tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51157599738321974262024-03-14T08:59:28.038-04:00The Rockville 8Women who write. And laugh. A lot.The Eighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03966202602120800766noreply@blogger.comBlogger338125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-76638049694655764472019-01-02T09:30:00.000-05:002019-01-02T09:30:09.713-05:00Word of the Year 2019!<br />
Happy New Year! Can you believe it's 2019 already?<br />
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Well, it's true that the R8 have been MIA for the last few - ahem - years. We all had Life happen with a capital L, and consequently the blog kind of fell by the wayside. But we are still here, we are still writing, and we want to ring in the new year with you! <br />
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So here are the words we have chosen to define our 2019. We hope that the coming year brings you everything you have hoped for and more!<br />
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<a href="https://nicholechristoff.com/" target="_blank">Nichole Christoff </a><br />
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<b>Word: Gear</b><br />
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<b>Why this one:</b> Whether we’re talking high, low, forward, or reverse, “gear” is my Word of the Year because it’s a good reminder to keep on keepin’ on. I figure gettin’ it in gear is the only way to reach the next destination on this road called Life. If I’m not ready to roll, Life could pass me by, and I don’t want that. So, whether my progress is slow or quick, I want to engage that gear.<br />
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<b>Why this year: </b>With the latest two Jamie Sinclair novels having hit the virtual bookshelves in 2018 and new works-in-progress for 2019, now is the perfect time to remind myself that there will be obstacles on the road ahead, maybe a detour or two, but I can put in plenty of mileage, too. By getting myself in gear, I’ll get where I want to go. And so will you.<br />
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So! “Gear” is my Word of the Year! Throughout 2019, feel free to keep in touch. You can find me, my books, and all my social media links at <a href="http://www.nicholechristoff.com./">www.nicholechristoff.com.</a><br />
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<a href="https://mishacrews.com/" target="_blank">Misha Crews</a><br />
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<b>Word: Through</b><br />
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<b>Why This Word: </b>A few months ago, I was very despondent. I was far from home, having recently transplanted myself to the west coast, and life was not looking quite as sparkly as usual (which is quite a bit of an understatement). Suddenly, my sadness was overtaken by this thought: <i>Wow, I am really going through something. And if I'm going </i>through <i>it, then at some point, I will come out the other side. </i><br />
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<b>Why This Year: </b>At the end of August 2018, my mother passed away very suddenly. That loss is one which can never be reversed. Although I do believe in an afterlife and I know we will see each other again, I will be without her for the rest of this lifetime. And that fact, to put it poetically, sucks big time. The adjustment period after this bereavement is a major part of what I have been going through. <br />
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I looked up the origin of "through" (researching word origins is one of my favorite forms of therapy), and it comes from a Dutch word meaning "door," which can be traced back even further, meaning "to cross over, pass through, overcome." There is a peaceful resonance to the idea that I am passing through a door, crossing over stress and pain, and overcoming difficulty to reach calmer shores. It feels like a truth that I can hold on to when waters get rough and stormy.<br />
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Robert Frost said, "The best way out is always through." Well, sometimes it's also the only way out. So, that's what I'm going to do in 2019: steer through my uncertainty and my grief, and find my way to the happiness and productivity that waits on the other side.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mackenzielucas.com/" target="_blank">Mackenzie Lucas</a> <br />
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<b>Word: Rebuild</b><br />
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<b>Why This Word: </b>As the definition states, the word rebuild means to build somehting again after it has been damaged or destroyed. I’m totally restructuring my life, from the ground up.<br />
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<b>Why This Year: </b>I’ve just gone through a year of tearing down, or as my tarot friends say, I’ve been towered. It’s been a year full of loss. I went through a separation and divorce this past year. My nest is totally empty—the last of my boys has gone away to college. And I lost my dad this past year; my sole surviving parent. Thus, I’m an orphan. So the new year is all about rebuilding for me. And, girl, I’ve got a lot of rebuilding to do. It’s all good, I swear. If not a little hard. A fresh start. Right? I have the chance to start at ground zero and create something fresh and new. The possibilities are limitless. Which is exciting, if a little scary. But after the year I’ve had, I think I’m ready for the challenge and chance to restructure my future. And no matter how much you prepare for eventualities (lost relationships, empty nests, and the death of loved ones), the actual life events and grieving process can be so much harder to deal with in real life than you’d ever expect. Yet, there is life on the other side. So here’s to rebuilding! Let’s do this. Bring it, 2019.<br />
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<a href="http://jkeelythrall.com/" target="_blank">Keely Thrall </a><br />
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<b>Word: Ship</b><br />
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<b>Why this one: </b>Two reasons. 1) Hello! Romance writer, here. I'm all about the ship - friendships, courtships, relationships, loveships (would should totally be a word). Shipping fictional characters to Happily Ever After Island is the core of my writing mission. 2) It's time to ship my work and give my characters a chance to explore the world beyond the contest circle. <br />
