Archive for July, 2010

Keeping Good Thoughts

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

I’ve kind of had it with this year.micah trimmed

Every time I think we might possibly be out of the woods, however briefly, something comes along to hit us between the eyes again.

This time it’s our dear treat-loving dog, Micah, who is celebrating his birthday this week by having surgery this morning.

Yesterday he came up to me, bumped his head into me as he is wont to do, and I reached down to rub his head and chest and – ohmigod – the mass on the right side of his chest (beneath three or four inches of camouflaging fur) is as big as both my hands.  Where did that come from?

Took him to the vet Monday. Vet said, “We have to get this off of him.  He could lose the use of his leg. Or worse.” It was the “or worse” that made me ill.  Losing the use of his leg is bad enough. I don’t want to think about the “or worse.”

So Micah is sleeping beside the bed as I write this. And I am rubbing his head with my bare toes, and praying that his surgery in a few hours goes as smoothly as can be. Praying that he comes out of it with his leg in good shape and all his ligaments attached. And the tumor gone.  And that he gets to come home and have a treat (or two or ten) in the evening.

He and I will be sleeping downstairs on the air-bed so he doesn’t have to climb.

Keep good thoughts. Say prayers. Do whatever you do best for dear dogs who need to get through surgery and keep healthy and strong.  He’s going to be 8 on Friday.  I want him to have lots of years left.

Wanna Win A Book?

Monday, July 12th, 2010

book_stack Or two?

Or three?

Go to my contest page and sign up there – sending me your snail mail address to get into the drawing.  I’ve got lots of books (some mine, most other peoples’) that I want to pass on. Some are gently read. Some are brand-new.  All of them would love to come to your house.

So enter now.

Mitch and Micah, my intrepid treat-chomping Golden Retrievers, will be choosing winners (and there will be lots of them since I have a book-a-day since mid-May to add to my give-away pile).

Among the books to be given away are:

Week Thirteen

  • Never Less Than a Lady, by Mary Jo Putney
  • One Dance With a Duke, by Tessa Dare
  • Gallows Thief, by Bernard Cornwell
  • Lots of Love, by Fiona Walker
  • Kept For Her Baby, by Kate Walker
  • When the Duke Returns, by Eloisa Jamestheinconvenientbride_us
  • Light in Shadow, by Jayne Ann Krentz

Week Fourteen:

  • Blood Brothers, by Nora Roberts
  • The Inconvenient Bride, by Anne McAllister
  • Loving a Lost Lord, by Mary Jo Putney
  • Lessons in French, by Laura Kinsale
  • If You Could See Me Now, by Cecelia Ahern
  • The Devil’s Bargain, by Robyn Donald
  • Midnight Confessions, by Candice Proctor

 

More to come! 

Since I got so far behind, you can enter more than one time this month. Mitch and Micah will accept up to three entries. 

Regular Programming Is Being Resumed

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

I think (perhaps erroneously, but I hope not) that I’ve finally got a grip on an edge of my life again. 

I’m starting a new book this week after six months of not writing because of family obligations.  My hero has changed his name (yes, this is regular programming, and I should have expected it) and he might be changing his occupation (well, he’s not the same guy, obviously).  But so far my heroine seems to be hanging in there, bless her heart.

Thevirginsproposition_uk “It’s because I’m steadfast,” she told me.  Her name is Edie.  And she’s the business manager – and daughter –- of Mona Tremayne, whom you may remember if you have read The Virgin’s Proposition.  If you haven’t, it will be along in September in the US.  Edie is the one who has been keeping her mother’s life and career together. She’s the one, I discovered, who has been holding the entire family together for years.

She takes good care of everyone – except herself. 

Of course Edie thinks she’s taking care of herself.  She eats, she sleeps, she exercises, she takes her vitamins.  And she never goes out with Unsuitable Men.  Or any men at all for that matter.

She’s very well defended, our Edie.  And she isn’t about to let What’s-His-Name, our hero, mess with he family – or her life. 

What’s-His-Name, as you might imagine, has his work cut out for him.  I can see it now. 

I can even see him. I’m just not sure what his name is. Oddly, I can’t picture Edie, but I can hear her.  She’s been talking in my ear for the past month or so.  In fact, I can hear both of them.  I just wish he’d tell me his name. It would be a start.

I’m getting excited about getting going. A name, would help.   Gio17

I’m excited, too, about having spent a month watching the ‘men in shorts’ at the World Cup. Their stamina is amazing.  So are their legs – and some of them could feature in my books.  I’ll miss them (though through the largesse of my telephone company I have three months free of their ‘sports package’ so I won’t miss them completely. Not until October anyway).

Also, I’m gathering books for the Great Book Give-away and will be posting them later this week. There will be lots as I have something like 8 or 9 weeks’ worth to catch up on. 

Stay tuned. Better yet, send me an email from the ‘contact Anne’ on the sidebar or from my contact page, giving me your snail address. Chances are good you’ll win a book – or two or even three.  We’re doubling or trebling up since June didn’t get posted at all and I still have part of May and the first half of July to post. 

  AND – stopjustified - ab by The Pink Heart Society on July 12 for the Male on Monday post, which is mine and which follows up my last post there about a Must-Watch television series. 

I wrote that about Justified, the new FX series starring Timothy Olyphant. Guess who my Male on Monday is this week!

I thought maybe, in the interests of regular programming, I should give you a few more bonus pictures here.  Just, y’know, because I’m glad to be back and hope you will be, too.

So, what you have been up to?  Read any good books lately?  Seen any good movies?  Gone any place truly memorable?  I feel like I’ve been out of touch forever, which I pretty much have been.

Talk to me! justified-blind-spot

 

justified hatless