Update on Romancechick’s family:

The Girl came home from school yesterday…okay, she came home from a bowling match…actually, I drove her home yesterday after the bowling and she told me that she thought she’d failed her biology test and then she checked Edline and found out that her biology teacher gave her zeroes for work that she missed because of absences and away bowling matches. The teacher promised her time to make up the stuff but never did, and the Girl (and her parents) felt that was unfair. This all came out at prayer time when she was tired and she started crying and telling us that she was stupid and “can’t learn anything.” This from a girl with a 3.5 GPA in the core courses she needs for college!

After the kids were in bed, I did some stuff on the computer and had to stick a couple of things in the mailbox. While there I found a letter from the high school addressed to her. Since nothing comes from the school that Beloved and I don’t have to sign or something, I opened it. It was a letter telling her that she’d been nominated for the National Honor Society.

Yep, she’s stupid and can’t learn.

The Boy got two greens so far this week, but yesterday he was in the sad jar. Today he got a yellow, so that’s three goods for the week. Normally, that means a trip to Chick-fil-a for him. He gets to play in the playplace and Mommy gets to write for a couple of hours without laundry or disorganization calling my name. I don’t know if it’ll happen this weekend after all because Beloved’s best friend from grad school, Atheist/Pro-Choice Guy, is coming tomorrow and staying for about five days. Also on Saturday around lunch time, my uncle and aunt, whose daughter lives in Texas, are stopping by for a few hours.

My back is feeling better, but I have to see the chiropractor tomorrow. I’m almost finished with chapter 16 of Sword & Illusion. I don’t know if I’m on track for getting this thing done and out the door by June, but I’m working on it.

Oh, I’m going to be at the Subway in Watson, LA, on April 5 for another booksigning. Check this space for more details.

I’m a little late in getting this post written, but I wanted to be sure to let all my readers know about two very good books I read recently.

On Sparrow Hill by Maureen Long is the second book in her series, The Oak Leaves. I will admit that I didn’t read the first one when Ms. Long was gracious enough to add me to her “influencers” list and I got my copy of On Sparrow Hill directly from the publisher, but even so, I had no trouble enjoying this book thoroughly. I could tell there was a story before this one, but rather than making me feel I was missing something, it made me want to read the first one, just to see how they fit together.

The back cover says:

As the commercial manager for Quentin Hollinworth’s family estate, Rebecca Seabrooke is focused on just two things: making hers the most successful historic home in the country and forgetting the childhood crush shes had on Quentin since her father worked as his family’s valet. After all, they don’t exactly run in the same social circles.

But when she and Quentin uncover letters in the family vault written over 150 years ago by Berrie Hamilton, one of Quentin’s ancestors, Rebecca discovers that Quentin isn’t the only one with a legacy to appreciate. Only Berrie’s words can prepare Rebecca for the dramatic turn her life is about to take.

Ms. Long skillfully weaves the stories of the past and the present together, using Berrie’s letters to seque into Berrie’s point of view. An inherited disability affects both the past and the present and the letters help Rebecca not only advise a new friend on faith and trust but help her see that Quentin’s social standing and the gossip of tabloids need not be obstacles to happiness.

This is a lovely, special book for anyone who loves romance, family and stories of faith tested and faith triumphant.

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The next book I want to bring to your attention is Lethal Deception  by Lynette Eason.

Cassidy McKnight, daughter of an ambassador who is deeply involved in fighting against the crime of human trafficking, is kidnapped in South America, where she went to claim guardianship of the daughter of two missionary friends who were killed. Cassidy’s father hires Gabe Sinclair, a former SEAL with a secret in his past that concerns Cassidy’s brother.

Gabe rescues Cassidy and brings her and the toddler, Alexis, home and plans to go back to his own life. However, the danger to Cassidy isn’t over even after her kidnapper in South America is behind bars. Someone is still trying to kill Cassidy and possibly Lexie. Gabe can’t let that happen and his feelings for Cassidy war with this desire to keep his secret hidden.Is he willing to risk her disdain to tell the truth or will he let his renewed faith in God carry him through whatever happens?

