spring break at the beach

So busy writing and traveling these days that I sort of forgot spring break started this week. Tons to do, and yet the weather has been warm and the kids are home, so we've taken advantage of the extra minutes away from school (and work for me). I posted one of these pics on my Facebook page yesterday from my visit to a friend-of-a-friend's beach pad in Carpinteria. Oh!...to move there forever. I think heaven'll have a view like this, don't you? :) Seriously, the photos just don't do justice to this quintessential beach cottage!

Ah, well. Couple of things for you today ~

SuperMom is giving away a copy of Sweet Waters via her blog, What You Reading Now? Stop by, peruse her blog, and leave a comment, and you might win a copy to read on the beach/lake/cruise/etc. this summer :)

Also, thanks to those who've sent their beach photos. I've got room for more, so keep 'em coming! Make sure to send me the link to your blog or website too so I can post that along with your photo. The first submission goes up this Friday.

In the meantime, have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Wanted: Your Beach Photos

The sun is out on the central coast, and it has inspired me to clean up my house and yard. Something about those warm rays of sunshine gets me motivated to throw on some flip flops and give my home a (loooong overdue) makeover. Okay, so far I've only gotten through one room, but at least it's a start!

But some bloggity friends live in areas where the sun's still playing hide and seek, so I thought it would be fun to inspire them from afar ... with YOUR photos. Have one you'd like to share with us? If you've been on a beach vacation or live near the water ... even a lake, feel free to send a snapshot to julie (at) juliecarobini (dot) com. Or maybe you're one of those still socked in by snow. If you have a picture from a beach trip, send it on. I'll do my best to post them between now and summer, along with a link to your blog.

Okay, I'll start. This is a pic from our recent trek to Santa Monica for my daughter's beach soccer tourney. I stood at the edge of the pier and snapped this shot north toward Malibu. GREAT weekend in So Cal!

Send me those pics! And have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Halleluia

Enjoy your family, friends and blessings today.

Happy Easter!

up in the trees

Hey Friends! Spent a week in the beautiful northern California redwoods at Mt. Hermon. With so much to do at the writer's conference, I was thankful for all that fresh oxygen and easy-on-the-eyes scenery around me!

My mom, Elaine Navarro, and I shared a room that had a view of towering trees. Ahhhh! What I love about this area is that we're in the mountains, but the beach is a mere 10-15 min. drive away. Crazy, huh?

While I was away, SuperMom posted a review of Sweet Waters over at her What You Reading? blog. If you haven't had a chance to pick up my latest beach read, stop on over and leave a comment ~ you might win a copy, gratis!

Off to cook dinner for the fam. Have a beachy Friday, my friends, wherever you are :)

Writing with the fishies

I started this post DAYS ago, but mi familia has needed me extra lately, it seems. Preteen girl had a "Country Report" due today (A shout out to Rel of Relz Reviews who lives in Australia, my daughter's assigned country :). Another daughter has a wacky schedule, so I've been taxiing her a lot. And I've also been getting ready to head up to the Mt. Hermon Christian Writer's Conference tomorrow, a beautiful spot among the redwoods!

Excited about the conference, not only because I'll have the chance to hang with crazy writer-people like myself, but I also need a break from the chaos (read: worries, messy house, etc.). Seriously, I've begun to feel like those confused, crowded and manic fishies in the picture.

And although Mt. Hermon is on a mountaintop in Northern California, it's only a short drive to Santa Cruz beaches ... woot! Have a beachy weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are :) I'll post "celebrity sightings" as I can.

Closer to 'Shore' ...

What a delightful and heartwarming read! A Shore Thing is a beautiful book about family, friendship, love, commitment, keeping promises, faith, and hope. ~Tweezlereads.blogspot.com

Received the galley of A Shore Thing at 7:55 am. Woot ~ love the way B&H designed the pages. So far, pre-release reviews have been favorable (double woot :) Love the one above. Here's another nice one, recently posted by Carrie Padgett on her blog Chocolate, No Nuts.

By the way, this is a pic of my wily shelter pup, Charlie, the inspiration for the cover of A Shore Thing. And oh, yeah, I'm in the pic too ...

