Debra Anastasia's Blog, page 61

Feeling Lucky Blog Hop!

A huge thanks to  I Smell Sheep and Fictional Candy who are hosting this awesome Hop! 



What? Are you feeling lucky, punk? Welcome to Debra Anastasia's blog. Here you can win a bit of Leprechaun crystal!  The prize is International. You will win an eCopy of Poughkeepsie with a matching crystal charm bracelet, 2 temporary tattoos, a bookmark, and a signed train schedule. If that's not enough, you will also win an eCopy of Crushed Seraphim and a matching crystal charm bracelet. Good Luck and happy St. Patty's Day!






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Feather Stone's Kick Off Party!

Welcome!

My Omnific Publishing sister is having a kick off party today for her novel, Guardian's Wildchild!

Below is her party day plans and information about her book and author info.


Kick Off Party Itinerary
Pre 9 a.m. PostLet's see your boarding pass, cruiser.  Get your coffee and munchies handy.  This is going to be an adventure you've never had before.  You're about to meet all the main characters of my book, The Guardian's Wildchild – some of them aren't too thrilled about meeting you.  Nasty sorts, they are!9 am Morning SaluteMeet Samaru Waterhouse, captain of the USS Nonnah.  He's mellowed some since his days of dodging Admiral Garland's trip wires.  Don't be taken back by his crisp officer's uniform.  If you can make him laugh, or just grin, you might earn a few extra giveaways on his blog.Mid-Morning MeditationWelcome Greystone.  He's a Guardian Elder and mentor to Sidney Davenport.  Lost at sea 500 years ago, he was rescued by the Guardians.  His merging with the Guardian's sacred truths slowed his aging to nearly a standstill.  In daily meditation, he and his fellow Guardian Elders use their powers of clairvoyance to witness the troubles of a world shrouded in darkness.  Greystone's

Website:  http://featherstoneauthor.comBlog:  http://featherstoneauthor.blogspot.comTwitter:  @FeatherWritesFacebook:  FSauthor

Blake's Cardboard Piano Stop Four

Dear Blake,
I'd like to thank you for entrusting your piano to myself and the many other Poughkeespie "groupies" out there. It has been an honor and taking it out in Oklahoma City was more fun than my mom and I could have expected. Yours and Livia's love story is one for the ages. I have thanked Debra many times for sharing your story with us and allowing us to be such a big part of it by putting your cardboard piano "on tour." I hope you enjoy the stops I have chosen.



When my mom and I started our adventure on an absolutely beautiful Oklahoma Sunday afternoon, I knew the first stop had to be The Santa Fe Depot, the train station in downtown Oklahoma City. It originally opened in 1934 and its main service was from Topeka, KS to Texas. It was later bought by Amtrak and traveled from Chicago to Houston. It was closed in 1979 and was reopened, renovated and ready to start transporting its passengers from OKC to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area in 1999. The Heartland Flyer (the train itself) is a fun and unique way to travel to TX. And now when I have the opportunity to go down to the station you can bet I'll be looking for someone handing out sandwiches to all the passengers, just so that the one person she wants to give one to will accept.

On April 19th, 1995 at 9:02am, the state of Oklahoma was changed forever when the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was the sight of the Oklahoma City bombing. The lives of 149 adults and 19 children were lost in this tragic event. Their loved ones and the survivors of the vicious attack, needless-to-say, are still greatly affected by this tragedy. It was if the world stood still the days following the bombing. It was such an unfathomable act, people repeatedly asked "How could this happen on U.S. soil?" Rescue workers and aide came from all over the world and Oklahomans will be eternally grateful for the support they brought the state during this time. It was without question when your piano went on tour that I would bring it to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. I really could have just taken pictures at the memorial and could talk about it for this entire post. The memorial is a beautiful tribute to those lives lost, the survivors and the endless aide we received. The large entrance gate you see behind the piano is one of The Gates of Time. There is one at each end of the memorial and the inscription at the top of this one is "We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity." The memorial not only serves as a place for to people to honor those directly involved with the attack, its serves as a reminder that in times of true crisis the world can unite and it is possible that we all work together for the greater good.



St. Joseph Old Cathedral is located directly across the street from the Bombing Memorial. The day of the attack the old cathedral sustained tremendous damage. However, throughout the explosion, the tabernacle candle remained lit and the old life-sized crucifix remained unscratched by all of the flying debris. The cathedral was closed for almost two years, and reopened completely renovated in 1997. The monument behind the piano is yet another tribute to the ones involved in the attack. They also erected a statue of Jesus entitled "And Jesus wept." This cathedral reminded me of Cole so much. I could see him here ministering to his old people. This cathedral is known to even have a midnight mass on occasion Cole could visit.


