Christmas, Dogs and Books

I can't believe that Christmas is almost here. How did this happen? I swear this year has zipped by much too fast. I still have to do some last minute Christmas shopping, but it's a rainy day and I'm dreading going out in that. Hmm! I might finish up with Amazon and Walmart gift cards. Ebooks are always great gifts too.

Here are some Christmas eBooks you're sure to enjoy:

Married by Midnight by Talli Roland
Mistletoe in Manhattan by Talli Roland
Last Christmas by Talli Roland
Big on Christmas by Jan Romes
The Christmas Contract by Jan Romes
Xmas Affair by Ruth Kerce (a sensual short)
Any Given Christmas by Candis Terry
Christmas of the Red Chiefs by Linda Lael Miller
Mrs. Scrooge by Barbara Bretton

Series eBooks that would make great last minute gifts:

Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
Rei Shimura Mystery Series by Sujata Massey
BEYOND Series by Maureen A. Miller (YA/NA SciFi)
Lei Crime Series by Toby Neal (Hawaii)
Samantha Jamison Mystery Series by Peggy A. Edelheit
Texas Boys Falling Fast Series by Jan Romes (Romance)
Xylon Warriors Series by Ruth Kerce (Elora's Cave)
Maggie O'Dell Series by Alex Kava (mystery/suspense)
Hetta Coffey Mystery Series by Jinx Schwarts
The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell
Build a Man Series by Talli Roland (Chick Lit)
Bluewater Series by C. L. R. Dougherty (suspense/thriller)
Sackett Series by Louis L'Amour
Sullivan's War Series by Michael K. Rose (SciFi)
Saxon Tales Series by Bernard Cornwell (historical fiction)

I could go on and on listing books and series. As you can tell, I LOVE BOOKS and think they make the best Christmas presents ever. So don't forget to buy books and eBooks for Christmas for yourself and your friends and loved ones.

Well, I have to apologize for neglecting my blog these past few months. I added a new puppy, Jazzy, to my fur-family back in September and she's taken up a lot of my time. Honestly, I practically live at the dog park these days. That's what happens when you have two dogs, Dude and Jazzy, who insist on going to the dog park nearly every single day. My other dog, Shani, is almost thirteen years old and isn't interested in the dog park. Shani has a lot of medical issues, so we're taking it day by day.

I went to Winter Fest and rode on the Christmas Trolley in Pensacola with my grandkids on Saturday night. Christmas lights everywhere. It was very festive and we all had a grand time.

We're planning a Christmas dinner of turkey and all the trimmings. Yum! The leftovers are the best part.

Well, the rain is temporarily letting up, so I need to make a mad dash to finish my shopping.

I hope you all have an awesome, wonderful, Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays!

Howl-o-ween at the Bark Park

Dude as the Sheriff of the Dog Park.

This afternoon was Howl-o-ween at the Bark Park. A few dozen dogs turned out, most of them in costume, along with their favorite people.

Of course, my dog, Dude, had to attend. After all, he's a regular at the park. Dude was a hit as the Sheriff of the Dog Park.

Believe it or not, Dude didn't mind parading around in his ghost bandanna, vest, sheriff's badge and cowboy hat. At first he wasn't too sure about the hat, but then he decided even that was okay.

Reggie dressed as a cow, complete with a cowbell.

I managed to get photos of a few of the dogs at the Howl-o-ween party.

Reggie, the black and white Cocker Spaniel, dressed as a cow. Reggie is one of Dude's favorite dog buddies. They enjoy running around the dog park together with Reggie in the lead. When Reggie gets tired he rolls over and plays dead.

Sophie in her poodle costume.

Sophie, the reddish-blond Cocker Spaniel, dressed as a poodle. Sophie is pretty much the queen of the dog park. She welcomes new dogs to the park and makes sure they understand the rules -- her rules. Reggie and Sophie live together and are regulars at the park. Sophie was a winner in her poodle costume.

Oliver as a Patriots Quarterback.

Oliver, the five month old Border Collie, dressed as a New England Patriots Quarterback. Oliver is one of the newer members of the dog park and certainly the most energetic of the bunch. He systematically wears out every dog that enters the park. Maybe Oliver should have dressed as the Energizer Bunny?

Dude enjoys playing with Oliver, but he can't compete with the puppy's energy level. Dude, at three years old, can play one on one with Oliver for about fifteen minutes and then he has to hand the puppy off to another dog.



Maggie the puppy in her devil costume.

Some of the dogs who attended the Howl-o-ween party were ones Dude and I had never met before. One was a puppy named Maggie who dressed as the devil and won a prize for the scariest costume.

One little dog won for the best "Diva" costume. Another little dog won for the most original costume dressed as a bumblebee. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of the little bumblebee. Another little dog was in jailhouse stripes. I didn't get the names of those dogs.




The "Diva" and the jailhouse dog.

I missed getting a photo of Dude's buddy, Lulu. She's an Old English Bulldog and was dressed as a bunch of purple grapes. I also missed getting a photo of Dude's puppy buddy, Thor, who was sporting a big bow.
Another dog park regular, Dexter the Boxer, was there to see the festivities, but didn't come in costume. Dexter was not at all pleased to see his buddy, Dude, dressed as a sheriff.





My Shani in her ghost bandanna.

I think the Howl-o-ween party was fun for all the dogs and their people too.

My older dog, Shani, wasn't interested in going to the dog park. But she didn't mind wearing her ghost bandanna and posing for a photo.

A Happy Howl-o-ween to all.



Talking about the "Supermoon" and Books

A photo I took of the "Supermoon" last night, 6/22/2013.

Last night was the first I heard about the "Supermoon." It's been all over the news and the net for days, but it only just sank in when my husband pointed out to me last night that I needed to look at the moon.

Now this is uncharacteristic of me. I've always been fascinated with the moon ever since my dad bought my brother a telescope and we gazed at the moon, up-close, and saw all those mysterious shadows and craters. Simply awesome!

As the "Supermoon" rose over the treetops last night I snapped several photos. The best of the bunch is the one in this post. My camera is a Sony Cybershot DSC-HX20V. It's a great little camera (purse size and fits in the palm of my hand), but it isn't particularly designed to take moon photos. So I was pleased to get such a clear photo of the "Supermoon."

