Month: October 2017

Cats in Romance Fiction

1 Comment

Today is National Cat Day.

One of my favorite fictional cats is Puff from an early Karen Robards novel, Night Magic. The hero is (of course) allergic to Puff, who is the heroine’s pet. The hero is a spy whose former code name was “Magic Dragon.” And (again, of course) the Russians* get the cat mixed up with the spy because of the song, “Puff, The Magic Dragon.”

*The book is from 1988. The Cold War ended in 1991. But then, Russian villains should once more be in vogue.

Another great cat in romance fiction is Elvis from Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me. A stray who wanders into the heroine’s apartment with the hero, Elvis becomes very protective of the woman he adopts, probably because he approves of her music: she has a thing for Elvis Presley. Elvis the Cat learns to operate the heroine’s CD player, including the volume control. He also knows the good guys from the bad.

Do you have a favorite cat from a romance novel?

 

Happy National Greasy Food Day!

I love greasy food.

Years ago, I discovered greasy fast food helps with hangover queasiness. Maybe the grease protects the stomach lining from alcohol burn.  (Not drinking to excess really helps protect the stomach. And the head.)

The human body needs fat to function. In moderation, of course.

So indulge in your favorite greasy food today.

Color!

#NationalColorDay

Yes, it is a day to celebrate color. I love color. Bold, bright, vivid color. Color makes me happy.

I live in a place where many months the landscape is nothing but shades of gray and brown. Sometimes the sky is blue, but not often. It’s depressing. One of the best things about spring is the bursts of color when flowers start to bloom. And fall. Autumn in my corner of the world is stunning, as if one last hurrah before the bleakness of the winter months.

If I had my way, my house would be filled with color. I have a Pinterest board where I keep pictures of the world in which I would love to live.

Color is the world’s way of giving us a great big hug.

The Organized Writer-2017

A year ago, I was investigating new ways to keep track of my life. I had evolved from a person who needed a Day Runner to organize family, professional, and pre-published writing lives to a published author with an empty-nest who was no longer on a corporate career path. The revival of the Day Runner in 2016 did not work for me.

In 2017, I tried a Bullet Journal. I made extensive lists of everything I thought I would track: food journal, blog schedule, books to read, brain dumps, dream journal, meal planning, mood tracker, and so on. I bought (a small amount) of washi tape. I bought colored markers. I used an old spiral notebook from my stash.

But my ideas about what I would track weren’t practical for my life. And using a Bullet Journal is all about the individual need.

I do like the layout on which I eventually settled. For months, I convinced myself that sitting down each week to draw my spread for the following week was therapeutic. I gave it a year. A few weeks ago, I even made a spread about what I wanted for next year’s bullet journal. I’ve even narrowed the choice of notebook from my stash to two.

But I’m tired of the set-up work. I need a planner to maintain my life, not the other way around. That’s not to say I won’t ever go back to a Bullet Journal, but I think I want to try something else.

I’ve been looking at Erin Condren. I wince at the cost, but I’m drawn to the lively colors and the ability to customize. I need to explore further.

Book Reading Bingo Update

I honestly thought I’d have half of my Book Bingo Challenge 2017 card filled out by now. Nope.

I think my problem is that I tend to re-read favorites (only one square allows a re-read) or I tend to read in the same categories. An author can be used only once. I tend to read my favorite author’s new releases, which eliminates them from the pool. The point of the challenge is to expand our knowledge of the romance genre by exploring sub-genres.

So far, the squares I have filled in are:

  • Inspirational Romance
  • Romantic Suspense
  • RITA Winner
  • Historical Romance
  • Erotica
  • YA Romance
  • The Billionaire
  • Paranormal Romance
  • Time Travel

It’s time to see what else is on my Kindle.