Bethanne Strasser

Bible Study Today

2012-01-26T13:20:00.003-05:00

Who knew?! I actually go to a bible study now! haha. It's very unlike me.
In case you're curious about the world's state of affairs, it's already been determined.
I know, getting all thoughtful on you...
but we read today that Jesus said, "I do not come to bring peace. I come to bring division."

Huh.

That made me think. It's so easy to shake a fist and wonder what the heck is going on around here. And I sometimes wonder if there isn't some kind of solution to the debates, the wars... No peace! But I guess what it comes down to is that we weren't promised peace in this lifetime.

What we should all do is just chill then. I mean, what's the point of fighting about stuff if the divide has been set?
Let's all have a drink! Cheers!

....Have I taken this lesson too far? LOL :D

Write Something Fun

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

As writers, we spend time--even if it's not acknowledged as such--finding a niche, finding our voice. Making our writing special. Even the same story isn't told more than once the same way. I've had some fun playing with my voice and experimenting with stories.

When I've wanted my voice to be pretty dark, I've found that it leans toward sarcastic. Maybe not all lighthearted, but definitely not DARK. When I think of it in a visual sense, I get more of a Psych reference than a Psycho reference. :D :D

Plus, I've even written a couple of contemporary romances in the last few years that have absolutely NO MYSTERY OR SUSPENSE AT ALL. *gasp*

I know!!

Crazy. But those seem to flow really well for me...and that makes me suspicious that there in lies a strength. So, what about you? What's your strength? And if you could put your voice to TV what show or movie would it be?

Miracle Monday

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Miracle Monday
Maybe this isn't so much a miracle, but it is a blessing...
See, Matt was originally assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg. He had the option to switch with some other guys in his class. Someone with Fort Riley. Another guy with Fort Hood.
We looked at those, too.
But I know my husband and he was looking for something a little further west...
Like Colorado or Alaska.

And then he called me a couple weeks ago with this great plan!
A four way!! This is where it gets a little complicated.
It starts out like a joke.
4 guys walked into a bar...
One, on his way to Korea.
One, going to Hood.
One, to Carson.
And another to Bragg.

hahaha. Anyway, we're going to Fort Carson.
And we're excited about it...

Where do you live?

2012-01-21T21:22:00.001-05:00

You ever think about what's on the other side of the fence?
Is the grass really greener?
I've noticed, in my writing, my characters tend to live in single family homes. Even when they're single!! [why wouldn't a single person want a nice, big family home, right?] This month, I've started a story and put my character in an apartment. Yes, I did. An upstairs-from-her-cafe apartment.

My family will move again in the future.
And I'm already thinking about our housing options.
The biggest variable for military families is whether to live on base or live off.
We're off now, and I kind of like it.
Nice house, nice neighborhood, close to stores, privacy...

PRIVACY!!

I still imagine life on base as being a bit fish-bowlie.
At the same time, it would be nice to live so close to gyms and parks and work and...ya know, stuff.
So, how good is it?
I wish I knew.
I guess, I need to decide if it's worth stepping on that grass and seeing how soft and green it really is.

What about you? What your favorite thing about where you live... and what do you as the GREEN on the other side of the fence?

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-17T21:25:00.000-05:00

Words:

November 2007 in Virginia for the NFB (National Federation of the Blind) conference with the four cutest kids of 2007.

What I wrote in my blog,

Overcome the Odds

Good advice!

What I wrote in August of 2007

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

PEN NAMES!

How had I really come up with all these names to call myself...???

I'd been writing for 3 years and liked the idea of writing under a name. The romance. The mystery.

I actually still use my email address for Morgan St. John.

1. Montana Grey, still my favorite alternative even if I don't write westerns.
2. Rose Matthews, a combo of children's names...
3. Bailey Morgan, apparently too modern or fadish. Besides, I like drinking Bailey's so I can only imagin someone calling me a getting a 'yes please!' in reply!
4. Dakota Morgan, Does it say stripper to you?
5. Cait(y) Madison, my sister is Kate...I don't think my DH would appreciate people walking around calling me that. Love the spelling though! and love the Madison.
6. Harley Matthews, okay...it is a little tiny bit too fadish, but it's like the me I'd love to have the balls to be.
7. Tracy Pearl - NO! I shiver just typing it and wonder how it ever got on the list!
8. Magnolia, no last name...now there's an idea.
9. Fiona Baker, I do love to bake and have considered opening a pie shop but that name on one of my books? Just isn't going to happen.
10. Magdalynne, I think I have a story started with this name as a character. Seems like the only reason is would end up on a pen name list. Like the name...but for characters only!
11. RoseLee Morgan, another family name combo, a little too southern for me. Not that I won't someday live in the south. It's just as likely as me living in the midwest or the west...or the north for that matter.
12. Morgan Matthews, PHEW, a mouthful.
13. finally, the WINNER, Morgan St. John - I really love this name. Family Combo and classy to boot.

For What it's Worth, it's been five years since I started this blog. I've got an anniversary coming up in July!! I can add one more name to that list. Penny Dune.

And then, I finally decided it was too much work. :P

So here I am, just me, Bethanne Strasser... a romance writer [and wife and mother and cook and baker and chauffeur and tv enthusiast and diabetic].

*Shrug*

*waves*

Hiya.

Stick with me as I sift through old posts and plan a celebration for later this year.

:D :D :D

A1c -- What the heck does it mean?

2012-01-13T19:38:00.000-05:00

Don't look away, writers. Your A1c is important to you, too! Especially if you are crossing into 40 or 50. If you've been sitting in front of your computer so long, you've put on a few extra pounds. A1c tells the doctors alot about how diabetic you've become [Type II].

I'm a Type I, Insulin Dependent Diabetic.
This pancreas ain't makin' no juice. Uh uh. No way, no how.
Even with some debate on the value of the A1c result, I like the look it gives me at how I'm doing.

A1c is a number, based on calculations, that represents our average blood glucose over three months.
Your average, non diabetic will have an A1c of about 5, with blood sugars that range from 70 to 110.

So let's look at the chart:
A1c = mg/dl
13 = 326
12 = 298
11 = 269
10 = 240
9 = 212
8 = 183
7 = 154
6 = 126

So when you go to the doctor and you have a 6.5 or a 7, and the doctor says, that's good or that's not bad. You can say, "No. I don't think so. That number puts me at about 140 mg/dl, on average. That's not going to work for me."

As usual, i'm not your doctor and there are circumstances in which you might lean on the side of caution. For example, young children who are not always as adept at identifying lows would want a sugar level that sticks as close to 6 or even 7 as possible. For sure, any changes in your care should be talked about with your doctor or caregiver. :D :D

Enjoy your weekend!
I'm looking forward to an extra day with my husband and kids, to sunny skies and relaxation.
Not to mention, I'll be writing.
With Love,
Bethanne

Time Management

2012-01-12T14:51:00.002-05:00

It can be done.
Everything on my list, with effort and even a minimal amount of organization, can be done.

That's what I tell myself. And today is the perfect example.
I knew, if I didn't get out right away, I might sit at my computer for an hour or two, but then I'd be stuck at the store from midday until my kids came home. So I left my computer and my coffee and my Skype friends and I ran to the store and the bible study and the bank...

When I finally got home, an hour later than I wanted to, I was able to put my little munchkin down for a nap, make coffee and sit to work for a good two hours. I've done more than the 212 words a day goal for the year, and I have hope that I can get to the 650 words a day goal for January.

I believe that time management has to do with prioritizing and guns.

Have a great week.
With Love,
Bethanne

Stick to your guns! [in all you do]

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T13:40:00.002-05:00

Week Two

2012-01-08T19:55:00.000-05:00

It was a great start to the new year.
I'm writing a new story and working on old ones, all at the same time.
My kids are ready for school [and so am I! Ready for them to go to school. haha].

What do I say? I'm thinking on a story.

Let's play a game ...let's say you're on vacation and you meet someone [imagine it, you're single]. On the coast, pick a town, any town. A local guy/gal. What do they do? Own a shop? Wait tables? Life guard? You meet... you talk...

Tell me [G-rated-like, maybe PG] about your first date. :D
Who started it? Where do you go? What is the one thing that happens on this date that makes you fall head over heels?

I saw a Rainbow

2012-01-07T23:32:00.001-05:00

I can't help it...

Struck by hope is the only way to describe it.
I wish I'd had a camera with me, but I didn't so you just have to imagine the full, double arc of color over my head when I got out of church this afternoon. With the sun filtering through the residual clouds leftover from the smattering of rain, I saw God.
What an awesome sign of promise that is!
He doesn't forget me. Not when I forget Him. Not when I've lost all sense of direction. When my husband is gone or my kids are driving me crazy, when I can't seem to write a single word or my health feels so out-of-wack, I'll have that rainbow just like Noah did after all that rain and flooding.

Have a great new week friends,
With love,
Bethanne

Netflix and a Couch Writer

2012-01-04T20:25:00.000-05:00

First, welcome all my diabetes blog followers. I've officially closed my blogspot, Living With It, so you'll see a few blog posts here and there that pertain to life as a diabetic. WELCOME and enjoy your visit!

Something new in our house this year is Netflix. We've had it before then dropped it but are back on the bandwagon. And loving every minute of it. Seriously, I know Netflix took a dive this past fall, prices going up, packages changing... but when Burn Notice popped up on the streaming menu [yes, i check regularly], I couldn't help myself. It seemed like the perfect time to go back. :D hahaha. And what I do love about the new version is that I can cancel at any time.

The other show my husband and I like to watch is That 70s Show.
So, for quality time with my husband where both of us can relax and enjoy a few laughs, $8 a month seems worth it. Right now, we're watching PBS, Birds of Paradise. Oooo, fun.

This is my time to sit and write or edit or read.

Now, if it was antiques roadshow...I might be a little distracted! :D
Hey, keep writing! Keep blogging. Keep reading.
With Love,
Bethanne

The Older I get...

2012-01-02T16:25:00.000-05:00

The less I feel like doctors want to listen to me.

I have hit a wall in my search for a doctor who will acknowledge that I know just as much if not MORE than he does. This latest doctor is the worst! Not only is he the worst, he loves himself WAY TOO MUCH. He says that he is working with Minimed, consulting with them to change things, but the changes he suggests do NOT coincide with how I manage my diabetes. As a matter of fact, it leaves everything to the doctor [which is good for the doctor with the God complex]. It eliminates the use of 95% of the data I get from my CGM and pump. He wants premeal blood glucose levels and a bedtime one, if I feel like it.

WHAT THE YOU-KNOW-WHAT?!

Isn't that taking a step BACK in diabetes management?

"Uh, yes ma'am, it sure as hell is." <--that's me, talking to myself.

See, there's this AVERAGE in diabetes that is a statement of about how much basal insulin [basal is the ongoing rate, not based on what you eat] a typical diabetic will use. The rates, starting at midnight, rise at predawn then slowly decrease through the day. Sooo, maybe I'm not that typical, but Dr. God, on seeing my rates, shook his head and said, "This is a mess."

He then proceeded to suggest changes that replicate what an average diabetic's basal rates should be.

But, after seven years on the pump and three kids later, I can tell you, without a doubt, that my basal rates do not follow that trend. WHAT?! how is that possible?! But, again, as with my last doctor, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. [or perhaps I just wanted to prove him wrong] But I changed my rates to his suggestions and watched my sugars go way up and stay there for three days, with just an occasional drop because of the raging corrections I made.

