Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 8

Life's Adventures

Adventure I Could Do Without (part one)

The day had been quiet. We were looking forward to driving to Prescott the next morning, Friday, to spend a couple of days with my sister and her husband in celebration of our wedding anniversary...fifty-six years. Friday night we were going to a concert "Beyond the British Invasion" and Saturday out for dinner adding another couple to our celebration. 

I was partially packed. FDW was cooking chicken on the outside burner for a batch of dogfood to take with us. Suddenly, the wind howled. I peeked out the door to see trees bending and clouds overhead. I quickly brought in the awning, with effort, but not before the gusts pulled the corners loose from the metal.

A crack of thunder sounded like it hit right on top of us. FDW charged to his boat to secure it. I looked out the back window to see smoke, but I couldn't tell from where. Then the hundred-plus year old cotton wood split in half, falling over the boat and FDW.

My heart left my chest. I have hardly any memory of ending up next to the tree screaming for my husband. He emerged, dazed. Behind him fire forked from the bottom half of the tree. My memory of the next few minutes are as hazy as the smoke that covered the sky. He came inside. I called 911. I turned around, and he'd disappeared. I found him outside with the hose, spraying down our neighbor's RV that was only feet from the burning tree. They were not there but down in Phoenix. He wouldn't stop until the fire department arrived and made him leave.

Luckily, the boat took the brunt of the tree. His shoulder and back were scraped and bloody and in the next few days, his chest displayed an impressive bruise. When I finally got him to the doctor, he had no permanent damage. 

Our RV took on smoke. We could hardly breathe. Two massive cottonwood trees were burning very close to our unit. Our neighbor rushed up and moved his RV. The fire authorities felt our unit was not in danger from the fire but the smoke was awful. We couldn't stay. We quickly packed the rest of our things and headed to Prescott, tired and stinky.

I contacted the RV Ranch owner the next day. The trees were still burning. The fire department personnel were fighting the fire round the clock. We settled in and enjoyed a weekend of celebrating, trying to ignore what was happening two hours away.

What was supposed to be a two night stay dragged on another week. We made a trip back for more clothes and items. The inside of the RV was so smokey we were in and out as quickly as possible. The trees were still smoldering. We had no choice but to return to Prescott. And call our insurance company.

To be continued...

Come Tour with the Chocolate Martini Sisters

Another virtual tour this month for Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder. Visit all the stops and enter to win a $20 gift certificate. 

The third book in this amateur sleuths, cozy mysteryseries will have you chuckling and on the edge of your seat as the sisterssolve the murder.

June 4: The Avid Reader
June 4: InkSpired: Musings on All Things Literary
June 11: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
June 11: Gina Rae Mitchell
June 18: Literary Gold
June 18: Sandra's Book Club
June 25: Readers Roost
June 25: Iron Canuck Reviews & More

Nicole Earp and Emma Banefield are celebrating anotherbirthday at the Dulce Inn with the added fun of a rib cookoff in the park. Notonly are chocolate martinis in their plans, Nic has her heart set on winningthe cornbread contest. But as the excitement bakes, someone is stirring uptrouble for the inn and its employees. 

Strange occurrences at the Dulce are on the rise. Slashedtires, menacing phone calls, and unsavory characters add a vibe that threatensthe sisters’ anticipated fun-filled stay. When the hot-headed hotel owner iscaught wielding a bloody letter opener over a dead coworker, the sisters are embroiledin a caper to help the one person who finds their sleuthing as welcomed as arattlesnake in her bed. But is she innocent? 

The Chocolate Martini Sisters are primed to find out. First,they’ll have to eliminate a host of suspects that includes a dishonestrestaurant owner, a jilted girlfriend, an ex-wife, the barkeeper, and amasseuse with a crush. If they can stay off the radar of the surly chiefhomicide detective long enough, they can put out the fire…unless the killerburns them first.

FIND ALL OF THE CHOCOLATE MARTINI SISTERS MYSTERIES HERE: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BQ9T7ZBX

Reading and Reviews (Brown and Joynt-Lang)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'llshare my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read islimited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook atnight for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. BesidesRomantic Suspense and mystery, I read crime and law novels, once in a while atrue story, WWII historicals, romance, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past.Maybe you'll discover a new book or author.

