Ten Random Facts

Several weeks ago, my buddy Jennifer Tanner tagged me on her blog, Romance and Other Legal Stimulants (http://jennifertanner.wordpress.com/) to do a post on Ten Random Facts. Try not to faint, Jen, but I have finally gotten that famous "round tuit!"

Here then in no particular order are my Ten Random Facts:

1. I've always lived in California, and of all the places I've visited, the #1 place I'd chose to live is... CALIFORNIA!
2. I first heard (and liked) classical music on Bugs Bunny cartoons.
3. My all time favorite flavor of ice cream is Rocky Road.
4. If my son had been a girl, I planned to name him Nicole Susanna. His great-grandmother was Susie and his grandmother (my mom) was Anna. I just happened to like the name Nicole.
   
5. My dog is named for the designer of the Shelby Cobra sports car.
6. My favorite part of watching American football is "the huddle." All those lovely muscled rear-ends are great eye candy!
7. My mother told me I was left-handed from birth, but I successfully do two things right-handed: knit and cut with scissors.
8. I refuse to own a cell phone!
9. I saw Jim Morrison and the Doors in concert. My son considers this the coolest thing I have ever done.
10. I think the coolest thing in the world is FAN MAIL!

Okay, the ten things was difficult enough, but this is the part really hanging me up... I'm suppose to "tag" four other people with blogs to do their own "Ten Random Facts." I'm afraid I've only come up with two. Both are Chaptermates: Jansen Schmidt who was my guest a couple of weeks ago and just started her own blog (http://jansenschmidt.wordpress.com/), and Caroline Hanson whose blog is also the title of her debut novel Love Is Darkness (http://carolinehanson.blogspot.com/).

Now it's YOUR turn. Please share some random facts with Aunty!

Charming Threes

Thought I'd start the New Year off with a fun little Meme.

This one is from my friend (and former co-worker) Sassy and the answers are all in threes...

What are three names you are called?

1. Cindy
2. Aunty Cindy
3. Loucinda
   

Three things you did last night?

1. ate dinner
2. watched "Castle" on TV (but it was a rerun -- BUMMER!)
3. checked my email
   

Three things you are wearing right now?

1. fuzzy red slippers (birthday present from my son)
2. pink sox (I know, I know they CLASH with the slippers!)
3. thermal long johns (Hey! It was cold today.)
   

Three things you ate today?

1. chocolate Christmas candy (a tough job but somebody had to do it)
2. tortilla chips and salsa (from my fave fast food place, Rubio's)
3. a handful of raw almonds (healthier than those chips)
   

Three things you want very badly right now?

1. My cover for The Wild Irish Sea
2. a new book contract
3. chocolate

The last three people you talked to on the phone?

1. My son
2. My BFF Shirley
3. My very good friend Kathy
   

Your three favorite beverages?

1. Diet Pepsi
2. Chocolate milk
3. strawberry margarita
   

Thanks a bunch for that fun little exercise, Sassy!

Okay, now it's your turn. Answer as many of these questions as you want. Or maybe you have another three things you'd like to know. DO TELL!

26 Pieces of Useless Trivia... About ME!

Still time to join my newsletter Yahoo Group (see the sidebar) and be in the drawing for one of three $10 gift certificates from Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

Haven't done a Meme in awhile, so here's one compliments of my friend Piowa Puff.

What time did you get up this morning 

Probably around nine. That's what time I usually get up. Being 'retired' is truly grand!

Diamonds or pearls? 

BOTH of course! Though actually, I think pearls are classier.

What was the last film you saw at the cinema? 

Australia and Hugh Jackman's chest filled that
wide screen wonderfully!

What is your favorite TV show? 

Used to be "Lost" but it's now so stupid
I only watch for shots of Sawyer's dimples. 

Favorite sandwich? 

Just about any with avocado on it

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation,
where would you go? 

New Zealand or the Pyramids in Egypt

Favorite brand of clothing? 

Don't really pay attention to brands except for shoes.
I like Clark's and New Balance.

