Happy Halloween!

My Halloween costume this year was a combination of two former costumes. I looked completely ridiculous, which is okay. I'd rather go for something funny than something ghoulish.

The kiddies knew what I was--a clown queen. However, one of my coworkers thought I looked like a cross between Burger King, Bozo, and something from the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Hubby decided I was Dracu-Bozo, Queen of the Vampire Clowns. :^)

The difficult part of this costume was the nose. If I ever put on that nose again, I will use duct tape to keep it in place.

How They Grew

Over the years, we measured our daughters' heights on the door jam of the downstairs hall closet. There were pencil marks, names, and measurements taken at sporadic intervals. Today, hubby painted over the measurements. I took a few photos before he applied the brush.

Sigh.

Four Stars!

A Rush of Light received a four star review in Romantic Times Book Review magazine. I have no idea what the review says because I am not a subscriber and will not get a copy of the magazine until it arrives at my local bookstore. However, you can watch this space and sooner or later you, too, can read the entire review. :^)

Our World Travelers

Daughters #1 & #2 took a vacation together. For their first trip abroad, they went to the Netherlands to visit their cousin and her family who now live there. They had a very nice time and came home loaded with licorice--evidently a favorite of the Dutch.

Daughter #2 showed us her photos of the teeny, tiny cars she saw. She also had photos of Dutch jack o'lanterns which are somewhat different from the ones we carve over here. First of all, the Dutch don't call them jack o' lanterns. They call them Halloweens. :^)

I had a little pumpkin on the kitchen table and Daughter #2 was inspired to create her own Dutch-style Halloween.

Wonderful E-Books!

I got my batch of e-books to judge for the EPPIE contest so I'll be doing more reading than usual for a while--not that I mind. :^)

Every year, the EPPIE Awards are presented to the best e-books. Two of my books won in the inspirational category, Sea of Hope in 2002 and Heaven's Blue in 2005. Winning was such a thrill!

It is a great contest.

The Flea Market

I joined hubby for a trip to one of the flea markets today. The weather was clear and cool--just perfect for walking around outdoors. I found a bargain on my favorite soap, I got twelve pairs of crew socks for $8, and I got three hardcover books. Plus I got some exercise. :^)

The piles and piles of STUFF at the flea market always amaze me. Many people have way more than they need. Our own house is cluttered. We tried the flea market a few times to get rid of our excess, but we did not do well. We tried a few garage sales, but again we did not get rid of everything.

Lately, if I really want to get rid of something I put it out on the corner near the road with a big sign on it that says FREE. This seems to be the most effective method to eliminate clutter. We got rid of several large items this way--an extension ladder, a dollhouse, a broken lawnmower, and an old bicycle. In anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, whatever I put out was whisked away.

Now I'm beginning to think that someone who has a table at one of the flea markets probably took my stuff and added it to their huge assortment of items for sale. But it's okay. At least, I don't have to trip over those pieces of clutter anymore.

Another Fantastic Conference!

On Friday and Saturday I attended the annual New Jersey Romance Writers' Conference. I sat around with other authors in the PAN Retreats, drank wine, ate chocolate cookies, and discussed the business of writing. I heard of obstacles that have prevented some of the authors from reaching the top. "We all want to be stars," said Shirley Hailstock.

That is so true.

Saturday's speakers and workshops were wonderful. Carla Neggers gave out tips for writing a breakout novel. Victoria Alexander explained the way she looks at life from a writer's viewpoint.

As always, I made sure to sit in on the editors' panel. Last year, all the editors wanted erotica. This year paranormal was the number one request. I have been writing seriously for a long, long time and I have seen the pendulum swing back and forth so often I simply sigh when a "new" trend is announced.

Next year, those editors will all be craving something else.

I received six FREE books and I sold a few of my books at the bookfair.

There are some New Jersey Romance Writers who have left our fair state, but who returned for the conference. It was so nice to see them.

Now I can't wait for next year's conference. :^)

Birthdays

We celebrated four birthdays this weekend. Daughter #1, Daughter #2, my father, and I all share the same birthday week. There's 196 years between us. That's way too many candles for one small cake. I simply used all twenty candles that came in the box.

We had a great time just gabbing and eating.