Now what's so great about this month's full moon? The moon is closer to the earth for this cycle, so the moon appears 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual. Well, after gazing at the moon last night I have to agree that it looked bigger and brighter and awesome.

Some links to check out:

Supermoon Sunday - NASA.com

Don't fear the Supermoon - Space.com

VIDEO: "It's a 'Supermoon'! - The Weather Channel

My dogs went out into the darkened front yard with me last night while I took photos of the moon. They gave me that funny look of "Why are you taking photos at night?" They didn't even bother to look at the moon. 

Now my dog, Dude, who knows how to howl, didn't even bother to howl at last night's "Supermoon." However, the actual full moon is tonight, so maybe he'll give it at least a little howl as the moon rises over the treetops?

Now all this talk about full moons brings to mind werewolves. Yeah, I have a fascination with werewolves too. In the wee hours last night, just before it started to rain, my dogs and I went out front again to look at the "Supermoon" one more time. The clouds were drifting around the moon, creating an eerie effect. I couldn't help but check over my shoulder for possible werewolves. Any rustle in the bushes caught my immediate attention. But my dogs, Dude and Shani, weren't the least bit alarmed. So I guess we didn't have any werewolves lurking around our house last night? Oh, but the full moon is actually tonight. Oh, my!

My very fav werewolf movie is the 1981 classic, "An American Werewolf in London." I've watched that movie so many times. Absolutely love it!

An American Werewolf in London - Blu-ray Edition

'Moon Over Madness' on my Kindle Fire.

Now it seems to me this is the perfect time to talk about MOON books and particularly those that pertain to werewolves. So in case y'all didn't know, I wrote a paranormal, romantic comedy about, yep, you guessed it, the moon and werewolves. I included witches, vampires, ghosts, dragons and a dog named Jake too.

My mom insists this is her favorite one of my books and thinks it should be made into a movie with actress Shirley MacLaine as one of the witches. What can I say? Thanks, Mom. I loved writing MOON OVER MADNESS and hope y'all will love reading it too.

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle


MOON OVER MADNESS - Barnes&Noble/Nook


MOON OVER MADNESS - iTunes/iPad



Connie Flynn's 'Shadow on the Moon' on my Kindle.

I thought this would be the perfect time to list some of the MOON fiction reads on my Kindle. Note, some of these reads include werewolves too.

MOON Reads on my Kindle (in no particular order):

Shadow on the Moon (Werewolf Series #1) by Connie Flynn
Dark Moon by Rebecca York
Indian Moon by Carolyn McCray
Mocha, Moonlight and Murder by MaryAnn Kempher
Song of the Orange Moons by Lori Ann Stephens

Marsha Canham's 'Pale Moon Rider' on my Kindle.

Pale Moon Rider by Marsha Canham
Across a Moonlit Sea by Marsha Canham
Moonlight on the Nantahala by Michael Rivers
Irish Moon by Amber Scott
The Light of the Lovers Moon by Marcia Lynn McClure
Sailing Down the Moonbeam by Mary Gottschalk
Three Moons Over Sedona by Sherry Hartzler
Moonlight and Oranges by Elise Stephens

Anne Stuart's 'Moonrise' on my Kindle

Moonrise by Anne Stuart
Under the Desert Moon by Mary Tate Engels
Orchids in Moonlight by Patricia Hagan
Songbird Under a German Moon by Tricia Goyer
Moon in Leo by Kathleen Herbert
Sarah of the Moon by Randy Mixter
Fever Moon by Carolyn Haines
Rustler's Moon by Jim Jones
The Valley of the Moon by Jack London


I hope y'all find some great reads in the list above. Thanks again for stopping by. And don't forget to take a look at the "Supermoon" tonight. Oh, and don't forget to watch out for werewolves too.

Dude and the Dog Park

Dude in action at the dog park.

My dog, Dude, is a sociable guy who loves going to the dog park. In fact, he's passionate about going to the dog park. So that's where we go most days for an hour or more of action-packed fun.

The meet and greet.

Fortunately, the dog park is only about a mile away from our house. So it's easy to make a trip over there once a day, when the weather is nice. Now and then, if Dude is insistent, we go to the dog park twice a day.

Two holes are better than one.

Twice a day? Believe me, some of Dude's dog buddies go to the dog park three times a day.






The goalie.

I've had dogs most of my life, but never one who loves the dog park. So this is a relatively new thing for me.

Dude is two and a half. Well, a few months ago I thought, Why not take Dude to the dog park? How was I to know this would become a big part of our daily lives?




Discussing the play.

Dude can be napping and suddenly he'll wake up and insist it's almost 3:30 and we need to make our afternoon foray to the dog park. I swear he can tell time and knows to the minute when he needs to let me know I have to get ready to head to the park.





Mixing it up.

If I take longer than a few minutes to gather up his dog collar, some bottled water, my wallet and car keys, well, Dude starts nudging me in the direction of the front door. If I dawdle too long he stomps his feet, barks and then starts spinning in circles at the door. At that point we absolutely have to walk out the door.




King of the Sand Hole?

At the dog park it's high-speed action interspersed with water breaks and a five minute rest period in the shade of the huge Magnolias and Naval Live Oak Trees.

Today I decided to take my camera to the dog park to get a few photos of Dude and his dog buddies in action. Today there were only eight dogs, but sometimes it's as many as fifteen dogs of all sizes and breeds.




After the game.



Lately, the big game is "King (or Queen) of the Sand Hole." Since we live close to the beach, our dog park has lots of sand and sand is perfect for digging. One or more dogs will dig a hole, or sometimes two. Then the game is on.

They confer with each other to plan their strategy. There's almost always a goalie or two. The winners change from one minute to the next.

To heck with chasing a Frisbee or tennis ball. This Sand Hole game is much more fun.




My older dog, Shani, would rather stay home.

I hope you've enjoyed the photos of Dude and his dog buddies.

A special thanks to the team: Harley the Australian Shepherd, Abby the Husky, Bella the Chocolate Poodle, Dice the Black and Tan, Abby the Golden and Dude. Watching from the sidelines: Morgan the Golden and Jumbo the Chihuahua.

