Got this from my friend Amada McIntyre and had to share it with you since it’s so intriguing! Check out her new book trailer for TORTURED. Which would you choose? Vengeance or love?

Wishing you all a Happy Fourth of July! Hope you have a safe and happy weekend.

Over twenty years ago, First Lady Nancy Reagan (and God Bless Ronnie who will always be My President), re-opened the crown of the Statue of Liberty on its 100th birthday.

Today is another momentous day in the history of Lady Liberty, New York City and the Nation. After 9/11, the crown was closed due to fear of terrorist actions. Today the crown re-opens.

Let Freedom Ring!

I have to confess that every time I see Lady Liberty, I get choked up. My family didn’t come through Ellis Island, but the Statue is no less a symbol of freedom for me. A light that shines for those who come here for freedoms denied them elsewhere. For opportunities for a better way of life.

When my friends and I decided to start a new writing group (www.libertystatesfictionwriters.com), one where people would have the freedom to write in all fiction genres and in all formats, we all had one common image in mind to represent the group - The Statue of Liberty. It means that much to so many people.

So, let Lady Liberty shine brightly and send her message far and wide. Let Freedom Ring!

I love Philadelphia. Went to school on the Main Line and now have been visiting pretty regularly. There are so many interesting and fun things to do. Historical things like Constitution Hall and the Liberty Bell. Educational things like the Art Museum and Franklin Institute. Funky things like South Street and creepy things like the Mutter Museum. Tasty things like Pat’s Cheesesteaks and the Italian Market.

Loving Philly so much, I knew it was time to pay it homage in a novel and so I set some of the early scenes in SINS OF THE FLESH in Philadelphia.

Caterina Shaw, the heroine, is a celebrated cellist who plays with an orchestra in the Kimmel Center and lives not that far away in a townhouse just off South Street. She also has spent time playing at the Academy of Music. The Academy is one of the oldest opera houses in America that is still in use for its original intent. It’s a National Historic landmark which sits on the corner of Broad and Locust Streets in Philadelphia.

One of the early scenes in the novel describes a chase through the Academy of Music building where the heroine has sought refuge. Here’s a little excerpt from that scene.

He continued down the section of Broad known as the Avenue of the Arts until he stood in front of the plain red brick facade of the Academy of Music.

The building was quiet tonight. The only life was the muted glow of the gas lanterns glimmering light onto the empty sidewalks surrounding the building.

The gated entrance near the front of the building was too conspicuous, even though the recessed stage door lay in the shadows, providing some protection from prying eyes.

Mick had downloaded the blueprints for the building from the Internet and knew just where to go. Turning onto Locust, he proceeded to a narrow alley behind the building. The light from the street lamps illuminated the mouth of the alley, but beyond that only darkness lingered.

He looked around.

The cobblestoned street was empty of any pedestrians, so he slipped into the narrow alley and paused a few steps in to allow his eyes to adjust to the lack of light and to check for signs of anyone else.

The long slender alley was also empty.

Time for him to move in.

He stole down the alley while hugging the wall, the ground uneven beneath his feet. The area lit only by the small beam from a flashlight he pulled from his pocket. He moved quickly, every action efficiently cautious, until he located the entrance shown on the blueprints.

Pointing the flashlight at the door, he prepared to jimmy the lock but found that someone had beaten him to it. Rather inexpertly at that. Large sharp gouges along the seam of the door and at the lock gleamed silvery bright in the beam from his flashlight.

He reached behind him, withdrew his 9 mm Glock from beneath his leather jacket and released the safety. With a gloved hand, he slowly opened the door and risked but a sharp glance inside before he cleared the entrance.

The interior was almost as gloomy as the night outside, but since his eyes had adjusted already, he could make out the tangle of shapes before him.

Large lockers and an assortment of equipment lined the edges of a hallway, but a fairly wide and navigable path existed down the center. Slowly he inched along, pausing well before the low light cast by an illuminated exit sign so that he would remain hidden.

He recalled from the building plans where the stairs would be that led to the manager’s office and dressing rooms, as well as the stairs to the basement level and trap door area. Crouching, he rushed past the dim circle of light cast by the exit sign.

As he did so his foot brushed against a cable housing on the ground. It slithered and shook like an angry rattlesnake. The rattle bounced loudly off the walls in the quiet of the hall and he stilled, waiting to see if anyone would respond to the sound.

Only silence answered.

Mick released a low grateful sigh and proceeded, decidedly more careful of the objects littering the floor and sides of the hall. More cables. A Klieg light. A box brimming with colored gels for the spotlights.

Muscles tense, every inch of him on alert, he skirted all the items until he neared the stairs to the basement level.

