The Perils of Pauline

That Entrepreurial Spirit!

2009-06-29T17:34:09Z

From Friday’s Bristol Evening Post:

Outside Bristol Zoo is the car park, with spaces for 150 cars and 8 coaches. It has been manned 6 days a week for 23 years by the same charming and very polite car park attendant with the ticket machine. The charges are £1. per car and £5. per coach.

On Monday 1 June, he did not turn up for work. Bristol Zoo management phoned Bristol City Council to ask them to send a replacement parking attendant.

The Council said "That car park is your responsibility." The Zoo said "The attendant was employed by the City Council... wasn't he?" The Council said "What attendant?"

Gone missing from his home is a man who has been taking daily the car park fees amounting to about £400 per day for the last 23 years...!

He made £3,275,200 for the entire 23 years. And he worked the entire time otherwise they’d have gotten on to his scam.

Perilously yours,
Pauline

How Can it be June with August Temps?

2009-06-22T19:27:45Z

I had an interesting week. I went on a field trip with the hubby into Louisiana during one of the hottest June's on record. Hubby and ExxonMobile (his employer) have helped fund these field trips designed to introduce minority high school students to the sciences. It was an education to see the hubby doing his thing. He's a great teacher. The surroundings were great, too. Chicot State Park was beautiful.

It was just so dang hot! The heat index hovered around 100 degrees for all three days.

I was impressed with the determination of teachers and students. My job was to keep hubby on his feet (he's been sick) and I did it. But boy, was I glad to sleep in my own bed!

While out and about, I finished reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Wow, really enjoyed reading this book. It was funny, moving, heart-breaking and uplifting.

I also did some editing on my COMPLETED rough draft of Girl Gone Nova. That's right. It has an ending! I expect to turn it in by the end of July and my publisher is hoping for a late fall or early winter release. This book really made me work for the story, but it was really fun to write (when I wasn't afraid my head would explode from trying to figure it out.). I'm excited to find out what my readers think of this next installment in the Garradian Galaxy series (aka Project Enterprise).

It's always interesting to me how I choose which books to read. My TBR pile is impressive (though hidden on my ereaders), so I had a lot of choose from. I have some seriously cool books awaiting my attention: a couple of Penny McCall books. Godmother: The Secret Cinderella. The PMS Anthology. A Night at the Operation. Kensington's Soul. Uncubicled. Your One and Only. The Mirror Prince. The Grave Yard Book.

And that's just a sampling. I have sixteen pages of books on my Kindle, some of them free books offered on Amazon or on Baen Books (a great place for free SF books). Some of them I've read. I guess I should delete them, but I like seeing them there. I also have some samples waiting for me to decide if I want to buy the books.

And that's just on one of my ereaders.

I'm like a miser with a pile of gold, but I can't figure out what makes me open one book at any given moment. I know, thanks to the heat, I needed something light, that wouldn't make my heart pound and my temperature go up. It was too hot for excitement. Today, in the cool, I'm reading Tag, You're It. I'm in a/c and can handle excitement again.

I know other people besides me have TBR piles. How do you choose which book to grab from the pile? Does mood affect your reading choice? Or is all about the author and which book you've waited for the longest? Sometimes I'll be dying for a book to release, but will delay reading it because I know when its done, the wait starts for the next book.

Let's see, looking forward to seeing the new Sandra Bullock movie. Heard it was good from a friend, but have to go to ApolloCon this weekend first.

Wow, it's "only" 91 degrees, though it feels like 97 according to the weather channel. So glad I'm inside with a/c!

Happy reading!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

Fun Stuff for June

2009-06-10T20:46:59Z

I've been out of sight for most of May and June, traveling and finishing the rough draft of my next novel. But this hasn't stopped me from:

a) reading
b) going to at least one movie
c) finding out about a cool new e-reader.

I finished Lisa Shearin's The Trouble With Demons and really enjoyed it. I think she can't get any better and then she manages. I have no clue where the series is going, but enjoying the journey!

Saw the new Star Trek and loved it. Sorry if you didn't. But I thought it was great fun.

And last, but not least, I hear the biggest party at BEA was run by the company releasing the COOLER, a sassy new ereader that is hoping to make reading cool again! It comes in a lot of fun colors. Check it out here:

BEA fun

COOLER website

Those who know me, know I'm already plotting how to get one. LOL! And what's also cool, my Hard Shell titles are already available on their site.

If you live in the Denton TX area, stop by the Denton Writer's League meeting. I'll be there and be talking about MANAGING YOUR BOOK WRITING BUSINESS. And then I hit the road again, but I'll be back to get the book ready to submit. I'm letting it simmer right now and letting my readers read it. :-)

Perilously yours,
Pauline

Guest Blog: Sandy Lender: Complete Control of the Muse

2009-06-04T12:46:57Z

Complete Control of the Muse

By Fantasy Author Sandy Lender

http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com

It took some time to do, but I achieved a great success. I gained complete control of my muse. He’s a handsome devil. Anyone who’s familiar with my fantasy novel CHOICES MEANT FOR GODS knows him. Nigel Taiman. He’s broody, restless, comfortable in the shadows of his family’s mountain estate where he quietly notices the indiscretions of his teenage brother Jake and shames the boy when his father neglects to. He’s the tall, dark, handsome hero whose forced manual labor has sculpted him into a fine specimen of a man. Yummmm.

But he’s also a demanding muse that I’ve manipulated into a marketing machine here in our world. Yes, Nigel might believe he’s got some sort of power over my writing binges, waking me at all hours of the night with ideas for rewrites and edits to scenes I considered complete, but, in truth, I hold the reins here. Case in point: I’ve got him doing some writing of his own these days. He sends out promotional material over the World Wide Web via a blog at http://sandylender.blogspot.com.

