Eating Himself Out Of House and Home!

Hey guys, how ya’all doin?  I’m good…thanks for asking!  So, today we’re gonna talk about one of my favorite subjects…misbehaving dogs.  Yep, everyone who’s ever had a dog has had one of these.  You know the ones…cute, sweet, loyal, loving, and the devil in disguise when you step out the door for a quick run to the supermarket.

Okay, I got a new dog last November (day before Thanksgiving), and I’m still wondering WHY?  He came to me with the name Hulk.  Seriously?  Who names a doxie–lab cross Hulk?  His legs are about two inches long, and his body is about a two-footer!  Anyway, I couldn’t live with the name, so I renamed him to Riley.  Nice name, seemed to suit him at the time.  But now I’m thinking perhaps Jaws would have been more appropriate.  The dog chews everything!  In fact, he’s literally eating himself out of house and home…and the other 2 dogs are none too happy about it either.

Riley is probably the happiest dog I’ve ever owned.  He loves to run and play with the other dogs, bark at the duck and the horses, bounce off of mom’s butt when she bends over to put food in his dish, and do a little home remodeling—especially those snug doorways that need to be enlarged. In fact, here is a before and after picture of Riley’s remodeling work.

Nice, huh?  And yes, that is Riley showing off his remodeling rskills.  You can see the debris on the ground...chew toys, a rawhide bone, 2 rawhide bone pieces, and a log he pulled off the tree.  You can also see that the tree is trimmed to the height Riley can reach.  Can you say BAD DOG?!

Yeah, good thing there are 2 dog houses in the dog run, or the dogs would be swimming when it rains.  At least this way, they have a second house to move into when it starts to rain…because the remodeled one won’t keep anyone dry.  And you should see how the other two dogs scowl at Riley when they have to make a break in the rain for the dry dog house.  In fact, we’re starting to refer to it as the summer home…open and airy.

So when I decided to write this blog, I went out to the internet to see what other dogs were chewing.  I came up with some pretty amazing stuff—stuff like…

·   One dog ate the nose off a rubber ducky…and it wasn’t his toy.
·   Another one chewed a bottle of blue nail polish on his mom’s brand new comforter.
·   Then there was the spendthrift who “blew the wad” and chewed up $170.
·   An empty beer can fell victim to a dog who must have had steel teeth.
·   3 mobile phones.  Seriously?  Yep, same dog chewed all 3 phones!  I’d have to try to call them…don’t lie…you know you would too!!!
·   One independent and ambitious guy opened the freezer and ate an entire frozen turkey.
·   Tube of super glue.  Okay, I’ve actually done this…it doesn’t end well!
·    Chewed false teeth.  This one stunned me.  I thought my mother was the only person on the planet whose dentures had fallen victim to a canine chew caper.  Well, maybe she’s the only person on the planet to have this happen 3 times.
·   Christmas tree tinsel.  Yeah, I had a cat who used to do this…had to quit decorating the lower 1/3 of the tree.  It was either that or continue to freak out every time the cat walked by with tinsel hanging out of her butt.  Not pretty!
·  Then there is the proverbial underwear thief…this one seems to be a really popular theme.

 

So, given my research, it doesn’t seem that Riley eating himself out of house and home is all that unusual.  Dogs everywhere are finding more and more creative ways to entertain themselves.  And dog owners everywhere are finding more and more creative ways to shame their dogs.  I thought about making up a sign to hang around Riley’s neck, but I’m pretty sure he’d eat it.

So I’ll just continue to buy rawhide bones in five-packs every week and hope it at least slows the little monster down.  I actually saw him chewing on a log the other day.  Oh, and did I mention he’s been hard at work trimming the Mulberry tree?  Hmmm…maybe I should put him to work on the mesquite!

That’s my story, crazy and chewy, and I’m stickin’ to it.  (At least until Riley eats it.)  So hang on tight now, ‘cuz we’re gonna go real, real fast!

Love ya,

Kayce

The Liar by Nora Roberts

This is a delightful read, granted being a liar is nothing but the lowest form of relationship problems to deal with.

The liar is the dead husband of Shelby Pomeroy.  And what a horrific way to find out he lied - about everything.  He gave her all that money could buy and left on frequent business trips to make this money. 

When her husband died, he also left her with a lot of debt, a lot of doubt, and a background that terrified her.

Shelby made a plan to pay off the millions in debt by selling everything and taking her daughter to her hometown in Tennessee.

Her large family welcomed her home, along with a buff and gorgeous man, Griff, dead-set on helping her out, which includes in the protection department.  Shelby’s husband’s past followed her along with murders in Little Rock.  Griff would do his best to keep her alive and at his side.

