One Enchanted Summer is now out on Fictionwise and a new review for my time-travel romance :-).
Category: Writing and Poetry
I love it when one of my tales shows up on Fictionwise. One Enchanted Summer is my second to make it there .
For those of you who don't know, Fictionwise is one of the largest distributors of e-books on the net. If you have a contract with an e-book publisher, you better make sure that they sell their stuff on Fictionwise too. Anyway, here's my One Enchanted Summer on there.
Oh and I got a pretty cool review last week from Manic Readers. I'm happy Valerie enjoyed my tale and maybe she'll go back and see that I do have one more historical romance out in the world of e-published tales .
Currently
reading
:
Hot Blooded
By
Christine Feehan
Release date: 2004-08-31
New Den Mom, yep I took that on too :-)
Current mood: adventurous
Category: Life
Now that I passed my online training, I can add a new title on to the mom/wife/author/webmistress/part-time retail slave thing. Den Leader for wolf den of cub scout pack 263. Yep, I took that one on too .
Okay, well part of it was because I felt bad because I really, really, really like our Den leader and the girl who was supposed to do it left town. Plus, when our den leader mentioned that it was only five boys, and she had a permit in to have the meetings at a local middle school, I got to thinking ... hmm ... five boys ... my house wouldn't get messed up, I can handle that.
And really, I'm looking forward to it. I have a lot of ideas and I'm excited about implementing them at the den meetings. Plus, I have tons of craft ideas, cool ideas for field trips, and our den leader has been so sweet with her support and ideas too. It helps when you have great support like that.
I'll keep you guys and gals posted and let you know how it goes, but for now it's looking like it'll be a fun year of scouting .
A hot, but sweet romantic mini tale availabe today and web design work
Current mood: artistic
Category: Writing and Poetry
Okay, really the two topics have nothing to do with each other, but I wanted to talk about both .
First and foremost, I'm thrilled to announce yet another one of my shorter works came out today @ Long and Short's Whipped Cream site. The terminology is more graphic than what I normally write in my "Rock Star's Layover" but the heart and romance are still there. I hope you'll enjoy reading about how one rock star gets back together with the woman he fell for after they shared a backstage fling a year prior. A friend of mine said I should continue Sam and Nick's tale and maybe I will. In my mind, they went on to Chicago and had their HEA with a little compromising, but you'll have to read the story to see what I mean about that.
Also, I'm tackling two more web projects. Still wrestling with Go Daddy and trying to get my friend Abbey's site moved to her new home and remodeled and I volunteered to make a website for PJ's Cub Scout Pack. The Cub Scout pack site is up and working and looks cool, I just have to add more events to the calendar. I hope you'll drop by and let me know what you think of the cub scout site. PJ and Phil will be at a campout with the pack this weekend. Wish I could go, but I started working part-time at Office Max and have to work this weekend. But hey, the boys will have a fun Daddy/Son bonding trip and with all the cool events the pack has coming up, I'm sure I can arrange to take some time off to go to a few of them
Vacation pics
Current mood: warm
Category: and fuzzy when I think of our time on the island Travel and Places
Okay, I had this cool post about our vacation written and how much fun we had to Cedar Point, visiting the Merry-Go-Round museum in Sandusky, Kelley's Island, but stupid IE Explorer had to shut down on me before I could post it, so instead I'll just post the pics. Hopefully, I'll get the video on my my youtube channel soon too because we had some cool footage from the hiking trails around Kelley's Island and the famous Glacier Grooves.
And here's just a few pics of where we stayed on the island- the beautiful house on House on Huntington Lane. The island was so pretty and the people were so nice. Case in point- we headed over to a small grocery store on Tuesday to pick up some stuff for a beach picnic. It was raining pretty hard and we walked from the bed & breakfast to the island market. We had to wait for the deli clerk lady to return before we could get our lunchmeat because she went home to close our windows. While we waited, the other lady working the store said that when the deli clerk returned, she'd drive us back to the house on huntington . And she kept her promise. Now would you find service like that at Wal-Mart's Supercenter? I think not! People on the street wave and say hi. And Patti LeClaire who owns and operates Huntington B&B was so sweet. She called out the heating and cooling company for us when the AC in our room wasn't working and checked with us all day to make sure our room was cool enough. She makes one heck of a great coffee cake too and serves a fresh one for breakfast each morning. PJ even left her a drawing on her fridge, since she didn't have any artwork to decorate. She was very grateful and thanked PJ because it's been a while since any kids gave her fridge masterpieces.