Now, let me set you straight. Perhaps you want to believe I'm just too obstinate or rebellious or bad. What do they call it when a patient refuses to follow doctor's orders? I don't know, but it would be easy to believe I am that patient. It's true I've changed doctors a good bit, but at this point, it has never been because I disagreed with a doctor. I just move around a lot. When I saw this new guy for the first time and he said my A1c of 6.4 was good, I knew it wasn't going to work. I've had an A1c of under 6 for over a year. I've had NO hypoglycemic episodes [low blood sugar symptoms] of the debilitating variety. My sugars are tight and that's how I like them, because we all know that the better and lower I can keep them, the less likely I am to get complications. You know, like retinopathy or neuropathy or glaucoma or appendage loss... heeellllllooooo?!?! Dude, really? Don't tell me a 6.4 is okay. Ask me if a 6.4 is okay with me.

This is the first time in 23 years, I am about to cancel an appointment with a doctor because I really dislike him alot. Part of me wants to write him a letter to make sure he knows that he is NOT helping the diabetic community. That his methods, even if they work for him or most of his patients, are not giving them the tools to manage their own diabetes, which is the ultimate freedom.

Or I could just quietly leave.

I just switched from Standard Tricare to Prime, which basically means we're going from a PPO plan to an HMO plan [another story all together], but it does give me the option of talking to another doctor and getting a feel for who out there, if anyone, can let me be in control. hahahaha.

2012

2012-01-02T09:36:00.003-05:00

Nothing like starting the new year practicing writing the date by paying bills!! Hahaha.
An uneventful start to the New Year but a good one nonetheless.
With family around, including g-parents and aunts and uncles, I went to bed at 10:30. :D

My husband starts his next round of training tomorrow at the Armor School.
And before the end of January, we'll have orders for our next Duty Station.
I'm working hard to curb my enthusiasm. Don't want to jinx anything. But I am excited.

This year... One Day at a Time.
With Love,
Bethanne

Guest Blogger -- Cynthia Selwyn

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

A trapped-at-home mom of three, freelance fiction editor and romance writer, Cynthia Selwyn has been married to the same man for nearly twenty years. If there's anything she knows about relationships, it's that humor can keep the love alive (or at least on life-support).

Cynthia started writing at the age of six and has been writing since then. After many rejections, she finally earned a contract with The Wild Rose Press with Kissing Trick, (written as C.D. Yates) and is now writing exclusively for Breathless Press, where she hopes to earn enough money in royalties to support her coffee habit. Her goal with each book is to bring a smile to her readers' faces and love to their hearts, by writing a sexy story with a touch of magic.

She invites writers and readers to reach her at cynthia@author-wise.com.

Flying without a Deadline

Despite the fact that the world is reputed to be ending in December of this new year (what, again? It's been schedule to end for the past two years), consider setting goals anyway. Even if the world does end, at least you can say you accomplished something.

Here's my goal for 2012: Not to make goals. At least, not ones with a deadline.

What? How can you set a goal without a timeline? If my goal is to not set goals, then I will be able to say—as I float away in a burst of interstellar dust, or sail to heaven, or become one of the Enlightened—I did it! I accomplished something this year! (Complete with fist pump. Unless I'm dust. Then I'll just…well…dust.)

It's not that I don't think goals with deadlines are wonderful things. Some of us need them in order to function, and in order to write, especially. Like posts in a fence, they give us something to aim for as we travel this long road of ours. Just get to the next post, we think, and keep trudging despite disappointment, fatigue and all the other obstacles that appear in our path. And that's good.

But I prefer the leap the fence, circle around, hide behind a rock kind of a strategy as I go. Flexible, like a guerrilla fighter (or better yet, a ninja!) I have to be ready to leap, tuck and roll as I make my way through each day/week/month…year. Yes, I have some kind of destination in mind, but the way I get there isn't the straight-and-narrow-eyes-on-the-prize kind of way. And, when I arrive at where I needed to be, I can quietly celebrate even if I didn't get there within a certain time frame.

That's part of the reason I don't like daily/ weekly/monthly goals. "I will write 20,000 words by the end of the month," for example. If I write "only" 19, 500 words by the end of the month, I won't be able to say, "I did it!" But if I have the idea (which is different from a goal) that I need to write 20,000 words as soon as possible, hopefully sooner than later but later is okay if I need to do something else first, then I know that I'll be able to accomplish it. I won't have set myself up for failure but for success. A wishy-washy kind of success, true—but one that works with the rest of my rolling, leaping, flying, falling kind of life.

It's okay to be wishy-washy sometimes. We try to do everything just right all the time, with structure and timelines and deadlines, and then we get frustrated when things don't work out the way we planned.

Speaking of plans…I wonder how the prophets for this year's The World is Going to End prediction will feel on December 22nd, when everyone's still here and things are just the same as always. Frustrated…a little silly. Certainly, they'll feel like they've failed.

If only they used my method of goal setting. They'd tell you, "The World is going to end. Sometime." And they'd be right. Success!

The Strong Heroine

2011-12-26T13:01:00.000-05:00

I read an interview this week and the interviewee mentioned the characteristics of her heroine. Thankfully, I can't remember who gave the interview because I wouldn't want anyone to think I was talking badly about someone. I'm not...and the truth is, I've heard this answer soooo many times, I'm coming to think of it as being cliche.

The answer? [in my own words] I write heroines who are feisty and strong, take control. Don't you hate a heroine who simpers and waits to be saved?

Of course, I agree with this sentiment. Most heroines I like are strong and can take care of things. I've read a few over the top bitchy ones, but overall, I like the strong ones.

The problem is... what books are they [all the people who say that] reading, anyway? I haven't read a book with a wimpy heroine in years and years unless I've picked up a book published before 1990. The statement is a standby answer for almost every romance author out there in the past 5-10 years. Does anyone even write a heroine who needs help? Or is wimpy?

So, I had a revelation after reading another interview with that line...about not liking heroines who whimper and can't take care of themselves. I should pitch a wimpy heroine. Write a heroine who needs a strong man, someone smart and take control. A man who will pat her on the head, give her a little peck and tell her, "Now, don't you worry, little lady."

Now that would be different! That would be refreshing! Perhaps THAT would catch someone's eye.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T16:34:00.002-05:00

This weekend I celebrate the birth of my Lord, Jesus Christ. I'll head to church and receive him in the Eucharist. I'll stay up late Saturday night, putting gifts around the tree, our reminder to each other that we should be more like God who gave us the greatest gift of all. With my own family around me, we'll make a cake and sing Happy Birthday.

I'm going to think of all the pain Jesus' mother, Mary, went through, bringing him into this world. In my quietest moment, I'm going to be proud of my Catholic Faith, the ONLY one that holds a woman in the highest regard above any other human being [except Jesus :D].

When I look at my children this year, I'm going to thank God for each and every blessing--Virginia, Matt, Thomas, Sean and Darla. That he called me to be a mother to them over anyone else and that they came from the Love [of God] that my husband and I share. No one can take that power from me. God's way is the most powerful presence in my life.

I pray for all mothers as I start the New Year that they will understand the POWER of motherhood. Even in the bible, the only person who could turn Jesus' head, the only person who could make him perform miracles before his appointed time was his Mother. Today [the day of Jesus' birth], in history, more than 2000 years ago, women were given the Power of the Almighty God.

That is something worth celebrating.
With Love,
Bethanne

PS See you after the New Year!

The Pink Washes off

2011-12-21T09:25:00.000-05:00

You know the pink that shows up on your potatoes after you cut or peel them?

It washes off.

I didn't know that!! What is it?! Why does it wash off? In the past, I've always repeeled if that has happened. Then yesteday, I diced the potatoes so small, there way no was I'd be able to fix it. When I didn't use all the potatoes, I put the rest into a bowl of water. And voila! The water turned pink, so I drained it, filled it and drained it again.

No pink. Gross. What is that stuff?

If you stopped over at Passionate Critters yesterday to read my story, THANKS! I love the support and I hope you liked it. We're four short days to Christmas now and life--as expected--has had its ups and downs. The holidays create stress, but I've got my husband home to talk to and help make things better.

My prayers go out to all the families who are separated this Christmas.
With Love,
Bethanne

FREE SHORT STORY

2011-12-19T21:29:00.001-05:00

Monday's miracle was not going completely INSANE as I measured the Christmas values... measured, weighed and considered. I really hate this part of Christmas... who got what? how many things does each kid have to open up? What's going in the stockings? ARE WE READY?!

Every year this moment comes upon me and I wish, wish, wish that our Christmas was not about Santa, even secondarily. :( I love the holiday. The traditions. The decorations. The family gatherings... I just have to get over this hump and stop worrying about who gets what and how happy everyone is going to be. That's the bottom line for me. Will my kids be disappointed? *sigh* How can I make them happy?

If you need a break on Tuesday from the stress of Christmas, follow me over to Passionate Critters and read my short story, Letters from Home. Is it possible to fall in love through a stack of letters? When deployment is on the line and separation is inevitable, sometimes letters are the only way to the heart.

Merry Christmas, Friends.

Enjoy the rest of this week.

With Love,

Bethanne

http://www.bethannestrasser.blogspot.com

Trip to the PX postponed

2011-12-16T09:31:00.000-05:00

So, i showered, got ready to go to the PX and then looked at the teary, whiny, leg-clinging baby at my feet and decided she needed a nap or I might as well shoot myself.

I'm actually sitting here editing one of my manuscripts, a novella length romantic suspense, while she sleeps. And it really hit me how I've never taken advantage of my time. What do I mean? Well, many writers will tell you, write the story then put it aside for a while. Take a break... weeks, months, you decide.

I don't usually do that. I like to push through to the end in one fell swoop.

But as I go through this manuscript again for the oh...tenth time or more, I really am seeing it with new eyes! It hit me at one point that my MC coming out with a statement about losing his sight is way too out-of-the-blue. I never saw that before, but that's probably because I was in his head enough to hear his thoughts about it... I know that sounds crazy. And really, I do NOT let my characters write their own stories, but I do listen to them.

Anyway, it's a fresh start and I'm glad for it. :D What about you? You take the time to shove your story in the corner before taking it through revisions?

BTW, best decision ever to not hit the PX first thing. It'll be nice to get out just before lunch and then splurge--in the minor[ist] of fashions--on lunch for me and the baby. It would be really nice to meet up with my hubby, too...but that's way hit or miss. :D

Have a great weekend, the last before CHRISTMAS!
With love,
Bethanne

In Vodka Veritas

2011-12-15T09:12:00.001-05:00

This is definitely one of my favorites on our short story line up this year at Passionate Critters. Nina Croft has a true talent, a gift for story telling. I'm lucky to be able to get first peek at her manuscripts before she sends them off to the publisher. :) So please, make a quick five minute hop over to PC and enjoy!

Enjoy the day, my friends. It's not long before I gather around my tree and celebrate the birth of my Lord, Jesus. I love this time of year!

Wordless Wednesday -- Christmas Thanks

2011-12-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

[sorry, but it ever really wordless?! I can't do it!!!]

The holidays after our reunion feel doubly blessed....

******

Don't forget to head over to Passionate Critters and find out why Jack Frost is in Big Trouble this year. :D

Have a great week.

Bethanne

Tina Vaughn

2011-12-13T11:20:00.001-05:00

Passionate Critter member Tina Vaughn is sharing a Christmas story with us on our blog. http://www.passionatecritters.org Today is Day one of our count down to Christmas.

Enjoy a short story.
Drink some coffee or cocoa.
Anything to pass the days until Christmas when we can finally celebrate the birth of Jesus.

wait, wait, wait. I've had five kids so I totally get the waiting game!

Miracle Monday

2011-12-12T07:51:00.000-05:00

THIRTEEN DAYS til CHRISTMAS

Tomorrow starts The Twelve Days of Christmas Stories on Passionate Critters!!

Don't miss the first story, Home for Christmas.

