Karilyn Bentley's Blog, page 24

Tales from the Crate: How to Write with a Puppy by Karilyn Bentley #crazydog

As some of you may remember, we got a puppy in June that we were told was seven months old. In July we found out she was really three months old when we got her. Yikes. I never thought to have that young of a puppy. Karma is getting me back for looking at others and thinking I could do a better job of raising a puppy than they were. Somewhere Karma is laughing its butt off.

So how do I write with a puppy? Well, this is what used to happen on my day off. I'd sleep in until The Hubster would wake me with a kiss as he was walking out the door. Then I'd determine whether the old gimpy dog, aka Hell Hound, was able to go for a walk. If so, walk him. If not, do Tai Chi and meditate. Feed dog. Have coffee and breakfast while reading paper. Take shower. Get in a couple of hours writing/promo before meeting Hubster for lunch. Come home, write some more. Greet Hubster with kiss and spend evening with him.

What happens now. The Alarm Puppy goes off at 5:40AM and since it's my day off,  get up and haul her outside when she really wants to jump on Hubster and get pets. Put puppy back in crate, repeat night-night while she howls, waking Hubster. Pull covers over head and try to get another thirty minutes of sleep. Give up, get up, let puppy out of crate. Take gimpy Hell Hound and puppy for walk around block, return HH home and have arm pulled out of socket by puppy during a mile run. Kiss Hubster good-bye with promise to meet for lunch. Feed dogs.

Make note to see what ingredient in dog food makes puppy more hyper than a toddler on a candy high. Pick up ball. Play ball-ball until arm falls off. Pick up arm, reattach. Make coffee. Play ball-ball. Sip coffee, read half an article, cram breakfast into mouth. Throw ball-ball while attempting to eat. Reheat coffee in microwave. Reattach arm. Continue to play ball-ball while attempting to read paper. Give up reading after an hour. Reheat coffee.

Decide to take shower. Follow puppy into bedroom. Remove pillow stuffing from puppy's mouth. Wonder how puppy can destroy things so fast. Stick puppy in crate. Restuff pillow, sew up pillow, apply liberal dosing of bitter apple spray. Take shower. Be fooled by sleeping puppy, who flies out like her tail's on fire when crate door opened. Play more ball-ball. Put puppy on leash and take into office. Turn on computer. Pry dog bed out of puppy's mouth, replace with tasty treat. Write five words. Pull book out of puppy's mouth, replace with treat. Write ten words. Pull dog bed out of puppy's mouth. Pick up shredded foam pieces. Remove pants leg from puppy's mouth. Follow puppy out office door and remove fern from puppy's mouth. Notice it's time to meet Hubster for lunch. Make note to see if entered a time warp since there is no way an entire morning passed with only writing fifteen words.

Eat lunch. Complain about crazy puppy. Be assured there is no time warp. Return home. Sigh in relief that puppy is asleep in crate. Puppy hears sigh. Open crate, let out overly excited puppy. Commence pet-fest. Play ball-ball. Grab handful of food and try to teach puppy commands. Humor Hell Hound by teaching him commands too. When puppy tires of commands, play another round of ball-ball. Reattach arm.

Wonder why Hubster is home early. Realize it's not early. Place puppy in Hubster's arms and retreat to office. Write a paragraph and go investigate crash. Peel puppy off nightstand and carefully remove lampshade and TV remote from puppy's mouth. Chastise Hubster (a bit too) strongly. Bite back growl when he says he can't watch her at all times. Attach puppy to leash, attach leash to Hubster. Write another paragraph.

Get up to investigate clatter. See puppy yank leash off Hubster's arm, shove aside dog gate and run to office to be with me. Decide she's not so bad after all, but talk about a drain on productivity!

Anyway, that's my life with a puppy and why I've seemed rather frazzled later. On the plus side of life, the first book in my new urban fantasy series, Demon Lore, is up for pre-order now. It releases on 12/15. Squeeee!!! I'm really excited about it. I'll be back later in the month for more info on the book. Until then, happy reading!! And if you have any dog training suggestions or want to vent about your puppy/dog/cat, please do so in the comments.

Preorder at Amazon

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Help! The Cookie Monster Has Me!

