There it is ... ooh, it's gone! Yep, there was a momentary flash of sunshine, a high point of my day. Winter here in Kentucky has been long and tiring, but maybe spring is actually on the way.

I did a little yard clean-up over the weekend and, as always, someone I know drove by the house, honked and yelled my name. She had to yell because, as always I had my butt up in the air as I yanked weeds from the flowerbed. And those who know me will agree that the rear view is not my  best side.

My mother is notorious for taking pictures of us in the least flattering poses possbile. I fully expect that when I die, the photo with my obituary will be of me at a birthday party, frosting in my hair, shoving a bite of cake in my mouth.

Worst of all, I also expect everyone who knew me to say, "Yep, looks just like her!"

Ah, there's nothing quite like seeing a book cover with your name on it! I adore the cover of Out of the Shadows, new from Resplendence Publishing, the first book in my new Shadow Ancient vampire series.
I also adore my jaded bounty hunter hero, and sympathize with my heroine, who only wants to live a quiet, simple life ... and finds herself with a baby and on the run!
I had a lot of fun creating the world of the Ancients and writing Out of the Shadows. I hope you have as much fun reading it!

I have, alas, reached the age where reading glasses are my constant companion. My kindly optometrist suggested I keep numerous pairs around the house, sage advice I've taken.

One pair sits atop my computer. Another pair rests beside my chair so I can read the listings in the TV Guide. I keep a pair in the kitchen, another in my purse ... you get the drift.

The beauty is that the things are so cheap I can indulge my fantasies. Depending on my mood, I can look scholarly in hornrims, fashionable in a fancy design or motherly in wire rims. And best of all, unlike all those clothes in the closet, they always fit from month to month and year to year!

So how about you? Have any eyeglass experiences to share?

Snow and I are not friends. No way, no how. I hate the cold that comes with it, the flakes hitting me in the face and having to clean off my car. Or, in this morning's case, having to pry my driver's door open.

The only good thing about snowy days is that I'm inclined to stay indoors. That gives me more writing time, which I adore.

People often ask how I became a writer, and I tell the truth. There were two huge factors: I have a vivid imagination and I hate to clean house. There it is, the honest-to-gosh story of why I found a career where I can hide out at a computer for hours on end and everyone thinks it's grand.

I like nothing better than fixing a cup of hot cocoa and retreating to my cave, also known as my home office. My lovely gray tabby cat joins me, sitting on her favorite perch, the top of my four-in-one printer. The dog tries for my attention and finally retreats to my bedroom, where she takes up residence on the bed and mopes.

Being able to leave the cold, wintry world behind and escape into one of my own making is a delicious treat – especially when it's populated by a sexy man who will do whatever I command! Oh, yeah, good times!