Wicked Wednesday

My upcoming football book from Liquid Silver Books has a cover and it is stunning. I forgot how to talk for a little while. The wonderful and talented April Martinez who did the cover for Double Coverage also did this cover. April needs a big round of applause and some serious genuflecting for this cover. Don't believe me, then take a look for your self.



Yes that's my cover, MINE MINE MINE.

Mercy

Monday Monday Monday

I am home and kicked back. My feet hurt something fierce. We walked and walked and walked some more. Why is it vacations involve more work than not vacationing? I think my poor little Toms shoes are worn out. They put up the good fight. Four days on a ship in which our cabin was in the stern with the buffet in the aft. Did I mention the ship was longer than three football fields? We walked. Lots. And climbed stairs. Lots of stairs. I wish I had partaken of the hot tubs. Okay not so much, since even at sea with the sun blazing down and no shade I couldn't figure out how people could sit in steaming hot water in hundred degree weather. Just didn't get that part. Anyway. We walked through the area surrounding the cruise ship port in Nassau. Through the shops and The Straw Market. Nearly sweated to death. Had my hair braided by a very determined woman who spoke fast and thought I wouldn't understand. Honey, I live near New Orleans, I've heard all the accents, I can keep up. And I'm not quiet as naive as I look. Helps to have a baby face, people discount you. Spent way too much money in The Straw Market but it didn't count because it was vacation money right? And where else you gonna haggle for a better price? We don't do that here.
Back on ship where we walked some more. They had this wild idea that scheduling shows on opposite ends of the ship with fifteen minutes between them was somehow good. Felt like high school, when you have five minutes between classes and you have to get across campus with a stop at your locker. I kept waiting for the ship to tip over. Really I did. The way everyone congregated in one area.

Home, well not home home, but my husband's family's home, where we left our kids for four days, was another experiment in...okay, so we are clear, I don't understand my in-laws and they don't understand me and we've sort of agreed to pretend we are all one big happy something for the sake of...yeah, okay so most of the family were figuratively running around like headless chickens getting ready for a wedding. My little baby was the flower girl. The princess attitude has yet to evaporate. Had to threaten a come to Jesus meeting in which her hind end would not feel good for a few days today. (Don't write me on that, she wasn't spanked, the threat works just fine) (for now). Little terror. She is a great kid but sometimes she forgets we aren't staff. Oh yeah and we went to Disney, in June, in hundred plus degree heat and it didn't rain at 3. It always rains at 3 in central Florida. Oh my goody gosh it was hot. Hot. Hot. The pavement burned through the soles of my poor little Toms shoes.
In the middle of all this my little terror celebrated her fifth birthday. Today is my middle daughter's birthday, she is now sixteen. Yes there is an eleven year age difference. And yes I do know what causes that.

Weddings birthdays vacations and a long drive home. But it isn't over. Oh no, the fun just had to carry over one more day. You see my oldest daughter who is twenty had a present waiting for her when we dropped her off at her apartment Sunday morning. It was white gold with a little diamond in the center and it fits on her left ring finger.

I can't stand all the happy. I'm going to go sulk in writer's cave until the happy goes away and we're back to our normal maudlin selves.

Oh and did I mention my feet hurt? Well, my feet hurt dammit, and I'm going to have to throw my favorite shoes away because I killed them. dammit. I knew I'd find something to bring it all back into perspective.

So, what happened while I was away? And yes I have some serious catching up to do. Nine days with very little internet has left me dreadfully behind.

Mercy

PS: And now for a treat. Personal photos for a change instead of borrowed hot men. Say awww now. Go on I mean it aww.

 This is our towel buddy for the first night on board. I think he's a doggy. He was so cute.
 The Lido deck area. There were no cabana boys, but there was lots of pretties to look at.
 Night two towel buddy. I say elephant, kids say ant eater. Tomato, potato. Whatever. He was adorable.
 There are no traffic lights the streets are narrow and congested and pedestrians take their lives in their hands to cross. But it's pretty. I have no idea what street this is, I was just trying not to melt.