When my mom and I were driving around OKC looking for great places to stop, we wanted places that would pay tribute to Blake, Cole, Beckett and Mouse. We drove through some seedy parts of town looking for the perfect place Beckett and Mouse would set up their "enterprise" and still couldn't decide exactly what the next stop should be. Then it hit me…tattoo shop! So I chose the first licensed tattoo shop in Oklahoma. Yes living in the buckle of the Bible Belt, tattooing did not become legal in OK until 2006. However, knowing Beckett, he would have seen to it that whomever needed a tattoo prior to 2006 would have been taken care of. Also the shop signifies the importance of the brother's tattoo in the book, and Mouse adding his knitting needles. *sniffs and wipes a tear* As soon as I can, I plan on getting the Poughkeepsie tattoo, following in my dearest friend Jillian's footsteps and the other fans who now have one.

Finally, I'd like to once again thank Debra for giving all of us such a fantastic book. For bringing the lives of Blake, Livia, Cole, Kyle, Beckett, Eve and Mouse off the pages of a book and into our hearts. Jillian Stein pimped Poughkeepsie to me and I have continued keeping my pimp hand strong, pimping it out to everyone I know. This final picture is of me and the ladies at my office that have read this wonderful book. We all loved it and all signed the piano before it was mailed off to North Carolina for its next exciting tour stop. Debra, you rock! THANK YOU from (pictured left to right) Me, Mom (Linda,) Nancy, Susan and Cozetta.  
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@
Isn't that amazing? I cried when I read this special Blake's Piano Stop. This tour is really letting me explore the world with friends. Thank you Tiffany, you and your mom are so gorgeous! Please tell the work ladies, Nancy, Susan, and Cozetta I said Hi! and that I would love to have lunch with you all one day. We would have so much fun.
If you would like to join in the tour please email me at debra.anastasia@gmail.com and I'll put you on the list.
XO Debra

Disney Trip part #6

So we are in Epcot. The home of the Big Ball. This sucker is crowded. Real crowded. It is an hour and a half wait to ride the Big Ball crowded. I have not waited on line for the disturbingly steep, backward, no seat belt having nightmare since I was in eighth grade. In fact, the last time I was on it….


****Flashback
We decide to go on Spaceship Earth because hey, there is no line. We have a 6 month old GC and a 3 ½ year old BC. Now, please recall my kids are ride-phobic,  I think this is what did them in. We wait on the pleasingly short line and get to the luggage carousel they use to load you on to your "experience." Little known fact about Mr. A. He freezes up sometimes. Weird. I can count on him almost every time in a crisis. He was a firefighter . It takes quite a bit to throw him for a loop. The two things that he has reliably frozen up about, that I've noticed in our almost fifteen years of marriage, are drive-thru windows and self propelled platforms. They just freak him out and you can't count on him. At the drive thru, a very simple order thrown at him like, "kid's meal, no mustard on the burger, a shake instead of a soda and can we have an under 3 kids toy," is hard to process. His eyes get all shifty and he worries.


His normally pleasant, fairly masculine voice gets a little bit high and shrieky . The drive-thru speaker voice then says "Please drive through, Mam'". I, of course, wet my pants every time this happens. I can't wait to see the worker's face when they see the ugliest woman they've ever laid eyes on. Make no mistake; Mr. A is a very handsome man . But he would make a real scary woman. This happens all the time, but it never gets old for me. Well of course, he doesn't have to order in the Big Ball, but we're faced with the Moving Platform. I have GC and BC in a tight grip. GC is riding the hip like every six-monther should (the Jiggler is great for a chair) and I'm holding BC's hand. I developed that fancy mom guard thing where if the kid trips you yank up on their sweet little hand and counteract the gravity and save the noggin from slapping into the floor.


Of course, it always hurts said tripper, probably more than knocking the skull, but it's a mom thing and explains why all kids have one arm slightly longer than the other. Anyway, I'm gripping BC tightly, ready to lengthen his arm to save his face should he trip on the loading carousel. We jump on the platform, I use the Jiggler to balance me and the kids, Grandma and Grandpa get into their own cart. As usual, they do everything together. Mr. A gets wild-eyed and starts to talk in his ladies drive-thru voice . Just when I need him. He gets into a cart all by himself. Because this is how we usually do it . I slam into the backwards-mobile with both kids. No help, no husband and no seatbelts. Well crap, I haven't been on this sucker in a long time; it must be an easy one though. I remember the pretty stars.