What I find interesting about Nigel’s approach to marketing is how he wraps his suggestions for plot developments in the stories I’m writing around suggestions for blog posts. We can be skipping our third meal of the day and he’ll pretend to have “just come up with” some grand idea for marketing by placing a scene on the blog. Of course, I’m the one who has to write the scene for him to post because I can’t have him preparing portions of the fantasy novels that my publisher reads.

But I have all of these episodes under control. I can elect to ignore him when I’m driving in traffic and he appears with an idea because I have the muse under control. It’s my choice to hold the “car notepad” against the steering wheel and jot down his ramblings. And I can elect to shut him out when I’m soaking in a hot bubble bath and he decides I’ve gotten his lovely Amanda Chariss into too tight a spot in the current manuscript. It’s my choice to grab the spiral notebook I keep next to the tub/shower for such emergencies and jot down his ideas for how to get her out of trouble. Even now as I type this guest post for Pauline, I can elect to ignore Nigel’s badgering about his scene with Brendan Naegling in the parlor of Arcana, but, he really does have a good point. I should go see to it.

“Some days, I just want the dragon to win.”

Not even the gods noticed when Chariss was born with the mark of The Protector. Now she and her wizard guardian seek shelter from a mad sorcerer in a household not just full of secrets and false hope, but watched by the god who will unwittingly reveal her role in an impending war.

When an orphan sets aside a lifetime of running and fear to accept the responsibilities of guarding an arrogant deity, can she face the trials in the prophecies she uncovers? Will Nigel Taiman of her latest refuge dare to use his dragon heritage to bind her to his estate or to help her in her duty?

Sandy will be giving away an autographed, hard cover, first edition of Choices Meant for Gods each week to one lucky commenter. The blog host that has the most commenters, not counting duplicates or Sandy's responses, will also receive an autographed, hard cover, first edition of Choices Meant for Gods.

Check out her other blog tour stops.

Post spa mellow and my twitter wish list :-)

2009-05-06T16:33:06Z

As you can see from this photo, I suffered greatly during my recent trip to Phoenix for a spa weekend with my sister. This is the view from outside BLT (GREAT food), while we were waiting for our reservation. I loved seeing all the different types of cactus and the flowers were amazing. The desert was blooming while we were there.

These pictures were taken at the Camelback Inn located in Scottsdale and I can't recommend it enough. Great, personal service on every level, DRY heat, great food, a wonderful spa and my SISTER. It was a great weekend.

I also have the opportunity to spend time with two of my nieces and baby Jack. He's so cute! And my nieces rock. Yet more reasons to come home mellow. :-)

My flights were interesting and not in a good way, but I kept reminding myself i was FLYING and not in a wagon train and that helped. And it was reading time. I downloaded The Trouble with Demons by Lisa Shearin and am about halfway through. Great fun. I'm trying to pace myself and not rush through it.

And I'm also hoping to finish writing MY book and spend the summer reducing my TBR piles on my various reader devices. I am making progress, though I feel like a turtle. My last book I was the hare and I miss that, even though I am enjoying spending time with my characters. I keep getting surprised by what they do and the plot twists and turns. Wanted to bang my head against the wall before I left over finding myself abruptly in the middle of several time paradoxes, but my son-in-law, Richard, talked me off the ledge. I think that's pretty cool. I mean, I'm his mother-in-law and he didn't push me off the ledge.

Okay, before I get writing, I thought I'd post my twitter wish list. I read a list of tips and while they were useful, I wasn't sure I totally agreed with them. For me, twitter is a social networking site. That means there will be a social element. While I am there for marketing purposes, too, I like the social stuff. I've met some really cool people and I like reading the personal details when I have time. It makes them real to me and I'm more likely to try something someone recommends if I have a personal connection with them.

So my twitter tips wish list would include:

1. Interesting and intriguing links
2. personal moments (does Monday make you wince, too?)
3. the occasional DM when I've done something a tweeter liked.
4. tweets that make me smile or LOL (who doesn't need more laughter in their lives?)
5. spontaneous book recommendations. (reviews are nice, as are publisher puffs, but I like to hear about the books readers couldn't put down.)
6. iPhone/kindle/sony reader information (cause I'm an ereading techie addict)
7. Music mentions (it was way fun when I tweeted about listening to Kid Rock's "All Summer Long" and a tweeter mentioned the opening sounded like "Werewolves of London." I didn't know anyone but I had noticed that!)
8. Mutual weather slamming tweets (and the occasional "my weather is better than yours" gloat).
9. Cat stories
10. Food stories. I LOVE food. And Diet Dr. Pepper. And chocolate.

And my bonus wish: tweets about American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, NCIS, Top Chef, Big Bang Theory and Project Runway. And Stargate if I like the new show. If I don't, then just the Atlantis movies. (I can't help it if I'm picky!)

So, Delilah, my heroine in Girl Gone Nova is really hoping I'll stop blogging and get her butt out of the trouble I got her butt into yesterday. Life is tough in my books. **vbg**

Here's hoping your May is filled with flowers, great books, good friends and fun tweets.
Perilously yours,
Pauline

It's Not Thursday, but...

2009-04-27T14:18:24Z

I've decided to do the meme thing anyway. So here it is, thirteen things I'm looking forward to:

1. Sister/Spa weekend in Phoenix. :-)
2. Hearing what Adam Lambert will sing on AI this week. I hear it's Rat Pack week. Should be way cool.
3. Lisa Shearin's The Trouble with Demons release tomorrow.
4. New Star Trek movie
5. Ghost of Girlfriends Past movie
6. Finishing rough draft of my novel!!!!! (I'm not at the end yet, and not even at the beginning of the end, but I'm perhaps at the end of the beginning...of the end. Or something like that. Sorry Winston!)
7. Having a fully loaded chicken taco salad at Taco Bell today.
8. My cat NOT barfing today.
9. Time to read on the flight to Phoenix.
10. Seeing/helping both daughters move.
11. Seeing son in June.
12. Seeing parents in June.
13. figuring out what NEXT novel will be!

