So Proud of My Better Half

Coast Guardsman reading to children. Photo taken by my husband.

I usually write about writing, but today I have to write about my better half. Yes, he is my better half in so many ways, and I am damn lucky to have him in my life.

My awesome husband has recently had some great successes which I have posted on facebook. As former Military Police for the Air Force and a Fire Chief in civilian life, he was drawn to the structure of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.  His interest has been in the PA program where he trained to become a PA Specialist III. PA stands for Public Affairs. He has done such a great job writing articles and taking photos for the Auxiliary and Active Duty Coast Guard men and women that the higher levels have started to take notice.

I was thrilled when one of his photos was picked up by the Associated Press and made the cover of a number of newspapers across the country (above photo). I was also proud when the national magazine that comes out once a year titled The Navigator had 8 pages of my husband’s articles and/or photos including a two page photo spread. I was also excited when he was promoted to a District level PA position.

But none of this was a surprise to me. He has always been an overachiever and a person I highly respect. Of course, the fact that he truly enjoys hanging out with romance writers, or that he shares with me how he would react to situations I may put my heroes in, are also definitely pluses. Not to mention he is an excellent cook and a fantastic dancer as well. Two traits that fit me perfectly as I can't cook and love to dance!

So I hope you don’t mind I took a break from talking about Lexi Post and writing romance. The fact is, I couldn’t do any of it without my better half :-)

Always, Lexi

Procrastination

 

     I…have been procrastinating, which is totally unlike me. I have a schedule and I like to keep to it, but for some reason, my schedule isn’t working. I have a lot to do (I always have a lot to do and there’s only so many hours in the day, but sometimes, I just don’t want to do it).

  
     Take this morning. I was awake at 3:50….my alarm doesn’t go off until 4:20. One would have thought I’d get up and make good use of the time since I knew I wasn’t going back to sleep, but no. I laid in bed, watching the illuminated numbers count down the minutes until the alarm went off. Did I get up then? Actually, I hit the snooze. Not once, but twice. I know (would it be a terrible thing to admit I liked just staying in bed and hitting the snooze?)!

     Why am I procrastinating? I didn’t know my topic for this blog.

       Oh, I could have shamelessly promoted Mischief and Magnolias, my historical romance set during the Civil War which was released Monday, but that’s not like me (see cover to the right).

     I could have told you all about the fabulous play I saw last Friday. A bunch of girlfriends and I went to see “Cuff Me: The Fifty Shades of Gray Unauthorized Musical Parody”. It was hysterical! I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. By the time the play was over, my mascara was all over my face (yes, I laughed so hard I was crying), my stomach hurt and let’s just say I’m glad I went to the Ladies Room before the play started!

            I could have told you all how I long for the idyllic days of my vacation, where my only pressing issue was deciding if I wanted to swim and walk on the beach before or after lunch…or both. In January, as many of you know, I had the good fortune to visit St. Croix and my good friend and critique partner, Lexi Post. I have been home for two months now and…well….I miss island life. I miss the laid back attitude (which says a lot about me because I am NOT a laid back type person). I miss the beautiful sunsets as we sat on the back porch and chatted. That’s not to say Arizona doesn’t have beautiful sunsets. We do and Mother Nature has been giving us our fill (while the rest of the country is experiencing below freezing temperatures and humongous amounts of snow, Phoenix is having the loveliest weather!)

            I could write about the three books I am currently reading or the one I’m writing….

            Hey, what do you know…I’ve procrastinated long enough to finish this blog!

            So what do you do when you procrastinate to avoid what you really need to do? Share with me. I’d love to know!

 As always, happy reading!

Marie

My Writing Process Blog

Friend and fellow author LexiPost has invited me to speak about my process on the My Writing Process Blog Tour.

What am I working on? I am currently working on a western, which (hopefully) could be the first book in a trilogy about the MacDermott brothers, three of the most gorgeous lawmen ever to pin on a silver star (now to find the time….and the words…..to write their stories).  

How does my work differ from others of its genre? How is my work different? I’m not sure I can answer that. I try to make my stories as real as possible, describing settings and such so that you feel as if you are there (at least, that’s my intention….I’m not sure if I always pull it off). My heroines are always scrappy, feisty woman who are usually in the middle of all the trouble and my heroes….well….they’ll do just about anything for the women they fall in love with.

Why do I write what I do? Plain and simple, I love history! Whether it’s the old west or the Civil War (Mischief and Magnolias, my story set during this awful period in American history is being released today! Whooo-hoooo!) or pirates sailing the high seas, I love it all! History is rich in stories of ordinary men and women facing extraordinary circumstances and if I (and my readers) can learn something along the way, I’m happy.

