CANDACE GOLD

Check this Video Out

2012-01-27T15:47:00.002-05:00

This is a terrific little video for anyone who loves books and the joy they bring.

And the Beat Goes On

2012-01-25T20:23:00.002-05:00

When I was a kid I used to listen to my parents complaining about how tough life was compared to the way I had it. I never thought I'd ever agree with the following:

Subject: Growing up without a cell phone

If you are 36, or older, you might think this is hilarious!
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill.... Barefoot... BOTH ways...yadda, yadda, yadda
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that I'm over the ripe old age of forty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia! And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!
1) I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!
2) There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen!Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
3) Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!

4) There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
5) Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?
6) We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!

7) There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOSH !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.

8) And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent.... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

9) We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'... Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen.. Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

10) You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!

11) There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-bastards!

12) And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!

13) And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!

And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!

See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1970 or any time before!

Regards,
The Over 40 Crowd

Wise Words Never Wear Out

2012-01-23T07:27:00.001-05:00

From a FEMALE teacher friend.

"Once a teacher...... ALWAYS a teacher".

Subject: Sex and Good Grammar
I will always remember this rule !!
Subject: Sex And Good Grammar
For all my grammatically correct friends.

On his 74th birthday, a man got a gift certificate from his wife.

The certificate paid for a visit to a medicine man living on a nearby reservation who was rumored to have a wonderful cure for erectile dysfunction .

After being persuaded, he drove to the reservation, handed his ticket to the medicine man and wondered what he was in for.

The old man handed a potion to him, and with a grip on his shoulder, warned, "This is a powerful medicine. You take only a teaspoonful and then say '1-2-3.' "

When you do, you will become more manly than you have ever been in your life and you can perform as long as you want .

The man was encouraged. As he walked away, he turned and asked, "How do I stop the medicine from working?"

"Your partner must say '1-2-3-4,'" he responded, "but when she does, the medicine will not work again until the next full
moon."

He was very eager to see if it worked so he went home, showered, shaved, took a spoonful of the medicine and then invited his wife to join him in the bedroom. When she came in, he took off his clothes and said, "1-2-3!" Immediately, he was the manliest of men .

His wife became excited and began throwing off her clothes and then she asked "What was the 1-2-3 for?"

And that, boys and girls, is why we should never end our sentences with a preposition, because we could end up with a dangling participle.

=

2012-01-22T09:18:00.001-05:00

WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR LOVE?

Now out at Lyrical Press, Kindle, ARe, CRAZY LOVE!

It's Candace Gold's new romantic comedy. It's not illness that knows no race or religion. It's dysfunction!

When Abby Minton agrees to host a book signing for Charles Greer in her bookstore, she doesn't expect she'll end up giving the man dating advice…or dating him herself! As she falls in love with Charles, she becomes more and more petrified that their relationship would be history if he ever met her dysfunctional family. Between her brother's failed bank heist interrupting Charles's book signing and roses from a persistent stalker making Charles think she's taken, their relationship is one mishap after another. But when Charles finally proposes, Abby is faced with the most ridiculous prospect of all: introducing him to her crazy family. The only solution is to hire actors to portray her family members. But will that just set them on the road to

unending lies?

KINDLE: http://amzn.to/xMbu5k

2012-01-18T11:41:00.001-05:00

As a writer, I hate piracy. Sure I'd like to stop it. However, not by allowing the government to control the Internet and as an extension, free speech. This bill should not be passed. Think of a stone thrown into a pond. The consequences of passing such a bill is overwhelming.

Food for history buff's thought

2012-01-11T13:23:00.000-05:00

The assassination of President Kennedy is one of those things that will continue to puzzle people. Was Lee Harvey Oswald the only killer? Or was he even the killer? There are enough books and videos about it and the Warren Commission to keep someone occupied for months. Talk about government cover ups, was this one of the biggest of them all?

Personally, I think the warren Commission might have taken liberty with the evidence. Here's just one of the short videos made about the subject. Something to think about.

Quotation of the Day

2012-01-09T07:44:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about all my could haves, should haves and the like when I thought of something Lily Tomlin once said. Thanks to my best friend Google, I found it. It didn't make me fell better, but it sounded good.

"Don't be afraid of missing opportunities.Behind every failure is an opportunity somebody wishes they had missed."

New Story on Smashwords

2012-01-06T15:49:00.000-05:00

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/120384

The sequel to Raped by the Law

Ten years ago, Sandy Greene was raped and terrorized by arogue cop. Having put all that horror behind her, she has moved on with herlife thanks to the help of her loving husband and son, until severaloccurrences make her feel she is being stalked by the cop's ghost.

2011-12-31T10:36:00.002-05:00

I'd like to take this time to wish everyone
a safe and healthy New Year!

Now Out at Smashwords

2011-12-29T09:22:00.000-05:00

THE BLIND DATE IS NOW OUT AT SMASHWORDS, COMING SOON TO ARe, KINDLE & BARNES & NOBLE.

The Blind Date

All blind dates are losers, Carla Harris thinks until she has another librarian, Melainie Gould go on the date instead of her. When Melanie tells her the guy was handsome and charming, Carla wonders if she missed out on the date of her life and decides to check out the guy.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/118135

Hysterical

2011-12-27T23:05:00.001-05:00

Aunt Chippy Shows You How to Wrap Christmas Presents

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T10:40:00.001-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

RAPED BY THE LAW

2011-12-22T11:35:00.002-05:00

Find RAPED BY THE LAW on KINDLE

http://amzn.to/uPVWGR

Not all policeofficers protect and serve. There is always one bad apple in the bunch and Sandra Greene meets him.

Definitely a Crowd Pleaser

2011-12-21T18:24:00.002-05:00

A Wonderful Way to wish everyone a Happy Holiday!

Mom's Song

2011-12-21T14:15:00.000-05:00

If this doesn't sounfd like my own mother, I don't know what does.

Sound familiar?

2011-12-18T09:44:00.001-05:00

By any chance, is this your husband?

A TOUCHING CHRISTMAS STORY

A couple was Christmas shopping at the mall on Christmas Eve and the mall was packed.

Walking through the mall the surprised wife looked up and noticed her husband was no where

around and she was very upset because they had a lot to do.

She used her cell phone to call her husband because she was so upset, to ask him where he was.

The husband in a calm voice said, "honey remember the jewelry store we went into 5 years ago

where you fell in love with that diamond necklace that we could not afford and I told you that I

would get it for you one day".

His wife said crying, "yes I remember that jewelry store".

He said, "well I'm in the bar next to it."

Now available at ARe

2011-12-14T13:14:00.000-05:00

RAPED BY THE LAW is now available at ARe.

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-rapedbythelaw-657539-148.html

Sandy Greene’s life is routine. She’s a nurse working ina busy pediatrician’s office, married to a wonderful guy named Ed. The onlything she’d change if possible is Ed’s job because it sometimes takes him awayon business trips. Otherwise, Sandyconsiders herself to be one very lucky and definitely, happy, camper. Until onenight…

Sandy is stopped on her way home by a traffic cop. Shepulls over and the cop demands she get out of the car. She doesn’t understand why and refuses, buthe threatens to arrest her for resisting. She’d forgotten her cell phone thatmorning and doesn’t want to miss her husband’s call, so she hopes that if shecomplies, it will hurry things along. Instead of giving her a ticket forspeeding, the cop forces her into the back of his cruiser and takes her to adesolate area.

That night Sandy’s entire world is turned inside out andshe learns a very terrible truth. Notall policemen protect and uphold the law.

New Story Released

2011-12-11T08:54:00.001-05:00

Now up at Smashwords and Kindle! RAPED By The LAW

Sandy Greene’s life is routine. She’s a nurse working in a busypediatrician’s office, married to a wonderful guy named Ed. The only thing she’d change if possible isEd’s job because it sometimes takes him away on business trips. Otherwise, Sandy considers herself to be onevery lucky and definitely, happy, camper. Until one night.

Thatnight Sandy is pulled over by a cop and her entire world is turned inside out. She and learns a very terribletruth. Not all policemen protect and uphold the law.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/112906

http://amzn.to/uPVWGR

AWESOME NEWS!

2011-12-06T10:03:00.001-05:00

Every author has a favorite novel or two that she has written. THE PROMISE, which was just picked up by Noble Romance Publishing, is one of my favorites. The theme can be summed up as Romeo and Juliet meet the Godfather. That says it all. I cried at the end of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and still do whenever I see West Side Story. Heck, I cried when I finished writing this book. (No, it wasn't from relief.) My biggest joy will be to entertain my readers with this story. Maybe you'll fall in love with Lucia Pallaccio and Anthony Falco, too.

Pissed off

2011-12-04T09:08:00.001-05:00

I am published both with publishers and self-published for several months now. The difference in the royalties that I am making is unbelievable. I am making a helluva lot more doing it myself without going through a publisher. At first I thought it was the stories involved. One, being better received than the other, however, when I went to see where one of my novels was placed on the publisher's website, I had trouble finding it. If it's buried, it isn't going to sell. People have to see it. That's a form of impulse buying and it works. Most publishers ascribe to the "what have you done for me lately" school of thought. That means only the new or upcoming books are displayed. If people see it, they can buy it. it's as simple as that. Publishers have to keep their sites fresh and inviting. An author can only do so much.

I have another publisher who makes sure all her books can be seen easily. They move on a continually loop across the screen. She also has them listed in more than one spot. Of course my books sell better with her. I still don't make as much as I do on my own, but at least, she knows how to market and I know she's working her butt off for her authors--all of them--not just the newly published ones.

The point of all this is to be aware of the fact that if your book isn't selling on some publisher's site, it may be the fault of the publisher and not because the book's a stinker. Keep that in mind when it comes time to renew your contract with the publisher.

New Release !

2011-11-23T11:25:00.001-05:00

COMING SOON to Kindle, ARE, Nook, Sony and other ebook distributors, RAPED BY THE LAW, a woman's ecounter with a rogue cop.

A Story With a Moral

2011-11-19T07:39:00.001-05:00

From one of many friends:

In 1972, Joe Miller was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Tulsa Junior College .

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Joe approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee, inspected the elephants foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Joe worked the wood out with his knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

The elephant turned to Joe, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Joe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled.

Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Joe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Thirty years later, Joe was walking through the Tulsa Zoo with his family. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Joe and his family were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Joe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times, then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1972, Joe could not help wondering if this was the same elephant... Joe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing, and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Joe's legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

Probably wasn't the same elephant.

Think About This

2011-11-19T07:32:00.001-05:00

As I was lying in bed pondering the problems of the world, I rapidly realized that I don't really care! It's the tortoise life for me!
1. If walking/cycling is good for your health, the postman would be immortal.
2. A whale swims all day, only eats fish, drinks water, and is fat.
3. A rabbit runs and hops and only lives 15 years.
4. A tortoise doesn't run and does nothing, yet it lives for 450 years.
And you tell me to exercise?? I don't think so.

Go around me!

A Pyrrhic Victory?