Why is it that we eat more during the holidays than we do the rest of the year? It’s as if we all get into this baking frenzy and try to outdo each other with our fabulous recipes and decorating the house. We run around like crazy people buying gifts, putting up a tree, seeing little Timmy’s Christmas play, decorating our homes and baking. We may not bake the rest of the year, but by golly at Christmas, the recipes come out and we’re in the kitchen. Okay, I confess…I don’t cook that much. I wish I did, but even though I’m a full-time writer working from home, I don’t spend much time in the kitchen. My husband does most of the cooking and he’s not all that bad. I’ll run downstairs and throw some stuff in the crock pot and say whew that’s dinner.  It’s a lucky night when he comes home and dinner is fixed. But at Christmas it’s like some spell comes over me and I want to bake cookies, pies, candy and try all these new recipes. Do I need to eat that much? No, I seriously am watching my weight and my sugar intake. I’m pre-diabetic with type II diabetes in my family. I know the risks. But I WANT COOKIES.  It’s like the cookie monster takes over my body and I think peanut butter, oatmeal, ginger snaps and oh…those delicious ones with the Hershey’s kiss stuck in the middle of them. GIVE ME COOKIES!So today, the beginning of the holiday season, I thought I would inspire you to bake something sweet and you too can be a minion of the cookie monster. This recipe is unique from one of my newsletter followers, Carla Carlson. Her family is famous for making this and handing out to family and friends. Hope you try it.BONE OF THE DEAD
4 cups Flour
2 ¼ cup Sugar
2 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 teaspoon Cloves
Mix with HOT water, knead dough (add sparingly), leave in bowl 
Take pieces of dough and roll out into long tubes, cut approximate 1 1/2 long pieces makes three indentations into cookie /\/ (helps with cooking process, brings up the flavor, and is an old tradition)
Place apart on greased baking pan (or use parchment paper) two finger lengths. 350* until firm (which will range depending on how much water was needed for the dough 8-10-15 minutes)  Tell me what is your favorite cookie or holiday recipe? Do you eat too much during the holidays?Sign up for Sylvia’s newsletter  website twitter Facebook Goodreads Amazon                                                                                 AmazonibooksGoogle BooksKoboNook

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

FROM ALL OF US AT THE PLOTTING PRINCESSES, WE HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING.  




Spend this time with those you love, sharing stories, laughter and love.  And remember those who cannot be with their families and friends on this day of thanks, and keep them close to your hearts and in your prayers.  

#PlottingPrincesses : @ChrisKeniston asks are you Brave or Crazy? #MFRWorg #skydiving

Brave or Crazy? 


Not very long ago my daughter and I had a conversation about why would anyone want to jump from an airplane.  My views are fairly simple. No amount of money could get me to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.  I wouldn't even consider jumping out of a crippled aircraft. As a matter of fact, had I been a passenger on Air Force One with Harrison Ford, I would have taken my chances with the terrorists. 


Imagine my surprise when one Sunday morning my daughter and I have the following conversation: 


"By the way, Mom, I went skydiving yesterday." 

"That's nice, dear."
 
"You don't believe me?" 

"No, dear." 


Teasing mom with the absurd was nothing new in our family. Except my disbelief was corrected when photos of my daring daughter appeared on the internet the next day. Holy Silk Parachutes. I watched the video.  She really did it! In order to celebrate a friend's birthday my child, who only a few days before had agreed with me that nothing could make us jump out of a plane, did just that.  Terrified. The most fear she's ever felt in her life. But she did it.  

It took me a good long while to get over the fear of what might her friends come up with next to celebrate a birthday and move from the "she has to be crazy" into the "how awesome and brave is my daughter for overcoming fear" camp. 


I freely admit my daughter is a better woman than I am. There is still no way I would ever willingly jump out of a plane.  On the bright side, I'd been struggling with where to go with the next book in my Aloha Series. Well, that book – Dive into You – is now available at all vendors and if I do say so myself, I do love my former navy, skydiving hero!   



Find Dive Into You at: Amazon

Are any of you brave enough to try skydiving? What was your brave adventure?

