Great Book Give-away Update!

Hi,

I've stolen my blog back from Christo (and Natalie, apparently) just briefly to say that I've sent off the books to the winners from weeks one, two and am just finishing up week three.

If you commented on a blog piece in week three, you should also just hit the 'contact me' link at the bottom of the page and send me your name and address. Some people put them in comments, but if you would prefer not to (and I generally would prefer not to) sending it to me via the contact link means I will have it. Otherwise, I don't get your email address, so I have no way to contact you to ask you for it so I can send you a book.

The response has been really good -- and I'm delighted to be supporting the US postal service sending out all these books. I hope that those who receive them will enjoy them and maybe will find a new author they like or at least a book they will have enjoyed.

I'm getting the finishing touches on the cleaned-up house prior to Sol's arrival. All things knee-level and below have been vetted for chew-ability and put up high if they don't pass muster.

Also doing the line-edits and copyedits of George's book which have to be returned next week. As if I'll be doing them when I could be playing with Sol. Maybe Christo would like to do them, too, along with standing in for me here! I'll have to ask him.

Happy New Year!

There are grandchildren everywhere.

I consider this a good sign for the coming year. I tripped over three bodies in the middle of the living room this morning while trying to get to the kitchen in the dark (hey, it was 4:45!) to make tea before we took daughter and granddaughter to the airport. And there were grandsons scattered all over. They looked like a pile of puppies.

Why -- when there are perfectly good beds upstairs, not to mention two perfectly good air mattresses in the dining room -- they all prefer to sleep on the rug or on the sofa or wherever they drop, is beyond me. Actually I think they must sleepwalk.

But I'm glad they are here -- even if they did create an obstacle course in the dark of earliest morning.

We have been to the airport now -- and returned home -- and the daughter and granddaughter are now in Chicago, where they practically arrived before we got home. (The puppies are still in the living room on the sofa, having moved from the floor).

* * *

Now I'm gearing up for the new year.

I expect George and Sophy to resurface sometime in the next week or two, doubtless requiring revisions of some sort. I hope they are not extensive, but mostly I hope whatever the ed suggests makes it a better book. Usually her revision ideas help. My editor has a good eye -- and a good sense of story.

In the meantime, I'm getting ideas for a new book, which is nice.

I rather like having had a couple of weeks to just be a real person without a book in my life. It was a nice change. I was actually surprised when the ideas began bubbling up for a new story. Not a lot there yet, but it is coming. I hope I get enough to discuss with my editor by the time I've got George back and gone again.

This year is my 25th anniversary of publication. Starstruck, which was my second book, but my first to see the light of day as a published novel, came out in February 1985.

So to celebrate the event, I'm going to begin giving away a book a day starting February 1st. Some of them will be my books. Some will be other peoples' that I've enjoyed. It seems like a good way to celebrate a career in romance fiction -- giving away copies of good books.

Stay tuned and I'll be posting more about the Great Book Give-Away soon. Also Liz Fielding and Kate Walker and I will, I believe, be running our annual Here Come the Grooms! contest before long. I might have to find a copy of Starstruck as a prize in that contest as Joe, the hero, was my first groom. I wonder if there is still a copy back in darkest reaches of my attic.

Will have to go check. If I don't reappear, send search parties.

Speaking of which, The Prof has gone out to look for the daughter's cell phone where they went hiking and climbing yesterday and the cell phone disappeared. It's about 10 below zero this morning, so if he doesn't get back in an hour or two, I'm sending out search parties for him.

It's Spring in December

At least it feels that way. The temperature is nearly 60 F this afternoon. I know it's December 1st, but it sure doesn't feel that way.

I am so tempted to go on long walks with the dogs, but I'm in nose-to-grindstone mode with George and Sophy. They need to be finished by December 15th and I'm on track to get there. It would be nice to have a week beyond it to 'tweak' it myself before the ed makes her own tweaking suggestions. But that would take us too close to Christmas, so it's not going to happen. I just want to get it out of the house before the holidays.

