Still waiting - and an interview

I love Christmas – and of course I’m still waiting on it! January 5^th is Christmas this year and I’m like a five-year-old peeping up the chimney every few minutes. We have had some Christmas already. We spent Christmas Eve with Nick’s family and it was a good one. I think everyone is doing all right.

My sister and BIL came on Christmas evening and I fixed dinner for them and one of Mollie’s old friends. Mollie will be flying cross country mid-January to be in this girl’s wedding. We had a great time, too much food, but it was fun.

I’m hoping some of you got some Amazon gift cards and I’m taking today to remind you of Cassie’s latest book, Cassie’s Life. Having it come out right at Thanksgiving wasn’t my preferred time. There’s a lot going on then. But if you have a little time now and maybe a gift card to use I hope you’ll give it, or any of my books, a try. If you’re still not convinced check out what Ella had to say about it. If you’ve read the book, or plan to, and if you like it, I hope you’ll consider leaving a review on Amazon. You can do it anonymously if you like.

Meanwhile here is an interview I did for Blushing when it came out.

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

It was a long fight. I loved making up stories in my head, but writing them? That sounded like work. You must know grammar, spelling, tense, even how to type! All I wanted to do was make up stories. But my characters wouldn’t leave me alone. They insisted I sit down and write their stories. Nearly a dozen years ago, I finally gave in.

What is your writing day like?

It’s great now that I’m retired. I get up, eat a bite of breakfast while I watch GMA and check my blogs and my emails. Then I make a cup of coffee and head to my sun room/ writing room. I gently shove the cats far enough aside to get to the key board and have at it. Often I’m staring into space or even have my eyes closed as I watch and listen to a scene unfold in front of me. Then I simply write what I’ve seen and heard.

Why do you enjoy writing series?

Many of my characters have been with me most of my life. These imaginary friends of mine didn’t go away when I grew up. I know them, I love them, and I still find their stories interesting. As a reader, I love series. I love getting to know a character, their friends, their whole lifestyle and see how they react in different situations that life throws at them.

When you finally win that big lottery, what’s your first purchase?

I want that beautiful mountain cabin. I want a large deck with a view down into the valley. I want to enjoy the cool mountain breeze in the summer and to sit inside by a big fire and watch the snow come down in the winter. I think this would be the perfect spot for my husband and me to live out our days.

What do you love most about books?

To reference Star Trek – it’s the closest we’re going to come to a combination transporter/holodeck. With books, I can go anywhere, be anybody, do anything. I can have a new adventure every day, or I can go back and relive a favorite over and over. Books are magic.

What books would sit beside Cassie’s Life and the Cassie’s Space series and the Cal’s Law series on a shelf at the bookstore?

My books should be firmly between ‘How to Improve Your Marriage’ and ‘Fifty Shades of Gray.’ I think a little spanking could improve many humdrum marriages, and that more people should give it a try. I’d want it next to Fifty Shades because that’s the only title many of the readers I’m looking for have ever heard. While Fifty Shades hasn’t been listed under great literature, the stories certainly intrigued many people and got them to consider reading spanking stories. I think they would like my characters and their lifestyle very much.

There are many different types of books even within the spanking genre, what is your favorite?

I enjoy most spanking fiction. I’ll read about spanking in historical stories, cowboy stories, paranormal stories, science fiction and occasionally stories about sex clubs with dark dungeons. But my all-time favorites are the stories that could really happen. These are the stories I enjoy reading and writing. I like exploring how spanking could be incorporated into a real marriage. Could this be your neighbor’s life style, maybe your boss, or maybe even you?

Whether you are reading my books or ones by someone else – please read!

Ideas and a dubious purchase

I have no doubt I’ve ask for help along these lines before, but I’m doing it again. Maybe we can all help one another. Christmas is looking us right in the eye. I enjoy Christmas very much. I like decorations (not quite yet, but soon), I like buying for my loved ones, getting together, hearing carols – I like it all. My problem is that my brain is completely worn out trying to think of things to give my loved ones.

