Suddenly

You're probably thinking ... where are those funny posts?  Well, there are times when funny just has to wait.  Monday a good friend of mine lost her husband ... suddenly.  On Sunday she mentioned that he'd had severe heartburn for a few days and they would be going to the doctor on Monday.  Monday morning we wake up to the news that he'd had a severe heart attack during the night, had coded in the ambulance where they almost lost him and that he had a 50/50 chance.  That night I came home from work to the news that he was gone.  51.  Yes, he was 51.  One day he was there, the next he's gone and my friend Dorah is a widow.  Of course, when I first heard of the heartburn, I thought of the heart but didn't say anything.  Would it have helped - no.  One artery was 100% blocked and they said they couldn't do anything about that at the moment; the other was 99% and did get a stint.  But it was too late .. the damage was too severe.  The DNR was signed and Eric was gone. I'm assuming that he had coded again.  So at first I felt guilty because I hadn't said "go to the emergency room now" but then came the realization that those few hours wouldn't have made a big difference.  Or so I've been told so don't tell me otherwise.

But this is a reminder that death can come at any moment.  That we never know when we may lose a loved one.  We need to tell the people we love that they matter to us .. every single day, for we never know when that day will be the last.

Death often happens ..... suddenly .....

5 Years

This is from Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.

*The son went to his mother.

He picked her up and rocked her

back and forth, back and forth,

back and forth.

And he sang this song:

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

my Mommy you'll be.

I can't remember your voice ... but I still remember your smell, the way your bones would creak as I laid my head on your shoulder.  As long as I remember .... my mommy you'll be.

Mary

November 15, 1928 - October 14, 2006

*Love you Forever by Robert Munsch, Illustrated by Sheila McGraw, Firefly Books Ltd., Canada, 1989

The Week

And so it begins, my own personal week from hell.  Every year is different, every year I approach it from far differing emotional spectrums.  But this year has been hard.

I've known it was coming, aware of its significance for a few months.  Five years since mom died, 11 for dad.  As I was closer to mom it's that particular anniversary that is haunting me more.  As I sat in a room full of writers Saturday night, my mind kept jumping "5 years from tomorrow mom went into hospice".  Five years ago today .. I called Bebo in panic, I don't remember exactly why now, but something mother did while laying in her bedroom scared me.  I didn't want to be alone when she died. Bebo left work and spent the week with me.

But that's today ... and Friday ..... and ..  tomorrow is about dad. Yes, 11 years ago he was in hospice too, had been forever it seemed.  And therein lies the contrast ... the house was filled with family, food came from church and family members.  I was never alone.  With mom .. it was Bebo and myself.  No food to help us through this time, no real support.  Don't get me wrong .. Cathie was in a nursing home and David was in Missouri.  But still, the difference was so .. stark. 

But finally, after a couple of weeks, dad passed late in the evening of October 11.  I'll never forget my cousin Theresa's face as she listened through her stethoscope.  After days of waiting for the pacemaker to give out, it had happened.  I can still see the funeral parlor's hearse in the driveway, a dark silhouette against the street lights.  Bebo, Theresa and I stood outside for a while and watched a falling star, a fitting end to a long life.  I knew my dad was happy, free from the body that had failed him, had kept him virtually a prisoner in his own home. 

So my week begins ....

Harry

May 31, 1922 - October 11, 2000

One Knight Only

A snarky Faery princess, a Scottish knight with a gambling problem, and a murderous earl all add up to one thing: Trouble. Maggie’s medieval education never prepared her for life in the Middle Ages!

I haven’t had the opportunity to read this book, but I had the privilege of seeing portions while it was being written  – enough to have developed a love for it.  I found the characters engaging, the storyline interesting and sprinkled with humor (a must in order to be on my “must read” list).  So I was delighted when Michelle Miles agreed to join us again today to talk about her recent release.

So Michelle, tell us a bit about One Knight Only.

Maggie is a modern day woman who is thrust back in time to the mid-1300s into the bed of a very hot Scotsman, Sir Finian. She’s tasked with keeping Finn alive at a jousting tournament by a snotty Faery princess in order to get back to her time. Only, things never really go as planned once she’s back in the Middle Ages. There’s jousting, chivalry, knights in shining armor, faeries, medieval swearing, gambling, magic, romance, and an evil earl.

How did you come up with this plotline?

It was a long time coming. I actually started the book in 2005 as a straight historical romance. I knew I wanted to set it during the Middle Ages at a jousting tournament but the storyline never quite jelled. I stopped writing. A few years later, I picked it back up again, rewrote the beginning and decided it was a time travel and there were faeries involved and eventually the story came together. Once I figured out the story, I wrote it in a couple of months and sold it in a week. That was a great feeling.

What compelled you to pick it back up?

I love jousts and the Middle Ages. There is something romantic about it for me. I really wanted to finish the story, especially since it is set during a jousting tournament. Even though I hadn’t been working on it, it had always been on the back-burner as a project I really wanted to finish. I picked it up again in 2008 and that’s when I changed it from straight historical to paranormal. I added the time travel element and the Faery princess. But it would still be two more years before the first draft was completed.

Will there be a sequel?

Yes! The second book will be Elyne’s and Derron’s (the two Fae characters) story. At the end of the first book, Elyne is in some pretty hot water with her mother, the Queen of Faery. She’s used magic in the human realm which is against Fae Law and now she has to answer for her crimes.

What’s your favorite scene?

There are so many! I think one of my favorite parts is when Maggie actually jousts for Finn. You’ll have to read the book to see how she gets into that predicament. ;) But there are a lot of other scenes that I love. Here is one of my favorites:

“Show off,” Elyne muttered.

“You know him?” Maggie nodded in Sir Derron’s direction.

