Cindy A. Christiansen

FREE SHORT-STORY READ: A Clean Romance

2012-01-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

It’s January and time to go through all the oldpaperwork and empty out folders and drawers. While I was doing just that, Ifound this short-story from my college days and wanted to share it with you. Ireally had to laugh. It’s a romance with a dog! Even back then. Imagine that.Enjoy, but don’t expect too much. (lol)

“When I get my hands on Linda, I’mgoing to kill her!” Karen clenched and unclenched her fists and let out a hugesigh.

How could she let her friend talk her intoselling these stupid housecleaning products? No one sells door-to-door anymore.Well, except maybe the Avon lady. Karen smiled. So the economy was really bad. Shecould make more money flipping burgers for minimum wage than this degrading job.Oh, the rude people she’d dealt with over the last two days. But finding asummer job until college started in the fall proved almost impossible. Still,she’d like to ring Linda’s neck. Door-to-door.She scoffed. What was I thinking?So I’m a neat freak, and I love to clean.That doesn’t make me a great salesperson.

She hopped out of her VW Beetle andgrabbed the box of cleaning supplies from the backseat. Trepidation filled her.She hadn’t sold one product yet. She straightened her back and approached thecottage-style home with fortitude. Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell.A huge commotion of yelling and barking ensued inside. She felt her confidenceslipping away.

The front door flew open and a shaggyEnglish Sheep dog bolted directly at her. Karen jumped aside to avoid acollision. The dog bolted toward the street and then took off on a full run.

A five-o-clock shadowed man ran after the dogto the end of the sidewalk, stopped and flung his arms in the air, franticallycalling. “Wally! Get back here. Wally. Come back, old boy.”

Wally scrambled down the street andtook a left.

Karen smiled. Despite the man’s attractivefeatures and physique, his clothes looked as “shaggy” as his dog’s hairy hide. Hisjeans were frayed around the pockets, knees and bottoms, and his teal T-shirtbore at least a dozen stains. He ran a hand through his unruly reddish wavesand then scratched his stubbled chin, staring after his dog.

He grumbled and turned in herdirection. “Oh, oh, oh. I’m sorry. Go on in and get started.”

“Excuse me?” she said.

Ring.

“Go on in,” he said, waving toward thehouse.

Ring.

“Get that, would you? I’ve got toround up Wally.” He walked away with determination in his stride.

Ring.

Karen reluctantly headed inside theman’s house. Despite the fine furnishings, she couldn’t help but notice thehumungous clutter…and awful smell. She serpentined her way through the mess tothe ringing phone.

“Hello?” she said hesitantly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have the wrongnumber. I was calling my son, Dan, at 555-3355,” the woman said.

“Uh…uh…does he have a dog namedWally?” Karen asked.

“Well, yes. Yes, he does.”

Dan came through the door carrying Wallyin his arms. He slammed the door with his foot and then dumped Wally on thecarpet. Wally trotted over to his empty dog dish in the kitchen and knocked itupside down with a swat of his paw. Dan entered the kitchen area and pulled anempty dog food bag from a lower cupboard.

“Hello?” the woman on the phonequestioned.

“Oh, hold on.” Karen held the phoneout to Dan.

“Who is it?” he asked, dropping theempty bag on the floor.

“Your mother.”

“Hells, bells. Mom.” He grabbed forthe phone. “Hi, Mom…yes…yes…fine. How are you? No, of course not. She’sthe…the…” He looked Karen up and down and then spotted the box of cleaningsupplies she’d left on the coffee table. “Cleaning lady. You know. From one ofthose services. You know me. I’m always working.”

This man didn’t need her adding to hisconfusion right now. Karen crossed over to the coffee table and reached for herbox. Dan’s hand came around her waist, and he turned her around to face him. Acrooked smile curled his lips. He held up one finger, signaling her to wait.

Karen felt a slight tingle zip up herspine at his close proximity. He really was quite attractive in a primal sortof way. She noticed the half-finished landscape on an easel in the other room. Fromwhat she could see, the mountain scene was breath-taking. However, paintsplatters riddled the room and carpet. He wasn’t exactly the tidiest personshe’d ever met. But creative people weren’t always neat or organized.Creativity lent itself to passion and enthusiasm. And, from what she could see,this man exuded passion. Oh my, what am Ithinking?

His expression sobered. “What? You’realready in town. Well, no…yes. Of course. Yeah. Sure it’ll be fine.” Either his teal shirt suddenly reflected onhis face, or Dan had turned a pale green. “Bye now,” he said weakly and thengulped.

Karen tried for the box once again,but he stopped her.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I’m not from a cleaning service, and Ican see you’re much too busy for me to demonstrate these cleaning products.”

“Are you kidding? Demonstrate away.”He waved a hand in every direction.

She picked up her box. “I’ll showmyself out.”

“But…but I need you! I told my mom youwere the cleaning lady and just look at this place. She’ll be here in less thanan hour to stay for the weekend. She’ll wonder what I was doing with a cleaningwoman in my house and my house looking like a total disaster.”

“Then I suggest you get started onthis pig’s-sty. I’m sorry. I’ve interrupted you as it is.”

Wally grabbed the kitchen tableclothin his teeth and ripped everything off the table. Plates and glasses shatteredto the floor. A wooden bowl of fruit bounced and apples, oranges and bananasscattered in every direction.

“Good luck with everything,” Karencalled as she beat it to the door.

“I’m right in the middle of acommissioned art piece,” he yelled after her. “I’m willing to pay top dollar. Ineed you in my life.”

Karen slammed the door behind her andsmiled. She wasn’t sure which attracted her the most: the sound of that topdollar or the words, “I need you in my life.”

Could she…should she…would she throwcaution to the wind and find out just how much Dan needed her?

She found herself ringing the bellagain. A huge commotion of yelling and barking ensued. The door flew open andWally took off down the street.

Dan smiled. “You’re the kind of cleaninglady I’d like my mom to meet.”

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet romance, comedy, suspense…and dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

123RF Stock Photo

A Dog’s Devotion

2012-01-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

Callie Taking Care of Me

Why do I include dogs in my books, youask?

Well, Callie is an example ofwhy. Recently I went through a longbattle with pneumonia. Callie was by my side constantly, day and night. No matter where I wandered, she followed. (Thatincluded trips to the bathroom.) She wouldn’t even let me go into our walk-incloset without her. No matter how long Ilaid in bed, she hovered over me. At times I felt like I had to peel her offme, she stayed so close against me. Shetried desperately to lick me better, often wearing me out. She wouldn’t settle for sitting next to mebut wanted to be on top of me. Yes, at times, I wanted to say “back off.” But, you could see the worry and concern inher eyes. With every cough or gasp forbreath I took, she lifted her head to check on me. That, my friends, is unconditional love.

Finally, she’s decided that I’m goingto live. Although the love continues to shine in her eyes, she’s more apt tosleep in her own bed, stray from side to explore the new snowfall, or go to therest of the family for hugs and pats on the head.

Many years ago, my husband and Istarted seeing a family counselor. Hisadvice seemed sound and reasonable. Thatis, until one day when he gave us his view on animals. He told us he believes animals only have a collective conscience. Something like the Borg on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Animals are all connected withouttheir own personalities or thoughts.

I guess you can figure out whathappened next. Our sessions abruptlyended, and we questioned the validity of everything the man had said. Dogs, anyanimal for that matter, without their own distinct personality or thoughts? Pretty ludicrous in my opinion. What’s do you think? Do youthink animals have unique personalities and their own thought processes? I reallywant to know.

CindyA Christiiansen

SweetRomance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!

Flyinto a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

SCP BLOG HOP: In Sickness and in Love

2012-01-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

I have been fortunate to have signed with a wonderful publishing house—Secret Cravings(SCP). We are celebrating their one year anniversary with a blog hop, including fantastic savings andprizes. See my previous post titled, “Wina Kindle Fire Just for Commenting!” Hats off to SCP!

Asmany of you know, my family has been very seriously ill for over a month with avery volatile flu and pneumonia. From Christmas Eve to New Year’s Eve we livedat the hospital with our kids severely ill. Now my husband and I both havepneumonia. We just can’t seem to get back on our feet. As I was lying in bedtoday, wishing I was dead J, I began to think about past illnesses and theseasons.

Ihave to admit, being sick through the holidays was pretty much a killjoy. But,I also remember having bronchitis in the spring, being bed-ridden in the summerwith CFIDS, and having sinusitis in autumn. Is there really any good time to besick?

Okay,this line of thinking got me wondering which season is the most romantic. (Rememberthat I have 102° fever.) Half my books are set in spring/summer and the otherhalf in autumn/winter. (I figured that out while I was lying in bed wishing forthe dead thing.) Personally, I findautumn the most romantic time of year. I love the pleasant temps, the vibrantvaried colors of the changing leaves, and the bond one feels with Mother Earth.Maybe my view is tainted because I not only fell in love in autumn but alsomarried then too.

So,in celebrating the one year anniversary of SCP, I’d like to know what season you find the most romantic and why? Besure to leave your email address withyour comment so that you can be entered for SCP’s grand prizes. By leaving acomment on my blog, you will be entered to wina copy of my sweet (clean) romance, Bravingthe Blaze. Be sure to check outthe other author’s blogs and comment in order to win that Kindle Fire andother great prizes. Good luck and thanks for all your support!

Braving the BlazeBlurb:

Single-minded Dean Harward is going tobecome a veterinarian if it kills him. He’s worked summers as a volunteerwildfire fighter to earn big cash for college. Just his luck, a pyrophobicwoman gets assigned to his team. He’s certain she’ll get him killed before hecan graduate. Ginger Warby is a walking firestorm as accidents continuallyspark around her. Or are they accidents? Can Dean keep the flames of desire he reluctantly feels for her undercontrol long enough to keep them and his Yellow Labrador alive?

Braving the BlazeExcerpt:

“I knowvolunteering sounds crazy, but I’ve got to do this.” Ginger Warby locked herfingers together and sat down on her best friend’s floral-print sofa.

Brendawhirled around in bewilderment. “This has got to be the most idiotic thingyou’ve ever thought of doing. Why? Why would you even try? I know how terrifiedyou are of fire.” She flopped into the mauve recliner next to Ginger, her facestill rumpled in disbelief. “Look at cooking school.”

Gingertook a deep breath and exhaled slowly. So she had flunked out of culinaryschool. She’d done her best. She couldn’t help it if she couldn’t set her Crepes Suzette…or the Bombe Alaska…or…or the Lobster fra Diavolo on fire. Threelittle dishes. There’d been plenty of other meals she’d fixed to perfection.

At leastshe’d managed to get over her fear of gas stoves and barbeque grills while sheattended school. She’d made progress. Well, as long as they didn’t have aflare-up of flames. The image of the time her T-bone steaks dripped grease andsent flames roaring up through the grill popped into her mind. She’d gonescreaming out of the class as her classmates roared with laughter.

Beforeshe’d chosen culinary art for her career, she should’ve realized where there’sheat, there’s fire. Why did chefs prefer gas stoves to electric anyway? Someonesomewhere had to start a new trend.

“You’re afraid of a sparkler, Ging.” Brendashook her head in skepticism.

“I’vegotten better though. You just don’t understand.”

“I know mybest friend just told me she’s planning to put herself in the middle of thebiggest wildfire Utah’s ever seen, but she’s afraid of a match. You’re goingfrom the proverbial frying pan into the fire. Somebody has to talk some senseinto you.”

How could Ginger explain all of her reasoning?Especially since the death of Brenda’s brother, Barrett, had a lot to do withher decision. Only a week had gone by since his funeral. Ginger hoped she couldget over her fear and at the same time understand Barrett’s tragic death.

“I justfeel strongly about going, Bren. I really want to face my fears. And besides,they desperately need help on this fire. I’ll just be one of the camp crew,anyway.”

Brendareached for her hand. “So face your fears. But putting yourself in the middleof a one-hundred thousand acre wildfire is just plain nuts.”

“Could youstop mentioning that?”

“Wildfire,wildfire, wildfire.”

Gingercringed.

“You can’teven face the word, let alone face the actual fire.” Brenda hit her palm to herforehead. “This doesn’t have anything to do with Barrett, does it?”

Gingernoticed the glassy look in her best friend’s eyes. “No, not really. As I said,they need the help. Let’s talk about you. What’ve you been up to since we lasttalked?”

“And yourhair!” Brenda stared at her with a horrified look. “You cut off all yourgorgeous butter-colored hair for a fire? Since we were eight, you swore you’dnever cut it.”

“It wasalways getting in my pots of soup. I’m…I’m glad it’s gone.”

“I don’tbelieve you.”

“Well, Icertainly didn’t want it to catch on fire. I’ll be much safer with my hairshort.” She didn’t want her terror to show, so she ducked her head.

“But didyou use a scythe to cut it? My gosh, it stands out everywhere.”

“Still nothappy with this discussion, Bren,” she returned in frustration.

Brendaclicked her tongue. “I still can’t believe you’re thinking of doing such acrazy thing.”

“Notthinking; I’m doing.”

“Notthinking is right. Daniel doesn’t even want to face that monster.” Brendasobered. “I don’t want to lose someone else to a fire.”

Ginger’sheart lodged in her throat. “I know, and you won’t. I’ll just be doing campduty, and you need Daniel here with you and little Darcy. How are things withthe two of you?” Ginger asked, still hoping to change the subject.

“Have youtalked to Sage yet?” Brenda asked instead.

Gingersighed. How could her friend manage to bring up every subject she’d been tryingto ban from her mind?

“I’m surehe’d want to discuss this plan ofyours.” Brenda leaned back in the recliner with a raised brow.

“I…Ihaven’t seen him since the funeral.” She dug her nails into her thumbs untilshe couldn’t stand the pain any longer. Sage had gotten over what she’d doneyears ago. At least he acted like he had forgiven her. She just couldn’tforgive herself.

“What doyou think he’s going to say about this?” Brenda crooked her neck, scanning thebackyard for her daughter. “I shouldn’t let her outside in all this smoke, butshe gets tired of being cooped up. And frankly, I’m not sure the air is anybetter inside than out no matter what they say on the news.”

“Come on.Let’s talk about something else besides the fire. What’s been going on since welast talked?” Ginger asked.

She knewher friend well enough to know she wouldn’t let the subject drop, but she didn’twant to hear another word about Sage or the Tushar fire. Ginger’s anxiety wouldexplode through the roof if they kept talking about the subject. She alreadyfelt like running back to Salt Lake with her tail between her legs.

