friday fodder

Book Clubs are hot, hot, hot these days, so my publisher has put together a kewl newsletter for aficionados of the read-and-discuss-it scene. You can find it here.

Speaking of unrelated thoughts, a movie is currently being filmed in nearby Ventura beach. Called Endless Bummer, it's your classic guy gets board, loses board, then finds board again surf movie. Hey, I didn't write it, I'm just reporting. And while we're on the subject of Ventura based movies, I'm thinking what the big screen really needs is some Chocolate Beach (no offense to Bummer, which I'm sure will be a big hit.)

Locally-filmed movies and I go way, way (way) back to middle school when a talent scout (and I use the term loosely) flagged my pal and me down to be extras in this blockbuster of 1978. We thought we'd 'made it' (to the big time, baby!) Seriously, we stood this close to Ed Begley, jr. (in his pre uber-green days), Ruth Buzzi (without her hairnet), Isaac from Love Boat (he has a real name but this is how I'll always remember him), and for you Angelenos, Rick Dees from Kiss-FM wearing an ape suit and singing the classic, Disco Duck.

I'm so not making this up.

Ahhh to be young and carefree and looking for fame. Maybe I'll take a little walk down by the beach later today, 'cuz you never know--the film makers just might be on the lookout for, um, 'mature' (yet still-so-cool-in-her-own-mind) talent. I'll bring my own board.

Problem solved...

I've got much to do, yet little accomplished. So I'm retreating from the blogging world (but I'll take breaks :) and focusing on my next book because, basically, Elementary Girl laughed when she looked over my shoulder last night and saw how little I'd written all day. Busted.

Until we meet again (say, after another 2k words written...), here's a little something for your quizzing pleasure:

Your Mind is 60% Cluttered

Your mind is starting to get cluttered, and as a result, it's a little harder for you to keep focused. Try to let go of your pettiest worries and concerns. The worrying is worse than the actual problems!

How Cluttered is Your Mind?

A few years ago, I dropped by church early one mid-week morning and an older gentleman asked how I was doing.

"Doing well," I answered. "The kids started school today."

He looked at me with a big, wrinkled grin and said, "Well then, Happy Mother's Day!"

So there you go. It's the first day for many Ventura County students, so while all their brains are sponging up more smarts, how about the rest of us hit the beach?

See you there...

***

A big 'Thank You' to all who entered our little Name that Chat contest. We're still mulling, so if you have any more ideas, be sure to post them in the 8/20 comments section.

Write for three

Happy Monday, everyone!

Okay all you creative types, want to win three, autographed books? On October 12, authors James Scott Bell (Try Dying) and Kathryn Cushman (A Promise to Remember), will join me, author of Chocolate Beach, in the Santa Barbara area for a book signing / author chat at Borders in Goleta. The event director for Borders has asked us to come up with a "catchy title" for the event, and that's where you and your right-brains come in ;)

So here's the deal. Submit your catchy title via comment here or at Katie's blog. The person who submits the best title, as determined by the authors, and ultimately the Borders event planner, will receive signed copies of all three novels.

Feel free to pass along this info to friends and/or link to your blog. Lines are open and operators are standing by... (Okay, not really, but that sounded official, don't you think?)

disney strikes again

You do know what today is, right? Yep, High School Musical II debuts, and all three-all 3!--of my kids have been invited to High School Music watching parties. Actually, one of the parties is over at my house (what was I thinking?).

I heard Teen Son on the phone inviting guests: "Hey, it's lame, but my mom's buying pizza, so it'll be fun."

He's planning to Tivo it, so yeah, we'll be singing catchy tunes and viewing cliched scenes late into the night. We'll also be checking out Zac Efron's new 'do and watching to see if he and Vanessa Hudgens can still belt out the winning duet. But at least it's clean fun, so I really can't complain (too much).

And there'll be pizza. There's always that.

Promise to Remember

Psst...go on over and welcome Katie to the blogosphere. She's cool :)

Gracias!

P-nut butter jelly time

The girls are in school already which means I've been spending my mornings padding around the kitchen in my slippers making the all-American lunch. So for your quizzing pleasure, I submit the following scientific survey:

You Are a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

You are a traditional person with very simple tastes. In your opinion, the best things in life are free, easy, and fun. You totally go with the flow. And you enjoy every minute of it! Your best friend: The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Your mortal enemy: The Ham Sandwich

What Kind of Sandwich Are You?

(Just so you know, ham's okay as long as there's gooey cheese with it...;)

So last night I'm invited to a book club gathering where our host, Kim B., has planned a dinner inspired by Chocolate Beach: grocery-bought chickens (the kind from under a heat lamp), bag salad, chocolate chili (yeah, you read that right), and brownies. Of course. See, heroine Bri is not much of a cook, unless chocolate's somehow involved, and then she's a regular Bobby Flay.

Okay, so not exactly. The book club's menu had originally included risotto, which no one could find, but if you've read Chocolate Beach, then you'd probably agree that this was for the best :)

Anyway, we sat outside in beach chairs surrounding a fire pit that roared into the night. We laughed and ate and bagged on Ty, Bri's boss from the book. Great fun. A shout out goes to the book club gals who treated this newbie writer so graciously, and that includes stuffing me with fun foods: Kim B (thanks for the zebra flip flops and hosting the night :), Kim, Heather, Lisa, Debbie, Audrey, Donna (good job on that choco-rich chili!), and Doris.
You all Rock!

