Julia Rachel Barrett's Blog, page 127

Freakin' Hilarious Video and Support This Entreprenuer

My hero:  Steven Slater of Jet Blue.  This Chinese re-enactment is priceless.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBvakgglAPM

Purchase these tin banks from this man:  http://www.blueq.com/shop/114-catId.117440656_114-productId.0.html

He and my sister had a wonderful conversation via the internet.  She kept trying to purchase a tin bank, but the site repeatedly refused her credit card.  As instructed per the site, she emailed the webmaster about the problem.  The webmaster is, of course, the owner o...

Housekeeping.

What am I reading?  I am a huge-amongus fan of nonfiction.  My current massively enjoyable read is Catching Fire, How Cooking Made Us Human, by Richard Wrangham, professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University.[image error]

"A man does not live on what he eats, an old proverb says, but on what he digests."  Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste: Or Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy.

Love this book!

What am I watching?  Baseball, mostly.  Haven't been to a movie in ages and ...

Eye of the Needle, I cannot tell a lie and my sexy guys!

[image error]WWII German superspy, the Needle, who gravitates towards murder using his trusty switchblade, discovers vital evidence about the Allies D-Day invasion. He makes for the Scotish coast to escape on a U-Boat when his small boat is shipwrecked before being picked up and the Needle is washed ashore. He is saved by a man destined to never enter the war and his wife and child. The Needle quickly falls in love with the woman and both must decide between their love or country.

Eye of the Needle

Jane, at Dear Author…

wrote an interesting article about the rapidity of change in the publishing world.  It seems like she's pretty much wondering, what will be the ultimate cost and who will pay it?  Will publishing houses change the way they do business or will they no longer be in business?  Will print authors continue to write or will this new technology and the resulting changes drive them to retire from storytelling?  Make sure to read the comments – some are fascinating – not mine, of course.

Well…I...

What I Learned in Orlando, by guest Sophie Oak

I asked my fellow Siren author, Sophie Oak, to replay her timely post here:

I got back yesterday afternoon from my first RWA (Romance Writers of America) convention.  It was really neat because I got to go in as a published author.  I was surprised at the amount of wide-eyed enthusiasm in the air.  The majority of the attendees are either people interested in writing or those actively pursuing but not yet published.  I got to listen to Nora Roberts.  She's awesomely funny and has a potty...

Going a little dog crazy here…

[image error]I know you've heard this one before,

but here goes…from my photographer friend.

How Many Dogs Does It Take To Change A Light bulb?

1. Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a burned out bulb?

2. Border Collie: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.

3. Dachshund: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp!

4. Rottweiler: Make me.

5. Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky...

Opening the barn door…

[image error]I'm not too into rants, but a few things bother me.  Maybe I'm cranky from lack of sleep, but…

My husband told me about an interview he heard recently on some program…I don't know, radio, TV, internet…about a man who published his first novel at the tender age of 17.  Apparently, this fellow made the following preposterous claim:  the fact that both his parents are novelists and among the mucky mucks in the New York publishing world had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with his ability to g...

My Heart Goes Out To – Penelope at PennyRomance.

http://www.pennyromance.com/

She is the nicest person, an author, a book blogger and reviewer.  She's in the hospital.  I know we're only friends online, but online friends are great friends.  I'm wishing her a speedy recovery.  Having spent time as a charge nurse in Coronary Care, I know she's getting all kinds of TLC!

Chris, at Stumbling Over Chaos, posted this link and I found it very interesting.  Most readers said their pet peeve about books is a bad cover.  I've had more than my share of ...

How much sex is too much?

[image error]Or is there no such thing?

Disclaimer – the cover for My Everything is for illustrative purposes only, however, I must add that  I love that cover, and the sex in the story is great,  loving and very tender.

Be honest…how much sex is too much sex for you?  Do you cringe when characters have sex on their first meeting?  Or does it depend upon circumstances?  Is there a reason for the sexual encounter besides just the…well…sex?  Yes, I have indeed read cringe-worthy sex scenes – too many, too...

Jake McKenna, i.e., my German shepherd puppy!

[image error]What can I say?  My puppy is named after my favorite male lead – Jake McKenna from Anytime Darlin', my soon-to-be-released romance suspense with Siren.

Ah…Jake.

He's so cute and furry!  And he chases his own tail…the puppy that is,

not Jake McKenna.

Jake McKenna is not a dog-shifter, he's a rancher, among other things.  Anyway, I thought you'd enjoy looking at pictures of my little guy before you are forced to look at pictures of me.

[image error]Of course, the new mommy doesn't get any sleep…or any work done...