Where would you retire to? 

Right here where I am! But if I win the Lotto,
LOOK OUT Tahiti!

What was your most recent memorable birthday?

About 3 years ago on a cruise ship going to Acapulco.

Favorite sport to watch? 

In person -- auto racing. Love the rumble of those engines!
On TV, probably football, but only for the huddles...

Are you a morning person or a night person? 

Morning?!?! What is that???

What did you want to be when you were little? 

Owner of a horse ranch  

What is your favorite flower? 

To look at, a camelia. To smell, a gardenia or sweet pea.

What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
Sept. 1st and the release of my second novel
"The Treasures of Venice"

What are you listening to right now? 

Nothing, it's nice and quiet, just the way I like it.

The first person you spoke to on the phone today? 

Somebody calling for Macy's. My phone number is one digit off theirs.

Favorite soft drink? 

 Diet Pepsi!

Real hair color? 

Salt and Pepper (and getting saltier every day)

What was your favorite toy as a child? 

Books (I was a geek, what can I say?)

Chocolate or Vanilla?

What is this vanilla of which you speak?!?!
There is no other flavor but chocolate!!!

Coffee or tea? 

Tea, hot with milk

When was the last time you cried? 

 Tonight while watching the movie "Grace is Gone" WONDERFUL FILM!

What are you afraid of? 

 The IRS.
I mean, THEY were the only ones to bring down Al Capone... SCARY!

How many keys on your key ring? 

The one I carry has 5 that I can think of,
but I have another key ring with spares and the key to the pool.

How many years at your current job? 

5 1/2 LOVELY years retired!
2  as a PUBLISHED novelist!

Do you make friends easily? 

Yes, I'm an EXTROVERT (big surprise -- NOT!)

Now it's your turn! Tell me some useless pieces of trivia about YOU!

Your Game

Here's a fun Meme that was sent from my friend Ian in Arizona. The challenge is to answer each to these 13 questions with a word that starts with the same letter as the first letter in your first name. Oh, and you can't reuse your name for the boy/girl name!

What is your name? Cindy
A 4 Letter Word: Cool

A Boy's Name: Colin (my son)

A Girl's name: Chloe (my previous dog, a Schipperke/Jack Russell mix)

An Occupation: Carpet weaver (saw these in Turkey)

A Color: Chartreuse

Something you wear: chaps (LURVE those cowboys!)

A Beverage: coffee

A Food: Chocolate! (Was there ever a doubt about this answer?)

Something found in the bathroom: cleanser

A place: Charleston (only been there once, but really enjoyed the historic section)

A Reason for being late: Channel surfing (Not something I do very often)

Something you shout: Cowabunga! (DUDE!)

Okay, now it's YOUR turn! If Ian can come up with 13 answers all starting with "I" you can surely manage.

Fearless?!?

I haven't done a Meme in awhile, so I took this little quiz (click on the title of this blog post if you want to take it too) to find "My Word" and share the results. Be prepared to laugh, coz here it is...
You see life as your one chance to experience everything, and you just go for it! You believe the biggest risk is being afraid and missing out on something amazing.

Sometimes your fearlessness means you're daring. You enjoy risky activities. And sometimes your fearlessness means you're courageous. You're brave enough to do the right thing, even when it's scary.

Please forgive my uncontrolled outburst of hilarity. I happen to know that I am one HUGE 'Fraidy Cat! Truly about the farthest from fearless I can imagine.

Daring? Moi? HARDLY!

Enjoy risky ativities? Not in this lifetime! Unless, of course, risky activities include eating chocolate and writing about hunky heroes...

Oh, and travel, but honestly, I don't consider the places I go to be risky. If I did, I wouldn't go!

But back to writing about those hunky heroes, and spunky heroines... I'm currently revising my next release, and the heroine has just risked her life to save the hero. This is what I love about reading and writing romantic suspense. The characters ARE fearless!

