Friday, June 9, 2017

Counting My Words #MFRWauthor #amwriting


Can you believe we are in week 23 of the MFRW 52 Week Blog Challenge? We're in the middle of 2017. Today's topic is Word Count.

As a writer, I don't write as often as I should and I'm slow. Some days I average about 300 words. Some days I sit in front of my computer and look at a blank word document because the words won't come.  I'll usually give up then and do a little reading, research or play three-dimensional mahjong.

I promised myself I would change that this year after a friend of mine posted her end of year total. She had enough words for four novels or five novellas or ten short stories before editing.  I have another author friend who writes 3k per day, five days per week no matter what. I've tried to find that kind of dedication for myself. I'm still looking.


I wanted my end of year total to be at least 120,000. Not a lot, but I wanted to start small. So I decided to just write and not count. Write without the pressure of making a goal and you know what? It's working. I still don't write every day, but I write a lot when I do. The year-end goal I set for myself may be reached this year. Maybe not. I won't sweat it. I'll just write.

What about you and word count? How do you handle it? Let's talk about it in the comments.


Friday, May 26, 2017

My Best Childhood Memory -- Me and Dad

It's Friday and another Marketing For Romance Writers blog challenge. This is week 21 of the 52-week challenge.  Want more information about this venture? Click here.

This week's topic--"A Childhood Memory."



My earliest memory is of me as a four-year-old and my dad.  That year, my mom worked at a summer camp run by a church. If fact, like the camp kids, she stayed there. So at home, it was me and dad until he went to work and then it was me and my aunt, his sister.

In the mornings, he cooked breakfast and we ate together. Sometimes he'd let me watch Bozo the Clown (I'm dating myself) while he braided my hair and got me ready to walk me to my aunt's house before leaving for work. When he returned home in the evenings, he would pick me up from my aunt's house and we'd go home. He would cook dinner. Again, we'd eat together, watched television and talked about our day. Then he'd get me ready for bed. I had him all to myself. Can you tell I was a daddy's girl?

On the weekends, we went to visit mom at the camp. Back in the day, before seat belts, I would stand on the front bench seat in the car with both my little arms hooked behind the backrest, talk to dad and point out cows and horses in pastures and other cars we passed as we whizzed down the highway.

At the camp, we'd hug mom really tight. I missed her and wished she was home, but we got to spend the entire weekend with her. I remember looking at all those kids running around laughing and screaming and I thought, I got to see my dad every day and my mom every weekend while they had to wait until the summer was over to see their parents.

That's about as much as I remembered myself. I had to get a little help from my mom.  What about you. What is your fondest childhood memory? Tell me in the comment and don't forget to cruise by the other author blogs.





Friday, May 19, 2017

My Favorite Books Made Into Movies

This is week 20 of the Marketing For Romance Writers 52-week challenge. Today's topic is 'My Favorite Movies Inspired by Books.'

My all time favorite books are the Harry Potter series.

photo courtesy of HarryPotter.wikia.com

In my opinion, the books are more structured, more action-packed, but the movies are remarkably beautiful and brilliant. The musical score is extremely eloquent and poignant. What's so great about the movies is that a large majority of the same children was used throughout and you get to see them grow into extraordinary men and women.

Next is The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

photo courtesy of playbuzz.com

The books were long and ponderous. The first movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, was a set up of the trilogy--not dull, but not exciting either. The second, The Two Towers, got to be more interesting and the fight scenes with the Orcs was excellent. The third, The Return of the King, was way too emotional. I cried most of the day that I watched it.

There you have it. My favorite books to movies.  Be sure to cruise by and check out the other author challengers.








Saturday, May 13, 2017

Happy Mother's Day

                                                                                                              crosscards.com  
Here's a wonderful Mother's Day post I wrote a few years ago. My best ever. The sentiments are still the same.

Just a few thoughts on Mother's Day. For most of us, when we were young, Mom was the single most important person in our lives. Let's face it, she knows everything there is to know about us. She let us have space in her body for a little over nine months, feeding us and keeping us warm and didn't even charge rent!...Wow! who else would do that?

Mom was the first person to see us naked...think about it. The first person to witness us drooling, eating & drinking like a pig, throwing up, smelling like pee and lighting up a room when we "break wind" and have bowel movements, and also when we have temper tantrums. All the really embarrassing stuff and here's the kicker--she still loves us for it.