The close knit community in Tennessee, the charming people, and the far from charming people can only be created by Nora Roberts.  If you’ve read her books, you’ll know what I mean.  If not, it’s never too late to jump in and find another favorite author!

 

Happy reading,

Dawn

New Release! Lana and the Laid by Sabrina York

Lana and the Laird

by Sabrina York

LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD

Lachlan Sinclair cannot escape his accursed heritage in his Highlands homeland. Somewhat resigned to the fate that destroyed his ancestors, he is prepared to live his life without an heir, without a wife―without love. But when he meets the woman of his dreams in the flesh, the bewitching lass makes him want to throw away his cursed, restrained existence…and unleash the highlander within…

Lana Dounreay has only seen the Duke of Caithness in her dreams as a wild, rugged man, while in reality, his life has been cramped by curses and cravats. He may have forgone his kilt and lost his brogue, but Lana knows that the heart of a true Scotsman beats within his broad, muscular chest. But what plans does the mysterious, passionate Lachlan have in mind for her―and can she convince him that love is stronger than all else?

EXCERPT:

   Lachlan threw back his covers and set his feet on the floor. He had to wait until he stopped shaking to stand, and even then his legs were limp. When he could, he stumbled to the wardrobe and found a pair of breeches and a simple shirt. After a fright like this, he needed to walk, to clear his mind, his soul, of the terror.

   He didn’t wake Dougal. He never did. It was unfair to ask his cousin to bear the onus of his curse. Lachlan made his way through the deserted halls of Lochlannach Castle, down the grand staircase, and headed for the terrace that overlooked the crashing sea below. There was a moon tonight. The view of Dunnet Bay would calm his soul. And if it did not, there was always the option of stepping over the edge and into oblivion.

   But as he emerged into the cool velvet night, it wasn’t oblivion that awaited him.

   It was Lana Dounreay.

   She sat on the seawall staring out at his coveted view, dressed in a diaphanous froth that had to be her nightdress. Her hair, turned silver by the night, hung down over her shoulders, glimmering in the moonlight.

   His heart pattered, but for a very different reason.

   She was so lovely, so serene, it made his breath catch.

   He came to stand beside her without a word, tucking his hands in his pockets and staring at the sea. She glanced up at him, but without surprise, as though she had expected him. Together they gazed out at the dark ripples of the water, the shards of light dancing over the surface of the blackness.

   A gentle breeze wafted by, bringing with it her scent. It made him dizzy.

   Ah, how he wished . . .

   He wished he were another man. A man not cursed. A man not haunted. A man not doomed to an early death.

   A man who could have kissed her once.

   How magnificent would that have been?

   He must have sighed because she put her hand on his arm. It was warm. Soft. Alluring.

   “Can you no’ sleep?” she asked in a soothing timbre.

   He glanced at her and his gaze was snared. Her eyes were so wide, so blue, so deep. He wanted to drown in them. “No. I . . . had a visitor.”

   Her brow rumpled. “A visitor?”

   “Yes.” He turned back to the sea. Though he was loath to discuss this with anyone, lest they think him mad, he knew she would understand. “My father.”

   “Ah. I see. Does he visit you often?”

   Lachlan snorted a laugh but it was really not one. “Too often.”

   Lana tipped her head to the side. “You . . . doona enjoy his visits?”

   “I do not. They are . . . terrifying.”

   Why this puzzled her was a mystery. Ghosts were terrifying.

   “Can you describe the visit?”

   Something in her tone caught his attention. He sat beside her on the wall, listening to the waves crash below. It took a while for him to collect his thoughts, but she waited. “He is always dour. Pained. There is wailing and—”

   “Wailing?”

   “Yes. But it is the chains that are the most perturbing.”

   Lana blinked. “Chains?”

   “Yes. He’s draped in them. Bound by them. It is his eternal torment. Because of the curse.”

   “How odd. None of the ghosts I know wear chains.”

   “They are probably not cursed.”

   “Probably not.” Her lips quirked as she murmured, “As there are no such things as curses.”

   His heart lurched. Would that that were true. He studied her face.  Beautiful as it was, that hint of amusement pricked at him. “Do you find this funny?”

   “Nae. No’ a bit of it.” She patted his hand. Her heat lingered. “’Tis just . . . odd.”

   “What is odd?” Was he really asking? This whole conversation was odd.

   “Odd that your ghost wears chains. Chains are verra . . . of this earth, after all.”

   “He’s being punished. They are probably metaphorical.”

   “Most likely.”

