Meet & Greet Lady Antebellum

Like most writer I listen to music when I write.  One of my favorite groups is Lady Antebellum.  They write beautiful love songs, I write romance novels. Kind of a match made in heaven. 

When their concert was schedule in Des Moines I wanted tickets. I went to their website, joined the fan club and got pretty good seats.  Not great, but good to listen to the music.  Up popped a sign-up for a “Meet & Greet.”  What the hell, I would love to meet them, I never win any of these, but being always hopefully I put my name in the pot. On a particular unpleasant day I receive in my email-“You’ve Been Selected to Attend a Lady Antebellum Meet & Greet!”.  OMG!

Since I am first a writer, the fan of Lady A stuffed and autographed copy of the Writers of the Lake first book in her purse.  Off I went to get shuffled from one line to another, but I didn’t mind.  This was an experience of a lifetime.  My turn came for the photo opt, I handed them the book and babbled about how I write to their music, and yada, yada.  They were so gracious and kind I was blown away.

So here’s the picture of me (the short one in the middle) and the fabulous and ‘I will be a fan until I die” Charles, Hilary and Dave. Notice our book in her hand.

Another Book Launch

That’s right.  We’re having another book launch.  It’s the second of our “Stilettos” books.  This one is entitled “Ms. Claus Wears Stilettos”.  It’s cute.  We just love it and we hope you will, too.  The book launch party is November 10 beginning at 6:30 p.m.  at the Thoreau Center (same place as the last one).  We’d really like to see you there!  At the last book launch, that one was for “Blue Jeans and Stilettos”, we had over 200 people come through the door before the evening was over.  It was a fun time.  We had a stiletto contest and believe me, it was difficult to decide who the winner was as there were so many ladies in stilettos!  We also had a wonderful stiletto cake complete with a red stiletto sitting on the top – everything was edible including the shoe!  There was also a beautiful stiletto floral centerpiece, too.

You’ll have to stop in to see what we have planned for this book launch party!

ITS BETTER IN THE DARK

CHAPTER ONE

 

IT’S BETTER IN THE DARK.   Spend an evening rediscovering your senses.  Let us give you a fantasy night to remember in a perfectly safe environment.

“This is it.  Lindsey, come here.  Hurry!”  Emma frantically waved her free hand in Lindsey’s direction trying not to spill the coffee occupying her other hand.  “I found the perfect birthday present for Sophie.”

“What?” Lindsey asked.  “What are you screaming about?”

“Look at this.”  Emma pointed to the advertisement on the bulletin board.  “That’s perfect for Sophie.  You know how hard she is to buy for and she’s been complaining about her boring life lately.”

“Our Sophie?”  Lindsey patted her chest and laughed.  “So we are going to hire a male prostitute to spend an evening with our Sophie for her birthday.”  Lindsey laughed.  “Classy.  You know Sophie would never go for that.  You’ve had some crazy ideas Emma, but this one takes the cake.”

“Stop it.”  Emma said.  “It’s not a male prostitute.  That’s not what it says.”  Emma put her hand on her hips let out a huff letting Lindsey know she was a little miffed she would think that of her.  “I wouldn’t think of doing that at all.  This sounds different.  I’m going to call and see what it’s about.”

“You do that Emma.”  Lindsey sipped her coffee.  “Just leave my name off if it’s something creepy.” 

“If my weird alarm goes off, I’ll make sure and tell you.”  Emma took one of the brochures and placed it in her purse as they headed out the door of the Morning Brew Coffee shop.  “It sounds like fun.”

Lindsey walked ahead, throwing Emma a look over her shoulder.  “If you are really serious, maybe someone here knows something about it.  After all, they let them leave flyers.”

“Good idea.  I’ll ask.”  Emma turned and headed back to the counter.  “Can you tell me anything about this business?”  She laid the brochure in front of the young girl running the register.

“Let me get Duncan.   Just a sec.”  The girl disappeared into the back room. 

