As you know from previous coupon tips, I am fiscally cautious (I know my husband is laughing loudly over this!). But seriously, I am frugal. I shop around for the best prices, take advantage of sales, clip coupons, etc. in an effort to make sure I’m not spending money needlessly. I guess that’s why when a friend sent around an e-mail about saving on prescriptions, I thought it would be good to share it with you for various reasons.
The e-mail my friend sent around is at the bottom of this blog for you to read.
My friend checked this out and noted that by her calculations she would be able to save nearly $60 a year by using Costco for her prescriptions even though she was not a member. My friend was able to order a prescription she used regularly and instead of paying the $30 copay for 90 pills, she was able to purchase 100 pills from Costco for $10.24. She did it online and got free shipping to boot!
There is one caution I would make about the hyperbole in the e-mail about 569,958% markups and the like.
Any statistician will tell you that it’s possible to skew numbers to make your argument. In this case, it is inaccurate to compare the cost of active ingredients to the price of non-generic medications.
Why? For starters, it takes someone years and years of research to discover how to combine those active ingredients into a useful and safe product. Case in point: Many years ago the laws regarding patents had to be changed because many pharmaceutical patents were expiring before the testing of the products had been completed and the products had been approved by the FDA. The term for patents prior to this extension: 20 years.
Imagine taking 20 years – yes TWENTY – years to develop a product and have its use approved by an administrative body. Imagine the cost of research, testing and prosecuting the FDA approval and patents.
Of course, those are extreme situations. The average time for approval of a new drug is approximately 10 years at about a cost of anywhere from $100 to $230 million dollars according to Kevin Oliver in his paper on Drug Approval in the United States (click here for the full text of Oliver’s paper on Drug Approval). By the way, the paper also helps to explain why drugs are cheaper in other countries, namely, because of the time it takes for the U.S. government to approve a drug versus approval by governments in other countries.
But back to the reason for this post. In fact, you can buy certain pharmaceutical products at much lower costs using Costco even if you are not a member. Like anything else, you should shop around to see if they offer the best price. Also check with your local independent pharmacist who oftentimes can provide additional information on the the best prices. Regardless of where you buy your prescription medicine, be sure to tell your pharmacist about all medicines you are taking, including non-prescription drugs and over-the-counter herbal/natural remedies, to avoid dangerous side effects and interactions.
The Original Text of the Costco Prescription E-mail
Costco – Unbelievable!
Make sure you read to the end. You will be amazed.
Let’s hear it for Costco! (This is just mind-boggling!)
Make sure you read all the way past the list of the drugs. The woman that signed below is a Budget Analyst out of federal Washington , DC offices.
Did you ever wonder how much it costs a drug company for the active ingredient in prescription medications? Some people think it must cost a lot, since many drugs sell for more than $2.00 per tablet. We did a search of offshore chemical synthesizers that supply the active ingredients found in drugs approved by the FDA. As we have revealed in past issues of XXXXXXX a significant percentage of drugs sold in the United States contain active ingredients made in other countries. In our independent investigation of how much profit drug companies really make, we obtained the actual price of active ingredients used in some of the most popular drugs sold in America .
Celebrex:100 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60
Percent markup: 21,712%
Claritin:10 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71
Percent markup: 30,306%
Keflex:250 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88
Percent markup: 8,372%
Lipitor:20 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80
Percent markup: 4,696%
Norvasc:10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14
Percent markup: 134,493%
Paxil:20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60
Percent markup: 2,898%
Prevacid:30 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01
Percent markup: 34,136%
Prilosec: 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97
Cost of general active ingredients $0.52
Percent markup: 69,417%
Prozac:20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11
Percent markup: 224,973%
Tenormin:50 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13
Percent markup: 80,362%
Vasotec:10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20
Percent markup: 51,185%
Xanax:1 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024
Percent markup: 569,958%
Zestril:20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89
Cost of general active ingredients $3.20
Percent markup: 2,809%
Zithromax:600 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19
Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78
Percent markup: 7,892%
Zocor:40 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63
Percent markup: 4,059%
Zoloft:50 mg
Consumer price: $206.87
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75
Percent markup: 11,821%
Since the cost of prescription drugs is so outrageous, I thought everyone should know about this.
