I first caught sight of this hunk on CLEAN SWEEP. I got hooked on that show and it really helped me get my house in order! Eric Stromer was the carpenter on the show and he was cute, funny, talented and wow — He’s just too sexy.

Eric now has a show on DYI — OVER YOUR HEAD — where he rescues homeowners who have tackled projects that were a little too much for them.

Hmm . . . I’m pretty good with a hammer and saw. I think it’s time to add that new wing to the house!

I want to apologize to all of you for not providing you a Wicked Wednesday, but the last few days there’s been a lot going on, some of it good, some of it frustrating. Unfortunately, what’s frustrating seems to be pulling at me, as it does at so many people. In the next few days, I’ve got a lot of running around to do and so in light of that, I’m going to take a short break!

But I’ll be back on Monday to share some new Guilty Pleasures with you!

May you all have a blessed weekend.

My daughter has been watching THE DEADLIEST CATCH and since we’d never really tried King Crab Legs, I decided to pick up some at Costco. Since they had some great-looking mussels which we all love, I picked up a bag of those as well.

What’s the best way of cooking mussels, clams, crabs, lobster, etc.? Well, I’m a big fan of steaming since it keeps them moist, is quick and relatively easy. My favorite way to steam them is with beer and here’s the recipe for you to try out!

First of all, you’ll need a pot big enough to hold the steaming liquid and your shellfish. I end up needing one that’s at least 12 quarts or more. Before you steam, make sure everything is clean with a quick scrub with a plastic brush. If you’re doing clams, put them in salted ice water for about 15-20 minutes so they spit out any sand. Same with the mussels. A lot of mussels are farm-raised now, so they are relatively clean and beardless so there’s little to clean.

If there’s any clams/mussels that don’t close up after being in the iced salt water, toss them. They’re dead. Likewise, if they don’t open up after steaming, toss them. They’re dead!

Steaming Liquid:

1 or 2 beers
Handful of chopped fresh parsley
3 to 4 garlic cloves chopped
1 small onion chopped
Some pepper
1 or 2 bay leaves

If you want to add a little zing to the liquid, slice up a small lemon and put that in there as well.

Put the liquid in the bottom of your pan and place a steamer insert above it (one of those little collapsible ones you find in the dollar stores). Layer your shellfish with the bigger pieces at the bottom, like the crab legs, whole crabs or lobsters. Then put the mussels, clams, etc. If you want to do some corn and potatoes, put them right above the bigger pieces and below the mussels, etc.

Yep, we’re talking mini-clambake here. Well, almost. Cover the pot, crank up the heat on high and once it’s steaming, it shouldn’t take more than about 8 to 10 minutes to cook all your shellfish. If you’ve got big lobsters down on the bottom, you may need to do 15 minutes or more depending on the size of the lobster.

Anyhow, make sure you’re melting some butter while the shellfish is steaming!

Once you take the pot off the stove, place the shellfish in a big bowl and ladle just a bit of the steaming liquid over them. Also, put a little bit of steaming liquid in a small bowl or cup and also put some butter in a second small bowl or cup. This way you can dip your shellfish in the steaming liquid and then the butter.

Yum! Way tasty! Hope you check this out and enjoy a shellfish summer steam!

If the smoldering look on this handsome face doesn’t have you melting, I don’t know what to say.

His name is Michael Pare and the film is EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS. If you haven’t seen the movie, find it and buy it! The music is great as is the story, although the movie got mixed reviews and did not do well at the box office. Don’t know why, I watch it every time that it’s on and if I see the DVD anywhere, will definitely add it to my collection.

Michael is so absolutely hot as the tortured New Jersey rock star who wants to be understood. Totally totally hot. He’s been in a number of other B movies, but I haven’t seen much of him lately although he still looks good! Tom Berenger is also in the movie — another hottie and quite good in his role as the “poet” guy who puts the words to the music.

You can find out more about Michael by clicking here and visiting his official website!

more cat pictures

Don’t know if you’ve ever visited this site, but as a cat lover, I can tell you it’s hilarious! The site is http://icanhascheezburger.com and visit there to check out more fun stuff involving cats.

This one was sent to me by my good friend Irene Peterson! Thanks, Irene. You know how I love cats and vamps.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Why is it that summer colds are always worse than winter colds? Or does it only feel that way ’cause you’re stuck in bed when the weather outside is gorgeous?