That doesn't mean they aren't afraid. My heroine Samantha was plenty scared -- the wet palms, pumping heart, almost can't breathe variety. But as that last sentence under Fearless says, she was "brave enough to do the right thing, even when it's scary."

I always admire that, at least in fiction, and I'd like to think I could do it too. If I had to be, I would be fear...
Sorry, I can't even imagine that with a straight face!

Gimme 5... Things About Being a Published Author

WOW! The Wild Sight has now been "officially released" for a month! So here are five random things that just crossed my mind about being a PUBLISHED AUTHOR:

1. Getting my first "fan email!" Thank you, Helen! And knowing that people thousands of miles away, who have never met me (or maybe never even heard of me!) are reading the words I wrote and ENJOYING THEM!
2. Going into a big chain bookstore and seeing copies of The Wild Sight sitting on the shelf under "New Romances."
3. Realizing how much more there is to being a "published author" than just writing a good book. Oh, like promotion... My wild and crazy blog tour had me all over cyber-space! I did 15 guest blogs in 30 days. WHEW! (Aunty wipes sweat from her brow.)
   
4. Figuring out that the really good reviews and the not-so-good ones are only as significant as I choose to make them. They are all only one person's subjective opinion.
   
5. Knowing that this time next year, I get to do it again!

Gimme 5... Things About My Book Launch Party

Yesterday was my in-person launch party held at a local pizza parlor. Having thrown too many parties in the past that nobody attended, I was worried this might happen again.

It didn't! But maybe the idea of free pizza and cake was the deciding factor? Well, at least for the hubbies and male signif. others in attendance. So here are five things I really enjoyed about my launch party:

1. The BEAUTIFUL cake with a picture of my cover frosted onto the top, and it tasted great too. BIG MWAH to my CP Cathy D. for getting it for me!
2. Feeling the LURVE! I got to celebrate with so many friends and former co-workers, some I'd known for over twenty years. Many I had not seen in years.
3. The fact that TWO MEN actually showed up of their own volition (not there because of a spouse of girl friend), my hairdresser, and a former co-worker and long time friend, James.
4. Having two complete strangers (Okay, they were friends of a friend but we'd never met) ask me to autograph a copy of my book.
5. Finally, after all those years of writing and being rejected, and after almost 13 months of waiting after The Call, feeling like a real live PUBLISHED AUTHOR!

P.S. More pictures to follow!

Four Questions

Haven't had a meme in awhile, mostly because nobody has sent me one. Well, my pal PiowaPuff cured that up yesterday when she sent me the following "Four" questions:

A) Four places that I go to over and over:

The bathroom... Okay, TMI!

The central California coast, namely San Luis Obispo. I went to college in that area, and my son currently lives there (just got back from a visit as a matter of fact). I would move there in a second if only I could afford it.

I go to Trader Joe's every chance I get. Yes, it's a grocery store but they have some of the coolest stuff (mostly chocolate).

The book store... ANY book store. I can't walk by one without going inside. There's just something about the sight and smell (Ever notice that new books have their own particular smell? Not quite "new car smell" but pretty darn good nonetheless.) of all those wonderful books.

The Mexican Riviera (aka the West Coast of Mexico). I love cruising from Cabo to Acapulco and all points in between. No matter how many times I cruise this particular geographic stretch, I'm always ready to go again.

B) Four of my favorite places to eat:

Just about any Italian place. I LURVE pasta! I LURVE pizza! I LURVE just about anything Italian (except tiramisu, because I do NOT love anything with a coffee flavor).

There's a local (California based) fast food place called Rubio's that has great burritos. The DH and I go there almost every weekend.

Any cruise ship dining room. Cruise food is THE BEST! If you are going to blow a diet of any kind, a cruise ship is the perfect place to do it.

Okay, I'll admit it, McDonald's because I LURVE their french fries. I'm sure McD's fries should be on an illegal controlled substance list of some kind, but thank goodness they are not!

C) Four places I would rather be right now:

Some place nice and cool. At the moment I'm not picky. If it is 70 degrees Farenheit or under, I'm THERE!