Lethal Deception is an exciting book, but also one that will touch your heart. Cassidy and Gabe’s interaction with Lexie is priceless and the twists in the story will keep you reading. Just when you think you know all the answers, something new pops up and makes you ask yourself how you missed those clues.

My birthday is next Tuesday but I got a lovely handmade card from another stamper who hangs out at Splitcoaststampers, Tavias Charms.

Isn’t it lovely? I adore that bathing beauty stamp. I may have to get that for myself!

I have a blog roll that I try to peruse every day. Don’t usually get through all of them, but I try. However, near the top of my list is a place called SF Signal. It’s a roundup of all that’s happening (at least all the author finds) in the worlds of science fiction and fantasy, whether it’s books, films or on TV.

Today he mentioned this post  by David Louis Edelman and I love it. If you’re looking for ways to help your favorite author, and surely you are because the more successful he/she is, the more books he/she will be able to write, check out some of this suggestions. My favorite:

…write about the author on your own site(s) and link to the author’s website. Got a blog or a website? It may seem like a no-brainer to write reviews of your author’s favorite works. But linking to the author’s website helps in a number of other, less visible ways: with Technorati ratings, with Google rankings, with Alexa rankings, etc. Not to mention having your favorite author’s name linked on your site is a constant tickler to your web visitors, who may be inclined to purchase something on your recommendation, but who might not always remember the name of the author you recommended.

This is a great way to get people going to your favorite author’s site and if he/she is anything like me, he/she checks the number of hits the site gets several times a week. It’s a great day when my site gets more hits than the day before! I’m always looking to see what brought people here and I try to make my content more reader friendly.

Check out Mr. Edelman’s post and let me know if you try any of this suggestions!

Well, the day turned out to be quite interesting!

I did about 50 minutes on the elliptical at the Y and was feeling pretty good about things. I planned to come home, take a bath, make a salad for lunch and head off to the lab for the test.

When I got home from the Y there were a couple of instant messages from Beloved. Apparently, the Girl had called him to say she couldn’t get a ride to the bowling match. She hadn’t asked anyone because it seems she never sees any of the other members of the team during her day at school. This is very interesting because she has a crush on one of the guys on the boys’ team and he used to eat with her!

The second message said that Beloved had gotten her to ask someone for a ride but she still couldn’t get one. I guess the boys didn’t have a match or something. So Beloved was put out because he’d have to leave work to pick her up from school and take her to the bowling alley and he’d have to leave work at 1:30 or so. He probably could have left at 2 but whatever.

I was a little ticked off at this point. I was hungry, sweaty and a bit worried what the scan was going to show and no one seemed willing to put themselves out to help me. So, I made the decision to head to the lab (I changed my clothes first but didn’t get a chance to bathe and wash my hair!) to see if they could take me early.

They did and the tech said she was glad I was there early as they needed to figure out how to fit someone else in my 1:30 time slot. The test itself took probably five or ten minutes but I had to wait a bit as the radiologist was at lunch and they had to check with him about the dye they needed to use, given all my “special” medical needs.

I was able to get home after the test and eat my salad in time to run out and pick up the Girl. I called Beloved to tell him I was home and he asked me if I wanted him to go to the financial aid thing without me since it was on campus practically within walking distance of his office and that way I would have to try to rush over therre, given I didn’t know where I was going and he was already there!

It turned out great as we didn’t get home from the bowling match until about 5:45 and the financial aid thing started at 6!

Today I get a CAT scan done of my lungs. I’m not incredibly worried anymore, like I was when I first got the phone call telling me I needed to do this. I’m just a little stressed because the scan is scheduled for 1:30 and my daughter has a bowling match this afternoon and normally, I pick her up from school and take her to the bowling alley. I usually leave the the house around 2 pm (normally a little earlier) so I can get to the school and wait for her actually on campus. Her school is on a little road and if I don’t get their in time, I end up parked on the side of this road that has no shoulders, and I hate that.

