Book savings at the book signings

Oh, how I love coupons! Thanks to ACFW Conference Director, Robin Miller, for pointing out this link for coupons to be used during the LifeWay Spring Fiction Day. Click to find a list of authors appearing nationwide tomorrow at various LifeWay stores. I'll be in Brea, CA from 11 to 1.

My son attends college nearby, so after that, I think I'll take my kiddo to lunch :-)

Have a beachy weekend, friends ~ wherever you are ...

Freebies!

Last night, I began tearing apart my office, looking for a book to help my youngest with a report. All I have to show for it now are books stacked around my chair ~ but not the one I was looking for!

What I did find, however, were some books by authors I love. They're gently used. Actually, they appear quite new, even though I read them. So I'd like to pass them along to some of my readers.

The first two I'll give away are Facelift by the amazing and quirky Leanna Ellis and Through the Fire by Shawn Grady, a firefighting friend who also writes terrific stories. Click on the titles to read more about them.

To enter, leave me a comment with the title you'd like to win and the answer to this question: What did you have for dinner last night? (This will serve a two-fold purpose as I'm often out of meal ideas ... ;)

PCH ... take me away ...

Just because.

The tours have begun!

Notice the calm and collected look on my face? That's pilates, yoga, and a couple of jogs on the beach, baby! Booksignings are great ways to meet fellow readers, but oh how I stress beforehand. Will anyone show? Will everyone show? Lol ... that's why I've taken up "extreme exercise" to de-stress beforehand.

See that man on the right? He's holding a copy of my first Otter Bay Novel, Sweet Waters. Never met him before but he came up to the table with his sweet little daughter and we had a fun discussion about our experiences on the central coast. After a while, he bought all three titles: Sweet Waters, A Shore Thing, and Fade to Blue, with plans to give each one to his wife. I believe he said the first would be Mother's Day, the next her birthday, and finally, Christmas. How fun is that? (Hope she's not reading this, though, or I've blown the surprise!)

The lady to his left is my friend, Helen, who stopped by after her company's corporate games down the street. Another successful signing at my neighborhood B&N store. Had a good time ... and then we had Chipotle for lunch :-)

I'll be signing again this coming Saturday, May 14, 11 to 1, at the LifeWay store in Brea, CA. If you're in Orange County, please stop by and say hello! You can find deets on the events page of my website.

As for my virtual tour, I'll be at Carlybird's Home through tomorrow. Carly's a reviewer with a fiction-packed blog. I hope you'll stop by to learn more about Fade2Blue, and to also meet Carly!

Have a beach day, my friends ~ wherever you are ...

Friday Giveaway; Saturday Signing

Busy Friday for me ... almost feels like Monday! That's a photo one of my daughters took of me walking along the sand one sunny afternoon in nearby Carpinteria. Ahhh... Anyway, tons to do but I wanted to pop in and let you know a couple of things. The wonderful author Lena Nelson Dooley interviewed me for her blog and she's giving away a copy of Fade to Blue. Please stop in at Lena's blog and enter, won't you?

If you're local, I'll be signing copies of Fade2Blue tomorrow, May 7, at the Ventura Barnes & Noble store, from 11 am to 1 pm. Would love to see some friendly faces :)

Off to write and edit and market and various other activities that are on my Friday plate. Have a beachy day (and weekend!) my friends ... wherever you are!

Work it till you burn it ...

Teen girl and I joined a gym recently, but I've only been in twice. Like everything else that's worthwhile, it takes some planning and energy to actually get there. I keep saying I'm going to write early, then go workout in late morning. Only I get caught up with other things and never make it. Then I have to go with her in the evening when it's busy.

She thrives on the crowds that are at the gym at night. I get tense just looking for a parking space. She wants to move to The City when she's out of high school, I just want to sit on the beach. See our issues?

Today I'm going to make it. I'm typing this just to make sure. I lead a small group of teens in my home tonight, and the dog hair needs to be swept up around the house, I need to plan the actual study, and I have a chapter to write, but dadgumit, I'm going to make it to the gym this morning! (Maybe someone can check back and see if I actually did :).

What do you drag your feet about?
p.s. I posted this photo of SpongeBob because it's funny. See how easily distracted I am???

To the beach (I wish)

Keisha, the battery-operated doll that my daughter brought home from her child development class, has gone back to school and I couldn't be happier. Like a real baby, the doll cries when it wants to be fed, changed, burped ... or for no apparent reason at all. If my daughter (the student) didn't attend to the "baby's" needs pronto, a printout will tell the tale--and she'll be docked points. Did I mention the doll cries all through the night?

If this doesn't dissuade teens from having children before it's time, nothing will.

Needless to say, I felt a bit like a grandma this weekend (horrors!!!), which is why I'm relating to that sign above. Kind of feel like going to the beach. Want to join me? LOL

Blog tour stop numero uno

The blog tour for Fade to Blue officially starts today so you can find me over at Jamie Carie's Blog. Jamie's an amazing writer and friend, and I know you'll love her, so please stop by. I received my first copy in the mail today ... it's beautiful. Honestly, good job B&H Publishing! It's glossy, and ocean-y, and I hope it finds its way to nightstands and coffee tables everywhere :)

Stop by Jamie's blog for my interview and a chance to win a copy for yourself: Jamie's Blog

Look what flew in?