Okay, there are other things in my life I'm looking forward to, like hubby retiring and us moving closer to family, but I had to stop at 13. I like having things to look forward to, like having hope and optimism in my life. I have many reasons to feel hopeful this year. My son has been cancer-free for a year+, no one has slammed into my truck at a stop light and its still a few days until the official open of hurricane season.

The whole swine flu thing is disturbing, no question, but I never look forward to flu season, so trying not to obsess on that.

Maybe its self deluding to focus on what's going right. I don't know. I just know it makes the days easier to get through. So what's right with your Monday? What are you looking forward to?

Hope it includes some great reads!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

Perilous Pauline and the Tax Day TEA Party

2009-04-16T15:38:39Z

Last night I became a citizen activist for the first time in my life. I wasn't too politically active until we moved to New Orleans back in 1980. There was much to love about Louisiana, but the politics wasn't one of those things. The other thing to hate was the taxes. Six years ago, when my husband's employer closed an office in New Orleans, they moved 300 families out of the area and took a whopping fifty percent of the tax base with them (my memory is sixty percent, so rounding down to be on safe side).

Think about that for a minute. Think about what it was like being one of the few supporting most of the city. Think about 300 families and one company being devastating to a major city's economy just by leaving. Whenever a tax hike came along, the majority of residents, most of whom didn't pay ANY taxes, were happy to reduce OUR paycheck again and again. Never mind that it made it challenging for us to pay our bills. The ONLY tax hike that got shot down while we were there was one that EVERYONE would have to pay.

I realize Congress and the current administration are saying they will only raise taxes on "the rich." But non-partisan groups have already been running the numbers and it won't be possible to limit tax hikes to "the rich." Plus, they are debating eliminating the only deductions that allow us to keep enough of our hard earned income to pay our bills (including our mortgage). And then there is the issue of burdening children NOT EVEN BORN with OUR DEBT. You want to talk about taxation without representation!

And don't get me started on being told that I'm not being patriotic if I don't like getting a pay cut from Congress (who are quick to raise THEIR pay again and again) and being hounded by an IRS run by a TAX CHEAT.

I'm a hermit and a fan of American Idol. Both good reasons for me to have stayed home last night. But I left my house and braved rush hour traffic to make a statement about ballooning deficits, out of control ear marks by BOTH parties, and pork barrel spending.

I went to the Tea Party in The Woodlands because it was closer to where I live.

They expected around six hundred (600) people and had OVER 6,000! It was awesome to be there. The crowd was polite, but passionate. They debated the issues, not personalities. It was citizen activism, not any group or entity or party. There were people from all political parties and all walks of life. Everyone there loves this country and cares about its future passionately.

They used signs and their presence in hopes of sending a message to a government that seems to have forgotten their narrow margin of victory last November. They came to feel less alone and to show they don't fear the recent Home Land Security report labeling their free speech as "right wing extremism."

I also refuse to be "chilled" by attempts to silence me. So, DHS, here's some more "internet chatter" for you to monitor. I won't be silenced as long as we still have a constitution protecting free speech in this country. Just so you know, DHS, I am one of the people who sent those million tea bags to D.C. that you refused to allow to be displayed in Lafayette Park yesterday. (And no, they were never supposed to be dumped into any river!)

Here they are, on display, a symbol of citizen activism for all to see:

There have also been comments about how messy these Tea Parties have been, so here's one last picture from last night. This is how the area looked after the crowds dispersed:

Any of you who have followed my blog know that I've never, ever gotten political here before today. I know that many of you do not agree with me. That's okay. That's what makes this country great. I respect your right to believe what you want to believe and to support people and ideas that mean the most to you.

I hope you will accord ME that same respect. I've always believed the free exchange of ideas makes us stronger, not weaker. I promise I will be back to my normal book/movie/life chatter next week. But this blog is about sharing me, about sharing who I am and what interests me. Yesterday was amazing and profound for me and I wanted to share that here.

And now I need to get back to my novel, which really IS almost is a completed first draft!
Perilously and politically (just for today) yours,
Pauline

Loving Spring!

2009-04-11T13:27:37Z

So this is our front yard in spring and the reason why we bought this house. I love that tree. If spring were just about flowers and green stuff, it would be perfect.Sadly, it is also about taxes. I hate taxes and I really hate doing our taxes, so we'll be joining a T.E.A. (Taxed Enough Already) Party in the Woodlands on the 15th. I've never done any protesting, so this will be an interesting experience for me, over and above the chance to vocally and visibly protest taxes. (Did i mention I HATE taxes????)

In the other good news column, LOST IN AUSTEN has released in the US and my copy is heading my way as I type this blog. If you haven't seen this mini series, and if you love Pride and Prejudice, then you'd probably like this series where a modern young woman switches places with Elizabeth Bennett. April is also release month for Lisa Shearin's new book. I've got it preordered for my Kindle (I'm really enjoying my new Ereader, though NOT happy with publishers who overprice their ebooks! My second protest is against publishers who don't get that ebooks should be cheaper than print books, not more expensive. I mean, I'm not great with math,but even I can figure that one out! So I'm boycotting publishers who over price their books.)

Not doing a lot of new reading, because I really, really am working on my novel! It's coming along pretty well, though I still have to figure out my ending. Had some downtime for TLA (Texas Library Assn's big convention) the first week in April. It was great to talk with other book lovers and librarians rock, but it's taken me another week of recovery (I'm a hermit by nature and by choice!). But I'll be back at it as soon as I turn in my *%&%*% taxes.

