Julia London's Blog, page 6

Weekend Reads: The Fast Diet

Sounds tempting right now. Like, fast enough that I could lose 40 pounds by Wednesday’s RWA con? Nope. Not that kind of fast.

My daughter, the NYC publicity intern, picked this book up at work for me. She said it’s all the rage among her coworkers (who happen to work for the book’s publisher). Lots of people she knows have lost weight without much effort following The Fast Diet, by Dr. Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer.

The Fast Diet is a top bestseller in the US and a number one bestseller in the UK. The idea is that you *eat normally five days a week, but drop down to a limited 500 calorie diet two days a week. And you will supposedly lose weight.

*Eat normally means that you don’t calorie count, but also that you don’t go nuts and eat all the food.

Does it sound crazy or would you give it a shot? Are you on a diet or meal plan right now? Or do you generally just try to make good choices?

 

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They Say It’s Your Birthday. . .and yours. . . and yours, too?!?

 

    

The hubby and I come from big families – his is a family of parents+6 and mine is parents+4, with many outer rings of cousins, aunts and uncles. So it should be no surprise that our calendar is filled with many, many birthdays and anniversaries and other milestones to mark over the year. . . each year. . . EVERY year.

When we were young, many of our friends got married around the same time we did — actually we had a dozen weddings within a year of our own including his sister, my sister, cousins, friends, etc. It was a wild way to spend our year, but it was fun, too.

You would think that the celebrations would be spread out through the year, maybe evenly? Yeah, you would think so. But in our family, July has become Celebration Central.

We begin on July 3rd with two nieces’ birthdays, then our anniversary on the 9th, a brother’s birthday on the 11th along with a close friend’s too. The 17th, 21st, 22nd (another double birthday-brother and nephew), the 23rd (Hubby!), 24th, 25th 26th and 27th. Gosh we can’t turn around in July without marking someone’s something! And my Dad’s birthday was June 29th and my father-in-law’s at the beginning of August….! (Oh, and just for fun, the RWA conference is always in July, adding another week-long party-of-a-sort.)

How about you? Big family or small? Celebration congestion in one month or spread out during the year?

 

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Vacation! All I Ever Wanted?

Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes going away feels like more work than it’s worth. Sometimes. Send me to Disney World, and no effort is too great. But this time, I’m headed to St. Louis again, tagging along on the husband’s work trip, and I’ve procrastinated to the point of having to throw everything in the suitcase and dash.

Seriously. I’m leaving in an hour and a half. I’m still in my zebra pajamas and I haven’t packed yet. I’m beginning to understand why my grandmother, in her later years, insisted on never leaving her own neighborhood. It’s just so much easier to stay home, where all your stuff is. Of course, that’s a great way to miss out on… well, almost everything.

The Sherjito, my new signature drink created by St. Louis bartender Tom

Not that St. Louis isn’t fabulous. I get lots of work done at the hotel while my husband goes off to work. At the end of the day, we have fun. Okay, most of that fun is hanging out with our favorite bartenders in the lobby bar, but we do get out sometimes. Last time, there was a Pez convention right there at the hotel. Wow, did that bring in some fun. As in, getting to know people who collect Pez dispensers? Interesting bunch (they tend to be on the older side and get their partying in early).

Pez, where the party is. Just get there before 10 pm!

But generally…  when it comes to packing, I procrastinate, then freak out. I’m a lousy packer. And next week, I’m headed to Atlanta to meet up with some of my favorite writers including fellow Whine Sisters and editors and agents and readers for the annual RWA (Romance Writers of America) conference. I have to pack lots of important stuff two weeks in a row! I just know I’m going to forget something.

How do you feel about going away? Packing? How far in advance do you usually pack? 

Uh-oh, less than hour to go. I’d better go get packed.

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Midweek Reads: Life After Life

If you live in the USA, today is kind of like Friday. Tomorrow’s Independence Day. If you don’t live in the US, it’s Wednesday and your week is half over. Happy Fourth of July!

If you’re looking for a good book to crack open before fireworks, here’s one that will make you look good in a crowd, because it’s supposedly the hot read of the summer (plus there’s no one kissing on the front and no suggestion of Fifty Shades style tie-me-up kind of frolics– not that there’s anything wrong with that. And that’s why we love our e-readers).

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born, the third child of a wealthy English banker and his wife. Sadly, she dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in any number of ways. Clearly history (and Kate Atkinson) have plans for her: In Ursula rests nothing less than the fate of civilization.

Wildly inventive, darkly comic, startlingly poignant — this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best, playing with time and history, telling a story that is breathtaking for both its audacity and its endless satisfactions.

Disclaimer: I haven’t read this yet, but it’s waiting for me on my Kindle. It sounds a bit like the movie Groundhog Day, and I love Groundhog Day, so I’m eager to give this a shot.

Are there parts of your life you would do over if you had a chance? 

