Good Morning fellow Weekend Warriors! Today’s 8 is from early in To Catch A Fetch, when Pam, Devyn’s boss, announces she is getting married…to a man named Rick Ashly.
Pam glared at her from across the sofa and growled, “Don’t you ever call me ma’am again.”
Devyn laughed, “I don’t know, it might be better.”
“Better than what?” Pam got to her feet, pillow at the ready.
“Better than being called Mrs. Rick Ashly,” Devyn said, mischief tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Pam narrowed her eyes and took aim.
Devyn dodged the pillow and snickered, “At least you know he’s never gonna give you up…he’s never gonna let you down.”
A muscle twitched in Pam’s cheek, “That’s Astley, not Ashly you know.
Ignoring the correction, Devyn grabbed Pam’s hands and crooned, “Never gonna run around and desert you.”
Hope you enjoyed it! Do you know anyone with a name that sounds like someone famous? (I can’t help but think of the Michael Bolton bit from the movie, Office Space)
Be sure to visit the WeWriWa page to check out some other snippets!
And on the subject of Rick Astley, from time to time I do game reviews for UbiSoft as a member of the Clever Girls Collective. Over the holidays I reviewed JustDance4…which includes the song referenced in today’s snippet. It’s hard not to laugh while dancing to this song, especially since the JD4 character dances while wearing orange underoos…but we also experienced some screaming, due to a surprise that pops up in the background of the game:
Soooo…in my first year of teaching high school, my classroom was across the hall from another new English teacher, we were friendly to each other as we stood outside our doors during the passing periods, joking with students as they walked in to our rooms, reminding them what homework was due so they could race back to their lockers before the bell rang. Anyways, I kind of always thought of him as a little bit…snooty? I don’t know if that’s the right word…but you get the idea. On St. Patrick’s Day, he came to school dressed in a kilt (alas, not as sexy as it sounds) and I was curious. “A kilt for St. Pat’s?” I asked. “I thought Scots wore the kilts.” He looked across the hall and down his nose at me and said, “Oh no, the Irish wore them first. This pattern has been in my family for ages.” I wasn’t so sure about that…but the bell was about to ring, and as I didn’t care to get into a kilt debate, I shrugged and said, “Cool.”
I had pretty much forgotten that discussion until the subject of kilts came up last night. A commercial for “Celtic Thunder” flashed across our t.v. screen and the following conversation with my husband occurred:
Husband: Oh, Celtic Thunder, you saw that group, right?
Me: (looking up from my Twitter feed) Huh? What group?
Husband: Celtic Thunder, the strippers.
Me: I don’t think Celtic Thunder is a strip act.
Husband: You saw it with your friends, remember?
Me: You mean Thunder Down Under?
Husband: Right.
Me: (Now thinking about this…) I think I like your idea better. Male strippers wearing kilts sounds good.
Husband: Kilts turn you on?
Me: Um…yeah?!?
I did not realize my husband didn’t know this about me…of course, it’s not like I go around ogling kilted men on a regular basis (though if given the opportunity…)
Which is why it was extra funny a friend on FaceBook posted an ad for THIS COMPANY today. They don’t offer service in my area (yes, I checked) but I still think it’s a hilariously awesome idea. If you are lucky enough to live in area they do have a franchise, I hope you hire them…and send me pictures.
Ok, but back to the kilt debate. So, the whole conversation about kilts reminded me about Mr. McSnooty, the kilted teacher across the hall. I thought kilts would make a fun All Things Irish post…but my doubt about the veracity of his claim was still there…so I did a bit of Googling – and whaddya know – I WAS RIGHT. The Irish were not the first to wear the kilt, nor were kilts ever an actual part of historical Irish dress. The patterns of today’s “Irish” kilts were created, for the most part, by tourist companies looking to sell more crap. If you want to see more heated Irish/Scottish kilt debate – check out THIS FORUM THREAD on Amazon, of all places.