Anyway, here's a pic of the front of the house:
And here's a picture of a spiderweb hanging from Patti's pretty arbor in the back. I just like the way it arched with the arbor.
Someday, I hope Phil and I can spend all our summers on the island and I knew I picked the right place for Ben and his family in my YA tale to live even from just reading about the island online.
Currently
watching
:
Ratatouille Release date: 2007-11-06
Interview with Tristan from One Enchanted Summer is posted and another scene from my YA :-).
Current mood: artistic
Category: Writing and Poetry
I'm happy announce that Tristan Wallace's inteview has been posted at It's my turn to talk blog. I adore Tristan and hope my lovely readers here will drop by and say hi to him .
And now for the latest from She's Outta this world. The story is really coming along nicely and I'll probably read more to PJ tomorrow. I had an idea for the coolest and sweetest scene a few days ago. If there's one thing that can be said for stormy, rainy days, it's that they always lead to the prettiest sunsets. I was watching on of them from our front window and wondered how Dimarra would describe a sunset like that. Then I got this picture of her just sitting there watching the sun set with her head on Ben's shoulder, and feeling a bit sad because she knows things won't be like this when she goes home to her own planet.
So here's the scene. Keep in mind that I just wrote it today and it's only my first draft, but I hope it's enjoyable. I think PJ was on to something when he asked me to write a story for him and it might be my best YA tale to date . It's certainly my most personal, because in my mind, Ben is an older version of PJ.
The sunset was perfect. Streaks of vivid orange, pink, and lilac painted the sky, reflected on the water, and even the slick, wet streets and pavement. Her father had walked off with Ben's father to discuss trivial scientific facts. Her mother was discussing parenting a teenager with Ben's mother, leaving Dimarra free to rest her head on Ben's shoulder and savor the moment. Everything from the cool breeze kissing her skin, to the warmth of Ben's body, to the brisk scent of the lake, despite how wonderful it all was, a pang of sadness hit both of her hearts.
Someday, she would have to go home and she'd never have a moment like this on her planet. There were no sunsets, only constant moonshine. There was no Ben. Just a robotic best friend. Glitch was great and fun, provided that she used her expertise of electronics to adjust his attitude. The fact that her planet may be on the brink of war might lead to her family leaving early, but could she go back with them? She sighed and frowned. Life just wasn't fair, especially if you were the princess in a galaxy far away.
"Penny for your thoughts," Ben said.
"I don't need a penny. I was just thinking that well …" Should she tell him? Should she pour out her heart to him? "Maybe I don't want to go home."
"You can't make a decision like that after one day. Wouldn't you miss your family?"
She glanced over her shoulder at her mother and father, and then shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. I think things would be different if they trusted me a little more. I've never dated. I've never …" She lowered her gaze to the sandy beach below her park bench, and whispered, "I've never kissed a boy."
Ben cocked his brow. "Would you believe I never kissed a girl? I mean I had friends that are girls, but I told my mom when I was seven that I'd never have a girlfriend because if I had one, I'd have to kiss her." He threw back his head and laughed. "And back then I thought kissing was yucky."
Dimarra had to laugh too. "What about now? Do you still think kissing is yucky?"
"I don't know.I mean if I had a girlfriend … maybe … maybe I could find out" His gaze met hers- so dark brown, almost black, almost as dark as the sky surrounding her home planet.
She wanted to kiss him. She needed to kiss him, just once to taste his lips. Just to see why there was so much kissing in Earthling movies, but darn it, she couldn't because her father was walking her way with Ben's father. How could she kiss him in front of her father? She couldn't. So instead, she smiled and promised, "I think someday you'll know. Me too." Of course, first she'd have to get Ben alone to find out first.
