2/2020 - To fight back against spam comments, I am closing comments to all older posts. Current blog posts will still have comments open. I apologize for this inconvenience.
Flames burn between a hardboiled cop and a gifted artist, but soon extinguish as another man’s obsession ignites into an inferno of desire, driving him to destroy the object of his madness.
To be Released March 2016
As wedding bells echo like the ring of toasting champagne
glasses in the ice carved mountains of Anchorage Alaska, detective Steven Quaid
rehabs his grandfather’s cabin into a honeymoon cottage for his new bride.
When he returns from a hunting trip, Steven’s faced with
five police officers, who “Want to talk.” Plagued by two unsolved murders, the
Department is searching for answers.
The conversation comes to a deafening halt as the team
finds a bloody crime scene in the bridal suite. "Where's her body?"
is a question Steven cannot fathom.
Steven’s jaw clenches and his heart races. Images of
Sarah streak through his mind.
The silence breaks as an explosion of accusations vibrate
through every fiber of his being.
Steven bolts…
Although running is never the smart thing to do, Steven’s
not thinking clearly and his escape into the wilderness of the Brooks Range
proves almost fatal.
This Steven Quaid mystery is both personal and
heartbreaking.
*****
Yolanda Renee
At one time Alaska called to me and I answered. I learned
to sleep under the midnight sun, survive in below zero temperatures, and hike
the Mountain Ranges. I've traveled from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, and the memories
are some of my most valued. The wonders, mysteries, and incredible beauty that
is Alaska has never left me and thus now influence my writing.
Despite my adventurous spirit, I achieved my educational
goals, married, and I have two wonderful sons. Writing is now my focus, my
newest adventure!
World damnation is a psychotic man’s goal, but two
obstacles stand in his way, greed and a dedicated detective.
*****
Parallels:
Felix Was Here
An
Insecure Writer's Support Group Anthology
Science
Fiction/Alternate History
Enter
the realm of parallel universes!
COMING SPRING 2016!
What if the government
tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer
survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side
of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?
Exploring the fantastic,
ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality.
Featuring the talents of L. G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie
Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renee, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi,
and Tamara Narayan.
Hand-picked by a panel
of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist
the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another
dimension!
QUESTION: Do you like murder stories? What do you think of Yolanda's new covers? And the IWSG Anthology cover?
Below are descriptions and teasers for the four main
criminals so far in the Disaster Crimes series (Book One – Hurricane Crimes,
Book Two – Seismic Crimes).
Viktor Chuman AKA Chewy – One of the police officers
who killed Donovan’s brother. Internal Affairs Investigator Ryan Goldwyn. He is
brutal and nasty with a wide nose and a mean right hook.
Excerpt from Hurricane Crimes:
“Don’t move,” Chewy shouted at her. “You’re going to back
out of here one step at time. If you do anything stupid, I’ll blow a hole
through your boyfriend’s head.” He pressed the muzzle of the gun to Donovan’s
temple.
With her hands in the air, Beth slowly moved one foot
back at a time, her right foot dragging the gun along the ground and all the
way down the driveway to the canoe.
“I have to turn around to get it,” she explained. “When I
raise my hands, all I’ll have is a leather journal.”
“You better or it’s a bullet into Goldwyn’s brain.”
David Buckland AKA Buck – The other police officer
who killed Donovan’s brother, but the only one who got away and is on the run.
He’s cruel on purpose, had remarkably good luck, and many criminals on his
side.
Excerpt from Seismic Crimes:
Buck shot at them with abandon. The pings from bullets
hitting metal echoed throughout the garage. Heart beating so hard and fast that
it felt like it would explode, Beth peered left and right, searching for a safe
route out of the garage. Even if she could make it to the next aisle over, Buck
would no doubt follow with his gun blazing. By the sound of it, she figured it
was a semi-automatic, and there was no telling how many magazines he had on
him.
Glass rained down on her when bullets sliced through the
windows. She ducked her head even lower. Pieces of glass slid off her head to
the ground where shards circled her feet like a ring of posies. A few of the
glass puzzle pieces from the window had collected on her lap. She brushed them
off and pressed her hands firmly against the passenger door. More glass fell on
her when the truck’s window behind her erupted.
Viper – Viper is a drug dealer widely known
throughout Central Florida. He illegally sells marijuana and not for medical
purposes either. He has a stash of guns and bundles of cash. His crib is always
full of other dealers and men getting high. Like Vegas, what happens in his
house stays in his house.
