Annette Mori's Blog, page 47

Best Advancing of Another Year Ever

Normally birthdays are just another day. In my family, we didn’t focus on birthdays too much. Sure they were celebrated, but not with the same kind of fanfare that I saw sometimes in other families. Even the big ones like 16, 21, 25, 30, 40, and gasp 50, seemed to come and go with relatively little notice. Big holidays in our family were Thanksgiving and Christmas because it was all about family and food. Hey, I’m Italian so it’s always all about the food.

Yesterday I turned 56 and for some reason getting a year older has never really bothered me. My wife had a wonderful day planned for me and because it was jam packed, I got up at 5:15am to work out. As I was furiously responding to all my birthday wishes while the sweat dripped all over my iPad and left salty remnants, I had to look at my Amazon rank. I have serious OCD. Asset Management was 27 in Lesbian Fiction and Lesbian Romance which seem to often be one in the same as far as the ranking goes. I nearly fainted off the bike. For those of you who’ve written multiple best sellers, or others who had a best seller right from the start, I’m sure this is old hat. However, for this green writer who often wonders whether I’m any good, it was thrilling. I also received another gift after receiving a message that another 5 star review was posted. I now have seven reviews and they are all 5 stars. Thrilling for me.

The second big thrill was all the birthday wishes I received on my timeline. Some of them had wonderful personal messages about how much they liked my book. Again, this was so exhilarating to hear and I really appreciated the feedback.

My wife and I traveled into Seattle so I could get my hair cut and then ventured on to the Anacortes Arts Festival. Since we tend to go crazy buying all kinds of shit that we don’t need, we agreed on a one hundred dollar limit for each of us. My wife always negotiates for additional amounts for household items that don’t count in the individual one hundred (so the over hundred dollars of handmade soap did not count).

After traveling up and down the very extensive isles, I could tell that my wife coveted this Buddha face that you place in a garden. She has one already, but wanted another for a new space next to the tree she planted for my mother. Unfortunately, it was over the one hundred dollar limit. I told her that I didn’t see anything I absolutely could not live without, so I gifted her my budgeted limit. She got her  Buddha face and I got her beautiful smile. I’d say I got the better deal.

With our booty safely tucked away in the car, we headed to the Port stage to watch my nephew play in his band called MachOne.  They were so much fun. I am so proud of my very handsome and talented nephew.  See for yourself. I took a video, but wasn’t able to include in this blog (look for the video on Facebook). Isn’t he adorable?

We left the fair and headed to our favorite Sushi restaurant. I love this place so much that I featured it in my first book, Love Forever, Live Forever. Sometimes I make up things in my book, but more often than not I put real places in my novels. If you are ever in the Seattle area, travel a few miles up North to Sushi Zen in Mill Creek. I swear you will not be disappointed. The food was great and she would not let us pay because it was my birthday. I tried to argue with her, but she would not take our money. Such a wonderful gift, because I swear my wife and I can pound down more Sushi that anyone I know.

The owner of Sushi Zen made a special trip to our home in the country to cater our wedding and everyone raved about the food-declaring it was the best food they’d ever had.  Our house is ten miles from the only grocery store in a town of 2,000, so the description of living in the boonies is an understatement. I’m sure that it was a huge hassle to cater our wedding, but she agreed and has also agreed to another catering for a board meeting we are hosting at our house next weekend.

Kimiko is a beautiful human being, so I also had to feature her in my book, Asset Management. I used her name for a minor character that may make an appearance in the sequel.

I ended my day answering all the wonderful birthday posts and all I can say is WOW, I’ve never had to thank so many people.

Before I bore you to death with this blog, I’ll just leave you with my heartfelt thanks and of course the required information on how to get my books in case you haven’t already!

Check out the Affinity site because there are incredible books there.  http://affinityebooks.com/  There are several free short stories that you can download. I have two. The True Story of Valentines Day and The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Elves in Love.  Both are kind of campy, but hey they’re free!

In case anyone is interested…here is a link to the first chapter of my new book, Asset Management: First Chapter of Asset Management,.  My first novel, Love Forever, Live Forever, is available in both e-book and print format. Links below will get you to all the places you can purchase the book.   Keep scrolling down for the links to Asset Management. Thanks for supporting a new writer!!

Amazon              Affinity E-Book Press         Smashwords        Barnes and Noble     Bella Books

Here are the links to Asset Management:

Amazon         Affinity E-Book Press      Smashwords     Barnes & Noble     Not up on the Bella Books site yet – sorry

So Take A Look At Me Now…

So Take A Look At Me Now….