   As they turned back to the vista before them, Lachlan reflected that this was, indeed, a surreal conversation to be having. But then, with someone like Lana, it made sense.

   “Your mother doesna wear chains.”

   His belly roiled at the thought. “I am . . . gratified to hear it.”

   “She seems quite at peace.”

   “Good to know.”

   “Except that she worries about you.”

   “Will you tell her I’m fine?”

   “I canna.”

   He gaped at her.

   She lifted a shoulder. “I willna lie to her. Besides, she knows you’re no’ a happy man.”

   A happy man? Was there such a thing?

   “I am a cursed man.”

   “Pffft.”

   “I am.” He didn’t know why he smiled. His lips just wanted to move that way.

   What was it about this woman, this sprite, that made the shadows waft away? Made all his dark ruminations evaporate like mists in the sunlight? Made him smile after the horrific encounter he’d just had?

   Ah, but it didn’t seem so horrific. Not now. Not with her by his side.

   Lana shot him a glance that warmed his heart. “She thought you looked verra fine tonight at dinner.”

   “Ah. The kilt.”

   “Aye.” Her lashes fluttered. “I thought you looked verra fine as well.”

   Now, that stirred something in him. Something illicit and naughty. “Did you?”

   “Aye.”

   “Was I manly?” He was teasing, perhaps, but when she flicked a glance at him, with that expression—one of hunger and admiration and . . . heat—all his playfulness withered, scorched by the blazing flare of his lust.

   There was something about the cloak of night, the refreshing scent of the sea, the fragrance of her perfume, the way her hair riffled in the breeze. Or maybe it was his churning need to wipe the memory of his father’s visit from his mind, or the suddenly clawing desire to be a man he could never be . . . but Lachlan had to kiss her. Everything in him ached for it.

   And so he did.

   Though it was foolish and injudicious and wildly inappropriate of him, he did.

GET IT NOW:  http://amzn.to/1UC99dM

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT SABRINA YORK’S UNTAMED HIGHLANDERS

Bold and steamy—Publisher’s Weekly

A stunning tale from beginning to end—Love, Life and Booklust

Top Pick—Night Owl Reviews

York turns her talent for sizzle to men in kilts—and the women who love them—in her newest sexy romp—RT Magazine

Untamed Highlanders Series

Hannah and the Highlander

Susana and the Scot  

Lana and the Laird

Want More Highlanders by Sabrina York?

Laird of her Heart—Highland Time Travel

Tarnished Honor—Waterloo Heroes Romance

Luscious—Seven Nights of Sin Collection

Call of the Wild Wind—Ever My Love Collection (Sequel to Tarnished Honor) 

About Sabrina

Her Royal Hotness, Sabrina York, is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of hot, humorous stories for smart and sexy readers. With over 25 titles her books range from sweet & snarky to scorching romance. Visit her webpage at www.sabrinayork.com to check out her books, excerpts and contests. Represented by Lane Heymont with the Seymour Agency.
Download a free teaser book filled with excerpts and reviews for her work.

Awards: Sabrina’s recent accolades include 2014 BTSE Reader’s Choice Award Finalist, 2014 Golden Ankh Winner, 2014 Carolyn Reader’s Choice Award Winner, 2014 FF&P PRISIM Award Finalist, 2014 RONE Award Finalist, 2014 and 2013 Passionate Plume Finalist, 2014 EPIC eBook Award Finalist. Past first place wins include the Celtic Hearts Novellas Need Love Too Contest, Celtic Hearts Distinguished Novella Award, Golden Rose, NOLA Stars Suzannah Contest,  Emerald City Opener and Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest (Zola Award).

www.SabrinaYork.com

@sabrina_york

facebook.com/SabrinaYorkBooks

Moved into a New Home!

It's happened. We've moved into our brand new home! Whoohoo! I can't believe we are finally here with our cat, furniture and about 100 boxes.

The move became a bit complicated when we sold our old house and the new one wasn't quite ready. But we are in and the workers are finishing the final touches around us.


Today they poured the slab for the garage. This is an important building as it will house our truck and a storage room for all those essentials we use once a year like Halloween and Christmas decorations as well as the lawn mower and all of hubby's tools :-)

I have two favorite parts of the house. First is the land it sits on. We have 4 acres of trees and a lot of quiet and what I hope will also be lots of critters to watch. We have neighbors with chickens and a rooster, donkeys, goats, cows and horses as well. I love animals :-)

My other favorite part of the house is the master bath, not only does it have an Amazon shower with rain head, but it also has a soaking tub with a view! Seriously decadent!

