Posts Tagged ‘Antonides’ Forbidden Wife’

Meet Ally

Monday, January 19th, 2009


Hi. PJ still here.

Anne is enjoying her week or so off. She did pass along to me an email from Janet who said she would like to see a pic of Ally. Hey, no problem. Always glad to share pics of my wife.

This was taken not long after I first met her. She was working at Benny’s, which was a diner sort of place near the beach in Hawaii. I used to buy my plate lunch from Ally. She was a college student at the time, under the thumb of her dad who definitely thought he Knew What Was Best for her — including who she should marry and what she should major in.

He had her whole life mapped out.

Ally had other ideas. But she needed a little help then in order to realize them. Once we got married, she managed just fine. Took off. Lived her own life. Made a success of things.

Sometimes marriage just sort of jump-starts things for you.

Trouble is, I had some very strong memories of a wedding night I didn’t think was going to happen. But once it did, well, a guy doesn’t forget that.

I wasn’t sure Ally remembered it, though. Not until she came back. And even then she came back saying she figured it was time we got divorced.

I didn’t think so.

Anne is still looking for Santos’s book. She promises to find it. She’d better. The contest ends this week! Don’t forget to enter.

If you don’t win, Santos’s book will still be on sale in February.

Anne . . . flattened

Monday, January 12th, 2009


Hey. PJ here.

Anne says to tell you she’s been flattened by a bus. Or it feels that way.

She was up all night with Christo and Natalie and she’s gone to bed with Burn Notice and isn’t coming out until either Christo and Natalie come back for more revisions or she’s seen all of Burn Notice or I run out of things to say.

She’s hoping for the second alternative, praying like mad that Christo and Natalie stay gone (though by 7 a.m. this morning she could be heard muttering, I think it tracks. I think it tracks. I think it tracks. But how would I know?) .

Christo says it tracks and he got to spend a lot of time in the bedroom, so he’s happy. Natalie says it tracks and they got a happily ever after so she’s happy. And she just poked Christo and he said he’s happy about that, too. And from the look of him — a little tattered around the edges, but definitely grinning — he’s telling the truth.

Anne figures Burn Notice will be a nice distraction. And she’s sure I have plenty to say — especially since I’ve seen that Nick “prop me up on an altar and give me a bottle of booze” Jago is making crap out of me and Santos on Liz’s website.

I would defend my honor — and the marriage I’ve had to put out of my head — but Jago is so far off the mark that I can’t even dignify his comments.

As Santos is on the same island at least, I’m going to let him take care of things for both of us!

Just let me say that he’s darned lucky to find a woman like Manda who will put up with him. And since he’s saying things like “cancel the honeymoon” — though God knows what he means — I want Manda to know I’ve got a kid brother, Lukas, who might be just the man she’s looking for. Truly.

If you get fed up with Jago, Manda, give me a shout. I’ll muster up Lukas and introduce you.

Aside to Liz: how did you put up with him?

Don’t forget, people, if you want copies of Santos’s book and mine — and the one where Jago is an idiot — answer the questions in the Here Come the Grooms contest piece. Send your answers to Anne and Liz and Kate by January 21.

You’ll be glad you did.

Blogging and blogging

Friday, December 12th, 2008

I never blog but it pours.

Or something.

I have these revisions, which are not yet done. Sigh. And I need to be doing them — this weekend. But I also have commitments to blog — and so I’ve spend a chunk of today trying to figure out what earth-shattering things I have to say.

In the face of revisions, I opted for the easy way out tomorrow (Saturday) on the Tote Bags ‘n’ Blogs site where I’m sharing a couple of seriously tasty recipes for the holidays. If you are a fan of cranberries in baked goods, stop by. If not, stop by anyway and tell me what recipes you like. You could win a copy of Antonides’ Forbidden Wife.

Then Monday I’m going to be blogging at Fresh Fiction, which meant I had to write it today. And you know when your mind goes blank from having been on overload for way too long — well, that’s the way mine was today. And so I fell back on the tried and true.

I talked about where I get my ideas! People are always asking, aren’t they? Well, Monday you can find out the answer — briefly — at least as it applies to where I got some of the ideas that led me to write Antonides Forbidden Wife.

Where did PJ and Ally come from?

No, I’m not giving you a birds and bees lecture. I’m talking about literary conception, nothing else.

But stop by on Monday for a visit at Fresh Fiction if you’re interested. I’d love to see some friendly faces. Or read some comments from people I know.

The other thing I’m doing is waiting for a very appropriate memorial to Gunnar, which I will share when it arrives. It’s the only thing that doesn’t make me cry whenever I think about him. It makes me smile. We’re getting there. And I know he’d love it.