Deana Curtis, a young law-school student vacationing in Manchester, England is shocked to find herself transported back to 1962 after she makes a wish on a golden amulet. There she meets her childhood crush—Tristan Wallace. Armed with the knowledge of Tristan's bleak future, can she stop the sexy spy/ rock star from mysteriously disappearing?
Tristan wants to believe that the golden-haired pixie is telling the truth, but her story sounds insane. Could she truly be a time traveler who made a wish to help him? As he grows closer to Deana, he not only believes her, but worries that he will be unable protect her from his evil enemy—communist spy, Sascha Pope.
I'm so happy and thrilled and I really hope this story does well since I adore Tristan and Deana . I'll post an excerpt below, but before I do, I want to share my contest info and guest blogging spot.
I'm always interested in comments and reviews on my work so ... I'm running a review contest. All you have to do is purchase One Enchanted Summer, e-mail me a review @ dana @ ozak.net (but remove the spaces)by July 25th, and the one I like the best I'll choose as the winner. The winner will recieve an enchanted summer fun pack filled with toys and goodies to make your summer fun ;-). So, I hope you'll pick up One Enchanted Summer and drop me a line with a review. It doesn't neccesarly have to be an ass kissing review to catch my eye, but it should be well written .
And also in honor of One Enchanted Summer's release date, I'm guest blogging today @ Marianne Arkin's Blog Hope you'll drop by and leave a comment on my topic of using background music to set the mood.
Okay last but not least, here's an excerpt from One Enchanted Summer. Now, this story was orginally written for The Wild Rose Press's Through the Garden Gate contest. When I read about where they wanted the story set, I did some research into the area. I soon learned that it was really close to Liverpool in Northern England. Then my mind starting working. I thought it would be so cool to write a story where my heroine could go back and time and meet the one and only Beatles before they were famous. Really, I had to write the tale because of that . Here's the scene below where Deana meets a young Paul, John, George, and Pete (This was before Ringo Starr took over on the drums. Pete Best was the original drummer.), and I hope you'll enjoy it :-).
Exactly twenty-three hours and forty minutes, after her conversation with Tristan in his kitchen, Deana sat in the passenger seat of his Ferrari, at the parking lot of The Rose and Crown. She smoothed her light blue skirt and adjusted the straps of her navy blue bodice.
She turned to Tristan and asked, "How do I look?"
"Beautiful, of course. Really, Deana, you didn't need to go overboard. The gold heart earrings are nice, but a bit much for a pub."
"I know." She adjusted her shoulder straps again. "I...I don't know. I guess..."
He placed his hand on her shoulder and she loved the warmth of his touch. "Remember, Paul and John are just two ordinary blokes who play music. No different from me. Treat them as such, and you'll be fine. They'll see you as you are—a witty, pretty, free-spirited girl."
She smiled. "You sure have a way with words." She exhaled. "All right, I'm ready."
He opened the car door, rose from his seat, and then opened the trunk.
She gasped when he propped his guitar case beside the car. "You brought along the fender strat? When did you sneak that in the trunk?"
"When you were in the bath this morning. I have a bit of a surprise for you."
"Ooh, I love surprises."
He opened the car door and took her hand. Even though she was just going to a common Brit pub, she felt like Cinderella, on the arm of her handsome prince. Tristan certainly knew how to play the part of a prince because he held the door to the Rose and Crown open and allowed her to enter first.
When they walked in, she noticed all of the Beatles, John, Paul, George, and the original drummer, Pete Best, setting up their gear on a small stage. "What?" She gave Tristan a playful nudge in the arm. "You didn't tell me they'd be playing here tonight."
"I wanted to save it for a surprise. And guess who they invited to play with them?"
Her legs wobbled beneath her, while she somehow managed to stumbled onto a barstool. This was too much—her favorite musicians on one stage. Deana only
wished her brother, who also loved Acid Moon and the Beatles, could be here to see this. Damn it, if I told Mark, he'd never believe me.
Tristan gave her a wink as he walked to the stage with his beautiful guitar in his hands and did a sound check with the rest of the group. Her heart positively melted when they strummed the first notes of "Please, Please Me".
