Hello, my friends!

After a long, unexpected sabbitical Author Spotlight returns in April.  I look forward to these little peeks into other authors' lives and craft secrets.  I hope you all do as well. 

If you have a new release coming up or just want some free PR, which, btw, never hurts, *grin* please contact me privately via email. 

If you are a reader interested in finding out just how your favorite author ticks, by all means, drop in on Thursdays and take a peek at who is in the hot seat.  You may even win free books or some other item the author is giving away.  Look forward to getting started again.

I will notify you of specific dates before the end of the weekend on the below authors' visits.

I will have Jason Barrett, author of Dead or a Lie (great title isn't it?) and Debra St. John, author of the new release, Wild Wedding Weekend(Looks very interesting if you ask me), coming up in April.

Stay tuned for the details and dates on these two wonderful authors.

Dayana

A Loss...

March 12, 2010 this beautiful little guy left us for the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Mister was one of my good friend and neighbor's furry children.  If you remember a few weeks ago I had a doggie sleep over. Well, Mister is one of my kitty wards that I visited and gave fluids to each day while my friend was out of town.

Mister was well-traveled having come here from Chile, lived in California and Florida(the places that I know of) and a wonderful lap mate.  He loved to climb up in your lap and sleep, purring contentedly. A beautiful loving animal with one grey eye, and one blue eye as you can see here in his picture.  He was 16 years old. I will sorely miss this little guy.

Not long ago, Jacira, my friend, lost another wonderful little kitty, named Starfish, to cancer.  Starfish with Mister pictured on right.

I don't know about you but a loss of a pet hurts as much or more than people.  Some may be offended by that statement but pets give such unconditional love and never turn their backs on you.  My opinion and as most of you know, I LOVE ANIMALS!

Thank you for letting me share two very special animals with you that I have grown attached to over the years.

Just this side of heaven lies the Rainbow Bridge.
When a beloved pet dies, it goes to the Rainbow Bridge.
It makes friends with other animals and frolics over rolling hills and peaceful lush meadows of green. They are as healthy and playful as we remember them in days gone by.

Together, the animals chase and play, but the day comes when a pet will suddenly stop and look into the distance... bright eyes intent, eager body quivering. Suddenly recognizing you, your pet bounds quickly across the green fields and into your embrace. You celebrate in joyous reunion. You will never again separate.

Happy tears and kisses are warm and plentiful, your hands caress the face you missed. You look into the loving eyes of your pet and know that you never really parted. You realize that though out of sight, you love had been remembered.

You cross the Rainbow Bridge together.

D~

To All Pet Lovers. I just couldn't resist...

The following was found posted very low on my fridge door:

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom!If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt.. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don't.
(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

(1) eat less,
(2) don't ask for money all the time,
(3) are easier to train,
(4) normally come when called,
(5) never ask to drive the car,

(6) don't hang out with drug-using people,

(7) don't smoke or drink,

(8) don't want to wear your clothes,

(9) don't have to buy the latest fashions,

(10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and

(11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

A friend sent this to me because she knows I am an animal lover and I just had to share it with all of you. I actually have a magnet plaque on my fridge that says: The more people I meet the more I love my dog.

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

D~

Hello?  Is there anyone out there?  Just nod if you can hear me...

LOL Well, it seems I have disappeared yet again.  Ugh! I have been so busy that I find it hard to manage all my projects again of late.  Looks like I may have to brush up on my time management skills.

Valentine's Day has come and gone, my 27th wedding anniversary celebrated with a quiet dinner at home. We had planned on going out but decided we'd rather just relax and enjoy in the cozy comfort of our home.

Two months have come and gone of the new year, and I really haven't accomplished a whole lot of writing but I have accomplished some really big things.  Mostly on a personal level. Some in other aspects of my career.  My point? 

Well, though sometimes we don't have anything to really flaunt or visibly put out for all to see, like a new book accepted for publication, or a release coming up, a booksigning, etc. it doesn't mean the things that go on behind the scenes aren't just as important.  All the planning, organizing, reorganizing, scheming, stolen minutes to jot down new ideas, maybe toss out bits of a new story.  All these things essentially will fall together into something bigger and productive.  

That's where I've been.  I write a little bit, add something to this work in process and brainstorm on that WIP, jot down some new idea and maybe toss out a few thousand words of a new story.  Whatever disjointed direction I go, I rejoice that my imagination is alive.  My muse determined.  The next story that much closer.

Gotta get back to work.  Be back soon.  Gotta get the Author's Spotlight back on line.  I've got some wonderful authors lined up in the next couple of months and I've got quite a collection of disjointed and partial story ideas lying about.

D~

Slipping into oblivion: How important is visibility?