Happy Shopping this week, friendly bloggers.

With Love,

Bethanne

A Business Plan

2011-12-10T10:49:00.001-05:00

I'm a writer with a purpose. Maybe I started out just putting down a few stories, but I've gotten to the point where I have a lot of stories down and maybe a business plan is in order. According to Debra Riley-Magnus, a business plan should come first. Well, mine's coming midway.

I'm not going to completely bore you with the step by step, which you can find on your own by typing writer's business plan into the Google search bar. But I will highlight what I perceive as important.

1. Identify your customer: Almost sounds too easy, yet it's not enough to throw a book up at BN or Amazon and label or tag it in hopes that your reader will find it because they are likely to scroll through pages upon pages of other people's books before yours in the list marked, romance. If I step back even further from the "selling" perspective, I can see that by identifying my target audience, I'll be able to create something the audience is willing to pass on. For example, I would hope that my family members might pick up my book. If I wrote a horror novel or an erotic novel, I can be pretty sure, no one in my family or close circle of friends would recommend it to their family and friends. Understanding that, and accepting it, is part of the business plan and it helps me produce a book that will sell.

[aside] If I were a horror story writer, my plan would include the acceptance of that truth--don't plan on sales to family. And I would not necessarily change my writing preferences in order to please my family. On the other hand, I write romance... I can write it strictly mainstream and include lots of open door sex [which SELLS!] or I can form a plan to sell just as much, maintaining my own integrity.

That's how I see a business plan working. And that leads me to another point that struck me...

2. What makes your product special: There are thousands of writers out there. I take that back, there are thousands of ROMANCE writers out there. When the artist in most of us wants to create [uninhibitively][she says with a flourishing wave of her hand], it would be smart to create something that stands out from the crowd. That actually takes work. So when I can sit and write to my heart's content, I need the plan to help me focus my writing on the goal at hand. Otherwise, I run the risk of being just like everyone else [only better *wink*]. :D Then, making a connection, knowing what makes my product so special also helps me identify my customer.

I think a big part of this point in the business plan is taking confidence to a new level. Humility is highly valued, yet if you can't walk up to someone and say, My book is good. You want to know why?, well, then all your work is built on a pretty flimsy foundation. There are times to put aside the urge to be humble and lead with honesty instead.

But, let's face it, the bottom line is Money. Lesson Number One: don't let people make you feel bad for wanting to make money off your craft.

***

Well, off I go to put together a plan.

It's a good start...no, a good way to end 2011.

With Love,

Bethanne

Banana Bread Day

2011-12-08T13:17:00.001-05:00

It's unofficial, of course...
or, it's officially MY banana bread day.

Skinny side of the month, do you have one of those?
We do. I tend to bake more during that time. Which is good!
We all love, love, love mom's baked goods.
Cookies, breads...great filler foods.

What's your favorite, go-to snack food when your cupboards are starting to look bare and your kids are starting to question your sanity about waiting to go to the store?

Do you have a Line?
I do. It's my husband, when he starts fruitlessly opening and shutting cabinets in an effort to find something to eat, I know I have to bite the bullet and make a store run. LOL :D What can I say, I'll eat anything. But not everyone will!

Banana Bread, you are comfort food and you taste awesome warmed up on a cold day.
:D I can't wait to eat you.

With love,
Bethanne

what a blank!

2011-12-07T12:06:00.001-05:00

It occurred to me the title sounds like i'm swearing.
But i'm not. I'm just at a loss for what to post this week.

*sigh*

I'm thinking of you all out there, though.
Have a great week as you prepare for Christmas.
With Love,
Bethanne

The Books I Love

2011-12-02T21:47:00.001-05:00

First and foremost.... above all else, I love suspense/mystery.
Trixie Belden was my all-time favorite growing up. I devoured her books.
I touched on a bit of Nancy Drew, finally hitting Agatha Christie in my teens.
In my teens, I read inspirational mostly, enjoying authors such as Thoene, Phillips and ....oh shoot, who was that other one I'm thinking of???? Dang it. It's been so long, but there were lots. At that point in time I steered cleared of historicals for the most part. The inspirational variety of historicals never did appeal to me. They tended to be very slow and corny. :P

After I got married, I happened to pick up a book called Nobody's Baby but Mine. A book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. That was it. There was no going back. I LOVED THAT BOOK! It wasn't until I started reading romance that I could get through an historical. I like early American, but will pick up a Regency [I think]. I have to admit, I"m not very good at catagorizing historicals. REgency...victorian. I know there's a difference, just can't always identify it. :) Elizabeth Lowell has a few good historicals. Heather Graham has a couple of awesome series from the Civil War. Marsha Canham totally caught my attention with The Iron Rose. Pirates! Loved that one, too. Dorothy Garlock. Oh! Dodd has a great series, Regency, I think. And Brenda Joyce, too. Joyce has a series about the Bragg family. I think i'm going to have to download that series and reread them. As you can see, I have hardly even touched the deep reaches of the historical genre. The books I have read are almost all backlists of writers who now publish romantic suspense.

Like most readers, though. I'll try anything. I look forward to reading Winter Fire by Jo Beverly, which I won recently [like today] on Bookworm2bookworm, Melanie's blog. :D Yippee! Right now, I'm reading a book called In Name Only, which is historical AND inspirational. Yikes. I'm really stepping out now, aren't I? :D

Have a great weekend Friends.
With Love,
Bethanne

TGIF

2011-12-01T22:35:00.001-05:00

Loooong WEEK!
Can't say I haven't enjoyed it, though. School cake projects, doctor appointment, grocery shopping, writing, critiquing...
I almost finished Chapter Three in Sand Bay Secrets. Whooot!
I researched publishers for Catholic Fiction... Guess what?!

BIG FAT NOTHING.

Fine. I'm not concerned. My research is not over, anyway. I need to actually read some of it. THAT, my friends, that is the pudding. Unfortunately, my hopes are not that high. Maybe I should be more optimistic. Maybe I should be reading it with a different mind set...

I just want a good book, though.
Maybe I have to write it. :/ I'll keep you posted.
Perhaps a writer's review over the next month or so???
Wouldn't that be fun? Not something solely from a reader's standpoint.
More of a reflection on what's out there and how it compares to what I already know I love to read.

Is that unfair? Well that's the catch, isn't it? It's only unfair if I don't like it. :)
Should be an interesting month.
Now...

To go find something FICTION from a market that is almost non existent.
Take care my friends!
With Love,
Bethanne

Remember Whensday

2011-11-30T06:47:00.001-05:00

On a bit of a tangent, do you remember your dreams?

Last night I had a doozy! At a different age, I might have considered it a nightmare, but it didn't really scare me just left me feeling tense. But what I love about those kind of dreams is the atmosphere they create. Like a movie I can't stop watching, right?

My dream last night had a dark atmosphere and a creepy guy in a wheelchair who thought he and I were an item. Kind of awkward when my husband showed up! Then the creepy guy got freaky and mad. He lived in a three story house, his room on the very top floor. An attic with dormers. In my dream I kept checking the windows up there to see if he was looking. Low and behold, we [cuz Matt's with me now] find out Creepy Guy has a daughter. He's killed her. [I know! Crazy dreams.]

Next thing I know we're on the[a] frozen lake where the sport is bike riding on the water. But the bike riding is happening in a rectangular hole cut from the ice. The wheels of the bikes are paddles. We don't sit in any type of stand, though. We're actually ON the edge of the ice, our feet hanging in the water [like at a pool]. But the edge starts to break and we're floundering in the water. I'm calling to Virginia [DD] to grab Sean [DS] and I'm holding the baby up out of the water, calling to my husband.

And I wake up because Sean is calling my name. He woke up. It's 5:40am and he's hungry!

It's fun to take those feelings and put them to paper even if I can't use the actual circumstances.
Do you do that?

Miracle Monday, with a little cheese on the side

2011-11-28T13:11:00.001-05:00

Do you ever consider that just meeting someone is a miracle?

That happens to me! I'm going to get so lucky in my life[yes, I say lucky. It's the Irish in me.], because I meet people all the time. I can't count on my hands the number of times I've moved and been blessed by new people. From childhood, and the many friends who have supported and loved me, through adulthood, as I move around with my husband, there have been numerous people who have touched my life, been friends or even just disappeared. Each one has made me the person I am. They've instigated growth, even when I don't want to grow.

They are God to me; changing me, reforming me, loving me. How great is that? I don't have any doubt that Jesus is present. You are my proof.

Enjoy the Christmas Season. Eggnog. Lights. Jimmy Stewart. Bing Crosby. Hot chocolate and whipped cream. Jammies with reindeer on them. Snow [if you're lucky enough]. Nativity. Candles. Choirs of Angels. Bells.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:26:00.001-05:00

Thirteen Things I love about Thanksgiving

1. Family get togethers
2. Bagels, first thing in the morning
3. Football playing in the background
4. Turkey
5. Macy's Parade
6. Outings to the park
7. Open bottles of wine
8. Sweet potatoes
9. Charlie Brown
10. Pie
11. Christmas Music
12. Too many bodies in the kitchen
13. Everyone saying Thank You...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Miracle Monday -- Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T22:33:00.001-05:00

By some miracle, my Mother-in-law made it to my house in one piece. She left Raleigh at 11:30[ish]. I remember thinking, All the way to Columbus, GA?! But she made it. Thank the good Lord...

Another miracle, I finished a story. For the first time since...when? My story Spring Leave, which has been finished and submitted for over a year.

...guess what?
The story is four, yes FOUR pages long--but that's single spaced so I guess I could say eight. And you get to read it in December on Passionate Critters. I'll keep you posted on the date. :-)

Have a great week.
Don't forget to be Thankful.
With love,
Bethanne

The calm before the storm

2011-11-17T09:50:00.001-05:00

That's what this week is...
I can see clouds accumulating in the distance. Though I don't anticipate the thrashing of a hurricane or tornado, there's always something dark about an approaching storm. Lucky for us, storms are what bring water and new life! A good clean rain--even a harsh, beating rain--wipes out the old and gives us a fresh start.

Just like the holidays. :D
Enjoy the preparations!
With Love,
Bethanne

Your Stimulus Check

2011-11-14T14:55:00.001-05:00

I had a good friend mention keeping our Christmas money "in the family." And it really hit me that I'm so guilty of buying crap just to fill some kind of quota. A Christmas quota, ya know? I have five kids and every kid gets at least two gifts from us... one of a necessary sort and the other something from their list. But, usually, I end up at Walmart buying CRAP. Well, that's the way it seems at times...

Then I got this email and it made me chuckle and think, YES. WE are going to do something different this year. I am going to buy American. NO matter what. That is my goal. Even if it means gift cards to restaurants....

Sometime this year, we taxpayerswill again receive another 'Economic Stimulus' payment.
This is indeed a very exciting program, and I'll explain it by usinga Q & A format:
Q. What is an 'Economic Stimulus' payment ?

A. It is money that the federalgovernment will send to taxpayers.

Q.. Where will the government get this money ?
A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving meback my own money ?
A. Only a smidgen of it.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment ?

A. The plan is for you to use themoney to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating theeconomy.

Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China ?
A. Shut up.

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the U.S. economy by spendingyour stimulus check wisely:
* If you spend the stimulus money at Wal-Mart, the money will go toChina or Sri Lanka .

* If you spend it on gasoline,your money will go to the Arabs.
* If you purchase a computer, it will go to India , Taiwan or China.
* If you purchase fruit and vegetables, it will go to Mexico, Honduras andGuatemala.

* If you buy an efficient car, itwill go to Japan or Korea.
* If you purchase useless stuff, it will go to Taiwan.
* If you pay your credit cards off or buy stock, it will go tomanagement bonuses and they will hide it offshore.