2011-11-11T10:04:00.001-05:00

I wanted to be a magician when I was a kid. I painted a mustache on and gota hat. Then I piled all my mother's good china onto the dining room table and tried to pull the tablecloth out from underneath. I couldn't sit for nearly a week.This sort of brings back memories...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soi5nfhVjJI

Giving Honor and Thanks

2011-11-11T09:57:00.001-05:00

I guess I'm one of those people who still get teary-eyed when I sing the National Anthem. Despite our slipping in the world's favoritism poll, I'm still proud to be an American. Unfortunately, Veterans Day often means a day off from work or great shopping sales to many people. They have forgotten the true meaning of the holiday, which is to honor those men and women who serve our nation.

My dad fought in World War II and received a purple heart. Being a nutty kid, I flushed the medal down the toilet. That fortunately is a story for another day in the very distant future. When my father was in the army there was a draft. Today, we have a voluntary army. Those who wish to serve join. That's why we should give those who choose to do so our heartfelt gratitude and honor. They protect us from the terrorists and other enemies seeking to do us harm. I couldn't do it, could you? It does take a brave person to run into harm's way. And we should honor them and give them all the help they need when they return to us.

Monday Mornings

2011-11-07T09:04:00.000-05:00

Today on my facebook page, a friend had sent a great wall sign which made my Monday morning start off with a huge smile. Thought I'd share so here it is.

News Release from Arrow Publications

2011-11-03T17:18:00.001-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECandy Caine: The Sweet & Sexy Side of Author Candace GoldErotica Author Releases New Novel, Never is Not ForeverNovember 2, 2011—Bethesda, MarylandCandace Gold is a woman of many roles and moods: wife to Robert, mother to two grown sons, library assistant and more. When she sits down at her computer to write steamy, erotic romances she channels her writing alter ego, Candy Caine. Writing as Caine, her new novel, Never is Not Forever, was just published by Arrow Publications, LLC. The eBook is now available from MyRomanceStory.com, Amazon’s Kindle Store, Barnes and Noble’s NOOK Store, All Romance eBooks and the iBookstore.

“Candy Caine is my edgier side,” explains Gold. “It's Candy who often writes the erotic stories that tend to curl the hair on Candace's head. But no matter what I write, romantic confessions or erotica, it's the story or plotline that is most important to me. It has to be a good story—especially when it comes to my erotica. I never present sex for sex’s sake,” she adds. Gold has written nearly 200 short stories and several novels. She began her writing career writing children’s books. When she told her husband about her plans he broke into gales of laughter. “I took his laughter as a kind of dare and began to write picture books. But my biggest thrill in writing children’s books was being asked to contribute to the Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul Anthology.” As Gold’s writing evolved she decided to take the plunge into writing for adults and began writing confessions and erotica. Never is Not Forever, her latest effort, is the story of Claudia Brown, whose life is perfect except for one thing—she has no children. Realizing she could grow old alone, Claudia decides to have a baby—minus the attachment of a father. After an intensive search she finds the ideal candidate for sperm donor. But things got complicated when she starts falling in love with him.“They say, every writer puts a little of themselves in their stories, however with me, it’s a little different. I find I’m jealous of my characters and want to have as much fun as some of them do,” says Gold.As Candy Caine, Gold is also the author of Christmas with a Stranger, Dangerous Attractions and Love with a Younger Man, which have all recently been updated and republished by Arrow Publications. To find these books, search by title, the author’s name and “Arrow Publications” at MyRomanceStory.com, Amazon’s Kindle Store, Barnes and Noble’s NOOK Store, All Romance eBooks and the Apple App Store.About Arrow Publications, LLC Arrow Publications, LLC, is 27 year-old Bethesda, MD, publisher of fiction and non-fiction books. Arrow also publishes the premier romance graphic novel site, MyRomanceStory.com For more information contact: pwhite@arrowpub.com.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-30T11:08:00.000-04:00

A good friend gave me a cute Halloween Card and I got a chuckle out of it. I'd like to share so here it is.All you gotta do is Control and Click. Enjoy! And have a Happy Halloween!http://ak.imgag.com/imgag/product/preview/flash/bws8Shell.swf?ihost=http://ak.imgag.com/imgag&brandldrPath=/product/full/el/&cardNum=/product/full/ap/3125133/graphic1

Bright, Shiny...Gadgets

2011-10-16T20:16:00.001-04:00

I used to be a pen freak. (to a certain extent, I still am) Pens that were different and eye appealing, or those that wrote smoothly, caught my eye. It became an obsession and I had to have it. My younger son saved up his allowance and bought me a gold Cross pen for my birthday. He wanted me to sign my first book contract with that pen and happily I did. Now my house has drawers and containers full of pens--many of which still write. I also have a keychain and mug collection denoting places I've been. However, when technology entered my life I was a goner. I have five laptops, ( maybe 3 work right, but I can't part with them) one netbook,( had 2, but gave the one that needed a new battery to my daughter-in-law) two PCs that actually work, (hubby uses one), a Nook, several MP3s, and an iphone. I'm almost certain that I'm leaving several items out and that's my point. I really don't have the time to use my Nook if I'm listening to a story and vice versa. However, I wouldn't be without either. I'm obsessing about getting an iPad2, but I think my husband might commit me if I actually got one. He doesn't understand my need to be able to download my email from anywhere. That's why on our last vacation, when my netbook stopped working wirelessly, I had to find the nearest Best Buy and replace it. (Just for the record the sales help in Kissimmee are very nice and helpful.) Okay, the Kindle Fire looks really good. And my library now lends out Kindle ebooks as well as the epubs...

Crossroads

2011-10-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

I'm not certain how many other writers, who have put up their backlist or other returned stories on Kindle, are comparing the royalties they're getting from publishers and that which are coming directly to them from Kindle.I know I am and the difference is astonishing. I'm getting practically nothing from several established publishers and selling an average of 15 stories a day the self-pubbed route. It makes you wonder why you should bother with the publishers at all. With that in mind, I'm going to have to make a decision what to do with my novels that are ready to go. Realistically, I need an eye-catching cover and an edited story. That I get when I sign with a publisher. However, I can hire an editor and a graphic artist. Lately, I've done some of my own covers. Even so, I might have to lay out some money, but will it be worth it? From the results I'm getting, I really think so.

THE FIRST RECORDED SENIOR MOMENT

2011-10-03T20:36:00.001-04:00

And that’s what happened to the dinosaurs…

Back Home Again

2011-10-02T15:37:00.005-04:00

Well, I'm back from Florida. No, I wasn't there on vacation--wish I had been. My mom has heart problems and experienced cardiac arrest. However, she's a tough old bird and pulled through this round. Hopefully the hospital and the rehab center will fair as well. I learned several lessons while I was down in the not-so-sunny state. (It was nasty and poured every day and sometimes all day, except one.)

The first lesson was never to fly US Air ever again. Absolutely not. This hadn't been the first miserable experience I had with that airline, but I am positive that it will be the last. I wanted to be on the first flight down to Florida. My mother was in DelRay Medical Center, so I booked a flight to land in Ft. Lauderdale with a stopover in Philadelphia. My son accompanied me and helped me keep my sanity.

We left the house about six o'clock in the morning and drove to LaGuardia Airport. The flight was supposed to take off at 9:30 AM, but they delayed it to 10 o'clock and then 10:15 AM before they told us we can no longer go to Ft. Lauderdale. The reason for that was we had missed our connecting flight to Philadelphia. The next flight going to Ft. Lauderdale would bring us there around 10:00 PM. We were told to go halfway across the terminal to another gate to speak to someone to help us. To make a long story short, we walked away from this crazy person who was going to reroute us via 2 more stops with one being Washington DC and some other place I can't even remember.

We ended up flying down to Miami via Philadelphia. Luckily for us, I had a friend who lived there and we crashed with her. We arrived in Miami around 8:30 PM. This was able to happen after arguing with the car rental agency to have our car picked up in Miami instead of Ft. Lauderdale.

The next day we drove to the hospital, hooked up with my brother and sister, saw my mother in the ICU and then went to the condo in Boca Raton where we were staying and signed in. The place wasn't too far, which was good, because we ended up driving back and forth every day, sometimes twice.

Skipping to 6 days later, I left my mom in rehab and drove to the airport with my son to go home. The flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Philadephia went off without a hitch. We never got out of Philadelphia, which I now believe is the black hole of airline passengers. Once you land there, you're stuck--if you're flying US Air. Our 7:30 flight ended up to be 10:30PM. I got back home at 1:30 AM.

I also learned that when people get old, they often become testy, possessing the patience of a flea, if they have that much. While my own mother was complaining,( a good sign she was feeling better) the woman in the next cubicle in the ICU was yelling at her poor daughter. I already told my son to shoot me if I begin to act that way. However, the highlight of being there happened on the second day. The doors to the ICU swing outward to allow the entrance of people. There is a large sign warning people of this. There is absolutely no way to miss it. It is also written in Spanish. We all stared in awe at the following scene: We all heard a loud bang. A woman had been standing too close to the doors was hit by them. She fell on her elbow, which had been operated upon recently. She kept telling the nurses who went to her aid that the door had tried to kill her. One nurse admonished her and told her she'd been here before and should have known about the door. Of course she maintained it had been the fault of the doors and not her disregarding the sign. She was taken away to be patched up and on her way out, refused to go through the door. There was no way she could leave without going through that type door. Finally, she went over to a doctor standing at the desk and told him that the door had tried to kill her. His reply was classic. "Well then, now you're safe. You see, the door only tries to kill a person once a day."

I guess getting old isn't fun sometimes. However, I know my mom will be out of rehab soon. She hates it there and complains thatall the nurses are mean and hate her. Nursing is such a hard job. It really takes a strong person to put up with all the feisty patients. Luckily for them, they have a lot of patience.

Buffalo, NY

2011-09-17T22:39:00.002-04:00

Buffalo is a wonderful old town in upstate New York. It is across from Canada and has a view of Niagara Falls and a park. However, I have pictures of the falls from the Canadian side. Being a lover of old buildings with its intricate architecture, I have included the Rand Building, The Liberty Building, which had two matching Statues of Liberty on its rooftop and City Hall.

The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park is located down by the marina. There you'll see a WWII museum along with a PT Boat, The USS Sullivan, the USS Little Rock and the Croaker which is a submarine.

How Do You Know the Recession is Serious?

2011-09-06T08:41:00.001-04:00

The recession has hit everybody really hard... My neighbor got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.

Wives are having sex with their husbands because they can't afford batteries.

CEO's are now playing miniature golf.

Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.

A stripper was killed when her audience showered her with rolls of pennies while she danced.

I saw a Mormon with only one wife.

If the bank returns your check marked "Insufficient Funds," you call them and ask if they meant you or them.

McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer.

Angelina Jolie adopted a child from America .

Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.

A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico ...

A picture is now only worth 200 words.

When Bill and Hillary travel together, they now have to share a room.

The Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas is now managed by Somali pirates.

Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great! The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!

