Catching up, getting organized...working on it anyway

The blog has been neglected for far too long. My apologies. I could offer all sorts of excuses...The Emerald City Writers' Conference, family life, my in-laws moved across the country and now live in the 'hood (therefore they are stopping by. Frequently). And, last but not least, NaNoWriMo. 

And, all of that is true.

But mostly, I'm just trying to keep my head above water as my oldest son's birthday arrives and the holidays are fast approaching.

So, I'll just fill you in with what I've been up to.
We'll start with ECWC:

Me & Robyn Carr

Me & Karen Rose

Me & Maya Banks

Marie Force with...you guessed it: Me.

Cherry Adair, getting ready to kick my butt, because....

Therefore:

I hope everything is well for all of you! I'll catch up soon....I hope.

xo,

Carmen

Confessions of a very un-romantic Romance novelist

I admit it. I'm not a romantic.

I'd love to be more romantic, but it's just not a big part of who I am. I'm finally coming to accept this part of myself. Embrace what I'm not, just as much as what I am. And, more than anything, thank my lucky stars that my hubby doesn't seem to mind that I don't remember anniversaries-even my own. I will think of something romantic that I'd like to do with my Hubby, but I inevitably forget about it before I can put the plan into motion. More often than not, he's the one planning our date nights and weekends away.

Flower petals strewn about make me think of the clean up.

Big gorgeous houses make me shudder with thoughts of dusting them. Frilly, fussy designs make me turn the other way. Give me a beach to walk down, hand in hand with my man, and I'm a happy girl. A roaring fireplace on a cold night makes me swoon.

Or maybe it's not that I'm unromantic, but that I can enjoy the simple things. Flowers for no reason? Yes please! That thrills me. A clean house? I'm all verklempt. A simple bubble bath when I've had a rough day? Of course! My favorite coffee surprise? I'll follow you anyway.

Maybe I am a bit of a romantic--just not in the traditional sense.

How about you? Do you have a romantic nature?

Where to start with the swag

Since I pretty much told everyone that junk the paper product swag in my previous couple of posts, I've received some emails from authors asking for suggestions. What are some inexpensive ideas? Where should they look for them?

I want to say, again, that I'm far from an expert in the art of swag. All I can say is what I like, what catches my eye and what I would be excited to see in a goodie bag.

First off, everyone loves free books. There's just nothing better for a reader to find a pile of reading material at their finger tips. They will try new authors, new genres, new *anything* if you put the book in their hands.

I know that isn't feesable for all authors to do, especially in the number of attendees for some of the reader conventions. But what about doing a joint promo with another author in the same genre with a similar voice? Sort of a "If you like me, you'll like her" thing. This can be done in a number of ways that don't have to cost an arm and a leg.

Trolling for some ideas for authors I read a guest blog post by Jennifer Kacey who will be attending Ellora's Cave RomantiCon this October.  A couple of the comments offered some great, unique suggestions, one of which I fell in love with.

How about making a "Dreaming of <Hero's Name>" sleep mask? Or with an author's name, or series, or...the possibilities are endless. Wouldn't that be awesome? (I have no idea what the cost of making something like that would be, but if you're at all crafty, I bet they wouldn't be tough to make either.)

Another place to look would be to check out what brides are offering for wedding favors. They are one of the other groups of people that routinely give items away and are working with a budget. From the few minutes I've spent looking at a couple of wedding favor sites ideas like offering a small bottle of maple syrup with a label of your Vermont-based series on them, packets of Forget Me Not seeds (again with a book label), Sunglasses, Mints in a special tin...by looking for swag in this way it opens up a whole new world of possibilities to get your name noticed by readers. That first point of contact so when they see your name on the shelf (be it virtual or the actual book shelf) they are more likely to remember it. And, maybe they'll even buy the book.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions I'd love for you to share them! After all, we're all in this together.

Thanks for stopping by.

Where Are The Rea-...er, Authors?

It's a common phrase heard among writers. Where are the readers? I just want to find the readers. If I could get even a fraction of those readers.... You get the drift. The readers are out there. romance readers in particular are voracious and will read multiple books a month. I'm trying to remember where I read that the average romance reader will read between 5-7 books a month. Sometimes more.
That's huge! That's every author's dream demographic.