I started feeling sick on Monday. By Tuesday my throat and ear were aching and by Wednesday — I could barely talk. A good thing some might say. I pampered myself as best as I could and rested.

Today I’m feeling a little better, but not 100%. Still, there’s work and deadlines and so I trudged in to the office to handle things.

How are you with summer colds? Get them often? Find they last longer or just feel that way?

Today’s Wicked Wednesday is a snippet from the free e-novella, DESIRE CALLS. You can read the entire story by visiting eharlequin.com and you can click here to access the free e-novella.

DESIRE CALLS is also included in the e-book bundle of the complete THE CALLING Collection. You can click here for more information on that e-book.

So here’s the excerpt from DESIRE CALLS which is one of my favorite stories in THE CALLING. You’ll be able to read more about Blake and Stacia next year in FURY CALLS and ARDOR CALLS!

Chapter Three

With a rather bored sigh, Stacia placed the glass filled with blood from a nouveau yuppie fresh from Chelsea on the gouged counter before her. She had been hoping to run into some familiar faces, but other than Foley, the owner of the bar, the night had been quiet, until…

She swiveled on her stool as she sensed a familiar vamp energy and took note of him as he approached.

Blake. In his best Billy Idol getup. His chain-studded jeans tight against lean hips, black leather jacket strained against his broad shoulders. Playfully spiked blond hair revealed a face with marvelous bone structure.

As he realized he had her attention, the swagger in his step increased. A broad smile spread across his face and swept up into his deep blue eyes.

Stacia found herself smiling back, even if it was just Blake.

When he stood before her, he placed his hands on his hips, drawing aside the jacket to reveal a black T-shirt that clung lovingly to his muscles. “Blimey, luv. It’s been too long since you’ve visited.”

“Been missing me? That’s a surprise,” she said, and with a wave of her hand, signaled for the bartender to bring Blake a drink.

“Why would that be a surprise, luv?” He slipped onto the open stool beside her. When the bartender placed a glass of blood before him, he raised it and offered a toast. “To old— We’re definitely old, but are we friends?”

Stacia laughed harshly and picked up her glass but didn’t return the toast. Eyeing him over the rim, she said, “A gentleman wouldn’t mention a lady’s age, and as for being friends… Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

Blake, ever confident and even more playful, leaned toward her and whispered close to her lips, “Should I be?”

Raising her hand, she inclined her head toward the direction of the vampire bartender and made a fist as if she was squeezing something. The bartender suddenly dropped the glass he held and grabbed at his throat, fighting for air.

“Should you be afraid?” she asked, almost hoping that Blake would prove her right and make a fast exit as so many of the vamps at the Blood Bank had done upon her arrival.

“A man’s got to face his fears,” Blake said calmly and sipped his blood, barely glancing in the direction of the barkeep whose sallow vampire skin was starting to turn slightly blue.

With a flick of her hand, Stacia released her hold on the vampire and examined Blake, sensing something different about him. Something a bit more…intriguing. He had changed since the last time she had seen him. “So you don’t fear me…”

“Should I?” he asked again. “Do you have some nefarious plan for me, luv?” His voice was laced with humor and not a whit of the anxiety she usually inspired in other lesser vampires. When he gestured in the direction of the back rooms, she chuckled.

“Get real. Me and you? Do I look like I’m slumming?”

With a careless shrug, Blake slid off the stool and with a nod said, “Well, then it’s goodbye, I guess. “

Stacia controlled her surprise at his seeming nonchalance and watched him walk away, his swagger drawing the attention of quite a few women. Stupid human females who didn’t realize that to Blake, they were just a possible snack.

When he actually sidled up to one, bent that peroxided head and said something to the young woman that had her laughing, annoyance flared through Stacia. She didn’t know why. At best, she and Blake were longtime acquaintances, not friends. Elders had few friends, not even other elders.

There were usually too many power plays going on to permit true friendship to develop.

Blake’s attitude was therefore…refreshing.

As he and the young woman headed onto the dance floor and plastered their bodies against each other, Stacia decided it was time she had some fun, as well, instead of just sitting there, moping.

Moping was so pitiful.

Scoping out the crowd in the bar, she noticed one young man seated at a booth along the far wall. Big and powerful. The black T shirt he wore clung to the thick, large muscles of his arms as they rested on the edge of the booth. Artificially black hair punched up the paleness of his face which had obviously been enhanced with makeup, as had his thick, dark eyelashes.