How does your writing process work? My process is a bit strange, and seems to be different for each book I write.  Sometimes, I’ll see something (a beautiful sunset, a storm building in the distance, a cabin in the woods, a lone cactus sitting on a hilltop) which sparks off that wonderful game called “What if….” I love playing this game. The possibilities are endless. And sometimes, I will confess, I hear voices. In my head. Usually, the deep, rich voice of a man I haven’t met who begs me “Tell my story.” Well, of course, I’m going to ask (and yes, I’ve done this out loud): “Who are you?” For my current work in progress, I heard “My name is Brock MacDermott. I’m a bounty hunter.” That interested me right off the bat (I’ve never written about a bounty hunter) so I said (out loud, mind you, to no one except the voice in my head), “A bounty hunter, hmmm? Who are you looking for?” And then he sorta stepped into my line of vision so I knew what he looked like and began to speak…..

Next Monday, discover the process of my friend, KayceLassiter.  Kayce is a country girl writing what she knows—cowgirls, cowboys, falling in love, making mistakes (boy, does she know how to make mistakes!), making right choices, winning, losing, magic, and happily-ever-afters.

As always, happy reading!
Marie

Mary Buckham Inteview and Giveaway!

Alexis: Today we have Paranormal Romance author, Mary Buckham who is giving away an ecopy of one of her books, winner’s choice! Just leave a comment at the end for a chance to win.

So Mary,what are your favorite traits of the two main characters in Invisible Fate Book 3: Alex Noziak?

Mary: Alex is willing to do the hard things regardless of the cost to herself and she’s also vulnerable though she hides it well beneath her wit (or should we say sarcasm). Bran is a self-made man who’s very comfortable with what he’s achieved but he’s not so comfortable falling for a witch/shaman woman who turns his world inside out.

Alexis: Where did you get the idea for this story?

Mary: A traffic ticket (fortunately it wasn’t mine) but it made me aware of how we quickly learn to spot speed traps and cop cars. They all have a similar look and feel to them. So what if you trained agents who were not law enforcement trained initially but came from everyday backgrounds? Would they be able to infiltrate some situations better? And what if you gave the new recruits some extra mo-jo with paranormal abilities they had to keep hidden for most of their lives? The series came from there.

Alexis: Very cool idea. What made you chose your title?

Mary: I think at some time most women have felt invisible. I wanted to use that feeling and turn it upside down into an asset instead of a liability, so each book in the series celebrates the fact that women might feel invisible but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a whole lot to offer the world.

Alexis: I agree. What was the strangest thing that inspired a story for you?

Mary: Everything contains inspiration. A newspaper article from the 1800s about a little girl escaping an orphanage wearing two sets of clothes. Her work clothes on top and her best clothes underneath so when she found her mother her mother would be happy with her. A snippet of conversation. The look a man gives a woman who’s unaware of it. Figuring out how to bribe a fisherman to cross the Mekong River from Thailand to Laos. (probably not one of my smarter ideas but hubby was with me).

Alexis: What was your very first writer’s conference?

Mary: I think it was an Emerald City Romance Conference in Seattle. I was so new that I’d only been writing a few weeks and packing up, driving across the state and being surrounded by people like me, who had stories in their heads and dreams in their hearts, was just what I needed. I also remember sitting at a dinner table and every single person there was a New York Times author: Jayne Ann Krentz, Stella Cameron, Linda Lael Miller, Debbie Macomber and a half dozen more. Led me to believe every romance writer could be a NYT author.

Alexis: Wow, talk about inspiring.  Thank you so much for visiting us here at Happily Ever After Thoughts.

Blurb of Invisible Fate Book 3: Alex Noziak

Novel three in the paranormal romantic Suspense series, featuring Alex Noziak and the team members of the Invisible Recruits Agency

Forced to choose, will dark magic be the only path.

Hidden from a world unaware of magic, a recently and only partially trained group of operatives known as the Invisible Recruits are the only ones willing to stand between mankind and those powerful preternatural factions seeking to change the balance of power and gain world domination.

Alex Noziak, part/witch, part/shaman, is imprisoned by a powerful Druid bent on changing her into a black-magic portal to release a three thousand year-old demon on the world.

By trying to shield a juvenile witch from the Druid, Alex places the lives of her IR teammates in jeopardy.

Her relationship with Bran is in turmoil, making him the last man she'll turn to . . . but the only one who can help her.

Alex is placed between watching Bran die or saving the world. Choices. Choices.

USA Today Bestselling author, Mary Buckham throws her readers into a world of danger, explosive conflict and dark magic as the team learns to fight the dark paranormal forces out to overthrow the world of humans.

Buy Links:

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1cumqTE

Barnes and Noble:  http://bit.ly/1jRB3A6

 

More about Mary

USA Today Bestselling author Mary Buckham credits her years of international travel and curiosity about different cultures that resulted in creating high-concept urban fantasy and romantic suspense stories. Her newest Invisible Recruit series has been touted for the unique voice, high action and rich emotion. A prolific writer, Mary also co-authors the young adult sci-fi/fantasy Red Moon series with NYT bestseller Dianna Love.