 

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Work Place Horror Show: Or Why I Can’t Look Away from “Does Someone Have to Go?”

 

OK, am I the only one who is mesmerized by the FOX Show, “Does Someone Have to Go?”(Or as it is known in my household, “Nationally Televised Potential Workplace Violence.”)

If you haven’t seen this beautiful train wreck of a reality show, FOX takes dysfunctional privately owned offices (Presumably, because large-scale operations would be savvy enough NOT to broadcast their dysfunction to a national audience.) and really dig into what about the company doesn’t work.  The bosses abdicate their positions for three days while the employees are given the reins and told to decide what about the company doesn’t work and how to fix it, whether that means demoting someone, giving them a pay cut or firing them.

Before they can recover from the shock of possibly being publically canned by a mob of their colleagues, the employees are immediately shown “peer interviews” where they see what their coworkers REALLY think of them. And they’re ALWAYS shocked that the interviews they’d given over the last few days are being used this way- to which I say, “Really?  You talked smack about your co-workers to a camera crew and didn’t think there was a possibility they would eventually see it?  What do you think cameras are FOR?

And then, just when that particular betrayal is fresh, the entire staff’s years of experience and pay grade are displayed for all to see, letting the employees know exactly how much more the guy who steals office toilet paper is making than everybody else.  At this point, the boss says, “See ya” and trusts his/her employees to make fair, responsible choices.  The staff mulls over their fresh wounds for about twelve hours, then votes online for a “bottom three” of who they hate the most among their coworkers.  The bottom three then have to plead for their job in front of a panel of their peers just before they make their final decision.  Because the last few days haven’t been stressful and humiliating enough.

So it’s like “Office Space” meets “Lord of the Flies.” As someone who has worked in a few dysfunctional workplaces, it’s so easy for me to identify with the hapless “cast members” of the show. I’ve had a boss I wouldn’t speak to in the morning before he spoke to me because I wanted to gauge his mood and determine my responses accordingly.  I worked in an office where a temporary supervisor decided she like the “energy” in my office and took her breaks in my corner chair, distracting me from my work, and then fussed at me for not getting my work done on time.  Maybe my empathy is what keeps my tuning in. I’ve been there.  I’ve done that.  The t-shirt sucks.

And DSHTG does demonstrate several important caveats for running a small business.  For instance, the show illustrates the dangers of hiring family members, who are inevitably a source of stress in the office because they feel safe enough to slack off and treat their coworkers like dirt.  Family members are always among the top three, which somehow always shocks and appalls the boss when they come back.  Really?  You didn’t know that paying your cranky 70-year-old mother three times what you pay everybody else for work that you farm out to outside vendors would upset them?  Really?

I know it’s wrong to watch this sort of program.  I know that eventually, we’re just going to have reality programming consisting of toddlers in a gladiator ring beating on each other with nerf swords.  But I can’t look away.  If for no other reason, I can be grateful that I now work from home full-time and if someone in my “office” annoys me I can send them to their room with no dessert.

“Does Someone Have to Go?” airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. central on FOX.

So my questions are:

1)      What reality TV shows do you feel absolutely guilty for watching?

2)      What horrific work place experiences in your history would fit right in on “Does Someone Have to Go?”

 

 

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Weekend Reads – a Tribute

This past week, two authors whose work I’ve enjoyed died — and I decided to talk about 2 of their books today… Vince Flynn and Richard Matheson.

  I met Vince at a regional booksellers’ tradeshow when his first book had been published — Dee and Kathleen O’Reilly were there, too — when he was part of the Moveable Feast event. Featured authors moved from one table to another, sharing each course of a dinner with a different group. A bunch of romance authors were sitting together and Vince joined us for dessert. He went around the table asking who we were, and if we were booksellers, and his reaction to finding out we wrote romance novels made him one of my favorite people!

“Wow – I just finished a Linda Howard book and I know she began in romance. Romance writers!?” he said.

Most romance authors I know will begin to gird their loins for the inevitable insults that usually follow for we are the ‘red-headed stepchildren’ in the fiction writing world and not well-regarded by most factions. So, we waited for his next words.

“I don’t know how you do it! You write great stories with great characters AND include love scenes and relationships! I have a lot of respect for you all.”

Cool, huh? He was a nice guy and, to our dismay and joy, a man who loved his wife deeply. I was really saddened to hear of his struggle against prostate cancer and that, this week, it had defeated him.

 

   For all you hopeless romantics out there, you may not recognize the title of this book but the story became the movie “Somewhere In Time”! I’ve long been a science fiction fan and Richard Matheson has been writing that and fantasy and more for decades. I’ve realized that when I’ve really like an episode of ‘Twilight Zone’ or ‘Outer Limits’ or ‘Star Trek’, it’s usually been one of his. But this book – in which a man finds a way to travel through time to find his soulmate–was a favorite of mine.  Others included ‘I Am Legend’, ‘Omega Man’, ‘What Dreams May COme’ and lots of others.