So take that and smoke it in your peat fire mister.
And stop wearing your kilt on St. Patty’s Day—you look like an eejet.
Sidenote…if you (like me) find kilted men to be attractive (usually), you might want to check out this Tumblr feed, the title says it all: Men In Kilts.
St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching, only 5 days to go!
If you are looking for a fast, sweet, and easy treat to make for this holiday, why don’t you get the help of a leprechaun? You know the one I mean…his treasure consists of a stash of a rainbow’s worth of colorful marshmallows, let me see if I can remember this piece of my childhood: “green clovers, blue diamonds, yellow stars…” I’m stuck (I was that weird kid who didn’t like marshmallows in my cereal…or frosting on my cupcakes for that matter). I do remember at one point they added purple horseshoes to the mix. The treats are a snap to make, just use the same recipe you’d follow if making something involving a cereal promoted by 3 elves named via onomatopoeia.
These treats will give you a killer sugar buzz…you’ll be ready to hop on a unicorn and chase down a rainbow like a little leprechaun yourself in no time.
I’m not sure how well they go with a Guinness, but you’re welcome to try it out and let me know.
Can’t find a unicorn to take you to the end of a rainbow? Do you know the “story” behind why unicorns disappeared from the world? Well, as one famous Irish ditty tells it, the flighty creatures were so busy having fun they forgot to get aboard Noah’s ark. But don’t worry, with the help this item – straight out of WTF-land… unicorns can once again roam the earth. Sorta.
(Sigh) If only we could all be as happy as the dude in the picture. Unfortunately, wearing this item does not seem to have the same jubilant effect on cats—as demonstrated HERE. (But if YOU are in need of a smile, check out some of the customer product reviews).
Good morning fellow warriors! It’s a sad truth, but today is that nasty day we lose an hour…and there’s never enough hours in the day to write as it is!
Today’s snippet, another from To Catch A Fetch, is all about the truth. Last week you got a peek at the moment our hero, Ronan, explains where he grew up (and our heroine doesn’t believe it). Before she discovers the truth and prepares to eat some crow, the following is her initial reaction…and his reaction to her reaction (did you get all that?)
Ronan’s attitude infuriated her. “Look, if you don’t want to tell me about your background, fine, just say so. You don’t need to lie to me.” She pushed back her chair and dumped her cereal in the sink, suddenly not hungry.
She rinsed her dishes out and turned to find Ronan still sitting at the table, watching her. When he spoke, his voice was low, the words dropping into the morning air with heavy finality. “Devyn, I will tell you this only once. Whether or not you choose to believe me is up to you. I never lie—I may not always tell you everything, but whatever I do tell you, rest assured it is the truth.”
Just for fun, I’m including a video for one my favorite songs about lies. (This band also has a very famous song about truth – can you name it?)
Thanks for reading! And if you’re not a fellow WeWriWa participant but would like to read more, check out this week’s linky page for other great snippets.
This week’s snippet pays homage to the beginning of March, and my blog’s annual17 Days of Irish series. The hero from today’s book, To Catch A Fetch isn’t Irish – but he’s Welsh, and that’s pretty darn close (I would like to note book 4 in this series, To Bet A Banshee will be set in Ireland…though at the moment it is only in the proposal stage)
Anyways, the oddest thing happened one day while I was working on a scene for TCAF…let’s call it a bit of writing serendipity, if you will. Earlier in the book the heroine Devyn confronts the hero and demands to know more about him – who he is, where he grew up, etc…and when Ronan tells her he was born in a place called Snowdonia, she thinks he is pulling her leg. But no, as Devyn discovers in the scene below, Snowdonia is a very real place – and Ronan has been telling her the truth all along.
Now, the funny thing about this whole bit is I just made the name Snowdonia up. Maybe…probably…at some point in my past I had read or heard about Snowdonia, Wales and the information got filed away in the recesses of my brain…but I’d like to believe there is also the possibility the muse blessed me with a dash of serendipity. For I have to tell you, when I first discovered Snowdonia , Wales was a real place…that it actually existed in real life…well, my reaction to the news was pretty much on par with Devyn’s.