Instead, keep the money in America by:
1) Spending it at yard sales, or
2) Going to ball games, or
3) Spending it on prostitutes, or
4) Beer or
5) Tattoos.
(These are the only American businesses still operating in the U.S. )

Conclusion:
Go to a ball game with a tattooed prostitute that you met at a yard saleand drink beer all day!
No need to thank me, I'm just glad I could be of help.

To all our Veterans

2011-11-11T10:46:00.001-05:00

THANK YOU

Walter Edwin Seale

Joseph Seale

Walter Edwin Seale Jr.

William Sinram "Uncle Billy"

~~~~~

Edward John Strasser, Jr. "Jack"

Joseph Strasser

Edward John Strasser III

Susan Strasser

Greg Jiminez
Matt Strasser

....and any other family members I don't know about.

To all veterans who put their lives on the line so I can live freely, practicing my Faith and raising my kids to appreciate life and liberty....

For all the small things I'm thankful for that wouldn't be available to me without the veterans of our US Military:

coffee and donuts on Sunday morning

travel from country to country, state to state

a roof over my head

bountiful food on my table

internet access with no limitations

ability to profit and save

freedom to give and serve

right to protect

Write this way

2011-11-08T06:14:00.000-05:00

Did someone say writing?
Oh, that's right! I do write.
By reading my blog lately, you can't even tell!

I'm not keeping up very well with my project list. I'm working two projects now. A novel length and a really short story for Christmas. Christmas has the priority for now, and amazingly enough, I got some work done on it yesterday. Yay me. :P

Excuse me but, WILL LIFE EVER SLOW DOWN?!

Up for a Jump -- Miracle Monday

2011-11-05T23:22:00.000-04:00

My husband is jumping out of a plane tomorrow and we get to watch. I'm struck by how family friendly a career in the Army can be. When my husband attended his accounting classes, I didn't get to watch or cheer him on. When he took his CPA exams, I didn't get to watch then either! I know!!! And I really wanted to, too. All those numbers... so exciting. ;) What a turn on, the pencil scribbling, the mumbling about codes and taxes. I love that. [okay, time out. Matt used to talk about taxes in a way that made me love him...so, I can't totally sarcastic those thoughts!]

There's a strange balance between serious and exciting in our life now. The training is exciting. I like that I can bring the kids and they can see what dad's doing. Even when we can't be where he is, we often get updates from the company commander, sometimes even through Facebook with photos and videos. It makes it a family affair.

Of course, the need for the training is serious. But knowing he's getting trained helps and being able to see that he gets it done right makes me feel better.

You wanna know what the miracle is [even if it IS a day early]?
Matt, as long as I've known him, has hated heights. Never liked the roofing jobs and would tie himself off in an OCDish manner compared to others who wouldn't even bother. He isn't really scared of being up there...just extra cautious. In a good way, though. I mean, he's never had an accident, ya know? :D So, there you have it. It takes guts, strength and a little bit of miracle to get up there and jump off a plane. :D

Have a great week, friends!
I know I will--5 jumps and a graduation on Wednesday. Hooah!
I love my soldier.
~Bethanne

Just a quick blog to Remember When

2011-11-01T23:28:00.000-04:00

November first and so many of my friends' fingers are flying across their keyboards as they spend a month writing 50,000 words to a better tomorrow. Books are an important element of what carried humanity to the modern age. You could even say, we've gone well beyond modern age, that books are a dime a dozen. Print and digital, paper and hardback.

I suppose that's true.

That's never more obvious during the month of November. I don't say that derogatorily. The truth is, the more we have to read, the more we will read, the more our society reads. We need more history! We need more romance! We need inspirational and uplifting. We need drama and melodrama. We need biographies and memoirs, how-tos and for-dummies. We need it all....

And gosh darn it, WE NEED MORE COWBELL!

Happy Halloween--Miracle Monday

2011-10-31T21:23:00.001-04:00

Oh! I was so disappointed! We had absolutely NO traffic. :( I was looking forward to handing out candy. Usually I don't care. This year--though I didn't--I thought about dressing up. I wanted to! Darla and I were out there on the driveway. Darla in her cute little bumblebee costume. What a sweetpea. :D

You know what's missing from Halloween?

Community. It used to be that we'd gather as neighbors and walk our streets.
Anymore, people leave their neighborhoods to roam through a stranger's. Even our own next door neighbors headed out about fifteen minutes before us and disappeared...gone. Like a fart in the wind, collecting candy. I wish we'd had more of a turn out.

I just kept wishing for a princess to come and say hi.

Friday Food

2011-10-27T22:06:00.001-04:00

I'm almost at a loss for what to talk about tonight. I should be writing my story. I told my girls I'd be writing! So I wracked my brain for an alliteration. I do love those. Fiction Friday, Friday Five...

This time, I came up with Friday Food. Not just a list of my favorites either. Or a feature of something Fallish, like Chili!! Oh, how I love Chili. [It's on the menu for tomorrow.]

Food always plays a role in my stories. If there's anything about my characters I like to relate to, it's food.

In Shake the Sugar Tree, my heroine connected to the scent of cinnamon and her grandmother's apple pie.
In Houseboat, my hero is a southern boy who has a certain craving for shrimp, grilled with that great cajun seasoning.
There's this great Italian restaurant [and character] in Certain Suspicions that makes this awesome fresh pasta and marinara. The garlic, the fresh basil. Mmmm. Yum.
Sand Bay Secrets is my newest story, I don't know the characters completely, but I wonder if my hero might like to grill...and he likes a rich steak, seared to perfection then cooked to a delicate medium rare. Molly will have a thing for fish and seafood. She's lived on the coast her whole life and loves everything about it. Grilled, baked, fried. She wants it with a salad, a rich, dark green bed of vegetables.

Food is a big deal. What a person eats can often be key to who they are. I can't ignore it. Do you?

Remember Whensday

2011-10-26T03:04:00.000-04:00

Amidst unpacking all our stuff, I came across my box of memorabilia. Somehow two varsity letters ended up on the kitchen counter. One, from Rockford High School, I got for gymnastics--I think. I don't remember! It was that. It had to be. I did have band metals on it though and an honor society pin. The other, from Cornell High School, was for swimming. It had a bar on it. What are those called? And what did they represent?! I don't even remember.

They sat for about two weeks. Until this week. When I finally picked them up, with the pins and metals attached, turned to my husband and said, Do I need to keep these?

He didn't know. He's a man who didn't like high school and holds no affection for anyone from high school. Reunions? Forget about it. At least, he's trying to, but his mom keeps giving the alumni group his new address. hahaha. Not funny, really but what do you do?

Anyhoo, this morning I woke up and decided to toss them. I'm sick of the clutter! It's not so much a disrespect or disregard for my past as a need to get rid of all the stuff. I know my propensity to throw things away has before and will again bite me in the you-know-what, but I can't seem to stop. :D :D I love throwing [giving] stuff away!

Airborne -- More training

2011-10-24T08:25:00.000-04:00

I realize it's Miracle Monday and that this post will veer slightly from that output, but I could say it's a miracle [and a little bit of mercy] that my husband is in Airborne School this morning. By an oversight not his own, my husband missed reporting for Airborne a couple of weeks ago.

For all you military wives out there, you understand the seriousness of not following orders. The bottom line isn't always WHY. I suppose that's true in life for everyone. Do you remember as a kid when we'd fight with our siblings? Mom would whip out her mean yelling voice and the hammer would come down. But she didn't care a flying leap about who did what... We were all sent to our rooms.

Anyhoo, on the mercy of his commanding officer, Matt's in school for the next three weeks. Yay. He's really excited about jumping out of planes. He's crazy. Do you ever look at the turn your life has taken by entering the military and wonder if someone is a little crazy? :D haha. I do. But maybe it's not crazy, maybe it's just maleness... haha, I can use that in a story.

All in all though, I do love how training is ongoing. Today Airborne, tomorrow Ranger School... then what? The Army life is our oyster.

Do bugs die?

2011-10-23T13:34:00.001-04:00

Yes! Yes they do.

Most grasshoppers can only survive the winter as an egg; the adults all die when it gets cold. In warm climates which don't have freezing winters, grasshoppers can probably live longer, maybe for several years. Most die long before that though, from disease or predators or drought. http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Acrididae/

Roaches, on the other hand, can adapt to the cold, but will most likely die if the temperatures drop below 32 degrees.

All I'm saying is...I've lived in the midwest for my whole life and we have cockroaches that that are about the size of a penny or nickel vs living down in the south now and we have cockroaches that are about the size of a quarter or larger. :D

Thrive much? Perhaps not as well as they do in the south.

now, enough about bugs.

How 'bout them Cardinals?

COCKROACH!

2011-10-22T11:00:00.001-04:00

Here's a reason to love winter, BUGS DIE.
I've had too many encounters with big bugs, cockroaches in particular.
Today my eleven month old daughter brought me a dead cockroach.

Eeeeek!

I hate not knowing if it's been in her mouth. But she is an eleventh month old baby.
She puts things in her mouth.

...living in a new place means dealing with new experiences.
You should see the grasshoppers!! they're HUGE!

Wordless Wednesday -- in honor of the next 3 days of COLD!

2011-10-19T10:04:00.000-04:00

When I Kill a Hero

2011-10-18T16:49:00.001-04:00

I'm over at Passionate Critters, talking about how best to kill a hero.
Come on by!!! Not enough time in the day to post twice, so I hope to see you over there.

See you back here tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday.

Dresser or Closet?

2011-10-15T14:36:00.002-04:00

It occured to me recently--after spending some time fretting over where I was going to put everyone's clothing--that I am not an avid closet space user. Hanging clothes? Forget about it. It doesn't really occur to me to hang things up. In 12 years of marriage I have continued to stuff more and more clothes into drawers.

Until now. It hit me during this recent relocation, HANG THE CLOTHES.

Simple solution. It's just a matter of figuring out what fits in the drawers... shirts? pants? casual?
And what's easier to hang, pants? Shirts? Honestly, I even put my bras in the closet after this revelation. I've been mashing my bras for years in order to fit them in a little underwear draw.

No more!

In our new house, we have nice closet space and I am utilizing it, fully. Totally.

Photo found on Creative Jewish Mom

I'm even excited about it a little because I color coded the hangers. :D
Turquoise for Virginia.
Black for Little Matt.
Blue for Thomas and Sean.
Big Matt has Army bought wire hangers--YICK.
and I have the hodge podge of hangers we've collected over the last 12 years.

So tell me, what are you?
A closet person or a dresser person?

The Biggest Adjustment

2011-10-12T22:34:00.000-04:00

You want to know something funny? After nine months, the hardest thing to wrap my brain around is that soldiers don't "do" anything.

Let me tell you, my husband is my pride. He is a hero. Training is his life and serving his country is now his full time job.... He has a job. He is employed.

Life isn't the same, though. The 9-5 job of an accountant is gone. No more deadlines. No bottom line. The goal of a soldier is to be prepared, be trained, be ready to lead and follow the call of duty. Somedays, Matt will be home after 6am physical training and other days he'll be home by lunch. And still there are days he's not home until dinner time or later. On occasion, he pulls a night shift and is on the clock from late afternoon to the next morning.

My friend and I were talking once about how the commissary [grocery store] is always busy. You know what she said? It's because no one works.

Busy, yes.

Working?

I don't know. I have to wrap my brain around this new version of work. IT'S WEIRD!

I think I love it. <3

Miracle Monday

2011-10-10T11:33:00.003-04:00

I've been avoiding this place. I see it around the corner and run the other way. It tries to catch my eye, but I fake a yawn and turn away like I don't see it there. Occasionally, I even pretend we're friends and I sit and chat, but at the last minute I make an excuse that I have to leave... oh the kids are crying or I left something on in the kitchen.