She was there when we took our first steps and picked us up when we fell. She fought all of our battles until we could fight our own and helped us celebrate our first victories. Our very own cheering squad and fan club all rolled into one. She was the first person we told our secrets to...and she kept them!

With all of that, she was also the first to set us straight when we got out of line--our judge, jury, and executor of punishments. Sometimes we got off light and sometimes we couldn't sit comfortably for a few days. Some of us would say, "Wait until I grow up, I won't treat my children this way." But one day we wake up and put our hands to our mouth and say "I've become my mother! Our punishments were executed with love and the knowledge that this would hopefully help us become well-adjusted people and follow in her footsteps to become good parents.

So whether our moms have left this plain of existence for a better one or still here to give us love and advice, let's remember:

The time we ate all of the jelly and denied it and everyone got punished, or...
The time we came it after curfew and was grounded for a week, or...
The time we ran that touchdown and we could hear mom screaming the loudest from 
from the sidelines, or...
We won an award and could hear mom clapping, screaming "That's my child!" and

thank heaven we were given the best mom in the entire world.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

      














Friday, May 12, 2017

My Hero...sigh #MFRWAuthor

It's week 19, ya'll, of the MFRW 52-week Blogging Challenge. This week's topic is "The Ideal Romance Hero." Any author can join in on the fun. Click here to find out how.

Cue the music "I Need A Hero."   The Words

The ideal romance hero...whether fiction or real, to me embody the same qualities. My father who is the model of the man I'm looking for. My brothers and my son who followed in my dad's footsteps, and the uncles and cousins I'm visiting this week. They all have these qualities.


Those qualities:
Genuinely good person--calm, caring, patient, affectionate, friendly.

A sense of humor. A man who can laugh as well as laugh at himself.

Gentleman--chivalrous, a man of his word, a man of honor--willing to hold a door open or hold a chair.

Attentive--vigilant, interested, conscientious--willing to give his undivided attention.

Intelligent--well-read, observant, curious. Can converse on most subjects without being arrogant or egotistical.

The above qualifications are from the inside of the hero. They shine outward for the world to observe. A man with the strength of character to stand on his convictions and conscience and not be swayed by the winds (opinions) that blow this way and that. Physical beauty or looks are fine, but not away important. My aunt had a saying, "Beauty fades away, but ugly holds its own." Example: Beauty and the Beast. A prince turned into a monstrous beast but learned the true meaning of being a hero and love. When he stopped being growly, he exhibited his true worth--the hero qualities listed above and was willing to let Belle so. But love prevailed and they lived happily ever after. (Photo: Disney.com)

These are just a small section of the qualities as demonstrated by my hero pictured above. This is a blog hop. Please be sure to check out the other authors/bloggers.





Friday, May 5, 2017

Laugh Out Loud Funny #MFRWauthor #amwriting

This is week 18 of the Marketing for Romance Writers 52-Week Blog Challenge. Today's topic--What Makes Me Laugh Out Loud. For more information or to join, click here.

I love humor. I sometimes laugh so hard and loud, I'm doubled over attempting to catch my breath while clutching my stomach and tears run from my eyes. What makes me laugh out loud? Quite a few things actually:

Slapstick Comedy Movies. Watch this video of sample slapstick.

Romantic Comedy Movies like Pretty Woman, Bringing Down the House, The Bird Cage, Coming to America, Sweet Home Alabama and YA movies like What A Girl Wants and The Princess Diaries.

I'm showing my age, but I started with comedy by watching TV variety shows like Red Skelton and Carol Burnett as well as programs like I Love Lucy and the Beverly Hillbillies.


TV shows like 3rd Rock From the Sun. A group of aliens sent to earth, disguised as a human family, to experience life and report back to their home planet. John Lithgow is a comedic genius. I giggle days later thinking about something he did or said.  Watch him in action.


