July 25, 2010

New Friends

   At a recent book signing in Books Plus, a charming shop in our historic district of Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida, I made new friends. 
  Hi to Charlie and his mother, Suzanne. Mom is readying to teach more 1st graders in the fall term.  Thank you, Suzanne, and to all those early teachers who taught us love for the written word.

Charlie, Suzanne and Jane Marie

***

   Allyssa and Angelica are very sweet sisters.  Allyssa is the reader of the two.  I told Angelica it is likely I will name a main character Angelica Ornez in Mark of a Man, the 3rd book in my Goodbye Lie series set on Amelia Island in 1898.  I think she liked that idea.  Me, too!   
Angelica and Allyssa with Jane Marie


Hugs and Blisses to all!

July 20, 2010

What Is Your Empty Title?

Are you the Wizard of Walnuts or perhaps Chief Baseboard Inspector? Become a follower/fan of this Gracious Jane Marie BLOG BLOG BLOG and/or Jane Marie -author on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jane-Marie/35558229108?ref=ts and join our Blog Staff.  As a fulfilling reward, you can  name you own empty-title! That way, when you enter discussions and make comments, the whole world will discover your expertise. So long as it's tasteful and particularly silly, you will be an unofficial part of our wacky staff. And boy do we have fun at our staff meetings!

Hugs and Blisses!

July 15, 2010

Kitty Funnel Tunnel

Our whole goal is to make Spew extra happy in his old age. To that end, we have developed the Funnel Tunnel. Let me explain. You see, for some strange reason our cats prefer to drink our master bath tap water as opposed to our double filtered water in the kitchen. This is America, after all, so they can drink anywhere they darn well want. It would be cruel of us to shut them out of the back just to keep their flying fur from our room. Let us just say we have to stand on a fresh towel to put on our dark dresses and slacks lest they become covered in kitty hair.



Therefore, we very cleverly created the Funnel Tunnel. Tunnel because we leave the hall and bathroom doors of the linen closet ajar, thereby keeping them out of our adjoining sleeping chamber. This makes the perfect direct path to their water and keeps their hair out of our room. Since there is a box overflowing with antique dresser scarves on the floor taking up 7/8s of the floor space, hence the funnel part of the name.


Now that we have carefully calculated a way to keep the cats hydrated while maintaining our relatively fur free bedroom, there we are dressing in our American Legion/American Legion Auxiliary garb for an upcoming patriotic event, feeling so smart about the situation. As we glory in our success, still standing on the clean towels to make sure no left behind airborne white fur lands on our navy blue pants, I feel something pressing against my left calf. I look down to see the hairiest critter of all, Spew, rubbing against my leg. We have forgotten to close the bathroom door into our room. So much for all our scheming. Perhaps automatic door closures might be the answer.


In any case, furred or unfurred, the cats have their Funnel Tunnel to run back and forth- and in circles when we forget to close that third door- to for their favorite bathroom sink water. Oh, we put said water in a bowl on the floor for those of you who thought the cats drank from the facet. …We will leave that story for another time and the featured player in the tale will be Button aka Little Naughty ...

July 14, 2010

Home Grown

Nothing beats the satisfaction of fresh sliced tomatoes grown by your own hand, with some major help from Mr. Sunshine, Madam Rain and Mother Earth.  Excuse me while I dine.  I'll be back!

July 9, 2010

News Flash! Featured Deal!

FreshFiction.com has included my Goodbye Lie series on their popular readers' website, http://freshfiction.com/book.php?id=40004! $4.59 gets you Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow in Ebook form! What a bargain! Just click on the Buy From Publisher button on the link above and enjoy. Of course, the paper back versions of my novels are there on the right, too.

Remember, after reading either one, the other, or both, I love to hear from you, get your take on the storyline, the characters... Leave a comment here below or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/help/?ref=drop#!/pages/Jane-Marie/35558229108?ref=sgm.

When I have my contests, I randomly pick the winner from followers on this blog and Facebook. Is this a bribe? No, because I'm sure you'll love the Dunnigan family, players all in this series set on Amelia Island, Florida in the 1880s, in their good times and sad. If you like Little House on the Prairie and love Gone With The Wind, you and I will be instant best friends because my stories are just plain fun. Romance, surprises, mystery, adventure, shock - with all that, how could they not be fun?

I just had a reader, who was part way through Velvet Undertow, contact me. She was so furious with Grey McKenna that she couldn't stand him! Let's just say he softened her up by the end of the story. :-)

Hugs and Blisses,

Jane Marie