Emma, Lindsey, and Sophie had been coming to this coffee shop several times a week the past few years.  Emma knew just about everyone who worked there, but she wasn’t sure who the young girl had gone to retrieve.   Sophie even had a crush on one of the guys who worked here.  She and Lindsey were positive if Sophie became involved with the guy behind the counter she might have some fun but she would be paying for most of the dates.  So far they had been successful, and Sophie had kept her distance. 

Sophie’s handsome attraction came walking through the doorway.  “I’m Duncan Tait.  Can I help you?”     

“Hi.  I hope so.”  Emma, distracted for a second by his sexy half smile, slid the brochure across the countertop.  “I wondered if you could tell me anything about this brochure.”

“It does sound interesting.  I know a little bit about it.”  Duncan handed her back the brochure.  “They have a very nice setup over on Logan Street.  I know a few people who work there.”  Emma noticed how Duncan’s smile became warmer.  “A nice way to spend an evening don’t you think?”

“Can you tell me exactly what it is?”  Emma asked.

“I can tell you if you call they will take you on a tour.  If you decide you want to give it a try, you can make an appointment or think about it and call back.”

“It does sound fascinating.  I will call about a tour. We are thinking of giving this to our friend for her birthday.  She’s very hard to buy for and she would never do anything like this on her own.”

“Your friend with the long blonde hair?”  His posture straightened.  “I see the three of you in here together a lot.  I noticed she wasn’t here today.”

“Yes.  She couldn’t make it today.”  Emma asked.  “Duncan right?  Thanks for the information.  I’ll make sure and tell Sophie you asked about her.” 

“Sophie.”  He spoke her name softly.   “Anytime I can help.  Give them my name when you make your reservation and they will give you a discount.  You’ll have to let me know if Sophie enjoys her present.”

“I will.”  Emma replied as she ran to catch up with Lindsey walking out the door.  “That was very interesting.”

“So what do you think?”  Lindsey took a sip of the coffee.  “You still want to check into it.”

“Yes.”  Emma replied.  “I think it could be the perfect present for Sophie.”

A Writer’s Life

I’ve been asked many times over the years what it’s really like being a writer.  People seem to think my life is all caviar and roses.  Well, I here to tell you it’s not!

Just take for instance, yesterday.  Typical Saturday morning – or so I thought.  I started out by sorting the dirty clothes so I could get the laundry started and hopefully have it finished in time to go to bed.  So, I get the laundry in the machine (which is in the basement) and I’m back upstairs getting breakfast on the table when my son yells “Something’s burning down here!”

Racing down the stairs, I discover that my washer has decided it will no longer do my laundry for me.  Now, I have what feels like 250 pounds of wet, still dirty laundry.  Then I hear, “Somethings burning up here!”  It was the biscuits I’d left in the oven.  Racing back up the stairs, I opened the oven door (which I now realize I probably shouldn’t have done) only to allow the smoke from the burnt biscuits out into the room which set off the fire alarm.  Five minutes later I’m trying to explain to the nice firemen that no, my house wasn’t on fire, but my biscuits were.  I’m not sure they saw the humor in that at all.

Now, with the biscuit fire taken care of, the firemen back in their truck (I’m sure they’ll send me a bill for that little trip), I’m back down in the basement hand-wringing water out of the dirty clothes in the washer.  I have three choices here for the clothes.  I can call the washer repair service which will probably set me back a few hundred dollars; I can buy a new washer which will set me back even more; or I can take all my dirty clothes to the laundromat.  I opted for the laundromat.

I get to the laundromat and take a basket of clothes inside.  I opted to set them down beside a washer and return to my car to get the second basket (thinking I’d unload all my clothes first before loading up washers).  Big mistake.  I returned inside the laundromat with the second basket and went to set it down by the first one.  Where was the first one?  I had set it right there.  The space was empty.  No basket, no clothes, not even a thank you note!  I looked around at the people who were all avoiding eye contact with me.  I took the second basket which I had just brought in and left the laundromat.  I suppose I made some pervert’s day since the disappearing basket had been full of my dirty underwear.