"Don't worry kids, there are pretty stars"


"Where's Daddy" asks BC.


"Well sweetie, I think he is ordering a kid's meal right about now"


Then BC asks, "Why does that lady behind us keep apologizing to you?"


 "That's your father sweetheart," I say with wet pants.


Then… we enter. Did you ever notice that the creepy narrator has background music right out of your scariest childhood nightmares? Well, my kids picked up on that right away. And they proceed to meltdown. GC begins "the arch." You know "the arch" where young toddlers and infants fling their head back and curl their feet behind them to make themselves as easy to hold as a hot buttered bald monkey. BC is crawling up my other side in an attempt to get back in utero. Fantastic. I hope Mr. A . Now, I'm clenching my children. (Do they really have us laying flat on our backs as we ascend into the darkness?) The kids are freaking, the climb is S L O W. Finally we reach the top, the climb ends, I breathe for a second and relax my death grip on the kids, but wait let's make it more fun, let's go BACKWARDS down the hill, with the children, no seatbelts and…. let's get stuck. is enjoying the ride. You know what would add to the pleasure of this ride? Let's throw in a steep climb, some super-scary looking cave men and a fire scene


I never thought I would be performing feats of strength in the Big Ball while singing the Elmo song in an effort to keep my kids from throwing themselves out of the ride. We hear the speaker voice telling us "The ride has stopped momentarily, please be patient." My twitching arms are seizing up as GC continues to try and "arch" herself out of my grasp and BC whines continually "When will it end?" All the while I faintly hear my woman a car behind me alternately apologizing and trying to order a six piece nugget meal from the "ride voice".. And finally the pretty stars, I made it.! Both my kids have snot and mom sized dents in their bellies. Mr. A was in for it. I'm sweating and trying to kick him all the way to the exit.




Loved that ride. It was a real winner. Or a real wiener as my friend Pedro would say.

***


So here we are at the scene of the crime, I shoot Mr. A a dirty look. He knows I'm thinking of his mistake five years ago. He's still in trouble and accepts the blame.


I take the opportunity to torture the kids "Hey guys you want to go on the big ball?"


GC arches her back and screams "NO" and PC tries to climb up my side again, even though he is a huge eight year old man-child. "We are not going on that" They point at the Ball with shaking fingers. Glad to see the mental trauma is still in place. I hope the rumors are true about the redesign of the ball. (They were!)


Well, my mother has battled skin cancer. Actually it wasn't as battle. She stomped on that sucker. She doesn't let her skin get away with anything. I'm sitting here with stitches in my back because I had two moles removed. I got them removed because of her example. Thanks mom.


Anyway, as we pass the scariest "Spaceship on Earth", mother realizes she forgot her wide brimmed hat and must go back to the car (in cast parking) with my dad to retrieve it. The Anastasias decide the first thing we should do is try to get a stroller. Mom gets them free from Disney, but we need her present to complete the transaction. In the past my parents have always been able to park fairly close, in the employees' parking lot. I figured they would be back in a few minutes. In and out, quickie quick. So, I'm entertaining two very antsy kids. They already have a plan.


"Can we go to see the characters?"


"Can we go to Innoventions?"


 Of course, we are just waiting for grandma. I ask Mr. A to get in line for the strollers because the line goes all the way back to our van (past the trams and at the end of the longest line of cars.) I tell BC and GC let's sit on the curb; wow the sitting curb is crowded. There's actually a line for sitting on the curb. Let's sit by the fountain. Wow, all the butt space is taken up at the fountain. Let's find ourselves on the Legacy Wall. Where are we? I thought I remembered. We go over to the Legacy kiosk to enjoy the rigeramole that is getting our coordinates. "Due to special characters in your last name" it always takes 15 minutes for the EPCOT computers to find our coordinates. I get our piece of paper. The kids have had it --we must do something. We go on a treasure hunt for ourselves. I have always wanted to find myself . I should have known Disney would be involved. It's astonishing how much I look like everybody else. And do they move these things around? Because I didn't find me where I remembered I was. Ooh, ooh there we are! Look kids. They marvel at their own tiny heads. That is six minutes of waiting under our belts.


Now it's time for the cell phone dance. I call Mr. A and he, of course ignores the phone. I know he's getting towards the front in the line. My mother is no where to be found and not answering her cell phone. My mother and a cell phone are one of the most interesting combinations in the history of human kind. How she ever makes a call is amazing to me. When I get a hold of her it sounds like she throws the phone in a hole, buries it, and screams into the pile. I've remembered that our Disney Visa (of course) used to get us free stroller rentals in Disney World. I see Mr. A is getting to the front of the line and Mom's not here yet. I have to actually wade through the crowd, 1982 style, and shout my ideas to Mr. A from as close as I can get to him. Next my phone rings, it's my mother, I answer, always shocked she has managed to call me.