Feed them

Happy Sunday! Over on my sidebar you'll find a button that leads to a link where you can buy a stack of summer/fall reads. Ten percent of each book purchased (any books, not just ones I've written!) will be donated to the children of Compassion International. Today's a beautiful day to give, don't you think?

worth a thousand words...(and that's about it)

Here's our fearless outrigger team from the big corporate challenge race last weekend. Grrr. (Scary, huh) Left to right there's Paul, Annette, Susan, me and Dan.

rumblings...

Woke up at 12:30ish this morning to a California earthquake. Was a small one, about 4.5, but it prodded me out of sleep anyway. Anyone else feel it?

Teen Son got his learner's permit this week. Pray for him/us, will ya?

This is a true story: Teen Son ate at Famous Italian Restaurant the other night with the grandparents when 1/2 way through his dinner, he found a fly in it. I am not making this up. Dinner was comped. Is that not comic strip material? So ew.

Come on back tomorrow for a Ca-razy Friday Foto :-]]

Tuesday tidbits

Even though my girls are starting school next week already, I'm still in summer mode. Basically, I'm only kicking and screaming my way into an early fall. It's August, so I still want to fall asleep on a chaise lounge with a book on my heart. Is that so much to ask?

Sigh. I read a fun one a couple of weeks ago, and I won it, which made it all the more special, lol. The Book of Jane by Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt is a modern day retelling of Job. I cringed and swooned while reading about poor Jane and her misfortunes. The worst part? I read it so fast that I was sorry it was over. Really fun.

For my friends in the Dallas area, there'll be a booksigning open to the public during the annual ACFW conference on September 22, and I'll be there with a smile and a pen. I'll post more info as I receive it. Would love to see you (if you've already bought a book, just bring it :)

Teen Son's helping me with a myspace. I'd tell you how to look it up, but I've forgotten myself. Such a dork. Anyway, when I can get that info, I'll post it here.

If you're in the Santa Barbara area in mid-October, I'll be signing books with a couple of author buddies. See my website for details.

I'm off to find that lounge chair and the current book I'm reading, Snitch by Rene Gutteridge. Have a beachy day...;)

Oh, Mr. Darcy!

"You bewitch me, body and soul."

Sigh. That, my friends, is one of my favorite lines from Pride and Prejudice. And be still my romantic heart, but a fictionalized version of the beloved author's life is being released on film next week.

So to satisfy the whim of Austen fans everywhere, my publisher, Bethany House, is releasing a couple of new books about Jane just in time. You can check them out here. (If you buy them through my cbd link, 10% of your purchase will go to feed children in poverty-stricken countries. See my website for more details.)

Imagine. Jane and I published by the same House. Will wonders never cease...

For your British romance quizzing pleasure:

Take the Quiz here!

Welcome Blogging Chicks! For more fun posts, check out today's carnival here.

fickle friday

Came across more than a couple blogs this week asking the age-old question, "Where have all the bloggers gone?" I think the answer would be "Hawaii" (or some less-affordable vacation option such as Detroit). Anyway, the point is, summertime has thrown people off their schedules. It's ripped them from their quaint though often-mocked routines. Still the die-hards blog and wonder if there's anything such as loyalty anymore. Will people not understand that bloggers wake up in the morning, not wondering about the weather and what to wear, but how many hits they've had already?

Okay, that's just me. But by the posts I've read lately, I've got compadres.

I'm one to talk, though, cuz I'm not reading that many blogs these days either. And Friday's the lowest day of the week anyway...

Just to show you how fickle these days are, I took a bunch of quizzes before deciding on this one. Even took one that asks are you stupid? and decided I didn't like the answer... So for your quizzing pleasure:

Your Quirk Factor: 40%

You have a few little quirks, but you generally blend in well with society. Only those who know you well know how weird you can be.

How Quirky Are You?

To those who know me: Ain't it the truth!

Still working for chocolate

Someone mentioned that I've not been blogging about writing lately. Can't really say why other than that I've fallen into a bit of a sunny days malaise--can you relate or what?

That's not to say that I haven't been writing, because I have. Lots. Let's see. I made some editorial changes to Truffles by the Sea--did I mention you can preorder it from Amazon? For some reason, the cover's not up, so if you haven't seen it that means--tsk, tsk--you haven't yet signed up for my newsletter (I revealed it there about a month ago.) You can sign up here for my occasional newsletter (bottom right hand corner), and scouts honor, I won't give out your e-addy. Anyway, here's my new cover! Sa-weet!:

You can also read about Truffles by the Sea on my website. (Have I mentioned to y'all how much weight I gained while writing these choco-themed books? Not pretty. Guess it explains the sudden interest in racing outriggers. LOL)

On top of prepping Truffles... for its impending birth, I've been working on a series involving--buh, buh, buh--guess I shouldn't give it away yet. Having a ball with this one too, and hope to reveal more soon :).

Okay, lots of writers stop by here, and if you're one of them, how's the writing going on your end? Busy working or busy playing? NO judgment here either way. Seriously, I've got the wind and waves calling me out of my office nearly every day (well, that or one of my three kids, lol), so I'm not exactly one to talk.

So catch me up!

Aloha!

We survived!!! Waiting to receive the official team photo, but in the meantime, here's a pic of our crew taken by Teen Daughter. There'd be more, but after the day of racing we zipped on up to the mountains to drop off Teen Daughter for another round of summer camp--only this time she's attending as a volunteer babysitter (for family campers). It appears that she took most of the pics with her camera, which is, of course, with her at camp.