I'm pretty well done with Christmas shopping. The internet has made my life so much easier that way. But I still have to find something fun for the 5 year old twin grandsons. Got any suggestions? They're each getting a sweater, but that's no fun for kids. So I'm open to suggestions. The rest of the grandkids are all taken care of as are the kids and The Prof.

I was talking with a friend the other day about Christmas gifts and I said that the best gifts I ever got were from two aunts who, each in her own way, seemed to understand what I would like even when I didn't realize it myself. One of them bought books regularly -- and they were always really special books that I usually had never heard of, but then fell in love with. And the other, who taught piano, was always good at thinking of record albums (this was pre-CD, you understand) that I would love.

So I'm trying to think about the people I'm buying for and come up with things they'd like. That's why I know the sweaters will only please the twins' parents. But I need something else for the boys that they will like.

Their dad says they like all sports, games, DVDs and books. Got any good ideas?

What was the best present you ever got? Do you still have it?

One More Birthday Boy

This is indeed the birthday week at our house -- finishing off today with our oldest grandson, Eric, who is seventeen.

I don't know how Eric could be old enough to drive cars and have a girlfriend and play hoops and score touchdowns, not to mention sing in his high school choir.

It seems like just the other day he was playing "western town" with the Fisher-Price guys.

Wasn't it last week we were reading alternate chapters of Seaman: the Dog Who Went With Lewis and Clark?

And it couldn't have been more than last summer that he was taking our dear dogs Jake and Cookie on walks.

How could he have three younger brothers -- one of them 11 and two of them 5?

Not possible!

It couldn't have been ten years ago that he and The Prof and I and Gunnar drove to Montana -- with Eric navigating. That boy could read maps before he could talk.

It was a memorable trip. He got to throw buffalo cake to the buffalo on our friends' ranch. He got to climb up to the falls near Bozeman and throw rocks over the edge. He got to learn about dinosaur digs at the Museum of the Rockies. And every day he wrote about it in a journal so his mom and dad would have a record of what he did (and because one of his grandmas is a writer and the other is a librarian and we both believed that he should write something, too).

He did.

He and I made it into a book, complete with pictures, when we got home. Just the other day I found our copy of his book, Eric's Excellent Adventure when I was cleaning out the back bedroom -- the bedroom which has been through lots of kids, including his own father, but which as often as not is called Eric's room.

Because he was the first -- and for 5 years an only -- we did a lot of stuff together. He was my right-hand man when we went down to Kansas to help his aunt and uncle get ready to move to Texas.

He was the only one, at times, who could get his two year old cousin to be reasonable. He has that ability -- to be cool and calm and sensible when everyone else is not.

His mom says he's a lot like his grandma. She means his other grandma -- trust me.

She's right, too. His other grandma is a terrific person. So is he.

Last year we got to watch him play baseball on the same team with his dad one night. This year we got to watch him play football on national TV. This season, for the first time, he and I get to cheer for the same pro football team -- his team, the Vikings -- because my quarterback is his quarterback now.

It's fun. He's fun. It's true what they say: grandchildren are great.

Especially this one.

He has brought tremendous joy into our lives. And he set the bar very high for all the subsequent grandchildren. They have a lot to live up to after Eric.

Happy birthday, E!

The Birthday Mom -- and Boys!

This is birthday week at our house.

My mom celebrated her 90th on Tuesday -- but wouldn't let me take my camera to her party. So I can't show you the event here. She said, enough! And she meant it. So here's one from when she wasn't 90.

There are other birthdays, too.

My favorite son-in-law's birthday is today. And he's camera-phobic, too. So I can't show you him celebrating, either. He's also my only son-in-law, which he continually reminds me. But that doesn't make him any less a favorite. Once he saved my daughter's life. How can I not love the man?

And then there are the twins.

Cooper and Carson are five today. They have a camera at their house, but I'm not there. I just talked to them on the phone and their mom says go ahead and put up summer pics -- they haven't changed all that much.

Well, no.

I can't tell them apart half the time now and I couldn't tell them apart half the time then. But I love them dearly even when I don't know which one I'm talking to.

They looked a lot different five years ago. They weren't supposed to arrive in October. They weren't due until two days after Christmas. We had a rough few weeks.