Have you read BID TIME RETURN? Saw SOMEWHERE IN TIME? Sci-fi fan? OH! His most famous ‘Twilight Zone’ episode? Nightmare at 20,000 Feet! Yes – the original one with William Shatner, updated in the movie by John Lithgow!! Great story!

 

So, although these two talented authors were lost too soon, their work remains to keep us entertained or thrilled or scared or just disturbed for years to come.

What are you reading?

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Sharing the Love

So, I’m here and you’re not.

Boat headed into Lahaina Harbor, Maui

Cruel to point out or generous to share? I’m not really mean unless you kick my dog or diss my family and friends, so I like to think the later.

To say Maui is paradise would be a grand understatement. The last time I was in Hawaii was my honeymoon, some 20-plus years ago, so I feel incredibly fortunate to be back again. Before that visit, I actually lived here for nearly two years. Of course, I was two and remember none of it. There are some seriously adorable pictures of me wearing various grass skirts and muumuus and a Christmas post card to prove my residency, but I recall zilch.

I’m making up for the lack of memory now, though.

The food is amazing.



Even the water bottles are beautiful:

Aloha Wai water

If you’ve never been here, try to find a way. The island and its people are lovely, kind and generous. Words don’t do it justice, so I’ll leave you with this pic. Aloha!

The view from my balcony on Ka'anapali Beach

P.S. Would love to respond to comments and questions, but I’m 6 hours behind Eastern Time, so expect a delay. (I’m not even sure if Ti and I are still living in the same week!)


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SUCCESS!!

I’ve blogged before about what a horrible gardener I am–seriously, I have a black thumb. Plants look at me and shrivel up and die. Or the deer that roam our neighborhood eat them (which REALLY aggravates me, btw). This year I planted basil. Why? Lots of reasons: 1) it is (supposedly) easy to grow, 2) I love basil, 3) it’s expensive in the grocery store, and 4) the deer don’t eat it. I call that a win-win-win-win. So I planted some basil this spring and look what I picked the other day!

I can't believe I grew this!

 

I  made a big batch of homemade pesto and it was fabulous! I used the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe–it’s my favorite pesto. She uses both pine nuts and walnuts which gives the sauce a lot of depth.

How is your summer garden coming along (or not?). Have you ever made pesto? What’s your favorite pasta sauce? (feel free to share the recipe!)

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And the Winner is….

Nissie!!!!!

She won an autographed copy of my latest book, Dire Distraction!!!

 

 

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Reaching Out

Sharing from the heart this morning to remind us all that as we go about our lives, rushing to and from the many responsibilities and assuring that all those under our umbrella of care are safe and loved, that we take the time to reach out.

The thousands of years old story is still so very true today.  You see there was a man hurrying along, set upon his business of the day, but despite his rush he was aware of the world around him.  He wasn’t the first person who passed along this road.  There had been others.  He wasn’t even likely the first person who saw there was a need, but he was the first person who had the compassion and took the time to get off the donkey of his busy life.  He reached out to a man in need.  A man who had been left out in the cold.  A man who had been damaged by life.  His helping hand saved what would have been lost and he made a difference in the world.

So, I write today, asking everyone as they go about the hustle and bustle of living that they be aware.  Somewhere out there, you will see a need.  Not everyone is meant to see the same need because we all have different hearts and each one holds its own special compassion.  When you see that need, I urge you to get off your donkey and reach out in any way you can.  Be it a prayer, be it a spreading of awareness, be it a kind word, be it a helping hand, be it a part of a plot in a story you write to make people aware, be it a monetary gift.  Whatever you can do, do it, and know you have blessed not only one of God’s own, but your own heart as well.  Compassion does not have to be a single major event where mountains are moved, but a way of how we live each day.

My friend and fellow author, who is an amazing whine sister, Jacquie D’Alessandro has a fun new book out on Amazon titled, The World is My Litter Box.  All the cats are meowing about this witty little book because its not only amusing but she is donating 50% of her June proceeds to her local animal shelter.  So I urge you to check it out and help Jacquie help animals in need by getting her book or sharing her book with others. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...

 

 

 

 

 

Currently, following along in Jacquie’s footsteps, I too am giving 50% of the proceeds of five of my Amazon books to Rising Phoenix Charitable Foundation (RPCF.org) to help them help families in the crises of abuse.  The books are Wild Irish, Smooth Irish, and Hard Irish by Jennifer Saints.  And The Mistress of Trevelyan and His Dark Desires by Jennifer St. Giles.  So I hope you can share the news and spread the love and help me help others as well. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Reading and remember to reach out and touch someone today!

Much Love

Jennifer St. Giles/ JL Saint/ Jennifer Saints

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