Note: My older dog, Shani, doesn't care for the dog park. She'd rather stay home.

After-Easter Lilies and more April Showers

After-Easter Lilies in my backyard this morning.

This week my backyard Easter Lilies started blooming. Obviously they didn't make it in time for Easter. My front yard Easter Lilies are still a week or two away from blooming. Hmm! Apparently there's something different about my front and backyards. My After-Easter Lilies looked so pretty in the rain this morning.

Rain? Yesiree! The latest round of April Showers began in the wee hours with an accompaniment of lightning and thunder. My dog, Dude, who is usually a bit stressed over lightning and thunder, slept through the whole wild night. I suppose Dude was worn out from yesterday afternoon's romp at the dog park.

April Showers on our patio.

This morning it's still raining, drizzling. According to the TV, another line of thunder showers is heading our way.

This morning, while the rain was at the drizzle stage, my dog Shani and I went outside to take photos. Wildflowers are blooming all over our backyard. Beautiful purples, lavender, yellow and white. The Wisteria growing on our patio trellis is blooming too. The Wisteria has delicate white blooms.

Here on the Florida Panhandle, close to the Gulf Coast, it's definitely a day of April Showers. The air smells so fresh and clean. Windows are open and I'm listening to the musical sound of rain. This is a perfect day to sip coffee and read.

Wisteria that bloomed in this morning's rain.

I'm always reading an assortment of books at any given time, depending on my mood at the moment. So here's a list of my current reads:

The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory (from the library)
The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (on my Kindle)
The Abilene Trail a Ralph Compton Novel by Dusty Richards (paperback)
The Chisholm Trail by Wayne Gard (a history book from my bookshelves)

A perfect morning to sip coffee and read.

I'm researching Texas history for a western romance series I'll be writing, which is why I'm reading the last two books listed above. My husband and I are planning a Texas vacation soon so I can further my research. Hey, that's a good excuse for some much needed time off to sight-see.

I can't wait to walk along the Brazos River, which was a crossing point for the Chisholm Trail (also known as the Abilene Trail) and the Shawnee Trail. So please check back for upcoming Texas posts with lots of photos. I happen to love Longhorn cattle, so rest assured I'll have photos of Longhorns too.

Shani checking out this morning's April Showers.

As I'm writing this, Dude and my husband are off on a car ride in the rain. Shani, on the other hand, is curled up next to my recliner. She doesn't care for car rides.

Today I'll be enjoying the lovely April Showers and reading one book or another. Thanks again for stopping by.

Rain, It's About Time!

View from my patio on this rainy day.

We have not had rain here on the Florida Panhandle in quite a long time. This year, for some odd reason, rain has been pretty scarce. Thank goodness we have well water for our yard or our water bill would be outrageously high.

Just yesterday our yard was tinder dry. When my dog, Dude, ran around in the backyard puffs of dirt billowed into the air. For Florida, that is really dry. Today is altogether different. We woke up to torrential rain and it's still coming down hard. My dogs would just love to go outside to "do their thing." But it's too wet out there even for them.

So this much needed rain got me to thinking, which may or may not be a good thing. First off, I quickly snapped some rain pics so I'd have some for this post. Then I thought about the book I was reading all day yesterday and until the wee hours this morning, Mariana by Susanna Kearsley. This awesome novel is a time-travel, sort of in the style of Daphne Du Maurier's  Rebecca.

There are several wet and rainy scenes in Mariana and so I've been concentrating a lot on rain. Maybe that's what brought on this sudden rainstorm? Not likely, but definitely worth the thought.

My patio in the rain.

Now I haven't read a time-travel romance in ever so long. But I happen to love them ever since I read A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveroux. This is a must-read-keeper. Of course, I should give credit to H. G. Wells' The Time Machine, which I read as a child and first led me to dreaming about the concept of time-travel.

Well, this got me to thinking some more. Oh no, thinking? What next? I've read some wonderful time-travels. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander is top on my list. Then there are all those wonderful time-travel romances by Lynn Kurland. So far I've only read five of them and all are fabulous: This is All I Ask, A Garden in the Rain, Much Ado in the Moonlight, Dreams of Stardust and If I Had You. Lynn Kurland's books are all keepers and have a place on my bookshelves. The rest of them are on my TBR list, which I must say is much too long these days.

Shani, a bit wet after venturing out in the rain.

Another awesome time-travel romance is Deb Stover's Some Like It Hotter. Yes, that one is a keeper too. I've just added Deb Stover's A Moment in Time to my TBR list.  I don't want to forget Ciji Ware's A Cottage by the Sea which is another awesome time-travel romance. This one is definitely a keeper too.

I have to admit that I've been remiss and still haven't read The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and Beyond the Highland Mist (Highland Series) by Karen Marie Moning. OMG, how did I miss those? So they're now on my TBR list too. Ohhhhh, that list is getting soooooo long.

Dude finally went out into the drizzle.

For those who follow my blog, I'm almost always adding a list of books. So this time it's a list of time-travel romances. I'm absolutely certain this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to time-travel romances, but all these happened to catch my eye. In fact, some of them are already on my Kindles (my old Kindle Keyboard and my new Kindle Fire). So the (*) in this case denotes time-travel romances TBR on my Kindles. I hope you all find some books you want to read. (Note, all of these books are available in eBook format.)