Pausing, he peered down the darkened stairway, vigilant for any signs of life.

As before, the space was empty and the area down below was deadly quiet.

He took the first step down the stairs.

A muffled thud sounded in back of him.

Copyright 2009 Caridad Pineiro Scordato

I was in Costco last weekend and came across Jose Cuervo Strawberry Margarita mix. Yum. The only thing tastier is a mango margarita, but I’m not sure that flavor is popular enough to merit a mix.

But, I love strawberry margaritas and even better - It’s delicious as just a smoothie! Add a banana or some other fresh fruit or even some fruit sorbet to kick your smoothie up a notch.

I haven’t tried adding a low fat yogurt or ice cream for a creamy smoothie, but I think I’ll give that a shot this weekend when I have some friends over.

For more great Jose Cuervo products and recipes, you can visit www.cuervo.com.

**Disclaimer: In my other life, Jose Cuervo is a client, but I’m offering you this Tuesday Tip because it’s an awfully good mix!

I love David Wright. Love his work ethic and dedication to the sport. Love baseball. Come the summer time, everyone in the family sits down to watch the games almost every night. We also head to the local minor league/independent league ball clubs during the summer. Mostly to the Bridgewater Patriots.

I love baseball so much I even did two books way back when for Kensington. They never got published, but I’m hoping they’ll see the light of day in the future.

Back to David. He was signed by the Mets in 2001 and made his major league debut in 2004. He’s been an All-Star three times already (2006/7/8) and has won two Golden Gloves (2007/8). Gotta love the talent, but also the determination he shows on the ball field.

Even though the Mets have been struggling this year, David is currently batting .346. That’s awesome.

I hope you enjoyed this morning’s Guilty Pleasure.

Someone mentioned this fun video about an encounter between a bear cub and cougar. It’s a little long, but the ending is priceless!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

As a writer and then an attorney, I’ve learned the power of words.

If I want you to think someone is smart, I’ll call a change in opinion a “tactical shift.”

If I want you to think someone is stupid, I’ll call it a “flip-flop.”

As an attorney and writer, it’s my job to pick the words that are best suited for painting the picture I wish for the reader to see.

Not so if I were a journalist. As a journalist, my job is to impart an objective and neutral report and so it’s possible that neither “tactical shift” nor “flip-flop” would be appropriate in a news story. A “change of opinion”, however, would certainly describe the same kind of action in a neutral and objective way.

Just some thoughts for you this Thursday on the power of words.

One of our last Wicked Wednesdays was a Behind the Scenes look at Bradley Beach where our hero, Mick Carrera, has his home in my November paranormal romantic suspense release, SINS OF THE FLESH.

This time I’m going to give you a little Behind the Scenes look at another pivotal location in the novel — The Pine Barrens in New Jersey, also known as the Pinelands. Also known as the supposed home of the Jersey Devil.

The Pine Barrens is an enormous area of coastal plain, over 1 million acres large in South Jersey. It contains one of the state’s largest water aquifers and is both a National Reserve and a United Nations International Biosphere Reserve.

Because of its size and location close to the Jersey Shore and Camden, not to mention its protected status, it became the perfect place for me to locate the buildings for Wardwell Laboratories, the company that is supposed to provide Caterina Shaw, our heroine, with her gene therapy. The Wardwell buildings are right on the edges of one of the Pine Barrens’ non-developed areas and because of that, there are several scenes which take place in the woods nearby.

Today’s Wicked Wednesday is about Mick’s first visit to the Wardwell offices and a meeting with one of the company’s founders.

Mick Carrera understood what kind of man he was.

Ruthless.

Determined.

Skilled in the art of killing.

People came to him when no one else could handle their problems because Mick either solved them or eliminated them — if Mick thought elimination was justified. Some scruples remained buried in his soul, a secret he closely guarded. In his line of work, having scruples equated to weakness.

Dr. Raymond Edwards had presented him with the kind of job that possibly ended with elimination, although Edwards hadn’t come right out and said so during their short telephone conversation. The doctor had skirted around the subject with the skill of a ballroom dancer, insisting time and time again that all he required were the services of a security specialist to assist with a problem at their facility.

Mick’s initial misgivings made him wonder why he had even come to the doctor’s office for this additional discussion. His typical clientele preferred meeting places that were much less visible, but then again, maybe such transparency meant that the doctor had been truthful about the nature of this assignment.

He scoped out the office as he entered, taking note of the fact that there was only one entrance in and out. Not good in case of the need for a quick escape. As he passed a credenza located beneath a wall filled with diplomas, framed news articles and photos, he noticed a small bronze statue of a horse mounted on a heavy marble base.