We're going to leave the ghosts, asylums, and other paranormal entities behind for a bit.  I wanted to talk about something of dire importance to anyone who depends on 'visibility' to survive in this cyber world we live in.  We all know that money, for most of us, is tight and our only venue promo and advertisement is the internet.  So how to keep a consistent presence across the net is a big challenge.  I have inadvertantly tested this and found that slipping into the oblivion is so very easy to do and unfortunately, you sink fast! 

Over the last several months, I've noticed even my most dependable followers have moved on.  It is not a good feeling being alone and unheard, especially for a writer.  My views and comments on this blog have dropped drastically and are non-existent on my website. So what is the problem?

• Updates.  This is something that is a necessessity, and I do religiously keep up with. Fresh conversation and topics draw your readers and show them you are out there. So, I know I'm okay in this department.
• Topic/Content.  Maybe my topics are uninteresting to others?  Could be an issue but I wouldn't know that unless someone said "Hey, you're boring the bejeebers out of us, already!"
• Visibility. Bingo! This one is a biggie.  I have been so tied up with other responsibilities that my overall visibility had dropped excessively.  What does that mean?  Well, for instance, I have not spent the time needed to visit other blogs, give interviews, hold contests, author spotlights have slimmed out, and hold the occasional give-away to drawn interest.  I have attempted to visit my favorite blogs in the last couple of weeks and comment but I suppose because I cannot do this as a daily routine my visitations may be lost in the mire.  I am only able to follow through on this on a weekly basis.
• Loops and Blogs. Another major problem for me is finding the time needed to remain visible on the loops and blogs I belong to.  Whew! this is a major challenge for me. I have attempted to incorporate one morning a week to do this.  But again, it seems futile as I don't really see any gain from this.  Not complaining.  Will keep plugging and keep working at it. Solutions are hard won especially with life biting at your heels.  Everyone has one and all the demands that come with it, so I'm not alone. Were there an easy solution, it would be a perfect world, would it not?
• New Material/Releases. Another huge obstacle.  I have been pulled from my personal works for sometime now.  I haven't been able to write except in limited spurts of time, nor am I the type of writer that can force the muse, so much of those times may produce nothing, nada, blank pages... I will say that I have no less than five/six projects in different stages!  I just need to sit down and get them going. More likely--get them finished!  New releases regularly are the key.  Each new project, its promo, etc. bring potential new readers and bring back your faithful followers.  Without fresh material flooding the saturated market, you are guaranteed a nosedive into oblivion.  Trust me, I know...

Well, that said, I am going to pull out one of those projects I mentioned and get to work. As Nike says: Just do it!

D~

As I Tweeted, Facebooked, and MySpaced this evening, I sat down and watched "Paranormal Activity" alone in the dark, in my house, with my Sheltie, Bea.  Can I add anymore commas to that sentence? LOL

I thought I would have been more frightened, and I will admit to thinking that this flick was about ghosts but when I realized it was a 'demon' who haunted this poor girl, I felt a bit more uncomfortable. Demons make me nervous.

With that said, the movie was interesting, and I thought unique in the way it was done. I don't know if many of you remember "The Blair Witch Project" but that was the same type of thing. I like the questionable nature of wondering about its authenticity. But I will be honest, I'm not going to wonder overly about this one as I will admit it wasn't as terrifying as I imagined it might have been, but the ending totally freaked me out. I honestly didn't expect it. I don't want to go into too much detail here as many who read this may not have seen the flick as yet and don't want to give it away. Nor do I really want to concentrate too heavily on this one for the obvious reasons. 

By the way, anyone interested who has Comcast On Demand, they do have "The Blair Witch Project" which I am going to take advantage of and watch again. Jaclyn! I know you wanted to watch it.  Also they are running "Paranormal Activity" as well.

Well, once again my Byberry Asylum discussion has been pre-empted. Do you think it may be an omen?  Perhaps to leave well enough alone?

Sleep well...

D~

Wolf Moon...

Tonight is the "Wolf Moon" which, of course, interests me! Wolf and moon in one conversation:)  Definitely up my alley.

Apparently, this is the brightest and fullest moon of the year and a bonus is that Mars is visible as well.  I went out earlier and viewed the phenomenon and if it is still clear skies for you take a step out the door and check this beautiful moon out.  Just to the left and toward the bottom of the moon you will see a reddish star twinkling. That would be Mars.

I attempted to get a picture but hey, all that I had was my Blackberry:)  Check it out. I've posted it top right.

Borrowed resource info:

(Jan. 29) – Tonight's full moon will be the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. It offers anyone with clear skies an opportunity to identify easy-to-see features on the moon.

This being the first full moon of 2010, it is also known as the wolf moon, a moniker dating back to Native American culture and the notion that hungry wolves howled at the full moon on cold winter nights. Each month brings another full moon name.