Time-Travel Romances (in no particular order):

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley*
A Knight in Central Park by Theresa Ragan*
Return of the Rose by Theresa Ragan*
Taken by the Cowboy by Julianne MacLean*
Daughter of Time (After Climeri Series) by Sarah Woodbury*
The Bride Price (Civil War Brides) by Tracey Jane Jackson*
The Long Way Home by Andrea Stark*
Out of Time by Deborah Truscott*
Yellowstone Heart Song (Yellowstone Romance) by Peggy L. Henderson*
Come Home to Me (Second Chances Time Travel Romance) by Peggy L. Henderson
Tear in Time by Christopher David Petersen
A Love Through Time (MacKendimen Trilogy) by Terri Brisbin
Everything In It's Time (Time Travel Trilogy) by Dee Davis
My Honorable Highlander (Highland Games Through Time) by Nancy Lee Badger
Timeless (Stolen Brides) by Shelly Thacker
The Last Highlander by Claire Delacroix
Until Forever by Johanna Lindsey
Viking Unchained (Viking Time Travel) by Sandra Hill
A Little Time in Texas by Joan Johnston
Lord of the Black Isle by Elaine Coffman
A Laird for All Time by Angeline Fortin
Kiss Me, I'm Irish (Tennessee Waltz) by Bella Street
A Slip in Time by Kathleen Kirkwood
When Lightning Strikes by Cynthia Lucas
A Rip in the Veil by Anna Belfrage
Going Back For Romeo by L. L. Muir
Christmas Kiss (A Christmas Time-Travel) by L. L. Muir
Time's Arrow (Christmas Holiday Extravaganza) by Clare Revell
The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance ed. by Trisha Telep

For Outlander fans, A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows (An Outlander Novella) by Diana Gabaldon will be released December 3rd.  Yes, I'll be adding it to my Kindles.

Please add your favorite time-travel romances in the comments below. If you write time-travel romances, be sure to mention your books too. Thanks so much for stopping by.

A Rainy Day in Florida

My patio on this rainy day.

I woke up this morning to the wonderful sound of rain. Lots of rain. Torrential rain. Typical Florida gully-washer rain. Our zillions of little frogs are happy campers. Our trees, shrubs, grass and flowers are happy, happy, happy. My dogs, Shani and Dude, are not so happy. They love playing in water, pretty much any water, but not rain. Go figure.

Well, this is our first rainy day since Hurricane Isaac deluged the Gulf Coast a few weeks back. So we really needed this rain. Now the air smells squeaky clean. I'm lovin' it. According to the meteorologists, we're supposed to have rain all day today and tomorrow too. Yea! Yes, I'm definitely smiling.

This is a great day to sit inside and watch the rain. A great day to read. A great day to write another blog post. So here goes, this is my post about rain.

A few years back my husband and I and our three dogs (Maggie, Nikki and Shani) lived in the Texas Hill Country. We had a house on the top of a hill with a gorgeous view of more hills. Also, we had a whole family of deer who visited us daily for a breakfast, lunch and dinner of feed corn. Our dogs loved it there. They'd stretch out on the patio and watch the deer. Our dog, Nikki, would go wander among the deer and then settle down with them for an afternoon nap. The one thing we didn't have in those Texas hills was rain. In the year and a half we lived there, we only had three days of rain.

Dude getting out of the rain.

The thing I remember about that Hill Country rain is the temporary little stream that crossed our driveway. Tiny frogs would jump into the water and be whooshed downstream. What a ride! I have to admit that it looked like fun.

I was born and raised in southern California where rainy days were few and far between. A rainy day meant my best childhood friend, Debbie, and I would wade/walk home through the water racing down the gutters. We'd arrive home in wet shoes, soggy clothes and big smiles. Rainy days were the best of all.

These days, older and a bit wiser, I hope, I still love the rain. I can happily sit and watch the rain for hours on end. This is the kind of day where it's fun to sit and do nothing at all.

In honor of a rainy day, check out the cool rain books listed below. As anyone who follows my blog knows, I love to make lists of cool books to read. So hopefully you'll all find some great rainy day books that you'll want to read.

Rain Fiction (in no particular order):

Hot Rain by Kat Martin*
A Garden in the Rain (MacLeod Family) by Lynn Kurland*
Texas Rain (Whispering Mountains) by Jodi Thomas*
The Lonely Silver Rain (Travis McGee) by John D. MacDonald*
Rain and Other South Seas Stories by W. Somerset Maugham*
Desert Rain by Elizabeth Lowell
Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor) by Lisa Kleypas
Barefoot in the Rain (Barefoot Bay) by Roxanne St. Clair
Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy
The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
Rain by Leigh K. Cunningham
The Art of Dancing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Fire and Rain by Diane Chamberlain
Drink the Rain by Cynthia Davis
Cry of the Rain Bird by Patricia Shaw
Where the Rain is Made by Keta Diablo
Rain Song by Alice B. Wisler
After the Rain by Nicola Thorn
In the Midnight Rain by Barbara Samuels
A Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith
Bittersweet Rain by Sandra Brown
Tears Like Rain by Connie Mason
Falling for Rain by Janice Kirk
Rain by Kieran Nicolas
Keeper of the Rain by J. P. York
Listen for the Rain by Heather Atkinson
And the Rain Came Down by Terrie B. Cambridge
Dancing in the Rain by Kathryn Woodhill
Rainy Days by Lory Lilian
Winter Rain (Jonas Hook) by Terry C. Johnston
Caribbean Rain (Manny Williams, Bk4) by Rick Murcer
Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin
The Time It Never Rained by Elmer Kelton

*Rain Fiction I've read and loved.

I'm sure I've missed a lot of great rain fiction. So please feel free to add your favorites in the comments below. This is also an opportunity to list any rain fiction that you've written.

Note: All of the books above are available in eBook format.

The Three Rs and The Cat's Meow

Ruth's part-time cat, Sam.

First off, you are probably asking yourself, "What in the heck is she talking about?" What is the connection between The Three Rs and The Cat's Meow? Well, there is a connection.

Now the Three Rs I am talking about is not what you would think: readin', ritin' and 'rithmetic. Nope, my Three Rs are my three BFFs, three who have been my friends for practically forever. They are <drum rolls please> Rhonda, Regina and Ruth. Now what are the odds of having more than one BFF in a lifetime and all three having an R-name? I assure you, the odds are pretty slim.

Rhonda and I have been friends since we were five years old and in kindergarten together in southern California. Our parents were best friends too. We ate at each other's houses, had weekend sleepovers, swapped clothes and vacationed together. Only in adult years, after Rhonda took up genealogy, we discovered we're actually distant cousins. We both have the same patriot multi-greats-grandfather, Samuel Higgins. Rhonda is already a member of DAR and nudging me in that direction, but that's another post entirely.