Tristan kept perfect time with the rest of the group and looked utterly delicious on the small stage. The lights made his wavy hair shine like black satin. All the other boys in the band wore the standard three button suits. Tristan looked so much cooler in his white sport coat, black button down shirt, and tight blue jeans.
Listening to Pete Best, she could understand why Brian Epstein eventually fired him. He didn't keep time as well as the rest of the boys. Pete was attractive, but he just didn't have the same level of talent.
She clapped along with the rest of the half-empty tavern when the song ended. Then Tristan gave her an even bigger surprise.
"I'd like to dedicate this song to a pretty girl I met yesterday named Deana. It is one of my biggest hits with my band, Acid Moon, and I taught it to my friends here tonight."
The spotlight shone down upon him as he played the first chords of Acid Moon's hit, "Starry Eyed Princess". She closed her eyes and listened to Tristan sing the lyrics in a sweet tenor voice, wondering if he wrote the love song for Katrina, but thrilled that he'd dedicated the song to her.
After they finished playing their set, Deana rushed into Tristan's arms and covered his face with kisses.
Paul chuckled. "So this must be the pretty girl you met yesterday."
"She certainly is. Deana, I'd like you to meet Mr. James Paul McCartney."
"You can simply call me Paul, love," Paul replied and kissed her hand.
She didn't know how to reply. Paul was absolutely adorable and so young. All the boys were. Even the newlywed, John.
Tristan invited all of them over to a corner table and ordered a round of drinks for everyone. After the first few beers, Deana was finally able to relax and joined in on the conversation.
She doubled over in laughter when Paul talked about their exploits in Germany. "I can't believe you nailed a condom to the wall and burned it at that club."
Paul winked. "It was Pete's idea. Our revenge for the owner snubbing us."
John and George seemed to be the two more serious boys of the band, while Paul and Pete were the jokesters.
Too soon, the night ended and she kept her promise not to spill the beans about any of their futures, although she almost slipped and said something about little Julian to John after the second shot of whiskey. All the same, she did want to give some sort of advice to the boys, who would all soon be musical legends.
She took a deep breath and said. "You guys are all very talented and I hope you'll book as many gigs as you can to share your talent with the rest of the world. Also, trust in your music and have faith in what you believe in."
John kissed her cheek. "Sage advice, Deana."
I'm never washing this cheek again.
She waved farewell to the boys and then took Tristan's arm. "So what do I do now that you've made all my dreams come true?"
He leaned down and whispered into her ear, "All of them?" He caressed her breast. "Are you certain I've made all your dreams come true?"
"A...um...m-maybe there's one more." The heat raced through her body and her knees had the consistency of Jell-o.
"Perfect. Then let's get back to my cottage so I can take care of that last dream."
This is for real. Tristan Wallace is really going to make love to me.
She had to keep reminding herself of that because she felt as if she'd wake up in her bed any minute in the year 2007, miles away from this handsome, romantic, dashing man.
Currently
listening
:
The Beatles 1
By
The Beatles
Release date: 2000-11-14
Little YA novel I’m working on geared toward my son :-)
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Writing and Poetry
PJ asked me why I never wrote anything he'd like to read when I took him home from school on his last day of school last week. I told him I didn't know, but then that got me thinking, why couldn't I write something for him? Now since I have a sex scene to write in my current WIP and it's hard to write that with PJ home for summer vacation, I kept thinking about what he said and came up with an idea for a Young Adult Science Fiction romance involving an alien princess who vacations on our world with her family and a smart fourteen year old boy who wants to be a rocket scientist when he grows up. I read the first chapter to PJ, who loved it, so know I'm posting a scene here. This is when my young hero, Ben, first meets my heroine, Dimarra. Enjoy and let me know what you think. I got thumbs up from my kiddo, which made me happy, but all opinions are always appreciated .
"Benjamin Theodore Palmer, how many times have I told you no more model rockets in the backyard? Lord only knows you'll blow something up someday. Why don't you come inside and help me get the room ready for our latest guests instead?" Ben's mother had her hands on her hips and that 'I mean now' look on her face. Her brown eyes were narrowed and her teeth were clenched.