I can’t be alone in this. Do you all have problems too? I have a wonderful husband and a grown son and daughter. Mollie will be easy for several reasons. One she’ll share a list with me as long as my arm and even without suggestions she has a new house. But the guys live in the big city in a tiny apartment and everything will have to fit in their suitcases or I have to mail it to them.

I’m not expecting you to come up with my Christmas shopping list – but could you think back over the past five year or so and tell me the best gift you got for your husband and if you have them, your grown kids. I’m just trying to get a sea of ideas started. You can leave a comment or if you have a blog tell me there.

Mine are:

Nick – Kindle, camera

LJ and Collin – toboggans with wireless speaker built in, Apple TV

Mollie –  Apple TV, stuff (toilet paper, paper towels, dish washing and clothes washing pods, over the counter medicines, tissue, shampoo, kitty litter) as she says these aren’t exciting, but they cost a lot. She’s buying the house and has no roommate, so I guess so.

Now on a slightly different note, I know you aren’t supposed to buy things for yourself right before Christmas but I needed a new

backscratcher – no, not for that. I needed it to scratch my back. I have a bamboo back scratcher and beside doing a lousy job scratching my back, Nick sees it as a great implement. I hate it, it’s all pain and sting at the moment of impact and none of the wonderful afterglow. So I try to keep that sucker hidden.

I found a great one! Best back scratcher ever! But do you think I should keep this one hidden too?

Don’t forget to give me your best gift ideas and remember to come by for some questions and answers from Tom and Cal tomorrow at the Reading Room.

And one more thing, there will be a brand new Fantasy Friday this week - and my new friend's arm is only slightly bruised from my twisting it.

Thank-you, thank-you!

You all are the best! So many of you checked in over at the Reading Room and I really do appreciate it. My writing is my hobby, my career, the fulfillment of a dream, and one of my true loves. When you all step in and participate, it makes me feel that this love of mine makes others happy and that makes everything worthwhile. And I don’t just mean those who commented or asked questions – I mean everyone who came by. I can check stat-counter for the number and it was way more than I usually get on that site.

The questions have been great! I feel I know my characters very well, but hearing them answer the questions helps me go even deeper into who they are. I can even feel stories coming from some of them as I let these questions roll over in my head. Since I’m only posting two or three questions each Wednesday you are giving enough to post for several months at least. Please keep coming back.

Now there is one question that has never been asked and I’m always expecting it. If I were just a reader, I feel it would cross my mind to ask.  To be fully honest when I’ve gotten together with some of you I feel like it was touched on briefly in a conversation, but we didn’t go into it in depth. It’s one I would like to answer, but I want one of you to ask it first.

I’ve decided to have a contest. The first person to ask that particular question, in comment or by email, will get a free copy of Cassie’s new book. I won’t have Price Waterhouse checking behind me, you’ll just have to trust me. The first time I see the question that person will be the winner. I’m sharing this with all of you here first. If I don’t get a winner by next Wednesday, I’ll put this up at the Reading Room.  It you leave that certain question in comment, be sure to include your email address if I don’t already have it.

I know you all don’t run around daily thinking about my characters, like I do, so I appreciate you playing along and helping me get this new ‘questions’ idea off the ground at the Reading room. I hope you’ll come by there each Wednesday to check it out. Every Saturday I have a snippet from one of my books there, well, most Saturdays. In November, I’ll begin posting snippets there from the new book. On Tuesdays, I usually host another author and their book. So, drop by anytime.

I won't put this up every time, but for any newcomers:

If you haven't ever read a Cassie book, you should give one a try.

     Cassie's Space (book one)   

Cassie's Tale (book two)                       

Cassie on the Move (book three)          

Cassie's River Living (book four)        

Cassie's Conflict (book five)

Cassie's Influence (book six)

Cassie's Ordeal (book seven)

Cassie Corralled (book eight)

Cassie's Road Trip (book nine)

Cal's Law (book one)

Becoming Family (book two)