Regina and I have been friends since we first worked together back in the 1980s as welfare case-workers for the State of Florida. Actually, I was the one assigned to train Regina and correct her work. Well, she's a stubborn spit-fire from Rio, so you can imagine how that went over. We've been the best of friends ever since, even through all the years that I moved away, moved back, moved away, moved back, you get the picture. Now, as we're both retired (well, she's retired and I'm writing), we get together usually once a week for donuts (Krispie Kreme or Dunkin' Donuts) and trips to the mall and bookstores.

Ruth (Author, Ruth Kerce) has been my BFF since 1994 when we first met at an RWA Desert Rose Chapter Conference in Las Vegas. Now you all have already heard about Ruth when I interviewed her on my blog back in June. Suffice to say that I have Ruth to blame for my being an Indie Author. You see, we were both struggling writers way back then. After several years I gave up writing and went back to my art (painting landscapes and still-lifes in acrylics and oils). Ruth kept on writing and is now a well established author published by Ellora's Cave and Changeling Press. She's also an Indie Author writing sensual HOT short stories. All these years, even after I moved away from Las Vegas and back to Florida, Ruth and I have remained the best of friends. We communicate on pretty much a daily basis and she is solely to blame from me getting back into writing and becoming an epublished Indie Author.

DC, my childhood cat (named after the book/movie).

Now comes The Cat's Meow part of this post. Rhonda, Regina and Ruth are all cat people and I'm a dog person. How in the world did that happen? Let me back-peddle a bit. I had a cat, DC, back when I was growing up. So I do like/love cats, I just don't have any right now. But The Three Rs are definitely cat people, no two ways about it.


When we were kids, Rhonda had a fluffy, regal, orange cat named Lord Buffington. He was an awesome cat who followed us kids everywhere. I remember when holding Buffy, he'd flop over your arm like a Ragdoll cat. To this day, Rhonda has always had one cat or another.

Regina, on the other hand, is the ultimate cat person. When Regina and I first me, she didn't have any cats. In fact, she'd never had a cat in her life. But a co-worker gave her a mama cat with two kittens and that was all it took. Regina became a confirmed cat person. As we speak, Regina is currently the "mama" to six very spoiled, pampered cats. All arrived at her doorstep as strays, were taken in, neutered, given their required shots, doctored (for a torn ear, injured eye, etc.) and fed the best cat food available (I know because I shop for cat food with her).

Now for Ruth. She loves cats, but doesn't have one of her very own. Instead, she shares a cat, Sam, with neighbors. Sam is Ruth's cat during the day and the neighbor's cat at night. For those who follow Ruth on Twitter (@RuthKerce) she tweets Sam's antics and pics (see the pic of Sam at the top of this post).  Sam is a very smart cat with the disposition of a queen.

For those who follow my tweets (@TeriHeyer) and/or my blog, I'm a dog person. I've had dogs ever since I was a toddler (see the pic of Dusty and I at the bottom of my blog). I am currently the proud "mama" to two big dogs, Shani, who weighs 85 pounds, and Dude, who weighs 100 pounds and may still be growing (he's only 18 months old). Pics of Shani and Dude are all over my blog and I tweet their pics too.

Now to be honest, I'd have cats in addition to dogs, but my husband insists that he's allergic to cats. I don't know if that's really true, but he does manage to sneeze and carry on whenever he's around cats. But someday, when we buy that acreage I keep dreaming about, I'll have some barn cats. And eventually those barn cats will become house cats. But don't tell my husband.

So now you know the connection between The Three Rs and The Cat's Meow. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Those who follow my blog know that I love to post lists of books, so this time is no exception. Below you'll find a list of cat fiction, most of them mystery series which you may already know. But just in case, check the list to see if there's something you haven't discovered yet.

My three favorite cat fiction books from when I was growing up:

Thomasina by Paul Gallico
It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville
That Darn Cat by The Gordons

Cat fiction, mostly mystery series, that you might enjoy (in no particular order):

The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare (The Cat Who Knew Series) by Lilian Jackson Braun
The Guardian Cats and the Lost Books of Alexandria by Rahma Krambo
Catnip (A Dunbarton Mystery) by Valerie E. Tate
Curiosity Thrilled the Cat (A Magical Cats Mystery) by Sofie Kelly
The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse (A Cats in Trouble Mystery) by Leann Sweeney
The Big Kitty (A Sunny & Shadow Mystery) by Claire Donally
Murder Past Due (Cat in the Stacks Mystery) by Miranda James
How to Wash a Cat (Cats & Curios Mystery) by Rebecca M. Hale
Double Booked for Death (A Black Cat Bookshop Mystery) by Ali Brandon
Sneaky Pie for President (Sneaky Pie Brown) by Rita Mae Brown
Three Cat Mysteries by D. J. Crayne
Fruit of the Tomb (Midnight Louie Short Story) by Carol Nelson Douglas
Cat in a White Tie and Tails (Midnight Louie Mystery) by Carol Nelson Douglas
Orange as Marmalade (Biscuit McKee Mystery) by Fran Stewart
Cat Bearing Gifts (Joe Grey Mystery) by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
The Cat Who Wasn't a Dog by Marian Babson

Chester, my mom & brother's Maine Coon.

Please add your favorite cat books in the comments below. "Meow!"

Note: Chester, my mom and brother's Maine Coon cat weighs 25 pounds, has a huge fluffy tail and is a purring machine. He is very regal. I said he should be named Sir Chester.

The Dog Days of Summer

My dog, Dude, on a hot summer day.

We have reached the middle of summer and it is hot, hot, HOT. On the weekend, the temp hit 101, which is unusually hot for the Florida Gulf Coast. Yesterday topped out at 97 degrees and then took a dive to 76 after hours of much needed rain. Ahhh! A temporary reprieve from scorching hot temps.

I grew up referring to this time of year as "the dog days of summer." Is that term still used? Or am I horribly out of date? Well, ask my dogs, Dude and Shani, and they'll tell you this truly is the dog days of summer.

As I write it's clouding up for another afternoon thunderstorm, hopefully with more of that much needed rain. Funny thing, thunderstorms here don't always bring rain. Sometimes it's hours of lightning and thunder and nary a drop of rain. Go figure. Weather never fails to amaze me.