(photo: tvlistings.zap2it.com)



British comedies (remember last Friday, I admitted to being a secret Anglophile) like Keeping Up Appearances starring Patricia Routledge. A snobbish housewife is determined to climb the social ladder, in spite of her family's working class connection and the constant chagrin of her long-suffering husband.  This program, at one time, was part of the comedy line-up on Saturday nights on PBS. I watch episodes on Youtube now. My mother and I have considered pooling our money together to buy the entire collection. Watch this

                                                                                                 (photo:  www.imdb.com)                                                                                                                                                                               
My other favorite British comedy, Coupling. Six best friends talk about all aspects of sex and relationships on their never-ending quest to find true love. When a couple gets together, it's never just the two of them. They also bring baggage in the form of their friends and exes. I bought the DVD collection recently and watch them over and over again. Watch here.






(photo: www.imdb.com)


Romance Novels and Novellas. The funniest so far being Shelly Laurenston/G A Aiken's Magnus Pack & The Pride Series, Dragon Kin Series. Kerrelyn Sparks's The Love at Stake Series. Lynsay Sands's The Argeneau Series. Katie MacAlister's Aisling Gray Guardian, The Dark Ones Series, The Light Dragons Series, The Silver Dragons Series. Each line or scene that have me giggling,  I bookmark and go back over them chuckling again and again.


There you have it. Some movies, books, and TV that have me roaring with laughter. What about you? What makes you laugh out loud? Tell me below in the comments.


Be sure to check out the blogs of the authors listed below. Have a great weekend.





Friday, April 28, 2017

Oh, The Places I'd Go.... #mfrwauthor, #amwriting

 Image: keepcalmandtravel.com

Welcome to week 17 of the MFRW 52-Week Blog Challenge. It's an opportunity for authors to tell a little bit more about themselves. Any author with a blog can participate. Click here to find out more. This week the topic is 'The Top 5 Places I'd Like to Visit.'


New Orleans, LA (French Quarter)

My all time favorite place to visit. Whenever we visit, which is every other summer, we stay in the Quarter. I love riding the trolley from one end of the French Quarter to the other and never tire of the sights. The French Market on N Peters St is a fun place to shop. My family and I never get tired of browsing the shop windows on various streets, touring old buildings such as the St Louis Cathedral on Pere Antoine Alley, U.S. Mint on Esplanade Ave and the above ground vaults of St. Louis cemetery no.1 on N Claiborne Ave. This is the cemetery where the famous voodoo queen, Marie Laveau is buried. (as of March 1, the cemetery is closed to free public access due to vandalism and assaults on visitors, however, you can take a guided tour). The food at little hole-in-the-wall restaurants is to die for as well as coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde. It's relaxing to sit at outdoor eateries and watch the sea of people stroll by. A lively place where people play musical instruments, sing, and dance on the street corners.  

A few of my favorite paranormal authors have stories within their series situated in New Orleans: Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters, Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark, and Jeaniene Frost's characters, Cat and Bones, visit New Orleans a few times.


Hilton Head Island, SC

Another favorite location is Hilton Head Island. While the French Quarter is my lively place, Hilton Head Island is my quiet place number 1. It's relaxing to sit on the beach to watch the waves roll in and out, smell the ocean, listen to the waves crash and feel the sun and the wind on your skin. I usually like laying on the sofa and reading a good book, but for the next trip, I plan to visit a few museums like the Harbour Town Lighthouse and Museum. I have a few story ideas about lighthouses.


Gatlinburg, TN

Quiet place number 2 is Gatlinburg, TN. When asked if I wanted to accompany my parents to Gatlinburg in 2000. My mom had just retired and instead of a retirement party, she chose to invite her family to Tennessee to celebrate. I immediately said no. I'd just ended a long-term relationship and didn't want to go to a city where couples married in little wedding chapels interspersed throughout the city and walked hand in hand up and down the streets all starry eyed.  My folks hounded me until I relented and agreed to travel with them. The Fall Festival was in play and I love it.  The browns, oranges, reds and yellow colors of autumn were everywhere. We toured a small area in the mountains called Cade's Cove. It was peaceful, quiet, breath-taking and I vowed I'd return as many times as I could afford.  We changed seasons from Fall to Christmas in 2011 and try to visit whenever there's a vacancy. (Since the fire in 2016 that destroyed much of the city, we've decided to choose a random destination for Christmas 2017.)