Ben turned to his two best friends, Logan and Ace, and shrugged. "Sorry guys. You know how my mom gets when we have guests on the way. I guess the launch of the Thunder Bullet will have to be delayed until we can make it down to the beach."
Ace Thompson, Ben's best friend since the second grade, smiled. Ace brushed a loose strand of sandy brown hair away from his eye, and grabbed the launch pad for their latest model rocket. "No sweat. I'll catch you later," he leaned in and whispered the next part, "when you're mother's not freaking."
Logan Pierce, Ben's second best friend, stuck the matchbook they'd planned to light the fuse with back into the pocket of his cargo shorts. While Ace was tall and skinny, Logan was a little bit on chunkier side. Like Ben, Logan had black hair and wore glasses, but Logan's were tinted to look more like shades and his hair was curlier then Ben's.
"It's a good thing I'll be home before Dad finds out I swiped the matchbook from the bar," Logan said. "I'll call later. After your mom's guests get settled in."
Ben watched his friends climb onto their bicycles and ride away.Seven years ago, when his mother and father bought the old Maxwell house on Kelley's Island and decided to turn it into a bed and breakfast, he'd thought his parents were nuts. His dad already had a successful career as an aerospace engineer for NASA's Sandusky plant. His mother was the head chef for a five-star resort close to Cedar Point. Back then, he couldn't understand why his parents wanted to give up their great mainland lives to live on a dinky little island in the middle of Lake Erie. But once he met Ace and Logan, he got it. He never had such loyal buds when he lived in Sandusky.
His mother tapped her heel on the front porch. "Are you coming? Today would be nice."
Ben grabbed his rocket. It took him and his friends two weeks to put it together, and he really hoped he'd be able to launch it before his mother caught him.Maybe if Logan hadn't been running late because his father made him take out the trash, they might've gotten the launch in. He met his mother's gaze, so dark, like hot chocolate, so much like his own. He might not have inherited her golden curls, or temper, but they both had the same eye color.
"Coming Mom," he muttered. "Why do you need my help anyway? You spent all day yesterday cleaning. I think that's good enough."
His mother threw her arms in the air. "Good enough will be when the mirrors and windows sparkle and shine. I'll get you the Windex. That's your job for the day."
Ben looked at his mother's fancy floral sundress and wondered how she'd manage to clean in that, but then again knowing his mother, she'd probably change if she got the slightest spot on it. She was a neat freak to the point of insanity.
He was about to follow his mother into the house, when he heard footsteps behind him on the path. Turning, he met the prettiest, biggest turquoise eyes he'd ever seen. The nicest smile and funkiest blue ponytail, the girl looked to be out his age- fourteen. She wore a blue bodysuit, sparkling with glitter accents and the most unusual iridescent bangle bracelets on her wrists. They had some sort of markings etched into them, which reminded Ben of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. He tried to speak, but couldn't. There were a few cute girls who lived on the island, but none of them looked like this girl.
"Excuse me," she said. Her voice had a usual accent too and Ben couldn't put his finger on what country or nationality it sounded like. "Is this The Maxwell House Bed and Breakfast? I do believe my parents made reservations to spend the night here."
Did he hear her right? This pretty vision, this gorgeous creature, would be staying at his home? "Um … Yeah, sure it is. Do you have any bags I can take for you?"
"My father is parking our ship at the marina now and he'll be bringing our luggage." She smiled and extended her hand. "My name's Dimarra, Dimarra Andromeda."
Not sure if he shake her hand or kiss it, Ben decided he'd be better off shaking it. He didn't want to make a complete fool out of himself and do something stupid, like drool on her hand. "My name's Ben. Nice to meet you, Dimarra." He loved her name. Unusual, but it totally fit her. Even her last name was perfect. After all, the Andromeda galaxy was his favorite to view in his telescope. "Where are you from?"
"Oh somewhere … far, far away." Her gaze searched the pale blue sky.
The way she said it, he almost wondered if she meant a galaxy far, far away. Nah, she couldn't mean that. There would be places that are more exciting for an alien babe of Princess Leia or Sub-Commaner T'Pol from Enterprise magnitude to visit than a dinky little island in the middle of Lake Erie.