Devyn tossed everything on the table and started thumbing through the more colorful of the two books she had pulled on Wales. Images of mountains and valleys and picturesque stone castles flipped by, and she found herself slowing down to take time with each page and absorb the breathtaking Welsh countryside. Her eye caught the word Snowdonia, and she stopped, feeling slightly nauseous.
Snowdonia, Wales—the damn place even had a national park.
She felt like a complete idiot.
Scanning the page, she saw a reference to a website and flipped her laptop open. Devyn logged on to the library browser and typed in the address…yep, there it was, “Welcome to Snowdonia.”
Maybe, if I’m super lucky, I’ll take a trip to Wales one day (and write it off as a business expense, of course).
I have 2 daughters—both red heads—and both Irish Dancers in training. I don’t know about all Irish dance schools, but in the one my children attend, the first dance they learn is the Traditional Irish Jig. The dance has 5 “steps” (which each step breaking down into a series of steps, repeated on both right and left leg). It can take a new dancer (especially if she is very young, like my Lil’ G) a year or more to master this first dance. I think though, that like riding a bike, once you learn the jig, you’ll know how to do it forever. For more about the Beginner’s Jig, see THIS post from a 2011 day of All Things Irish.
And speaking of Lil’ G, I think she’s finally catching on…the other day I overheard her teaching her Lalaloopsy doll how to do the first step of the jig. “Jump over, jump lift, jump back, 1-2-3-4.”
And now for some fun, last year talk show host Ellen hosted an “Irish Dance Dare” and some girls from my daughters’ Irish Dance school decided they were up to the challenge: here they are jigging their way through the aisles of the circle store.
And to shake things up a bit, here’s another video of Miss A’s dance school from a feis (that’s a dance competition, pronounced “fesh”). For more information on what a feis is, check out THIS POST from a previous 17 Days of All Things Irish.
Video Credit: Rick DeSalvo of RCD Media
Still hungry for more jigs? Watch the movie: JIG, a documentary that takes a look at the fierce, glittery world of competitive Irish Dance. (Bonus! If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can watch it for free!)
When I asked what my least favorite month of the year is, I can answer without hesitation – it’s February. I’ve spoken on my distaste for this month before. Lucky for me, there are a few bright spots of warmth in this bitterly cold, dark (and blessedly short) month to help get me through.
Of course there’s Valentine’s Day, and I am not ashamed to admit my significant other and I enjoy this excuse of a holiday to celebrate our love for chocolate each other. We are staunchly opposed to the great pretender (AKA Sweetest Day), but Valentine’s Day is cool with us. We exchange cards and gifts and have a candlelight dinner at home on the rarely used dining room table. Of course, we are dining with our two children, so the atmosphere isn’t very romantic…but love is certainly in the air and our girls really enjoy it too. (Oh, and there’s chocolate).
So, what does a nerdy couple such as ourselves bestow upon one another on this day of love? Why, nerdy stuff we love, of course!
For my retro-videogamer and lover of all things Zelda husband, I got him the recently released book: The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. Funny story about this gift, the week before V-day he showed me a picture of the book on his phone and told me he’d like it for his birthday (still a few months away). I just nodded, grinned, and told him I hope he knew how awesome his wife was. (You see, I had pre-ordered the book awhile ago and already had it hidden in the house wrapped as his Valentine’s present).
As awesome as I can sometimes be in the gift giving department, the husband is no slouch either. Example: for Christmas, he got me this sweet Harry Potter “Marauder’s Map” necklace:
I love this little ode to mischief.