Aren't they sweet? These duckies flew in to the backyard recently. I think they're the same two I saw waddling down the sidewalk early one morning on my run to the beach. We've also seen lots of herons and pelicans flying overhead ... just not landing on the patio (although we do watch out for their, ahem, missiles ;0)

Writing today, and looking forward to American Idol tonight. I hear they'll be some dueling duets to watch. Wondering what Steven Tyler will say about that ... the man has lots to say, doesn't he? Not a fan of the profanity, but love the creative stuff. My favorite so far was when he told James last week "...you're out of your mind, beautifully so." Haha ... been there. At least the out of my mind part ;-)

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

On truffles & community spirit ...

I seriously OD'd on chocolate yesterday, and not just any chocolate, but SEE'S candy chocolate ~ yum! I knew my dad would bring some over last evening (it's a pattern :), so I saved plenty of room. Which is why I'm nursing this sugar hangover at the moment ...

Speaking of decadent treats, Truffles by the Sea is now available on Kindle and Nook for $2.99. Gaby Flores is truly one of my favorite heroines. I based her on someone I know (who shall remain nameless and clueless, Lol) and that has made her even more beloved in my mind.

Oh, and did you see yesterday's post? Known as Serra Cross, the original cross was erected in Ventura in the 1700s, and became a beacon for travelers. A number of years ago, though, the community rallied to keep it in place after someone sued the city for its presence. A foundation formed, bought the property, and now the beautiful site is open for visitors. I mention it because Gaby has a special moment up at that cross in Truffles by the Sea.

Hope y'all had an amazing weekend. Make it a great (and beachy :) week my friends ~ wherever you are ...

Easter sunrise service under a slow rain. Beautiful.

Happy Easter

College boy is home for the week and suddenly our house has, well, shrunk. Last night a bunch of his friends dropped over at 11:00 ... at night. The firepit is still smoldering outside! Funny how the dynamics change when one chickadee comes home.

Good times, though. Having a little family gathering over here tomorrow to celebrate Easter, so I'm getting ready to be the task master and start doling out jobs to whip this beach cottage into shape. A mom's gotta do what she's gotta do!

Attended Good Friday service yesterday and was so overcome by the enormity of what Jesus did for us. That reminder makes tomorrow's party just that more joyful. Hope you have a good one, friends! (And, of course, have a beachy weekend ... wherever you are :-)

Holy Guacamole by Dan & Denise Harmer

Nestled along San Diego's coast, the former romantic getaway of the silver screen's most notorious lovers is now the sizzling hacienda of Bonnie Miller's culinary boot camp. "If you are what you eat, make it hot, spicy and irresistible," is her motto, and this queen of Southwestern cuisine enjoys quite a savory life; success, fame, and a reputation for the finest palate west of Barcelona.

That is, until a pot-rattling bang causes Trace Domingo, a washed-up sports writer, to crash into her life. His arrival turns up the heat at the culinary boot camp as Bonnie discovers in life's recipe book, it is not the spices which add the most flavor, but how truly hungry you are.

How's that for an intro?

I met Dan Harmer years ago at a writer's conference when we sat at the same table for lunch and I casually suggested he buy my first novel for his wife. (I had just taken Chutzpah 101 at the conference ...) Dan did, and then his wife, Denise, read it. When she joined him at the conference the following year, she asked me to sign a couple of books for her. How could we not become friends after that? :-)

Now Dan and Denise have released their own first novel, Holy Guacamole (love the title)! I've read an excerpt and ordered myself a copy from Amazon. You can also find it at Barnes and Noble. Can't wait to receive it!

You can read more about the Harmers here:
Denise, a former stenographer and devourer of books, is the couple’s editor and technician. Dan fine tuned his creative storytelling in high school as a way of explaining why he missed class whenever the surf was up. Their shared passion for the written word has led to a growing collection of awards. The couple enjoys living in Southern California’s “Avocado Capital of the World” where they maintain a laid-back lifestyle as they run a cabinet shop, raise four children, and tend a small ranch. Okay, maybe it does get a little hectic.

Or visit them at their website, JointVentureBooks.

Oh, and you'll love this ... Dan and Denise launched their debut with a Guacamole-making contest. Here you'll find the yummy winning recipes . Happy dip-making :)

At the Copa ...

If you're looking for the post about writing myself into a corner, you'll find it below. I'm writing today, so instead of a thought-provoking, insightful post (Lol), I've posted a beach shot instead. Took this photo at the Copa Cabana Beach Soccer Tourney that took place over the weekend at Oxnard Shores. Great weather for it ... ahhh, but it's drizzling today. Quirky!

Have a beachy day, my friends ... wherever you are (for me that would be in front of a computer screen all day :-)

On writing my way out of a corner

I don't start off intending to write issue-driven stories. By that I mean that I don't think of a charged issue and decide to write a story around the topic. Instead, the issues that crop up in my books come about organically from the lives of the characters. (Kind of an artsy, overused word, but you get the pic. Right?)

The reviews of Fade to Blue are beginning to appear, and I'm told that my next Otter Bay Novel will actually start showing up on shelves early. While I didn't write this book to be controversial, I did write myself into a corner at one point. If this was a book for the general market, I probably could have moved on more easily (although it would have nagged at me). But it's not. Her faith is the point on which heroine Suz Mitchell pivots.

