Photo Meme

Brynn Paulin tagged me for the photo meme, which is an excellent form of procrastination!
So here goes:
1. Feel free to tag yourself. Let me know if you have.
2. Answer the questions by typing your answers into Photo Bucket
3. Pick a pic that answers and insert it in your post.
4. You can’t copy the persons answers who posted this before you.

What is:

Your age on your next birthday

A place you'd like to visit

Your favorite object

Your favorite place

Your favorite food

Your favorite animal (this is Merlin, btw)

Your favorite color

Town where you were born

Town where you live now

Name of your pet (Nimue)

First name of the one you love

Your nickname

Your middle name

Your bad habit

Your first job

Your grandmother's name

Your favorite book

Things that make February less hideous

Vitamin D and sun lamps. I feel normal again and nearly peppy again. I'm not saying I'm ready to start an exercise regime or anything, but it's lovely to crawl out of my morose little oubliette.

The nice girl down the street. She's been shoveling my sidewalk because she thought I could use a hand and she has started an exercise regime.

Saying "no." I have a terrible habit of overextending myself because I can't say no. Well, it's taken a while, but I've started saying no about some things. There's still some residual guilt, but I'm getting over it.

Reading. I don't get as much time to read as I'd like. Something about multiple jobs and poor time management skills, but I've read two books lately that I'd like to take a minute to flog.

Time for Love by Kelly Kirch. I'll admit, I've never been a fan of regency romances, however, Kelly has changed all that - at least where her books are concerned. I loved watching Blake and Sarah fight for their HEA. The last part pf the book had me on the edge of my seat wondering how Kelly was going to get her characters out of the nightmare she'd thrown them into and one scene in particular had me in tears...but I'm not going to spoil it by saying which one. I will say that if you want a great read with a completely sastifying ending, do yourself a favor and read Time for Love!

Incubus by Brynn Paulin. This was another winner. Sizzlingly hot from beginning to end and emotionally wrenching - what could be better? The depth of despair both Val and Noah experienced as well as their intense love and the life or death crisis they find themselves in make this a whirlwind read not to be missed. I loved tis book! Seriously...read it- you won't be sorry!

Odds and Ends

So...I was checking out my website stats the other day and I found that someone has searched for me with the phrase, "author Bronwyn Green will remove her jeans." Really? Well...I supose...if I have to pee. Bizarre...yet pretty freaking funny.

Yesterday, I spent the day at my mom's. We had a big turkey dinner with all of the fam - except one of my brothers who was sick. After supper, my sister brought out a game she'd bought for the occasion. It's called Apples to Apples, and it's bloody hilarious! It's a simple premise, each player is given seven cards with random nouns, both common and proper. After everyone has their cards, a judge is picked and an adjective card is revealed. You have to put down the noun you think the adjective best describes. Everyone gets a chance to judge and if your noun is picked, you get a point. The one with the most points wins.

Now, I realize that sounds like it could be dull, but if you're going for irony or straight-up silly, it's the best game in the world. We must have played for three hours straight, laughing hysterically the whole time. My brothers, sister and sister-in-laws are so freaking funny. I ended up with a headache from laughing so hard - but it was worth it. My sister's partner won. I think her mutant ability is either mindreading or she just knows us so well that she knows what we're going to find hysterical. If you haven't tried this game, I highly recommend it.

A Pretty Fabulous Day

I just got back from school. Killian was sick and had to come home. He's looking pretty pale and feeling really crummy.

Thanks for all the kind comments on my pottery yesterday. I just love playing with clay. I talked to my mom yesterday and she decided that she needs a kiln in her basement (she does amazing work!) and I told her I thought it was a brilliant idea. Here's hoping we can find one cheap!

Other than the the sick run, my day is filled with happiness and light. Lots of light. Here in GR, there isn't a cloud in the sky, the sun is shining, the snow is getting a little melty and I actually saw signs of wildlife.

Other fabulous attributes of my day include:

Awesome Anny who reminded me that I haven't had my vitamins since this whole kidney thing started over a month and a half ago. DUH. Long story, but it involves schedules and drug interactions.

Benevolent Brynn who brought me a sun lamp this morning. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, she is that fantabulous!

Cute Catness. This is Nimue (aka Mewford, Mewmew, The Queen of Sheba and Goddess of the

Bathtub.) She's eighteen years old this month. Hubby and I got her from the pound shortly before our second anniversary. If anyone's doing the math, yes...I was a child bride. Nimue sits next to me on the arm of the couch all night long and keeps me company while I work.

