Dee J. Adams's Blog, page 8

You Heard It Here: Happiness Is… Anniversary Vacation!

Hubby and I have been together 25 years on 6/7/89. (I still love my anniversary date. Always will!)

Because of other family milestones on that date, we’re celebrating early with a get-away to one of our favorite places in La Jolla. I know I posted these pictures yesterday on a different blog, but they’re so beautiful, that I didn’t see a reason not to post them again!

I’ll admit that even though I’m on vacation, I’ve still been working my butt off editing Imminent Danger (Adrenaline Highs #5)! But I am making a point to enjoy myself with the man. We’ve had way too much food and lots of ocean time! We keep threatening to come for a week instead of 2 or 3 nights, so maybe one of these  days well make good on it. Until then, I’m reminded of why I married this awesome guy. Our first night, we had a BBQ on the water and he had wine glasses with our names and anniversary date engraved on the side. How sweet is that?! Yep. I may have shed a tear or two.

How about you? What’s your happiness this month? Any special occasions to celebrate?

You Heard It Here: Happy Mother’s Day!

Today’s post is significantly late, but the sentiment still applies. Happy Mother’s Day to all the awesome mothers out there! I lost my mom almost 18 years ago and I still miss her so much. I have to admit, I feel her presence with me a lot of the time so I know she’s still around and watching over my family and me.

Mom’s advice is with me all the time. I can here her words of wisdom in my head on a daily basis. Things like: “I don’t worry about something until I have to.” And, “Can’t you just get along with people?” Of course there’s my favorite. “This too, shall pass.” She had plenty, but those are the ones that stick with me most and seem to apply to all parts of life.

If the amount of friends a person has is any indicator of that person’s wealth, then my mom was one of the wealthiest people in the world. She had a group of close friends and she connected with them on almost a daily basis. She was a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. I only hope that I have a fraction of the patience, humor and sense that she did. And I also hope that I’ve passed some of those traits on to my own daughter.

I’m still working on finding a good shot of her to post and I’ll do that ASAP. Happy Mother’s Day everyone. Hope you have yours to hold and hug!

You Heard It Here: Hollywood More George. (Carlin)

Last month, I told you a little about my other favorite George. Carlin. I have another fun story that happened from the George Carlin Show via my husband and this one is as odd as they come.

So… one day, the cast came in on a weekend to rehearse because of script issues. Because it was the weekend, there was a more relaxed feeling on the set and the executive producer showed up with his dog. Uhm… did I mention yet that the dog was part German Shepard and part wolf? Yeah. That.

My husband, who is a dog lover put his hand out to pet the dog and was warned that it might not be a good idea since the dog bites. Yeah. That.

Was the dog on a leash? No. Should the dog have been on the set? Probably not. But that’s not the best part.

Before the actors arrived, the producer was playing tug of war with his dog using a stuffed animal. For twenty minutes that dog dragged that two hundred plus pound man around the stage as they tugged each other back and forth. Once the actors came in, the producer set the toy on a high shelf in the set.

Can you guess what happened next? The actors started rehearsing, but the dog kept trying to jump up to get his toy on the fourth shelf. After a few minutes of that, the dog got bored and looked for something else to play with. He decided he liked the area rug the actors were standing on. Every time George took a step downstage, the dog grabbed a hold of the edge and tugged, dragging anyone who stood on the carpet, namely George.

It was a really pivotal scene they were rehearsing that day and the actors kept looking at each other and at my husband because no one knew why the producer was letting his dog disrupt rehearsal to such an extent.

Luckily after a little while the dog got bored with the rug, too, and let them finish rehearsing, but that story goes down as one of the most bizarre my husband or I have ever experienced.

What about you? Any bizarre stories you can share whether they animal related or not?

 

You Heard It Here: Happiness Is…

Happiness is fourfold this month! I’m so grateful for all the good things that have happened since April 1st! Beginning with finding out that Living Dangerously is the 2014 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence winner in the Single Title Romantic Suspense category! I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was to get that news!

The other happiness is gearing up for my weekend in Milwaukee at Barbara Vey’s Reader Appreciation Luncheon! I’m so looking forward to meeting up with some author pals, but most excited to meet the readers attending the event! It’s going to be awesome!