Hawaii. I know, I know, it's not particularly cool there, but it is so beautiful and relaxing, especially Maui...

New Zealand, because I've never been there and I'd LURVE to see all those spectacular landscapes from the Lord of the Rings movies up close and in person. Besides, it's winter there right now and most likely nice and cool...

In bed with this certain tall, lanky hunk... And no, I wouldn't want it to be cool there either!

D) Four TV shows I watch over and over.
This is a tough one for me since I don't watch much TV and really none that I'd watch over and over. Four shows I do like are:

Globetrekker -- great travel ideas

Rome, which I watched on DVD after it was canceled! ACK!

The Tudors. I watched this one on DVD recently also, and though it isn't terribly historically accurate, it was a ton o fun! Plus Johnny Rhys Meyers is so YUMMY!

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson because he's such a mischievious lil devil with the cutest accent!

Now it's YOUR TURN to play! Give me four answers to one or more of these quesitons.

Gimme Five! Things About RWA National

Another RWA National Conference has come and gone, and as far as I'm concerned this one was THE BEST EVER! I had a wonderful time, met many many wonderful people, and had some unforgettable experiences. Off the top of my head, here are five:

1. Meeting My Editor, My Publicist, and My Publisher face-to-face. And yes, when I met My Publisher, I had my Aunty Cindy riding crop in my hand (color me embarrassed)! Fortunately, once I'd met the fabulous Dominique Raccah and saw how friendly she is and the great sense of humor she possesses, I had NO WORRIES!
2. Having people I did not know congratulate me when they saw my First Sale ribbon. It felt sooo great to be able to smile and say, "Thank you!"
3. Hooting and hollering for my Banditas and friends at various award ceremonies and events, and having them return the favor for ME.
4. Riding in a stretch limo. This was courtesy of my aforementioned publisher (told ya she was fabulous!) who took all her authors to dinner and rented three limos to get us there and back.
5. Just being in the same space with so many great authors who totally "get it" about romance writing! Nothing sustains a writer more than getting to interact with other people who "get it."

And here's a lil piccie of moi and 15 of my closest friends!

Gimme Five!

I am not much of a TV viewer, and the prices of movie tickets (not to mention gasoline to drive to the theater) has severely curtailed my movie going. I did manage to convince my BFF to play hooky from work one afternoon not long ago to catch a matinee of the new Indiana Jones film. Yes, we both LURVED IT! But I am a serious Netflix afficianado!

The DH and I watch three and sometimes four films every week. Our tastes are eclectic to say the least as this list of our last five DVDs shows:

1. Fools Gold -- this so-called romantic comedy was a disappointing, over-long, totally implausible endeavor. Matthew McC and Kate Hudson both looked great wet and in swimsuits, but that's about all the charm I could find, and the DH fell asleep in the first half-hour but woke up for the end.
   
2. Jumpers -- great premise but sadly, no discernable plot. What a waste of one of my favorite actors, Samuel L. Jackson. And what was with the pyramids/Sphinx fetish? DH slept through the middle of it.
   
3. Into The Wild -- beautifully photographed if depressing tale of a young man's search for meaning in his life, which ended during said search. Every parent's worst nightmare of what might have happened to their missing adult child. DH stayed awake through the entire 2 1/2 hour film!
   
4. Toulouse-Lautrec and Montmartre -- this was a short documentary on one of the DH's favorite artists, made all the more interesting by our recent (last January) visit to Paris and Montmartre.
5. Sleuth -- I was curious about this remake since the original Sleuth (with Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier) is one of my all time favorite movies. Unfortunately, knowing the twist that was coming pretty much spoiled my enjoyment, as did the DH's snoring through the entire film.

So looks like I've had more misses than hits lately. What's coming up in my queue? Hairspray -- John Travolta in drag should be interesting. The Other Boleyn Girl with my ever-lovin Eric Bana. The DH will no doubt snore all the way through this one, and I probably won't like it as much as the book. And Miss Potter, which may or may not prove to be a charming tale of the woman who wrote those cutesy children's books.