Convincingherself to come back home for Barrett’s funeral after flunking out at schoolwas bad enough, but volunteering to fight her biggest trepidation on earthstressed her out to the max. She again tried not to think about being seventeenand the events which lead up to her phobia. The images flashed in her mind. Darn. Didn’t want to think about that memory. Could she ever put theexperience behind her?

After thiswildfire, would she be able to go back to school and face that flambé? Wouldshe get her degree? Would she ever be able to do anything without beingfrightened? She mentally shook herself. She had to move forward, or otherwiseshe’d never be able to move on with her life.

“So thenDaniel and I took little Darcy to Hogle Zoo, and do you know what she said whenshe saw the monkeys?” Brenda’s eyes sparkled with love for her little daughter.

Gingershrugged, but couldn’t manage to control the flashing images of smoke, orangeflames and sizzling trees which played over and over in her mind. How could shewhen smoke already burned her throat like eating suicide chicken wings bastedwith Tabasco sauce, hot pepper flakes and chopped chilies for garnish. Itamazed her that a fire so many miles away could fill Brenda’s house with somuch smoke the place looked like they’d landed in the middle of a smoker’sconvention.

“Hey, areyou listening?” Brenda asked.

“Uh, yeah.Little Darcy is adorable.”

And thestory of Darcy and the monkeys was sweet, but Ginger had to admit she didn’thave her full attention on the story. Despite her determination to face herpyrophobia head on, black fear consumed her thoughts. At this point, she wishedshe’d have stayed in her safe little apartment hundreds of miles away. Beinghere brought back too many memories. Seeing Brenda made her return especially difficult;she looked too much like her brother. The thought of Barrett’s death made herchicken croissant sandwich from lunch do the funky chicken in her stomach.

How couldBarrett have gotten trapped in a fire on his farm? What had sparked the flames?Could it have been equipment like they’d said? A van riding the rim of a blowntire on I-15? Another cigarette thrown from a passing car? There’d been lots ofpossibilities but no answers. If the police thought the fire looked suspicious,why weren’t they investigating further?

The Tusharfire had everyone’s attention, that’s why. It claimed her thoughts too, but shecouldn’t forget about Barrett. Having been more than good friends with him atone time, she unequivocally wanted to know all the circumstances surroundinghis death. Unfortunately, what had taken his life happened to be fire, makingthis all the more difficult for her to confront.

Barrettand Ginger’s brother, Sage, had been best friends. Along with her and Brenda,they had been the awesome foursome through their school years. They’d doneeverything together. She’d been surprised Sage and Brenda hadn’t married. Asfor her and Barrett… The thought stung like a thorn pricking her finger pickingblackberries on the family farm. More memories she didn’t want to think aboutright now.

She neededto pay attention to Brenda. She did care about the everyday life of her bestfriend, but an overwhelming, terrifying dread clogged her brain. She needed topush her phobias aside and listen.

Brendajumped to her feet and headed toward the kitchen. “I think we could both use aglass of cold iced tea.”

If onlythey had enough tea to put out the wildfire.

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

Win a Kindle Fire Just for Commenting!

2012-01-10T17:03:00.001-07:00

Secret Cravings Publishing celebrates one year!

Come join us in the fun and win some great prizes from Secret Cravings:

First prize - Kindle Fire

Second prize - Amazon Gift Card $50

Third prize - SCP Gift Card $25

Every participating author is having their own give-way, so make sure to stop by every blog and comment for more chances to win. I'm giving away a PDF copy of Braving the Blaze. I'll be posting more info on January 12th.

YOU MUST comment on EVERY blog over the next month to be eligible for the main prizes listed above. No purchase is necessary and please leave your email address. If you haven't been following along, please follow the links below.

SPECIAL during the SCP Blog Hop Anniversary:

For those who leave comments on the blogs, they'll receive a 25% off coupon for the SCP website. All purchases during the contest time will receive 10% off purchases on the website.

From December 16, 2011 through January 19, 2012 visit the below listed author's blogs and websites for your chances to win great prizes. (Note: Some of these sites may be age restricted.)

Secret Cravings Publishing December 16

AvrilAshton December 17

Tabby December 18

DaisyDunn   December 19
MarieDuFour   December 20
JenniferLaBelle   December 21
Carol Preflatish December 22
SableHunter   December 23
Mindi Ferrari  December 24
Topaz Jordyn December 25
BarbaraWestbrook  December 27

CynthiaArsuaga  December 28
MikeArsuaga  December 29
LacieNation  December 30
Skye Savoy  December 31
MahaliaLevey January 1
SamCrescent    January 2
DreaBecraft   January 3
TamaraMonteau January 4
.Imogene Nix    January 5
RaineDelight    January 6
MollyDaniels    January 7
ShannonWes t    January 8
SandySullivan    January 9
DawneProchilo    January 10
DarleneFredette  January 11
CindyChristiansen   January 12
JanGraham    January 13
KellieKamryn January 14
Natalie Bates  January 15

Giselle Renard January 16

Cathy Greenfeder January 17

Jean Joachim January 18

LaylaHunter January 19

Dedication to a Hero

2011-12-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

I’m dedicating my blog to awonderful man who died of cancer on December 24, 2011.

Obituary:

Robert “Jake” Jacobsen

Born: October 13, 1945

Died: December 24, 2011

Jake was “just your basichero” devoting his working life to public safety. He was a dedicated firefighter, a member ofthe first paramedics in Utah, and served as a crewmember on LifeFlight. In 1984, he founded Burn Pattern Analysis anddevoted 25 years to private fire investigation.

______________________________________

I met Jake only once, but Idedicated Love on Laird Avenue (aka, Household Repairs) to him. As an author, I wanted to come up with aunique way to blow up a house. I called mylocal fire department and was met with great concern about wanting to blow up ahouse. The fire chief said it would beagainst regulations for him to give me that kind of information but that heknew someone who could help me. That ledme to Jake at Burn Pattern Analysis.

I remember Jake laughingabout the situation when I called. Hehappily agreed to meet with me for an interview. He had the most wonderful ideas for my book. I enjoyed talking with him so much that I didn'twant the interview to end. The world trulylost one of the good guys. He was indeed“your basic hero.”

Another Holiday Pet Peeve

2011-12-20T00:09:00.000-07:00

I can’t help it. It’sChristmas…a time of showing our love and gratitude by giving…but I still have abone to pick. And what I want to pickabout it this: Who cares about materialgifts. Why can’t we all be kinder to each another?

I was driving down the street with a friend and someonewaved at us. I returned the wave, but myfriend didn’t. He wanted to know who theperson was in order to wave back. Iwanted to know from my friend why it mattered. Can’t you wave to someone you don’t know to just be friendly? The friendlygesture brightened my day. Is there alaw against being kind? Do we have to be suspicious of everyone?

Here’s another one. You’re driving along and someone cuts you off. You veer over and get up next to them, readyto mouth a few words in their direction. You look over and see it’s your next door neighbor. You gulp everythingback down and smile instead. Should it matter that you know them? Aren’t we all neighbors really? Aren’t we allin this life together?

Okay. Here’s the third one and the last one. (Luckily,I only complain in threes. J) Christmas has been designated a national holiday that touches everyone in oneway or another. Christmas is calleddifferent things by many people. I’m reminded of a scene in the movie Santa Clause with Tim Allen. He’s arrested and the police officerquestions him about his real name. “Name?”the officer asks. Scott Calvin replies, “Kris Kringle. Sinter Klaas.” “Name?” the officer asks again. “PereNoel. Buon Natale. Pelznickel. Topo Gigio.”

The same is true of Christmas. It doesn’t matter what wecall it, the meaning of the season is still the same—show love and gratitude bygiving. Let’s worry less about thepolitically-correct name or whether trees should be called holiday trees vs.Christmas trees ⁽¹⁾ and, instead, embrace our differences and ourlikes and be kind to one another whether we know each other personally or not.

Here's a song by Sammy Davis, Jr. that really reflects these feelings:

What’s your take on the holidays?

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, FrohlicheWeihnachten, Hristos Razdajetsja, MeleKalikimaka,

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

⁽¹⁾ See article: http://www.ksat.com/news/A-Christmastime-fight-Christmas-trees-vs-holiday-trees/-/478452/5368086/-/qyg73e/-/index.html

123RF Stock Photo

Christmas Letters... Don't Get Me Started

2011-12-11T21:23:00.001-07:00

Have you written your Christmas letter thisyear? Hmmm. Some people do and some don’t. I have to admit, I have issues withthe traditional Christmas letter. In retaliation and a joking mood severalyears ago, I posted the Christmas letter I’d sent only to my sister. Amazingly,it’s had more hits than any other blog I’veposted.

Why? Maybe people are searching the Internetfor examples of traditional letters because they’re not sure what to write. Imean honestly, what do you say about a whole year in one page? Or, maybe they’veshared my letter with others because they thought it was funny. It’s anythingbut conventional. Here it is:

Greetings to you this holiday season!
I wanted to shareour year with family and friends.
New Years -surgery, yada, yada, yada.
St. Patrick's Day -son's surgery, wheelchair, therapy three times a week.
Easter - familyfight.
Fourth of July -blah, blah, blah.
Thanksgiving -turkey, baking, lots of stress.
Now it's Christmas.
Happy Holidays, everybody!

Personally, I’ve receivedsome pretty annoying Christmas letters where they just went on and on…and onabout all the wonderful things each family member had done (and even bought…andeven said). I guess they hadn’t figured out that if we really wanted to know,we would've kept in touch maybe once through the entire blooming year! J Let’s face it. Nobody’s year could be thatgood, and who are they trying to impress anyway? Get real.

Whoa. Sorry about that. Ihave issues with gloating Christmas letters. How about you? Are you a Christmas letterwriter? Do you like to get the long(several pages long) letter from Cousin Hildy and hear every detail of everyfamily member’s life over the year? (Save it for your diary.) What's your view on Christmas letters?

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy,Suspense…and Dogs!

Fly into a good bookat: www.dragonflyromance.com

I’ve Got a Bone to Pick… What About Was?

2011-12-05T09:47:00.001-07:00

"I'm So Confused!"

I have multiple sources I could quote. Maybe you’veheard it before: A writer must write in an active voice, not passive. Thatleads us to little words like “was” and “were.”

I recently went to a popular bookstore and askedfor copies of the top romance authors. All covers touted that the authors were USA Today or New York Timesbestsellers. The first thing I noticedwas “was”. Wases here, wases there,wases everywhere.

Here’s the stats on the top six authors:

AUTHOR	WAS IN FIRST SENTENCE	# OF WASES IN FIRST 25 LINES
Author A	1	6
Author B	1	6
Author C	1	7
Author D	1	7
Author E	0	5
Author F	1	5

I’m shocked. What about you? Another rule from literary agents, publishersand expert authors has been not to open the bookwith the backstory. Many of these bestsellers did. Shocker! I have to admit, I’ma bit confused. What about the rules? What makes these authors top sellers? What’syour opinion? Tell me, tell me, tell me. (Can you hear the panting?)

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

123RF Stock Photo

Celebrating Kiss of Death Day!

2011-12-01T07:22:00.001-07:00

Does "Kiss of Death" mean my bad breath?

Kiss of Death: The Place for the Murderously Inclined Romantic

What great romancedoesn’t have suspense in it? Whether a spy thriller in Regency times, aparanormal romance with a revenge-seeking zombie, or a traditional serialkiller after the heroine, romance relies on suspense, leading the readerthrough the trials of the heroine and hero to see if they will get theirhappily ever after ending. If you can call your writing suspenseful, then theKiss of Death chapter of the Romance Writers of America has something foryou! I love being a part of the Kiss ofDeath chapter. You can ask questions andget tons of help from the other authors.

Formed in 1994,KOD—as we call our chapter—promotes and supports the writing and reading ofsuspense and mystery fiction with strong romantic elements. We’re one of thelargest RWA chapters with members from across the globe who join our onlinefamily of mayhem-loving writers. Joining gives you access to a wide array ofprograms to help your writing develop and grow.

Top amongmembership benefits is our College of Felony and Intrigue (COFFIN) onlineworkshops for only $15 per class for KOD members. In addition, KOD offersonline networking, a critique group, brainstorming support and a book-in-a-weekchallenge to help you to get that draft on paper. We support our members withan active Facebook group and Twitter feed giving you access to the informationyou need, whenever you need it.

Nothing saysromantic suspense like RWA’s Kiss of Death chapter. Nothing says I’m a romanticsuspense author like being a KOD member. Join us today during our annualmembership drive. As an added bonus, all new members or renewing members whojoin in December will be entered to win a first chapter critique from PAN Kissof Death members Sue Swift or Kylie Brant.

To join Kiss ofDeath, visit us online at http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/join.php for easy PayPalor traditional payment options. For the joining fee of $35 ($30 for renewal),you’ll love us to death!

Hot Digitty Dog – It’s a Contest!

2011-11-30T08:07:00.001-07:00

Dogs bring so muchjoy.

Share yours in Cindy’sHotDigitty Dog Photo Contest.

Just in time forChristmas!

Send your favorite photo of your dog to Cindyat cindy@dragonflyromance.com

with the subject: HotDigitty Dog Contest.

All photos will beposted on Cindy’s website at: www.dragonflyromance.com/contest

so make sure you’rewilling to have your photo

posted on the Internet.

This is a great time to order Cindy's books as gifts.

The more copies she sells, the more she can donate to organizations that help abused and homeless dogs.

Enjoy a good book and help a dog this Christmas.

The contest will runfrom December 1^st - 14^th.

The winner will receivean ebook copy of Love on Laird Avenue

AND a $15.00 egift card toeither: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
or Petsmart Online.

Please pass the word.

(Cindy is not responsible for anypirated photos.)

123RF Stock Photo

I’ve Got a Bone to Pick… Dishwashers

2011-11-29T06:37:00.001-07:00

Okay. My dogs can lick my dishes cleaner than my dishwasher cleansthem! After all that holiday baking andcooking, I ended up washing all of my dishes by hand. And you know what? That’s not a bad idea. I see several problems with dishwashers today:

One batch takes two hours. TWO HOURS! I don’t know about you, but I usually have more dirty dishes than willfit in one load. Do you leave the rest with crusted-on food? Or, do you rinsethem all by hand and wait two hours? (Whichby then, you have more dirty dishes and still have dishes sitting on thecounter.)
Every single person I know washestheir dishes before they put them in the dishwasher, anyway. What’s the point? Why not get out the drainerand finish the job? Some of my best childhood memories are doing dishes with myfamily. I used to do impersonations—JohnWayne, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand—and I’d practice while I dried thedishes. We shared our day and our hopesfor the future.
Since they banned phosphates fromdishwasher detergent last year, my dishes haven’t “sparkled” again. There’ssome sort of buildup left on them. I’veeven tried Lime Away and CLR, but even that hasn't helped.
I live in a drought state. If Ihave to wash the dishes by hand, and then wash them in the dishwasher, and thenwash them by hand because they didn't come clean, I feel like I’m wasting a lotof precious water. I have trouble withwashing items to put in the recycling bin as well. Which resource is the least valuable to waste?

