Posts

Showing posts from November, 2014

In Defense of Passive

Image
You can't make this up, folks. When I bought it, the walls of my new house gleamed gold upstairs, khaki downstairs, and bright pink in places. The accent wall in the dining room featured yellow and gold striped walls on top and mottled maroon on bottom. I considered it a community service to repaint those walls, perhaps even a patriotic duty. After poring through endless colors in catalogs and online, I finally decided on a very light, cool gray throughout. The paint’s name? Passive. Perfect name, I thought. It’s a cool neutral, a shade that facilitates other colors without conflicting with them. It’s beautifully, harmoniously passive. Plus, and this is just between you and me, it tickled me that my new walls celebrate one of my treasured personality traits. I’m a passive person. When conflict comes along, I go all roly-poly. Rather than demand or confront, I instead encourage and suggest. Yes, I teach and yes, I have some pretty powerful political beliefs, but

Thursday Threads: Highland Deception by Meggan Connors

Image
Highland Deception by Meggan Connors Heat Rating : Sensual Genre : Historical Romance Buy Link : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J3D2JS6/ Blurb: When Kenneth Mackay, long-banished rogue and thief, returns to the Mackay holding at the request of his brother, he has no idea what he might find. He certainly doesn’t expect to be confronted with his twin’s imminent death, or with the plan his brother has concocted. Ten years before, Malcolm made a tragic mistake, and, to preserve the family name—and his own skin—he allowed Kenneth to take the fall. Now that he is dying without an heir, Malcolm plans to atone for his mistake: by giving Kenneth his life back. All Kenneth has to do is assume his brother’s identity. But complicating matters is the unexpected return of Lady Isobel Mackay, the daughter of an English marquess and the wife Malcolm didn’t want. Isobel barely knows the husband who abandoned her even before their marriage, and she’d long since given up hope o

Eyebrow Tweezing and Other Political Acts

Image
I accept sympathy in the form of chocolate. And yes, my poor hand is seeking comfort amid kitty fur.  So I just broke a nail. Seriously. Like below the quick and everything. It throbs like a whiny emo album. Of course, being the responsible nail enthusiast I am, I immediately clipped and filed it, and now it just throws off the look of my entire left hand. I can practically feel the sea salt wetness of your sympathetic tears bathing the pain of my abused pinky nail. This little splash of beauty horror reminds me of my activities upon awakening this morning. Here’s a snapshot: Yaaaaawn. Stretch just enough to encourage blood flow but not enough to disturb strategically tucked, feline body warmers. Through gummy eyes, glimpse the make-up bag, placed last night next to the Kleenex box for this very moment. Fumble for the bag, finally snag it. Fish out the pocket mirror and tweezers. Commence the excruciating ripping of hairs from the tender brow ridge. This, after I s

Thursday Threads: Confederado do Norte by Linda Bennett Pennell

Image
Confederado do Norte by Linda Bennett Pennell Genre :  Women’s Historical Fiction Due for Release : July 2014 Other Books :  Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel   now   available from Soul Mate Publishing Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLindaBennettPennell Website:   http://www.lindapennell.com/ Twitter:    @LindaPennell Back Cover Description for  Confederado do Norte : October, 1866. Mary Catherine is devastated when her family emigrates from Georgia to Brazil because her father and maternal uncle refuse to accept the terms of Reconstruction following the Confederacy’s defeat. Shortly after arrival in their new country, she is orphaned, leaving her in Uncle Nathan’s care. He hates Mary Catherine, blaming her for his sister’s death. She despises him because she believes Nathan murdered her father. When Mary Catherine discovers Nathan’s plan to be rid of her as well, she flees into the wilderness filled with jaguars and equally dangerous men