But it's Monday today. And at least today, I can focus on the miracles. Seriously, I need a miracle day. Just one day to remember that life has it's good moments, too. Otherwise, I start focusing on all the stuff that feels off... like my computer problems--darn, technology. :( Or the fact that I feel like an utter failure when it comes to buying b-day presents for my son [shouldn't I know what to buy a boy who is blind?! I birthed him, didn't I? I know what he likes!]. Like how I spend a nice quiet morning with my husband, only for us to find out that he didn't get the message about reporting two and half hours earlier than originally posted, and he might miss out on the schooling that he wants to do. :( Grrrr. And then, when I know it's not his fault to say in my head [and to him, actually], "I told you to carry that damn phone with you!!" You mght have only been a half an hour late if you hadn't left your phone upstairs!

See? See what I mean? No wonder I've been avoiding this place. I'm worried about scaring all my readers away. hahaha.

MIRACLE MONDAY, the reminder that my world is bigger than the annoyances of daily living.

Today i'll go bigger and celebrate my son who was born 6 years ago, yesterday.
When I spent weeks worried about hydrocephelas and mental retardation, shunts and surgeries, I was gifted a son who has no eye on the left and no sight on the right. He is smart. Soooo incredibly smart, he will someday do great things with his extraordinary capabilities. Until then, he enjoys farting noises and peepee jokes. He loves to read and can tell a great joke. He gives warm hugs and loves just about everyone he meets.

Miracle Monday

2011-08-07T23:37:00.000-04:00

We were told last week that Matt would be able to come home for leave and ten days of TDY [temporary duty] so we could all move to GA. Yay! That's way better than having to report for duty immediately following graduation. :P

We've been praying for this. So thank you God for pulling that one through. I can not tell you how happy it makes me that my husband will be able to come home and just be here for a little while. You know it would have been fine if we'd had to move down there without him. The end result IS the same, but it's nice to say goodbye together. We've had some good times in this town and made some wonderful friends. This is better. WAY better.

I'll be off this week [again] to go get him. :D
If the blog goes silent, you know why.
Enjoy these hot, dog days of summer.
They won't last.
With Love,
Bethanne

Bored with Blogging?

2011-08-03T22:53:00.000-04:00

If you answered yes to that question, I understand how you feel. I think it's the time of year. Summer. Kids home 24/7. No break. No time for me. Why in God's name would I want to spend my itty bitty time at the computer blogging?

Well, let's answer that as a hormonal, husband-deprived woman.
I wouldn't.

And now as a mother.
This place can really help me vent.

Finally, as a writer.
This is a place to focus my efforts. When my writing has taken a back seat to other priorities, this is where I can formulate ideas and keep in touch with friends, fans and strangers. It's not a bad place for shooting the breeze, either.

Today, I'm working on something new, I think.
Just going to open a blank document and start spitting words.
Have a great day.
With Love,
Bethanne

Bethanne 0 [okay, maybe .4], Progressive 1

2011-07-28T09:56:00.000-04:00

Well, it's over. Settled. What a crock. Obviously, I'm not over it completely because if you wanted I could sit with you and rant over the injustice of the system for a good bit of time. But, I have other things to do. I have life to live [no thanks to that stupid girl who doesn't know how to drive and is probably still on the road today]. hahaha. :D

Next stop?

My husband's graduation and GEORGIA!
I'm moving to Georgia! ACK! What do I do?!?!

I know. Get rid of my winter coat. What an awesome break that's going to be. I've been living up North so long, a year down south is something to look forward to. Of course, I think I'll always end up back North. I'm a Northern girl at heart. Four seasons. Colorful autumns. Cold winters. Coffee. Lots of blankets. Snuggling down with my lover... and warm bodies. *cough* Um... well, you get the idea. I do love my jeans!!! :D LOL

For now, the Army has me heading south. I go there excited and enthusiastic because that's where my man is. It is about time for us to be together as a family again. :D Yippee!!

On that Day

2011-07-22T23:27:00.001-04:00

What a weird feeling to finally get back on my blog and realize the last post was published on the day everything went haywire. I was in a car accident on June 27th. My car was totalled, but my children who were with me and I were fine--for the most part. An accident is an accident...nobody's ever FINE after an accident. Having your life flash before your eyes is no joke.

It didn't help that three days later I needed to get on the road so that I could see my husband for the first time since Easter.

But I'm as back as I can get right now, which isn't as back as I'd like it to be because life is still in a bit of upheaval. Another trip to Georgia in a few weeks will finally end this long period of separation from my husband and then sometime after that, we'll be moving south.

Phew! I'm excited and tired. I keep hearing that when my man returns home to BEWARE! He will sleep for a week straight! That might be true, but I won't notice. I'll be doing the same, I think. :D

It's a miracle I didn't shoot my television tonight

2011-06-27T01:03:00.000-04:00

Or is it?

SPOILER ALERT re: ROBIN HOOD (2006) BBC with Jonas Armstrong
...if you don't want to know important bits don't read below the photograph...

I hope I made the picture big enough... Gee, I wouldn't want an unsuspecting fan to read what's coming next or miss out on a good-looking face either (not as handsome as my husband, but he'll do).

************

And that is that YOU CAN'T KILL MARIAN!
I thoroughly enjoyed the series through season one. I loved the filmography. One quality in particular was how they ended each episode with a black and white freeze frame. It always struck me. I loved the music, the introduction...

Which is why I was wary at the start of season two. Things changed...the look, the feel of the creation. For example, Marian's clothes became much more provacative. Not horrible, but definitely different than season one. The introduction changed, too--new music, new images. No freeze frame, either. How funny something so small and seemingly unimportant would stand out to me? But it did. I didn't like that they took that out.

But, all in all, I continued to enjoy the story line.

GREAT villain. Tortured heroes. Good vs. Evil, always a winner in my book.
And then, they killed Marian.

Marian, in the scene where she finally starts to marry Robin. Yes, that's him behind her...
They've been strung up in the desert to die. (oh, oops. SPOILER ALERT!)
I wonder who did her brows back in those days?

So, though a small part of me wanted to shoot my television, perhaps it's not such a miracle that I didn't.
I see a swift and sudden end to the series. One more season, two at the very most, but I haven't done my research, so I'm not sure how many seasons the series had before it ended. What a shame...
They didn't just kill Marian.
They killed their success...
Poo. How disappointing.

What's up Wednesday

2011-06-22T10:13:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I talked about what I'm doing...
The bottom line is ALMOST NOTHING! Ugh.

I had a friend mention to me that my life was in limbo. I never thought that state of existence could be so prohibitive of writing. I'm at this point right now where my brain will not settle. I want information and action... NOW! But I won't get it and in its stead, I'm stalking my Facebook newsfeed and, consequently, ignoring the things that will actually HELP. Like packing for our trip in July or making lists for the stuff I have to pack, the house work, the laundry... you get the idea. :D :D

I wish I could use this energy to finish edits on Spring Leave, which BTW, was requested by The Wild Rose Press for their sweetheart line. I...just have to get rid of some of the swearing. *blush* Well, come on!!! Swearing is one of my weaknesses. It's not a far stretch that my characters might do a bit of swearing during stressful times. Of course, if they like this and want it, then I would have to sweeten up a couple of other stories I've written that are part of the series: Dark Summer and Winter Craze.

That's the only thing I don't like [as a writer] about series. The necessity to maintain book type... OTOH, I love it [as a reader] because I like knowing what I'm getting.

So, that's what's up with me...
I'm slowly working through an edit/revision. I'm getting ready to visit my husband again. I'm looking to the future and "the big move" when we are finally stationed somewhere... CAN NOT WAIT! Maybe then, I'll feel a bit settled. For now, I just need someone to tell me how to focus my thoughts on writing.

CHOCOLATE? Please tell me chocolate helps!

Miracle Monday

2011-06-19T16:00:00.000-04:00

On the lighter side, I woke up this morning, put on a nice white tank top, camisole-like shirt then proceeded to have a bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce for breakfast. I did not get any sauce on my shirt!! Whooot! A miracle!

On a more appreciative note...
In a very shallow, human weakness kind-of-way, this week I had a bit of a panic episode. It suddenly hit me that I was going to need something to wear to this ceremony for my husband. Okay, it wasn't exactly sudden, it was more like I saw a picture of another officer's wife who looked really nice...tailored blouse, accessories, belt... ugh. She looked really good. But after an AWFUL month of May, spending money I probably could have waited to spend or just saved altogether, I did NOT want to spend anymore money. Yet I was afraid to even look through my wardrobe. Being an officer's wife is a bit of a new experience for me (one who usually finds something at Walmart that will only last one season). Though I know there are no written rules about what I should wear, I also know that I want to look nice. I want to be a worthy reflection of my husband's uniform, his duty and honor.

I thought about it for a few minutes. I ran to my very close friends and said, ACK! What am I going to do?! What did you wear? Why am I suddenly self-conscious about what I'm wearing? *pullinghairout*

That night a friend brought dinner over for the family, which was really nice, btw. And with her, she brought a bag of clothing with a few shirts and a nice pair of capris. Nice stuff, too. Perfect for this branching event that I have to go to in July. I was amazed. I thanked her! And then I just had to thank God. He really does care about me. He provides things for us even when we don't ask for them.

That's my miracle!
:D Have a great week.
Bethanne

Kids

2011-06-16T13:21:00.000-04:00

Not that I want to beat a dead horse, but it takes a very special author to include a child and/or adolescent into an adult novel. I have such a hard time reading a romance that has kids in it. My current read is about an FBI special agent who has a daughter...and I'm stuck. I can't get past the daughter's adolescent-like, hard-headed, bratty behavior. And the SA's willingness to allow it.

I feel like saying, NO! This is supposed to be romance! Why do I have to listen to this girl whine and complain and do bad things (like spill food all over the person next to her in the airplane) only to have her mom offer to pay for the damages as if this was expected. Not that the mother didn't sigh. She did... But a thirteen year old, running off a plane in tears, saying "I told them I didn't want to eat!"

What? I still don't know what happened. Did they strap her down and force her to eat? Who is going to force a thirteen year old to eat or drink something on an airplane? Did the girl fight back and knock the drink into her seatmate? Did they actually get the food into her mouth and she spewed it? The entire scenario just doesn't make any sense. Puhlease. I can't read books like this... Nope. Not gonna happen. :nono:

FWIW, I have read some very good books with children in them... Yes, I have!
But it only takes about one chapter of reading for me to know if I've got a good one or not.

What about you?
Kids, no kids?
What do you like in a story? What type of kid behavior kills a story for you and what type will keep you begging for more?

Promises to Myself and Saltine Crackers

2011-06-13T11:28:00.000-04:00

So, I promised myself I would only spend a certain amount of money on food this pay period... and I pinky swore I wouldn't go back to the store before the 15th. :P Don't worry, we aren't starving, we're just actually eating through all the food we have in the house! I mean, why is it that food gets eaten, but there's always those items still in my cabinet from week to week? Why did I buy it in the first place if no one is going to eat it? Well, we're eating it this week! LOL

This morning when my son woke up and puked, I thought, "Oh crap. I don't have any saltines left."