Myobsession for not wasting water comes from growing up on a farm. Water was ourmost precious commodity and came from a well. We washed our clothes by hand andhung them outside, did our dishes by hand, and took our bathes in less than twoinches of water (even sharing the same bath water). As with any farm, we always seemed to befighting about water rights.

Iremember one day, a man came around our farm. He asked my father if he had adishwasher. My dad replied, “Yes. I havea left-handed, belt-driven dish washer.” Of course, that meant my mother. She was left-handed. Theman looked confused, rubbed the back of his neck and left. He didn’t get the joke, but my family laughedabout it for years.

Mymother didn’t mind doing dishes. Whenshe got married, her first set of dishes were heavy paper cups and woodenspoons they’d got from an icecream shop. And my mother-in-law still washes herdishes by hand. She says she loves doing them. LOVES it. Why? Because she grewup during the depression era when even dishes were scarce. She’s thankful for a dish to wash.

Didyou include your dishes in your prayers of gratitude this Thanksgiving?Hmmmm. It wasn’t at the top of my list,but I must admit, I am thankful. And I’mthankful for water. Just saying.

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

123RF Stock Photo

I’ve Got a Bone to Pick… Let’s Talk Turkey

2011-11-21T08:00:00.001-07:00

Callie - Counting her Blessing

I’mso grateful this Thanksgiving holiday. However, I do have to point out threethings that annoy me:

1. Thelack of recognition Thanksgiving receives. Christmas decorations, lights and high-pressureadvertising begin right after Halloween. Black Friday is spilling over intoThanksgiving Day, taking people away from their families in order to havestores ready at midnight. Honestly, is this necessary?

The average credit card debt perhousehold is around $16,000.00, making the total U.S. consumer debt around$2.43 trillion. ⁽¹⁾ Does Uncle Joe really need another pair ofChristmas boxer shorts this year? Do we really need to fight over the last $30.00Cars 2 Spy Attack McMissile car at fourin the morning? Do people really need to get trampled when the doors open?

However, I’m not blind to theindividuals trying to make money during this season. I recently attended aChristmas Gift Show. There were over 400 vendors present, and I honestly saw (andfelt) their desperate desire to make a sale. I left the show feeling sad and upsetabout the current economic crisis.

2. Thelack of understanding about turkey growers. Northern Sanpete County used to beone of the biggest turkey producers in the country. While taking a drivethrough this part of the country, you’ll notice very few turkeys gobbling aroundlike in the past. One plant, Moroni Feed, was particularly hard hit by theeconomy. In 2008 they laid off over 500 employees. Part of the problem is therising cost of feed. As the government pulls farmers away from corn productionto produce ethanol, turkey growers, along with a lot of other farmers, just can’t survive. It’s not just here inUtah, but across the country.

As a side point, my vehicle hasn’tbeen running as well since they’ve added ethanol to the fuel. My vehicle runsrough, my gas mileage is poor, and I’ve needed additional automotive services. Justsaying.

3. Mylast grievance (I bet you’re so glad) is that nearly 15 percent of Americansare receiving food stamps. This is a record level and an increase of abouttwo-thirds since 2007. One in six Americans (about 49 million people) say theyhave trouble putting food on the table. ⁽²⁾ One in six. Wow! Isn’tit sad, then, to be so focused on material possessions?

ForThanksgiving, I’m giving thanks for all my blessing and praying that theleaders of our country will forget politics and their partisan parties and,instead, turn this country around. Thanksgiving symbolizes what we all shouldbe thinking about this time of year—being thankful and kind to one another. (Couldwe all try that while driving, please?)

Whatare your views on this season of giving thanks?

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

⁽¹⁾Source

⁽²⁾Source

Would You Like to Star in a Romance Novel?

2011-11-14T09:21:00.001-07:00

Okay. If you’re checking out this post, maybe you would want to star in yourown romance.

I ran across an item in an upper-end catalogselling romance novel kits from $36.00 up to $95.00. The ad states that you have to register and provideabout two dozen personal details about yourself. In just a few days, you’ll then receive backa 150-180 page book with you as the star. They have seven titles with differentheat levels and different settings.

As a reader, would you really want to readabout yourself in a romance? For me, it’sall about escape. I’m afraid I’d takeall my baggage with me, and when I saw myself doing something out of character,I’d get annoyed. I don’t see any waythat the author could adjust a “canned” book to fit every personality. Or maybe there’s not a story line withcharacter development in these books at all.

Sorry, but I still believe a romance shouldcontain character growth, relationship development, a loving bond, and apersonal message. But then…what do Iknow? Maybe it’s all about the fun and sex.

So if you’re a reader, I want to hear fromyou. Would you pay that much money tostar in your own book?

As a writer, do you see this as a creativemarketing idea? Would you try it?

If you’ve read one of these books, pleasegive me some feedback. I’m always opento new ideas.

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

123RF Stock Photos

To Tell You the Truth…

2011-11-09T09:19:00.001-07:00

Well, I decidedto give up the writing game! I’ve beenvery discouraged, my health is poor, I can’t seem to do everything as thoroughlyas I should, and sales are down.

But thensomething happened. Actually two things…

1. Igot an awesome review from Romancing the Book for Caskets and Corruption:

“Wow!What a simply refreshing story. You can’t help but fall in love with the zanyantics of Lizzie and Phillip in this story that has you laughing and wanting toread on to find out what could possibly happen next.

Ms. Christiansen does a great job making the characters so real you actuallyfind yourself caught up in their outrageous adventures.”

Rating:Lovely Rose

Robin,Romancing the Book

For full review: http://www.romancing-the-book.com/2011/11/review-caskets-and-corruption-by-cindy.html

2. Mypublisher just offered me a contract for another sweet contemporary, HazardousHideaway!

As you know,there’s nothing better than having someone you don’t know say somethingwonderful about your work. It’s sovalidating. Is it some sort of sign thatI shouldn’t give up? My friends think Ishould just write for the joy of writing and not put myself on the line withpublishing and promotion. What do you think?

Before Icould even bask in the glow of good news, I got snubbed by the Christian bookcommunity, saying that my writing wasn’t appropriate for them. Mind you, they hadn’t even read one of mybooks. Is that a sign that I should give up? I’m afraid I wear my heart on my sleeve, andI’m not likely to change at this point in my life. (I can still hear my dadtelling me to buck up.)

If you canafford a minute out of NaNoWriMo, I’d love to hear what some of you do to stayupbeat and motivated on this rollercoaster ride called the publishing world.

Cindy A.Christiansen

SweetRomance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!

Fly into agood book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

I'VE GOT A BONE TO PICK... Medicare Complaints Anyone?

2011-11-08T07:07:00.001-07:00

Have you noticed the zillioncommercials about Medicare insurance? I can’t wait for December 7^thto come and go. The holiday season is not the only reason for the high deathrate this time of year, it’s the dang stress of open enrollment. (LOL)

Having poor health for many years,I’ve had to deal with the rigmarole of Medicare. I’d just like to apologize toall the seniors out there. What a pain. Why do we let the Government do this tothem? Even in my thirties, I couldn’t navigate or understand the laborious taskof Medicare disability applications or the insurance game.

I just want to share an experienceI had with AARP/United Healthcare. In all my years of dealing with insurancecompanies, this company was so frustrating to me that it actually impacted myhealth. On multiple medications, I soon reached the donut hole (as it’s soaffectionately known among seniors). That’s when Medicare insurance will nolonger pay, and you’re on your own until you’ve paid out a certain amount ofmoney. Then, Medicare is SUPPOSED to pay everything.

According to my records, I’dreached my portion of payments while in the hole, and Medicare should’ve takenover. However every time I called United Healthcare, they told me a differentamount that I’d paid. Just to make sure it wasn’t my mistake, I called them backwithin ten minutes and got a different figure. I waited ten minutes andgot a different figure again. How could that be? I never could get a straightanswer from this company, and I never got out of the donut hole. If you're a senior or ondisability, have you EVER reached the other side? I’d really like to know.

I finally went through theappeals process, but still got the run around. I never did receive compensationfor what I OVERPAID and the calls and stress became too much. I thinkgovernment organizations count on a person getting so frustrated that they giveup. That seems to be the procedure I’m going through with my disabled son.

I understand having to “weed out”people from the system, but this seems like the wrong way to go about it. Iknow plenty of people on disability and welfare that shouldn’t be and otherswho should that have been denied.

One last bone to pick. When you sign up and PAY for insurance, does it bug you that they can decrease your benefits? How can they do that?

Are you a senior, on disability,or a caregiver? What problems have you had with the system, and what do youthink would help to improve it?

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

I’VE GOT A BONE TO PICK… Elections: What's Your Opinion?

2011-11-01T07:17:00.000-06:00

I’m so busy struggling with all the day-to-day stuff that Ifind it hard to study the views of all the political candidates running foroffice. Maybe that’s the basic idea. Ya think? Even more discouraging isthat after you vote a candidate into office, they change their political position, anyway.

Another frustration I have is Electoral College voting. If I’m going to the trouble of voting, I wantmy vote to count as much as, say, someone’s vote in New York. Yes, the Twelfth Amendment of theConstitution talks about electoral voting, but I think it’s beingmisrepresented in today’s world.

If I don’t like a restaurant, I don’t go back.

What has that got to do with voting?

Well, you also hear a lot of complaints about people NOTvoting. I think if the ballot added a choiceof “None of the Above”, we might see hoards of people clamoring to vote. Maybe people who don’t vote are really sayingsomething. Give us another option,please.

Even if we do find a President whose views we like, theSenate and the House of Representatives always seem to veto the bill, anyway. Oreven more annoyingly, add a bunch of crap onto the bill so that the good stuffcan’t pass without the crap. Justsaying.

What changes would you like to see? Speak up and be heard.

General Election is Tuesday,November 8, 2011.

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

123RF Stock Photos

I’ve Got a Bone to Pick… In the Name of Halloween Fun

2011-10-25T04:51:00.000-06:00

Okay. I’m all for a big Halloween scare—monster movies,spook alleys, even practical jokes—but I heard about something recently thatdisturbed me. It’s the play called Thriller.Apparently, it has a cult-type following and has been performed in Utah for thelast twelve years.

A couple of friends went to see it, thinking it’d includeMichael Jackson’s Thriller Danceroutine. It didn’t. It's a play of multiple skits. Here’s what Salt LakeTribune had to say about it:

“Thriller is aHalloween Spectacular – it includes all your favorite Halloween characters suchas Frankenstein, The Curse of the Mummy and Jason. “Odyssey’s production of ‘Thriller’ was truly a thrill for theaudience, which was at times breathlesswith laughter, at times fearful and amazed, but always totally entertained.”

Here’s another quote from Marsha Maxwell, About.com:

“In addition to the dance numbers, "Thriller" includes funny performances by New Yorkrecording artist John Boy as Bubbles, the show's depressed clown emcee, andlocal singer Mindy Lilyquist as Lorena Bobbit.”

My friends said the performers’ dancing was good, but notonly did the skits’ contents bother them, so did the audience’s laughter. Oneskit ended with a sniper shooting Riverdance performers, one by one. In another skit, Jason shoots a ballerina. Athird skit had a group of men vampires attacking a girl, and drinking herblood. Could any of this be considered alaughing matter? Is it considered a good Halloween scare?

And with all these young woman being killed and attacked, itwas decided that a strong female role-model should be added to the play—LorenaBobbit. Seriously?

Like I said, I haven’t seen the play myself, but it doesn’tsound like entertainment to me. My friends said there were young children present.Are we saying to them that it’s funny or exciting for a sniper to kill a groupof people? Are we saying the Lorena Bobbit should be a role model to youngwomen?

Okay, so maybe you’re going to tell me to chill; it’s all inthe name of fun. I want to hear what youthink.

Oh, and have a happy, safe Halloween!

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

I've Got a Bone to Pick... Wall Street Protest

2011-10-18T08:32:00.000-06:00

I want to know how you feel about the Wall StreetProtest.

As I understand it, the group is a leaderless movementwith no general consensus of what they want except that they’re dissatisfiedwith government and the economy, and they want change.

Some in the media say the group is college-aged peoplewho have spent their lifetime facing a bad economy and can’t get jobs now thatthey’ve graduated. (1) Othersin the media report that this unrepresented, employed segment believe inradical redistribution of wealth, civil disobedience and, in some instances,violence. (2)

As always, there are going to radicals who take theopportunity to speak out. But how do youfeel about the current economy? Do youthink we need change?

I know my family is struggling financially, especiallydue to healthcare costs. We can’t afford medications and are suffering unduestress. In the last thirteen years, we have not been able to increase ourinvestments so much as a dollar. Those around us are besieged with unemployment,low paying jobs and unacceptable work conditions just to survive.

If you were in a position to join the protestors, wouldyou? Does the fact that President Obamajust spent $1.1 million of our tax dollars on two buses for his campaigning factorinto your decision? What bone do youhave to pick?

(1)CBS Sunday Morning, Turning "Occupy Wall Street" Into Reform, RebeccaJarvis

(2) Wall St Protesters Polled ... and the Results AreUgly, Doug Schoen, Fox News

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at : www.dragonflyromance.com

I'VE GOT A BONE TO PICK. JOIN ME...

2011-10-12T20:00:00.000-06:00

Well,we all have opinions, and I want to hear yours.

Thelast few weeks, I’ve had all these thoughts (some related to writing, some not),and I need to discuss and share them with somebody. Sorry, friends. That’s you. My dogs just don’t want to talk about it.

Here’smy first “I’VE GOT A BONE TO PICK”subject:

Whoread the article on RTBookReviews:A Mild Ride, Why Sweet Romances—Inspirationaland Otherwise—are a Hit?

Asa sweet romance author, I was excited to see this article published. I really believe there are readers out therewho enjoy clean romances. Am I wrong?

Buteven though the article was great, the title hit me wrong. A Mild Ride? A sweet romance doesn’t mean mild ride. It makes me think of a kiddie carousel rideinstead of one of the most thrilling roller coaster rides in the world like the Fahrenheit.

Does sweet romance mean “mildride” to you?

Reviewsabout my books, which include comedy, suspense and mystery, have included suchcomments as “fast-paced”, “couldn’t put it down”, “a multi-layered mystery”, “asuspensefully crafted book”, “keeps you hooked with each new twist and turn”, “sexualand suspense tension throughout the book”, and “non-stop action”.