Another happiness if finishing the first round of edits in the next installment of the Adrenaline Highs series! Imminent Danger will be here before you know it!

The next happiness is that the contest to win a digital copy of Danger Zone – or 5 other romantic suspense ebooks by some very awesome authors – is still happening so you still have a chance to win! The box to enter is below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So tell me… What’s YOUR happiness this month?

You Heard It Here: Rafflecopter Contest!

I’ve noticed that I don’t too many contests…or talk about other authors that I like, so today I thought I’d do both those things!

Below are snippets from 6 authors (5 if you don’t count mine!) whose books you could win if you enter the rafflecopter. Included in the bunch is the awesome RITA nominated Toni Anderson!

If you like my FB page or any of the authors listed below and spread the word then I’ll love you forever and ever. Oh…and you might win a free e-book! As promised… Here are some snippets of the books you could win (including one of my favorites exchanges from Danger Zone)! And I can’t really talk about the book without posting the award winning cover (and maybe my all time favorite cover to date)!

 

Danger Zone by Dee J Adams

“How about a nice romantic dinner tonight? Just the two of us. Maybe some candlelight. Soft music.”

Her lips curved into a smile, but she didn’t take her eyes off the road. “Trying to go out with a bang, huh?”

“We’ll do that after dinner.”

 

Betrayed By Trust by Ana Barrons

If only his cellphone had been on that night, she wouldn’t have taken care of Mike and he wouldn’t have found her in his bed in his sweats and that tiny tank top, snuggled up with his little brother. And he wouldn’t have made the fatal mistake of touching her, or the doubly fatal mistake of kissing her. He had tightened the noose around his neck by making love to her last night. And Catherine had very coolly kicked the stool out from under him.

 

Protective Custody by Wynter Daniels

The electronic chime from the reception area dinged, reminding her she hadn’t locked the front door.

Now the killer was after her. All the air sucked out of her lungs.

Footsteps advanced slowly, louder and louder. Get out!

 

Only Fear by Anne Marie Becker

“Why did you do this?” The man was insane.

Again, Owen’s voice flipped from thrilled to threatening in the space of a stuttering heartbeat. “There is only fear. All other emotions are born of fear. You have to understand that before we move on to your next lesson.” 

 

Point of No Return by Rita Henuber

Major Honey Thornton and her team were hustled to DC for intel sessions on the hostage extraction and some overdue R&R. She’d had many assignments but frequently returned to Washington for temporary duties, her favorite being in the Pentagon. Its charged air, its smell of power welcomed and renewed her. On hot and humid DC days, the faint smell of aviation fuel and smoke validated her work with the Corps.

 

Edge of Survival by Toni Anderson

Everything felt so violently alive—his senses sharpened, nerve endings stripped, survival skills on fire. His body was primed by sheer muscle memory and cognitive reflex. Even though worry for the Doc gripped his chest, he’d forgotten how good this felt. He’d forgotten how alive a body could be.

 

Now enter the Not Your Usual Suspects contest to win a romantic suspense e-book! Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You Heard It Here: Hollywood: George Carlin Style

I have to come clean with this week’s Hollywood story. It’s not really mine. It’s my husband’s.

One of our favorite people in Hollywood was George Carlin. That man was a class act. My husband worked on his show, aptly named – The George Carlin Show. Also on the show: Alex Rocco, Paige French, Anthony Starke, Christopher Rich, Mike Hagerty and Susan Sullivan. (It was a great cast and a terrific show!)

My husband, Sean, occasionally stood in for a guest actor or two before they got on set and he’d run scenes with George. George loved to tell him dirty jokes and since Sean was a big fan he was in seventh heaven.

Sean told me one particular time when they were doing a scene and George’s wife came to visit. His eyes got big and he couldn’t wait to finish the scene so he could talk to her. Sean described it as this: “He was so in love with her and you could see it in his eyes. She took his breath away.” And this was after at least two decades of marriage…probably longer.