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Sea Things

So yesterday I finished the draft of my 2011 release. Still not sure what we're titling it :) Then I ran across this picture that my daughter took last summer at the Denver Aquarium. See the open anemones there on the top left? The heroine in the book I just wrote develops an affection for the creatures. For research, I used a 20 page college term paper that I wrote on the anemone way back when :) Knew that paper would come in handy some day! Lol

Thumbs up

Had an icky morning and needed a laugh. And a trip to the beach. This cartoon provided both. Ha!

On another note, saw that Sweet Waters is down to 10.19 on Amazon today. Sweet price, if you're interested (cheaper for Kindle). A Shore Thing priced the same for now. Huzzah

Have a beachy Wednesday, my friends ~ wherever you are :-)

A bit of Italy in California ...

After the first day of beach soccer, we stopped by my brother and wifey's house in Venice. They live near the canals, which were created in the early 1900s to be reminiscent of Venice, Italy. My brother proposed on one of the bridges ~ oh so romantique! Until a few years ago, I'd never been there. And I grew up near LA so that's just weird. But now I've been to the canals twice, and love 'em. You can stroll along and say hello to people chillin' on their back decks. Very pricey area but also kind of understated and quiet.

Of course, just a few blocks away is Venice Beach. Which is anything but understated. For instance, a clown on stilts crossed a busy street in front of us, but I was in too much awe to snap a picture ... Lol

More on the Venice Canals.

Beach Soccer

Never been to a beach soccer event before, but pre-teen girl's team played in one today at Santa Monica beach. Sand spraying, players falling, soccer balls bouncing in weird directions ... super fun to watch (but brutal to play!) Had to put ice on pre-teen girl's bruised foot after two fast paced games.

Between games, some of the girls and my brother, Dan, from Venice took a couple of trips on the pier roller coaster. Great end to a stressful week!

Happy Sunday tomorrow ~ don't forget to move your clocks forward! More pics on Monday :-)

American Idol, the results

I chose this YouTube clip because it's all audio. Sweet kid, unique voice, not same ol'. So sorry Alex did not make it into the Top 12 (for the record, my teen daughter has promised never to watch AI again! :)

Hope he gets a record deal soon. We got this one wrong, America. Also sad to see Katelyn and Lilly go (what?!).

Happy Friday, my friends. Have a beachy weekend ~ wherever you are!

American Idol, the Guys

I've gotta say, the guys sang better last night than I'd predicted. My faves: Aaron, Tim, Casey and (this one's for you, Ang) Alex. I know Big Mike got the kudos of the night ~ Kara sobbed ~ but it didn't move me that much. Fickle, fickle, I know, but I'm on the receiving end of such fickleness sometimes myself. One reviewer will say that a book I wrote touched them deeply, while another will say they didn't get the story at all. Go figure.

Honestly, I've no idea who'll be out tonight. I'd have to guess maybe Andrew and Todrick. Andrew got slammed by the judges and Todrick is seen more as a musical theater performer/dancer. Tough night for anyone to leave considering the remaining contestants will be in the Top 12.

I'll probably watch from Twitterland. Maybe I'll see you there? :-)

American Idol, the Girls

Favorites from American Idol last night: Didi, Crystal, and Siobhan. Liked Katelyn and Lacey too. Btw, does anyone else think Ryan has a crush on Katelyn? Seems obvious to me, but I'm writing a romance right now so maybe I'm over thinking the way he looks at her just a beat longer than the others... Lol

Who do you think'll go? Hmm ... if I had to guess I'd say Katie and Paige.

Okay, I couldn't help putting up this pic of Danny Gokey doing the white man's overbite. Such a cutey patooty he is. Last year I wrote an article about Danny comin' to Ventura. If you missed it, you can find it at this link.

Off to work (and more coffee!). Have a beachy day, my friends, and don't forget: the guys sing tonight!

The busy season

Look closely and you'll see the ocean shimmering beneath that ominous cloud. Pre-teen girl had a couple of soccer scrimmages in Malibu over the weekend and she played early to beat the rain. That's the view from the soccer field at Malibu High. Nice, huh?

Life's been crazy-crazy busy lately, more so than I like. We all have our seasons of that, and this seems to be mine. I could've skipped the soccer match and stayed behind to work, but something about driving along PCH on a drizzly day drew me. Teen daughter and I watched my girlie play soccer while huddled beneath a wool blanket, then we left just as the first few drops fell. We stopped for coffee in the Trancas area, then enjoyed the ride along the coast (thanks, hubby :)

Today, it's back to work! How about you? Did you get the chance to enjoy the weekend, even if only for a little while? Maybe a little Oscar party or something? Lol Hope so!

