still wingin' it

I do not miss all the smoochin' that former Bachelors relied on for ratings. There's nothing worse than a guy who tells a girl he's totally into her, makes out with her, then does the same thing with another girl the very next day (or next hour). Rinse, repeat.

That said, this season's a tad boring. If I wrote this kind of dialog into a novel, I'd never write again. Most overused line: "How are you?" blah, blah, blah. Maybe the other bachelors were boring too, but I was too busy being grossed out by all that tongue bathing to notice.

On the flip side, my daughters can watch with me without having to fast forward a hundred times. (I do, however, still remind them that when it comes to finding your man, "This is not how it's done." Yeah, and they love me for my reminders...)

Seriously, Jake seems like a genuinely nice guy, even with that smile that at times resembles the Joker's. He's kind-hearted and that's a good thing in a prospective husband. And I'm glad he had at least one semi-deep moment when Tenley asked him what he expected from a wife. He said "that she's always got my back" and "Respect." (On a side note, I called out to my husband, "Hey, do I always have your back?" Hubby: "Yeah, yeah, back." Me: "And do I respect you?" Hubby: "Hm? Yeah, respect. Yeah."

But my favorite moment came after Tenley asked Jake about pilots and cheating. He said, "Cheating's a choice. The woman I marry will be the last woman I look at."

Okay, now that was good.

Studying Esther, Talking 'bout Melissa

Late post today as I was studying Esther with the gals all morning. Extrememly intense lesson--yowsa. Still processing and will probably do a special post about that. Until then, wanted to take a minute to acknowledge our girl on DWTS last night.

Melissa Rycroft did very well, don't you think? I really like her and how she handled some tough stuff with grace. Wrote a bit about her new gig, so I hope you'll click the link below and stop on by. Until then, have a beachy day--wherever you are.

Bachelor's Melissa Rycroft Joins the Colorful Cast of Dancing with the Stars
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1550163/bachelors_melissa_rycroft_joins_the.html

New review of Truffles by the Sea

Happy Monday my friends! Sarah, an editor at Bethany House, sent over a review of Truffles by the Sea that appeared recently in Libraries Alive. I LOVED writing Gaby--such a kind-hearted, gentle and dramatic soul, that one--so I'm thrilled to see this terrific review of her story:

TRUFFLES BY THE SEA

Gaby Flores, the main character in this delightful novel, reminds us of Job since everything seems to go wrong for her. She owns a flower shop where an employee steals money and merchandise from her. A former client sues her for using ugly flowers for her wedding even though Gaby tried to talk her out of the color scheme she chose. Gaby’s apartment burns to the ground. She almost drowns in a kayaking incident. On top of all this, she can’t seem to find the right guy for her. She vows to be gullible no more and her faith is put to the test. Brownies from her best friend and truffles help her get back her life. A very enjoyable read. Rating: 4—PD

You can find more about Truffles on Amazon or CBD.com

***

And in other breaking news, did y'all read the uncomfirmed report that Melissa--our Melissa from The Cad Bachelor--will be on Dancing with the Stars starting tonight? Holy cow, they'll attempt anything to to lure me/us back to ABC, won't they? Lol...

American Idol, Top 12...almost

Ohhhh...key. So we've got our top 9 with last night going as I predicted. Like it was that difficult to guess, lol... Tonight there's a sing off, right? Isn't that what I heard? What did y'all think of the 8 who are getting another chance? I was super surprised they didn't put Felicia and Ju'not through after all the props the judges gave them, but not shaken at all about their choice to bring Tatiana back. First, the girl can sing, and second, her dramatics--the crying and near fainting--mean RATINGS (remember The Bachelor???) Not that I'd like to see this week after week...

Speaking of The Bachelor, Patty posted the following comment on my last post about the 'historic' finale: Just for the sake of discussion.....how is the fact that this played out on the finale different than if it had played out on an earlier episode? The proposal??

I responded that breakups leading up to the finale were par for the course and expected. What showed a lack of maturity was breaking off the actual engagement on camera. This is my opinion, so chime in with your thoughts, okay Ladies and Gents?

And I'll leave you with this post to check out by Bill Giovanetti, giving his take on why Jason was doomed to mess up.

Have a beachy day...wherever you are!

Stuck in High School

Remember high school when you'd miss your entire Algebra lesson because you were daydreaming about Mr. Cutie-Pie while doodling on your PeeChee folder? And then, within a week, you actually got the chance to talk to totally-hot guy only to discover that he smelled like BO and old Cheetos?