England, UK

England is on my bucket list. I've always loved this place and secretly consider myself an Anglophile. I want to visit Trafalgar Square to see Nelson's Column and the National Gallery. Next, the Tower of London where Anne Boleyn was held and beheaded for treason and her daughter, Elizabeth I, was held because she posed a threat to her half-sister, Queen Mary. (Elizabeth I is my favorite British queen.) Stonehenge, because it's ancient and mysterious and Manchester because my cousin lives there and because of the football club, Manchester United.


Scotland, UK

The second location on my bucket list is Scotland. The land of breath-taking castles, wide sweeping landscapes that resemble the hills of Kentucky, William Wallace and of course, Nessie. The home of two of my favorite fictional drool-worthy heroes--Connor and Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. The home of distant ancestors on my maternal side. I feel the pull of Scotland calling to me. As much as I'd like to one day visit England, I yearn to live in Scotland, at least for a few months.

There are a few authors with Highlander series that I've enjoyed reading: Karen Marie Moning, Julie Johnstone, Eliza Knight and Hildie McQueen.

So...out of my five dream locations, I'd live in French Quarter-New Orleans or Scotland. What places would you love to visit?  Tell me in the comments. 



Don't forget to cruise by the other author blogs listed below to find out the dream locations they'd like to visit.


                                                              

Friday, April 21, 2017

Living My Dream, #MFRWauthor, #amwriting

Image: conniewonnie.com

Week 16 - MFRW 52 Week Challenge. This week 'My Biggest Dream in Life.'

My dream is to be a full-time writer. I've made it! Almost.

In the above comic, Connie says, "Woo Hoo! Livin' the Dream!" and then she days "Not perfectly but I keep at it." This is me. 

During my younger years, I wrote plays that family and friends acted in and wrote stories my parents and teachers liked. They saw potential and encouraged me to continue to write. But as time went by, life got in the way and writing had to take a back seat to everything else and some instances had to be hidden the back of a closet in a locked box.

After thirty years at my day job, I retired. Finally, I can write anytime and not worry about a story snippet scribbled hurriedly during lunch or breaks that may get lost in a paper shuffle. My son is an adult with his own young family. They're happy and healthy. I'm thankful. I'm not old enough for Social Security, though and I'm not published yet.  But I persevere. I study craft books, write and one day soon, I'll be published. 

What about you? What's your biggest dream? Tell me in the comments.






Friday, April 14, 2017

My Social Media Meeting Places #MFRWauthor


Hi y'all, it's week 15 of the Marketing For Romance Writer's 52-Week Blog Challenge. I've missed a couple of weeks by being caught up in other things, but now I'm back.

The subject of this week's challenge is 'Social Media Hangouts'.

This challenge is an opportunity for authors to connect with readers and each other. An opportunity to learn a little more about each other besides what's in our bios. Any author can join the challenge. Click here to find out more.

Two of my 2017 intentions is to blog more and keep my website updated. One of the ways I'm blogging more is taking part in this challenge.

I have a Facebook Author Page. While I should be using it to promote my writing, I primarily post positive quotes to keep me psyched and share posts about other authors releases. One of my 2017 intentions is to post more about my own writings on all of my social media. I've only done it once or twice this year.  Of course, I have my profile page where I hang out with family and friends, and on various FB groups.

Next is Twitter. Again, I schedule positive quotes through Hootsuite to appear on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday--the same ones posted on my FB author page. I tweet about craft blog posts and retweet promotion from other authors. I not very good at thinking of things to tweet on my own.

Instagram. Most all of my social media reflect the same things. I'm consistent that way. Positive quotes again, but I love the notion of posting photos and enjoy cruising through other pages getting ideas for posts and, one day, my own book promotion. In recent months, this account has been converted to a business account.

Pinterest is my favorite. I'd rather be on Pinterest than anywhere else. 29 boards of things/places/people I find fun and interesting plus 12 secret boards representing ideas for my future books. One of my boards is for the blogs I own and participate on. I save my posts for each blog there.

The four above are my main meeting places. There's Google Plus, Snapchat (I have no idea what to do with this one.), a YouTube channel where I watch snippets of my favorite movie scenes and music videos. Also, there's Goodreads (just a regular page since I'm not published yet, I log in books I've read and hang out in groups) and WattPad (I haven't published the short story I'm working on yet).

Well, there you have it. This is where you will find me. Where do you hang out? Let's talk about it in the comments.



