TGIF!!

So did you watch the debate last night?

What did you think?

I typically don’t follow politics (I know shame on me, right?) and I’ll never claim to be uber politically savvy or particularly eloquen, but I am a middle class American.  I work a full time job and I write.  The ex and his wife also work full time jobs (the ex often more than full time).  So I’ve paid a lot of attention this year, especially in light of what’s happened on Wall Street in the last week or so.  I’ve seen the clips of Palin’s previous interviews so I wasn’t expecting a lot.

Yes, I’m going political so feel free to disagree with me. It’s okay….really. Whether you disagree with me or not I hope you vote because I think this election is the most important election in maybe 100 years if not ever. Get on the bus with Rock the Vote

McCaine’s 5k voucher for health care? Doesn’t affect me. However, and this is a big however, 5000k will not buy a year’s worth of health insurance for a family–at least not in this dimension. I work for a small company. My employer pays my insurance. If I lost my job tomorrow I wouldn’t be able to get health insurnace because of a pre-existing condition. And my insurance that my boss pays for? Costs almost 900/month. Furthermore, the voucher system doesn’t even address out of pocket expenses (if I’m wrong, please correct me). Two years ago I had to have an MRI. My cost? 1100.00. That’s AFTER the insurance. And I had to pay up front. I had to borrow the money to have an MRI becuase I didn’t have it laying around. Providing health care reform isn’t just about giving us alternate ways to HAVE health insurnace, it’s about giving us (and I mean us as in everyone) ways to pay all the out of pocket expenses that come with diseases like cancer which can quickly decimate a family.

And Palin…her “I’m so middle class, main street America and I get you” schtick…got old quick and did NOT endear me to her (not that anything could have).  I do not want to go get a pedi with her, or go drink with her, or join her book club, I want her to show me what qualifies her to step into McCaine’s shoes if he falls over dead. In that sense, IMO, she failed miserably.

Do I care that Palin’s a woman? Sure I do. And I hate her politics.

Am I biased? Yes.

Do I think Obama is the second coming of Jesus Christ? Honestly, no. But I do think he and Biden are the better choice–by and far!

Do I want four more years of what we’ve had the last eight years? No, cuz frankly, I don’t think my arse could take much more.

In the words of Chris Rock, I’m voting for the dude with one house.

And on that note, Raine’s asking what you think about our recession and the publishing industry.

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In Honor of Banned Book Week

I’m stealing this Meme from Linda Winfree. Feel free to play along!

From the LA Times: Today’s the start of Banned Books Week, an event founded by the American Library Assn. back in 1982 and observed — and argued about — ever since.

Banned Books Week, September 27 - October 4, 2008

From ala.org, here is the list of Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books in 2000-2007. How many have you read?

My results:
1 Harry Potter J.K. Rowling — No (but Kevin has)
2 Alice series Phyllis Reynolds Naylor — No
3 The Chocolate War Robert Cormier — No
4 Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck — Yes (in HS required reading. Definitely not a fave)
5 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou — Yes (In college and then I got to hear her speak!)

6 Scary Stories Alvin Schwartz — No
7 Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers — No but Elvis has read some of his stuff and loves him.
8 It’s Perfectly Normal Robie Harris — No
9 And Tango Makes Three Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell — No
10 Captain Underpants Dav Pilkey — No and WTF?
11 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain — Yes
12 The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison — Yes
13 Forever Judy Blume — No–wait, I can’t remember.
14 The Color Purple Alice Walker — No (shocked gasp–sorry Charli)
15 The Perks of Being A Wallflower Stephen Chbosky — No
16 Killing Mr. Griffin Lois Duncan — No
17 Go Ask Alice Anonymous — No
18 King and King Linda de Haan — No
19 Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger — No
20 Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson — No but I saw the movie and hated it.
21 The Giver Lois Lowry — No
22 We All Fall Down Robert Cormier — No
23 To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee` — Yes. And I want to read it with the kid this fall.
24 Beloved Toni Morrison — Yes
25 The Face on the Milk Carton Caroline Cooney — No
26 Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson — No
27 My Brother Sam Is Dead James Lincoln Collier — Yes
28 In the Night Kitchen Maurice Sendak — No
29 His Dark Materials series Philip Pullman — No
30 Gossip Girl series Cecily von Ziegesar — No
31 What My Mother Doesn’t Know Sonya Sones — No
32 Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging Louise Rennison — No (but I’m so picking it up, just because of the title–I’m with Linda on this one)
33 It’s So Amazing Robie Harris — No
34 Arming America Michael Bellasiles — No (but it sounds cool–again with Linda)
35 Kaffir Boy Mark Mathabane — Don’t think so but title is very familiar.
36 Blubber Judy Blume — Yes
37 Brave New World Aldous Huxley — No
38 Athletic Shorts Chris Crutcher — No
39 Bless Me, Ultima Rudolfo Anaya — No
40 Life is Funny E.R. Frank — No
41 Daughters of Eve Lois Duncan — No
42 Crazy Lady Jane Leslie Conly — No
43 The Great Gilly Hopkins Katherine Paterson — No
44 You Hear Me Betsy Franco — No
45 Slaughterhouse Five Kurt Vonnegut — Yes
46 Whale Talk Chris Crutcher — No
47 The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby Dav Pilkey — No (I have no clue what this is about but from teh title I’m going WTF?