And, finally.... I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc., I called the Suicide Hotline. I got a call center in Pakistan , and when I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck.

Sale at Lyrical Publishing

2011-09-01T10:59:00.002-04:00

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/

GOT NEW COVER FOR CRAZY LOVE

2011-08-29T09:24:00.004-04:00

Got my great new cover from Valerie Tibbs, the talented graphic artist from Lyrical. She did a bang up job and was a lot of fun to work with. At first she gave me a real sexy cover with an African-American woman and a white man. When I told her the people had to be reversed, she gave me an adorable "Dang!" And when I told her more about the plot and that it wasn't an erotic book she sent me two interracial ragdolls in bed. They were adorable and it would be a real goof--which it was. However, she also sent me this one which will be used.

Hurrican Irene

2011-08-28T14:41:00.001-04:00

Though there's still substantial wind, Hurricane Irene has basically come and gone from my area of Long Island. The only damage we sustained were broken tree limbs. My family and I have a great deal to be thankful for because many other parts of the island remain under water. This hurricane is just another marker in the crazy weather the United States has been having. The debasting tornados and flooding has caused its share of damage. And living on the east coast, I experienced the aftershock of an earthquake. Too bad the terrorists aren't more patient. It seems that Mother Nature is destroying the country on Her own. It makes me wonder who had the audacity to piss her off enough to cause all this.

My heart goes out to those who were not as fortunate.

Noah, Present Day

2011-08-21T22:03:00.023-04:00

With all the torrential rainfall we've had lately, I thought about Noah and what would happen if God asked him to build an ark today.
NOAH TODAY

In the year 2011, the Lord came unto Noah,who was now living in America and said:
"Once again, the earth has become wicked and over
-populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me.""Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing
along with a few good humans."He gave Noah the blueprints, saying:
"You have 6 months to build the Ark before I will
start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights."

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah
weeping in his yard - but no Ark."Noah!," He roared, "I'm about to start the rain!
Where is the Ark?""Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah, "but things have changed."
400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B0aZj1dNVh0/TlG7q2NjTII/AAAAAAAAATg/rtVF2pMVmvI/s400/rain3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643498152853195906" />
"I needed a Building Permit."

"I've been arguing with the Boat Inspector about the need for a sprinkler system."

"My neighbors claim that I've violated the
neighborhood by-laws by building the Ark in my
back yard and exceeding the height limitations. We had to
go to the local Planning Committee for a decision."

"Then the local Council and the Electricity Company demanded a shed load of money for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark's move to the sea. I told them
that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear none of it."

"Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cutting local trees in order to save the Greater Spotted Barn Owl.""I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls - but no go!"

"When I started gathering the animals the ASPCA took me to court. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodations were too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space."

"Then the Environmental Agency ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood."

"I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the
Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I'm
supposed to hire for my building crew."

"The Immigration Dept. is checking the
visa status of most of the people who want to work."

"The trade unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only Union workers with Ark-building experience."

"To make matters worse, the IRS seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species."

"So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark."

"Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky."

Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "You mean you're not going to destroy the world?"

"No," said the Lord.
" The Government beat me to it."

Need a Laugh?

2011-08-14T09:18:00.004-04:00

Lately, I find very little to laugh about. Between the things happening in Europe and the Middle East to what's happening right here in the US, I find myself frustrated to the point of tears. But you'll find no political rant here--only a few jokes to make you chuckle. I know, if I wrote down some of the zingers that passed between my husband and me, I could write a book. Instead, here are some jokes between spouses that have been circulating. Laugh. Though it'll be only temporary, enjoy the moment.

One year, I decided to buy my mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift...
The next year, I didn't buy her a gift.
When she asked me why, I replied,
"Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"
And that's how the fight started.....

______________________________

My wife and I were watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, “Do you want to have sex?”
“No,” she answered. I then said, “Is that your final answer?”
She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying, “Yes”
So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."
And that's when the fight started...

________________________________

I took my wife to a restaurant.
The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.
"I'll have the rump steak, rare, please."
He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"
"Nah, she can order for herself."
And that's when the fight started.....

________________________________

My wife and I were sitting at a table at her high school reunion, and she kept staring at a drunken man swigging his drink as he sat alone at a nearby table.
I asked her, "Do you know him?"
"Yes," she sighed,
"He's my old boyfriend.... I understand he took to drinking right after
we split up those many years ago, and I hear he hasn't been sober since."
"My God!" I said, "Who would think a person could go on celebrating
that long?"
And that’s when the fight started...

________________________________

When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me that I should get it fixed. But, somehow I always had something else
to take care of first, the shed, the boat, making beer. Always something more important to me. Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point.
When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass,
busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently
for a short time and then went into the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again I handed her a toothbrush. I said, "When you
finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway."
The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.

________________________________

My wife sat down next to me as I was flipping channels.
She asked, "What's on TV?"
I said, "Dust."
And then the fight started...

________________________________

Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch, and slipped quietly into the garage. I hooked up the boat to the van, and proceeded to back out into a torrential downpour. The wind was blowing 50 mph, so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad all day. I went back into the house, quietly
undressed, and slipped back into bed. I cuddled up to my wife's back,
now with a different anticipation, and whispered, "The weather out there is
terrible."
My loving wife of 5 years replied, "And, can you believe my stupid
husband is out fishing in that?"
And that's how the fight started...

________________________________

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary.
She said, "I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3
seconds."
I bought her a bathroom scale.
And then the fight started......
________________________________

My wife was standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.
She was not happy with what she saw and said to me,
"I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly.
I really need you to pay me a compliment.”
I replied, "Your eyesight's damn near perfect."
And then the fight started........
________________________________

Beware of What You Wish For

2011-07-31T13:59:00.003-04:00

After being married for 40 years, I took a careful look at my wife one day and said, "Forty years ago we had a cheap house, a junk car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10-inch black and white TV, but I got to sleep every night with a hot 23-year-old girl.

Now ... I have a $500,000.00 home, a $35,000.00 car, a nice big bed and a large screen TV, but I'm sleeping with a 63-year-old woman. It seems to me that you're not holding up your side of things."

My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 23-year-old girl and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap house, driving a junk car, sleeping on a sofa bed and watching a 10-inch black and white TV.

Aren't older women great? They really know how to solve an old guy's problems.

A Picture Can Speak Volumes

2011-07-23T08:43:00.003-04:00

My husband says that women usually outlive men. After seeing these photos, is there any wonder why?

Guest Blogging

2011-07-18T09:38:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow, I will be guest blogging on Debora Dennis' blog, The Saucy Scribe, http://
thesaucyscribe.com. Deb's a very dear friend and it's a pleasure to hop on over there for me. I certainly hope everyone will stop by and see what I have to say. Like my writing, I continually surprise myself by doing something unplanned and unexplainable, so my blog entry will be just as unexpected. Since she asked me to make sure that the excerpt was PG-13, it would have been nice if I could use a passage from my Crazy Love, a humorous book due out in January from Lyrical Press.
Unfortunately, I haven't a cover for it yet, so I've decided to blog about Reverie. Ironically, it is a very sensual book about the ghost of Claude Debussy who was quite a womanizer. Anyway, I hope to see you there.

I Believe

2011-07-13T15:27:00.000-04:00

Every once in awhile, a friend will send me a video really worth sharing. I Believe is one of them. I found it very inspirational. Enjoy.
http://www.andiesisle.com/creation/magnificent.html

Word of the day

2011-07-03T09:41:00.005-04:00

Okay,here I am back at home from the RWA National Conference and I'm going to use the word of the day: EXHAUSTED. I'm still unpacking my bags, finding things that are both definable, as well as undefinable. In the middle of all this, I went and traded in my car, spending endless hours at a dealership, for a new one. Sorry, off track here.

It was the best conference in a long time for me. I had so much fun that I never wanted it to end, but as we all know, all good things must end. Too bad, it's the bad stuff that we want over and done with. My roomies were great and the people I met from all over the world were terrific and fun. It makes me want to hop a plane and go visit them for coffee next week.

Now I have to process whatever I've learned while I'm getting out my edits for two books, a request, and put up my erotic anthology at Smashwords. I might even get to drive my new car--because it came with a full tank of gas.

Back from National

2011-07-01T19:59:00.000-04:00

Just came back from the RWA National Conference in NYC. I had a blast meeting terrific gals from all over the country and Australia. I think I have to rate it the best RWA conference I've ever attended. I may have gotten a total of five hours sleep the entire conference, but it was worth it!

Why Parents Drink

2011-06-27T12:43:00.000-04:00

I used to think that my kids were unique. I have two boys who are 51/2 years apart. My older son hung my younger one on the doorknob by his undies. That was the night I learned how to fly over 12 steps. My younger one opened several dozen egg packages and redecorated my kitchen. They took turns getting lost and then ran in different directions at Sesame Place. That was enough to drive me to drink. I think the following kid could be the one I don't know about because the other two drove me to drink. (LOL)

Why Parents Drink:
The boss wondered why one of his most valued employees was absent but had not phoned in sick. So he dialed the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper. ' Hello ? ' 'Is your daddy home?' ' Yes, he's out in the garden ,' whispered the small voice. 'May I talk with him?' The child whispered, ' No .' ; So the boss asked, 'Well, is your Mommy there?' ' Yes, she's out in the garden too '& The boss asked; 'May I talk with her?' Again the small voice whispered, ' No .' Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, 'Is anybody else there?' ' Yes ,' whispered the child, 'a policeman… ' Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, 'May I speak with the policeman?' ' No, he's busy , ' whispered the child. 'Busy doing what?' ' Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the police dog men. ' Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background, the boss asked, 'What is that noise?' ' It's a helicopter ' answered the whispering voice. 'What is going on there?' demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive. ' The search team just landed a helicopter ' 'A search team?' said the boss. 'What are they searching for?' Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle... ' ME

Very funny

2011-05-31T19:00:00.000-04:00

It's Official!

2011-05-31T14:21:00.003-04:00

My collection of confessions, I CONFESS, is now available at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/63358.

Included in the collection are:

I Loved a Thief: When Lauren Brand is taken hostage during a bank robbery, her life is changed forever.

I Hitched a Ride Into a Sex-Slavery Ring: Stranded in the desert late at night, a young African-American woman hitches a ride—only it turns out to be a one-way trip to a sex-slavery ring.

Rogue In Blue: Sandy Greene's life is turned inside-out when she is stopped by a rogue cop.

My Parents Paid Him To Marry Me: The story of a young girl being forced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger.

I Will Keep My Baby: What would you do if your employer had the power to make you abort your baby?

Cruel Intentions: A young woman who has survived the loss of her son and marriage discovers that someone wants her dead.

The "F" Word

2011-05-26T11:56:00.003-04:00

When is it okay to use the "F" Word?

Good News!

2011-05-11T09:31:00.002-04:00

I just signed a contract with Lyrical Press for my story, Crazy Love. It's a humorous story about a young woman from a very dysfunctional family who hires actors to play her family, fearful that her fiance would be history if he ever met her real one. She does it for love. What would you do?