Friday, March 17, 2017

Plot Away...My Writing Process

Welcome to week 11 of the MFRW's 52-Week Blog Challenge. Today's post is about my writing process. This a blog hop for writers to learn more about each other. Anyone can join at any point in the challenge. Learn more about the challenge by following this link.

angelacavanaugh.com


Planners (Plotters)--Plotters like to know where is the story is going from beginning to end mapping it out to the last scene and detail. My brain doesn't work like that. I've tried plotting with no success. I'll attempt an outline and quickly loose interest.

Pantsers--Those who "write by the seat of their pants" make the story up as they go along. Pantsing is easier for me. I'm not bound by an outline. I'm free to create a story from a blank page.

Plantsers--Writers who like both methods. That's me. A hybrid. While I can't rigidly outline, I do write 20 to 30 pages describing what happens in the story. For me, it's a guide giving a general idea of how the story may progress, but still allowing for detours from the script as needed.

Plotter, Pantser or Plantser?  Which one are you? Let's discuss them in the comments.



Friday, March 10, 2017

My Guilty Pleasures #MFRW

It's week 10 of the MFRW's blog challenge. This weeks prompt is "Seven Guilty Pleasures."
Anyone can join at any point in the challenge. Follow this link to learn more.

My Pleasures:


1. English Breakfast Tea. Nothing like starting the day with a cup of tea. Both hot and cold tea is my favorite beverage. There is something about it that's soothing. allows it to drains away the day's stress. As I write this post, it's cold, thundering and raining outside. I have a cup beside me. The robust scent, coppery-red color, and hint of lime added in a beautiful, delicate bone china cup and saucer is warm and comforting on a day like today.


2. Reading. As I mentioned above, it's raining. Curling up on the couch with a good book, a cup of hot tea, pillow and matching fleece throw over the lower body is heaven. I've never physically been to Europe or traveled through time, but reading carries the reader to faraway and exotic places past, present and future creating tender and adventurous moments to be relived again and again.




3. Star Trek. I looove this franchise. At present, Star Trek (TOG) and The Next Generation (TNG) are the ones I've been able to find and watch on TV plus the movies with the Chris Pine crew. My plan is to buy all of the movies and the series for Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. TV/Movie Marathon!

I have ideas for world/universe building and a science fiction romance series percolating.


4. Dilled Cucumber and Tomato Salad. This year I decided to make a life change. I've started the Mediterranean Diet. So far, other than a greek salad, this cucumber and tomato salad is my favorite.





5. Pearls.  In my opinion, pearls represent refinement, beauty, and class. In the book, "Grits (Girls Raised In The South) Guide to life" by Deborah Ford, the sign of a true southern woman is pearls, a cast iron skillet, and a magnolia tree in the front yard.

Imagine: Seated on a wide veranda a victorian bed and breakfast dressed in cool spring flirty tea length dress, pearls clasped around your neck, a mint julep in hand conversing with the Ladies Garden Club.  I've got the pearls, the flirty dress,  and the skillet. To complete my qualifications to be a full-fledged GRITS girl, I just need the tree.


6. Tiny House Living. Tiny House Living is an HGTV program showcasing various sizes of tiny homes and the person/families making the decision to free themselves of "stuff" and living tiny. The homes can be stationary or mobile. As small as 96 sq. ft. or as large as 500 sq. ft., wood or metal, single or modular. They can be one story or have a loft or two. I would love to attempt living in a tiny house for about a week, maybe longer to see if it's something I could do long-term.  Travel across the country taking my home with me--no hotels, no restaurant food just paying for utility hook ups and taking to the road again. If that doesn't work, I could use it as a writing retreat or a guest house for visiting family or friends.


7. Jamocha Shake. The best thing Arby's ever created is the Jamocha Shake. Smooth, creamy, chocolatey coffee flavored drink.



What about you? What are your guilty pleasures? Tell me in the comments.

















Friday, March 3, 2017

Icky Words #MFRW

It's week 9 of the #MFRW blog hop. This week's prompt, words that make me go ick or eww.
Follow this link to learn more. Anyone can join at any point in the challenge.



There are just a few words that make me shudder.