Like her, he had an earring through his brow, although his was silver. His ears also sported a variety of piercings and when he smiled, the wink of silver in his tongue promised her more pleasure.

A vamp wannabe? she wondered. Or just out for a night of play?

Finishing her blood, Stacia rose from her stool and walked toward the booth, but didn’t immediately engage the young man. While the direct approach generally worked best, sometimes the hunt and chase were much more stimulating.

With the slightest glance his way—although enough to let him know he had been noticed—she sauntered past him to the dance floor, making sure to stay in his line of sight.

Once there, she released herself to the music, shifting to the hard beats. They were almost violent in their volume, the strength of the sound driving against her body until it was as if the throb of the bass had melded with her heartbeat.

She moved her hips, gyrating in rhythm to the pulse. Raised her hands, which lifted the hem of her black leather vest to expose the pale expanse of her flat midriff and the woven ring of gold through her navel.

Warmth came against her skin as a hand snaked around her waist and dragged her to a rock-hard body.

Looking up over her shoulder, she smiled as she saw the young Goth man behind her. Felt the strength and size of his physique against her petite frame.

As she moved her backside, pressing into him, she realized she had made a good choice. He was just what she needed to welcome her to New York City.

Tagged!! I got tagged by my friend Michelle Swan! So I asked her, What’s a tag and she explained that one blogger tags another who has to answer a number of questions. Then you tag someone else. It’s one way to make blog friends and spread the word about yourself and your friends.

Memes are another way. What’s a meme? Wikipedia explains the origins like this: “The word meme first came into popular use with the publication of Dawkins’s book The Selfish Gene in 1976. Dawkins based the word on a shortening of the Greek “mimeme” (something imitated), making it sound similar to “gene”. Dawkins used the term to refer to any cultural entity that an observer might consider a replicator.”

One of the more popular memes is the Thursday Thirteen, but there are a bunch of others you can join in order to spread your word to other people. Basically, you repeat certain information, questions or ideas on your blog/website according to the rules of that particular meme.

For now, I’m going to answer Michelle’s tag and go tag my friend Irene Peterson!

1. What is your occupation?
Lawyer and writer.

2. What color socks right now?
White (I’m such a geek!)

3. What are you listening to right now?
Nothing.

4. What was the last thing that you ate?
An Oreo Mcflurry.

5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Heck, yes!

6. If you could be a color what color would you be?
Blood red

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
My husband

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yes I do. She is quite an interesting person who always shares lots of fun with me on my blog.

9. Favorite food?
I hope chocolate counts!! (This is Shell’s answer, but why ruin such a perfect answer.)

10. Favorite drink?
Black Cherry Fresca.

11. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Baseball

12. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Do I have to answer this question? Yes, I have. I’ve actually gone darker for the summer.

13. Pets?
I have a totally black cat named Osiris who is crazy! A turtle named Buffy and assorted fish in my pond who are incognito.

14. Favorite Author?
Totally hard one to answer, but I’d have to say Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb. Karen Rose is great also!

15. Last movie you watched?
We are Marshall (I had already seen it, but it was late at night, nothing else was on and I really liked the inspiring tone of the story).

16. Favorite Day of the year?
Christmas Eve. There’s nothing better than getting together with family and sharing this day.

17. What do you do to vent anger?
I try not to get angry in the first place, but when I do, I exercise to work out my anger.

18. What was your favorite toy as a child?
I still have my favorite toy. It’s a rubbery kind of male doll that I brought with me from Cuba. His name is Pepito and he sits on the top edge of my couch with me.

19. What is your favorite time of the year?
I love spring because of the return of life after the dull and cold winter months.

20. Strawberry or Blueberry?
Strawberry.

21. Do you want your friends to participate?
Yes, I do, so Irene P., you’re next!!

22. Who is most likely to respond?
Irene.

23. Who is least likely to respond?
Hadn’t thought beyond tagging Irene.

25. When was the last time you cried?
I’ve been blessed to have a fairly happy life lately, but the last time I cried was several months ago when I dropped off my daughter at college.

26. Who is the friend you had the longest that you are going to tag?
Irene P.

27. Who is the friend you had the shortest that you are going to tag?
Irene P.

28. Favorite smell?
Cinnamon.

29. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
Cheeseburger!

