Under the Tiki Hut

My Go-To Guys

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

Rock stars have people.

Presidents have people.

I have . . .

well, I have people, but not in the same sense.

What I have are go-to things (for lack of a better word) that I fall back on if I'm stressed or out of time or have to make a quick choice.

For instance - for dinner it's baked chicken or chili mac. Movies - a romantic comedy. Snack - anything with tortilla chips.

Image by prettywar-stl/Licensed Under Creative Commons

Did I make you hungry?

Anyway, moving on. I just finished inputting the final editing changes on what was my work in progress. Surprise-surprise, I learned I also have go-to words. I use these words when I talk, too, so I suppose I shouldn't have been so surprised I used them so often in my manuscript and didn't notice they were there.

I attacked those suckers in the same way I'd attack that bowl of guacamole up there and showed them who was boss. Not many of the greatest offenders remain. I learned a lot.

How about you?

Have you ever learned you had a go-to that you weren't aware of?

Happy Monday!

Friday's Top Ten

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

The top ten ways to stay out of trouble:

10. Don't tell your aunt what you really think

9. Leave and go home the first time you think about it

8. Don't have another drink

7. Make sure you put on all your clothes

6. Don't laugh at your boss

5. Put the gun down

4. Don't use all the hot water

3. Keep your eyes on the road

2. Don't ask what's behind the locked door - unless you're a writer

And the #1 way to stay out of trouble:

1. Never, ever, lie to your mother

An Award For YOU!

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Last week Cynthia Chapman Willis at Laptops and Lattes ... An Author's Journal presented me with the Great Comments Award.

Thank you, Cynthia. Cynthia posts mostly on Tuesdays and always has something interesting to say. She's a children's writer with a couple of books to her credit, so stop by and say hi.

The Great Comments Award is one I haven't seen before. According to Cynthia:

From what I understand, this is for regular and/or great blog comments, and I am to pass it on to 20 fabulous blog buddies—folks I’ve had the pleasure to “meet” by way of their wonderful comments and blogs.

I'll just say: 20? Seriously?

I cherish all of you who visit and comment. I couldn't pick twenty. All of you are special to me. Seriously.

So . . . I'm breaking the rules.

If you've ever commented at Under the Tiki Hut, the award is yours. You may pass it on in any way you choose. But please pass it on.

Part of the reason for blog awards is to introduce readers to other blogs. If you're looking for more blogs to visit, check my sidebar. Each blog name is a link. There are all kinds of blogs over there. Feel free to visit them all.

After you leave an award-winning comment here, of course :)

One Size Fits All - And It's Free

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it.

-Andy Rooney

Image Licensed Under Creative Commons by MrSchuReads

Could anyone not smile at this Happy Face?

Bright and sunny. And look - Froot Loops for breakfast!

I hope you start every day this week with ~~flowers sprouting out of the top of your head and~~ a smile on your face and in your heart.

As writers, we face all sorts of downers every day.
The scene that won't come together.
The not for us rejection.
The I really loved this, but rejection.
The snarky review.
The I wish I could give this minus stars review.
These are just for starters.

Remember this little guy the next time life hands you poodle poo instead of Froot Loops. He helps us find the ladder to climb out of the dark, dank, dungeon we sometimes fall into.

Keep Smiling.
I'll be watching.
Don't make me send the Smile Police.
I will.

Besides, everyone will wonder what you've been up to.

Happy Monday!

And smile from your heart.

Friday's Top Ten

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

The top ten things about winter:

Photo by Yoav Shapiro

Photo by Alisa Cooper

8

Photo by Rob Friesel

7

Photo by Snorlax's Cafe

6

Photo by Sean Dreilinger

4

Photo by Michael Verhoef

2

Photo by Philip Cummings

And the #1 thing about winter:

Photo by Matt Hollingsworth

Images Licensed Under Creative Commons

One of the Reasons I Love Texas

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

Texas has several distinct areas. One of them is West Texas.

Texas State Photographer Wyman Meinzer has produced this West Texas video that gives you an up close and personal look at the vastness of this part of our state.

Enjoy!

I had some difficulty in uploading this video, so I hope it's still here when this posts.

If you'd like to learn more about Wyman Meinzer and his photography, his website is here.

Dreams and Voices

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

I want to tell you what I remember of a dream I had a few nights ago. In it, Live-In Handyman and I were in Brussels, Belgium. An international trial was being held there with jurors chosen from around the world. I was one of them. Don't ask, I don't know. All I know is the trial involved an oversized clawfoot bathtub and shopping carts.

When I told Live-In Handyman about my dream, I got the look. He said, "I've heard enough."

Sometimes I remember a lot of strange details, but this time it was good Handyman had heard enough since I had nothing more to tell. I'll just say he knows that just because he's heard enough doesn't necessarily mean I've told him enough. Which is probably why he reinforced his words with the look. Doesn't matter. He'll wonder why the look doesn't work next time when I do have more to say :)

Anyway, dreams are like that - most of the time they don't make a lot of logical sense, especially in the cold light of day.

My ideas for stories are like dream fragments. The bits and pieces that start floating to the same corner don't seem to fit together in any discernible pattern. Rarely do I begin with something I can grab onto and say, "I'm going to write about THIS!"

Usually I have to wait for the whisperings to begin before I figure out what it's all about. Whisperings lead to voices. And voices lead me to the next part of this post. How's that for a segue?

I'm going to participate in the

I'm Hearing Voices Character Blogfest

February 6-10

The blogfest is hosted by Cassie Mae at Reading, Writing, and Lovin' it! and Angie at Live to Write...Edit when Necessary and it sounds like a ton of fun. Here's what it's all about, straight from Cassie Mae's blog:

February 6th - Monday: Characters on the couch: Have one of your characters answer the following questions (to make this work to your benefit, choose a character who is the hardest for you to write :) Max 250 words (Not including the questions—only the answers).

What is your biggest vulnerability? Do others know this or is it a secret
What do people believe about you that is false
What would your best friend say is your fatal flaw? Why?
What would the same friend say is your one redeeming quality? Why?
What do you want most? What will you do to get it?

February 8th - Wednesday - Dialogue Introduction: Have two characters introduce each other using only dialogue—no backstory, no internalization, just dialogue between the two. Max 250 words.

February 10th - Friday - Emotion Flash Fiction: Emotion is the engine of a story. Pick an emotion and in a flash fiction piece of 250 words MAKE us feel it! We want to connect with your character. This will be a challenge in 250 words.

I'm looking forward to participating. Maybe I'll see you there, too.

Friday's Top Ten

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

The top ten things about Friday the Thirteenth:

10. Fear of Friday the Thirteenth is friggatriskaidekaphobia

9. And parakavedekatriaphobia

8. Any month that begins on a Sunday will have a Friday the Thirteenth

7. Every year has at least one Friday the Thirteenth and no more than three

6. In 2012 January, April, and July have Friday the Thirteenths

5. On Friday, April 13, 2029, an asteroid called 99942 Apophis will pass closer to Earth than the orbits of communication satellites.

4. Only four Friday the 13th movies were released on a Friday the Thirteenth

3. Butch Cassidy was a Friday the Thirteenth baby

2. So was Fidel Castro

And the #1 thing about Friday the Thirteenth:

1. It's today!

Semper Paratus

2012-01-11T07:00:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I saw this news story about the CGC Monomoy - CGC stands for Coast Guard Cutter - rescuing six Iranian mariners in the Persian Gulf/North Arabian Sea area. This is less than a week after a Navy ship in the same general area freed several Iranian fishermen from Somali pirates.

We're a Coast Guard family, and I wanted to share some information about the Coast Guard with you. Rather than tell you this and that, I'll just show you a few things and let you see what we're about.

First there's the Coast Guard account of the above rescue.

And in case you don't visit the links, I'm snipping this quote from the Coast Guard link:

Petty Officer 2nd Class Emily Poole, Monomoy’s medic, expressed her sentiments about assisting mariners at sea. “Saving lives is the last thing you expect to do at 0300 while patrolling in the Northern Arabian Gulf, but being in the Coast Guard, that’s what we are trained to do.”

Last, a little bit about the CGC Monomoy. It's small - a 110-foot Island Class cutter with two diesel engines. Tour of duty aboard is one year; no dependents in the homeport. The cutter is on indefinite deployment to the Middle East.

The Monomoy was commissioned in 1989. That means she's 22 years old. Before being deployed, here's a sampling of her history:

She's conducted hundreds of law enforcement boardings finding several fishing vessels operating in closed areas and making one cocaine seizure, conducted dozens of search and rescue operations, and provided security for Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton.

Here's to the CGC Monomoy and the men and women of the United States Coast Guard!

USCGC MONOMOY
Image Credit

SEMPER PARATUS - Always Ready!

The Turtle and the Jackrabbit

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm very happy to share with you the amazing results I experienced by switching my writing time to the mornings. Never in my wildest dreams did I think the change would be quite so dramatic. Especially since I am so not a morning person.

To be fair, part of the difference may have occurred because I'm doing something new and different and would have happened no matter when I worked. But I really don't think so. I feel different while I'm working.

I'm energized when I finish. The whole day is ahead, and I've already accomplished my major goal of the day. Wow. I'm really loving it.

Right now I'm on the last round of inputting line edits. I have lots of suggestions to consider. I completed more than 100 pages last week. I wrote on six mornings, and I worked anywhere from two to four hours a day. I can hardly wait until I start writing new words next month. I'm hoping it goes equally well.

Photo licensed under GNU Free Documentation License

My goal was to work four hours a day and complete 15 pages a day in those four hours so that I will be finished with the edit by January 31. Each day I worked to the end of each chapter and completed anywhere from 15-22 pages. I can tell you that it would have taken me at least four hours every day to accomplish the same amount of work doing it my old way. My speed has been at a turtle's pace, and my major goal this year is to hop along like a jackrabbit.

I stopped when reaching 15-ish pages so I would have extra time to work on catching up with everything I let slide over the holidays. I was behind on everything - email, reading, projects, you name it. I have about one more day of back email to catch up on - maybe two - but several projects that need attention..

I'd planned to push for the full four hours every day, as soon as I was caught up; but at the rate I'm going, I may be finished with the edit before I finish all the projects. We'll see.

Anyway, my point - and yes, I do have one - is that if something isn't really broken, but it's not working as well as it should, don't be afraid to try something new.

It may not work, but you won't know until you try.

You may surprise yourself.

I did.

Friday's Top Ten

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Top ten things about coffee:

10. The aroma is amazing

9. One sip wakes you up

8. It's good plain

7. Or all dressed up

6. It's a good pick-me-up

5. And it can help you relax

4. It warms you if you're cold

3. But doesn't make you hot if you're warm

2. It's a siren call for your muse

And the #1 thing about coffee:

1. All by itself ... no calories!

Third and Long

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm writing this post on Sunday night. In the other room, Live-In Handyman is watching the football game. I enjoy watching football for a little while if I like at least one of the teams playing.

Even so, I think football is an odd game. Grown men running around trying to catch a funny-looking ball. Or running around trying to keep someone else from catching a funny-looking ball. And once someone does catch the pointy ball, football becomes a foot race.

The other weird thing is this. Every time the teams line up for the snap, almost every player knows they're going to get hit. Think about that for a moment.

You're either going to hit somebody or somebody is going to hit you. Or both. However it happens, it's going to hurt. And for showing the world this example of ungentlemanly force and bad behavior, someone is going to pay you a lot of money. A. Lot. Of. Money.

I have yet to make sense of this.

Yet as writers, don't we do much the same thing?

We don't get banged up physically - usually - but we take plenty of lumps from critique partners, agents, editors, reviewers, and readers. Yet we come back day after day and write all over again.

Hmmm. Maybe football isn't so odd after all.

What do you think?

A New Beginning

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

This post is all about blog goings on.

My sister gave me this for Christmas. Isn't it perfect! In real life he's hanging on the wall above the bookshelf behind my desk, so I see him every time I come to write.

Here, I've posted him permanently at the top of the sidebar. And doesn't it look like the tiki guy has fries for hair? Or maybe I'm hungry. Anyway, this makes me smile. We need to give the tiki guy a name. Any suggestions?

Up above on the pages tabs you'll see a new tab titled My Work. I've linked to my online stories on that page so you don't need to scout them out on my website if you'd like to read some of my work.

Wednesdays will be different for a while. I'm taking a break from regularly scheduled guest bloggers until the summer, although I have a couple scheduled here and there between now and then. If you have something new coming out and would like to guest here, just email me and we'll chat about dates. My email address is on my profile, and you can find the link to my profile in the sidebar.

I planned to begin a new feature for Wednesdays. However, since the concept hasn't quite come together yet, you're stuck with me chitchatting with you for a week or two until the idea finishes taking shape in my head. If it ever does. You know how these things go. What I envisioned hasn't worked, so I don't have a clue how it's going to end up. Probably nothing at all like my original thought.

And remember...I'm hunkered in my writing hole this morning writing my little heart out. I'll be commenting on your blogs and responding here this afternoon.

You're following your new goals and resolutions, too, aren't you? Do I have to send the Goal Fairy to your house? You know how she gets :)

Happy Monday!

Friday's Top Ten

2011-12-30T07:15:00.003-06:00

My top ten New Year's Resolutions:

10. Get dressed before noon at least one day a week.

9. Eat chocolate once every ~~other~~ day.

8. Stop sassing my muse.

7. Stay away from cute little shops except on the weekends.

6. Listen to our dogs.

5. Drink wine ~~only~~ with meals.

4. Quit rehashing openings and endings.

3. Believe in myself.

2. Laugh.

And my #1 New Year's Resolution:

1. Have Faith.

Photo by Steve Evans Licensed under Creative Commons

Guest Blogger: Rochelle Staab

2011-12-28T07:15:00.004-06:00

Greetings from a bar stool at the Tiki Hut on a starlit beach near Los Angeles. I’m Liz Cooper, L.A. psychologist and sometimes sleuth, sitting as close as I can get to the bartender mixing Tipsy Tequila Cocoa*. Swathed from my ponytail to my Uggs in layers of white cotton, a wool scarf, jeans, and my old U of I college varsity jacket, my nose is cold, and I’m egg-nogged, gifted, caroled, red-and-greened, and It’s A Wonderful Life’d out. California born, I consider forty degrees at the beach a frostbite alert but beneath the portable heater at the hut, I’m content and surrounded by people I adore.

On Christmas morning, my Dad surprised Mom with tickets for a New Year’s Eve Mexican cruise, meaning for once in my thirty-eight years I can celebrate my New Year’s Eve singing “Auld Lang Syne” somewhere other than the annual party at my parents’ house. I’m planning on a midnight kiss I’ll remember all year.

Undaunted by Dad’s shift in plans, Mom switched gears and gathered a group for a New Year’s Eve-Eve-Eve-Eve party at the Pacific Ocean. The waxing crescent moon above me punctuates the night sky with a lustrous apostrophe. Laughter mixes with the sound of waves lapping to shore. At the end of the bar, mini-cheeseburgers are disappearing fast off bamboo trays. My best friend Robin, looking like a marshmallow in need of toasting, shivers on the stool beside me with her arms crossed over her chest and mittened hands tucked under the armpits of her white puff coat.

Mom, in a full-length, cream-colored woolen cape, passes out paper and pens, asking her guests to circle the bonfire on the sand. “To bid bon voyage to 2011, I want everyone to write down what you’ll leave behind, plus your resolutions for 2012. When you’re done, throw your paper into the bonfire for the universe to look after, and then we’ll toast to the year ahead.”

My fingers sufficiently warmed by a second cup of spiked cocoa, I plop on a blanket near the roaring fire, write and then read my list to Robin. “I’m leaving behind Jarret.” Whoa. Why, after being divorced for three years, is my ex on any list I make? “No, wait. Do-over. I’m leaving behind cellulite. I intend to go to the gym in 2012.”

Robin laughs. “Both lumps are squatters. Once exes and cellulite settle in, they don’t leave. But I think it’ll be easier for you to lose the ex than to ditch the cellulite, Liz. Sorry.”

“I’m motivated.” I smile, glancing toward the hut across the sand. Nick—my reason to be in shape and the focus of my midnight kiss—is at the bar with my brother. “Oh, and I’m leaving behind anything to do with crime, unless—”

“Trust me.” Robin puts up her hands. “Trouble is on my leave-behind list too. What are your resolutions? Aside from keeping Nick busy, of course.”

“Easy. Laugh more. Love more. Give more.” I toss my list into the fire and watch it burn. Yes, I believe 2012 will be a good year. What else could happen?

= = = = = = = = = =

Carol, thank you so much for inviting Liz and me to cozy up Under the Tiki Hut today. The start of a new year brings opportunity for new beginnings and do-overs. My goal for 2012 is better time management (can someone sell me extra hours? Please?) To end 2011 in style, I’m giving away a copy of WHO DO, VOODOO? to a lucky commenter. For a chance to win, share one personal goal you’d like to accomplish in 2012. U.S. residents only, please. Good luck everyone, and all the best for a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!

= = = = = = = = = =

*Tipsy Tequila Cocoa

Rochelle Staab, a former award-winning radio programmer and music industry marketing executive, blended her fascination with the supernatural and her love for mystery in WHO DO, VOODOO? the bestselling first novel in her Mind for Murder Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime. BRUJA BROUHAHA, the second novel in the series will be released in August 2012.
www.rochellestaab.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rochelle.staab
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/rochellestaab
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4705211.Rochelle_Staab

I Can - So Can You

2011-12-26T07:15:00.001-06:00

This is the time of year I start thinking about my goals for next year. Actually I should have done this already, but it's been so crazy I haven't had even two spare moments until now.

All the same, I think my subconscious has been thinking about next year for a few weeks. For although I'm only starting the process, I have some goals and some changes in my routine in mind.

My Writing Planner is on my desk, and I'll spend this week making a lot of decisions.

One decision I've already made will affect all of you. But not too much.

Starting the first week in January, I'm returning to absolutely putting my writing first.

Saying it here makes it a reality, you know - complete with the Official Tiki Stamp.

What this means for me is no more blogging and email over morning coffee. Oh, I'll still have the coffee. But instead of a slow and easy wake-up, I'm jumping straight into my manuscript. I'm going to set some time and word count goals for this morning writing time, too. Not sure exactly what yet. Something reachable but out of my comfort zone. I need to push the limits.

