Serious Wednesday: Introducing: Catch Me If You Can

 Catch Me If You Can

Book ONE of 

The Nursery Rhyme series

The big cat sat on the oversized rock, ears pointed toward the sky, every muscle taut, every sense at the ready.

“S-s-shut up and f-f-forget it. You've s-seen nothing and know nothing. I won't warn you again. G-g-got it?”

The cat's head swiveled, his ears twitching as if catching the hint of threat in the whisper. A soft hiss slid from his open mouth and reinforced the overtone of evil pressing in upon the scene. Within hours, lies and dark secrets are slithering all over the campground.

Coaxed into finding the animal killer at Jamieson's Outfitters, Tara Layne, with her sidekick, Boet, is welcomed by a threatening whisper and the unfriendly eyes of a rugged and devastatingly handsome manager. Wesley Clarke, both interesting and frustrating, holds an attraction for Tara that is both primitive and exasperating.

Intermingled with her search, Tara deals with her own heartbreaking buried secrets. When a strange old Native American probes into the recesses of her heart, he encourages her to face her bitter feelings.

As Tara closes in on her search, she finds herself—and Boet—the target of someone who's determined to outrun and outsmart her. Someone determined not to get caught.

His theme:

Fun as fast as you can, you can't catch me.

The question:

Can Tara run fast enough to catch this real live Gingerbread boy

before he decides to get rid of her and Boet?

Buy the book here:

amzn.to/2CIEhrC

Rambling Friday: Axel, the Dog

 We lost three pets this year, which was hard on me. 

I cried, I remember, and I miss them. 

Very much.

One thing that helps is this rascal, all grown up:  

He's a Lap Dog :) 

He's active, smart, affectionate (too much so), and spoiled rotten. 

(I think, he thinks he's human) 

He's also a thief (he tore up a picture of myself and brother with our grandfather: Poppy

and he stole my delicious french toast when I turned my back),

He's a destroyer. Evidence:

But we love him so much. 

And he loves us! 

Rambling Friday: Crying a River

This is a sad post because I lost yet another much-loved pet. Let me tell you the story of Taffy, how

she came to us and how she became a heroine in my Denton and Alex Davies series.

Years ago, hubby and I were gone (probably in some ministry work). When we got back home, our oldest son, Dan, said a dog had appeared on our property. At the time we had Shyanne, our horse, and she'd gone through a loss of her own, with the death of her companion, Red, the second horse, and she was mourning the death.

But back to Taffy...when Dan had arrived home one day, he saw this tiny dog sitting close to Shyanne. From that day on, Shyanne recovered. Our son went to several houses close by asking if anyone had lost a dog. No positive answers came, so we adopted Taffy.

From the first, Taffy was a gentle dog, obedient even when she didn't want to be. When Jonathan--our youngest grandboy--was little I would babysit him quite a bit. When he was here, he'd want Taffy to sit with him, and sometimes Taffy didn't want to do that.

I'd say, Taffy, stay. And she'd stay. When son Dan awhile back adopted a large dog (mixed breed: Blue Tick and Mastiff) he grew up fast and was at least four times the size of Taffy. As a pup, he was active and wanted to play rough. Taffy let him know right away she was the boss, and he accepted her suggestion! Lol

When I began writing my Denton and Alex Davies cozy mystery series, I wanted a dog, and what better dog than Taffy? In the first book, she's the one who led Denton and Alex to the body. And in the picture above, she's helping me promote my series! What a dog!

Anyhow, my heart still hurts at losing her. I'm always sad when our pets die, and this year we've lost three. I know they were old. I know that it's life, but that doesn't make it easier to lose our beloved pets who loved us in return no matter what.

Farewell, Taffy girl, I know you're romping in animal heaven with Lily and Tipper, and probably meeting all the other pets we've loved and lost through the years.

Rambling Friday: Losing a Pet...or two.

We lost two pets last week, and my heart broke. I've lost several pets I've loved dearly through the
years. I've cried and stayed up nights with them, telling them how much I've loved them.

Watching them suffer and knowing they had to be put down didn't make it any easier for me to go through it.

Here's some things about my pets that I particularly loved:

Tipper:  My son found her when an old school was being torn down. Very tiny with the most beautiful blue-green eyes I've ever seen on a cat!
She was a loner when it came to other cats, but dogs, well, she must have realized she was the boss because she got along with them just fine!

