Book clubs have sprung up all around the world. I love it when I hear that a group has chosen to read my book, and I've even been invited to meet the readers at a couple of these. (In case you missed it, you can read about the Chocolate Beach feast here.)

With my next novel, Truffles by the Sea, book clubs won't need to come up with their own questions because I'm writing some for them. I got so many requests, that it made sense. Rather than putting them in the book and possibly spoiling the story (ugh), they'll be posted on my publisher's site and my own.

But that's still a few months off. I'll let you know when it's all spit and polished for you :)

Btw, this picture of a dock rolling out to sea caught my eye because it reminds me of Gaby's home in my upcoming release. Her life may have hit some snags, but God just provided this great place to live--says so in Chap. 1 (no spoilers here!) Don't you just want to dive in? Sigh. Me too.

Have a beachy weekend!

My publisher, Bethany House, is taking a cover survey. Here's a chance for you to take part in the publishing process--and you just might win a free book. Find the survey here.

Now if only they were giving away free chocolate...

There's something about a trip that makes this beachy girl dare to head to the mall. Because of the big ACFW shindig in Dallas next week, I've hit the stores not once, not twice, but three times (Baby!) Actually bought myself a cool pair of dark chocolate boots. That's right, my new boots are made for walkin', so that's just what I'll do...

Ho hum. Anyway.

This made me wonder why I'm so into shopping sometimes (Teen Daughter would emphasize "sometimes", lol) and other times, well, not so much. So I took a little quiz (naturally). For your mid-week quizzing pleasure, I give you the following oh-so scientific examination. C'mon back and let me know how you fare, alrighty?

You Can Hang With the Guys and the Girls

You've struck a good balance between girlie and laid back. You can keep it casual but when you dress up, you are as girly as the next girl.

How Feminine Are You?

Wordsmiths

My pal, Kathryn Cushman, just found her debut novel on the shelf at Borders. You can see a pic of her happy family here. Congrats, Katie!

Reminds me of the first time I saw Chocolate Beach at a bookstore, you know, the day I was nearly arrested. You can read about it here.

To be sure, when Truffles by the Sea releases in January, I'll head to the bookstore in disguise, lol.

Off to the first meeting of new Bible study. Coffee and the Word. What could be better than that?

Rising to the occasion

I read an article in the latest issue of TCW called The Rise of Raunch. In it, author Suzie Eller talks about a recent trip to a lingerie store where she encountered a 15-ish aged girl accompanied by three teen boys. When the boys tossed skimpy outfits into the girl's arms and then nudged her toward the dressing room, Suzie was appalled. She appealed to a sales clerk, who looked away. She then appealed to a manager, who also looked away. In the end, Suzie stood toe-to-toe with the boys and made them leave the store.

And that inspired me.

So last Saturday, I shopped with my girls and our pre-teen friend. When Teen Daughter went to try on shorts in the coed dressing room--and what's up with that, by the way?--I followed along. No way was she trying on clothes so close to guys without mama in tow. So anyway, in the lobby of the dressing area, highlighted in all its raw glory as if it had attained the stature of a work created by Michelangelo himself, we see a nearly naked male mannequin with his pants slouched down to there. Yes, 'there.' The display left little to the imagination, and trust me, this was no work of art.

So out loud I say, that's inappropriate!, and set out to make a change. The younger girls blushed and giggled as I wrestled with the mannequins slouchy jeans, pulling them up to a more appropriate level. Unfortunately, they slipped right back down and we were back to seeing this anatomically correct mannequin's almost-privates.

By now, Teen Girl's out of the dressing room, and gaping at me. "Mom, what are you doing?"

"His pants are ridiculous," I'm saying while tugging up his jeans. Sigh. Undeterred by the scene I'm making, I decide to unbuckle its belt and then I yank, yank, YANK until I can get it tight enough to KEEP THOSE PANTS UP!

And it worked. Yay for me. Yay for mothers and daughters everywhere. But geez, must it come to this?

As the four of us walked away from the dressing room, the teenaged boy manning the area leans toward me and says--and I'm so not making this up--"Thanks. That was bugging me too."

To which I shot back, "You're welcome."

As Suzanne said, "Together we can stand up for our girls and ourselves." And that includes insisting that dummies everywhere pull up their pants.

Hey, that's nice

"I'd like to thank all the little people..." LOL

Sharon Hinck thinks I'm nice. Nice! If they had an award for sarcastic, I'd get it but...heehee. Okay, I'll take it. (Thanks Sharon, end-cap buddy ;)

“This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you’ve been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award.”

Now it's my turn to bestow this prestigious award upon some of the nice bloggers I know. Hm. How about...

Vader's Mom, who vows to get to Dallas to see me despite the horrendous traffic.

Deena, who sends sweet notes

Tricia Goyer who's been my writing pal for, like, forever.