Thankfully ~ as I wrestled to the point of a near-ulcer over the issue ~ my pastor delivered a sermon that provided the perspective necessary to finding my way out of that corner. No peptic medication needed! :)

I love this book and hope readers do too. I don't read reviews unless they're sent to me, however, as this one was from Author's Choice Reviews. It touched me that the reviewer mentioned one particular issue that cropped up in the book, one that can provoke controversy, especially in the Christian community. Here's a snippet: A story of two futures and learning to listen to God's leading. Clear teaching on divorce while revealing the heart of God for healing and restoration. And it all takes place on a beautiful California coast.

The review doesn't give anything away--and neither will I. But if you'd like to read an excerpt for yourself, you can do just that on Amazon. First pages of Fade to Blue.

Happy reading ~ and have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :-)

flipper and meow

Posted this on my Facebook page, but couldn't leave my blog friends out, now could I? Anyone who knows me knows that I am a SUCKER for dolphins. LOVE them so much that I squeal like a little girl every time I see them out here on the coast. Even at my age :D

Sunny gardens and other happy thoughts

I wasn't kidding yesterday about playing hooky. Hubby and I drove college boy back to school in the morning (about 2 hours away), then headed up to San Marino to take in the Huntington Library. I've mentioned the Huntington before--it's a museum and botanical gardens spread out over 100++ acres. It's far from the beach, which is sad, but the happy part is that it's warm out there. Something about walking through a sunny garden on your birthday that feels so nice ...

Hubby snapped this photo as we took in the Chinese Gardens, which I'm happy to say, contain a huge pond -- a small lake, really -- with oodles of fat koi fish swimming around. Not too surprising that I'm drawn to this area of the grounds, is it? Lol

It's back to work today with some fun projects and, of course, a big cup of chai tea by my side. I'm refreshed today, and ready to work. Guess all that hooky paid off :) Here's a link to the Huntington if you're interested in learning more.

Here's to taking breaks and gaining a second wind!

On cupcakes, theology, and taking the day off ...

My son came home over the weekend and took this photo from the hills above Ventura. Look at that pretty blue sea out there ... just love it.

Today's my b'day. Since college boy was home for the weekend, we did a little pizza and cupcake party with my parents last night. After eating a chocolate cupcake loaded with cream cheese frosting (really, really, REALLY, good!), we walked along the breezy harbor. Like that would really help us burn the fat. I know, I know ~ nice try. Still, so much fun! (And on the upside, there's a gym nearby that teen daughter and I are determined to join :)

My daughters surprised me with this cool mug, which led into a bit of a theological discussion since college boy is majoring in Christian Ministry. A sort of Arminian vs. Calvinism thing. Whatever. As far as I'm concerned it's a perfect message for a writer. And it'll hold A LOT of chai tea :D

I'm off to procrastinate so have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are ... (And I'd love to hear that you celebrated my b'day by having a decadent slice of chocolate something. We can share workout stories later!)

waves of grace

Had this long-winded post all ready for you today ... and decided to wait because it's Friday. Who wants to think on a Friday? Ha! Instead, here's a link to my most recent Waves of Grace News. Like I promised on Facebook, it's not boring (at least I hope you won't think it is!). It gives a glimpse into some of the inspiration behind Fade to Blue, info on upcoming signings, and ... seaside trivia :-)

Happy reading ... and have a beachy weekend my friends, wherever you are!

Click for Waves of Grace News

How do you stir it up?

I'm starting to get why so many of my author friends write in Starbucks. I tend to prefer the quiet of my home office because a) I talk to myself and my characters when I write, and b) I'm usually barefoot or maybe wearing slippers. But lately I've been reading through one of my older books, Truffles by the Sea (it will be an eBook soon), and finding myself laughing out loud. It's like visiting my past ~ so many of the things that I was into at the time made it into that book. Back then I kayaked more, talked with neighbors more, and walked around downtown more. Recently? Not so much. I've been doing a lot of editing and marketing lately, and know what I'm realizing? Sitting in a quiet office is boring. And who wants boring in a book?

So in the past few days, I drove to Venice Beach ~ twice, watched pre-teen girl play soccer, went to my friend's ranch in Ojai, and visited my wily baby nephews in the Valley. Explains why I've had a bad back for a few days, but oh so worth it. THIS is living. I tried to soak up more of the conversations around me, the quirks of the people (Haha, Mom, don't worry :), and the situations that occurred that show life in all its colorful glory.

My laptop is slow and quirky, so I doubt you'll find me in Starbucks writing any time soon, but I'm definitely planning to take more breaks from my oh-so quiet office to people watch. Cuz I have some writing to do :)

If you're a writer, how do you "stir it up?"

Soul inspiring ...

LOVE this awe-inspiring interview with Sarah Hill (Carrie Underwood plays her in the movie, Soul Survivor). The movie, Soul Survivor, is the true story of Bethany Hamilton's triumph over tragedy, and Sarah Hill was her youth pastor.

Read the Titletrakk.com Interview.

Spring!

It's spring break around here which means more excuses to go to the beach :) Dan and I watched the sunset from the sand several times already, and we haven't been alone. Something about the days yawning and stretching into the night brings out neighbors in droves. Lots of doggies frolicking, crazy kids skipping through cold water, and friends strolling until well after the afterglow. Since I work from home, I find myself torn between keeping the writer's mantra of BIC (butt in chair) or playing hooky with the swarm of kids outside.

Know what I mean?

What do you do when the kids are on break? Take off from work or send them outside with instructions to stay out until the street lights go on? (Haha ... I've never actually said that, but I heard it somewhere and it sounded good ...)

Even if you don't have kids at home, does springtime bring out the wanderlust in you as it does me?