It pays to shop around! This helps to solve the mystery as to why they can afford to put a Walgreen’s on every corner. On Monday night, Steve Wilson, an investigative reporter for Channel 7 News in Detroit , did a story on generic drug prices gouging by pharmacies. He found in his investigation that some of these generic drugs were marked up as much as 3,000% or more. So often we blame the drug companies for the high cost of drugs, and usually rightfully so. But in this case, the fault clearly lies with the pharmacies themselves. For example if you had to buy a prescription drug, and bought the name brand, you might pay $100 for 100 pills.
The pharmacist might tell you that if you get the generic equivalent, they would only cost $80, making you think you are saving $20. What the pharmacist is not telling you is that those 100 generic pills may have only cost him $10!
At the end of the report, one of the anchors asked Mr. Wilson whether or not there were any pharmacies that did not adhere to this practice, and he said that Costco consistently charged little over their cost for the generic drugs.
I went to the Costco site, where you can look up any drug, and get its online price. It says that the in-store prices are consistent with the online prices. I was appalled. Just to give you one example from my own experience I had to use the drug Compazine which helps prevent nausea in chemo patients.
I used the generic equivalent, which cost $54.99 for 60 pills at CVS. I checked the price at Costco, and I could have bought 100 pills for $19.89. For 145 of my pain pills, I paid $72.57. I could have got 150 at Costco for $28.08.
I would like to mention, that although Costco is a ‘membership’ type store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy prescriptions there as it is a federally regulated substance. You just tell them at the door that you wish to use the pharmacy, and they will let you in.
Thanks to my sister-in-law Chelly for today’s Guilty Pleasure – Andy Whitfield. Andy is the star of the new STARZ Original Series SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND. Mind you, I’d been counting down to the start of this series since I’ve been a Roman history/Gladiator fan since I was a kid. That’s why on one Valentine’s Day years ago I dragged my husband to see GLADIATOR as my Valentine’s Day gift. Not that he complained since it was an awesome movie.
I didn’t know what to expect with Spartacus. I love Andy, but I’m still undecided on the 300-style special effects during the fight scenes. I think I would prefer real-action battles instead of the cartoony animation. Still, I’m sticking it out, going through the episodes I’ve DVR’d. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the sight of Andy, all sweaty and in leather.
You may remember that I had picked Tim as one of our Guilty Pleasures some time back. I had been impressed not just with his looks, but with his leadership, acts of kindness and intense belief in his faith. He has once again shown that he practices what he preaches.
Sometimes it’s hard to think about what to write on Thoughtful Thursdays. It’s such a mixed bag of info on days like today. But so many of you commented on my background the other day and expressed an interest in hearing more, that it occurred to me that I should share a little bit more about myself.
Maybe by doing so we’ll get to know each other better and you’ll understand the things about which I am passionate (LOL! as if you don’t know some of those already.)
For starters, I am an American born in Cuba.
I’m sure that’s raising eyebrows, but that’s the way I feel. I had the chance to hear Marco Rubio talk the other day on the radio and he mentioned being an American of Cuban descent. Of how grateful he was about all this Nation had given him and I realized that he was speaking much as my mother had spoken to me for all of my life.
That we were Americans now. That being American was a great gift. That we should not take that gift lightly and always honor it. In my mother’s mind that meant getting good grades, obeying the law, standing up for ourselves and those that were weaker and most of all, standing up for America.
So I can’t call myself an American of Cuban descent because I wasn’t born here, but I will call myself an American born in Cuba.
You might wonder why my mother was so vehement on that topic and the story is a long one which I’ll abbreviate into one word — Liberty.
When my mother lived in Cuba under Batista, life was good for her, but not for others. But even as good as it was for her, she lacked the ability to speak out about wrongdoing or what she thought needed change in the government. It’s why she worked with Castro during the Revolution. Not that she ever really told us much about that as kids. It came in snippets at unexpected times. In reality, I learned more about my mother after her death than I had known throughout my life.
Of course the change that Castro had promised for Cuba turned out to be nothing like what my mother and father had expected or for which they had worked. Instead of a free republic, they soon came under the control of a government that was slowly robbing them of their short-lived Liberty as the government nationalized businesses and plantations they felt were necessary for the public good. Newspapers and individuals who spoke out against the government were either demonized or shut down. The government fomented class warfare as a way of justifying taking the labors of individuals for the good of all.
