Back to School is Looming

This coming weekend, our stores are having back-to-school specials where all school supplies don’t have to pay sales tax. It’s a nice perk, but I have a feeling the place will be PACKED. Think my five-year-old will care if I drag him off to Wal-Mart at 6:00 a.m.?

I’m looking over the kindergarten school supply list, and while some of the items seem pretty basic, others made me think–Huh???

1 large backpack (NO WHEELS)–This one is true even for middle and high schools. The wheeled backpacks don’t fit in the lockers. Makes sense.

2 boxes of brads (#3 or ¾”)–Brads?? What are these? I’m thinking they’re the brass spinny things, but I’m not quite sure.

6 boxes Crayola crayons (16 count)–WHAAA?? SIX boxes of crayons??? Okay, I know that kindergarteners do a lot of coloring, but six?? I remember that we had to actually take care of our crayons, and if they broke, we’d just sharpen them or peel back the paper. Not a big deal.

1 box sandwich zip-loc bags
1 box snack zip-loc bags
1 box gallon zip-loc bags–I’m not sure I want to know what the bags are for. Because if you figure 50 bags per box, times 20 kids, that’s 1000 bags. Times 3. Any guesses as to why 3000 plastic bags would be needed in a kindergarten class??

12 glue sticks (white only)–again, TWELVE???? I remember the days when we had a container of paste. And there was always some boy who thought he’d impress the girls by eating it.

2 bottles of Elmer’s 8 oz. glue with orange tip (white only / not washable)–Because if 12 sticks aren’t enough, we need 2 more bottles.

4 primary black & white marble composition books

2 plastic folders with pockets (no fasteners)

1 box of tissues

Did you notice the missing school supply on there? Take a second. What does every student need when they attend class? See if you can guess. I’ll put the answer in the comments at the end of the day.

By the way, I got a few nice surprises yesterday…one of which I’ll share later in the week. But I had to share this one. Romantic Times Magazine posted the review of The Warrior’s Touch, Connor’s book. They gave it 4 stars!

To Gloss or Not to Gloss

I’ve been re-reading The Warrior’s Touch over the weekend. My husband teases, “Haven’t you figured out what’s going to happen next?” But I read my own books a little differently, with a more critical eye. Mainly I’m looking to discover what changes went into the final version of the manuscript. Sometimes there are surprises. For example, several months ago, I asked my editor if she thought I should include a glossary of Irish terms. They didn’t think they would use it, but I sent it along anyway. Lo and behold, they did put it in. The downside is, I added a few more Irish terms when I was working on the copyedits. Had I known they were going to include the glossary, I would have added the new terms. Oh well.

So I’m wondering if I should put up an amended glossary of Irish terms on the website, or whether folks will basically figure it out based on context. What do you think? Do you ever read the glossary of terms in books or do you ignore them?

Contest winner

And the winner is comment #5! Cheryl S., e-mail me your snail mail address, and I’ll drop your signed copy of The Warrior’s Touch in the mail. Hope you enjoy it!

All this week my son has been enjoying Safety Town, a program sponsored by local businesses, the fire and sheriff’s department. I think it’s a great program for kids because they not only teach them about fire safety and stranger danger, but they also covered topics like school bus safety (the kids took a short bus ride around a neighborhood), animal safety, poison safety, personal hygiene and playground safety. I was a fan of the hygiene one. Five-year-olds think absolutely nothing about sharing cups, drinks, food, etc. Today they had a Safety Fair, which was actually more interesting than I expected it to be. The kids could go inside a fire engine, an ambulance, and the fire department had a portable trailer that was used for fire education. We sat in a “kitchen” and he asked the kids questions about everything from keeping pot handles turned inward to what they should do in the case of a real fire. He had a cellophane “fire” in one of the pots, and my son’s eyes grew so wide, he was ready to bolt out of the trailer.

Then they had a bedroom where they talked about fire ladders, detecting heat in a bedroom door, and the last thing was a smoke simulation where the kids would crawl out the trailer exit. I think no one was happier to get out of there than my son. It really bothered him to see the smoke. But in a way, I think it’s good for them to have a healthy fear of fire. His favorite activity was taking his picture with Sparky the Fire Dog and eating his first Sno-Cone. And yes, bonehead here forgot to bring the digital camera. I do have the one printout with Sparky, though.

Tomorrow we’re attending a cookout and I’ve been asked to bring a side dish that could accompany hot dogs, shrimp, and grilled chicken. Anyone have any suggestions? It has to be kid-friendly, so I was thinking about homemade macaroni & cheese, but I don’t have a good recipe. The last time I tried, it was basically like pasta with baked cheese on top–ugh. If you have any ideas for good side dishes for cookouts, send them my way!

My Author Copies Arrived!