But as you can see, they've turned out fine. The wonders of modern medicine have done a great job. They are hale and hearty and make life interesting.

Happy birthday, boys! Love you!

The Difference Between Men and Women

A friend sent me one of those emails the other day which explained why men never got depressed. It was funny and rather true and I passed it on to a few people I suspected would appreciate it.

Differences between men and women always interest me, and I think people who say there aren't any -- besides the biological, of course -- are, um, mistaken.

Later the same day I got further corroborating evidence in case anyone wants to dispute it.

My kids and I have a "dropbox" folder into which we put pictures, articles, etc. that we believe the others will want to share. (If you don't use dropbox and you want a useful online way of sharing large files and syncing material over several computers -- Michelle, are you listening? -- this could be your answer.)

Anyway, into my "family photos and stuff" dropbox the other night twenty-six pictures fell.

No indication who posted them at first.

Then, due to the identity of the grandkids in the photos -- Ellie and Hank -- it became clear which family they were from.

It also became clear who sent them -- my son or my daughter-in-law.

There were five pictures of the kids -- four of Ellie looking as if she were hunting for a rock to throw at her cousin, and one of Hank looking like, well . . . Hank -- and twenty-one pictures of every conceivable angle that it is possible to photograph a beat-up, needing-desperately-t0-be-restored Ford truck and camper, including four taken from underneath it.

Any questions?

Why I Don't Have My Revisions Finished, II

The real reasons I haven't got my revisions finished:









:








Enough said?

The Great American Road Trip

Miss me?

I had no idea I would be gone so long, but time flies when you're driving . . . and driving . . . and driving.

We left a week ago Monday to take a a couple of days to reach Montana to visit grandkids (and of course their parents). I hadn't been there since Hank was born and he is now three months old -- and has definitely changed a lot. Big Sis hasn't changed as much, but she didn't tip her chair over and need stitches in her head this time and we count that as a plus.

I love Montana -- even when it's the Land Of Snow And More Snow. But this time it was idyllic -- sunny, just warm enough, late afternoon rain showers that disappeared over the mountains about an hour after they arrived. Everything was green and bright and cheerful. I didn't want to leave.

Except . . .

We were heading to Washington to visit the newest grandson -- whom we hadn't yet met. That was an incentive, believe me. But we didn't make a headlong dash. Instead we detoured by La Grande, Oregon where one of my mother's first cousins and her husband of 71 years are living.

I hadn't seen them since I was ten. It felt like yesterday -- but I didn't have quite so much gray in my hair at age 10. I was skinnier too.

In any case, we had a wonderful time. They toured us all over the area, showed us the best bits of their part of the world, then took us out to eat at a wonderful Mexican restaurant. It was a treat, and we were sorry to leave.

Finally now we've arrived in Washington. We've met Sol, who is remarkably like his father. Pictures didn't do the resemblance justice, but seeing the big feet and hands certainly did. Plus in animation, he is very much his Daddy's boy.

Lovely trip. Now we get to spend a week here. And I get to tuck in Demetrios's revisions while I'm visiting Sol and, I hope, touching base with several other long lost relatives. Great fun. One of the best vacations I've had in years.

I loved my work trip to Cannes last autumn, but I must say I have found this to be a lovely change of pace. There's nothing like going across 2300 miles of America to make you appreciate the beauty and diversity of this country -- and to enjoy so many interesting people.

What about you? Are you a fan of family vacations? Getting away from it all? Exotic places? Give me some suggestions? I love to travel.

Sol's Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Linda Henderson of Missouri who is the winner of Sol's Contest!

Micah and Mitch went to town gobbling treats today and picked Linda's name from among the entries. They were very grateful to everyone who entered -- as was Sol (or he would be if he understood these things. He's working on it. His other grandma assures me that he is getting smarter and more aware every day).

RWA is going on in Washington DC. Lots of partying and conferencing and whatnot going on.

Here we have finished sports camp and have a couple of winners here, as well.

Every year the kids get 'brands' on wooden paddles that symbolize the qualities they are striving for during the week.

