Jaclyn Tracey

2011-10-31T19:07:00.001-07:00

Halloween romance~ if only.

My memorable Halloween, embelished slightly.
In a flurry of heels clanking against the hard wood steps, me grasping at the railing, breaking a nail or two in the midst of it, I bounded down the stairs in 4 inch stelletos, with as much grace as a baby learning to walk. When I hit the floor in a giant heap of lace, mountains of flowing satin and a beehive hair-do that looked more like a hornest nest my dad extended his hand to me, a giant smirk plastered on his face.He was a smart man and kept his comment to himself."Bumble butt!"Or not."So, how do I look?" I asked as I rubbed my head an egg forming and excitement roiling in my tummy. Halloween was my favorite holiday of all time. The spookie stories, the thrasher movies, the small hope that paranormal entities really did exist, the candy.... My love of chocolate is still unriveled. To this day I still don't understand why we had to go to school or work on it... Anyway, my dad shook the keys to the old plymouth in my face and said, "You may not be Cinderella, but you still turn into a pumpkin at midnight. Don't drive like me and try not to get caught. You're fifteen. If you do, I'll tell them you stole the car. And try not to scare everyone away. Stop into the hospital, remove the powder wig so your mom doesn't die of consumption and show her your new Farrah-do."Okay, took that as my opp to to get the hell out and so I did. "Love you." Snatched the silver trinket from his grap and bolted down the driveway. Crammed about twenty yards of material into the driver's seat, yanked the seat forward~ way forward so I could reach the peddles and proceeded to hit the pavement, gleeming with a new found freedom. Nothing could rivel this. I would later be proven wrong.One quick trip to the ICU, where my mom took up a bed as a cardiac patient, I lifted the wig and gave her a second heart attack. All my goldy locks were now on the floor of someone's beauty salon. Two feet of hair, nearly half my height~gone baby gone. A loud gasp brought nurses rushing in.Good luck with that happening today with the nursing shortage...We laughed over it once she had the O2 mask covering her face and she wasn't a putrid shade of grey. I showed her my mask for the ball. It was pewter, hefty lil thing. A hand-held mask for the masquerade party. The top was a crown embellished with blue diamonds, alright crystals but I told everyone they were real diamonds. My mom said she'd get used to the new do. I hoped so. I hoped she had time to. Her heart attack nearly did me in too.Back in the old jalopy, heart thumping louder than Michael Jackson's, Thriller, as it blared on every radio station, did I just date myself? Oh well, I had reason to be super excited. The two men in my life were going to be at this party. Prince Charming, the reason my heart thrived or stopped altogether when he walked into a room... and looked right past me. I blamed it on my height, or lack there of. Then there was the other one. Drac, he made me insane. Always teased me, poked fun at me and made certain he had a audience around when he did. Humiliation at its best-or worst. I'd heard tell all week that's what they were going dressed as. Both boys were the same height~ridiculously tall, same hair color~golden blond and curly and both had light green eyes, only one was the devil in disquise.Up and down Broadway cars were parked at different angles taking up the entire street. Kids and parallel parking don't go together well. I ended up three blocks from the house and cursed every step of the way in my little fake glass slippers. The blisters would be worth it.Those shoes were a wake up call that all that is pretty is not comfy and yet today my closet is nothing short of one hundred pairs of heels in every color and style.The noise blared down the street better than a marching band. Clearly, parents were not within the confines of the home. Happy dance...Up the front porch stairs with only a minor slip, my shoe getting caught in the hem of this god forsaken gown, my BF greeted me. This was her crowd. Her friends. She fit in here with these people. I think our friendship began as a pity party. She felt sorry for me but in the end she fell in love with me or the idea of saving me from myself. To date, I can still screw up anything at any given time. I was that diamond in the rough she continually tried to polish yet no amount of spit shining gave me acceptance to this breed. "Here," she said as she shoved a glass of spiked punch under my nose. "Drink this. You'll need it. They're both here and both have the cheerleaders ogling over their every move. Tonight's your night. Don't waste it on them. There's a whole new world out there waiting for you. Trust me."I set the glass down. "Dad gave me the car. Gotta be on my best tonight."Loved watching her jaw drop."You are so spoiled."Shrugged my shoulders and grinned. "If only." I pointed to the two boys congealed between Cyndi Lauper and Madonna wanna-bes, a cheerleader~how original was that one? and a few other people mingling, looking more lost than me trying to fit in.
We walked in, me as Cinderella and she as Bo Derek, with her hair done in corn rows and a slinky Danskin leotard and little skimpy skirt. Can ya guess where all the eyes went?Yeah!Anyway, Miss wall flower here stood back from the mob of pirahnas and watched as we were sized up and down and shredded. Well, me to be politically correct. She was whisked away by a guy who's costume looked like real werewolf. Even smelled of mange. Made my eyes water.
"You should have just come as the great pumpkin. You wouldn't have had to get a costume."The voice was dubbed with helium. Sounded more like Donald Duck than Drac. But then maybe that's what vamps sounded like. Someone full of hot air.I ignored him and walked away. He trailed on my heels.It hurt me that he said that and oddly at the same time I was thrilled he even took the time to make his way from a maze of cattle, who, if all had tails would've waggled them under his fine nose. I glanced across the room. I saw him there, the most handsome man alive. I did the Queen's waggle of hand.Prince Charming never lifted his gaze my way all night. Swarmed by every giggling, bubble-gum chomping, lip glossed girl in school, he was too busy, but damn if Drac didn't continue his chase."Can I dance with you?""What?""You heard me. Dance with me.""I don't dance with ducks.""Touche`.""You probably just want to trip me in front of everyone." He grabbed a guy with a hand full of balloon, untied the end of it, stuck in his mouth and inhaled, deflating the entire balloon."You already did that."I burst out laughing at his silliness."Figures you would notice that.""I notice everything about you if you haven't noticed."I looked into those gorgeous green orbs of his and damn him altogether he bent down to kiss me.I swooned. Could've kicked myself in the ass for it too, but it was a done deal. Closed my eyes and puckered up in anticipation. I could hear Carly Simon singing that tune as if she stood in front of me. Yes, me, miss practical pants. I always believed I'd swoon in Prince Charming's arms, not his nemesis'. Drac's aim however was totally off. Maybe he had first dibs on the spiked punch. The dude had his lips glued to my neck. Giving me a freaking hicky. I was dead. This guy was gonna get staked by my dad if I came home with some giant purple bulseye on my neck.I felt dizzy, weak in the knees and elated all at the same time. I tried to say, "Stop," but then his lips covered mine and all I could taste was one, the musky Jovan perfume I wore and two, a sweet yet metallic slime from his lips. I raised my hand to my throbbing neck and damn if I didn't have bloody fingers.The stupid bastard really bit me. My jaw dropped this time. I looked about the clouded room only to see more faces coming in close to inspect my wounds. My BF was busy grabbing a pony tail on one girl and yanking her back away from me. "She's mine," she shouted. I loved her. Always there for me."Are you alright? Is she alright?" My friend sounded hysterical. Was I in that much trouble?I'm guessing so since it was the last thing I remembered.I woke up in the back seat of my dad's car wrapped in blankets and also in Drac's arms. Oddly I felt safe until I saw my girlfriend driving. I tried to sit up but Drac tightened his grip."She can really drive.""What happened?" I was barely able to speak. Felt tlike I was Alice trying to climb my way out from the rabbit hole, only there was nothing to grasp and I kept slipping back down further and deeper with each attempt.Drac touched my neck and the pain I'd felt earlier lessened. Healing touch? He lifted his mask.His face came from a god. Blond curly hair cascaded to his shoulders. Emerald eyes beckoned me and he had a full mouth I wanted on mine again. He obliged without my even asking. "I always thought you despised me.""Come with me." He unraveled all my blankets and held out his hand. "You are far more enchanting than Cinderella. Allow me to show you how fairy tales really end."The rest of my night was a dream. We went to the moon and back, literally. I floated in the wind with him as we flew over the city, taking in the lights, the beauty and freedom I experienced. I was freaking flying like Superman only this sure as hell wasn't Clark Kent who had me crushed against him. Magical. It was the best night of my life until we pulled into the driveway just as the clock struck midnight. My dad waited in the window, his nose pressed around fogged glass. I didn't want my time with him to end."Who are you really?" I asked. I should have been freaked out that he bit me or that we spent the evening in the clouds but I wasn't. Not at all."I'll see you tomorrow night."He vanished in thin air. My BF turned and smiled. "You just had your initiation to my world. We'll talk tomorrow." With a snap of her fingers she too vanished. That one did it. I was scared. Just me, now sitting in the driver's seat of my car trying to figure out what devilsih mess I just got myself into this time. To date, I'm pretty certain I married that devil in disguise. He still makes me weak in the knees, drives me batty and nibbles like there's no tomorrow :)Happy Halloween.Here's to hoping there really are things that go bump in the night....

Oh S#@t, here comes the mailman...

2011-05-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

You've done all the work, which is not limited to 40 + hours a week times 6 or more months of dedicated, titilating, heart stopping, drool over the guy with tatts and wicked blue eyes writing. You've missed dinners. Learned the finer art of take out, given your kids PBJ's all week coz you've got a scene in your noggin you can't lay to rest until its on paper (or on the computer) and then you've read and reread your MS. Erased. Made changes. Begged people to read it for you to make certain it flowed through their brain the same way it did yours. Once you've been given that seal of approval from a peer or trusted family/friend/some poor unsuspecting buggar you cornered and pleaded with, you send it off to uncommon grounds. Not certain whether the environment will be hostile or a warm welcome aboard. And you wait.