I will most likely need to play with this whole concept for a bit to learn exactly what works best, but I feel this is the road I need to be on right now to accomplish everything I want to before summer.

What this means for you is that I'll be responding to comments here and visiting your blogs in the afternoons instead of mornings. You may have noticed over the last few weeks that I've done more and more of that anyway because I was so busy with everything else. So I think we'll all survive.

How about you? Are you thinking about goals or have you already made your 2012 goals?

Do you change up your routine from time to time? Or I'm weird that way?

Happy Monday!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T07:15:00.001-06:00

Guest Blogger: J.L. Campbell

2011-12-21T07:15:00.001-06:00

Ya know, I’ve come a long way since J.L. Campbell told my story in Hardware – which only got published last month. In 2009, I was going through a truck-load of problems. You see, I’m the problem-sorter-outer for my family and friends. So, I was dealing with my girlfriends’ relationship drama, plus that of my parents and then along came Quinn, who looked like bad news, but really wasn’t.

It did take him a while to get past my defenses and boy did I have many. I thought he was a gangster, but he showed me otherwise. It also took me some time to get over myself. Thing is, at first glance I’m snooty and I did have some, ahem, prejudices. But if you get to know me, you’ll find out that I’m just shy with people I don’t know. Anyhow, Quinn helped me turn all of that around. He’s the centre of my world. Well, him and our son, Chad, who came along a while after…but you’ll have to read Hardware to find out all about that. If intrigue and suspense are your thing, then you’ll enjoy our story.

But to get to the point of my visit, it’s coming on to Christmas and in Jamaica, there are certain things that tell you what time of year it is...stuff like Dark Fruit Cake, that’s yummy and has quite a kick if you get carried away with the rum and wine. Gungo Peas makes a nice dish of rice and peas. Baked Glazed Ham is eaten at almost every meal. Poinsettias bloom in brilliant reds, peach and white. Delicious Pot Roasted Beef is a must and so is Sorrel, a lovely deep burgundy drink that comes from a plant. We do tend to flavour this drink with lots of rum.

We have Midnight Mass and Watch Night Services across the island and for those who like to party, there are office get-togethers, stage shows and pageants…oodles of activity that take us right through the season. Best of all, there’s the time with friends and family and the goodwill that flows from one end of the island to the other, like the chilly winds that come from North America. Oh, and for those of you who get lots of snow, that’s something we never experience.

Here’s wishing all the best of the season for you and yours. Carol, thanks ever so much for allowing me to share an insider’s view of a Jamaican Christmas Under the Tiki Hut.

J.L. Campbell is the author of Contraband, Dissolution, Don’t Get Mad…Get Even, and Hardware. She is always on the lookout for story making material. She also loves company and can usually be found lollygagging on her blog at http://thecharacterdepot.blogspot.com

Her website is at http://joylcampbell.com and her Twitter handle is @JL_Campbell.

Christmas in Texas

2011-12-19T07:15:00.005-06:00

UPDATE #2: I have a Christmas gift for you. My short story "Secrets of Christmas" is up today on Sia McKye's blog The story introduces Kat Marengo and Dave Krizak, the main characters in a novel I'm reworking titled SECRETS OF HONOR. Merry Christmas!

UPDATE: From comments, I see the music in the video is available only in the US. For those of you elsewhere, here is the direct YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDzykYMaH3E

= = = = = = =

Texas is a big state. We have weather extremes. Today it's snowing in the Panhandle and eighty in the Rio Grande Valley. Here in south central Texas, or upper south Texas, we have autumn.

Not the brilliant colors most of you saw back in September or October, but brilliant for San Antonio at Christmas. These are are daytime Christmas lights, and this is how I remember Christmas as a girl. I have worn shorts on Christmas day. And run the air conditioner. As if I lived in Australia instead of Texas.

To go along with our autumn colors, we eat tamales at Christmastime. If you've never eaten a homemade tamale, you don't know what you're missing. If you've ever tried to make your own tamales . . . you know the hours involved. I once tried to make my own. Epic Disaster! But I have friends who make them - and they are SO yummy :)

Santa and the gang come around every year, but Frosty usually doesn't venture our way. We're fine with that.

Here's a Texas Christmas song with photos of sites in San Antonio. I hope it works :) Enjoy!

Friday's Top Ten

2011-12-16T07:14:00.004-06:00

NOTICE: Something weird is going on with my Google Account. If I should go MIA, I'll be back ASAP. Not sure of the problem. Keep your fingers crossed for a happy outcome :)

= = = = =

I'm participating in D.L. Hammons' Deja Vu Blogfest. This is the first blogfest I've ever participated in, so I hope I'm playing by the rules.

Since Friday is Top Ten day, I looked back through old top tens and found an early one that didn't receive any comments.

This post is from Friday, May 15, 2009.

Happy Friday!

Top ten things to love about dogs:

10. Wagging Tails

"See how much I love you?"

9. Soft Ears

"Oh yes, right there!"

8. Big Smiles

"I just shredded the newspaper in the other room and you didn't see me."

7. Good Sits

"Okay, just for you. What's next?"

6. Comfort

"I'm here Mommy. Everything is all right."

5. Play Time

"Now! Now! Can we play now? Pleeeze!!!"

4. Protection

"The UPS man is MINE!"

3. Nap Time

"Sigh."

2. Doggy Drool

"Look! I made a picture on the window!"

And the #1 thing to love about dogs:

1. Kisses

"I love you!"

Guest Blogger: Conda Douglas

2011-12-14T07:15:00.001-06:00

Swoop’s Zippy Gift

Swoop flew through the corridors of the closed Sprite Mall. She paused and hovered at every display window, then shook her head and flew to the next. Nope. Nothing there for a one-winged fairy in the next store either. She bit her lower lip and flapped her white wings in slow arcs. It’d been easier when they were first Toddle Wings and their folks got the little toys for them to exchange. But now she and One Wing were both thirteen years old. And last year One Wing got her a gorgeous flying jacket in Flight Instructor Green. She’d gotten him a pencil. Okay, it was tough to find one of those tiny, tiny pencils, usable for a five-inch fairy, but still—lame.

She stopped at the Tiki Hut Travel window. The humans in the Idaho mountain town of Sprite loved to “get away” to warmer climes after the holidays. They spent the holidays selling stuff to other humans, those who loved to come to snow country. Swoop would never understand humans. Huge posters showed the various warm destinations. She stared at the central one while synapses sparkled in her mind. Now, she knew the perfect gift.

* * *

Swoop dithered. While she waited for One Wing, she checked her construction once, twice and again and again. Checked the line where it stretched from the second floor balcony around the central court, past the two story poinsettia display, down to the bottom of the support pillar on the first floor. Checked the eyelet and string handles she’d spent the last few nights making. It would work. But where was her best friend? Much later and there’d be no time for his gift. The Toddle Wings would be getting up and racing to the bottom of their Christmas trees to see what Santa had brought. Days ago, she’d told One Wing to come to the second floor balcony before dawn for his Christmas present. She’d gotten up an hour earlier. She yawned.

“Don’t you know Santa won’t come if you don’t sleep?” a familiar voice interrupted her mid-yawn. One Wing.

She snapped her mouth shut as a horrid thought came to her. What if he hated his present? What if he thought she believed him a cripple and was taking pity on him? So not true, One Wing got around the vast-to-fairies mall a lot better than the rest of the fairies. Often Swoop forgot he was missing a wing and couldn’t fly.

“Since I got up so early, where’s my gift?” One Wing asked.

Worried and unable to think of what to say, Swoop pointed at the line.

“This is it? Um, great,” One Wing said. “What is it?”

“It’s a zip line,” Swoop said. At One Wing’s blank look, she explained, “You grab the handles,” she picked up the handles in either hand, “and leap off the balcony and then you’ll zip on the line down to the first floor.”

She looked over at her friend, whose mouth stood wide. “Um, I didn’t mean—” she started to apologize when he snatched the handles and leapt on the balcony railing. He looked over his shoulder at Swoop. “Best Christmas gift ever, thanks!” Then he jumped off the railing, single wing held straight out. He laughed the whole way down, so loud it echoed.

So happy it made Swoop’s heart sing. Best Christmas gift ever.

= = = = = = = = = =

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I grew up in the resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho and that meant we celebrated Christmas to the max! Snow! Lights! New skiers falling off the mountain! Many of my writings are based on that fun and crazy childhood, including STARKE NAKED DEAD, a cozy mystery that will be released in summer of 2012 by L&L Dreamspell. Swoop's Zippy Gift takes place in the world of my 'tween fantasy THE MALL FAIRIES:EXILE, the first book in a trilogy to be released by Muse It Up Publishing on February 24, 2012. Since writing two novel series doesn't take every second of my time, I'm also an eTalent Scout for the new eBook publishing company Barbarian Books www.barbarianbooks.com. Follow me on Twitter @Conda_V and read about my writing life at Conda's Creative Center http://condascreativecenter.blogspot.com and please become my friend on facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1445906569. I love new friends!

This One's For You

2011-12-12T07:15:00.001-06:00

I have about fifty jillion things to do. So much, in fact, that not only can I not make a list, I can't prioritize what sort of order to put things in on that non-existent list even if I could make it.

For the past week, I've only been able to make a daily list of everything that must be done on that particular day. ~~Some~~ Most days, I had carryovers. Massive fail.

There's nothing I can delegate, nothing I can ignore, nothing I can postpone - although everything writing-related was automatically shifted to January. The writing list is brimful, too; but it is manageable, and I can prioritize and set goals there. I'm looking forward to doing just that in a couple more weeks.

The Tiki Hut has been my beacon of sanity. I can come here and lose myself for a bit visiting you, reading your words, sharing a comment with you on your blogs and responding to your comments here.

Thank you so much for visiting and taking me away from my real life for a few minutes a few times a day. Last week you helped me escape writers cramp, flying dust, a tilted budget, new recipe hell, long lines, and much more.

This week I'll be knee deep in paper and ribbon, Christmas decorations, yapping dogs who don't understand what has happened to their quiet-ish ordered world, cookie dough, and more.

So I'm really happy for your comments here and your posts on your blogs. You keep me in touch with my writing self. And that keeps me grounded. Thank you.

Pat yourselves on the back for a job well done :)

Happy Monday!

Friday's Top Ten

2011-12-09T07:15:00.001-06:00

The top ten reasons Santa doesn't have a Fantasy Football team:

10. The elves are too small

9. Except for Elf

8. The Three French Hens won't leave the Two Turtledoves alone

7. The Ghost of Christmas Past demands too many instant replays

6. Ebenezer Scrooge wants to take the ball to the bank

5. Blitzen has a thing for quarterbacks

4. The Grinch doesn't follow the rules

3. Rudolph's nose telegraphs plays

2. Frosty sweats

And the #1 reason Santa doesn't have a Fantasy Football team:

1. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore refuse to be cheerleaders

Guest Blogger: Melissa Ann Goodwin

2011-12-07T07:15:00.020-06:00

You’d think that by now I would have learned my lesson about touching stuff at Grandma’s house. I’ve had plenty of time to think about that while lounging in this hammock under the Tiki Hut on this white sandy beach, with just three days to go until Christmas.

I’ll back up a little and explain. Last year, when I was 12, Mom and I were going through a rough time, so we went to spend Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa at their house in Vermont. I was pretty down in the dumps, and I kept wishing that I could escape to a place where things don’t ever change.

Grandma had put out her miniature Christmas Village – you know, those collections of little cottages and Ye Olde Shoppes, with carolers and a skating pond and all that. It’s really pretty and old-fashioned looking, and I admit I was kinda fascinated by it. You probably won’t believe this, but one night I made the BIG mistake of touching something in the village, and the next thing I knew, I was in it! Even though I’d been wishing I could live in the Christmas Village, the minute I got there, all I wanted to do was get back home.

Anyway, that’s all another story, because the other day, Grandma said, “Jamie, I think we should go with a Polynesian Christmas theme this year!” So instead of putting out her Christmas Village with the cotton batting snow and tiny cottages, Grandma got all this white beach sand and spread it in a big box on top of a table. Then she added a bunch of fake palm trees and all these miniature Tiki Huts. She strung colored lights all over it and added some fat little Santa Clauses wearing grass skirts, leis, and Santa hats.

Last night, after everyone else was in bed, I came back into the living room to check out the Polynesian Christmas beach scene. I saw that one of the Tiki Huts looked a little crooked, so I reached out to straighten it, and … well, I think you can figure out what happened next ….

It’s hot out there on the beach, but it’s nice and cool here under the Tiki Hut. A few minutes ago, one of the fat Santas in a grass skirt said he’d bring me another ice-cold lemonade. If I squint, the white sand looks a little like snow. The ocean water is an amazing swirl of colors that reminds me of Mom’s opal ring. While lying in this hammock, I’ve been trying to figure out how I’m going to get back home in time for Christmas. But this year, I’m 13, and I just spotted a couple of really cute girls in bikinis heading this way. So now I’m thinking that maybe I’ll just hang out here under the Tiki Hut a while longer, and worry about all that other stuff later.

= = = = = = = = = =

Melissa Ann Goodwin
Author of The Christmas Village

I treasure wonderful memories of a happy and carefree childhood growing up in the beautiful New England town of Andover, Massachusetts. I am especially grateful to the teachers there, who encouraged me to read the books that inspired me to become a writer. I have written many stories, poems and articles for the Fun for Kidz family of childrens' magazines, and my non-fiction work has appeared in national magazines and newspapers, including Guideposts' Angels on Earth, Caring Today, and The Caregivers' Home Companion. I'm also a restorative yoga teacher, that's why my blog handle is "WriterYogini." My husband, artist J. Richard Secor, and I currently live in Santa Fe, NM, but we've sold our home and plan to tour the U.S. and Canada in an RV starting next spring.

What I Write in a Pinch

2011-12-05T07:15:00.002-06:00

Last night at ten o'clock, I realized I hadn't written a blog post for today. Not only had I not written it, I hadn't even thought about what to write.

I haven't done that in a long time. So if this sort of rambles all over the place, you'll know why. Even at ten o'clock I didn't get to writing this right away. I'm thinking on the fly. The time is late. And I'm tired. So my words will get a brief proof before I place the post in the queue.

It's not really anything new. Thinking on the fly is pretty much what we do when we create a story.

It doesn't matter if you're a plotter or a pantser, whether your thoughts come out as bullet points on an outline or as your first draft.

The Original Idea comes first. For all of us. It doesn't always have to be the same thing. Original Idea can be a character, place, time of year or time of day, a setting, a premise, a what-if, an action, or absolutely anything.

We may not stick to it. We may change it as we go. Or we may switch it around. Or we may do countless other unspeakable things to our words before we're done with them and call it a story.

But somewhere in that story is our Original Idea.

It may not have grown up as you thought it would, but it's in there someplace. When you find it, dust it off a little, make it shine. Then send it out in the world to play.

After all, Original Idea is just that. It's part of you. You are the only one who could have written the story exactly as you did. You had help from critique partners, betas, editors. But you created the story based on your Original Idea.

Be proud of it. It won't let you down.

Happy Monday!

Friday's Top Ten

2011-12-02T07:15:00.001-06:00

It's the giving time of year again. Should you feel moved to give to those less fortunate this season, here's my own personal list of the top ten places that would certainly appreciate your gifts. Feel free to add your own in the comments.

The top ten groups that could use a Santa Elf:

10. Animal Shelters

9. Homeless Shelters

8. Women's Shelters

7. Senior Centers

6. Meals On Wheels

5. Ronald McDonald House

4. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

3. Fisher House Foundation

2. Make-A-Wish Foundation

And the #1 group that could use a Santa Elf:

1. Toys for Tots

Guest Blogger: Annie Rayburn

2011-11-30T07:15:00.001-06:00

Paul Craddock and his Holiday Quandary

Hi, everyone. I’m Paul Craddock, a character from Annie Rayburn’s e-book, Bittersweet Obsessions. She sent me over here because I’m in something of a quandary. It’s the first Holiday celebration together for me and my wife, Teriza. I want to get a special present for her, but everything I think of feels clichéd or not quite right. We’ve got our tree up and trimmed. The lights are hung outside, but it’s looking bare underneath that tree. Except for the five presents Teriza has under there for me. Yeah, five. Talk about pressure! Can you help me?

Here are some things you should know about her in order to cater your suggestions toward her tastes. She’s—How should I put this?—rather wealthy but isn’t pretentious about it. She’s quite an accomplished cook and develops her own recipes for various magazines, is currently in her second trimester of pregnancy and her back is starting to ache. Did I mention how awesome her baby bump is?

What’s that? (He looks over his shoulder, then back.) Her cousin, Brekke, says I sound like a wuss. (Shakes his head.) Where was I?

Oh, yeah. A present for Teriza. We’re already doing the Tiki Hut thing this week as a post-Thanksgiving treat, so a tropical vacation is out. I should probably mention that I have a few business interests and some money of my own, so don’t skimp on the suggestions. I might just go for something big.

Whoever comes up with the winning present or inspires her present gets a copy of our love story. If you already own it, then a copy of one of Annie’s backlist. It’s embarrassing how many steamy details Annie included in Bittersweet Obsessions, but that’s her gig, y’know? Sexual tension, erotic romance, definite HEA. She promises “Sizzling romance that tugs at your heart.”

- - - - -

One woman, three men. Which will trigger her obsession?

Bittersweet Obsessions features Annie Rayburn’s sensual race of Crainesian’s in a story of ancient mating customs turned upside down. To Crainesians, love means one perfect mate. Could testing centuries-old beliefs bring everything they desire?

Read a blurb, chapter excerpt and find buy links on Annie’s website.

Like her on Facebook; follow on Twitter

Ready? Put on your thinking caps and throw out those ideas in the comments below. It might be something you’re hoping for that you think any woman would love. Go for it. You could be the winner!

Wanna Know What's HOT?

2011-11-28T07:15:00.001-06:00

It's my new Kindle Fire!

Isn't she beautiful :)

Some of you asked if I'd talk about it. Well, of course! Who doesn't like to talk about new toys.