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Tsunami watch

Had a little excitement in Ventura over the weekend. That's me on the left with my friend, Angel, watching her boat dock float away. The earthquake across the world in Chile sent water surging through the Ventura harbor, wreaking havoc on more than a dozen boat docks attached to homes. Such a bummer, but no lives hurt or lost, so that's the good news. By the way, to the news helicopter pilot buzzing the beach area early Sunday morning, may you soon be awakened by the sharp call of an air horn in your ears...

AI says goodbye and a beach break!

Sad to see Joe an Janelle go, since both have nice chops, but wasn't surprised about the other two. Although I have to say, Tyler in a bathrobe and short boots make good television...Fox'll probably lose a few Nielson points for letting the 70s throwback go. Btw, Kris Allen's getting better and better, don't you think?

On to other things...

Yesterday I got super STUCK on the novel I'm writing. Unusual since I'm nearing the end and this is the spot when, normally, I'd race to the finish. But there's been a lot going on in our family lately, plus a cold last week, and I think my brain had all it could take. So yesterday afternoon, I threw on sweats and running shoes and hit the beach. Only for a little while, but woo-hoo, it opened things up for me. I realized that sitting alone in this tiny office every day doesn't exactly dredge up incredible creativity. Other than text messages with my kids all the livelong day ;), I was beginning to feel closed in and unimaginative.

But all that ocean spray awoke my senses. I watched waves crest like jade walls and fat plover skitter at my feet and the tide wash over glittery, smooth rocks. Ahhhh! It was good to get out of this office and go somewhere other than the grocery store and my kids' schools.

Here's hoping YOU can find a way to take a break at one of your favorite spots. Have a beachy weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are :-)

Idol Season begins

Watched American Idol in its entirety last night. Those of you who've been around awhile here on this blog know the obsession that Idol season usually brings. This year, though, I've been rather 'meh' about the whole thing. And I realized why: I miss Paula.

I know, I know, she was sometimes hard to figure. She could be wishy washy, and vague, and speak in purple prose (haha...like me). Nothing against Ellen. She's also someone who takes a more pollyannish view of the contestants, something they need after being pummeled by Simon and the others. But Paula's work in the music biz gave her an edge in the credibility department.

So on to the show... Last night, the Top 12 women sang and it was ... just okay. If I had to wager ~ haha, don't be accusing me of promoting gambling now ~ I'd say that Lacey and Michelle will go home. Third guess is Ashley. I liked them all, but two have to leave, so those are my guesses.

Mi favorita of the night was Katelyn Epperly in her 80s hair singing Oh Darlin.

What did you think?

Doesn't he look angelic?

Found this picture of Charlie the Dog on my iPhone. My daughter likes to dress him up occasionally, and he always complies. You'd think he had the sweetest disposition ever, you know, to put up with all that fussing. But you'd be wrong. We adopted Charlie over a year ago and he still doesn't like many people, but for some reason, he puts up with all of us. Go figure.

He was actually my model for Moondoggy in A Shore Thing (see sidebar). Moondoggy is irresistible too, but friendlier to strangers. Although maybe he'd rethink that if his family kept putting funny hats on him.

Ah, well! Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :-)

Julia and Julie II

Sorry for the delay in posts. Been writing on deadline while juggling too many other hats, and it's taking longer than originally expected. Can you relate?

As I've said before, I'm working on a book set in and around the famed Hearst Castle, designed by architect Julia Morgan. Morgan was the first female to graduate from UC Berkely with a degree in Civil Engineering, and later, the first woman to receive a certificate in architecture from Ecole Nationale et Speciale des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

On a recent tour of the sprawling castle, we were shown this lean-to off one outer wall. This was Julia Morgan's office. She spent nearly 30 years working on that hill with some of the most expensive pieces of art from all over Europe, creating a lavish castle that hosted A-list celebrity guests ~ and she worked in a tiny, nearly windowless office. Phew, that woman got a lot done!

With the hot breath of this deadline scorching my neck, I'm looking for a non-distracting place to get my work done. So, I'm wondering...do you think they rent that thing out?

Heart thoughts

People often ask how long it takes to write a book, and don't hate me, but I usually pull a number out of the air. That's because in addition to the writing, there's also the research, and the plotting, and the editing, etc. I'm too unorganized to account for all that time, hence the reason I can't come up with a hard number on that.