BEAUTIFUL!

2011-05-09T09:41:00.001-04:00

This can touch anyone's heart. The sentiment is simply beautiful.

Frustration

2011-05-01T13:14:00.000-04:00

Frustration is the word of the day, lately. As I sit here contemplating what needs to be done now that a major publisher of mine has folded and closed her doors, I feel frustrated because I've been through this--not once, but twice before. Those times, I simply reedited and resent my stories to other publishers. It was easier and didn't hurt too much, because less stories were involved. However, this time I don't want to go through all that again. Luckily, thanks to the ebook market, I have another choice. Self-publication.

I used to poo-poo the idea of self-publication, thinking that people will think I'm doing this out of desperation because the work isn't good enough to be published through a publishing house. A lot of prominent authors are taking this route. Not this time around. And not with these stories that have been selling on the ebook market already. Why not put them back up on those sites again myself? Do I really need a publisher to do this for me? Not really. The works are already edited. Basically, all that they need are new covers.

Ah, but that could be costly since there are many stories involved and I'm not a graphic artist. Okay, but...Let's look at the bright side of acquiring brand new covers. Putting new covers will give the stories a new look. Also, I can choose the exact cover I want. The only person I have to please is myself. Though I had some input into the covers my stories have, some were never truly what I might have created. Now I have my chance to have the covers that make my heart sing.

Then I think about some of the other things that need to be done and groan. I discover that ISBNs are needed for certain sites and are somewhat costly, adding to the cost of the covers. Sighing, I know it has to be done.

Out of all this frustration comes hope. Eventually, when the stories are back up on the ebook sites once again, the money generated will come directly to me. I don't have to wait until a publisher takes his or her cut. So I keep my eyes on the prize.

A Terrific Play on Words

2011-04-17T23:53:00.001-04:00

Don't you ever which you'd come up with some clever idea? Well here's a list of definitions that are truly a terrific play on words. And, yes, I wish I'd come up with them.

A manipulator in Egypt is known as a Cairopractor.
Those who jump off a bridge in Paris are in Seine .
A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.
Dijon vu - the same mustard as before.
Practice safe eating - always use condiments.
Shotgun wedding - A case of wife or death.
A man needs a mistress just to break the monogamy.
A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
Dancing cheek-to-cheek is really a form of floor play
Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
Condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.
Reading while sunbathing makes you well red.
When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.
A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two tired.
What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead give away.)
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
In democracy your vote counts. In feudalism your count votes.
She was engaged to a boyfriend with a wooden leg but broke it off.
A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
If you don't pay your exorcist, you get repossessed
With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.
You feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
Local Area Network in Australia - the LAN down under.
Every calendar's days are numbered.
A lot of money is tainted - Taint yours and taint mine.
A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.
He had a photographic memory that was never developed.
A midget fortune-teller who escapes from prison is a small medium at large.
Once you've seen one shopping center, you've seen a mall.
Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.
Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
Acupuncture is a jab well done.

ANOTHER RAVE VIEW FOR REVERIE

2011-04-06T10:03:00.010-04:00

I opened my email this morning and discovered that my novella, Reverie, had received another fantastic--five star--review from BugsandBells for The Night Owl. I find this unbelievable because I never wanted to write the paranormal. After all, I have enough trouble dealing with the present real things that occur. However, I'd promised a writer friend, who is no longer with us,that I would. She must be laughing her head off from wherever she is. Every now and then, I think I hear her say, "I told you so."

Review of Reverie
Author: Candace Gold

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Ghosts

Reviewed by: BugsAndBells

Purchase Book
Review Date:
Apr 05, 2011

ISBN:
9781616502430
Publisher:
Lyrical Press
Print:
eBook: $4.50
Published:
2011-03-21

Nikki O’ Connell is a journalist in New York
and is in a relationship with psychologist
Dr. Jonathan Greene. It seems like Jonathan
is always working and that is taking him away
from her. Nikki has always had trouble coming
to terms with your parent’s death. Can Jonathan
help her with accepting her past or at least
understanding? Or is it something more than
they both realize?

I just loved Reverie by Candace Gold. Nikki
O’Connell reminded me of myself. Gold really
brought both Nikki and Jonathan alive and you
really get a sense of where the stood, even
though they themselves had no idea. Both of
these characters were complex and simple at
the same time. I felt that there could really
be a series with these characters. I would be
the first one to read it.

Candace Gold really knows how to make you fall
in love with her characters and leaves you
wanting more.
________________________________________

The Things People Pass Around

2011-04-01T19:42:00.002-04:00

A Great Play On Words

2011-03-28T16:29:00.001-04:00

A very close friend sent me this great list of ordinary phrases that have been cleverly altered to give everyone a good laugh. Of course there will always be somebody who doesn't find it funny. For that person I have only this to say: Laugh anyway.

A manipulator in Egypt is known as a Cairopractor.
Those who jump off a bridge in Paris are in Seine .
A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.
Dijon vu - the same mustard as before.
Practice safe eating - always use condiments.
Shotgun wedding - A case of wife or death.
A man needs a mistress just to break the monogamy.
A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
Dancing cheek-to-cheek is really a form of floor play
Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
Condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.
Reading while sunbathing makes you well red.
When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.
A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two tired.
What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead give away.)
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
In democracy your vote counts. In feudalism your count votes.
She was engaged to a boyfriend with a wooden leg but broke it off.
A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
If you don't pay your exorcist, you get repossessed
With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.
You feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
Local Area Network in Australia - the LAN down under.
Every calendar's days are numbered.
A lot of money is tainted - Taint yours and taint mine.
A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.
He had a photographic memory that was never developed.
A midget fortune-teller who escapes from prison is a small medium at large.
Once you've seen one shopping center, you've seen a mall.
Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.
Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
Acupuncture is a jab well done.

REVERIE is on sale today

2011-03-21T18:45:00.003-04:00

REVERIE came out today at Lyrical Press

Along with the 5 Diamond review it has already got from Martha Andrews at Got Erotic Romance http://goteroticromance.blogspot.com/2011/03/reverie-by-candace-gold.html, Reverie just received another great review from Stesha at Sensual Reads. Com
http://sensualreads.com/?p=6138

Sensual Reads. Com
http://sensualreads.com/?p=6138

"Paris suddenly turns perilous for Nikki O'Connell when a ghost mistakes her for his long-lost wife."
Nikki O’Connell is a conflicted woman. Successful as a journalist, her personal life is less so. She knows she is in love with her psychologist boyfriend Jonathan, but she is reluctant to share with him the issues of her past, and she is unsettled by his over commitment to his profession. Nikki is also troubled by her severe mood swings, and fears she may have inherited a madness gene from her late mother.
After another no-show by Jonathan at an important event, Nikki decides they need a break and heads off alone to Paris—a city where her parents were happy for the last time before their untimely deaths when Nikki was a little girl.
Almost immediately upon arrival at her rented Paris flat, Nikki begins to experience vivid dreams of a bearded man making love to her, and her sudden ability to play a certain piece of piano music called Reverie. Unnerved by the events, but convinced it’s all imagination, she strikes up a brief friendship with a charming Frenchman named Robert.
Jonathan soon arrives in Paris, determined to make things right with the woman he loves. After a brief misunderstanding, Nikki admits to Jonathan the peculiar series of events that is happening to her. Jonathan is skeptical, but soon eerie things make him realize that Nikki, as well as himself, are being haunted.
Nikki and Jonathan set out to solve the paranormal episodes happening to them, and soon discover that the former owner of the flat, Claude Debussy, an outrageous, womanizing, composer, still inhabits the flat and has mistaken Nikki for his beloved wife, Emma. It also becomes apparent that Claude may have had a hand in the mental breakdown of Nikki’s mother, as well. But as the paranormal activities increase, both Nikki and Jonathan soon realize that Nikki’s life is in grave danger from Claude Debussy.
Reverie is an interesting little ghost story, inside of a mystery, inside of a romance. The character of Nikki is an intriguing one. She is a woman searching for self-discovery. I liked her immediately. Jonathan, though, is rather perplexing. His intentions toward Nikki are good, but his over dedication to his profession and his patients make him a bit unlikeable. The relationship he shares with his patient, Alicia, is downright bizarre. The minor character of Robert is superfluous; I could have done without him completely. Still, Candace Gold gives us an intriguing story with a clever mystery that ties up very nicely by the end. Ms. Gold also offers her readers an exceptional guided tour through the streets of Paris. Overall, a very lovely read.
Like
Filed Under:
• Lyrical Press
• March 2011
• Reviews
About the Book:
Genre: paranormal
ISBN: B004SYBCSS
Page Count: 118
Price: $ 4.50
Reviewer: Stesha

Sensuality Rating: Sensuous
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Author's Website: candacegold.com

5 DIAMOND REVIEW FOR REVERIE

2011-03-15T15:04:00.005-04:00

Got Erotic Romance
Steamy...Sexy...Blushing is allowed...

Sunday, March 13, 2011
Reverie by Candace Gold

Title: Reverie
Author: Candace Gold
Publisher: First Lyrical Press, Inc.
Publication Date: 2011
ISBN: 9781616502430
Genre: Romance/paranormal
Length: 118 pages
Buy Link
Author Website
Author Email
Rating: 5 Diamonds
Heat Level: Sensual
Other: small oral sex, many sex scenes but only where in context
Reviewer: Martha Andrews
Date: 3/13/11

What do you do when a ghost mistakes you for his wife?

Furious with her boyfriend, journalist Nikki O'Connell visits Paris while reassessing their relationship. What she doesn't need complicating matters is the ghost of Claude Debussy crawling into her bed every night. Yet that's exactly what happens when the dead composer believes Nikki is his wife.

Journalists deal in facts, not in the supernatural, and it's that guiding rule that forces Nikki to doubt the possibility her rented apartment is haunted. Instead, she's confronted with the possibility that she's inherited the insanity that destroyed her mother.

I love classical music but that has nothing to do with why I loved this book! This book was really good because it showed a flawed woman who loved a man who was “real” too. (Not perfect LOL) She was jealous of his work and unsure of herself.

It was paranormal with a resident ghost but not just any ghost, the ghost of Claude Debussy. This story took you to Paris and you saw, tasted, and smelled Paris.

Since in the novel Debussy would go to Nikki in her dreams and make love to her each night there was sex some very explicit but not enough to get in the way of the plot or enough to be over-powering.
The novel progressed in a way that you were compelled to go on and on to see this couple solve their own problems and also to solve the ghost and problems he caused.

This book had a wonderful flow and the only frustration I had was that they didn’t go back to tell the ghost about the wrong assumption he’d made. (Don’t want to give anything away). I should show how real this book was to me that I'm worried about letting the ghost know his error!

I couldn’t get away from my computer (don’t have an e-reader) because when I played my music on auto-play—sooner or later “Reverie” or “Le Mer” would play and it was “back to the book” for me.
My husband is very happy I finished this book as I’ve been absent-mindedly humming and whistling Reverie for three days! This book is really good and except for the one frustration with the ending--I really enjoyed it from start to finish.