Daughters of Green Mountain Gap by Teri M. Brown is the story of threegenerations of women, of faith versus science, of tradition and change. Mother,daughter, granddaughter. 

My Review:

Maggie is a granny woman, a skilled midwife. But Maggie hasspent her life learning and practicing healing beyond childbirth. Her knowledgeof herbs is almost secondary to her gift of healing through faith and mentalattitude. Her daughter Carrie Ann rejected Maggie’s style of healing, believingher ideas were crazy and more like magic. When Carrie Ann left to pursue amedical education, with Maggie’s blessing, she also left her daughter Josie Maebehind for Maggie to raise on her farm in Green Mountain Gap holler. Carrie Annreturned to practice medicine but in the near town of Burnsville. Josie Maematures, caught between her mother’s and her grandmother’s worlds. 

This is the point where the story begins for the reader. Thetime frame for Daughters of Green Mountain Gap is 1892-1894 with anepilogue set in 1926. The setting is North Carolina hill country and on theCherokee nation. The dynamics between the three women is a remarkable story.The characterizations are deep and develop to the very end. The events areheart tugging and page turning. 

Ms. Brown weaves her story of folklore and science usingknowledge of herbs and history. I didn’t question it, and it wasn’toverwhelming. I’ve read books that seem more like the author trying to proveher knowledge and spotlight her research. Ms. Brown’s style is flawless in thisrespect.

Evocative andthought-provoking. Daughters of Green Mountain Gap exposes the inexplicablecomplexities of the relationships between the generations of the three women. I highly recommend this book.

AMAZON BUY LINK

Escaping Circumstances (Out of the Darkness, book 2) by Gloria Joynt-Lang 

Eliot “Scorp” Traversini is no stranger to pain. Quinn loves her new apartment building but not Scorp, her neighbor. As Scorp and Quinn bond over his sister, they spark a passion they never expected. But dark secrets and unrelenting fears threaten their newfound romance.

My Review:

If you’re a lover of romance novels, this book has severaltropes to wet your appetite. Opposites attract qualifies for Scorp and Quinn.Elliot, known as Scorp, is a tattooed monster of a man, all handsome, yetlooking like the bad boy. Quinn is the artistic type with a more timidpersonality. Quinn can’t help but run into the man who lives across thehall…forced proximity. She doesn’t like him, but something draws her to him.When she finds out he’s raising his kid sister, cracks in her resolve growwide. 

So what’s going on with these two that they can’t justcharge in and get to know each other—secrets. They both have pasts, and thosepasts aren’t pretty.   

Quinn isn’t totally wrong evaluating her neighbor as a badboy. He’s self-destructive in an effort to forget and deal with a past that hasleft deep scars. But his heart of gold and the gentle nature masked by hismacho good looks can’t hide from her for long. He’s taken in his little sisterto protect her from a similar fate. 

The heroine and hero in this story have a lot of depth. Whatbothered me is having the full scope of their pasts purposely hidden until latein the book. Perhaps Ms. Joynt-Lang’s purpose was to build intrigue orconflict, but I think the characters would’ve been fuller and the story smootherif we’d known the why of their actions sooner. 

Romance lovers will be immersed in the blossoming lovebetween Scorp and Quinn with their ups and downs, and in the middle of all theconflict is a sweet little girl.

AMAZON BUY LINKL

Life's Adventures

Although summer doesn't officially start for another three weeks, here in Tonto Basin, Arizona, it's started for me. True, we haven't hit triple digits yet, but it's only days away. I've opened the calendar, and I'm making plans to be away from here as much as possible.

I should get FDW to take me to the lake this week before it's too awfully hot. I prefer Apache Lake, and I don't really care about fishing anymore. A couple of hours sightseeing and eating a packed lunch will do me just fine. Should we take Amigo? That's an adventure I can do without. The dog refuses to stay on the boat and whines incessantly if he can't be in the water.

The first week of June, we'll be dog sitting for the kids which means Phoenix. No cooler, but their place is bigger with a super AC so we can spread

out and chill. Plus, I won't be tempted to clean or do any of those other things that drag my efforts away from writing. Book four in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries is begging to be written. I've got a book of Christmas short stories on the burner too.

