My daughter is my best bud and I am so so proud of how she’s growing up and how she’s handling all the changes in her life. I know last year was bittersweet for her for a number of reasons, but she handled it well and now things are looking good for her. We have so much fun when we get together and I’m looking forward to many many more years of joy with her! This photo was taken at one of her soccer games when she was about 4 and half. Love the smiles on both of us!
#WriteWed – Mission to Mars
I grew up during a time when space exploration was all the rage and I cut my teeth on books by Arthur C. Clarke, TV shows like LOST IN SPACE, and of course the movie adaptation of one of Clarke’s books, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. My hubby and I sometimes talk about how we thought that by now we’d be able to either live on the moon or on a space station and wonder why it is that we’ve fallen so behind in what seemed so plausible so many years ago. Of course, now there’s a space race going on again with the various tech billionaires trying to outdo each other with rockets, moon bases, etc.
It kind of makes me wonder why I never thought to write a book set in space? What do you think? Would you be interested?
In the mean time, how about signing yourself up to see your name on the next NASA Rover mission to Mars? Just visit NASA with this link to get your own boarding pass: https://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/mars2020/
#TransformationTuesday – Success is Sweet
It’s a joyful day for so many reasons. For starters Memorial Day is just a few days away and that means more time on the beach as well as better weather for long strolls on the boardwalk. Happy times for sure. But it’s also a joyful day because I broke past that weight plateau I mentioned two weeks ago and also managed to stay on track despite being at a conference last week. Conferences are always hard on account of erratic schedules and conference foods. I made a point of exercising every morning, taking the stairs when I could, sneaking in a walk as well as watching what I ate. A big help was paying extra for the club access since it meant I could get a healthy breakfast, hydration during the day and also plan for grazing that kept me from eating bad stuff while waiting for late dinners.
With all that, I’m happy to say that I’ve lost 13.4 pounds so far and I think I am well on my way to my goal of losing 15 by May 31. Wish me luck!
Original Beach Image by Pexels from Pixabay
#MatineeMonday – Something new and a little wine!
Starting something a little new here for Mondays – a discussion of some of my fav new and old movies and television shows! On the flight down to New Orleans for the Book Lovers Con I downloaded WINE COUNTRY from Netflix. I love Amy Poehler and Tina Fey and so this was a must try and I was not disappointed. This tale of six friends spending a celebratory weekend in Napa is funny and thought-provoking at the same time. I even re-watched it with hubby and men will also enjoy how this group of women skewers many of the things faced in middle age. Warning, there is some cursing, minor nudity, sexual references, and some drug stuff (and I so like how this resolved by the way!). So definitely check out this movie for a lighthearted and hilarious time. You can watch or download from Netflix here: http://bit.ly/2WUQlwO
P.S. – If you’re wondering who I would be in this movie, definitely the Amy Poehler character. I map out our vacations but am sure to allow for that 20 minutes of planned spontaneity. LOL!
Also – sharing some photos from my New Orleans trip below.
You can see some more at my Facebook Fan Page.
#TransformationTuesday – Hitting an early weight loss plateau
After an amazing three weeks in which I lost almost ten pounds, I’ve been stuck at the same weight now for a week. Sigh. It’s time to consider what’s changed in the last week that might have impacted on my earlier success. For starters, I did have some more carbs in the mix and it just confirms that I have to stay away from things like bread and exchange healthier carbs for those like the carbs in fruits and vegetables. The other thing is my exercise routine. I’ve gone back to adding an extra twenty minutes of cardio after my twice weekly strength training. Last but not least, I have to look and see if I’m actually eating enough calories versus the calories burned due to activity. It’s never good to go into a mode that my body will consider a starvation mode. If you’ve hit similar plateaus with your weight loss, here are links to some articles that might be helpful:
Mayo Clinic: Getting Past a Weight Loss Plateau – https://mayocl.in/2DSwXsQ
My Fitness Pal: 10 Tips to Overcome a Weight-Loss Plateau – https://undrarmr.co/2DX4nqy
WebMD: 10 Ways to Move Beyond a Weight Loss Plateau – https://wb.md/2DTxTgW
Jillian Michaels: Break Through Any Weight-Loss Plateau – http://bit.ly/2DSeWeo
The content on the above websites is owned by the respective authors. Before starting any physical regimen you should consult with a physician. My linking to the above sites does not constitute an endorsement of any of the suggestions therein. (Sorry but you know those darn lawyers!)
Original Scale Image by TeroVesalainen from Pixabay
Original Hammer Image by bluebudgie from Pixabay
#ManCandyMonday – Southern Vampire Ryder Latimer
One of my fav all-time characters is Southern Vampire Ryder Latimer from The Calling is Reborn vampire novel series. I just fell in love with him from the moment he popped into my brain and started screaming that he was the perfect foil for kick-ass heroine FBI Agent Diana Reyes. I knew that Ryder’s old school protective nature would definitely rub Diana’s modern I-can-take-care-of-myself attitude the wrong way. I also knew that his tortured soul which has somehow managed to retain its humanity even after two hundred years as a demon would recognize a wounded spirit like Diana’s. Bringing the two of them together would surely create sparks, but the love that grows between them would definitely heal those wounds, although not without creating a whole host of other issues. I hope you’ll take a moment to check out Ryder in his first appearance in DARKNESS CALLS. I was honored that Harlequin let me revisit the Diana/Ryder romance in DEATH CALLS which I will be re-releasing shortly. Here is how I pictured Ryder!
To purchase DARKNESS CALLS you can visit the following retailers:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2t3Nwwd
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2Ga05Po
Apple Books: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1451465485
B&N: http://bit.ly/2TqSiQ8
Google Play Books: http://bit.ly/2E34wsD
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2TvCefY
Playster: http://bit.ly/2TvWJJo
Scribd: http://bit.ly/2Tqug7I
#ThrowbackThursday – My mom and big bro
My mom has been on my mind a lot lately, especially because of my daughter’s upcoming wedding. It saddens me that she died so young and didn’t get to see so many things. My sis graduating from college and my going to law school. Seeing us get degrees was such a big dream for her. Seeing all our weddings and our children. Her great-grandchildren. So sad and such a loss for her and for our kids who will never get to know such an amazing and accomplished woman. And why? Because she smoked. So my PSA for today: If you smoke please think about quitting, if not for you, for everyone who will miss you when you’re gone. This photo is of my mother and brother in Cuba, way before “las niñas” (the girls) came along.