Beach town tour

Just watched this and had to post. My friend, Sherry Kyle, made this super fun video tour of Capitola by the Sea, the setting of her debut novel, Delivered with Love. Love the bloopers at the end! I think it's time for a vacation northward ...

Why wait?

Had breakfast with a friend this morning, and then hit the beach for a quick breath of ocean air. I've been waiting a lot lately, and so has my friend. Come to think of it, so have many others among my family and friends. Waiting's no fun, but it's life. My friend's waiting for her house to sell, my daughter's waiting for her SAT results, I'm waiting to learn how my efforts will pay off, and someone, somewhere is waiting for medical test results (I've been there a lot too).

That's why I sat at the beach for a few minutes this morning. I've got work piled up on my desk, but I wasn't ready to face it all. The respite helped clear my head and provided a way to gain a new perspective on waiting. About the wait she's facing, my friend said, "God's a big God," and that reminded me of a Proverb I read this morning: "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."

I'm choosing to take refuge in him today. Join me?

Groovy Links

Found this chocolate button on a post from this blog in 2006. (Man, I've been doing this a long time!) Good to know you can still get a fine virtual chocolate when you need one! It's only Tuesday, but I'm in the mood for chocolate breakfast. Basically, I've got a ton of work on my desk, but I'd rather play hooky and go to the beach. With chocolate. And another latte.

Speaking of good times, I started this blog at the request, no, strike that, at the urging of a blogger that I stalked visited regularly. HolyMama introduced me to the blogosphere before a lot of us even knew how to check our email. I read everything this quintessential mommy blogger wrote, often commenting, and she finally sent me an email and said ~ and I'm paraphrasing ~ get your own blog already! So I did. This was long before Facebook took over the minds and free time of most of the world, when moms had this sort of underworld where we talked openly about the joys (oh, the joys! haha) of motherhood.

HolyMama and I kept up for a long time, sometimes writing "off-loop," until life got in the way. Or maybe it was Facebook that got in the way. Then the other day, I decided to update the Groovy Links on my sidebar with some new pals and to delete "dead" links ~ those bloggers who had fallen victim to other social networks and had deleted their blogs. And guess who I ran into?

Yeah, an old friend. Maybe I'll send her a virtual chocolate :)

Another Dawn

Katie Cushman has the ability to write stories that conflict us as we find ourselves rooting, at different times, for each side of an issue. She's done that again with her newest release, Another Dawn.

I took this novel with me to pre-teen girl's soccer practice, and sat in my car, nearly biting my nails. At one point, I put down the book and texted my pal, Katie: "Your book has me so stressed out! Lol"

I finished the story that night. It was that good. I'd have told her in person, but we recently had to reschedule our once-every-few-months lunch date. (We like this place along the coast that puts lobster in all kinds of things: salads, sandwiches ... mac 'n' cheese!)

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention ... Another Dawn is partially set in Ventura. Love it. Here's the blurb from Katie's website:

Grace Graham returns to Shoal Creek, Tennessee with her four-year-old son on a short unpaid leave from work. Her goal: help her father recover from surgery, and spend some quality time with her sister.

But Shoal Creek seems more backward than ever after her years in California, and it's hard to find organic food anywhere. When the unthinkable happens and her son is diagnosed with measles, Grace's fears over modern medicine take a dangerous turn.

Worse, the town has fallen into quarantine and its residents focus their anger and blame on Grace. She is alone and scared, until one brave woman chooses to reach out a hand of forgiveness and mercy. But when the outbreak takes a life-threatening turn, will Grace be able to forgive herself?

You can visit Katie at her website: KathrynCushman.com (or wave at us if you're driving along the central coast :).

Fade to Blue in Romantic Times

I don't read all my reviews. I used to, but after five books, I've realized the perils of having your ego inflated one day and your heart ripped out and stomped on the next. (Is this TMI? LOL)

That said, I did learn the other day that Romantic Times gave my upcoming novel, Fade to Blue, a 4-star rating. Considering my first three books only received threes (*sniff*), this was nice news to receive.

Here's to good news. Hope you receive some this week too! Have a beachy weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are ...

Phun Pholks

I'm surrounded by smart and creative peeps! My friends, Sally and Scott, developed an app for the iPad. I don't have an iPad, but my papa does ~ hoping to "borrow" it so I can try this out :-) Phrase Phrenzy is all about quotes. Instead of having to figure out a word, you have to beat the clock to figure out a famous quote. Kind of Trivial Pursuit-ish.

Here's the link for Phrase Phrenzy. If you try it out, let me know ... and have a beachy day, my friends, wherever you are.

On dreaming

I spotted a homely house recently (Get it? Homely? :). It's shaped like a box and painted a hideous color. Apparently, the owners planned it that way, so I guess they wouldn't agree with me. But yesterday, the sun was shining after the rain, so pre-teen girl and I drove by the offending structure so I could dream a bit. She snapped a photo, but how would that be if I posted it here? Probably not so good ~ ha.

So anyway, I told pre-teen girl that if that were my house, I'd paint it a soft cream color, add blue painted shutters and window boxes stuffed with flora. I'd also erect a grape arbor leading into the courtyard, and rip out all the succulents, replacing them with flowing vines. Today I added that I might even give the outside a faux finish, making it look like an old Tuscan villa.