So Take A Look At Me Now…

I’m both nervous and excited right now because my second book just came out, called Asset Management. Whenever I’m nervous, songs run through my head. So the song that is currently running through my head is from the movie, Against All Odds. Anyone remember that movie?

 

At one point someone said to me that I looked a little like the main actress (Rachel Ward) in that movie. I had short curly hair at the time and I believe that was what did it. I don’t think it was necessarily true, but because this woman said that, she became my girlfriend. Yes flattery, even untrue flattery, will get you every time! She was totally hot (Rachel Ward and my girlfriend-but not as hot as my wife) and for one brief second after the comment, I felt good about myself. Of course that was after I turned a beautiful shade of red.

So what does the theme song have to do with the release of my second book you ask. Well…the words So Take A Look at Me Now just popped into my head because I never, ever, ever thought I would publish one book and now I have two with a third coming out in December. I think I can legitimately call myself a real author now. I am empathizing with Pinocchio (you know the real boy thing). I am eternally grateful to Erin O’Reilly and JM Dragon who took a big chance on me. Erin spent a great deal of time helping mold my first book into something publishable. I lucked out with my publisher.

I entered the lesfic world late in life-at age fifty-five. Better late than never, huh? Now I have the writing bug and am working on my fifth novel (my fourth is a bit unconventional and on hold). The fifth novel has a lot more sex in it which has completely pulled me out of my comfort zone.  My beta reader said, ”  I see you have done your homework on the sex scenes by 10 fold.” I must admit to being extremely vanilla, so I had to do a lot of research. Here’s a sneak preview just to prove I stepped out of my vanilla comfort zone:

Espresso ran to his favorite daybed and settled in watching his two moms perform their favorite coming home ritual.

“If I don’t taste you right this instant, I’m sure I’ll die of starvation,” Rachel exclaimed.

Lara stepped out of her skirt, tossed her purse on the floor, and gently pushed Rachel’s head between her legs. “We can’t have that, now can we?”

Rachel urged Lara’s legs apart and covered her sex with her mouth—licking and sucking while she penetrated her with her middle and index fingers.

Lara threw her head back and moaned. “Ooh. So good. So fucking good. Remind me to insure that tongue of yours.” When her orgasm finally crested, the pulsations and quivers that ran up and down her body created an almost out of body experience.

Rachel pulled her fingers from inside Lara’s vagina and slowly licked each one clean. “Mmm, finger lickin’ good. Better than Kentucky Fried Chicken, and I loves me some fried chicken,” Rachel exclaimed in a poor imitation of a southern lady.

Lara chuckled. “That is a horrible southern accent, darling.” Lara clasped Rachel’s hand and began leading her to the bedroom. “I seem to be the only one partially dressed here. You and me. Naked. Now. I’ve brought home a few presents, but we seem to have left them in the trunk in our haste to finish what you started in the car.”

“Ooh presents. I like the sound of that, but I’d rather leave the bag until later. I left the silk ties on the bed. I’m in the mood for some extended playtime and excruciating delay of pleasure. Tie me up and tease away, my talented lover. I won’t even try to escape,” Rachel exclaimed.

“Now where’s the fun in that? I’ll have you squirming and begging in no time,” Lara taunted.

I don’t know if I am succeeding, but I’m trying not to write the same story each time. I’d like to think that each of my books is completely different. Some are more contemporary and conventional than others, like Asset Management. I hope that I gain new readers with this new release because it does not have any paranormal elements, which I understand narrows the readership.

I am thankful for the fans out there that read my first book Love Forever, Live Forever because they are so loyal and have already purchased my second book.  So I peaked your interest with this blog, here are the requisite links…

Check out the Affinity site because there are incredible books there.  http://affinityebooks.com/  There are several free short stories that you can download. I have two. The True Story of Valentines Day and The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Elves in Love.  Both are kind of campy, but hey they’re free!

In case anyone is interested…here is a link to the first chapter of my new book, Asset Management: First Chapter of Asset Management,.  My first novel, Love Forever, Live Forever, is already available in both e-book and print format. Links below will get you to all the places you can purchase the book.   Keep scrolling down for the links to Asset Management. Thanks for supporting a new writer!!