He met her gaze again and noticed how the green seemed to swirl through the blue around her iris, like a whirlpool. He wondered how long she'd be staying on the island. He doubted his mother would ever have another guest like her.
Vacation Planning
Current mood: adventurous
Category: Travel and Places
My hubby's boss told him he has to take a vaction this year. Considering that he hasn't taken one in almost three years, that's not a bad idea . Poor guy was starting to get burned out. Anyway, we were gonna drive down to Virginia Beach and hit Busch Gardens, Colonial Willamsburg, and then head up to Washington DC. But with gas prices getting riduclously high, we decided to stay in state and save the gas $. On the Monday after July 4th, we'll probably hit Cedar Point, spend the night in one of the hotels in Sandusky, and then catch a ferry to Kelley's Island and stay on the island for two days. I found this awesome little Bed and Breakfast called The house on Huntington Lane that looked very family friendly. Most of the places on the island seem to cater more towards couples, but we'll have the little man with us and we wanted to stay someplace that he'd enjoy too. I talked to the owner today, Patti LaClaire, when I called to make reservations and we e-mailed each other back and forth last night. She seemed very nice and helpful. No worries about gas mileage too on the island because no one drives. From what I gather on Kelley's Island, you either walk, use a bicycle (and Patti said she has complimentary bicycles for Phil and I to use if we'd like.), or rent a golf cart. Cars are left behind on the shore. I can't wait, it just sounds so pretty and so much fun! And we're looking to wrap our final days up at Kalahari Indoor Waterpark Resort. Kalahari looks really cool. A bit on the expensive side but they do offer some nice package deals. Does any one else from our neck of the woods know any cool places in the Sandsusky/Put-in-Bay/Kelley's Island area that we might want to visit? Somewhere with either free or cheap admission would be nice . Drop a line in my comments if you think there's some thing in that area that's a must see for us. We've done Cedar Point bunches of times, but Kalahari and Kelley's Island will be new for us.
Busy June :-)
Current mood: busy
Category: Blogging
I just added two events to my My Space Calendar and it occured to me how much I have going on this month. Two guest blogging appearances, a story in edit mode, the e-book release for One Enchanted Summer, an appearance at Coffee Time Romance's Yahoo groups for The Wild Rose Press's Yellow Rose Day to promote the story still in edit mode, a vacation to plan for next month, a family reunion to attend. Phew, that makes for one busy June.
But you know what? It's also very exciting. I've loved telling stories since I was a little girl and soon I'll have two new publishing credits under my belt. Both of them are stories I love and I'm looking forward to promoting them.
It would be wonderful if I have amazingly high sales with both One Enchanted Summer and Return of the Prodigal Daughter, but hey even if just a few people love my stories, that's fine by me too. The biggest thing when it comes to promoting your work as an author is building that fan base and I think I'm getting there with a steady group already .
Anyway, if I'm quiet with my blog over the next few weeks, you'll know why. But I do hope you'll drop by and say Hi to Tristan when I interview him on Allison Knight's It's my turn to talk blog. and drop by the lovely Marianne Arkin's Blog when I blog about writing soundtracks. You can bet I listened to a lot of Beatles music when I wrote One Enchanted Summer, specially since the orginal lineup has a guest role in story .
I'll try to remind everyone where I'll be on what date as those dates arrive, but if I'm quiet, you guys and gals know why
Currently
listening
:
The Beatles 1
By
The Beatles
Release date: 2000-11-14
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adventurous
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loved
artistic
warm
. And she kept her promise. Now would you find service like that at Wal-Mart's Supercenter? I think not! People on the street wave and say hi. And Patti LeClaire who owns and operates Huntington B&B was so sweet. She called out the heating and cooling company for us when the AC in our room wasn't working and checked with us all day to make sure our room was cool enough. She makes one heck of a great coffee cake too and serves a fresh one for breakfast each morning. PJ even left her a drawing on her fridge, since she didn't have any artwork to decorate. She was very grateful and thanked PJ because it's been a while since any kids gave her fridge masterpieces.
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excited
accomplished
busy