For the mail man...

Here he comes... I can hear the truck so plainly. Also hear my dog barking at him. (Grin!)

He pops the envelope in your box and drives off unknowing he's just delivered your future fate/state of happiness/wellbeing or dispare into your lap. Will we drinking champagne tonight or will I find comfort in a container of cookie dough icecream???

Or both.

My 1st MS was delivered back to me in 1 week.

For the record, nothing I've ever done in my life has been the easy way or politically right way.

I wrote for a year straight. Got someone to go through my 1200 double sided pages ms and correct my lack of knowledge where spelling and grammer were concerned and I shipped that baby out.

I was so excited until I unfolded a scant piece of paper sitting on top of my work. The only line the publisher wrote me was, "Get a ETYMOLOGY book and a writers guide book before ever sending this out again."

I scraped my jaw off the ground, got into my car and hit the book store and the icecream store on the return trip.

The other thing I've never been good at is taking No for an answer.

Never let another person put you down or your work. If it's something you believe in, never give up. Learn from what others have said but more important, be true to your heart.

Happy Memorial Day to all of you and God bless our troops and their families for their sacrifices.

Jaclyn

Eden's Black Rose

2011-04-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

I watched Date Line MSNBC last night. The story of, Stolen Memories, was being showcased. It's a story of a father fighting to get his son back after the boy was kidnapped and taken to Italy by his mentally ill mother. She kidnapped him a second time which landed the child in an orphanage. The story ripped my heart open. This moved me to the point I lost sleep last night and wrote the letter below.

Here's my thought, as bizzare as it sounds. What if~ people wrote to the Pope and asked him to throw his 2 cents in to the Italian senetors who keep postponing this family's life. I keep hearing that there is strength in prayer and numbers. My hope is that each of who read this will post it to your FB page and send the Pope a little note asking for him to intervene in this matter. If it were my child out there I would move heaven and earth to get them back. And since the Pope's as close to heaven as we can get, what a better place to begin.

this is the Pope's e-mail address

benedictxvi@vatican.va.

His snail mail address is:

His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI
Apostolic Palace
00120 Vatican City

Here's the letter I used. Feel free to copy and paste it and send it off if you like. Just add your name to mine.

Your Holiness,

I write to you because last night I watched Date Line MSNBC. The show, Stolen Memories, was about a young boy living in your country, who should be back here in the USA with his father, Michael McCarty. It has been 7 years since the boy was kidnapped by his mother. Multiple rulings over the custody have come and gone without resolution. The mother of the child kidnapped him a second time right from the Italian courthouse after a ruling she was deemed mentally unstable. The father was granted custody here. The reason I am writing is this is one, if it were my child out there living without me I would move heaven and earth to get him back to me and since I believe you are the closest man to heaven there is, I would pray you might talk to the senators who keep delaying the reunion of father and son and add your two cents. I realize that the crosses the barrier between religion and state and politics but sometimes a person with a clearer take on a problem is needed. My second reason is, I hear that there is strength in numbers and prayer. I posted this to my facebook page in hopes others would have the same gut wrenching need I do to do something to try and help a total stranger.

This is the link to the program. I do realize you are a busy man wanted by the world to perform miracles of healing and peace. If you were to help this man and his son, you could do both.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Jaclyn Kearney.

2011-03-29T18:48:00.001-07:00

To blurb: To babble in a short structured fashion with limited availability or room for adjectives to add flavor to the next word, nouns to make it whole, pronouns to do what they do best, (if only I knew it is what they do), verbs to keep us on the edge of our seat, adverbs to add lib to the verb and give them a lil break, RUN-ON-SENTENCES... anything that expands upon the true nature of what 300+ pages goes into nauseating yet spicy, sometimes downright juicy details to cover the most intimate, intricate webs we've weaved thus giving the readers an insight as to how truly twisted or talented, or (pat your chest to quell the palpitations) how disturbingly trodden one's tale of love, mystery, romance, til death do us part or not quite dead in some paranormal plots can actually be.

Thus, the need for the blub.

Something I've yet to master:)

The End.

Jaclyn

2011-01-30T02:30:00.001-08:00

So, we are 30 blissful days into our new year. How's those resolutions going? Mine~eh! My 1st one ended roughly 10 minutes into the year. Vowed to cut back on cussing. Not happening anytime soon. My 2nd one took 2 weeks before I started it. Decided to give the liver some respite. No telling what will happen come St. Patty's Day though. My 3rd & 4th are stuck on a rollercoaster. Getting time to write without being constantly interrupted and getting my workout routine back in shape (or would that be me?) Kinda one and the same. Started the year off with my niece getting married. And will pretty much close out the year with my daughter's wedding in Nov. The dress is bought, and came in yesterday. Her father saw it on her and for the 1st time in umpteen years, the man was speechless :) That however was about as shortlived as my cussing sessation.

So, I always thought resolutions were for people who were unhappy with their life style. I was wrong. They are for people who are trying to better themselves and their families. Whatever goals you've set out to accomplish, may you overcome any obstacles and achieve your deams

staying safe

2011-01-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

13 THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU

I received this E-mail from my aunt this morning. Usually she shares funny jokes that I look forward to. Today, well, please read this. You can have the last laugh if someone is thinking about breaking into your home.

1.Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2.Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3.Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4.Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

5.If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house.. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6.If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

7.A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8.It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

9.I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.

10.Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11.Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

12.You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13.A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If yo u're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at http://www.faketv/.com/)

8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:

1.Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

2.The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

3.I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

4.I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it.

5.I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

6.Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

7.To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

8.If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Sources:ï¿½Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, whorunshttp://www.crimedoctor.com and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.

Protection for you and your home:

If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans fo r you.

WASP SPRAY

A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can ofwasp spray instead.
The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one near by at home for home protection.. Thought this was interesting and might be of use.

FROM ANOTHER SOURCE:

On the heels of a break-in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self-defense experts have a tip that could save your life.

Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School . For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.
Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."
Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says, "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.

"That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe even save a life.
Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.'s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

P.S.
I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she do esn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.
Please pass this on even IF you've read it before. It's a reminder.

Please share this with all the people in your life.

Christmas Past!

2010-12-26T15:42:00.000-08:00

Memoirs of a feeble mind:

When I was 3 years old I lived in West Virginia, a warm sunny state back in the day, not known for an abundance of white fluffy flakes, but moreso steamy nights spent kicking the covers off the bed. December 24th arrived with a heat wave so in my mind Santa had a dilema... how to get his reindeer and sled to my house with my presents. I mean after all I was a good girl all year. I was on his A list for Pete's sake, I deserved all those gifts. Seriously, how much trouble can one little girl get into :) My motto, don't ask and I won't lie to you .... Well, my dad~ who I miss more than words can ever descibe, told me Santa always had a back up plan. At 3, you believe everything your parents tell you. 13 is a hole new can of worms but for today, we'll stick with my exiting toddlerism.

Christmas Eve we sat around listening to melodies ripped out by Bing and Frank and people singing back up to them that had no business singing, (specially after partying all night~yeah, my mom and dad were a part of this). We lived kinda sorta close to the airport, Dulles to be precise since my daddy was a ATC and worked there.

He told me the lights I saw illuminating the sky from the airport were actually Santa's sled getting closer. Well, when the helicopter landed in our front yard and Santa hopped out with his giant red sack filled with presents galore for all the kids in our hood, it was in the words of a little kids, WOW! Santa hugged me, told me I was special and then he hopped back in his chopper and headed out to the rest of the kids in the world.

It wasn't until I was old enough not to believe in Santa, that my dad told me about the pilot that was one of his bf's and played dress up for us. That was just 1 xmas I'll never forget. Each got better as the years passed until my parents passed on. Now its my turn to pass on my memories to my kids, who by their own rights are young adults. My daughter will be married in 11 months and my son graduating from Plattsburgh with his bachelors in Criminal Justice and Sociology. No matter how old we all are we still hope to spend the day laughing and in the arms of loved ones. The gifts are our family and friends. The presents~ the icing on the cake, or more apropos, the little things we do to tell people we love them.

Happy Christmas to all of you and Happy New Year as well.

To my niece, Jennine and her fiance, Joe who will wed on New Years Eve, I wish you a life time of good health, laughter until your cheeks hurt, prospertiy and love.

2010-11-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

This may very well be my shortest post ever. I am thankful for everyone who has ever shared a part in my life, be it good, bad or indifferent, for each of you has helped me learn and grow or sit back on my haunches and reflect. You've taught me to love, forgive, forget, and move forward. No regrets for they are a waste of precious time and energy.

You've shared your smiles and in worst cases your tears with me. You've allowed me into your lives and trusted what you covet the most with me. Your heart, your friendship, your love.

That saying, people come into your lives for different purposes at different stages is very true. We just need to look for the resons and once found, not lose sight of why.

I wish you all your dreams.

