This is the first day this week that I haven’t had to get up early to head off on some errand or appointment. So I slept in. I had strange dreams thanks to the Dugard saga—you know, the woman who lived in her kidnapper’s back yard for 18 years.

I dreamed I was in a relationship with Dennis Hopper, and that he was very controlling. He’d choose my clothes, style my hair and he kept me in a closet. Whenever we went out, he had to hold my arm or hand because he feared I’d jump on the first young dude who walked by. Not that Dennis wasn’t completely horny and strangely hot when we were alone. Okay, so not Dugard-ish at all because I wanted to be there, even though subconciously I must have been wanting to jump young dudes otherwise why would Dennis have been afraid?

Where the hell is that dream dictionary when I need it? Although, I don’t think they’ll have a listing for Dennis Hopper.

Wierd dreams aside, I’m trying to get caught up. I don’t think I’ll meet all my goals for this month. I might be one chapter shy—but hey, not bad considering all the drama. Plus, I have to start thinking about what to pack for my trip to Seattle next Tuesday. Have to check the forecast and see what the weather will be like. Need to count undies and see if I should buy more.

Can’t wait for that trip. Trapped in a cabin with 5 other writers. Can you imagine the energy? The drama? The drunken binges? Hey, Sasha White is one of those writers and she knows how to mix a drink!

So, I spent yesterday morning playing “patient” to a Neuro-Opthamologist and his three interns. Bottom line is the great big honking blind spot in my vision was likely caused by a mini-stroke who knows when because I sure didn’t notice.

He says because of my deformed disks and skinny vessels leading into my eyes that there’s a 1 in 3 chances it will happen again. His advice? Lose 25 pounds (whew, I was sure he was going to say way more), keep excercising (got that covered for the summer, anyway) and stop smoking (say what?).

All right, I’m not completely stupid. I know I have to quit, but I’ve tried cold turkey and that lasts until noon. I’ve tried the patches, but they make my heart race. I’ve tried Wellbutrin, and it makes me happy, but it doesn’t make me want to quit smoking. I’ve asked my family care doctor for a prescription for Chantix, but she’s got this silly rule about not giving it to ex-soldiers. Something about us offing ourselves. So maybe she thinks I’d be happier blind?

I spent yesterday afternoon at The Coffee Beanery in Little Rock—not writing. Shayla Kersten, Cynthia D’Alba and Heather B were there, so it was a gabfest. Today, I wish I could say I was devoting it to getting another chapter of Captured out of the way, but I have an errand to take care of in the AM, and then I’m going to be hanging out at the Joyfully Reviewed chat loop talking about cowboys. If you’d like to join me, my sister Myla Jackson and Layla Chase for some sexy excerpts and no doubt some great prizes, be sure to stop by.

If you aren’t already on their loop, send a message to this address: Chatting_with_Joyfully_Reviewed-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

I’m blogging about the music that motivates me to write at Access Romance’s blog. I’d love you to join me there and offer suggestions for tunes I should add to my playlist! Access Romance link

Yesterday’s winner of the free download of JACQ’S WARLORD (by random number generator) is…Hales!

I took one of those Facebook personality quizzes. You know the ones that ask your favorite number, favorite color, season, sex position (okay, so they didn’t ask that one, but they should have!), etc. And this is what the test returned:

Abstract thoughts. Anyone who has seen into my mind, knows that’s right. Who else dreams of genitalia-challenged aliens and blue dolphins falling from the sky?

Intelligent and clever. No problems with this one either!

Attractive. Sexy. In a chubby, blonde, middle-aged sort of way. I guess.

Quiet, shy and humble. Quiet…well, I do spend a lot of time daydreaming. Shy? eh. HUMBLE? Boing Not even close.

Determined to reach goals. Whew, back on track.

Loves freedom. More than money, obviously. I’m a writer.

Rebellious when restricted. Never met a “No” I didn’t want to pound to the ground.

Loves aggressiveness. Oh baby, they nailed this one! Anybody who’s read me knows that one’s true.

Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Nope, these are my sister.

Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizing dreams and hopes. Sharp. Since I admire these traits, I’m claiming them as mine.

Those are always so much fun—and like horoscopes. They give you enough of a range of qualities that you have own up to some of them. Not that I don’t check my horoscope every day.

Superstitious and ludicrous. Forgot one.