48 The Facts Speak for Themselves Brock Cole — No
49 The Terrorist Caroline Cooney — No
50 Mick Harte Was Here Barbara Park — No
51 Summer of My German Soldier Bette Green — No
52 The Upstairs Room Johanna Reiss — No
53 When Dad Killed Mom Julius Lester — No
54 Blood and Chocolate Annette Curtis Klause — No but I want to
55 The Fighting Ground Avi — Yes
56 The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien — No
57 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred Taylor — Yes
58 Fat Kid Rules the World K.L. Going — No
59 The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things Carolyn Mackler — No
60 A Time To Kill John Grisham — Yes
61 Rainbow Boys Alex Sanchez — No
62 Olive’s Ocean Kevin Henkes — No
63 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Ken Kesey — No
64 A Day No Pigs Would Die Robert Newton Peck — Yes–I think. Hey I’m 39. I’ve read a lot of books1
65 Speak Laurie Halse Anderson — Yes
66 Always Running Luis Rodriguez — No
67 Black Boy Richard Wright — No
68 Julie of the Wolves Jean Craighead George — No
69 Deal With It! Esther Drill — No
70 Detour for Emmy Marilyn Reynolds — No
71 Draw Me A Star Eric Carle — No
72 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury — No but it’s sitting in my TBR pile to read with the boy
73 Harris and Me Gary Paulsen — No
74 Junie B. Jones series Barbara Park — Yes
75 So Far From the Bamboo Grove Yoko Watkins — No
76 Song of Solomon Toni Morrison — Yes! Fora  Ethnic American Women Writers class and I loved it

77 Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes Chris Crutcher — No
78 What’s Happening to My Body Book Lynda Madaras — No
79 The Boy Who Lost His Face Louis Sachar — No
80 The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold — No, but I bought it. Does that count?
81 Anastasia Again! Lois Lowry — No
82 Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Judy Blume — Yes (can you believe my mother read it before she’d allow me to? This from a woman who let me read VC Andrews!)

83 Bumps In the Night Harry Allard — No
84 Goosebumps series R.L. Stine — No but the kids have
85 Shade’s Children Garth Nix — No
86 Cut Patricia McCormick — No
87 Grendel John Gardner — Yes
88 The House of Spirits Isabel Allende — No
89 I Saw Esau Iona Opte — No
90 Ironman Chris Crutcher — No–but it sounds good!
91 The Stupids series Harry Allard — No
92 Taming the Star Runner S.E. Hinton — No
93 Then Again, Maybe I Won’t Judy Blume — No
94 Tiger Eyes Judy Blume — Yes
95 Like Water for Chocolate Laura Esquivel — No
96 Nathan’s Run John Gilstrap — No
97 Pinkerton, Behave! Steven Kellog — No
98 Freaky Friday Mary Rodgers — Yes
99 Halloween ABC Eve Merriam — No
100 Heather Has Two Mommies Leslea Newman — No

I do not understand how, in this day and age, we can still be subjected to book censorship!

Other Places …part tres

Yesterday over at SFC I continued chatting about query letters.

Today at NAS it’s why I’ll never date you.

Melissa Blue is talking one of my favorite subjects...WOMENS FICTION.