Today as I was writing, I heard the glorious sound of the doorbell and ran to find a box of books from Harlequin. MY BOOKS. As in, The Warrior’s Touch is now in my hot little hands! If you want to know Connor MacEgan’s story, you’re in for a treat. This was a book that I absolutely loved writing, and I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

Back cover: Connor MacEgan is a fighter; it’s in his blood. But when his hands are crushed in a brutal attack, he finds he may never wield a sword, or touch a woman, ever again.

He becomes reliant on Aileen Ó Duinne, whose determination matches his, for Aileen can no more ignore a person in pain than Connor can stop being a warrior.

But she also holds a secret, one of passion and deception that could break their hearts, long after she has mended his hands….

So, who wants an advance copy? Anyone, anyone? Just post a comment below, and I’ll draw a number tomorrow morning. Don’t worry, even if I don’t draw your number, you can still win a free copy from my monthly contest on the For Readers page.

Researching the Dingle Peninsula

The new book I’m working on, Slave to Her Desires, is set in the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland. We drove through the peninsula last August, and the scenery was just stunning. The mountains were literally purple with heather, and the roads barely wide enough for a single car to pass (one tour bus coming from the opposite direction nearly gave us heart failure). On one stop, we saw prehistoric stone dwellings that you could go inside. I left my husband and father-in-law to go take pictures of the coast while I wandered through the dwellings. They weren’t much wider than ten feet in diameter, but I was amazed to see structures that were literally thousands of years old.

I’m setting this new story near Castlegregory, where we stayed. The beaches were so beautiful, and the towns were a great deal of fun. I had to switch to a regular camera, and I think something went off with the film, but in a way, I think this photograph of the view outside our B&B is rather interesting. Can you sense the mystery?

So for me, this was the perfect setting to bring a broken hero to redeem a life of tragedy. I made him a slave, and he has a long way to go in this story. This is also my woodworker hero, but although he is amazingly skilled with his hands (wicked grin), he has a mysterious past. I am also going to bring in one of the later Viking invasions. Did you know that the Vikings had settlements all over Ireland? Dublin was the biggest settlement, but there was also a Viking presence in Waterford, Cork, and some other minor cities. Their ships did arrive in County Kerry, and there is a documented Viking landing on the Dingle Peninsula. I’ll be taking a few fictional liberties, but I think it will work for what I want. Truthfully, I’d love to spend a week in Dingle, getting more specific details. But I doubt they’d let me on the plane in my current condition!

I’m about 81 pages into the book right now and I’m participating in the 70 Days of Sweat challenge where you write 4 or more pages a day. I did 7 pages yesterday and I’ve done 5 so far today. Last summer I managed to work my way up to 10-12 pages a day, but I think it’s like training for a marathon. You can’t go flying out of the gate right away–building up to it works better.

Only six more days until The Warrior’s Touch, book #2 in the MacEgan Brothers series, goes on sale at eHarlequin! Can’t wait.

Have you ever been to the Dingle Peninsula before?

Legends of the Knights Templar

Tonight I was watching a show on National Geographic about the Knights Templar. They’ve always fascinated me, mainly because of the intrigue. Powerful knights, hidden treasures, secret codes…it’s the source of numerous legends.

The knights were formed around 1118 AD, and I learned some interesting facts.

The pope excluded them from having to pay taxes in every European country.

They invented a banking system allowing pilgrims to deposit money in one location, receive a signed transaction, and they could then “withdraw” money from a different location. Essentially, they created travelers’ checks.

They were one of the few groups allowed to charge interest for loaning money. But loaning money to King Philip the Fair brought about their downfall. The king was in so much debt, he found it easier to accuse them of heresy and seize control of the money than to repay them. Hundreds of knights were seized on Friday the 13th in 1307 before they were tortured and later killed. This may be the origin of the myth of why Friday the 13th is considered unlucky.

Although the knights were officially disbanded and dissolved, most believe that secret groups flourished underground. Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland bears many symbols of the Knights Templar, and some believe that the chapel was built by the Templars in the same design as King Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem. If it’s true, then there’s a secret third underground level. No one has been able to learn if it’s true or not, for fear of collapsing the frail chapel. Some believe the secret chamber contains fabulous treasures; others think it contains religious treasures such as the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant.

While there may be no secrets at all at Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland, it does make a good story. And there is evidence of Templars in medieval Ireland. I can just picture another Indiana Jones movie now.

In romance, I believe Mary Reed McCall has a Templar trilogy and her newest is called The Templar’s Seduction. I might have to try that one.

Have you read any Templar stories, fiction or otherwise? What did you think of the Da Vinci Code if you read it?

Harry Potter- No spoilers

I’ve just emerged from my reading cave because Saturday morning my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows arrived. I wouldn’t say I’m a rabid HP fan, but I do enjoy JK Rowling’s books. They’re very readable, the characters are interesting, and I think she does a nice job of world-building. Some of her earlier books could definitely have used more editing to tighten them up, but all in all, not too bad.