Princess Vicki Batman welcomes SEASON of MAGIC co-authors who'd all wear flipflops & drink champagne! #MFRWorg #holiday #holidaybooks

The holidays have long been known as the Season of Magic. So when my friends came together in an anthology, Season of Magic fit well.
Here’s a bit about each author: Cara Marsi; an award-winning author and self-proclaimed TV junkie; is a former corporate drone and cubicle dweller. Freed from her fabric-covered cage; she can now indulge her love of all things romance. She craves books with happy endings and loves to write about independent heroines and the strong heroes who love them. Gerri Brousseau was born and raised in Connecticut where she resides with her pug; Mimi Sue; and their cats; Harry and Louise. Gerri writes historical and contemporary romance. Her greatest wish is to meet J.K. Rowling. A graduate of Post University, Marian Lanouette/Merry Holly is one of ten children. With an overactive imagination she started creating her own characters and stories. Marian's first book If I Fail, A Jake Carrington Mystery hit the Amazon top two hundred out of one million books when it was first released. The second book in the series, Burn in Hell followed with in the year and also resided in the top 500 on Amazon in its first month of release. Bobbi Lerman’s writing has evolved to cover a multitude of topics, from travel writing to historical medieval romance for blogs and is the founder of Scribblers Ink, an active online community and website offering interviews with authors, writing tips, and daily prompts.
Speed Round: Favorite movie: VB/The Thin Man; CM/The More the Merrier; ML/ They Way We Were; BL/Shadowlands
Favorite book: VB/Rebecca; CM/Green Darkness; ML/Naked in Death; BL/Wuthering Heights
Last book read: VB/Damage by Felix Francis; CM/The Unholy by Heather Graham; ML/ Bones Never Lie
Favorite color: VB & ML/red; CM/green; GB/orange; BL/Lilac
Stilettos or flip-flops: VB, CM, ML & GB/flip flops
Coffee or tea: VB/diet dr pepper; CM/coffee; GB/coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon; ML/ Coffee Black; BL/Earl Grey tea
E-book or paperback: VB/anything!; CM &ML/both; GB/paperback
Pencil or pen: VB & GB mechanical pencil; CM/Pen; ML/pencilFavorite song: VB/And I Love Her; CM/Light my Fire; ML/ The Way We WereStreak or not: VB & ML/no; CM/what is this?; GB/yesFavorite dessert: VB & CM/cake; GB/cherry pie; ML/Chocolate Mousse; BL/Lemon Meringue PieChampagne or gin: We all love champagne!Paranormal or Historical: VB, GB, BL & CM/historical; ML/Paranormal Ginger or Mary Ann: VB, ML, BL & CM/Ginger; GB/Mary AnnFavorite TV show: VB/Scrubs; CM/M*A*S*H; GB & BL/Outlander; ML/BonesHot or cold: VB, ML, BL & CM/hot; GB/coldPOV: VB/first; CM & ML/thirdI'd die if I don't have: VB/Handsome; CM/Husband; GB/Granddaughter; ML/Hammer
Blurb from Season of Magic: Hopes and wishes. And holiday kisses...the Season of Magic. Wrap yourself in the holiday spirit with five romantic stories  filled with fun and forever after.
Noel Noel Noel by Merry Holly ~ Dumped and lonely, is it possible to find love at the local mall? Noelle thinks not, but a chance encounter with Chase Clayborne while Christmas shopping has her rethinking her rigid set of rules, as sparks flare between them.

A Cinderella Christmas by Cara Marsi ~ Jessica Gallo no longer believed in fairy tales or happy endings. And she certainly didn’t believe she’d find her Prince Charming at Saks Fifth Avenue. Her Fairy Godmother thought differently.

Matchmaker Matchmaker by Bobbi Lerman ~ With Chanukah around the corner, is there enough magic left for a matchmaker to bring Molly's cynical heart back to life.

Holiday Disaster by Vicki Batman ~ The week before Christmas and all is in disarray when a librarian experiences horrible plumbing issues and a Mr. Maintenance Man who isn’t nearly as jolly as Santa Clause. This Christmas is a disaster.

Yuletide Bride by Gerri Brousseau ~ The Dowager Duchess’s decree that her grandson must marry before Twelfth Night or relinquish his title and fortune sends him into a tail spin. Without any prospects and with only two weeks until Christmas will Stuart Nelson find himself destitute or will he find The Yuletide Bride.