Anyhoo, learned lots during our first ever outrigger event. Things like Hike! Hut! Ho! And huli (trust me, you don't want to do this). We raced twice, sat in the hot OC sun during breaks, and ate delicious Hawaiian-themed food: fish taco, teriyaki chicken and sticky rice. Very yum.

Missed a few spots with the sunscreen, so I'm looking kind of like lobster at the moment, but other than that, outrigger canoeing is a rush. May have found a new hobby, lol.

Calling all paddlers

So hub and I somehow got ourselves signed up for a charity outrigger race in Newport Beach this weekend--and haven't a clue how to paddle an outrigger. We meant to study up but with kids at home, work, brief vacation, and all these concerts, well?

Anybody have a clue? I'm all ears (and arms, lol)

more on the concert

Amanda asked if they let Blake beatbox at the AI Tour. Yes! Of course! No kidding that he's not the best singer of the bunch, but he's got a gnarly stage presence and that, in my opinion, accounts for all those votes he received. Btw, right before the concert started, a strange man with moppish hair and a pillowy gut offered an older couple behind us FRONT ROW SEATS. The guy wore a shirt that said Event Staff, and I should have taken a clue from the black-outfitted bodyguard by his side. It was all very strange and surreal, but as he walked away, one of the gals near us said, "Hey, that guy has tats like Blake!" Yep, it was Blake, in disguise. Could've reached out and touched him, he was that close. Just wish he'd given us the tiks. Man. Guess he knew we didn't give him a single vote, lol. But I'd take it all back, if only...lol.

American Idol, pros and cons

Attended the American Idol Tour on Sunday in Anaheim, and let me just say, this was the cleanest, tobacco free, gang free, drug free, tat free (except for Blake, that is) concert I think I've ever attended. People were nice. They were friendly. They couldn't dance.

Seriously

We had tiks in the center, surrounded by people who clapped politely and stayed in their seats. What's up with that? Kind of wanted to snag them by the collars and shout, "It's a concert, people! Shake that boo-tay!"

Didn't have to, though, cuz our group of four girls took the lead on that anyway :) The guy in front of Elementary Girl had obviously been dragged there by his girlfriend. (He was the exception to the friendly concert goer comment.) Mr. Too Cool was snotty and disrespectful to the performers (not that they could see all the way back there). So I took a strange sort of delight every time Elem Girl screamed her signature high-high pitched squeal right above his ears. Mwahhhh...! She was there to see Chris R., and everyone around us knew it. Don't even get me started on Teen Girl and Friend. The squealing, the swooning, the incessant picture snapping, the "down in front" from the gal behind them. LOL--good times. At least by the four of us.

Okay, about the concert. It rocked. The Idols (that sounds so bad, doesn't it? I mean, we're not supposed to have those, but you know who I'm talking about, right?) Anyway, the singers gave us a great show, strutting and singing and some even playing instruments. And except for our rather quiet section, the rest of the stadium cheered and waved cell phones and even hollered for an encore. Ask the girls, and they'll of course tell you that Chris R. did the best. I'm not getting between them on that. Was also impressed with Hayley, LaKisha, Melinda!!! and of course, winner Jordin Sparks.

Fun show that I'd recommend to anyone--as long as ya don't just sit there.

Cyber-beach hopping

Hi y'all. Lena Dooley just posted her interview of me over at her beach pad. Stop on by, and you might win a copy of Chocolate Beach...

weekend warriors

Up this weekend: 13 year olds take over the house, wedding of a friend, finish a 3-book series proposal, and a trip to see the American Idol Tour. Calgon, take me away...

Have a beachy weekend! Find some time to relax in my place :)

He who laughs last...

Updated, 9:30ish PM: My emoticon is still laughing. I think it's more from delirium.

From this morning: Trying a little experiment. Took this quiz in the morning, after saying a few prayers and having a latte, and I plan to take it again at the end of the day to see if I'm still laughing. Wanna join me?

Your Emoticon Is Laughing

You've got a wicked sense of humor. You're everyone's favorite IM buddy... at least today!

What Emoticon Best Represents You Right Now?

last day to vote for ...

Food Network Star. Okay, so maybe you thought this post was book related. haha. I haven't mention this earlier, not sure why, but we've gotten fairly addicted to Food Network Star, a reality show that doesn't actually end when the camera goes off. It's kind of like American Idol in that the winner will receive their own Food Network Show (but they won't have to sing). Each week the contestants are put through excruciating culinary challenges, and then the judges send one (occasionally, two) home.

Last Sunday, the final three got five minutes each on the Racheal Ray show to demonstrate their sig. dish before a live audience. My palms were sweating just watching. In the end, the judges sent Amy packing. Rory and Jag would be the final two to sweat it out to see who would get their own show.

But not really.

Turns out Jag had "misrepresented" several facts about his culinary training and military service. Sigh. Say it ain't so.

So.

Quick diversion...in a way, I'm glad my kids can see the consequences of these things. Jag made it this close, but those lies took it all away.

Anyway, Amy was invited back, and now the public has through today to vote for the gal who'll be the next Food Network Star. (Ha--that sounded like one of the promos.)

We love 'em both, but we're rooting for Rory. We all have our own reasons, but mine is kinda personal. Rory puts her foot in her mouth on a regular basis, so I can relate to her the best. Oh, and her food looks good too.