I remember one of the few times I visited the set and I met George’s wife, Brenda. She’d brought their little white poodle. I think it was a Bichon Frise and they loved that little dog like a child. (I wish I could remember if it was a boy or a girl, but I don’t. My memory’s not that good.) That little fluff ball was so sweet. Anyway, George had a few comedy bits about dogs. He once said, “Life is a series of dogs.” And for some people, I’m sure he’s right. (For others it’s probably a series of cats!) I just remember him cuddling this little dog and being so happy. I think he really did enjoy the simple things in life. He knew what was important. His family. His wife, daughter… and his dog.

I’ll admit it… anyone who loves animals is a friend of mine.

A few weeks after the show ended, I was in Las Vegas with my sister and discovered George was playing at Bally’s. I called my husband and he told me to call George. I thought it might be fun to surprise my sister since she was a big fan of his too, so I did. Though we had met several times on the set, I wasn’t sure he’d remember me. Well, not only did he remember me, but he gave us comp tickets to his show that night and we had a great chat with him in his suite afterward.

Like I said, a class act.

So tell me about any class acts that you’ve met? Was there someone who lived their life in a certain way or treated you so well that it stuck with you for a long time? I’d love to hear about it.

 

 

You Heard It Here: Happiness Is…

The good with the bad. Yep, this month happiness is the good stuff that counter-acts the bad. It’s been a crazy few weeks with some devastating things and some amazing things. Life works in mysterious ways.

I remember when I shot my first big national commercial. My mom was in the hospital, but I was able to tell her all about it. A few days later, she died and the same day, I got the check for that commercial. It covered my airfare home for the funeral and also happened to be the biggest check I’d ever received for acting work. I couldn’t help but feel that she was looking down on me. Then, on the day of her funeral, I got a call telling me that the commercial was going to be a series and I would be shooting more in the future. Again, I couldn’t help but feel my mom had something to do with it.

Well, it’s over 17 years later and my dad is gone. It’s only been 2 weeks, but something awesome has happened in my writing career, and again, I have to look at the timing and think my dad and my mom both are watching over me, sending me the good stuff to counter the bad.

It’s just a little too soon to share my news, but I promise to shout it from the rooftops as soon as I can. And honestly… it’s not THAT huge, it’s just huge for me. No new book deals. YET! if that’s what you’re thinking… but who knows. It could happen.

How about you? Any good with the bad stories you can share?

You Heard It Here: Tribute to My Dad

As some of you know, my dad passed away last week. I pretty much disappeared from all social media for a handful of days while I flew back to Texas and his funeral. Here’s a shot of my dad, Bob, and my daughter about 15 years ago. It’s one of my all time favorites.

My dad was a traveling salesman so he was on the road much of the time as I was growing up. After a few months on the road, he’d come home for a couple of weeks to recharge before going out again. I remember how we used to gather around the telephone waiting for his call. My brother, sister and I used to get about a minute on the phone him before Mom took the receiver and passed it on to the next person.

With both my parents gone, I can’t help but feel as if someone took a pair of scissors and severed my connection to my hometown. Bob was an identical twin who fought in WWII. His 89 year old brother still lives in El Paso so I know I’ll be flying to Texas to visit and it’s that thread of my uncle (and many cousins) that still keeps me tethered to Texas and I’m glad.

Dad was quiet, but he had a fun sense of humor, almost as if he was just bidding his time until he could throw in a zinger. I think he enjoyed his jokes as much as anyone else because he’d laugh as loud as anyone after a punch line. He had a very distinct cackle that always made me laugh, so even if I didn’t think his jokes were funny, his laugh was contagious. One of my favorite Dad stories/jokes went something like this:

He was at a restaurant with friends and asked, “What do you get when you cross an elephant and a rhino?”

The group at the table said, “What?”

He said, “Damn, if I know!”

To which I’m sure he laughed his signature cackle. Now if you think about that joke and what the punch line should be, you’ll know he missed it by THAT much. LOL. But I like his version better.

Bob, was a loving husband, father and brother. Everyone who knew him loved him and will miss him. I just keep telling myself that he’s found my mom after a seventeen year separation and they are together again.

Dad was big on finding coins. Everywhere. All the time. He used to walk with his head down and I doubt a week went by without him finding change on the ground. Well… walking in the airport toward my flight back to California, I looked down and found a shiny penny and I knew my dad was watching over me. I’ll admit that penny had me bursting into tears because I felt it was a sign from him that he’s okay, back to his normal self before Alzheimer’s stole his memories.

