a green Santa in my storybooks.

Anyway, after the Grinch succeeds at stealing all of the decorations, food, presents and even crumbs too small for the Whos' mouses, you see a scene of Whoville come to life on Christmas morning, which is when it hit me -- Whoville looks like a little HOA community!  All of the houses are identically shaped and decorated.  Hmm, could this have been the start of our planned communities?  But let's get back to the story.

Now as you know, the Grinch's heart grows four sizes that day, and he saves Christmas by riding into Whoville with all of the items he had taken the night before (which contents remain in impeccable condition I must say).  I particularly love when he sits down to carve the Roast Beast.  You'll notice that with each slice he carves, the roast amazing remains the same size.  Have you seen the size of their community table?  No wonder they only needed one of those magical endless roasts to feed that army!  By the way, have you ever ordered a pound of "Roast Beast" at the deli?  If you get a smile, you know you have found a Grinch fan.  (Oh yes we (he) did.)

So next on the list was the classic, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, told by Fred Astaire.  Whoa!  Hold on.  Now don't even get me started on that one!  That's a whole other story in itself.  Perhaps I'll have to tackle that one later.

Cheers!

Can We Say SPOILED?!?!

Okay, I just had to share this one.  So "the boys" went to the groomer yesterday and well, it must have been an exhausting ordeal.  Here they are basking in the afterglow, sporting their nifty red and green checked scarfs, courtesy of our groomer.  As I  stated in the above title -- can we say spoiled?  Just exactly where are the humans supposed to sit?  Gotta love it.

Whew!  Hard day.  Had to go to the groomer.

Oh, so sorry to disturb you, little prince.  By all means, please don't wake up on my account.

Close up of their cute little red and green checked scarfs.  Yeah, those won't last a week.

New Story to be Published Next Month -- "The Early Bird"

Hi everyone,

I recently received my illustrator pairing and a tentative date for my new story, "The Early Bird", which is scheduled be published next month (January 3rd) on The Story Shack.  I will keep you updated of its progress.

In the meantime, I hope everyone is having a great week, and oh, only 19 days until Christmas!  (Sorry, couldn't resist).  For a detailed countdown of days, hours, minutes and seconds guaranteed to elevate your holiday anxiety level, go to http://www.xmasclock.com/.

Chris

Story Going Live Today - "A Homecoming Revelation"

Today "A Homecoming Revelation" goes live on The Story Shack.  This is a polished version of the story I posted earlier this year on my blog.  Be sure to check out both the story and the artwork by the very talented Shantala Robinson at:  www.thestoryshack.com, and as always, I welcome your comments.

Have a great week!

Quote of the Day

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” 
-- Oscar Wilde

When Life Gives You a Rotten Turkey, Make TV Dinners!

Well you all know the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."  This year we applied this saying to our Thanksgiving meal.

It started Thursday morning with anticipation high in the air.  We pulled the turkey out of the refrigerator and prepared to make a wonderful feast.  The natural brined turkey was in its plastic casing and then wrapped again in a clear plastic bag.  I took a scissor out to snip the clear plastic bag and yikes!  The odor smacked us in the face.  We grimaced in horror.  We didn't dare attempt to cut the plastic casting around the turkey.  It was obvious it was bad.  So what to do next . . . .  We drove by the specialty store where we purchased the turkey, but it was closed.  No surprise really, so next we went to our local grocery store.  They had turkeys, but all were frozen rock solid.  We thought about how to solve this little dilemma looking at hams and roasts, but all were just too big for the two of us and besides, we wanted turkey.  So with an idea in our heads and a smile on our faces, and a determination to make this holiday mishap a little fun, we decided on the next best thing -- frozen turkey dinners!  Yes, that's right.  That night we dinned on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and vegetables from plastic containers cooked in the microwave and knew this would be a memorable year.  We reflected on the many things we had to be thankful for and knew that one rotten turkey in the 23 years that my husband and I have been married was not about to ruin a thing.  We have learned that with life, you have to be flexible.  After all, we have our health, our friends and families spread all over the country, and wonderful pets to share our lives with, and we are truly grateful for all of these.  A stray lemon now and then, well . . . . .

So Friday we took the turkey back to the store without any fuss.  Our money was returned to us and the manager insisted on giving us a turkey too.  They were afraid our Thanksgiving was ruined to which we said not at all and declined the need for a new turkey.  But they were determined for us to leave with another even better turkey.  So we picked the smallest from the bunch and upon exiting the store were handed a bunch of fresh flowers from the assistant store manager.  We told her how unnecessary this all was, really, but thanked them all for their generosity. 

Saturday morning we pulled the turkey out, stuffed him (oyster stuffing), and five hours later . . . . viola! -- turkey feast.  (Followed of course by turkey coma.)  Happy day!

We hope you all had a memorable and enjoyable Thanksgiving, and thank you all for your friendship and memories.