Excerpt from Seismic Crimes:
Viper’s lips spread into a wicked sneer, causing her
stomach to roll. She had the sickening feeling he wasn’t above taking advantage
of a woman passed out in his crib. “Anyway, do ya know where Buck is?”
Viper stood slowly, taking his gun in his hand. Her
breath caught painfully in her chest. This is it. He’s going to pop a
bullet in my head.
Separated by the coffee table, he pinned Beth in place
with his dark eyes. “Why the hell you wanna know?”
Jackson Storm – He is a big time criminal who has
done every crime in the book. For fun. He has countless criminals all across
the United States working for him and willing to do whatever he demands. He
even has ties to a police-killing Mob in Cleveland (30 Seconds). No one has
been able to catch him and that could be because corrupt cops helped him get
away with his evil doings.
Excerpt from Seismic Crimes:
“What do you want?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” He waved the gun at her. “You.”
Beth never thought a monosyllable could cause such
terror, but she was ready to pee her pants. “If you wanted to kill me, you
could have done that the second I walked out of the bathroom.”
“I don’t want to kill you here. I have somewhere special
picked out for your murder. And I plan on having fun with you first. When I do
kill you, though, I’ll make sure to have plenty of body parts left over so I
can send Donovan pieces of you…one by one. Then I’ll kill him in a way he won’t
ever see coming.”
More criminals to come in Book 3!
To read more of these scenes, pre-order Seismic Crimes on Amazon.
A character’s dialogue can add humor and suspense (if
delivered by an antagonist). Two characters can exchange witty banter, argue,
or whisper sweet nothings. Dialogue pushes a story forward. You can’t have a
book without it.
A character’s emotion influences the story, fuels scenes,
and builds connections with readers. Without emotions, we would have dull
stories and robotic characters. We don’t want that!
A character’s body language is also important because it
compliments dialogue and reveals emotions. Whenever our characters say or do
something, whenever they feel a certain way, we should add physical cues to
drive home those feelings and actions.
Below are some emotions with physical
reactions.
Anger– clenching of jaw and fists, a puffing up of the
chest and squaring of shoulders, spine rod-straight, arms crossed, flaring of
nostrils, seething, pacing, glaring, heart pounding, blood roaring, heat rising
up neck and face
Curiosity/Suspicion – head tilting, pursing of lips,
scratching head or temple, tapping fingers, quirking a brow, squinting eyes
Fear – cowering, avoiding eye contact, slumped shoulders,
body shaking, sweaty hands, dry mouth, fast breathing, heart racing
Grief– sobbing, whole body shaking, quivering lips,
tearing eyes, heavy heart, shuffling footsteps, low shoulders
Love/flirting – heart fluttering, breath catching, glowing,
blushing, laughing, winking, lip biting, butterflies in the stomach
QUESTION: Do you forget to add body language and other
physical reactions?
For today I have a very entertaining character interview
with Emma and Mrs. Perkins from Anna Simpson’s book, WHITE LIGHT. These two
made my rather bland questions hilarious. Check it out:
Hi, Emma and Mrs. Perkins! Can you tell us about White Light?
Mrs. Perkins: I’ll read the blurb. *clears her
throat*
Emma never dreamed of being a super-sleuth. In her mind,
she’s more Scooby Doo than Nancy Drew and when her nosy neighbor, Mrs. Perkins,
drags her to an anniversary party to solve a mystery, she rolls her eyes, buys
a box of chocolates and hops in the car.
What’s a party without an attack on its host—or more accurately on the host’s
grandson, sparking an allergic reaction and moving the party to the hospital
waiting room. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect. Emma and Mrs. Perkins, along
with Great Aunt Alice (a spirit with boundary issues who keeps stepping into
Emma’s body like a new dress and playing matchmaker), dive into an
investigation that almost gets Emma killed along with the man they are trying
to protect. With so many reasons to kill him and so much to be gained if he
died, Emma and Mrs. Perkins must unravel the tenuous ties that point to every
member of his family as potential killers.
Even if it means going back to the psych ward, Emma will protect her friend and
this innocent man. What good is freedom if it's haunted with guilt?
Emma:*glances over at Mrs.
Perkins and shrugs* I don’t know. She’d have to be young but tough, and like,
understand that hanging with older folks has its quirks. The food’s great. Know
anyone like that?