The size and weight of the statue would make it a handy weapon for either cracking open a man’s skull or breaking through the plate glass windows which lined one long wall of the office. The clear windows were now darkening, the color becoming as deep and dense as squid ink and likely for the same reason – concealment.

Mick had noticed all the high tech security on his way through the entrance of the building. He had expected it even while worrying about it. He knew his image would end up saved on a hard drive somewhere from the assorted cameras throughout the offices, but if Dr. Edwards was on the up and up, this was one job that was too good to not consider.

“I thought you might like some privacy,” the man behind the desk said as he rose and offered his hand.

“Dr. Raymond Edwards,” the man said.

Mick shook his hand and with a nod said, “Mick Carrera.” As Mick sat, he caught a glimpse of another security camera behind the desk, aimed directly at his chair. When Edwards tracked his gaze, he said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Carrera. I’ll make sure all traces of you are erased from our systems.”

“I appreciate your understanding,” he said, even while wondering again why a supposedly distinguished scientist like Raymond Edwards seemed compelled to seek out the services of a man like him. Wondering what else the good doctor had erased from the company’s security videos.

Dragging his attention to the man seated behind the desk, he listened as Edwards offered a rather lengthy introduction about the work that his biotech company did and their many accomplishments. Edwards’ manner was outwardly confident and business-like, but Mick couldn’t help but notice how the doctor kept his right hand on the face of the file on his desk and fiddled with one corner of the thick folder, thumbing it again and again. The curled corner of the papers confirmed that Edwards had opened up that file more times than the good doctor wanted him to know.

When Edwards paused for a breath, Mick seized the opportunity. “Your mission is clear, Dr. Edwards. Your company specializes in developing gene therapies for the terminally ill.”

The man stiffened and immediately corrected him. “Our present group of patients is terminally ill, but we hope that what we learn from our current research –”

“Will help all of mankind in the future. So why do you require my services?”

Copyright 2009 Caridad Pineiro Scordato - All rights reserved.

I know it’s tough out there for so many. We’re worried about the economy, our jobs, health, the world in general. There’s craziness going on in the Middle East and North Korea.

But stress is a killer and can take a toll on you mentally and physically. Today we’re lucky to have with us Dr. Debra Holland who is going to offer us today’s Tuesday Tip on how to reduce fear and stress during the recession.

Thanks Debra for dropping by to offer us this information!

Financial stress is affecting many Americans. Either they are suffering due to the recession, or they are afraid about their financial future, or both.

This stress is causing sleep disturbances, greater use of alcohol and drugs, compromised immune systems, impatience, irritability, a greater sense of vulnerability, and insecurity. These symptoms strain marital and family relations, cause interpersonal difficulties between colleagues, and lead to health problems.

It’s difficult not to feel stressed, when, by many reports, the economic news seems to be worsening. Each day, newspapers have at least one negative article about the recession, companies struggling or going out of business, charities being underfunded, or personal stories of hardship.

You probably know family members or friends who are out of work. Maybe you even know someone who lost a business or home. Perhaps you worry about the financial health of the company where you work or the business you own. Maybe you worry that furloughs, layoffs, or pay cuts are in your future.

In the last nine months, I have provided counseling services for numerous companies laying off employees. In talking to the individuals who were let go, I’ve seen a significant difference between those who sensed the layoffs coming and took steps to put their finances in order and those who ignored warning signs and
continued to spend their money as they pleased.

Regardless of what’s happening in the economy—something no individual has much control over—those people who took personal control of their finances felt a greater sense of security and experienced less financial fear and stress.

In order to help yourself and your loved ones weather this recession, it’s important to take care of yourself in both internal and external ways. The following are tips to help you keep your stress under control:

EXTERNAL
Reduce your spending, pay off your debts, and save money. I know this is obvious advice, and most people are already making attempts to do this.

Previously experts advised having three to six months of accessible savings. (Your investments don’t count.) Now most financial experts are stressing six months to a year of accessible savings. As your
savings grow, so will your sense of security.

Update your résumé. It’s always good to have an updated résumé on hand, even if your job is secure, and you plan to remain at the same company for years.

Aim for updating your résumé every six months. You never know when an opportunity will cross your path; so it’s good to be prepared. Also, working on your résumé reminds you what you’ve accomplished and exposes any gaps in your knowledge base or skills you need to address.

Learn new skills and cross train. The more you know, the more valuable you’ll be to your current company. Plus, if you want or need to look for a new job, you can choose from a wider variety of positions.

Take on new or innovative projects at work. This may be difficult if your plate is already full. However, if you can manage to fit a project (or a piece of a project) into your schedule, you’ll show management you’re a great team player. Plus, you’ll add to your skill set and your résumé.