The third week of June we'll head to cooler Prescott and stay in "the cabin" at my sister's. Her hubs did a fantastic job of building a little getaway on their property, and sis put her usual artsy touches to it. This will be the first of many stays this summer. It's bare bones but we have full run of the main house too. It's our anniversary so we'll be taking in a concert and dinner in quaint Prescott.

July is still sketchy. I have book events, doc appointments, and trips penciled in, but I'll wait to see what adventures we can ink.

August is birthday month...I will soon be making plenty of plans to get out of the heat and celebrate me!

What are your summer adventure plans? Or do you live in one of those places where summer at home is an adventure?

Reading and Reviews (Cockrell and Imbalzano)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense and mystery, I read crime and law novels, once in a while a true story, WWII historicals, romance, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author. 

The Downtrodden (The Brown Rain Series, book 2) by Connie Cockrell 

After their near-miss with the Children of God, Alyssa and Kyra are hesitant to trust strangers again. The world after the mysterious brown rain isn’t what they had been expecting, but they cannot go back. Hunger and thirst drive them onward, and duty takes them into the embrace of another survivor community.

Will they find a more open welcome this time around? Or is the depravity of man more universal than Alyssa and Kyra can comprehend?

My Review:

I read the second book in this series by Ms. Cockrell as a bookclub choice. Although I don't normally read Sci-Fi, I'm glad I got to be entertained by this story. On one hand, it's bleak and sad, but on the other it kept me glued to the pages...there was hope. The characters are vivid, which is always a plus for me. This future world is totally believable. There is definitely a moral to be learned. There is definitely an underlying lesson. I am going to have to read book one. You don't have to read book one to enjoy book two.

https://www.amazon.com/Snapshot-Murder-Izzy-Munro-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CFKB7V5Y/ 

 

Island Detour (Sunrise Island Series book 1) by Maria Imbalzano

Falsely accused of wrongdoing at a Princeton Prep school, Sophie Kearns accepts a temporary teaching position at an environmental school in the Florida Keys to wait out her suspension. The time away is meant to be an anxiety-free escape, but her clashes with the hot but arrogant marine biology teacher, Max Heaton, are anything but tranquil.

Max is determined to start an environmental research institute at the school, but he suspects the gorgeous new Lit teacher, who lacks even the most basic outdoor skills, is there to hinder that dream. Yet something about her tames the demons from his past, and he can no longer ignore the fire she’s lit inside him.

 My Review:

Sophie Kearns is falsely accused of wrongdoing at the prepschool where she teaches, just as she’s about to rise to an elevated positionand reach her dream. She escapes to an environmental school in Florida owned byan old friend who offers her a temporary position while she awaits the verdict.She’s totally out of her element, and one of the biology teachers, Max, findsevery excuse to clash with her over her ineptness at the outdoor activities. Hemistakenly concludes she’s there to hinder his goals at the school, and he’dlike to drive her away. 

Physically, Max and Sophie are attracted to each other fromday one. But Max is arrogant and a hot head focused only on his aspirations.Sophie is uptight and not suited for the layback atmosphere and outdoorsyroutine at the school. Plus, Max has a huge trust problem. 

As Sophie falls in love with a style of life she didn’t knowshe even liked, she also falls for Max. Max of course falls for her too, but hecan’t get over his fear that there is something she isn’t disclosing. They cometogether, and they fall apart. Several times. When Sophie finally comes to therealization she can never be a prep school teacher again, she has to make adecision what path to follow. Max wants her to stay and work with him on hisdreams, but he’s afraid of holding her back and won’t tell her. 

The biggest problem for both of them is their reluctance tocommunicate openly, to make assumptions without full disclosures, and to runfrom what will make them really happy. Will they finally admit their truefeelings? Will the pathways open for Max to complete his dreams? Will Sophieturn her back on a way of life for which she yearns? 

If you’re up for a lot of angst and some well done lovescenes, this book is for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Laylah-Abrams-ebook/dp/B0CK8T9ZWR/

The Next Book: New Release and Giveaway

Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder is the third book in the cozy mystery adventures of sisters Nicole Earp and Emma Banefiled, Nic and Em. The book released to the world yesterday, April 30th. This story was great fun to write and promises even more enjoyment to read. We're on tour with the book, and you can catch all the excitement as well as a chance at a $20 giveaway. Hope to see you there! 