For those of you who have been following my blog, I'm notorious for lists of great books to read. So this post is no exception. My dogs, Dude in particular, says "Ahh-rooooooo!" Dude is part Golden Retriever and part hound (???), so he "talks" like a southern hound dog. Picture Scooby Doo in a real live dog. That's Dude.

Shani enjoying the dog days of summer.

Shani, on the other hand, is an "old" lady at ten and a half. She's a Collie/Chow mix with a  heart of gold.  She half-heartedly raised Dude from the moment I brought home a wiggly, noisy, nineteen pound, three month old pup a year and a half ago. Shani did a great job of teaching Dude proper dog manners. So Dude is a well-behaved, but goofy one hundred pound dog. Oh, Shani doesn't like me to give out her weight, but she's a solid eighty-five pounds.

Okay, now back to my book list thingy that I often include in my posts. This being "dog days" and all, well, I figured I'd better list some books about dogs. Or at least some books that have great dog characters as part of the cast. Which means I'm going  to shamelessly promo my books for just a moment.

Outback Love has a lovable "ugly" dog named Elliot who enters into the novel when Priscilla and Ian reach the Outback. I'm not going to give away Elliot's part of the story, but he certainly tries to steal the show.

Moon Over Madness has a hundred pound pup named Jake who is a central character in my paranormal romantic comedy. Jake has the uncanny ability of being able to "talk" to children. Nope, he doesn't talk to adults. Imagine that!

"Old Dogs Need Love Too" is one of my short stories in Bayou Blues and Other Sorrows. It's the story of two "old" souls, a widow and an old throw-away dog, who find each other.

Now that I've plugged my books, it's time to list some other great dog reads.

My love of dog stories began before I could read. My favorite bedtime stories were those by Albert Payson Terhune. I had a collection of his dog stories and that's what I insisted my mom read to me, over and over again. He's probably best known for Lad: A Dog. I think the book I had as a child was Best Loved Dog Stores of Albert Payson Terhune, which is virtually impossible to find these days, but some libraries might still have a copy. I did notice that Amazon has three copies at an incredibly high price.

My favorite child/YA dog stories (or books with great dog characters) were:

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Savage Sam by Fred Gipson
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

As an adult, I've come across several authors (some of my favs) who include great dog characters in their books. Of course, my favorite of those is Bob, the dog in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Series. Who wouldn't fall for lovable ol' Bob? Jennifer Crusie has some cool dogs in some of her books. Emily Carmichael also has some great books with dogs as the central characters: Finding Mr. Right, Diamond in the Rough and Gone to the Dogs (I've read and loved these).

I have three dog books on my Kindle which I'm hoping to read soon:

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Must Love Dogs by Claire Cook
An Angel With Fur by Russell Blake

In looking for dog books this morning I came across a treasure trove of dog mysteries. So here are some of the ones I found. I haven't read any of these, but most certainly plan to do so.

The Kingdom of Dog (Golden Retriever Mysteries) by Neil S. Plakcy
Smokey Mountain Tracks (Rainy Stockton Dog Mysteries) by Donna Ball
Gone to the Dogs (Dog Lover's Mystery Series) by Susan Conant
A Shot in the Bark (A Dog Park Mystery) by Carol Ann Newsome
Never Con a Corgi (Leigh Koslow Mystery Series) by Edie Claire
Play Dead (An Allie Babcock Mystery) by Leslie O'Kane
Hounding the Pavement (A Dog Walker Mystery) by Judi McCoy
Bark M for Murder by J. A. Jance, et.al. (a collection of dog mysteries)
Magic (Dog Mysteries) by Edmund Humm
Ten Little Bloodhounds by Virginia Lanier
Pekinese Premonition by Jacqueline Vick

In my search I also came across the following dog books that look interesting:

A Dog Story (A Short Tale of Kedge) by Nancy L. Silk
Jack by Ray Braswell
One Good Dog by Susan Wilson
Rottweiller Rescue by Ellen O'Connell
The Woof in the Wedding Plans by Regina Duke
Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service by Beth Kendrick
Dog Nanny by Ann Whitaker
It's a Dog's Life by Dale Mayer
The Story of Rose: A Man and His Dog by Jon Katz

This is by no means a complete list of the great dog books out there. So here's my request to all you dog lovers. Please add your favorite dog books in the comments below. Also, don't hesitate to add dog books that you've written.

Dude says, "Ahh-rooo-rooo-rooooooo!" Shani says, "RAH!"  And I say, "Thank you!"

Happy 4th of July from Pensacola Beach!

Happy 4th of July from Pensacola Beach!

The 4th of July along the Gulf Coast is all about the beach, in my case, Pensacola Beach. Since this is a tourist destination the beach is packed. So here are a few pics of a very crowded beach.

Those not on the beach are most likely having a family gathering somewhere. Perhaps at a park, a campground, or just at home. This is a big day for barbecues, which is what we have planned. My husband is the chef at our house. The menu: Texas style barbecued ribs, to-die-for potato salad, corn on the cob and ranch style beans. Yum!

For many this is a day of family gatherings and nighttime fireworks. For others it's a quiet day at home, at least it's quiet until the neighborhood fireworks get started.

Looking west on Pensacola Beach.

My dogs, Shani and Dude, aren't all that crazy about fireworks, but they don't freak out. Shani will go off to the most soundproof part of the house, a bathroom. Dude will stomp around, huff and puff, and "Ahh-rooooo!" his complaints now and then.

When I was a kid growing up in a small southern California town, the 4th of July was a big deal. The whole town turned out for a parade followed by a family oriented gathering at the park. It was a day of baseball games, cotton candy and a carnival atmosphere. At night we'd spread out big blankets, stretch out and watch the fireworks directly overhead. "Oooos and ahhhhs" would be voiced by all.

Looking east on Pensacola Beach.

One year, when I was nine, I got to ride on a float.  I was a 4th runner-up for writing an essay "What the American Flag Means to Me." That essay won me a spot on the float. Alas, the essay is nowhere to be found, but the memories are still there.