Look for creative ways to have fun and connect with family and friends. A tighter budget doesn’t mean giving up fun. I hear from many people how they are rediscovering simple pleasures such as board games, bike rides, and going to the park with their kids. Adults are enjoying a game of cards or bocce ball with the neighbors, where all contribute to the potluck. Some people have told me they don’t want to return to a life of conspicuous consumption, even when the economy improves.

Use setbacks, such as layoffs, to reevaluate your life. Stop and consider your goals and dreams. Are you in an occupation that fulfills you? Your layoff could be a blessing in disguise. Maybe this is the time to go back to school, either part- or full-time. Or maybe you want to start your own small business, or switch careers. Try taking a class and see what happens. If you don’t have the time to physically attend college, consider an online class.

Focus on living a healthy lifestyle. Exercise is an important antidote to the physical and emotional effects of stress. Don’t let your stress cause you to veg out on the couch with junk food. If you are already physically fit, keep up your workout routines. Don’t use economics as an excuse to let your health go. You don’t need a club membership to stay fit. Remember, sit-ups and jumping jacks are free.

If you aren’t already exercising, start taking walks. Being outdoors, absorbing sunshine (vitamin D), fresh air, and nature will help far more than sitting around the house. (If you want to start a more strenuous routine, first consult your doctor.)

For the most part, avoid junk food and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and lean protein. For snacks stock up on food you can grab–protein bars and drinks, nuts, string cheese, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, small pieces of dark chocolate, baby carrots, and apple slices.

Make sure you take good vitamin and mineral supplements. Vitamin B is especially helpful for stress. Add Omega 3 oils such as salmon oil to your diet. Omega 3 oils offer many benefits, including helping to keep the brain healthy and smooth out mood swings.

INTERNAL
No matter how your life is spiraling out of control, you still can focus on what you can control–your thoughts, emotions, and actions.

Don’t get caught up in everyone else’s fear. Fear is contagious. It’s easy to absorb the stress and concerns of others, especially if you see it on television, read it online and in newspapers and magazines,
and hear stories of others’ misfortunes.

If something concerns you, plan for how you’ll deal with it, instead of building fear fantasies. Although it’s important to plan wisely for the future, projecting fears about what may happen will only produce stress. Studies show that 94% of what we worry about doesn’t happen.

Once you’ve formulated an action plan for possible problems, let go of your fears and stop thinking about them. Tell yourself that you will deal with your concern if and when it occurs. Until then, focus on other things in your life.

Pay attention to your intuition. Intuition is different from logic, emotions, or your fear fantasies. Whether it’s a still small voice or a “gut” feeling, your intuition is an important guide. The problem is that most people don’t stop to listen to their intuition, much less follow it.

During layoffs, I’ve met with people who were upset because they ignored their intuition, perhaps because someone else told them it wouldn’t happen, or if it did, they wouldn’t be affected. At the same company, I’ve also met people who told me that they’d had a sense layoffs would happen, and they’d be let go. These people had taken care of themselves financially, updated their resume, and perhaps already gone on a few job interviews. The news of the layoff was almost a relief because they’d known it was coming and could now get on with the next stage of their lives.

Recite positive affirmations. Affirmations are statements, usually starting with “I,” that encourage you to think along positive lines. The more positive your attitude, the more you think and act in ways
that will make your affirmation come true.

The more enthusiasm you put into your affirmation, the better. I like to say affirmations while walking or running on the treadmill. The cadence seems to enhance the good feeling I receive from them. My favorite affirmation for abundance is: “I have financial success… being of great service…in an easy, relaxed way.”

Take deep breaths. Taking deep breaths is one of the easiest things you can do to immediately de-stress. By breathing deeply, you relax instead of tense your body. Plus, the extra oxygen helps your brain find ways to handle what is stressing you.

Focus on what’s really important in life. The blessings in our lives come from much more than our material possessions. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have (or fear you won’t have in the future) stay aware of what you do have, (for example, the love of family and friends, civil and religious freedom, and your health.)

Be of service. Look for opportunities to give to others. Being of service may be a small act, such as offering the person behind you your place in the grocery line, or something big, like investing a
large amount of your time through volunteering.

Reaching out to others, especially those less fortunate, will keep you aware of the blessings in your life. No matter how big your problems, there’s always someone with larger troubles to put yours in perspective. Helping others also makes you feel good about yourself, an important antidote to stress.

Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. SPECT imaging research has shown how feeling and expressing gratitude lights up your brain in a positive way. Feeling and expressing gratitude gives an immediate lift to your spirits—a great way to combat stress and fear. Take the time to appreciate both the big and little things in your life. If you are spiritual, give thanks to God for your blessings.