Does that sound like a “mildride”? What do you think? I’m desperately waiting to hear from you.

CindyA. Christiansen

SweetRomance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!

Flyinto a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

Commenthere or email me privately.

123RF Stock Photos

CALLIE WANTS TO TELL YOU...

2011-10-10T13:05:00.001-06:00

Callie’s here to tell you that

Caskets and Corruption

is nowavailable in paperback!

Check out my website for all the details.

And don't miss my latest contest.

Help me choose thebreed of dog for my next book, and you could win a $10.00 egift card

to Barnesand Noble!

A portion of my book proceeds go to

help abused and homeless dogs.

Please continue to support sweet romance

and these wonderful companions.

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

HAVING TROUBLE WITH CHARACTERS? HAVE A GARAGE SALE.

2011-09-27T08:07:00.000-06:00

Whenauthors are having trouble coming up with interesting characters, the advice isusually to go to the mall and ease-drop on conversations. Well, I’mhere say—you need to have a garage sale!

At garage sales, you meet themost diverse types of people. Here’sa few of the unique individuals that showed up to my recent sale:

The Picker. Thisperson comes to purchase anything collectable for antique shops. He dresses down for the occasion, hasvery little to say, and tries to remain inconspicuous as he scopes out itemsyou might not have realized were valuable. This person acts nonchalant, as if itdoesn’t matter one way or the other whether he finds a great buy, whilesecretly dying inside that he’s found a treasure.

The Addicted-To-Sales Shopper. This person shows up all wild-eyedwith excitement, looks over everything quickly and then dashes off to the nextsale. He goes to sales allthe time, and It’s all about the excitement of the hunt.

The Bargain Hunter. This person is looking to save a fewdollars on something he needs. Hedoesn’t want you to notice his nice SUV, and he always offers you less, nomatter how low you have your items marked. He lingers, checks over every lastitem, and he loves to wheel-and-deal.

The Thief. Thisperson isn’t the poor person who might desperately need something but can’tafford it. He’s anatural-born liar and thief, and he doesn’t mind doing it right in front of hischildren.

The Honest Shopper. This person doesn’t mind buying somethingthat needs a little work, as long as it’s quality. He doesn’t dicker on prices, if hethinks it’s fair, and he doesn’t want something for nothing. If he feels youhaven’t charged enough, he will pay you more money. He will comment that he doesn’t feelright about it.

The Underprivileged. This personhas a chip on his shoulder because he resents that you have so much to giveaway. They hardly speak andthey never say thanks.

The Social Buyer. This person comes more to look, listenand talk. He doesn’t haveanything specific he’s looking to buy, and he’ll talk your ear off.

The Happy Shopper. This person doesn’t have a lot ofmoney, and he needs usable items. He’sfriendly, easy-going, doesn’t dicker on prices and is grateful for what hebuys.

The Pack-Rat. Thisperson just has to have things. Andif it’s a good deal, all the much better. He buys quickly and buys in bulk.

So there you have it. But what does that have to do withcharacterization? Based on these garage sale goers, you can find the followingstrengths and weaknesses:

The Picker. Arranger, Commander, Learner
The Addicted-To-Sales Shopper. Activator, Competitor
The Bargain Hunter. Achiever, Deliberator, Responsible
The Thief. Restorative, Self-Assured, Strategic, Manipulator
The Honest Shopper. Strong Beliefs, Empathy
The Underprivileged. Significance, Relator, Entitled
The Social Buyer. Adaptable, Communicator, Developer
The Happy Shopper. Connected, Balanced, Positive
The Pack-Rat. Collector, Maximizer

The terms listed next to ourgarage sale goers comes from the book, StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath. Thisis an excellent book to help you understand how your characters might think,act and feel.

Think about strengths andweaknesses the next time you’re delving into character descriptions. Too often as writers, we base all ofour characters on the same value system as our own. The world is made up of allkinds of unique characters, and just like in real life, we need to beunderstanding of characters who think a little differently than we do.

Good luck with your writing.

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy,Suspense…and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

LOVE ON LAIRD AVENUE - Just Released!

2011-09-25T17:11:00.000-06:00

Love on Laird Avenue is being released, September 26th, through Secret Cravings Publishing! Here's a short blurb about it:

Noone said it was going to be easy for Tatum Stewart to start her own computerconsulting business. Or buy her own historical bungalow right after college,but she was determined to make it on her own without her over-protective father.When things start going wrong, she hires the only man in the city qualified torestore her home—Ryan Bulldarren.

WhenRyan discovers Tatum is going to sign-up with an on-line dating service, heprotectively sets out to sabotage her dates and buys her a Bullmastiff puppy for protection. Despite Tatum’s attraction to him,her father keeps dropping in to say, “Hands off the hired help.”

Canthe two manage to keep things on a professional level when things start heatingup between them?

Here's what they're saying:

The main characters are clever and witty and leave you smiling every time. It's full of mis-communication that leads you down the path of comedic relief and suspense. I couldn't put this one down. ~ J Overson

Check out the Book Trailer.

Play a game of Hangman about the book.

Or, better yet, get your ebook copy at Secret Cravings.

Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!
Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

I'VE GOT SOMETHING TO HOWL ABOUT

2011-09-13T08:53:00.000-06:00

I’ve been saving up all the good news. Why, you ask? I don’t know. I just have. Keep reading because I’m having a contest fora $10.00 egift card to Barnes and Noble to celebrate.

Caskets and Corruption came out last month throughSecret Cravings Publishing and is doing fantastic. SCP is awesome and has been growing likecrazy! You should check them out at: www.secretcravingspublishing.com

For writers, take a look at their specialsubmission guidelines at the bottom of the page for interesting stories they’rerequesting. I wish I could pound outmore books.

I’ve also signed two more contracts with themfor Loveon Laird Avenue, out in October, and Braving the Blaze, out inDecember.

Next, I’ve made some wonderful changes to my ownwebsite, including a “Pay It Forward” section for aspiring writers. Here’s the link: http://www.dragonflyromance.com/pay-it-forward-help

I’ve also brought the site up-to-date with buybuttons and share buttons. Pretty cool.

The best news is, I’ve received the mostwonderful reader review! Here are thehighlights:

Caskets andCorruption:This is a fun, exciting, suspenseful story that starts out and just keepsgaining momentum as you go. I enjoyedreading this interesting story and recommend it to any reader as one that couldprovide a tear or two, some smiles and laughs, as well as some cause forthoughtful pondering.

~GaryF.

But, check out the whole review at: http://www.dragonflyromance.com/books/reader-reviews

I’ve also found a wonderful group called, The SweetestRomance Authors. They have a yahoo group,are established on GoodReads, and are also on Twitter: @AuthorsofSweetR

Their blog is at: http://thesweetestromanceauthors.blogspot.com

And they have a page at Coffee Time Romance: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=1096

Anyone who writes or reads sweet cleanromance is welcome to join. I'm very excited to join them!

I’ve also just finished my sixth book—Not QuiteZen! I told you I was on a roll.

Here’s the blurb:

Therapy dog trainerand hospice aide Harmony Hastings takes a much needed Zen vacation only toreturn to sheer chaos at the Silver Sunset Senior Community. Who is the new young, heart throb doctor andwhy has old Doc Barlow disappeared? Whyare residents being poisoned, falling or getting strangled? Can Harmony keepher chakras in balance long enough to discover the mystery before one of thebaby boomers ends up dead?

Doesn't it sound like a fun read?

To celebrate, I’m giving away a $10.00 egiftcard to Barnes and Noble for the first person who contacts me through my websitewith the answer to the following question:

What science fictionmovie had computers so controlling everyone’s life that a man couldn’t order apizza because his medical records showed that his cholesterol was too high? Please name the movie and the leading actor.

Here’s my contact page: http://www.dragonflyromance.com/contact-cindy

As always, thanks for your support.

Cindy A. Christiansen

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!

Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

(Photo courtesy of: www.123rf.com)

UTAH DOG RECEIVES STEM CELL THERAPY

2011-09-01T14:51:00.004-06:00

I found this article fascinating! I'm so happy that Christine found help for her dog Honey. It's amazing what they can do.
Great article, Cheryl.
Here's the link: First dog in Utah receives stem cell therapy - West Jordan Journal

VETERINARIAN INSULTS HIS PATIENT

2011-08-30T17:10:00.000-06:00

When Callie, my Jack Russell Terrier, received her copy of Healthy Pet from her veterinarian this month, she was highly offended. She refused to read it despite the hunky Joe Manganiello on the cover with his Yorkie named Hercules.
Publish Post
Here’s what it said:
We have some news for you, Callie!
Receive 10% OFF your senior wellness exam.

“Senior,” she huffed. “I’ve never been so insulted.”

I really hope she’ll continue to go to her current veterinarian/animal hospital. Her doctor is the best in the state, and she’s always received such wonderful care. Don’t they realize that dogs have feelings too? Or does it have something to do with the fact that I’m getting older right along with Callie? Hmmmm. Comments, please.

Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!
Fly into a good book at: www.dragonflyromance.com

THE ECONOMY GOES TO THE DOGS

2011-08-24T20:07:00.000-06:00

These tough economic times are impacting our loved ones–our four-legged loved ones. The American Kennel Club says dognapping is up 32% this year from last year, and most thefts go unreported. Pit bulls and large breeds are most often the ones taken. The reports don’t even include the horrendous number of missing dogs.

These criminals are flipping the dogs and puppies for money, and unfortunately, our babies or being sold to such people as dogfighters and research lab owners. Talk about tough times. The criminals are stealing dogs right out of homes, cars, pet parks, and even pet stores.

Without the proper registration papers, these criminals aren’t even getting the full price of what these dogs are worth. How desperate is that? In some cases, the perpetrators are even demanding a ransom!

I don’t know about you, but I’m keeping my precious dogs close by my side. Check out www.ksl.com for more info. Also, check out www.akc.org for more information about pet theft prevention and recovery.

Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!
www.dragonflyromance.com

INTERVIEW WITH K.R. BAILEY - Her Newest Release

2011-07-26T09:57:00.001-06:00

K. R. Bailey

We are chatting with K. R. Bailey about her writing and her new exciting book, Dangerous Deception, due out in August.

K.R.: Hi Cindy. So happy to chat with you. Here’s a blurb about my newest story, Dangerous Deception. It should be released in electronic formats in August. It will also be available in print before Christmas.

DANGEROUS DECEPTION BLURB:
After her father's freak riding accident, Saxon Hunter gives up her dreams of being on the rodeo circuit to rush home only to find her happy ranch life replaced by odd accidents and murder. Deception is everywhere. In her quest to unravel the mysterious clues, she's plunged into the dangerous world of murder and drugs.

Morgan Michaels, a DEA agent, goes undercover to expose a drug ring. When he meets Saxon, he isn't prepared for the strong attraction he feels. Things get complicated because evidence indicates Saxon and her family are involved in the case he's trying to solve.

When Saxon learns that Morgan has deceived her, she's devastated, but as things heat up, she finds he's her only chance for survival. The question is can they make their way through all the lies to regain trust and find love?

CINDY: Is Dangerous Deception your first book?

K. R.: No, Dangerous Deception will be my fifth published book. I have also published:

An Afternoon Tryst, written under the pen name Modeska Rose, available through The Wild Rose Press, Wilder Roses.
My Guardian Angel, also published through The Wild Rose Press.
Can You Trust A Cowboy? published through Bookstrand Publishing.
Never Too Late, My Love also published through Bookstrand Publishing.

CINDY: What inspired you to write your very first full-length book? What kept you going to the very end? How did you feel when you completed it?

K. R.: My very first full-length book was inspired by some of the trips I’ve taken with my sister to Colorado. Then, on a fishing trip out to Locomotive Springs in the West Utah desert, I found a small ranch house and knew that was where the story should begin. The book was written, but sadly, I’ve never polished it to the point of having it published. But I loved the story and kept working on it. It’s kind of an awesome feeling to create a character with their own unique personality and quirks that once I get started, I just have to keep writing. Someday I hope to finally get it published. I love taking my characters on their individual journeys to find love and happiness. I’m always thrilled when the story is finished. It’s such a great sense of accomplishment. But it’s kind of sad because I get so involved with each of my characters, building them, developing them, and watching them grow that it is almost a sad letdown to have to close that book knowing I won’t be involved with them for awhile again.

CINDY: What genre is your latest book, Dangerous Deception? Tell us about it.

K. R.: Dangerous Deception is a romantic suspense/mystery. Don’t you just love a suspenseful mystery? Anyway, the heroine, Saxon, loves the Bar H Ranch that her family owns and where she was born and raised. It’s situated in a small town where she knows almost everyone or, at least, thinks she does. When her father has a riding accident and is killed, she feels something just isn’t right. When she finds the deputy sheriff murdered on her property and sees weird lights on the mountain, she is determined to find out what’s going on.

The hero, Morgan, is a DEA agent. Needless to say, he can’t tell her who he is. But he has a job to do and is thrown into Saxon’s life and family not only because of his job, but by the attraction they feel for each other. Their love of horses and their determination to find the truth pulls them together and is what will eventually solve the mystery of the murders.

CINDY: What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? What part do you dislike?

K. R.: Gosh, I enjoy most all of the writing process – creating dilemmas, new characters with varied backgrounds and experience, learning new things through classes and RWA meetings as well as through the research I do. I guess the part I dislike the most is having to write the synopsis and query letters to get my stories in front of editors and then having to find a way to market them. I like writing the story. All the other stuff takes me away from writing.

CINDY: What motivated you to write Dangerous Deception?

K. R.: The story started going through my mind on a trip down the mountain from our cabin with my husband. I started picturing a ranch surrounded by red rocks and tall trees where I could see a perfect place to ride your horse and also have someone murdered (what can I say?). My Mom and Dad raised Morgan horses, and I had a beautiful Morgan gelding for 28 years. Morgan horses just had to become part of the Bar H Ranch I was creating. The name Saxon for my heroine came to me – now don’t laugh – from reading an obituary. I loved the sound of it. It was so different.

I really love reading mysteries and decided to try writing one.

CINDY: Mysteries are great. I'm working on one myself. Saxon is an interesting name, but an obituary? I'll get over it. And you've really lived an exciting life. I love horses. Morgans are beautiful animals. You have a lot to share through your writing.

A lot of authors listen to music while they write. Do you? Do you have any rituals you do before, after or during writing?

K. R.: Not really. I’m a person who hates distractions when I read, write, anything, so no music. Most of my stories start dancing in my head when I’m going for a ride with my husband. Once I start writing, I’ll wake up during the night and think of a perfect scene to add. If I’m stumped, I put it away for awhile while I have a chance to think about it. When I finally finish a manuscript, I’m so thrilled I have to tell someone, and it usually is my husband, my sister, and my critique partners.