And on Valentine’s Day he followed up with another piece of Potter bling: a golden Snitch necklace:
So to all the other nerdy couples out there, I hope you enjoyed Valentine’s Day with some snuggle time watching re-runs of The X-Files. (OK, so maybe that was just us)
And somebody knew what they were doing when they added the following “holidays” to the calendar: National Drink Wine Day was Monday February 18th and Friday February 22nd was National Margarita Day.
In honor of National Margarita Day I mixed myself a frozen Blue Rita.
Did you have a chance to celebrate either of these? If not, you can make up for it on Sunday by drinking lots of wine and ritas while indulging in the only other thing to look forward to in this effing month that has that effing extra R in its name just because it likes to eff with you: Oscar Night. I haven’t seen any of the nominated movies (um, I managed to get to a theatre only 3x in 2012: two of the movies I saw involved girls who liked bows and arrows, and the third was about some vampires (no, not THAT movie – the other one, the animated one about a hotel).
Can you guess the 3 movies I saw? I’ll make a guess of my own (I won’t call it a prediction, that would indicate some thought went into this) – I’m thinking Best Picture will go to Argo. Either way, I know one thing for sure – by next Friday February will be over, and I can’t wait to blow kisses as I wave it a big movie star good-bye.
1. It’s Friday (in case you haven’t figured that out yet) and time for something rare in my universe: a t.v. show the husband and I enjoy together. I’m just not that into t.v. – I’d rather be reading a book, or writing, or wasting time on the internet, but I have to say it’s nice to start the weekend with the husband, chilling out with a drink after the girls are in bed, watching something silly that keeps me up to date with all the pop culture stuff I usually ignore. I’m talking about VH-1’s new Best Week Ever (I say “new” because it was on a few years ago and we liked it then before it started to go stale) – but now it’s back and overall good for a few laughs. My favorite segment is Michelle Buteau’s “Panties On! Panties Off!” bit…kind of a, er, more personal “What’s hot and what’s not.” Check out this one from a few weeks ago:
Who knew the Rock could sing like that, eh? Also…toboggan!
2. Moving along with the best week ever, I heard the best news ever this week! (Well, maybe not the best news – that would be I have a book deal, or I won the lottery, or Jell-O Pudding pops are back). Still – it’s really good news. Laura Kinsale, author of my most favorite, I-can-read-them-over-and-over-and-I-love-them-so-much, historical romances made an announcement that her books will be coming out in audio format. In an article on the AudioGals website Kinsale describes the process she went through deciding the who and the how, and it’s a fascinating journey. I can’t wait!!!
3. Hoping for some more good news, the Cupid’s Literary Connection Kiss Contest ends today, and my scene earned a Get A Room award for hottest/most intense kiss. (It is pretty hot, if I do say so). My actual entry into the Agent Blind Speed Date goes live in a bouncer round on Monday over on the CLC site. I’m Bouncer Post #157, and I hope you’ll stop by to read and comment on my query and 1st 250.
4. To make this the best year ever, I need to do more than sit around on my butt hoping good things will happen. I have to make them happen! Case in point, the time I spend with my butt in a chair, supposedly working on my manuscript. My time is limited as it is, and so often I find my self twittering away, literally, the time I should be spending with my WIP. I call this “the Barbie Effect.” I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid playing with Barbies, most of my time was spent on the “set-up” – getting all the Barbies dressed in outfits, setting up little rooms for them (I didn’t have a big gorgeous playhouse, so I would use chairs as 2-floor apartments), and arranging everything until it was “just so.” Actual time spent acting out scenes with the Barbies was, at most, about 20%.
I often have the same issue when I sit down to write. First I have to check my e-mail, take a quick (or not so quick) look at my social media sites, and of course browse through Pinterest to see if I missed anything good, and FINALLY I will open my WIP. Before I know it I have to go pick up a kid or get to work or do something non-writing related. Time spent actually writing? About 20%. This is a problem and it needs to stop. A couple writer friends of mine swear by macfreedom, an “internet blocking productivity software” – yep, it’s social media willpower. I’d like to try and make it on my own…and I think I can, well I hope I can. What about you? DO you have any tips for how writers can boost productivity in the face of all the distractions at our fingertips?