My girl kept laughing at me, saying I was in the wrong business. She thinks my creativity should be applied to houses not books (apparently, I re-do a lot of houses out loud :-). Truth is, I probably wouldn't have the patience to flip a house, or move too often, so I apply my wandering mind to writing. It's like a sickness or something. Lol

By the way, this is a photo I took from inside a beach cottage near Kevin Costner's house. The folks who own it are getting ready to tear it down, and I'm so sad because I love it just the way it is! Go figure.

Delivered with ... Love

Updated at 10:30 am pst: If you pre-order Sherry's novel today, she'll enter you in a drawing for a Starbucks giftcard and Capitola souvenir! Just leave a comment on this post letting her know that you've pre-ordered, and you'll be entered.

Such a cute cover! Didn't I tell you? Sherry Kyle and I met last year at the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers conference and I had the privilege of reading an advanced copy of her debut novel, Delivered with Love. She had me at "It's set on the West Coast." :) Here's the blurb from Sherry's website:

An old love letter found in the glove compartment of a young woman's inherited 1972 Volkswagen propels her to leave her life in Los Angeles and go to the small town of Capitola, California. There her dream of finding the writer of the letter leads her on an unexpected journey that changes her life forever.

Claire James, age twenty-three, is ready to make it on her own. When she's fired from her job as a waitress and subsequently kicked out of her sister's home, she sees it as an opportunity to start over. But even before moving, a thirty-five-year-old love letter written to her mother keeps Claire stuck in the past. Michael Thompson, a middle-aged real estate agent, wants to keep the past where it belongs - at least until his grown daughter is married. But, then a young woman comes to town . . .

Delivered with Love is a fun and charming debut that will whisk you away on a sea breeze. You can pre-order it on Amazon, but you won't have to wait long. It's due out on April 1. Have a beachy weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Congrats!

Welcome to all new subscribers of my Waves of Grace news. Congratulations go to LUANN, winner of an Otter Bay Novel of your choice! Thanks all for playing :)

Tomorrow I'm going to post about a friend's new novel with the CUTEST cover ever! Please come back and check it out. In the meantime, I'm off to figure out what to wear to the FIDM Fashion Show in LA. Teen Girl is the fashionista in the family (not me!), and I'm just wondering if flip-flops will be allowed inside those doors. Hmm...

Oh, m-o-m ... !

Received this barrage of texts from College Boy the other day (yes, that's my answer in white). He posted it on Facebook for all our friends to see. Lovely. I told him that this sorta reminded me of when he was two and I was trying to use the restroom ...

As one mom commented, "Isn't it great to be loved?"

:)

I watched Brad propose to Emily last night. Well, I was actually beating Teen Daughter (haha...just barely) at a game of Words Free (an app on our iPods), while listening to the proposal. Anyhoo, the most dramatic season ever was not really. All season long we've been told in spoilers that Chantal won the man of her dreams, until a couple of weeks ago when someone spoiled the errant spoiler and let it out that, actually, Emily was the girl for Brad.

Far more interesting was the After the Rose show. Emily had a fire in her we hadn't seen all season (admittedly, I fast-forwarded through much of it, but still). Although Brad and Emily seemed very much in love during the final rose show, it was apparent that something had changed. The girl was irked.

Turns out that watching the show back over the past six weeks showed Emily things about her fiance that she didn't want to see. Things like him macking with other women and professing love for them. Stuff like that. How ironic that the show that brought them together is now tearing them apart! Or should I say poetic?

Brad told her that he fell in love with her early in the season, and yet while watching the show, this wasn't so apparent to Emily. She's questioning everything now ... Brad's promises, his sincerity, the reality of their entire relationship. Stuff that novels are made of, I tell you ;-) (Now you understand why I watch this show???)

Wonder if this story will have a happy ending, because right now, it's more of a cliff-hanger. Opinions?

Otter Bay Novel Giveaway

Anybody else have a hard time waking up today? I kind of feel like these signs ... not sure which way is which. Nothing like losing an hour to throw off the body clock. At least I don't have babies in the house anymore (other than, well, myself :) Oh, how babies refuse to readily adjust to DST!

Ah, well. I'm getting ready to send out my latest newsletter, the one I write occasionally. If you're not on my list, here's a fun incentive: I'll be giving away a book to one NEW subscriber, and I'll give that person a choice of any of the Otter Bay Novels ~ including the forthcoming, Fade to Blue.

Sound good?

You can sign up on my sidebar, or over on the home page of my website. Feel free to pass this along to friends. I'll choose a winner on Thursday morning. In the meantime, I'm on the lookout for cool, coastal tidbits to put in the newsletter for ALL subscribers to enjoy.

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

no tsunami here (so far)

Quick post about the central coast ... I learned the news about Japan right before bed last night, and prayed fervently for those poor people. Had a hard time sleeping thinking about it all. Also remembered that after the Chilean earthquake last year, there was a big surge in our nearby harbor. Lots of property damage, but people were a-okay.

College boy took the train home yesterday, so hubby said we could leave our cell phones off. (We always leave them on when any one of the kiddos is not home. It's just a thing with us.) I said, "No way." Had this weird feeling we might get some sort of surge along the coast again and wanted my phone handy. And my robe, haha.

So it was super surreal to wake up this morning to an emergency call from our city warning of possible tsunami. Ack. At least they gave us an expected time of arrival. I packed up the dog, and woke up college boy. The girls were already getting ready for class, and were much chagrined that the only school closure was the little elementary school by the beach. College boy, Charlie the Dog, and I headed to my parents home where we ate too much breakfast and watched the news.

