Thanksgiving Books Giveaway!

I'm thankful for all my readers and friends here and all over the Net. For Thanksgiving, all commenters on this thread will get a chance to win one of the popular GLow bag of books. International readers, besides Canada, will get e-coupons either from Amazon or Book Depository. 

Thank you again! This giveaway is open for a week.

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Demon Dog In My Arms

Demon Dog is a tough one to hold still for a photo, but I managed to do it twice tonight.  And one actually doesn't have his eyes gleaming demonic red!  His eyes are a dark black blue and the flash doesn't like them.  Either that or his true nature peers out of his eyes ;-).

Now, if only I could get Jiggs and Lilah for a group portrait. These three aren't like my original six, who were excellent and obedient posers, and just love to preen in front of the camera.  I remember them tonight, with all my love, because I'm thankful for their time with me:

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones. You're in my thoughts today too!

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Thanksgiving With Breakdancing Spartans

1) Killer Mixer -- glug sip glug

2) Turkey, potatoes, fried rice, butterscotch soup, bread, stuffing, gravy, drippings, sweet potato souffle

3) Pumpkin pie, coconut pie, pecan pie

4) coffee

5) Breakdancing Spartans. Watched spoof of 300 (with an almost nekkid KEVIN SORBO)--MEET THE SPARTANS.



PERFECT ending to Thanksgiving.

I'm done.

How did yours go?

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Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving here tomorrow and many of my American readers will be with family and close friends, having dinner and great conversation. I want to wish every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Some of us have the tradition to list things we're thankful about this year. I like doing this--it gives perspective on what is important and what I've been blessed with. This year, I'm thankful

1) for holding on to my writing dream and not giving up, especially on the Virtual/Super Soldier Spy series Books 2 and 3.

2) to the angel/higher power who "caught" me while I was falling off the roof. I don't know of any other way to explain how I ended up on a concrete deck with such minor injuries after that whack on the head.

3) for the extra time with my two older furbabies. Again, I thank the higher power that somehow made me change my mind about staying overnight at Charleston that night in Aug. and instead convinced me to drive straight home. Because of that decision, I was in time to save Miracle, who, once again, lived up to her namesake. I've been very, very vigilantly taking care of them since both their hearts and kidneys aren't 100 percent.

4) for great readers like you who have been so supportive and generous all this time. Thank you for buying my books and playing a big part in keeping my dream alive.

What are you thankful for this year?

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I Feel Like A Whale

Serendipity strikes again. I was telling everyone I felt like a beached whale after Thursday night's feast and what caught my eye today? A story about a whale. Funny how the universe mocks me. ;-)

This story appeared in the SF Chronicle on Dec. 14, 2005. The story has become one of those urban legends that get passed around. Nonetheless, I thought it an appropriate entry for Thanksgiving.

It is about about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her.

A very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed gently around-she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love,
Be so blessed and fortunate...
To be surrounded by people
Who will help you get untangled
From the things that are binding you.
And, may you always know the joy
Of giving and receiving gratitude.

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Post #2: Romance Plotting In Leftover Turkey Recipes

I'm guest-posting on Southern Fried Chicas today, so please do go visit. I'll be talking about left-over turkey recipes and you'll just have to find how I managed to make turkey recipes worked with romance writing ;-).

Meanwhile, I'm shopping for ingredients for my annual Thanksgiving Fried Rice Special for ten. Gulp. Ten people. Large families don't think about this, but I eat out most of the time or cook for just myself (and my mutant poms), so every year, the prospect of doing such a simple dish becomes a nervous endeavor. I'm just amazed at all of you who are cooking the whole nine yards at home for your visiting families--turkey and stuffing, all the veges, sweet potato, pies. My girlfriend does this and I watch her in awe every single time. And of course, she looks gorgeous all day long. She's a freak, I tell you.

Now go check out the Chicas through the link above and give us a few leftover ideas there.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Eat, drink, be in a stupor! ;-)

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Why Can't They Get Along?

Is it just me or does your mind scream ANITA BLAKE every time you see the pups in the cam cuddling "like a pile of puppies?" ***grin***

I spent much of yesterday retraining Bad Puppy. I don't know what it is about Alpha Males, and Bad Puppy is definitely one, but they act like everything should be theirs to mark/mess with even after months/years of training. Take Alpha Male who has recently returned from his month long baseball tournament/fun. I can't seem to convince the guy that the stuff he pulls with his gang in hotel rooms is not going to work here in my house. And that used glasses and dishes are supposed to go back to the kitchen because there is NO MAID SERVICE.