“Oh aye. I know him all right.”

Glancing at her, Maggie could see the angry lines creasing her forehead. Angry lines? Or concerned lines? Maggie couldn’t decide which. Sir Derron caught her gaze then, flashed a bright smile and dismounted the horse, surrendering it to his young squire.

“I see you decided to make an appearance,” he greeted, bowing with a flourish to Elyne. “I’m truly honored by your presence.” Dimples framed his mouth as he gave her a crooked smile.

“You endanger yourself here and you know it.”

“Ah, but what other time can I practice my skills than at tourney?”

“You don’t need to practice any skills. You should be—” She paused, giving Maggie a sidelong glance. “You know where you should be.”

“Court is so boring.” Derron yawned to prove his point. “Why should I waste my time lounging around there with those hangers-on who want nothing but to serve, serve, serve. It makes me weary. And don’t get me started on all the bores in the rest of the Otherworld.”

“It’s your duty.” Fire flashed in Elyne’s eyes as she bit out her curt words.

Maggie watched the verbal volley between the two, trying to deduce exactly who Derron Chevalier was to Elyne. Clearly, he was a Fae of some importance. And Maggie knew Elyne was a princess. Was he related to her somehow? They argued as if they’d been together a long while.

“Humans are much more interesting.”

Was Derron Chevalier a Fae royal? Could it be possible? Maggie had lived nearly twenty-six years not believing in faeries and yet in a fortnight she’d met two.

Derron turned to Maggie then, upping the charm. “Mine eyes hath seen nothing as bonny as you, fair maiden, so pray forgive my rudeness.” He bowed low. “May I ask your name?”

“Lady Margaret.” Elyne answered before Maggie could. Her gaze clawed him like talons. “And she’s none of your concern.”

Clearly unflustered by the irate princess, Derron took Maggie’s hand, kissed it with warm lips soft as velvet. His touch sent a wave of desire right through her, shaking her to her soul. “The pleasure is mine, Lady Margaret.”

Oh, she had a thousand and one questions to ask the man. She had to know everything about him. She wanted to know how he managed to win so many tournaments without so much as an injury. Was it because he was a Fae he cheated death? How many hours did he practice? What made him so good? If he was Fae, did he have magic like Elyne? Did he use it to make him a god in the lists?

“I’m delighted to make your acquaintance, Sir Derron.”

Still holding her hand in his, he chuckled. It was a deep sound, rumbling around in a broad chest.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the banquet?” Elyne ripped out her words impatiently.

“All in good time, dear Elyne. First I intend to get to know Lady Margaret.” He tucked her hand in his elbow.

Standing so close to him, Maggie sensed something very ancient and otherworldly about him. It had to be the Fae in him. Even so, her knees nearly buckled at the thought of spending time, alone, with her idol. What could she learn? How she wished she had a mini recorder.

Still ignoring Elyne, he said, “Will you be attending banquet tonight, Lady Margaret?”

She blushed, lowering her gaze to the ground as a delicious shudder tingled her spine. “I will, sir knight.”

“Then yes, I should make my way posthaste to my tent and begin preparing to meet you again.”

“Stop using your Fae charms on her,” Elyne demanded.

He blinked, feigning innocence, and Maggie suddenly realized that’s why she felt so weak and lightheaded. He was doing something to her, on purpose.

“Unhand her.”

The big booming voice sounded through the practice field, turning heads. Derron kept his grasp firm on Maggie’s arm, meeting Finn’s feral gaze as he charged across the field, sword in his hand gleaming in the afternoon light.

“Uh oh,” Maggie whispered.

“You’re not kidding,” Elyne agreed.

Finn stopped, pointed the sword a mere inch from Derron’s face. “Release her.”

“I don’t think she really wants to be released.” Derron offered Maggie an arresting smile, pulling her closer. His ancient, spicy scent pressed into her, making her head spin.

“I said, let the lass go.”

“And then what? You’ll take her under your protective wing?” Derron laughed. “Much like you did Lady Juliet?”

“Oh, here we go.” Elyne rolled her eyes.

Maggie gasped. The last person she’d want to make angry was Finn. He was the only one who could keep her safe in this wretched place after all. She tried to pull free. “Really, I should probably go—”

“Now, why would you do that, Lady Margaret, when we’re just getting to know each other so well? You don’t want to go with this brute of a man, do you?” Derron wasn’t even bothered by the sword point in his face.

Oh, love it!

Will One Knight Only be available in print at some point?

The publisher decides what books go to print, but I’m told it meets length requirements so hopefully it will. You’ll be the first to know. ;)

Thanks Michelle!! 

You’re welcome! Thanks for having me!

You can get a copy of One Knight Only at Ellora's Cave or Amazon 

I'm Fall - ing

Aww the arrival of fall .. how wonderful these last couple of days have been.  I didn’t have to turn on the a/c on Friday or today .. just had the windows open all day.  My regular readers know that I hate summer .. actually, if summer had an average high of 72, I’d love it.  So let’s just say that I hate heat.  I really have mood fluctuations depending upon the time of the year, but it’s not the normal SAD that everyone is familiar with.  SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder is normally referred to as the winter-time blues.  It’s said that the body needs a certain amount of sunlight in order to function properly.  But there is a lesser known side of SAD – those who become depressed during the summer months.  Yes, me.  In fact, I’ve read some recent literature indicating a relationship between bipolar and SAD, which is interesting to me since I am bipolar.  In the summer, my windows are closed up tight, blinds closed, heavy curtains drawn.  My rooms are dark, or as dark as I can get them.  But in the cooler months, I love to have the windows, blinds and curtains wide open.  F

So what about you?  Are you a Spring/Summer person or a Fall/Winter?