Lily:  As with most of our animals, she was given to us after she was grown. But that mattered not to her. She set herself as part of the family immediately. Spoiled (very!), she loved to play and run around like she was having a fit, but it was just really energy she was releasing. She loved her toys, loved being made over, and was a special pal to our dog, Taffy--except, of course, when she decided she did not want to share her pillow bed with her. But we loved her and I wept as I said good-bye.



RIP, my pets. We loved you. 

Of Mice and Men and February Contest Info...

Mice: Could you consider one for a pet? The reason I'm asking: in one of my suspense novels, yet to be published, Tara--the detective--has one for a pet. Her twin brother gave it to her for a joke, and she ended up loving the little fellow. He's also sensitive to what is right and/or wrong in the cases she's trying to solve and he's able to give her animal hints (if she's smart enough to figure them out!)

So, would you have a mouse for a pet? Is it too icky? (By the way, I'm considering changing Tara's pet to an exotic cat) Are you afraid of mice? And are they more trouble than men?

That's what I'm getting at. Mice mess (uh hem) where you don't want them to. They get into the food you don't want them in and cause more work. But what else do they do? They scamper, but then who wouldn't when a monster-ish human form towers over you? I'd run for my life, too!

Men:
Not to be too indelicate (have you ever cleaned a toilet bowl?), but yeah, same difference. Then, ever try to hide the cookies? (homemade bread, pie, cake, etc. etc.) You'd think they were going through a worse persecution than some foreign third world country. They're much worse than children when they get sick. (I carry the phone around afraid any minute I'll have to call emergency.) And just let them prepare some document, manuscript, article, etc. You must, must, must listen to this. 

So why is it when I have a tiny bit of my novel I need proofread, "I'm too busy right now" is what I hear? Fair turnabout is what I thought it was all about.

Men!

They insist on heading to the most boring sections in Wal-Mart. They chat endlessly about sports and cars and jobs, but let us mention a baby! Oh, my, their eyes turn glassy and droop with a sudden syndrome called sleepiness.

Tell me this: is that fair?

But, hey, I gotta remember, I get warm cuddlings from one certain handsome man (hubby!), and I can't complain about him not taking me places.

He helps me in the house, strives to give me what I need--and want (most of the time--don't want to get too generous here!) He's good at keeping the fireplace stoked because he knows I love it. He puts up with my pets, when he'd just as soon not have any. He listens-- sometimes, or, at least, pretends to--to my eternal chatting about my writing. He buys me flowers. And I think he loves me.

Hmmm . . . I think I'll keep him around for awhile yet. 

CONTEST QUESTION TIME

(You must comment on every contest question I have this month--

February, 2018,

 and I will label them as such. 

One per week for the whole month.)

Contest Question:

So what is it to be:  Mice?  or  Men?  

VOTING TIME...

Oh, yeah, you want to know what you get?

This:

and a kindle copy of 

Knight in Shining Apron

Book 2

of the Appleton, WV Romantic Mystery series

How's that for a beautiful, romantic gift?

Happy Reading!

Talkin' About Fish

A friend of mine blogged about her two boys fish the other day.
Beta fish. One purple and blue, the other blue and red. Beautiful creatures. Not very nice personalities when they have to associate with their kind, but still, a person can't ask for everything, can they?

At the end of her blog, she asked for suggestions for names for the little beauties. Her boys had yet to come up with some.

Here's my suggestions:
Betas are beautiful, kingly fish. Gorgeous colors. Swirling, graceful fins. Easy to look at and enjoy. So . . .

I suggested using Britain's princes' names: William (or Willie, Wills, Billy, etc.) and Harry (or some variation).

Cool, huh?

I love names, love coming up with them for my characters. But I'll blog about that later.

Here's another cool thing about fish. They're totally delicious to eat. Not betas. Laugh.

But catfish, the salt and pepper variety, deep fried, along with corn sticks, baked potatoes and slaw. Yum. A feast fit for a king. AND, I got to enjoy that fish meal, thanks to good friends in Virginia. (Virginia does claim many people there who are wonderful hosts!)

Wanna here a fish story?
Sorry, don't have one right now, unless I'd stretch the truth a little and tell you I'm a New York Times Bestselling author.

Quit your laughing! I may make it some day. Smile



Quote:
We must have courage to bet on our ideas, to take the calculated risk and to act. Everyday living requires courage if life is to be effective and bring happiness. --Maxwell Maltz


Blessings

And Today We Have With Us . . .