So I'm in the thick of writing Otter Bay Novel #3. Love the story, but I'm oh-so-tired of sitting on my derriere. And frankly, I'm just plain, oh-so-tired.

Thankfully, my hubby makes me a latte every morning (yes!) Here's the one he made the other day, complete with his first attempt at creating a heart on top. I set it next to a book about the sea that sits on my nightstand, patiently waiting for me to crack open its pages and give it a look. I figure as soon as I'm done writing this book, then I'll have the time.

Just don't ask me how long that'll be... ;)

Maddy Curtis sings

Sadly, or maybe not so sadly (according to the fam), Maddy Curtis didn't make it through Hollywood Week on American Idol. Her mama's been a longtime friend, and a writer who many of you may know. Read Barbara's post on her Mommylife blog.

Have a beachy one, my friends ~ wherever you are!

After hubby's conference on Friday (and my marathon writing session in the hotel room), we were planning to head home for our daughter's soccer tourney. Because of rains, though, the tourney was canceled (Ok, all you in the east...go ahead and get your laughs out. We'll wait.)

So anyway, since we were no longer pressed for time, we stopped in Cambria on the way home. Cambria is the inspiration for my Otter Bay Novels, by the way. While there, I finally took Tour #2 at the famed Hearst Castle. You may remember this post when my girls and I got stuck in a 'gulley washer' up there on the central coast. We had tickets for the tour then, but due to dangerous winds, the castle had to be closed.

So glad the rain didn't close up The Ranch (as it's sometimes called) this time. Loved the tour! On the way up we spotted barbary sheep and black-tailed deer. Took gobs of notes for my work-in-progress, due out next year. You're gonna love it!

Hubby took this pic of me at the castle gift shop. It could be anywhere USA, but he thought it most appropriate to take my picture next to a glass dolphin. Lol...I agree :)

Pass me a hanky

I'm holed up in a hotel room far north of home today, writing as fast as I can. My hubby's attending an all day seminar, so I jumped at the chance to get some undistracted writing time. Of course, since I've been here I've been in touch with two out of three kids several times, played on the Internet, and eaten butter cookies for breakfast (a courtesy of the hotel). Lord, please help me write that killer scene today!

No view of the beach from here, but the mountains are pretty and I've got a late checkout (woo-hoo!). So here I go (again). Off to write a scene that's sure to break my heart...any wonder why I keep avoiding it?

On another note, Dear John comes out today. It's based on Nicholas Sparks' novel, which teen daughter and I loved. It also broke my heart into a million pieces and I can't wait to see it with her when I return. I'll try to save some Kleenex for then! (If you have a chance to see it, leave me a comment!)

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Cry your eyes out

Sit back and enjoy this touching, beachy video.

still wingin' it

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

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

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

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

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

Okay, now that was good.

Here birdy, birdy

A friend emailed this picture over. Apparently this little guy arrived on his deck looking sickly then took refuge on the rocks below. Due to storm run off oils that stick to their feathers, pelicans here on the west coast have been getting hypothermia. Our friend was able to catch the birdy and hold onto him until Pelican Rescue arrived. Good job!

Have a beachy Monday, my friends ~ wherever you are :-)

Me and Jon Lovitz, er, Stephen King

Anyone remember this SNL skit? If you do, you're old, like me. Haha. Anyway, Jon Lovitz plays Stephen King, furiously tapping away on a smith-corola or similar. In those days, Stephen King had so many books out he had to release some of them under a pseudonym.

I'm going from memory here (because I can't find the actual clip online), but as I recall, the interviewer asks Mr. King about his prolificness (yes, it's a word~I looked it up :) and suddenly, inexplicably, the typing stops. Panic overtakes Mr. King and he begins to bemoan his writer's block, uttering phrases like, It's over! I'll never be able to write again! My career is gone!

After a comedic pause, a thought drops into his mind, he blithely says, "nevermind", and then he's back to furiously tapping those keys.

This is so my life.

California wavin'

It's tough to tell by this pic taken with my cell, but those are some pretty nice-sized waves cresting in the distance. After a week of rain (and more rain) we had a sunny break over the weekend. Tuesday, though, the spigot'll be turned back on (and I'll get to keep wearin' cute boots :)

In other news, The Bachelor's on tonight and silly as it seems, can't wait to switch off the computer and watch something brainless, and thankfully, pretty tame. Hey, we all have our vices ... ;-)

Have a beachy day, my friends, wherever you are!