I finished book #7 a few hours ago, and I won’t give away any spoilers. However, I will say that there were lots of rumors circulating around the web about the ending. It was enough to make me slightly wary of the book. On the whole, though, I trusted Rowling to uphold her good storytelling and to ensure that evil did not triumph over good. There were definitely some moments in the story that will make you teary, but I liked the themes she pulled together. I came away with a satisfied feeling about the book and the series as a whole. One of the story’s major revelations was very bittersweet, and I was glad she took it in the direction she did. (I’m really talking in riddles, aren’t I?) Basically, though, let’s just say that forgiveness and redemption play a big role–and that’s a powerful and wonderful message to send to kids.

At some point, I want to see the HP movie that’s out now. I don’t tend to re-read the Potter books the way I do romances, so that will make the movie more enjoyable. It’s been several years since I’ve read Order of the Phoenix.

Are you reading Harry Potter now? If so, don’t give away any spoilers, but did you have the same experience I did?

No, Darling, you cannot fly

Sunday afternoon while I was in the midst of traveling back to Maryland to pick up my children from Grandma’s, I learned that my daughter and son had decided to play superheroes. On the stairs. Holding hands. Yes, my dear son thought it would be a great idea if the two of them held hands while leaping into the air down a set of two carpeted stairs. Seeing as he is about six inches taller than she is, needless to say he survived the flight and she didn’t.

My mother was horrified at the bruise and swelling that erupted over my daughter’s right foot and iced it immediately. When I got back from RWA, it was black and blue but she was still walking around on it. On Monday, she cried when she had to put shoes on, so I suspected that I should probably have this checked out by the pediatrician.

Before the pediatrician would see her, they wanted x-rays done, so we drove home to Virginia, got the x-rays done, and had the results sent. On Tuesday she was still bruised but would alternate between jumping around and crying that her foot hurt. The pediatrician was suspicious and although the x-rays showed nothing, she referred us to a pediatric orthopedist. By this point, I was feeling a little stupid. I mean, it was bruised, but other than that, no big deal. If it was a sprain, they couldn’t do much more than wrap it.

But, I dutifully took her to the specialist the next day. The first thing they wanted was to redo the x-rays. I thought they could just use the hospital ones, but they were pretty convinced that they would find something the hospital didn’t. Sure enough, she’d fractured her foot in three places. And here I was thinking I was overreacting by taking her to the specialist. All I can say is, thank goodness I did! She didn’t have to get a cast because they were minor fractures, but they put her in a velcro boot to keep her from arching her foot.

Isn’t it terrible how you secondguess yourself when you’re a parent? Have you ever had something like that happen, where you under or overreacted?

Glamour Shots

Saturday afternoon, I enjoyed talking with other Mills & Boon authors prior to the Ritas that night. The Rita awards are almost like the Academy Awards for romantic novels, but really, most people use it as a chance to dress in their finest. So, more pictures!

Okay, but first, I have to share a photo I took earlier that day with my new idol, JR Ward. Eat your heart out, Larissa!

From left to right, here are Fiona Harper, Trish Wylie, Jenna Bayley-Burke, and me:

More glamorous editors, Kim Young and Meg Sleightholme.

Another shot of Amy Knupp, Suzanne McMinn, and me in our Rita finery.

Golden Heart winner and new Mills & Boon author Deb Marlowe and me:

It was an exhausting conference, but so much fun! Wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Hope you guys enjoyed the pictures!

The Harlequin Party

Friday night was, for me, a career-highlighting moment. It didn’t involve book sales, but it did involve my very first invitation to the Harlequin Party. I attended one time, in NYC, as the guest of an author friend Suzanne McMinn, and since that day I vowed I would one day earn my own invitation. It was every bit as good as I thought it would be. The party was held at the Fairmont Hotel International Ballroom. Here are pictures of the event.

Before the party (me and Suzanne McMinn):

Here’s what the decorations inside the Fairmont Ballroom looked like (notice the Harlequin diamonds on the pillars):

The DJ’s were a little over the top. Love the hair.

And here are pictures of everyone dressed up to dance. First is Suzanne McMinn, me, Carolyn Grayson, and Diane Gaston.

Then there’s Kathryn Albright, Amanda McCabe, and Golden Heart winner Deb Marlowe.

Here’s the team of Larissa Ione and Stephanie Tyler, who write as Sydney Croft:

Editors Maddie Rowe (in black) and Meg Sleightholme (pink) shake their groove while Amanda McCabe (center) looks on:

The glamorous Olivia Gates (in red) and me.

And of course, what would a party be without the fabulous Nora Roberts? Here she is in the center with Diane Gaston on the left and me on the right.