Notice how I placed it on top of the synopsis I'm supposed to be working on? Yeah, that's the way it's been.

I love it!

Don't expect a real review. This is my first e-reader. And I have done very little with it except download books and read. Since I don't know how other readers and tablets work or perform, I can't compare. And I might state something that's totally obvious on all devices. It is what it is.

The size (yes, I measured) is a half inch longer and a half inch wider than a mass market paperback. And way thinner. The weight is about the same as an average hard bound book. I've held it in one hand for several pages without a problem. I've laid it flat and read. I haven't read on the sofa or in bed. Yet.

You can set how long you want it to stay awake without activity from you before it goes to sleep. The default is five minutes.

I can adjust the brightness from dim to oh-whoa-here-I-AM-in-your-face. There are many font combinations using serif and non-serif styles from tiny to gigantic. There are three line spacing options, and three color combinations for reading: black on white background, white on black background, and black on parchment background.

It's very touch sensitive, which I love. Think feather, not hammer. Since it's a touch screen, there are fingerprints. They wipe right off at the end of the day. Or whenever they bother you. The tail of a t-shirt works great. Since the weather is getting cooler, I may be wearing things other than t-shirts, so I'll probably take a shirt I need to throw away, cut a square out of it, and call it a Kindle Cloth.

It charges from low to full in 1-1/2 to 2 hours. I left the WiFi on at first and the charge lasted a couple of days Now I only used the WiFi a couple of times. I don't know how long it lasts with the WiFi off. Maybe double that. Still testing. I can go to the internet - so far I've only gone to Amazon to download books. I can download apps - some are preloaded - I haven't messed with those yet, but I'm sure I will. The same with music.

Nor do I have a cover. Reviews say the existing covers don't fit exactly right - most a little too snug and some don't close correctly. So I'll probably check once a week or so to see if there are new offerings or second generations of the existing ones. There are a couple I really like the looks of. And now that I know how I use my Fire, I know which ones will work best for me. I know I want one.

I bought the Kindle Fire to read books. I've download several - all by bloggers I know. That means I am finally reading your books :)

I'm halfway through the first one. I wanted to read them all first, but that was impossible. So I closed my eyes and pointed.

I feel as if I'm reading faster on the Fire than I do with a regular book. Don't know if that's true, but that's how it feels.

So that's about it.

If you have questions or want to know anything else or something specific, ask in the comments. I'll explore and try to find the answer.

Happy Monday!

Friday's Top Ten

2011-11-25T07:15:00.001-06:00

Top ten things about turkeys:

10. Only the males gobble

9. Females click

8. "Turkey in the Straw"

7. Their eggs hatch in 28 days

6. They have about 3500 feathers at maturity

5. They are very fast

4. But not very smart

3. Wild turkeys sleep in trees

2. Tryptophan

And the #1 thing about turkeys:

1. Turkey sandwiches

Guest Blogger: L.M. Gonzalez

2011-11-23T07:15:00.001-06:00

L.M. Gonzalez is my friend Lupe Gonzalez. She and I are both members of SARA - San Antonio Romance Authors.

Before we get to Lupe's post, I want to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful for many people and things in my life. And here Under the Tiki Hut, I'm most thankful for all of you who continue to stop in and say hi every once in a while.

= = = = = = = = = =

Gloria Amaya never dreamed she would fall in love again. In fact, she felt love had passed her by. For the most part, she was fine with that. She had two grown sons, one in college and her youngest, about to graduate from high school. Content – that’s the feeling she had. And that seemed enough for her.
The only other thing she really wanted was a rose garden. However, she hadn’t inherited her dad’s green thumb. Her friend, Tanya, suggested she contact her husband, Wayne. He owned a lawn and garden service and he could make any flower or plant flourish. Tanya confessed to Gloria that she believed Wayne got more pleasure from digging in the dirt than by being close to her. But, that’s another story.

For some reason, though, Wayne couldn’t make it to Gloria’s house, so he sent another gardener who also had his own lawn and garden service. When Gloria opened the door, she had her smile ready for Wayne. Matt Cerda stood on her porch. The smile froze on her face. Her mouth went dry. He was bronzed by the sun. His muscles strained against the white T-shirt he wore. The jeans showed off his strong legs. His dark hair waved with the slight breeze in the hot summer air.

Gloria closed her eyes and imagined herself on a sunny beach with this man for once forgetting her kids. Hey, they were grown. They could spare her for a few days. He held out his hand and she took it and together they walked up the beach. She felt the sand at her feet and wiggled her toes, heard the whoosh of the water as the soft wind blew over it. She leaned her head on Matt’s shoulder. Could it be possible? Was she really here with a man?

For years, her life had been consumed with kids, school and homework. Now, a whole new world seemed to be opening up to her. A world where she could be a woman again with a man like Matt by her side.

Gloria opened her eyes and she saw Matt. He grinned.

“Are you ready?”

“For what?”

“For a night of dancing and love under the tiki hut?”

Gloria saw her surroundings and she wasn’t standing at her doorway with Matt on her porch. She didn’t have a wilted rose garden to worry about. She saw herself amidst a sandy beach, blue water and a gorgeous man asking her out on a date.

“Yes.”

***

L. M. Gonzalez lives in South Texas with her two sons. She obtained a degree in Business Administration because her dad advised her to "get a trade". However, in 1976 she wrote her first story and has continued writing stories since then. In 2001 she joined Romance Writers of America and her local chapter. This was the year that she decided to pursue publication of her stories. L. M. loves to write stories about Latinas, their lives and their loves, as well as about motherhood and single parenting.

Website: http://lmgonzalez.wordpress.com/

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1662759277

Books available here:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=182

3 x 3 = A Story

2011-11-21T07:15:00.002-06:00

It's a holiday week. You're busy. I'm busy. NaNoers don't know what day it is.

So here's a photo prompt exercise with enough possibilities to keep you writing for a while if you're stuck. Who knows ... you might even work something here into a poem, short story or maybe part of a novel.

Choose one photo from each of the groups below. Bind them together with your imagination and creative prose or poetry. That's all. Or you might choose to use more than one or even all.

If you come up with something off the cuff and want to share in the comments, feel free. We'll all love it. But sharing here is not required.

This is my Thanksgiving gift to you. Curse me now and be done. You'll thank me later :)

Group One
Begin with character.

Group Two

Provide an inciting incident.

Group Three
Add action.

You have to decide what comes next. It is your story, after all.

Happy Monday!

Photos from FreeFoto or licensed under Creative Commons.

Friday's Top Ten

2011-11-18T07:15:00.002-06:00

The top ten reasons why writers write:

10. To make a mountain of moolah

9. To enjoy all the praise and adulation heaped upon them

8. Nobody told us about critiques and bad reviews

7. Revenge

6. It's the only way to make those characters shut up

5. To share things we believe are important

4. To find the emotional story behind the story

3. Because we can

2. To entertain

And the #1 reason writers write:

1. Because we can't stop

Guest Blogger: Jo Hedges

2011-11-16T07:14:00.001-06:00

A Special Celebration

Thanks for inviting me here, Carol. I needed a break from my writing. This is also an important occasion and Under the Tiki hut is the best place to enjoy it.

I’m a South African expat living in Kenya, East Africa. Departing for the US yesterday, I left a dejected husband, who, because of work commitments couldn’t join me. Behind him sat a string of sad-looking cats that, for obvious reasons have to stay home! Hubby has never been to Malibu. Neither have I but as a writer I go anywhere. I’ve visited many places in that secret place in my head!

I wriggle my toes in the soft white sand and watch lazily as the azure waves lap the beach a few feet from my chair. For a moment I dwell on the fact that this is a celebration; this moment should be shared by the two people who’ve made it happen!

Oh well, no use moping about what could have been. I sip my iced tea and lean back comfortably. I’m here; the weather is perfect and the sun rays feel balmy on my skin. I intend to enjoy every moment.

I close my eyes…

I awake slowly. I know I’ve only dozed for a few minutes. I feel rejuvenated and relaxed at the same time. Squinting up the beach I see a tall, slender man approaching. Something in his swinging gait reminds me of my beloved back home in Africa.

Although my husband achieved the big six-oh this year, to me he’s still the same gorgeous hunk as when we met at school back in the mid-sixties. He was a swashbuckling 17 year-old; I, innocent as a babe, was two years younger.

The man on the beach came closer. His hair was silvery-white and curled around the ears in that endearing manner just like my husband’s does. I could almost make out his features now - he was that close – but the afternoon sun on the water caused the image to shimmer. I could see he had craggy lines around the eyes and mouth which testify to years of smiling, sometimes of sadness but mostly enjoying life.

I was mesmerised by the approaching stranger. About three meters from where I lay, he gave a little bow, dipping one shoulder and smiled at me. My senses reeled and my heart missed a beat. He was just like…

At my chair, he sank to his knees in the sand, laid a muscled arm across me and hugged me close.

“You didn’t think I’d miss our 40th wedding anniversary, did you, my love?” he said as he looked at me in that special way.

Taking my hand, he eased me off the chair and pulled me towards him. That’s my man. After all these years, I still feel the tenderness as he encircles me with his love. Arms around each other, we walked towards the Tiki Hut and the romantic candle-lit dinner set out by the cabana boys.

: : : : : : : : : :

I'm a writer/magazine journalist living as a South African expat in Kenya. I've been published in several SA magazines. I regularly write about for an adventure magazine about our motorbike tour through South Africa when we're on leave; I've written for a health and wellness magazine and also had an editorial on pet travel, published in a travel magazine. Recently I became a help-writer for a weekly farmer's magazine. I've had two articles published to date, with on-going stories in the magazine fast-track.

In between I work on The Great African Novel.

I've been blogging since October 2008 and write about my experiences in the beautiful valley within the Great Rift Valley. My blog is www.memorablemeanders.blogspot.com

Biking to Work

2011-11-14T07:15:00.004-06:00

My apologies to anyone who saw this for about two minutes Saturday night before I could take it down. I hit 'publish' before filling out the scheduling info. Oops.

= = = = = = = = = =

Everyone says once we learn to ride a bicycle, we never forget how.

Writing is like that.

When we begin, we take classes, read how-to books, read so many contradictory writing articles on the web we lose all focus. Raise your hand if you've done any of that. Thought so. Or maybe you're the type who learns by doing. We just jump in, write something, send it out. Hands? I see you. Whichever style is yours doesn't matter. What matters is that we have training wheels on our writing bikes.

The more we write, the more we learn. We get bolder and experiment with this and with that. We try this voice and that point of view, follow this plotting method, that way of character development. Pretty soon our stories are hard to find behind all the tactics and maneuvers - aka balloons.

After we pass through the experimental phase, our skills and writing abilities are strong enough to carry the load of our characters and stories. It's a glorious day, but most of us have ridden our bikes around the block a few times by now, and that shiny new bike has become old and worn. But it still works well, and we use it every day.

Finally the time arrives when we can purchase a new bike, this one for pleasure because the sturdy old writing bike with the roomy basket is still working just fine. So we find a new bike and take it for a test ride ... to the shore. And show it off Under the Tiki Hut.

Happy Monday!

All images from FreeFoto.com

Friday's Top Ten

2011-11-11T07:15:00.007-06:00

In honor of veterans today on Veterans Day/Remembrance Day.

The top ten things about veterans:

10. They fought to keep us safe

9. They fought to keep the freedoms we enjoy

8. Some watched as their buddies died

7. Some were injured

6. Some never came home

5. Some came home to spitting, jeers, and protests

4. All have parents

3. Most have families of their own

2. Some need our help

And the #1 thing about veterans:

1. All deserve our respect

Dear Veteran - Thank you for your service.

Guest Blogger: Stephen Tremp

2011-11-09T07:15:00.001-06:00

The two settings of my novel BREAKTHROUGH take place in sunny southern California and in frigid Boston during February and March. It’s a tale of two cities. After a long day of chasing bad guys around the world through wormholes, my characters sure could use detour to the Tiki Hut! You know, to relax and chill out. Lay in a hammock. Dig their toes deep into the warm, white sand and drink a few Mai Tais.

Problem is, duty calls and interrupts their dreams. No rest for the weary. And what the heck is a good night’s sleep anyway?

Chase Manhattan, my protagonist of the BREAKTHROUGH Series, was raised in Newport Beach, California and currently resides in nearby Laguna Beach, one city to the south in Orange County. Chase loves the surf and sand.

Excerpt from BREAKTHROUGH:

“Chase drove down Coast Highway with the top down. He was thankful for the blue skies, warm weather, and the women walking in shorts that showed off their tanned legs. He shivered as he thought of the unforgiving cold in Boston. He loved the city and its people, but he was no match for the subfreezing temperatures.”

Chase, a twenty-six year old associate professor of physics at the University of California – Irvine, likes to jog on the beach a few times a week. It’s a great way to stay in shape and clear his mind from chasing bad guys and saving the world. However, it’s also a place of great danger, where an awesomely sexy female assassin plants her seeds of seduction and finds an open door into his life, tears his house apart, and tries to kill him. Yeah, Chase could definitely use a Mai Tai at the Tiki Hut after that deadly encounter.

Not only Chase has an affinity with the sea-green ocean and soft salty sea breezes. My supporting characters would also love to visit the Tiki Hut. Fred Merrill and Nancy Hudgins, two of Chase’s close friends who are helping him, certainly feel so. They were to take an island-hopping vacation, only to have to put it off in order to help Chase save the world.

Nancy chewed on her lower lip. “Hmm.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe we signed on for this.”

“It’s for the greater good,” he said, reaching out and cupping her hands.

“You were officially retired from the business. We were supposed to take a long vacation, island hopping around the South Pacific and drinking Mai Tais.”

“That was until I met Chase.”

At least Fred and Nancy retain their sense of humor through the adventure. Their trademark calling card after a major victory is to email Nicky and his friends a picture of themselves holding Mai Tai’s, waving and smiling wide, standing in front of a life guard tower on Laguna Beach. I think Chase owes Fred and Nancy a one-month stay at the Tiki Hut! What do you think?

My antagonists, Nicholas Fischer, Jr. and his psychotic cohorts, live in Cambridge, Massachusetts and it’s colder than $#@#&#^%% in greater Boston when the story takes place. I’m confident Nicky and his friends would appreciate a stop at the Tiki Hut. But he’d better come incognito and have a wormhole ready for his escape. Otherwise, Chase and Fred might spot him and beat the hell out of him.

Stephen Tremp is the author of the BREAKTHROUGH Series. Check out a synopsis of his next book Opening, coming January 2012!

Open the Door

2011-11-07T07:15:00.000-06:00

Last Monday I told you about my love affair with sandals. Sigh.

True confession - I also have a thing for doors. Doors fire my imagination right up. I wonder what's going on behind them when they're closed.

Open doors always look so inviting that I want to venture inside to see what's there.

Shuttered doors keep a double secret. Do they hide a beautiful door or a plain one? Are they hiding a treasure or a monstrosity?

Sometimes I wonder why the owners of some doors make them look this way. I have an image of the owner of this house.

I also like doors that call themselves gates because they're not all there. They keep us out, but let us see inside - "Nanny, nanny, boo, boo, you can't come in."

Doors represent opportunity - when opportunity knocks. And choices - "The Lady, or the Tiger?"

How about you? Do you like doors? Do doors fire up your imagination?

Maybe Jim Morrison had a thing for doors, too :)

Can you write a story or paragraph about one of these doors? Or use one in your WIP?

Happy Monday!

Tried to fix the wonky spacing. Failed. :(

Friday's Top Ten

2011-11-04T07:15:00.001-05:00

Top ten things to do with leftover Halloween candy:

10. Throw it away

9. Add it to a milkshake

8. Use it as an ice cream topper

7. Take it to the office

6. Put it in cereal or oatmeal

5. Make a chocolate sauce

4. Donate it to a shelter

3. Let it melt in your coffee

2. Munch on it for your muse

And the #1 thing to do with leftover Halloween candy:

1. Take it to the bedroom - you'll figure it out :)

Guest Blogger: Sonali Dev

2011-11-02T07:15:00.014-05:00

Please welcome Bollywood Star, Ria Parkar…

You know what I’ve yearned for my entire life? Exactly this. A blanket on the sand under me, endless ocean in front of me, and not a soul in sight except that gorgeous, shirtless creature wielding a hammer as if he were the Norse god, Thor himself. Sigh. I could watch him forever, chiseling and slamming all that raw wood together to build a tikihut just for me. I’ve been a little homesick lately. It’s Diwali, the biggest Indian Holiday and I’ve been craving all things Diwali—firecrackers and oil lamps and ghee-soaked sweets. All this black and orange Halloween spookiness has only made things worse.

So my darling husband’s building me a tikihut here in Malibu, just like the one on our terrace in Mumbai overlooking the Arabian Sea. And while the startling turquoise stretched out in front of me isn’t quite the dusty gray-blue of the waves back home, I think I might be able to handle it.

And right about now, who’s watching the water anyway? It’s a toss-up between his glorious behind as he bends over to lift up the thatched canopy, and his undulating pecs as he raises it over the frame. The way those low slung board shorts are molding him, it’s a miracle I can pull my gaze away long enough to take in the sunlight dancing across his sweat-slick shoulders. He pulls back the hammer and rams it into the nail he’s holding.

Suddenly he yells, the hammer flies out of his hand and he doubles over. I jump up and run to him, clutching my own thumb as if he’s just smashed it with a hammer.

He’s hopping around, emitting incoherent swearwords in staccato bursts. It reminds me of a yelping puppy, one with an impressive vocabulary. I chase him in circles, trying to reach for his hands, my heart slamming in my chest. Finally, he lets me pry his fingers apart. His face is scrunched up, his feet are dancing a little pain dance. Bloody hell! This is all my fault. Tears pool in my eyes as I pull his trembling fingers to my lips. He strokes his thumb across my mouth and whispers in my ear. “Can you suck on it to make it better?” His smile nudges my cheek.

I open my mouth and bite his stupid thumb with such force he repeats the entire drama over again. The hopping, the yelping. I shove him into the sand, fuming. He goes down with more grace than any lying jerk should ever be blessed with and props himself up on those Greek-god arms, grinning his little boy smile, the one that’s made my head spin for as long as I can remember.