Storm watch

The first part of the video shows waves at the famed Rincon, but it's the Mussel Shoals clip that will give you a better idea of the ocean surges that have been happening up and down the coast. More thunder and rain expected today!

Wet Wednesday!

Rain continues to fall and wreak havoc out here on the coast (although you wouldn't know by the flip-flop shod feet I spotted in downtown Ventura yesterday during a clearing). Anyway, here's some video of what the weather's doing to the pier. Good times. (If you're a surfer, anyway :)

Roadtrippin'

My youngest missed out on church winter camp this past weekend because she'd already committed to an all-star soccer tourney. At the time, we didn't realize they'd choose a holiday weekend to host the tourney (grrr). To cheer her up, I decided rather last minute to take the girls on a ROADTRIP after the last game on Sunday morning.

Didn't check the weather report beforehand, though. Big storm rolled in to Cambria (the small town that serves as part of the inspiration for my Otter Bay Novels) on Sunday and stayed til, oh, right about the time we had to check out. Lol... My older daughter loves the rain, so she was happy. Wet, but happy.

So anyhoo, we ate, we shopped, we got stuck in a 'gulley washer' and sat in my car, waiting it out. Our tour of Hearst Castle got cancelled, but we found other fun things to research for my books, like the 1920-something cabin that the heroine in my 2011 release finds in the woods. My youngest spotted it while I tried to keep us from driving off a cliff. Anyway, we drove into the driveway to poke around, and hoped the neighbors wouldn't call the cops, haha.

Later we ended up at Nitwit Ridge (see pic). Built years ago by an eccentric gent, the rain soaked "Poor Man's Hearst Castle" still stands at the base of a hill in Cambria. It's made out of all kinds of local 'finds' such as beer cans, car parts and on the pretty flip side, mounds of abalone shells pried off local rocks. A sign advertised tours at 1pm, but I doubted it. "Looks like it's about to come down," I told the girls.

We ended up in SLO (San Luis Obispo) for yummy Mexican fare at Tio Alberto's, then headed home. As I sit here, the rain's whipping through my back yard and I'm determined not to get caught up watching it through my window. LOTS to write today, and even though the weather tried to derail my research, it failed 'cuz I'm raring to go,

Have a beachy day, my friends (rain or shine!) ~ wherever you are :)

spread the Word :-)

Book sale for Haiti

Happy Friday my beach-lovin' friends! It's a beautiful day here on the west coast, perfect for a lead in to a weekend of...soccer. Ha ha, you thought I was going to say beachcombing or surfing or something equally beachy. Reality is, our youngest is a soccer tiger and she's in the first of two tourneys this month. So that's where I'll be (probably with a laptop since I've got a ton of writing to do.)

Before I sign off for a few days, wanted to let you know of another way you can help Haitian children. Through this weekend, ALL proceeds from the sales of my first two books, Chocolate Beach and Truffles by the Sea at Julie's Beach Shop will be sent to Compassion International ~ Haiti. A great time to stock up on gifts for other beach-lovin' friends, while also giving to children who desperately need our compassion and generosity.

Have a blessed and beachy weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Having compassion

Writing with a heavy heart today as more pictures and information about the earthquake in Haiti pour in. Although I do not have definite information on the status of our sponsored child, Nicole, and her family, I have learned that they live far north of the quake's epicenter. Grateful news to receive! Compassion International serves more than 65,000 children in Haiti and about a third live quite close to hardest hit areas. Compassion needs help, so please consider giving generously.

For Shore!

Hope this whets your appetite for A Shore Thing! Thanks to B&H Fiction for putting together this fast-moving and fun trailer for my summer release. You guys rock!

clueless

Happy New Year! On a couple of deadlines right now (edits for one book, and writing another one) so the blogging's been sparse. Sorry! My heart's been racing and I feel more overwhelmed than usual, yet I know I'm in a good place because my mind's caught up with the story I'm working on. In other words, I'm thinking/plotting all the time. Good for the novel, but not so good for life.

Here are a few lame-head things I've done in the past couple of days while my mind's been occupado:

* Drove to grocery store instead of bank.
* Made it to the bank, and withdrew cash to buy groceries, etc. Went to grocery store (again) and paid with debit card, totally forgetting I'd just picked up cash (doh).
* Ordered myself a kid's meal at Subway ... didn't have a clue until the cashier asked, "Is this for a girl or a boy?" (And yes, I'm lovin' the cute pink beach bag that came with the meal.)
* Let the chai tea boil over while I was working on a scene ~ SUCH a mess.