I'm excited to get my office in order and my desk rebuilt so I can get some more serious writing done. I'm hoping to have Eden Discovered out in the next 30 days so I better get moving. Oh wait, I already did that ;-)

Of course, a house is just a house without my awesome hubby and troublemaker cat and since they are settling in as well I can truly call this home sweet home. Well, I will by Sunday when I make my home made ice cream to add the "sweet." I am one lucky lady :-)

Always, Lexi 
www.lexipostbooks.com

Twice in One Week

         Hey, look at that….you get to hear from me twice in one week!

Today is Monday, Memorial Day and I have the day off (no dreaded day job for me today) so what am I doing with my time?

         I’m a little embarrassed to admit….a whole lot of nothing! There are so many things I should be doing, but it’s a National Holiday so I’m doing my part: remembering why we celebrate this day and just “holidaying”. Normally, over this long weekend, I make a big batch of spaghetti sauce, have a shred fest with old bill receipts, and clean out my closets. Only accomplished one of those things (the sauce).

My DH and I had plans to see a movie, but that didn’t happen (he’s off rescuing a friend who broke down on the highway) so I am home, just me and the dog, who would love it if I just continually threw the ball for her…but once you start, she doesn’t want you to quit and will throw the ball at you when you want to stop. What can I say? She knows what she wants.

The other thing I usually do over this long weekend? Write. And I should be doing that right now. Really. It’s the perfect day for it and I have nothing but time on my hands (Saturday and Sunday chores were completed over the weekend so I’d have the time to write today) so why aren’t I? Well….

My hero, like his brother in A Kiss in the Shadows, is the strong, silent type. What am I saying? He’s the epitome of it…and he’s just not in the mood to talk to me. Actually, he hasn’t wanted to talk to me since he convinced me it was time to tell his story. I must not have been fast enough for him because once I got the first couple chapters done, he went quiet. And he’s been quiet ever since.

So what’s an author to do when the hero just doesn’t want to open his mouth? Give him a heroine who talks…a lot. Her family talks a lot, too. Poor guy doesn’t stand a chance…..which could be kinda fun! In fact, I think I have just the thing to make him open his mouth….

As always, happy reading!

Marie

Beyond the Ballroom Box Set

I love my publisher! Crimson Romance has been so good to me. The editorial staff is fantastic (I can’t say enough good things about them!), and the novels available in their catalogue are absolutely fabulous—beautiful covers, excellent writing and wonderful stories. And they’ve given me such fantastic opportunities.

The latest opportunity? They’re putting my historical western romance, A Kiss in the Shadows, in a box set with five other authors! How fantastic is that!?!?

Here’s a quick summary of my

story.
         Danger lurks in the mountains of New Mexico when sheriff-turned-bounty-hunter Brock MacDermott goes on the prowl for infamous outlaw Zeb Logan. Logan killed Brock's brother and his family in an ambush, and Brock has never forgiven himself for failing to keep them safe.
         Driven by his single-minded mission to make Logan pay, he rides from town to town on a lonely quest, careful to keep emotional attachments at arm's length - until young, beautiful Stevie Rae Buchanan insists on joining his hunt. Stevie Rae's father was also brutally murdered by Logan, and she won't rest until the outlaw is either behind bars or dead.
        There's no room for romance when you're chasing down a dangerous criminal, but when undeniable feelings develop between them, Stevie Rae and Brock must decide whether capturing Logan is worth sacrificing everything else.

This is such a great opportunity. What could be better than six full length novels for the bargain price of 99 cents!

As always, happy reading!

Marie

You Absolutely CANNOT Fix Stupid...No Matter How Hard You Try!

Hey, all!  How are ya?  Long time no talk.  I know…I know…that’s totally my fault!  I took off for the convention in Nashville without the power cord for my laptop.  So I had to go online and order a new one from Amazon and have it shipped to the hotel…but, alas, too late to get my blog written.  So my apologies for being MIA!!!

Okay, so I’m back online with my new power cord, and this week’s blog is about stupidity.  Those of you who know me know that there’s nothing that gets me spun up faster than stupid…and like Ron White says, “You can’t fix stupid.”

And I know it’s not just me that agrees with that because I used to have a trailer hitch cover that said, “You can’t fix stupid.”  Used to.  Not any more…someone stole it.  Speaking of stupid, I think that one speaks for itself!

Anyway, my friend, K. T. Roberts, and I drove across the country for the Nashville conference, and I’m happy to report that stupidity is alive and well everywhere!

For starters, we stopped in New Mexico at a fast food restaurant, which shall remain unnamed.  Suffice it to say, when my son was very small, he misunderstood the commonly accepted nickname of the restaurant chain and insisted on calling it “The Gold Narches”.  Enough said.