Returning home, dirty laundry in tow, my next option was to call the laundry repair service – on a Saturday.  Big mistake.  They charge extra for that.  So, the repairman shows up with his took kit and down into the basement he goes.  First thing he says is that he’s going to have to turn the washer upside down to get to the motor (keep in mind that the washer is still full of soapy water).  You’d think a repairman would have enough common sense to pump the water out of the washer before turning it upside down – not this one.  My basement is now flooded with soapy water, the washer is standing upside down and the repair says to me, “Looks like we’re going to have to order a part.  May take a week or two to get it.”  I said “No thank you.”  That little fiasco cost me $210 and I still didn’t have a washer and I was minus my underwear.

I bought a new washer.

A Review of “Blue Jeans and Stilettos”

July 30, 2011 – great balls of fire, we’ve been reviewed!  That’s right folks, our book “Blue Jeans and Stilettos” was reviewed on Julia Barrett’s World.  It was wonderful.  Didn’t know it was going to happen but she did a nice job and we appreciate that.

When we first decided to write this book, we simply wanted to write something people would have fun reading.  From the letters and emails we’ve gotten from people we succeeded.  So, it’s especially nice when someone like Julia Barrett reviews it.

The next book, “Ms. Claus Wears Stilettos” will be out November 10 so mark your calendar and plan to attend the book launch party.  At the launch for “Blue Jeans“, we had a carload from South Carolina, some from Nebraska and some from Missouri who came all the way to Iowa for the book launch.  So pack up a bus load and come join in the fun!

Take a Chance on Love

They wanted sex in every shape, form and fashion imaginable.  Caleb Hollister didn’t.  He sat behind his mahogany desk studying the four profiles lying  in front of him.  Numbers one, two and three were a definite no.

“Let’s see what kind of sexual fantasy this last one can come up with,” he said aloud to himself as he opened the last folder.

His gaze rushed over the form until he came to the section which would describe what this particular woman had in mind for a week of sexual indulgence limited only by her imagination.  She was paying for it and had the right to ask for any fantasy she wanted.

When Dreams Change

CHAPTER ONE

 

“You stupid-cheating-mother-f@#king-son-of-a-bitch!”

The heavy stoneware plate hurled from Jessica’s hand headed towards her husband.

Sweat lingered over her eyebrows running in her sea green eyes.  So infuriated she didn’t even pause to wipe it away.

Charles, a middle-aged, non- athletic nerd, jutted to his right at the last second as it hit the wall behind his head shattering into pieces.

Raising his hands out in front of him to block her onslaught, his wire-rimmed glasses twisted on his nose. “Damn it, Jessica.  Buying the café was a mistake.  I just can’t stay here and work all the time. I feel stifled.”

Her words came at him in a blaze of pure rage. “What the hell do you mean, mistake

We sold everything we owned to get the money to buy this café.”

“Well I just don’t think this business venture is going to work.”  Charles still had his arms up in a defensive block.

Jessica grabbed two more plates, angrily releasing one. “What do you mean it’s not going to work?” Charles dodged the first plate.

Her tone of voice seethed with white fury. “What’s the real reason, Charles?The second one soared at high speed.  It nicked his forehead, just above his eye. Blood oozed from a cut.

“Okay!  I want someone else.   Bambi and I want to have a life together.”  He held his hand over the wound.  “Enough!  I’m leaving.  It’s all yours honey.  Do whatever the hell you want.  I’m done, finished, out-of here.”

With another plate in her hand, Jessica watched as Charles twisted around and did a hasty escape out of the door.  Blonde Bambi was waiting for him outside.   Dragging his little sex kitten behind him, Charles exited indubitably out of her life.

The Judester Gets Robbed

7 07 2011

Opening the door to my house, I was aware that something was not right.  Things were scattered on the floor.  The cushions on the couch were crooked.  Dropping my bags and purse to the floor, my eyes traveled around the room. Looking into my bedroom I saw my jewelry cabinet drawers putted out and dumped.  Then I realized.  Someone had broken in.  The sick feeling of dread crashed over me.  I picked up my phone I called my husband.

“Get home now!  We have been robbed!”