Hickory, the pet mouse from "Catch Me If You Can." He's agreed to be interviewed and has some interesting observations.

Caroline: Thanks for sharing with us today, Hickory.


Hickory: No problem. Glad I can enlighten a few minds about the world of mice.

Caroline: What do you mean?

Hickory (a minute cough behind paws): For instance, people think of us as nuisances. That's not entirely true.

Caroline: Really? I've always thought of them as . . . well, pests.

Hickory: That's because you're uneducated on that subject.

Caroline: You're being a little blunt here. Tell us something about mice that will change our minds.

Hickory: Ahem. Mice are smart. No, don't laugh. We really are. We enjoy good music. That's why many times we hang around pianos. Love those keys! And not to brag, but we're clean, interesting and fun to have around. At the least, you'll get some attention from others if you're really devoted to us!

Caroline: Really?

Hickory: Did you know I could have been groomed for exhibition, but decided living the life as a partner to a detective would be more exciting.

Caroline: Wow. That sounds fascinating.

Hickory: And my curiosity makes me an excellent choice as a pet for a detective. I do have pretty keen senses. We can sense things humans can't.

Caroline: Okay. You've sort of got me convinced. Now tell me what your role is in CMIYC.

Hickory: I'm a pet.

Caroline (scowling): Funny.

Hickory (laughing): Just kidding. Tara's brother gave me to her as a joke, but she ended up loving me. I go with her everywhere because I'm small, content to be quiet when I have to be, and smart enough to give her a few hints in her career.

Caroline: What is her career?

Hickory: She's a teacher turned detective.

Caroline (with eyebrow lifted): Why did she choose that career?

Hickory: Because of her older brother's murder. Tara's been struggling a lot with bitterness over it. But she did feel like God was leading her to begin this new career.

Caroline: I heard that you were kidnapped in CMIYC. Are those rumors true?

Hickory (nodding): Yes, they are. The villain stole me in my cage because he thought it would send Tara straight to his arms.

Caroline (shivering): And did it?

Hickory (with far-away look in eyes): Yes, it did. And that's all I'm going to tell you about CMIYC. If you're interested in reading more about me, er-r-r, I mean about this story, you'll have to get the book!

Caroline: Thanks, Hickory, for telling us a little bit about yourself and this super-sounding mystery. Hope you can return some day.

Hickory (shrug): Perhaps. If I don't get too famous or too busy.


Folks, you never know what kind of characters will pop up. Let's hope Hickory doesn't get so famous he forgets about us common folk!




For those of you who've suddenly developed a desire for a mouse-pet, remember:

• They must have attention, or you'd be better off with two.
• Tin cans, paper cups and ropes in a cage are great entertainment activities.
• Give them something to chew on.
• They like treats such as sunflower seeds.
• Curious ones are the most healthy.

Enjoy!




(Hickory came across this quote after a nap one day on top of a book. He wanted me to use it! Smile):
You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things . . .You can just be an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals. --Sir Edmund Hilliary


Have a fun evening and many blessings!

A.A.A.D.D.


You know, I don't consider myself OLD. (No comments, thank you!) Then why do I find myself carrying out two, three, or more tasks at the same time and forgetting what I was doing? I told someone I thought I was getting Alheimizers, but they replied, "No, you're just too busy."

Whatever the problem, I know I have way too many things to try to deal with most of the time. Some times I'm on top; other times, things weigh me down.

Here's a funny illustration, I thought some of you might enjoy and connect to:

"Recently, I was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it develops:

I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose, I look over at my car and decide my car needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch table that

I brought up from the mailbox earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox, when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only 1 check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the study to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the
counter catches my eye--they need to be watered.

I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, get some towels and wipe up

the spill. Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day: the car isn't washed, the bills a ren't paid, there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, the flowers don't have enough water, there is still only 1 check in my check book, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent.

Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!
G ROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY.
GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
LAUGHING AT YOURSELF IS THERAPEUTIC.
AGE AND MATURITY ARE NOT NECESSARILY RELATED.


P.S: I just remembered. I LEFT THE WATER RUNNING IN THE
DRIVEWAY!"