Snot/mucus comes to mind. It conjures a child's runny nose with mucus laying between the nostril and top lip and the color is usually whitish or green. *shudder*

Vomit. Witnessing or thinking about it makes me want to hurl too. My stomach and throat ache from my dry heaves.

Words of a sexual nature:

  • pussy
  • moist
  • dick
  • cum 

They make me uncomfortable and I can't force myself write those words in a love scene. What about you? What words make you go ick?

Be sure to check out other posts in this blog hop.


Friday, February 24, 2017

Book Titles: How I Choose #MFRW

Welcome to week eight of the MFRW 52-Week Blog Challenge. Any author can join in at any point in the challenge. FOLLOW THIS LINK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHALLENGE.

Dozens and dozens of story ideas are all around and I usually record them in a handy notebook in my purse or in a notepad on my nightstand. I have no problems meeting characters who introduce themselves to me asking that I tell their story. But titles for their stories--not so much. There's where my difficulties start.

Sometimes family and friends will make suggestions if they've  read an excerpt or my plot notes. It's like I have some sort of block when it comes to naming the book. As a result, I usually give tentative titles like Mariah's story or write a short sentence for the title until I can think of one which I'm embarrassed to say takes months.


Do you have trouble coming up with titles? What is your process for naming your books? Tell me in the comments.





Friday, February 17, 2017

Me, Music And Writing, Oh My!--#MFRWauthor

It's week 7 of the 52-week writing prompt challenge. Today's topic: Music to write by.

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO LEARN MORE AND JOIN THE CHALLENGE.

Music. The great ice breaker. There are no words to describe how much I love it. It plays a huge part in my daily existence. A chilled glass of wine and music are a great stress reliever, a way to soothe anger, slow a galloping pulse when something monumental happens, and calm frayed nerves after a long day at the evil day job or when stuck in  5 o'clock p.m. traffic.

Depending on the song, music helps me to write scenes, sometimes whole chapters. At times a particular song may be the music theme for the entire story. I listen to the chosen song a few times to get a bead on my character's emotions and then proceed to write. For example, the song Hello by Adele (click here to watch the video) was perfect for creating a scene in my WIP where my female character meets the man she never stopped loving years later after a painful break-up.
(College.USAToday.com)
As for listening to music while I write... it has to be classical played softly. My favorite is Fur Elise (click here to listen) by Beethoven. If it's classical, I don't run the risk of singing and dancing and then no writing is done.

What about you? Can you write and listen to music at the same time?







Tuesday, February 14, 2017

3 Romantic Couples of the Ages #ValentinesDay #Romancefortheages

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today let's talk about love. Boy meets girl. Love at first sight. Enemies to lovers. Broken-heartedness and devastation at love lost.  Celebrate with me the giddy highs and pulse pumping excitement of love found, the joy and gladness of enduring love,  and the ravaged, depressing lows of love lost of three couples of the ages.

Cleopatra and Marc Antony 
(photo: 20th-century fox /rex features)

The true love story of Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra and Roman general Marc Antony is one of the most intriguing and memorable of all times.

Cleopatra began her reign of Egypt when Julius Caesar put her in power over her husband (and brother) Ptolemy. She charmed him and their affair continued until his death three years later. Caesar's death caused a civil war in Rome between Octavian, his grandnephew, and Antony, his cousin.

Antony suspected Cleopatra was involved in his Caesar's murder and demanded she appear before him to explain herself. They fell in love at first sight. He spent the winter with her instead of fighting and ruling his empire.  Their affair outraged the Romans who were wary of the growing power of Egypt.

The couple was defeated in battle by Octavian (named later changed to Augustus) and they each committed suicide, Antony, by falling on his sword and Cleopatra, by putting an asp to her chest. Theirs was a tragedy immortalized by William Shakespeare.


Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal  (photo: museyon.com)

Shah Jahan, 15-year-old ruler of the Mughal Empire married Arjumand Banu, a teenage girl in 1612.  She was renamed Mumtaz Mahal and became Shah Jahan's favorite wife.

She died in 1629 while giving birth to their 14th child. He was devastated. His grief affected him both emotionally and physically but inspired him to create a fitting final resting place for the love of his life - Taj Mahal (photo: Wikipedia).

Shah Jahan became ill and was overthrown by his eldest son. He lived the rest of his life under house arrest in the Red Fort of Agra.