Is Education in the US Broken?

2011-03-05T15:19:00.003-05:00

It's definitely a sad state of affairs when a man making a 911 call for help for his wife can't spell the name of the street where they are located.

I was watching the news the other night and they played a recording of the 911 call.
Is there a problem with our current education system? Read on and you decide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 911, what's your emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. My wife got clocked by a wart hog real bad and I need someone to come up to pick her up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you give me your address?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. We're at 1825 Eucalyptus Drive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could you spell that for me, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to drag her to Oak Street and you can pick her up there.

The Importance of Walking

2011-02-27T20:04:00.000-05:00

The Importance of Walking

Walking can add minutes to your life.
This enables you at 85 years old
to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $7000 per month.

My grandpa started walking
five miles a day when he was 60.
Now he's 97 years old
and we don't know where he is.

I like long walks,
especially when they are taken
by people who annoy me.

The only reason I would take up walking
is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I have to walk early in the morning,
before my brain figures out what I'm doing..

I joined a health club last year,
spent about 400 bucks.
Haven't lost a pound.
Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise',
I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

The advantage of exercising every day
is so when you die, they'll say,
'Well, she looks good doesn't she.'

If you are going to try cross-country skiing,
start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise
the last few years,......
just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older,
because there's a lot more information in our heads.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

AND

Every time I start thinking too much
about how I look,
I just find a Happy Hour
and by the time I leave,
I look just fine.

You could run this over to your friends
But just e-mail it to them

New Book Trailer for Reverie by Candace Gold

2011-02-20T13:35:00.003-05:00

Also on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY1i5lnP5xE

Reverie will be released by Lyrical Press on March 21, 2011

Back

2011-02-16T09:04:00.002-05:00

I have to admit it, this winter is turning out to be the worst in my entire life. I thought I'd been smart by getting a flu shot and continue to take my vitamins, but nooooo. First I had a two-week battle with the flu and let me tell you, it took the first three rounds. Then three weeks later, boom! I'm knocked on my behind by bronchitis. This time, I went to the doctor, got an antibiotic i could have shared with a race horse and it was worse than the bronchitis. I'm not intending for a trifecta. So, to cheer me up, my sister-in-law sent me her advice to do some walking.

Here it is:

The Importance of Walking

Walking can add minutes to your life.
This enables you at 85 years old
to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $7000 per month.

My grandpa started walking
five miles a day when he was 60.
Now he's 97 years old
and we don't know where he is.

I like long walks,
especially when they are taken
by people who annoy me.

The only reason I would take up walking
is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I have to walk early in the morning,
before my brain figures out what I'm doing..

I joined a health club last year,
spent about 400 bucks.
Haven't lost a pound.
Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise',
I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

The advantage of exercising every day
is so when you die, they'll say,
'Well, she looks good doesn't she.'

If you are going to try cross-country skiing,
start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise
the last few years,......
just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older,
because there's a lot more information in our heads.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

AND

Every time I start thinking too much
about how I look,
I just find a Happy Hour
and by the time I leave,
I look just fine.

Snow

2011-02-02T10:19:00.000-05:00

I really would like to see them run out of snow. A snow drought sounds really marvelous at the moment. All the snow jokes and shoveling has gotten to me--never mind my poor back. So a friend of mine thought she'd be funny and send me two more feet of snow.

Helpful Tips for Winter

2011-01-26T18:40:00.001-05:00

Living on Long Island, I've been hit with a ton of snow this winter. My sister-in-law is a car salesperson and sent me the following tips:

Helpful Hints For Winter

Keep your headlights clear with car wax!
Just wipe ordinary car wax on your headlights. It contains special water repellents that will prevent that messy mixture from accumulating on your lights - lasts 6 weeks.

Squeak-proof your wipers with rubbing alcohol!
Wipe the wipers with a cloth saturated with rubbing alcohol or ammonia. This one trick can make badly streaking & squeaking wipers change to near perfect silence & clarity.

Ice-proof your windows with vinegar!
Frost on it's way? Just fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water & spritz it on all your windows at night. In the morning, they'll be clear of icy mess. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which raises the melting point of water---preventing water from freezing!

Prevent car doors from freezing shut with cooking spray!
Spritz cooking oil on the rubber seals around car doors & rub it in with a paper towel. The cooking spray prevents water from melting into the rubber

Fog-proof your windshield with shaving cream!
Spray some shaving cream on the inside of your windshield & wipe if off with paper towels. Shaving cream has many of the same ingredients found in commercial defoggers.

De-ice your lock in seconds with hand sanitizer!
Just put some hand sanitizer gel on the key & the lock & the problems solved!

BIRTHDAY QUOTES

2011-01-21T10:02:00.002-05:00

Today is a special day. It's the birthday of Debora Dennis. She's the president of my writing group, Dunes and Dreams. So in her honor, I decided to compile some quotes about birthdays made by prominent comedians. So before I begin, I have a message for Debora: I really love you.

Rodney Dangerfield:

For my birthday, my old man showed me a picture of the cake. I sat there all day trying to blow out the candles.

My childhood was rough. Once for my birthday, my old man gave me a bat. The first day I played with it, it flew away.

Bob Hope:

You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.

Rita Rudner:

I had the worst birthday party ever when I was a child, because my parents hired a pony to give rides. These ponies are never in good health, but this one dropped dead. It just wasn't much fun after that. One kid would sit on him and the rest of us would drag him around in a circle.

These big birthday parties my friends make for their kids. One of my friends had a surprise party for her child. He was one year old. We all snuck in around the crib, jumped up, and yelled, "Surprise!" He's in therapy now.

Henny Youngman: I walked into a store and said, "It's my wife's birthday. I'd like to buy her a beautiful pen." The clerk winked at me and said, "A little surprise, heh?" I said, "Yes she's expecting a Cadillac."

And on that note, Debora, may you get all that you desire.

Hilarious Video

2011-01-10T17:19:00.001-05:00

One of my dearest friends sent this video to me and reassured me that it was definitely not her Wal*Mart

UNBELIEVABLE PROMOTIONAL ADS

2011-01-06T07:32:00.027-05:00

One of my my closest friends alerted me to these ads done by AT&T around the world using only painted hands. These are vividly done and could pass as art. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. They're pure eyecandy.

Japan

United Kingdom

South Africa

Paraguay

Norway

The Netherlands

Mexico

Morocco

Mexico

Japan

France

Italy

England

China

Costa Rica

Egypt

China

Canada

Brazil

Australia

Bahamas

India

Russia

Ellen Degeres Quotes

2011-01-03T20:46:00.000-05:00

Ellen Degeneres Quotes: She always makes me laugh.

I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls. They always say because it's such a beautiful animal. There you go. I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her.

I was coming home from kindergarten - well they told me it was kindergarten. I found out later I had been working in a factory for ten years. It's good for a kid to know how to make gloves.

People always ask me, 'Were you funny as a child?' Well, no, I was an accountant.

You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-23T13:03:00.004-05:00

Okay, so today is the first day after five very long days of the flu that I can sit up without the world spinning around me. I've given up food--not a diet that I suggest you follow. What hurts worse is that I haven't had a cup of coffee since I first got sick. The second thing that bothers me is that I had a damn flu shot. Okay, so I'm not going to be so ho-ho, buy you all can. That's why I borrowed World Start's version of The Night Before Christmas.

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house
I searched for the tools to hand to my spouse.
Instructions were studied and we were inspired,
In hopes we could manage "Some Assembly Required."
The children were quiet (not asleep) in their beds,
While Dad and I faced the evening with dread:
A kitchen, two bikes, Barbie's town house to boot!
And, thanks to Grandpa, a train with a toot!

We opened the boxes, my heart skipped a beat....
Let no parts be missing or parts incomplete!
Too late for last-minute returns or replacement;
If we can't get it right, it goes in the basement!

When what to my worrying eyes should appear,
But 50 sheets of directions, concise, but not clear,
With each part numbered and every slot named,
So if we failed, only we could be blamed.

More rapid than eagles the parts then fell out,
All over the carpet they were scattered about.
"Now bolt it! Now twist it! Attach it right there!
Slide on the seats, and staple the stair!
Hammer the shelves, and nail to the stand."
"Honey," said hubby, "you just glued my hand."

And then in a twinkling, I knew for a fact
That all the toy dealers had indeed made a pact
To keep parents busy all Christmas Eve night
With "assembly required" till morning's first light.

We spoke not a word, but kept bent at our work,
Till our eyes, they went bleary; our fingers all hurt.
The coffee went cold and the night, it wore thin
Before we attached the last rod and last pin.

Then laying the tools away in the chest,
We fell into bed for a well-deserved rest.
But I said to my husband just before I passed out,
"This will be the best Christmas, without any doubt.

Tomorrow we'll cheer, let the holiday ring,
And not have to run to the store for a thing!
We did it! We did it! The toys are all set
For the perfect, most perfect, Christmas, I bet!"

Then off to dreamland and sweet repose I gratefully went,
Though I suppose there's something to say for those self-deluded...
I'd forgotten that batteries are never included!

Well, I'm going back to bed so I hope all of you have a very happy holiday!

Thought of the Day

2010-12-15T22:31:00.002-05:00

What would writers do without their coffee?

Monday Excerpt

2010-12-13T09:53:00.002-05:00

ROGUE IN BLUE published by Lady Leo Publishing

It was nearly 7:00 p.m. when the last patient of the day left. The flu season was in full swing, and it seemed half the people in the county had come down with it. Working as a nurse in Dr. Resnick’s office, I hoped I didn’t turn into a germ magnet as I helped Cathy, the receptionist, straighten the waiting room.

“Long day, wasn’t it?” she said to me.

“You think they couldn’t get any longer, but with Ed being away, they feel twice as long.”

“When’s he due back?”

“In a few days—if all goes well.”

“I don’t know how you do it. I hate being alone and freak out whenever Paul’s late.”

“You get used to it and thankfully it won’t be forever.”

Actually, I never could truly get used to saying goodbye to my husband, Ed, whenever he left on a business trip. I hated to be alone, especially at night. I missed sleeping with his loving arms wrapped around me. At least he called every night around nine to say good night.

Cathy and I walked out together and I got into my car. As I drove away, I hoped I’d get home in time for Ed's call. I knew he hated to leave me just as much as I hated to be alone. I didn’t want to worry him. I turned onto the highway. Traffic was light, thank goodness, and I'd be able to make it in time. I must have gone less than a mile when I saw flashing red lights in my rear-view mirror.

"Damn!" I said aloud, pounding the wheel. Just what I didn't need. Now I'll never get home in time. My heart began to thud against my chest as I slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road. Maybe he'd just give me a ticket without a lecture and I could be on my way again.

The police car pulled directly in back of mine. The door opened and I watched in my
mirror as the officer slowly emerged from the car. He walked over to my side as I rolled down the window.

"License and registration, please. Do you have any idea how fast you were going?"