CINDY: If you could write yourself into one of your books what kind of character would she be? (The heroine, the best friend, the antagonist, strong, funny, supportive, etc.)

K. R.: Boy, I don’t know. I’d love to be the heroine since they have all the fun – meeting new men, new experiences, etc. But I’d probably be the supportive friend (or antagonist). Everyone tells me I drive them nuts because when they ask me a question, I usually give them both sides of the answer, the pros and cons, and then they have to decide how use that info.

CINDY: How much research do you do for one of your books? How much of your book is fact, and how much is fiction?

K. R.: I always like to sprinkle some real facts into my stories, but most of my stories are fiction. Usually, the characters are people I create in my mind. My book, Never Too Late, My Love is a prime example. The idea for the book came to me while I was in Ibapah, Utah, hunting with my husband. We were close to the Goshute Indian Reservation, and I needed to know about them before I could write my story so I spent quite a bit of time doing research on the Goshute people, their beliefs, their history and their customs. I also have been interested in wolves, and I found several websites about wolves. I spent several days researching Ibapah to learn about its history, its name, etc. Some of the tidbits about the pony express in that book are also based on my experience while visiting some of the sites along the pony express trail. I’d like to think that using some real facts along with my fictional story helps give it some depth and interest.

In my new story, Dangerous Deception, I interviewed my nephew who is a current day cowboy who rides the rodeo, as well as works on a ranch. He gave me some information that I used. The story about the Shooting Star Bar in Huntsville is true, and it was fun to research it and learn about the huge dog that is mounted on the wall. But again, most of the story is fiction, something that I created in my mind.

CINDY: That's fascinating. What has writing a book taught you about yourself?

K. R.: That I need to learn to use my time more wisely (chuckle). I seem to let mundane things take over. You know, housework, laundry, even TV. But I have learned that when I start something, I do find a way to finish it. Even if most of the time I’m writing in the middle of the night after my husband has gone to bed.

CINDY: I hear you there. What do you want your readers to gain from reading one of your books?

K. R.: Hopefully, they can find some entertainment as they meet new people and read new stories. You’ll notice most of my stories are older heroes and heroines who have to learn to open their hearts and let themselves learn to love again. Maybe some of my readers can do the same thing.

CINDY: Do you have any plans for another book? Can you give us any details?

K. R.: Absolutely! In fact, I have another romantic suspense ready to submit to an editor. It takes place in another small town in Utah. I got the idea from an old Don Williams song, Café Carolina. So I have Maggie owning a small diner, and a young woman shows up homeless. Maggie is the type of person who loves to care for people and stray animals. She is thrown into a mystery where two people get killed, her home and diner get ransacked, and I can’t tell you more because it will ruin the story.
I always have several ideas dancing in my head ready to have the story put to paper. Isn’t that what writers do?

CINDY: That happens to me too. How can readers find out more about you and your books? Do you have a website? Where can they buy your books?

K. R.: Do check out my website and my blog. My books are listed there with excerpts and blurbs. Several of my stories can also be found at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble e-books.

Website: http://krbailey.com/
Blog: http://www.krbailey.blogspot.com/

CINDY: This has been a fun interview. Thanks for taking the time to join us. I wish you tons of success with your new release!

K.R.: Thank you. Read a great book!

BRAND NEW SWEET (CLEAN) ROMANCE RELEASE

2011-07-21T22:59:00.002-06:00

I am proud to announce the release of Casket and Corruptions with my new publisher, Secret Cravings Publishing. Here’s what the book is about:

Lizzie, a portrait artist of the dead, is looking for adventure amongst the living. But, after discovering a drug operation involving military caskets, she’s chased across the country with Phillip Van Dyke, a stiff-necked funeral director and her sister’s hairless dog as a stowaway. Can she exhume Phillip’s heart before the drug cartel catches up with them?

Keep reading to find out how you can win a copy.

As always, here’s what my books give you:

o A clean read with no bedroom scenes or foul language.

o A tantalizing, fast-paced plot.

o A story without a lot of boring description.

o Everyday heroes and heroines with regular jobs

o A rollercoaster ride of emotions you face right along with the characters.

o A special dog to steal your heart.

o A few added facts, a good message, and that important happily-ever-after ending.

To order this sweet romance, click Secret Cravings Publishing.

To find out more about the book on my website, click on DragonflyRomance.

To celebrate, I’m having a contest called: Name That Dog. In my current WIP I have several dogs that need creative names. If I pick one of the names you suggest, I will send you a free ebook of Caskets and Corruption in PDF format. The deadline is August 15, 2011. Enter the contest at: www.dragonflyromance.com and good luck! Pictures of the breeds are shown.

Thanks for all your support.

BONUS WITH NEW RELEASE - THE SIX BEST POSITIONS IN BED

2011-07-15T14:41:00.000-06:00

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!

My long-awaited book, Caskets and Corruption, is available for pre-order TODAY in ebook format with my new publisher, Secret Cravings Publishing.
I couldn't be more excited!

Here's more about the book:

All portrait artist Lizzie Cantrell wanted was a change in careers to avoid consoling bereaved families and dealing with death. She didn’t know she’d end up stealing a dead body and a casket full of heroin and running from the drug cartel. She also didn't know she’d end up on the 6 o’clock news wanted for grand theft auto, robbery and assault on a police officer. And to top it off, she must deal with her sister's Chinese Crested, stowaway dog and a stiff-necked funeral director to boot.

Buried away as a funeral director for the past two years because of an accident that left him scarred, Phillip Van Dyke finds himself in a grave situation involving a military drug smuggling operation. Worse yet, his accomplice is a beautiful portrait artist who’s managing to exhume the remains of his deceased heart.

As a romance author, and in celebration of my new release, I wanted to share something extra special with you. You won't want to miss this enticing and informative guide to: THE SIX BEST POSITIONS IN BED, including PHOTOS!! Totally free.

Click HERE to see bonus information.

Also pre-order Caskets and Corruption today HERE.

GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER (and other immoral acts)

2011-07-11T15:59:00.000-06:00

Everyone’s been shocked by the recent news of the not-guilty verdict in the Casey Anthony case. Through the media’s eyes, it seems clear that the mother is guilty. Others have also gotten away with murder. For example, the killer(s) of Nicole Brown Simpson, JonBenét Ramsay, Susan Powell, Kiplyn Davis and more.

And it’s not just murder. Some people can steal, abuse, or slander others and be forgiven, others prosecuted. Why are some people able to get away with immoral acts and others indicted and condemned by society? What is it about this type of person? Is there some sort of specific personality trait that differentiates individuals who get away with things?

What about those who make a mistake, apologize, but are not forgiven? What is it about those individuals that make others so willing to judge them harshly and persecute them when they haven’t committed a serious wrong-doing?

Is it luck, personality, destiny?

Do you, or have you known, someone like this? What makes them different? Do you have characters in your books that can get away with murder…or other immoral acts?

Send me your comments and let me know what you think makes up these types of characters.

I WANT TO KNOW

2011-06-10T10:05:00.001-06:00

The other day, I was driving with my boys when I saw a duck in the middle of the road by Fashion Place Mall. I slowed, moved cautiously around it, and then continued. As I gazed in my rearview mirror, I watched an SUV deliberately swerve to hit the duck.

The memories flooded back to me of another time when our sweet little Jack Russell, Stubby, escaped our yard and headed down the street. We yelled and chased after him on foot in the dark. He made it to the corner of the subdivision and headed up a main street.

A carload of teens swerved off the road to mow him down, laughing as they left his crumpled body lying on the side of the road. I stayed up all night crying, holding Stubby’s lifeless body wrapped in his favorite blanket. My boys were devastated by the heartless cruelty, and it literally took years for them to get over the event—if they ever really have.

Who are these people who can so easily kill an animal…and do it in fun? Do they brag about it? Do they ever regret it at some point in their lives?

Have you ever met someone who admits they do this sort of thing? Who are these people? What do they get from doing it?

I just want to know. Please leave me your comments.

In memory of
Stubby Filbert
Born - November 1, 1998
Died - June 29, 2002

Caskets and Corruption Book Trailer - Out in August 2010

2011-05-26T15:32:00.000-06:00

WINNER OF TITLE CONTEST

2011-05-23T14:52:00.000-06:00

Sandy Rowland is the winner of the book naming contest.

Her winning entry was: Braving the Blaze

The manuscript has now been submitted to Secret Cravings Publishing!

Sandy won a $15 egift card to Barnes and Noble. Congratulations, Sandy, and thanks for a wonderful title.

WHERE HAS ALL THE ROMANCE GONE?

2011-05-13T20:48:00.000-06:00

I’ve been reading romances.

Surprise!

But, I don’t like what I’m reading. Where has all the romance gone?

I just read a book where the hero and heroine slept together as teens, she had a baby the hero didn’t know about, and he left town before he found out she was pregnant. He comes back years later, and she sleeps with him unprotected the VERY first night. She’s not sure about him, whether she can trust him or not and doesn’t believe it’s the right time to tell him he has a four-year-old son. Sheesh! Didn’t she learn anything?

I’m sorry, but this is not romance to me. Call me old-fashioned, but I still like the books where there’s attraction, desire, romance which builds throughout the book to a climax as your characters get to know one another and fall in love.

Sex is not romance. Characters should learn from their mistakes too.

I believe there’s a huge gap between what agents and editors think readers want to read and what readers really want. I think they are so inundated with storylines every day that they only notice the unusual and not the good.

Of course, I want to know what you think. Drop me a comment and tell me what you like. Do you think they need to come up with a new genre for these books? How about:
• Slutwave Genre
• Adulteress Genre
• Trashy Genre
• Harlot Genre

Cindy

Cindy A. Christiansen
Fly into a good book!
www.dragonflyromance.com

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

DO YOU LOVE CONTESTS? DO YOU LOVE MONEY?

2011-04-20T11:34:00.000-06:00

How would you like to name my fifth sweet romance book...and win a $15.00 egift card to Barnes and Noble? The deadline is May 19th.

Click here to enter and good luck!

Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!
Fly into a good book!
http://www.dragonflyromance.com/

WHAT DRIVES YOUR BOOK?

2011-04-16T22:45:00.000-06:00

Conflict. You've got to have conflict. I'm not talking about your garden variety arguing, bickering or fighting. That's not the kind. I'm talking about floods, deaths, commitments, fears, love, ambition. The list goes on. Without conflict life might be easier, but it certainly wouldn't be as interesting.

Obviously, conflict motivates your characters as well. They have to have a plan of action but then something gets in their way. The important part to remember is that life doesn't just happen. Head your characters in a direction and then throw a bucket of water at them.

There are three main types of conflict you can toss at your characters: circumstantial, personal and relationship conflict. Let's discuss each one:

1. CIRCUMSTANTIAL. What circumstances are your characters going to have to face? Are you going to fling them into the path of a hurricane? Involve them in a car wreck? Maybe their circumstances are of a personal nature. Maybe a grandfather dies and leaves his granddaughter the family farm but not without conditions.These circumstances must disrupt the lives of your characters.

2. PERSONAL. Who doesn't have personal problems? Your characters should too. You should know your characters inside and out - their actions, emotions, dreams, past experiences, fears, likes and dislikes. You might not use every detail in the book, but we are, after all, what we've experienced in our lives.

3. RELATIONSHIP. Is there a person on this planet that doesn't have issues with at least one other person? Give your characters that kind of conflict as well. Whether it is a mean villain or the next-door neighbor, there is always going to be human conflict. In a romance there has to be a conflict of relationship between the hero and heroine that keeps them from getting together. Relationship conflict doesn't just happen in romances. It separates families, friends, business partners, and even countries.

So there you have it. Conflict. Those are pretty complicated webs your characters are weaving, but what a fantastic story it will be. Remember with each scene you write, you need to include at least one type of conflict that will advance the story along the plot line.

Cindy A. Christiansen
Fly into a good book!
www.dragonflyromance.com

AM I WRONG?

2011-04-06T11:22:00.014-06:00

Okay, this is totally unrelated to writing, but I want your views. Here is the letter I sent my son's school:

Dear Principal _____:

Just a small objection from a disgruntled parent. My son called me from school on Monday, March 28th sick, and I checked him out. On Tuesday I took him to his doctor and he had strep. The doctor wrote a note to release him for the days he was contagious and said he could go back to school when he felt better. At that time, the doctor had no idea how long his recovery would be because he was only in the beginning stages.

When my son returned to school on Monday, April 4th, I sent the doctors note plus one I had written explaining his extended illness. (Not to mention having called the school every day.) The office told him they would only excuse him for the days the doctor stated.

I find this very frustrating. I've had to call the doctor and then drive to his office and disturb him to write another note. I find this a waste of my time and the doctor’s time. Could parents and school staff work together a little easier? Parents have lives too. Thanks for your time and consideration of this matter.

Okay. So am I right? Do parents have lives too? I want to hear from you. Come on.

Hyper Smash

SOME THOUGHTS ON TED WILLIAMS

2011-01-17T15:58:00.003-07:00

I’m sure everyone has heard about Ted Williams, the homeless man turned famous by a Youtube video.

I just wanted to share my feelings on the subject. I’m all for someone getting a second chance, and I wish Ted the best. However, I have to say I was very disappointed in the whole media blitz and in Dr. Phil’s interview with him.

When I first heard about a homeless man with the rich baritone voice whose YouTube video had gone viral, I felt happy for this man who had been discovered. Then when I heard he had been offered all kinds of jobs, homes and free medical procedures, I thought how nice it would be if that kind of generosity could be spread out and shared among a number of unfortunate individuals.

Next I heard that Ted had previously been a radio announcer and had gotten caught up in drugs and alcohol. This changed my whole opinion of the story. He wasn’t some homeless man whose hidden talent got discovered and brought him out of poverty. He’d been successful and made some very bad choices which put him in his predicament.

I watched Ted Williams on Dr. Phil and was further disillusioned with the situation. Here was a man who lied to the public about his sobriety and was reluctant to accept Dr. Phil’s help of the best drug rehabilitation program in the country. Although I still wish him the best, the notoriety is not quite deserved in my opinion.

I know so many families who are struggling because of loss of job, loss of home due to failed mortgage companies or little or no health insurance and none of it is their fault. My heart goes out to these individuals who are struggling to take care of themselves and their families.

Along the same thoughts, I have met a number of very talented authors and artists who are working eight-to-five jobs but also working hard at their talents, hoping to be discovered. And they deserve it. But why doesn’t it happen to them? Why Ted Williams? Why Justin Bieber? Why Twilight author Stephenie Meyer? Why pet rocks or singing fish plaques?