2010-10-30T06:24:00.001-07:00

TRICK OR TREAT

When I was younger and on outtings with my parents the best thing I could've seen was Halloween costumes on display in the windows or hanging sporadically throughout the store subtly reminding us that magical night where witches did fly-bys on broomsticks, sorcerers conjured up spells to turn people into old presidents or rockstars, and the pitter patter of tiny feet filled the streets, All Hallows Eve approached. Bags of candy too filled the isles, placed there to taunt me (and still do to this day). I have however figured out how to end thus taunting.... grab the wicked little treat and s-l-o-w-l-y peel the wrapper from each little chunker of chocolate until it is stripped of its confines and then sink my teeth into it in a frenzied feast until that little candybar is no longer a viable threat~until it hits my hips. My strong point? Knowing I can take on the entire army of little bars one by one until there are none :) I rule the candy kingdom!

Damon

Dressing up whether its for a party or Halloween has always been enjoyable. To become someone you're usually not, be that elegant for an evening or some slum who crawled out from the depths of the underworld in search of a howling good time. It adds zest to your day or night. When I was 6 my Mom made me into a princess. Not just any princess... All right, so there were a slew of us wanna be's out there, but I wore a red velvet ball gown that was my mom's dress she cropped down with a white furry collar {praying it wasn't real} and a tiara (and to this very stinking day I now know where my infatuation with all things that sparkle came from) with real diamonds. That's what I was told and I'm sticking with it. Of course the crown had to be returned to London Tower by midnight so I never saw it again. Dammit. Stripped of my title at such a tender age :( It left me green with envy~literally!

My hair used to be long enough to sit on and almost is again. My gram sent me next door to the beauty parlor to get ringlets put in. Had to be perfect for the party. A day I'll never forget. My hair was taken in a bazillion strands and tied up with rags and was gobbed with Dippity Do~ did I just age myself, yup & it was dowsed with at least one can of arosol that to this day chokes the life from me and left to set. It dried alright~ into one giant freakin knot. Had to have a few of the clumps cut out. Traumatized didn't cut it. My dad was ready to kill the woman and understandably so~

I was of course apeased with chocolate... that has not and shall never be replaced with anything else for consoling me. With the exception of wine :) It's an adjunct.

Anyway, I won 1st prize that night. Fifteen bucks. Trust me, that was a lot of moola back in the day.

As life cycled I had my two kids and I did the same thing my mom did. I made their outfits when they were 3 & 4 years old. At that time 101 Dalmations was the hottest movie out. I made them into Lucky and Wizzer ( I won't tell who was who). We paraded down our street, tails wagging, kids barking until they were hoarse for 2 days to come and my kids won 1st prize as well.

Christopher, Ashley & Caitlyn

I love Halloween. Always have. It's one of those nights that even if you can see your breath and you have a snowsuit on under your costume you know you're going to have fun. The carved pumpkins illuminating the night, the spooky music sending chills down your spine, the haunted hayrides making you snuggle closer to your date, and did I mention the candyyyy??? It's simple fun. It's something the family does together and isn't that what holidays are all about? Hanging out with your loved ones, whether they're Jason, Princess Leah, Lady Gaga, Frankenstein or my personal fav, the Count?

Needs no introduction

Happy Samhain to all. To all wiccan, blessed be. To my editor in chief, Callie Lynn~ happy editors day. Love you. Hope you're enjoying your favorite holiday.

Jaclyn Tracey

Dream contest

2010-10-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

Crawling out of bed drenched in sweat for all the right reasons would be a beautiful jump on a Monday morning. Unfortunately, that was the ending to my Sunday night and for all the wrong reasons. Ever have one of those nights where your dreams are one continous collage of snippets or short stories that have you screaming for the ax murderer to take out the bimbo hitting on your guy one second instead of you, or running for your life from an alligator/ shapeshifter with yellow and green hair another, grocery shopping in your birthday suit ( that's always my favorite) or my reoccuring favorite being stuck in quick sand while a cardinal pecks out my eyes while my mom and aunt stand by and wave farewell?

Yes, those are but 3 nights worth of my subconscious not being so subtle.

Last nights?

If you're not 18, please sign out now.

My hubby and I are in bed only its not ours. Its a twin in a vacant stark white room only we arent alone. There's a maniac with a crow bar beating my husband to death. He screams for his life until he can't. I fight this older man with greyish black hair and dark unforgiving eyes. I manage to take control of the steel bar but it instantly turns into a long vibrator. (If only I werent fighting for our lives, this could be fun I think.) I slam the guy once in the noggin and get him, but now the dumb bastards trying to keel over on me and die on me. This is so not happening. I'm kicking him off with all my might...

I shift in my bed and realize I've lost my covers. I pull them tightly around me and drift off.

I'm so comfortable for once I think I've gone to heaven. No lumps in my bed. My pillow is tucked beneath my head. No one is snoring any longer. My earring isn't jammed into my skull because I forgot to remove it, and the dog...son of a bitch, where is the dog? Usually she's planted right between my hubby and I. I have leg room for once. It's so nice until I remember I forgot Lonny.

The wind is whipping, leaves flailing through the overcast gloom. Ice chips tap away at the window pane until it sounds like buckshot peppering the glass until it cracks and the weather leaks in.. The temperature went from shorts and sandals to frostbite in hours. Lonny wanted out. Instead I opened the garage door. I knew my furless puppy would freeze otherwise, not that the garage was any warmer, but it was shelter. I wake up but I'm no longer in my bed but instead at my friends home and there's a glass of scotch with lipstick the same shade I wear imprinted on the glass. Hmmm, I think. One I loathe scotch and 2 I don't wear lipstick... The fire roars, snaps and a burst of flames reaches out from the hearth and grabs my leg. Lonny is freezing, it tells me.

Fire talking. Ok, I go with it. I look outside, panic coiled in my gut better than a snake in the grass. I can't get home to her due to the blizzard.

Wake up Jack ass I keep telling myself. I stretch my legs again and there she is. Safe, hogging my half of the bed. I let out a sigh of relief and go to roll over but I'm pinned beneath my husband who has a giant smirk on his face.

"Shall we?" he asks?

"Hell yeah," I reply. That's a nobrainer.

Juices are flowing, I'm heating up now, and for once its not due to menapause :)

Just at that precise moment when things could go really sweetly or the piano hits the pavement from 10 stories up, the hubby declares, "I gotta crap," and he gets up and heads for the bathroom in a hurry, cheeks pinched tightly.

"Are you serious?" I yell, totally frustrated. "You can't leave me like this."

"Catch!" He yanks once with a violent twist and off comes his penis. It's now flying straight at me. I try to catch it but its a slimy sucker. Lonny thinks its play time now. She pounces on the penis as it skids across the floor and grabs it in her teeth and takes off running. "Don't eat, Lonny. Dear God dog," I scream and wake myself up.

I want your best/worst/scariest dream and I'll pick one on Halloween and someone will get a free e~book of Eden's Black Rose outta the deal.

Good luck.

tis almost time for mischief and mayhem and things that go bump in the night.

2010-10-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here going through papers and when I went to write the date, I had to look twice. Oct is almost over. Crapola! Halloween is next week and I have no candy in the house ~ yet...(sinful grin on my lips.) That in itself is probably a good thing since I'd have had to test each piece indivudually to make sure they were worthy of the little trick or treaters to run off.... my reeces or almond joys. Or M & M's (my favorite with a glass of milk).

Really, nuttin' sadder than seeing that last candy bar trot off down the street by some lil ghoul, princess or superhero. Iron man.... Robert Downey Jr.... God, what I wouldn't give for him to show up on my door stoop begging for treats. It wouldn't be candy he'd get but he'd leave satisfied. Treated righteously. Slight tangent there. Yes, even at 8:30 am my mind isn't far from the gutter, probably since I only just crawled out.

Life as of lately has been crazy. It could be just me! A new job on the horizon. Leaving the old digs of 3 years for Cardiology once again. Time to fix some hearts instead of bleed them dry. There are a few people at my present job I will miss greatly. Characters all, really. Don't be surprised if one day you're reading one of my books and someone looks vaguely familiar. Ya never know. The names of course will be changed to protect the innocent or not so innocent:)

A wedding to plan for; money to beg~borrow~or pilfer for said wedding. My daughter, Caitlyn, and her fiance, Adam, have finally gone and done it and we couldn't be more thrilled for them. 13 months to get it all together. Piece of cake...

A dog to worry about, Miss Lonnymonster, being left home alone. You've seen the pictures. They say a thousand words. Mostly all not worthy of repeating. They cost me thousands more in new furniture and fixer-uppers. We hired a dogwalker for her 3 days a week. Yes, it's been said she's a little spoiled. So are my kids and they turned out perfect! Just wait and see what I can do to grandkids.....

Learning to live in an empty nest~ didn't think I'd adjust but I gotta say, it's nice. Not going to elaborate on that and end back in the ditch!

And sadly last but not least, trying to find time to write, keep my friends and family happily engaged is not easy. I want a superhero outfit. Today! This very second. I demand one. This wrinkled up old skin suit aint doing it for me. Getting one that actually works is about as likely as winning the lotto.

Anyway... just wanted to say hi. It's been a while. Gotta go find a perfectly good pumpkin to slice and dice and dazzle the kids with this next week. I need Chris to help me. He's the punkin master.

Happy Samhain Eve to all. I'll be back next week to write on the Black Rose line. Hope you stop by. Enjoy the weekend safely.