Amazon              Affinity E-Book Press         Smashwords        Barnes and Noble     Bella Books

Here are the links to Asset Management:

Amazon         Affinity E-Book Press      Smashwords     Barnes & Noble     Not up on the Bella Books site yet – sorry

GCLS Conference Highlights

I had the honor and privilege to attend the 2015 GCLS conference. Although I was not yet brave enough to sit on a panel or do a reading at my very first conference, I was able to meet many fine authors and enjoy the camaraderie of the conference. I was in awe of those who boldly read for the first time and offered to sit on the panels. Next year I made a deal to Ali Spooner that I would do a reading if she came to DC. So I guess I will embarrass myself and sign up because I really, really, want her to come. She is a total sweetheart. I’ll be dragging my wife along again because she fit right in with our amazing groups of Affinity authors.

Most people would assume that the highlight of the trip was when Rita Mae Brown came to the Affinity table at the author signing because we were laughing and joking around so much it was clear to her we were having a good time. However, my true highlight was getting to meet all the other authors and especially the Affinity authors because they are a genuine, supportive, and unpretentious lot. I literally had the best time just hanging out with them.

Don’t get me wrong, I was so star struck when Rita Mae Brown came over that not one intelligent word came out of my mouth. Notice my wide-eyed expression. She is an icon after all and Rubyfruit Jungle was the first book I ever read when I discovered that I was a lesbian (gasp….really…I was one of those…). I will most definitely never forget the Raisinets scene because it is one of the funniest scenes ever written.

Not to diminish meeting the rest of the Affinity group, Ali, Jen, Lacey, Renee, Irish (Nancy), Erika, Nat and Alice (all top notch people), but THE highlight was meeting Erin O’Reilly, my fabulous mentor and JM Dragon, Goldie Award Winner. You cannot find a better dynamic duo than those two. When Hell Meets Heaven is my all time favorite series. Their kindness, graciousness, and all around genuine affection and support to their authors is truly amazing. Taking us all out several times and arranging the Ghost tour was above and beyond. Many thanks to you!

 

Our NOLA toast….To Affinity and Beyond….Ask JM about the fireball…

Check out the Affinity site because there are incredible books there.  http://affinityebooks.com/

In case anyone is interested…here is a link to the first chapter of my new book, Asset Management: First Chapter of Asset Management, which comes out in August.  My first novel, Love Forever, Live Forever, is already available in both e-book and print format. Links below will get you to all the places you can purchase the book.  Thanks for supporting a new writer!!

Amazon              Affinity E-Book Press         Smashwords        Barnes and Noble     Bella Books

Not a Virgin Anymore

In three short days I will attend my very first Gold Crown Literary Society Conference and that makes me a GLCS Con Virgin. It’s been a very long time since I could legitimately refer to myself as a virgin. I am fifty five years old so that other ship sailed quite a long time ago. Don’t I look innocent before I lost my virginity…..

I decided to attend the Con Virgin Meet and Greet. Holy shit that is scary to me. Since I’m painfully shy, I’ve been assured that people will drag me from the wall where I will undoubtedly seek protection. I will try very hard to go outside of my comfort zone to meet as many people as possible-because after all this is the perfect venue to meet all my favorite authors. They will probably be especially nice to the virgins and I’ll never be a virgin again after this year. Will it change me like when I lost my virginity to my first woman? Probably…

I’ve heard there will be special swag give aways for the virgins and I can’t help but compare that to the roses and dinners of my first dates when I was another kind of virgin.  Will I be expected to put out and what kind of putting out is expected. Just kidding.

I really admire the other virgins who have signed up for readings and panels, but I am way too overwhelmed to do that for my first GCLS conference.  Maybe next year when I’m no longer a virgin I’ll have the nerve.

There are so many firsts this year for me. First book ever published. First GCLS conference. First author’s page on Facebook. First tweet. First Facebook correspondence with iconic authors I’ve been reading for over a decade. I plan on taking a ton of selfie pictures with all my favorite authors and other authors I’ve met along the way on my journey this past year. This is HUGE for me because I’ve never taken a selfie before. I promised I would post these on Facebook and I never break a promise.

I’m downright giddy with all my firsts. It reminds me of the first time with a woman. I get that tingly feeling inside just thinking about my first Lesbian Writer’s conference. It may very well be as good as sex….