Just as my parents fought against Batista, they now decided to fight against Castro. Unfortunately those plans placed them in peril of imprisonment (or death) necessitating my parents’ hasty retreat from Cuba. In their minds there was only one Nation that could provide them the Liberty they sought – the United States.
But Castro wasn’t done with them. My parents had been forced to leave my sister and I behind along with my maternal grandparents. My parents thought we would join them shortly after their abrupt departure. I’m told that our Cuban passports were taken to prevent us from leaving Cuba. That for over a year my parents sought every way they could think of to get us out with no success while Castro would send his men to roust our house and threaten my grandparents to get my parents to return. Possibly he feared they would work against him in the United States. Who knows?
My sister was six months old when my mother left. I was three. Imagine leaving children that young behind, but they had no choice.
Eventually we got out and spent another six months wandering through Central America and Mexico until the immigration laws changed and my parents were able to get us into this country.
During that year and a half, my parents had not only been trying to get us out, they had been building a life here. Getting jobs and finding a home. It wasn’t necessarily easy. People didn’t want to rent to Cubans.
That never diminished my mother’s appreciation for the one gift that made all that hardship worthwhile – Liberty.
Her one response to all that negativity was simple — Succeed.
Succeed because to not do so was to dishonor the gift we had been given. Succeed because we did not want to shame other Cubans. Succeed because we wanted to prove that anything was possible in America. Succeed because success is the best revenge.
So why am I telling you all this today?
I guess because I want you to understand why I am passionate about America. Why my heart beats faster and emotion chokes me every time I hear the national anthem or see the flag. Why I take so seriously the gift of Liberty and why I honor it by reaching forward with one hand while reaching back with the other to help someone else.
So those are my thoughts on this Thoughtful Thursday. I hope you understand a little bit more about me. I’d like to get to know more about you if you care to leave a comment.
This week’s Wicked Wednesday brings you another installment of my urban fantasy involving a twist to the werewolf mythology, battles with vampires and a struggle for control in a werewolf pack. I hope you like this next free chapter that I’m offering you.
In Chapter 21, Catalina and Ramon finally allow themselves to explore the feelings they share, but their interlude is not yet complete.
In Chapter 22, Hemmerich – the villian of the piece — is spying on Ramon and Caterina, watching as they make love. His passion grows as he imagines himself with Caterina, until Selina- Caterina’s half-sister, enters the room. Mistaking Hemmerich’s passion, Selina offers herself and Hemmerich commands her to service him.
In this chapter we see the continuation of Ramon and Caterina’s love scene. WARNING: This is intended for mature audiences – over 17 only please.
For those of you who may have missed the first chapters, you can read them here:
Chapter 23
**For those over 17 years of age only**
Ramon paused at the indentation of her thigh and hip, nuzzling his nose against that tender skin. Inhaling deeply and imagining that if he were one of the wolves he might memorize that scent and forever be able to track down his beloved.
“Ramon, please,” she keened, raising her hips to urge him to move those last few inches.
“I do not want to rush, Caterina. I’ve waited too long not to savor this moment,” he said and in fact, it seemed like centuries when it had only been a few years since he had first laid eyes on her.
Caterina had been twenty-one and gorgeous in a deep emerald gown as she walked down the stairs on the arm of her father. All the wolves had known that night she was his Chosen. The One who would lead the pack.
At the time Ramon had only known that she was the most beautiful woman in the room and way out of his league. He was just a lowly physician attending the fabulously upscale Villalobos charity gala on someone else’s dime.
Little had he suspected that night would change everything.
“Ramon, please rush,” Caterina said, a slightly regal tone of command in her voice as she cupped the back of his head and applied gentle pressure.
“Amorcito, I’m almost there,” he teased, dropping a kiss above the nearly black curls at the juncture of her legs before slipping downward.
He parted her with his fingers and found the swollen pearl. Licked it and she surged up off the bed, inviting him to do more. As he continued licking around the nub, he eased first one finger then another into her. She was warm, her entrance slick from their earlier foreplay.
Caterina moaned at his caress and stroked her hand through his hair, imprisoning him against her, not that she needed to. She was his life and he was worshipping at the font of his existence. She had become everything to him in the last few years and he understood the severity of what would follow. Of the rules they would break and the punishment he might face and yet that did not dissuade him.
Ramon continued to pleasure her with his mouth and fingers until the trembling in her body and her soft cries warned him she was close to the edge. And as much as he wanted to give her that release, Caterina had been alone for far too long in her life.