30. Favorite car?
My Sebring. I always wanted a convertible and bought one several years ago. It’s an awesome car.

31. Favorite Quote or motto?
Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

32. Number of keys on your key ring?
At least ten.

33. How many years at your current job?
I can’t tell you because then I’d have to kill you. Let’s just say, too many.

34. Favorite day of the week?
Friday.

35. How many states have you lived in?
Three — NY, NJ and PA.

36. Which political label most closely reflects your views?
Fiscal conservative, social moderate.

37. Worst injury you’ve ever had?
Broke a finger when I was playing field hockey in high school.

38. What is your favorite book?
Tough one! There are so many, it’s hard to say.

39. What were you doing at 12:00 last night?
Sleeping since I get up at 5 almost every morning.

40. What famous person, dead or alive, would you most like to meet?
Albert Einstein, Rachel Carson, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Jacques Costeau, Arthur C. Clarke.

Yes, he was adorably surfer dude in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, but I couldn’t last through the first of the MATRIX movies.

My favorite of all time with him is A WALK IN THE CLOUDS. This was a totally romantic movie set in California’s wine country. The cinematography was amazing and the story touching on various levels. It’s worthy buying and you can get it at Target for under $10 (probably even for $5).

Some say he’s wooden at times, but when he lets loose that little boy grin, he’s totally sexy and there’s something earnest about him with those big brown eyes.

Also — don’t forget SPEED with another of my faves, Sandra Bullock. That was an action-packed movie and Sandra and Keanu had great sexual tension.

For more info on Keanu, click here!

Here’s a great retrospective from November86 at YouTube!

Sorry to have missed you yesterday, but I was on a business trip! Today’s Fun Friday tests your psychic ability, but I guess if you were truly psychic, you may have guessed that already!! So to get the weekend started on a intriguing note, take the “Are you psychic?” quiz and let us know how you do by posting a comment!

Here’s what my results said:

You Are 80% Psychic

You are so very psychic. But you already predicted that, didn’t you? You have “the gift” - and you use it daily to connect with others. You’re very tapped into the world around you… Just make sure to use your powers for good!

Are You Psychic?

Click on the link at the end of the results to take the quiz!

To post your results as a comment, just cut and past the results as text since the comments will not allow certain HTML or script commands.

This week’s Wicked Wednesday brings you another installment of my urban fantasy involving a twist to the werewolf mythology, battles with vampires and a struggle for control in a werewolf pack. The tentative title is UNDEAD UPRISING and I hope you like this next free chapter that I’m offering you.

While Ramon is dealing with Catalina’s transformation and his tortured feelings for her, Catalina’s father is dealing with his own guilt and loss.

For those of you who may have missed the first eight chapters, you can read them here:

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8

CHAPTER 9
In the early dawn hours after the night’s hunt was over, Rafael de Villalobos normally returned to his room for a few hours of rest. When he had been married to Marina, she would be at his side and the two of them would fall into bed together, as playful as young puppies before passion overtook them. Rest generally had waited awhile during those glorious days.

Marina, Rafael thought and rubbed at a spot over his heart that still ached with her absence.

Thoughts of his first wife drove him to the floor she shared with Catalina instead of his own bedroom. Quietly, holding his sword tight to his side to avoid any sound that might rouse them, he paused at Marina’s door and listened. No noise came from within and a niggling sense of concern drove him to open the door and peer inside.

Her chambers were as spotless as always, with not an item out of place. Marina had always been the Felix to his Oscar, he thought with a smile. The room was empty, however, and her bed looked as if it hadn’t been slept in.

Had she gone out this night? he wondered and experienced a pang of jealousy that in the moments after the hunt, she might be sharing another wolf’s bed.

Marina had always been an adept warrior, but he couldn’t remember the last time she had joined them during their pursuit of the vampires. Plus, no one had mentioned that she had paired off with anyone to track the demons or do anything else for that matter.

Which meant she might have gone out alone.

With that thought, his earlier concern blossomed into full blown fear. Only the strongest wolves in the pack hunted alone. Only a few could.

He exited back into the hallway and strode quickly down the hall to the door of Catalina’s gym. Once again he listened and from within came the rustle of sheets and a soft moan of pain.

Grabbing the doorknob, he was about to enter when from behind him Marina said, “She’s not alone and she’s fine.”

He whirled, surprised that she had managed to sneak up on him. But then again, he had let his fear blind him to anything but finding her. “Marina.”

His former wife, mother of his most beloved daughter, bowed her head low and adopted the subservient position expected when the leader of the pack spoke to one such as her. “Rafael.”