Also, while he was gone, Bad Puppy has reverted back to his love of sleeping ON the pillow next to me (which I don't mind because it's cute to wake up and have a sleeping little dog cuddling in my neck), so he isn't too pleased to have his place usurped by That Other One again, so...of course he does the usual--he lifts his leg and marks the pillow. Then Alpha Male lies down on it, yells and curses, and chases Bad Alpha Puppy all around the house.

Now, because of this pattern of antics, I have lots of new pillows stocked in the closet, but man, you'd think, after doing this a dozen or so times, one of them would be trained by now?! I live in hope ;-).

This kind of territorial behavior is often shown in our romance books, of course. An alpha male tends to like taking over the heroine's world and it takes a strong female protagonist to NOT let that happen. Done right, it's often amusing to read, especially if the alpha hero starts getting steam coming out his ears. But in real life, sometimes, the feeling of pounding one's head against the wall repeatedly is prevalent. Because the Alpha Male just does not LISTEN well, from man to puppy. But they love you to death, though ;-). So the payoff is pretty good.

Maybe I'll invite them to my Thanksgiving party after all, ha!

So, are you planning a big feast at home, or do you drive to a friend's/relative's house like me? I'm not a very traditional person, so I tend to spend my holidays in weird ways.

I truly understand how hard it is if you're alone too. It isn't easy working up the holiday spirit. If you don't have family nearby (like me) or generous friends to take you in, please consider going to a diner near your home. They're usually open for the locals and their turkey dinner special is reasonably priced because the clientele showing up usually consists of retirees with fixed income who don't cook any more or singles. Through my twenty-some odd years without my family, I've done that and have enjoyed the experience. Sometimes, just taking the time to dress and go out is good for the soul. Of course, nothing beats sleeping in all day ;-).

Anyway, I hope you make this Thanksgiving a bit more special because we deserve it after such a turbulent year. Drive safely if you're going on a trip. Call an old friend if you're staying at home. And watch the turkey if you're cooking one because one year, many moons ago, my mutant poms stole and mangled mine.

Lastly, if you're trying the turducken, let me know.

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Uber Gobble Day!

I know, I know :::hanging head:::. You're busy cooking and dealing with relatives. I'm here playing with my blog colors. Life's unfair, isn't it? ;-)

Look at it this way. In half an hour, I'll be on the roof to work till 2pm. Then I have to rush home to get ready to feast with friends. So, there, feel much better now?

Yes, the blog colors look sucky. I was tired of the green. I thought blue was better than pink. You baste turkeys; I paste pictures of turkeys. It's all work!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm always, always, thankful for my wonderful readers and friends, who are both generous withm and definitely, tolerant of, my sexy veges.

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Stream-of-Consciousness Ode To Turkeys

I know I have many readers outside the States who don't celebrate Thanksgiving and probably don't even understand the meaning of turkey and sweet potatoes. Don't worry, neither do I. I just participate because everyone does ;-).

The turkey, I was told, was this close to being our National Bird. It really does have some great qualities. For example, the turkey has excellent vision and hearing. Their field of vision is about 270 degrees, which is as close to having eyes at the back of one's head as one could get. It can run up to 20mph and take flight at great bursts of speed up to 55 mph. Benjamin Franklin, one of our forefathers, was the one who wanted the turkey to be our National Bird, but he was an eccentric genius who flew kites during storms, so yeah, you know there were a lot of eye-rolling and coughing among the other esteemed forefather dudes when old B.F. suggested the turkey!

So, we ended up with the majestic eagle. I have to admit the eagle brings more fear and a sense of pride in me than the gobbling turkey. Would you name your football team the Florida Gobbling Turkeys? Or would you prefer the Florida Eagles? Thought so.

So, we save the eagle. And we eat the darn turkeys, 'kay?

Do we romance the turkeys like we romance the eagle? Think of it...we wouldn't mind a hero who's a were-eagle, right? We embrace that. Do you think Anita Blake would use her magic hooha with a were-turkey? Okay, strike that thought. ;-) Anita would do it with a were-worm, if it meant a possibility of a threesome in the future. LOL.