He would not let her be alone in this.
Withdrawing from between her legs and ignoring her protest, he trailed a line of kisses up the center of her body, pausing to tenderly swipe his lips across one of the bruise’s from this night’s battle. Wishing he could heal her and protect her from future hurt. But he knew all he could do was be by her side and offer her comfort.
He continued upward, until he brushed his lips across hers and met her welcoming gaze. Her brows furrowed at his delay, but then he cupped her breast and slipped his thumb over the hard tip.
“I love you, Caterina. You are all I could ever want,” he said, keeping to himself that she was also all that he should never have.
Caterina heard the capitulation in his voice. The doubt that somehow lingered despite the love, but she would no longer deny herself . . . or him.
She pressed on his shoulders and urged him to his back. Swiftly she covered his body with hers, his erection tucked against the softness of her belly. Rotating her hips, she said, “I love you, Ramon. And I want this. I’m bold enough to take what I want. Do you dare accept it?”
He groaned and closed his eyes, rocked his hips upward as his answer escaped him.
“Yes, my love. I dare.”
He placed his hands on her hips and she lifted them, reached down and guided him to her center, hesitating as the tip of him just breached her center.
Their gazes locked and in that one moment, everything faded away except for one thing — their love.
She thrust down, joining him with her. Rocking her hips to caress him, the movement stroking him in and out of her moist depths.
Ramon reached up and cradled her breasts, strumming his thumbs across the deep caramel of her nipples. Watching her expressive face as she strove to bring them pleasure.
With each roll of her hips she brought them closer and closer to the edge. He aided her, thrusting upward to deepen his penetration. Releasing a strangled groan as the feel of her nearly overwhelmed him.
She whispered his name, her tone urgent. Pleading.
He rose up and wrapped his arm around her waist. Kissed her and whispered against her lips, “This is amazing, mi amor.”
It was, Caterina thought. Being in his arms, having him buried deep filled her not just physically, but emotionally, soothing the emptiness in her heart.
She bent her head and rained kisses along his temple and mouth. Joined her mouth to his, although their rough breaths broke the kiss time and time again until finally something coalesced in her. Formed a tight ball that knotted her insides and stole her breath.
“Come with me,” Ramon whispered against the side of her face before he dropped his head down to the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Bit her gently and then sucked the spot.
The feel of his tongue and the warmth of his lips there broke her reserve.
The knot came loose, sending strands of heat and pleasure racing over through her body. Spilling over onto his as with one final intense thrust upward, he called her name and shuddered beside her.
She yanked in a breath and somehow muttered his name again. Wrapped her arms around his head to keep him close.
Ramon smiled and kissed the side of her neck. Shifted to trail kisses all along the slopes of her breasts before moving upward to take her mouth again.
The kiss this time was one of tenderness and satisfaction. It continued leisurely as he remained buried deep within her, surrounded by her. Her legs around his waist. Arms around his head and shoulders. Her body milking him, accepting his release.
A release that sadly could never bear fruit. Werewolf-human mixes were virtually non-existent.
Virtually sending a sharp stab of fear through him that he had not thought to protect her.
“Ramon? Is something wrong?” she said, gazing down at him with so much love and happiness in her eyes that he could not shatter the moment with his concern.
“Nothing, querida,” he lied, but Caterina was no one’s fool and quickly detected it. Despite that, she said nothing, maybe as loathe as he to endanger the moment.
Entwined they fell down onto the mattress, clearly reticent to release one another. Never ceasing to touch and caress, almost as if to confirm that it had really happened. That after so long they were really there together, making love.
But soon those caresses grew more demanding and in no time, he was hard within her once again.
“Ramon?” she questioned, one eyebrow arched in emphasis.
“The night is almost over, but . . . I want you again, Caterina. Do you dare?” he said and teasingly plopped a kiss on the end of her nose.
“I dare,” she said and gave herself over to his loving.
We’re having a slightly different Tuesday today for lots of reasons. It’s Groundhog Day for one and I hope that pesky critter (whose distant cousin has been ravaging my garden for years) is predicting an end to winter.
It’s also my grandma’s b’day. She would have been ancient! LOL! 106 to be exact, although she only lived to 94. Still a good age by any measurement.
But the big celebration is the launch of the ROMCON forums and a chance to win an assortment of prizes.