Ah, well. When the book I'm working on finally makes it to shelves in 2011, my weirdness will be a distant memory (right???) Anyway, I'm switching gears this evening and looking over the final edits for A Shore Thing which releases this July. That's a pic up there at the top. It's already on Amazon and other places, and I'm excited because it's my first foray into writing a second point of view: the male protag's. Woo-hoo!

shopping daze

So I've managed to do something I didn't do before Christmas: go to the three different malls two days in a row. Quite a feat for a non-shopper like myself (with a bad back too). But it's been kind of fun, actually, because most of the money spent was not mine, ha. The kids received all kinds of giftcards & cash and I've had fun watching them spend away.

And I did some observing too. One of my girls, the one who has plans for a career in fashion design, spent every cent...and borrowed some from me! (We did 'split' a coat, though). The other, my soccer girl, bought mostly 'needs' and has a bunch of moolah leftover (guess who I'll be borrowing from? Lol)

Here's the pic of the purple coat my eldest daughter and I bought together from Forever 21. She fell in love with it but it was over her budget. Of course, I crowed about how good it would look on me which caused her to bat her eyes and suggest that I split the cost with her. Sigh...wonder which one of us gets to wear it on New Year's Eve...? :-)

college daze

Happy Monday! After all the church and family festivities, I ended up on the couch for nearly 2 days with a bad back. Hasn't happened in years, but this one was a doozy. Anyway, I watched several movies, read a lot, and ate even more than I did during the Christmas parties. Oh, how I wish I'd asked for a Wii Fit, haha!

I'm better today and working on my 2011 release again. Good stuff, this one! I'm hoping to whip through 1000s of words while my kids sleep in during their continued break.

Speaking of kids, my son Matt received his first college acceptance letter on Christmas Eve Eve...from Biola University! In case you missed it, I wrote about my happy discovery in the university library a couple months back when Matt and I visited the campus. Anyway, such a terrific Christmas present...my baby accepted to college. *sniff* *sniff* *SNIFF!* (That last sniff came after I saw the tuition schedule. Lol! Praying for a surge in book sales :-)

This pic of Matt at the end of "No Shave November" cracks me up. My girls call that his Noah cap, as in Noah from the movie The Notebook.

Off to write that bestseller ;) Have a beachy day my friends ~ wherever you are!

Just popping in to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

After last night's Christmas Eve service, we feasted on tamales with family. This morning we hung out with close friends and carbo-loaded (thanks, Angel :), then headed to the beach (see pic!). Next friends and family will arrive and I'll pull a couple of lasagnas out of the oven so that eating can commence yet again.

Have a blessed rest of the holiday, and tell me about yours too!

I love a parade

Happy Christmas week, my friends! Got up and out early to beat the shopping rush. I'm a rather anti-chick when it comes to shopping...I don't really enjoy it all. But today the lines were short because it was early-burly, woot! Had to make a couple of trips out to my car to stash all my treasures...

Speaking of good times, here's a picture from the Parade of Lights, an annual event in the Ventura Harbor. I took this pic with my phone from a friend's deck on Saturday night. See the boat and fireworks in the background? Such F-U-N!

That kiss

Okay, I swiped this clip from Kristin Billerbeck's blog. Now that I've got that off my chest, I ask you, what will we do without Glee for the next, oh, four months or so?

It's youth group night and in addition to my word count for the day, I'll be getting ready for this week's English Muffin Pizza Making Christmas Party. But for the past few months, after all the Wednesday night frivolity at my house, I've looked forward to settling in with my weekly dose of Glee. Now it's over until spring. Over! It's just not right, I tell you!

Btw, I've studied that kiss over and over again. Look at Schu's wrinkled brow (is she offended? does she love me back?) and Emma's shock followed by utter relief and joy. This is the stuff romance novels are made of and studying the facial expressions of good actors is a great place to start. (And gets you in less trouble than stalking lovers at the mall...)

p.s. I know that Schu's technically still married. That's the stuff of another post...

talk soup

Started off the weekend with a busy signing for Sweet Waters over at the Ventura Barnes & Noble. Remembered to bring signage, candy, bookmarks, magnets...but not a camera. Argh. Didn't even think of having someone snap one with my phone. So here's one from the International Christian Retailers Show last summer in Denver (that's Patti Hill in the background, on the left).