<b><br />Why this year:</b> In 2018, I made a number of small, crucial shifts in the hows of my life (my ecosystem of habits) so that I could focus more intentionally on my writing and what I want from it. What I discovered in the process is that I'm tired of being unpublished. I'm tired of holding back and hugging the shorelines, letting doubt whisper in my ear of shipwrecks and storms. At the dawn of 2019, I say: it's time to cast off for Romancelandia. I'm ready to set sail and ride the waves of adventure to meet my fortune. I am, in fact, ready to make like a captain and ship. <br />
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<br />The Eighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03966202602120800766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-22700197965726156982016-09-11T22:18:00.002-04:002016-09-11T22:25:18.240-04:00Fifteen Years Later<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Rockville 8 honors all of the fallen heroes from that terrible day and the loved ones they left behind. We will never forget. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Peace to all.</span><br />
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<br />Lisa McQuayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261421741139099750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-70635733523649345212016-09-04T21:18:00.001-04:002016-09-04T21:18:08.242-04:00Welcome Author Lori Ann Bailey!<i>This week, the Rockville 8 welcomes guest author Lori Ann Bailey who has graciously agreed to join us here. We're thrilled to hear about her new release, </i><b>Highland Deception</b>.<br />
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The End... or Is It?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lately, I’ve seen lots of authors posting pictures or notices
when they finish their work in progress announcing that they wrote the two
words… The End. Much applause and celebrating ensues, and rightfully so, but until
I started seeing these posts, it never occurred to me to write “The End” or “Happily
Ever After” at the close of a book I had just written. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Which got me thinking, why have I never done this and why is
there some part of me that feels I can’t, that it’s just inherently wrong for
me and would somehow cause a rift in the universe if I did so? Don’t get me
wrong, I think it’s great for others to be proud of finishing a manuscript and
celebrating, but for some reason now, those two little words make me cringe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe it stems from the idea that as a reader, I don’t
always enjoy reaching the conclusion of a book that I’m so heavily invested in
the characters that I want to keep reading. Those words make everything so
final. Even now as a writer, when I craft my stories, I’m already thinking
ahead to how my secondary character’s stories are going to play out and how my
current hero and heroine are going to be part of their lives.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To me the end of a novel is just the start of the
character’s story. It’s a way to get to the beginning. The struggles my
characters have to face are just the catalyst that brings their lives together.
My husband and I have been married for eighteen years and while I can recount
how we met, how we fell in love and every detail of our wedding, it’s
everything that has happened since then that is “our story.” We’ve had
children, lived in several places, had disagreements, and wonderful memories of
doing special things together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To me, my characters are real and they deserve life after my
manuscript whether I write it or not, they have the possibility for a future.
In my debut, Highland Deception, Lachlan and Maggie find love, but they still
have friends and family looking for that special someone. They will be part of
these other character’s stories.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So I’ve never considered writing those fateful words at the
end of a novel but now, after some deliberation, I have considered writing,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Beginning. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 22px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22px;"><b><i>Highland Deception</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">Scotland, 1642. Maggie and Lachlan must fight their growing attraction, battling suspicion and intrigue as religious and political turmoil threaten to tear their clans apart.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">He has sworn he will never marry.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">Lachlan Cameron is honor bound to see a wounded lass to safety, although he has well learned women are deceivers, and this lovely maid harbors a wealth of secrets. But Maggie's free spirit and charms enthrall him while he works to discover if she is innocent…or a spy scheming with his enemies to destroy his clan.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">She has sworn she will never fall in love.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">Maggie Murray fled her home to avoid a political marriage to an abusive man. Salvation comes when the Cameron laird, unaware of her identity, protects her as she escapes. His kindness slowly warms her, and she’s tempted to confess her real name. But his strong sense of honor would force him to return her to her father…and torment at the hands of her scorned betrothed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 22px;"><b>Purchase <i>Highland Deception</i> here:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 21px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<a href="http://entangledpublishing.com/highland-deception/">http://entangledpublishing.com/highland-deception/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Excerpt from <i>Highland Deception</i> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Maggie rose, pulled her skirts up,
and waded into the water while Lachlan remained close on the beach, but she
noticed he stayed watchful of their surroundings. The cool water was
refreshing. She sighed then turned to take in the full view of him. “Would ye
force a woman to do something she doesnae wish, if it got ye something ye
wanted?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Lachlan’s gaze returned to her.