Find Season of Magic at: WebsiteBuy Season of Magic at: Amazon
FMI: vlmbatman@hotmail.com

What is your favorite holiday tune?

#PlottingPrincesses are thrilled!!! to have author Sloane B. Collins What's with C'est Si Bon? #MFRWorg #RLFblog #Paris

Thrilled and happy dancing because Sloane B. Collins is with us today!
Let's get to know her: Sloane B. Collins is an award-winning author of Contemporary Romance. Although she is a fifth-generation Texan, she dreams of moving to the French countryside someday. Right now, she lives in the Dallas area with her husband of over twenty-six years, and their four rambunctious cats. Since Sloane and her husband love to travel, she is determined to write a novel set in just about every place they visit.

Speed Round:
Favorite movie: Charade (the Cary Grant/Audrey Hepburn version) YES!!
Favorite book:  What Happens in London by Julia Quinn
Last book read: Unmasking Juliet by Teri Wilson
Favorite color: Pink
Stilettos or flip-flops: Flip-flops
Coffee or tea: Tea
Ebook or paperback: Both!
Pencil or pen: PenFavorite song: C’est Si Bon (Eartha Kitt)Streak or not: NotFavorite dessert: ChocolateChampagne or gin: ChampagneParanormal or Historical: HistoricalGinger or Mary Ann: Mary AnnFavorite TV show: The West WingHot or cold: ColdPOV: 3rd personI'd die if I don't have: Books


Blurb from Love Redesigned: Love isn’t always a cakewalk. Give American cake artist Genevieve Haywood a picture of anything, and she’ll turn it into a sweet and decadent creation. She’s not going to let hard work or competition stop her from opening her dream business. But when she’s hired as the cake artist for her cousin’s wedding in France, she never expected to run into the French fashion designer who broke her heart fifteen years ago.
Roman Duchaine is done with living life in the fast lane. Tired of being in the haute couture spotlight, he’s moved back to the small French village where he was born and raised.  Roman’s ready to settle down and have a family until the lost love of his life arrives for his cousin’s wedding. Seeing her reminds him just how devastating falling in love can be.
Their fragile truce is meant to last through the wedding, yet every second together makes their attraction and long-buried feelings undeniable. But old habits and hurts die hard, and while Roman is ready to weave their lives together, Genevieve can't afford to lose herself in his shadow.

Excerpt From Love Redesigned: “I’m sorry. I do not have the best reputation when it comes to women. I admit I have dated many women over the years, but it is because I was looking for a special woman.” Roman cupped her chin in his big hand and tilted her face up to his. “I was looking for you,” he said, and kissed her.

Find Sloane B. Collins at: Website     EmailFind Love Redesigned at: Buy link


Thank you so much, Sloane, for sharing your debut novel with us. Much success, girl!

#PlottingPrincesses - does author Leann Harris run hot or cold? The answer and many more in this spotlight #MFRWorg #RLFblog #romanticsuspense

The Plotting Princesses welcome a dear friend, Leann Harris! Let's see what she has been up to:


Bio: Leann has always had stories in her head. When her children went to school, she gave in to her desire to write. The Last Lie is her 17th book. The Last Truth, Book 2 in the series Legacy of Lies is out this month.


Speed Round:

Favorite movie: Last of the Mohicans Favorite book: Mackenzie’s Mountain Last book read: Honor Favorite color: Purple Stilettos or flipflops: Stilettos Coffee or tea: Tea Ebook or paperback: paperback Pencil or pen: pencil
Favorite song: Come, Oh, Come Israel
Streak or not: Not
Favorite dessert: MacDonald’s Ice Cream
Champagne or gin: neither
Paranormal or Historical: Historical
Ginger or Mary Ann: Mary Ann
Favorite TV show: Major Crimes
Hot or cold: Hot
POV: Hero
I'd die if I don't have: tea in the morning to get me up and running.


 Blurb: When her family disappears, Catherine Lyons tries to find them and doesn’t get an answer until she’d on vacation 17 years later in France and stumbles onto the truth.




Excerpt: Christmas Vacation, 1989
Cat held the stuffed giraffe in her arms as she rocked in Pete’s favorite chair. His pooh bear was nowhere to be found. She’d searched the house but couldn’t find it. Pete never went anywhere without his pooh bear.