The sun is shining into his face, setting everything on fire—the silver crystals of his eyes, his ebony hair, the diamond sand sparkling against his toasted olive body. He pulls me down against him.

“The next time you do that to me I’m going to kill you, I swear.” Last year he scared me half to death by pretending to be paralyzed just to make some sick point.

“You know you’re only mad because I’m the better actor, right?”

I dig my elbow into his ribs. “Tell that to me on the red carpet at the Filmfave awards next month.”

He smiles, and my anger melts in the warm pride glowing in his eyes.

“You know what? We haven’t celebrated that Best Actress nomination yet.” He wiggles his brows at me.

I wiggle mine right back. “I know just the place,” I say and lead him to our tikihut.

--

Sonali Dev’s first attempt at writing came when her mother caught her writing couplets about her first grade math textbook instead of doing her homework. It took her years to figure out that wanting to write down every thought that popped into her head probably meant she was a writer. Five years in architecture school with professors yelling “sketches not words” finally got the point across and she embraced her mad love for words. A love she combines with her love for Bollywood to conjure up stories that make a crazy tangle with her life as wannabe supermom and domestic goddess, and disgruntled corporate minion. Sonali lives in Naperville, IL with her very patient and often amused husband and two children who demand both patience and humor, and of course her characters who can’t stop doing Bollywood dances inside her head.

Sonali's manuscript, Bollywood Bride, is currently under review by publishers. In it, Bollywood star Ria Parkar returns home to Chicago after ten years to escape a scandal in Mumbai and comes face-to-face with the man she betrayed for stardom. Vikram Jathar is no longer the smitten boy who chased Ria across the globe. But he's still the only man who can melt through her legendary reserve. He's also the one she's destined to destroy...

Chat with Sonali on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/SonaliDev.author

A Post in Three Parts

2011-10-31T07:15:00.001-05:00

Part One - An Award

Last week the amazingly wonderful - or maybe it should be wonderfully amazing - Lyn Sofras at Manic Scribbler presented me with the Versatile Blogger Award:

I'm raising the trophy cup to Lyn in a toast of thank-yous and hugs. You see, I've known Lyn for a while. And through all the years, we've managed to stay in touch. She's a fantastic writer, but she's just starting her own blog. So visit and make a new friend.

To accept this award, I'm supposed to tell you seven things about myself. Well, you know how I rattle on. And I'm here three days a week. How could you possibly not know everything about me? So I tried to think of seven new things.

1. I hate clutter.
2. Live-In Handyman bought me a can of Pumpkin Spice Almonds. OMG! To. Die. For.
3. I have a shoe thing - especially for sandals. Sigh.
4. My mind tends to make strange connections - hence, the top ten lists on Fridays.
5. I'm really excited about what will be my new WIP :)
6. The sign taped on my monitor says Just Write the Damn Thing!
7. I'm having a really hard time getting involved in the whole Facebook and Twitter scenes because I can't figure out what to talk about. It still feels awkward. Does anybody else have this problem? Suggestions?

I'm also supposed to pass the award on to recently discovered blogs. I've discovered several over the past few months, but I'm choosing three:

Julie at Empty Nest Insider
Julie at Gypsy in my Soul
Julie at The Pet Parent Diaries
Note: I did a very bad thing. So I'll just blame it on my brain still not being fully functional yet. When I went over to get the link for The Pet Parent Diaries I didn't read the most recent post. Julie is putting this blog on hiatus. However ... I'm transferring the award to her other blog, the one most of you here are more familiar with - What Else Is Possible?

Get the connection?

Part Two - A Thank You

Thanks so much to all of you for sticking by me and commenting for the past two months while I've been otherwise occupied with my editing deadline. It's finished! So I should be out and about a little more visiting all of you on a much more regular schedule. Feels good :)

Part Three

It's finally Trick or Treat time.

Happy Halloween!

Photo by Hannah Horwarth

Licensed under Creative Commons

Friday's Top Ten

2011-10-28T07:15:00.001-05:00

Top ten Halloween Party themes:

10. Candy Corny Clowns

9. Midnight Madness

8. Salty or Sweet

7. Hauntings

6. Broomsticks and Cauldrons

5. Mummies and Monsters

4. Zombie Zoo

3. Monster MashUp

2. Cool Cats and Dirty Dogs

And the #1 Halloween Party theme:

1. Naughty or Nice

Guest Blogger: Tami Brothers and Marianne

2011-10-26T07:15:00.014-05:00

The beach, Halloween and Marianne.

Who woulda thunk it? Especially since the three elements didn’t normally mix.

Marianne dug her bare toes into the sand as a cool breeze ruffled her hair. Goosebumps dotted her skin as she watched the sun rise over the swell of the ocean waves. After wrapping the blanket tighter around her shoulders, she glanced down at her watch. The mere idea of five a.m. would have most people screaming at the injustice of being awake so early. Especially while on vacation. For her, though, it was three hours past the time she normally arrived at work. “Time to make the donuts.” Although meant to be funny, that line from the old 80’s commercials was her life. But she loved it.

A muffled laugh echoed across the empty beach. Marianne couldn’t help but smile. Had to be Jasmine. Even though the two couples weren’t the only guests in the small Tybee Island, Georgia resort, Marianne knew immediately it belonged to the bubbly brunette she’d met the day before. Her boyfriend Lucien was a bit intimidating at first glance, but she’d seen the way he looked at Jasmine. A man who looked at woman with that much love couldn’t be bad.

A movement up the beach caught her attention. Oh my. Tall, muscular, ripped. God he was gorgeous. And he was all hers. Even after spending most of the night exploring every inch of his body, she couldn’t stop the shiver slithering up her spine in anticipation as she watched her husband finish up the last leg of his morning run.

A year earlier she’d been building a new business and baking the cake for his sister’s wedding. With her bakery being the go-to spot in town, she’d watched as the crème de la crème of Georgia threw themselves at him. The rich boy who’d left the small, quiet town in the dust years earlier had come home and his arrival had attracted women from miles around. The blatant passes and resulting rejections had been entertaining for everyone, Marianne included. Thankfully, there’d been one girl he was interested in.

The past year had been overwhelming with both of them managing their new businesses and then adding the whole dating thing on top of that. But it had been well worth the efforts. This was the second day of her new life as Mrs. Alexander and she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than to get her husband back into bed.

As Jason drew closer, a wicked thought crossed her mind. With a glance up the beach, she confirmed her brazen idea was doable. Knowing it was way too early for beach combers; she turned and shot a come-hither look over her shoulder. When she caught her husband’s eye, she strolled across the sand toward the empty Tiki Hut knowing full well he’d follow.

~~~

I hope you enjoyed this small peek into Marianne and Jason’s honeymoon. You can read about how they met in Drool Worthy, a short read and free download at Smashwords

If you’re interested in finding out more about Jasmine and Lucien and discovering why the New York couple is in South Georgia, check out their story coming this Thanksgiving in Jasmine’s Quest.

~~~

Thank you, thank you, thank you Carol and all those here at Under the Tiki Hut. This is my first venture into the indie publishing market and I couldn’t think of a better group of people (than all of you) to share my debut. You guys rock!

About the author: Tami Brothers always wanted to live a fun, sexy and exciting life. But when her clumsiness left her with an aversion to high heels, her fear of wardrobe malfunctions cut out those plunging necklines, and her skydiving instructor politely suggested she take up golf; she decided the only way to keep from breaking her neck would be to write about such a life. To read more about Tami’s journey to publication check out her Live, Love, Write blog at www.tamibrothers.com or you can also find her hanging out with a great group of writers at www.petitfoursandhottamales.com.

2011-10-24T07:15:00.001-05:00

Once again I didn't make it to everyone's blog. But I hope I've reached most of you by now during the past two weeks. This should be the last really crazy week for me. I'm more than 75% finished, with eighty pages to go. Next week my blog visiting and commenting should return to a more rhythmic schedule with no more midnight comments :)

= = = = =

The other night I was watching a Chopped rerun on the Food Network. I love this show. Four chefs have to make an appetizer, entree, and dessert with four different items in their baskets for each course. Each round is timed and judged on taste, presentation, and creativity. At the end of each round, the cook with the lowest score gets chopped from the line-up. Last chef standing is the winner.

It's like every cook's nightmare. It's time to make dinner. You haven't been shopping in a week, and dinner will be whatever is in the fridge. You pull open the door, and the only four items inside don't go together. At all. And there isn't enough of any one thing to make a meal of.

As I watched, I wondered why I'd never before thought the whole making a meal thing is a bit like writing a novel. We combine things that, on the surface, don't really fit together, add herbs and spices, some TLC, and produce a finished piece.

The Appetizer is the Hook
Full of zing and just enough to make the reader turn the page.

The Protein is the Protagonist
Seasoned well, maybe a little spicy, with layer after layer of flavors.

The Vegetables are the Secondary Characters
These add more texture and taste to your story while complementing the protagonist.

The Starch is the Main Sub-Plot
You know the one I mean ... the one readers have to follow because it's so yummy.

The Sauce is the Antagonist
Concentrated and rich. A little goes a long way.

The Dessert is the Denouement
Everything comes together and the story, like the meal, feels complete.

The next time you prepare dinner, think about how the steps work in your manuscript. Maybe you'll get a new idea or two.

Or maybe you'll just be happy you enjoyed a good meal.

Either way, win-win.

Happy Monday!

Friday's Top Ten

2011-10-21T07:14:00.001-05:00

The top ten ways to bake a brownie:

10. In the Oven

9. Plain

8. Dark Chocolate

7. German Chocolate

6. Frosted

5. With Peanut Butter

4. With Sour Cream

3. With Cherries

2. With Nuts

And the #1 way to bake a brownie:

1. In the Nude

Guest Blogger: Jan Morrison aka Kitty MacDonald

2011-10-19T07:14:00.001-05:00

Thank you, Carol, for inviting me to share a whiskey sour under The Tiki Hut. I’m Corporal Kitty MacDonald, and I don’t often get time off from my busy existence as an officer with the RCMP in Nova Scotia. We have beaches but sometimes it seems like I only see them when there is a body on them – not a sun-bathing body – but a dead one. I love my work though.

My first real murder case was after a baby was found on the rocks at scenic Peggy’s Cove – no beach there – but huge boulders. The baby, named Pearl by the young woman who found her, was alive, but alas, her mother, a notorious party-girl from Halifax, was not. She was found at the Dorey Motel – deader than the summer is now. Hopefully you’ll be able to read about it soon in the book my writer has written about the story – The Rock Walker.

I’d like to talk a bit about Thanksgiving. In Canada, Thanksgiving is held the 2nd Monday of October – a good month before it is celebrated in the States. Makes sense when you think of it – our harvest is earlier, as is our winter.

A few years back I was called to the small town of Annapolis Royal. One of the gardeners at the Historic Gardens had been found pegged out on a heather bed. It was just before Thanksgiving and the town of Annapolis Royal was busy rolling up its sidewalks. A place that is over-run with B&B’s, wonderful historic sites and glorious scenery, it becomes a bit of a ghost town after the last turkey sandwich is eaten.

The locals really get down to fun when all the tourists and summer folk have left. They are a very cultured bunch, into fine art, philosophy and in this case, murder. I had my hands full with this case, which Jan has named Earth Bound. I won’t tell you how it all came out – not even Jan knows that – but Thanksgiving in small town Nova Scotia can be more complicated than you might imagine.

For you who like gardening – I learned a lot hanging around the crew at The Historic Gardens. One of the perks of this job is finding out how different people live and work. I also learned quite a bit about Buddhist statues and what people will do for lust and greed!

When I’m not working I am busy with my own home. I’m single now, my husband and I split up a few years ago. I have two teen-aged sons who keep me on my toes. I like walking and my mum is always trying to get me back to the social whirl of Chester, a drinking town with a sailing problem on the South Shore. I stay put in my home close to Peggy’s Cove. It is quiet and just what I need after days out in the world of murder, chicanery and drug dealing. Or is it?

Oh, my cell is ringing. Must be my boss, D’Entremont. He is always on my butt, but I adore him – just don’t tell him that. We have to pretend animosity to keep the others wondering! And in case you’re speculating, we have no romantic interest in each other.

See you later, Carol. Thanks for having me on your beach. Come on up to Nova Scotia some day and I’ll show you a murderous good time!

Ready, Set ... Work!

2011-10-17T07:15:00.003-05:00

You might have noticed I didn't bounce around blogs too much this week. I made it to most of your blogs; sadly I didn't make it to all. Most I didn't visit as often as I usually do. I'm missing all of your stories, thoughts, and ideas.

I'm still poorly sporadic on all the social network sites as well.

In other blog news, my photo is back to a more normal size after a little fiddling. And after a little more fiddling, the Tiki Hut poem found color but still not correct formatting. Maybe next weekend I'll figure out how to do that.

The most important thing I took away from all I learned and absorbed from all the successful authors at MWA-U was that it's fine to blog and be social; but decide how much you need to write every day, and blog and otherwise socialize online after you get your words in.

Photo by Alex Eylar/Licensed
Under Creative Commons

Let me repeat that message from six successful authors:
WRITE FIRST. Blog, Facebook, Twitter second.

If not, you'll have a really hard time reaching the end.

If you couldn't tell, I'm a little OCD about finishing on time. When I do, I'll be around visiting more often.

Photo by Timo/Licensed under
Creative Commons

The second most important thing I learned is BE YOURSELF. Don't try to write like someone else. If you do, you'll always be a second-rate version of the other author. What's really bad is if the other author is a second-rate author. Then you'll be a second-rate version of a second-rate author. Nobody wants that.

So now back to your regular programming.

Happy Monday!

Friday's Top Ten

2011-10-14T07:15:00.000-05:00

The top ten guilty pleasures for your soul:

10. Long Bubble Baths

9. Ice Cream Sundaes

8. ManiPedi Time

7. PB&J

6. Massages

5. Fried Chicken with Cream Gravy

4. Watching the Opposite Sex

3. Extra Glass of Wine

2. Reading All Day

And the #1 guilty pleasure for your soul:

1. Chocolate!

Guest Blogger: Madison J. Edwards

2011-10-12T07:14:00.002-05:00

Before we get started, I know Carole was expecting Madison J. Edwards here Under the Tiki Hut, but Madison’s from Canada and its Thanksgiving there, so I came in her place.

Oh, excuse me. Where are my manners? I’m Paulina Sophia Walker. My best friend is Shelby Stewart, and together we run Stewart Investigations. In reality, I run the business. Shelby would be lost without me because she doesn’t know an invoice from a paper hanger.

I manage the office while she works as a Private Investigator, and this year has been awful busy. Normally we’re quieter than mice peein’ in cotton, but Tank¾ he’s Shelby’s ex-boyfriend¾ showed up looking for Harrison Grant and pretty soon we had fireworks.

Harrison apparently murdered some girl in L.A. ¾that would be a great place to holiday¾ what was I talking about…. oh, yeah. Harrison murdered some girl in L.A. and Tank was trying to track him down for questioning. I thought it seemed kinda fishy that Shelby had been hired by Harrison’s daddy to find him as well. When Tank showed up at Shelby’s office, it’s a wonder those two didn’t start fires with the looks they were throwing at each other.

Anyway, where was I? Right, Canadian Thanksgiving. Shelby’s from Canada, and she’s celebrating this week with family from her daddy’s side. She says it’s still warm in Edmonton, where they all live. I’m not sure about that. October… Northern Alberta… close to Eskimo’s… she’s probably colder than my grandma’s feet in bed.

I’m looking forward to our Thanksgiving in November because it’s extra special this year. My cousin is overseas with the military, and we pray every day he returns safe and sound. And Daddy’s cancer scare was just that, a scare, but it made him realize he’s got to start taking care of himself.

I am also thankful to be here, Under the Tiki Hut. Carol has graciously supplied me with a few cabana boys who’ve been waiting on me hand and foot. In fact, here comes Ramon with my rum. Awwww. He also brought me a piece of pumpkin pie. Oh my stars. From the glint in his eye, he has more on his mind than using the whip cream for the dessert.

Girls, let me give you a visual of Ramon and his partner, JoJo. Have you ever seen a man, with stomach muscles so well defined, they bracket his abs and head south where nice girls aren’t supposed to look? Well, I’m not a nice girl…. Mmmm, hmmmm. I think you’re pickin’ up what I’m layin’ down.

After this vacation, Shelby and I are back at work. All my fingers and toes are crossed, praying next year there won’t be any attempted kidnappings, bombs or death threats. One year full of them was enough for me.

This rum is hitting the spot, and the sun feels good on my face. A light breeze has come up from the west, carrying the scent of salt water, and cools my skin. I like watching the waves chase the sandpipers. They make me think of Christmas shoppers, the way they scurry on the beach. In a few minutes, the sun will touch the horizon, and I’m waiting to hear the sizzle when that hot, glowing ball hits the water.

Tssssss… Did you hear it?

Mmmm, that pie was good. Gotta go. Jojo has brought out the coconut oil, and I do believe I’m getting a massage. If you want to know what Shelby and I did last year, check out According to Plan. The nosey author, the one from Canada, Madison J Edwards, showed up at Shelby’s house, and wrote down everything that happened, and then wrote a book about Shelby and Tank.

I don’t mind so much, but she didn’t ask me once what I thought, and I’m Shelby’s best friend. Oh well, I told Shelby I’d be nice, and treat her good. Blah, blah, blah. The things I do for her.

Madison told me, if anyone wants to check out her book, According to Plan, they could visit her website: www.madisonjedwards.com.

Well lah-de-dah. Must be nice to have your own website.

Hey, that gives me an idea. We should create a web page for Stewart Investigations. Maybe that would drum up some more business. But not now, all that can wait until after my vacation.

I’m coming, Jojo darlin’. Such an impatient man. Bye y’all. See you between the pages.

About the author:

From the age of four Madison has been an avid reader. Many fond memories are of walking to the local library, reading everything she could find. In high school she penned quirky stories for English assignments, and often was called upon to read them. No one was spared her caustic wit – not even the dreaded English teacher, Mr. Cooney. She still graduated with her class….

