Save the Cuban Virgins

I used to joke that I was going to make a custom bumper sticker with that slogan. Honestly, people in south Florida would totally get it.

I've been crazy busy this week and haven't had time to do much, even sleep. So I'm just now getting around to checking out some of my pal's blogs. It seems that the world is full of injustice.

Save the Planet Thursday In which Gina ignores the plight of the Cuban virgins and instead tries to save the entire world. Go Gina!

Project Outrage In which Kristen (also ignoring the plight of the CV's) laments on the way Chris was totally dogged by Heidi and co. I couldn't agree with her more.

Word of the Day It seems that Louisa is in need of some dirty jokes. I would post one, but it concerns Cuban virgins and it probably isn't appropriate.

And last but not least:

Couldn't make this up It was rumoured that it was really a Cuban Virgin who was driving. No one knows what happened to her...

Books I loved, Part 2

In an effort to see what Berkley is publishing (besides me... he he) I ran out and picked up a bunch of books a couple of weeks ago. The first one I read is Unpredictable by Eileen Cook. I'm happy to report back that it's a winner! Not only does it have a great cover (eyes to Heaven and hands folded together in prayer, Please, let me be so lucky) but there's a great story inside as well.

Here's a blurb:

Sophie isn't crazy, she just wants her guy back. And posing as a psychic to give his new girlfriend a fake reading designed to break them up isn't going overboard, is it? Don't answer that.
Faking psychic powers turns out to be fun, especially after a few lessons from Nick, the cute skeptic, who teaches her all the tricks of the trade. But her readings do a lot more than she could have predicted. Now she must decide whether to accept her rising stardom in a less-than-honest line of work-and whether the best option is trying to rekindle her old flame or finding romance with someone new. And, most importantly, she needs to figure out whether the answers lie in the stars-or in herself.

Are you a Scarlett or a Melanie?

Today was my turn to post on the Tidal Wave blog. It's all about my fascination with Gone with the Wind. You can check it out here.

Have a great weekend!

Books I Love, Part 1

I just finished reading fellow American Title 2 sister, Gina Black's debut book, The Raven's Revenge. I always knew Gina was a great writer, so it was no surprise that I loved her book. It's historical romance done so really really well that you feel transported back to another time. I smiled, I got choked up, and like all good books, it's inspired me to improve my own writing. Right now, it's available in ebook format here from The Wild Rose Press and in paperback on June 8.

THE RAVEN'S REVENGE
By Gina Black

Katherine Anne Welles lives a life of duty and obligation, but marrying her villainous neighbor is out of the question. So, she defies her father and risks all by fleeing in the arms of a wounded highwayman, even though she distrusts his offer of help. But traveling with a dashing highwayman who won't ask directions is anything but safe. Especially when his searing hot kisses awaken a yearning for something Katherine never knew she wanted.

Nicholas Montford, the exiled Earl of Ashton, returns to England determined to reclaim his family lands. As a highwayman called the Raven, he takes revenge upon the Puritans who thrived while his family suffered. But when he kidnaps heiress Katherine Welles, thoughts of revenge take second place to kissing her soft lips and teasing the mistrust from her eyes. Can he find redemption in the arms of the woman he will eventually betray?

6 Very Dull things

Yes, Louisa, it's taken me nearly a week to think of 6 unimportant things about myself. Honestly, I think everything about me is important, so this was a toughie:)

Here are the rules:

Rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.
5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.

This reminds me of that game they play in Jane Austen's Emma during the picnic scene where Emma accidentally (sort of) disses Miss Bates. That scene is sooo painful to read because you want to shake Emma and scream "no, don't say it!" But of course she does:

"...and she only demands from each of you either one thing very clever, be it prose or verse, original or repeated—or two things moderately clever—or three things very dull indeed, and she engages to laugh heartily at them all."

"Oh! very well," exclaimed Miss Bates, "then I need not be uneasy. 'Three things very dull indeed.' That will just do for me, you know. I shall be sure to say three dull things as soon as ever I open my mouth, shan't I?—(looking round with the most good-humoured dependence on every body's assent)—Do not you all think I shall?"

Emma could not resist.
"Ah! ma'am, but there may be a difficulty. Pardon me—but you will be limited as to number—only three at once."


Okay, so for Louisa, here are 6 VERY dull things about myself:

1. I wake up every morning and do the crossword puzzle while I drink my coffee.

2. I never read the directions unless I absolutely have to.

3. I also never stop to ask for directions. I leave that up to my husband. I will literally drive around in circles before I give in.

4. I have a foot fetish. (I'll leave the details of that up to your imagination).

5. I just don't get the Brad Pitt thing.

6. I am incredibly lucky when it counts. I once went to see Peter Frampton in concert (cut me some slack, it was the 70's) in the Citrus Bowl (downtown Orlando-not a good neighborhood) and after we got into the concert, we realized we left our keys in the car which was parked about 2 blocks away on some random street. If we left the Citrus Bowl we wouldn't be able to get back in and of course, being 18, our priorities were what they were. So after a 6 hour concert we got out at midnight, thinking, "holy shit, what do we do now?" only to discover that the keys to the car were sitting right there in plain view with the car doors open. Yeah, NO ONE deserves to be that lucky.

Now, if I knew 6 people who hadn't already been tagged, I would happily tag them, but I think everyone in the universe has done this one!

Finally, some new TV

Lost premiered last week (yay!) and after that a new show called Eli Stone.

I loved it!

I especially loved Jonny Lee Miller who I've had a crush on since he played Edmund on Mansfield Park (even though I think Edmund is Jane Austen's wimpiest hero), but JL played him sweet and vulnerable and I was totally into him.

But back to Eli Stone.

The show has a great premise: A hot-shot, slightly jaded attorney starts having hallucinations. Really funny ones. Like seeing George Michael-singing-in-his-living-room-type hallucinations. Everyone thinks he's crazy. He goes to an accupuncturist (a really great secondary character named Dr. Chen that I hope is in every show) to try to fix him. But it doesn't work. Then he finds out that he has a brain aneurysm, which maybe explains the hallucinations. Or does it? Cause Eli starts to think maybe he's a prophet (although he doesn't believe in God) which could be another type of hallucination on its own....

His visions tell him what sort of cases he should take and he begins a quest to become a better person. It's a great set up. Loretta Devine plays his mouthy secretary and the show is set in San Francisco, so it's got great visuals.

Plus, I love love seeing British actors play Americans. I'm not sure why, maybe it's because it's the reversal of the ol' fake accent thing (you know, where you fake a British accent) so it's funny to think of them rehearsing an American accent, which of course, doesn't sound like any sort of accent to us... But you get my drift.

Oh, and Eli also has a semi-evil fiance (at least I think she's evil) so there's a romance conflict. I mean, he can't stay with her, right?

I'll have to keep watching to find out.