But I'm going to toss out a different question. Where are the authors? Where is my next 'auto-buy' author hiding? It's the second part of the equation that we authors generally overlook. With the explosion of e-books and self publishing we have literally thousands of books available to us. Even our favorite authors are putting out books that have long been out of print, or were never published in the first place, so we recognize the author but not the book.

And, frankly, it can be a bit overwhelming. How can we tell if we're going to like a new author? It's more difficult to loan books to our other reader friends and make suggestions. And some readers develop a personal relationship to an author (thank you social media) so it's not always safe to assume that they aren't on one of the ever growing street-teams authors are putting together, or that the author isn't their friend and that they really just think you'll like this book. Not that any of those things are bad things. Not at all. Just another part of the ever complex equation for readers and authors to find one another.

For my part-it's been a process of gathering friends that I trust when it comes to book recs. I've joined reader blogs and found some new favorites that way, I've talked to readers to figure out what they like to see if I'll like the same things. And I've needed to decide if reviews will factor into my decision about purchasing a new-to-me author.

What's worked for you when it comes to finding new authors?

Wait, what?

This week I had a couple different, "Did that really just happen?" experiences.

Now, for the sake of full disclosure, I'll tell you that I'm the mother of two boys, so this is not at all an unusual state for me. For example, my 9 year old has started cussing. Not really bad cussing, but enough that he'd get bitch-slapped if his grandmother heard him. I recognize that he's doing this to see what I'll do. So, I didn't react other than to tell him that he'll get in trouble if he says that while at school. Or in front of grandma. The look of horror on his face at the thought of cursing in front of his grandmother (thus ending his spoiled rotten train he's been riding since birth) was hilarious. And the language has been cleaned up.

I also have a day job that deals with the mentally ill. I'm well versed in the state of "WTF" and "Seriously??" Some of it is pretty sad. Most of it is really pathetic and somewhat funny. (Telling a narcissistic person that they won't get their way because there is an issue that is more important/life threatening than the reason their calling? Priceless.) This probably explains my somewhat warped sense of humor. I have to laugh at myself, to see the humor in the every day things, or I'd be in some serious trouble.

So, this week I was actually approached by someone who wanted to tell me about the book they are writing. Or that they want to write. Or something.
Actually, they asked ME to write it for them, because it's such a great idea.
I'm pretty sure this is what I looked like:

I didn't say anything for a long time. What could I say? I'm pretty sure everything that was going through my mind would have been insulting to both of us.  Finally, I managed to squeek out that, while flattered she would think of me, I have to pass. I am 50K words into my current WIP, have the sequel plotted out and a new story idea is impatiently waiting in the wings. There is just no way I'd be able to do her idea justice.

My second "Did That Just Happen" moment was much more fun.

A friend from college, who I haven't seen in about 15 years, was in town. I met him and some friends of his for drinks one evening. Very casual and low key, I wasn't thinking anything of it. You know, right up until he introduced me to the group as "A successful romance novelist."
I'm pretty sure this is what I looked like:

I debated for half a second about correcting him, but I didn't want to embarrass him or make him uncomfortable, so I waited until we had a moment alone before I reminded him that, while I am flattered by his description, I'm not published yet. Thus, not successful. Yet. He gave me a hug and told me that he knew that, but success isn't measured in publishing contracts or best seller lists at this point in my career. Success is measured by persistence and drive. The rest would come.
I'm holding his words to heart.

How about you guys? Any "Did That Really Just Happen" moments you'd care to share?

On a separate topic, Emerald City Writers' Conference is now half way filled. We cap attendance at 300 and hold firm to that. Registration has only been open for ~6 weeks, so I anticipate we'll fill up way before October 1st. If you'd like more information, give me a shout.

Picking It Up

We've all heard them; the cheesy pick up lines that cause us to laugh because-really? Did you REALLY just ask me what my sign is? As if any woman over the age of twelve doesn't have a response to that (STOP! DO NOT ENTER!) ready in their hip pocket.

But, to be fair, what do you say to that really hot girl (or guy-come on girls, take ownership of what you want) and not sound like a complete knob? 

HI is always a good place to start. Hi, I'm Joey, what's your name (or if your last name is Tribiani-how you doin')? Can I buy you a drink (if you're in a bar), Would you like to dance? 

Writing romance, I'm constantly thinking of why these two characters connect, why two other characters don't. What chemistry makes them spark and, yes, what are the first words that they can say to each other that will create a buzz of interest. And it's interesting, because something that is said to one person/character that is a turn off could attract another person/character.