"I AM ON A BUS" then she hangs up on herself.


Ok. Is this a call for help? Is she in danger? As far as I know, her big adventure involved feet walking to the car, getting her hat and feet walking back to us. There is a gate to enter, but she is pro at that. No busses. I try to call her back. Try to call Mr. A. Mom beeps in, but by the time I switch over she was already digging the hole for her phone. I wait. And wait. Next up I see mom, I point her in the direction of Mr. A, again 1982 style, and yell in my Bronx scream "He is paying for the stroller" Mother hurries in her hat. I'm thrilled that she has gotten off "the bus" and is out of danger. (Turns out it was a cast bus because Dad had parked so far away) By the time she reaches Mr. A, he has paid for the stroller (Disney Visa conveniently no longer offers the free stroller deal). So we managed to have the free stroller cost money. Excellent. Load GC in her chariot. And we are off. Character Connection is first. On our way we pass the Coke samples station. We get our samples and the kids get make your own cups from Grandma. The coke sample place is soo crowded. We had few goals for our day. See the characters, go to Innoventions and make our ADR at Alfredo's. That's it. It was very hard to limit ourselves. But this is our sample day. We can't go all commando. So next up we head to Character Connections, who have improved their digs since the last time we stopped by.


***Flashback


On our last trip home, we were enjoying Extra Magic Hours in Epcot. On our way out, we stopped in GC's favorite, Character Connection. The last trip was a ten day behemoth when we saw the characters everyday like family members. That night we walked into a very empty Character Connection. The characters were waiting on line for us instead of the other way around. By the time we got to Minnie, Donald, and Pinocchio, They were messing with each other and us. Then they began the dance off . Between my kids and the characters, it was so amazing. Donald grabbed me and twirled me around in some expert ballroom maneuvers. Mom dancing with Donald ! I love Disney. I love that I'm not a stick in the mud. It was truly a magical moment to have the characters all to ourselves and watch as the two kids danced and laughed and jumped with their favorite animals (and wooden boy??? What was Pinocchio doing there anyway?) in their favorite place.


**
So we enter the new digs and get on a line. A fairly long line. We wait and people watch. In front of us is a mom wrestling a sweet toddler. The woman in line in front of her is watching the two of them intently. Finally she gets up the courage to ask, "Is your daughter adopted from China?" I get to listen to the exchange of one Mom who has her baby and one who had applied for a baby and is waiting. Hopes, dreams, concerns and worries were discussed in line. It was a very sweet experience to be on the outside listening to.
We move up in the line until it is finally our turn. We are delighted to see the blue outfits on everyone. They looked great and we loved them. GC is a huge Pluto fan . She changed her favorite color from purple to yellow just because of that dog. Last trip, I had an outfit I painted for her myself, so that Pluto could understand her devotion. We are also not autographers. We don't do the books. I like to give the characters a little break from signing. Also, (cue the violins ) we go so often we would be swimming in the books at home. I usually have a drawing the kids have made for the characters. Not this time. Not for "the sample trip". What was I thinking? Disney is Disney. Make the outfits, get the pictures. Oh well. First up- Mickey and Minnie, then Pluto and Goofy, finally Chip and Dale (my kids know the difference, I'm so proud).


We get a sneaky visit with Belle upon exiting. GC and BC are thrilled. BC wants to go to Innoventions next, so we head in that direction. Passing my favorite treat of all time. The sugared, hot almonds. I can find any vendor by smell alone. MMmm. Of course the vendor close to Innoventions is in range. We walk up, wait in line and order 5 almond bags, please. But there are no almonds! What?


"Well," says the smiling cast member "The almonds have been discontinued."


I look at the offering. Sloppy pecans. How can almonds be discontinued? They are a crop, right? Don't we grow them, from nature? Almonds are not lead filled baby bibs at Wal-Mart! They can't be discontinued. I try and stare her down. I try and make pecans into almonds through the sheer force of my gaze. Nothing. Fine. Can I have four bags of pecans (see what I did there? I bought one bag less. If it where almonds I would have ordered 5 bags. Take that Mickey, you almond discontinuer! ) Those sloppy pecans were pretty good. It did not require the whole family finding a piece of sidewalk that sprays water in order to clean off. Impressive. I still hate them. I want Almonds.


Up Next are Innoventions, Amazing Disney magic in Turtle Talk, and the waiter at Alfredo's…

February 2012 GraveTells Book Awards: See our (and your) top picks!