In fact, last night she kept shooting me dirty looks, whenever I'd foghorn laugh at the insanity going on at Novel Talk last night. I had an absolute blast there last night with Brynn and Dakota and some of the NT regulars. What an awesome group! I can't wait to go back there and hang out some more!

OH!! I can't believe I almost forgot! I also got a stellar review from Joyfully Reviewed for Solstice Seduction! Here's the most awsomest part:

Solstice Seduction features a delicious hero that could be any woman’s fantasy. What better match than a man who knows he’s sinned, but cannot find a way to redeem himself, and a woman who believes God has abandoned her? Author Bronwyn Green writes a tale as hot as it is fantastic. Taliesin proves himself to be more than just a pretty face, and a perfect hero. Emerson is a loveable heroine you can feel for. This is just book one in the series. I hope to read more.

And here's the link if you want to read the rest. http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/reviews/Feb08/SolsticeSeduction.BG.html

All right...Nimue says I must get to work and harangue Jen Armintrout into working on the Alan Rickman Literacy Project.

She's back...but she's a little whiny

I’ve been a bad, bad blogger. I don’t have a good excuse. Mostly, I’ve been depressed. So much so that I couldn't even blog about it on Brynn's blog on Monday. Yes, I know...pathetic. I’m never really a happy camper this time of year, but this year is worse than ever. I think it’s because it seems like winter will never end. The snow is endless and the temperatures are bitterly cold. For instance…right now it’s 5 degrees outside. On the plus side, the sun was out for a little while yesterday and it’s out right now which makes me feel slightly less morose. For the record, T.S. Elliot was high. April isn’t the cruelest month, it’s clearly February. Although I do still like that poem.

Usually at this time of year, I get to do one of my favorite things which is to play with clay. I love creating something from nothing, which I guess is one of the reasons I like writing so much. Unfortunately, I haven’t been doing either one lately. There’s no pottery in my future since I don’t have access to a kiln right now, but there will (hopefully) be new stories soon.

In the meanwhile, I thought I’d take some pictures of some things I’ve made during previous winters as inspiration for me to get off my butt and do something besides being a morose lump.


This is my favorite tea mug. Well...I suppose it's really more of a vat, but it keeps my tea hot, and it's comfortable to hold and drink from.



This one turned out a little dark, but it's my version of the cover of the Chalice Well at Glastonbury.
This is a little dark too, but it's a Celtic knot piece I made in honor of my relationship with my sister Caitlin.This is one of my drums...and the only one I made. But it's got a decent sound and it's the first instrument I ever made that didn't involve rubberbands.
Despite my recent, incessant bitching about winter, I really do enjoy all four seasons. This piece hangs in my living room and it's one of my all time favorites.


This one is much better in person. It's an "Earth Mama" and it's glazed in really cool blues and greens.

Happy Birthday to Someone Special

Today is a pretty special day around my house. 25 years ago, today, my youngest brother, Andrew, was born. He's adorable with his big melty brown eyes, hilariously funny, smart and sweet. Happy Birthday to my Panda Bear!

In other news, I'm guest blogging at Hitting the Hot Spot. Please come and visit me so I'm not all lonely and stuff. Today's topic is Misconceptions About the Romance Genre.

Here's the link. http://totalebound.blogspot.com/

Misreads and one that wasn't

I misread things all the time. All the freaking time. So when I was on my way home from the car dealership the other day, and I saw a sign in front of a small deli that said "Human Hair On Sale Now!" I was positive I'd misread the sign.

Nope...not this time. There really was human hair on sale at the deli. Ewwwwww.

But it made me think of some of my favorite misreads. There was the time I was looking up the number for the "Grand Rapids Dominicans" - only I read, the "Grand Rapids Dominatrixes."

Another was a sign in front of a church. It said, "Polar Expedition Vacation Bible School." I read "Bipolar Exhibitionism Vacation Bible School." I actually has to slow down and drive around the block so I could reread the sign. I was a little disappointed when I did.

Sometimes I'll even combine two lines of text. For instance, there were these two headlines. "Blast Kills Six in Sri Lanka" and "How to Pick the Perfect Christmas Tree." However, I read
"The Perfect Christmas Tree Kills Six in Sri Lanka." I had this horrible mental image of a perfectly decorated tree - you know, something out of a Marshal Field's display, walking down the street and strangling people with strands of lights and garland.

So, do you guys ever misread things? I know Brynn, Margaret and Jen do. Got any gems you want to share? What about the rest of you?

Here's something that's not a misread. Today, is the last day of the Eternally Yours Contest.

Eternally Yours Contest

What could you spend an eternity doing? What is your passion? Your hunger? Your deepest desire? Each day beginning February 5 and running through February 14 one of the ten authors will complete the line, "My darling I could spend eternity…" on either their blog or website. Collect all ten answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with Eternally Yours in the subject line to win some hot, romantic books. There will be three lucky Valentine winners.