2010-09-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

What to do daily:

Pray for guidance and forgiveness for not only yourself but others. That the same mistake won’t be made twice, but if it is, you will continue to try to change. Each day is a new second chance to right a wrong.

Smile. Look around. Life has infinite possibilities/ moments to capture and enjoy. No camera needed. You’ve got your memory.

Tell those you love that you love them. What if that second chance is taken away?

Unclutter your life. Simplify. Lose old baggage. Toss out negativity. Strive for happiness.

Follow your dreams~ wherever they may take you. You have one life. Experience everything there is.

Trust that little voice in your head/heart. Instincts are what’s kept us alive. They keep us focused. Real.

Regrets are a waste of time and energy. Leave the past in the past. Don’t fret over would have, should have, could have been. If you didn’t do something, there was a reason.

Random acts of kindness go farther than you’ll ever see. Open a door for someone. Don’t cut another driver off. Let them in line. Hit the salvation army with your clothes you no longer need or a woman’s or homeless shelter.

Treat others as you would love to be treated. Fairly, with dignity.

2010-08-16T04:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know about all of you, but my 2nd favorite season is whizzing past me. I hope to be able to do just as my friend, Carol, is here in this picture... sit back on a gorgeous sunny day, beautiful blue sky above me with a warm breeze bringing the saltiness of the ocean spray to my lips. And read a great romance novel... Can you guess what book she's holding? Eden's Black Rose traveled to the Dominican Republic. Unfortunatley, I live vicariously through my friends for now.

So I'll leave you with this shot of my girlfriend enjoying life, as we all should.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

2010-05-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's that time again. Time flies when you're having fun, right? And doesn't it always seem to vanish before your eyes come summer? There's always so many activities~ weddings, graduations, picnics, vacations, baseball games... to keep me busy that I find it hard to read this time of the year. I stockpile my TBR pile and hold out til the snow is glistening on the ground, the winds are whipping and trying to get under my sills and my fire is crackling with red and blue flames. I have either a cup of tea or glass of wine ~ mood depending and lose myself with anything paranormal.

The one woman who inspired me to write was Laurell K Hamilton. The woman's imagination is infinite. Her Anita Blake vampire series keeps me under covers and Jean Claud is one hot vamp to die for ~ literally.

Rivalering her work is my next choice: Karen Marie Moning with her Highlander series and her Dark Fae series. Both have left me sobbing in tears, one Highlander book so much I immediately wrote her a letter and told her how moving the book had been and what it meant to me. I'd recently lost my dad to pancreatic cancer and had yet to shed a tear. Shock was clearly present. Then I read her book about turning back time to save the heroine's mother from Ovarian cancer by educating her early. Anyway, 2 tissue boxes and one hot mess later I sat down and began writing.

That woman knows how to throw a curve ball better than AJ Burnett.

3rd pick is Kim Harrison, who has a blog she follows and does her best to get back to people leaving her notes. She is curteous and a thrill to talk to her. I love her heroine Rachel M. Morgan. And Jinx, her pixie.

In 2 weeks our local chapter is having our 4th annual conference where I will support our local authors and get all my books ready for the winter months. Hope you all have a safe and Happy Memorial Day.

2010-04-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter To All MY PEEPS!!!!

All I need to know

I learned from the Easter Bunny!

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

There's no such thing as too much candy.

All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute tail attracts a lot of attention.

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off of other people's jelly beans.

Good things come in small, sugar coated packages.

The grass is always greener in someone else's basket.

To show your true colors, you have to come out of the shell.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey

2010-03-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring from:

When I was younger I can remember sitting in a classroom sweating bullets I was going to be the first one picked to stand up in the front of a room and read aloud… aka public speaking… what I’d written. Didn’t matter that I knew hands down I had the best paper out there or the funniest and that it was probably the only one with every other word spelled atrociously wrong, nope, just that I had to go put my baby up for public scrutiny. Not to mention little old moi.

Well, all I can say I am a survivor of trying to squeeze every inch of my body behind a podium and pretend all the people staring at me, waiting for me to flub up were naked. For the record that old trick really doesn’t work. Nor did making myself invisible to the class. What I need to get across is that I did it, stuttering throughout the entire paper and tossing lunch after too. I was able to present my work to the public. If they’d only had Xanax back in the day! Hmmm…

But ya know what’s worse than being first? Being dead last. Everyone’s already had all the great ideas. Told all the really cool stuff, hit all the angles on the topics you intended to touch on. Then what? I believe the word my brain is searching for is improvise J which is what I’m all about today.

Recently, my book-my baby, I gave her freedom and she stood on her own. She is now out there on a shelf with others just like her. With the exception of the 2 copies in my kids rooms. Those are collecting dust :( I won’t go there.

Anyway, in a very round about way what I’m getting at is this. If you’re going to write a book you have to toss self inhibitions out the window. And along with that chuck out the outright panic that consumes you just before you go to an agent/editor panel to sell your baby. On occasion alcohol works wonders… I’m just saying!

That is the first place you get to really practice selling and promoting your book. If you can sell it there, you can sell it anywhere…. I know I sound like I’m gonna break out in a song and dance right now. New York, New Yorkkkk!

Lets face it, that’s honestly the hardest work we as writers do and it also causes the most stress.

But lets jump this hurdle and move onto the next. You’re now a published author and it just doesn’t get any cooler than this. Unless ~ God forbid ~ no one buys your book.

So, what I’ve compiled is this. I’ve read most of the other posts and all had excellent ideas and suggestions so I will not waste any more time weighing you down with the sos. This is my take on promoting your work….This is what happens when you’re the last straggler picking at the leftovers.

Talk. Talk like you’ll never get another chance to voice your opinion again. Talk to people in the lines in the market. Got anything better to do while ya wait for the lady with 200 coupons to check out? Sit next to someone in a waiting room reading and flash a copy of your book their way. Run a philibuster. Stand up in a meeting and graciously say, “Have I got news for you guys!” Tell every exciting attribute your story has. Play up your heroine, make people want your hero more than their partner. Just don’t give away the end of the book… I’ve already done that once. Not my brightest moment!

Get your web site up and running….Ok, so God may have the upper hand on me this time. He created the world in 7 days. I designed my web site in 3 years. But its done. Cost me an arm and a leg, but I love it.

Twitter away the day is all I’m gonna say. This I have yet to master and so far it’s been a disaster.

My Space, Face Book, cyberspace ~ get in the race. Don’t let the momentum go to waste.

Blog hop like your back in school going from one social event to the next. Schmooze away baby. Read other author’s works. Support local authors and those in your clubs and organizations. Help promote them and hopefully they’ll return the favor.

Chat rooms ~ drop in. Enter some contests or better yet have one. People love~love~love free stuff.

Trailers ~ something I’ve yet to do and want to. Yes Sky, I still have all the info, just not the time…yet. This weekend I’ll start putting it togetherJ Thank you!

Radio talk shows and Newspaper adds and the RWA adds are fabulous ways of getting to the masses. A little deep in the pockets, but some things are worth an investment.

And last but not least, my favorite way of getting the word out ~ bribery. It works like a charm. Ask my kids. Got ‘em working the streets better than pickpockets.

Seriously!

I hope this helped. Being almost dead last in the month one tends to get slim pickins on what to talk about. Or, I could say we saved the best for last J

Good night. God Bless.

Jack

2010-02-20T16:34:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd share with you, Eden's Black Rose is now available for purchase through The Wild Rose Press and Amazon.com and to my amazement the book received a 5 star review:)

I am hanging out this week with Sky Purington at her blog:

http://skypuringtonwrites.blogspot.com.

Please join me. Drop in and leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book and also a 5$ gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press.

www.thewildrosepress.com

www.amazon.com

Please feel free to leave any comments you have after you've read the book. I'd love to know what you think.

2010-01-30T05:57:00.001-08:00

Organized ~ Schmorganized

Clutter ~

makes my heart flutter.

My desk a mess?

I must confess,

Sometimes yes.

I’ve been buried alive,

Yet no matter how hard I strive

To clean up this crap

and get my life back

The cause is lost,

Tis like peering though a window covered in thick frost.

The path before me is a maze,

My mind trapped in a daze.

I’ve lost my keyboard and my mouse ran away

It’s like searching for a needle in a stack of hay

I’m not much of a fan

Of coming up with a daily plan

I’ve read all the blogs,

Hoping to clear some of the fog

But alas I’m left all alone

To grip, grumble and moan

I’d love to find the time

To do something other than this silly rhythm

But tis not meant to be.

Not today, not tomorrow

Anyone have any suggestions I can borrow???

Help me... (squealed the voive from the movie The Fly)

Jaclyn

Eden's Black Rose is now available to pre-order through the Wild Rose Press :)

www.thewildrosepress.com

www.jaclyntracey.com

2009-12-30T05:45:00.000-08:00

Oh Sh*t ~ What Time Is IT??

How many times have you mumbled or thought one of these:

There are never enough hours in a day!

There are never enough days in a week!

24/7

8 Days a week! (Thank you, The Beatles, for coining that phrase.)

If only I had more time!

Time flies when you’re having fun!

Spring ahead ~ nooo! We lose a precious hour during this cycle and quite frankly, it screws up mine for a week.