This year grandson got LOVE and ENTHUSIASM, and granddaughter got ATTITUDE and DEDICATION. (Her mother says this means she's dedicated -- with Attitude).

I'm delighted for both of them. They worked really hard, had an 'awesome' time, and are both already figuring out what sports they want to major in next year. He's got lacrosse on his mind. I'm not sure what she's settled on yet.

He went home tonight. She's going home tomorrow. It's going to be very quiet here without them.

But I have plenty to do. I need to get Demetrios through his unexpected love scene -- and start packing. The dog sitters are coming . . . the dog sitters are coming . . .

Again, congratulations to Linda from Micah and Mitch and me -- and Sol.

Mom Camp III

Here we are at Mom Camp.

Well, not this pic. This is the grandkids -- and several hundred kids all at the same camp. But because they are, we have Mom Camp for the third year running.

It's the week my daughter and I look forward to all year, when her daughter and whichever cousins are the right age (only one this year) go to our local university sports camp from 8:30 in the morning until 9:30 in the evening and she and I get to enjoy each other's company.

This year Mom Camp has taken a slightly different spin because our side-kick and honorary member, my cousin's 16 year old daughter, isn't here to join us. She thought the Naval Academy at Annapolis was a better alternative. Some people really have no idea about what constitutes A Good Thing.

So it's just been the two of us -- and she had to give a final and do some preparation for fall classes, and I finally have my revision letter. So the mornings at Mom Camp are filled with WORK (and occasional breaks for tea and the Tour de France).

The afternoons, however, we've been doing fun stuff -- and napping. As a rule I don't nap. It usually makes me feel worse than I felt simply tired. But I've been fading in the afternoons so far this week, so I haven't fought it off or 'played through' it.

Last year, you may remember that we had a crisis on the first day of sports camp when the elder child knocked out his teeth. This year -- so far -- no one has done anything untoward. At least no one we're related to.

But the week is early yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

Hard to type that way, but I feel it's safer.

The revision letter was very useful. I'm blessed with an editor who has both a grasp of what the book needs and what I do well. And she's probably the only editor for Presents who has ever told ME to make my hero nicer.

Nicer?

Hard to imagine. McAllister heroes ARE nice. They could hardly be nicer.

And yet, I understand what she's saying. When they brood they can get surly and annoying -- and she wants Demetrios to stop being quite so surly.

No problem. I can do that. It's the surly bit that I have trouble with (maybe that's why it didn't work).

I'm very glad she knows what I can do -- what my voice requires -- and encourages me to do it. Don't know how much of it I'm going to be able to finish this week, but if I don't get it all done (and that doesn't seem likely), it will come along with me on our trip west.

I wish I could leave it here for Mitch and Micah and the dogsitters who are living with them, but I can't expect them to do revisions for me, too.

People are beginning to gather in Washington, DC for the RWA National conference. I've had emails from a couple of friends who've arrived today and spoke with Anne Gracie who is in New York visiting her editor and agent before the conference. I envy them the trip, but I have plans of my own for NYC coming up in the autumn.

But more about that later. In the meantime, I'm off to revise chapter three.

Happy Anniversary to Kate Walker and Mr Kate Walker who are, even as I write this, winging their way to Washington. Hope you and the mister enjoy the conference, Kate.

If you were at RNA, did you have a good time? What was the best part? If you're on your way to RWA, I don't expect you'll have time to comment, but I'd love to hear from you about the conference and what you learned.

Don't forget, if you haven't entered Sol's contest, you have until July 16th to do so. Send entries from the contest webpage, please.

Sol's Contest

As Henry had a contest to celebrate his arrival 10 weeks ago, it is only fair that Sol has his own contest now.

He was due on the 4th of July, so the contest officially begins then. But if you jump the gun (as Sol did) and enter early, that's okay with me (and Sol).

His contest is a short one because we've got lots of stuff going on mid-month (other grandkids coming for summer camp) and then we're going to be getting ready to go visit Sol himself and (this is the traumatic part) cleaning the house to get it ready for friends who are coming to stay here while we are gone.

So . . . if you want to win the "Welcome Sol" Goody Box, go to the contest page and answer the two questions you need to answer.