Because I’ve been picking her up for games and practices for two years, she hasn’t really tried to find someone she can get a ride with. Today, however, she has to. You know how hospitals are; the scan is for 1:30 but I might not get in there until 2. I’m a little worried because I have to pick my son up at — well he supposedly is dismissed at 3:20 but the carpool people have to wait for the buses so we usually don’t get moving until around 3:30. I’m just praying that my 1:30 CAT scan will be done to let me get him!

So, the scan itself doesn’t bother me as much as the logistics of school dismissal.

Oh, let’s not forget that after I get the Boy, we’ll go to the bowling alley to wait for the Girl to finish. Then I’ll have to drive back here, drop them off and head over to the LSU campus for Financial Aid Information Night. The Girl got accepted there, so we need to know as much as possible about financial aid.

I hate that all of this is happening on the same day! I will head to the Y later and work off some stress and maybe get some endorphins going!

In one week, I’ll be 49 years old. Sometimes…no, make that all the time, that sounds older than I ever thought I’d get.

Do you remember those Disney World ads where the teacher asks the kids if they can figure out how old they’ll be in 2000? “You’ll be about my age,” she says, and one of the kids whispers how “We’ll be too old to do anything!” Then it shows a couple in their late 30′s/maybe early 40′s in Disney World having a ball.

Well, I remember being a kid and figuring out that I’d be 40 years old when the year 2000 rolled aorund and thinking “I’ll be almost dead!”

Here I am, one week shy of 49 and amazing, not almost dead, things have happened since I saw the year 2000 come in without the big disaster the Y2K bug advocates predicted.

I had a kidney transplant and am in better shape now than I was before, due to a YMCA membership.

We adopted a beautiful, smart and funny little boy who was only eight weeks old the first time we held him, but is now 5 years old and truly the light of our lives.

I published two of my novels, including the book of my heart, Attack of the Queen.

Through all of that, it’s hard to believe how old I am. I remember my mother, the day she turned 48, coming home from work (she was a registered nurse and day supervisor) and complaining about her age.

“You’re only a day older than you were yesterday,” my dad said.

“It sure looks different on paper.”

49 seems impossibly old. 45 hit me hard as did 40.

I don’t feel that old. I’ve never been one to lie about my age. I never quite got the hang of it. When do you start? How do you know what number to use? What about people who know better? It just seemed easier to me to be upfront about it. People always seem surprised, and that feels good, but I guess I’ve never understood the need for lying about it.

My husband told me once that I am “utterly without guile.” I guess that’s a good thing.

Anyway, if you aren’t doing anything next Tuesday, drop me a note saying hi. I don’t think I’ll be too old to respond!

We’ve lived in Louisiana for almost three years and it always amazes me how big a deal Mardi Gras “season” is. It begins just about the time Christmas ends (I think there is an official beginning but it seems to be nebulous) and runs until the real Mardi Gras day, which is actually tomorrow.

The schools are closed on Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, and Beloved gets tomorrow off from work. He took today, too, because the kids are off.

This weekend, I took a good look at the calendar. I want Sword & Illusion out the door by June and I’m done with the easy editing part. Now it gets harder – writing new stuff, changing things around harder.

Looking at the calendar, I realized I have to finish editing four chapters a month to even have that part complete before June, and that doesn’t count Beloved rereading it or my critique partners offering suggestions.

I started to panic, mainly because I’d reached a stall in the scene I was working on. The book is still headed to the same place but there are more sights to see along the way and I have to add those sights in.

So, because he loves me and wants to see me succeed, Beloved told me this weekend that come today, I was to do NOTHING except write. He would deal with the kids, any housework, any errands that need to be run, everything. My only purpose today was to write.

Well, it was exhausting and sometimes hard, but I got 30+ pages written and finished editing two chapters. One of those is pretty much all new material but I like what I did. I think now I could do better on days when the kids are in school and I’m home alone.

I’m tired tonight, though!