According to Plan is Madison’s debut full length novel. Since contracting her book with Turquoise Morning Press, three steamy, erotic short stories have been released through her publisher’s erotic imprint Sapphire Nights Books, including her ARe Bestseller, The Perfect Secretary. You can find out more about Madison and her other books at www.madisonjedwards.com.

Buy links:

Amazon.com

All Romance eBooks

Note: Madison will be around in the afternoons and evenings to respond to comments. Real life is like that :) ~Carol

The Cat in the Blog

2011-10-10T07:14:00.002-05:00

I'm so glad to be back here again Under the Tiki Hut. I've missed the ocean breezes, the drinks, and the cabana boys :)

And, of course, I've missed all of you!

Tell me what you've been doing while I was ~~playing~~ hard at work. Any important news I missed?

My goal while I was away was to immerse myself in my writing project. I did. And when I finish the chapter I'm currently working on, I will have accomplished what to me is an amazing 104 pages. I'm pretty sure I'll complete it on schedule now.

But that's not all I did. I may not have been chatting away with all of you, but I've been busy.

First, I've done a little blog work. I updated my profile and moved things around in the sidebar.

You may - or may not - recall me talking here a while back about my poet friend who sends me a new poem every day. I know . . . I find it totally amazing, too. Anyway, right before I went on break he sent me one about the Tiki Hut. I asked if I could permanently post it in the sidebar, and he said Yes! So you can read it, too. It's over to the right, at the top. It didn't format out as he wrote it - not sure what's going on between my fingers and the screen, but the words and the spirit are there.

Speaking of not formatting correctly ... not sure what happened with my photo either. I'll continue trying to get it to normal size. Maybe I forgot everything I knew about Blogger while I was away.

Wednesday we start a new round of guest bloggers. This time it will be their characters who visit Under the Tiki Hut. I'm looking forward to all these guest posts. I've read the first one. You'll like it!

And lest you're thinking all I did was keep my derriere glued to the chair ... not so. In the middle of my blog break - which turned into pretty much a break from Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, too, I attended MWA-U in New Orleans.

If one comes to your area - even if you don't write in the overall mystery genre - I highly recommend attending. Presentations are geared toward newer writers, but even if you're published, I guarantee your money won't be wasted. Presenting authors change depending on location. Ours were Jess Lourey, Vicki Stiefel, David Morrell, Julie Smith, Reed Farrel Coleman, and Hank Phillippi Ryan. The day offered a lot of interaction and great feedback.

Live-In Handyman tagged along and we took an extra day to enjoy The Big Easy.

This art gallery with Posing Cat was a block from our hotel:

It's good to be back!

= = = = = = = = = = = =

Forgot to say that I'll be straggling around to your blogs at odd times for the next month or so. Gotta stay on top of my manuscript. So if you see posts from me at midnight, that's why.

Friday's Top Ten

2011-09-23T07:15:00.009-05:00

To preface today's top ten - I'm here today, but starting tomorrow I'm taking a TWO WEEK BLOG BREAK because I need time to concentrate totally on my own writing.

I'll be back here on Monday, October 10.

So without further ado ... the top ten ways to say I'm going to be writing my little buns off:

10. I'm watching you

9. CYA

8. Hasta luego

7. Laters

6. In a few

5. TTYL

4. Ciao

3. I'll be back

2. Peace out

And the #1 way to say I'm going to be writing my little buns off:

1. Don't turn off the light

Guest Blogger: Pam Asberry

2011-09-21T07:15:00.001-05:00

Thank you, Carol, for inviting me be Under the Tiki Hut today. When I left my hometown of Dacula, (pronounced Da-CUE-la), Georgia – a suburb of Atlanta – summer was drawing its last breath. It’s hard to believe that Friday will be the first day of autumn; scarecrows, pumpkins and caramel apples seem a world away away as I sit here watching the ocean gently lapping on the warm, white sand under a cloudless blue sky. I spent the morning stretched out on a chaise lounge with a stack of beach reads and bottomless mimosas; now, fortified by a lunch of fish tacos, chips and salsa, I am happy to be in the shade, laptop in front of me, a big basket of chips and salsa by side and a frosty mug of local beer within reach. Finally, I am ready to get back to my work-in-progress after a several-week hiatus.

Peace and quiet reigns – it’s the perfect atmosphere for writing. Long minutes pass; I am interrupted only by the hunky bartender, who keeps both my basket and my mug filled. I wonder if he’s single, like me? Focus, Pam. There, that’s better. Again, the words are flowing; ah, if only life could be like this every day…

My reverie is interrupted by the roaring engine of a small plane overhead. I look up and can just barely make out the words on the aerial banner: “KARAOKE TONIGHT. CRAZY ED’S.” Karaoke, eh? There’s an experience that’s been on my bucket list forever. On my last birthday, I vowed to try something new every day and blog about it. Click HERE to see what I have done so far. I wonder where Crazy Ed’s is? I’ll find out later. That might be the perfect reward at the end of the day – I do a mean rendition of I Will Survive – but only IF I make my word count. Which I’m not going to do if I sit here daydreaming about karaoke. Time to get back to work.

Author: Pam Asberry
http://pamasberry.blogspot.com
http://betweenbirthdays.blogspot.com
http://writerslipp.blogspot.com
http://petitfoursandhottamales.com

What's in Store . . . and More

2011-09-19T07:15:00.001-05:00

Time is fast approaching for my two-week blog break I mentioned last month. I'll be here all this week, but I may be visiting your blogs at odd times again like I did for a while last spring. This odd visiting will probably continue for a couple of months after I come back from my break. I'll try to visit as often as before, but no promises unless you can figure out how to double the number of hours in my day. If you can, I'm all ears :)

Don't you love this lady? That's devotion! While I'm away, I'll be hard at work writing and using the time to entrench myself in the project just like her.

I'll still be working on my project after I come back, and I don't want to lose the momentum I'll have picked up. Since I don't want to stay away from all of you for more than a couple of weeks, the writers among you see the problem.

Everything will work out in the long run, but not without a few adjustments here and there in the process.

Wonder what I'm working on? Here are some of the things I researched over the weekend:
Two-Way Mirrors
Car Rental Agencies
Popular Hotel Names
Female British Authors
Ski Masks
Yes, everything fits together. Why do you ask?

In the Good News department . . . we had rain. Not much. About thirty minutes worth on Saturday afternoon. It was wonderful!

Then on Sunday night - a real thunderstorm with rain for way more than an hour. Maybe this marks the beginning of the end of our drought. I'm thankful for the moisture, even if we go more months with no rain.

And now you see what an exciting life I lead. Maybe I really do need to get out more.

Happy Monday!

Photo licensed under Creative Commons

Friday's Top Ten

2011-09-16T07:15:00.002-05:00

The top ten things about football:

10. It's that time of the year again

9. Sweaty testosterone

8. Muscles

7. Guys love it

6. Your husband never knows when you leave to go shopping

5. Or sneak away to read

4. Or write

3. Easy dinners because he's full of chips

2. Tight Ends

And the #1 thing about football:

Guest Blogger: Christi Barth

2011-09-14T07:14:00.001-05:00

Can an unexplained breakup and ten years of heartache be cured by the romance – and endless buffets – of a tropical cruise? When her sister is left at the altar, small town librarian Zoe Balis jumps at the chance to take the bride’s unused ticket for the honeymoon cruise. But she didn't count on sharing a cabin with the man who broke her heart ten years ago!

Army medic Nate Hyatt never told Zoe goodbye when he enlisted - or the real reason why he dumped her on prom night after a year as high school sweethearts. And he never stopped dreaming about the girl he left behind. Could this voyage be his chance to fix the worst mistake he ever made? After all, a Caribbean cruise should be romantic… if he can convince her to move past ten years of bitterness and hurt.

Once aboard the luxury liner, Zoe befriends a bored Internet mogul with more heart than tact. Nate vents his problems to a ship’s photographer battling PTSD. The four team up on an island hopping treasure hunt. The stakes grow higher with each of Zoe’s mysterious brushes with death. They race to discover why she's a target and who's behind it, while still competing in the treasure hunt.

Zoe’s never gotten over her first love, and is tempted to let Nate back into her life. But she already lost him once. She’s not willing to risk loving a man whose career keeps him in a combat zone. Can Nate breach her defenses and suture her broken heart? Grab a deck chair and see if they survive the stormy relationship seas as they cruise toward love!

œœœœœœœ

Ahhh, I’m so happy to be under the Tiki Hut. Mostly because I just burned the heck out of my legs at the beach a few weeks ago. When it rains almost every day of vacation, the one day it is sunny, the lure of the unshaded towel is too strong to resist. Anyone else out there peeling from an end of summer beach extravaganza?

When I took my cruise, the same thing happened (sans sunburn). Here’s a picture of our day on the beautiful island paradise of Tortola. Who knew a day spent hiking a Caribbean rain forest would actually be grey, cloudy and rainy? The minute we were back on the boat I wrapped myself in layers of towels on a deck chair for warmth…but ordered a piña colada for fun.

Yes, I adore the beach. No, not because I grew up in Southern California, since I only went to the beach about a total of five times before graduating from high school. Something about the water just calls to me, hypnotically. It’s my favorite vacation spot. However, I only venture out beneath a hat, SPF 50, and an umbrella. (Gosh, I hope my husband never finds out I shared this picture of him with the entire world!). See my protective sun shirt hanging over the back of the chair? I tend to go from pale to searingly red in about ten minutes.

For me, the beach is more of an excuse to read for 8 hours straight. Right? Who’s with me? Which is exactly why I love cruises – they are a built in excuse to read for 7 days straight. When I decided to write an entire book set on a cruise ship, I sure put my characters through a lot more activity than I’d ever do! Every once in a while, we deserve to be sloth-like and revel in doing nothing…guilt-free. Which is exactly why I’m at the Tiki Hut today, where lifting a glass is the sum total of physical activity for me. So slap on that sunscreen and let me know if you actually do anything at the beach besides reading, eating, and yes, drinking one too many cocktails. In fact…waiter…I think my glass needs to be topped off…..

Christi is hosting a giveaway of one digital copy of Cruising Toward Love to a lucky commenter. For more information on Christi’s funny, sexy books, please visit www.christibarth.com

Going to the Dogs

2011-09-12T07:15:00.004-05:00

Remember these famous dogs?
Lassie
Rin-Tin-Tin
Snoopy
Beethoven
Pluto
Marley
Scoobey-Doo
Old Yeller
Benji
Underdog

Wonder where this post is going?

I know there are a lot of others, but these are the names that popped in my head. And then we have two very unfamous dogs, except in their own neighborhood - Wrangler and Shiner Kilgore:

Figured out my intent yet? Keep reading.

I haven't shared a photo of them in a while, and today seemed like a good time to do so because last week Julie Flanders at What Else Is Possible shared the Seriously Cute Blogger award with me:

Ta-Da! See, I did have a plan :)

Now seriously ... isn't he the cutest puppy?

If you haven't visited Julie's blog yet, link over and see what she's writing about today. She's an eclectic blogger, and you won't ever be bored. Every once in a while she talks about her Travels with Clancy, her own seriously cute dog.

In addition to passing this award on to five other bloggers, I have to recommend a book. I've been catching up on some older books written by my all-time favorite authors over the summer, and right now I'm reading (almost finished) RUNNING FROM THE LAW by Lisa Scottoline, published in 1996. It's a book I highly recommend.

It's my pleasure to pass the Seriously Cute Blogger award to:
Jennifer at Me, My Muse and I
Lydia at The Word Is My Oyster
Manzanita at Wanna Buy a Duck
RaShelle at A No. 2 Pencil, Stat!
Summer at My Inner Fairy

Happy Monday!

Friday's Top Ten

2011-09-09T07:16:00.001-05:00

Top ten signs you really want to be a Texan:

10. You love jeans and boots

9. You drive a truck

8. You understand the whole Hook 'em Horns/Gig 'em Aggies thingie

7. You love ranch dressing

6. And jalapenos

5. You know about Pat Green

4. And Gruene Hall

3. You like Shiner Bock

2. You think temps under 70F are a little chilly

And the #1 sign you really want to be a Texan:

1. These are your dream seasons:
Almost Summer
Summer
Still Summer
Hunting Season

Guest Blogger: J.L. Campbell

2011-09-07T07:15:00.001-05:00

I can’t tell you how grateful I am to Carol for letting me crash here at the Tiki Hut. I finished a marathon round of editing last week and took some well-deserved time off. Today, I’ll get moving on the gazillionth edit.

I throw my monster handbag in the next chair. On the table, I plunk a tall glass of lime squash - sweat beads and all - and a bowl of cashew. Then I set up my laptop, open the file and get to work. A few paragraphs in, I make a change to a not-so-clear sentence. While I ponder whether or not to keep the next paragraph, I take a sip of the cool, tangy brew and chew a few nuts.

A smudge on the endless blue waves catches my eye.

I squint at the object that’s now much closer. It’s one of those glass-bottom boats. As it draws near, I make out a woman wearing a sundress, her hair in a semi-tamed afro puff. The guy she’s with is leaning toward her, casting a glance around him, as though expecting the unexpected. The way she’s gazing at the bottom of the boat, you’d think her life depends on it. The fish underneath must feel like they’re in a glass bowl under a spotlight. The man stares at her, his head cocked to one side.

But wait, I know this couple. Where from? I think for a bit and it dawns on me. They’re Phillip and Corra, from Grudge, the novel I haven’t looked at for something like six months. I blink, and they disappear, but not before sending me a reproachful look. They’re lonely and getting an attitude. I can tell.

Time to get back to the novel on the screen. The sooner I concentrate on this WiP, the faster I’ll get back to my neglected couple. Next thing I know something terrible will happen to them and I’m not there, fingers whipping over the keyboard, to get them out of danger.

Focus, I tell myself. Corra and Phillip will wait.

Campbell is the author of Contraband and Dissolution.

J.L. Campbell is always on the lookout for story making material. She loves company and can usually be found lollygagging on her blog at http://thecharacterdepot.blogspot.com Her website is at http://joylcampbell.com Twitter handle is @JL_Campbell.

Happy No-Labor Labor Day!

2011-09-05T07:13:00.001-05:00

This hammock is waiting just for you.

And thanks to Under the Tiki Hut magic, there's a hammock

with the same gorgeous view for each of you.

I'm bringing a cooler filled with my favorite beverages and dips,

a basket filled with chips, a couple of books, and a pillow.

How about you?

Happy No-Labor Labor Day!

Photo by Micky

Licensed under Creative Commons

Friday's Top Ten

2011-09-02T07:14:00.002-05:00

Top ten ways to celebrate the last holiday weekend of summer with as little Labor in your Day as possible:

10. Volunteer to provide the drinks for your neighbor's backyard barbeque

9. Float in the pool

8. Visit the planetarium

7. Read in the hammock

6. Learn to juggle

5. Order pizza delivery

4. Take your dog for a walk

3. Play a game with your family

2. Relax in a movie

And the #1 way to celebrate the last holiday weekend of summer with as little Labor in your Day as possible:

1. Have a water balloon fight OR a pillow fight - not both at the same time

Guest Blogger: Becky Povich

2011-08-31T07:15:00.002-05:00

First, thank you Carol for having me as a guest blogger. I truly appreciate your kindness, and a big hello to all readers

I’m thrilled to be sitting under the Tiki Hut enjoying the glorious view in front of me: The soothing ebb and flow of the ocean’s waves, just strong enough to produce small amounts of frothy water rolling up onto the beach. Above it a royal blue sky with barely a cotton-ball cloud and the salty air tickles my fancy. It’s so visually stunning that even in 98 degree weather I feel goose-bumps up and down my tan arms.

Carol, the hostess with the mostess, suggested I bring along my laptop, knowing my creative muse would surely kick in after I arrived. She knows her stuff and never fails to impress me.

But first, I order a peach iced tea, made with fresh peaches just flown in from Georgia, poured over a tall glass of crushed ice. And for a little brain food, I choose tropical trail mix.

Ahhhh, I could live here the rest of my life.

I know why I’m here, though: To Write! I’m in the minority of Carol’s visitors this summer. I have not completed my book yet: my memoir. It haunts me but in a bittersweet sense. I want to write it. I want to finish it. I’m not afraid to do it. I’ve been talking about it for more years than I care to admit. I have a confession. I have difficulty focusing. What? I’m not the only one? Sheesh, I sure feel better!

I’m still working on the title for my memoir. One idea is:

Blame it on the Crowbar

Would that make you want to pick up the book and check it out? The crowbar explanation is in the first chapter.

Bye for now. I have my laptop at hand, and sense scathingly brilliant words ready to emerge.

You can learn more about Becky by visiting her blog: www.beckypovich.blogspot.com.

She also loves to receive e-mails: Writergal53(at)gmail(dot)com

2011-08-29T07:15:00.001-05:00

Guest Bloggers Update

Two dates are still open:

November 16

November 30

Make one of them yours!

Email me to sign up:

tikihuttime AT gmail DOT com

Remember, these guest blogging dates are for your character to visit

Under the Tiki Hut!

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I hope all of you on the East Coast are safe and damage free now that Hurricane Irene has moved on. And my wish extends to your friends and families as well.

No, I'm not going to talk about using weather in our stories. Others do that kind of thing much better than I do.

In fact, my weekend turned into a little whirlwind all its own that kept me busy doing all sorts of things other than focusing on blogging. I really didn't know what to write about here because it's Sunday afternoon and I'm still going hmmmmm.

So I decided to ask you some questions. Pick one or all or any combination and leave your answer in the comments. Tell us why - or not. I'm easy :)

Coffee or tea?
Favorite fictional character?
Summer or winter?
Favorite color?
Sweet or salty?
Favorite superhero?
Mountains or beach?
Favorite city?
Pizza or burgers?

Happy Monday!

Friday's Top Ten

2011-08-26T07:14:00.001-05:00

Top ten things to do now that the Mercury Retrograde is over:

10. Go shopping

9. Get a new hairstyle

8. Start a new manuscript

7. Buy a car

6. Try a new restaurant

5. Send queries

4. Start a new job ... notice a trend?

3. Plant a tree

2. Indie pub your novel

And the #1 thing to do now that the Mercury retrograde is over:

1. Buy a Giant Chicken - A short PG13 must read

Guest Blogger: Laura Kaye

2011-08-24T07:15:00.114-05:00

Laura Kaye's HEARTS IN DARKNESS hit three top-rated lists on Amazon and was on the Top-10 bestselling list at Fictionwise for 10 weeks.

