The things I do for research...

We've been talking about research over at the Writer's Evolution Blog. Stop by to see the things I've done in the name of research. I'll give you a hint...they have pointy little teeth.

The Post Where Bronwyn Bitches (Yes. Again.)

Okay, so I'm going to go a little Ranty McRantyPants over here. You may remember Mitchell of Riding in Cars with Boys fame.

Well, Mitchell, being Mitchell, is flunking out of English. He hates it because he has to struggle so hard with it. After fighting to read even simple sentences, he tunes everything out. Needless to say, if he doesn't pass, he can't graduate next year with his class.

Mitchell's mom asked if I would help tutor him because she's at her wits end. Like a lot (dare I say most) families, they can't afford a private tutor and thanks to budgetary cuts, there are none available at the school. I agreed. I like Mitchell and the thought of him not graduating with his class breaks my heart. I also keep hoping that maybe together we can make something click and he might grow to like English or maybe at least like reading, a little.

So I emailed the teacher and received an immediate response about how glad he was that I was going to be helping Mitchell and how he'd give me all the support and assistance I'd need. I couldn't believe this was the same guy who hadn't ever responded to Mitchell's mother all last term.

Well, guess who hasn't responded to my last three effing emails.

Really, really unimpressed.

Oh yeah, and there's a paper due Wednesday.

Jerk.

How to recognize when your sister's been watching too much Supernatural.

To explain how I know Cait's been watching too much Supernatural, I have to share some back story.On my way out to pick up the kids from school on Tuesday, my faithful car, Squishy, started shuddering and shaking. It just kept getting worse and worse. So I drove it to the auto repair shop to discover that the idiot (at a different shop) who'd last rotated my tires didn't bother to tighten the lug nuts on my right front tire. Apparently, I was another half mile away from having my tire fly off on the expressway.

So when I got home, I texted my sister to bitch about it...like you do (like I do, anyway).

This is conversation that took place.


THIS is how I know she's been watching an inordinate amount of Supernatural, lately.

But I'm okay with that.

Nifty News

Today is an awesome day...well, you know, other than the ice storm, the screaming headache and the kid who won't stop playing the drum and bass remix of Tie Me Kangaroo Down.

If you don't recall the original, be very, very grateful. If you do, and haven't heard the remix, be equally grateful. If you've heard both, I have nothing for you. Except maybe earplugs. And also pity.

Currently, there's a lot of self pity here. I just made the kid put on headphones, but the damn song is stuck in my head already.

But enough bitching and on to the awesome. Today, my first ever published book is being re-released by Resplendence Publishing with a gorgeous new cover and far better title - Overlord's Chosen. There are also some added scenes. Even better, the next one in this series is coming out next month! So, for those of you who have been waiting for Asher's story, only a little bit longer...

Why I shouldn't try new things.

First off, Happy St. Patrick's Day! I've got lovely ceilidh music playing while I work and a lovely Guinness Beef Stew bubbling away in the crockpot.


After yesterday's debacle of a supper, my family is beyond thrilled that I'm making stew for supper tonight. In a fit of misguided optimism, and bored with my regular chicken recipes, I tried something new. I'm going to go on record as saying this was indeed the worst thing I've ever made. We're talking straight up terribad.

In my defense, it sounded like it had potential - sort of an orange chicken dish - or so I thought. It ended up being a dish of pain and suffering, my friends. Pain and suffering lovingly prepared in my crockpot.

My family, bless their hearts, choked it down. And Corwin said, "Mama, I'm giving you an A for effort, but an F for BLERGH!"

It was a fair assessment.

Matt patted my shoulder and said, "You tried."

Killian gave Herne some chicken. Herne threw it up. That's how bad this was. The cat threw up the chicken. On my floor. In front of me. Then looked at me accusingly. Nobody made you eat it, cat.

But tonight will be different. Tonight I won't try anything new. I'll make the yummy beef stew that Brynn taught me to make. And no one will vomit it up on the floor in front of me.

Oh and speaking of vomit, I blogged over at Evo about words I hate coming across in romances.

New Misread and Weird Dream

I had a weird dream this morning. I dreamt that there were writer loan sharks.

Apparently, when you get an idea about a book and you don't use it or even write it fast enough they come and find you and hit you in the head until the idea falls out and they take it back. It was very traumatic.

Evidently, I'm having anxiety about the stories I'm working on.

And then there's my kid. Corwin apparently suffers from the same misread malady that I do. We were driving to school yesterday and all of a sudden I hear from the backseat, "Inferno parlor! WTF?" And then a minute later, "Oh...funeral parlor."

Yep. That's my kid. Made him myself.

One of those days

It's been one of those days already and it's not even 11 am yet.

After I dropped the kids off to school I went to fedex and shipping my effing computer back to be fixed again. For those of you keeping track at home, this is the second time it's been in for repairs since getting it in October.

I. Am. Not. Pleased.

Killian's convinced that I've angered the Computer Gods because I'm not using it for its intended purpose which is gaming. I've decided that when it comes back from being fixed, it can be hubby's (he'll use it for its intended purpose) and I'm getting something else. I'm so done with this BS. For the record, hubby heartily approves of this idea.