Anyway, K.T. and I pull up to the speaker and I order “two large iced coffees, black…one decaf, one regular.”  Seemed easy at the time.  Oh, silly me!

“Two large iced coffees?”

“Yes, black…one decaf and one regular.”  I’m making sure they don’t miss anything.

“Would you like cream in that?”

Seriously?  K. T. and I look at each other and shake our heads.  “No, black.”

“You want sweetener?”

Really?  “No…black.  Just coffee and ice.”

“You want that iced?”

Sigh.  “Yes.  Two large black iced coffees, but we need one of them decaf and the other regular.”

“Okay.  That will be (whatever the price was) at the first window.”

Finally!!!

So we get to the window and the coffees come out.  I look at them and they look suspiciously identical.  So I ask, “Which one is decaf?”

I get the blank stare.  “Decaf?”

Sigh.  “Yes, decaf.  One is supposed to be regular and the other decaf.”

She shakes her head.  “They’re both regular.  We can’t do decaf iced.”

Are you effing kidding me?

I take a deep breath, glance at K. T., and struggle not to laugh at the look on her face.  “Do you have decaf coffee?”

The girl nods.  “Yes.”

“Do you have ice?”

She nods again. “Yes.”

I know it’s wrong, but this just called for condescending.  “So just pour the decaf coffee over a large cup of ice.”

I get the blank stare.  “But the ice will melt.”

Are you freaking kidding me?

I take another deep breath and smile.  “Yes, it will.”

She is still confused.

How?  How is this confusing?  How?

I must be skating dangerously close to the “out of control” foul line because she now has to go get the manager.  Clearly annoyed, the manager comes to the window and informs us they don’t have iced decaf coffee.

Noooooooooooooo…not the manager too?!

Again, “Do you have decaf coffee?”

The manager nods.  “Yes.”

“Do you have ice?”

She nods again.  “Yes.”

“Then put lots of ice in a big cup and pour the coffee over it.”

And I am NOT freaking kidding you…I get, “But the hot coffee will melt the ice.”

I’m still smiling…now it’s because I’m desperately trying not to laugh because I can’t take much more stupidity.  And I don’t dare look at K. T. because her internal thoughts (and mine) are shrieking though the cab of the truck—Are you effing kidding me?  It takes all I can muster to reply, “Yes, it will…and that’s fine.  Just use lots of ice.”

Problem solved.  The manager now turns to her employee and gives her permission to pour hot decaf coffee over the top of a cup of ice and give it to the morons at the drive-thru window.  Yeah!!!

Oh, wait…one more thing she needs to confirm—“Do you want cream and sweetener in that?”

WTF?!!!!!  NO!!!!!!!!!!!!  When did “black” stop meaning “black”?

We get our drinks…finally…and we leave the drive-thru, about to pee our pants because we are laughing so freaking hard.  I have never in my life had so much trouble trying to order an iced decaf coffee, black.  What the hell is so hard to understand about that?  Seriously?

Well, the story doesn’t end there…not only did we encounter the same scenario at least twice more on our trip…almost verbatim…but our next stop was a dollar store.  Now, keep in mind that this is one of those dollar stores where EVERYTHING in the store is…wait for it…ONE DOLLAR!

So K. T. and I do a little shopping and take our treasures to the checkout.  I’m the first to be rung up and my bill comes to $24.00 and change…which means I’ve purchased…you got it…23 items, give or take a bit for sales tax.  I swear on my life, the checker processed my card and then looked at me and asked, “Would you like a bag with that?”

Really?

I cut my gaze to K. T. and she had the same stunned look on her face that I’m sure was on mine.  Now, I don’t care if all I bought was chewing gum…23 packs of chewing gum would be tough to navigate to the truck without a freaking bag!

You would have been sooooooo proud of me!  I didn’t give her “the look”, I didn’t point out how difficult it would be to carry 23 items—makeup bags, bows, nail files and brushes—to the car without a bag.  I didn’t do any of that.  Nope, I didn’t even smile and say, “Here’s your sign.”

BUT I WANTED TO!!!

No, I just nodded and said, “Yes, a bag would be good.”

She gave me a bag, we bagged my stuff, K. T. paid for hers (and got a bag too), and we hightailed it out of there.  And you can bet we didn’t drink the water…it could be contagious!

Ron White is right…YOU CAN’T FIX STUPID!  And as his buddy, Jeff Foxworthy, would say, “Here’s your sign.”

That’s my story, stupid and stupendous, and I’m stickin’ to it.  Hang on tight now, ‘cuz we’re gonna go real, real fast!

Love ya,

Kayce