As I sat there on the float, looking out at the crowds, I dreamed of someday becoming a real writer. Some dreams are slow to fruition, but heck, I'm getting there. I'm an author and people are reading my books. I guess it doesn't get much better than that.

The holiday beach crowds.

As for me, I'm not all that keen on crowds these days. So I'll be watching my fireworks on the TV.

Best wishes to all of you for a great, fun, happy 4th of July!

Celebrate Indies - Part 2

Teri Heyer, Indie Author

I keep saying we need to celebrate Indie Authors. Hey, since I am one of those Indie Authors, I need to celebrate me. Makes sense, right?

Well, here is a photo taken of me earlier this month. This is where and how I write, in a recliner with my feet up, my laptop on my lap and surrounded by books. This is in the living room. My house is tiny, so I don't have an office. The flat screened TV is in the far corner. I might be watching football, an old movie, the Top 20 Country or the news. If the TV is off I'm listening to country music. I like background noise while I write. If I was sitting in a quiet office I probably wouldn't be able to write a thing.

Most of the time my two dogs, Shani and Dude, are asleep at either side of my chair. They need their beauty sleep and don't want to be disturbed unless it's time to eat, go for a walk, or to sit outside on the patio.

I look out through two double windows that are almost floor to ceiling and that face the front yard. My view is of two old giant Naval Oaks, some native palms, colorful azaleas and lots of potted flowering plants. My neighbors have yards full of flowers and trees, including flowering magnolias, so it's a beautiful view.

The windows are open and a nice spring breeze is blowing through the house. An assortment of birds are singing out there. From time to time a squirrel sits in a flower pot and looks through the windows. I guess he or she is checking to make sure I'm still on the computer.

This is where I get my inspiration, right here in this comfy chair. Though I have to admit that some of my inspiration comes from dreams, those little elves in my head creating stories while I sleep.

I live close to the beach, only a couple miles away. So any time I feel like it I can go walk on that sugar-white sand and wade in the turquoise waters of the gulf.

Right now I'm sipping a tall Tequila Sunrise, though usually I'm drinking coffee while I write. Snack foods are a plus, crackers and cheese, celery with cream cheese or something chocolate. Yes, I love chocolate. I'm sure that chocolate keeps the inspiration going.

So yes, I'm an Indie Author and today I'm celebrating me. We Indie Authors are awesome! So please take the time to try out some of our books. We all have some great stories to tell.

"Moon Over Madness" Contest

I am excited about the recent release of my paranormal novella, "MOON OVER MADNESS." If you love quirky characters, witches, vampires, ghosts, dragons and dogs, then this is the book for you.

Here's a link to read a free excerpt of "Moon Over Madness" on Amazon.com (when you get to the book page, click on the "Look Inside" feature on the book cover).

http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Madness-ebook/dp/B005T8MQD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318115374&sr=8-1

I had a lot of fun writing "Moon Over Madness." Some characters weren't planned and just wriggled their way into the story. I swear, I didn't even know the dragon lady's name was Sabilla until my characters told me. Sometimes they know things I don't.

Since I love dogs, particularly big ones, most of my books will include a colorful doggie character. Jake, the overgrown puppy in "Moon Over Madness," is modeled after a real life dog that I met at PetSmart. The real Jake was shopping for new toys that day. He was a big, lovable guy with soulful eyes and giant puppy paws. Like I said, I love big dogs.

Well, I've decided to try another CONTEST. I tried this before with my novel, "Outback Love," but no one seemed interested. So maybe I can do the contest the right way this time? So HERE'S THE DEAL. All you have to do is COMMENT BELOW and make sure you leave your email address.

There will be THREE WINNERS, picked at random by my giant puppy, DUDE, who turns one year old this month, weighs over one hundred pounds, and you can see photos of him on my blog. I'll read off all the comments and see which three he responds to. Yes, Dude is very vocal and "ah-roooooos" all the time. He also tips his head from side to side in listening and is in love with tapping my keyboard with his giant head. ( NOTE - Since Dude will be the judge in this contest, it might be to your advantage to mention something about dog biscuits or treats in your comments.)

The CLOSING DATE on the CONTEST will be SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16th, 2011 at MIDNIGHT. The WINNERS will receive an eBook Kindle Copy of "MOON OVER MADNESS," which is why I need your email address.

Thank you so much to everyone who enters my contest.

I love hearing from my readers.

(Please note, my eBook, "Moon Over Madness" is available at Amazon (US/UK/DE/FR) and Smashwords. "Outback Love" and "Jetting Away" are available at Amazon (US/UK/DE/FR), Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and Apple. They should soon be available on Sony, Kobo, Diesel and Scrollmotion.)

"Moon Over Madness" Released

I am really excited to announce that my latest ebook, "Moon Over Madness," a paranormal witch/vampire/ghost novella was released today. It is now available online at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com. This was a really fun book to write with lots of twists and turns and interesting characters, including a hundred pound puppy named Jake.

Amazon link to "Moon Over Madness"

http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Madness-ebook/dp/B005T8MQD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317957417&sr=8-1

Smashwords link to "Moon Over Madness"

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94451

Dude: The Story of a Hundred Pound Puppy

This is the story about my hundred pound puppy, Dude. I rescued Dude from the pound last January. I had lost my sweet Nikki, a ten year old Lab/Chow mix the previous October and was still mourning her loss. Then on a Friday afternoon in January, I swear my dog Nikki told me to make a trip to the pound.

I looked at the twenty-four dogs offered for adoption. They were all mature, older dogs, not what I was looking for. I was sure Nikki sent me to rescue a puppy. I started to leave and a man came out of the back building and walked up to me. Hmm! I decided to ask if they had any puppies. He told me no, none available for adoption. Then he asked what kind of puppy I was looking for. A big one, I explained.

I told him about losing Nikki following two and a half years of diabetes, then kidney failure and uncontrolled seizures. Nikki had been on Vetsulin, twice a day for two and a half years. The last year she was totally blind, but had no problems getting wherever she wanted to go. Nik was a happy dog right up to the very last day. The kidney failure came on over her last few months and the seizures only in her last few days. She was able to recover from her first grand mal seizure, but a week later she seized again and it couldn't be stopped. I took Nik to the vet's and was with her to the last moment of her life. That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

Just the previous year in November, I'd lost Maggie, my ten and a half year old Lab/Chow. Maggie had been with me since she was ten weeks old and I had a really rough time dealing with her loss from Hemolytic Anemia, a type of blood cancer. She was doing fine one day, sick the next and passed away seventeen days later. It's very difficult recovering from such a sudden loss of a very dear companion and family member.