A mix of pain and passion washed over him at the sound of his name coming from her lips. “Look at me, Marina. For God’s sake, stand up straight and look me in the eye.”

She rose to her full height and met him head on, her gaze trained on his face. Despite the fact that she did as he commanded, a defiant spirit glittered in her eyes. “Is this what you want, Rafael? Does this make you feel better?”

Marina needed no answer to her query. Nothing could ever make him feel better about what he had done to her, no matter how many times he told himself he did it for the good of the pack. “Where were you this night?” he asked, almost fearful of her answer.

The needy note in his voice told Marina she could hurt him now, as much as he had hurt her. But she couldn’t find it in herself to lie and say she had been with another wolf. “I was with Hembra. It was time for her first change.”

Rafael glanced down the hall to the room of his youngest daughter. “Is she . . . Did she handle it well?”

“Better than most. She’s a strong girl. Smart. And she adores Catalina,” Marina said and laid a hand on his arm to emphasize her point.

A mistake. Beneath her fingers, his hard muscles jumped. His skin was warm. The soft hairs on his arm tickled. How she remembered what all of that felt like against her own skin, just as he remembered, she realized as she met his gaze again. It was hot with yearning.

“Marina,” he said and lowered his head toward her, but she ripped her hand from his arm and took a step back.

“I need to check on Hembra.” She hurried away before she would make a mistake as big as the one she had made the first time she had trusted her heart to him.

Rafael wanted to chase after her. Command her to come with him. Satisfy him. He could after all. He was the leader of the pack and she was just . . .

Marina.

Turning on his heel, he raced from their floor up to his own. At the door to his bedroom, his human manservant waited to help him take off his armor and stow his weapons. The man couldn’t do it quickly enough and Rafael growled a warning for him to leave. Alone within his room, he finished pulling off his protective clothing and tossed it to the floor. His sword soon landed atop the armor with an angry clatter.

The sound of running water snared his attention.

He walked to his bathroom where a warm bath awaited him. It might be just the thing to loosen his sore and tired muscles. To loosen any thoughts of Marina from his mind and wash them away along with the filth from his night of battle.

He eased within the sandalwood-scented waters and stretched out his big body in the oversized tub. Heat enveloped him as he moved lower until the waters spilled over his shoulders. He closed his eyes then, intending to rest for just a bit, but instead, visions of Marina came to him.

He gave up any hope of peace.

We’re having record temperatures in the NY/NJ area and coupled with the high humidity, it’s a killer. Literally.

So here’s some tips for beating the heat.

1. Find a nice pool, signal the cabana boy for a mojito and just relax. Preferably a cabana boy with buns like our friend here!

Of course, if that’s not possible, here’s some other tips for beating the heat:

2. Keep hydrated, preferably with water. Make sure that whatever water you take in is in keeping with any medical conditions you may have.

3. Avoid sugary drinks, alcohol and caffeine. I know, no fun, but all of these things will actually dehydrate you as they will draw fluids from your body.

4. Stay indoors, preferably somewhere with air conditioning. The CDC recommends that if you don’t have AC, visit a mall or some other area that does, even if only for a few hours.

5. Take a cool shower or bath.

6. Light-weight, light-colored, loose fitting clothing is the best thing for a hot day.

7. Stay in shady areas and if you can’t, wear a hat to keep the worst of the heat off your head.

8. If you need to work outside, do it in the early morning or late afternoon hours after the worst of the heat is done.

9. Make your drinks cool, but not too cold as anything too cold can cause stomach cramps.

10. Find that pool and the cabana boy again. Although he may create a different kind of heat you have to deal with!

Stay safe and cool everyone!

I guess a weekend “down the shore” as Jersey folk say has me thinking of lifeguards which got me to remembering the movie LIFEGUARD with Sam Elliott, a real hottie in his day.

You can click here for more about Sam Elliott, but you’ll be amazed by how many movies and television shows he’s done. For me, he always had the kind of cowboy/military ruggedly handsome look.

Now, don’t think that LIFEGUARD is a fluff kind of movie. It is surprisingly, a rather complex and intriguiging look at a man who is questioning his life and all that he enjoys because of the pressure of others, including a possible romantic interest in the form of Anne Archer. If you can find this movie on TV or buy the video, it’s worth watching.

I’d put Sam Elliott in the same category as Tom Selleck and Mark Harmon - they’ve all matured perfectly!!