"Yes, Officer, and I apologize. I didn't want to miss an important phone call."

"If you have an accident caused by excessive speed, you ain't gonna get that call, either."

"You're right. It was foolish of me. Please issue me the ticket and I promise to take it slow."

"Get out of the car."

"What?"

"Get out of the car."

"Why?"

"Because I'm telling you to, that's why."

"But, I don't understand."

"Are you resisting the order of an officer of the law?"

"No, but—"

"Then get out of that car now!"

Monday's excerpt

2010-11-29T11:04:00.002-05:00

"The Greatest Gift of All" is from an anthology published by Highland Press entitled: Holiday In the Heart www.highlandpress.org

Despite all efforts to protect herself from getting hurt again by not dating, Claudia Sykes, is talked into a dance at the church. And she learns a lesson that you can't hide from love.

Walking into the crowded room decorated with hundreds of hearts and cupids, Claudia began to regret coming. The band had begun to play a slow song and Matthew and Brittany started to walk to the dance floor, but stopped when they saw a man approach Claudia. Before Claudia could go find a spot to sit, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around slowly to face a guy wearing black-framed glasses with round shot-glass thick lenses. What little hair he had left on his head was thin and lifeless and combed to the side. A Prince Charming, he wasn’t. And she very much doubted he’d even make it to the frog category, either.

“Would you care to dance?” he asked.

To make sure her sister didn’t hide in the corner, Brittany nearly pushed Claudia into him. Claudia opened her mouth to protest, but Brittany quickly said, “She’d be delighted to.”

As Claudia was led onto the dance floor by the stranger, she tried to console herself with the thought he was probably a very nice person. Not everyone could look like an Adonis. Besides, it was only for one dance—not forever.

The first sensation she got as he held her hand was far from pleasant. The guy must have been nervous because his palm was quite clammy. When he placed his hand on her bare back, she cringed. And that was only the beginning. From that moment on, it was all downhill.

He was a terrible dancer, constantly stepping all over her feet. Though he apologized profusely, her poor feet didn’t feel any better.

“You live around here?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said careful not to tell him where.

“Me, too. My name is Howard Dolan.”

“Claudia Sykes.” She was tempted to give him a fictitious name.

“Oof, sorry,” he said, coming down hard on her left foot.

“Ugh, that’s okay,” she managed to say through the lingering pain, praying for the dance to end.

“I think you’re the prettiest girl here.”

“Thank you.” She tried to concentrate at keeping my feet out of harm’s way.

“Maybe we can get together some time…”

At that exact moment the music mercifully stopped. She took it as her cue to escape.
“I must run to the Ladies’ Room,” was all she said, fleeing as fast as her two wounded feet would take her.

Feeling like a coward, Claudia ducked into the bathroom. Realizing she couldn’t remain in there until the end of the dance, she decided to sneak out and look for a nice, dark corner to hide in. Hopefully Howard would find someone else to dance with while she laid low.

She opened the door a crack to see if the coast was clear. Howard was no where in sight, so she slowly opened the door and walked out. To tell the truth, she half expected him to dart over and grab her, but he didn’t. She released her breath and began to breathe normally again as she spied the nearest corner behind a pole. Just as she reached the safety of her chosen haven, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Totally upset, thinking Howard had found her after all, she whirled around and said defiantly, “Go away!”

Only, it wasn’t Howard…

Writing Tips

2010-11-26T19:32:00.001-05:00

http://www.dailywritingtips.com is a site that offers daily writing tips. You can either grab the RSS Feed or receive posts by email. Its real value lies in the topic categories that are listed on the left side and the helpful articles on writing on the right side.

If you are interested in taking online classes or live in or near New york City, the Gotham Writers' Workshop, http:// www.writingclasses.com have the most comprehensive writing classes in all genres of writing.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2010-11-24T08:32:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

The Bad Parrot

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The
Parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary

Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious
And laced with profanity . John tried and tried to
Change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only
Polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could
Think of to 'clean up' the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot .
The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the
Parrot got angrier and even more rude.

John, in desperation, threw up his hands, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed.

Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard
For over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened
The door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out
Onto John's outstretched arms and said:

"I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and
actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a
Dramatic change in his behavior, the bird spoke-up, very
Softly...................

"May I ask what the turkey did?"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!!

Excerpt from: I WILL KEEP MY BABY

2010-11-22T10:48:00.006-05:00

What would you do if you were told the baby you were carrying could not be brought to full term because your boss had not given you permission to have a child? In China, there is compulsive birth control laws that are arbritrary and often unfair.

I WILL KEEP MY BABY
Published by Lady Leo Publishing

“It is foolish,” Mother Chen, my mother-in-law, admonished as she sifted through the latest pile of bills.

“So foolish,” she repeated for emphasis, fanning the air with a bill. “You cannot afford to pay a single one.”

“No, Respected Mother, it is not foolish. It is principle now.”

“Principle, heh? Stupid girl try to buck system. Hotel too big to fight. Will swallow you whole like shark. Impossible to win. Accept court ruling.”

“Never! I believe in my heart that the court ruling is wrong and unjust. I will keep going until I have nowhere to go.”

My mother-in-law merely shook her head and disappeared behind the curtain that separated her room from the one my husband, Zhang Chen, and I slept in. I was left alone with my thoughts and a huge pile of unpaid bills. Mother-in-law Chen was right about one thing: There were way too many bills for my husband and me to pay, with my poor husband’s meager salary. Sifting through the unwieldy pile, I felt my resolution begin to crumble. Perhaps I was taking on too much, and I could never win. If so, it would be prudent to give up, as my mother-in-law had advised, before things worsened. But then I look at my beautiful sleeping daughter, Han, and I know that what I am doing is the right thing. Had the choice been up to my former
employer, Han would not be here today.

Burdened throughout history by overpopulation, our great nation of China has taken major strides in the attempt to curb its population growth by passing several birth control laws. One of which empowers employers with the authority to decide when their employees can have their children. It meant that as a worker, before becoming pregnant, I’d have to ask permission first. If my employer did not think it a good time for the company, I would be denied permission.

The problem with my job position as hotel clerk was quite obvious. We were always busy, and there was never a good time for me to become pregnant. If I waited for permission, I’d never get it. My biological clock would expire long before the hotel supervisor saw fit to grantme maternity leave.

The government also empowered the employers to force their employees to submit to abortions if they became pregnant without prior approval. Because of that law, I had already gone through two abortions—neither of which I had truly desired.

Thinking back, I will always remember that most fateful day when I discovered I was pregnant again. It was a cold, rainy one that matched my most foul disposition. I would not be able to tell Zhang of my plight until he returned home from work that evening. He could not receive personal phone calls at his place of work and hardly ever called home on his half-hour lunch break. I feared telling my mother-in-law. She had so little respect for me as it was. Besides, she was such a snoop she would find out soon enough, anyway. Nothing ever seemed to pass by the old woman’s ears. I’ve often suspected her of standing awake at night with her ear pressed to the curtain separating our bedrooms.

At first, I was not at all sure what to do. It would have been so easy just to have another abortion. But I remembered the serious words of my doctor the last time I had aborted my child. He told me in no uncertain terms that if I had another, I would most likely never be able to bear more children. And more than anything else, I wanted to have a child. The thought of having a child was so desirable that I wept with joy and yet I knew, without permission from my employer
to have my baby, that joy would be short lived.

But what would my loving husband say? Would he be angry with me for putting him in such a bad light? I wanted to run away into the hills and hide, but I realized that would solve nothing. It was indeed most childish of me to think in such a foolish manner. I had to stay and face Zhang. I wanted to be joyous and glad that we had been given this chance to be part of the miracle of life. However, to do so would go against the laws of our country. What shame that my country had taken away the joy and freedom of having children.

Today's Tip

2010-11-19T08:52:00.007-05:00

For today's tip, I came across something on a webite, I normally use for computer help. www.worldstart.com had something interesting for those writers interested in several myths and heroes. It was presented by Amanda, one of their bloggers who always suggests new websites for readers od WS. I recommend this site for anyone who owns a computer, however here's an example of their general interest side:

WorldStart.Com Computer Tips & Help
Tip #7145 - In Search of Myths and Heroes
In Search of Myths and Heroes

This site focuses on four myths: the Queen of Sheba, Shangri-la, King Arthur, and Jason of the Argonauts. I arrived here via the page on Jason, but you can select any of the four myths to start with.

After selecting a myth to explore, you'll be taken to the main page for myths. Pick the myth you want to explore again, or explore one of the other two sections: Myth & Archetypes or What is a Myth?

When you explore a myth you'll find a text version of the myth, a video you can watch that tells part of the myth (I enjoyed watching each of the videos they hired excellent storytellers to do the myth retelling), and if you click the images on the side of the page you'll be taken to further information on the myth. Each picture goes to the same place so you only have to click one.

Myth & Archetypes – this section will teach you what an archetype is and how it applies to myths.

What is a Myth? – this section explains what exactly a myth is.

After you've explored all the myths on the site why don't you try your hand at the Living Legends Quiz! I think that not only is this quiz fun to take, but it shows you just exactly how these myths have transcended time and are still present in our culture today.

http://www.pbs.org/mythsandheroes/index.html

Enjoy a laugh or two

2010-11-18T22:07:00.003-05:00

FOR THOSE OF US WHO REMEMBER.....

Hollywood Squares:

These great questions and answers are from the days when the Hollywood Squares game show responses were spontaneous, not scripted, as they are now.

Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions, of course.

Q. Paul, what is a good reason for pounding meat?
A. Paul Lynde: Loneliness!
(The audience laughed so long and so hard it took up almost 15 minutes of the show!)

Q. Do female frogs croak?
A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough.

Q. If you're going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be?
A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.

Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years.
A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.

Q. You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?
A. Don Knotts: That's what's been keeping me awake.

Q. According to Cosmopolitan, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he's married?
A. Rose Marie: No wait until morning.

Q. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.

Q. In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say 'I Love You'?
A. Vincent Price: No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty.

Q. What are 'Do It,' 'I Can Help,' and 'I Can't Get Enough'?
A. George Gobel: I don't know, but it's coming from the next apartment.

Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?
A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I'll give you a gesture you'll never forget.

Q. Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?
A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.

Q. Charley, you've just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during the first year?
A... Charley Weaver: Of course not, I'm too busy growing strawberries.

Q. In bowling, what's a perfect score?
A. Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy.

Q. It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics, what is the other?
A. Paul Lynde: Tape measures.

Q. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet?
A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter, I'm always safe in the bedroom.

Q. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?
A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.

Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?
A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?

Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.

Q. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?
A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.

Q. It is the most abused and neglected part of your body, what is it?
A. Paul Lynde: Mine may be abused, but it certainly isn't neglected..

Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?
A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.

Q. Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?
A. Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant?

Q. When a couple has a baby, who is responsible for its sex?
A. Charley Weaver: I'll lend him the car, the rest is up to him

Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they?
A. Charley Weaver: His feet.

Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed?
A. Paul Lynde: Point and laugh

WE DON'T STOP LAUGHING BECAUSE WE GROW OLD, WE GROW OLD BECAUSE WE STOP LAUGHING!

Monday's

2010-11-15T09:31:00.006-05:00

Here it is Monday again and I realize that I've been neglecting my blogs--of course I could use the excuse I've been writing and editing several stories. And I could add the fact life threw my poor son a nasty curve and he lost his job out in Arizona, forcing him to return home. But I won't. He's got a job and here I am blogging.

I've decided to try to be more consistent and give an excerpt from one of my stories every Monday. For Wednesday's, it'll be pot luck, which means whatever. A joke, quiz, etc. On Fridays I will try to give writing advice.

Sounds like a New Year's resolution, doesn't it? Well, I hope not, 'cause I've stopped making them. It's like lying to yourself.

For starters, here's a little something from A Heated Romance

“O’Dwyer, you look different,” Smith said, actually initiating a conversation with her.

“I left my helmet home.”

“Jeez! Can’t you ever be serious?”

“It’s hard since I never leave home without my sarcastic wit. Besides, I never know what kind of mood you’re going to be in.”

“I just wanted to say I like what you’ve done with yourself.”

She shrugged. He didn’t have to know how hard she’d worked to get that way. “All I did was put on a dress and apply some makeup.”

“Well, it looks nice. You look like a…a real…woman.”

Like the excruciatingly shrill screech of chalk scratching a blackboard, he’d gone and pressed the wrong buttons, as usual, causing something to short-circuit in Marcie’s head. Before she could stop herself, her eyes narrowed to slits and her nostrils flared with fury as she spewed, “I knew you’d say something sexist like that.”

“Damn, O’Dwyer. That’s not how I meant it,” Smith replied angrily.

“Really?”

Gritting his teeth, he replied, “Really!”

By this time, every eye at the table was watching, every ear listening, as though the two of them had forgotten where they were. Marcie ignored everyone and turned completely around in her chair to look him squarely in the eye. However she saw no defiance or anger. Instead she saw something she’d never seen in his eyes before. Had he actually been telling the truth? Could he be capable of giving a woman an honest compliment? She wasn’t certain how to respond. For the sake of the others at the table, she chose to believe him and go from there.
“To tell the truth, Smith, I wasn’t sure how you meant it, I mean, we’re not on what you would call the best of terms.”

“True. However we’re at a wedding, O’Dwyer. Try to be civil.”

“Civ—” The nerve of that man. She was about to blow again when Smith placed a finger on her lips. Lucky for him, she didn’t try to bite it off.

“Truce, O’Dwyer?”

Oh, BTW, if you go to candacegold.com, you'll find another excerpt for A Heated Romance.

Coming Out Soon

2010-11-01T14:19:00.002-04:00

From Lyrical Press:

REVERIE: A haunting love story

Coming Soon!

2010-10-21T19:15:00.002-04:00

Somebody wants Carly Richards dead...
COMING SOON! CRUEL INTENTIONS

Making Friends

2010-09-26T08:56:00.006-04:00

I had to work yesterday. For those who don't know, I work part time at the Huntington Public Library in the Youth and Parents Services. We have a new rule that somebody from the library must sit in and monitor all programs for the children. I was the lucky one yesterday. From 9:30 until 12:00, I was in with the kids taking a practice PSAT. Okay, I can't complain. I did get a great deal of reading done. However, the highlight of my day came later in the afternoon.

The younger kids, K-1, got a visit from a wonderful man named Jim who works for the preservation of wild life at the Wild Life Rescue Center on Long Island. Jim brought a one-and-a-half-year old oposum named Marcie that was saved by Jim. her mother had been hit by a car. Marcie, a baby at the time, was in her pouch. Opossums, like the kangaroo, are marsupials. Though she'd been hurt, Jim was able to save her and adopted her as a pet.

I was very sad to hear that even with care Marcie will only live around five years.

Normally, opossums in the wild don't make it past the first year. They are very slow creatures that make good prey for other animals. Their biggest enemy is the automobile. Opossums are useful animals since they eat anything and everything, including dead creatures. The most astonishing facts that I learned was that they have fingers and toes, including thumbs and a prehensile tail. Also, they are as old as the dinosaur.

Check out Marcie being held by one of our librarians:

Just for a laugh

2010-09-08T16:52:00.005-04:00

I've been told that laughter keeps a person young and healthy. Whatever the concensus, a good laugh can't hurt. So check the following cartoons out and enjoy a laugh.

Bring on the Ginsu Knives

2010-08-29T12:01:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I had the time of my life playing with an ancient sword from Germany. Ancient, being a relative term here. My kids used to think my parents were ancient. I hate to think what they consider me now, but I'm getting off track, here. My writing group was invited to Trisha Kiefer's home for a first-rate presentation of weaponry through the ages. Her husband, Pat, is a techno wiz when it comes to building various nifty things like catapults, trebuchets and guillotines and practically an encyclopedia of knowledge. With the use of small homemade replicas, we were instructed in the art of warfare. It was a very hands-on type of day and we each took turns using the German sword to disembowel fierce plastic water jugs. The sword was a beautiful handcrafted weapon which turned out to be light and very wieldable. Some of us could think of several important uses for the sword, none of which concerning melons or pumpkins.

Great Video on the 1960's

2010-08-22T10:03:00.002-04:00

Those of us who either remember the 1960's or lived through it, the following link is a terrific guide through that remarkable decade. The music, alone, makes it well worth taking a peek. Since there's a great deal of statistics thrown at you quite quickly, use the pause button on the bottom whenever necessary.

>target="_blank">the sixties

New Story Out

2010-08-16T20:22:00.002-04:00

JUST OUT AT LADY LEO PUBLISHING! THE LATEST CUB BITE BY CANDACE GOLD

WANTING WAYNE

Rochelle Robinson loves Wayne Watson. However, he is the one man she could never have, because he's already married to her younger sister, Amber. What makes matters worse, Amber treats Wayne like dirt and cares even less for their son, Ty. What will Rochelle do when she discovers her sister’s been unfaithful?

New Book Cover

2010-08-04T09:49:00.004-04:00

Just got my new cover from Lady Leo Publishing for my next confession release, Wanting Wayne. It's a story about two sisters and one man. Interestingly enough, the two that love each other are not married to each other. Check out the cover

Back From National

2010-08-04T09:36:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm back from National where I had a blast. Didn't know I could run on 3 hours a sleep a night. Wouldn't advocate doing it for long, though, since you pay for it later on-- big time! I've been dragging myself to my day job and sitting in a comatose haze wondering which day the week I was up to. However, I wouldn't have missed going to National for the world. Most of the people I hobnobbed with her just like me the same goals to be a great writer. There's no other place like a RWA National to find that. Just to rub shoulders with the greats like Nora Roberts and Linda Howard, just to name two of my favorites, was just as good as being in a chocolate factory.

Unfortunately, now I'm back to normal, which means I'm home and inundated with a ton of work that needs to be completed and done. But for five days, I had the time of my life

NATIONAL!

2010-07-25T09:15:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday night, I'm joining six of my Dunes and Dreams writing buddies and heading down to Orlando where the Romance Writers of America's National Conference is being held this year. Originally it was to be held in Nashville, but the hotel was flooded out when that area was hit hard by terrible rains.

It should be a blast. Of course, though, here I am, no different from last year, standing in front of my open closet wondering what I should bring to wear. Even though, I explicitly bought new clothes to wear--heaven help some member from RWA remember seeing me in something I'd worn the year before in Washington, D.C., I'm still deliberating. As you can guess, making decisions is not one of my strong points.

Then there's the fact that I'm going to moderate some poor women's workshop. Me, the person who gets so tongue-tied, you need a pair of scissors to untie it. Or I can do what I do best. Taking the first letters of two words and switching them with such ease, it's amazing. For instance, Happy Birthday is transformed into Bappy Hirthday. I'm really that good. Once I nearly did an entire sentence. I guess you can call it slight of tongue.

Then there's those 10 minutes of pitching your work where you try to convince the agent or editor sitting across from you why they should read and publish your work. Anything and everything is possible then. That's my vocal free-for-all.

My problem is that when I get nervous, I don't stutter or grow quiet, like most people. I get loud and funny. My one-liners come out in such lightning speed, even I don't know what I'm saying. If I could write some of them down, I'd be a funny writer. But, it doesn't work that way. And despite all the nerves and indecisions, I can't wait to go. I keep reminding myself that it's only 5 days out of my life and that whatever I do, I can recover.

At least I hope so!

STRESS

2010-07-15T10:40:00.002-04:00

Nearly everyone today constantly gets a ton of emails containing everything from stupid jokes to serious content. I know I do. Sometimes I get something that's really worth saving. And sometimes, it's even worth sharing. Today my sister-in-law sent me an email that I'd like to share with everyone, especially those people who are worried about trying to make ends meet in this horrid economy, looking for a job in an ever-shrinking job market or just plain stressed out about what's going on in the world around them. It's not going to fix everything that's broken or wrong, but it helps to put a little of it into perspective.

Stress

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked,'How heavy is this glass of water?'

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'

He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy,we
won't be able to carry on. '

'As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'
'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.'
So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon,
And some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet,
Just in case you have to eat them.

* Always wear stuff that will make you look good
If you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be
"Recalled" by their maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again,
It was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time,
Because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Just get up and dance.

* When everything's coming your way,
You're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you.
The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world,
But you may also be the world to one person.

* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery
On a detour.

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today...I did.

Interview at Amanda McIntyre's blog up

2010-07-09T10:41:00.004-04:00

Candace's alter ego, Candy Caine has her interview with Amanda McIntyre's Thursday Coffee Time blog posted. The direct link:

http://mcintyreshouseofmuse.blogspot.com/search/label/Thursday%20Coffee%20Talk

Here's a reprint below:

Thursday, July 8, 2010
Thursday Coffee Talk: Candy Caine 7.08.10
This week On TCT, I am pleased to welcome to House of Muse, erotic romance author, Candy Caine aka Candace Gold! Candy writes for Lady Leo Publishing and is afflilated through Arrow Publishing with their Apple Distribution program. Please welcome Candy to House of Muse!!

Tell us a bit about how you got started writing:
Believe it or not, I began my writing career writing for children. I guess the really big thrill came when the Chicken Soup people sent me a postcard asking if I’d like to submit a story for Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul. I was already writing for adults at this time but wrote a simple story off the top of my head and was surprised when it was selected by a panel of kids. I guess, had I not been in a convenience store in Arizona and plucked a confessions magazine off the impulse rack as I waited to be checked out, I might be still a children’s writer today.

My favorite genre will always be confessions. With confessions you’re limited only by your imagination. Since it is written in the first person, you can try out new careers. In one week, I was a hooker, travel agent, teacher, librarian and a doctor. I write all types of romance from sweet to suspenseful and usually end up blending several genres together. Though I’m usually wrestling with the here and now, I also have a paranormal coming out next year with Lyrical Publishing. And then there’s the erotica which Candy Caine is known for. That’s my husband, Robert’s, favorite by the way. He likes to make certain the writing is authentic.