But back to the turkeys and Thanksgiving. My question from over twenty-some years ago remained unanswered. I asked, when I was told that the first Thanksgiving feast didn't include turkeys but probably deer, why was the turkey suddenly picked as the bird/food of choice then? Today, two decades later, I still haven't gotten an answer. I suppose, one day a bunch of hunters couldn't find a darn deer all freaking week before Thanksgiving, and there was this bunch of wild turkeys just sitting there, gobbling away, and they just shot them and brought them home to their wives.

"That's the Thanksgiving turkey, honey," said the hunter to his wife. And who was she to complain? It's definitely easier than carving, gutting and skinning a deer. Turkey it was! And there you have it--a tradition started ;-).

Incidentally, we've gotten to using "turkey" as a synonym for "dummy." So, really, a were-turkey would be a really stupid hero, I think. With wrinkly excess neck skin. Oh ugh.

Not that we readers are that literal with our imaginations, of course. I mean, it is the BALD eagle, you know. ;-)

But back to the turkey. If there were such a thing as a were-turkey, one of my workers would be it. He talks and talks and talks ALL day, so much so that after a while, the words sound suspiciously like "gobblegobblegobbleygook." And he is a bit dumb. Okay, a lot dumb.

For example, he was telling us today that he was a Thanksgiving baby and that he'd be 46 on Thursday. And proceeded to tell us about the birthday feast, the turkey, the stuffing, everything that he planned to do. Then he let slipped that he was born in 1962.

A pause in our hammering.

"Uh. Yo, dude. That makes you 45 this Thursday."

"No, it doesn't. I've been 45 all year."

"If you were born in 62, and your birthday is this Thursday, you're turning 45, dude."

"I tell you, I am 45 already."

"No, you aren't."

"Am too!"

"Do the math."

He waved his fingers dramatically. "72. 82. 92. 02. That's 40. 03, 04, 05, 0...6, 0.............se....ven. Forty.....five," he counted, the last few numbers coming out rather reluctantly.

"See? I was right. You're actually 44. Not that it fucking matters since you've been 45 all year."

His birdcrown creased. The neck skin looked suspiciously red. "Huh?" Angry sniff. Rotating 270 degrees-eyes "Dammit. My wife tricked me! She told me I was 45! Can you believe it, she got my age wrong!"

Multiple groans and snickers around the roof. And that, my friends, is not an alpha were-turkey either.

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My Personal Uber Sweet Potato

WINNER OF SHILOH WALKER'S HUNTING THE HUNTER IS SQ, the Yankees' Handmaiden. Please email me, sweets! You win some monkey nuts too ;-).

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What is wrong with these people (whoever these people are...)?! They didn't put my Gerry Butler in the Top 10 of the People's Sexiest Man?! Not even Top 15?! Are they nuts?!!!!!!!

He made the Top 100. Sniff. ::::grumble, grumble::::

Here is his pretty face and quote:

Gerard on People's Top 100 Sexiest Men

Have they not look closely at that face? Those abs in 300? Gotten mesmerized by that accent? My Gerry should have placed in the top 10 this year ;-).

They did put Patrick Dempsey at #2. Do you know who beat them all? Matt Damon. Here's the complete LIST and PICS.

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I found an Asian sweet potato ball recipe that sounds do-able for experts like me:

Ingredients:

1 lb of sweet potatoes
12 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of sesame seeds
Water
Oil for deep frying

Boil the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes. Peel the skin of the sweet potatoes and discard. Smash the sweet potatoes and combine them with flour, sugar, and just enough water to form a smooth dough that is soft in texture but not sticky.

Divide dough into small, equal portions and roll them into balls. Coat the balls with some sesame seeds. Deep fry the sweet potato balls till golden brown. Dish out and drain well before serving.

There, I think I can satisfy my sweet potato craving with this. Tomorrow...sexy sweet potato pictures!

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The Kirkland Files are done, but the server is acting wonky and we needed to double check everything to make sure the pictures come out right. Be patient. You'll love them when we unveil the lovely COS Commandos for your Thanksgiving feast ;-).

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Tomorrow, if I remember, I'll tell about Ranger Buddy's Sweet Potato story. It's 30 years old and it's still quite...umm...interesting.

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