Maybe because I’m a Pisces, one of my absolute favorite things to do is be at the beach. I love early morning strolls along the water’s edge, searching out interesting shells and beach glass.

I have jars at home filled with some of those shells, coral and egg casings from whelks. The cases are quite interesting and I’m told Italians, who call whelks “scungilli” and serve them up with sauce, consider finding them good luck. Others call the egg casings “mermaid’s necklaces” because they look like little pouches strong on a thread. The knobbed whelk is actually the NJ State shell which explains why I find so many of them up on shore.

So this weekend I’ll be “down the shore” at a wonderful event and also at a book fair on the street in Trenton on Saturday. You can get more info on the book fair by clicking here. I’ll be at the NJ Romance Writers booth with some friends.

I’ll also be the one of the authors at a fabulous Authors & Inns tour. My location is the wonderful Beacon House Inn in Sea Girt. It’s an absolutely wonderful place. Candy, the owner, is amazing as is her assistant Cathy. Hubby and I spent a wonderful weekend there in March and I am really looking forward to staying there again!

So in case you’re in the area, here’s the info on this fabulous Authors & Inns Event.

“Authors & Inns – A Spring Lake Event”
Winner of NJ Governor’s Tourism Award 2008
2nd Annual Tour is Literary Event of the Season

Spring Lake, NJ (JUNE 2008) In association with the Spring Lake and Sea Girt Public Libraries, The Historic Inns of Spring Lake are
hosting their 2nd annual AUTHORS & INNS TOUR on Sunday afternoon June 8, 2008 from 1:00-5:00pm. The tour of 9 historic inns features 12 award-wining Romance Authors with a link to New Jersey.

At the 2008 New Jersey Governor’s Tourism Award Ceremony on April 10, the Historic Inns of Spring Lake received one of only 10 awards presented to exemplary organizations or individuals …for their signature June event – Authors & Inns – A Spring Lake Event. These awards set a “…benchmark for excellence in the New Jersey tourism industry, contributing to the experience of visitors and the quality of life of NJ residents.”

Nine inns/hotels will open their doors to tour goers, sharing their distinctive properties for a glimpse into the historic and romantic
style of Spring Lake. At the same time, prominent romance-genre authors will be at each inn meeting fans, selling and signing their
most recently published books. The stories feature many of the most popular themes today from `international political thriller’ and
`romantic novel set in India’ to `dangerous passion set in Ireland’ and `looking for love in the wilds of suburbia’.

The `Authors & Inns Tour’ features the following authors and books:

Annette Blair “Gone With the Witch”
C.H. Admirand “Pearl’s Redemption”
Tara Nina “Curse of the Gargoyle”
Dee Davis “A Match Made on Madison”
Kaitlin O’Riley “One Sinful Night”
Irene Peterson “Glory Days”
Amy Edelman “Manless in Montclair”
Lois Winston “Love, Lies and a Double Shot
of Deception”
Caridad Pineiro “South Beach Chicas Catch Their Man”
Jan Coffey “Deadliest Strain”
Shobhan Bantwal “The Dowry Bride”
Nancy Harkness “Music of the Night”

The cost for the `Authors & Inns’ Tour is $12 (a non-refundable donation) with a portion of the proceeds given to the Spring Lake and Sea Girt Public Libraries. Each tour goer will receive a keepsake tote bag from the Historic Inns.

Nationally recognized for more than a decade for their open house Holiday Tour each December, the Historic Inns of Spring Lake are a stunning collection of 19th Century homes, dating from 1870-1888. They embody the romance and history of Spring Lake, offering the best in architectural preservation, unique character, tradition and hospitality.

Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 732-859-1465 for details or purchased at Participating Inns, The Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce and Sea Girt Pubic Library plus BookTowne in Manasquan. On the day of the Tour, tickets can be purchased at the Spring Lake Public Library. Each ticket will include a self-guided map of Authors & Inns for visitors’ convenience.

A total of 500 tour tickets will be sold. Guests staying for the Friday/Saturday weekend will receive a complimentary Tour Ticket and guests checking in on Sunday for 1-night will receive a tour ticket plus special accommodation rate at each participating Inn. All Inn guests are invited to a private Post-Tour Reception attended by innkeepers and authors.

The radiantly refined town offers a delightful downtown experience with charming boutiques and galleries, restaurants, historic landmarks and the famous Spring Lake all with a 2-mile Atlantic oceanfront community.