Whether you are experiencing financial difficulties or just feeling concerned about how the economy will affect you, taking external and internal steps to calm your stress will help keep you mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy.

To receive a free download of Dr. Debra’s booklet, 58 Tips For Getting What You Want From a Difficult Conversation, go to her website: www.drdebraholland.com and sign up for her newsletter.

So I’ve been wondering who beat out Zac Efron (one of my too young guilty pleasures) for the lead role in the remake of FOOTLOOSE. Turns out the lead will be played by GOSSIP GIRL actor Chace Crawford.

I had heard the buzz about Chace and checked him out and wow! Here he is today as this Monday’s Guilty Pleasure. Chace is a such a cutie. No wonder PEOPLE magazine picked him as one of the hottest bachelors.

I may just have to give GOSSIP GIRL a try.

On another note, thanks to all who left comments for our guest bloggers. The lucky winner is Theresa N. Please send your postal address to cpsromance @ att.net so I can get you your prize.

Finally, one of the things we’re thinking about doing on the new website is having a wider look. I’ve made the blog wider as a test. Can you read it all? Do you find this size font easier on the eyes? Inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks to all of you for being so gracious to my guest bloggers! I’m sorry I was MIA yesterday, but I had jury duty for the day.

This Fun Friday I have a puzzle for you! Hope you have time to try and figure it out.

Have a great weekend! Let’s hope we get some sun for a change.

Please welcome K.M. Daughters the authors of the romantic suspense novel, Beyond the Code of Conduct (Wild Rose Press), as they virtually tour the blogosphere in June on their first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

K.M. Daughters is the multi-published writing team of sisters Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. Their pen name is dedicated to their parents Katherine and Michael, the “K” and “M” in K.M. Daughters. Their author career began in January 2008 with contracts from The Wild Rose Press for an inspirational romance, Jewel of the Adriatic, and a romantic suspense novel, Against Doctors Orders, Book #1 in The Sullivan Boys Series. Beyond The Code of Conduct, Book 2 in the series, is rated 4-stars, compelling, page turner, by Donna M. Brown, Reviewer for Romantic Times Book Reviews (June 2009 Issue #304). A contemporary romance, Past, Present and Forever is available in E-book from Sapphire Blue Publishing. Residing in Illinois and New Jersey, the sisters continue to work on The Sullivan Boys Series. Book #3 will release later this year and two additional books are anticipated to complete the series. You can visit their website at www.kmdaughters.com. Follow them at http://twitter.com/kmdaughters!

Also - anyone who leaves a comment by midnight EST time on Friday June 19 will be eligible to win a SINS OF THE FLESH T-shirt and lunch bag!

FBI Agency Brass and Sullivan family connections force Special Agent Bobbie Leighton into an undercover operation with inactive Homicide Detective Joe Sullivan.

Posing as a cattleman and his arm-candy wife the couple is assigned to infiltrate NY attorney Bradley Sterling’s illegal operation. Suspected of baby trafficking, Sterling maybe be connected with Joe’s brother, Jimmy Sullivan’s murder.

How do Bobbie and Joe adhere to their professional code of conduct living under the same roof? Can they forget their personal history, ignore their volatile feelings for each other and ensnare their target when they might be next on Sterling’s victims list?

“You want hot? I’ll give you hot.” In one swift motion she picked up a mug off the table and whipped it towards him, a perfect strike.

Lucky for him he still held his jacket in his hand. He swept it up like a toreador in front of his face. The coat took the brunt of the hit, but hot liquid splattered on his hands.

“Ouch. Damn. Stop it.” He dropped the wet coat on the floor. His hands burned and he wiped them on his thighs to stop the heat. It had the opposite effect on his arousal.

She batted her eyes around, apparently for something else to throw at him and tugged at the pillow on the back of the sofa. When it didn’t give, she hopped up on the seat cushion and tugged at it harder. If she realized how seductive she looked, she’d stop doing that. A glimpse of lace panties made him groan.

“Honey, add a sorority sister and a little water on the front of your T-shirt and you have everyman’s wet dream. You’re killing me here.”

The fury mounted on her face and he laughed.

She stepped down from the couch and stormed off to the kitchen.

“I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you.” No response from the kitchen.

Gathering together the launched items, he stacked the books and magazines on the coffee table and tucked her shoes beneath. He kicked off his shoes and placed them in a neat pair next to hers before settling on the couch.

It’s fun to goad her. “While you’re in there could you grab me a beer?”

Realizing a little too late why she had marched to the kitchen, a plate swished past inches from his ear and crashed against the bookcase.

“Damn.” The next plate hit him in the shoulder. “What is wrong with you? Stop it.”