The streetlight pierced the darkness of the room. The clock read 3:24 AM.

Her parents had not come back tonight. They had not been seen since that Sunday she left for college. They simply disappeared.

No word. No message. No contact.

Her family was gone. She was alone.


Find Leann at:www.leannharris 


Buy Link: Amazon

Email Leann at: info@leannharris.com 

Thank you, Leann, for hanging with the Princesses today. Many hugs your way.

Giving Thanks

As you all know, Thanksgiving is the one day of the year dedicated to giving thanks. I don't know about you, but I consider myself especially blessed. Life has been good to me lately.

First, there is my family. Both kids and their spouses are healthy and doing well and have jobs they like. With the exception of an occasional cold and/or ear infection, all four grandkids are doing well, also. Hubby is retired but still consulting in the job he loves…one that takes him out of the house two days a week, for which I am especially grateful.

And me – – well, life is just good. I worried that my editor would hate my first book (the one she bought on proposal.) Turns out she loved it. Then I worried I would get bad reviews. Turns out I did get a few, but most of them were really good. The good news is that the bad ones didn't bother me as much as I thought they would. I've come to the realization that not everyone will like me and my writing. I'm okay with that – – at least for today.

But what I'm really grateful for is that I'm doing exactly what I love to do…and getting paid for it. How many people can say that about their job?
Recently, I've had another reason to give thanks. We've been trying to sell our 5000 sq. ft. home for almost two years. We loved it, but it was just too big and it was time for us to downsize. On September 10th, a couple walked in with cash in hand with the stipulation that we get out in 9 days. We didn't even have a house waiting and immediately scheduled visits to several houses in a retirement community with our real estate agent. Long story short, we bought a house in one day, packed up and moved out in 6 days, closed on the other house a week later and are still trying to find things that were just thrown into boxes to make that deadline. My life has been on hold--no writing, no socializing--well, you get the point.
Today, I watched as the Salvation Army truck loaded up a lot of the handmade furniture that I have cherieshed for so many years. It was impossible to keep the tears out of my eyes. We are in a house less than half the size of our other one, so it only stands to reason that I would have to let things go--which I have never been good at. I was raised one of nine kids, and my mother never threw anything out. I followed suit. It wasn't a problem in the much bigger house with tons of storage, but here, it had to go.
Today, hubby and I went to the grandkids' school for a program to honor the veterans. Still a little saddened from that morning and the SA pickup, I was humbled to see and hear all the vets talking about serving in the wars for our freedom. Hubby served in the Viet Nam War and received the Distinguished Flying Cross when his airplane was shot down on the day they signed the peace treaty. It put giving away my furniture in perspective, and I realized I should be grateful that we sold the house, found one we love so quickly, and are healthy enough to complain about all the work we're having to do to get it into shape.
So, I decided to dedicate this post to counting your blessings as well as to all the soldiers out there, past and present, who have sacrificed so much to make our country free. I'd love to hear what you all are grateful for. One lucky commenter will receive one of my books, past, present, or future. (US/Canada only for print. Anywhere for download.)
And a happy and blessed Thanksgiving month to all of you.
www.lizlipperman.com
National bestselling author of the THE CLUELESS COOK MYSTERIES Berkley Prime Crime
CHICKEN CACCIA-KILLER Available now
SHATTERED (a Romantic Thriller) Story Vault March, 2013
JAILHOUSE GLOCK (A Dead Sister Talking Mystery) Midnight Ink May, 2014
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE Romantic Short Story from Amazon StoryFront May 2014

MY SEPTEMBER VACATION By Phyllis Middleton

Fun in Alaska
This last September, my dear Husband, Frank and I went on our third cruise to Alaska. Can you tell be really like it? It is so amazing to see the beautiful landscapes carved from advancing  glaciers. Be prepared for rain or drizzle if you decide to go there. Why? Because I learned on our first trip that Alaska is a rain forest! I bet you didn't know that fact about our 49th state.
All three visits, we charted a fishing boat out of Juneau. Chris, the owner of Rum Runner Charters, is solidly booked throughout Alaska’s summer tourist season.  1st trip, I caught the first and last silver salmon and overall we caught four.  We had them processed and shipped to us. We had 35 pounds of fresh salmon and enjoyed it for two years.