WHAT: “Authors & Inns: A Spring Lake Event”
A self-guided tour of 9 Historic Inns & Authors
WHEN: Sunday, June 8, 2008
1:00-5:00pm
WHERE: Spring Lake, New Jersey
COST: $12/per person
TICKETS: 732-859-1465 – Historic Inns Association

Checks ONLY can be mailed to:
Historic Inns of Spring Lake
P.O. Box 134
Spring Lake, NJ 07762
732-859-1465

INNS: White Lilac Inn, Spring Lake Inn, Villa Park House,
Beacon House, Ocean House, Sandpiper Inn, Chateau Inn & Suites, The
Breakers Hotel, Victoria House, Grand Victorian @ Spring Lake
Click here for more info!

Some of the local papers this morning are talking about the message of hope that Senator Obama brings to minorities. I wonder why none of them are talking about the message of futility that his nomination brings to a group that is a majority in number, but a minority in terms of power.

Wondering who I’m talking about? I’m talking about women. According to 2006 estimates from the U.S. census bureau, women account for 50.7 % of the population.

Want to know how many women have ever served in Congress as either Representatives or Senators? Click here for the list. According to the official Congressional website at http://womenincongress.house.gov/, “Since 1917, when Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman to serve in Congress, 244 more women have served as U.S. Representatives or Senators.”

How many women are currently serving in Congress? Click here for the list. According to the official website, “Eighty-nine of the 245 women who have served in Congress are current Members—74 in the House and 16 in the Senate.”

89 women out of 535 Representatives and Senators (click here for the breakdown on how many in each part of Congress.)

Doing the math, that means that roughly 17% of our Congress is female while women are 50.7% of the population.

I don’t know about you, but the political system seems like an Old Boys Network to me and the numbers are doing little to change that idea as is the recent experience with Senator Clinton. Before I continue, I want to make it clear that my intent is not to bash anyone or to support anyone. Rather, it’s a discussion on gender in politics in a very general sense.

Think about how many times the media referred to the emotions Senator Clinton showed on the campaign trail. I guess the point of that was to show that there’s no crying in politics?

Think about how many times Senator Clinton was referred to as Mrs. Clinton.

Think about how many times Senator Clinton was referred to as “Hilary.”

Going a little further with that last one, for those in office environments, ask yourself whether the men are generally referred to as “Mr. So-and-So” or by their first names. Then ask yourself how often women are referred to solely by their first names.

What does use of just a first name say? It’s definitely a sign of familiarity and you know that old saying about what familiarity brings. But when the men are Mr. and the women are familiar, isn’t that a subtle sign that one is on a higher level than the other?

Same thing with stripping the “Senator” title and using “Mrs.”. It’s a stripping way of the power behind the title. It’s a reduction in status.

Taking it to the next step. How many times have you heard that women have to work harder for less pay than a man in a comparable position?

So why is it that as a physical majority women lack political power? Or maybe you don’t agree with that and if not, I’d love to hear your take on things.

Just some thoughts for you to consider.

We have a special visitor today — Traci Hall! She’s providing some insights on her latest novel and also, a copy of her book for anyone who leaves a comment on the blog today. So without further ado — here’s Traci!

This is an incredible site – lots going on – and congratulations to you on your newest contract! Isn’t a great feeling when it seems like the stars are finally aligning in your favor?

Thanks for having me on…my debut paranormal/medieval romance is officially ‘out’ June 8th! But if you find yourself completely unable to wait that long, Amazon is very fast, lol.

This waiting for the world to react to your baby thing is making me revert back to biting my fingernails. So far the reviews have been good – 9/10 from In The Library Reviews, and 10 out 10 from Romance Reviews Today, and a 4 out of 5 from RT. The heat level was marked as ‘mild’ – which worried me until I read that Jude Deveraux wrote mild too. Whew.

Love’s Magic is about Celestia Montehue, a misfit in a legacy bound family. The only thing she has in common with her ancestors is her magical healing ability. Nicholas Le Blanc, a monastery raised knight, is captured while on crusade and forced to kill for his freedom. This is their journey to see if the healer can save the broken man before his family’s curse dooms them both.

I love writing stories about two people who mix like oil and water, but straight romance is difficult for me because I need to have more going on. Mysteries, ghosts, curses – paranormal adds that element of ‘what if’ that layers in heightened tension – and creates lot of opportunities for conflict.