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Close Encounters with the Night Kind: First Kiss with Author Debra Anastasia and her new...

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February 2012 Readers Choice Awards: Vote here!

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Books Devoured: Review ~ Poughkeepsie

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Disney Trip part #5

So we are off to Innoventions. BC has been in love with the place ever since he noticed the floor was a road. We'd wheel him around in his stroller, pretending he was a car. The full-sized fire truck was always a huge plus as well. We spend a good chunk of time in Innoventions during every visit. The dancing robot, building atoms, the kids going to the Pizza show with Grandma are all Anastasia family favorites. The kids are really crazy about that place and we love the respite from the August heat.. Ahhh the Heat in August, It's like an uninvited adult that insists on a piggyback ride while you carry your sherpa-sized expedition bag usually one or two children and some sort of ice cream or candy that is dripping down your body into an icky hidden Mickey shaped stain. 

You get the kind of day that sweats for you. You sweat out of parts of your body that you didn't know could sweat. Like your fingernails and your nose hair. I have to admit, I fell in love with the weather in April. I especially loved it as we made our way happily and un-sweatily to Alfredo's for lunch. We wanted to make it there in time. With our WHOLE party because…
 

***
 

On the previous Disney Trip we decided to try Alfredo's for the first time. We were traveling with Grandma GS, BC and Mr. and Mrs. Anastasia. All BC wanted was to ride on the World Showcase boat. Fine. We all scroll through our head Disney Map (only amateurs don't have the map imprinted on their brain) We decide being that we're running late, Grandma , me, and the kids will take the boat and Mr. A will pack his giant electronics equipment, the stroller, all our bags, etc and walk to Italy. We had assumed erroneously that the boat would not allow a stroller. We also assumed it would take us to the dock at the Germany Pavilion which of course is right next to Italy. 

We found out there is definite truth to the old adage about assuming things. Also apparently head maps are not the way to go either (Especially if the head holding the map is blonde). Anyway, we wait in line for the next water taxi as Mr. A heads out. We have our walkie-talkies and are keeping up on Mr. A's progress. I'm sure this helped everyone enjoy a leisurely wait for the boat ride. I'm Chloe to Mr. A's Jack (24 reference)

Me: "What country are you in?"
Him: "England!"
Me: "Move Faster Man"
Him: "What country are YOU in?"
Me: "We're still on the loading dock!, I repeat we are on the loading dock"
 

Finally, we load on the boat and pull way from the dock. I'm initially distracted by the breeze the moving boat creates, temporarily knocking that piggyback heat off of me. My relaxation doesn't last long however, as I realize we're already pulling in to the next dock and it looks like it is in Morocco. We did not travel across the World Showcase Lagoon as we expected Instead, we went only TWO countries around the lagoon and we were docking again. Morocco is FAR away from Italy (geographically more so than at Epcot but even in the world showcase it is quite a hike.)

Me: "We're docking in Morocco!"
Him: "A Taco? No, we are eating at Alfrado's it's an Italian restaurant I'm in Japan did you dock in Germany yet?"
Me: "LISTEN MAN…The boat docked in MORacco we are in Morocco."
Him: "But, Morocco is behind me I'm already past Morocco I'm coming up on America."
Me: " Don't go all drive-thru on me just relax we will get there."
Him (woman's voice now): "I hope they don't give away our table, (voice getting squeakier) I think there's some rule about the whole party being present (high pitched whine) I'm not sure where to park the stroller."
Me: "Don't order a kids meal now, just relax, we don't have much stuff we'll be able to get there pretty quickly we'll see you soon."


We hop off the boat and run the rest of the way to Italy. Lugging the heat and two kids. Grandma is a treat my sister and I would beg for as children. There is nothing funnier than watching my mother run . She would win football games because once she took off we would all be laughing too hard to catch her. I'm doing my best not to look at her but the bystanders are feeling the effects of "the run ." I catch the amused glances on their faces wondering if this is some special Moroccan cultural dance as we sprint by in order to make our ADR and keep Mr. A from accidentally ordering a soft taco meal from Alfredo's We arrive in Italy. Four sweaty, out of breath, laughing at the run , people. Mr. A is there with the stroller and all of his junk. He chuckles slightly at the sight of Grandma running and we say Buon Giorno to Italy. I make a mental note not to assume anything or rely on my head map anymore but as the mental note occurred inside my blonde head it quickly got erased before the first bite of delicious bread dipped in olive oil.  
*** 

Smitten With Bad Boy Heroes: Author Interview & Giveaway: Debra Anastasia

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