What movies have you enjoyed lately? Recommendations for any I should add to my Netflix list? Will they pass the DH's snore test?!?!

Ask The Author...Who ME?

Recently I started a delightful email correspondence with a “newbie” fantasy writer, who asked me some questions about being “a professional writer.” I was thrilled at the chance to respond, and some of my answers to her questions turned out to be as enlightening for me as I hope they were for her. I thought I’d share a few and see if they give you any insight to your own and other writers’ processes.

1) Do you outline your story first or just write freely?
This is also known as being a plotter or a pantser (writing by the seat of your pants). I've always been a pantser. Write where ever the story and characters take me, never know what's coming next. Wrote myself into a lot of dead ends and corners that way! But lately I've been trying to reform. WHY? Because in order to survive as a published author (at least until you become as popular as Nora Roberts and could sell your grocery list), you have to do something called sell on proposal. What's a proposal? Approximately the first 3 chapters of the book and an outline or synopsis of the rest of the story. Can't exactly do that if you don't plan a bit of the story ahead of time! So far this has been very difficult for me.

2)How long does it usually take for you to complete your story?
All three of my romantic suspense novels have taken me about a year to write and research. I'm trying to get faster, but again it's been a struggle.

3)What is the process you use to complete a story?
I'm a very linear writer. I start on page one of Chapter one and I write through to The End. At least on my first draft. Once I start revising, I skip around all over the story.

4)Do you write every day?
Usually, however, I can't write when I'm on a vacation. Lord knows, I've tried! My CP actually loaned me her Alpha Smart TWICE (both times I was on a cruise) and I never did use the dang thing. So lately, I've quit trying to write when I travel. But I do read... a lot!

6)Do you write by hand or type? Why?
Definitely type! My handwriting is so bad that even I can't read it sometimes. Plus, it is far easier to delete and cut & paste on the computer than cross out words and write between the lines and in the margins.

8) Are you a character writer or plot writer?
Actually, I think one depends on the other, so both.

9) Why do you write?
I've tried "not writing" and discovered I was not a happy person then. And you know the saying, "When mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" LOL! So as difficult and frustrating as writing can be sometimes, it still beats not writing ALL TO HECK!

If you want to see a slightly longer version of some of these answers just go to my post on the Casablanca Authors blog (click on the title of this post to take you there).

The Wild Sight... Top Ten

Okay, I stole this idea from Kelly Krysten. I just discovered her great personal blog (click on the title of this post to go there) and she recently posted " Top Ten Things That Make Your WIP Rock!"

Always one to latch onto a good idea, I now proudly present The Top Ten Things YOU (the reader) Will Love about The Wild Sight:

1. Donovan (and it's not an accident that he bears in uncanny resemblance to Hugh Jackman) and his psychic "gift"
2. Rylie and her sassiness. (but as Han Solo once said of Princess Leia, "She's got a lot of spunk to go with that sass.")
3. The way Donovan and Rylie can't keep their hands off each other. (This is a romance after all.)
   
4. The beautiful Irish countryside, and the real locales like the Giant's Causeway (pictured) and Rathlin Island.
5. Rylie's first meeting with her biological father.
   
6. The underlying theme of parent/child relationships, especially father/child.
7. Doreen, the bossy older sister. (Ask my siblings where I came up with the idea for that character!)
8. Jeremy Heany, "... not a bad sort for a lawyer..."
9. The Niall Marker (see my previous blog entry on Feb. 28th for more on this one)
10. How many ways can the Irish cook potatoes? (That's a picture of boxty.)
    

Of course there are many more things *I* love about the story, and I believe you will too! Most of my critique partners, beta readers, and friends who have read some sample chapters have loved the paranormal aspects and the ancient Celtic stuff.

If you are one of these lucky few, please share in the comments! If not (only 174 more days to wait!), please tell me your own top ten (or two or three) things you love about your favorite book or Work In Progress.