Fall back ~ SWEET! We get to lounge around in bed an extra 60 minutes if we’re lucky. I am deemed an unlucky one. I tend to worry my alarm won’t go off on time and I watch the seconds tick my life away until the blasted thing explodes and wakes the dead. Then and only then do I aim for the snooze button.

FYI: There’s 365 days in a year: 52 weeks: 8765.81277 hours: & 31,556,926 seconds in a year. I did not waste my time calculating this, but I did, looking it up.

Of this useless info 2,920 are spent sleeping. 24 minutes lost one way to travel back and forth to work; 7.6 hours spent at work…eh! And 2.6 hours spent doing chores. Doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for much of anything else. What exactly is time you’re wondering?

Time: the measured or measurable period during which an action, process or condition exists.

Management: the act or art of managing. Control. Direction. (To which I have none.)

Time management: Doesn’t exist within the dictionary and there in lays all of our problems!

Without a proper definition how are we to muddle our way through the day?

There’s wedding planners to get you down the isle in a timely fashion, funeral directors to scoop you up after your time’s up, traffic cops to just flat out ruin your time, travel agents to make your time worth while, but no one out there with the title of Time Managers. I think I’m onto something. Can you imagine people out there running around telling you what time it is and what you have to do? Wait a minute, hold the horses, isn’t that thing called a spouse???

Or your boss???

Shopping centers are open day and night. Gyms and fitness centers are pumping with the same enthusiasm. Gas stations and fast food joints are ready, willing and able to fuel our hot little car or the minivan and our growling bellies, but the problem is people need sleep. People need relaxation, leisure time ~ to download, unwind and feel there’s more to life than all work and no play coz let’s face it, without playtime, it makes Jack a dull boy ~ scuse me ~ girlJ

Companies want you more productive, want you to basically throw up a tent in your cubicle and give them 110% of you.

You go home and your family expects more than your employer.

There’s chores, soccer games, cheerleading meets, marketing… need I go on?

Calgon take me away? I’m gonna go out a limb and state I just dated myself with that line. Am I right???

When can we find the time to write and enjoy our time?

The answer, you’re wondering???

Ya gotta make time.

As a self proclaimed pantser, this is not going to be an easy task for me for the obvious reasons. I tend to land where the winds have blown me. That whole three steps forward, two backwards has me for a poster child ~ eh ~ matured woman, and I use the term matured looselyJ

For the record I truly am as scattered brained as I appear most days, but, I am an intelligent scatterbrain, if there is such a thing! I live for chaos. Thrive in it actually. Too much time on my hands and I tend to get into all kinds of trouble.

Sad but true. Love that song by Metallica! Sorry, mini tangent.

For me, at this point in time, until all my books hit the top 10 bestsellers list ( a girl’s gotta have dreams) my job is my 2^nd priority. Family has and always will come 1^st. No ifs ands or buts.

Unfortunately, saying that by 6:00- 6:30 every morning (in the bleeding dark now that it’s winter) I’m off to work for some days up to 10-12 hours. No two days are ever the same since I work with the mentally disabled, and I don’t mean my coworkers, although… there’s a few that could be tossed into the lot. Then it’s home to cook, clean, play with the dog, play with the dog some more and then maybe settle in front of this thing and hope my muse isn’t as worn out as I am.

Some days it’s a lost cause. I wake up with my face melded into my desk, drool in places it shouldn’t be and a stiff neck. Other days time flies by and I find I’ve been up all night partying with all the voices in my head giving everyone their say. I write whenever and wherever I can. Most of the time though its small allotted snippets of those sacred moments where its just me and my keyboard preparing to share our secrets to the world. Weekends work wonders, especially when you vow not to shower or come out of your cave for even food or water ~ caffeine’s a whole other beast. And now that I am embarking on a new career path, my studies will take up much of my time as well.

There’s just never enough to go around……….

Time is our most precious commodity. Treat her with kid gloves. Make time for her. Make time for you, because if you don’t life goes by in the blink of an eye and although your Timex may take a licking and keep on ticking, you won’t.

I believe the sand in my egg timer just ran out!

Jaclyn Tracey

Eden’s Black Rose ~ Release date Feb 19^th, 2010 (Happy dance time!)

*Happy New Year to each of you. I hope it is prosperous and filled with laughter and love.

2009-12-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

Hi there. I’m Jaclyn Tracey, author of Eden’s Black Rose, coming to the Wild Rose Press Feb. 19th, 2010..... Happy Dance Time.

Party plans to follow soon!

I’m here to pose a question:

Can two polar opposites, pantsers versus plotters, accomplish the same task? Write a novel worthy of steaming up not only the characters, but the readers as well? Bring tears of joy and gut-wrenching turmoil to our hearts and allow us to become enthralled, to care for our characters as we do our families?

Control versus out of control. I tend to fall in the latter part of this statement.

For the thirty-eight years I was blessed with my mother’s wisdom she never failed to ask me, “Jack, when are you going to learn you can’t sail through life by the seat of your pants?”

To date, I’m still flying high even though I’m no trapeze artist. No safety net beneath me in case I slip. Crash and burn is my motto and I’m sticking with it, scars and all.

I am one of those people who go to bed late and wake up bright and early without a game plan. Let the chips land where they may. Care free, happy-go-lucky or missing marbles?

Whateverrr! Somehow, I make it through the day.

This particular piece of my genetic make-up drives my husband bonkers. We are polar opposites.

For him, there’s a routine to follow, guidelines to adhere to. He needs those walls of support. He is, after all, an engineer! And just maybe he has more on his plate than I do…nah!

My theme song is Korn’s, Coming Undone.

For each of us, we have developed our own way of muddling through the hours of our days. I affectionately call those who live in the other 180 * of this world, Type A personalities, or better know to the authors of the world, plotters.

The incessant need to jot things down, organize, think something through, stick with it, develop an outline… I despised outlines as a kid, and to date, despise the synopsis with the same enthusiasm. I can’t think that far ahead. Could that be why I have always been in trouble my entire life??? Hmmm!

My synopsis comes at the book’s end. I go through and painstakingly try to condense 360 +pages into 3 or 4 pages of gibberish. For the record, someone had a morose sense of humor when they came up with that word back in 1611.

For starters lets just say you’re in the midst of developing your character’s personality. I toy with a few ideas in my head, and start typing and from that point on, the character is no longer mine, but Pinocchio singing, dancing, carrying on inside me, clawing for a way out, to live and breathe without the need of me as its life-support. I allow him the freedom to roam. It’s how I was brought up. What I’m attempting to get across is that when I sit down to write, it is no longer me at the keyboard. It’s either Serina, Raven, Lucian, Savanah or Duncan or Ethan or…. I have roughly 25 voices screaming at me to be heard at any given time. Cybil aint got squat on me.

I run with their ideas and see where it leads. Usually trouble. And it never seems to fail that they come through at the most inopportune moments, when I’m in a meeting, driving my car, sleeping… I am forever excusing myself out of a room, writing notes on my hands because I lack paper in the car and can’t read a single word I’ve written when I get up the morning after I’ve tried to write a line or 2 down at 3 or 4 am from a sound sleep. I call my cell and leave messages to me so I won’t forget what it is I need to remember. It’s about as orderly as I get. Possibly plotters have the same problems? I don’t know. But what I do know is I’ve sat through workshops (wonderful classes given by brilliant well-known authors who bring their plotting wealth of wisdom to the table to share). Plotters’ juices flow with this. I sat through a workshop this summer at our local chapter conference and watched many women salivating over different mechanisms, charts, graphs, papers to fill out on personalities, how opposites attract, how to name your characters, (I personally borrowed all my family and friend’s names for my guys and gals. It was a personal choice. I wanted to include them in my books and luckily I love all the names!) themes, the world they live in…. OMG! It’s too much like school. I know many people thrive in this environment. How? I’m being sincere.

I can’t do it.

I don’t think pantsers have to many seminars or classes on which way the wind blows and how to stay afloat. Take life by the balls and hang on for dear life!

Call it ADD, no focus, to much caffeine (most likely the caseJ) or way too much space between the synapses in my grey matter that I have never been able to stay within the lines. Forget paint by numbers…

Sitting down a month before I know I have a paper due? I laugh at the very thought of being deemed so organized. Always burnt the midnight oil the night before anything was needed. Case and point, this paper is due on the blog in about 11 hours and I just started it… Maybe not the best made plan, but I have survived the slush pile, made it through all the edits and am one step away from seeing my baby, Eden’s Black Rose, in print. Yes, there is a giant grin plastered on my lips!

I tend to take the scenic route in life, get lost, ask for directions, get lost again because I don’t write them down the first time and yes, believe it or not, I do learn from past mistakes. And in actuality I can stay focused… if my muse is in a cooperative mood. I’ve been known to lock myself in my room for 2-3 days without coming up for air and just tap away at my keyboard. However, those are random moments. Family, friends, puppies and coworkers tend to get peeved when you try to seclude yourself from life.

I have the highest of regard for people’s work ethics. Who am I to critique another’s routine and what gets them from the beginning to the end of a story, when I hang onto the end of my rope daily and dangle over an open pit of hungry piranhas?

No one.

To each his own. One man’s junk is another’s treasure. Diversity is what makes the world go round.

As long as we write worthy of ourselves who cares how the journey is accomplished. Just be thankful it is. And enjoy it every step of the way.

An imagination is an awful thing to waste.

May each of you have a safe, healthy and happy holiday.