If anyone’s looking for a free novella, Shayla Black is giving away a story from the Doomsday Brethren series. It’s a available for download on her website! Fated Download

The week passed in a whirlwind. Maybe it’s because I kept so busy writing, or maybe it’s because I’ll be leaving for Seattle in little over a week and I’m beginning to get very excited! Woot!

I completed chapters six through nine of a contemporary m/m/f/f—or is it m/f/m/f? Does it really matter? Tons of sex any way you bend it. 😈

After a day of feeling sorry for myself after a rejection “but will reconsider it after revisions” response to a recent proposal, I’m back on track and more determined than ever.

I shopped for some casual outfits for the upcoming trip—the most harrowing part of the week. I HATE shopping with passion. Always feels like a huge waste of time and I come away exhausted and wondering how anyone enjoys it. Is it something in our DNA that makes some of us more predisposed to enjoy that sort of self-torture? At least with casual clothing there’s actually a chance I’ll wear the things I bought.

This week I have a day of doctor appointments—including seeing a neuro-opthamologist. Christ is that what he is? (I know I must have butchered the spelling!) But maybe he can tell me whether the blind area in my vision is likely to expand. Wouldn’t have known I had a problem at all if not for the many near-misses in traffic. Pfft. And there I was blaming my car’s manufacturer for poor mirror placement.

Will also have to plan what to do with this blog while I’m gone. I made myself a promise to blog daily. But there’s no WiFi at the lakehouse where I’ll be staying, so no Internet, no email, no TWITTER! I think I’ll pre-write posts for every day I’m gone. Maybe I’ll do an excerpt a day with a chance to win the book kind of contest or something. If you have suggestions, don’t be shy about letting me know!

Have a great week!

I wrapped up that story that was giving me fits yesterday. It came in nearly 11,000 words longer than I expected. But hey, since I was flying by the seat of my pants with that one, it’s to be expected some things would change. When I write the longer books, I have to know more about the story than just the opening scene—which was all I had when I started The Marathon Menage.

Anyway, I’m going to visit the 5-year-old and hear straight from the horse’s mouth how her first week of school went. On the telephone, all she could talk about was her excitement over riding the big kid’s bus. I’m sure I’ll have better success directing the conversation toward more enlightening subjects when we’re together. Yeah.

To keep OUR conversation going, how about you tackle this simple little question. Inquiring minds want to know…

If you could know one fact about every person you meet, what particular fact would you want it to be? (Assume that the other person would not have to be aware that you know this fact about them.)

Okay—no boxers or briefs!! (That was the first thing that popped into my head.)

I know you want to learn who won yesterday’s prize, but you’ll have to read to the bottom to find out!

The red-headed hellion called to tell me that the five-year-old is safely at school. There were tears in her voice. It’s the little one’s first day of kindergarden. She’d gotten up at the crack of dawn, had her clothes on and her backpack slung over her shoulder. Kel had to disappoint her by telling her she needed a bath first.

After the call, I walked outside with the Sheltie. He’d spent the night cowering next to my bed because of last night’s thunderstorm. As I was coming back into the house I saw a cluster of daddly-long-legs spiders above my doorway. Okay, so I know most people would grab a broom or the hose and brush them away, but I stood beneath to watch them. Most of them were clustered very tightly and looked like a big hairy armpit that was vibrating. You’ve seen the way they dance, right? Bouncing together. The ones not clumped together were lined up with one leg touching the next one. It kind of looked like group foreplay.

I know that was wierd, but I love to watch things. Don’t much like bugs, but I will pick up crickets trapped in my pool and set them on the ground. One day, the five-year-old was outside with me and got down on her hands and knees to get eye-level with a caterpillar. Her lips were moving, so I walked closer. She turned, scowling at me. “Why won’t it talk back?”

It took me a minute to answer. I was fighting laughter because we’d recently watched The Bee Movie. Once I had control, I told her she couldn’t hear it because its mouth was too small. I know, bad Nina.

My daughter still gripes about the little lies I told her when she was young. To get her to brush her teeth I told her there were little bugs in her mouth that would eat her teeth if she didn’t brush them away. When she was eleven and sitting in Health class at school, her teacher asked the class if anyone knew what caused tooth decay. Yeah, you can guess what happened. It was like a scene from The Water Boy. “My mamma said…”

Yesterday’s winner of a free download of Love Bites is (by random number generator)…Sonya!