Name Games

We're playing a NAME GAME over on the Bandit Blog today, courtsey of Kate Johnson/Cat Marsters who originally posted these nine ways to generate a cool name:

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current street name);

2. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, firstthree letters of your middle name)

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name,first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of mom's maiden)

6. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favorite color, favorite drink)

7. NASCAR NAME: (the first name of your grandfathers)

8. FUTURISTIC NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne and the name of your favorite kind of shoes)

9.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother & father's middle name )

So hop on over to the Romance Bandits (click on the title of this blog for the link) and join in the fun! We are also giving away a prize for correctly guessing the identity of nine different Bandits based on their "new names."

My New Slogan

Any Time, Any Place, Aunty Cindy.

That pretty much says it all!

If you'd like to generate your own personal slogan, just click on the title of this blog post for a fun site that will let you do it.

5 Books

It's been awhile since I've done a Meme, (ever notice how those things seem to run in cycles?) so I thought I'd share The Last 5 Books I Read:

1. Untouched -- the latest lush and sensual Regency Noir from my Bandit buddy Anna Campbell
   
2. Does She Dare -- a sassy sexy romp by my Bandit buddy Tawny Weber (do I sense a trend here?)
3. Silent in the Grave -- an atmospheric Victorian murder mystery crammed with luscious detail by Deanna Raybourn (a debut author).
   
4. The Serpent Prince -- the third in a trilogy of loosely related romances set in Georgian England by my 06 Packer Pal Elizabeth Hoyt. This heroine and I almost share the same moniker!
   
5. Frommer's Guide to Western Europe -- Okay, so I only read the parts about London and Paris... er, um actually the DH RIPPED those parts out and packed them in his carry-on bag. I did mention that we travel light, didn't I?

Geez, that's an awful lot of historical romance for someone who writes contemporary! And next on my reading list is yet another historical: Bandita buddy Christie Kelley's Every Night I'm Yours which hit bookstores TODAY!

8 Random Things

I was tagged by my Bandita Buddy, sexy, sassy Blaze author Tawny Weber.

Here are the rules:
Players offer eight random habits/facts about themselves.
If you’re tagged, write your own blog about your eight things and post these rules.
At the end of your blog post, choose someone to tag (supposed to be eight but however many you can do is fine, no tag police will come get you) (Whew! I was worried about the tag police!) - and list their names.

1. My name (Loucinda) was a compromise between my parents. My mother wanted to name me Cynthia and my father wanted to name me Lucille.

2. I named my son after a character in Mary Stewart's novel The Moonspinners.

3. I was diagnosed with tuberculosis when I was two years old. Luckily the disease went inactive when I was four and has never recurred. However, I still test positive on TB skin tests and therefore, I’m not allowed to donate blood.

4. I'm Irish on both sides of my family tree. My mother's family supposedly came from Cork (or maybe they just sailed from Cork, hard to say) in the 1830s. My father's family most likely came from Antrim or Donegal, probably during the potato famine.

5. I developed my affinity for dark chocolate while I was in college and worked in a candy store.

6. My mother claimed I was left-handed from the day I was born. In fact, I can successfully do two things right-handed: cut with scissors (I didn't see a pair of left-handed scissors until I was 11) and, knit (my mother taught me "her way.")

7. I once had a secretary named Eric.

8. I dreamed the title of my soon-to-be-published (That felt GREAT to type!) novel Death in the Fens, and I also dreamed the ending of my GH finalist manuscript Jewels of the Madonna.

I'm tagging my Bandita Buddies Kate, Caren and Jo-Mama. Also tag to my BFF Whit and my pal Piowapuff. If you don't want to list your 8 things on your blog/MySpace you are welcome to post them here in the comments.

Bakers Dozen Meme

It's been awhile since I've indulged in a meme, so here's one sent to me recently (modified for this blog) from my friend Piowapuff.

What are you most afraid of?
The IRS.