Mrs. Perkins: *facepalm*
Well for me it would be Cybill Shepherd.
Emma: *mouth drops open*
She’s tall… and blonde…and beaut—
Mrs. Perkins: *smoothes her
grey sausage curls* I suppose I could dye my hair for our headshots.
2.What are your jobs?
Mrs. Perkins: Retired
Emma: I read tea leaves at
the Pie ‘n’ All. At first I was so freaked out. Me read leaves? I can barely
read the Tarot. But it worked out okay. Aunt Alice, my great-aunt, she’s dead
you know. Oh, and a psychic. Anyway, Aunt Alice is always ready to pop in and
give me a hand when I get stuck.
Mrs. Perkins: It’s all true.
She is really, really bad at reading anything. Not a psychic bone in her body.
*wipes her nose with a hanky* We are so blessed that Alice still has time for
us.
3.What do you do for fun?
Emma: Fun? Mrs. Perkins and
I play bridge. I’m getting pretty good too.
Mrs. Perkins: *opens her
mouth*
Emma: *hand swings up and an
open palm pushes in Mrs. Perkins’ direction* Galdy says I’m getting better
every game.
Mrs. Perkins: Sure she does.
Her and Jay have been beating us at every tournie. You might as well be on
their team.
4. What’s your biggest pet
peeve?
Emma:
Peeve? *Emma’s eyes cut to Mrs. Perkins* Besides nurses, I don’t have any. I
mean who likes those pajama clad, needle wielding sadist anyway? Nobody I know.
And I know people.
Mrs.
Perkins: Maybe we should move on to the next question.
5. How did you meet Mrs.
Perkins?
Emma:
Old family friend.
Mrs.
Perkins: Old? More like lifelong. Really, Emma. If your aunt could hear you
right now---
Emma:
Okay, Okay. I give. She’s a lifelong friend of Great-Aunt Alice. We are quite
the threesome.
6. What was your first
impression?
Emma:
*burst out laughing*
Mrs.
Perkins: Well, tell her.
Emma:
*straightens face* Never a dull moment…Not even if I’m ready to sell my soul
for one. We’re neighbors you see.
Mrs.
Perkins: True. You should see her lawn. It’s a disgrace. And in regards to dull
moments. Emma acts older than I do.
Emma:
*clenches teeth*
Mrs.
Perkins: Let me just say on my behalf, I’m very supportive. Without me the girl
would starve. And without Alice, well, we’d have to go look for cases. Overall,
we make an excellent team.
Emma:
Exactly what I would have said.
7. What kind of trouble do
the two of you get into?
Mrs.
Perkins: So far we haven’t landed in jail. Okay I’m speaking for myself. Emma
on the—
Emma:
Hey. It was only a conference room.
Mrs.
Perkins: Were you locked in? Did Tom have to bail you out? Well…
Emma:
Benny the bully locked me in. So what? *exhales a long breath* I try to stay
out of trouble. *swings a thumb toward the older woman* Not easy if you get my
drift.
Mrs.
Perkins: You’d think being a small town not much would happen. It’s just
ridiculous how busy we are.
Emma:
Too ridiculous. I’m used to a quieter life.
Mrs.
Perkins: *takes Emma’s hand* No worries. Crime will never be the same now that
we are on the job.
8. What moment of White
Light was your favorite?
Emma:
When Tom picked me up for my first date in years.
Mrs.
Perkins: When Emma finally agreed to help me solve our mystery.
Emma:
Sorry, but my moment is with Tom.
Mrs.
Perkins: What can you do?
9.What moment of White
Light caused you the most fear?
Emma:
When I knew Mrs. Perkins went off on her own. I just felt she was in trouble.
It was horrible.
10.Is there anything you
did in White Light that you would change if you could?
Emma:
*raised a forefinger to her chin as she thought.*
Mrs.
Perkins: I would have told Emma the truth a lot sooner.
Emma:
Nope, not a thing.
Mrs.
Perkins: *glares*
BIO:
Anna Simpson lives near the Canadian-US border with her
family. Even though she's lived in several places in British Columbia, her free
spirit wasn't able to settle down until she moved back to her hometown.
The woman is easy to find though, if you know the magic
word -- emaginette. Do an internet search using it and you'll see what I mean.