1. Which book of mine is up for the RITA award this year?
2. Which two books of mine have won the RITA previously?

The answers aren't hard to find. They're on my website. One of them is on the blog as well.

Send me an email from the link there with the answers and put "Welcome Sol" in the subject line so I'll know it's a contest entry.

The winner -- drawn by Mitch and Micah because Sol is too little to choose himself -- will be drawn after midnight July 17 and will be posted as soon as my webmistress can manage it on the contest page. I'll also announce it here.

The winner gets a Goody Box of:

• books (a couple of mine, a couple of my friends', some just really good books I'll be talking about in the next couple of weeks including a great historical trilogy by Joanna Maitland, a new book by Carla Kelly and, well, wait and see!),
  
• some chocolate (no contests without chocolate),
  
• other good nibbly things,
  
• a stuffed frog or a stuffed dog (I'll let Sol's parents choose),
  
• and some other things I have yet to figure out.

Stay tuned for details. But stop by the contest page, answer the questions, and send me your entry.

Feel free to say welcome to Sol and hi to Mitch and Micah while you're at it.

It's a(nother) Boy!

Bright and early this morning we learned of the birth of yet another grandson.

His name is officially Solomon Turner, but his dad says he's called Sol.

Sol was supposed to arrive July 4th, but he apparently got bored and decided now was the time.

From the early pix, he looks fit and healthy. He weighed in at 7 lbs 10 oz, and is already making his presence known out west.

We are thrilled to welcome him to the family and looking forward to meeting him in person about a month from now.

The last gasp

So I'm up to my neck in chapters that need sorting and some scenes that need writing before I can say this book is done.

I'm intending to get it done by Monday. That means a lot of work between now and then. But after today, which had enough electric storms to do me for the whole summer, I'm hoping for less interruption tomorrow.

Plus The Prof, the eldest son and four of the grandsons are going camping for Father's Day -- a tradition that began a few years ago. They bond over dirt, bugs, sunburn, pain, charred food and other fun things -- and I (and the dogs) have the homefront to ourselves.

We are planning a marathon of writing. Wish us luck. If all the boats are in a row come Tuesday morning, you will know that Demetrios and Anny are on their way to England (a heck of a lot faster than they got from Cannes to Santorini)!

Computer Shopping

Every few years it seems imperative to find -- and buy -- a new computer.

Generally it's because the old one is weighted down with more programs than it knows what to do with. It runs (no, it walks) as if it has all the time in the world. I can not only brush my teeth while it's booting up, I can floss as well!

And since I wrenched my shoulder running through O'Hare last fall with the albatross laptop and the Asus EEE PC both in my backpack (when I went to Texas to take care of GlowKid when she had mono), I've been thinking 'less is more.' And way less (weight) on my shoulder is a much much better idea.

I reconfirmed this when I went to Montana in early May.

But the most compelling reason for getting a new laptop lately is my oldest grandson who wants to inherit the walk-don't-run laptop with the wonky battery.

"It's fine," he says. "No problem. I don't care. It's better than what I've got."

Since what he has is a desktop system that doesn't have even a passing acquaintance with the term 'pentium' he could be right.

In any case, I spent my 'free time' late last week in search of the perfect laptop -- the best blend of speed and agility and lack of weight that I could find. In my price range.

I tend to be something of a skinflint when it comes to computers.

As usual when I found what I wanted in an ideal world, I was sure I couldn't afford it. So I started figuring out other alternatives.

And that's what led me to 'refurbished' computers.

If you have experience or opinions about refurbished computers, feel free to jump in and share the benefits of your expertise. Not that it isn't already too late. But I'll be very interested in what you have to say.

My 'refurbished' ideal computer is on its way.

Maybe it will be a disaster. Maybe it will turn to dust on the spot. But if it does turn to dust within the year, it's under warranty. And my computer guru Fred assures me that if it's going to screw up (or turn to dust), it is more likely to do so in the first year than at any other time.

He called this the 'high rate of infant mortality' among computers.

Who knew?

Not me. Anyway, the new 'refurbished' computer has already been shipped. It arrives late this week, complete with warranty.