What is the most recent movie that you have seen on bootleg?
Okay, I don't usually view bootlegs, but not long ago one of the neighbors offered my DH 3 DVDs he was about to throw out. Turns out they were bootleg copies. We watched that awful Billy Bob Thornton/John Heder movie, I think it was called "School for Scoundrels" and I KNOW why the neighbor was throwing it out. BLECK! AWFUL!

Ever been skinny dipping?
No... oh wait, once. In a hot tub... SHHHHHH!

Been in a car accident?
I'm a native Californian and I'm over the age of three, OF COURSE I have! Fortunately they have all been of the minor fender-bender variety.

Favorite ice cream?
Baskin Robbins' Fudge Brownie, but since that flavor is not always available then, Rocky Road.

Ever been on a ship?
YES! Several times, and best of all, I'm going on one again in October!

What color is your bedroom carpet?
Kind of a cinnamony brownish... It came with the house and so far I've had no extra $ to replace it.

How many times did you fail your driver's test?
I failed the written test the first time I took it (Hey, I was 15 1/2 and those clay tablets were heavy!) But I passed the driving test on my very first try with a 97%!

Favorite TV shows?
I used to love "Lost" but the second season was so disappointing that I've pretty much lost interest. Other than that, I don't watch TV except for an occasional PBS program. I LOVE "Globe Trekker" but it never seems to be on at the same day/time around here.

Last person you went to dinner with?
My critique partner Cathy D.

Park or Zoo?
To do what?!?! I like San Diego Zoo, coz then I get to go to San Diego! And I like Kapiolani Park, coz then I get to go to Honolulu!

How many tattoos do you have?
Zero, and I plan to keep it that way. I had a SpongeBob Squarepants temporary tatoo once that I had to use nail polish remover to get off. UGH!

What do you want to do before you die?
Have one of my books on the NYTimes best seller list.

Have you been to countries outside the U.S.?
Only a couple dozen, including Canada and Mexico (multiple times), most of Western Europe, Morocco, Greece, Turkey, Thailand, China and Australia. I plan to increase the number in October when I cruise to the Caribbean! For now here's a cool map of the countries (including the good old USA) I've visited:


create your own visited country map

Okay, now it's YOUR TURN! Give me some of your answers in the comments!

Ten Top Trivia Tips About Aunty C

While cruising through the blog-sphere the other day, I happened upon a list on another blogger’s site and discovered it was created by this hysterically funny Random Trivia Generator. So without further ado (but replete with snarky comments), here are:

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Aunty C!

1. If every star in the Milky Way was a grain of salt they would fill Aunty C. But since I’m on a low-sodium diet, better make that a grain of chocolate. YUM! And the fill would only be temporary.
2. If you don’t get out of bed on the same side you got in, you will have Aunty C for the rest of the day. Better not take a chance, just don’t get out of bad at all.
3. Olive oil was used for washing Aunty C in the ancient Mediterranean world! Yes, I really am that old! And all that olive oil is responsible for the lustrous shine in my tresses.
4. Aunty C can taste with her feet. So howza bout a foot massage, cutey? heh heh
5. The porpoise is second to Aunty C as the most intelligent animal on the planet. Enough said!
6. Aunty C can squeeze her entire body through a hole the size of her beak. I think they meant backside. Now THAT would be a hole!
7. Scientists have discovered that Aunty C is visible from the moon! WHEN she is in a temper… Look out world!
8. Until the 1960s, Aunty C was not allowed to enter Disneyland. Now I have to be PAID, and a handsome sum at that, to enter the place! Masses of screeching children… UGH!
9. Aunty C can only be destroyed by intense heat, and is permeable even to acid! Actually, it’s not the heat, it’s the HUMIDITY!
10 It takes forty minutes to hard-boil Aunty C! This happened long ago in an unfortunate hot tub incident. So I am now permanently hard-boiled enough to frighten most small children and many adults. Thank Goodness!

Okay, that was waaay too much fun for one day. And some of those were too shockingly accurate to be mere coincidence!

You can try it yourself at: http://thesurrealist.co.uk/trivia.plim
Try not to have too much fun.