I am a horror movie junkie – the cheesier the better – I still jump, even though I can see the strings on the fake orange moon because the writers/directors have taken me beyond the OBVIOUS fakeness to the story, which is thrilling and scary and why I watch.

Hopefully I can draw you into Nicholas and Celestia’s story…1192 England, anybody?

Again, thank you so much for having me as a guest on your blog – you can come and visit me at http://www.traciwritersblock.blogspot.com/ - a new blog I’ve started with the intention of going over the details of a new writer’s journey. And of course, I would love to donate a book for give-away…

Happy June!

Traci

Today’s Tuesday Tip is about web widgets!

What’s a web widget? Wikipedia defines a web widget as “a portable chunk of code that can be installed and executed within any separate HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring additional compilation.” In other words, you will get some computer code that you will need to add to your website or social networking page, so you do need a little bit of technical expertise to know how to do this.

You may already have web widgets on your site without even knowing it. Banner advertising or site meters are some of the most common web widgets available. If you’ve uploaded a video to Youtube or another video hosting service, the code that you place on your site or Myspace page is a web widget.

What’s the benefit of web widgets? They allow you to place useful information on your site, collect information to assist you and offer others the ability to spread the word about your website and books.

Check out the cool countdown widget I created for FURY CALLS, the next book in THE CALLING Vampire series which will be out in March 2009. You can click here to download the code for the widget and post it on your sites/Myspace pages! Send me a screen print of it once it’s on your site or a link to the site with the widget and I’ll send the first 50 people who do so a CALLING t-shirt!

Get this widget!

Here are some more useful web widgets:

Site meters: Site meters help you keep track of how many people are visiting your website, where they are coming from, how much time they spend on your site, etc. Such site meters help you track the efficacy of what you are doing on your blog or website. How? If you run a contest, the site meter can tell you if you had more visitors on the day you ran a contest. One of the easier site meters to install can be found at www.sitemeter.com.

Site/Blog Sharing: If you have more than one website or social network page and wish to share information from one site on the others, a web widget is a great way to do so. For example, my main blog is at www.caridad.com/blog, but I want to share those blog posts at my website for THE CALLING Vampire novels (www.thecallingvampirenovels.com). I created a web widget that would create a list of recent blog posts on my other sites at www.widgetbox.com. Using the code that I generated at widgetbox, I loaded it on all my sites so that visitors could see my blog posts and then link back to my main site. At Widgetbox, you can also obtain web widgets in order to provide information at your site to your visitors. For example, if you’re a Mets fan, you can load up a widget that will keep your visitors posted about what’s happening with the Mets (http://www.widgetbox.com/search?q=mets).

Dictionary: Want a dictionary at your fingertips? Visit freedictionary.com (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lookup.htm#searchbox) to add a dictionary to your site. Or use this dictionary widget from the Yahoo widget collection: http://widgets.yahoo.com/widgets/dictionary.

Clock: Want to tell users what time it is? Check out some of these clock widgets: http://widgets.yahoo.com/widgets/digital-clock, http://www.springwidgets.com/widgets/view/25, http://www.clocklink.com/

Translator: Want to allow visitors who do not speak English to read your site? Babelfish is a great translator and has a widget so users can translate your site. Pick up the widget here: http://babelfish.yahoo.com/free_trans_service

All of the above widgets help you and your website visitors and even better, they are all free. However, you do need to be careful when loading code that has been provided to you by third parties. Sometimes widgets can contain spyware or malware that will create problems, so be sure to only use widgets from reliable sources.

Hope you’ll try out some of these web widgets to add some content to your website!

It had to finally happen. I couldn’t keep on ignoring Brad Pitt, especially considering how great he looked in TROY. Didn’t like his character very much, but you can’t argue with the fact that he was ripped for that movie.

Then of course, there was the first time many of us laid eyes on him in THELMA & LOUISE. Wow! He was so amazing. I wondered, “Who is this guy and where can I see him next?”

I’ve often thought that he resembles Robert Redford a lot and that was quite apparent in SPY GAME. The similarities between the two men was absolutely amazing!

Also, I really like Mr. & Mrs. Smith. I thought it was a great romantic comedy/spy/action/black comedy. You get it. A mix of a lot of things, which actually may have turned some people off. Also — little known fact. When I was asked about the cover for MORE THAN A MISSION, I said, how about something like the poster for Mr. & Mrs. Smith and here’s what I got!

I loved the knife on the thigh!

Hope you liked this Monday’s Guilty Pleasure.