Been loving Dancing with the Stars and yes, Gille Marini IS the reason. LOL! Also watching American Idol. I don't vote, but I do buy the music I like,so that's kind of voting, isn't it? I'm thinking Adam is going to take this one. And a new-for-me show is Ultimate Fighter. Not my usual fare, but I have a family member competing (also new for me! LOL!) So I winced my way through the first episode and he made it! I've always wondered what it was like for family to see member going through reality TV and now I'm learning. And I have to say, it feels very odd. **g**

Haven't been to any movies, so wondering, am I missing anything good or have I picked the right time to go hermit? What spring books are you looking forward to reading? Read anything that rocked your world?

Have a great weekend and if you're inclined that way, a Happy Easter!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

So I got a Kindle 2

2009-03-25T13:42:57Z

If you follow me at all, then you know I'm a sucker for technology, particularly tech related to reading. i resisted the Kindle for a YEAR (and not just because I couldn't get one. Okay, so maybe because I couldn't get one!) But then the Kindle 2 released and they were AVAILABLE. I was vulnerable! So I got one.

I LOVE IT.

Okay, so that's not a shock, since I love ereading tech. (You'd think I'd move on from my old tech, but I don't. I just add the new to the old, because I love them all!). The ability to instantly download books is really, really cool. They still need to work on how you can sort books. Right now they are all jumbled together. I like to organize my "shelves" even my virtual ones. In a cool side note, there's an app called Kindle for iPhone/iTouch, so I can read my Kindle books on my iPhone, too. Why, you might ask? Well, I always have my phone with me, but don't always have my ereaders with me.

I haven't loaded MY book onto it yet. I'm not quite ready for to use the Kindle for an edit and try out the notes and search functions, but I'm getting close! That's my next biggest news, IMHO. I've got about 86,000 wds on the page and am forging toward an ending. This book has really challenged me and made me work for it, but I like it (or I wouldn't be killing myself to write it!)

Will be at the TLA convention next week in downtown Houston. If you're going to be there, look for our booth near the concessions area. The Final Twist Writers. I'll be in great company. :-)

No surprise my TBR pile has grown again, but with the writing, not doing that much reading! Did get my copy of the Twilight movie and liked it better. I always have trouble with books to film. I have too good of a memory for the small details, but with time, I can get past it. I've had that time and can now appreciate it for what it is. :-)

Happy reading/movie watching!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

On Rereading...

2009-03-01T17:19:52Z

I got a Kindle 2 this week and downloaded some new books to read, but found myself rereading a couple of books instead. Now I have a TBR pile on my eReading devices that would fill a room if they were in print. So why was I reading something I'd already read?

I think the main reason (besides the comfort factor of reading something that I KNOW I'll like) is me. I HAVE t finish a book before I go to bed. Otherwise, I'll think about it during the night, wondering what happened. When i reread something, I already know what happened, so I can set it aside when I have to go to bed.

The other reason is that I'm writing. I don't want to get sucked too deep into someone else's world. And sometimes I CAN'T get sucked into someone else's story. My character's will get between me and the story. I'll move and not get back to that story for a while or never.

I don't buy books so I can NOT read them, so I don't like that to happen. Unless I've been waiting for a new release from a favorite author, I mostly reread while I'm writing. I save my reading for travel or for when I'm between books.

I also reread when I'm sick because I can't focus on the new. I want the comfort read, the known ending and known characters.

I have friends who keep books, but don't reread or reread rarely. What about you? Do you reread? What gets you to reread a book? To keep it?

Inquiring minds want to know. :-)
Perilously yours,
Pauline

Not Too Romantic

2009-02-09T16:19:41Z

So, the hubby and I were in Old Town Spring last Saturday, strolling around enjoying a sudden spring day. It was a breezy 75 degrees. Some flowers were out and there were signs that spring would come after what seemed like an unusually cold winter (no facts, just feelings). We stopped by this candy store, because that's what I do and saw this:

Here it is, the month of romance and what do we see? Guys growing girlfriends. Because you will note, the box with boyfriends looks seriously untouched. Hubby and I chuckled, and tried to figure out what it means, because it should mean something.

I spent the afternoon working on my short story for our new chapter anthology, A Box of Texas Chocolates and then hubby and I went to the movies. We saw New in Town. Yes it was totally predictable, but what lifted this into the still-fun category was, IMHO, the obvious chemistry between the leads and the totally fun supporting characters. I grew up in Wyoming, not Minnesota, but I know people like that. And I've been that cold. So, if you're looking for funny, light romantic comedy, check it out. :-)

I'm still busting my chops on the new book, but I think I'm making progress. I posted a new (short) excerpt on the website. No one else may like this book, but I'm enjoying getting to know my story peeps and figuring out what is going to happen to them.

Downloaded some light romances to my ereaders for February reading, but looking forward to the release of a new Linnea Sinclair book: Hope's Folly. It should arrive at the end of the month, and hopefully I'll have enough done on MY book to justify taking a reading break. So, to earn that break, I need to get the book pulled up. Not even Monday is going to stop me. **g**

Happy reading!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

Quick Update

2009-01-26T19:03:37Z

This is just going to be a quick update. I'm WRITING and I don't want to mess with the flow!

First, I launched a new contest on my website (through Author Island) This is my biggest prize ever, so hope you'll stop by and check it out. :-)

Second, I've created a page for my new novel, Girl Gone Nova, and have posted my iTunes playlist and a short excerpt. Keep in mind, this is an unedited excerpt and not necessarily a final version either. I just wanted my readers to get a peak at Doc, my new very kick-butt heroine (she's certainly kicking MY butt!). The story starts two years after The Key and will feature some of the characters from The Key and many new faces and new adventures. And yes, there will also be romance. :-)

Obviously, if I'm writing, I'm not reading, so nothing new to share this week on that front. There's a couple of movies I'd like to see and I might make it, if I get more done on my book first. It's butt in the chair time (makes it harder for Doc to kick it).