Still stuck in one spot, I turned around.  The window screen was laying open, cut to allow the intruder to enter.  The laptop that was supposed to be on the stand, wasn’t.   The cute little purple netbook that rested on my matching purple laptop holder was gone.  My knees started to buckle.  My writing!  I had not back up my computers.  All my writing is gone!   Despair hit me like a brick.  OMG!

My husband came in, looked around and started asking questions.

“Did they take your jewelry?”

Yes, the precious pieces of good jewelry I had collected from 45 years of marriage, hoping to give to my grand children. Gone!

“The gun?”

I got down on my hand and knees to look under the bed, where it was kept in a locked box.  Gone!

Anything with lose change in it was gone.  I had created a shrine for my mother, with her pennies from heaven and a necklace that said “Mom” a friend had given me at Mom’s funeral.  Carefully resting in a Waterford bowl.  Gone!  Bowl and all!

The police were called, but little hope was given of ever finding our stuff again.  And even less chance of finding the laptops.

So when I was asked to write and article for the newsletter about protecting my work from theft, my first thought was ‘About what?  How to do it wrong?’  But that is what I am going to tell you.

First:  Back-up, back-up, back-up.  Through the help of my dear writer friends I have received many pages of my lost manuscripts.  But it’s the last chapters I had just finished that I had not shared with anyone that are gone.

Second:  Register your computer and then copy the serial and model numbers in an e-mail and mail them to yourself.

Third:  Install an alarm system in your home.  Many homes are being broken in to and this will help safe guard your house.  Secure your windows and doors.  Do not trust that just because you have lived in a neighbor for many years, you are safe.  My husband and I have lived in this house for 20 some odd years.

Fourth:  Someone suggested I get a dog.  Not quite ready for that.  But if that’s your thing, I have heard that a dog will discourage robbers.

Fifth:  Be angry.  Someone has invaded your space.  Put a hole in your comfort zone.  You have the right to feel violated.

Sixth:  After you have had your pissed at the world time, be grateful that they did not hurt anyone.  That they just took stuff.  As mad as you are about that, Stuff can be replaced.  People cannot.

My new laptop arrived today. It’s like making a new friend.  I will piece my stories back together like a puzzle.  I can do this.  I am a writer.  Everything will be back-up three times to Sunday.

So is the saga of the Judester getting robbed.  I’m pretty sure I know who did it.  The POS that lives next door.  I would just shoot him, but he stole my gun!

Jordyn Meryl

More on our “Blue Jeans and Stilettos” Book Launch

Each of us three authors wore our stilettos.  I finally sat one of mine on the table so people could see it.  We had a cutest stiletto contest as a lot of the ladies in the audience had worn their stilettos in honor of our book launch.

We also gave away our huge themed give-away bag.  This is our book theme bag.  It’s a canvas carry-all with the book’s photo on the front.  Inside we have items related to each of the three stories.  For instance, Deanne’s story centered around a coffee shop so there was a coffee mug and other items representing her story.  Jordyn’s was an Italian-themed story so she placed Italian related items inside.  My own took place on a fantasy island so I chose Ocean Breeze sachets and wine.

It was an exciting event and we heard so many great comments.  From “This is my first signing to attend and I didn’t know it was this much fun!” to “This is the best book signing I’ve ever attended!”.

Our florist went all out for our centerpiece with stilettos, a cami, and lights and our cake lady went all out with a scrumptious chocolate cake in the shape of a Gucci shoebox complete with edible Gucci red stiletto!

Centerpiece

Stiletto Cake

June 27, 2011 – The book launch is over

Wow, what a wonderful event our “Blue Jeans and Stilettos” book launch party turned out to be.  I lost count after 200 people coming through the door.  It was awesome!

The event was to start at 6:30 p.m.  People began to show up at 5:00 p.m.  I felt like a rock star with fans showing up early.  LOL!  We began to autograph books and the line never stopped, but it was delightful.  We had people who traveled from as far away as Nebraska and South Carolina to attend.

Autographing “Blue Jeans and Stilettos”