Tonight's full moon is the first of the year.

But why will this moon be bigger than others? Here's how the moon works:

The moon is, on average, 238,855 miles from Earth. The moon's orbit around Earth – which causes it to go through all its phases once every 29.5 days – is not a perfect circle, but rather an ellipse. One side of the orbit is 31,070 miles closer than the other.

So in each orbit, the moon reaches this closest point to us, called perigee. Once or twice a year, perigee coincides with a full moon, as it will tonight, making the moon bigger and brighter than any other full moons during the year.

Tonight it will be about 14 percent wider and 30 percent brighter than lesser full moons of the year, according to Spaceweather.com.


Author: Robert Roy Britt
For more information and to read the complete article:
Wolf Moon, Article Aol Resource

This article claims there is no correlation between people and animal moods and the full moon.  What do you think?  We've been told that the moon affects the chemical balance in the brain and makes the unbalanced person or animal even more unbalanced or shall we say the crazies come out?  Though Robert states this is myth.  However, the tides are affected.

Hmmm...

More interesting information:
Space.com

Tomorrow I'm back on Byberry history and ghostly apparitions.  Bet you can't wait:)

D~

Let's talk ghosts...

after spending the evening working on my new paranormal erotic novella I decided to surf the channel listings to see what was on.  Bored and looking for anything to watch, I stumbled upon that ghost hunter show on The Travel Channel.  So... I thought why not? I'd never watched it before though I did see some of the spoofs done in regards to the show, namely a South Park episode.

I settled in and watched. I found it for the most part overly dramatic and the playbacks of the experiences not so strong in the proof department but the fourth episode caught my attention.  Why? Because it was familiar or at least in the same vicinity of a place I used to venture to as a teenager when we were brave and daring in the night, LOL

Jaclyn, you will relate to this as we talked about this and have this place in common.  Remember Byberry(sp)?  Well, last night one of the episodes was seeking out paranormal activity at a place called

Pennhurst State Asylum or Institutution located in Spring Town, Pennsylvania. I believe I've gotten that correctly.  Anyway, this is a huge condemned complex where people would drop off mentally challenged and difficult children.  At one time there were over ten thousand inhabitants.  Definitely a dark and desperate place. It was condemned and closed in the early sixties, I believe. The most interesting thing about the episode were the people that Zak interviewed about the place.  Catch the episode if you can.  It definitely gave me a few goose bumps.

Funny thing is I kept thinking about my Byberry adventures and as the guys panned one of the rooms in the place, I couldn't believe my eyes! Low and behold,  I caught what appeared to be the word "Byberry" spray painted on one of the walls and I saw it more than once so I know I wasn't imagining it!

Below is a slideshow of the episode. Enjoy:)  Hey, Jacke!  Let me know what you think.  All I could think about was our old haunt.

http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Ghost_Adventures/Photos/Slideshow_Pennhurst_State#


Just for balance, I'd seen this prior to ever watching an episode of Ghost Adventures.  Check this out:

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/6178554


Now formulate your own opinion, LOL

Adendum:

I was curious to see if  I was spelling the name of Byberry correctly and felt compelled to do some research on the place.  I will continue the actual facts on this asylum in my next post but interestingly found much information on the place we stared upon in the wee hours of the night without exiting our car.  Eerie doesn't begin to describe the misery of this place.  It has since been demolished in 2006 yet still haunts my mind.

Some photos and additional links:

http://www.oboylephoto.com/byberry/

Some additional photos.

Sunday has gone to the dogs!  I've had a great canine weekend spent with Bea(Sheltie), Scooby(Right, Charpei mix) and Frisco(left rear, golden).  Bea in front is mine, Scooby and Frisco belong to my neighbor who is hanging out in Denver for the week.  We decided to have a puppy sleepover though I am caring for two cats as well who have remained at home:)

Great practice on deciding whether or not to adopt a brother to keep Bea company.   They have all been the perfect angels. No problems here.  Great way to relax since it's too freakin' cold to go outside.  I never thought I would be saying that.  Where do I live again?  Coincidentally, the temp this morning in Denver was one degree colder than we were in South Florida which was 32 to our 33.  Again, where am I?

Anyway, one more peek at my furry kids. They will be going home on Wednesday though I wouldn't care if they never left.  It's been a wonderful experience. 

Author Spotlight, Jason Barrett will not make it today but no worries!  He will be here in February. The 18th to be specific.  Please stop back and check him out.  His new release, Dead or a Lie, will also be available in February at the Wild Rose Press, and you don't want to miss that.

Still cold and will be for the next week to ten days here in tropical paradise, so don't make any hasty plans to escape your winter Hell in the North and come to Florida just yet.  Whoa! We're just not equipped for this long term, but this too shall pass:)

Have a wonderful week everyone.

D~