?# Going on 30

Pre-Teen daughter's becoming Teen daughter tomorrow, so we've been on a chick flick kick (say that fast) all summer. So last night we caught one neither had ever seen, 13 Going on 30, and loved it!!! Jennifer Garner cracked us up, as did the fairly nauseating yet highly-accurate portrayals of the 80s MTV generation--not that I'd know anything about that. Ahem.

Anyway, I always did love Garner in Alias, and in this she's colorful and funny, and the story's pretty clean--uh, memo to Hollywood: we don't need (nor want) F bombs to be entertained! We watched one last week (except for the parts I muted and/or skipped through) that had the same rating as 13..., yet made me blush. Sheesh.

Anyway, we're on the hunt for more chicky films for our bonding experience. Old or new, let us know of your faves.

Sibling Revelry

So Teen Son & Pre-teen Daughter (almost Teen!) got back from a week of camp late yesterday. Don't even get me started on just how great it is to have big bro watching out for lil sis all week (even tho' the thought positively steams her). They're siblings, but oh so different. Differences=Conflict. He's a little bit Country, and she's, well, you get the pic. Know what I'm saying?

But one common bond surfaced this week--and this just pumps a mama's heart--when Teen Son discovered a copy of Chocolate Beach in the camp bookstore up at Forest Home. (Hey, moms at Family Camp could use a good chick read :) Anyway, as they tell it--finishing each other's sentences and all--Pre-Teen (almost Teen!) daughter happened to be in the store at the same time (a miracle in itself), and the two threw up an insane amount of hoots and hollers together over the discovery of their mom's book in their favorite camp bookstore.

They say that families that camp together, stay together, and I'm thinking I'm seeing the evidence of that! :]]

Speaking of families sticking together, our friends, Kyle & Suzanne Duncan, will be flying to Kiev with their girls Sunday night to adopt a son. Please pray for smooth preparations and travel, with no illness or delays, and that the adoption search goes as God has planned. Appreciated!

Today's a carnival over at blogging chicks so be sure to stop on by and see what the other chickadees are up to, 'kay?

Going Coastal

Just popping in to say Hey. While the kids are at camp, hub and I took off for a few lazy days of lolling around the redwood-studded coast of CA. Limited wireless access around here, and that's a good thing :) The weather's been beyond beautiful. We've hiked all over the place, including our honeymoon spot in the hills of Big Sur. And a couple of days ago, we saw a BUNCH of sea otters playing just beyond the shore (and I'm not talking about an aquarium!) They are the CUTEST sea creatures with their puppy eyes and quirky seashell-cracking ways. Just love 'em!

For various reasons, couldn't make it out to the big ICRS convention in Atlanta this week. ICRS is the International Christian Retailers Show, and lots of my writing buddies attended. Bummed that I couldn't make it, but glad for this impromptu trip to some of my fave places. If you did make it to ICRS, let us know how it went for you!

Read in church...

So yesterday in church, I turn to shush my girls who are cracking up during the sermon when I notice hub joining in. Turns out Elementary Girl, age 8, had doodled "you've got male pattern baldness" on her bulletin and passed it to Teen Girl. ;0

****

And hm. I'm thinkin' I need to lighten up...

What Your Latte Says About You

You don't treat yourself very often. You find that indulging doesn't jibe with your very disciplined life. You can be quite silly at times, but you know when to buckle down and be serious. Intense and energetic, you aren't completely happy unless you are bouncing off the walls. You're addicted to caffeine. There's no denying it. You are responsible, mature, and truly an adult. You're occasionally playful, but you find it hard to be carefree. You are expressive and friendly, but you are never pushy.

What Does Your Latte Say About You?

On Jesus and the enduring cross

Welcome Chicks!
Deena, also a chick, tagged me, so here we go:

FIVE Things I Dig About Jesus:

1. Jesus taught me to love stories (think: parables :)
2. Jesus died so I/we could live
3. Jesus showed us how to LIVE!
4. Jesus listened to his mother (think: wedding at Cana when he changed water to wine. He could have easily changed it to 7-Up, but no, he listened to his mother :)
5. Jesus is steadfast, devoted and infinitely patient (thankfully!)

Here are the rules:

1. those tagged will share 5 things they dig about Jesus…
2. those tagged will tag 5 other bloggers… I tag all BLOGGING CHICKS, if you're willing! See step #3 :)
3. those tagged will post a comment here with their name and a link to their “dig”

***

A Sunday shout out to all those who made it up to the Cross in the hills of Ventura last eve to worship God and light up the night with music and flashlights.

When that historic cross was threatened a few years ago by a couple of athiests, concerned citizens created a conservancy that eventually bought the property from the city. Today it's open to the public for events and visits--and the view is heavenly, I might add. By the way, Serra Cross Park makes an appearance in my next book, Truffles by the Sea.

HAVE A BEACHY SUNDAY, EVERYONE!

Relax, it's Friday (Foto)

It hit me last night that I've lost the art of relaxing. I was snickering through an episode of The Office as it played through my DVR when I actually got annoyed , realizing I could zip through the commercials. See, if I do that, then I can't use the commercial time to: finish cleaning the kitchen, change to jammies, put the girls to bed, etc., etc., etc., yada, yada, yada.

Silly me.

It worked out, though, when I realized that without the commercials, 1/2 hour shows are something like 12.2 minutes long. LOL

On kayaks and blue jeans

Hope you all had a fab fourth! It's nearly the fifth, and the first chance I've had to pop in. We spent the day kayaking, then hanging with friends by their pool. I should be sleeping now. lol

Speaking of pools and oceans, did a little swimsuit shopping the other day. Brutal. Runs second only to the dreaded denim shopping. Am I right, girls? Anyhoo, I swiped this cool-io jeans finder from Holymama's site, and now I'm thinking of messing with its head, of putting in all kinds of weird answers to see what comes up. Too fun.