 Sort of reminds me of The French Quarter in New Orleans crossed with Charleston, SC. Made me want to drive over to Nola, but not until October. Whew no not in the summer. Have I ever mentioned I'm not a fan of hot. I like fall. Wish we had that season here.
 The Straw Market, or one aisle of it anyway, but it all looks pretty much the same. I was offered a great deal on a Prada purse. I've never seen Prada before, not really sure I saw it then. nudge nudge wink wink
 Proof!!!!!

 Night three towel buddy. A monkey hanging from the faux window. He was cute at first but after a while he sort of got creepy. Just hanging there staring at me like that.
And night four, our little stingray buddy. Too bad he fell apart when the hub unit moved him from the bed.
Sorry there aren't more. The camera wasn't so great and well I'm just not ready to plop myself on the page yet. When I do it will not be dripping sweat with ridiculous braids in my hair.
Have a great day, I've got edits for Wicked Game waiting in my inbox. So catch ya'll later.
M

And the ship didn't sink

Four long days of peace and quiet and no one yelling Mommy mommy mommy MOMMMMYYYYYY have come to an unfortunate end. Four days of being stuffed and waited on and did I mention the food yet? Now I'm not going to say it was the greatest food ever, it was what you would expect of fast institutional style food. Better than school cafeteria, not fine dining (we chose not to do the dress up and dine with the Captain deal). The good part was I didn't have to cook or wash dishes or rather supervise children washing dishes. And the trip off the ship was strangely fascinating. Anyone familiar with the straw market in Nassau knows what I'm talking about.

Sadly, I can not post pictures until Monday. I can't get a WiFi connection for my computer so I'm begging time on a BIL's computer.

Tomorrow we drag the kidlets up to Disney for the day. I'd much rather be shot in both knee caps ( because that is what it will feel like after a day of walking around that exasperating place) than go, but they were so great about us leaving them with relatives for four days.

Saturday our second oldest niece is getting married and my little one is going to be her flower girl. That's the fun news, the not so fun news is she was kicked in the forehead when she walked in front of kids on a swing set and has a gash above her left eye. Poor little kid. Pirate princess flower girl it is. Incidentally she just turned five. When did my baby grow up? And she's refusing to stay in the car seat now that she's grown. Oh well I've run on longer than I meant to. This was supposed to be a quick check in and then off to other things.

I'll post again on Monday, if we survive vacation. Take care and peace,

Mercy

Going on vacation without children...and have no idea what to do

The hub unit and I haven't been on a vacation since, well, ever. Yes we've been to Disney and Texas and Nashville, and all sorts of places. But just me and him. Not since our so called honeymoon. Which was 22 years ago. And we are going on a vacation alone. What the hell is there to do when you aren't herding children. I have no idea how to be a grown-up. All I know how to be is a mommy. I still carry baby-wipes in my purse for fuck sake.
And then there is that whole, I don't really know this man, thing. Yes I live with him. I've lived with him more than half my life but for 20 of those years we've had a kid between us then two, then three, and now a fourth one. I have no idea what to do with him for four whole days. I mean besides that. What can two people do with their clothes on who don't really know each other. Yes I know it's sad. He has his work I have mine we have kids there isn't any time for anything else. Making time doesn't pay the bills or deal with school and after school things.

Okay so yes my life is sad, which is why I write romance because I am a frustrated mommy with no life yearning for love and adventure. Pfft. I chase four kids, I have all the fricken adventure I can handle and then some.
I'm going to far away from my computer, which is causing me no end of panic. I am addicted to this thing. I really am. Maybe it's for the best. I must break the habit somehow. May as well do it in paradise.

And speaking of paradise, why is it that people think a trip to the Bahamas is the end all be all of vacations. (DH sort of won this trip through work and we have no choice but to take it yeah I know sucks right) Sure it's pretty. I've been before. But it sort of looks exactly like home. I'm spoiled I know it. I live an hour away from the Gulf of Mexico. I see white sand and crystal blue beaches all the time.

Next time I want to go some place cold. Aspen or something. Or Ireland. That's my dream trip. I want to go to Ireland. What's your dream trip?

Okay so, gonna go now because I haven't done a single thing to get ready to go and I'll see you guys on Thursday. Maybe just maybe I'll post some photos of myself. The hideousness that is moi. Okay maybe not. I want to make friends not scare them all away.