5. Ok, I’m getting off my personal guilt trip train now. It’s Friday, and time to have some fun! Besides, I believe it’s a proven fact blowing off steam and having fun can make work time more productive. Which is why I like to get out for the occasional GNO. One of my favorite ways to spend a Girl’s Night Out (that doesn’t involve margaritas) is a Wine and Paint night. Here’s the deal: a local art studio hosts these great evenings where you show up with your friends and a bottle of wine, and get step-by-step instructions on creating a painting. As you paint, you drink. And as the wine flows, so does the conversation and creativity. It’s a lovely way to let loose and at the end of the night you have a piece of art to take home! Here are some of mine:
I suppose you could call this a “meta-painting” considering all the wine consumed while painting it.
Ah yes, all the necessary tools of an artist: pencil, paint, glass of wine. (I think we were drinking a Cooper’s Hawk rhubarb wine that night…)
Happy Friday, thanks for stopping by! Now go out and do something fun already!
Ooops. Somehow I’ve managed to blow this before I even get started!
Lemme splain: last week I caught a tweet by writing buddy Shannyn Schroeder about signing up for something called 8SentenceSunday. Intrigued, I poked around to learn more. My poking (more clicking, actually) led me to the Weekend Writing Warriors website – a fresh social sharing writers’ project that launches, well – today.
Inspired by Six Sentence Sunday (who recently closed their virtual doors), the concept is simple, each week you want to participate, you sign your website/blog up on their Linky List. Then, come Sunday, you post eight sentences from one of your manuscripts. Anything pretty much goes, as the admins of WeWriWa say, “post eight sentences from something you’ve written, or something you’re writing, published or unpublished.” The only thing is it must be your own writing, and you must stick to only 8 sentences.
Oh, and there’s one other thing – you must post your sentences by 9am Sunday morning. And this is the part I screwed up. Today was one of those rare, glorious Sundays I actually stayed in bed til 9! (Well, I was up at 5:45 am to let the dog out, but I got to go back to bed – and stay there for more than five seconds – which is what counts.)
So here I am, late to the party, but promising to be on time next week. (I’ll just tell myself I have to have my “8 posted by 8.” It will be like setting my alarm clock earlier than I need to) Actually, it won’t be early, as the 9am requirement is in Eastern time…so I DO need to get ‘er done and up by 8. Thank goodness I have a dog who needs to pee before the crack of dawn.
The following eight are from my paranormal romance, To Catch A Fetch. Ghost hunter Ronan Evans is supposed to be working on convincing Devyn Cartwright – a woman with the ability to see ghosts – to join his team of supernatural researchers. Problem is, all he wants to do is convince Devyn to get in his bed. When fellow team member Claudia shows up to check on his progress, she calls him out for his lack of focus:
The smile disappeared and Claudia tapped her chin with a scarlet-tipped finger, the same shade as her lips.
Did women buy their make-up to match the same as they did with their bras and panties? Ronan had no idea where that errant thought came from, but once in his brain, all he could think about was the creamy lace of Devyn’s panties as he slipped one finger under the soft fabric to feel the softer skin beneath. He recalled the feel of her bra through her sweater, and his mouth went dry as he imagined the same pale shade of lace cupping her breasts.
Claudia kicked him in the shin. “Come back to earth, buddy.”
He blinked. “Am I that easy to read?”
Feel free to comment with your opinions and suggestions…and if you are interested in checking out what the other 50 or so writers participating today have posted, their links are available HERE.
It’s February 1st, people! January 2013 finally took its drunk ass home. (Seriously) To celebrate, I’m posting the first Friday Fast Five of the Year!