As much as I’ll miss him, I’m glad he’s not suffering anymore and I’m keeping his memories safe in my heart.

Love you, Dad. Give Mom a kiss and hug for me.

You Heard It Here: Hollywood Firsts

I thought I’d tell you a little about one of my early -might even be my FIRST- on camera experience.

I think many people realize that luck and timing have a lot to do with working in Hollywood. Take for instance a costume. If the wardrobe department has a costume already designed and built, the actor that’s hired for the job has to fit in it. Makes sense, right? But what if the actor who is really good and best for the part doesn’t fit into the wardrobe? Well… in most cases, that actor won’t get the job.

I mentioned last week how I worked on Hour Magazine and my first on camera experience happened there. The host, Gary Collins, was one of the nicest guys I’d ever met. Here’s a pic of Gary the way I remember him from the show.

He often had people on the show who promoted new items coming on the market. Anything from gadgets to electronics to sports equipment to food. On this particular day, they had a pair of roller blades. Possibly the very beginning of the roller blade phase. Someone – not sure if it was Gary or one of the producers – thought it would be more fun to show someone actually skating than to just hold up the skates and talk about them. Since this was a last minute decision, they scrambled to find someone who could fit into the size 6 skates.

Well, there I am in my page uniform, a gray polyester skirt and navy blazer with a white top, watching people running around trying to find someone, so I mentioned that I happened to be a size 6 and I was really good at skating. (Of course, I’d never roller bladed before, but I figured, how tough could it be?) When the Powers That Be discovered they’d found someone to fit into the skates, it was just a matter of wardrobe since I couldn’t do the piece in my uniform. At this point, I was getting kind of excited that they might actually USE ME, but I didn’t think they really would. It didn’t take long to find out that, yes, I was the girl who would skate by to promote the blades, as long as I had the right clothes. I ended up changing into my street clothes, a pair of skinny jeans (isn’t it nice they’ve come back in style. Haha.) and a sweater.

I remember lacing up the skates backstage and standing up. This terrible fear washed over me as I realized, I might not be able to actually skate! And without a proper downhill to get going, I didn’t have any speed so I looked more like a cross country skier than a skater. But nevertheless, the time came to go on camera. I was just supposed to skate in front of the Gary (and Sandie Newton – she introduced whatever items were talked about that day) just to model them. My mouth was parch dry and my heart beat like a crazy drum. Since I’d never been on camera before and I didn’t want to block Gary or Sandie, I stayed really low as I skated by. Gary made a joke about how I looked like Ruth Buzzi (look her up. LOL.) and the audience got a kick out of it. At the end of the segment, the producers decided to PUSH me out for another “roll by” (as a sort of end to the piece) and this time I had much more speed. But instead of looking out to the camera, I looked toward Gary and Sandie and waved my arms as I rolled by, but the audience only saw my back. Like I said, it was my first camera experience. I never again gave the audience my back.

Live and learn. LOL.

So what about you? Did you do something as a first and learn from it? Were you embarrassed or did it take the experience with a grain of salt? I’d love to know!

You Heard It Here: Happiness Is…

Writing. I don’t talk about the writing part of my life all that often, but I thought this month deserved a shout since I’m gearing up to have a couple of releases and I need them mostly ready before I start my day job back on the set.

Today’s happiness is a writing date with authors Kate Willoughby and Robin Bielman. Kate is my long time critique partner and Robin is an all around awesome lady. Actually both of them are awesome ladies and if you haven’t read any of their books, you should pick up a couple. They both happen to have releases on April 14, so keep a lookout for those ladies! You’ll love their books. Here’s a shot of 2 of the 3 of us on our writing date!

Apparently Kim and Robin called each other and coordinated their outfits. I was unaware of the turquoise memo, thus I wore the wrong color and couldn’t be photographed. LOL. Totally kidding.   And I’m also happy because by the end of the day I managed to write just over 2,600 words. Not a bad writing day!

How about you? Any special people in your life who bring you happiness when you get to spend designated time with them?

Let me know!