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
~William Shakespeare

Two strangers. Four hours. One pitch-black elevator.

Makenna James thinks her day can’t get any worse, until she finds herself stuck in a pitch-black elevator with a complete stranger. Distracted by a phone call and juggling too much stuff, the pin-striped accountant caught only a glimpse of a dragon tattoo on his hand before the lights went out.

Caden Grayson is amused when a redhead literally falls at his feet. His amusement turns to panic when the power fails. Despite his piercings, tats, and vicious scar, he’s terrified of the dark and confined spaces. Now, he’s trapped in his own worst nightmare.

To fight fear, they must both reach out and open up. With no preconceived notions based on looks to hold them back, they discover just how much they have in common. In the warming darkness, attraction grows and sparks fly, but will they feel the same when the lights come back on?

= = = = =

Oh, Carol, can I just tell you how much I need the Tiki Hut right now? I have been in editing mode on three different manuscripts for the past month, so I’m not sure which I need more—this quiet time to sit and write new words for new stories, or to just lay on this blanket, soak in the sun, sleep, and never move again! Oh, hell, I brought my laptop, and I’ve got characters chomping at the bit, I might as well write. Sleep’s overrated. Right? Right?

If I was at home, I’d be noshing on some Cheez-Its (totally addicted) and a diet ginger ale, but since I’m on vacation, I’m splurging. Oh, cabana boy? Wow…talk about ask and ye shall receive! What service at this Tiki Hut! And, mmm, what strapping cabana boys, too. My. I’m tempted to keep ordering just to create new opportunities to watch this guy walk towards me, then away, over and over again. Sigh. The view here sure is pretty. Oh, right. My order—I’ll have a big tray of fresh, juicy tropical fruit and a strawberry daiquiri, please. Totally thirst-quenching.

This is the perfect setting for the new erotic romance I’m writing at this very moment, set in a luxurious resort in the Caribbean. The sea air, the white sands, the crystal clear teal surf. Oh, and the hot bodies. There, running down the beach, shirtless in a pair of running shorts perched dangerous low on a set of lean hips. He’s my guy. He’s Jamie, my darkly beautiful hero with a tragic past. Mess of wavy brown hair, mountainous shoulders, cut abs, and strong, bunching thighs that are nothing short of a monument to masculinity. See? Here in paradise you don’t have to choose between taking in the scenery and being focused on your writing. Look around and enjoy what you see, because it’s just inspiration for that next story.

Er, would you excuse me, Carol? *shifts laptop to the side and jogs down the beach* “Jamie? Hey, Jamie? Can I, uh, talk to you for a minute?”

Catch ya, later, guys, I’m heading off to indulge my, ahem, inspiration.

= = = = =

Laura is also sponsoring a giveaway - just leave a comment before midnight Pacific Time on Thursday, 8/25, to be eligible. The winner can choose a digital copy of any one of her books - HEARTS IN DARKNESS, FOREVER FREED, a paranormal, or her new erotic romance, JUST GOTTA SAY, when it releases on 9/30. You can learn more about Laura and her books at www.LauraKayeAuthor.com

Play Dates with Headphones

2011-08-22T07:15:00.007-05:00

Guest Bloggers Update

Only three dates remain.

Email me today to sign up for YOURS!

tikihuttime AT gmail DOT com

November 2

November 16

November 30

In addition, one September date has opened - September 14.

The post for this date only will follow the Summer Rules -

you, the writer, will be visiting Under the Tiki Hut.

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Writing is a funny thing.

Sometimes it's hahaha funny - like when you're playing with your pen and it goes flying across the room and smacks the dog in the side and he looks at you like what the--? Or you write something that makes you giggle two paragraphs further in the story.

But mostly writing is weird funny because you never know where it's taking you or what you'll find when you arrive or how it will affect you. You might be writing the perfect flawed character only to discover in the middle of the manuscript you're really writing about yourself. Or you start the manuscript writing in third person and when you finish, you're in first. And never realized when you made the change.

Some people think we writers are strange, zoned-out creatures. They could be right :) But I believe we're lucky. Our ability to create characters and have them tell a story is a gift. Don't ever forget that.

Especially don't forget it when you're staring out the window, deep in the middle of planning a suspenseful scene, and wearing headphones ... and someone touches your shoulder.

The bruising should go away in a week or so.

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Blog Roll Clean Up

As promised, I cleaned up my blog roll over the weekend.

Please check the right sidebar to make sure your blog is still listed.

I tried to pay attention and not get carried away, but accidents love me.
And I might have gone a teeny bit crazy :)
But I can find old friends easier - and still have room for new ones!

If your blog is missing, just say so in the comments.

I'll add you right back in.

Friday's Top Ten

2011-08-19T07:15:00.014-05:00

Top ten items on the back to school list:

10. No mess at lunch

9. Adult music

8. Questioning looks from pets

7. Quiet

6. Nap

5. Bubble bath

4. Play tennis

3. Wine

2. A full spa day

And the #1 item on the back to school list:

1. Finish your manuscript

Guest Blogger: Bonnie R. Paulson

2011-08-17T07:15:00.002-05:00

Today our guest blogger is Bonnie R. Paulson, author of BREATHE AGAIN.

Maggie Lachlan is struggling to get over the death of her husband. After being overcome by emotion during a shift in the E.R., she's suspended indefinitely. Making things worse, she needs a place to stay after the quick sale of the house she shared with her late husband.

Fortunately, her friend Ryan Stewart offers her a room while she gets her life in order, much to the chagrin of his brother and housemate, Brodan Steele. Brodan doesn't want to like Maggie, not when he questions Ryan’s feelings for her. But it's hard to deny the attraction he feels for her when she's sleeping under the same roof.

Being so close to Brodan awakens something in Maggie, something she never felt during her marriage. But as long as she's haunted by the past, she can't open herself up to the future...

Bonnie will be giving away one digital copy of her contemporary romance novel to one lucky commenter who comments here before midnight Pacific time on Thursday, August 18, and post the winner in the comments on Friday. You can learn more about Bonnie and her new release at her blog: bonnierpaulson.com

Now, here's Bonnie.

Finally! I made it to the Tiki Hut. Kids at home with my mom. My husband is off down the beach somewhere running after the waves and I’m settling in with a virgin Pina Colada. Oh, they have the best Adirondack chairs here. My lap top rests on my legs, waiting for my fingers to dance across the keys. I’m very excited to write this story.

An umbrella shades everything. I’m not a fan of the sun, but the soft tropical breeze is more than welcome. Ahh. Yeah, baby. I breathe, long and drawn out. I’ve left laundry, dishes, volunteer responsibilities, work and deadlines on hold for my vacation.

Do I dare write? Do I have the strength of character to be self-disciplined in what can only be described as Heaven?

Do I even attempt to get into the world of my characters? I don’t know that I can. I have a book releasing August 22. I’m planning on crab for lunch. And oh, hello. The chiseled chest of my hubby crests over the beach. I’m on vacation. I know I should be resting. But what the heck? I’m married to the Marlboro man (minus the smokes) and the kids are absent. Adult only time!

I never take a break. Never. I work 24/7 as a mom, medical transcriptionist, wife, church volunteer, mother, writer, housecleaner, chef, disciplinarian, blah, blah, blah. Forget it. I’m off to make my own romantic scene. Carol, you’ll forgive me, right?

Brian! Wait up! (reality – hubby is HOT! Reality – I’m not, BUT Under the Tiki Hut rules state I can be as svelte as I want to be) Running across the sand, nothing jiggles but my muscular thighs and perky… things that haven’t been perky since my first kid. Never mind. Yay for me. I love this place!

BREATHE AGAIN releases August 22, 2011 from Carina Press.

And the Retrograde Will Be Over When?

2011-08-15T07:15:00.002-05:00

For those who haven't heard, Mercury is in retrograde. That means my life has been filled with a lot of those days. You know the ones I mean.

The other day our garbage disposal disposed of itself. Another day one of our dogs tried to become the neighborhood bully. There have been more incidents, but you get the gist. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

I hope your days have been much less eventful than mine.

But since retrograde is about fixing things, I'm doing a

Blog Clean Up

Some of you might have noticed that my Blog Roll in the sidebar is out of control. Over the weekend, I'm culling blogs whose blogger hasn't visited me in a year or so. This does not apply to group blogs. The only way I know you've visited is if you comment or email me. So if you haven't commented here this year, I will be removing your blog from the sidebar over the weekend unless you comment here sometime this week. I'm pretty sure the bloggers this applies to no longer visit here, but I feel the need to say this anyway.

Regulars and new followers have no need to worry :)

Moving along, thanks to all of you for voicing your opinions last week about guest blogging. We'll do it again!

Wednesday, October 12, will kick off the Second Under the Tiki Hut Guest Blogging Event. Guest Blogging will end Wednesday, December 28.

Many of you indicated three months of the same theme gets a little predictable. So we're going to change it up a little. Since this is Under the Tiki Hut, I want to keep the beachy feel. But autumn and winter come to the beach, too. Depending on where your particular beach is, October to December is prime time for hurricanes and nor'easters. And I love snow on the beach.

So here are the rules. This time it isn't you, the writer, under the tiki hut - it's your character. Any character - one from your novel, your story, your memoir, or one you create especially to visit here. And since October to December is loaded with holidays, the holiday appropriate for the date of your post must be featured. That's it.

Your Character. The Holiday. Under the Tiki Hut. Very simple. Very easy. And readers get a feel for how you write. Any questions?

And I'm still stealing AND plagiarizing some of Alex J. Cavanaugh's Tips for Guest Bloggers:

* Contact me as soon as possible so I can fit you into one of 12 Wednesdays.

* I'm open to all bloggers. Humor is a must. Or suspense. Or a combination. No downbeat posts! This will also work in your favor. And my blogger buddies get preference.

* I schedule my posts on the weekend before they appear, so I need your post by Sunday evening before it's scheduled to go live on Wednesday. This will also help avoid any further Blogger snafus. And I prefer short guest posts - no more than 750 words TOTAL for intro/promo and post. I might fudge a little on that, but not much. Divide it however you want - ex. 300 promo and 450 story. If you're long on one, cut some of the other. If you're long, ask first - don't just send it to me. Readers are accustomed to zipping in here and zipping out. So the shorter the better.

* I’ll encourage commenters, but I need you to do the same. I'll promote on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

* I don’t require a free book or anything. Really! I would rather support you by purchasing my own copy.

These are Alex's exact words! Mine, too.

* Please have the courtesy to thank me when it’s over. And you really need to thank the commenters, too.
I'm not a Hot Tamales fan like Alex, but you can send him some :)

Thank you, Alex, for allowing me to steal your rules.

If you are interested in guest blogging at Under the Tiki Hut, please email me:

tikihuttime AT gmail DOT com

And please spread the word!

Thanks :)

Friday's Top Ten

2011-08-12T07:18:00.001-05:00

Top ten ways to say no:

10. No means no.

9. Moron.

8. Thanks for the opportunity, but....

7. I don't think so.

6. Not on your life.

5. N.O.

4. When pigs fly.

3. In a perfect world.

2. In your dreams, sweetcakes.

And the #1 way to say no:

1. You want me to what?

Guest Blogger: Isis Rushdan

2011-08-10T07:14:00.002-05:00

Isis Rushdan is a native New Yorker, but has been globe-trotting since the age of 12. Wanderlust and her insatiable curiosity keep her on the move, where she seeks out great food and exceptional wine. Although she is a Major in the Air Force reserves, writing is her true calling. Her debut novel, a paranormal romance about star-crossed lovers who start a civil war over salvation, KINDRED OF THE FALLEN, is currently on submission. Her second novel, PARADOX, a sexy and fast-paced urban fantasy about supernatural badasses stuck in a hardcore rehabilitation program governed by angels, just landed in the hands of her agent. To learn more about Isis (yes, it’s her real name), swing by her website http://isisrushdan.com/, or blog http://isisrushdan.blogspot.com/.

Thank you, Carol, for having me, and a big hello to all readers!

Well, I’m in paradise. Lounging on a chaise under the Tiki Hut, I can’t get enough of the fresh air, azure sky—not a cloud anywhere, balmy sunshine, and frothy waves. I take a sip of my third ice-cold Sea Breeze cocktail (Belvedere vodka and cranberry juice with a splash of grapefruit). Ah, perfectly blended. I can’t get enough of those either. Hey, no judgment allowed in the Tiki Hut.

After one more hour of unwinding, I’ll pull my attention from the idyllic horizon and focus on starting my next novel. At least that’s what I tell myself. I glance at my laptop to my left and cringe with guilt. Then I turn to my right. My muse is napping, quite peacefully yet again, sprawled spread-eagle in the powdery sand. Nothing is stopping her from relaxing. So, what’s my problem?

Down the beach, a couple approaches, strolling hand in hand. Toned bodies, flawless tans, and rock star shades. Touching my tummy, I’m grateful I didn’t order the artichoke and cheese dip. Major bling on the wife’s left hand catches the sun and my gaze. The perpetual breeze acting like their very own wind machine doesn’t help the image percolating in my mind. They’re that couple. You know the one. Gorgeous, wealthy, not a care in the world. Lost in a bubble of love.

I suddenly miss my husband, who graciously offered to hit the gym back at the hotel to give me time to write so we could enjoy the rest of our day with none of the characters in my head barging in. Guilt pricks me once more, but a long drag on my drink seems to help.

The hot husband says something to his beauty queen wife. I expect her to smile or laugh. She doesn’t. Yanking her hand from his, she stands still as a palm tree. Her flowing curls make her stance seem more rigid and hard. The husband drags his fingers through his hair, letting out a sigh so deep even I can see his chest heave from this distance.

Finally, she says something, stabbing the air in his direction. He shakes his head, wraps his hands around her shoulders, his mouth moves faster than a lip-reader could decipher. For the first time, I wish I could turn down the volume of the waves. So I can eavesdrop. Does that make me a bad person?

The wife wrenches free of his grasp and slaps him. Hard! Throwing her arms up in the air, she paces, yelling. Darn those loud waves. He massages his brow. His head continues to whip from side to side. She rips something off her hand—her left hand—and throws it to the ground at his feet. Whirling on her heels, she storms off down the beach. Alone.

He drops his gaze to the sand, where her wedding bling sparkles. His shoulders slump, giving him the appearance of something beautiful and strong that is now horribly broken.

My heart clenches and I remember my rule about no judgment.

The husband looks in the opposite direction, perhaps back at the hotel. As he stands, deliberating, his wife marches farther away. Then he turns, picks up the ring from the sand, and races after her. Although she’s walking, her pace is enviable and he’s got a lot of ground to cover.

When catches up, he stands in front of her, palms up. “Please!” he begs. Now that they’re closer, it’s the one word I do hear.

Not only does she slow down, she actually stops. He drops onto his knees, throws his arms around her waist, pressing his cheek to her bare stomach. She tries to break away, but he doesn’t let go. The wind shifts, whipping her long locks behind her. Tears stream down her cheeks, past the shield of her sunglasses. She clutches his head. Their bodies sway to and fro.

He dares to draw back slightly. Just enough to slip the ring onto her finger. Holding her, he speaks. His free hand gesturing, emphasizing the passion I can’t overhear. She nods and kneels in front of him. Foreheads pressed together, they linger, sandy fingers stroking cheeks.

Talk about great inspiration. I’m pumped, creativity on full throttle. No thanks to my muse, who is now snoring. I set down my drink and crack open my laptop.

So, what are some of the elements that made a particular book one of your favorites? Passion? Conflict? A dose of the unexpected? Grab a beverage and share.

Big hug to Carol for letting me visit!

Something for Everyone

2011-08-08T07:17:00.002-05:00

I don't know about anyone else, but this has been a busy summer for me. Now that the middle of August is right around the corner, I feel the need to start straightening up the blog and getting squared away to start writing on my new project in the fall.

Guest Bloggers
Initially, our guest bloggers were supposed to run through the end of August. However, I received such a great response that they're actually running through the official end of summer, September 21. It's thanks to all of you for giving them such great support for their imaginative posts. Give yourselves a loud round of applause. I've made a lot of new friends, and I hope you have, too.

Unplugging
But not for awhile. I will be unplugging here the last week of September and the first week of October to give myself a jump start on my new WIP. You'll survive without the cabana boys for two weeks :)

How To Spice Up Fall
All of you were such a great help in making summer special that I'm calling on you again for help with what to do for Tiki Wednesdays this autumn . Do you want guest bloggers again? They were the overwhelming winner back in the spring. Or are you ready for a change? You tell me. Whatever we decide will begin on Wednesday, October 12, and run through the end of 2011. If you want guest bloggers again, do you want them to blog to a different theme from the summer one? Answer a few identical interview questions? Totally open? Be specific about guest bloggers or different ideas. If you don't tell me, I don't know. Remember ... it's all about you!

Award Season

Last week, Savannah Foxx presented me with the Irresistibly Sweet Award. Savannah has great photos in her post about this. Go see hers, because I don't have any - LOL. I'm supposed to list seven sweet things I can't resist. Most of you know I don't have a huge sweet tooth, but I didn't have much trouble coming up with seven, besides those luscious strawberries pictured in the award.

Topping the list:
1. Live-In Handyman

2. Fudge
3. Lemon Bars
4. Fresh Peaches
5. Brownies
6. Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
7. Shortbread Cookies

Ta-Da! How easy was that?

Because I'm ~~bribing~~ thanking all of you for helping me out with Tiki Wednesdays, feel free to take this award and embrace it as your own.

Friday's Top Ten

2011-08-05T07:13:00.002-05:00

My top ten fun words to say:

10. Scuttlebutt

9. Lilliputian

8. Persnickety

7. Soliloquy

6. Doppelganger

5. Gobbledygook

4. Chimichanga

3. Flibbertigibbet

2. Mr. Aloysius Snuffleupagus

And my #1 fun word to say:

1. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Guest Blogger: Julie Flanders

2011-08-03T07:15:00.001-05:00

Hi, all, and thank you for having me here, Carol. It's a big thrill to do my first ever guest post! I am new to the writing game, and this short story about a strange beach encounter is a reflection of that experience.