BLOG SCHEDULE TOUR

May 1 –  SarahCan’t Stop Reading  – REVIEW

May 2 –  Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense  –SPOTLIGHT

May 2 –  BaronessBook Trove  – SPOTLIGHT

May 3 –  Literary Gold  –AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 4 –  Maureen’sMusings  – SPOTLIGHT

May 5 –  GuatemalaPaula Loves to Read  – REVIEW

May 5 –  FUONLYKNEW  – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

May 6 –  EscapeWith Dollycas Into A Good Book  – AUTHOR GUEST POST

May 7 –  Christy’sCozy Corners  – CHARACTER GUEST POST

May 7 –  Sapphyria’sBook Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

May 8 –  Hearts& Scribbles  – SPOTLIGHT

May 9 –  Brooke Blogs  –RECIPE POST

May 10 –  StoreyBookReviews  – CHARACTER GUEST POST

May 11 –  ReadingIs My SuperPower  – REVIEW

May 12 –  Celticlady’sReviews  – SPOTLIGHTWITH EXCERPT

May 13 –  ReadYour Writes Book Reviews  – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

May 14 –  Ascroft,eh?  – AUTHOR GUEST POST

Life's Adventures

I seem to be on an extended adventure right now...aging. 

As much as I attempt to not name getting older as the culprit for a host of things, I also can't ignore certain facts. I might write fiction, but I'm a stickler for realism in my own life. My latest adventure in aging is apparently weight.

Taking on years has taken on pounds. I'm not talking a lot of weight, but all things are relative. For me, I am carrying around more of me than I want to see. Part of my realism in attitude is I don't expect to wear the same size I wore in my twenties or even thirties. Back then I could go up ten pounds, but take it off with hardly a blip in my normal lifestyle. Not so now.

Two months ago, I decided to count calories. And five years ago, that would've been a sure fire way to lose these eight pounds. I've lost nada. Not even an ounce. This morning I did some Googling to see what could be holding me up. I walk everyday. I have a squat routine I do every other day. And I lift light weights several times a week. I'm restricting my calories to under 1200, 1140 most days. So what the heck?

After a few articles online, the black and white truth of it is my poor sleep habits and age...neither of which I can change. I've not slept a night through in years. I've tried everything that Google and the experts recommend. And I for sure can't keep from aging. Stress can also play a part in the inability to lose weight. I do have a little, but don't we all?

I thought back to a week several years ago. My son and his someday wife came to visit for the first time. We were living in Minnesota then. That week was pure joy. I actually slept the nights through after full days of activity and just being with them...and eating at will. At the end of the week, after they left, I was sure I'd gained weight. The scales surprised me. I'd actually lost three pounds. And I didn't need to lose it back then! In my mind, it just proves that no stress, good sleep, and joy are so important to our health. Well, and age. I was twelve years younger.

The only end to this adventure is the end, so I'm not going to complain endlessly, but I'm not going quietly either. I'll accept the years but stand up, move, and find joy. If the extra eight pounds won't give in, I'll just have to take them with me. 

The Next Book

I'm excited to announce the third book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries, Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder, is up for preorder. The eBook will release on April 30...but you can preorder now for it to magically appear on your reader April 30.

ORDER YOU COPY BY CLICKING HERE

If you're a print book lover, you'll be able to order your copy on April 23rd.

Joyce and I feel Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder is going to delight you! The third book in this amateur sleuths, cozy mysteryseries will have you chuckling and on the edge of your seat as the sisterssolve the murder.

It’sa rib cookoff…with a recipe for murder. 

Nicole Earp and Emma Banefield are celebrating anotherbirthday at the Dulce Inn with the added fun of a rib cookoff in the park. Notonly are chocolate martinis in their plans, Nic has her heart set on winningthe cornbread contest. But as the excitement bakes, someone is stirring uptrouble for the inn and its employees. 

Strange occurrences at the Dulce are on the rise. Slashedtires, menacing phone calls, and unsavory characters add a vibe that threatensthe sisters’ anticipated fun-filled stay. When the hot-headed hotel owner iscaught wielding a bloody letter opener over a dead coworker, the sisters are embroiledin a caper to help the one person who finds their sleuthing as welcomed as arattlesnake in her bed. But is she innocent? 