I am also extremely excited to meet the Affinity clan, especially my mentor extraordinaire and one of my all time favorite authors, Erin O’Reilly, but I also am excited to meet the other authors who have been so supportive, like Jen, Renee, Ali, Lacey, Erica and TJ.  Of course I am also excited to meet JM Dragon, another favorite author from Affinity and Nancy, the cover queen.

After this year I can no longer claim innocence and virginity, and that means that this conference will remain special in my mind as the very first and we never forget our first. That is a theme is my debut book and I hope more people will check it out.  See you all there in NOLA!

In case anyone is interested…here is a link to the first chapter of my new book, Asset Management: First Chapter of Asset Management, which comes out in August.  My first novel, Love Forever, Live Forever, is already available in both e-book and print format. Links below will get you to all the places you can purchase my book.  Thanks for supporting and can’t wait to meet everyone in three short days!!

Amazon              Affinity E-Book Press         Smashwords        Barnes and Noble     Bella Books

Etiquette for Bumper Floaties

 

My wife and I live apart during the week because she travels one way into Seattle and I work  a completely opposite direction in Moses Lake. We ended up buying a condo in Moses Lake which is a small town in Eastern Washington.  Apparently the lake is a big tourist draw.

For the first time since I took the job in Moses Lake three years ago, we decided to spend the fourth of July weekend in Moses Lake. Big mistake.

It was well over 100 every day, so we spent the majority of time in the pool at the condo. This is where I wondered if there are rules regarding the number of flotation devices can fit in a small pool. As it turns out, apparently quite a few can fit in a relatively small area. There were sharks, manatees, loungers and noodles in every available nook and cranny inside the pool. Yes, there is a flotation device called a noodle which is basically a long cylinder. Who knew?

In a surprising turn, the adults took up most of the pool space needing to remain cool, while the kids were relegated to the corners and not allowed to splash and play like normal.

We joked about writing rules for bumper floaties which is what we affectionately termed what was occurring in our tiny pool. Everyone agreed that if you accidently bumped into another floatation device, that was cool.

The pool has actual rules about what you can and cannot bring into the pool area. No glass-that makes sense. No food or beverages in the water-okay that mostly makes sense because no-one wants cool aid or beer spilled into the pool. However, there are those who question why a person can’t put water in that convenient little cup holder on the lounger floatie. The rule that got us all talking was the one that says you can’t be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while in the pool.

I imagined the pool police would come in and give us all a Breathalyzer. We wondered if that meant we couldn’t blow a .08 – the legal limit for driving, or if it meant no alcohol can be consumed at all before or during pool time. I can tell you for a fact if that’s what it means, no-one, including me and my rule following wife, adhere to that rule.

I’m an introvert so I don’t get involved in ensuring that everyone follows the rules. I blow off that annual owner’s meeting every year.  This past year my wife went because she loves that shit. She claims she’s not an extrovert, but she knows more people than I do in Moses Lake and I live here practically full-time. I know it’s not nice, but I tell her not to be the pool Nazi and this past weekend, she listened. She gave up on reminding people about the rules.

I’m waiting for them to add to the list of rules to give me some kind of idea about how many floaties are allowed in the pool at one time and it it’s first come first splash. Will they use some kind of algorithm to determine the number like they do for club capacity?

Sometimes I imagine that lesfic is like that and one day they’ll tell me, “Sorry you got into the writing game too late-no more lesfic authors allowed.” Until that day comes, I’ll keep writing and hope people enjoy my books.

So here is a link to the first chapter of my new book, Asset Management: First Chapter of Asset Management, which comes out in August.  My first novel, Love Forever, Live Forever, is already available in both e-book and print format. Links below will get you to all the places you can purchase my book.  Thanks for supporting and stay cool this summer!

Amazon              Affinity E-Book Press         Smashwords        Barnes and Noble     Bella Books

What if Women Wrote the Declaration of Independence…

As I ponder the meaning of today (Independence Day), I am struck by how much this day pales in comparison to the historical moment when the Supreme Court decision same down on June 26th. I’ve always been somewhat bothered by the words in the Declaration of Independence because the founding fathers meant them in an even more narrow fashion than written. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Women were specifically excluded, as were African Americans. In fact, the men referred to in the Declaration of Independence were white, property owning men.

Later, during the suffrage movement, the women used these words and conveniently changed the intent of the word man to mankind. In their opinion mankind did indeed include women. I am not sure our founding fathers would have agreed. In the early women’s rights movement, activists modeled the Declaration of Sentiments after the Declaration of Independence and changed the words to “all men and women are created equal.”