“What is wrong with me? With me? You take off. Leave me here alone to face the home inspection. And you are stupid enough to ask me what is wrong with me?” Each sentence was punctuated with the crash of a dish around him.

Hands empty, she disappeared again, surely on her way to stock up on ammo.

We have with us again a really special guest blogger - Estevan Vega. As I mentioned yesterday, Estevan’s second novel, THE SACRED SIN, was published when Estevan was only 18 and it’s really a testament to his determination that he’s going after his dream at such an early age.

I hope Estevan keeps it up and has great success in the publishing world.

Midwest Book Review said of THE SACRED SIN “A deftly written psychological thriller sure to grip readers all the way through, “The Sacred Sin” is highly recommended for community library thriller collections and fans of the genre.”

So please welcome Estevan back again and take a moment to check out his novel! Anyone leaving a comment on the blog by midnight EST on Friday, June 19th will be eligible to win a SINS OF THE FLESH T-shirt as well as a SINS OF THE FLESH lunch bag.

“Do you think you’re crazy?” Dr. Irons asked for the third time.

It wasn’t a question someone like Jude Foster could answer with ease. Such questions simply wouldn’t permit an effortless yes or no. They came only with prerequisites, like “I don’t think I’m crazy, but if you keep asking me, we’re gonna have some problems,” or “Damn it, I’ve already told you what I thought.” Either way, Jude wasn’t in the mood for embellishing on his sad little story yet again. But, as always, the old doctor couldn’t stop himself from taking that meddling crowbar of his and prying Jude open like a reluctant wooden coffin. Sure, Jude tried hard as hell to forget about the night he almost died, but feelings of betrayal don’t willfully vacate merely because they were asked to leave. Dr. Irons filled his head with “all in good time” that “in time” meant absolutely nothing. But, like all things in his life, Jude buried the memories and the hurt in the farthest parts of himself so that not even he could exhume them. The medication wasn’t doing much either. All they left behind to show that they were even there in the first place were droopy black pools shadowed beneath his condescending eyes. Insomnia had certainly taken its toll…perhaps a small price to pay for a life full of mistakes.

“I told you I didn’t want to come today,” Jude began, “but I dragged myself out of bed because I have no choice. I’m not here for me; I’m here out of obligation.”

“You’re right. But your obligation to the commissioner is equally as relevant as your obligation to yourself. Not to mention I’m doing Chief Mike Harrison a favor.”

Jude was taken aback. He’d never heard a shrink say that one before.

“Although your psyche has become beaten and broken, it can be healed.” A long pause. “In time.”

There it was again. The phrase Jude loathed every bit as much as he loathed green beans or weekday mornings.

Jude rolled his eyes and cracked his spine. His narrow back tapered upward in a V-line toward his much thinner neck, and eventually formed his jaw-line. His face, and every crease in it, was like a page, read and re-read by hundreds of people, but not one could decipher what went on inside of him. His seemingly misguiding features were offset by two arctic eyes, brown in the sunlight, but gray at the core. He’d gotten away with being Hugh Jackman now and then, as long as most kept their distance. He didn’t exactly come across with the same starstudded charisma or finesse. As he smoothed his dark hair, he felt his eyes linger onto anything but the gargoyle in front of him.

“I hate it here. I hate talking to you.” Jude couldn’t even hear himself anymore. It was like a silent film he couldn’t get out of. The old black and whites his teacher forced down his throat when he was in eleventh grade, the films with Chaplin and others he never cared to remember. He was a prisoner locked in this cell, and the gatekeeper had no intention of letting him out.

“You don’t hate it here, Jude. I’m trying to help you get your life back, and you’re almost there. Now, I know it seems odd for me to keep asking you this, but do you believe you’re crazy?”

Thanks for taking the time to read Estevan’s excerpt.

Also - thanks to all of you who have entered the various blog contests! The winners are:

Happy Marriage Sins of the Flesh Lunch Bag Winner: Pam S
Nocturne Blog CALLING T-shirt and an autographed copy of HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE Winner: KCE1976 (is that you Karin?)

If you’re a winner, please mail your postal address to cpsromance @ att.net (no spaces).

Thanks!

We’ve got a really special guest blogger today - Estevan Vega. At an early age, Estevana realized he was interested in writing and at 15 published his first book. THE SACRED SIN, Estevan’s second novel, was published when Estevan was only 18!

Midwest Book Review said of THE SACRED SIN “A deftly written psychological thriller sure to grip readers all the way through, “The Sacred Sin” is highly recommended for community library thriller collections and fans of the genre.”

So please welcome Estevan and take a moment to check out his novel! Anyone leaving a comment by midnight EST on Friday, June 19th will be eligible to win a SINS OF THE FLESH T-shirt as well as a SINS OF THE FLESH lunch bag.