Can you give us a sneak peek at your latest release?
From Grandma’s Handyman:

When Shawna Washington finds the man she's been living with in bed with another woman, she scratches his name off her Christmas list and leaves him. However, she discovers getting him out of our life is not so easy. She takes a vacation to visit her grandmother thinking it will help her stay away from men and their tangling relationships. Only grandma has her own agenda. She tries every way possible to fix Shawna up with her handyman, Roy Smith. Does Grandma’s plan work?

A question I like to ask my readers and my guests-what is your definition of the "perfect" hero or heroine?:
As for my definition of a hero, aside from having gorgeous eyes, he is selfless and caring, yet strong. Far from perfect, he has flaws that keep him human. Great body, though. He’s got integrity, but willing to tell a white lie if it is necessary. He’s also willing to sacrifice or give up something near and dear to him for the sake of my heroine and though his determination may waiver at times, he remains steadfast in this cause. He’s the one who stands behind someone encouraging and supporting them when no one else will. That brings up his loyalty and gallantry. My hero does the deed with a modest style that is unique to him. However, above all he has compassion which actually makes him the man he is, for without it, he’d only be a hunky-looking tin man taking the wrong route to the Emerald City.

As for my heroines, to be honest…I’m totally jealous of them. They are beautiful and intelligent. Somehow they always survive all the trauma and disasters I throw at them. And the ones in my erotica, definitely have more fun in bed than I do. Enough said.

**Question for our readers?** Leave Candy your thoughts and you might win what Candy is dishing out! ;))

If you could tell the writer what kind of plotline you’d like her to incorporate into her next story, what would it be?

More from Arrow Publication's interview with Candace can be found at: Straight From Arrow
Lady Leo Publishing

Learn more about Candy and her books at : http://www.candycaine.com/

Thanks for coming by HOUSE OF MUSE Candy and all the best to you in your writing!!
Posted by Amanda McIntyre at 8:21 AM
Labels: Apple App distribution program, Arrow Publications, Lady Leo Publishing Candace Caine, Thursday Coffee Talk

Change in plans

2010-06-09T15:04:00.002-04:00

Seems like Candace Gold's edgier side, Candy Caine might get her name on the stories, GRANDMA'S HANDYMAN and WANTING WAYNE, after all. That should really kick up some infighting between them. They'll be out in July and August, perspectively. Also in August, Candy Caine has another story, FORBIDDEN FRUIT, coming out. So stay tuned.

APP of the Week

2010-05-27T09:03:00.004-04:00

Candace, writing as Candy Caine, had an interview with Arrow publications and wanted to share it with those fans that don't usually check out her alter-ego's blog or website.

Candy Caine Earns her Red and White Writing Stripes
Candid Conversations about Confessions
Caine’s book, Christmas with a Stranger is available on the iTunes App Store for $2.99 under Arrow's Love & Romance Collection. Type in keywords “Arrow Publications” or “Romance.”

Rated as one of Lady Leo's Top Three Sellers for April 2010
Arrow Publications wanted to know how Candy Caine got her stripes. Check out what Candy had to say about ebooks and erotica. Christmas with a stranger and other titles are available on Arrow's iTunes App Store.

Arrow: We’d love to hear about you. So tell us – we’re listening.
CC: First, let me tell you how honored and delighted I am to be interviewed for your newsletter. I guess the best way to tell you about myself is to talk about my writing. They say, every writer puts a little of themselves in their stories, however with me, it’s a little different. I find I’m jealous of my characters and want to have as much fun as some of them do.

Arrow: Okay – sounds adventurous! So, what do you think about mobile publishing and making Christmas with a Stranger available on the iTunes App Store?
CC: I am as thrilled as I can be that Christmas with a Stranger is available on the App Store! Making it available on iTunes broadens my audience. Also, having the stories available anywhere in the world is one of the most fantastic things about the new technologies afforded to the writers to connect with their fans.

Arrow: It’s very important to give the fans what they want. So, what motivated you to start writing these hot love stories?
CC: Simply put, I write stories I hope people will enjoy. To please my readers is my top priority.

Arrow: Okay, let's be more specific: you write erotica and confessions. What made you choose these romance subgenres?
CC: I was in a small grocery store in Tempe, Arizona, buying groceries and I happened to see the confession magazines in the checkout line. I picked up one of the magazines and began to thumb through it and then I bought it. That's how I started writing confessions. At this moment, I decided to stretch my writing wings and wrote novels as Candace Gold.
When I first began to write, the ebook market was evolving and it became the venue for short erotic stories. Looking for a way to showcase my short stories, I naturally gravitated there. I’ve found some good ebook publishers and I’ve found some disappointing ones. For instance, I began my erotic writing career with Ocean’s Mist Press, but they folded. Someone suggested that I submit my work to Lady Leo Publishing, one of the most wonderful publishers I’ve worked with. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done!

Arrow: How often do you write?
CC: I try to write a little every day, but unfortunately, life gets in the way. But, it's the same life that fills my head with the ideas that eventually turn into stories.

Arrow: Have you considered expanding into other genres?
CC: There are times that I’ve been asked by editors or publishers to write a particular story. But no matter what I write, romantic confessions or erotica, it's the story or plotline that is most important to me. It has to be a good story—especially when it comes to my erotica. I never present sex for sex’s sake.

Arrow: What do you do to promote your books, your brand and yourself?
CC: You can always check out what Candy’s been up to at www.candycaine.com. I especially love to hear from my fans because their feedback is very important to me. I belong to a writing group called Dunes and Dreams. So, mainly I use my website and promote through the writing group.

Arrow: What’s in store to be released in 2010?
CC: As for what the future holds for Candy Caine? She will have a story in the anthology, Sistahs Need Love 2, coming in October from Lady Leo Publishing entitled “Never Say Never.”

Arrow: Candy, it’s really been a pleasure! Thank you for taking the time to talk with us!
CC: Thank you! The pleasure has been all mine. I can’t wait until next time! And BTW, I am both Candy Caine and Candace Gold.

New Confessions

2010-05-24T08:22:00.002-04:00

Lady Leo Publishing has picked up two more of Candace's confessions. GRANDMA'S HANDYMAN due out in July and WANTING WAYNE due out in August.

In GRANDMA'S HANDYMAN, Shawna Washington finds the man she's been living with in their bed with a neighbor. She scratches his name off her Christmas list and leaves him, but finds getting him out of her life isn't so easy. Taking a vacation to visit her grandmother, she thinks she'll get away from men and their tangling relationships. Only Grandma has her own agenda. She tries every which-way to fix Shawna up with her hunky handyman, Roy Smith.

In WANTING WAYNE, Rochelle Robinson loves Wayne Watson. However, he's the one man she can never have, because he's already married to her younger sister, Tanisha. What makes matters worse is knowing that Tanisha treats Wayne like dirt and cares even less for their son, Ty. What will Rochelle do when she discovers her sister's been unfaithful?

NEW CONTRACT

2010-05-16T17:55:00.002-04:00

Lyrical Press has just offered Candace a contract for her paranormal, REVERIE.
When Nikki O'Connell heads to Paris to reassess her relationship with her boyfriend, Jonathan Greene, she encounters strange happenings in the apartment she's renting. And it is these very things that will rock the foundation of everything she believes in.

Terrific day

2010-05-08T20:38:00.002-04:00

I was thrilled to be among a group of authors signing books today at Pindar Vineyards in Peconic, NY. We helped raised $464 for Literacy Suffolk. It was sponsored by my very own writing group, Dunes & Dreams.

New Contest

2010-05-01T12:51:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone!

I just learned that my sassy alter ego, Candy Caine, is a Featured Contest Author at Coffee Time Romance. Why don't you stop by and check it out?
Here is the link:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/ContestPage.html

Literacy Suffolk Needs Your Help!

2010-04-08T11:40:00.002-04:00

New York's literacy programs are in dire straits, thanks to budget cuts by the governor. According to the Literacy Suffolk website, "Governor Patterson's 2010 -11 Executive Budget continues the approximately $612,000 cut imposed by the 2009 -10 Deficit Reduction Plan, And further reduces funding for this vital program by an additional $2 million. Combined, the cuts represent a 38% reduction to this modest program!!"

How can you help? You can show your support by calling:
Senate Leader John Sampson at (518) 2788 or
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver at (518) 3791

Tell either man or both: Please restore funding for the Adult Literacy Education (ALE) program in the State Budget.

Or you can join other concerned citizens on Friday, April 9 at 12 noon at the Farmingdale Public Library. Remember it's not too late to do something!

Also, you can show your support by going to the Dunes & Dreams sponsored book signing for Literacy Suffolk at the Pindar Vineyards in Peconic on Saturday, May 8 from 12-3 p.m. Buy a few books and at the same time help another Long Islander learn to read.

MORE PIX OF BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII

2010-04-04T09:54:00.002-04:00

Dense vegetation in the rainforest

Arid with little rain

Going inside a lava flow

One of the spectacular waterfalls.

2010-03-29T09:28:00.004-04:00

Here's some more pictures of my trip to Hawaii. I'll be adding to them a little each day, if I can.
I took so many and it's so hard to choose which ones to show you.

This is some of the lava we walked on. At night we went into the crater of an active volcano and witness flareups in the distance. Of course we were armed with flashlights and umbrellas. It was very windy and rainy and the lava was slippery. I guess you do crazy things on vacation.
This wasn't where we walked, though. The slabs of lava we trod upon were not as level. We noticed that many people rebuilt their homes on the newly formed lava. Nice houses, too. Now, that's crazy, if you ask me.

This is another beach on the Big Island. Jones beach, it's not, but just as beautiful. But you swim at your own risk. The riptides by the Island can be treacherous.

This Obelisk was erected by some drugged out hippie some of the locals say. Draw your own conclusions.

On the Big Island, it so windy that the trees often grow sideways. I'll have a better example for you later. This a black sand type beach if I remember correctly. Much of the Island was created from lava flows.

This is one of the many Banyon trees.

This is a scene from Hilo which is normally rainy and was while I was there.

back from vacation

2010-03-25T17:48:00.005-04:00

The one thing I hate about vacations is that they're over too quickly. My hubby and I don't often go away, but this was his dream vacation. It was also our very much belated honeymoon. We spent it in Hawaii on the Big Island and Oahu.

On Oahu we climbed Diamondhead, a climb definitely not for the faint of heart and a once in a lifetime thing for me. I'm too sane to do it again. We checked out Waikiki, Honolulu and visited Pearl Harbor. We also went to a luau. There's something to be said about not staring into the eyes of something you intend to eat.

Waikiki

a view climbing Diamondhead

from the top of Diamondhead

As you can see the views were breathtaking. On Oahu we stayed at Waikiki. On the Big Island we stayed at Kona. There were so many different climate changes as you traveled around the Big Island, which has deserts, volcanoes and rainforests. I will put some more pictures up soon.