It is interesting to note that the idea for full human equality, including women, was discussed in 1776. Abigail Adams tried to advocate to her husband, John Adams, that the Continental Congress should “remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them.” Unfortunately this didn’t quite resonate with the men.

This all makes me wonder if instead of our founding fathers creating the Declaration of Independence, what our world would be like today if there were a combination founding fathers and mothers (or if  it was just our founding mothers). Would we have gotten to the historic decision on June 26th earlier? Maybe we should shoot off fireworks a week earlier on June 26th every year and make that our community’s new Independence Day. Okay, who’s with me on that? Who wants another holiday to celebrate? Just say….I do!

Speaking of historical moments – okay only historical in my private little pea brain. I never I thought I could do it, but I did. I wrote my first novel and it was published in April and then I wrote another and yet another. In just one short year, three of my novels will be published. I try not to play favorites, but I think my third, Locked Inside, is by far the best. It doesn’t come out until December. My second, Asset Management is due for release in less than a month (August 1) and you can read the first chapter at the Affinity site : First Chapter of Asset Management. My first novel, Love Forever, Live Forever, is already available in both e-book and print format. Links below will get you to all the places you can purchase my book.  Thanks for supporting!

Amazon              Affinity E-Book Press         Smashwords        Barnes and Noble     Bella Books

 

The Trip of a Lifetime or a Drunken Auction Purchase – You Decide

About seven years ago I agreed to attend a fundraiser for bicycle safety awareness and advocacy. My wife was out of town at the time, so I attended the event solo and met up with my Rainbow Riders bike group.

The requisite silent auction with an eventual live auction for the major items was a significant part of the fundraising effort. Of course they had a lot of bike related items which I bid on, but did not win.

My eyes kept coming back to the African Safari trip. I had always wanted to go on an African Safari and here was my dream trip nearly whispering in my ear that you must bid on me.

Finally, the live auction portion of the evening was upon us. My purse strings started to loosen with every additional sip of wine and the perfect storm occurred. A second glass of wine, encouragement from my friends, and my deep desire caused my bid number to raise in the air several times. Eventually, the bid got too high even for my inebriated state. Oh, but wait, there’s more. The auctioneer announced sold to my competitor and then promptly added, that the generous donor gave away not one, but two trips to Africa and since I had the second highest bid I was going to Africa.

I promptly called my wife, who was in Baltimore at the time and the conversation went something like this:

Me: Hi honey. How would you like to go to Africa?

My Wife: What? Are you drunk?

Me: Um, no, not exactly, although I have had a few. I just bid on an African Safari trip and can you believe it, I won.

My Wife: I thought we were going to Greece for my fiftieth.

Me: Well as long as we have to make that long trip on a plane, we can combine it with the Africa trip.

My Wife: Sigh (yes I think I remember hearing her sigh over the phone). Okay, I guess that could be fun.

I got off the phone and did a little happy dance. Now this is seven years later, so I’m taking a little poetic license with the phone conversation, so honey if you are reading this remember my memory gets worse every year. However, I do recall not as much excitement about the trip as me.

In all fairness, my wife did warm to the idea and by the time we boarded the airplane, she was as excited as I was about our trip.

It turned out to be the trip of a lifetime. I managed to see all five of the big five game. Unfortunately my wife was sick on the morning that I saw the lions, but I took a boatload of pictures and a short video to prove we had come across the large pride.

My other favorite critters were the monkeys. Like Pavlov’s dogs every time the lunch or dinner bell range, the playful monkeys would come around. One would distract us with his or her antics, while the other stole our fruit or on one occasion a whole bowl full of butter packets. This picture shows the evidence of their intelligence at tricking the dumb Americans.

We plan on going back to Greece after I retire, but probably not Africa because we have so many other places to visit. However I can say without a shred of hesitancy that Africa will remain one of the finest adventures of my lifetime and I do believe my wife would agree with that.

Cheers to alcohol and live auctions!

I hope to make many more trips overseas after I retire and maybe to even write about a few. In the meantime if you are interested in checking out my debut novel, the link is below. Just around the corner is my second novel, Asset Management, set for release on August 1st. Quite different from the first book, it is filled with excitement and intrigue.  I do so appreciate the support and the reviews!

Click the link below to purchase my debut novel.

To purchase Live Forever, Love Forever

Runaway Bride

 

Hip Hip Horray….

I had a blog all ready to go and then the amazing Supreme Court Decision came in today and I had to switch gears.