“Do you think you’re crazy?” Dr. Irons asked for the third time.

It wasn’t a question someone like Jude Foster could answer with ease. Such questions simply wouldn’t permit an effortless yes or no. They came only with prerequisites, like “I don’t think I’m crazy, but if you keep asking me, we’re gonna have some problems,” or “Damn it, I’ve already told you what I thought.” Either way, Jude wasn’t in the mood for embellishing on his sad little story yet again. But, as always, the old doctor couldn’t stop himself from taking that meddling crowbar of his and prying Jude open like a reluctant wooden coffin. Sure, Jude tried hard as hell to forget about the night he almost died, but feelings of betrayal don’t willfully vacate merely because they were asked to leave. Dr. Irons filled his head with “all in good time” that “in time” meant absolutely nothing. But, like all things in his life, Jude buried the memories and the hurt in the farthest parts of himself so that not even he could exhume them. The medication wasn’t doing much either. All they left behind to show that they were even there in the first place were droopy black pools shadowed beneath his condescending eyes. Insomnia had certainly taken its toll…perhaps a small price to pay for a life full of mistakes.

“I told you I didn’t want to come today,” Jude began, “but I dragged myself out of bed because I have no choice. I’m not here for me; I’m here out of obligation.”

“You’re right. But your obligation to the commissioner is equally as relevant as your obligation to yourself. Not to mention I’m doing Chief Mike Harrison a favor.”

Jude was taken aback. He’d never heard a shrink say that one before.

“Although your psyche has become beaten and broken, it can be healed.” A long pause. “In time.”

There it was again. The phrase Jude loathed every bit as much as he loathed green beans or weekday mornings.

Jude rolled his eyes and cracked his spine. His narrow back tapered upward in a V-line toward his much thinner neck, and eventually formed his jaw-line. His face, and every crease in it, was like a page, read and re-read by hundreds of people, but not one could decipher what went on inside of him. His seemingly misguiding features were offset by two arctic eyes, brown in the sunlight, but gray at the core. He’d gotten away with being Hugh Jackman now and then, as long as most kept their distance. He didn’t exactly come across with the same starstudded charisma or finesse. As he smoothed his dark hair, he felt his eyes linger onto anything but the gargoyle in front of him.

“I hate it here. I hate talking to you.” Jude couldn’t even hear himself anymore. It was like a silent film he couldn’t get out of. The old black and whites his teacher forced down his throat when he was in eleventh grade, the films with Chaplin and others he never cared to remember. He was a prisoner locked in this cell, and the gatekeeper had no intention of letting him out.

“You don’t hate it here, Jude. I’m trying to help you get your life back, and you’re almost there. Now, I know it seems odd for me to keep asking you this, but do you believe you’re crazy?”

Thanks for taking the time to read Estevan’s excerpt. For those nightowls out there, I’ll be a guest on Paranormal Radio at 10 EST time tonight. You can click on this link to listen in!

Also - thanks to all of you who have entered the various blog contests! The winners are:

Happy Marriage Sins of the Flesh Lunch Bag Winner: Pam S
Nocturne Blog CALLING T-shirt and an autographed copy of HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE Winner: KCE1976 (is that you Karin?)

If you’re a winner, please mail your postal address to cpsromance @ att.net (no spaces).

Thanks!

Sexy, funny, smart, witty, decent. I could go on about all the things I think of when I think of Will Smith, but those few are a good start. Always thought he was kind of cute in Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Will has only gotten better with age.

This is a shot of him in I AM LEGEND. I definitely would recommend you see that movie. Really interesting, although I’m not so sure about the ending. Don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but the ending bothered me on various levels, but I would still say go and rent/buy this movie.

Here’s a little more of Will and the movie for you to enjoy on this Guilty Pleasure Monday.

As I was writing yesterday’s blog post, it occurred to me that I truly enjoy the small town life in a shore town like Bradley Beach, but that I also like the lights of the big city. There’s nice things to be said for both.

The quiet and pace of a shore town is relaxing and frees my mind. The noise and bustle of the city are invigorating and challenging.

I’m lucky to be able to do both - be a city mouse and a town mouse.

How about you? Do you have a preference for one over the other?

My friend Jacquie Rogers did a fun thing the other day on her blog - she told all about the setting for her novel Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues. You can check it out by clicking here or cutting and pasting this link: http://jacquierogers.blogspot.com/2009/06/where-heck-is-grasmere-idaho.html

Thanks for sharing that behind the scenes look, Jacquie!

It only seemed right to follow Jacquie’s wonderful lead and give you some behind the scenes info about SINS OF THE FLESH. Hopefully you’ll find some of the places that will be appearing in the book interesting and worth a trip next time you’re in the area.