I probably won't even get to enjoy it or use it at all (other than taking my copy of Word Perfect off the wonky laptop and putting it on the new one) until I get Demetrios and Anny finished and on their way.

But once I do, I will be cleaning off all my other old programs and moving them to the newbie. I will also try to see how much faster I can get Old Wonky to run before I pass it on to the grandson.

If you're really good at this sort of thing, I'd be grateful for your advice.

And if you're not advising, at least keep your fingers crossed -- for both of us.

What You Never Forget About Being A Parent

What you never forget? How things can change in a split second.

Your kids grow up. They have kids of their own. And the grandkids are fine one minute. And the next minute one is on her way to the emergency room.

Just like that.

There we were at dinner, just finishing up when Ellie decided she was done.

Kicked her feet out. Shoved against the table. Tipped herself right over backwards and we all watched in horror as she and the chair nailed the hardwood floor at a rate of knots.

You know how kids sometimes don't cry because it hurts so much they are gearing up to split everyone's eardrums in three counties. That's pretty much the way it was -- dead silence as her dad snatched her up -- and then came the shriek.

And then the blood.

Concussions are one thing. A bad thing. Blood along with concussions is worse.

It makes everything so much more -- red.

And obviously urgent.

So we left Henry and his mother at home -- Henry colicky and his mother beyond anxious -- and were on our way into town to the ER in less than a minute. We arrived no doubt faster than the speed limits allow.

Ellie was a trooper even though we spent three hours there. She hung onto her dad while she got the lay of the land. Then we all read books and looked at the pictures on the ceiling (good idea, that) and waited. They were doing a land office business in the ER tonight.

Ellie endured. She pretty much only screamed when someone was trying to do something dire to her -- like put staples in her head.

In the end, they gave her three stickers which she loved, a headband to keep the leaking blood off the sheets, which lasted, um, until we got to the door of the hospital, and then we drove home through a rainstorm that turned to a snowstorm as we got closer to the foothills. Glad my son was driving.

Now she has gone to bed and is due to be awakened every couple of hours tonight by her mom who said, "Of course I'm going to do it. I won't be able to sleep anyway."

How well I remember. It comes right back.

So while we are waiting, I am writing my scheduled bit of Demetrios because I can't sleep either.

There's nothing like a bit of adrenaline to focus the mind. I remember that, too.

On my way!

I'm leaving bright and early Saturday to go visit Ellie and Henry.

I have Demetrios and Anny packed and they had better cooperate while I'm out there or we are going to be in serious trouble when I get back. Think good thoughts for them.

I'm getting a handle on George. Not the 'inciting incident' -- but the actions he takes once it happens, whatever it turns out to be.

Have fun while I'm gone. I'll touch base when I can, which might be every day or so. And I will for sure be back with Ellie and Henry to choose the winner of the Mothers and Babies Contest which ends at midnight between Saturday and Sunday next week.

If you haven't entered, you should. There are some great books in the goody box by authors like Julia Quinn, Christie Craig, and Jodie Thomas, among others, as well as books from me and Kate Walker and Liz Fielding. There will be other goodies as well -- and a frog from Henry. Who could pass that up?

Check out the contest page on my website, answer the three questions there and send them to me from that page, putting Mothers and Babies Contest in the subject line. I'll be sure your entry gets in the folder.

Welcome Henry!

Yesterday our seventh grandchild and fifth grandson, Henry Alvin, was born.

He has been much anticipated by his big sister, Ellie, who adores babies, and, of course, by his parents, and by all the rest of the family who know they are going to adore him, too.

He got off to a good start -- weighing in at close to 9 1/2 lbs. -- when he arrived yesterday morning. The nurses in the delivery room already think he'll have a career playing linebacker for Montana State. We'll see.

He was named for two of his great-grandfathers -- wise and wonderful men, both. So little Henry -- or "Big Hank" as his dad called him yesterday -- has some pretty good-sized and well-worn shoes to fill in his own way as he grows up.

Ellie will no doubt be there, pointing the way.