Katie Cushman who's agreed to take a public speaking class with me and commiserate afterward with, as she puts it, post-mortification chocolate.

Vail, who always has something cool to say

C.J. Darlington, who loves words

Jamie Driggers who needs some serious sleep

Ah-choo

We may have record setting temps here in CA, but the cold & flu season has, apparently, begun. Today I'm standing next to Elem. Girl when a boy in the next line over announces that another boy had just "thrown up." So I did what any concerned parent would do...I turned to Elem. Girl and said, "Stay away from that kid." (After making a visual assessment that the boy in question was all right, of course ;)

The funny thing is, when I turned to my daughter, I caught eyes with another mother who had turned to her daughter and was saying, "Stay away from that boy." LOL Yeah, we moms have to stick together.

Off to take a double dose of Airborne and maybe throw in a little Zicam for good measure. Oh, and before I forget, here's a link with more info on that "World's Largest" booksigning that I'll be part of in Dallas. Sixty authors! Come say hi to the lonely girl, okay?

ack!

Too busy for a real post. Getting ready for a couple of conferences and prepping the sched. for mi familia. So instead of my frantic meanderings, here's a quiz, which is just so much more worthy...

Only wish hubby had this power. LOL Kidding, honey...

Your Superpower Should Be Mind Reading

You are brilliant, insightful, and intuitive. You understand people better than they would like to be understood. Highly sensitive, you are good at putting together seemingly irrelevant details. You figure out what's going on before anyone knows that anything is going on! Why you would be a good superhero: You don't care what people think, and you'd do whatever needed to be done Your biggest problem as a superhero: Feeling even more isolated than you do now

What Should Your Superpower Be?

Congrats to Karmyn for winning a copy of Sushi for One?! (crowd cheers)

To meet Camy and other authors (including me!), stop by the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria on Saturday, September 22 from 1:30-2:30. We'll be taking a break from the ACFW conference to sign books and meet our readers. See y'all there :)

Meet my pal and fella blogging chick, Camy Tang!

Camy's book, SUSHI FOR ONE? has just released.

It's the story of volley-ball playing Lex Sakai whose family is "big, nosy, and marriage minded." When her cousin Mariko gets married, Lex will become the OSFC--Oldest Single Female Cousin--in the clan. And that's when the pressure, er, fun really starts :)

Enter a comment and I'll pick a name at random to win a free copy.

Here's my interview with Camy:

So what's a day in the life of debut novelist Camy Tang?

Chaos. No, really. The past few months have been hectic because I bit off more than I could chew. Things are settling down now.

Typically, I'd like to be up around the time my husband leaves for work so I can exercise and read my Bible (I was able to do all that today, so I'm feeling optimistic). I check email first, then dive into whatever work I have to do--edits, freelance editing, writing.

I try to blog one afternoon a week, writing up my posts for the entire week, so I'm more efficient with my time. I also try to read a writing article or a chapter in a writing book or listen to a workshop on MP3 every day, although that doesn't always happen.

Then Captain Caffeine (my husband) comes home around 8:30 pm and we have dinner and veg in front of the TV for an hour or two (right now I'm totally hooked on The Closer). I'll usually have another few hours of writing time before we go to bed.

No, I don't get out much.

Tell me about it! Hey Camy, You often speak fondly of Captain Caffeine and his imported espresso maker. What's your favorite caffeinated beverage order?

Honestly, tea. Strong English Breakfast or Irish Breakfast tea. I'll take Earl Grey if I'm feeling zesty, or Ginger Peach (Republic of Tea) if I'm feeling fruity. In the summer, it's iced. In the winter, it's scalding hot, sometimes with a little soymilk and honey.

However, I won't turn my nose up at a latte, especially if it's from Captain Caffeine or our favorite coffeeshop, Barefoot Coffee in Santa Clara.

How much can you personally relate to Lex?

Lex and I have both played coed volleyball, although I wasn't near as good as she is. I retired from volleyball after I tore my ACL *twice*. Yeah, not doing that again.

I have a camy-o appearance in Sushi for One--there's a ball-magnet who gets slammed by a spike, suspiciously named Camy. That actually happened to me. Also the part about being hit by balls when I'm just walking across the back of a court.


Ouch :) (Funny, though.) Okay, so tell us about any public events you've got on calendar.

I'll be at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in Dallas, Texas from September 20th to the 23rd. I'm selling my books in the ACFW conference bookstore for really cheap since I know writers are, well, broke. I'll have my first public booksigning on Saturday afternoon, September 22nd. That should be fun.

I'm planning a launch party for my church family and volleyball friends in either September or October. Hopefully all the church ladies will cook for the party! Yum! All that yummy stuff in the book--that's the kind of stuff they make. They're fabulous cooks.


Next up for Camy Tang, author?