Hoping January ends peacefully for all of you. Not sure why, but I'm always glad when January is over. :-)
Perilously yours,
Pauline

The Bleak Midwinter

2009-01-19T19:19:59Z

I had a chance to fly home (and North) for a visit last week. While the welcome was warm, the landscape was seriously bleak. Down here in Texas, even in winter, some things stay green, so it was a bit of a shock, even though I grew up in Wyoming.

A couple of days after I got there, I saw this out the window of my sister's house:

We did get some sprinkles of snow here, so I did recognize the white stuff, but dang! it wasn't there when I went to bed! Then the wind came up and blew most of it away. This brought out the deer. (This is still in my sister's back yard! Also saw lots of bunnies, but they were hard to photograph well with the iPhone.)

Then we clambered in the car and headed for our childhood home where my mom was making cinnamon rolls (bread IS my mothership!).

To get to the homestead, we had to go by my old high school. Not its best side, but I was too lazy to go take a picture of the front view. The cinnamon rolls were waiting!

And then I saw home!

I had a great visit and the cinnamon rolls were to die for. My sister and I watched some movies. I don't remember any previews or teasers for Ghost Town, but am glad she had it. It was a lot of fun. We also watched a Frank Langella movie called Starting Out in the Evening. It's an indie film about a blocked writer. He was great as always, but it sure made me not want to get old! Every time I see an ad or sign or whatever for "heart healthy" I want to say, show me BRAIN healthy and I'll discuss my heart. I just want them both to shut down at the same time. In my family, the brain seems to go first.

I took my eReaders, but didn't have a lot of reading time. I did read a Margery Allingham on the plane. It was called Sweet Danger and was most enjoyable. I read some of her books some years ago and am remembering why. I don't think these were out when I started, but not sure about that. Maybe they just weren't releasing. Anyway, in this one he meets the woman he will eventually marry. Since I love a good romance, will have to explore this further.

I made the trip home without too much trouble, though I think the airlines are PUNKS for charging for a person to take ONE suitcase. They had a case for it when gas prices were high, but not now. Anyway, will finish my blog today with one last picture of the bleak midwinter in Wyoming:

This used to be the bridge we took across the river, but they built a new one at some point. It's an interesting old bridge. We used to go play on it when we were kids. Once my brother talked me into trying jumps on his motor cycle. The spot we picked was on the right side of the bridge. I have no idea why.

I was cold the whole time I was there, but I still want to get back when we retire. The midwinter might be bleak on the outside, but it is home and warms my heart. :-)

Perilously yours,
Pauline

North to Wyoming!

2009-01-08T22:04:30Z

I'm going to see my parents and my sister and thought I'd better blog before I go, because I sure won't be blogging while I'm there!

The problem, of course, is what to blog about when my brain is fixated on washing and packing? Well, I realized I hadn't posted pictures of my gingerbread project over Christmas. I will freely admit that my efforts were pretty lame (and the good parts were done by my children!).

These pictures are totally unretouched, so if you can't handle the sight of an imperfect gingerbread house, I suggest you look no further.

Without further ado, here's the Jones Family 2008 Craft Project:

The tiny tank is my son's contribution to the project. I "deleted" the killer gator and the zombies (courtesy of son-in-law).

My daughter did the wreath, but wishes to go on record as having had a nasty cold. (That would also be why we didn't eat this.)

I take full blame for the pond and pretty much everything that is wrong with this house. Which is a lot.

I also take full blame for this view of the house. I'm not posting the last few. It went really wrong. Based on what you can see, be grateful I have spared everyone that horror. (**G**)

So here it is, the train wreck of 2008. And this is one of my better efforts, which should explain why I probably need a support group or twelve step program for dealing with my unfortunate desire to make gingerbread houses (and my continuing delusion that I can!).

Usually, at this point in my blog, I do my "in other news" segment, but I have no other news. Other than that I'm leaving town (which I should after posting these pictures!). So I will just once again wish you a happy new year (and the ability to quickly forget) and many great books in 2009!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

paulinebjones @ 2009-01-05T08:18:00

2009-01-05T14:19:34Z

Woke up too early. No question it's Monday

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T14:40:17Z

So this is my last chance to blog in 2008. I feel like I ought to be profound or something, but mostly I'm just grateful 2008 is finally ending. It started out rough, got better, and then went south again. But it seems to be ending okay (I say this cautiously, because it's not over until it's over.)

Last year at this time, my son was at the halfway point of his chemotherapy and we hoped he'd be on the path toward normal by the end of May. Thankfully, things turned out better than expected, but the really good news is that starting 2009, he's doing great! And despite illness, death, accidents, and a hurricane, we are still here and we're even optimistic.

The upside of a year that kicks your trash is that your perspective on everything changes. Things that used to make me whine are just minor annoyances now. I'm more grateful: for family, friends and quiet moments. And I know I can do/endure a lot more than I thought I could. It wasn't that fun to feel like I was the target at the shooting range, but it could have been worse.

I've been mulling resolutions, though not as much as usual. I think the whole of 2008 was an exercise in ongoing resolution making, but there are some things I'd like to happen in 2009:

1.I want to finish my novel.
2. I need to face the WiiFit (notice I didn't say I WANT to. I'm not quite there yet.)
3. I want to write a short story for our new chapter anthology.

These are my more shallow goals. The deep ones, well, they are private and have to do with family and friends and being more grateful for the things going right in my life.

Haven't been reading as much because I'm writing! But I have seen a couple of movies. Mama Mia is very fun and was happy to get the dvd. Horton Hears the Who didn't do it for me, but I'm not sure why. Maybe it's my mood. I loved the book, even as an adult reading it to my kids. Loved Twilight. Great escapist fare, IMHO. Will buy the dvd when it releases.