So, after getting the bed cleaned up and setting him up in the living room on the towel throne, I made Saltine Crackers. They're a hit! It was an easy task and worth it!...for now. I do like the convenience of packaging from the store.

So, tell me. What's the most interesting thing you've done in order to save a few dollars?

Miracles--big and small

2011-06-08T20:00:00.000-04:00

First, congratulations to Lola! Her name was drawn from the hat. A special package is being put together and sent on its way. Thanks to all my visitors who braved the comment form to share their story with me.

Do you believe in miracles? I do. Present day experiences with God. Signs that He is here on earth with us even though we can't see him. All my life, I've considered myself blessed and without need of any miracle. Even as a diabetic, I've always thought, "There are other people who need it more. At least my disease is manageable."

Well, this week, I was pretty desperate. My husband wanted me to bring the family down to see him, and I knew... finding lodging was going to be impossible. I'd already tried numerous times. We'd come to an agreement that it would be better if just I came down. No kids this time. A room for one person, no problem. Room for a seven-member family? NOT HAPPENING!

But I received a call from him two nights ago. He loves me, but he HAS to see the kids. Four months without seeing them wasn't going to work for him. :D Well, "Okay," I said. And I went to bed praying. Praying, praying, praying... please let something open up. The next morning I woke up and prayed again. Then, I called the campground.

When I was put on hold... my heart started pounding a little harder because until that moment, I'd only had the lady say, "I'm sorry we're booked that week." As a matter of fact, I hardly had to have the question out of my mouth and they'd be saying, NO. The lady came back on the line, "I have a medium cabin from the 8th to the 11th."

"I'LL TAKE IT!"

A miracle. I'm telling you right now...
I don't care what anyone else says. I'd been trying since mid-April to get a reservation for this place on that week. This was my miracle. I was totally claiming it. :D Now my husband, who has worked his ass off for weeks and weeks without being able to see his family has a place to be when we come to town. A place where we can relax, cook our own meals, watch tv, go swimming and not feel the stress of living out of a suitcase and eating out like we would if we had to be in a hotel.

Thank God.

Such an Idiot!

2011-05-30T23:36:00.000-04:00

I feel like I've been such an idiot!
I should do a blog post about how NOT to run a promotion. :P
1. Draw when you say you're going to draw.
2. Announce winners when you say you're going to announce winners.
3. BE RELIABLE...

BE RELIABLE!

Grrrr.
it's too frickin' late now! [I mean late at night] Not too late to draw!
Tomorrow as I bite my nails waiting to hear from my husband, I'll draw a winner.
Thanks for your patience.
With Love,
Bethanne

Love and Friendship

2011-05-21T09:57:00.002-04:00

With my daughter in sixth grade this year, talk of boys and who's dating whom has come up on occasion. I know she has a very good friendship with a guy in her class... and I wondered [ridiculously] about what it was going to be like when dating became part of the process. Would she want to date him? Or would he be 'a friend'.

My husband and I met in college. I first met him when he was dating someone else and I thought, "Oh, too bad." But the next semester, tada!, he was single again. :D Lucky me. He was a manager at the student union and I took a job at the switchboard that year. We worked together for a couple of months and finally, he asked me out on a date. A double date with a buddy. We went to Drovers, this great place for wings, in his piece of crap Chevette. For the next year, it was romance--dates, skipping class[ONCE! and believe me, it was highly unusual for him. I think he might have even gone to confession for the offense. :D], flowers[which his buddy told me I shouldn't get used to--thanks Michael, but I still get flowers about once a year when the rose bush and the peonies bloom]... We had a few ups and downs. What couple doesn't? Then he asked me to marry him. When he tells me he loves me today, it's with words and feeling he couldn't have understood back then. And still, we made it all these years.

Contemplating the stories I write, I found a tendency to write of romance that started as friendship. But, my husband and I definitely started with romance and became best friends. How STRANGE! As if I'm wishing for something else! I'm not. I love the whirlwind romance my husband and I had over the year we dated. In the long run though, it's the friendship that I value more. I suppose this is why I write of women who fall in love with friends--for the most part.

WOW, spoiler alert!!! Hey, the stories aren't ALL like that! I swear it! You'll see... as soon as I'm published. :D

So tell me about you. I know you want to talk about your love story. And I really want to hear it!
I'm giving a prize to a random commenter who comes in and tells me a love story...
A box of goodies. Yes, that's the same as saying I don't really know what's going to be the box!
You know me though. It will probably include a book, some chocolate... and whatever tickles my fancy when I'm shopping that day. :D

Winner will be picked next Saturday, so feel free to send your friends by throughout the week. Leave a name, link and/or email so I can contact you if you do win. Of course, if I know you and you know I know you, you know I don't need to know your contact information.
Enjoy the weekend, Friends!
With Love,
Bethanne

Helllooooo

2011-04-21T08:52:00.001-04:00

Give me another weekend, and I'll be back on track. I swear it! :D
Time with my family has been so precious and wonderful. Can't thank God enough for the times I have with them.

my husband sees his daughter for the first time in 10 weeks

Friday Five

2011-04-08T14:50:00.001-04:00

Mine's on the right. :D

FIVE DAYS UNTIL I SEE MY HUSBAND AGAIN!

5. Saturday

4. Sunday

3. Monday

2. Tuesday

1. Wednesday -- FAMILY DAY! After 10 weeks of separation. I get to see my Matt. Never have I felt more grateful for him than I do at this point in my life. Can't wait to see you, Matt.
All my love,
Bethanne

Passionate Critters -- Easter Scavenger Hunt!

2011-04-04T22:58:00.000-04:00

The Grand Passionate Critters Easter Scavenger Hunt
Did you know…
The Easter Bunny was first mentioned in German writings in the 1500s. The first edible Easter Bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s.

During the 1700s it was introduced to American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch county.

Some people there still call it "Oschter Haws".

The Easter Bunny, aka Mr. Hide Egg and Scarper, told us he's having a few leftover eggs this year.

Naturally, we don't like anything going to waste, so we said we'd help him out.

So we decided rather than hide all our eggs at Easter…we'd do something a little different.
Hence "GPCESH" was born.
Starting today, you will find a question (or two!) on our blog every day, until the 24th April 2011.

Find the answer(s) and email it (them) to us (Don't worry, we'll give you clues), and there are prizes to be had. We will do random drawings throughout, and you never know – you might get something you like. It could be a book, or a goody bag, or chocolate, or…something…else.

All the entries will go into a daily/weekly pot, and the winner(s) drawn from that.
Be sure to enter every day, and your name will go into the Final Draw — which will win an Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift voucher.

The Final Draw winner will be announced after the 24th, to get the last day answers into the pot as well.
We has Rulez. 'Natch.
So here they are:
Only entries emailed to the dedicated contest email address qualify – the link will be beneath the question.

Entries not having a subject line of "Day X Answer" will be disqualified. (If you use the daily link, it is already set up, all you need to do is click on it.)

To win the main prize of an Amazon / B&N gift voucher, you must enter every day, with the same name/email address. (Even if you get it wrong on some days!)

Contest winners will be announced on our blog, here. (Be sure to check.)

You should leave a comment on the various blogs, if you can. (Don't post the answers!)

We won't tell you the answers until the very last day! (25th)

Have fun!!

WE RESPECT YOUR PRIVACY, AND NO EMAIL ADDRESSES WILL BE REVEALED OR MISUSED IN ANY WAY.

ALL ADDRESSES ARE CONFIDENTIAL, AND WILL BE REMOVED ONCE THE CONTEST ENDS.
We would appreciate if you you could tweet, facebook, or blog the contest. Not a must, but please spread the word!
We may also sneak in an "Egg 'n' Ketchup Day", for any who missed a day or two.

The questions won't be the same, and you won't be eligible for the previous days prizes, but you'll still get a shot at the Grand Prize.

Friday Five

2011-04-01T02:00:00.001-04:00

Here we are again for Friday Five with my Five Favorite Candle Scents.

1. Hazelnut -- for fall. I just love when the weather cools off and I light that warm scent of hazelnut and coffee. Mmmm.

2. Apples and Berries -- what is it with me and fall? I love adding the scent of apples to those warm fall days.

3. Linen -- Glade has a clean linen scent that--oddly enough--I really like. It's not too harsh and reminds me of days at the beach house. Weird, huh?

4. Island Breezes...or no, Moonlit Walk -- I like something exotic, especially during the summer. I don't want fruity smells or sweet flowery smells, either, but these two have always been pleasers for me. More subtle than the floral arrangments, they sooth and float in the background.

Last but not least,
5. Pine/Cinnamon/Christmas -- I like something for the winter months. The pine has to be high quality, otherwise you feel like you're in a motel room. Iiiick. :P

What about you? Do you like candles? What's your favorite go-to scent?

Don't forget to stop off at the other Friday Fiver Blogs, listed on my sidebar!

Time to get my BRAIN back

2011-03-31T12:16:00.002-04:00

Well, two days in a row, two missed appointments.
You'd think I sent my brain to SIBERIA! Ack!

Okay, time to focus. I'm opening my Word program and making a schedule RIGHT now.
I will hang it on my wall so there are NO excuses for this crazy brain fuddle.

Anyone else get this way? I think it's a bit of Spring Fever and anticipation for my trip to Georgia.

Music Monday

2011-03-27T08:22:00.000-04:00

Where is the line between apology and regret?

Have you ever been sorry for something, but not regretted what happened? Is that even possible? I have this contradiction within myself and debate this topic in quiet moments. Is it possible to regret an act but not the outcome or result?

It has to be. And though, as a Christian, there are so many things I've done wrong. Choices, looking back, I might [maybe] change... everything in my life has brought me to where I am now. How can I regret that?

I don't think I can.
Enjoy the song. Great voice. Thoughtful words to encourage us to look ahead and see the blessings we have.

Friday Five

2011-03-24T21:45:00.000-04:00

Another FRIDAY!!!
Can you believe how fast the weeks go?
After today, I have TWO MORE Fridays before I see my husband again.
:D :D :D :D :D :D

So...back to the matter at hand.
Friday Five.
Five Damsel in Distress Scenarios that we all love or hate
1. Your classic, helpless Damsel who needs a Knight in Shining Armor--I can take this sometimes. But of all the dames, this one rubs the worst. She often cries too much.

2. The not-so-classic, kick-ass Damsel--She doesn't need any Knight. Though she's not as annoying as number one, for me she has a tendency to be too strong, too independent. At times even bitchy. She can go so far as to make the hero seem like an idiot. Eh. I don't always like her, but she has some good qualities.

3. Then there's Miss Clueless. She can be sweet or sometimes naive, occasionally strong but more often just helpless. I can like her better if the story shows her growth. She has to gain some commonsense.

4. Miss Smarty-Pants is likely to be taken down a notch or two by the hero. And THAT I like. It makes the banter between the two fun and easy to read. I like her because despite being a know-it-all, she has soft spots and doesn't think less of the people around her, USUALLY. :D

5. My favorite Damsel in Distress is the mix. She's strong yet knows when to rely on a man. She appreciates his appeal and his strengths. She doesn't pretend to know everything but isn't afraid to speak up when what she does know can bring about resolution.

Let's be honest, every heroine has to change and resolve something within herself to make the story come alive. My favorite heroine of all time is Emma McAvoy, Nora Roberts' young heroine in Public Secrets. She didn't just literally grow up in the book, she became a strong, intelligent, street-smart woman who could turn away from pain to love.

Tell me about your favorite heroine. What makes her special?
Then don't forget to visit the other FRIDAY FIVERS, listed in my sidebar. :)

Picture Wednesday

2011-03-23T10:16:00.000-04:00

Five YEARS ago this month...

