Spanish Flu Update

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Gotta love the timing of my book coming out and this update on the Spanish flu research. :) Carol http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15044065/

Heroes

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

I avoid 'serial' TV shows like the plague. Those progressive shows where you have to watch every episode to know what's going on with any clarity. However, I got snared by Heroes on Monday night. What an intriguing show and premise. I don't know if the show can keep the quality up, but what a great opening. Shades of X-Men minus the cartoon factor. :) Carol

Hollywood Land

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

I had ambivalent feelings after seeing 'Hollywoodland'. I thought Adrien Brody and Diane Lane were both terrific. However, the director slanted the evidence/rumors toward his conclusion [or at least suggested conclusion] that George Reeves committed suicide. I'm sorry, but I can't get past the fact that the ex-fiance and her friends waited 45 MINUTES after the gunshot to call the police. Hello. Let me think what these people could have been doing for 45 MINUTES. Trying to revive the former Superman? Nope. How about getting their story put together? Yep. My money's on the ex-fiance as the guilty one. Then the director make a big point of saint cards being found in the actor's bedroom but never offered up his own theory. When a movie wastes precious screen time on information, you expect at least a hypothesis. Because there was a slant, I couldn't tell how true the implication was that the kids' idolation didn't matter to George. I hope that's not true. I was one of those kids glued to the TV to watch every episode of Superman. George's TV Superman was one of my earliest heroes, and I hope if in life because of his depression and issues George took no pride/comfort in all the children's idolation that he can now. Whatever went wrong or never went right with his life, every week for several years, George Reeves was Superman and brought me thrills and wonderment. Carol

Spooky

Monday, September 25, 2006

Maddie here. Let me tell you. Carol had a bad dream last night, tossing and turning. I finally had to get off the bed to get a good night's sleep. Anyway, when she woke up, she hugged me tight. For months now in our area of Florida, thieves have been stealing people's generators. Carol dreamed that someone stealing her generator broke into the house and hurt me. I gave her a good slurpy kiss to let her know I was fine. However, when she left this morning, she kept the hurricane shutters that secure the back of the house shut and locked. Normally, she opens them so I can look out during the day. Well, when she got home tonight and took me on a walk, we saw police cars all over the place. The house across the street two doors down had been broken into and the place tossed. The neighbor had arrived home to find her front door ajar and had the presence of mind to call the police. When we finished our walk, Carol gave me another hug. I have to tell you, Carol is one smart pup to listen to her premonition. :) Maddie

Sick, sick, sick

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Tonight's news had the gruesome story of 3 teens breaking into an elderly woman's home, trashing it and then putting her kitten into the oven and burning it to death. What was this poor woman's offense against these teens? She told them to stay off her property. Thank God a neighbor saw them leaving the house. The boys were captured and are in jail. 3 Jeffrey Daumers in the making. If they can do such a heinous act against a helpless kitten, what next? What if the woman had come home while they were still inside the house? After having taken that first step of killing, what would they had done to her? Sick, sick, sick. And how could there be redemption for someone that inhumane? If I were on the jury, my vote would be to first stick the lot of them in a hologram giving them the sensation of being inside a heated oven and then throw them in a jail cell and lose the key. Sorry, but I have neither sympathy nor hope for someone so evil. Sigh, Carol holding her own cats tight tonight

Birds are for the dogs

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Maddie here. Carol's all excited. Can you imagine this? She's leaving ME to take a foliage trip to Vermont in October along with a bunch of attorneys. Then she learned that the hotel they'll be staying at offers a falconry class, and she will get to work with birds and dogs. I had to remind her that she already has a top-notch bird dog...ME. When we visited her sister and BIL this past Xmas in Montgomery, AL, we went to a beautiful park where they had geese and ducks. I got to chase my first flock of birds and could the humans keep up with me? Heck no. I showed them speed. Check out the photo below. Carol isn't going to find any better bird dog than me. Maddie