I've got a new, free gift offer on my website. It's an eBook compilation of what I consider my best writing tips from the last few years, with a bonus section of PR tips from Jamie Engle, my co-writer for Managing Your Book Writing Business. It's nothing fancy, but will hopefully provide a little positive inspiration for my writer/friends during the upcoming year. :-)

Mostly I'm going to be glad to cross the 2008 finish line at midnight and lift a can of Diet Dr. Pepper to celebrate surviving and yes, thriving despite everything. Here's hoping your new year is a wonderful one! :-)
perilously yours,
Pauline

More on Gingerbread House-ing

2008-12-08T17:48:06Z

Well, hubby and I were in New Orleans last weekend, at the Ritz-Carlton and they had a full size gingerbread house in the lobby! How am I to deal with my longing to create with gingerbread when I keep running into them everywhere?

This one was very cute, though people (I'm thinking kids) kept eating the candy off it (despite a sign asking guests not to!).

Despite the constant reminder of my gingerbread failures, we had a great time and the staff at the Ritz was very nice. New Orleans was great, too. We had one of my favorite things--white chocolate bread pudding--at The Palace Cafe. Someone told me they didn't come back after Katrina. Was glad to find out that was not true. They also have this very yummy Crab Cheesecake appetizer that is to die for. My palate took a stroll down memory lane and fell in love with the cuisine all over again.

I took a shot of the hubby as well. Doesn't he look cute in the courtyard? We took a walk down to the French Quarter and found it both changed and the same. It was a bit weird.

One of the great parts for me was that I got a lot of writing done! I know I've been talking about it a lot, but the last year kind of killed my writing mojo. Happily it seems to finally be returning. :-)

Did a little reading. I'm trying out a YA novel my niece recommended called DEALING WITH DRAGONS. So far its very funny and clever. Suitable for 8-12 maybe? But obviously older readers can enjoy it, too. It has the feel of a fairytale, but with a wry twist.

Hubby and I have been watching FOYLE'S WAR. Its a BBC series, set in WWII and very well done. The sad part is, we are coming to the end. The series got canceled before its time. :-(

I need to go do some Christmas shopping (online, of course!), but I wanted to pop in and share my photos from our weekend in the Big Easy!

Hope the holidays are treating you well! Happy reading and eating!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

The Gingerbread House Curse

2008-12-03T18:06:50Z

If there was a Gingerbread House Makers Anonymous, I'd join. Every Christmas I have this compulsion to make a gingerbread house. The problem? I am the WORST maker of gingerbread houses in the history of the WORLD. Even the simplest kit becomes an exercise in frustration when I become involved in the process.

Does this stop me?

No.

One year I decided to put my gingerbread dreams totally behind me. I gave away all the stuff I'd collected. Then I went to visit my sister-in-law just before Christmas. Not knowing my problem, she arranged a wonderful treat for my visit: a trip to a local gingerbread house display! There were cottages and mansions and wonderful castles. It was like taking an alcoholic to a bar. I managed to claw my way back to a semblance of normality, but I've never been able to really break free of the compulsion.

I did manage to walk away from a kit in the grocery store, but then one of my daughters emailed asking about gingerbread house kits. I did a google search and sent her some ideas. And I couldn't stop.

It's very sad. At this very moment, a gingerbread house kit is making its way toward me from a warehouse somewhere. Well, actually it is a stable, with a Santa and reindeer. Maybe I can do gingerbread stables. Right and maybe I can learn to fly.

My problem isn't really with gingerbread, but with crafts in general. I think I lack a key gene sequence to truly excel at crafts. That doesn't stop me from wanting to do them. You'd think humiliation would be a huge deterrent. There is one craft I can do. I can make knitted dish clothes. Yeah, I'm talking square, about seven inches. Apparently my bad mojo doesn't kick in right away. Still, I won't win any awards with dish clothes. Even those aren't really perfect.

So here I am. Standing up in public to say, "My name is Perilous Pauline and I make really bad gingerbread houses."

And, no, I don't want to buy one already made. Though I'd probably find a way to ruin one of those, too.

Perilously yours,
Pauline

Christmas Letter Time

2008-11-30T20:26:22Z

I'm feeling the pressure to do a Christmas letter this year. I didn't even send out cards last year because I didn't want to depress our friends during the holiday season. Didn't want to depress myself either with that kind of sharing. Things are better this year, but now I probably have to explain why I didn't send out cards last year, which is still depressing--though its depressing with a happy ending. I guess I could pretend I did send cards out last year. I wonder how many people actually remember who sent them cards last year? So, what do you think? Should I recap or just move on?

We had a good Thanksgiving. I ordered our feast from La Madeline and managed to not burn it when I heated it up. Otherwise, it might not have been so good.

Okay, the cat is staring at me like I owe him something, but I don't. I know I don't. Why is a cat stare so intense? He's starting to freak me out. Dang, I caved and looked. Now he's on my desk, in front of my screen (his fault if I have a typo!)

So, i have this weakness for gingerbread houses. I'm terrible at them, but I feel this compulsion to make them. It makes no sense. Even the kits, well, let's just say pretty doesn't seem to be an option. **g** So my daughter asks me about kits and now I've got one coming to the house for Christmas. Hopefully someone will help save me before I mess up another one.

I want to go downstairs and watch White Christmas and some other Christmas movies!

And read a book. If you want to read my opinion on ereaders (like you don't know if you read my blog) check here.

Happy holidays and happy reading!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

It Can't Be Thanksgiving Already!

2008-11-21T17:17:24Z

Okay, listening to some Kid Rock in iTunes and wondering what the heck happened to the period between now and my last blog. Hubby was asking me last night when we'd get back to normal and I had to admit I don't remember what normal is!