Okay, not really. I'm heading over now to tell it the truth so I can find out which jeans will fit this bod like a glove. Honest. If you give it whirl, let me know how it goes.

The chick in the photo is my friend Sue who recently roped, er, talked hub and me into doing an outrigger race for charity in late July. Had a chance to see an outrigger practice up close, and let me just say, IT. LOOKS. LIKE. WORK.

Pray for Team Chocolate Beach, will ya? (Our team name has quite the ring, don't you think? :)

Rockin' Mama

Despite the horrendous traffic, and although we were bumped from our hotel and it took over an hour to find another decent one, the concert last Friday night in Chula Vista rocked! Teen Son and I went to see Brad Paisley (If you've read Chocolate Beach this'll probably not be much of a surprise.) Also there: Kellie Pickler (yes, the calamari "lover"), Jack Ingram, and Taylor Swift. Needless to say, I was thoroughly hoarse by the end of the 3 hour show.

Tidbits from the concert:

* Kellie Pickler abruptly ended her set in tears while singing I wonder a song she wrote about her tumultuous relationship with her mother. And yes, much to Teen Son's chagrin, tears sprung to my eyes too.

* Jack Ingram. Really didn't know who he was, but he sang an awesome song about his own relationship with his missing father called, Measure of a Man. Impressive.

* Taylor Swift. Seventeen year old spitfire leaps around on stage, guitar swinging around her neck, playing hit after hit, many written by her own hand. Her voice went flat at times, but who really cared? A born performer. (Teen Son takes issue with my assessment of her voice, but she's gorgeous and me thinks he's too ga-ga to notice how she sounded at times. All I'm sayin'.)

* At one point, Teen Son cracked up because when he looked to his left, he caught me rockin' out much like the woman to his right--who was also there with her son. Long live the 80s--LOL

updated: Btw, Brad. was. amazing. Didn't I mention that? Especially loved when he sang When I Get Where I'm Going, and showed pics of some of those who've recently gone on to heaven (like Johnny and June Cash).

blabber mouth at low tide

Just this week, I put my foot in my mouth more times than I should say. Tell me you've been there too (humor me). So I'm thinking of hanging it up...at least for a few days ('cuz really, how long could I stay quiet?)

Maybe I'll just loaf around for awhile, soaking up rays, like these elephant seals we saw up in San Simeon last week. Mighty inviting...

Anyway. Off to a concert tonight starring...ha-ha...I'll tell you Monday (and hopefully post some secretly obtained camera phone pics ;0

Have a beachy weekend ;)

This little piggy went to...

I'm so not making these up :)

Cellin' it

My bloggity buddy HolyMama wrote about cellphone etiquette in the bathroom a few weeks back (have I hooked you yet?), and cracked. me. up. So as a sort of spot check on my own cellular usage, I took this little quiz, which you can take to:

Your Cell Phone Etiquette is 30% Bad, 70% Good

Your cell phone manners are quite good. Not perfect, but almost.Occasionally, you do annoy people with your cell. But when you realize it, you stop.

How's" Your Cell Phone Etiquette?

Oh. My. Think I better work on this. If you take the quiz yourself, let me know how you do. Oh, and you can read HolyMama's post here.

Silently, I Fumed

Before (finally!) publishing a novel (I have mentioned that a time or two, haven't I???), I wrote articles. Actually, I still write them. Cut my teeth on article writing. Learned to "write tight" (yeah, yeah, bad grammar...) Even teach on the subject occasionally.

Anyhoo, I've got a piece in the latest issue of Focus on the Family magazine that I showed to my visiting bro-in-law last week. The title of this post comes from his fave line in this story, the one he repeated often throughout the week (mocking me, perhaps?)

Read here to see what I was fuming about, and why I kept losing my shoes. My poor hubby....;0

Weekend Signing

Thanks to all who came out to Barnes & Noble for the Local Author's Day event! (And on such a fabulous beach day too :)

A sticky note, huh

It's a funny thing about sticky notes. Some people in my fam (okay, it's the guys) don't get it.

"Something's wrong with your blog."

"Your blog's messed up."

"I think there's an error on your blog."

Oh. My. It's a sticky note, people. Like a post-it at the top of the screen, an immovable message.

"Scroll down for daily posts!" I tell them, but do they listen? Not.

Tell me, dear regular readers, that you get it. You do, don't you???

Ugh. Here's the thing. I wanted to keep a message at the top of my blog all summer, so I had to list a later date than the rest of my posts--otherwise my Important Message would get overridden by my other posts, capiche?

Bottom line: I love my guys. Even tho' they don't get it. Here's hoping they stop telling me my blog's a mess...;)

Snippets from the Central Coast

Oh, the wind and the waves, the majestic bluffs and the fabulous seafood. I just love Cambria, Ca. So sleepy. So relaxing. So go-jus. While various family members toured Hearst Castle, that mansion by the sea, my girlies and I hung by the Inn's pool. So easy going I could pinch myself. Wish we were still there, but alas, we're back.