I’m at my favorite spot under the Tiki Hut, and I’m drinking a Mojito. No snacks for me, as I’m working on losing those last five pounds. Please, don’t ask how long I’ve been trying to lose them.

I’m staring at my laptop, and imagining my fingers flying over the keyboard, writing perfect prose that agents will fight over. But, my fingers aren’t moving, and I’m not writing anything. Not even a title.

Who am I kidding, thinking I can write? I’m too old for this. Why didn’t I start when I was younger?

I’m distracted from my litany of negativity by a woman swimming towards the shore. Her arms and legs are flailing, and I’m certain she’s not going to make it.

I run to the shoreline and stand there, helpless. I can’t swim. What the hell am I going to do? I look around the empty beach. Where are the lifeguards? The college kids playing Frisbee? Anyone??

To my immense relief, the woman paddles closer, and finally emerges onto the sand.

She drops to her knees, and I run to her. Up close, I can see her grey hair and wrinkles. She must be at least 70.

“Are you okay?”

The woman turns to me, and I see something familiar in her face. She looks like….me?

“I’m fine,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

I scowl. Always wanted to drown? Always wanted to give an innocent bystander a heart attack?

“Always wanted to do what?”

“Swim the length of this beach.”

“Really? Why didn’t you do it when…” Remembering my manners, I stop.

“When I was younger? Because I couldn’t swim then. I just learned last year.” She smiles. “When I was 78.”

“You learned to swim at 78?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I would think…wasn’t it too late?”

“No, it wasn’t.” She stands up and brushes the sand from her legs. “It was the perfect time.”

I can't help but notice that her voice sounds suspiciously like mine.

“Who are you?”

“You know me,” she says as she walks away. “I’m Julie.”

“What?? How do I know you? I don’t…”

But there’s no point in continuing. She’s gone.

I sit back down in my chair and wonder how many Mojitos I’ve had. I swear it was only one. Maybe I’m simply crazy.

Had she really been here? Or should I say, had I been here??

I stare at the waves and think about my visitor. Finally, I pick up my laptop, and start to write. I have a title for my story. It's called Learning to Swim.

And this is the perfect time to write it.

Creating: Taking Stock

2011-08-01T07:14:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but I need to stop every once in a while and take stock of where I am. Not physically where I am, but where I am in relation to my goals and my to-do list.

When I do this, I also think about if I'm on the right track or if I've jumped track along the way and am rolling along out of control. I do that sometimes, too, without realizing it. Or sometimes I think I am, but when I take stock, I'm not.

I probably don't do this as often as I should. And I don't do it on a regular schedule. Usually it's when things get a little off kilter and I feel out of control.

So last week, things got a little off kilter. And I stopped to take stock.

Sure enough, what with my house being Grand Central Station for all sorts of family and with my attention focused on reducing the amount of time I've been devoting to the whole social media scene ... my writing time got shoved in the corner. Along with my reading time. I still managed a little of each, but not much.

So I gave my family and the social media part of my brain notice: No More Mr. Nice Guy.

Writing Time has reclaimed it's front-and-center position. It feels good.

What is especially amazing to me is that I keep track of my time on a writing planner. I know the hours I put in for each thing. But it wasn't until the family circus arrived that I had a problem. Until then, I just worked more so my writing hours didn't go down. But this week, I couldn't work more because of other priorities. That's when I noticed that my available time went to social media instead of writing. Or in my current state, instead of pre-planning characters and plot for my next manuscript.

Sometimes it takes a change-up for us to see what is right before our eyes all along.

Does this happen to you, too? Or is it just me?

Friday's Top Ten

2011-07-29T07:16:00.001-05:00

Top ten things that make me laugh:

10. Slapstick

9. Giggling kids

8. Funny jokes

7. My dogs

6. Unexpected surprise

5. LOL Cats

4. Funny movies and videos

3. Funny things people say

2. Humor in the comment trail

And the #1 thing that makes me laugh:

1. Myself when I do something stupid

Guest Blogger: Randy Jeanne

2011-07-27T07:15:00.001-05:00

Randy Jeanne grew up a child of the 50's in "The Valley," a suburb of Los Angeles famous for its Bob's Big Boys and indoor shopping malls. A fan of Phyllis Whitney, Mary Stewart, and Victoria Holt, she aims to evoke old-fashioned romantic values in her writing while at the same time creating heroines to whom modern women will relate. Stealing Amy (a romantic adventure along the lines of Romancing The Stone) and Lights! Cameras! Love! (a romantic mystery set on a TV studio lot) are available as digital downloads at all the usual outlets. Visit her blog at www.randywrites.blogspot.com and her website at www.randyjeanne.com.

Pssst!

Over here!

Don’t tell Carol, but I’ve hijacked her blog for the day, and instead of heading for the Tiki Hut, we’ll be spending the day…

Under The Palapa!

Yes, I’m down here in sunny (er, that isn’t a raincloud in the distance, is it??) Puerto Vallarta. (Go away, thunderhead. Take your lightning elsewhere!) First order of business, as always, is a visit to bartender Javier for a piña colada. And, what luck! There’s a cooking demonstration going on, and Jorge’s got shrimp tacos on the grill. So what if I just finished breakast? I’m on vacation!

Anyway, now that we’ve covered the cocktail and snacks portion of our program, let’s proceed to the third part of Carol’s summer challenge. Namely, as I haul out my laptop, what’s distracting me?

Sigh.

I know you’re waiting for me to describe the hunky guy swimming laps across the pool…or the one standing waist-deep in the shallow end flexing his biceps.

Sadly, they’re not what’s distracting me today (which may also explain why I’ve managed to make it to 57 without getting married, but I digress…)

No, what’s distracting me is the mother-daughter duo on the other side of the bar. They’re giggling with their heads together, sharing a private moment of laughter…y’know the type. Best friends. Great characters for a novel.

And that’s when it comes to me that…geez…all my poor heroines have mother “issues.” Which is kinda funny since, although my own mom died when I was young, I couldn’t get along better with the woman who became my stepmother. (Sidenote: Man, if she ever reads any of my books, she’s gonna have cause to wonder!)

Take Stealing Amy, for instance. In that story, the heroine’s identity has been stolen, causing her all sorts of grief—to her socialite mother’s undying embarrassment. And when Amy finds herself tangled in a web of international intrigue (with the requisite hero, of course), her mother arrives on the scene to make things worse.

Likewise, in Lights! Cameras! Love!, plain-Jane Daphne Smith blogs as a seductive alter ego who’s got Tinseltown (not to mention her hunky boss) all a-buzz with gossip. Who do you suppose threatens to expose her identity? Right, dear old Mom.

Finally, in Leftovers (available soon), Rose Thornton laments the life of hand-me-downs which began the day her father married a former actress…and includes the current situation where she finds herself falling in love with her step-sister’s estranged husband—the ultimate leftover of all.

What about you guys? Are there characters across your novels who consistently carry more weight than others? Do you see patterns of re-occuring character types who happen to appear in your real life? And to you readers, what kind of secondary relationships do you enjoy reading about? What sort of dynamics bring those relationships to life?

Hey, thanks for joining me here today…let’s have another round of piña coladas while we discuss, ‘kay? Drinks are on me! (And don’t let the approaching storm scare you—we’re always safe under the palapa.)

P.S. to Carol—Thanks for letting me hijack your blog today!

Creating: Social Media and Time Management

2011-07-23T14:11:00.016-05:00

I'll just state flat out ... no, I don't have the magic answer to stop the time suck.

I spent most of my social time last week adding people to my groups little by little. I punched the Like Button a lot and commented on several posts, but I didn't do too well on making original wall comments or tweets. I also joined Google+ - thanks to Clarissa for the invitation :)

Since all this jabbering about and eavesdropping is brand new to me, I know I'm spending more time there in these first few weeks than I ever plan to spend again. I know this because if I continue to spend so much time there I've defeated my purpose. I would then have no time remaining to write. And I get cranky if I go for a while without writing.

Even with all that, my Goodreads page is in sad, sad shape. One day I will tend to it. Sadly, that day will probably be when I'm totally embarrassed by its condition. I've thought about all this more than a bit because all of us have a finite amount of time in each day.

Although I don't yet have any sort of answer that works for me, I do have methods I'm going to try. And I'm going to share them with you. If you have something that works for you, please share with the rest of us.

Set a Timer
This method works well for me in other areas, so it's my go-to for any time crunch. I check in at the Tiki Hut early. Then mid-morning, after lunch, late afternoon, and evening. Depending on my schedule I may check here more or less often, but those times are pretty standard. I spend 30 minutes to an hour early reading your blogs. I rarely get to all of them in that time frame. I spend about 15 minutes on subsequent check-ins throughout the day. I read your blogs then. And on the following day. I try not to read in the same order all the time. If I add 15 minutes morning and evening to this schedule, that gives me time to check-in, comment, and say something on each social media outlet twice a day. I hope. This will be the best option because it will be the least intrusive on the rest of my day and still allow me to maintain contact with everyone. This is the method I will try first.

One Media at a Time
If the timer method doesn't work, I will visit each site one at a time once a day. But I will set a timer here, too. No more than 15 minutes for each site visit. This will take an hour of time as opposed to the 30 minutes above. It may be that I will need to do things this way for a while before cutting back to twice a day visits. I hope not. If neither of these work, then I have to rethink.

From time to time, I'm sure there will be conversations I want to follow. But I can't let them take over my day. I think if I have a plan in place, I'll know where I need to be and not be as prone to get too caught up in something.

I may be all wet. It may be that nothing will work. But I have to try.

I don't know if I will start this week or next. I had some social media goals when I began, and I'd like to reach them before letting things build the rest of the way organically. I will probably focus on achieving those goals before I cut back. I hope most of them are met this week. They're not huge goals, but to me they will put my pages and profiles and circles and followings and friends in more respectable positions. And that will make me feel better about myself and about being more active.

The Top Things I Need to Remember
Prioritize - Put first things first. For me that's family and writing. Everything comes second after that - blogging, email, and social media included. This is the basis behind using a timer and staying firm.
Read - It's what I tend to drop first when I run out of time. And I hate that. I love to get lost in a great book.
Unplug - It's important. It doesn't have to be for a long time. Even a few hours once a week can work wonders.

So how about you? Do you manage your social media time? Or does it manage you?

Share your secrets. We won't tell.

Promise :)

Friday's Top Ten

2011-07-22T07:14:00.001-05:00

The top ten definitions for hot:

10. Radioactive

9. Stolen

8. Sexy

7. Blazing

6. Peppery

5. Passionate

4. Trendy

3. Infuriated

2. Sweaty

And the #1 definition for hot:

1. Summer

Guest Blogger: Savannah Foxx

2011-07-20T07:15:00.001-05:00

Savannah Foxx is an aspiring paranormal romance writer. She has just completed her first single-title novel TIMELESS and begun work on its sequel. For more on Savannah, stop by her website www.savannahfoxx.com and check her out.

Hi Carol, thanks for having me. I have to tell you that recently my muse has been out for coffee and when I read the scenario for your guest bloggers I was immediately transported to your Tiki Hut and inspired to write. A big thank you for kicking my muse in the behind J

Enjoy!

Laptop in hand and slathered with SPF fifty, I made my way to my home for the next few hours. My writer buddy was gracious enough to lend me her Tiki Hut so I could wrap up my latest novel. I cast my eyes over the dancing blue water spread out before me and licked my sun-dried lips as I took a seat. Thank heaven for Chapstick. I dug my feet into the hot, white sand and covered my toes with its warm blanket of crystals.

Shaded by the massive umbrella overhead, I was just about to rest my hands on the keys when a delicious cabana boy sauntered up to me offering a choice of beverages to quench the heat of midday here in Tiki-heaven. My hand hovered over the Corona, light with a hint of citrus, but I chose something sweet, decadent, creamy. The liquid cooled as the milky coconut passed my lips. My choice, a pina colada, complete with pink mini-umbrella.

My laptop sneered at me. Okay, back to work. My story was set in Chicago, in November. There I was in paradise and I had to write about winter in the windy city. What was I thinking? I blew a puff of air through my puckered lips and got to work. A small breeze brushed against my cheek and carried a wisp of hair that stuck to my Chapstick-colada lips. Damn Carol...couldn’t your Tiki Hut be in a hotel room...with no windows...

The slight wind beckoned again. Focus Savannah, Focus. I closed my eyes and imagined the breeze was no longer gentle as it whipped my hair and the rain spat in my face. Yes! The warm sand up to my ankles became frigid sleet that nipped at my toes.

I slid into a groove. The cold November rain surrounded me as the Chicago winds howled. Howl? But it wasn’t the winds in my head that howled. A small dog leapt in and out of the waves yowling at the white foam that raced towards the shore. Not far behind him strolled his dish of an owner. His bronzed skin glistened as tiny droplets of water trickled from his sandy hair onto his well-formed pecs. I bit my lip as my fingers typed. THIS is why I am a pantser. Cold. Rain. Done. I knew what my second love scene would be...Hel-lo shower.

How ‘bout you? Do you continue writing and make your word count, or do you invite the handsome hunk over for a drink? Decisions, decisions...

Creating: Social Media - Getting Started

2011-07-18T07:14:00.007-05:00

Some of you may have noticed the snazzy new buttons in the right sidebar beneath between my profile and the followers button.

I have finally joined the rest of the world in the phenomenon we call social media.

For most of you, all of this is old hat. I'm still learning all the ropes - and I mean ALL. Let me start at the beginning.

My newly designed website - www.carolkilgore.net - went live yesterday. It's one that I will be able to maintain all by myself, and I'm totally thrilled about that. I'd love for you to visit.

Facebook came next. OMG. My friendly techie guru assures me I need an author page and a regular profile. I'm trusting she's correct. I've found some of you, but not nearly all. The f-button on the right is to my page. I'm hoping you'll all Like it. Search for me if you want to be my friend, too. Put in my name and San Antonio - I should pop right up. I'd love to see you there as well, but I'm still a private-enough person that I don't feel comfortable posting the link to it here. I'm sure after I've been on Facebook for awhile I'll feel differently, but it's something I have to work through.

Next, my techie friend signed me on to Goodreads. This site is fairly straightforward, but there are so many of you and so many books. I started with the auto-lists Goodreads provides. Books and Friends. I'm not much beyond that at this point, but I'll get there. Punch my Goodreads button :)

Then. Came. Twitter. OMG times a million. I've sent a couple of follow requests. But like the others, there are lots of you and one of me. So one more click, please :)

And what about Linked In? How many of you are there as well as these other groups? I think I need to put on makeup, get my nails done, and dress in something besides my pj's before I sign in over there.

So I'm begging ... please don't leave me hanging out there.

Or here. I need your help with all the tips, tricks, rules, and anything else you can tell me about the current state of all the social media sites. The etiquette. Who may I follow? Who should I NOT follow? Who SHOULD I follow? Besides all of you, that is. Is it different on each site? My questions are born of ignorance, but I'm a quick learner.

Are there other places I should be, too?

Fill me in. Get me up to speed on how to best navigate the perils of social media and still keep smiling.

Next Monday I'm going to post about social media and time management.

Happy Monday!

Friday's Top Ten

2011-07-15T07:12:00.001-05:00

Top ten games at the Tiki Hut:

10. Sea Gull Gallop

9. Water Wobble

8. Beer Bouncing

7. Sand Shuffleboard

6. Wine Whining

5. Pineapple Punching

4. Beach Buggy Bingo

3. Flip Flop Fling

2. Book Ends Boogie

And the #1 game at the Tiki Hut:

1. Margarita Mixer

Guest Blogger: Jennifer Shirk

2011-07-13T07:15:00.001-05:00

Hi, all! Jennifer here!

Thanks so much to Carol for hosting me today! This is so much fun to be somewhere else for a change. :-)

I'm sitting on my deck right now--although not for long because it's getting HOT. But I'm staying somewhat cool with my favorite summer cocktail: the pineapple chili margarita! (try this recipe. You won't be sorry)

Anyhew, being out here brings my mind to SETTINGS in stories we write. I tend to place all my romances in seaside surroundings. Why? Probably because I love the beach--and also because I live by the beach. (I go with what I know)

BUT... settings not only create at atmosphere for the reader but it can be used as a marketing tool as well. I know writers don't like to think that far ahead, but that's what I've decided to do now. Writing stories set in fake beach resorts give me an advantage in my home town because I actually live in a beach resort. When I do book signings people tend to pick up my book since it involves an area similar to where they're vacationing, regardless of the genre I write.

Now, I'm actually thinking of taking this to a new level with my next book and use the REAL setting of my hometown to create an even bigger marketing tool. I'm counting on my local book sellers wanting to help market a book that is set where people are on vacation. (at least that's what they've told me! :))

So think about your setting for more than just your story. Your setting can also help promote your book.

My recent book GEORGIE ON HIS MIND is set in a beach town and Booklist recently had this to say about it:
"It’s the mature way Walt responds to Georgie’s shenanigans that make this romance a standout. Shirk’s novel is as breezy and charming as Georgie’s seaside surroundings, and her sweet love affair with Walt will linger in the reader’s mind long after the tale is told." From Booklist --Courtney Jones

Georgie Mayer has no boyfriend and rarely goes out. In short, she needs a life. Since she's graduated college and returned back home, her brother's protectiveness has been in overdrive, and she hasn't been able to have any fun, never mind get a date.

So what's a poor particularly attractive girl to do in a situation like this? The only thing she can do: find him a woman!

He'll thank her for it in the end. That is, if his best friend Walt Somers would stop interfering with her plans. The handsome pharmacist has made no secret that he doesn't approve of what she's up to. Unfortunately, having Walt hanging around does strange things to her mind, and suddenly she can't help but take a healthy interest in him. But how can Georgie entertain thoughts of the two of them together when Walt still treats her like his best friend's little sister?

Avilable thru Amazon and a library near you. :-)

Thanks again for having me, Carol!

WRITERS:Do you live in an unusual or popular town? Have you thought about creating your own book around that setting?

READERS: Do you have a setting you prefer in books you read?