Two weeks ago, while driving home from airport, sitting at a stop light, we were rear ended on the feeder road by the Sam Houston Tollway. I think it threw my brain into December, because I haven't caught up with it yet. And to add insult to injury, it was MY new truck that was thrashed. I'd only had it since July and it only had 2025 miles on it! :-(

Accident threw hub's sugar into tail spin that he is only starting to come out of (not to mention throwing his eye glasses into oblivion from which they have never returned. How is that possible?) He broke his personal best for visits to ER in a single year. Previous record was 2. This year he hit a hight five. I'm wondering if there is such a thing as an ER gift card out there?

After last year, of course the hospital was the ONE place we wanted to be. We'd missed the food and the restful sleep at night. Not to mention dealing with the parking. And the days spent on the phone talking to insurance adjusters and doctors. Nice little trip down memory lane. **wg**

So, if I'm sitting here rocking a bit (or maybe even a lot) to Kid Rock singing "New Orleans" (that is a cool song!), well, I've earned it.

I'm dying to go see the Twilight movie, but oh, right. No WHEELS. But I'm not bitter about it. (And if you believe that, well, I've got this "slightly" damaged set of wheels to sell you. **vbg**) I can't believe I didn't even take a picture at the accident site. It was a particularly fine shot when the two two trucks were trying to pull the the van out of my trucks tailgate. So, no pictures to share of what used to be my baby. I'd just installed this cool cover and tail gate lock, too. Oh, life.

So, I had the chance to do a lot of reading. A friend told me about Liz Carlyle, a historical romance author and I've read two of her books and really liked them. I also read this older Lynne Graham book where the heroine tried to run some flowers through a shredder. It was a very cathartic scene for me. LOL! She's got such a great sense of humor, I really like her style.

I'd also like to thank The Kolache Factory for some fine carbs that helped me deal with the stress. Those chocolate/cream cheese things are just what I needed. **g**

Hope all my peeps have a GREAT Thanksgiving! (I think I'm going to try to order a meal from someone. After cooking three squares for the sick hubs, I'm all cooked out!) And if you've started your Christmas shopping, I hope you know, you're making me look bad!

Perilously yours,
Pauline

What Happened to September?

2008-10-28T13:42:00Z

And October? In my local chapter, we're calling it "Ike Brain." We all seem to be suffering from loss in concentration and a desire to hunker down and read instead of write. In my own case, I've also lost bills (I'm hoping the gas doesn't get turned off. It will suck to have no hot water when the temperature has dipped into the 40's!), forgotten appointments and craved doughnuts to an embarrassing degree. And there's still Christmas to get through!

Thankfully I'm not a total write-off. Despite my distraction, I managed to participate in the Muse Conference Online without totally embarrassing myself (I hope!) and in the good news column, my publisher has released Managing Your Book Writing Business, the writing handbook that I co-wrote with Jamie Engle. Here's the blurb from the book:

This helpful handbook outlines basic and important information every author needs to know about the publishing industry and the “business” of writing. From developing a business plan to cultivating a professional reputation, award winning author Pauline Baird Jones and public relations expert and author Jamie Engle share their years of knowledge and experience. Don’t wait until it’s too late, then say “I wish I would have known…” Managing Your Book Writing Business includes helpful web links and guidelines to help you get started, and keep you from making simple but potentially costly mistakes. Save time and start out right—success comes sooner for authors who take the time to organize and plan a strategy!

You can get the handbook in print or ebook.

I was also thrilled to get my Dream Realm trophy. Boy is it pretty! I still can't believe I won a Dream Realm award!

And of course, there's The Final Twist chapter anthology, A Death in Texas, which also released during my "Ike Brain."

I've been reading the other authors' stories and they are fun. My short in this anthology is set in the same "world" as The Key, but in Texas, naturally. It's called Men in Jeans and was a lot of fun to write.

I'm so not ready for the start of the holiday season! Mostly I've been comfort reading. Would love to hear from you about your favorite comfort reads. What are the book or books that you turn to when your life has been scrambled or you just need the familiar and the safe?

And while we're at it, have you found any books this year that will be added to your keeper shelf/comfort read list? Have you been dazzled and delighted by a new author? Inquiring "Ike brains" want to know. **g**

Perilously yours,
Pauline

Now What was Normal?

2008-09-25T19:07:10Z

I keep thinking, I'll be glad when things return to normal and then find myself wondering exactly what "normal" is. It's been a long time since we've had that elusive thing!

I took a few more pictures around the neighborhood:

This is taken one street over from us, in an older section of the subdivision. There used to be a brick wall to the left of the log. It was cut off almost even with the street and at one point blocked the street.

This is two streets over from our house. Luckily this tree fell aways from the house. There's still a lot of debris around the neighborhood, though it is odd to see some streets with so much and then others, like ours, with relatively small piles. There was an element of randomness in the event.

I hear that the National Weather Service is going to study the way they rank storms. Ike clearly didn't completely fit a Cat 2 slot! I know Ike was more than powerful enough to assuage my author-based curiosity about hurricanes! From now, I'll stick to imagining and get the heck out of the way of them!

My contest on Author Island runs until the middle of October, so if you haven't entered yet, there's still time.

Other than that, not much news in my life! Hope all is well with all of you.
Perilously yours,
Pauline

Couple More Ike Pictures

2008-09-18T14:35:24Z

We went out for lunch yesterday to Jason's Deli, one of our favorite places to eat.

There are a bunch of these trees around the shopping center and most were either bent or down completely.

I checked the power outage map this morning and it is sobering to see so many still without power. :-(

When a friend of mine returned to New Orleans, two months post Katrina, she talked about how strange it was to be in the United States and not be able to take clothes to a dry cleaners or her car to a car wash. How strange it was to have two items on the menu at McDonald's.