We were chatting about what’s taboo etc and I thought it might be fun to list some great women’s ficton reads. I’m opening the floor for recommendations, so feel free to weigh in and/or do some self-pimpage!

Two of my favorites are Allison Winn Scotch’s The Department of Lost and Found and Lolly Winston’s Good Grief.

Your turn!

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Weekend Plans

Look like this…….

Share photos on twitter with Twitpic

And if you didn’t stay up to watch the Colbert Report, get thee to Carrie Lofty’s!

Wednesday Weirdness

Kim Killion is our Behind the Book guest this week at SFC!

I made a fairly big (for me) decision yesterday that makes me very happy but a little sad.

Last week the cable broke. We missed Supernatural :(  But the cable guy was cute as a bug and I gave him a signed copy of NAILED!

In other news, I have nothing to report. Life is fairly quiet and slow and I’m liking it.  Okay I have edits coming tomorrow for HITTIN’ IT–hoping she’s got/enclosing a copy of the cover too. I’ve only seen it in B & W and even that made me want to lick it *blink* –and I have a really quick turn-around so that’s my weekend plan.

We had football last night–it was a tie game. Have i mentioned how much I HATE football? And I’m not sure what angry god took autumn but I was really enjoying that cooler weather people!

Today after work I’m going home to get my six or eight pages.  Then I have to return dress shoes and pants for son #2 and get the correct sizes. Son #2 has d-hall this afternoon.  Son #1 has Saturday school for 2 hours. I honestly do NOT understand the point of Saturday school for TWO FRICKEN HOURS. Otherwise, life is quiet and kinda boring so I honestly don’t see a huge point in blogging and boring you with my boringness :)

On to Wednesday Weirdness weird-house-05.jpg

1. Would you rather join the Ghostbusters to hunt ghosts or join the Sesame Street bunch? Why?

Ghostbusters. Sesame Street creeps me out. Muppets are weird–sorry.

2. What is the most you are willing to do to get out of a police officer giving you a ticket?

If he’s hot, I’m game for anything :)

3. What popular movies do you find to be overrated?

Hmmm I typically skip anything I think is overrated. These are usually chick films or artsy things. And I find that stuff that wins Oscars usually pisses me off so I’ve learned to skip them too. :)

4. What is in (and/or on) your bedside table?

Books (like that’s a shocker), a magazine that has an article I”m saving for a book (but I don’t remember what article), salt (don’t ask), probably a glass of water from last night, my nail care bag (polish, files etc), a list of doctors that take our health insurance and um books.  (Sorry all the good stuff is NOT kept around my bed)

5. Have you ever had or fantasized about having sex with a boss before? Have you ever acted on that fantasy?

Ew NO! Ok yes, but I was 16 and he was HAWT

6. If you had a personal assistant, what would you have them do?

Freaking EVERYTHING dude. Hellooooooo Personal assistants assist! File, make appointments, copy stuff, go pick up my kids and return those shoes and pants to target for me while you’re at it.

7. Have you ever faked static, loss of cell phone reception or anything else on the telephone line to get out of a conversation?

No……I just don’t answer the phone :) Frankly, I htink phones are evol not to mention a pain in the ass.

Feel free to play along if you want! 

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Reading

I’m blogging at Southern Fried Chicas on query letters. I think this’ll be a two-parter.

Started reading Earthly Pleasures while getting a pedi on Saturday and ended up finishing it after a 2-hour worldbuilding chat with Vee. Here’s the blurb:

From Publishers Weekly
Neches presents in her appealingly unorthodox debut a heaven where angels lust, drink and follow terrestrial celebrity gossip. Skye Sebring is a greeter in the Hospitality Department of Heaven who finds herself drawn to the Earthly Pleasures TV channel (reality TV for Heaven dwellers) after she welcomes the handsome, reformed playboy Ryan Bad Boy Blaine to the pearly gates. The lawyer son of a former president, Ryan’s stay in heaven is cut short (his death is more of the brush-with-death variety), but he can’t forget Skye, who reminds him of someone he knew. The feeling is mutual for Skye, who follows Ryan back to Earth, where it’s pretty apparent there’s something strange going on with Ryan’s wife, Susan, who is planning a huge gala wedding follow-up to their earlier low-key impromptu nuptials. As Skye investigates her connection with Ryan and Ryan looks into what’s causing his wife’s strange behavior (he also forms a radio call-in show habit), a tangled story of cold ambition and true love unspools. Neches’s funny and sweet novel shows that to err is human and angelic as well. (Feb.)