That's okay 'cuz tomorrow the fun continues. Then on Saturday I have a booksigning. And I haven't decided what to wear :0

When my bro-in-law, niece and nephew leave, they'll take with them a piece of our hearts. It's hard to have family living so far away, but I'm glad we've had this chance to reconnect, to travel together, and even to share a hotel. Did I tell you that I spent last night wandering around, looking for a place to land? LOL Because of a late night card game, those of us wanting sleep dared not curl up in the suite's living room where the revelers hung out. Once the games were finally done, and the beds taken, I ended up with a comforter on the couch. Not to worry. Slept like a baby after a bottle filled with warm milk :)

Did I mention how much we'll miss them when they go?

Two flowers, five bucks

After all that walking at D'land, our dogs were wiped, so I took the girls for pedis. Hot pink for Teen niece, cool coral for Pre-teen (almost teen ;) daughter, and a sort of soft melon for moi. Elementary girl opted for a mani in a sweet watermelon shade. The girlies all got the flowers. Let me just say, we're well bonded now (not like we weren't before, but still.) After that, we noshed on pizzas, slurped cones at Marble Slab...then went to the beach and sandied up our new toes. Hey, we're on vacation.

Speaking of toesies, found this cool link to OPI studios where you can preview polishes on hands much too nice to be mine, but give the idea anyway. It's like a video game for gals. Men so don't get this. Anyway, thanks to mommy-to-two where I found the link. I'm off to try on some Dust Over Cairo...

It's a world of laughter...

Got in about 2 am this morning from 15-odd hours with the mouster himself, Mickey Mouse. Snapped this pic while in Small World (in case you didn't already guess :) and you know what? I don't think this ride has changed at all since I was the kid looking on all googly eyes (now I'm just a googly-eyed adult). Anyhoo, in addition to singing through small world with our visiting family members, we also rode the Matterhorn, saw Captain Jack at Pirates of the "Carobini" (that's what we call it around here :), and flew over the golden state in a simulated plane ride over at Disneyland's other half, California Adventure. Also managed to see both the fireworks show and Fantasmic. Sweet!

Later this week, Universal Studios and Hearst Castle, here we come...

What're you up to?

And the winner is...

Teen Niece randomly chose the winner of a signed copy of Chocolate Beach:

Bichonpawz of Bermudabluez

Congrats!!!

BYOC (bring your own chocolate)

Anyone else noticed that there's more traffic on the road...and less on the Internet? Apparently the American people have hit the highways and byways for the much-anticipated vacation. At the moment, I'm sitting here waiting for our vacation to arrive. That would be our bro-in-law, niece and nephew from Ohio. They touch down in just a few, and we'll be celebrating. Ya-hoo!

Speaking of celebrating, I found Truffles by the Sea way early on Amazon. No blurb, no cover, but still there in all its ISBN glory.

So to celebrate these two mah-velous events, how about a free book? Yep, I'm in a giving mood, so leave me a comment and I'll have one of our guests pick a name from a box on Sunday (because I rarely wear hats these days), then I'll sign a copy of Chocolate Beach and send it on to the winner. If you've already got a book--a thousand blessings on you!!! Feel free to send your friends on over instead :)

Genre Poll

PollPub.com Vote

So Whatcha Readin'?

Mystery and/or Suspense. Mwwaaah...
Make me cry like you mean it! I want Drama.
I so love the -Lits!
Reading? Is that even fun?



View Results

Poll powered by PollPub.com Free Polls

We're doing swimmingly

I've been awol from the computer all day because of last day of school doings for my kiddos. In between all the driving I did find some time to sit by and watch 26 3rd graders scream and splash and carry on at a pool party. They swam (if you can call it that) for four hours. FOUR hours. And not a drop in their energy levels. As for the parents, not so much. While the kids' energy levels rose, the parents' dropped significantly.

Although I've already made several trips up to school today, I'm on my way back this eve. for a graduation ceremony. Vacation--take me away! Can you relate or what?

AGAIN with the funny church videos. My son found another one that cracks. me. up. Think Dwight Schrute as your friendly neighborhood church greeter (that's an Office reference, for the uninitiated.) Anyhoo, I tried to upload the video, but no go, so you'll have to click on over to see it: http://youtube.com/watch?v=esKvdidOvLI

~~~

FOUND this kewl review of Chocolate Beach the other day. Totally unexpected. Love when that happens.

~~~

I'M OFF to jump back on the edit train, coffee on one side of the desk, chocolates on the other, LOL Things are chuggin' along. Truffles by the Sea here I come...

monday randomness

Wisdom-filled remark of the day, by Teen Son: "It's best not to cook bacon without a shirt on."
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I've consumed more chocolate in the time it's taken to write Chocolate Beach and Truffles by the Sea, than all the rest of my years put together.
~
I never had the privilege of meeting author Jane Orcutt, but from what I've read, the world became a better place with her in it. Jane passed away recently, leaving behind her husband, two teenage sons, and a many writing mentees. To honor her, and to help her family, friends of Jane have launched a new website showcasing her books. So sweet. Please go take a look.
~
And I leave you with this. My brother, Mike Navarro, is an animator and the co-owner of renderRocket. Mikey just sent me the latest project from George Lucas. If you love old musicals like I do, you. must. see. this.:

George Lucas has digitally re-mastered and restored the American classic Singin' In the Rain. The way Gene Kelly originally intended it.

Friday Foto Ahhhh...

Damselfly sent me this pic of Coki Beach on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Beautiful! I want to go there. (Hear that, Honey? :)

My bloggity friend also has a second blog I like. At Celebrating a Life you can "contribute your stories of inspiration, or celebrate the life of someone you love." Go on over and say, Hey.