Jack

Happy Halloween

2009-10-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

Beware mere mortals, there’s a new guy in town… well not really so new, but in truth very old, ancient actually, experienced and as of lately, sexier than any one man—or woman has a God-given right to be, but then these lustful creatures of the night aren’t of the Divine Order, or are they? Vampires are among us. And hopefully here to stay! At least until all my books are pubbed—sorry for that shameless plug about Eden’s Black Rose! Coming next year from The Wild Rose Press.

They’re on television, movie screens, hogging up bookstore’s shelves, snuggling next to you in your bedroom heating up your hormones not to mention any other part of your anatomy that loves to be caressed, kissed, sucked or nibbled on. And let’s face it, who among us doesn’t enjoy having their neck kissed or their inner thigh nibbled on? Two of my fav hot spots, not that you needed to know that. TMI? Not nearly half as bad as the detail I could go into…but I won’t today. Not sure of the ratings here J

I watched Dracula and those he sired since I was big enough to turn on the telly, and I gotta tell ya’ll, I don’t recall them being anything other than scary enough for me to go running to my mom for protection... And no, she wasn’t armed with apotropaics—Holy H20 or crucifixes, branches of a wild rose, silver anything or multiple strands of garlands even though I do adore the stuff. Ever try garlic ice cream? Ummm. (Callie, remind me to add to my 2^nd book where Olivia stuffs the thorned branch down his trousers? Revisions and edits—do they ever really end?)

Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula.

I have just one burning question really—when did the thieving, conniving revenants become the to-die-for-sex-heroes of our books and movies? When did Mr. Wrong turn into Mr. Right? Coz this guy just doesn’t do it for me! Can’t see myself hopping into Bela’s casket for a quickie.

The little bat still visits me in my nightmares. Back in the day those animated little corpses reminded me of a giant mosquito out to make my life miserable; left me with an insatiable itch. Today, that itch has a delicious sensation when it’s accompanied with the promise of untamed, unbridled primitive passion; the killer “O” as long as it doesn’t really land you in the morgue. There’s the risk that draws people to the dark side.

Has our own daily dilemmas taken such a plunge into the underbelly of the world that we are desperate for new blood? Are we the true vamps in search of new destinies? A quickie fix?

I’m always up for a quickie J

Have death and taxes and all that lies in between taken its toll on our sense of humors? Yup!

On our love affairs?

Oh hell yeah! How many times have we watched a love scene or read one with some bloodsucker and we wet our panties wishing we were the actor in their arms and then we trot off to the sack with our mortal lover in hopes of finding something that just isn’t as magical as our expectations? Does the magical enthrallment ruin what used to be a great roll in the hay? Not always! Once in a blue moon we get lucky.

As far as reality goes, I don’t even know what’s real or not any more. I have so many voices in my head daily telling me what to say, what to write, who to kill off, who to jump into bed with…. (Giant grin on that one!) that I’ve lost my sense of self. I really don’t need meds, although….

Do we need an escape hatch?

I for one do. It’s why I began writing.

I am sick of waking up every morning to a mundane cup of java, watching my dog turn yet another patch of what’s left of my green grass, brown and going to work to painstakingly, (sorry, couldn’t resist) watch the hands on the clock tick my life away one second at a time.

I do have a point. I just tend to wander off the beaten path and take the scenic route home.

Vamps have been around well before 1200. Documentation of such non-living creatures has been recorded and disputed over centuries. Folklore described the undead as those whose souls never departed their bodies after death. They were shrouded in tattered cloths and bloated once the casket was opened.

Ah—hello! You ever see what happens to a animal’s body when it’s left outside in the sun? Puffs right up better than a hunk of dough. EWH! What do people expect when you put someone in the ground in a pine box and let them ferment? One, the bugs get in and munch on whatever bugs munch on (it’s really best NOT to think about that) and two, all the internal shit has a meltdown and turns into gases. And we all know how a gaseous tummy makes us feel, right?

Voltaire, a Polemic (one who practices disputing controversy wrote a long, long time ago: Vampires got out of their graves at night to suck the blood of the living and then return to their grave. The person so sucked waned, grew pale and fell to consumption, while the sucking corpse grew fat, got rosy and enjoyed an excellent appetite. The stories grew by leaps and bounds bringing us up to speed.

Myths, fables, some true tales have special places in our libraries, but none ever so as popular as Vlad Tepes Dracula—The Impaler. Handsome little devil isn’t he? I didn’t think so!

This is the procreator of all evil Dracula stories. Bram Stoker in 1897 wrote, Dracula, after the ruler of Wallachia, in the Balkans. Tepes stands for ‘Impaler.’ A means to which the man ended over 40,000 lives by impaling their bodies on long stakes for illegal, immoral wrongs they committed. He then displayed their corpses in public to instill fear to others whom might have considered a path less legal. He was considered a true leader.

Dracula’s name has a distinct origin. The Holy Emperor of Rome founded the religious Order of the Dragon in 1410. Their symbol was a dragon. Seems befitting! The word Dragon in Romania is ‘drac’ and ‘ul’ is the definitive article, (no clue what that last part actually means J). This was Vlad’s father’s name; Vlad Dracul. He and his wife then popped out a little boy…

“Ulea” means son of, thus giving Vlad Dracula his name. The word “Drac”

also means the devil in Romania. Enter spooky stories.

Vlad, like so many men, has evolved over the centuries… Thank God, right? Survival of the fittest and all that anthropological BS. Vamps thrive while we barely survive.

His bite went from women being outright terrorized and screaming for their lives to a new level of an orgasmic squeal. And who wouldn’t, given the opportunity to be on the receiving end of these fine luscious lips? Look who we’ve had recently to quench our thirst, or theirs more appropriately?

I have 2 men in mind that I honestly can’t stake one over the other:

Angel; a vamp with a soul and seriously? The most incredulous smile I’ve ever drooled over and a bod to die for, literally! Any night of the week, baby! Currently Thursdays on Bones. Sorry, but I love David fangs or no fangs.

Then there’s my 2^nd fav hottie; Mick St. John: Moonlight. Friday nights just aren’t the same L

Could someone please tell me why do all the awesome shows get cancelled? It’s not fair.

In retrospect, there’s one vamp out there that didn’t do it for me. Tom Cruise’s portrayal of Lestat in, An Interview With A Vampire. Sorry Tom. You aren’t a natural born killer.

“No picture for you!” said the soup Nazi. Any Seinfeld fans?

As far as books go I have my favorite authors who write a superb man of the night; Karen Marie Moning, Laurell K Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Christine Feehan to name a few. At some point, hopefully sooner than later, you’ll be able to pick up Eden’s Black Rose and add Lucian St. James to your own list of hotties. (SP shameless plug #2) J

I started writing this wanting to find a definitive date where the vamps turned into the good guys but as aloof as they can be, so too are specific dates, unless you go as far back as George Hamilton’s spoof on Dracula, Love At First Bite, made in1979. Who doesn’t love George, even if he is the tannest vamp in Hollywood?

These days there seems to be something for everyone. If you want thrillers Richard Roxburghs’s portrayal of the Count in Van Helsing had a sexy twist. This one’s for the guys… 2 on 1. Any man’s fantasy. Am I right?

Hell, even the women vamps are gorgeous. That movie left me feeling down right trodden with my reflection in the mirror. Something these creatures obviously don’t have to worry about. Suckers!

Must be nice to sleep all day and party all night. Add a little glamour to project a image worthy of luring innocents and have your beefcake and eat it too. Literally.

Okayyy, twilight nears and the moon is in full bloom. I must go open my windows, dab a little Eden’s Black Rose perfume behind my ears (my heroine in my book, Serina, makes this—SP #3 J) and await my dreams since I’m pretty sure that’s as good as it gets!

Sweet dreams to all of you.

Oh, in the spirit of Samhein, I went to my dentist to get my smile spruced up for all my little trick or treaters. My dentist, a quirky little man who never seems to age and whom I honestly love more than I remember as of lately, told me to sit back, close my eyes and after I felt a little pinch he’d give me a smile others would die for. Ya know, in retrospect, I should have asked why he’d gotten so close to me when he had to numb me. Should have asked why his cool breath feathered across my flesh. Should have wondered why I felt like I’d been given a blast of happy gas instead of Novocain. Hmmm!

Happy Hauntings to each of you. A day we celebrate candy. Beware of land sharks.

Jaclyn Tracey,

Eden’s Black Rose

Here’s my before and after pics:

Before the dentist:

After my dental appointment:

2009-10-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

I would like to take just a minute to introduce the newest member of our family, Dalton.

He is almost 4 months old, a pitbull and fearless. He is the sweetest little nibbler I've met. Forgot just how sharp puppy teeth are until they sink into you.

2009-08-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Wow. I can't believe I haven't updated this blog in 7 weeks. Time really does fly, or at least it seems to more so in the summer months. Am I right? We muddle through the winter, or at least I do, waiting for the first signs of spring--the first little blossom to pop through the snow and pray for no Noreasters in the mean time. I so should live south, but alas, my family loves the one thing I despise. White fluffy stuff and I don't mean the stuff that compliments peanut butter better than Sonny did Cher.

With summer comes weekends filled with weddings, graduations, poolside parties, BBQ's and BASEBALL! OH YEAH! GO YANKEES! All right, maybe not today... Yes, I whined a lot after the game.