Great Weekend

Monday, September 18, 2006

I had a great weekend! I had dinner with Cindy Dees both Friday and Saturday nights along with other people from the Florida Romance Writers. Then Saturday I attended the day-long workshop Cindy presented to the chapter. As part of the presentation she had us complete worksheets. I decided to work on my current Work in Progress and lo and behold I figured out my heroine's motivation. Wonderful time, wonderful people. :) Carol

Reviews for Shadow Lines

Thursday, September 14, 2006

I'm so grateful. I now have two '5' star reviews posted on Barnes & Noble by top-notch reviewers. I'm also aware of several other sterling reviews plus the postive '4' from RT. The insightful comments by all the reviewers have sent me reeling. When you read a review and you know the reader got it, it's both gratifying and humbling. I'm sighing with pure joy. :) Carol

Cindy! Cindy! Cindy Dees!

I'm so psyched. I'll get to see my Madonna Key co-creator Cindy Dees tomorrow night. On Saturday she's putting on a day long workshop for my writing chapter Florida Romance Writers. The stories, the knowledge, the fun... What a perfect weekend I have ahead! :) Carol

Occitan

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

One item of interest that I came across while researching Languedoc, France and the Cathars concerned the language, called 'Occitan'. The language of the Troubadours, Occitan was the first literary language and still exists today. For example, the word 'key' is 'clau' in Occitan.

Here is the link to the Song of the Cathar Wars that is in Occitan:

The Cathars: Cathar Castles: Béziers

http://www.languedoc-france.info/120701_beziers.htm

:) Carol

Dancing with the Celebrities

The men far exceed the women so far this year. Although Tucker has a cute personality, he was a lousy dancer. However, Jerry is the worse [I have to admit, I can't stand the man stemming from the days of his being city councilman/mayor of Cincinnati; he is the prime example of once a jerk, always a jerk] and should go but he probably has a big enough audience to get by. The big surprise of the night was Emmett Smith and Mario simply smouldered. The women so far are forgettable, but then again they had the fox trout to start off with. Maybe they'll relax with a better dance next week. :) Carol

United States Dance Sport Championships

Monday, September 11, 2006

I got to watch the USDS Championships held in Hollywood, FL this past Saturday. My group was fortunate to have a ringside table. Talk about up close. You could really appreciate the footwork. The events that night were the finals in Mambo [pro], Latin [both amateur and pro] and Smooth [both amateur and pro]. I never saw so many sequins and rhinestones in one room at the same time! It's physically demanding. The dancers went through 3 rounds of eliminations, performing 4-5 dances each round. Judges included Mary from So You Think You Can Dance and from that same show in the audience was choreographer Shane. The people watching was phenomenal. I had a great time and the evening was a perfect warm-up for Dancing with the Celebrities' new season. :) Carol

My book!

Thursday, September 7, 2006

Woohoo!!!!! Today I received my author's copies of SHADOW LINES. I love, love how it looks! I'm so proud to have been a part of this continuity. And I'm so grateful that so far the reviews have been very positive. There's nothing like holding your book in your own hands. :) Carol



Steve Irwin

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

While I was deeply saddened by the freak accident that took Steve Irwin's life, I draw comfort from knowing that he died while doing what he loves most: exploring the wonders of nature. I watched a brightly colored bird at my feeder yesterday and could hear his voice saying, "Crikey, that a pretty one!" Also, while I think most of us...if we think about our death...would prefer something painless along the lines of passing away in our sleep, I did think about dying what I love doing most. For me, that would be writing. The problem is I would want to finish the book so I would be ticked off about being interrupted...not a particularly restful way to go. So Crocodile Hunter, be at peace. Crikey, you gave us years of wildlife enlightenment. Carol

SHADOW LINES is up on eharlequin!

Friday, September 1, 2006

I'm so excited. SHADOW LINES is now available to buy on eharlequin! They posted an excerpt as well...the opening scene of the book. I'm still loving the cover as well. What a great way to begin the Labor Day weekend. Everyone have a great but safe holiday! :) Carol http://store.eharlequin.com/t10_view_series.jhtml?CATID=80135&PRIM_MONTH=1