If you'd like to contribute a beachy themed picture for Friday Fotos, drop me an email through my website. Thanks, and happy weekend, my friends!

on the agenda...

So there's work to do? I'm thinking about all the stuff we'll be doing when my niece & nephew arrive next week: Disneyland, Hearst Castle, kayaking, boating, Universal Studios, Griffith Park Observatory...loooong siestas, LOL Seriously, we'll be sleeping at home on most nights, but the the rest of the days'll be one zippity zip whirlwind. Can't. Wait!

But wait I'll have to do. In the meantime, Thursday'll be an all-writing, all-the-time day for moi. So why not check out some of my bloggity friends to the right on the side bar? And don't miss Deena's site where you just might win a book (a free book! what's not to love?) Then come on back tomorrow for Friday Fotos! and see what Damselfly sent me.

Until Friday...

Knew it!

Okay, so last night I was walking around the house saying, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight!" And it's true! There's glorious sunshine everywhere. (Only drawback is it highlights the dustbunnies :)

But after the weeks of May gray and June gloom, even the drawbacks are worth it!

Excuse our mess...we live here

Nine days until family arrives from Ohio. Left to do:

~ Clean carpets ~ Oil cabinets ~ Kill weeds ~ Bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan ~ Buy new carpet for dining room ~ Rip down the teeny bopper posters from girls' room ~ Put posters back up after seeing holes in the walls ~ Buy new towels ~ Clean all bedding ~ Look at Real Estate ads ~ De-stink Teen Son's room (is that even possible???) ~ Remove contact lenses so as not to actually see all the dirt ~ Take a crash cooking course ...

Hopefully they don't read my blog, LOL ;)

c'mon summer!

Happy Monday! We're counting down in the Carobini household~

* End of school
* Edits of Truffles by the Sea due
* Visit from my brother in law, nephew & niece from Ohio (can't wait!)

So last evening around 7, hub, the girls and I took hot chocolate to the beach to unwind (Teen Son wasn't home). The picture appears much lighter than the sky actually looked. It may be June but we were wearing sweatshirts and gloves (me), while keeping ourselves warm with the cocoa.

Today it's back to the countdown. The kids all have finals and projects to complete. I've got edits to tackle. And the house must be spotless by the time our family arrives from the East. How about you? What are you facing? Any important deadlines?

That's what I thought :) Well then. To all of us, here's to finishing well!

Have you sent yours today :)?

Friday Fotos!

Found this on the beach some time last year (okay, regular readers have seen this one before). With all the tumbling debris and changing tides and romping dogs, it amazed me to find this sand dollar so unbothered, so intact. When I look at it, I think that's how I should be. I belong to God, after all, so shouldn't I be able to handle the shifting sands? The frothing, sometimes tumultous crests? A few rascally dogs?

Yeah, that's what I thought too.

The sun's supposed to peek out again today--Halleluia for that!--so I'm going to tear myself away from this addictive computer and get outside today. If you've got a beachy-themed pic you'd like to share on this blog, send me an email and I'll post it right here and include some linky love :)

Have a fabulous, beachy weekend, my friends!

Newsy news

If you haven't yet signed up for my occasional newsletter, then get crackin' missy. The first issue's almost ready to send out! In it you'll see a preview of the not-yet-seen-before (except by just a handful of peeps) cover of Truffles by the Sea. I'll also be announcing a special, easy way for you to feed a child this summer.

So, chop, chop. The sign up box is to the right, or find it on my website.

Gracias!

How old are you?

I needed this. The days have been gloomy lately, in more ways than weather. I think I need a vacation, and if not that, then to shave a few years off my age. Hm. Yeah, maybe that'll do it. Too bad I narrowly missed 29, though (missed it by that much)...

You Are 30 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

All about meme

Deena over at a A Peek at My Bookshelf tagged me for this literary meme. Here's the scoop:

1. Grab the book closest to you
2. Open it to page 161
3. Find the fifth full sentence
4. Post the text of the sentence to your blog
5. Don't search around for the coolest book you have, use the one that is really next to you.
6. Tag five people to do this meme.

Just so happens I had just cleaned off my desk and the closest book was The Andrew Murray Daily Reader (in Today's Language--love that since Mr. Murray lived in the 1800s :)

Anyway, here's my sentence: Until he declares it, he is not healed.

So as not to leave you hanging, the gist of it is this: Pray specifically.

Amen to that. Now you're all tagged! Let me know what ya come up with :)

Keepin' it real

Happy Tuesday, my friends! Spent the weekend being thankful for all those soldiers out there who made this country such a great place to live and breathe. Hope you all found some time to reflect and be a little lazy, like me.

My son ran across this video recently, and it cracks me up every time I see it. No nasty grams please--a church created it, after all. Just makes me think of all the debates that swirl around those of us who include faith elements in our work. We writers (those I've talked with anyway) are committed to including these elements in the most authentic way we know how, but egads, let's hope Christian Genius guy doesn’t decide to try writing fiction anytime soon. LOL

Anyway, view on:

Friday Fotos! and summer ridin'

Anyone who really knows me, knows that my top "love language" is not receiving gifts. (If you don't know what I'm yakking about, see here.) Don't get me wrong--gifts are great, but if I had the choice between a new handbag or a big smooch from my hubby, I'd take the latter. (Maybe I oughta be writing romance rather than -lit books. Hm.) That said, hubby got me this gift last Christmas, dubbing it my "booksigning" ring. A dolphin leaping through a diamond hoop--who wouldn't just love that? Makes me want to say I Do all over again :) Ya done good, hon!