I will admit that at first I was a little gun shy about marriage. Prior to marriage becoming legal in Washington State, I had been involved in one formal and two informal commitment ceremonies and none of them worked out for me. Dumped by all three of my exes for a patch of grass in another lawn that was unfortunately already being mowed before those relationships ended— left me a bit cynical.

My slippery history with marriage went back more than thirty years. I was affectionately named the runaway bride since I’d already broken three engagements in my youth (all to men). One poor guy, I’d nearly left at the altar as I called off the marriage two weeks before the wedding. Turns out I did them all a huge favor because marriage to a man was never going to work for me. Five years after the last time I broke my engagement, I had my reason. I was a late bloomer, but I was definitely one hundred percent lesbian.

When it became possible to enter into a Registered Domestic partnership in the state of Washington, my partner and I had already made it past the 7 year mark and we owned a house together, so it just made sense to take the plunge. This was a huge step for me, but we did it to ensure the legal protections given to those in that status.

Not too long after that on December 6, 2012, through a referendum approved on November 6, 2012, it became legal to marry in the state of Washington. I had to face my fears about marriage because as a part of the law if you were already registered domestic partners, unless you dissolved that registration, your status automatically converted to marriage.

Well shit, if I was already going to be married, I wanted to at least have a big party to celebrate in style. I suppose looking back I should have done something more romantic or creative, but instead we just started talking about what we might like to do to celebrate. It was a small affair with only family and friends. We had it catered by our friend who owns a Sushi Restaurant and it was a very unconventional wedding. I wanted to be barefoot, but eventually got talked out of that. I did change into causal wear immediately after the I do.

My wife and I have been married for almost two years now. August 17th is our anniversary and I can say now unequivocally it was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. We are legitimate. I love introducing her as my wife. There are thousands of legal reasons to get married, but the one that matters most is that I love her, want to spend the rest of my life with her, and I want the world to know that she and only she is that special person.

I can’t tell you how happy I am that every other person that chooses to take the plunge in the US, can now stand up and be recognized. Thank you Supreme Court for doing the right thing—finally. I never thought it would happen in my lifetime, but I sure as hell am glad it did!

For such a cynic I am a romantic at heart and that is why everything I write contains a love story and a happy ending. My debut book is a romance first and then something a little extra to keep it interesting. If you like something a little unconventional – check it out. Asset Management my second book comes out August 1st and Locked Inside, my third book comes out December 1st. They are all romances with a twist. May the romance bug hit us all!

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Forever-Live-Annette-Mori/dp/1927328594/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435363255&sr=8-1&keywords=annette+mori

Wish I was a Southern Lady….

Some of my favorite books are about Southern women and the Southern way of life because quite honestly some of the sayings are laugh out loud funny. I figure if I’d been born in the South and lived there my whole life, I too would be able to write laugh out loud funny books just by assimilating what I hear every day.

Southern women say things like, “She was so skinny, I swear she fell right through her butthole.” I mean come on, who wouldn’t laugh at that.

Now a Midwestern woman like me, would probably say something like, “Sometimes I worry about her. Do you think I should talk to her? It looks like she’s lost a bit of weight.” Midwesterners can be chronically polite, and now that I am a Westerner as well-politically correct.

As a writer, being chronically polite or politically correct is most likely boring and preachy. I try to channel my inner Southern woman at times, but I suppose it’s easier to write what you know. And that’s why I wish I was born in the South sometimes.

Fortunately I had an eccentric grandmother that I could probably draw upon, but haven’t yet. The true stories I can tell about her are definitely laugh out loud funny. Just in case she’s up there ready to haunt me from the grave…love you, grandma.

I’ve been told that I sprinkle humor into my writing here and there and that some of my lines are “killer”, but I don’t think any of my books can be categorized as humor. Unconventional, yes. Comedy, no.

We always want what we don’t have. I suppose I should be thankful I live in a progressive, open-minded, state because I hear horrible things about some of the other more conservative, Southern states where my Southern sisters live. As a devout tree hugging liberal, I’d probably be tarred and feathered if I decided to move to the South to become ingrained in the culture. Yet, sometimes the fantasy of Southern living is very appealing….

Now for the expected plug to check out my book…and of course if you aren’t interested, well than, Bless Your Heart….Just kidding!

Love Forever, Live Forever is available on Amazon,  Affinity, Barnes and Noble, Bella Books