I'm now sitting at Barnes and Noble waiting for my freaking car to be fixed. Incidentally, Barnes and Noble Starbucks has way better food than my local Starbucks. While I'm enjoying my spinach and feta stuffed pretzel, I'm sad because it's unlikely I'll get another one anytime soon. I'm allergic to the mall. Any mall, really. I hate shopping unless it's online or at a Ren or street fair. Soooooo not a mall kid.

My car decided to blow it's windshield wiper transmission. You didn't realize there was such a thing? Me either. On my car, it costs 382.55 to fix.

However, I met the coolest guy today. He drove me from the car place to the mall where I could have coffee. We were talking, cleverly enough, about coffee. He told me he's looking for a two pot coffee maker for his wife, so I told him about the one I got from Meijer.

Guy: My wife is the most amazing woman on the earth - no offense to you, of course - you seem lovely. But she doesn't ask for much, and since she likes coffee and I don't, I thought I'd surprise her.

Me: None taken, and I have to say I think it's wonderful that you want to do something so sweet for your wife.

Guy: My wife is four years and four days younger than me. When I was ten and she was six, I pointed at her, and I told my mom, "That's the girl I'm gonna marry." We've been married for fifty years this year and I feel the same way about her today that I felt about her then. I look forward to going home to her at the end of every day.

Me: Your wife is a really lucky woman.

Guy: Nah...I'm the lucky one.

Needless to say, I got teary and had to forcibly resist the urge to hug this guy.

At the end of the day, windshield wiper transmissions and malfunctioning computers aren't that big a deal. Being with the people you love is. So hug your peeps when you see them next. I will, too.

The Wedding of the Year

I know, you're all frantically checking your calenders to see if somehow you'd missed Prince William and Kate's wedding. Nope - there was actually a better wedding this year. My baby brother Andrew got married Saturday.

There was the usual wedding amusement. My nieces Madelynn and Lexi were the flower girls and Madelynn decided to hike up her dress in the middle of the ceremony and adjust the crotch of her tights. The minister read the longest Kahlil Gibran passage ever. No really. Ever. He. Would. Not. Stop.

Hubby pointed out that he thought the minister flunked out of the William Shatner School of Speech. I think he may be right.

After the ceremony, there was a very sweet speech by the maid of honor and a hilarious one by the best man. Like he said, he can't remember a time when he and Andrew weren't friends. I can't either. I do remember though when they used to make chalk outlines of bodies in the road and throw down fake blood and put up police caution tape and wait in the woods to see what would happen. Once an old lady called the police, not to report Andrew and Brian, but to report a hit and run car accident swearing she'd seen the whole thing. Yep...these are the people in my life. (And I'm glad!)

After Brian gave his speech, our sister Cait got up to toast them. She talked about how six years ago, she was at her favorite coffee shop hanging out when she noticed Andrew walk in with a drop dead gorgeous girl on their first date. She mentioned that she tried to borrow a quarter from Andrew for the jukebox, but he didn't have one. Anne didn't hesitate, she handed Cait a quarter, and Cait looked at Anderw, pointed at Anne and said, "Marry that woman." After they left the coffee shop Andrew, Anne and Cait hung out and talked until six am. Cait said she knew then that Anne was perfect for Andrew. She lifted her glass, tossed Anne a quarter and said, "I owe you."

Aaaaand that's when I started getting teary.

The teary-ness continued when it was time for dancing. I was fine while they danced. Then it was time for the mother-son dance, and what do we hear but the unmistakable strains of John Denver's Country Roads. There were a lot of people looking around with WTF expressions on their faces. Cait and I cracked up and then we both got a little teary - Country Roads was the song Andrew always asked mom to sing him at bedtime. As soon as the music started playing, Madelynn squealed, "It's my Daddy-bedtime-song" because my brother Martin has carried on the tradition and sings it to his kids. So Cait, Tim, Martin and I all sang along, laughing like idiots while mom and Andrew danced.

I thought the running makeup time was over, but the DJ announced that it was time for the groom to dance with his big sister. Yes, dear readers, that would be me. It should be noted that I hate dancing...especially when I'm the only one doing it. But there was my boy, with that cute little smile on his face, so off I went. Then the music started. And I burst into tears. Full-on crying. The song he chose for us to dance to was Tapestry, by Carole King.

When Andrew was little, my mom had to teach several night classes a week, so I'd put him and Martin and Cait to bed on those nights. I didn't even realize he remembered that was the song that I'd sing to him. So we danced and laughed and cried a little more.

I was hit again by something I already knew. I am the luckiest big sister in the world.

By the way, if you've never heard Tapestry, this is it. I still love it after all this time. Actually, I love it even more, now.

A conversation of sorts...

Over at the Writer's Evolution this week, we were given the task of putting ourselves in a scene with one of our heroes.

Well...I'm here to tell you that I did.

And it was awkward.

It's here, if you'd like to read it.