I finished making that blanket.

Looking back, I see friends I haven't thought of in YEARS... holding my then-a-baby, five year old

What a cutie. She looks [almost] exactly the same.

I would call this Wordless Wednesday, but then I wouldn't be able to tell you what I'm thinking...and that's what a blog is for!!! :D I will tell you this.... adding pictures got wonky on Blogger with the last editor change. :P

Where are 80s Fashions?

2011-03-21T22:10:00.001-04:00

Perhaps it's a bit irreverent of me, but I was wondering...
if we're worried about the Libyans again, when are the 80s fashions coming back into style?

VIDEO
So frustrating when people disable embedding!!! Grrrr...

Next, it'll be this:

Friday Five

2011-03-18T02:00:00.005-04:00

Five uses for Braille if you're an over imaginative writer:
1) as a preteen, passing notes in class that your teacher won't be able to read
2) as a young adult, impressing the opposite sex with a unique skill...and passing notes in class to your best friend that your love interest won't be able to read.
3) as an adult, being able to communicate through letters to your loved one who is blind...and passing notes your boss won't be able to read.
4) in middle-age, like with soduko and word puzzles--working the brain to keep it useful...and passing notes to your lovey that the kids won't be able to read.
5) during old age, reading because you've lost your eyesight...

I would rather learn braille than not be able to read!!!

I've got all my Friday Five Friends listed on my Sidebar. Please take a swing by and enjoy a few more short reads. :D

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T08:52:00.000-04:00

My Grandma will be the first to tell you that I'm not ALL Irish. There's enough Scottish in me to make a difference. :D But I come from a long line of McCarthys. I have two redheaded sisters, blues eyes and freckles, and a temper. And if I can help it, I never cry. I have 8 nephews [by one sister], Patrick, Seamus, Francis, Liam, Peter, Michael, Timmy and David. I'm Catholic and have five of my own.

Stereotype much? :D hahaha.

Psych!

2011-03-15T10:34:00.002-04:00

I love PSYCH.

What do you Dream?

2011-03-13T10:57:00.000-04:00

I dream alot. Maybe it's a result of my diabetes[isn't their a study about sugar levels affecting dreams?] or maybe it's the result of being a woman [hormones] or maybe I just have an active imagination. The scientists say that we dream. I am a person who often remembers her dreams, vividly.

For about two days when I was a teenager, i thought of keeping a journal. But rolling over and sleeping seemed so much more important at the time. I never did reconsider the task. Now that I consider myself a writer, I occasionally get the urge to jot down the good ones.

I love how my dreams combine ideas and images from my waking hours. Last night, it was a wonderful drama of secret identities, military intelligence, and political intrigue. [Hey! Look! Three I words. Looks like a good plan for a series.] So, you're probably wondering really? This reflects your waking hours? LOL
Well, sorta.

I had a hypothetical conversation with my neighbor about the political climate. I've noticed lately how wonderfully conservative the military community is. Being a conservative and a Christian, I feel good about that. But what if, in the future, there came a point when the military [or even each soldier] had to make a choice between following orders and following beliefs? When our enemies say, They will defeat us from within, at what point will we need to fight ourselves in order to maintain our freedom? I know I'm not the first person to consider this. I'm sure there are books and articles written on this topic... fiction and nonfiction. Somehow it came up in life and then again in my dreams.

I watched Psych before heading to bed last night. If you watch it and have met Juliet's brother Ewan O'Hara, you know this is where my dream got dreamy. LOL Hunky guys, uniforms, guns blazing... espionage. :P

Well, with my husband in the Army now, military things are often on my mind. What can I say? I dream and those dreams inspire new stories. What do you dream?

Army Strong

2011-03-11T08:05:00.000-05:00

I thought I knew what Army Strong meant. Look at me. I'd gone a whole month with my husband gone and I hadn't really cried once. I was strong. I was ready for this new life. My husband and I, we were so closely bonded the miles didn't even matter. I had this great community to lean on--family, neighbors, church. I was praying every day. My foundation was solid and I was ready for the next twenty years.

Or so I thought.

In one sharp instant of disappointment and pain, I was struck down from my high horse and, looking up from my back, saw what I had been missing. God [and a dose of humility, too]. Cut off from [almost] everything I thought was making me strong, I cried like a freaking wimp who could never possibly make it in this Army lifestyle.

The lesson? It's lent. Expect trials. Know that you can ALWAYS be closer to God.

Time on my Hands

2011-03-08T22:44:00.001-05:00

Seems I have a little extra time on my hands now. I've given up facebook for the time being and it has really hit me hard just how much time I've been spending there. I actually sit do: no notifications. I dropped all my yahoo groups so no activity there. I visit my writing group.

...then I sit and stare and think to myself, "Oh that's right. This is when I used to be able to write, but then didn't write so much because I was checking what everyone was doing on facebook."

I can't say I'm completely happy about leaving Facebook, but as the saying goes, blessings are often disguised. So, I shall go forth in this new [old] world and figure out what to do with myself on a computer that involves Microsoft Word. LOL :D

Love

2011-03-05T22:27:00.000-05:00

After attending a conference this weekend, I got to thinking...

What am I writing for? Who am I writing for? Why?....

But the answer right now is...I'm not writing much at all. I've done a bit of editing...a few critiques.

Darla's birth has put me in a different place. Actually, Matt's career in the army has done the same thing. I don't know what to do next. Do I continue writing romance? Do I try something new?

The wonderful ladies in my critique group can attest--I'm floundering!! I'm doing this. I'm doing that... no wait, I'll just do this. Or maybe that.

*sigh* Give me some time. I can't walk away from stories...
I believe there is a place for fiction, a place for romance, passion and love.

I just have to figure out where my place is in it. :P

Valentine's Day -- The Truth!

2011-02-14T10:08:00.000-05:00

I love this picture for a couple of reasons. One, I love the time period. Early to mid 1900s. Great clothing. Cool cars. Backyard parties.

My grandmother tells me of how their friends would have evening get togethers-cocktails and pools and games, and whoever hosted would leave a basket by the door. Everyone would throw their keys into the basket.

Once an hour or so, one of the many guests would take the basket and visit all the homes to see how the kids were doing.... :D You know it sounds crazy, but I envy them a little.

Back to the photo, though. This picture throws all a conservative girl's perceptions out the door. :D And reminds her that Grandma had her moments, too! Passion was alive in the 1940s.

I think I'm one of the lucky ones. My parents didn't lack affection while we were growing up. As a matter of fact, I remember a good friend of mine coming into the kitchen when my parents were kissing... only to run back out, yelling. Must have been shocking to see.

So... it's Valentine's day. Go show your kids[someone] that you love your man[woman]. :D hahaha!

Friday Five

2011-02-03T22:45:00.000-05:00

Short and Sweet this week.
Five shows I like to watch every week.

1. Burn Notice
2. Family Feud
3. The Office
4. Modern Family
5. Biggest Loser

:D I love me some Television.
Take a surf over the web and find other great[better] Friday Fives!!!
Moira
Gina
Debora
Silke
Harper
Dawn

Where do I go?

2011-02-02T22:34:00.000-05:00

I held my baby today and thought to myself. What if I'm sitting here holding the baby for the next six months...and getting nothing done? For a brief moment, I was completely fine with it.

But, the kids were in bed at 8pm and the baby was asleep shortly after. I knew then that I wanted to use my time to write. I don't want to throw my career under the bus.

Okay, so at this point I have one, for sure, scheduled time for writing. Friday mornings. Two-ish hours with no kids and a babysitter. It's not much, but it's a start.

What do you do when you find yourself short of time?
Any suggestions for the best use of my time would be GREATLY appreciated.
Enjoy the coming weekend.
With Love,
Bethanne

Friday Five

2011-01-28T07:43:00.002-05:00

I know my blogging has been hit or miss the last several weeks. And I sat down this morning to write a witty post about why is wouldn't be all bad that my husband was on his way to basic training and officer candidate school for the next 21 weeks, but the reasons didn't come to mind.

Oh, believe me, there are reasons! [like the junkmail clutter disappearing--FOREVER!]

But in the end, it didn't seem worth it.

So here are five reasons it'll be worse than I'm thinking it's going to be.
1. He won't be around to smack my rear when he passes through the kitchen.
2. There will be no one to rile me up by correcting the way I say something.
3. I'll never see our friends and neighbors because he is always the first to initiate contact. He's way more social and friendly than i am.
4. He kills bugs.
5. He runs interference when the kids turn me into freak, crazy mom.

....I could go on, now that I'm on a roll. :D
Even the things that irritate me the most will also be missed.

If you like my list and want to see more. Visit these blogs.
Moira
Gina
Debora
Harper
Dawn
Silke

Friday Five

2011-01-21T02:00:00.003-05:00

Five Ways I know daytime television is not targeting me...

The HOVEROUND SCOOTER for the not so mobile

Polident Commercials for the toothless

J.G. Wentworth Commercials, for the sucker with a settlement who'd rather have 100 grand than the millions he's won.

Welbutrin for the depressed--not that there's anything wrong with this, it's just not for me [yet]. hahaha. :D

Humana Insurance for Gramma and Gramps

That's it folks. This is just a small portion of what I see while I watch Price is Right and Family Feud and The Talk and Perry Mason or Hawaii Five-O... okay, somedays are better than others and I watch nothing, but still, if I'm not careful, before long, I will be there target audience!! :D haha.

Want some more Friday Five fun? Visit these other ladies and their aweswome blogs!
1. Moira Keith

2. Gina Ardito

3. Debora Dennis

4. Harper Bennett

5. Silke
6. Dawn Brown

Five Minutes of Zumba -- Friday Five

2011-01-14T02:00:00.000-05:00

Five reasons to work out.

1. it feels good

2. everyone's doing it

3. rock hard abs

4. longer life span

5. smaller clothing. :D :D :D

It's Friday Five with Passionate Critters. Swing by my friends' blogs to see what five things they are talking about. Feel free to join us, too!

Gina Ardito
Moira Keith
Debora Dennis
Harper Bennett
Jennifer Shirk

Tortured Hero Tuesday

2011-01-11T02:00:00.003-05:00

Not that I'm going to continue this feature every Tuesday, but you never know. Maybe I will.

So, here's the story. I watched The Cape last night. Predictably enough, I like it. Yummy hero. Bad, bad villains. Cool explosions and cars. Strong women. All the elements of a great story. And it reminded me of how much I appreciate a tortured hero. I can think back on several of my favorite books and movies. Sometimes the torture is subtle. Other times, like with Vince Faraday[sounds like a soap name, doesn't it?], the torture is obvious. A framed good cop who goes underground. The world thinks good cop is dead. So he picks up a cape and decides to fight the evil that separated him from his family.

Comic books have never been my cup of tea. My kids, on the other hand, have really gotten into them in the past few years. My son read this HUGE graphic, super-hero novel that was at least 300 pages long, at least. So, I picked up a few as well, and found them fun to read. The comics that have been made into movies are also entertaining. For example, Dick Tracy, and Batman. What do I enjoy about them? The villains.

Why is it that comic book villains are just so darn creative? I love it. They border on science fiction or paranormal. They emphasize the hero's victory because he's just a regular guy. He's not always super-human, like Superman--or he if he is superhuman, his human qualities make him down-to-earth. He often uses his brain, braun... and a bit of magic. I loved the magical element of The Cape.

Take a chance. You might be surprised. I was. :D

Music Monday

2011-01-10T02:00:00.007-05:00

Just watched this movie with my daughter over the weekend. Couldn't help appreciate this tune because of my husband's new career in the Army. :D Hope you enjoy it!!!

Friday Five

2011-01-07T09:48:00.002-05:00

Five Crappy Carb-filled Breakfasts I can't find just as easy replacements for:

1. Cereal -- Not even Special K is really that good for you.