:-)
GIVEAWAY: I'm giving away 3 paperback books by different authors in the Paranormal Romance, Historical Fantasy, and Sci-Fi Romance genres. For your chance to win, you have to subscribe to my newsletter. In January 29th's issue, I'll reveal what you have to do to win them. There will be additional prizes to the 5 runners-up, so you'll want to act fast!
Beth Kennedy is the heroine of the Disaster Crimes series
(Hurricane Crimes and soon-to-be published Seismic Crimes). She is smart,
tough, and romantic; what every good heroine should be.
Character Profile:
Name – Bethany Grace Kennedy
Occupation – Self-Defense Instructor
Location – Central Florida
Doppelganger – Kate Beckinsale
Love Interest – Donovan Goldwyn
Likes – Canoeing, boxing, writing poetry,
poker, the beach
Dislikes – Snakes, hurricanes, cheating ex-fiancés, car troubles
Here are some special never-before-shared teasers from
Seismic Crimes to illustrate just how smart, tough and romantic Beth really is.
Smart Teaser:
“Chewy, one of the cops…” She stopped suddenly, her face
burning as she looked at the four officers in front of her. What if one of them is in league with Chewy?
What if they all are? They could kill me and then kill Donovan.
“It’s okay, Ms. Kennedy,” Officer Burnett said. “Please
go on.” His gentle smile and sincere, brown eyes calmed her, and she found the
courage to tell the truth.
“Chewy was in the house when Donovan went in to retrieve
the footage. I heard a gunshot, and I got out of the canoe to help him.”
“And all you had was a shovel?”
“That’s right.” Beth explained how she saw Chewy hit
Donovan and hold him under the water in Ryan’s living room. “I hit Chewy in the
back with the shovel so he’d release Donovan. He fired a shot at me and told me
to drop the shovel. I did and that was when I stepped on another gun under the
water. It’s in the canoe outside. I’m sure if you checked it, you’d find it’s
registered to Chewy.”
“We’ll check,” Burnett reassured her.
“I told Chewy I had Ryan’s journal in the canoe because I
knew he wouldn’t want any evidence out there for someone to use against him.
Chewy held the gun to Donovan’s head and told me to back out of the house. I
dragged the gun under my shoe down the driveway to the canoe and slowly reached
inside. I brought out a journal, but it wasn’t Ryan’s. It was mine. When I saw
Ryan’s journal was identical to the one I wrote poetry in, I thought we could
replace Ryan’s with it. Before Chewy could take my journal, though, I threw it.
He went after it, and I went for the gun. When I came back up out of the water,
Chewy had his gun pointed at me. I fired before I could even think. The bullet
hit him in the head.”
Tough Teaser:
“Empty out your pockets. Now!”
“All right.” She slowly dipped her hands into her pockets
and pulled them inside out to show she didn’t even have a gum wrapper. Lint
occupied the deepest recesses of the cotton squares. “See,” she said, forcing
calm. “I don’t have any money. Now let me go.”
“Turn around.”
“What?”
“I said, turn around. I want to see your back pockets.”
Beth glared at him as annoyance washed over her. I don’t
have time for this. I have to get back to Donovan. She grabbed his wrist,
stepped around him, and wrenched his arm behind his back, forcing his hand toward
his head while twisting his wrist at an awkward angle. He let out a growl and released
the blade. It clattered to the asphalt at her feet. She didn’t waste a second
to peer down at it. She kicked the back of his knee with the side of her foot
as hard as she could. He crumbled and she let him fall. When he was on the
ground, she gathered a fistful of his dark hair and slammed his forehead into
the ground, knocking him unconscious. Then she launched into an all-out sprint.
Romantic Teaser:
She helped him back into bed and even stretched out
beside him. Her fingers stroked his temple and combed through his hair. It wasn’t
long before his breathing became deep with sleep.
Mid-day, she peeled the gauze off his burn to clean it
and reapply salve. Removing tape from skin and hair—not to mention from an
irritated wound—always hurt, so she barred her teeth and lifted the strips centimeter-by-centimeter.
Donovan’s eyelids fluttered open when she was half-way through the task. Her
fingers stilled.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Your burn needs to be
cleaned.”
He made a soft humming sound from deep in his throat
before his lids lowered, curtaining his worn-out eyes. Stroking his brow, she
murmured endearments to him even though she figured her words wouldn’t have enough
power to penetrate his subconscious. Regardless, she hoped he could hear them
in his dreams.
To read more of these scenes, pre-order Seismic Crimes on Amazon.