Here’s the note from ROMCON for you:
RomCon celebrates 14 Days of Love February 1 – 14! Join us as we launch our three different reader forums, Contemporary, Historical, and Fantasy/Futuristic & Paranormal (FF&P), with visits from special guest authors, fun topics to chat about, and gifts and goodies galore!
Any reader who leaves a comment during our special promotion will be entered to win a free Reader Registration to RomCon™ 2010! And any author who provides goodies for this exciting event will be entered to win an Author Registration to RomCon™ 2010!
Please note you do have to register to be able to post comments! Drop by the other forums and topics as well for a chance to win a reader registration to the conference. I’ve also donated a prize: autographed copies of FURY CALLS and SINS OF THE FLESH as well as a SINS insulated lunchbag!
Be sure to leave a comment to be entered for the giveaways. Thanks!
Today’s Guilty Pleasure is an oldie, but goodie – Gregory Peck.
It’s funny really. We were just talking about TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD the other day and this weekend what was on – TO KILL A MOCKINGBORD as well as CAPOTE. Watched the first (for which Peck won the Oscar), but fell asleep during the latter(because I was tired and not because it wasn’t a good movie! Note that Hoffman won the Oscar for his portrayal of Capote). Why the connection between the two? Harper Lee, the author of Mockingbird was good friends with Capote and assisted him while he was working on IN COLD BLOOD.
But back to Peck. I always found Peck to be so masculine and handsome. Very refined as well. Even when he was older, as in THE OMEN he had presence on the screen.
Hope you like the LOLCat that I captioned for you this Fun Friday. Also hope you like all these discounts I’ve rounded up for you! Hurry because some of them end soon!
Amazon 4 for 3 special – Includes SINS OF THE FLESH
15% off at B&N until Jan 31 Use Code M3B8T7W – cannot be combined
B&N Buy 2 Selected Romances get 3rd free plus free shipping over $25 (For Members Free shipping over $10) – Includes SINS OF THE FLESH Borders ALL BOOKS Buy 4 get 5th for free – Can be combined with Borders Member Reward Code for 20% off BEG93010X or if Member BJT7138P for 33% off plus free shipping over $25
Our Lola today is anything but a show girl. She’s a smart and sexy sleuth in Misa Ramirez’s Lola Cruz Mystery series! I hope you’ll enjoy today’s guest blog with my friend and fellow author as Misa tells us a little more about the creation of her character and series.
*****
You don’t know me, but I’m a mystery writer. I’m the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery Series. Living the Vida Lola came out last January, and Hasta la Vista, Lola!, comes out on February 2nd. I’m gearing up for the release, in full celebratory mode, and thrilled to be here dishing with Caridad!
When you aren’t a regular on a blog, it can be hard to know what to write, and how to present it to a brand new audience. Should I be funny, like in my books? Serious, because murder is serious business? Or some combination of the two, perhaps? The truth is, I’m no stand up comedian (not by a long shot), but I am funny–in my books. Like any fleshed out character, I’m a combination of things. I love a good mystery (cutting my teeth on Nancy Drew, graduating to Agatha Christie, and branching out from there), read the occasional romance (Julia Quinn makes me laugh), but stick mostly with women’s and/or literary fiction (The Help is my new favorite book).
How, then, did I come to write mysteries, and why aren’t my mysteries serious instead of sexy and sassy?
The short answer is, I like the mystery device. What better way to propel a plot forward than to have a crime to solve?
The little-bit-longer answer is that crafting a puzzle that the sleuth and readers need to piece together is challenging–and fun; watching characters you love to spend time with grow and discover themselves–and each other–is rewarding. Having humor and wit in a book is icing on the cake.
For me, then, the mystery is only half the story. Lola Cruz came about long before the framework of Living the Vida Lola. She came to me as a character who was at once sassy, smart, sexy, determined, strong, feminine, Latina, black belt in kung fu, idealistic, American, sister, daughter, friend, and so much more. When it was time to figure out how I was going to tell her story, it made perfect sense to put her into an investigative role. Elements of the mystery, I knew, could pit Lola against external conflicts, as well as internal conflicts, of which she has many. It would force her to evaluate her life, her choices, her dreams, her desires, and her future (all in a funny, light way). Balancing her drive to be a detective, her traditional Mexican family, cultural expectations, her American sensibilities, and her love life is no easy task. Add in a mystery, and it’s a wild ride!