Be good and tell me all about your week when I get back,

Mercy





Pretty Men and why women (girls) love them

I have been told by more than one person that I favor pretty men in the photos I post. My gay bestest likes bears. That would be large brutish looking hairy men to you non-gay speaking people. He picks on me a lot about my pretty men. I like pretty men. Give me a baby face and I am happy happy happy. My friend Falyn likes the biker type. Road tripping with her is an exercise in OMG. Biker broads do not like their men to be ogled. And they are big women. Don't ask me how I know this.

So lets talk about pretty men now. Or should I say let's talk about Justin Bieber or the Jonas Brothers or Zac Efron. Or any number of boys your daughters are drooling over. And why you don't get it. The Justin Bieber phenomenon is not new. He is not the first girly looking boy to make twelve year old girls sit up and take notice. Donny Osmond comes to mind, but he was before my time. David Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy (my first crush in the third grade). New Kids on the Block. Zack and Slater from Saved by the Bell. Come on pick a decade, drag a pretty little boy/man from your memory. You had your Justin Bieber. David Bowie. Who was it. Androgynous, pretty, probably wore more make-up than you did.

Okay Mercy has gone a bit off kilter. I know you're thinking that right now. Why the hell is she writing about Justin Fricken Bieber isn't it enough my daughter loves that little little...

Because I have daughters that age. Because my youngest daughter will be five next week and is already boy crazy. Her first crush was Twist of The Fresh Beat Band. Now it's Ferb. Ferb has green hair. I think. He's her boyfriend. He's also animated. She loves Hannah Montana and iCarly and Lemonade Mouth. She's five. FIVE. I waited until third grade before I went star crazy. Fourth grade it was Richard Hatch from the original Battlestar Galactica, fifth grade it was Bo Duke.

Okay, no really what's going on Mercy? Nuthin...I'm writing a romance about two skater boys. Twenty-two year old boys. I'm researching the skater and snowboarding worlds and there are all these pretty androgynous skater boys and...I finally gave into my curiosity about this German rock star and and... I'm a sick sick person. I need help.

Hu hum...er what was the topic. Oh yeah. Justin Bieber and any pretty little boy Disney drags out of obscurity and gives that same stupid haircut and how our daughters are crazy for them and we don't understand it and...

Poison. You heard me. Bret Michaels. 1987. The year I graduated high school. The brand new Poison tape yes I said tape blaring in the tape deck of my brand new Honda Civic as I drove all over creation with my girl friends. Poison. Come on. They were gorgeous. I wasn't sure one of them was a guy, and they had the duck face before the duck face was cool. Oh my god look what the cat dragged in.

Yep that about summed it all up.



And Boy George. I loved Boy George. LOVED him. Miss Me Blind. Was my favorite song. And the year our school did Solid Gold and my crush, the last guy anyone would ever expect to do it dressed up like the Boy and pranced around stage and, he was the quarterback of the football team, it was wonderful and he never lived it down. I wore both Georges on my jeans jacket Boy and Michael.


What's different about them and the stars of today. Adam Lambert. I love Adam Lambert. He's so cute and he doesn't mind letting his gay shine. I like that about him most of all. He's not afraid. He has talent and looks.









Or the Disney and Nickelodeon boys. I'll admit to having a thing for Zac Efron. Now. I like the way he looks now. Not so much when he was on High School Musical.


And what about Mitchell Musso formerly of Hannah Montana. Or that kid from iCarly Nathan Kress? Don't you just sit there and go damn when those boys grow up. Well guess what. They are grown. Both over eighteen. I still feel like a dirty old woman when I sit there and think damn when those boys grow up. Meow.


I mentioned Lemonade Mouth up in the main text. One of the first Disney movies I have liked in a long time. The kids were all so pretty. All of them. But that drummer boy. I couldn't stop looking at him and thinking just like with the other pretty Disney boys. Damn, that is one pretty boy.  His name is Blake Michael and guess what...no I'll let you wait on this one.