We're back now and all seems churned up but fine, yay! There have been some VERY LOUD helicopters over our beach cottage, but they appear to be the news variety and not sheriff patrols. So that's good news (except that cameras just may well be snapping pics of the poor state of my landscaping ...)

Let's all keep praying for the suffering people in Japan!

Spring forward 2011

It's that time again. Birds chirp on the patio, days grow, and rays of sunshine illuminate my need to clean the windows. Don't think of it as losing an hour of beauty sleep (sigh), make it a reminder that ... summer's comin'!

This is Mom and me at the Huntington Library last summer. We were having tea with Pre-teen and Teen Girl before they headed back to school. We also stole away to the Huntington before last Christmas. It's a bit of a drive, but oh so worth it ~ especially with warmer days coming. If you're close to So Cal, go! You'll love it. In addition to the vast gardens, you can tour the art museums ... you'll find Blue Boy and Pinkie there, among other displays. And water! You know how much I love water ... Haha!

Okay, so there's no ocean in sight, but there are ponds of all kinds. Here's one I love. Has a bridge and everything. (Don't forget to 'spring forward' one hour on Saturday :)

TGI FRIDAY

Happy Friday, peeps! I'm over at the CAN blog today, talking about Crafting the Personal Experience Story. If you're interested in writing your own story, stop on by :)

What a week! No need to bore you with the details, but if you're breathing, I'm sure you can relate to busyness and the desire for some beach time, Lol Except for having to run an important errand this morning, I've been stuck in front of my computer screen much of the day, on deadlines. And don't get me started about all the other deadlines and tasks of this week! I think I'm getting carpal tunnel and shoulder tunnel ~ okay, I made that 2nd one up, but that's what it feels like! Inside my head a voice keeps saying, "Step away from the computer and no body parts get hurt."

Fortunately, there's no rain in the weekend forecast and we've got at least one soccer game to watch. No computers allowed! ;-) Can't wait!

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

Happy Wednesday, Friends! It's crazy town as we help pre-teen girl with her project for the big school science fair tomorrow. Plus, I've got a couple of writing deadlines, there's been sickness dragging down the girls, and we've got middle school small group here tonight. Ack.

But wanted to pop in and tell you that the rain broke mid morning and I wandered out to the sea. On my way I found two duckies waddling down our street. LOL Sometimes they fly over, but it's kind of rare to find them on the sidewalk. Then I jogged to the beach and saw a pod of dolphins leisurely making their way north. SO COOL! Okay, I've seen that a lot, but I love it every time. Thank you, God, for making dolphins!

It's back to work for me, but I wanted to post this video (and I'm biting my fingernails now ...) of a recent interview that my publisher B&H put together. Except for the lack of a gauzy filter (ala Barbara Walters), I think they did a nice job. Feel free to pass it along, if you'd like.

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

Happy B'day, JB

Pre-Teen Girl wore purple to school today to mark the occasion ...

So I took in Justin Bieber's documentary, Never Say Never, last Sunday with a group of middle school kids and - du, du, du - LOVED it. This is a photo of us at the theater in downtown Ventura (a stone's throw from the beach). I thought I might get bored, so I bought a large popcorn and settled in. Far from it! I giggled, sang, and got all teary-eyed at one point! (Missy, if you're reading this, I know you did too!!!)

Hubby and I were at the same theater the night before to see The King's Speech (loved that too, btw), but I found this movie just as entertaining (in a different way). Inspirational too. Say what you want, but the kiddo's got talent. And a pretty cool team around him.

There were moments of prayer sprinkled throughout the film, so I said one myself for JB at the end of the movie. So hoping all the hoopla doesn't do to him what it's done to so many others his age. Here's to answered prayers ...

Did YOU watch the Oscars last night?

My son's away at school. This is what his friends do when they're not studying (hmm ... they've made a lot of these videos ...) Matt makes a cameo :)

You must have a sense of humor ...

to view this video.

So last week, College Boy came home for the weekend and made me watch a ton of silly videos produced by Julian Smith. I don't know about you, but I DON'T HAVE TIME to watch a bunch of online videos! But my kiddo was home and I was tired so I plunked myself down ... and laughed. so. hard. The guy is really, really, really ridiculous. And funny.

So College Boy is back at BIOLA and he posted this video on my Facebook wall. It's Julian's family doing a parody of his I'm Reading A Book video (a favorite among writers). If you haven't seen any of Justin's stuff, this one might not have as big an impact because there are all kinds of hidden nods to his other videos.

Then again, if you're a lousy cook like I am, you'll get something out of it. This video is basically my life ... hahaha.

p.s. Doesn't Julian's mother look young? Kind of like College Boy's mama, LOL

Free Reads

To chase away the winter blahs, blogger Diane Estrella (and frequent visitor to my Waves of Grace Blog) will be featuring authors and giving away books all week long. Free novels! Who doesn't love that?!

Stop by That's What I'm Here For for details. A Shore Thing will be featured on Friday :-)

Have a beachy day my friends ~ wherever you are ...

Pondo 2011

Hung out last weekend with our church's middle and high school kids at winter camp, about 3 hours from the beach. No snow (that's coming this weekend ... grrr), but we did find some leftover patches to play in on camp grounds. And in a last-minute maneuver, we drove north a bit and found a snow-tubing area just south of Snow Valley.