2. Muffin Bread -- my son's name for sweet breads--banana, zuchini.

3. The quick Donut -- so easy when time is short.

4. Breakfast Bar -- even easier than the donut on some days, but just as carb-filled and worthless.

5. Coffee -- there will never be a replacement for this, nor do I need one. But just having coffee doesn't work either!!!

I NEED GOOD BREAKFAST FOOD!! What do you do for breakfast??

Thanks to iFood and Dunkin Donuts for the Donut image

For other FRIDAY FIVES visit my lovely Passionate Critters:
Moira
Gina
Debora
Harper

If you'd like to join in, leave your link in the comments and we'll add you to the list.

Welcome to 2011

2011-01-01T13:21:00.000-05:00

Instead of resolutions, I like to look back... 2010 was a BUSY year. I was pregnant most of the time and had a baby in November. I wrote two novellas, both of which have been nicely rejected and will be sent on again in the new year. I continued the search for a home for my Single Title, Shake the Sugar Tree and in December sent it off to the last NY publisher on my list, Avon. In the new year, I will send it off to a few e-publishers and see what shakes out.

Today, as usual is the first day of the rest of my life.

I have a lot to look forward to this year. My husband finally has a job again. My writing is even better than it was last year [now I just have to find the time to actually write, I say with a screaming baby over my lap.]. I look forward to looking back again in a year and seeing all the great things that happened in 2011.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-29T15:51:00.002-05:00

Though not officially a Christmas movie, this is still one of my favorites at this time of year. I love the music and of course, I love the romance. :D

Online Retail

2010-12-28T14:34:00.002-05:00

I love shopping online. Give me Amazon, Barnes and Noble, department stores... specialty shops and even travel plans. I love having the world at my fingertips. The convenience of online everything has become more and more apparent in the last five to ten years. Since 2000, there's almost no excuse for deliquency. Missed birthdays should be a thing of the past...

I say should because I'm still 'THE WORST EVER' birthday giver in the whole wide world.

2011 is going to be different for me. I've decided everyone in my family is going to get that email... that email-me-your-birthday-and-anniversary-dates email. Then they are all going into a calendar on my computer or email program. With reminders, how can I go wrong?

I do have one issue this Christmas. The store I am trying to purchase an item from has proven itself somewhat unreliable. :( I'm really disappointed, because their product is really COOL. But I'm at my wits end, trying to order from them. I almost get the feeling they don't want me to buy anything. Today I sent out a last-chance-email. The one saying, "hey. Are you there? Can I order from you or is this just a hobby, and I should worry about if I'll ever get the thing I want?" I don't know. I feel that if people are going to open an online store, they should be ready and available at least once a day. They should have email programs that aren't so spam vigilant. They have to expect that strangers will email them. :( Arg. Well, I don't know. I started a conversation. Now I would like to end it. That won't happen if I can't reach this gal and either order or confirm that ordering isn't possible.

So the question is... Is it okay to question a retailer's commitment? If you were in the position, would you [politely] ask about when and how the order would be placed? I mean, what if this gal has a nine to fiver and doesn't get around to putting together my order for another week or two? And if she has a nine to fiver, will she be able to get to the Post Office to mail my order when it is put together? If I don't hear from her in several days, what are my chances of being disappointed when all is said and done? *sigh*

It's really COOL stuff. Have I mentioned that? I'm willing to wait, but I need confirmation that I'm not talking to a virtual wall. :)

The 12 Days of eBooks

2010-12-13T09:16:00.002-05:00

Join me at Passionate Critters this week as we talk about our E-readers, what they mean to us and the eBOOKS we love.

This Thursday, I'll be featuring Jaci Burton's new release from Carina Press,

All She Wants For Christmas.

On Sunday, I get to talk about my new NOOK, the wonderful customer service I encountered....

and confessions on why in the heck I would need customer service. :P

Thanks for stopping here!!

Have a wonderfully Merry Christmas.

With Love,

Bethanne and Penny Dune

Took me a while, didn't it?

2010-11-26T13:51:00.003-05:00

:D But I'm back!
Of course, with a baby now, I need a schedule.
Otherwise, what you've seen in the last month is what you'll get--NOTHING! Haha.

Give me a few days to put something together.
Enjoy the new design while you're here. I'm loving it!! Thanks to Moira Keith for pointing me in the right direction. I was tired of the old. And this design speaks to me. :D I love the pink.

Can't wait to get into blogging again.
Love,
Bethanne

Are you Proud?

2010-10-30T18:14:00.003-04:00

I sent an informative message out to several of my crit partners, because after asking for crits for a synopsis, I ended up submitting what I had sans critique. I didn't intentionally disregard the fact that I probably needed a good crit/read-thru, but I did run out of time. I'm having a baby soon, and I just had the urge to clear my desk of all works in progress.

Not wanting anyone to waste their time on something I wouldn't be using right away, I sent out the notice.

And I received a lovely note from one of my critters. One that honored me and praised me for getting through the work and subbing amidst all the Real Life stuff I have going on. It was nice and, of course, a little embarrassing. I certainly wasn't tooting my own horn or begging a compliment. [not that she thought that, either!]

She said, Don't be embarrassed.
Be PROUD!

And you know what?
I am!
I am so proud of myself for getting that submission in. :D
It might fail completely, but I worked hard to get it polished and ready to submit, so even if it gets a big R, I guess I do deserve a little pat on the back after all.

Thanks for hanging with me all these months!
Looking forward to baby in 3 DAYS!!! Hugs and have a great start to November.
With Love,
Bethanne

Anthology Madness and Novella Length Stories

2010-10-27T18:09:00.000-04:00

I have to admit that I LOVE the idea of an anthology. Epublishers are going gaga over novella length stories, similarly themed and sold together. Here's what I like....

1. short stories -- the possibility of sitting to read an entire story without needing a bookmark is just AWESOME! A good book to sit down with at the end of the night...

2. new authors -- I need new authors shoved down my throat. There are authors I would never have considered reading if I hadn't been coerced by that new anthology.

3. cheaper prices -- new, hardback (or even paperback) mass market books are EXPENSIVE! Give me a novella length, epublished book any day, and I might be able to afford it. :P

Lucky me, I have an awesome group of writers at Passionate Critters who have just contracted a group of stories to be sold as a Christmas Anthology from Decadent Publishing! Whoot!

Congratulations, ladies.

Passionate Critters

2010-10-14T19:13:00.002-04:00

I'm over at my critique blog on Friday.
In case you're wondering where the heck I've been...
well, it's not there either, but I am blogging over there tomorrow.
So feel free to skip over to Passionate Critters and visit me. :D

Music Monday

2010-09-20T04:06:00.001-04:00

Well, I caught this one after my youngest came home from school claiming to sing the song, Stuck Like Glue, during class. When I played this song, though, he said, "Not that one!" :D But we enjoyed this one, too. Alot. Hope you do to. I love the story in the video. It's fun. Enjoy Sugarland. I just love how the guitar player sits on the couch, watching everything the crazy broad is doing. :D

For what it's worth, I've always wanted to eat a cake that way... just straight off the creation. No pieces inihibiting my portion. :D Well, maybe some day. LOL

Simple Descriptions

2010-09-15T21:22:00.004-04:00

Skipping Letters for Thursday because my brain is pickled...and by pickled, I mean pregnant. I have pregnant brain, and apparently, this time around that means my creative juices are at a minimum. :)

Our newspaper featured an article this past weekend. Of course, it caught our eye--and our neighbor's eye--because it referred to the blind. Woman Reads Playboy for Blind Radio Audience

Strange topic, I know. And I'm not advocating Playboy...

But I just have to comment on the way she uses description. It's very simple, concise. Not superfluous at all. She doesn't exaggerate the obvious. For example, "She is a 'Latina, brunette with dark chocolate brown eyes. She has long curly brown hair. She is in the first photo sitting in the ocean. Behind her shoulder, down past her arm, you can see her breast peeking out. ... There are no tan lines at all. She is not wearing any nail polish or jewelry or bathing suit or anything." That almost sounds like a police write up. Maybe some young, immature thing might get a kick out of the word breast... but don't worry, he'll grow out of that...and she'll probably grow out of hers! LOL :D *cough* anyhoo. *whistle*

I think there's something to be said for keeping it simple. As a fiction reader, and particularly one who reads romance, sometimes the effort to describe something that is at its core pretty darn basic can get tedious.

Next time you're tempted to flower your manuscript with purple prose [passages, or sometimes entire literary works, written in prose so overly extravagant, ornate, or flowery as to break the flow and draw attention to itself. Purple prose is sensually evocative beyond the requirements of its context. It also refers to writing that employs certain rhetorical effects such as exaggerated sentiment or pathos in an attempt to manipulate a reader's response], remember the playboy reader, and how, even without innuendo, she could draw the attention of thousands of blind listeners with every broadcast.

Music Monday

2010-09-13T03:24:00.000-04:00

Just one last pregnancy hoorah...
A pregnancy song. Cute. Then it's back to my regularly scheduled programming.

Working around the bulge

2010-09-12T14:48:00.002-04:00

I've hit a stage where I can't lean at all.
If I'm sitting, it has to be straight up.
Even at church today, I was nauseated in the pew because of the slight reclining position of the back. Ugh! This has wreaked havoc on my writing ability. My sitting times are shorter...

...and forget relaxing on the couch with my laptop! It's not working! If I pillow up and get straight, I have NO lap to place the thing.

I need one of those breakfast-in-bed trays....maybe, would be really nice if it had a rounded curve on my side in order to fit around my belly. :P

Help! What did you do when you were pregnant?
~Bethanne

Letters for Thursday

2010-09-08T20:51:00.003-04:00

Dear Thursday,
Mom told me to write this letter, and well I'm just not good with words. Walking you down the aisle made me proud. You chose someone who will care for you. Dirk is a good man.
I'll miss our early morning walks.
Sure hope you don't move too far away when you get back from that fancy honeymoon in Italy.
Congratulations, honey.
Love,
Dad

~~ Bethanne Strasser ~~

Bible Study Today

Write Something Fun

Miracle Monday

Where do you live?

Wordless Wednesday

What I wrote in August of 2007

A1c -- What the heck does it mean?

Time Management

Wordless Wednesday

Week Two

I saw a Rainbow

Netflix and a Couch Writer

The Older I get...

2012

Guest Blogger -- Cynthia Selwyn

The Strong Heroine

Merry Christmas

The Pink Washes off

FREE SHORT STORY

Trip to the PX postponed

In Vodka Veritas

Wordless Wednesday -- Christmas Thanks

Tina Vaughn

Miracle Monday

A Business Plan

Banana Bread Day

what a blank!

The Books I Love

TGIF

Remember Whensday

Miracle Monday, with a little cheese on the side

Happy Thanksgiving

Miracle Monday -- Thanksgiving

The calm before the storm

Your Stimulus Check

To all our Veterans

Write this way

Up for a Jump -- Miracle Monday

Just a quick blog to Remember When

Happy Halloween--Miracle Monday

Friday Food

Remember Whensday

Airborne -- More training

Do bugs die?

COCKROACH!

Wordless Wednesday -- in honor of the next 3 days of COLD!

When I Kill a Hero

Dresser or Closet?

The Biggest Adjustment

Miracle Monday

Miracle Monday

Bored with Blogging?

Bethanne 0 [okay, maybe .4], Progressive 1

On that Day

It's a miracle I didn't shoot my television tonight

What's up Wednesday

Miracle Monday

Kids

Promises to Myself and Saltine Crackers

Miracles--big and small

Such an Idiot!

Love and Friendship

Helllooooo

Friday Five

Passionate Critters -- Easter Scavenger Hunt!

Friday Five

Time to get my BRAIN back

Music Monday

Friday Five

Picture Wednesday

Where are 80s Fashions?

Friday Five

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Psych!

What do you Dream?

Army Strong

Time on my Hands

Love

Valentine's Day -- The Truth!

Bethanne Strasser