While some of you suffered the heat at ball games, outdoor chores and various and other sundry summer activities, I spent Saturday in the cool confines of the historic McConnell House at Wurtland, Kentucky.
The occasion was the first-ever Author Showcase, with two dozen authors of all different types of books attending.
I shared a table with the wonderful Jennifer Johnson, whose newest book, "Holding Out for a Hero", has just been released to great reviews. Also in our room was outdoor writer Soc Clay of South Shore, Kentucky, who kept us entertained during the lulls in visitors.
Okay, let me say this -- it's quite different being on the signing side of the table instead of the looking side. I've gone to lots of these types of events over the years, and gotten to know some really good writers. I will admit, I'm more comfortable as the looker than the marketer, trying to convince my folks what a great read my romantic suspense books are.
Well, of course, they are. At least my editors and I think so, and judging by reader response, other people seem to enjoy them as well. But I'm not the kind of person to brag on myself, so saying "Buy my book" isn't easy for me.
So to make it easier for me to talk to people, I put out a basket of chocolate and Jennifer and I gave away a door prize. And I handed out as many of my autographed promotional cards as I could, hoping that people would remember my name.
We'll be doing another author showcase, the organizers say, and I plan to be there. I hope Jennifer will be beside me again offering moral support, and yes, I'd love to be near Soc, whose supply of stories never runs out!

It's been a bit since I hopped on here to say something that's probably worth nothing, but I've been busy.

There was Memorial Day, with the requisite cooking out and such. Then I had family come to town, and spent some futile time trying to get my lovely Magsters into the new dog groom for a bath and toenail clip (First opening -- TWO WEEKS!)

And, oh, yeah, I spent hours with my butt planted in the chair finishing Devil's Ball, the third in the Shadow Ancient series from Resplendence Publishing. And I realized two things: I love the Ancient world, and I think I'm going to have to do book number four. And after being immersed in their world so long, I'm ready to write something completely different right now.

That completely different something is (I hope!) a funny little book about ... well, I'm still working on all that. But the major elements are these: Mya, raised on Earth's sister planet Geo, came here for boarding school, got married, had a child, got divorced and has her own business. When her mother calls her back in a panic, she learns that when she was just a child, her father signed a marriage contract that's still valid.

So now she's supposed to marry Relende, a whoppin' gorgeous, big, dedicated warrior who doesn't want to marry any woman from her clan, and most especially not her.

Lucky for them, there's a loophole -- if one of them kills the other, the contract is void.

Now you'll have to excuse me. I've got to dig out my broad axe. Mya needs to borrow it; she has a fight coming up.

It's Memorial Day, the first holiday weekend of the year, and I intend to take advantage of every moment of it.
I will, of course, attend a Memorial Day service to honor our fallen veterans. My father was a proud World War II survivor, and the American Legion tribute at his funeral brought tears to my eyes. We owe such a debt of gratitude to all our military troops, and I hope everyone else takes a moment to remember what this holiday is all about, too.
Also on my agenda is the U.S. 23 Yard Sale. For the second year, my son and I are taking our, uh, bestest used stuff to sell to people who roll in to find bargain. We made some good money last year, but most of all, we had fun! It's great not only to hang out with him, but to meet some many other vendors and sellers. Good times, good times.
I'm sure a picnic will come along somewhere, and I'll be slaving away at the keyboard for a little time, since I'm coming up on the deadline for my third Shadow Ancient book, "Devil's Ball."
How will be spending your time?

I had the most fantastic experience last weekend, hanging with old friends and meeting new ones at the Career Writers Workshop at French Lick, Indiana. The hotel was fabulous; I won a tiny bit at the casino. But best of all, I relaxed and realized how many wonderful writers there are in the world and how lucky I am to know so many of them. Here are some photos; enjoy!

Some folks spent a lovely few days at the Romantic Times convention -- my experience was two trips in, a couple hours at a time. And while I missed so much by now sharing the whole experience, I loved being able to go to the literacy signing on Saturday and the Resplendence Publishing party on Sunday.

The literacy signing ... I went for one primary reason, so my grandgirl Celeste could meet her favorite author, Heather Brewer. The bonus was being able to catch up with some friends, which is always good!

The RP pajama party offered two great movies, "Twilight" and "New Moon," which I naturally love, being a vampire author and all. And yes, despite my doctor's "no sodium" orders, I indulged in popcorn. Best of all, I got to meet Tiffany Mason from RP at last and saw Leigh Collett, RP publisher, again. We were both Kentucky Romance Writer members together longer ago than I like to remember, and it was fun to talk to her again.

And, of course, we also just celebrated the 5th Dogwood Writing Conference at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park, sponsored by my home RWA chapter, KYOWA 180. What fun that was!

Now, alas, I've got to put fingers to the keyboard and finish "Devil's Ball," the third of my Shadow Ancient books. Yep, fun's over!

I am, alas, a little kid at heart. So when the Peeps come out at Easter, I am so excited.

Yeah, I know there are Peeps snowmen and Peeps this and that, but the REAL Peeps are those little yellow smushy chickens. No one else in my family will eat them, which is why they were so excited when I first heard about blowing one up in the microwave.

Not exploding one, although I suppose that could happen. I'm talking about enlarging a Peeps into a giant chickeny thing that looks like to could stomp on Hong Kong like Godzilla. We've experimented and in my microwave, 15 seconds is about the right length of time.

My neighbors no longer ask what we're doing. They pull up a chair and watch after the Easter when, once the feast was finished, we dropped Mentos in all sorts of diet pop to see which was the most dramatic. (Our conclusion: A two-liter of DietRite.)

You'd think, having become a woman of a certain age, I'd leave these experiments to the kids. Yeah, right. I'm going to keep on trying out all the weird stuff people suggest until either a) I check into the old folks home or b( the handsome, sexy royal prince who arrives to carry me away suggests that I leave up to the servants.

Enjoy your Easter goodies!

Cammie

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!"

What is it about bad boy heroes? Yeah, we love them, from the brooding ex-soldier of fortune to the strong, silent constrution worker. Considering that my late husband was one, I may be qualified to speak on that very subject.

I suspect it's the challenge of wrasslin' one to the ground and claiming him. Bad boys have wide independent streaks, and getting one to settle down can take some doing. But once you've tamed one, they're not apt to stray.

Bad boys make good girls feel like they're taking a walk on the wild side without really getting in trouble. Plus they tend to be protective -- to the point of defending a lady's honor with a punch, if need be -- as well as polite and, underneath it all, a really good guy.

There is a difference between bad boys and wild guys. Wild guys are hard to rope in. They like playing the field, roaming from girl to girl and breaking hearts on the way. A wild guy will forget he brought you to the rodeo if he sees a better opportunity for fun; a bad boy will rub his boot in the dirt, sigh and offer you a ride home in his souped-up pick-up or the back of his Harley.

Sometimes bad boys hide under the button-down collar and tie of a banker, reporter or lawyer. But when they get home and switch into well-worn jeans and a black tee, well, ladies, they make fine hunting.

So, what's your take on bad boys? Love 'em? Scorn 'em? Let me know!

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?