The prizes –

1st prize--5 books
2nd prize--3 books
3rd prize--2 books

Entries must be in by February 16 at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.

Sandra Cox Silverhills
Mona Risk To Love a Hero
Brynn Paulin Tribute For the Goddess
Bronwyn Green Mystic Circle
Cindy Spencer Pape Stone and Earth
N.J. Walters Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke
Elyssa Edwards Mating Stone
Amarinda Jones Shades of Gray
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Anny Cook Honeysuckle

Second to the last day....

The contest is almost over. Have you been collecting your answers? Just to make it easy for you, here's today's answer.

My darling, I could spend an enternity falling asleep in your arms and waking up there every morning.

And just in case you've missed the rules, I'll repost them.

Eternally Yours Contest

What could you spend an eternity doing? What is your passion? Your hunger? Your deepest desire? Each day beginning February 5 and running through February 14 one of the ten authors will complete the line, "My darling I could spend eternity…" on either their blog or website. Collect all ten answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with Eternally Yours in the subject line to win some hot, romantic books. There will be three lucky Valentine winners.

The prizes –

1st prize--5 books

2nd prize--3 books

3rd prize--2 books

Entries must be in by February 16 at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.

Sandra Cox Silverhills

Mona Risk To Love a Hero

Brynn Paulin Tribute For the Goddess

Bronwyn Green Mystic Circle

Cindy Spencer Pape Stone and Earth

N.J. Walters Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke

Elyssa Edwards Mating Stone

Amarinda Jones Shades of Gray

Kelly Kirch Time for Love

Anny Cook Honeysuckle

ARGHHHHH!!!!

So not only am I done with winter, but apparently so is my car. Squishy (my cute little car) decided that it was really too much of an effort to start this morning. I had to drag a space heater out to the garage and aim it at the car to get it started and drive to to the car dealership and sit there for hours while they fixed the same thing they fixed less than two years ago.

Controlled Obsolescence pisses me off. A lot.

It pisses me off that I have to spend a lot of money on something that should last longer than two years. It pisses me off that things are only built to last a short while and then get thrown away. Yes, it gives companies much their desired money, but as my hippie mama used to say, "there's no such place as away." I sincerely doubt anyone is recycling this stuff. Grrrr Argh

On to things that don't take up space, need no recycling and are free - contest books!

Eternally Yours Contest

What could you spend an eternity doing? What is your passion? Your hunger? Your deepest desire? Each day beginning February 5 and running through February 14 one of the ten authors will complete the line, "My darling I could spend eternity…" on either their blog or website. Collect all ten answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with Eternally Yours in the subject line to win some hot, romantic books. There will be three lucky Valentine winners.

The prizes –
1st prize--5 books
2nd prize--3 books
3rd prize--2 books

Entries must be in by February 16 at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.

Sandra Cox Silverhills
Mona Risk To Love a Hero
Brynn Paulin Tribute For the Goddess
Bronwyn Green Mystic Circle
Cindy Spencer Pape Stone and Earth
N.J. Walters Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke
Elyssa Edwards Mating Stone
Amarinda Jones Shades of Gray
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Anny Cook Honeysuckle

Hey look, it's another snow day.

I think my kids' school has had a snow day every week since they went back to school in January. I'm not complaining - hell, I didn't want to go out in this crap particularly since their school doesn't have bus service. Besides, in these sub-zero temps, my car doesn't like to start anyway. Squishy, (my car) is getting a bit cantankerous. She has a temperature sensor that malfunctions in really cold weather. I think I have the same malfunction. I don't want to get out of bed in weather like this. I'm considering hibernating until spring.

Before I do, I'll post the contest info.

Eternally Yours Contest

What could you spend an eternity doing? What is your passion? Your hunger? Your deepest desire? Each day beginning February 5 and running through February 14 one of the ten authors will complete the line, "My darling I could spend eternity…" on either their blog or website. Collect all ten answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with Eternally Yours in the subject line to win some hot, romantic books. There will be three lucky Valentine winners.

The prizes –

1st prize--5 books
2nd prize--3 books
3rd prize--2 books

Entries must be in by February 16 at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.

Sandra Cox Silverhills
Mona Risk To Love a Hero
Brynn Paulin Tribute For the Goddess
Bronwyn Green Mystic Circle
Cindy Spencer Pape Stone and Earth
N.J. Walters Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke
Elyssa Edwards Mating Stone
Amarinda Jones Shades of Gray
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Anny Cook Honeysuckle