Let me just say ... man-made snow is fast! I couldn't let the young 'uns show me up, so I found myself careening down the steepest, iciest hills face-first on an inner tube. Laughed. My. Head. Off. Okay, not really. It's still attached. But still! The oldest of the group ~ including counselors ~ was like, 21. And then there was me. LOL

And, oh yeah, it was church winter camp so we talked a lot about God. Did you know that YOU are His Masterpiece? Yup, you are! That was the best news of all ~ snow or no snow :-)

Love thoughts continued ...

Talk about someone who has bewitched me, body and soul ...! The love of my life brought me these today: romantic card, roses, and my favorite candles ever :)

Happy Valentine's Day

You have bewitched me, body & soul ...

Love is in the air and my friend, Jamie Carie, author of Snow Angel, has an oh-so romantic Valentine's Day message for us all ~ ooh, la, la ;-)) Behold ... love lines from some of her novels.

p.s. Do you know which movie my blog post's title is from?

One thing about the beach I could live without is wind. We get a lot of it. Today the winds howl, palm fronds shoot like missiles, and the plants beg for mercy from the dry ground.

At least it's not freezing here like it is in some parts of the country. Oh, wait. The nights are below freezing in the local mountains ... and guess who signed up to be a counselor at middle school winter camp this weekend? That would be me :-) Love the girls. Not crazy about the cold. Brrr...

Despite the cold, I'm looking forward to seeing what the good Lord has in store for us all up on that mountain. I've been in a weird place for several months, questioning, thinking, praying, trying to make certain decisons ... you know that place? If you're breathing, somehow I think you do!

Anyway, here's to swapping out wind for cold. I'll let you know how it goes ... :)

Fade to ... Friday

It's Friday! Yes! It's nippy outside, but the sun's shining overhead so I'm determined to bundle up and get myself to the beach. Fade to Blue is going to print in about a week so there've been all kinds of details to finish up ... but we're almost there. Good feeling!

If you're not on my mailing list, you missed receiving a copy of my latest newsy news. You can read an archived copy of my newsletter ~ where I mention a humorous discussion (sort of ) with a soccer mom about Snooki and me ~ here.

If you're a writer interested in the whole eBook phenomenon, I'm over at the CANblog today talking about my recent experience with publishing one of my own titles in eBook form. It's short and sweet and you can read that here.

I'm off to look at back cover copy of my next summer title ... fun! Hope your day wraps up quickly too, and that you find time to head to the beach or the mountain or wherever makes you happy. Have a beachy weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are :-)

Extra powdered sugar, please!

I've been working through the galley of Fade to Blue but needed a break. So I'm thinking about food. Isn't this breakfast ridiculous? I'm not a big breakfast person but we were near Solvang yesterday, a little Danish town not far from the coast, and couldn't resist. Pre-teen girl had a soccer game that got us up before 6, so after the game we popped in to Paula's Pancake House for sustenance. Had to wait a 1/2 hour because dozens and dozens of soccer players had the same idea. So worth the wait, though. Those are "Danish" pancakes in the photo. Thin pancakes that were still too big for me to finish, but yum. Probably learning too much about me but I always order bacon and poached eggs with my carbs, Lol

It's Monday and I'm back to eating a bowl of cereal at my desk. Such is life. Have a good one ...

Smile so they wonder what you've been up to.

Sun's shining and God's answering prayers with specific direction. Can't beat that!

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

Calgon ~ get thee over here

So much drama. So much angst. Have I mentioned I have a pre-teen and two teens in the house? One's heading back to college this weekend, but still. I love my kids, I do, I do! But it's the world I'm not so crazy about at the moment. How do I explain to them why things are often soooo difficult? (Other than the satan issue ...) Ah, well. When there are fallible humans running things, there are going to be issues. Am I right?

Oh, to be a mermaid in a luxurious seaside bath!

Look what I found!

Happy Friday, guys and gals! Saw this beach buggy in a local parking lot and did what I always do ... stopped to snap a photo. Isn't she cute? If you've read this blog for awhile, you know I have a thing for beach cruising. You can read previous posts about my obsession at these links: VW Thing (or Thang :) and Country Squire.

I forgot to look for a name when I abruptly stopped to gawk at this cutey patooty, but it's some kind of Woody. Can't you just see yourself cruisin' in it??!

Sun's out along the California coast! Have a beachy weekend my friends ~ whatever you're drivin' ;-)

If you're near a computer tomorrow, I'll be chatting with host Sharon Leaf of BlogTalkRadio.com on the Gate Beautiful program. Sharon's a California-girl-turned-South-Carolina-girl who often visits this blog and my Facebook. I'm excited to finally "meet" her voice to voice! Here's the link if you'd like to listen in. I'll be on at 12:45 Central time: BlogTalkRadio

You can also check it out later in the archives.

On another note, I got my influencers for Fade to Blue. Thanks all! Books are on their way. Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are ...

Fade to Blue ~ ARC giveaway

Just received a box of ARCs ~ Advanced Reader Copies ~ of Fade to Blue. These are the copies that go out to media prior to the book's release (which will be in May). UPS accidentally delivered them to my neighbor and she didn't open the box right away (she gets deliveries almost daily). Thankfully she opened this one up before the weekend ~ yahoo! We had a little gushing session at my front door :)) It's not the final-final yet, but pretty close. And it has a coffee table-worthy cover, so it's a good day.

If you're interested in reading the ARC of Fade to Blue, I have five copies to give away to influencers. To be legit, all I ask in return is that you write up a review and post on some of the biggies, such as Amazon, B&N, your blog, etc, around the time of release. Interested? Drop me an email: julie at juliecarobini dot com.