I love, love LOVED the first two-thirds of this book. If for reading her take on heaven alone, I highly recommend–it’s a RIOT. The last 1/3 was good but not as much fun and there was a secondary storyline that felt forced and didn’t work for me. Overall, I’d still recommend it because it’s such a fun read. (It’s WF w/a romance). I’d LOVE to see another book set in the same heavenly world.

We have football on Tuesday so I’m sure I’ll pick another book from the pile to start. This brings my years total to 13

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What’s Ur Kinky Fantasy?

In honor of my critique partner’s latest release, THE PRIEST, a short erotic from the Wicked line at Cobblestone Press, I’m asking…what’s ur kinky fantasy? Please feel free to post annonymously

(yes I used Erotica and Priest in the same sentence. HEEH! )the-priest1.jpg
Welcome to The Pleasure Club
Dear Ms. Rodriguez,
We’re pleased to welcome you to The Pleasure Club.
As you have already signed and returned the contract and filled out all the necessary forms to ensure you receive your every wish, we will be in touch with you shortly with the details of your first Pleasure Night. Your Wish List and Pleasure Forms have been turned over to our staff of highly trained Pleasure Guardians, and they are hard at work finding your perfect match.
We will endeavor to meet your personal fantasy.
When you are contacted again, you will be given a location where your Pleasure Night will begin, and you will also be given a safe word to use should you at any time become uncomfortable. There is no shame in changing your mind. We’re here for your pleasure, and should your safe word be used, your match for the evening will cease all activity, and the game will be put on hold until a mutual agreement between you and your Pleasure Master can be reached.
Once again, welcome to The Pleasure Club.
Please feel free to contact the office at any time should you have any questions.
Yours truly,
The Pleasure Club Management
* * * * *
Ms. Rodriguez,
Your Pleasure Night will begin Thursday the 12th at 8:00 PM at the
Chapel of the Vines on the grounds of Montebello Castle Winery, located at 1800 Mangrove Lane.
Your safe word is Catechism.
Sincerely,
The Pleasure Guardians

They certainly thought of everything.
Marisol Rodriguez stood in the doorway of the Chapel of the Vines and smiled to herself. She’d been here once before, years ago, for a friend’s non‐denominational wedding. The owners of the vineyard—whoever they were—rented both the chapel and the large gazebo nearby for private affairs.
More than one kind of affair, apparently.

Although the chapel itself looked much as it had the last time she was here—eight rows of wooden pews with an aisle down the center, stained glass windows depicting flowers and grapes and other secular objects—a large, black confessional booth now dominated the corner of the octagonal space next to the dais. Marisol’s body pinged with excitement, for she knew her Pleasure Master for her Pleasure Night awaited her inside that booth.

It was a naughty fantasy, one that had tormented her as a teenager when she’d lain in bed at night, masturbating to one orgasm after another as she imagined fucking the handsome, young priest who’d recently arrived at her family’s parish. She knew it was wrong—sacrilegious—to have such thoughts, but that only made the fantasy more appealing. There was just something about the forbiddenness of the whole idea that set her body on fire.

She’d never before revealed her secret desire to be screwed senseless by a man of the cloth to anyone, and she still couldn’t quite believe she’d really done so when she’d filled out the paperwork and joined The Pleasure Club.

There was no denying, however, that she was here, and there was the confessional booth. And her fantasy always began in the booth.

Part of her was tempted to turn tail and run for the safety of her Camry. She had to be crazy to do this, to take this kind of risk. For all she knew, the guy waiting for her in there could be some kind of nut job.

Heck, when she thought about it, it was a virtual certainty. Only a complete head case would be willing to impersonate a priest to fulfill a total stranger’s sexual fantasy.

This was crazy.

And everything she wanted.

Wasn’t this why she’d ended up at The Pleasure Club in the first place? Her sixty and seventy‐hour work weeks climbing the ladder in the buttoned‐up and buttoned‐down world of corporate accounting left her precious little time for a social life, and virtually no opportunity to meet men with any sense of adventure. She’d had enough of plain vanilla men and plain vanilla sex to last a lifetime. What she wanted was hot and dirty, no holds—or holes—barred sucking and fucking from a man who knew how to do more than climb on top and pump her like a mindless piston until he got his rocks off. And so far, she’d had pitiful success finding that in the world at large.