I was in a library back in college when a guy approached me in a library and said once of the nicest things I've ever heard; "I just needed to come and introduce myself to the woman who had such a wonderful smile."  That relationship didn't go anywhere, but I still swoon a little bit when I think of it.

Sometimes it's knowing that you're ridiculous, but getting over that awkward "I don't know you, but I'm attracted to you and really would like to know you" moment out of the way.

All in all, what matters more than anything else is being genuine. At least for me. 

And looking like Ryan Gosling wouldn't hurt.

What about you? What is the worst pick up line you've ever heard? How about the best?

Readers and Writing

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending a reader event in Washington DC. I went, not as an author, but as a reader and friend. Since I use a pen name I try to separate the two a bit-although that line gets fuzzier as the days go by.

The view of "Nick's office" from the release party location.

I was busy doing my thing, but since I know the author I was hearing little details about the readers that were coming in. A few came in early to tour and look for locations from the books. (Hello authors, research is important!)

As you know, I'm chairing the Emerald City Writers' Conference this year and have attended for the past few years, but a readers event is much different than a writers event.  For one thing, as big as the romance industry is, everyone knows someone. Especially the readers. They connect with authors in a way that is impossible for us to connect with each other. And, at an event like this, they like to talk about who they know, who they read, who they don't care for, who wasn't so nice to them when they did meet them before...it all gets around.

But more than anything, I kept realizing that so many new authors see these events and think, "That is what I want." while missing the larger picture. The readers are there, first and foremost, because of the books. Because of the quality of work that they enjoy, that provides them a release-that little moment to escape from reality and take them away from their own troubles.  We, as writers, need to concentrate on the books and the quality of our work. Let's not rush that part, the most important part, in order to have a cool release party.  Because if we do, it may be the only one we ever have.

I had a fabulous time meeting everyone and hope to do it again soon! For those who want the dirty details, the party I attended was for Marie Force's FATAL MISTAKE, the sixth book in her FATAL series, which is set in DC. The first book in the series (FATAL AFFAIR) is free until the end of the month-as are the other first books in her other series.

Writer's Block...aka pets

Angel Nicholas complained that she'd never seen a photo of my constant source of writer's block. She challenged me to blog about, so here I am, taking up the gauntlet.

 You see, this past December I finally won a year long nag-fest I'd been having with my husband; we adopted a dog. To be fair, my husband has never had a dog before (he was attacked by a neighbor's dog as a small child-leading to my mother-in-law being terrified of all dogs). He had never experienced the selfless love that dogs provide.  And now that our children are old enough to understand that a dog's ears are not teethers, that a tail isn't a leash and that type of thing, we took the plunge. I'd been searching and falling in love with every dog I came across.
Hubby took over the search and found a 2 year old boxer mix named Taz.

I met him first, and as you can guess, fell instantly in love. I set up a time for the rest of the family to come and meet him. Hubby was sold, but the boys were a little hesitant. We left Taz at his foster's house and went home to think about it some more.

The kids addressed their concerns re: the dog chewing on their toys. We reached an understanding and made arrangements to get Taz the following weekend. YAY!

Then the foster called because his dog had attacked Taz and could we move up the adoption. MOST CERTAINLY! Taz came home to live with us the 23rd of December-making a seriously divine Christmas gift for all of us.

And since our house didn't seem *quite* chaotic enough, I needed to bring in another tiny being to serve as writer's block and a distraction. About 3-4 weeks ago a friend called telling me her brother had found a tiny kitten that needed a home. If we didn't want her, he was going to take her to the shelter.

How could I say no to that face?? I couldn't. There was no way.

What I didn't realize when I agreed to take her, was that she was not just diminutive in size, as I'd thought, but really young. As in needing to be bottle fed and potty trained still. 

Lucky for me Taz was more than up to the task of acting like a daddy to the pipsqueak...who has been dubbed Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, by my super hero loving boys.  

And she's living up to the name. 

Hubby has made me promise that I won't bring home any more critters, no matter how cute they are. I had to agree. I mean, if I bring any more in I may never finish my book!

What about you? What's your current, biggest distraction? 

Worldbuilding; Not just for SciFi or Paranormal books

I've been thinking a lot about worldbuilding lately. According to wikipedia: Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world, sometimes associated with a whole fictional universe.^[1] (Click on the link for the full wikidefinition).