I get nervous before book signings. Will anyone show? And ... what if people show? LOL Truthfully, I love to gab and always end up in interesting conversations, even though they're often in snippets. For instance, on Saturday, I talked with new readers and old friends about:

screenwriting
kinesiology
obsessive-compulsive disorder
the old neighborhood
Jane Austen
detoxing
differences in fantasy vs. sci fi
faith

Yeah, pretty much the same stuff that goes through my head in a NY minute! Ah ha ha!

So, it's the last week before my kids are out of school for 2-3 more (depending on the kiddo). I MUST write A LOT this week, so here I go...

Wishing you a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Friday mus-ings

This is Gage, my muse...and yes, I have a male muse. Gage appears in my next book, A Shore Thing, and he doesn't just appear and speak, he also thinks right there on the page. In other words, I wrote his POV (point of view). Sooo fun to be a woman writing what a man thinks. Oh, the possibilities!!! Lol

But I've moved on to the next book and my next muse couple. I found the purrr-fect pictures to represent them both (she's famous, he's not), and I'm having a ball putting words and thoughts and conflicting emotions into their heads. Feels quite diabolical at times, mwaa-ha-ha!

If only I could control my own life this well. A novel idea indeed ;)

Just in time for Christmas...

If you're in the Ventura area on Saturday, I'll be signing Sweet Waters at Barnes & Noble. In addition to handing out candy, magnets and bookmarks (naturally :), B&H Publishing Group will be holding a drawing for one of these cool book "chairs". This thing's big enough to hold a cookbook (or, of course, one of my novels, Lol).

The Ventura B&N store is located at 4820 Telephone Road. I'll be there from 11 am to 1 pm.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Baby, it's cold outside

I love a California coast sky after a rain. Had some rain (and wind and momentary loss of power) earlier this week, and the forecast says it'll be back tomorrow...with a gusto. So I'm dusting off my boots, and making sure my gloves are handy. Unlike other parts of the country, winter can be fleeting around here and we Californians don't always know what to do about it. I'm sure those in frigid areas would mock me mercilessly about all the snow gear I wear when it's cold outside. But whatever. Lol

And the winner is...

Stampedwithgrace! I'll be getting your copy of Sweet Waters out to you lickety split. Thanks all for stopping by my cyber beach pad and participating in the discussion!

Turkey Ole

My husband's Italian and when he was a kid, his father made homemade turkey ravioli the day after Thanksgiving. (I'm told they even served a spaghetti side dish on the holiday.) So you can imagine my husband's surprise when, as new marrieds, I made turkey enchiladas with the leftovers. See, I'm Mexican on my father's side, and besides, I'm from California, home of amazing Mex food. My husband hadn't even had a taco until he moved to CA from PA in his early 20s!

So anyway, a couple of nights ago, I was tired of re-warmed turkey, and hot turkey sandwiches, but didn't feel like shopping. So I dug out all the extras in the fridge ~ and wouldn't you know it? ~ we had the fixins for turkey soft tacos, Lol! Aren't other cultures fun?

Ah, well. What do you do with the leftovers? Make something fun? Or toss them out? As for me, I'm finally going to clean out that fridge today, even though that means it'll be as hollow as a drum. Let the shopping begin!

*** Still a few more hours to enter to win Sweet Waters on the post below. I'll pick a winner at noon, pst!

Sweet giveaway

Happy December!

I was trying to think of a snappy post, which is tough since my head's fully into a new story and how many words do I really have left? So anyway, I can't think of anything amazing today, so instead I'm going to give away a copy of Sweet Waters. Hey, who needs pithy anyway?

So here's the deal. Tell me about your favorite book (the title, what you like about it, who wrote it, or whatever you want to tell me) in the comments section. On Wednesday at noon pst, I'll throw all answers into the random number generator and come up with a winner. Sound good?

Looking forward to reading your comments on my breaks! And if you're looking for Christmas gifts, you can find my previous titles (Chocolate Beach & Truffles by the Sea) in Julie's Beach Shop or on Amazon.

Here's to a beachy holiday season ~ wherever you are :)

November 30!

We had two Thanksgiving gatherings, put up all the Christmas stuff (or most of it), had two soccer practices and two church services this weekend. How about you? Today's the last day of the month, so the Christmas season is officially here ~ I love it!