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

Chocolate Beach, the eBook

My mom left for TX via train yesterday, and with her she took the Nook my brothers and I gave her for Christmas. She bought one book and downloaded a bunch of freebies. If she runs out of reading material, no problem ... she'll just download more. From the train. In the middle of nowhere. Times are a changin', people!

Even though I'm still a bit of a purist when it comes to reading for pleasure ~ I still keep a book made of PAPER on my nightstand, for goodness sake! ~ I do have a Kindle app on my iPhone and I've been known to use it. Lol

I've also stepped into the e-reading phenomenon as a writer. My Otter Bay Novels are all available in eBook form, but my earlier chocolate books never quite got that far ~ until yesterday when I uploaded the first one to Smashwords and Amazon. Thanks to some of my family and blogger friends, Chocolate Beach, my zany debut, now has recipes! It also contains a very special interview with Doug Stone, the protagonist's hubby.

If you've never had the chance to read it and would like to, you can download it to just about any device for $2.99. (I know, right?) Here's the link to Smashwords, or if you have a Kindle, go directly to Amazon. (It's not available on B&N yet, but will be within a couple of weeks.)

Happy reading! Special thanks to Diane & Samantha Carobine, Diane Estrella, and Stacy Johnson for sharing your recipes with me. The rest came from Bri Stone's kitchen :)

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

Elephant Seals!

As much as I LOVE my work, I'd rather be heading up north to see the elephant seal pups being birthed this time of year. If you ever get the chance to visit the central coast Dec. through March, DO! Here's a link to some great viewing spots near San Simeon that cost nothing but gas money (which, I know, can be a lot, but still ...): Friends of the Elephant Seal. (The website's a bit involved, but if you're at all interested, it'll give you the info you need.) Or go here for quick info: elephant seals

If you decide to stay in the area, one of our favorite places is the Fogcatcher Inn on Moonstone Beach Drive. If you've read any of my Otter Bay Novels, you'll find the area, um, quite familiar :) We like the Fogcatcher because the rooms are comfy, a decent size for our family, and they have great breakfasts (what can I say ... my kids love to eat). If you're looking for a romantic spot, there are lots of cozier, beachfront places along Moonstone, too. We've stayed at quite a few, so feel free to drop me an email if you're looking for a recommendation.

Ah, well. It's back to work today. I've got endorsements to write, a proposal to finish, and that eBook to complete and upload. But that doesn't mean I won't be dreaming about heading north ...

The wonder of seashells ...

My friend, Angel, posted this on my FB wall. Our daughters went on a little photography excursion in the neighborhood and this unbroken shell was one of their finds. It's exquisite, if you really look at it, and makes me want to stop and smell the seashells for a moment. I don't seem to do enough of that anymore, so thanks, Ang, for the brief interlude.

Hope y'all enjoyed it too. Have a beachy week, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Chocolate post

My amazingly generous web designer, Kelli Standish, gave me a Chocomize card for Christmas. I can choose my own chocolate base (dark, milk, or white) and add up to five ingredients from over 100. Woot-woot! I'm open to suggestions! (But just know that in the end I'll change my mind ten times then do whatever I want ... haha.)

Speaking of chocolate, we visited Dylan's Candy Bar in NYC a couple of weeks ago. The place was PACKED! But that didn't stop my girls from visiting the chocolate fountain (they dipped rice krispy treats) and me from standing in one super long line just to buy a stack of chocolate bars. Hubby and son were patient through the entire obsession ... they didn't even have one bite, though. Hard to understand. Don't they understand the wallowing value of chocolate? Were they never teenagers? :-)

One last note about the almighty chocolate ... I'm looking for a few creative chocolate recipes to include in an upcoming e-book. Already have the majority, but if you'd like to submit yours for possible inclusion, please do! There's no monetary compensation, but if your recipe makes the cut, I see a free book in you future ;-) Send it on over through the Contact Page of my website and I'll let you know either way. Best to you!

Have a beachy week my friends (rain or shine!) ~ wherever you are ...

snow ...

Heading back to California today, but before we do, the girls are out sledding. Sort of a last hurrah in the snow before we get back to the sandy beach. It's been between 6 and 20 degrees here in PA almost our whole trip, so I'm looking forward to a little warmth. I heard it's been raining most of the time we've been gone, but it's got to be above 20 degrees back home...am I right??!

I'll post a photo or some video lateer. We've been catching a stray signal the whole time we've been in this small town in PA, so thanks to whoever's been providing that :) Hopefully it'll still be available after the sledding fun.

Here's to a beachy week, my friends ~ wherever you are (and a Happy New Year too!)

Merry Christmas, Friends!

Christmas NY style

Took a nearly spur of the moment trip to NYC yesterday. We've only been once previously so decided to check out The Big Apple at Christmastime. In 8 hours we ate at Europa Cafe, toured The Plaza (looking for Eloise, naturally), and waded through the crowd at Dylan's. The girls also ice skated beneath the 65+ ft. Christmas tree in Rockefeller Ctr. and my college boy ate 3 vendor dogs (aka 'dirty water dogs). We topped it off with dinner at Juniors (yes, we had the cheesecake) and a train ride back to Jersey where we'd left our rental car.

Oh! And Al Roker strolled past us, his hat-topped head down. I wanted to say, "Hey Al, it's just me, Jewel!" But then I realized it was biting cold, so i didn't take it personally ...;)

Have a beachy week, my friends ~ wherever you are ...