Lola Cruz Mysteries are character driven more than anything, but the mysteries really interest me. They’re ‘ripped from the headlines’, twisted, redefined, and Lola-fied. The mysteries shape, form, and/or enlighten Lola in her personal life or with her decision-making. They are equal, then, to Lola’s own story, which spans the arc of the series (we’re only on book 2, so have a ways to go yet).
I’m always curious to find out i readers like their mysteries straight up, or with the zany, romantic elements which are in many series. How do you like yours?
I am so happy to have with me today a very dear friend and fellow author, Autumn Jordon! We’ve known each other for years and in addition to being my friend, Autumn is a RWA Golden Heart Finalist and debut author. Which just goes to show how hard work and determination are the keys to success in life.
Without further ado, here’s Autumn!
*****
“You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.” Richard Bach
A friend gave me a plague with the above quote inscribed on it some twenty-five years ago. The plague still hangs on my office wall. That quote has inspired me to take steps in my life that I might not have taken otherwise.
One path I started on was to strive to write for publication and years later, I’m finally seeing my dreams come true. My first release, OBSSESED BY WILDFIRE, hits the cyber-shelf today! I’m so excited. My stomach clenches as I wonder if anyone will dish out cash for the story. If they decided to, I don’t think they’ll be disappointed.
OBSESSED BY WILDFIRE is not my first completed novel, it’s not even my second or third. It’s my fifth. Does its ranking, among my completed works, diminish the excitement which tingles my entire soul today? HE** NO.
OBSESSED BY WILDFIRE is rated HOT! I didn’t know I could write HOT. My editor thinks I could erotica. My answer to her is a topic for another blog.
The story, set in the Texas town of Wayback, is about a woman who meets a man who could stop her from her accomplishing her dreams. I love the banter Isabelle’s emotional conflict causes between her and the sexy fire marshal, Warner. The couple made me chuckle. By the end of the book, Isobel learns love can make dreams a whole lot sweeter.
Excerpt:
“Warner Keyson. You?” He folded his arms across his chest. His muscles bulged from beneath the rolled back sleeves of his white dress shirt. She’d seen bigger forearms—on a few NFL players.
“Isobel Trinidad.”
“Well, Ms. Trinidad, you could’ve caused some damage or killed someone the way you barreled in here.”
“The last time I heard, Raleigh was Wayback’s chief and you’re not one of his officers. Besides everyone’s inside.”
“There could be a couple or two in the backseat of those cars. You know, enjoying the night.”
Warner Keyson’s warm caramel gaze drifted over her and Isobel’s legs buckled a degree before she roped off her reaction. Refusing to look away, she wrestled the urge to step closer and touch the cute dark lock that curled behind Mr. Keyson’s right ear. “Were you peeking in windows?”
“Nah, not peeking.” His full lips pulled up the tiniest bit.
Looking pass him, she scanned the cars. Had he been in the backseat of one of them? Had one of the local girls already run him down and claimed him?
“So what do you have in mind with that whip?”
*****
If you’d like to read the entire story, and I hope you will, here is the link to The Wild Rose Press home page. http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
As you know from previous coupon tips, I am fiscally cautious (I know my husband is laughing loudly over this!). But seriously, I am frugal. I shop around for the best prices, take advantage of sales, clip coupons, etc. in an effort to make sure I’m not spending money needlessly. I guess that’s why when a friend sent around an e-mail about saving on prescriptions, I thought it would be good to share it with you for various reasons.
Sometimes it’s hard to think about what to write on Thoughtful Thursdays. It’s such a mixed bag of info on days like today. But so many of you commented on my background the other day and expressed an interest in hearing more, that it occurred to me that I should share a little bit more about myself.
When my mother lived in Cuba under Batista, life was good for her, but not for others. But even as good as it was for her, she lacked the ability to speak out about wrongdoing or what she thought needed change in the government. It’s why she worked with Castro during the Revolution. Not that she ever really told us much about that as kids. It came in snippets at unexpected times. In reality, I learned more about my mother after her death than I had known throughout my life.
Today’s Guilty Pleasure is an oldie, but goodie – Gregory Peck.
I am so happy to have with me today a very dear friend and fellow author, Autumn Jordon! We’ve known each other for years and in addition to being my friend, Autumn is a RWA Golden Heart Finalist and debut author. Which just goes to show how hard work and determination are the keys to success in life.