Don’t ask me. I don’t have the answer. But I do know that God is fair and just and that He knows all things. Also, “Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just.” ~Mosiah 29:12

Just because a certain person or certain item draws the attention of the media, doesn’t mean that it is deserved.

What do you think?

Writing: It's All In The Conflict

2011-01-07T07:44:00.001-07:00

When it comes to writing, confict is the key. It's the number one problem I've seen with the contest entries I've judged. Conflict is not arguing, bickering or fighting. I'm talking about floods, deaths, commitments, fears, love,or ambition that you put your character through. The list goes on. Without conflict life might be easier, but it certainly wouldn't be as interesting.

Obviously, conflict motivates your characters as well. They have to have a plan of action but then something gets in their way. Give your characters strong goals to work on through the book. An author just can't tell a story about this or that. Let's face it, we all can't be Seinfeld. But even on that show the characters are going to do something and then an event happened. The important part to remember is that life doesn't just happen. Head your characters in a direction and then throw a bucket of water at them.

There are three main types of conflict you can toss at your characters: circumstantial, personal and relationship conflict. Let's discuss each one:

1. CIRCUMSTANTIAL. What circumstances are your characters going to be involved in? Are you going to fling them into the path of a hurricane? Involve them in a car wreck? Maybe their circumstances are of a personal nature. Maybe a grandfather dies and leaves his granddaughter the family farm but not without conditions. Maybe your character wants to leave town but can't because someone is trying to stop him. These circumstances must disrupt the lives of your characters. It changes their course. It creates urgency to the situation. It keeps the book moving, and it is usually where the book begins. Something happens to change the life of your character and the conflict just continues.

2. PERSONAL. Who doesn't have personal problems? Your characters should too. You should know your characters inside and out - their actions, emotions, dreams, past experiences, fears, likes and dislikes. You might not use every detail in the book, but we are, after all, what we've experienced in our lives. You need to know what makes all of your characters tick, what motivates them, and what baggage they carry around that makes them who they are. You must figure out what it is that drives your characters. Fear, love, excitement, greed, or hate?

In most of the entries I've judged, the characters wander around letting whatever occurs to them be their life. How often does that happen in real life? Your characters have to have goals just like we do. For example: Your character has a big presentation at work. He needs to go to a meeting and persuade his clients to buy Brand X. If they sign with him, he will get a raise and he will be able to buy his parent's property out from under his conniving, greedy brother.

Great! Your character has goals - the presentation, getting to work on time, making the presentation, getting the raise, buying the house before his brother. It is then the author's job to put conflict in his way. For example: His boss forgot to tell him the meeting has been moved up to tomorrow morning. He spills milk all over the presentation and then the power goes out before he can reprint it. His annoying neighbor dropped her cell phone in the toilet so she comes over to borrow his, and he can't get rid of her. He goes out to his car and it has a flat. He steals a car to get to the meeting because nothing or no one is going to stop him from pinching his parent's property out from under his brother.

Whoa! Now you know just what kind of character you really have. See all that conflict? See all the situations your character will need to make decisions about? The choices they make will be affected by the character's beliefs, emotional state and past baggage. This is the bread and butter of writing. It is all of this conflict that will lead you down the road to your character's epiphany. Yes, I said epiphany. Yeah, I didn't know what it was at first either. When your character works through all the conflict, he will come to some sort of conclusion - an epiphany. In our story, the character will probably come to the conclusion that it was not worth killing his brother over.

The main conflict I see missing in the contest entries I've read is the personal conflict. In our example, it's what made the character so willing to steal in order to keep the property from his brother. It's that internal conflict you find going on within yourself over certain issues. Your character's need it too. Use all five, and even sixth, senses to let your character experience life.

3. RELATIONSHIP. Is there a person on this planet that doesn't have issues with at least one other person? Give your characters that kind of conflict as well. Whether it is a mean villain or the next-door neighbor, there is always going to be human conflict. In a romance there has to be a conflict of relationship between the hero and heroine that keeps them from getting together.

This type of conflict includes: different values, different ambitions, money, egos, mental issues, prejudices, etc. Here are some more specific examples: He's a cop and she's been accused of a crime. He's driven by loyalty to his family but she wants him to give up the family business to live in Paris as an artist. He's consumed with revenge against the Ewings and she's a Ewing.

Relationship conflict doesn't just happen in romances. It separates families, friends, business partners, and even countries.

So there you have it. Conflict. Those are pretty complicated webs your characters are weaving, but what a fantastic story it will be. Remember with each scene you write, you need to include at least one type of conflict that will advance the story along the plot line.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS LETTER

2010-12-01T15:55:00.005-07:00

Greetings to you this holiday season!

I wanted to share our year with family and friends.

New Years - surgery, yada, yada, yada.
St. Patrick's Day - son's surgery, wheelchair, therapy three times a week.
Easter - family fight.
Fourth of July - blah, blah, blah.
Thanksgiving - turkey, baking, lots of stress.
Now it's Christmas.
Happy Holidays, Everybody!!!

YOUTUBE AUTHOR INTERVIEW AND CONTEST

2010-11-17T22:05:00.001-07:00

I am posting the first taping of a six part series I did on a show called, Catch of the Day, where they interview celebrities. I will post two interviews on YouTube each week for the next three weeks.

CONTEST:

Spot the dragonfly in each interview and be the first to email me the following information:
1. the title of each tape
2. where the dragonfly is located in the clip
3. your name
4. your email address

If you are the first to email me with the correct information, I will send you a $25.00 egift card from www.giftzip.com to either Borders Bookstore or a restaurant near you, or send you an ebook copy of one of my books─just in time for the holidays!!

What an experience a live interview is!! I can’t say I would survive a REAL live talk show, but we had lots of fun.

Enjoy the holiday season,
Cindy
dragonflyromance@gmail.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzFtli0Quzs

MY BOOKS ARE LIKE ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S FAMOUS MOVIE – PSYCHO

2010-10-27T11:05:00.004-06:00

No, I don’t write horror or psychological thrillers. But for anyone who has seen Psycho, you know the movie doesn’t show the ordinary blood and guts of today’s cinematography, and that’s where Alfred Hitchcock and I are alike.

I believe a person’s mind is far more creative than what I can express in the written language. Take for example characters: I could spend five pages describing the hero and what he is wearing, but how often does your mind create its own image based on the personality of the character? If you ask ten women to describe their idea of the sexiest man, you will most likely hear ten different descriptions. Why not let their imagination do the work? Isn’t that what writing is all about--creating a fantasy world the reader will enjoy? And who better to tell you what that fantasy is than the reader themselves.

I personally hate reading books where they describe every item of clothing the person wears every day. Come on. Who cares? Get to the good stuff. And even if the author spends three pages describing a scene, my mind is only going to associate it with someplace I already know. Plus how pertinent is it to the movement of the story?

Years ago, there was a debate about half hour television programs. Many thought it wasn’t enough time to develop characters and have an audience relate to them. The success of shows like Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel and All in the Family (to name a few) prove that theory wrong. I was recently watching a rerun of Have Gun Will Travel and marveled at the depth of one particular episode. At the end, I looked for the writer’s name. It turned out to be Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek.

At an author’s convention, I pitched my book to an editor. I explained my characters’ personal struggles and flaws, their conflict of circumstances, their reasons for not being able to have a relationship at the beginning of the book, the antagonists’ background and motives, the plot line of danger and suspense, the epiphany of both hero and heroine and the conclusion to the book. At the end, she told me my manuscript had a lot of depth and detail. She then asked how long it was. I told her 57,000 words. She informed me that was too short. I told her the only thing I’d left out was the boring descriptions. She didn’t laugh.

My readers like my books because they are fast-paced. Despite the “short” length, they tell me they didn’t want the book to end. That always tells a writer that the reader connected with the story and the characters. You can’t go wrong with that.

MY VIEW ON THE WRITING MARKET

2010-10-15T13:08:00.002-06:00

Recently I attended the annual Utah Romance Writer’s Conference up in Park City, Utah. It was a fantastic event. The hotel was riddled with famous authors, agents and editors as well as dozens of classic Porsche owners (another exciting event taking place).

I want to say thank you to the hardworking committee who put this together. I know it takes tons of work and effort, and I for one appreciated it. I enjoyed the networking, the buzz of excitement which filled the air, and the entertainment (that includes the delicious food and the sexy Scottish musicians). I took away a great deal from the conference this year.

The publishing market is really going through a vast array of changes. When the chips all fall, no one is quite certain what will happen because there is no business model to follow. It’s still the best time to be an author. Many publishers, big and small, are jumping on the ereader bandwagon, but when you talk to readers, young and old, they still love the feel of a book in their hands. I had agents tell me that I didn’t need them—that they’d just be taking my money and all I needed to do was know my target audience and publisher and submit directly. How great is that? Authors were also told that if they asked publishers for help with promotion, they were more likely to receive additional services.

At last year’s conference I was told that if I wasn’t writing four to five books a year, I might as well cache in my author chips. This year, that wasn’t the sentiment. Prolific writing has been redefined. Doing your own marketing is mandatory no matter what publisher you choose, however the options in marketing have increased drastically. Virtual book tours are now possible instead of travelling; social networking is the forefront of promotion; and self-publishing is becoming more popular and successful in leading an author to one of the big-six publishing houses.

Although a very popular author commented that she writes seven days a week from eight to sixteen hours a day and that’s the kind of commitment needed to succeed as an author, I’m not sure I agree. Any career takes commitment, but we each must choose our priorities and establish balance. I for one place myself and family first and then my career. I never want to lose my love for writing. I never want it to be a chore. I’ll keep plugging away at what I love and hope readers everywhere catch on that I love what I’m doing, and that I’m dedicated to my quality of writing, not deadlines.

5 TIPS TO A BETTER BOOK TRAILER

2010-09-02T20:22:00.005-06:00

Recently I had the opportunity to take an RWA PRO Class on book trailers. Author Jeannie Lin did a fantastic job and I learned a great deal. I’d already put together trailers for my three published books based on what I had seen out there in cyberspace. I thought the point was to give a short synopsis with pics. WRONG!

Some of you asked me what we learned in the class, but I couldn’t begin to repeat all of Jeannie’s valuable info. What I can tell you is the main things that really stood out in my mind. They are as follows:

1. Try to create an emotional impact with the music you use that relates to your story. An obvious example is suspenseful music for a romantic suspense. In my original book trailer for The Royal Pain, I used a western song because the setting is on a dairy farm in central Utah. The song was anything but suspenseful.

2. Don’t try to tell the whole story. The point is to use the music and your photos to convey the IDEA of the book to pique the viewer’s interest and have them research your book further. You don’t even have to lay out the photos in the correct order they happen in the book. Think movie trailers.

3. Keep your video short. People will more likely watch it.

4. Try to time the photos to the music. This caused me the biggest trouble and the most chunk of time, but I think it is really important and worth it.

5. Find royalty-free photos and music to avoid lawsuits. I’m not pushing any one website, but www.123rf.com is having an anniversary special. You can get 10 small-size downloads for five dollars, which is great for a trailer. (Also for your blogs.) I found out that if you go to the buy images tab, you will find free pics you can use as well. There’s some pretty good stuff.

Jeannie used movie clips in her book trailer and it was fantastic. I gave it a try but had difficulty when I uploaded to YouTube. Maybe the next book. We’ll see.

I think I’m getting to that age where you just don’t want to learn new technology. My husband gave me an MP3 player for my birthday, and I said, “Thanks honey, but take it back.” I ended up going on a road trip with my nieces, and they showed me how easy they are to use. Maybe I’m still “with it” or whatever phrase they are saying these days.

Good luck with your sales and your trailers.

HOOKING YOUR READERS

2010-07-23T11:16:00.006-06:00

Well of course your whole book is important. But what makes the beginning more important than the rest of it? That's where you catch the reader's attention. The first few pages of the book must hook your reader, hold their interest and keep them reading. If it doesn't, it will end up back on the shelf.

You can accomplish a great beginning with four easy tips:

1. Establish who, what, when, where and why.

2. Ascertain what kind of story you are writing.

3. Let the reader care about the character(s).

4. Set the tone of your book from the beginning.

Let's take a closer look:

1. ESTABLISH WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE AND WHY.

Fiction writing is no different from any other writing. You must answer all of the "w" questions right up front as much on the first page as possible without being obvious. Let's look at each one:

WHO: Give the character's name right up front to establish from whose point-of-view (POV) the story is being told. In first-person that is "I". In third-person you want the name to reflect the time period, the personality of the character, and the tone of your book. Determine the best name to get your reader to understand your character.

In my current work in progress, my heroine's name is Lizzie Cantrell. I point out in the story that Lizzie is not short for Elizabeth but that her mother named her after Lizzie in the play, Rainmaker. She is an artist looking for adventure. The hero, however, is Phillip E. Van Dyke. He insists that his employees call him Mr. Van Dyke, and if they call him Phil, he is extremely upset. Seriously injured, he is determined to keep people from getting too close. By having everyone use his formal name, he believes he can keep his emotions locked away.

Choosing the right name can greatly impact how your readers relate to your characters.

WHAT: In order to create a relationship between your character and the reader, you need to give clues about what the character hopes to gain or lose based on their goals. In the story above, Phillip keeps pulling up his turtle-neck. I suggest there is something wrong, but I don't give it all away yet. You need to suggest what is going to happen and make the reader curious to find out.

WHERE AND WHEN: Let the reader know up front in as little detail as possible where your book is taking place and what time period. You don't have to state the precise date, however that works in some cases. In contemporary novels, any detail about modern conveniences is usually sufficient. If you are writing a historial, use a known event, war, or invention that will signify the time period.

WHY: Again we don't want to give the story away, but this is where you reveal what drives your character and why. You just need to give a clue as to why they are pursuing what they are to let the reader know more is to come.

This may sound complicated but it's not. Here is an example from "A Novel Approach" by Kathy Jacobson that shows all of this important information in just a few short sentences:

Liz had nothing against sleeping with men, but she never again wanted to be married to one. After three years of freedom, even Jeff's wealth didn't look like a good trade-off. She smiled at him across the breakfast table and handed back the diamond ring she'd almost cracked a tooth on.

"It was clever of you to hide this in my muffin, but I really can't accept it."

Here's the summation: Who - Liz. What - she's declining a marriage proposal. Where - her breakfast table. When - three years after her divorce. Why - she prefers her freedom over wealth. Everything in one neat little paragraph. Wow!