I love being so wrapped up in a book, in the world that the author has created that I lose myself for that brief moment in time. There are no dishes that need to be done. No children to feed, no laundry to fold. All I want to do is curl up in that little bubble and read.

In romance, we most often see worldbuiling in paranormal works: Karen Marie Moning's Fever world is Dublin, after the walls separating Faery and the Human realm collapse. Donna Grant's Warriors live in a Scotland, after a dark druid (she has another term for it in her books) releases the "Warriors" in a group of Scotsmen. JR Ward, Lara Adrian....the list goes on and on of very recognizable worldbuilding.

But what about the other genres? Certainly every book/story/series develops a world to some degree, but they aren't always as recognizable as those in the paranormals. Pamela Clare's I-Team is set in Denver and follows a group of top notch journalists in dangerous stories and events. Tara Janzen's Steele Street is also set in Denver, but it's a very different Denver than the I-Team.

Why is that? The setting is the same...mostly. The locals that are mentioned are the same, sometimes even described similarly.

The short answer that I've been able to come up with is: Character. The characters respond to their surroundings in a certain way. The way that they respond makes the world take on certain characteristics, which lay the foundation for the world to be built. This doesn't have to be a city, like my example, it can be anything. A homelife. A workplace. Whatever their environment is, the characters are reacting to it and building their own world.
Our jobs as authors, is to suck the readers into these worlds with us.





What about you? What are some of your favorite worlds? Or do you have any tips on worldbuilding?

Too Stupid to Live: A heroine's prerogative

I've often heard people complain about heroines being "Too Stupid to Live" or TStL for short.

This phenomena is when a heroine (it always seems to be the heroine) puts herself in danger and needs to be rescued by the hero. The typical damsel in distress, I guess you could say. But, the thing that makes TStL so annoying is that the heroine knows better. Most of the time it's the heroine blindly walking into danger, oblivious to the oh so obvious dangers: the blind naivety that sets reader's teeth on edge.

Or so I understand.

You see, I've never really understood why people label someone as TStL. I've always been able to justify and understand why they were desperate enough to take the steps they took. Why they felt like that was their only option. Why walking down that dark alley to meet that dark figure seemed like the only available option. 

Until now.

Recently I read a book that had me shouting at the heroine. She was so BLIND to the obvious dangers and the actions were putting her, her daughter, her sister, her lover...everyone she thought she should be protecting in life threatening peril. And it drove me bonkers.

Her need to do something, and doing the wrong thing every single time, was the major driving force of the story...which is a whole different post. But about half way through the book I realized. 

THIS is what too stupid to live looks like. I finally get it.

I wish I could have continued to live in ignorance. 

What about you? Do find a lot of heroines too TStL? Or are you more like me, able to justify and understand their actions-most of the time?

As a complete side note: Emerald City Writers' Conference sponsors the Emerald City Opener, a contest for unpublished writers. Contest closes May 31st. Go to www.gsrwa.org for more information and to enter.

Balancing the Scales

I've been having one of those phases where life is not cooperating with my plans. We've had some staffing issues at my day job which have created something of a time suck for me as I step in to help. With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, my children have become social butterflies, flitting from one party to another. And they're still in elementary school, I can't imagine what it's going to be like when they get older!

And, last but not least, is my writing. And with the writing, I'm lumping in the work I'm putting in for the Emerald City Writers' Conference, which will be taking place this October. I'm the conference chair this year, which means I get to talk to everybody involved. All the time! It's great fun.

I find myself jotting emails to my writer friends in the unlikeliest of places-all perfectly sanitary, I assure you- and sending myself notes on characters that haven't managed to grace my pages yet, or the solutions to little plot issues that have been eluding me. It's sheer chaos. And a not so secret part of me is thrilled by it.

The ideas are flowing, even if I don't have two seconds to jot them dot. The inspiration is practically beating me over the head. Plus, my guys are really stepping up to help out, which always makes me happy.

Let me share a secret with you men; you don't need to buy flowers or diamonds for your lady. All you need to do is clean the house and she will do whatever you want. 

 Seriously. I promise. ;-)

Okay, I've completely lost my train of thought on that one....oh yeah. Juggling. 

Everything seems to be hitting all at once around here. How do you juggle it all?