From our first trip, we went by charted boat to get a close up of the North and South Sawyer glaciers. While there, we witnessed a fantastic glacier calving. So large that even the boat pilot and guide had not seen that big of a calving and they had been doing this excursion for many years. The section of glacier behind my head, that looks like a door, is what fell and created wonderful memories for those aboard. 
  
On our second trip, the fishing was a bust because the area was full of Orca – the killer whales. Since Orca consume fish like salmon, we caught none. Zero. I was not happy. 


But Chris made it okay for that disappointment to interact with another of Alaska beautiful wildlife. The Bald Eagle. He explained that our trip was in the start of tourist season (early May) and eagles are trying to feed their young. Fish was scarce ( remember, the Orca) and finding food was considerably hard on the eagles. He threw out pounds of animal fat strips and ‘called’ out and within a minute, we had no less than a dozen eagles swooping in around us aiming to grab the food. All I can say is OMG! They are such majestic creatures. No wonder why they are the National Emblem.


On this last trip, fishing was okay. This time, Frank caught the first and last and I got one. We decided to not bring home any of the catch, so we donated the food to some of the locals.


So my question to you is: Have you ever been to Alaska?

Coming Release -- Deadly: Lipstick and Lead Series Book 2

  This Friday, the first full length novel Deadly, in my new series Lipstick and Lead comes out. The heroine in this story is one of my favorites and in fact all of the sisters in these books have been fun to write, but Meg has stayed with me. We first met the sisters in the Novella, Desperate. Meg's a woman forced by life to take over the care of her sisters, wear men’s clothes and when her father dies, she must find a way to save their family farm. After trying a typical job for a woman back in her time period, she and her sisters become bounty hunters like their father. It’s a profession they know, but they’re women chasing bad guys. Only Meg has a dream. A dream of owning her own dress shop and dressing like a woman. And her hero…well let’s just say they have a past that involved her leaving him tied up and naked on main street. Here’s an excerpt from Deadly:Meg McKenzie stood in yet another hotel room, another dusty frontier town, on the hunt for yet another wayward criminal.  She pulled out her Baby Dragoon revolver from her holster, spun the cylinder and checked to make sure that a bullet graced every chamber. With a gentle tug she checked the leather case, and then she slid the weapons back into the holster, just a finger tip away.  She wore her gun low on her hips just below the waist of her father’s hand me down pants. No fancy dress for Meg.“The McKenzie sisters are about to strike again,” her sister Ruby said, as she slid her own gun into the hidden sheathlike case neatly tucked beneath her petticoats. Her saloon dress dipped low in the front to the edge of her breasts, the straps completely off her shoulder. She flipped her blonde hair back and checked her image one last time in the mirror. “How many men have we brought to justice?”In the last year, they had learned the bounty hunter trade and continued the legacy of their father. With his death, the girls had been forced to find work in order to save the farm and in a desperate moment chosen their current path. Meg and Ruby chased wanted criminals and Annabelle maintained their family farm. At least until they returned and could join their sister once again. They never intended to make this their lifelong occupation. Just long enough to pay off the mortgage on the farm. “At least twelve. Seems we’ve spent more time on the road than we have at home,” Meg said homesickness surging through her like an open wound.“Just as well, with Sheriff Zach still coming out to the house looking for you.”“Zach Gillespie, wants a quiet, retiring, woman who wears a dress and has tea parties. Do I look like that kind of woman?” Meg shook her head, her heartache was nearly healed, though she could never look at Zach again without smiling and remembering him naked.Ruby laughed. “No, but you could if you wanted.” Meg glanced out the window, the glow of the setting sun cast a shadow, but she could still see the dress shop down the street. After she’d spoken to this no name town sheriff, she’d spent time in the little dress shop, gazing and fingering the available dresses and the patterns of the latest fashions.  Inside these pants, a woman longed to emerge and live like a lady, not the rough, bounty hunter facade of a life she lived now. Tell me do you have sisters? How close are you to your sisters? Let me know I'm needing some more sister stories.


Dangerous will be available in January and Daring March of 2015. Deadly available at all major retailers on Friday, November 7th.
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