Legend has it he planned to build a replica of the Taj Mahal in black marble for himself on the opposite bank of the river Yamuna but construction never commence. He was laid to rest beside his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.








King Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari (Photo: martingracephotography.com)

King Ramesses II, also known as "Ramesses the Great," was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the 19th dynasty. He reigned from 1279 B.C. to 1213 B.C. At age 14, he was appointed prince regent by his father Seti I. Ramesses ruled Egypt for 66 years and 2 months. He was reported to have lived to 99 years old.

He led military expeditions into the Levant, reasserting control over Canaan and also led expeditions into Nubia. Inscriptions commemorate these deeds at the temples at Beit el-Wali and Gerf Hussein.

One of many great Nubian queens, Nefertari reigned from 1292 B.C. to 1225 B.C.  She is heralded as the queen who married for peace. Her marriage to Ramesses II began as a political move, a sharing of power between two powerful leaders. No only did it grow into one of the greatest royal love affairs in history but it brought the hundred year war between Nubia and Egypt to an end.


Their story was an armistice that lasted over a hundred years. Even today, a monument stands in Queen Nefertari’s honor. If fact, the temple which Ramesses built for her at Abu Simbel (photo: Delange.org) is one of the largest and most beautiful structures ever built to honor a wife.





Please check out my other Valentine's Day posts. Great gift ideas (here) and romantic destinations (here).

Friday, February 10, 2017

My Hobbies #MFRW #MFRWAuthor

Welcome to week 6 of MFRW 52-week blog hop. This is my first post. 



What other things do I like to do when I’m not writing? I love science fiction shows so my favorite to watch is the Star Trek franchise—all of them: the original series, the next generation, deep space nine, voyager, enterprise. Plus, I like watching the movies. I plan to write science fiction romance one day.

Next, I love genealogy. Searching for family, the known and the lost,  and researching the period of time they lived in and hopefully finding that some played a small part in the happenings in their area like a couple of two times great grandfathers involved in a battle involving their town just after the Civil War ended. A two times great grandfather of mine,  a minister, was a founding member of ministers’ conference in an area of the state where he lived. Also a three times great grandfather who was a founding member a city in my state.

I love curling up with a book in my favorite chair with a hot cup of tea and read. Rainy days are best for getting comfortable and reading.

Thanks for reading about my hobbies.  Please be sure to check out the list of blogs below to find out what other authors do when not writing.


Please stop by again!





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Wednesday, February 8, 2017

3 Romantic Destinations to Celebrate Love

Honeymoons, anniversaries and just because romantic destinations to celebrate love and togetherness. Any one of these locations can start a couple on the road to initiating life together or renewing relationships.

Camino Real Acapulco Diamante (Mexico)

Acapulco is still a popular place for newlyweds to celebrate their new life together. The warm water is ideal for swimming and snorkeling as the temperature hovers in the 80s throughout the year. The prices are affordable as well and are good for couples on a tight budget.

Camino Real offers rooms overlooking the private Pichilingue Beach, fine dining, as well as a variety of activities.

The hotel is convenient to clubs of Acapulco by night and beautiful beaches by day.

This hotel was once the honeymoon destination of John and Jackie Kennedy.  Camino Real's website.



Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (Canada)


Situated on the edge of Lake Louise, the Fairmont Chateau offers great winter sports creating a honeymoon haven for snow bunnies. 

Winter activities include downhill and cross-country skiing, as well as ice skating and dog sledding.

Guests can set off for a romantic sleigh ride into the wilderness or get pampered in the hotel's spa. The lake setting makes the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise a popular honeymoon or anniversary spot in warmer months as well. Guest can take advantage of such activities as horseback riding, hiking, and white-water rafting.  Fairmont Chateau's website.



Four Seasons Resort - Hualalai (United States)


The ultimate honeymoon page, Four Seasons resort offers a rental car, a romantic private dinner on the beach (one night only) and daily breakfast. First-floor rooms have a private outdoor shower. 
Guests can indulge their senses during the day lounging by the adult-only Palm Grove Pool or exploring the King's Pond pool before heading to the spa for a couple's massage. Or, unwind at sunset at the Beach Tree Bar enjoying a mai tai and then going to the second-floor Makai Terrace for an intimate dinner overlooking the ocean. 

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