I'm looking forward to going to see him in 10 days. I need to get a lot written before I go, because unless Ellie takes longer naps than she is reputed to take, I won't be getting much writing done while I'm out there.

And why would I want to write anyway when I can bask in the presence of two such wonderful little people for two weeks?

My new "Mothers & Babies" contest should be going live this week on my website. So stop by and enter and you can win a goody box that Henry and Ellie would certainly approve of, if they read romances and ate chocolate and liked fun stuff turning up in their mail box.

Just answer three questions that you can find answers to on my blog and website, and send them to me via the link provided. The contest begins as soon as my webmistress gets up the information. It ends at midnight the night before Mother's Day.

Ellie and Henry and I will pick the winner (since Mitch and Micah will be home) and I'll post it on Mother's Day -- internet connection willing.

It's a Boy!

No, not the puppy.

Well, of course Beau is, too. But we are celebrating the arrival of yet another new boy in the family this week.

His name is Henry -- or as my son, his dad, says, "Big Hank" (not sure what his mom will think of that) -- and he arrived about 5 a.m this morning, tipping the scales at 9 lbs. 7 1/2 oz. Yikes.

No wonder his mom looked ready to pop on Easter Sunday. She was ready to go then, but he wasn't.

Still he arrived earlier than his Friday due date, and all is well.

No one took a camera, since it was a bit rush-rush at the last minute. But his other grandma should be there now, so I can count on some pictures later today (I hope).

I'm excited to see what his big sister thinks of him. She's all about babies. I hope she thinks he's as great in person as she has thought about the idea of him.

Meet the Grandpuppy

There is a new puppy in the family.

A two month old Golden Retriever, he has been long anticipated and will be greatly loved. He came home last night and today he got a name -- Beau.

He will be my 8 year old granddaughter's best buddy for years to come. Lots and lots of years, we hope. My daughter, a deeply devoted dog person, is thrilled -- especially because she's heard there are now under-the-tongue allergy meds. As someone who has endured allergies for the joy of having dogs in her life, this may indeed be a blessing.

Beau is, according to his father, a great puppy with a nice, easy-going personality. He tries to eat tennis balls but, so far, his mouth isn't quite big enough to do more than barely get around them. No room for chewing.

Tomorrow he is apparently going to his first softball tournament because he and my son-in-law are on their own this weekend. He missed the golf tournament today, but I can see he's going to have a full athletic calendar.

I'm looking forward to knowing Beau better. Hoping to get to meet him in person (in dog?) sometime in the fall.

Mitch and Micah are delighted to have a new nephew.

Merry Christmas!

I didn't really vanish. I just got absorbed in revising and throwing out and revising and throwing out until I thought the ripple effect was really an undertow, and I was done for.

Happily, I don't think it is. I still have work to do -- but it's not going to get completely finished until after the first of the year. My new year's resolution is going to be one of patience. I hope my editor's is, too!

I have seen Antonides' Forbidden Wife in one store so far, so I know it exists -- just in time for Christmas stocking stuffing (I hope). At least for those who are doing their shopping on Christmas Eve.

We are celebrating the lovely news that yet another grandchild is expected come summer. The 4th of July, they tell me. An auspicious day, to be sure. And the birthday of my grandfather as well, which makes it even more special. We've also just learned that the baby due in April is a boy. All very exciting.

Must get busy and write the next book so I can go visit these new little people and their parents without deadlines hanging over me.

But first -- revisions.

I wish you all a very happy holiday season. May you find joy in the celebration and be in the company of people you love this year.

Meanwhile -- the dogs wouldn't sit still for a photo. They sent stand-ins ( see below). Happy holidays to all of you from all of us!

No Place Like Home

I have barely seen "home" in 6 weeks. It looks pretty much the way I remember it. The dogs were glad to see me. So was The Prof.

So were the complement of grandsons (three of the four in existence, the eldest being elsewhere) who were in the front yard when I got home from the airport. So was the new puppy who was following after the twins. I harbor a deep wish that said puppy will find a different home as the boys already have a dog (father of puppy), and this puppy looked like twins would be too much for him. Just my humble opinion.