I got an email that Rockfish (another favorite) is open again, but our McD's is still closed. Trucks are moving into the city. Grocery store shelves are starting to fill again. Still not easy to move around the city with so many streetlights out and the hubby's office won't open for several months. They are looking for temporary quarters for their group.

It is strange, but I am so grateful that my home is still standing. Too many people don't have homes left. :-(

But despite the hard tasks ahead, Houston is also a city with a lot of guts. It will be back. :-)
Perilously yours,
Pauline

Cleaning Up After Ike

2008-09-17T19:12:12Z

There's nothing like piling up all your storm debris to help put it all in perspective!

Pretty crazy, aye? That's our house in the background, with the gate standing open and the rear end of my truck for scale. We also found our back BRICK fence pushed back about two inches! That's some wind.

Driving around, power is returning to the wider area. More lights coming on, more places to eat. Knocking on wood as I type, but so far today the power hasn't flickered even once. I've been so grateful for my battery backup since our power came on, since flickers were the norm, not the exception. Hubby still not back at work. His building got damaged and they aren't sure when he'll be back at work.

I have to say, its inspiring to be up close and personal with the indomitable spirit of people. There's just so much courage, compassion and commitment to overcoming here. It totally trumps the jerks who want to take advantage of the situation. And not just here in Texas, but everyone Ike paid a visit.

While Houston and surrounding areas were getting their trash kicked, the release of our chapter anthology was almost overlooked, but it is out and available for sale at amazon, B&N online and fictionwise. My contribution is called Men in Jeans and is set in the same reality as my novel, The Key. Fyn, from The Key, consented to make a guest appearance, because he's just that kind of nice guy.

I'm slowly getting back into working on Girl Gone Nova. I'm not sure if I used to be more disciplined, more focused or what, but I find it harder to bounce back after life gets too interesting. Oh, who am I kidding? I don't bounce at all more. Mostly I just splat. **wg**

I'd like to say I spent my hours in the dark reducing my TBR pile, but I didn't. When under stress (and out of doughnuts) I turn to my comfort reads. I browsed through Mary Stewart, Elizabeth Cadell and Mary Elgin. (Mary Elgin only wrote three books, unfortunately, but I love all three.) The on exception is Oh. My Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs (my grandmother's maiden name). A friend recommended this fast, funny read to me and I really got a kick out of it. It's a YA novel. I'm trying to limit my entertainment reading, so I can work on my own stuff.

Obviously I also haven't seen a movie recently, though I did get the last season of Foyle's War. I'm anxious to see it, but aware there won't be more, so don't want it to end. How weird is that?

Almost forgot, The Key was reviewed at Booksmugglers. I thought they gave me a fair shake, particularly considering I pushed their buttons a bit. It's always interesting to see what people see, especially something you didn't know was there. A book doesn't reach the measure of its creation without being read. Both the author and the reader bring something to the experience that neither can predict or control. I really appreciate it when someone gives me a chance. When someone picks up a book to read, they are investing their time, and often their money, to the experience. I don't like it when someone is disappointed, but I also know I can't please everyone. I write the book I want to write and put it out there, hoping for the best. :-)

Hope you're not too hot, that you have what you need to survive out there! I'm so very grateful to the things I do have and that the people I love are safe and well.
Perilously yours,
Pauline

Perilous Pauline and Hurricane Ike

2008-09-14T16:44:32Z

Well, we made it! Not only did we ride out the storm (they call it "sheltering in place" down here), but we survived the 48 hours without power. Yes, I know that sounds very whiny, when other people are facing longer times, but it is truly awful to have NO POWER for ANYTHING. You forget how many things that you do require power!

We were very lucky that the eye passed by to the East of us. My son tells us we were in the eye wall (we lost power but not our land line, so he could watch OUR news and tell us what was going on), which meant nine hours of hurricane force winds.

Not fun.

We lost power about two in the morning and the storm didn't ease up until around two in the afternoon. We lived on our 72 hour kits and let me tell you, it's not really living. It is surviving. But we are glad we had food that didn't require cooking. I'm shocked by how many people don't take even basic survival precautions. If you're 72 hour kit doesn't last 72 hours, then it's not actually a 72 hour kit. And if you live on the Gulf coast and don't have a 72 hour kit, what are you thinking?????

I took some pictures. They aren't as dramatic as the ones on tv, but we were very lucky. despite the high winds, we didn't get as much rain because of being east of the eye. Our house made it through fine, though we lost our beautiful bottle brush tree.

Anyway, here's some shots from our house/neighborhood:

Out our front door, once it got light enough to take a picture. Not sure which is worse, hurricane winds you can hear, but can't see, or the ones you can SEE and HEAR.

Looks like the winds twisted the trunk before they took the bottle brush down. :-( It had the prettiest flowers in the spring.

This branch came from a tree on the other side of our wall. I assessed it prior to the storm, wondering if it was big enough to hit our house, but I don't think it was. Glad we didn't have to find out, however!

This is the tree that branch came off of. To the left, you can see a sort of bed. That used to have two HUGE trees, but they took them down before the storm, out of concern, they'd come down IN a storm.

As you can see, our experience lacks the high profile drama of many who are still suffering from the effects of this storm. I can not imagine what it must have been like to be on Galveston (and NEVER plan to find out!). We didn't lose water, which was a huge blessing and had plenty of supplies to get through the upcoming days. But it is sobering to realize that I'm not really self reliant when I'm so reliant on electrical power.

The hubby made one last run to the grocery store prior to stores all shutting down. The bakery people told him they sold 600 donuts in 20 minutes. He got last two for me. (Is that a wonderful guy or what?). It was kind of reassuring to know I'm not the only one who needs carbs to deal with stress.

Many thanks for the people who have expressed concern and prayed for all of us here in the affected areas! I'm most grateful!
Perilously yours,
Pauline