QUESTION: Which teaser did you like more? The smart
teaser, tough teaser, or romantic teaser?
In a romance where you follow the relationship between
your hero and heroine, and chronicle their wedding, you should detail their
honeymoon as well. At least for a short chapter.
Here are 3 main points to consider if your
characters go on a honeymoon.
1.Where does your couple go?
Have they discussed a dream vacation? If so, send them
there. If not, where could you picture them going? A sun and beach loving
couple could go to the Bahamas. An adventurous couple could go to Colorado. And
a romantic, food loving couple can go to Italy. Where are your characters
telling you they’d like to celebrate their love?
2.Romance x10
Now is the time to break out all the romantic quips you’ve been locking away.
Let your characters ooze romance. Describe their tender kisses, warm caresses,
and love making. But make it more than sex. Make this intimacy strengthen their
bond and deepen their relationship.
Aside from fun in bed…your characters should get out and
about. Send them on an adventure or to sight-see. This should be a light moment
for your characters and readers before it’s time to get back to reality and to shake things up with the plot line waiting for them.
BOOK TIDBIT:In the 3rd book of my Disaster
Crimes series, a disaster strikes during Beth’s and Donovan’s honeymoon. Any predictions?
QUESTIONS: Have any of your characters gone on a
honeymoon? If you’ve been on a honeymoon, where did you go? If you haven't where would you want to go?
Today I am welcoming a fellow Rose
from The Wild Rose Press, K.K. Weil. She’s sharing an artistic, romantic, and
slightly funny scene from her newest release, SHATTERPROOF.
Griffin’s latest creation sits on the table in his empty
warehouse. A sculpture of a tall, exquisite woman. Before I think about what
I’m doing, I reach out for it. I can’t help myself. I caress her chiffon dress,
then her hair. The textures in it are wavy and unruly, almost to a sinful
degree. An invisible breeze fans it around her. I breathe in through my nose to
experience the breeze. She smells like Griffin. That scent on him the day I ran
into him at the hospital wasn’t paint, after all.
It was clay.
The woman’s arm is raised and her fingers are running
through her hair, pushing it off her face. I think I’m being gentle when I
trace my hand over her arm, but my touch is obviously not as soft as I think.
“No!” I wail when the statue’s hand separates from her
wrist and her arm is limp in my hand. I start to panic. I can’t even run away,
because I know if I let go of this arm, the entire thing will fall off. Holy
crap. Why would I touch his work? Beads of sweat form on my forehead. I’m
stuck. I can’t move a muscle for fear of destroying this beautiful piece even
more. What the hell am I going to do?
Maybe if it let it go and run out of here, Griffin will
think it fell off by itself. He never has to know I touched it.
“That wouldn’t be very nice.” Griffin’s grumbly voice
startles me from behind and I jerk, inadvertently removing the arm a little
from the shoulder.
“Damn it!” The arm sags in my hand but I don’t lower it.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have touched it. I don’t know why I did.”
Griffin chuckles from somewhere deep in his stomach. My
own stomach clenches with nerves.
“It’s okay.” He steps closer.
“Wait,” I say. “What wouldn’t be nice?”
“Making me think it fell off by itself. That I did
shitty, unstable work.”
I gulp. I’m glad my back is still to him, so he can’t see
my heart pounding through my shirt. “I said that out loud?” I scrunch my face
in embarrassment.
“Yep.” He’s amused. I am not.
“I’m really sorry,” I repeat again.
“I told you, it’s okay.” He moves within an inch of my
back and reaches his arms around me. Before I realize what he’s doing, his hand
is over mine, guiding it. Together, we methodically rebuild the arm. First at
the shoulder, where it is still somewhat attached, then at the wrist.
Griffin’s chest is against my back and every slow breath
he takes accelerates my own. He’s quite a bit taller than me and his chin is by
my temple as he leans over my shoulder to fix what I broke. Can he feel the
moisture on my forehead through his stubble?
“It wasn’t set yet,” he breathes into my ear. “Otherwise
it wouldn’t have fallen apart in your hands that way.”
He’s quiet as we finish smoothing the clay, making it
blend seamlessly.
“Who is she?” My voice comes out hushed.
“Just a client.” His answer is low and dismissive.
“She’s beautiful.”
“Yes.” The word vibrates in my ear.