Mary lives in Washington State with her husband and, when not crafting a new adventure, she travels the country researching settings and teaching other writers. Don't miss her latest reference book Writing Active Setting.

Links

Websites: http://www.marybuckham.com

              http://www.invisiblerecruits.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Mary.Buckham

Alexis: Don’t forget to leave a comment for Mary and you will be entered to win your choice of any of her novels in ebook. Good luck!

SPELLING IS IMPOTENT!

Years ago I dated a guy who tried very hard to convince me that knowing how to spell wasn’t important…probably because he couldn’t spell and the easiest way to fix that was to convince people it didn’t matter.  But it does.  It matters a lot.  So when preparing to do this blog, I decided to search the internet for spelling errors and I found some doosies!

What I found were that there were different types of spelling errors.  There are errors caused by the elements (wind), there are errors caused by missing letters, and then there are the spelling errors that are caused by nothing other than sheer stupidity.  LOL

For instance, here is a spelling error that probably resulted from not having enough letters.

 Something as simple as leaving out a “G” doesn’t seem so bad until you see this…and nevermind that the “N” in “NEW” is backwards.

And imagine my surprise when I found that one of their competitors had decided it was something that might catch on!

Here we have a shining example of free enterprise and a little friendly competition.  Not sure this is the best plan.

Then there’s this one…

Really?  How bad a speller do you have to be to misspell the word “BREAKFAST”?  Especially when you have an example right in front of you on the permanent part of the sign!  Did this person just not trust the spelling on the permanent sign or was he/she simply short on A’s?

And here’s some real gems…thousands of people out of work, yet this guy has a job…probably the same guy who put the “N” backwards on the McDonald’s sign!  Maybe he should consider going back to SHCOOL!

Well, I can see why the guy has a job…he works hard and is consistent.

Okay, so maybe consistent isn’t the word I was looking for.

I’m thinking this one wasn’t a mistake…probably just a statement of fact.

I’ve been in this room before.

And how bad is it when the Spelling Bee committee can’t even get it right?

Next time, let the kids do the sign!

Maybe these guys need to form a spelling committee…

Or maybe that’s the southern pronunciation.

Speaking of kids, I’m guessing this picture was taken on a college campus.

But he is right…it’s NOT spelled “SOCILISM”!

Another southern sign, I’m guessing…

           

Apparently they were trying to provide something for everyone.  Bound to be right part of the time!

This one speaks for itself…

                       …apparently not.

And this one is my personal favorite because I have a story to go with it…

A funny thing happened on the way to the Chocolate Affaire a few weeks ago…  I was driving down Glendale Avenue with my author friend Tina Gerow sitting in the passenger seat next to me.  I heard her say, “What the…”  Then she laughed and said, “Oh damn, I thought that sign back there said pubic parking.”

HUH?

I thought about it for a moment and then replied, “Tina, I don’t even know what that is.  Really, what is pubic parking?  Are you looking for a place to park that’s near a pubic?  Or are you driving around in your pubic looking for a place to park it?”  The possibilities absolutely boggle the mind!

Suffice it to say there was much speculation, many ridiculous comments, and lots of snorting going on for the next few minutes.  So…Tina, who knew?  Here’s your signs!

Apparently there is such a thing as pubic parking…now we just have to find out what the hell it is!

That’s my story, misspelled and misaligned, and I’m stickin’ to it.  So hang on tight now ‘cuz we’re gonna go real, real fast!

Love ya,

Kayce

Head Games by Eileen Dreyer

 

You never think it can happen in your hometown.

Molly Burke has enough of her own nightmares to contend with from her stint in Vietnam as a nurse.  Her current position as a trauma nurse and death investigator in St. Louis is another compartment of her life that she undoubtedly experiences horrific gut scenes along with the rampant lets-hide-the-child-abuse stupidity.

Just as Molly begins to get vicious notes left on her doorstep, her not-often-seen nephew, Patrick, pays a call from across the country while his parents are working in China.  Maybe he can soften the hard edge of reality and fill a void of a childless home.  He’s a wild-child, although he does take on a job and befriends the elderly man next door.

The notes keep coming along with freshly de-muscled human bones.

Frank Patterson, a big time attorney, regularly checks on and visits Molly out of more than duty.  Fortunately, he understands her wry sense of humor as she has a hard time allowing him any room in her hectic schedule.

Molly’s forced to check her past for anyone who’d want her as dead as the gifted bones.  She keeps in mind that serial killers start out as, let’s say, misfit kids.

Dreyer takes us through a maze that has no clear ending, maybe many.  Thriller, intense, shocking, and a story that will hit you like a brick at the final revelation.

Happy reading,

Dawn