We celebrated my niece's wedding in June. The day was warm and sunny, the atmosphere jovial and the entire day a dream come true for my niece and her new husband. Jess and Ryan are now living in Tacoma, Washington begininng thier lives.

I have finally gotten some sun this year. Writing about vampires is one thing. Living like them and secluding myself the past 4+ years is another. For the first time in eons, I have a tan. I know I always preach sunblock to my family after working in dermatology for 7 years but what the hey! That's what my bff, Kathy, is for. If I get a skin cancer I'll go visit her. Possibly not my smartest choice but right now, I'm tired of the pasty, glazed over shell I've had.

I'm just getting back into the swing of things--taking my Lonny for walks, or runs. We started running this past week. Been out 4 times now. This morning I almost made 2 miles. OMG, I'm so not going to able to walk tomorrow or Monday for sure. It won't be pretty. What's that saying, no pain, no gain?

Less than 2 weeks left to the official close of summer. I hope each of you enjoyed your days basking in the warm rays, cannonballing some unsuspecting soul passing by the pool or relaxing with family and friends at some gathering. I know I did. Pretty soon, it'll be back to my computer to write... write...write:)

Enjoy tomoorw. Life's too short not to.

Jack

2009-07-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 4TH.

I hope each of you got to spend the day with family and friends in a warm, DRY, setting. Hope there were many 'Oooh's and Awes' and delighted faces as the night sky came to life with vibrant colors. Would you guys humor me and take just one moment to say a quick prayer and thanks to all of the men and women who have helped keep our countrie's Indepence Day just that? Let Freedom Ring!

With that said,

On July 13th I have been asked to host Dayana Knight's blog and chat about whatever I want. That could go either way ~ good or bad. We are running a contest and to see the list of prizes and rules please hop onto Dayana's site and check it out. You have to find the liberty bell and keep track of it for the month. I hope you come and join me. I'll be giving away a free copy of Eden's Black Rose for your computer, when it's released, as a gift to some lucky person. When perusing Dayana's site, please take the time to check out her the 1st book in her Roma Wolf Tales series, Curse of the Marhime. I just finished reading the book and crawled away hungry for more. Pita Sedgwick is heroine and is a woman we can all easily relate to. She's down to earth, literally on all fours during parts of the novel, and all she really wants is a sense of self and true love. Who doesn't want that? I definitely would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys stories of lycan and shifters and one sweet romance.

Gotta run. The fireworks are going off in our neighborhood.

Here's the link for the 13th:

Dayanaknight@blogspot.com

Sweet dreams

A few mindless ramblings on writing

2009-06-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Every virgin sheet of paper has the propensity to become the next greatest novel. All it takes is a dream and your heart, blood, sweat and tears... And in most cases a gadzillion hours spent with only your own thoughts and sense of humor to get you through the next page or scene.

The comfort factor is there are groups out there of real humans, not just people we meet in cyber space. Others that we can sit around a table with, share our ideas, get help with an idea or plot that we've run out of metaphors for or to just feel like we really aren't all alone out there. Because let's face it, writing can get very lonely with the exception of all your characters talking your head off.

Sometimes it's nice to see a REAl face. A smile can go a long way.

I spent this weekend at the CR-RWA Conference in Albany, NY with a group of women that are a rare find. They are forthright in their quest to do whatever it takes to make it in a profession where, and I quote,"Editors and agents are looking for a reason to reject manuscripts." Makes absolutely no sense to me then why they're even in the business but, that's was told to us last night by a panel of editors and agents. Then why, with such a grim outlook would we step up to the plate and strive for a grandslam when the publishing business wants to strike us out?

I can't speak for others but I love to write. I want to share my unique twisted views of life, death and whatever falls in between. And when real life gets to be too much I need an escape hatch. Been off hiding for the past four years now! Writing can be cathartic, soothing a withered soul, venting or giving an old idea a new breath of air. Sometimes it can be beneficial, informative or down right dull and lull you into a deep void. Even in sleep, dreams are plentiful, bizarre and sometimes outright insane. (And if you know me, you know I'm always sharing what went on the night before. Let me clarify that, dream-wise. Get your head out of the gutter.) I don't have too many delusions of granduer that I'll top JK Rowlings or Nora Roberts, but every now and then it's fun to let the mind wander down that yellow brick road and see if OZ and the great magician has anything in his magic hat for me. I'm not holding much hope since the scarecrow got the brain already.

The conference was informative and fun and at the same time it left a pit in my tummy. The economy we live in today has hit every industry, except sports it seems. Athletes are the only creatures out there making boucoup bucks. The editor/agent panel talked a lot about cutbacks on advances for the bigger houses and less books being printed.... They said, "Getting published is easier than staying published!" OUCH!

Tomorrow, I'm diving back into my 3rd book and doing the dredded 'R' word again... revising. It is possible to teach an old dog new tricks. I am learning, just at a snail's pace. When I get some free time, 2012? I'm going to write a book on 'what not to do to get published.' I'm quite certain I've made every mistake known to the book world.

1. Do your homework. Research, reseach... Know what you're writing about. You don't have to earn a PhD in your genre but at least know enough to sound credible or scoot past the editor's red pen marks.

2. Follow the guidlines editors set up. They aren't out to set up a maze you can't write your way out of, they just need some form of organization... something I'm still grasping.

3. Trust in yourself. That's the hardest part. You can only read your manuscript so many times and change it so many times before you want to shred the damned thing. If you're changing it up every time you look at it, step back and put space between you and block of paper. Take a long walk, a Forrest Gump kinda walk.

4. Learn the jargon the publishing community uses. I can't tell you how many months/years I wasted with queries and synopsis because I thought 'no multiple submissions meant for the querie itsself. I sent out one at a time and waited and watched a new grey hair pop out of my head daily.

Then every other page of writer's manuels tells you in big bold print DO NOT BUG THE EDITOR with questions after you've submitted and to just wait till you hear from them. I lost 9 months on that because my manuscript was surfing through space before it was found again.

Thankfully my book has found a home and a wonderful editor who I dearly love. She has been instrumental in teaching me things, patient, keeping me sane and keeping my dream alive.

So in closing, I'd like to thank her for not looking for a reason to reject my book.

I came away from the conference with a new sense of how the publishing industry works, their likes and dislikes, do's and don'ts and met some very interesting people. Saw a few women I haven't seen in a while and enjoyed the time with them. I'm looking forward to next year's gathering.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

I'd like to begin by wishing each of you a happy Easter. This happens to be one of my favorite holidays. I have tender childhood memories of waking up to find a beautiful Easter dress, a hat, new shoes (one of my passions) and oodles of candy. Dear Lord, could the day get any better? The Easter Egg Hunts were probably the most fun. Searching every nook and cranny of the home to find the little treasures hidden in vases, corners of the room, in between the couch cushions (which didn't work to any one's vantage when they weren't found and forgotten) and right in plain sight most times. I loved the meals my mom and grandmother prepared. Ham, dripping with brown sugar, creamy mashed potatoes and the vegatables... I've learned over the years to love them, but when you're a kid, it's not about the veggies.

My parents weren't religeous by any means. My mom was baptized Catholic, went to a Catholic school in England and had her left hand broken because she was a south paw. She never went back to the church. My dad was an Athiest. When I was 5 years old they asked me which religion I wanted to be baptized and I picked the one I couldn't pronounce, Episcopal. Sadly, I have yet to walk into an Episcopal church. I was always brought to Sunday mass by my aunt. I'll date myself terribly now; when we were little you couldn't enter a church without some covering on your head. Each Sunday my aunt would strip her tables of doilies and place them on her daughter's and my head. Not even half way through the mass my cousin would elbow me and say, "Get ready!" The Priest would walk down the isle with his censer, incense clouding the room, and my cousin and I would begin to cough. He would get up and drag me from the church so we could get out sitting through the rest of the sermon. Yes, we got 'time out' for it on more than one occasion. I seem to have gone off on a tangent. Let me get back.

From a personal point of view, I was born on Easter Sunday, and haven't had the holiday land on my birthday since. I think the next time it does land on my birthday, I'll be too old to remember it.

I attempted to do a little reseach on Easter, to find a simple meaning. There is no simple meaning. It seemed one thing led me to another, mostly because I didn't understand what I was reading. Easter did not always symbolize Christ's resurrection from the dead. I found the Pagan's celebrated the festival day due to the season's rebirth and renewal of life. They honored the Saxon goddess Eastre.

After the Pagan's were converted to Christianity their holiday and the Christian's resurrection of Christ fell close together and the days were merged to become Easter.

Easter comes on a different day each year. It is chosen by the moon's cycle. Easter is always the first Sunday after the Paschal moon, (another word I looked up—Paschal, meaning Passover), which is the first moon whose 14th day, (the ecclesiastic "full moon") is on or after the March 21st, (the ecclesiastic vernal equinox).

The vernal equinox happens twice a year, spring and fall. It is when the earth's axis is neither tilted away or to the sun, but the sun is vertically above the equator, giving way to the length of day and night being equal in hours.

My last quest was to find out when the Easter Bunny hopped into town. Seems he's been visiting children's homes since the 1600's.

The cute little bunny was chosen due to its fertil ability to bring forth life, tying into the renewal and rebirth of spring.