Pet hints:

• Don't let your pets have: chocolate (everyone knows that!), macadamia nuts, garlic (and all its relatives), and grapes and raisins (can cause anemia in SOME animals).
• Never let puppy do anything you don't want an 80 pound dog to do. Ooooch. So right!
• Don't let puppies lick you in the face; the older they get, the wetter and sloppier they get. And you don't know (or do you?) where those tongues have been!
• Doggy breath? Put parsley in his food once a day. (Works for people too!) AND don't forget to brush doggy's teeth! Yeah, I said that. Smile

AND tomorrow's the day, folks. Cindy Woodsmall's interview. Have you checked out her website yet?



Quote:
Good friends are like stars...You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Blessings

Woof!

• As you know, we adopted Noah, our BIG collie dog this spring. He is such a sweetheart and a big baby. If you pet him, he'll literally lay on you. Taffy, our little squirt, growls (from jealousy) and tries to stand between him and us. She's so possessive!

Anyhow, the other night I got my bread machine out and turned it on. Noah must not have been able to figure out what that weird noise was, because he kept growling and barking! I tried to coax him over to it to show him it was not an unseen monster, but he wouldn't go. I think he was afraid!

He's an outside dog, but because he has such a heavy coat of hair, I feel sorry for him, and allow him in some when the temperature is extremely hot. I know, I'm a softie.

Then last night we had a storm with thunder, lightning and rain. Noah must have thought a big-foot monster was coming, 'cause he kept growling at the thunder rolls. What a dog! But I already adore him. Sigh. Me and my animals.

• A few weeks ago we heard the Red tail hawk's babies crying for food. Loved the sound and would have loved seeing those babies!

• On another note, we've got a calf. It was on again, off again, on whether this strange cow was pregnant or not. But toward to the end, hubby kept saying, hmmm, the signs are she's pregnant. Sure enough, I came home one day this spring, and there was this little chocolate coated calf beside her. Darling creature!

• Sunday, the blue jays swooping and squawking in their raucous voices. I walked out to my big flower garden and in one of my cherry trees sat a baby blue jay, making his first foray into flying. Or at least, he was thinking of it. He sat forever on that little branch. I ran out to rescue him once from Sandy (the cat) and risked getting my head pecked from Mama and Papa Blue jay. He finally rallied enough courage to take off.

• And last, but not least, from the animal front: I saw a hummingbird Monday, when I worked in my garden. I've been meaning to get a couple feeders, but kept putting it off. Now that item is at the top of my list! I love hummers!
  

Attention, Ann and Livia: As you know we had a tie for the Father's Day Contest. To try to break that, I've prepared questions from my previous blogs. See how many you can answer. You can look back if you want. If you have questions, feel free to ask.

1. Name two things that cause moodiness (good or bad) in me.
   
2. What color of elephant do I want?
3. Which of my pets do I claim was God-sent?
4. How many pets do I have?
5. What's a favorite dessert of mine?
6. What bird did hubby and I enjoy watching this spring?
7. What kind of hat would I love to have?
8. Name one thing I'm afraid of.
9. What sandwich is one of my favs?
10. How much money would I give to each of mine and hubby's brothers and sisters if I were a millionaire?
    

Remember: I'm looking for specific answers. Send them to me by email, comment, or phone. Best!




And today for fun I've got a new breakfast (or use it anytime!) item for you. If you love fruit, you'll sure to love this.

Fun Fruit Kabobs

Ingredients:

• 1 apple
• 1 banana
• 1/3 c. red seedless grapes
• 1/3 c. green seedless grapes
• 2/3 cup pineapple chunks
• 1 cup nonfat yogurt
• 1/4 c. dried coconut, shredded
  

Notes:

• Use any fruit you like!
  
• Instead of coconut, use granola, nuts, or raisins ( or use your imagination).

Directions:

1. Prepare the fruit by washing the grapes, washing the apples and cutting them into small squares, peeling the bananas and cutting them into chunks, and cutting the pineapple into chunks, if it's fresh. Put the fruit onto a large plate.
2. Spread coconut onto another large plate.
3. Slide pieces of fruit onto the skewer and design your own kabob by putting as much or as little of whatever fruit you want! Do this until the stick is almost covered from end to end.
4. Hold your kabob at the ends and roll it in the yogurt, so the fruit gets covered. Then roll it in the coconut.
5. Repeat these steps with another skewer.

Then enjoy!



Quote:
Time is not a line, but a series of NOW points. --Taisen Deshimaru


Blessings