Random Thoughts on a Saturday

Rita Lucero is blogging today on Killer Characters (where your favorite cozy characters do the talking.) Rita's sharing a few thoughts about organizing your kitchen and pantry. Stop by and say hello, and check out what she has to say about Cooks, Nooks and Crannies!

Also, just a quick note to let those of you who've been asking, The Cakes of Wrath was released on September 3. It's available to purchase in your favorite brick & mortar book stores and online outlets.

The weather is moderating a bit here along the Gulf Coast, but the random and unexplained power outages continue. We've lost power twice already this morning. Luckily, today's outages (so far) have lasted only a few minutes, as opposed to those that have dragged on for hours at a time, but can I just tell you how tired I am of resetting the clocks? 

I understood the problem when we were having severe thunderstorms every day all summer long. I understood it when we were under continuous flash flood warnings. But the weather has cleared after three long months of rain and the temperatures have dropped at least 15 degrees, but the power is still going out every day. 

So my question of the day is this: Has anyone else been experiencing weird and unexplained (and sometimes very lengthy) power outages?  

Five Good Minutes

Oooh! So there I was, working on revisions for Rebel Without a Cake and wondering what I should blog about today when I heard a knock on the front door. It took me a minute to get out from under the hard copy of my manuscript, the lap desk, my phone, and all the other junk that somehow always manages to end up on my lap while I'm working. By the time I reached the door and shooed the dog away from the doorknob, I heard the tell-tale sound of a UPS truck driving away and I knew I was in for something great.

Sure enough, there on my porch, was a small package from my editor containing my very first copy of The Cakes of Wrath hot off the presses.

For those who write, you know what a thrill it is to hold a book in your hands for the first time. For those who read, let me just tell you that it never, ever gets old. No, I don't experience the same mind-altering feeling of unbelief mixed with pure joy that I felt with my very first book, but it's still a rush. It's a little like Christmas morning.

I always hold the book and look at the cover closely and yes, I still feel giddy when I notice things like "National Bestselling Series" on the cover. I run my hands over it and savor the feel of the book, and then I walk over to the bookcase and put the book in its place on the shelf. It is, for me, a moment of pure joy.

Life can be tough. Moments of pure joy can be few and far between. Sometimes, all you can ask for is five good minutes in the course of a really harrowing few months. That's okay, though. Even the toughest times will end. The season will pass. And in the meantime, there's that five good minutes to get you through.

In my life there are a few things that are guaranteed to give me that moment, no matter what else is going on in my life. Holding that first copy of a book is one. Having lunch with my two daughters is another. And taking my granddaughters to the library is yet another. Even with the arguing, (But I want "Hercules" this time!) whining (But Ooma, she got Hercules last time) and bargaining (Why can't we get two books each? We promise we won't lose one this time!!) spending time with those girls and watching them fall in love with books will always bring a moment of happiness. It never fails.

What about you? What things in your life are guaranteed to make deliver five good minutes, no matter what else is going on at the time?

Fly-By Posting

Aquanettia Fisher, owner of Second Chances, is blogging today at Killer Characters. Stop by and say hello!

Remember, The Cakes of Wrath is coming September 3 and it's available for pre-order. If you're shopping online, order now to receive your copy the day it comes out.

Rebel Without a Cake, book 5 in the series, is in production now. I'll keep you posted with details about its release as they become available.

Who Dunnit?

It’s 3:00 in the morning. I’ve just fallen asleep after staying up late working on my current work in progress. My deadline for Rebel Without a Cake is now just hours away—July 1st.
A crash from the other side of the house wakes me. I jump out of bed wondering if there’s an intruder. At this time of the morning (and groggy from my whole 15 minutes of sleep) I must imagine that I have some kind of super powers because I go to check the security of my house in bare feet and pajamas, with no weapon or defense mechanism of any kind.

Exhibit A: My Desk (as Discovered During my 3:00 AM Safety Patrol):

I’m not particularly happy with this since, as I mentioned, I have a book due in mere hours. I’m nearly there … almost ready to send it off to my editor, but there’s still some work to do. 

Exhibit B: The Former Contents of my Desk:

There is only one suspect. At the time of the incident, the dog was curled up in the curve of my legs and my daughter was so sound asleep she didn’t even hear the crash. The suspect was observed running out of the office as I went stumbling toward it:

The Mug Shot:



The suspect was observed earlier in the day jumping onto the desk to explore. During intense questioning, she has maintained her absolute innocence and tried to prove it by licking the dog.

I’m not sure I believe her, but I don’t have time to question her further. What do you think? Guilty or innocent?

Blog Stop 4/14

Hyacinth and Primrose, the elderly sisters who run the Love Nest Bed and Breakfast in Arsenic and Old Cake, are blogging today at Killer Characters. I'm sure they'd love it if you'd stop by and say hello!

Have a Cozy Christmas!

Join us at the Have a Cozy Christmas Countdown!

In celebration of the holidays, KillerCharacters.com is giving away a book a day. From November 26 to December 25, visit our site and leave a comment, and you'll be entered for that day's giveaway. Return the next day to see if you won. You have thirty chances to win! Be sure to come back each day and leave a new comment to enter the drawing for that day. Good luck. From all the Killer Characters and their authors, Have a very Cozy Christmas!

Bond. James Bond.

Let me begin by admitting that this post has nothing to do with New Orleans (that I'm aware of) or cake (ditto) or jazz or writing -- at least not directly. I logged in to Facebook this morning to update friends about a health issue and found a steady stream of Daniel Craig pictures that left my mind seriously boggled.

Admittedly, I'm not a James Bond fan. I've probably seen a grand total of ... well, ZERO James Bond movies from beginning to end in my lifetime. It's not that I'm anti-Bond. I'm just kind of ambivalent about Bond. I can't work up a good head of steam over 007 and his exploits, even though I found the ideas of both Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan in the starring role appealing and would probably watch a new Bond movie starring either one of them as they are right now in the role of an aging super spy.

But that's not true of every actor who has played Bond. Timothy Dalton might have been okay. Roger Moore? Meh. Maybe. Maybe not.

But Daniel Craig? Not even a little bit.

I tried to watch one movie featuring Craig as 007 and got the giggles before he even made it off the roof in the opening action sequence. For me it was a little like watching Kermit the Frog as Rhett Butler. But judging from the number of Craig pics showing up on my Facebook stream this morning, I get the idea that I'm missing something.

So what is it? What am I missing? Do I need to take Craig-as-Bond shaken, not stirred? I hope someone can explain it to me. I make up people for a living, and I'm always interested in perspectives about life and about people and things that are different from my own.

And if, by chance, you're someone who just doesn't get it, please be kind and tell me I'm not alone!