Today I’m sharing with you a bit about the hero’s home - Bradley Beach, New Jersey. According to the town website, “(t)he earliest accounts of Bradley Beach can be traced back to 1679 when it is said that Captain William Kidd anchored his vessel off Duck Creek, now known as Sylvan Lake.”

Captain Kidd! How cool is that, although I don’t have any pirates in my book, just some arguably mad scientists doing weird gene experiments.

The town was named Bradley Beach in 1871 and over the next century, became a popular beach resort. It’s the kind of small town where you feel safe walking around and people say “Hello” and “Good morning.” It’s got a gorgeous paved beachfront walk dotted with gardens, gazebos, a playground and mini-golf course.

I love taking long walks along the beachfront and through town. It’s quite relaxing and because of that, it was a natural choice for me to be Mick Carrera’s home. As a mercenary, Mick needs somewhere to go where life is safe, relaxing and people can be trusted. Bradley Beach is the kind of a town where I can imagine Mick having a Happily-Ever-After.

Bradley Beach is also where Mick’s family lives and runs a Mexican restaurant along Main Street. If you visit Bradley Beach and come “down the shore” as the Jersey natives say, you’ll find that Main Street is just loaded with an assortment of different restaurtants, ice cream parlors, and bakeries.

I visited Bradley Beach several times to do research and am continuing to go back for more research as I write the second book in the series which will feature Mick’s little sister Liliana. Liliana is a doctor at a local hospital and is doing a residency in orthopedic surgery.

Since I’ve been visiting, I’ve got some recent shots to share with you so you can appreciate the laid back and friendly vibe of this Jersey Shore town.

Hope you enjoyed a slightly different Wicked Wednesday. I’ll be giving you some more behind the scenes snippets into SINS OF THE FLESH so you’ll get to meet all the characters and know a little bit more about the various places you’ll see in the book.

Besides attending the monthly meetings of the Liberty States Fiction Writers, I have a smaller group that meets once a month at a local bookstore.

Last night we were discussing an oft-used phrase: Show, Don’t Tell.

One of my friends asked, “How do you know you are doing telling and not showing?”

My friend Anne Walradt is an expert on the subject and does a wonderful workshop on the concept. I can only offer some very basic advice and examples.

First, if you read it aloud and it sounds like a laundry list — You’re telling. An example of telling:

The alley was dark. It smelled of old garbage. There was movement at the end of the alley. It was a large man. He looked like a criminal. Fear gripped her. She ran away.

Was that interesting at all? Did you get involved in what was happening? Did you impart any of your knowledge to the scene, thereby becoming involved in the story?

If you answered “No”, then you understand what’s bad about telling rather than showing. So how you do write the above scene by showing? Here’s a shot at it:

Darkness swallowed her up as she entered the alley. Days old garbage filled a dumpster, making the air rank with the smell of decay. Shadows shifted at the end of the alley. A man stepped forward into the muted pool of light cast by a security lamp. Blue-black prison tattoos covered his arms and his face had the look of a boxer who had lost one too many fights. Her stomach clenched and a cold sweat erupted across her flesh a second before she whirled away.

A little better? Do you impart your own experience to what decay smells like? Did you wonder what the shadow was? Did the description of the man show you he was a criminal and/or trouble without telling you? How about the fear aspect? Didn’t use the word fear, but her reaction demonstrated it and you as the reader, recognized it.

That’s the biggest difference. When you show, the reader becomes involved in the story by interpreting what you are writing. With a laundry list, there’s no involvement on the part of the reader because it’s plan and simple. Of course, that does not mean that you should so confuse your reader with how you show something that they are lost.

So, that’s a very quick rundown on the concept of Show, Don’t Tell. I hope this Tuesday Tip was of help!

I realized after last Monday’s Guilty Pleasure (the manly Eric Dane), that there were a number of old time favorites I had been ignoring on our Mondays together.

Sure there are tons of glorious new men for us to share, but there’s also a host of oldies who will live on thanks to the many movies in which they appeared.

Here’s one of my favorites - Clark Gable - and in one of my favorite books and movies of all time — GONE WITH THE WIND. Definitely a movie that needs to be seen on the big screen!

Was Clark one of your favorite oldtime stars? If not, who else is? Share with us on this Guilty Pleasures Monday.

This video apparently created enough of a stir with PETA to make it onto CNN and Fox News. I thought it was a fun parody of the old Whack’a Mole arcade game and it doesn’t look as if the kittens were being hurt in any way. For the story behind the video, you can click here or cut and paste this link into your browser:
http://www.whack-a-kitty.com/about/

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!