She pulled the door closed behind her. The satisfying snick of the latch connecting with the housing echoed in the tiny, empty cavern of a room, announcing her arrival to whoever awaited her inside that black box. As though propelled by a will of their own, her legs carried her to the booth. With trembling fingers, she turned the handle, opened the door, and stepped inside.

Through the screen that separated her side of the booth from the priest’s side, she could make out the shadow of a man. Her pulse quickened, and heat rushed between her legs.

She kneeled on the vinyl knee‐bench inside the confessional. The cold, smooth surface against her bare knees sent a shiver of excitement straight to her pussy, and she squeezed her legs together to heighten the intensity of the sensation. She wanted this moment, the anticipation, to last forever, while at the same time, she was desperate to get to the main event.

“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” Her throat was so dry and thick, the words came out on a croak, and she stopped to clear her throat. “It has been twelve years since my last confession.”

“Blessed are those who confess their sins, my child.”

Oh, that voice! Rich and deep, it sounded like hot sex drenched in melted chocolate with a hint of Irish cream. Her pussy pulsed, and her nipples tightened. It didn’t matter what he looked like or whether he knew what to do with his equipment; he could probably make her come just by talking to her.

“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,” she began, the words coming by rote despite more than a decade of disaffection from her childhood faith. “Father, I have committed the sin of lust.”

“It is good that you have come, my child, for lust is, as you know, a mortal sin. But you must tell me, for whom or what do you lust?”

Marisol’s face flooded with heat. Even though it was part of her fantasy, she found it hard to say the words. “I lust for you. I want to kneel in front of you and suck your cock. And then I want you to bend me over one of the pews and fuck me until I scream.”

“Ahh.” He expelled an uneven breath, and she wondered if he was getting as turned on as she was. “What are you wearing now?”

A giggle bubbled up in her throat in spite of herself. This wasn’t part of her script. She answered anyway. “A white blouse and a black, pleated skirt.” An outfit she’d chosen with the express intention of impersonating a Catholic schoolgirl. Well, as well as a thirty‐seven‐year‐old accountant who’d just made principal in one of the city’s biggest firms could. “And white knee socks.”

“Excellent. Unbutton your blouse.”

The low, rumbling tone with which he delivered the order caused an answering vibration in her cunt, and the crotch of her panties grew damper. She moved her fingers to the small, mother‐of‐pearl buttons between her breasts and undid them as quickly as she could manage, baring the low‐cut pushup bra that matched the lacy thong underwear she wore. Her nipples, which peeked out above the cup, hardened further at being exposed to the cool air.

“Is it open?”

“Yes,” she whispered, her skin tingling with excitement.

“Good. Now, touch your tits.”

“Okay.” She did as he commanded.

“Rub your nipples between your fingers.” His voice was more ragged now, his uneven respiration matching her own.

She teased and tormented the hard, sensitive peaks, a soft hum of pleasure escaping her lips as her clit swelled and throbbed with rising need.

“You like that, don’t you?”

At first, she nodded in answer but then, realizing he couldn’t see the gesture, managed an affirmative “Uh‐huh.”

“Is your pussy hot and wet?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Then touch yourself there.”

He didn’t have to tell her twice. She reached down and pulled up the hem of her skirt, then slipped one hand beneath the flimsy fabric of her panties. Circling her clit with her fingers, she continued to pluck and pinch her nipples. Her head dropped back against the wall, and she moaned. This was so much hotter than she’d imagined it would be; the act of masturbating while an unseen man listened and directed her.

God, she hoped this whole thing was lighting him up as much as it was her. She rubbed harder, so close now. She couldn’t hold off much longer.

As if he could read her thoughts, her priest’s sultry voice asked, “Do you want to come?”

She bit her lip. “Mmm‐hmm.” She increased the pressure, moved her fingers more deliberately, more swiftly.

“You are a very wicked, nasty girl. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she gasped. Even though she was aware this was only a game and he wasn’t a priest, the badness of what she did aroused her so much speech nearly became impossible.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to give you the strongest possible form of penance. Do you think you can take it?”



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