2. ASCERTAIN WHAT KIND OF STORY YOU ARE WRITING.

The next important part of a beginning is starting with an important action when the character's life changes. A good resource for understanding this is Orson Scott Card's MICE quotient taken from his book, "Characters and Viewpoints". This will affect your beginning in different ways. For MILIEU it would be when the character enters the new environment. If you are writing an IDEA story, you want to start with something that affects the question being asked. When writing a CHARACTER story, you would concentrate on the character's emotions concerning the change in environment. With an EVENT story, you begin with the event that pushes the character into a new adventure.

Don't start your book with the character's back story. Begin with the circumstances that changes the character's life. Back story is very important and can be added throughout the book in interesting ways, but starting out with the character's life story is boring to the reader and you will lose them.

You do, however, want to have your character performing some natural task to make your reader identify with them. Then take them on the journey. If you throw them into the middle of the action too quickly, the reader is confused about what is happening, who the character is, or why they should even care.

3. LET THE READER CARE ABOUT THE CHARACTER(S).

Make sure you give the reader a reason to relate or like your character. You can accomplish this by making sure your character has goals and their reasons for their choices are clearly stated, especially that first scene. Make sure your scenes are well thought out according to POV. Remember that if you switch POV you lose the tension in the scene. It is important to stay with the opening character long enough for the reader to bond with them.

4. SET THE TONE OF YOUR BOOK FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

Choosing your genre will help determine the tone of your book. Is it suspenseful, humorous, or gory? Your writing needs to reflect that. Even your synopsis should reflect the tone of your book. The editor needs to know you can project the same tone that the book will be written in.

Well, that's it. It sounds simple enough and really it is. It takes some thought and practice, but it can be done. Given these four tips, you will write a book that will hook your readers and keep them turning pages. Good luck.

Everyone Needs Help Now and Again

2010-05-20T18:24:00.005-06:00

For all my writer friends,

I found a wonderful website today. It's the Passionate Pen at: http://www.passionatepen.com/

She offers all kinds of helpful information about publishers, agents, submissions and articles for writers as well. Thought you might like to have a look.

SOLUTION FOR DIABETES

2010-03-31T14:30:00.001-06:00

I’ve been on a medical hiatus for the last six months, and I can’t say it’s been much fun. As a Type 2 Diabetic, my insulin requirements have continued to increase. Last year, I finally maxed out all of the oral medications I could take (five different medications to be exact).

The doctors’ advice as been varied:

“You must be eating wrong. Change your behavior or I won’t continue to treat you.”

“You need to go on an insulin pump.”

“You’re not taking the right dosages of the right medications.”

“You need to leave your husband and kids to reduce your stress and take care of you.”
Unfortunately, none of this professional advice helped much.

With multiple health problems and two autistic children, I’ve struggled with exercise, my weight, and my stress level. Last year after putting my oldest son in an inpatient program up at the University of Utah because he had become a threat to himself and others, my glucose numbers soared. Frankly, I’m not the sort of person who just walks out because it gets difficult.

When oral medications no longer covered my problem, my doctor started me on insulin. I had a reaction to the type I needed and had to substitute with two others. Besides my oral medications, I now had to take six shots a day. Life wasn’t fun.

I started investigating my options. I discovered the medical profession was trying to get one particular weight-loss procedure approved by the insurance companies for diabetes. Apparently, gastric bypass surgery, not lap band, causes some kind of enzyme change within the stomach which immediately reverses diabetes. The result is not from weight-loss but from the actual surgical procedure. They are working to get this approved for people who are diabetic and not necessarily overweight.

With all my other health problems, having this surgery was risky. But my husband and I weighed the options and decided to do it. I had the surgery on December 29, 2009. The surgery was complicated but successful. It took twice as long for me, I had to stay at the hospital longer, and I’ve had other complications since…but I’m alive and I’m thankful for that.

The best news: within one month, I was able to drop all oral medications, completely stop one type of insulin, and reduce the other insulin dose by forty-percent.

I’ve had to put my life and writing on hold, but in the end, I know my life will be better. The characters of my current work-in-progress have hung out with me and have just been waiting for me to tell their story. Hopefully we can get back to the business of life.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TO OUR MALE CHARACTERS?

2010-03-04T14:26:00.005-07:00

Are you having trouble finding any manly males to base your heroes on? Maybe you haven’t noticed, but men just aren’t as masculine as they used to be. (Of course, they can't all be Mark Ruffalo.) The cause could be from a little old chemical called atrazine.

Atrazine is a herbicide that selectively controls broadleaf weeds and has been used for many years by farmers on produce. This chemical gets sprayed on plants and then it contaminates our ground water.

Atrazine is an endocrine disruptor – a chemical that alters the functioning of hormones. In studies, it has shown to change testosterone to estrogen in the bodies of male frogs, changing the males to females and emasculating about three-quarters of the rest. How scary is that?

Since we have a lot in common with frogs (we’re both vertebrates), this could affect us humans as well. Atrazine has also been proven to damage the immune systems of fish, reptiles and birds.

I don’t know about you, but maybe we should be worried about us and not just the heroes in our books.

Some of the suggestions for dealing with this issue are:

o Don't drink straight tap water or ground water. Always drink carbon-filtered water.

o Wash all produce thoroughly by placing it in a bowl with a drop of dishwashing liquid and lukewarm water. Keep it submerged for fifteen to twenty minutes and then rinse it aggressively.

Good luck all you male characters out there.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY READING OR SEEING AT THE MOVIES?

2010-02-04T10:35:00.003-07:00

February is the month for romance, and not only do we love to live romance – we love to read it.

Below are some interesting facts about romance novels and those who love to read them. This information was provided by Romance Writers of America based on 2008 statistics:

• Nearly seventy-five million people read at least one romance novel.
• Almost 30% of all Americans over the age of thirteen read a romance.
• Romance was the top performing category on the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-seller lists.
• Those aged 39 to 49 are most likely to read romance and are currently married or living with a partner.
• Impulse purchases outnumber planned purchases.
• Over 90% of romance novels are read at home.
• Romance readers, about 29%, carry a romance novel with them.
• More than half of romance readers who read romance in electronic format don’t use dedicated e-book readers.
• As high as 91% of readers will seek out an author’s previously published titles if they like their work.

During these difficult times of war, major natural disasters, economic struggles and unemployment, I’m looking for something a little lighter and happier to enjoy.

When the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua came out, critics were appalled at the popularity of the movie. Here’s a quote from The Insider: “The numbers are in for the weekend box office and the talking Chihuahua film was a definite hit with the crowds, if not with critics.”

For me this popularity puts in mind the old Bing Crosby and Bob Hope “On the Road” movies during earlier war years. It’s great to see something fun when the real world has you down. My most recent movie favorite is the romantic comedy, Did You Hear About The Morgans? ─ another flop with the critics.

However, none of this explains the current popularity of shows like NCIS, Criminal Minds and Bones. These types of shows are certainly not a break from the struggles around us. My family and many of my friends are turning to DVDs of classic movies and TV series to watch.

Obviously, the statistics prove that readers still love romance. What do people really want from entertainment these days? What do you enjoy? What makes you choose the books or shows you do? Let your opinions be heard here.

ON THE ROPES WITH WEIGHT-LOSS

2010-01-12T16:17:00.006-07:00

Put on your boxing gloves. It’s time to go another round in the battle of the bulge.

Having dealt with weight issues all of my life, I have some experience on the subject. I’ve taken blow-after-blow with fat jokes, discrimination, rejection, a torrent of weight-loss products and exercise equipment, a starvation diet that left me with seizures, a doctor-prescribed liquid diet that did liver damage, and more. To complicate the mix, I have many health problems unrelated to obesity but that have impacted my weight. Genetics and medications have also played a role in keeping on the ropes. It's enough to make a person want to throw in the towel or take a dive.

The road hasn’t been easy.

In my opinion, there are four major weight groups:

1. Featherweights. Those who eat normal, splurge a little too often, and gain a few pounds.
2. Lightweights. Those who have medical issues or are taking medication that increases weight.
3. Middleweights. Those who are cursed with bad genes from their family tree.
4. Cruiseweights. Those who take in excessive amounts of food due to a food addition or for emotional reasons.
5. Heavyweights. Those who are cursed with more than one of the above.

Let’s take a closer look:

Featherweights. If you occasionally over-indulge in a few too many chocolate truffles or attend one too many Christmas dinner parties, then you fall into this category. Enjoy all the programs this month dedicated to weight-loss and the commercials touting: “the best weight-loss plan” or “best workout equipment for awesome abs.” They were made for you.

Lightweights. Medications like Corticosteroids, Beta-blockers, Calcium channel blockers, or Antipsychotic medications can drastically affect weight. I’ve gained as much as fifty pounds in two and a half months from a medication. Medical conditions that limit your ability to exercise can also increase weight and you’re limited on what you can do about it.

Middleweights. Genetics plays a huge role in where you end-up on the scale. Blame your family tree, metabolism, environment, culture, age, or your next door neighbor for those Friday night dinner parties. You have the right.

Cruiseweights. People eat for the following reasons: stress, happiness, sadness, fear, loneliness, guilt, anger, rejection, hopelessness, insecurity… Okay, let’s just say – EVERYTHING – everything but the physical sensation of hunger. For some this doesn’t create much of a problem, but for others can become serious. The repeated response to emotions leads to continual cravings which lead to a compulsive behavior. Unfortunately, this behavior leads to all kinds of negative consequences such as social, financial and physical problems. Food can be like any other addition and can require professional help.

Heavyweights. Sorry, but just like me – you’re screwed. Any combination of these conditions can push you into the fight of your life. Weight-loss becomes a constant battle and is not easily solved by a few extra trips to the gym or cutting out soft drinks.

Let’s face it; in our society we are constantly judged by our weight. No one seems to stop and say that she/he may have some serious underlying reasons. They assume you are lazy, eat the contents of Costco per day, and never get off the couch.

These judgments are nothing more than blows below the belt. Can we all go to neutral corners? If you think about it, who would choose to struggle with life-threatening weight, serious health risks, and the barrage of discrimination (even humiliation) that accompanies obesity?

As with any prejudice, stop and look at the bigger picture and don’t judge someone until you’ve gone up against the heavyweight champion of the world – obesity.

2009-11-30T14:11:00.003-07:00

For this holiday season, I am posting excerpts from a segment of the CBS Sunday Morning program presented by Ben Stein. I found it particularly interesting.

My Confession by Ben Stein:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees: Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities, and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him.

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail, and they spread like wildfire. But when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

My Best Regards,
Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

So You Think You Can Write

2009-11-05T05:44:00.004-07:00

I recently attended a romance writer’s conference held in Park City, Utah. The setting was breathtaking, the company wonderful and the food absolutely delicious.

The conference was a wonderful experience. The speakers—editors, agents, authors—were inspirational and their workshops full of invaluable information to any writer, beginner to published. Although inspired by the conference, I learned two discouraging facts: I’ll never be published by a large house, and I can’t write.

I WILL NEVER BE PUBLISHED
The reason for this is because of my life. With disabilities including Diabetes, Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction and Fibromyalgia as well as a mother of two autistic children, I can only write about one book a year. Apparently in order for publishers to be interested, you must be able to crank out at least four to five books a year—a definite drawback for me. Despite not being prolific, I do want a chance to share my love of story, make enough money to support my writing habit, to encourage other challenged writers and enjoy a little escape into my character’s lives.

Well, don’t go feeling too sorry for me. I have published three books. But the small e-publishing company I’m with doesn’t provide any promotional opportunities except my books listed on their website. With all of the challenging issues I face, it would be nice to have this added help that only a larger publishing house can give.

I CAN’T WRITE
The second thing I learned is: I can’t write. One of the agents brought an eight page list of self-editing tips. By the time I applied all of the corrections to my current manuscript, there wasn’t a sentence unturned.

I have to admit both of these revelations were humbling experiences but also very rewarding. Surprisingly, I’m not discouraged. I may never be the next JK Rowlings or Stephenie Meyer, and I may struggle with the written word, but I love to write. Whether I can write perfectly is irrelevant. A love for writing shines through the written word as the soul shines through the most troubled body. Here’s to all those writers who would rather write than breathe.

CHEESECAKE HISTORY

2009-09-02T13:52:00.004-06:00

Okay, this is not a food blogspot. Really – ice cream last month and now cheesecake? But I must talk about one of my other favorite desserts – cheesecake.

History indicates that the art of making cheese goes back as far as 2000 BC. It is widely accepted that cheesecake originated in ancient Greece and was served to the athletes at the first Olympic Games in 776 BC. Can you imagine running a mile after a rich slice of heavenly cheesecake?

After that time, the delicacy spread across the world. (I’m not at all surprised.)

I have to say, I am in love with a man named James L. Kraft. He developed the method of pasteurizing cheese in 1912. Since then, Philadelphia brand cream cheese has been in mass production. This made it possible for homemakers everywhere to make their own delicious cheesecakes.

Here in Utah when a very popular cheesecake restaurant first opened its doors, people waited in line for two to three hours for a slice. As a cheesecake lover, I believed I should have been the first in line. However, that didn’t happen. So when my birthday rolled around this year, my sister took me on a special outing. Yummm!

I anxiously awaited my piece of heaven. My taste buds were filled with savory anticipation. That delectable cream…that honey graham crust… The minute it hit my tongue, I wanted to die.

Yuck! It tasted like an instant, foamy cheesecake mix from the store! I can’t begin to tell you the disappointment my little taste buds endured. It was like getting a mouthful of black pepper when you were expecting sugar.

Well, I endured my cheesecake ordeal. How about you? Have you found a wonderful place to get your quota of delicious cheesecake? Write me and let me know. Meanwhile, I will be making mine from scratch. Let me know if you want the recipe.

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ICE CREAM

2009-08-03T13:22:00.005-06:00

Before the summer gets away from me, I have to talk to you about one thing. Ice cream. My favorite food. So much so that when I was headed off to college my parents bought me a small freezer chest just so I could have my ice cream. I still have that freezer to this day, some (cough, cough) years later.

A very long time ago, I used to go over to my brother’s house and we would watch a movie and have root beer floats. We loved to pack our glasses full of ice cream and then fill whatever little space was left with root beer. It created this wonderfully delicious crystal layer. We then added root beer little by little enjoying the cool sensation. One time my brother and I tamped the ice cream into our Coca cola glasses so hard that one of the glasses broke. We decided we better do a little less tamping. (All that poor ice cream gone to waste.)

The other night I was watching Denzel Washington on a late night guest show. He was telling the host how he had gained forty pounds for his latest movie, Phelm 123. They talked about how easy it is to put on weight but so difficult to take it back off.