It is rare however to feel that kids will be too much for a dog, so trust me on this.

Anyway, I am home. And I wrote 35,000 words in 3 weeks (amazing even myself, not to mention the 8 year old granddaughter), and I have one and a half scenes to go to finish Christo's book. Correction: to finish a draft of Christo's book.

It should be done in the morning. Then I can go back to the beginning and line up all the frogs (remember, we're in the year of the frog in McAllisterland; the ducks are taking the year off).

With luck Christo and Natalie can go winging off to the editor on Wednesday or Thursday. Early for once. Imagine that.

I'm also way behind on updating my website. Poor PJ, aka Antonides' Forbidden Wife, is halfway through his month on the shelves in UK and Ireland and I haven't even posted him on the sidebar.

I will stick him here, though so you know to look out for him if you are a UK/Ireland person in need of a good book.

I might even let PJ or Ally come and blog. What do you think? Should we invite them?

I'm going to bed with Christo now -- and finish his scene. Get your minds out of the gutter.

See you tomorrow (I hope).

Vanishing Act

I really didn't mean to be gone this long. But the internet connection I have at my granddaughter's house is, um, iffy at best. And as a result, every time I almost got a post going, the connection would vanish.

Which it may again post haste.

I have given up trying to post pictures. That is impossible. No connection would last long enough for one to upload. So you will just have to think about all you know about Cannes and imagine George Clooney or whoever you wish on the red carpet (which is more than you would get from my pictures anyway) until I am somewhere more reliably connected.

The good news is that Christo's book is going like a house afire. I've written 14000 words since Monday. Don't let my editor see this or she will banish me to Texas every time I have a book due.

I think it's that I had nearly a month where I couldn't get anything written, and the ideas kept building up. So they came tumbling out when I finally got going. Then there is the fact that, other than the sick 8 year old, there are no distractions here. Nothing that I specifically need to be doing -- except writing.

And then there's the odd fact that I seem to be writing this book front to back to middle. Which is to say, I wrote the first four chapters, left them with a pizza and couldn't get past it. To save my life, I couldn't.

So finally Monday I began in chapter nine and wrote it and chapter ten, and now I'm going back and filling in. But at least I know where I am going -- an unusual and happy occurence, believe me.

So wish me luck. Today I'm tackling Brazil. Another 1500 words would be a great blessing. Then again, I may have all weekend alone to write which would be somethng that has never happened in my life before. No dogs, even. Boggles the mind. Wonder if I can stand it.

Road Warriors R Us

I just got home and got my clothes washed, and I'm leaving again. This time I'm off to Texas to hang around my daughter's house while she goes to work all day and I stay with the grandkid with mono.

As the grandkid and I get little chance to bond on a regular basis due to the thousand mile or so gap in our proximity, I'm looking forward to it. But I'm sorry she's sick and that that's the reason I am going.

Still, it's a blessing to have the sort of job one can pick up and take along and do at someone else's house. So stand by. I've done all the blogs through the end of the month for Tote Bags and for We Write Romance and for The Pink Heart Society. The first comes on the 20th. And the last two are a week later -- on Monday, the 27th.

I'll try to update my own blog from Texas. That and Christo will be what I'll be doing while the grandkid is sleeping and reading and watching DVDs and working on family history.

In the meantime, here are a couple of photos from Cannes. I had intended to put more up -- and perhaps I'll be able to from down south.

But not tonight. Still packing.

Gunnar's Winner!

Over on the Tote Bags 'n' Blogs site we discussed (well, I ranted, but other people discussed) books to read on vacation. And I said Gunnar would pick a winner from among the comments.

He chose Maryciao (aka Mary) who offered the suggestion of Dancing With Joy -- a book of poetry that, with a title like that, cannot possibly be a downer.

To illustrate this, Mary offered the poem Blossoms by Li-Young Lee from the book:

"O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard"

Sounds wonderful to me. That's what I like about the books I've read -- they are an orchard that I carry within me. They nourish my heart and my mind and my soul.

Gunnar says they nourish his, too.

Thank you, Mary, and thank you to everyone else who participated.

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Happy First Birthday, Ellie!