1. Pucker Up: I entered a kissing contest! Not one of those “how long can your lips stay locked together contests” you only see in cheesy gum commercials from the 80’s, but a literary contest, in which I submit a kissing scene (don’t worry, the entry is limited to 350 words, so things won’t get too steamy). What’s up for grabs? A slot in Cupid’s Literary Connection Blind Speed Dating Event, which aims (ha! Cupid, arrow, “aims”) to match writers and agents. To enter the kissing contest, first you needed to enter a Speed Dating “Bouncer” Round (your query and 1st 250 words of your manuscript)…I’m in Bouncer Round 5, which doesn’t go live until Feb 11th, so I have no idea yet if I’m in like Flynn – either way, I’d have entered the kissing contest since I love kissing scenes! Do you? Get the information about the kissing contest and a list of all the blogs participating HERE and be sure to swing back by my site on Monday for some lip action…I’d love to hear what you think. Oh, and just for kicks, check out this silly (and a bit bizarre) kissing scene from a Mentos Commercial:
2. Cowboy Giveaway: Sorry but no, you don’t have a chance to win your own cowboy (I’m not sure that’s legal) but you do have a chance to win a Simple Touch Nook, loaded with hot cowboy romance from author Sarah M. Anderson! Sarah is currently on a blog tour, promoting the launch of her two latest releases: Mystic Cowboy and A Real Cowboy. For more information on how to enter, visit Sarah’s blog tour page. You’ll want to stop by and say hi simply for the eye candy…Rebel, the hero of Mystic Cowboy totally frosts my cupcake. In fact, I’m going to add him to my eye candy Pinterest page now.
3. Lose Yourself in A Book: While winning stuff is awesome, it can also be totally wonderful to lose yourself – in that good way that happens when you are caught up in a great book. You know the feeling: Who needs to take a shower, get dressed, or feed the kids? This book is too good to put down! To celebrate the books that get us to that special place, two of my fellow writers and friends started a blog called Land of Lost Books. It’s a book review site, but unique in that it doesn’t focus on new releases – or stay within a specific genre. Revisit old favorites like Anne of Green Gables and the Witch of Blackbird Pond. Or check out something that might not be on your usual radar, like The Siren by Tiffany Reisz.Pour a cup of coffee and settle in for awhile, surfing the Land of Lost Books is like being a part of an eclectic book club! Be sure to join in the discussion too, every time you comment on a post, you are entered in their monthly drawing for a $10 gift card to Amazon or B&N!
4. A Bitchin’ Anniversary: While my friends’ blog is still a baby, not even 1 yet – one of my favorite book review sites is turning 8! Smart Bitches Trashy Books has built quite a name in the book blogging world, and while I first discovered them thanks to some witty cover snark, I stayed for the honesty of their reviews. As the SB site says, “All of the romance, none of the bullshit.” I know when SB Sarah says something is good, the book is a pretty safe bet for my money. Likewise, she won’t just say a book sucks, she’ll explain in intelligent detail why it blows. To celebrate their 8th year in the blog-o-verse, SBTB is hosting a giveaway! To enter, just leave a comment on their Happy 8th Anniversary post explaining your favorite thing about reading romance.
Yours Truly with SB Sarah at her signing for Everything I Know About Love…
5. I Married A Loser: So, speaking of anniversaries, I thought it was time to tell everyone something about my husband. But first, let me say that he IS NOT a loser–and I never thought of him that way. He, however, seems to feel different, as he titled his book: My Loser Phase. Yes, you read that right, I am the one writing madly, working on my synopsis, perfecting my query letter…and the husband publishes a book first. The book is a collection of stories about his time spent working retail in the 90’s. If you are a fan of video games, if you were ever a mall rat…or if you like coming of age stories where a person finds his motivation to grow the hell up, then I think you will enjoy his book. WARNING: shameless spouse plug ahead: You can buy the book HERE on Amazon for less than a buck. Oh, and if you enjoy reminiscing about the good old days of gaming (ie: the 80’s & 90’s) you’ll want to check out his podcast, The Retro League.
Melonie Johnson 
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