So as I talked to this man at the pound, I explained all this. I only had one of my three dogs left, Shani, an eighty-five pound, fluffy, Collie/Chow mix. Yes, I love Chow mixes as they tend to have wonderful temperaments and are very sweet and lovable. I wanted a puppy who would be a companion to Shani and I. We were both still mourning the loss of Maggie and Nikki.

The man at the pound thought for a minute and then said that he had my puppy, who had been brought into the pound just a half hour before. He said the pup was around four months old and nineteen pounds, that an elderly woman brought him in (to be euthanized) because she couldn't afford to feed him. He was just too big. So this man took me into a back area and showed me the pup.

The puppy took one look at me and started wagging his tail which wagged his whole body. The man said the elderly woman thought the pup was a Lab/Burmese Mountain Dog mix and he asked if I wanted the puppy. Well, of course. So he went to talk to his supervisor. While the pup and I were communicating through the chain link gate, the puppy slid his front white paws under the gate so we could meet properly. I was sold. There was no way I'd leave that puppy in the pound facing an uncertain fate. The life or death decision was to be made that night.

When the man came back, he took the pup out of the pen so I could hold him, which was quite a fete with a wriggling bundle of fur, nineteen pounds in size. The man said that if I wanted the puppy I'd have to adopt him right then, because the shelter was closing in thirty minutes and the pup might not be there the next day.

I went to the front desk and paid the $76 adoption fee. I was told the puppy would be neutered the next morning and I could pick him up in the afternoon.

I went home and didn't say a word to my husband, Ben, who had decided we weren't getting any more dogs. Hmm! What did he know? The next afternoon, Saturday, as I was heading out the door, I told Ben about the puppy and he wasn't too happy. Too bad, I was getting him anyway.

At the pound I took custody of my new puppy. He didn't have a name, the elderly woman hadn't told them what name, if any, that she'd given the puppy. This pup was a wiggly, golden bundle of fur with four white feet, a white chest, and floppy ears. All the way home I tried to pick out a name and then decided I'd leave that up to Ben.

As I walked in our front door carrying the wiggling puppy in my arms, Ben said that was the biggest puppy he'd ever seen. Shani, on the other hand, took one look at the puppy and decided she didn't want him in her house.
I went into the back yard and we walked around. Shani ventured out and decided to get a closer look. The puppy was excited to have a new Mama Dog, but Shani wasn't sure she wanted that role.

Ben stood on the patio and looked skeptical. He knew there was no way he'd get me to take this puppy back. So he gave him a name, Dude, and the name stuck. First off, we discovered that Dude liked to retrieve tennis balls and chase and retrieve a Frisbee. He also had a penchant for my flower pots on the patio. He'd empty out the flowers and potting soil and then roll around on the grass with the pot. He'd also toss the pots around (never broke any) and carry them with him everywhere. Well, I'd never seen a puppy or a full grown dog who loved pots. We also discovered that Dude didn't bark, he "ah-rooooooed" instead. And boy was he a talker. He would "roo-roo" and "ah-roo-rah" and had quite a vocabulary of sounds. Well, I love talking dogs. Nikki had been a talking dog too.

A couple days later I took Dude to the vet and was told that the puppy wasn't quite three months old, instead of four months. That meant he was going to get really big, eighty to one hundred pounds. Oh well! Like I said, I love big dogs. The vet also said he didn't see any Burmese Mountain Dog in Dude, but thought he was some kind of retriever mix. When we came back home, Ben pointed out that it would take a lot of food to feed this pup. Well, we'd just buy giant bags of puppy food, the kind for large puppies.

For all the months since January, Dude has been a wonderful, enjoyable, goofy, wiggly, lovable bundle of fur. Now we couldn't ever imagine him not being in our lives. Shani reluctantly decided to be his Mama Dog and the two are now inseparable.

Dude hit the hundred pound mark at around nine months of age. Now, at ten and a half months, he's well over one hundred pounds. I need to take him to Pet Smart to get weighed, as Pet Smart is closer than the vet's office, which is twenty miles away.

Dude carries a tennis ball in and out of the house. He even sleeps with one. He still loves Frisbees, but he ate the last one (spit out most of the pieces). So he doesn't have a Frisbee right now. Most of the new tennis balls I've given him, he's buried in the backyard. The one he carries around is an old tennis ball that used to belong to Maggie. Maybe he knows that Maggie left it for him?

Dude outgrew his love of my flower pots and now leaves them alone. He gathers sticks and leaves and brings them inside the house and puts them on his bed. He goes outside after dark and chases tiny frogs and moths. However, he always wants a bodyguard/escort when he goes outside. That's because a few months back a Mockingbird thunked him on the top of his head and then some bats chased him. Dude has a long memory and wants Ben or I to go out with him to chase off the birds or bats. Hopefully he'll outgrow that. After all, he's a giant puppy and should be able to take care of himself.

Surprisingly, Dude is now red in color instead of gold. He has a beautiful coat and a long, powerful, fringed tail that he wags like a fan. We think he's probably a mix of Golden Retriever, Irish Setter and Rhodesian Ridge Back Hound. His fur rises in a ridge whenever he get scared and he "roos." Both are traits of Rhodesian Ridge Backs. He has webbed feet which means he's some kind of retriever. His coloring is definitely Irish Setter and he has the height of an Irish Setter, but he's more solid like a Lab or Retriever. He requires lots of ear and belly rubs. He's a really sweet puppy dog who loves everyone, including our three grand kids, our neighbors and everyone at the vet's office.

Our grandson asked not long ago if Dude bites. I assured him, no. "But Nana," he said. "Are you sure about those teeth?" Yep, Dude has really big teeth.

You'll be hearing lots more Dude and Shani stories, plus a lot of pictures.