***
And this cracked me up because the only car I ever swooned over as a teen was a convertible Vdub. Never got one, but apparently my inner teen still pines for the car of my youthful yearnings (you know, the ones where I was carting around all my cool friends instead of bags of groceries and smelly lunch bags. No offense, kids :) Anyway, for your getting-ready-for-summer quizzing pleasure:

Your Summer Ride is a Beetle Convertible

Fun, funky, and a little bit euro. You love your summers to be full of style and sun!

What's Your Summer Ride?

This is her "Now"

Beautiful song, beautiful voice, beautiful person. Congrats, Jordin!

American Midol

This just in...tears and fretting in the Carobini household tonight when Elementary Girl accidentally pressed the wrong digit and voted for--gasp--Blake. Say it ain't so! (Yeah, it's so.)

So hubs has a plan. Should Blake win (near impossible, IMHO) he'll tell Elementary Girl that he read online how Blake won by just one vote.

This is what can happen when a big brother grows up to be a Dad ;-)

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.

Overheard at jury duty...

So I mentioned that last week I had jury duty. Did I mention what a real yawn of a day it was? I got dismissed from one jury selection, but they were only looking for an alternate. An. Alternate. Twelve of us in there to interview for a spot that might allow us to vote should one of the real jurors keel over in the middle of the trial ;-)

As I was saying, it was pretty dull. Unless you're a writer, looking for stories, like moi. In that case, it was fairly exciting because I overheard the following in the jury waiting room:

--A medical professional who treated clients at home--until a neighbor turned said medical professional in.
--A chatty clairvoyant.
--A spouse ditching work to hang out with their spouse on jury duty.

...and more. Needless to say, I'll be busy writing this week, lol.

***

Speaking of writing, check out this Publisher's Weekly article profiling five new authors, including Kathryn Cushman, whose debut novel, A Promise to Remember (Bethany House) releases in the fall. Check out her list of favorite authors (she says, blushing profusely).

For your Sunday quizzing pleasure...

You Are a Believer

You definitely believe in God - and you're unwavering in your beliefs. In fact, religion and spirituality are definitely big parts of your life. Religion shapes how you view right and wrong, as well as the decisions you make. It's hard for you to imagine how your life would be without your belief in God.

Are You an Atheist, Agnostic or a Believer?

Friday Fotos! and duty free...

I'm free! Served my one day of jury duty, then they let me go-woohoo! So I'm back to compiling that beach reads list for the summer. See this post for some recommendations from my commenters. In the meantime, Happy Friday.

If you'd like to submit a beach-themed pic for next week's Friday Fotos, drop me an email via my website.

Just doing my civic duty

On a seriously brief break from jury duty at the moment, but couldn't keep my thoughts about American Idol to myself any longer. About last night--are they kidding? Melinda Doolittle was sent home? Feeling kinda ashamed of my fellow Americans at the moment.

Some criminal out there better hope I don't get picked for a jury today. I'm in a hangin' mood.

O, Gilmore Girls, How Do We Love Thee...

We interrupt our regularly scheduled American Idol coverage to bring you this announcement: Waaahhh! Gilmore Girls, the series, has ended. It hardly seems so.

Rather than recap the finale, I'll let Gilmore Girl Fanatic do that for you. But first, indulge me this sweet memory of our family's introduction to Lorelai & Rory, won't you?

See, it all started the first summer after GG's debut season. Hubs couldn't get away that year for a real vacation, so I cooked up a plan to rent a beach house in a nearby town for one balmy week. I figured he could work and the kids and I could play. That's fair, don't ya think? Turns out the house we rented was owned by someone in the TV biz. I know this because of all the Emmy screeners we found in his cabinet. Screeners are copies of shows--without commercials--that members of the academy view so they can vote for their fave. Anyway, this guy had a bunch of these screeners in his cabinet, so each night, as the waves danced outside our window, we curled up on the sofa and watched something new.

That's when we discovered our pals, Lorelai and Rory. It was magical. Hear the waves lapping? See the moon glowing? Stay with me here...

Over the years we've watched Rory grow up, become bff with former nemisis Paris, and even make a switcheroo and head to Yale instead of Harvard. We've seen Lorelai fall in and out of love (Max, some guy I can't remember, Chris and Luke), and we cheered when she and Sooki finally opened an Inn of their own.

There were bumps in the road, some things we didn't like nor agree with, but so it is in life. We offer perspective and grace, then move on. Am I sighing out loud yet?

Anyway, tonight was tougher than I thought. I've never cried over a TV series ending before, I mean, c'mon it's just a show! But in a way, this one represented more for me, somehow. I got caught up in the moment. It's as if I were transported back in time to that weeklong trip some six-ish years ago, to a lazy carefree week (okay, for everyone but hubs), when we discovered the bond between a hip mom and her precocious daughter.

As it happens, Pre-teen daughter and I lay shoulder to shoulder last night on the couch, sniffling throughout the final episode, and I realized: this summer she'll become Teen Girl. Next she'll be off to high school, then college, then, like Rory, out of the nest and into adulthood.

Man, I'm gonna miss that show.

Summer Reads

It's mid-May and I'm between books and waiting for edits on one and--woohoo--dreaming of building a stack of reads for lazy summer days at the beach. Already read Billerbeck's Split Ends and Gutteridge's Scoop ('cuz I'm impatient). So what's on your list? (Other than Chocolate Beach, that is. LOL)

Tell me, tell me...