The Chocolate Martini Sisters are primed to find out. First,they’ll have to eliminate a host of suspects that includes a dishonestrestaurant owner, a jilted girlfriend, an ex-wife, the barkeeper, and amasseuse with a crush. If they can stay off the radar of the surly chiefhomicide detective long enough, they can put out the fire…unless the killerburns them first.

Would you like to read the first chapter? You can on my website: https://brendawhiteside.com/cornbred%2Crib%26murd-chp-one

Fang, Fur, and the Single Girl by Lisabet Sarai #NewRelease

Please welcome Lisabet to Discover... She has a brand new release! Congrats, Lisabet.

Twisting Tropes

Like most authors, I write the kindof books I’d like to read. The wide range of genres and styles you’ll find inmy back list reflects the diversity of my reading tastes. Check out my booksand reviews on Goodreads and you’ll see what I mean.

I tend to value most highly booksthat are original and surprising. Perhaps the worst sin a story can commit,from my point of view, is to be predictable. Alas, romance is frequently guiltyof this transgression. Tropes practically define the genre, especially thesedays. Authors explicitly label their work according to the tropes it exploits:enemies to lovers, forced proximity, reverse harem, slow burn, secret baby...Nothing turns me off more than knowing, before I even open the book, what islikely to happen.

As an author, I strive for theoriginality I seek in the work of others. One way I (try to) achieve this is bydeliberately twisting tropes and turning clichés on their heads. I delight inup-ending my readers’ expectations. Meanwhile, looking at familiar situationsor characters from a fresh perspective provides great opportunities forenriching the narrative.

Few sub-genres are more stereotypedthan paranormal romance. Everyone knows that vampires are centuries-old, dark,brooding, and full of power. Werewolves live in packs where roles from alpha toomega are clearly defined. The two races of supernatural creatures rarelyencounter one another, but if they do, they are mutually hostile.

My new paranormal romance Fangs,Fur and the Single Girl plays with these well-trodden themes. Myvampire hero has been undead for a mere six years; he was turned by accident.My werewolf has never met another of his kind. And although the two initiallyhate one another, their love for my heroine eventually overcomes their antipathy.

I do hope I can coax readers to stepoutside their comfort zone a bit and take a chance on this tale of love, lust,power and commitment. You might not recognize the tropes, but I do guarantee ahappy ending.

EXCERPT

Theshock of separation drove black spikes of pain into her temples. She opened hereyes, gasping for breath. Motes of red swam in her vision. She twisted aroundto look at him, in wonder and terror.

“Sorry.”He shrugged. “I didn’t know how else to convince you.”

“You’re—you’rethe real thing, aren’t you?” Bianca thought her chest would burst. “Nosferatu.Undead.”  She rubbed at her throbbingforehead. “But it can’t be! I never believed...”

“Believe,”he whispered, almost inaudible. Then all at once was back in his chair, leavingher heart slamming against her ribs. He smiled at her, that wide open,country-boy smile. Bianca worked to catch her breath, to calm herself to somesemblance of normalcy.

Itwasn’t possible. Vampires were a fiction, a legend. They were creatures offantasy and nightmare. These people, and others likethem, fueled the engine of her success. However, even the most obsessed, theones who caught and ate flies and slept in coffins in their cellars, knew the truth.

Andnow, here, that truth was being challenged.

Heread her doubts, in her mind or on her face. He disappeared suddenly, thenreappeared at her side
with a glass of water. “Looks like you could use this.”Another blink and he was back where he started, smiling at her across the desk.The water was there, at her elbow, proof that she hadn’t been hallucinating.She took a sip and stopped fighting the evidence of her senses. It wasn’tpossible that he was a vampire. But it was true.

“Areyou very ancient?” she asked, finally. The question sounded absurd. What wasshe doing, continuing the interview?

Jimlaughed, wholeheartedly this time.

“I’mtwenty four. Or I was, that night six years ago at the frat party, whensomebody’s girlfriend’s sister turned me. I admit that I was drunk. Barbara hadjust told me that she wanted a commitment, and I knew I wasn’t ready. I toldher I loved her, but that wasn’t enough to satisfy her. So I went off, gotplastered, and the next thing I knew I was in bed with this slutty-lookingbrunette who had very sharp teeth.” Bianca couldn’t help giggling. His tale wassuch a contrast to the mythology that she marketed.