Chatting with Christy Reece, also known as Ella Grace

A couple days ago I introduced you to Christy Reece, author of the Last Chance Rescue series, who recently released a new series under her new pen name Ella Grace.  Over the past couple of weeks I've been emailing my questions, which Christy has graciously answered between the release of TWO books, one for each of her names.

Hopefully you'll learn something new about Christy...I know I did.

Carmen: CHANCES ARE was recently released: it's the latest LAST CHANCE RESCUE novel and your first self-published novel. How did self pubbing differ from your previous publishing experiences?

Christy: It was exciting, exhilarating, and nerve-wracking. There were so many things I didn’t know about, so many questions I had that I didn’t even know how to ask. Setting my own deadline—without a publisher telling me when the book was due was a challenge. I had some personal issues going on while I was writing the book and didn’t get it finished as quickly as I had planned. Since I was the one who set the deadline, that gave me some leeway I wouldn’t have had with a traditional publisher. Also, being able to choose the cover that depicted a scene from the book was a lot of fun. I worried that it was too racy but since it came from the book, I think readers appreciated it more. I’ve always thought a cover should help tell the story. The cover for CHANCES ARE definitely does that.

Carmen: Angela, whom readers of the LCR books previously met as the LCR office manager, isn't the typical heroine in the previous books of the series. Did you run into any challenges morphing a secondary character into a main character?

Christy: Not really. Except for RESCUE ME, most of my characters have been secondary characters in previous books. Even though Angela had never had any on page words, I had a good grip on her personality. With her working so closely with Noah McCall, I knew she would have to be a strong-willed, self assured person. However, I never knew what she looked like until McKenna and Lucas were married at the beginning of SWEET REVENGE and Jamie describes her. I think that’s when Angela came alive for me. From there, it was easy to create the rest of her personality.

Carmen: All of your LCR characters have dark pasts. Do those come to you organically as you're developing the characters, or do you have a nasty little book of awful things you can apply to characters as their pasts?

Christy: Ha. I wish I did. That would be so helpful to have a ‘disaster’ book! In my Last Chance Rescue series, most of my main characters work for LCR. They’re dedicated to their cause. That kind of dedication is usually personal, which means there’s something driving them. The concept of LCR is to rescue the innocent, no matter the cost. For a person to have that kind of drive, there’s got to be something behind it, which means something happened to them. I don’t usually know what that something is until I’m in the midst of writing the story. If the characters are talking to me, I listen. Then I write their story.

Carmen: CHANCES ARE ends with a bit of a cliff hanger, and hint as to the plans you have in store for LCR? What about Noah and Samara?

Christy: Noah is and always will be the leader of LCR. His location may change but never his life’s work. LCR is going to grow and expand beyond anyone’s expectation. (And that’s all I can say about that right now.) J

Carmen: Were there any major differences in writing a self published continuation of a series at the same time you are writing an new series under a different name?

Christy: Not really. I know my LCR characters as well or better than I know my own family. Getting to know my Wildefire characters took some time but once I immersed myself into that world, there were no real issues. 

Carmen: Midnight Secrets is the first book in a new series that you are writing under a new pen name. Were there some unexpected challenges writing as Ella that you haven't faced writing as Christy?

Christy: Yes, a few. I’d been immersed in the world of Last Chance Rescue for over five years (I wrote RESCUE ME in 2007) so taking myself into another, completely different world took some adjustment. And since my LCR characters have a tendency to be high energy, kick ass, take charge people, I had to tone them down a bit for a small Southern town.

My publisher requested that I concentrate on the relationship between the characters and the romance. Though my LCR books are full of romance, they’re plot driven, with my hero and heroine racing to solve a case and rescue someone. Sometimes the romance is put on the back burner till or while the case is solved. With the Wildefire series, the romance is front and center. Being able to develop the relationships between the hero and heroine was fun but a challenge, too. I kept wanting to throw them into danger! J

Carmen: Midnight is an incredibly quaint Southern town. Were you inspired by a specific place to weave that small town charm into Midnight?

Christy: Having lived in small communities and small towns a good part of my life, I’ve seen and experienced small town dynamics. And I’ve been to places like Faye’s Diner, Tillie’s Hair Today and Gertie’s Wash and Wait. Small towns are a unique entity. It was fun to create a small Southern town with all its different delights and eccentricities. 

Carmen: In both your LCR series and MS, your villain/s are incredibly twisted. How do you get into the mind of the most vile of characters?