My son did the Black Friday thing with friends, well, they actually started on Thanksgiving night at 11. That's so crazy, I think, but maybe I'm alone in that. It's just that I'd choose sleep over shopping ANY time, Lol. Of course, it wasn't too easy to sleep when you're kid's out at a shopping mall in the middle of the night. Ah well. Maybe he got me something...ha.

How about you? Did you brave the crowds and early mornings (or late nights), just to get those mukluks for a buck? Or were you home snoozing like I was?

Well, it's Monday, and for now, the last of the ornaments will have to wait. I've got A LOT of writing to do. My car's in the shop, which means I can't go anywhere ~ so I've got NO EXCUSE. I will, however, be peeking in on the beach shop periodically because today's the last day of my pre-Christmas sale. Lots of fun stuff in there (the signs are the most popular), so if you've got a beach-lover on your list, you might want to check it out. Julie's Beach Shop

Have a beachy Monday, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Under a beachy sky

The wind's whipping the waves and the air's turning colder. Feels very holiday-ish and I just loved this pink & blue sky from my evening walk.

Hope you all had a beautiful Thanksgiving and continue to enjoy the weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Gobble, gobble

I'm determined to get more writing done, despite my youngest being off school this week (and despite the thawing turkey in my fridge which'll need to be buttered and browned in just a couple of days). Yesterday, though, she had a forever-friend over and how could we not head to the beach on such a sunny November day? Unfortunately, I left evidence of that excursion all over the couch when I slipped off my shoes last night and realized just how much sand I'd brought home, haha. Reminded me of this sign that I carry in my beach shop. In addition to sand, I've been known to carry back a shell or two from the beach (sometimes not finding them until they've taken a spin through my washing machine, Lol...)

Ah well. Have a beachy Thanksgiving week, my friends, wherever you are!

No shave November

Apparently it's No Shave November, evidenced by this picture of my son. Mothers of teen boys who take part in this ritual know what I'm sayin'! Although yesterday I was chastised by a dad at church for complaining (not so) bitterly about this new look. "He's not doing drugs or partying or drinkin', so a little hair rebellion is all right." But I maintained that I was just doing my job, Lol. We already picked up his senior portraits and you wouldn't ever recognize him--he's as clean cut as can be. Even the guy at the photography studio did a double take, haha.

Ah well, December's coming. (And I'm putting new batteries in the electric razor. Love you, kiddo ;)

Feeling 'glee' ful ;)

Happy Wednesday (the weekend's a-comin' ;). If you're a writer or interested in marketing, I've posted over at the CAN Blog today. Feel free to stop by.

My elves have been busy filling beach shop orders while I've been researching/writing my next book. I'm taking a break, though, because my youngest made the honor roll, and there's a ceremony soon (such a smarty, that girl). Then it's church small groups tonight, complete with hot apple cider to usher in Thanksgiving. Busy times, but life is good, eh?

Have a beachy rest of the week, my friends ~ wherever you are! I'll stop back in when something fabulous happens. Feel free to tell me about your week~I'd love to hear it!
p.s. Glee's on tonight, yippee :)

Internet's up ... & new interview

Our Internet connection went down last Friday so I took that opportunity to cancel that service and go with a faster one. This meant no Internet all weekend. I thought we'd go crazy. My youngest looked at me all moon-eyed yesterday and said, "Life's so boring without Facebook, Mom." I told her to go read a book (although it took everything within me not to opine about the old days when the TV had ears and my bookshelf overflowed with the Nancy Drew series...)

I have to say, though, that it almost felt like a vacation. A productive one because I got a lot more done around the old hacienda without the Internet beckoning. I know we could have gone to Sbucks for wi-fi, and admittedly, three of us have iPhones, so it's not that we weren't occasionally checking for that all-important-super-urgent email that just might come through. But all in all, we survived the weekend just fine.

Ah well. The main connection is live, but I'm off to buy a router so the whole fam can be back in business. T'was fun while it lasted...

One more thing! Rel over at Titletrakk interviewed me the other day, and some of the questions were, uh, out of the norm ;) You can read that interview, including how my kids describe me at Titletrakk.

Sweet Waters giveaway

Cathy Bryant posted a brief interview of moi over on her blog. Stop by and leave a comment...you might win a copy of Sweet Waters.

Cheers!
--Julie