“Andthen? What happened next? What about Barbara?”

Jim’sface grew shadowed. “Look, I don’t really want to talk about it. Not now, atleast. Not here. Can we go somewhere quiet and dark for a drink?”

“Youcan drink? I mean, besides—well, you know.”

“Sure.I can’t eat solid food, though. It’s awful, because my senses are exceptionallyacute. I can smell a juicy steak grilling half a block away. Puretorture.”  He sighed. “Anyway, what aboutthe job? Do you still think that I’m unqualified, Ms. Sorenson?”

Biancatook note of the challenge in his voice. Her body still trembled at theproximity of an honest-to-goodness creature of the night, but her mind wasworking overtime. How could she best use him to further her goals? To expandher vampiric empire? His photos were far too raw for her audience. Could heproject the same level of intensity in a less extreme scene? And what about hisco-models? Could he elicit the same sort of rapturous response from them thatshe had seen in Barbara’s face? Without actually taking them, of course?

Sheimagined herself in the woman’s position, offering her throat to those viciousfangs. The notion was seductive. She had just been given a taste. To give incompletely to that kind of power—to be overwhelmed, consumed by an unnaturalhunger... She’d scoffed before, but now she understood the temptation.

Biancahad always felt like the boss, even as a lower-than-dirt intern at Harper’swhile she was still a student. She’d always wanted the power, never consideredletting go. Now the thought of offering herself to this creature made her dampwith desire. A wave of dizziness swept over her, followed by a surge of fear.This guy was dangerous. He was a threat to Bianca’s essential self. She wasn’tall that concerned that he’d kill her. No, she was afraid he’d somehow eraseher, turn her into some craven, submissive creature begging to be bled. Likeall those silly girls who snapped up her magazine as soon as it hit the stands.

The city is full of fanatics whobelieve vampires are real. Bianca knows that’s a fantasy. Then a blond,blue-eyed blood drinker walks into her office and turns her universe upsidedown. Trying to escape from the vampire’s seductive influence, she collideswith a wolf shifter whose mere presence inspires irresistible lust. How canBianca resolve her feelings for her two mutually hostile lovers?

Buy Links

KinkyLiterature –https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/1508-fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl/

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXF755SM

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CXF755SM

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1540924

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl-lisabet-sarai/1145179250?ean=2940167695276

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl

Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6480071026

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210320373-fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl

Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl-by-lisabet-sarai

About Lisabet

Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance– over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, GLBT, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh

Life's Adventures

Of late, my adventures haven't gotten much past my laptop. Editing two books for clients and two books of my own has kept me glued to my chair. 

But I did get hung up this morning, when I had no choice but to do a little dusting. From my vantage point and in the early morning light, it was all too obvious that I could've written my name in the dust on the fireplace mantle. 

My adventure in dusting brought me to some of my favorite nooks and crannies...which in turn did bring to mind past adventures and precious memories.

The photo is at my very first book signing in St. Paul, Minnesota, 2010. All my friends showed up and most of the St. Minnesomeplace in Paradise Parrotheads. I'll never forget the thrill. The decorative ink well and feather pin were a gift from my sister she'd purchased while in Alaska. Okay...that's a trip...Minnesota and Alaska all on one shelf.

Bear with me here for my trip down memory lane. The white ceramic oval was a gift to me from a dear friend in North Carolina who is no longer with us. We shared a love of wineries. The orangutan came from the Phoenix Zoo. And the photo is of myself and two siblings with our sons. We all have only children and all boys. The photo was taken our first year on the farm in Paulden, Arizona...an experiment you can read about if you click on Tortuga Flats Farm in the index of this blog. 




The bedspread holds no memory of any trip. But the photo above it was taken in Germany, decades ago. FDW and I did a fair share of motocycle trips back then. This particular one was Frankfurt, Germany.







I'll end with one last trippy favorite spot of mine. The cloth flower came from my granddaughter when she was three. The wall art was a Christmas gift from FDW one year. We opened gifts at Mom's...she wasn't impressed with this one. But I was...it's trippy!