Christy: I honestly don’t know. When the story idea comes to me, the villain is only a mist of an idea. As the story takes shape, so do my characters, including the villain. My stories develop organically, so I rarely know exactly what kind of villain I’m dealing with, however I do like to evenly match my antagonist with my protagonists. My hero and heroine deserve a worthy villain to defeat. When they triumph, I want it to feel like a victory.

Carmen: Were you surprised by any of the twists that came about as you were writing the Midnight Series?

Christy: I’m always surprised by the twists in my stories. That’s half the fun of writing to me. And I figure that if I’m surprised, then readers will be, too.

Carmen: The concept of that one moment of time in someone's past shaping and changing their life is incredibly powerful. Did that moment for the Wilde sisters hit you and you knew it would be a series?

Christy: I have a tendency to write in trilogies. I think my brain became trained that way because that’s how my LCR books were released. When I agreed to write a new series, I needed at least three characters who could star in their own book. The idea of writing about triplet girls came to me. Then I needed a defining moment for each sister. It made sense that an event occurred that they all shared. Their parents’ murder/suicide changed each sister significantly but in different ways. I’m fascinated by how the exact same event can shape each person so differently.

Carmen: Which of the Wilde sisters do you identify with (personally) most? Why?

Christy: All three of them probably have a little of me. I was a bookworm like Savannah, a cheerleader like Samantha, and kind of ‘different’ like Sabrina. However, I like to think of my heroines as individuals who have their own personalities without me molding them into something I want them to be. Yes, I know that sounds weird but after all, I am writer

Carmen: What is the craziest thing you've done in the name of research?

Christy: Ha. I’m not known for my crazy research strategies. I’m usually sitting at my computer for hours looking up obscure information that leads me down a path I never expected to go.

When I first started writing, I needed to talk to the Atlanta police department about their arrest procedures. I was living in Indiana at the time and called directory assistance for their number. When I called the number, I was embarrassed and shocked that it was the 911 emergency number in Atlanta. The operator was kind enough to connect me to the public affairs office but I cringe even now when I think of that.

Carmen: If you could trade places for one day with any of your characters, which one would it be? Why?

Christy: Oh, I think I’d have to go with Inez Peebles, the oldest resident of Midnight. She seems to know everything that goes on in that town. I think I would refrain from eating the clove of garlic she insists on eating everyday, though.

Thank you so much for stopping by and answering my-endless- questions!

We will be giving away a digital copy of CHANCES ARE as well as a signed copy of MIDNIGHT SECRETS today, so be sure to leave a comment along with any questions I didn't think to ask Christy. (I swear, it didn't seem like that many when I was sending the emails!)

2 days until Christy Reece/Ella Grace stops by!

That's right, 2 days. 

Day after tomorrow. 

Also known as: 

I'm so excited that Christy is going to be stopping by. She is one of the people that started me down my path to writing. I can't remember all the details, but a few years ago I took one of her characters and wrote a short scene, just for fun. It involved a potato silencer, guns and possums. It was riveting, let me tell you. (Ha!) But because of that one little scene Christy reached out to me and told me I had talent. (Seriously?) She pushed me to join RWA, strong armed me to step out of my comfort zone and attend my first meeting at my local RWA chapter (GSRWA) even though it was about taxes and I didn't think I should attend. She sent me a few resources about writing romance which she found helpful when she was starting out...all of it. I couldn't have asked for a better cheerleader or friend in my corner. 

So, to introduce you to Christy (who has just released a book as Ella Grace as well) I wanted to point out a few things you might not know about her. Directly from her website.

Seven Obscure Things You Might Not Know About Me:.  

1) I once jumped out of a plane to impress a guy. (Fortunately, I had a parachute attached to me)

2) When vacationing, I prefer the beach or lake. (Hubby prefers the mountains)

3) I once fell asleep on a plane and got off at the wrong airport. (It wasn’t funny at the time)

4) I adore all animals but am partial to dogs. (I have 5)

5) Weeping willows and Mimosas are my favorite trees. (I’m allergic to both)

6) My first day of college, I walked into the men’s bathroom. (I thought it was a classroom. Honest!)

7) My dream vacation is Scotland and Ireland. (I’m quite certain I will see Gerard Butler)

Be sure to stop by on Friday to chat with Christy. There may even be a prize being offered. ;-)

See you all then!

Carmen