Book 2 in the Sushi Series, Only Uni, comes out in February 2008. I'm also working on my next series proposal, tentatively titled The Brainiacs. I'm also in the middle of my huge website contest, where I'm giving away baskets of Christian novels and an iPod Nano! It's exclusively for members of my newsletter YahooGroup, so join today:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Camys_Loft/join

Any parting words, mi amiga?

Thanks so much for having me here, Julie! I can't wait to read Truffles By the Sea (with a title like that, how could any woman resist?)
--
Sushi for One? (September 2007)
http://www.camytang.com/
Romance with a kick of wasabi

Special thanks to those participating in the Blogging Chicks Carnival today!

Sea-ing images

Teen Son's taking a digital photography class, and I'm jealous. I took photography in H.S., you know, 'back in the day', and we learned how to stand in a really, really dark room and take our roll of film out of the camera, then transfer it to another really dark room where we'd dip it in this and dip it in that and wait awhile for something cool to appear on the paper.

In Teen Son's class they take the pic, then download it to the computer where they see it immediately then with some clicks here and there they do all kinds of crazy things to it. Does it need mentioning that I caught him using my website photo for a guinea pig? Yeah, he washed me right out; I was gray from bangs to chin. Lovely.

Anyway, I ran across this pic he took of himself reflecting in the seawater. This was taken at a beach park that is surely filled with tourists this weekend, given that temperatures are soaring (And Elem. Girl had a soccer game at noon, why?) Ah well.

Happy Labor Day to you all. May you find some R&R this weekend and a day at the beach (or the mountains or a quiet garden or...you get the picture :)

Drumroll, please...

We've got TWO winners in our Name the Chat event set for October. This from Katie:

We presented our favorites to the Borders event planner this week, and ended up combining two entries and then tweaking them some more. We liked Becca's "Border's Inspired", and we like Janneke's "Chocolate, murder, and promises." So ladies, you both get copies of all three books!

Currently the title is: "Borders Inspirational: Promises, chocolate... and murder," with a few small changes still possible.

So yay, and congratulations to you ladies! And thanks so much to all of you for playing along. If you're in the area for our event, we'd love to see you there:

Borders
Goleta, CA,
Friday, October 12, 7 pm.
with James Scott Bell, Kathryn Cushman & Julie Carobini (that's me :)
Author readings, free samples from the Borders cafe (you already know how I feel about free stuff), and of course... CHOCOLATE!

If you give a writer a cookie

...she'll link to you.

I've been teetering on a health kick since deciding to head out to Dallas next month for the ACFW conference. Some of the attendees have actually signed on for the weight loss challenge in anticipation. Whoa. So not going there. But still it got me thinking, so I've actually run a bit more and curtailed my obsession with hankering for all things chocolate.

Anyway, saw this ad for a free snack and I, uh, bit. Marketing at its finest, I tell you, but what do I care? They're sending me a cookie--with chocolate in it!--so I'm passing their info along. You just answer a few questions and they'll tell ya what they'll send you. For free. Here's the link.

To health...and free stuff :) Let me know what you get.

Last chance (almost)

Back in the day, when someone went on and on (and on) about something, we'd say they sounded like "a broken record." The same holds true, but how many get that these days? What should we say instead-- 'a scratched cd'? Or how about a 'beeping microwave'?

And really, who cares?

Well, me, actually. Because that's what I think I'm sounding like. But I wanted to give ya one last chance to, say this together, Buy a Book, Feed a Child. August is almost done--can you believe it?--so there're just a few days left to give 10% of your book buying bill (any book, not just mine) to the sweet kiddos who need it over at Compassion International. It's easy. It's quick. So if you're in a giving mood, just click on that button on my sidebar and you'll be on your way. Gracias, my friends.

Nothin' like a day at the beach

That'll teach 'em

If your kids are grown and gone, or even if you've never had any, grab a cup of coffee and have a laugh while reading this ebay post.

And if you've still got little kiddos at home, take heart. The mother who posted the above-noted description on ebay has had more media offers than Paris Hilton.

Babysitter, anyone?

Saturday Afternoon Post

Lazy day around here. Soccer was supposed to start but didn't, kind of a last minute thing. For those of you who do not live in laid-back CA, that's probably absurd, but yes, we just learned yesterday that the season's start was moved to next week, and so we carry on.

Anyway, as I was saying, it's been a lazy, run-at-the-beach and mow-the-lawn-kind-of- day around here and so I found this little quiz. Given that my hub's from PA, and that I always crack up when we're visiting back East and someone offers me "pop" instead of "soda", I found this quirky and fun and completely useless. But still. I'm bored, so I went with it. And just so you know, there was no question about Spanglish or else the entire outcome would have been notably altered.

Quiz on:

Your Linguistic Profile:

50% General American English 20% Dixie 15% Yankee 10% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

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."
~
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 ;)