Artwork for Story "A Homecoming Revelation"

Good Morning,

Yesterday I had the opportunity to preview the artwork for my next flash fiction piece being featured on The Story Shack and again was pleasantly surprised at the result.  Another wonderful piece by another talented artist.  The scheduled publish date for this story is slated for December 3rd.  I hope you all tune in to see the final result.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Quote of the Day

“Gratitude means to recognize the good in your life, be thankful for whatever you have, some people may not even have one of those things you consider precious to you (love, family, friends, etc). Each day give thanks for the gift of life. You are blessed.” 

--Pablo 

Story Time - "Under"

Well, the date has arrived!  The following is a link to The Story Shack, the online publication founded by Martin Hooijmans, which has published my flash fiction piece "Under":  www.thestoryshack.com.  The illustrator I was paired with for this story is the very talented Mark Reihill.  This story is a little dark, a diversion for me from my current work in progress, so I welcome your thoughts.

Next date -- December 3rd for a very different story with another special illustrator.

Round Two!

Hi Folks,

The publish date for my flash fiction piece "Under" is rapidly approaching (November 6), and while I have been excitedly waiting for this date to arrive, I was ecstatic to see the arrival of another email from this same publisher accepting another flash fiction piece I wrote, "A Homecoming Revelation".  On this piece, I will be working with another very talented artist who is located in British Columbia.  The scheduled publish date for this piece has been set for December 3rd.

Thanks everyone for all of your support, and I will be providing you with the link for my first story shortly.

Update!

Hi All,

An update to my October 8th post.  I received a copy of the artist's illustration for my flash fiction piece this morning.  One word:  Wow!

More info coming soon . . . . .

Have a great weekend!

Chris

Quote of the Day

“I have come to accept the feeling of not knowing where I am going. And I have trained myself to love it. Because it is only when we are suspended in mid-air with no landing in sight, that we force our wings to unravel and alas begin our flight. And as we fly, we still may not know where we are going to. But the miracle is in the unfolding of the wings. You may not know where you're going, but you know that so long as you spread your wings, the winds will carry you.” 

-- C. JoyBell C.

Exciting News!

Friends,

A quick note:  I am happy to report to you that a flash fiction piece that I wrote has been picked up by an online publication.  I am currently being paired with a very talented illustrator based in Belfast, and am excited to be involved in this project.  A scheduled publish date has been set for November 6th.  I will provide you with more details in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned!

Monsoon Critters - (My "Creature Feature")

So this was our first monsoon season, and we really didn’t know what to expect from that scary "monsoon" term.  But for our east coast friends, basically it was rain and thunderstorms with occasionally wind and dust.  Not too bad, we weathered it fine.  Thankfully, since we are in northern Arizona, we did not get the Haboobs that Phoenix saw.  By the way, a Haboob is a dust storm that looks like a wall coming towards you – think of the movie, The Mummy.  Google Haboob sometime to see some awesome pictures.

Now, as for the critters that came out during the monsoon season – yikes!  We saw some amazing creatures, some we liked, as many we did not, but it was “interesting” to say the least.  So now that the weather has changed back to dry, I thought I’d share with you some of the creature encounters on our property.  (Many of the below photos I sent off to Nature Abounds "Watch the Wild" volunteer program.)  Enjoy!  (Don't forget you can click on the photos to view larger images.)

A Horned Lizard (aka Horned Toad).  He was cute.

Green beetle on the Artichoke flower.

A little baby Horned Lizard/Toad.  Aw!

Okay, I know I've shown you these little lizards before, but this character somehow got into the house.

Meet our nemesis, the grasshopper.  What's wrong with a little grasshopper you ask?  Ha!  They came by the millions and haven't left yet!  They are messy and are everywhere you step outside.  See following photo.

Invasion of the grasshoppers!!

Bull/gopher snake.  I am supposed to want to see these non-venomous snakes because they will make a dinner out of our  problematic  pocket gophers.  So I am trying to practice the mantra, "Bull snake good.  Bull snake good."  Ugh!

Close up of Bull/gopher snake.

We estimate that the Bull/Gopher snake was about 4 foot long.

Ah, now this was an interesting creature -- Dactylotum bicolor (common names include:  Barber Pole Grasshopper, Rainbow Grasshopper, Uncle Sam).  This picture really doesn't give it enough justice.  It was a beautiful red, white and blue.  Hmm, hence the nickname Uncle Sam?

Now you get an indication of the size of the Dactylotum bicolor (Barber Pole Grasshopper).

Okay, now we get to the spider section of our creature feature.  The Tarantula.  I  really didn't care for these guys to say the least.

Another one on another day.  We saw them for about 2-3 weeks and then they were thankfully gone.

And my least favorite creature of all -- the Black Widow.  I don't have a photo of her red hourglass, but here is a picture of her and her egg sack on top of our propane tank  By the way, she and her offspring were promptly exterminated shortly after this photo.  (We didn't especially feel like making any emergency room visits.)

Well, that's all folks!

Quote of the Day

"There are as many worlds as there are kinds of days, and as an opal changes its colors and its fire to match the nature of a day, so do I."
--John Steinbeck