That's pretty much how I'm feeling about Jason the Cad (formerly The Bach). No doubt the twists and turns in what seemed like a pretty straight forward Bachelor love story brought ratings galore for its network and RealitySteve was vindicated. But in the end, the whole scenario stunk like old socks. Actually, old wet socks that had been left in a pile underneath a teenager's bed.

Am I painting the picture of how I really feel yet? (Not that I'm bitter or anything, LOL...)

So for those who've asked, that's how I felt about The Bachelor Finale, ATR and ATR2. I'm not convinced that the network set up the entire mess, but I do maintain that Jason made a terrible mistake agreeing to drag Melissa's heart through the mud while on the air. Somewhere in that decision making progress, the high road was overlooked.

The Confessional: Obsession, Part II

So yesterday I confessed my infatuation with The Bachelor. By the number of hits on this blog, it seems there are many more like me. Kudos to the brave souls who commented ;)

Whether the conspiracy theory turns out to be true doesn't really matter, because I've (finally) realized that I'm not having fun anymore. I'm over it. Meh.

So what about the the whole 'life imitating art' thing I mentioned yesterday? It occurred to me that in my next book, Sweet Waters, heroine Tara is a rational, organized, first-born. She's protective of her sisters and has helped her somewhat flighty mother care for them ever since the death of their father six years prior.

And... she's obsessed with Eliza Carlton, the lead character on her favorite Soap, Quartz Point. So much so that she reads the soap's daily digest online every night and often mentally consults with Eliza for advice as if she's real.

I confess. When I wrote Tara, I thought, poor girl. I mean, seriously, how could she possibly get so wrapped up in the life of someone on TV? Isn't that a little over the top? Maybe. But then again, so is believing that what I've been witnessing on The Bachelor week after week has been playing out as naturally as the cresting of a wave. Sigh. Right.

***

AMERICAN IDOL
Didn't want to sign off without mentioning last night's show. Based on performances, I'd guess that Allison, Megan and Adam will get the votes. Sad for Kai--he treats his mama well so I was hoping he'd do better :). Alas, not so much. So. What say you?

The Mellow Bachelor

So last night, after a long day of editing, and coupon shopping, and hanging with Elementary Girl who's home for one more week of vacation, my guilty pleasure consisted of watching Jason on The Bachelor try to navigate a female-mine field. Can't say I agreed with all his choices for a rose, but hey, he's the one looking for a wife.

For the most part, it was a mellower show than most (I say 'most' because I've purposely skipped some of the more tacky episodes of years past and can't compare them all). One reason for the more pleasant viewing experience is that Jason's a single dad with a young son who's looking for a wife and a mother for his boy. So the ladies, most of them anyway, were watching their behavior. Besides, viewers already know Jason, and frankly, he seems to be a really sweet guy. (I know, I know, guys think he has us women snowed...)

Oh, but those edited previews for coming shows! Did you see them? Cattiness rears its head--and Deanna comes back! It appears that she tells Jason she made a mistake last season, and furthermore, it appears that he ends up in tears at the edge of a balcony. (I had to explain to my husband that women are not turned off by this sensitive male thing. Quite the opposite).

So it's going to be a good season. And I will be watching to stay current, to be a writer who keeps her finger on the pulse of our ever-changing culture. Yeah, that's why I'm watching, for research :)

Love lifts us up...

Last season, seeing as the Bachelor was an Italian prince and that I'm married to a prince of an Italian myself, I couldn't help but justify watching all episodes of The Bachelor Rome. Turned out the whole thing was a bunch of hooey, so I decided to leave my soul in a better state, and avoid the entire new season altogether.

That lasted until three weeks ago when I cautiously caught an episode of The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman. The usual suspects were in place. A handsome (sort of) bachelor who for whatever reason hadn't yet found Mrs. Right, and three giggly women all vying for a fat ring and plenty of notoriety.

Only one of them wasn't all that giggly. Actually, she seemed reserved and even a bit skeptical herself. While the others kept "putting themselves out there" (the mantra of bachelorettes from years past and present), Tessa kept her emotions more in check than the rest.

It worked. Last night, after Tessa finally told Andy that she loved him, he bent that knee and proposed to her. Marriage, as in, forever. Yeah, I know it's just a show. And frankly, this isn't how it's done. But the romantic in me that swooned over that proposal last night, somehow, hopes that this one sticks.