The Easter Egg, was also chosen for this reason, fertility and birth. Back in the day... all right, way back, eggs were colored either red, for Christ's blood or green for the new foliage spring brought after a long winter's solstice.

The last little thing I found of interest was the saying, "Wild as a mad hare" or "If you get a wild hare", comes from the mating rituals of the rabbits in spring time. They do crazy dances to entice the females to mate with them and people witnessing this thought the animals mad.

I hope each of you enjoy your holiday, whatever the day means to you, either religeous or personal. And I hope the bunny drops off loads of Cadbury's to you!

Jack

strokes/aneurisms and warning signs.

2009-03-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

As a nurse, I am always looking for informaton to pass on to my family--little things that can make a huge difference in their health and wellbeing, especially since we have a diverse family history of breast cancer, skin cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer and last but not least strokes. Which brings to me the reason for this post.

Strokes/Aneurisms: A stroke is when you have a blood clot in your brain and it cuts off the supply of oxygen/blood to an area of the brian. An aneurism is artery that has a weakened spot in it and balloons out and then pops, releasing blood to the surrounding brain tissue.

In the past 9 months 2 people I love have suffered this tragedy. My girlfriend had CVA (cerebral vascular accident) last summer. The first few weeks after the accident looked bleak, but she had one heck of an angel looking over her and one hell of a team of people caring for her while in the hospital. Her family and friends, one could only hope to have people as caring and loving in their court if anything so tragic ever happened to them. She is truly blessed. Her outcome is one of hope, her recovery a miracle. She amazes me, but then her strength, and love of life is given to every person she meets.

2 weeks ago, my aunt suffered this same event. She too is on the road to recovery thanks to the quick responses of the health care professionals that took care of her. Her little stubborn streak could have cost her her life. She woke up bright and early chatting with her cat and she said her mouth and tongue felt funny, but she ignored it for nearly 12 hours. We are very fortunate to still have her with us because the delay could have cost her and us dearly. The weekend card games are still on:)

My mother had a series of TIA's (mini strokes or transient ischemic attacks). These were brought on by a history of high cholesterol, smoking and really crummy diet and genetics. Her carotid arteries were chocked full of plaque and the blood was having trouble reaching her brain.

The one thing people have in common, most of the time, are the warning signs of the stroke.

I remember working in the doctor's office one day and one of our patients came in the room acting completely out of character, saying bizzare things and we thought she'd been drinking because her speech was slurred and her balance off, but it was only 9 am. We called 911 and she was admitted to the hospital. Again, because of the quick response, she was able to receive the treatment needed to save her life.

Here's what you need to recognize and act upon:

There are 3 simple questions:

'S' Ask the individual to smile, If their smile is crooked or lopsisded it's a sign..

'T' Ask the individual to talk-to say a simple sentence. If their speech is slurred or garble or sounds like they have a mouth full of marbles, its a sign.

'R' ask the individual to raise their arms over their head. Any trouble with one of these the person needs emergency care.

Other things you can check for; ask them to stick out their tongue. If it hangs or flops to one side it's a sign.

If their personality has changed dramatically over night, if when they walk, they have a shuffle or trip or seem off balance, if their vision is affected. All of these are warning signs to watch for.

A headache that a person claims is "the worst headache they've ever experienced and it doesn't go away. It's also accompanied with a stiff neck, blurred vision

Strokes can have a devistating impact on the person and his or her family. Paralysis, loss of memory, loss of personality, daily activities of life become their worst challenge. Something as simple as drinking a cup of tea or feeding themselves or toiletting are a constant struggle. Nursing homes... no one wants to place a loved one there, but after a stroke or aneurism, many people end up living out the rest of their lives there because the level of care required is too much for a family member.

A few contributing factors are:

Genetics-family history

Smoking

Birth control

High Cholesterol

High Blood pressure not controlled

A history of cocaine use

Please, be very aware of these signs. It could very well save your life or your family members or friends.

Lonny

2009-03-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know me, the one thing most would say is that I'm a pushover as far as animals are concerned, or pretty much anything if you ask my kids. Go ahead, you can say it, Im easy. Don't take that in the wrong text:) Anyway, last week, one of my co-workers read my blog and saw Damon and the snowball started down the hill.... I was called and asked if I would take this adorable little pitbull named Blanca. Her life consisted of a daily walk by her grandmother and 10+ hours of being crated because her owner, although he loved her, didn't have the time for her.

I met Lonny, on St. Patrick's Day. (I'm still getting used to her new name. It came about because my husband couldn't get her name right and continued to call her this... and she came to it.) Needless to say, after I brought her home we fell in love with her and she now has a place in our hearts and home.

This little girl has the exact temperment that Damon does, a lover. She is spirited, clumsy, loves to play, cuddle, hog the bed, and slather on the kisses. She is very timid right now and just getting used to us. Her freedom from the crate came with one drawback. Her hind legs and hips don't stretch as much as they should when she runs, but I'm hopeful as she explores her new outdoors her muscles will build strength and flexability. She is incredibly fast on her feet, loves to fetch things, although giving them up isn't an option at this point. Tug-of-war is her favorite game, probably because she always wins.

If I hadn't adopted her she was going to be placed in an organization called Out Of The Pits. This is a place where pitbulls are brought that need to be placed in a loving home and sometimes need to be taught how to socialize with other animals as well as people. Their home is in Glenmont, NY. I've heard nothing but great things about the people that run this.

Lonny has a few table manners but needs many more. She jumps on people because she's so anxious to meet them, and since most people are freaked out by this breed to begin with, we need to remedy her way of greeting people. She has a deep bark that may intimidate many, but there's no back up behind it. She's all fluff. The moment someone enters the home, they are greeted with a tongue and tail lashing. Lonny has had me in tears the past 4 days, laughing at her antics; the freedom to run, play, dig (seems it's another favorite pastime of hers and my pet-peeves) and just be a puppy. Okay, it's way too quiet down stairs. Got to go see what she's found to occupy her time with. What do you think of her? Her pictures are below. Sorry for the sideways view of her. My Iphoto has some serious flaws as of lately and editing button bit the dust.

2009-02-28T06:29:00.001-08:00

Good morning.

I won't take up much of your time today since time is our most valuable commodity. With that being said, in our daily rush to get from the bed back to the bed do you take time to smell the roses? Enjoy the little things life offers? I'm not talking material gratification, but on a much more basic level... enjoying the conversation between you and a friend or family member, or accomplishing one of your goals? I have to share this with you, because the subject matter is very personal to me.

Friday afternoon I was enroute to one of my homes (I'm a nurse consultant--fancy title for traveling nurse) when I noticed a teenager walking his pitbull. The dog was a brindle red nose and stalky. In their path was a tree branch hanging about my height, 5 feet, off the ground. The dog lept straight into the air and latched onto the branch, his little tail wagging like he'd got the best present ever. His companion tugged at his leash laughing at the dog's antics. I had to pull over myself because the scene brought tears to my eyes, it was so funny. I started talking to the boy, and we exchanged stories of pitbulls and how loving they are and crazy and loyal, with an eterinty of unconditional love to give. And, through our entire conversation, the little dog hung from the tree trying to get his branch. Others pulled over behind me to watch, laughing too. The boy eventually wrapped his arms around the dog and set him back down, but not before breaking the limb from the tree for his friend. They continued their walk, with the dog carrying a large stick, his tail still in full motion. It reminded me of my daughter's dog, Damon, a blue nose pitbull, wild, intelligent, impulsive, loyal and a godesnd for our family. There is nothing more rewarding than to wake up with the dog in your face kissing you. We have a stack of wood in our back yard for our fireplace that needs to be restacked after every visit from Damon, because he struts over to the pile, and yanks out the bottom log and carries the clump of wood all day.

The point of my rambling is I was happy I took the time to engage with the young man and talk to him. I think people take the little things daily for granted.

Last night I stood in front of my computer waiting for it to boot up and found I was doing a little jig the exact way my father used to when he was fooling around with me or my mom. It brought tears to my eyes, and left a smile on my face all night, because I worried I was forgetting the small things about him I loved so.

If you have any stories you'd like to share with me, please do so. I'd love to read them. I hope your weekend is spent doing things you enjoy and brings joy to others.

~Jack~

2009-02-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

Eden's Black Rose is a paranormal romance taking place in London 1896.

Dr. Serina St. James is a young enchantress with hidden powers she'd like kept that way, hidden. Walking home from the morgue, her place of employment, she inadvertantly wishes for a man to show up on her door stoop, alive, in one bloody piece, betrothed to no one and interested in anyone other than himself for a welcome change.

Serina finds out the hard way it's not so much what you wish for, but moreso, how you wish for it, when a young man gets delivered to her door ravaged and left for dead after a vampire attack. After years of hiding her powers from the witch hunters, Serina is faced with a choice, use them or lose the one man that can make her dreams come true.

Decisions, decisions....

Lucian St. James is not your typical heir to the throne, wanting nothing to do with it until the option is stolen from him. Awakening in a bloody carriage with a gorgeous green-eyed beauty buried within his loins, a small curl to his lips forms.

Doing what, he wonders?

Lucian finds out fast all things are not as they seem. Lies have been told, family members murdered, and now Lucian and Serina find themselves in the centre of a macbre plot to knock out all the heirs to the throne, beginning with him on his honeymoon.

About the book:)

2009-02-03T15:46:00.000-08:00