There’s an inexplicable pang in my gut at the thought of
him intimately sculpting this gorgeous woman, alone in this private yet open
workspace. Especially since he said he wouldn’t sculpt me.
I turn around, but he doesn’t back away this time and now
he’s right in my face.
He shaved down to a thin stubble again, probably because
he was on his way to meet a client. God, he’s gorgeous. This close up, every one
of his defined features is clear. His bottom lip has a small indentation, like
he bites it out of habit. What a picture his lips would make. I’d love to run
my hand along them and feel him. But this time, I refrain from touching.
Questions:
1. Where
does this scene take place?
Griffin
is a sculptor in New York City. He works out of a warehouse downtown. It’s a
huge, empty space, sectioned off with metal accordion dividers.
Whenever
a client enters, their steps echo on the concrete floor, which is usually the
only sound, aside from Griffin’s soft Blues music playing in the background. There’s
a long table, littered with sculptures and a stool, which Griffin rarely sits
on while he works. A simple couch, chair and area rug warm up the cold, stark
space, so his clients can be comfortable while he sculpts them.
2.If
this were a movie, what song would be playing in the background?
I’d
have to say Just Breathe by Anna Nalick. That song is so powerful and conjures
up everything Frankie was feeling in that moment with Griffin standing up
against her.
3.What
do you love the most about this scene?
Sculpture
has been everything to Griffin for years. It’s his savior and his sanity. This
is the first time in the book Griffin brings Frankie into this world, even
though it happens by accident. And he chooses to do it intimately. If it had
been anyone else, he could have stood on the other side of the table and fixed
the sculpture. But he’s drawn to her, even though he’s trying not to be, and
allows himself this moment of closeness. Also, in the full scene, Frankie
describes Griffin’s sculpture in depth, letting the reader see how affected she
already is by the power of his work, and by him as an artist.
4. Was
this scene difficult or easy to write?
This
was actually one of the first scenes I wrote. I’m a total pantser, writing
without an official outline as I go. When I get an idea for a book, I write
bunches of scenes, out of order, as they come to me. They give me an idea about
where I want my story to go and who my characters are before I begin my first
draft. They get changed a lot, when I start drafting, but still get my creative
juices flowing.
I
found the scene really fun to write, but it also had to be just so. I wanted
you to feel their connection even before they actually did anything. Just the
act of mending the clay with his hands over hers and the proximity of their
bodies had to be intimate.
5.Can
you tell us a secret about this scene?
I
wasn’t sure exactly which way I wanted to end this scene. (The chapter does not
end here.) I didn’t know if I wanted him to walk away from her (as he’d been
doing), if they should kiss, if they should hook up right there in the
warehouse. I had to play it out by writing it a few ways to see which way I
liked it and which way felt most true to what Griffin would have done. I won’t
tell you what I decided. ;) But I can tell you that in the end, I think it
played out in a way that was very consistent with Griffin’s personality.
BIO:
Instead of telling you how I’ve always loved to write
(which is true) or how I dabbled in different genres for years while I was a
teacher, before I took it up full-time (also true), I’d like to let you get to
know me a little.
I love trying all different foods. I enjoy everything
from street meat to decadent delicacies. When I travel, I pester the locals for
restaurant recommendations, off the beaten path. Having said that, I am a
savory fan. I don’t have a sweet tooth. I’d much rather have another bite of
dinner and one more glass of wine that save room for dessert. There is one exception
to this rule. Reese’s peanut butter cups. Sometimes I think I love those more
than I love my children. I’m kidding. Maybe.
I’m left handed. I blame my horrendous handwriting on
this, even though I don’t really believe they’re related. Everything in this
world is built for and by righties. (Ever try using a can opener with your left
hand?) So when I meet another left-handed person, I feel an immediate bond to
her, like we’re in this special club. A club founded on being inconvenienced.
When I was young, I was desperate for my sister to be a leftie like me. So even
though she grabbed things with her right hand, I’d quickly switch them to her
left. Now she’s ambidextrous.
I always save the best of everything for last. It’s a
compulsion. I don’t like pizza crust very much, so I eat it first. I tear it
off, piece by piece (I don’t bite the slice backwards. I’m not a Neanderthal,
for God’s sake), until there’s just a little bit left in the center. I use this
as a handle.
I have an irrational fear of lice, bedbugs and any other
insect that can become an infestation.
I prefer beaches over grass, heels over flats, dramas
over comedies, coffee over tea, night over morning and fall over spring.