= = = = = = = = = =

Thanks so much, Jennifer, for being my guest today on Under the Tiki Hut. I know everyone is happy to see you!

Creating: Finding What Works

2011-07-11T07:17:00.001-05:00

My name is Carol, and I'm a pantzer.

Not. Any. More.

During the chaos that was my most recent manuscript, I vowed to never work that way again unless I had no choice. Life ran amok for a couple of years beginning right about the time I started on the manuscript. It was drafted in fits and starts, sometimes weeks or months in between short writing sessions.

The finished first draft bore no resemblance to what I'd envisioned originally. Characters had no pizzazz; story had no pop; the plot waved a white flag.

After much work, comments from my awesome critique partners, and returning to the drawing board about a million times, the story finally came together.

During the last six months of solid work, Shiny New Idea spoke up. I made notes. And notes. And more notes.

Off and on, while I was finishing revisions to my WIP, I tried out a few writing programs. I didn't find any I liked. So I made some Excel spreadsheets to hold all my SNI notes. So far Excel is working very well for me. I still have a lot of blanks and some unanswered questions, but I'm an organic writer - one thing grows out of another. One idea may fill in several blanks.

A couple weeks ago, I started working on a plot. OMG! This is the first time I've ever plotted anything before writing it. Before now, I've come up with a plot as I'm writing that usually needs revising, beefing up, and backtracking. This time I'm doing - or trying to do - all that first draft thinking before I write. My goal is to save myself a lot of time, confusion, and heartache. And to have a guideline to return to if life goes haywire again.

I had pages of circled words. Lines from one word to one or more other words. Crossed out words. Lists of words. Phrases. All in pencil.

How in the world was I going to keep track of everything? The main plot, subplots, clues. I don't like clutter. I like everything where I can see it. These two statements are not contradictory. I wanted a neat, tidy way to keep track of my plot and characters and story.

Remember this keeping track problem. I'll get right back to it.

Another thing I always have trouble with is getting a handle on the protagonist's voice. I'd decided early on to have her blog in first person - to a Word file - so I could hear her and start with the real her in Ch. 1 and not have to rewrite many times to finally find what she wanted to hide. I'd find that out as she blogged.

Last week both of these things came together.

I set up a Word document with a book fold - I see pages 1 and 2 at the same time, landscape across the screen. On my left is a bare bones outline for Ch.1. On my right is my protagonist's journal - maybe a blog later if I feel I still don't have a full enough grasp - for what is in Ch.1. So far her words are briefer than the outline. I like this because since I'm working with half a sheet for each I'm forced not to get too detailed. And I can hear/see the protagonist's voice reacting to what's happening with her in that chapter. It's a beginning.

I also made a little square and filled it with a different color for the main mystery plot, each subplot, and for clues - all clues, real, misleading or otherwise. I'm going to paste one or more of these at the beginning of each chapter outline so I know what's in the chapter. I'm planning for this manuscript to be told only from the protagonist's viewpoint, so I don't need to track who's POV I'm in. I'm also going to graph it out on Excel so I have an instant visual as I go along so I can see if someone or something is getting too much or not enough face time.

I'm a few chapters in. Will I continue with all of this throughout the planning process? I have no idea. If it continues to work as well as it has so far, I'm sure I will. If not, I'll tweak or experiment with a new method. The best thing I like about this is I can see everything for that chapter on one screen.

I hope I've explained this well enough you can understand what I'm doing. The idea isn't to get you leave your free-wheeling pantzer self behind or to suggest you give up your favorite writing software.

The take-away idea is to keep at a problem until you find what works for you. Keep at those revisions until your story is the best you can make it. And keep moving forward.

Never give up.

Friday's Top Ten

2011-07-08T07:14:00.001-05:00

Top ten summer vegetables:

10. Tomatillos
Salsa Verde

9. Zucchini
Zucchini Bread

8. Eggplant
Eggplant Parmesan

7. Sugar Snaps
Raw in Salads

6. Okra
Rolled in Cornmeal and Fried

5. Peppers
Any Way You Want Them

4. Cucumbers
From Sliced to Pickled

3. Corn
Roasted or in a Salad with Tomatoes and Basil

2. Avocados
Guacamole

And the #1 summer vegetable:

1. Tomatoes
Sliced, Diced, Fried Green, or Fresh Salsa - can't beat 'em!

Guest Blogger: Janis Patterson - Or Is It Janis Susan May?

2011-07-06T07:16:00.001-05:00

It's both! And maybe more.

Janis Patterson also writes romances and horror as Janis Susan May, children’s books as Janis Susan Patterson and scholarly works as J.S.M. Patterson. LURE OF THE MUMMY by Janis Susan May, the first ever horror novel from either Carina or Harlequin, will be released August 29. THE HOLLOW HOUSE, a cozy historical mystery by Janis Patterson, will be released November 14, also from Carina Press. She and her husband, a Captain in the Navy Reserve, just returned from overseas deployment, live in Texas with three rescued furbabies – two neurotic cats and a terribly spoiled little dog. Janis has two websites – www.JanisSusanMay.com and www.JanisPattersonMysteries.com

Well, here I am, sprawled under the Tiki Hut, a fresh Mangorita (a frozen margarita made with fresh mangoes) beside me, my laptop in front of me and for scenery, white sand, surf and palm trees. Best of all, not another human being in sight. What bliss!

Bliss, however, is not conducive to good fiction. While in life it might be a sustainable end-all and be-all, in fiction it gets boring rather quickly. That’s why when a book reaches the point of ‘Happily Ever After’ – it’s over! What makes fiction interesting is conflict.

Conflict is one of those convenient catchall phrases that means both everything and nothing. Basically, it is two things in opposition to each other.

Conflict comes in two varieties – external and internal.

An example of external conflict might be environmentalists versus developers. Two people with different visions want control of the same company. A man wants freedom and adventure while a woman wants commitment and a safe home (or vice versa) but they are overwhelmingly in love.

Internal conflict is just that – internal, within one person. The female developer knows that the new shopping center would be good for the town, but she hates to see the old swimming hole where she spent so many happy hours replaced by concrete and glass. A man might be attracted to or even falling in love with a woman who is so very like the woman who broke his heart so many years ago and he knows he has to stay away from her.

Now admittedly some of those examples were simplistic if not downright cheesy, but they are examples of conflict, and conflict is what drives books. If you’re writing a romance, you might have a wonderful time showing a man and woman meeting, liking each other and finally falling in love while taking lovely walks and enjoying nice dinners and attending symphonies. That would be wonderful – in real life. In a book it would be a snoozer.

Instead, bring conflict into play. Make him suspicious of smart women. Make her distrustful of charming men. Give them both backstories that make it seem unlikely they will ever get together. Throw in other conflicts, anything from differing business practices to hired killers. Make them earn their Happy Ever After – and then leave them to it.

Same if you’re writing a mystery. How boring if the detective follows every clue, processes everything according to the rules, finds the criminal and has him sent up for a good long time, then ends up having a lovely dinner with his adoring wife and ruminating about the nobility of his job. Again, a scenario to be wished for in real life and to be avoided like the plague in fiction.

Give them problems! Give them uncertainties! Give them bad ideas and bad luck! Make them think their world will end, and then let them save it and work things out at the last minute. It will make their Happy Ever Afters that much happier.

Now, here under the Tiki Hut, I am seriously conflicted as to whether to order a Pina Colada the next time around or stick with my Mangorita. Also, should I remember this is bathing suit territory, or curse the calories and order some botanas (snacks)? Sigh. Such conflicts.

Happy Birthday, America!

2011-07-04T07:10:00.006-05:00

Flags Everywhere

Kids on Parade

And Pets, Too

Treats for Hungry Paraders

And Finally...FIREWORKS!

Have a Safe and Happy Fourth of July!

All photos are licensed under Creative Commons.

Friday's Top Ten

2011-07-01T07:17:00.001-05:00

Top ten reasons to throw a party:

10. Why not?

9. You saw Miss Piggy fly

8. The drought broke

7. Or the sun is shining

6. That darned chicken finally crossed the road

5. The police need something different to do

4. Your new book release

3. If not you, who?

2. The Limbo Song is stuck in your head

And the #1 reason to throw a party:

1. It's Friday!

Guest Blogger: Terry Odell

2011-06-29T07:13:00.001-05:00

Terry Odell has been one of my bloggie buddies for a long time. She is very generous with her knowledge and uses her blog to share a lot of information about how she does things. On Fridays, she posts photos from different bloggers around the world ... and some from her own backyard in the mountains of Colorado.

Terry writes romantic suspense, including her Blackthorne, Inc. series featuring a team of covert ops specialists who go where Uncle Sam can't.

Her newest, Danger in Deer Ridge, is set in her new home in the mountains of Colorado. She couldn't resist using one of her locals as the cover model.

When Danger Calls: "Odell has written a story with nonstop action. There are plenty of surprises, especially when the line that separates the good guys from the bad guys becomes blurred ... Odell's writing will keep readers on their toes." RTBook reviews

Where Danger Hides: Romance fans will drool over Dalton and his fellow camo-clad helicopter-riding commandos as they look for runaways and love. Publishers Weekly

Rooted in Danger (April, 2010) "Odell is a topnotch storyteller. The dialogue is spot on, the characters are well drawn and their journey will leave you breathless!" Bestselling author Debra Webb

***

Settling into my chaise, I squint into the distance. Are those storm clouds at the horizon? I hope they stay where they are, because I have an opening scene to write. I set my Mai Tai on the small table beside the chaise and decide that the fruit in the drink counts as lunch. I'm staring at the screen, trying to decide what the covert ops team of Blackthorne, Inc. will be up to this time.

Sandpipers scurry back and forth, staying just out of reach of the surf's edge. Moments later, the gentle sounds of the surf are washed out by the whup-whup of a helicopter. I follow the sound up the beach to an area rich in tropical vegetation. The helicopter circles, then hovers, reminding me of the hummingbirds that come to my feeder at home.

What could they be doing? It doesn't appear to be a police helicopter, so I don't worry that they're looking for a fugitive. The clouds move closer. The wind picks up. The palm fronds atop the Tiki Hut rustle. I grab my Mai Tai, drinking the cool liquid in large gulps, still watching the helicopter. I can almost feel the tension as I imagine the pilot struggling to hold it steady. I don't have binoculars with me, but I swear I see a stretcher descending from the belly of the helicopter, swinging in the stiff wind. Is that another rope being lowered? Is there a person climbing down, agile as a monkey? I wait, straining my eyes to see, but the wind has intensified, and the blowing sand obscures my vision.

Before the storm hits with a vengeance, I pack up my laptop and head for my hotel. My day in the sun might be cut short, but I know exactly how my next book, Rooted in Danger, will start.

==========

Thanks so much to Carol for having me. Right now, I'm offering a buy 1 get 1 free special. Buy When Danger Calls for 99 cents and I'll give you a download of Danger in Deer Ridge. More details here: http://terryodell.blogspot.com/p/deals-and-steals.html

To read the first chapter of any of Terry's books, visit her website, Romance With a Twist of Mystery http://www.terryodell.com and follow her blog, Terry's Place, at http://terryodell.blogspot.com

Creating: Writing Tools

2011-06-27T07:18:00.000-05:00

Monday has always been a writing-focused day. I never want Mondays to be a how-to. I feel this is so important that I repeat it every once in a while. Each of us is unique. I've said this before, but anytime I write about what works for me, please don't ever be dismayed if my way makes you want to pull out your hair.

Sure we all know the overall guidelines, no matter what we write. How we achieve them is personal to each of us. This is why my Monday posts are often connected to writing by a thread thinner than a hair. More to give you ideas to think about that to suggest how to do anything specific. There are a million places on the web to find those things.

Whew. I feel better now :)

So today I want to talk about writing tools. Pen, pencil, paper, computer. Done.

Not so fast.

A lot of you lately have been chatting about getting some of your best ideas in the shower - with no way to write them down. But there is! Check this link. You can also find different brands at Amazon.

I've recently completed a massive edit, the details of which would bore you to tears and take a year of blog posts to place in full perspective. In the process I found an amazing tool - thanks to one of my critique partners - probably already known to most of you since I'm usually late to the party ... AutoCrit.

The final stages of an edit, when you're really looking at words and phrases and sentences, is the part that drives me straight around the bend at warp speed. AutoCrit saved my sanity. Is it perfect? No. Is it free? No. But it's as perfect as I need. And it's an excellent value. I HEART AutoCrit.

Imagination. It's magic. It's inspired. It's the stuff fiction is made of. It's a tool we all use. We need to keep it well-fed, let it play, make it work out even when it wants to be lazy. And make sure that it knows how to respond at moment's notice ... zero to sixty in .05 seconds. Yeah, that's the imagination we want to preserve.

These are certainly not all the tools in a writer's armory, but I hope there's one here that will appeal to you.

What are your favorite tools?

Friday's Top Ten

2011-06-24T07:19:00.007-05:00

Top ten sounds of summer:

10. Mosquitoes

9. Cicadas

8. Thunder

7. Baseball Announcers

6. Boat Motors

5. Fireworks

4. Lawnmowers

3. Outdoor Concerts

2. Water Splashes

And the #1 sound of summer:

1. Children's Laughter

= = = = = = = = = =

Today I'm also over at Terry Odell's blog with more photos of Galveston Island. I hope you'll pop over for another quick trip to the beach. Happy Friday!

Guest Blogger: Marilyn Baron

2011-06-22T07:15:00.013-05:00

Marilyn Baron’s humorous supernatural eBook short story, A Choir of Angels, is a heartwarming tale of a family’s tragedy and a wedding promise unfulfilled. How far will a mother go to sing at her daughter’s wedding? Nothing, not even a little thing like death, is going to cheat Rhonda Paver out of celebrating the happiest day of her daughter’s life. Even if she has to cross over to the other side to do it.

A Choir of Angels is now available from:
TWB Press at www.twbpress.com/achoirofangels.html in PDF eBook format or find a Kindle, Nook or OmniLit link at the TWB Press site. You can also search Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, or Omnilit.com by author name and title.
Or find it on Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51916.

Bio:

Marilyn is a public relations consultant in Atlanta. She's a member of Romance Writers of America and serves on the board of Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) as editor of The Galley, GRW’s online newsletter. She writes humorous women’s fiction and romantic suspense, including “The Colonoscopy Club,” which finaled in the GRW Unpublished Maggie Awards for Excellence in 2005 in the Single Title category and “The Edger,” which won first place in the Suspense Romance Category of the 2010 Ignite the Flame Contest, sponsored by Central Ohio Fiction Writers RWA Chapter. What’s unique about my writing? “I like to laugh so I try to inject humor into everything I write. I tend to feature older heroines, because let’s face it, we’re not getting any younger.”

Marilyn blogs at

Petit Fours and Hot Tamales
www.petitfoursandhottamales.com and
The Roswell Patch http://roswell.patch.com/search?keywords=marilyn+baron

Get Distracted: Make a Wish on a Dolphin

By Marilyn Baron

I love the ocean. I was born in Miami and I have a beach condo on the east coast of Florida, so there’s nowhere I’d rather be this summer than Under the Tiki Hut, sipping an ice cold glass of lemonade and munching on some chips, working on my next romantic suspense. Sixth Sense is about a psychic who predicts the death of the young son of America’s heartthrob in a plane crash and a by-the-book police detective with a deep distrust of psychics, who fails to report her premonition, with disastrous consequences.

Watching the sunrise over the ocean and staring mindlessly at the swooping seagulls and stately cranes stepping out along the shoreline is the closest thing to heaven for me. Suddenly, my attention is diverted by a school of dolphins frolicking in the waves. I could watch them forever. I believe spotting a dolphin is a sign of good luck, so I always make a wish when I see one.

Do I find the nature around me distracting? Yes, but distractions can be a good thing for a writer. They free your mind and lift your spirit, so ideas can flow from your subconscious. I get some of my best ideas daydreaming or relaxing on my balcony looking out at the ocean. In fact, I came up with a fantastic idea for a new supernatural short story when I was watching the sunrise on my last visit.

So while the conventional wisdom for writers is “butt in chair,” “nose to the grindstone,” and “stay focused,” I temper that with this advice: “Let your mind wander.” After all, it’s summer!

Sunrise from my balcony.

Creating: Writing Surprises

2011-06-20T07:17:00.001-05:00

I had a different post planned for today. It was written, scheduled, ready to go. But it kept niggling at me. Something wasn't right.

I'm still not sure what was off. It's still in the queue, but now it's in draft form. Maybe one day I'll figure out what I really wanted to say that didn't come across, and fix it.

But for now, it's late Sunday night and I'm writing a new post for Monday morning.

Hey, better now than to wake up at three in the morning and realize I have to change it :)

This is the kind of writing surprise we don't like.

Then there's the really bad writing surprise. Once, in an editing frenzy, I worked all afternoon making hard copy edits to a chapter. Finally it was done, and I set it aside to input the next day. We were having friends over for dinner, so I tidied up the house and myself and started cooking. The evening was a success.

The next day I sat down to work. No pages. I checked the drawers, the floor, the places Shiner likes to take things he isn't supposed to have. And shreds. Nothing. Then I remembered. I'd picked up a stack of paper to shred. Yep. I'd shredded my edited pages. I spent the morning redoing what I'd done the previous afternoon.

But then there are those Oh, Sweet! surprises. You know the kind I mean.

That stray line you added to Chapter 2 because you couldn't get out of your head that finally came together with the plot in Chapter 11.

The real villain who ended up a hundred times more evil and motivated than the one you chose originally.

The hunky hero who walked on in Chapter 3 and stayed when he was really supposed to just walk-on midway through and leave.

Surprises come in all sizes and flavors.

How do you handle writing surprises - the good, the bad, and the ugly ones?

Friday's Top Ten

2011-06-17T07:17:00.002-05:00

The top ten things to like about firefighters:
Feel free to read any way you choose :)

10. They drive big trucks

9. They know how to handle hoses

8. They have a rocking attitude

7. Their awesome muscles

6. Their calendars - and they fund charities, too

5. They know about hot spots

4. They save lives

3. They're smoky hot stuff!

2. They have a pole in the firehouse

And the #1 thing to like about firefighters: