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.



Just Another Day At The Zoo

Just another day at the zoo for this chimpanzee.

Another day at the Gulf Breeze Zoo. This time it was for "Boo at the Zoo" and all the little kids, including my grandkids, were in Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating at the zoo.

What a gorgeous face.

If you happen to be in northwest Florida, be sure to check out our great little zoo.

Gulf Breeze Zoo

Boo at the Zoo

What a beautiful color.

The zoo critters had different reactions to the costumed kids. Some were fascinated and others, like one of the chimpanzees, wasn't the least bit impressed with the day's visitors.

The male tiger watching the costumed kids.

The male tiger seemed particularly interested in the kids. His expression was "I bet they taste like chicken."

One of the many roosters wandering around the zoo.

After three and a half hours at the zoo I'm exhausted. So this is just a very short post with an assortment of photos I couldn't resist posting.



The giraffes are always eager for a handout.

I have a year long pass for the zoo and am a frequent visitor, which means I take lots of zoo photos. So please stop back from time to time to see my latest photos.

The elephant wishing well at the zoo.

Wishing y'all a wonderful week.

Have a Howling Good Halloween!

When I was a kid Halloween was simply spooktacular. I grew up in Southern California in a small college town. It was one of those idyllic towns where you never had to lock your doors.

On Halloween we kids ran wild through the neighborhoods. We didn't walk anywhere. We ran from house to house and probably made a great deal of noise. Most everyone knew who we were and didn't seem to mind too much that we'd trick-or-treat at each house twice.

My usual Halloween costume was a cowgirl. Jeans, cowboy boots and hat, a plaid shirt, a bandanna and my brother's six-shooter cap-guns  with holster was all I needed. My BFFs dressed the same.

My brother would sometimes tag along, but he'd dress like a gorilla or something else that was different from us. I remember my brother's friends dressed as hobos. No one wore store-bought Halloween costumes, just whatever could be thrown together.

I was thirteen the last time I went trick-or-treating. My side-kicks and I were in our usual cowboy dress and we made the rounds of the neighborhoods gathering quite a haul of candy. Then at one house, a woman who didn't know who we were said, "You kids are too big to be trick-or-treating." I remember being shocked at her words. Was there such a thing as being too big to trick-or-treat? Sadly, we never did it again.

In my college days I'd dress up for Halloween. One year I was Elvira and danced away the night. Another time I dressed as a French Maid and that was quite a hit. In later years I'd dress as a witch and trick-or-treat with my daughter, who also dressed as a witch. One Halloween we witches went to New Orleans and went trick-or-treating with my sister-in-law who was also dressed as a witch. I have to say that was a fun night. This year my granddaughters are little twin witches and my grandson is a vampire. I'm sure they'll have a fun Halloween.

These days I'm content with handing out candy to neighborhood trick-or-treaters.  The best part is eating my share of Halloween candy. My favs are Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, Three Musketeers, Mounds and Almond Joys. Yum!

In celebration of Halloween, here's a list of witch, vampire, ghost, werewolf and other fiction. All of these are available in eBook format. The books are listed in no particular order.

Witchy, Witchy (Spellbound Trilogy #1) by Penelope King
With You In Spirit (The Bassinville Witches #1) by Miranda Stork
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells by Rose Pressey
Witch Anonymous by Misty Evans
Be Witched by H. P. Mallory
Something Witchy This Way Comes by H. P. Mallory
Opal Fire (A Reluctant Witch Mystery) by Barbara Annino
Wicked Witch Murder (Lucy Stone Mystery) by Leslie Meier
Brownies and Broomsticks (A Magical Bakery Mystery) by Bailey Cates
A Modern Witch (Modern Witch Series #1) by Debora Geary
Hexes and Hemlines (A Witchcraft Mystery) by Juliet Blackwell
Witch Weigh by Caroline Mickelson
It's Not The Great Pumpkin, Maxie Duncan by Melissa L. Webb
Haunted Spouse by Heather MacAllister

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood #1) by Charlaine Harris
Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood #12) by Charlaine Harris
Lord Viper (Infernal Night #1, Ellora's Cave) by Ruth D. Kerce
Craving Lady Star (Infernal Night #2, Ellora's Cave) by Ruth D. Kerce
Come Hell or High Water (Broken Heart Vampires) by Michele Bardsley
Must Love Lycans (Broken Heart Vampires) by Michele Bardsley
My Blood Approves by Amanda Hocking
How to Date a Vampire (Rylie Cruz) by Rose Pressey
Darkness Falls (Darkness Falls #1) by Jessica Sorensen
Vacation with a Vampire (Harlequin Nocturne) by Michele Hauf
Sex, Lies & Vampire Hunters (Night Shift) by Myla Jackson
The Source (A Mountain State Vampire Novel) by J. B. Stillwell
MoonLife (Sadie Jones) by Sherri Ann Smith

Once Upon a Ghost by Day Leclaire
Touch Me in the Dark by Jacqueline Diamond
For Sale: Old Manor House (free ghosts included) by Merabeth James
Lily's Ghosts by Laura Ruby
Trouble in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law Mystertery/Romance Series) by Jana Deleon
What a Ghost Wants (A Ghost Hunters Mystery) by Victoria Laurie
Haunted House for Sale by Jane Monson
Dead Bolt (A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery) by Juliet Blackwell
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead by Christina Miller
The Ghost Hunter (The Hunter Series) by Lori Brighton
Ghosts (The Complete Series #1-8) by Amy Cross

How to Date a Werewolf (Rylie Cruz) by Rose Pressey
Conner by Miranda Stork
Erin by Miranda Stork
Before the Moon Rises (Ritter Werewolves) by Catherine Bybee
Prince of Wolves (Grey Wolves Series) by Quinn Loftis
The Werewolf's Wife (Harlequin Nocturne) by Michele Hauf
No Remorse (Heart of a Wolf Series #1) by MaryLynn Bast
Dreams of Gray (Marked Clan) by Maurice Lawless
Were Love Blooms (Southern Werewolf Chronicles #1) by J. Morgan
Taken by the Alpha Werewolf  by Bonnie Vanak
Lupine Howl (The Complete Series #1-8) by Amy Cross

Haunted on Bourbon Street (Jade Calhoun) by Deanna Chase
Brazen Moon by Ruth D. Kerce
Wuthering Frights by H. P. Mallory
Ghouls Night Out (Larue Donavan) by Rose Pressey
Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
Elemental Magic byAngela Wallace
Land of Mountains by Jinx Schwartz
Promise (Soul Savers) by Kristie Cook
Pixie Dust (Karli Lane #1) by Laura Lee
The Shifter's Destiny (Harlequin Nocturne) by Anna Leonard
Space Orville by Jeff Whelan
Dragon's Curse (Harlequin Nocturne) by Denise Lynn

I would be remiss if I didn't once again mention my very own witch, vampire, ghost, werewolf, dragon, paranormal romantic comedy, Moon Over Madness.

Chantel Deneuve is a half-witch who doesn't want to acknowledge her witch heritage. Riordan "Rio" Martainn is a hunky vampire who just moved into the neighborhood. Add to the mix a couple of adorable kids, a dog named Jake who only "talks" to kids, a resident ghost, a couple werewolves, some witches from the neighborhood and a very pissed-off dragon, you can't go wrong. I know this sounds a bit crazy, but you're sure to enjoy the read.

My mom insists that Moon Over Madness is her very favorite book and thinks that it should be made into a movie. As we all well know, moms know best. So maybe you need to read this book?




MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle/US

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle/UK

MOON OVER MADNESS - Barnes&Noble/nook

MOON OVER MADNESS - Apple/iBookStore/iTunes

Thanks so much for reading this post. I had a fun time putting together the list of books above. Please feel free to add comments below. You're welcome to add your own books or favorites by other authors. Now you all go out and have a howling good Halloween!

What are you Reading for Halloween?

Halloween is almost here, again. That means witches, vampires, ghosts, goblins, werewolves and other "spooky" beings are out there waiting for their special night. It also means there is a lot of great Halloween and paranormal fiction that we all ought to be reading.

Well, this is where I point out that you all ought to be reading my paranormal romantic comedy, MOON OVER MADNESS, which is a great Halloween read. If you love witches, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, dragons, oh, and a dog named Jake, then this is just the book for you.

Chantel Deneuve is a half-witch who denied her witch heritage and moved away to the cottage town of East Hill, Florida. She has a quiet life with her two young daughters, Aria and Lucia, until something extraordinary happens. One night, much to her surprise, a vampire, Riordan "Rio" Martainn, comes knocking at her door and invites himself inside.

Rio is hot and Chantel flustered, but he manages to explain to Chantel that King Murdoc and his minions will be coming after her to retrieve the stolen Blue-Star. The Blue-Star? Chantel hasn't a clue. Rio, on the other hand, vows to protect Chantel. But who will protect Chantel from Rio? Together they search for the Blue-Star in order to return it to its true owner, a very pissed off dragon lady named Sabilla. Join Chantel, Rio, a dog named Jake, and an assortment of other-beings in their quest for the missing jewel. In the meantime, will Chantel and Rio fall in love in spite of all the madness?

Now here is where I swear that you'll love MOON OVER MADNESS. Rio is a hunk and Chantel can't resist his charms. Rio's companions, an assortment of vampires and werewolves, are to-die-for hunks too. Then there's Jake the dog who almost steals the show. The action builds and Halloween night is explosive. Then there's the problem with dragons. Sabilla is one dragon you'll not soon forget.

Well, if you're looking for a romantic, lighthearted, fun, action packed, Halloween read, then why don't you give MOON OVER MADNESS a try? This book is novella length and only $1.99.

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle/US

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle/UK

MOON OVER MADNESS - Barnes&Noble/Nook

MOON OVER MADNESS is also available at Sony, Apple, Diesel, Kobo and Smashwords.

I've put together a list of fun, romantic, exciting, spooky, haunted reads that are perfect for Halloween. So here's the list, in no particular order. (Note - I slipped in some scary reads too.)

The Corset & The Cowboy (A Sensual Short Story) by Ruth D. Kerce
Livin' Lahaina Loca (Islands of Aloha Mystery) by JoAnn Bassett
Wilder Family Halloween (Darkness Chosen) by Christina Dodd
All Hallow's Moon by S. M. Reine
A Skeleton at Her Door (Halloween/Fall Romance) by E. Ayers
Passion & Pumpkins by Lily Rede
Halloween is for Lovers by Nate Gubin
Dumb White Husband vs. Halloween by Benjamin Wallace
Halloween Romance by Denaya Haymond
Under a Halloween Moon by Beverly Breton-Carroll
The Pumpkin Thief (A Chloe Boston Mystery) by Melanie Jackson
A Catered Halloween (Mystery with Recipes) by Isis Crawford
Halloween Honeymoon by Merline Lovelace
Lady Hilary's Halloween (A Regency Paranormal Romance) by Anne Barbour
The Halloween Collection (Indie Eclective) by M. Edward McNally, et. al.
A Halloween Homicide by David W. Robinson
Uneasy Spirits (A Victorian San Francisco Mystery) by M. Louisa Locke
A Halloween Collection Anthology: Sweet by Charlotte Raby, et. al.
A Halloween Collection Anthology: Stimulating by Rebecca J. Vickery, et. al.
All Hallow's Eve by Carolyn McCray
Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot Mystery) by Agatha Christie
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The October Country by Ray Bradbury

Check out my next post for an assortment of witch, vampire, ghost and werewolf fiction.

(Note - Please feel free to add more Halloween reads in the comments below.)

October Release of "Moon Over Madness"

October and Halloween are almost here. What a perfect time to release my latest book, "Moon Over Madness," a paranormal witch/vampire/ghost novella. This ebook will be available at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com for .99 cents in the next few days.

Chantel Deneuve is a half-witch who chose to deny her witch heritage and move away to East Hill, Florida, to raise her two young daughters. Unfortunately, her long ago ex-husband, Colin Rowe, has implicated Chantel in an antiquities theft he committed years before. As Halloween nears, danger and madness ensues. How will Chantel combat the assortment of ghouls who come to take back the treasure?

First off, Chantel didn't know anything about the theft. So how can she give back something she's never seen and doesn't know how to find? Enter vampire, Riordan "Rio" Martainn, who just happens to live down the street from Chantel. Rio arrives at Chantel's doorstep late one night and offers his services.

Chantel is wary, but charmed, by the handsome Rio and listens to his plans to help her seek the missing antiquities. She needs his help, whether she wants it or not.  Now the lives of her daughters and herself are at stake. In the midst of this madness, Rio's vampire friends help out, along with an assortment of witches, ghosts and more. As the chaos increases, Chantel and Rio find themselves drawn to each other. Neither is looking for a romantic interest, but as everyone knows, you can't fight love.

"Moon Over Madness" is a light-hearted read. Although there is romance in this novella, nothing too racy ocurrs in the story. Chantel and Rio try denying their mutual attraction, but in spite of their efforts, their relationship grows beyond their control.

You'll be able to read more about Chantel and Rio in upcoming books. The next Chantel Deneuve novella, "Moon Over Mistletoe," will be released in early December.

I hope you enjoy "Moon Over Madness." I had a fun time writing this story and hope you will have as much fun reading about the adventures of Chantel, Rio, and their friends.