Denzel began talking about his love of ice cream and how he still takes a pint of ice cream up to his bedroom to enjoy by himself. He explained how you start around the outside of the container spooning up the delicious cream until you have this ball in the very center. By then you decide you might as well eat the whole thing. You turn the ball over and eat the soft ice cream on the bottom first and then polish it off. What a treat.

Oh, my gosh! How did Denzel know how I have secretly eaten ice cream all these years? I was stunned. I burst out laughing to think that anyone else ate ice cream just like me. I feel like we are kindred spirits.

How about you? Are you an ice cream fan? How do you eat your ice cream?

OUR COUNTRY

2009-07-03T16:11:00.007-06:00

In this month of celebrating our country, I am sure we are all still proud to be Americans. However with the recent recession, dishonesty in the business-sector, and poor politics in Washington, we all long for a little more integrity in our nation.

I question how this system of ours works. It seems that no matter what my husband and I do, we can’t get ahead. We, like many Americans, have been in a financial crunch for the last few years. We do everything we can to lower our expenses and stay away from credit card debt.

I dropped my cell phone plan to the basics, but no sooner had I done it when the rates went up and there were additional taxes. I didn’t save a penny. Many would say it would have gone up anyway. But is that true?

I decided to drop our second city garbage can. We would save one hundred twenty dollars a year. Shortly thereafter, our city charges went up and I was paying the same amount.

I’m sure you have seen the advertisements about weather-proofing your home to cut-down on power and natural gas expenses. We followed all of the suggestions and puffed out our chests that we were conserving energy. A month or two later there was a report on the news that natural gas consumption had dropped and the gas companies were raising their rates to cover it.

A few years ago, diesel fuel was lower than regular gasoline. A large number of consumers purchased diesel trucks to save money. They were a little more expensive but would save you on fuel over the long run. We decided to buy one. The industry noticed the trend and increased the price of diesel fuel, making it more expensive than regular gasoline. This increased the costs of other consumer products due to shipping expenses. Between it all, we still weren’t ahead.

When we as a people have protested the price of gasoline by driving or flying less often, the rates have not always gone down. Instead the oil companies charge more because they are losing their profit. I don’t know about you but I don’t think it is right for the oil companies to raise gas prices just because it is a driving holiday or season and they know they can get more money out of us. I don’t understand why the government isn’t doing something about it.

Our health insurance was so poor at the company my husband used to work for that we were paying over seven hundred dollars a month premiums and still paying around two thousand dollars a month on prescriptions alone. Although he liked his job, he was forced to change employment for better coverage. We were so relieved to solve our problem. Within two months his company was bought-out by a larger company and the health insurance coverage has continued to decline.

On a broader scale, my belief is that families used to be able to live on the paycheck of the husband. When women started hitting the job market solely to have a little extra money coming in for an even better life, the government decided they couldn’t stand the middle class getting ahead. Now it is almost necessary that both husbands and wives work to stay on top of the bills.

In my mother’s day sewing your own clothes, canning your own food, and making home-made items were a way of saving money. Now all of that is considered a hobby and the prices of sewing machines, fabric, canning supplies and craft items are exorbitant. You almost need an extra job to pay for these pleasures.

Yesterday on the news I heard that the Utah State Government was pleased to announce a thirteen percent decrease in power usage due to the closure of government offices on Friday. On the same news, Rocky Mountain Power is asking for a 66.9 million dollar raise hike.

It would be nice to believe this was all coincidental. Even if it is, it seems impossible to ever get ahead. I know we haven’t seen a pay increase in many long years despite the cost of everything going up.

My husband and I have worked hard to stay out of debt and make our own way in this world. We have gone without, forgone entertainment and vacations, cable TV, electronic devices, RVs, etc. and I personally find it maddening when other consumers are running up their credit card debt on items they think they deserve but they can’t pay for. That means the rest of us have to foot the bill. Some of us have gone without but now we have to pay for someone else’s fun and games.

Along the same lines; is it right for people to not pay their taxes and then make a settlement for pennies on the dollar to pay it back? I wonder who is going to make up the difference.

Yes, I believe this country is the land of the free. On this Fourth of July I will stand proud to be an American. I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and yes…my air-conditioning going. But from time-to-time, I can’t help wonder about how much suppression is really going on in America.

RESPONSIBLE WRITING

2009-06-09T17:19:00.005-06:00

There are very few people who are not aware of the Harry Potter children’s books and films by J. K. Rowling. The sixth book of the Harry Potter series sold more copies in twenty-four hours than The Da Vinci Code sold in a year. Harry Potter parties at book stores were noted on news programs. Their popularity, despite some protests by the Christian community, was astounding.

In 2007 when Rowling announced at Carnegie Hall that one of the character’s in the books, Albus Dumbledore, was gay, I was highly offended. No, not because the character was gay but how she went about it.

I believe that authors have a certain responsibility to their readers. I don’t think it was right to withhold such a controversial subject and then just announce it after the sixth book. I believe an author should be honest with her followers – no hidden agendas.

For one, these are children’s books. As parents, we should have a right to know what topics and issues are placed before our children. It’s not right to be told after-the-fact what we have participated in. Frankly, I felt the same way about Wall̇·E with the environmental and obesity issues and Shrek with the transvestite issue. None of that was shown in the previews. I consider it no better than what Hitler did with the German youth.

And no, I didn’t call J. K. Rowling Hitler. Joan Rivers didn’t call Annie Hitler on Celebrity Apprentice either. What actually happened was, Donald Trump asked Joan Rivers if she would agree that Annie was nice. Joan said, “Yes, but so was Hitler.” Joan wasn’t saying that Annie had all of the qualities of Hitler or that she was Hitler. What she didn’t like was that Annie was being two-faced like Hitler. Basically, I am saying the same thing about any author who isn’t straight-forward about their characters and their agendas.

If an author wants to write about a controversial subject like gay relationships, she should be upfront about it. Although the subject of witchcraft is another controversial subject, J. K. Rowling never hid this topic from the readers. They were free to choose whether to read it or not.

The movie industry seems to be pushing their social, political, sexual, and environmental positions on our youth. Whatever happened to a feel-good children’s movie which, at the most, deals with basic moral issues that we all agree upon? Why do we need to keep pushing the limits? Why do we have to force our beliefs on others? This is the land of freedom and equality. We all should be able to live and raise our children the way we see fit.

ON LOVE AND ROMANCE

2009-05-07T15:16:00.007-06:00

The greatest thing you’ll ever learn
Is to love and be loved in return.

~ Natalie Cole, Unforgettable with Love

Philosophers and writers agree that romance and love are the most important human emotions we experience. Books, songs, and poetry are filled with the subject, trying to explain in words these emotions. As wonderful as words can be, love eludes description. Love is eternal and universal. Studies have proven that when man is isolated from other human beings, he goes mad.

Why the need for love and romance? It’s part of us. We desire human contact, we feast upon the beauty of that special someone, and it makes us feel fulfilled and vibrant. It boosts our self-esteem to love and be loved. Special hormones gush through our bodies when we are in love. Love brings out the best in people, allowing them to conquer the greatest of feats. Like the Grinch’s heart, it can grow with love. Scientifically, they have proven that the heart has its own emotions that are not associated with the brain.

Soul meets soul on lover’s lips.

~Percy B Shelly

Other emotions can come and go, but our desire for love, romance, and happiness can never be taken away. Love can blossom in the most unusual places, and romance can spice it up. During the most difficult of times, love can bring people together. Love blossoms and grows like the petals of a rose and truly ascends all other emotions.

JUDGING THE CONTEST JUDGES

2009-04-04T16:21:00.005-06:00

How would you like to judge the last critiquer who berated your masterpiece contest entry? Of course you can’t do that. The critique form does say something about sending comments, but how would that look? A disgruntled writer gone berserk over a couple of honest…valid…critique statements about her work. For example these fine comments:

· Have you ever read a book in your life!!

· Your characters are TSTL (too stupid to live).

· Is there a lower score than 0 for Manuscript Mechanics? I’d give it to you if I could.

I mean, you only have three published books, a Master’s degree in English, and a job editing making $90.00 per hour. You sit in front of your computer screen, blinking at your returned critique, your eyes still frozen on those four little letters TSTL.

Suddenly you take a deep breath, push back your chair, and head for that box of Rocky Road (how appropriate) ice cream to comfort that bruised ego. Then it hits you. Just who judged this entry anyway? You return to your computer and find it was an unpublished/trained critiquer. You give a huge sigh of relief. Whew! Who cares what they think. But then you realize that this critiquer is still a reader. Oh, no. Your shoulders sag.

WHO MAKE THE BEST JUDGES?

I’m sure we all agree it is not the grudge judge—another author with a vendetta against contest judges. STAB! STAB! STAB! It is also not the author who knows nothing about writing and wants to gain all their experience by reading someone else’s work. (All comments left blank.) Maybe you’re saying to yourself you would like every judge to be either an editor or a multi-published author. That may not be the right answer either. Surprised?

Many published authors and editors lead very busy lives. They don’t have the time to provide a lot of critique. It’s hard to get exactly what a critiquer is telling you with 3/5 unless they leave a comment because only then can you learn.

The best judges tend to be those who take the time to point out their reasoning for their scoring with kind explanations (notice I said kind). They also point out positive strengths about your work.

WHY JUDGE A CONTEST?

You can learn a great deal about writing from reading. (I’m sure you’ve heard that one before.) A good place to do it is reading contest entries. We all know how important those first few pages are, and boy is it easy to spot someone else’s mistakes. The more you are willing to help others see their mistakes, the easier it will become to spot them in your own writing.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD JUDGE?

Of course it is someone who will put a little time and thought into it, but here are more specifics:

· Critique doesn’t mean to criticize. The definition of critique is, “an instance or the process of formal criticism”. But come on. Do we really do that to each other when we are face-to-face in our critique groups discussing our own work? What I think any writer is looking for is good honest help—constructive criticism.

· In one of my entries a judge was so critical of my characters that she said the heroine was an air-head and the hero was a moron. I had given the heroine the character flaw of being spoiled by a rich, over-protective father and the hero an unknown diagnosis of ADD which both characters overcome by the end of the book. It is also a light-hearted comedy. Did the judge take into account that I said my hero was an expert in his field? Hmmmm. Did the judge take into account that the heroine was escaping a controlling father, starting a new business, and had bought a money pit home? Not sure.

· There again, you as the writer need to determine whether to take a judge’s comments with a grain of salt or decide whether you haven’t done your job telling your story.

THE DOS AND DON'TS OF JUDGING

WHAT'S IN A POINT? A numbering system is a great way of scoring, but what does it really tell us? Sure the contest coordinator has assigned general comments to each number like a score of 5 means, “READY FOR SUBMISSION” and 1 means, “CHUCK THAT SUCKER IN THE GARBAGE”. Something like that.

Don’t plan on judging if you can’t back up that number with a reason for it. It needs to be valid writing criteria—something specific. If you can’t identify to the writer what is wrong, how are they going to learn from it? And if you can’t identify what is wrong, how are you going to learn?

DON'T GET A BIGHEAD. You are on a roll, marking up that manuscript left and right. You want to help this writer become the next best-selling author. The fact is, you still haven’t considered you may not know everything there is about writing yourself. Think humility. Sure you want to point out what you know but try not to come off like Mr./Ms. Perfection. Remember to make your comments, but realize they are your suggestions to the writer--not the Ten Commandments.

HAVE A HEART. A writer can learn from what they’re doing right, not just what they’re doing wrong. It never hurts to point out what a writer is doing well. It can only make them better, and it makes you both feel good.

You are not going to be happy with every judge who scrutinizes your work. Being unhappy with their critique doesn’t mean you can’t learn from them. If you receive two low scores and one high on dialogue, don’t be so conceited that you assume the high score is accurate. From these three assessments you should know that your dialogue needs work. Sifting out important information is what we do as writers. If a judge tells you your characters are TSTL and you don’t agree, you need to decide why the judge would make such a comment.

After years of writing romantic suspense with serious subjects of murder, abuse, etc., I decided to write a much more light-hearted, humorous book where the villain wouldn’t go so far as to kill and the characters are a little less serious about the situation. Because it still has a protagonist and the heroine’s life is in danger, I submitted my entry under romantic suspense. I was criticized by some of the judges that the villain wasn’t mean enough and the characters were flaky.

Should I throw the book away? On the contrary. Instead I analyzed the bigger picture of what was being said. I realized I was targeting the wrong genre.

Now you can head to the freezer for that box of ice cream but this time to celebrate. You’ve learned that even the raunchiest critique can benefit you if you look for the positive in it. On the other hand, if it is really malicious and you just can’t figure out anything positive the judge could have been trying to tell you, then print it off, rip it to shreds, stomp on it, and then set it on fire. That should help.

WHAT GOT ME STARTED

2009-03-05T17:26:00.006-07:00

I grew up on a farm and every summer my mom, sister and I would take trips to the library. I hated those trips! I never could pick out a book. My sister would busily pick out dozens of books and not know which ones to put back, but I always looked and studied and looked some more, hoping to find that perfect book that would take me on a wonderful journey.

After my mother and sister picked out their items, they would stand around waiting and waiting for me to pick out my selection. Finally, the librarian would sternly come up and slap a book in my hand, saying, "Here, read this!"

One day it happened to be - Sue Barton, Student Nurse by Helen Dore Boylston. It was a very old book, copyrighted in 1936. I began reading it and fell in love with the book and the characters. When I was done, I yearned for more. Lucky for me it was a series. There were six more books - Senior Nurse, Visitng Nurse, Rural Nurse, Superintendent of Nurses, Neighborhoold Nurse and Staff Nurse. It went through Sue's whole life including her romance and marriage. I was still sad when the series ended.

This was my first introduction to romance books and partly why I became a romance writer as well. Good books can definitely have an impact on you.

My mom, sister and librarian were all disappointed when the series ended too. The whole fear of picking out a book started all over again and so did the book slapping into my hand.

MY FAVORITE VACATION

2009-02-18T21:59:00.004-07:00

Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island─Hawaii is a masterpiece of beauty. Imagine the fresh plumeria floral air as you step off the plane. The dark, viral men of the islands pounding their drums, their rippling muscles and bare-chests arousing you. You soak up the tranquility of the warm radiance of the sun on your cheeks. Sapphire waters engulf your senses as you relax on the beach. Your tension floats away on the waters, romance awaits. You open your eyes to a handsome, dark stranger. He takes your hand and leads you to a beautiful crafted canoe made of koa. You float gently down the river in each other’s arms, taking in the plush emerald-green ancient rainforests and breathtaking waterfalls. He starts to sing gently in your ear, that beautiful charismatic voice. It’s the King. Oh, sorry. I’ve been watching too many Elvis Presley movies.