Life As An AYU (As Yet Unpublished) Writer

…OR Size DOES Matter And My Inferiority Complex Is Bigger Than Yours

Several weeks ago a lovely writer named Heidi Ruby Miller invited me (not me personally, a group invite to the Romance Bandits) to post on a featured spot on her blog called “Heidi’s Pick Six”. She has a list of fifteen questions and asks writers to answer any six. Then she posts those answers on a regular basis along with a photo and brief biography of the writer.

So what is Aunty’s problem with that?!?! The OTHER WRITERS who have already appeared on her blog doing the Pick Six. They all seem to be published. Make that multi-published. Some are even semi-legends (Orson Scott Card, anyone???)! One quick browse and I came down with a severe case of I’m-Not-Worthys. With all those established authors, why would ANYONE be interested in what Nobody Me has to say?

Okay, so if I HAD the nerve, here hare Heidi’s Pick Six questions and some of my answers:

HEIDI’S PICK SIX
1. Which of your characters is your favorite?
Whoever is my current hero. I have a thing about falling in love with my heroes. If I don’t love them, how can I expect the reader to love them? This is never an issue with my heroines, probably because in some way they are all extensions of me.

2. Tell me about your travels.
Where do I start? LOL! I’ve visited 48 states and a couple of dozen foreign countries including most of western Europe, Turkey, Australia, China and Thailand. People often ask me which is my favorite and I can honestly say that I’ve never been to a place that I did not enjoy, at least in some aspect. Usually the thing I enjoy most is the people I meet. Everywhere I’ve gone I’ve found people to be friendly. As long as you smile and act friendly to them, they will reciprocate.

Lately I’ve been on a cruise kick and have gone on eight of them in the past couple of years, two to Alaska and the other six to Mexico. They are GREAT! This fall I’m taking my first Caribbean cruise, and after that I hope to cruise through the Panama Canal.

3. Coffee, tea, or milk?
4. What else can you do besides write?
5. Who are you reading right now?
6. Pop culture or academia?
7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?
The next one I have to write, whatever that may be.  Any scene I haven’t written is always tougher to write than one I’ve finished, even if only in first draft.

8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?
Everywhere, literally. (See my previous post on Ideas, Inspirations and Irish Royalty.)

9. Food you could eat everyday.
10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?
11. What kind of music speaks to you?
12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?
13. Celebrity crush.
Make that crushES because one is never enough! Eric Bana, Hugh Jackman, and Paul Bettany are my current favorite Lust Objects (LOs). As you may have noticed, I like ‘em tall and lean. (heh heh) Also, all three of these gentlemen are married and (from all appearances) extremely devoted to their wives and children, which to me makes them all that much more appealing. They all also appear to have a wonderfully self-deprecating sense of humor and that’s another thing I find irresistable.

14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?
15. Do you still watch cartoons?
My son (aka LC or Lovely Child) forced me to watch a bunch of episodes of Sponge Bob Squarepants last time he visited and I have to admit, I found them pretty entertaining. Also, do animated movies count? A few weeks ago, I watched “Flushed Away” on DVD and thought it was charming. I also LOVED the original “Toy Story” and “Finding Nemo”.

Terrible Twos

Some fun and games from my BFF, Whit…

2 names you answer to:
1) Cindy
2) Hey, you!

2 pets you have/had:
My current pets are
1) The Belle (and it’s ALL ABOUT The Belle!)
2) Missy Autumn

2 places you’d like to be:
1) any place with a beach (though a tropical beach is preferred)
2) New Zealand, because I’ve never been there. But after seeing the LOTR movies, I’m FROTHING to go!

2 most important traits in a friend/lover:
1) honesty
2) sense of humor

2 foods you can’t live without:
1) chocolate (in any way, shape or form)
2) Pepsi (I’m forced to drink caffeine free diet, but it’s still Pepsi!)

2 things you really want:
1) to be healthy (as in ditch those 5 Rx I currently take)
2) to have my book published! I don’t care which one, just ONE of them PUBLISHED!