He is gorgeous. Right. Absolutely GORGEOUS. And he's fourteen years old. Oh yeah. I'm going to hell. I know it. Where Mitchell Musso and Nathan Kress and even Zac Efron look much younger than they are, this kid looks to be older, but is still just a kid.

And then there is my unfortunate current weird as hell infatuation. Don't ask me to explain my infatuations. My kids are usually mortified by them. I can't explain why I fixate. I just...well...here. Look. See for yourself

 Pretty Bill Kaulitz the German kid who puts Justin Bieber and his hoard of screaming girls to shame. This boy and his twin brother and their band Tokio Hotel have been around since they were preteens. And their music isn't half bad either.
 I mean my god, pretty doesn't even cover this kid. Man. Boy/Man. Oh WTF ever. Just look at the pretty.



Tokio Hotel Bill in the center his twin Tom to the left. And the other two aren't hard on the eyes either.

oh to be a teen in this decade. I'd cry into my pillow every night to their songs.

But damn, I'd probably like Bieber too. So maybe not. Maybe it's good that I'm a grown woman and I like grown men and and and...

Kings of Leon...

Wait damn, even they are in their twenties.

Crap.

Can't win for losing.

Mercy

I thought it was Saturday

Boy do I feel sheepish. I picture Robin Williams in blue face paint when I hear that term now, how about you? Do you even know what I mean? Are you like me and have a running movie and song lyric library in your head?

Must be tangent Friday, or I just went to the grocery store to restock the pantry. Nothing will be left by Monday. Is it August yet? Can they go back to school? Please?

I am resigned to this not making sense. You should be too. It's what you get when I am busting my hiney trying to finish a WIP.

Oh and I have decided not to wait until Monday to make this announcement. I was offered a contract for my New Orleans based gay romance Behind Iron Lace. I'm waiting to accept it until Monday. But I like the publisher and am hoping for good things after the disaster of the one I can not mention but seems to have screwed me and looks to be about to run themselves into the ground. And no I'm not talking about Liquid Silver, who is a wonderful publisher and I am very happy with thank you very much.

Okay, moving on. I honestly thought today was Saturday. I should have known it wasn't when I didn't get up to take the teens for ACT testing at 7 this morning and I didn't go to my RWA meeting. Those two details alone should have said it's Friday.

And really how is it I can have my days completely screwed sideways in my head but know my appointments are on the correct days?


Shutting up now since I'm just babbling nonsense anyway,

Mercy







JUST UGGGG and I ain't talking boots

I complain too much I know, I'm sorry. But it's my nature to be critical and sarcastic. You know those perky people who always have a smile that show their teeth and side ponytails and breasts under tight t-shirts? Yeah, well I am not one of them. I'm that snarky girl who sits and watches everyone and makes rude comments. And don't mess with me because I have excellent hearing and I know every one's secrets. Plus I know how to write snarky blog posts.

Okay some of that may be true and some of that may be bull crap, I'm not saying which is which. I had a bad day and I'm cranky and frustrated and chocolate did not help. Somehow and I still don't know how WORD managed to eat nearly 4ooo words in my Snowboard book. I had just finished the chapter and was reviewing chapter word count and clicked enter to set the cursor and poof all of chapter 4 magically gone. GONE. I hit undo and redo and paste and it wasn't on the clipboard or the notepad or anywhere backed up. At least I was thinking clearly enough to not save today's work which reset me to yesterday's saved work. In the end I salvaged all but 1800 words of chapter 4. Not quite everything I wrote today but close enough.

It's a frustrating setback, I am not the type of person who remembers what I write, and now I have to redo it. The do-over might be better than the original, I don't know, and that's not the point. The point is I lost two hours worth of work and if I had hit that save button in frustration I would have lost three days worth of work.

Banging head on desk. I'll probably do that until tomorrow when I plop myself down in this chair again and work. We leave in 9 days. I really want to be finished with this by then. So not more setbacks.

Okay enough whinging as the Brits say. I like whinging as a word it's sort of fun to say. Stop your whinging. And I'm not gonna post hot men pictures. AHHHHH I'm gonna post hot men body parts. Wha you talkin bout Mercy?

Just settle down and stop worrying there's no dismemberment going on, just some creative camera angles. And maybe I'll throw in a few hot men.

Mercy