“Not unless it was for the good of the clan.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">An image of Conall flashed in her
head, and she shuddered as dread washed over her. It was the answer all men in
his position would give. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“But I would listen to her
reasons,” he continued. “Sometimes women see things we dinnae.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She breathed out. Even though her
reservations about revealing her identity lingered, it was nice to know he was
willing to listen. Would her reasons be sufficient to appeal to him as a man?
She thought he might listen, because he didnae seem the type to force his
sister into an abusive marriage. He’d let her go out on her own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As squealing children ran by, cold
droplets speckled Maggie’s legs, and she made a small shriek as the liquid sent
chills through her. One of the boys heard her and turned then splashed her
again. Suppressing a giggle, she reached down to cup a handful of water and
toss it back. She dropped her skirt, and it fell into the water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The lad laughed, and they continued
back and forth. A stream of water hit her headpiece. She scooped up and aimed,
but he ran just out of reach and took off to join the friends who were calling
to him. Pulling the wet headpiece off, she ran her fingers through her hair,
and when she looked back at Lachlan, he had a boyish sideways grin on his face.
Well, it wasn’t that innocent. He suddenly looked as if he wanted to devour
her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Her chest tightened, and her core
clenched. Something about the way he looked at her made her want to taste him,
too, and she didn’t even know what that meant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“Come here, lass.” His deep voice
washed over her and sent waves of excitement coursing through her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Swallowing, she sauntered toward
him. His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her flush to his chest as his
lips crashed down on hers, causing tingles to erupt on her skin and need to
ignite in her core. The kiss was warm and slow, strong and possessive. She
melted into it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When his tongue delved into her
mouth, she returned the caress and rose up on her toes to get closer and her
arms gripped onto his hips. Being in his arms held a strange appeal she wanted
to spend more time exploring, learning why her body turned into a wobbly mess
when any part of her brushed up against him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Water spattered her cheek, and the
kiss broke. The boy and his friends laughed, and she looked at Lachlan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">He had not been spared, either.
Drops of liquid streamed down the side of his face. He looked dazed. She would
have expected him to be annoyed with the boys, but he continued to study her as
if she were the only person in Scotland. Fighting back the blush this time, she
licked her lips. She wouldn’t be ashamed of wanting him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“Ye know I want ye, lass.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“Aye.” She wanted him, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">His hand rose and caressed her
cheek. It trailed down until one finger was left tracing her lips. She gasped.
She started to quiver with anticipation, then he backed away. “Tonight,” he
said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Lisa McQuayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261421741139099750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-33799854440952287472016-08-28T23:50:00.001-04:002016-08-29T08:01:44.027-04:00Bucket Lists<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Here at the Rockville 8 we had a recent conversation about bucket lists. Here are some of the items we came up with. What's on yours?</i></b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-size: large;"> Misha Crews</span></i><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt;">1) Hike the Appalachian Trail:</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt;"> I'm putting this one at the top
because it's by far the least likely thing I'll accomplish. Although I love
Nature, I mostly appreciate her from a bug-free, climate-controlled
environment. But I've been fascinated by the A.T. ever since I was a child, and
despite the unlikelihood, I still have the hiking of it on my bucket list. I
take comfort from the fact that Emma Gatewood first hiked the Trail when she
was 67, and Lee Barry completed a through-hike at the age of 81. So I have a
few </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 17px;">years to build up my strength (and my nerve) and make a go of it.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt;">2) Spend a year doing volunteer work:</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt;"> I'm privileged to
know some amazing people who give most/all of their time to humanitarian
efforts. Although I've occasionally been invited to participate (all great
projects need warm bodies to fill the ranks), I've never been able to do more
than help in a very peripheral way. I'd love to be able to take a solid year,
or more, and do whatever needs doing: disaster relief, literacy programs,
homeless shelters, whatever. To paraphrase George Harrison, it would sure do me
good to do some good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8lci8CSu_M9B_4fSzNraJQT1RUqUyW4TqFw9Ay5h5Q1ItW5s16mulJJWZd4slM_D1R_BuD25YeBnPcx0e1wYuwRX8VO8Ue8S4LgH2puTCA9cgNuYcEJ3sGLjrzg1QPxGsVny1PEPkngc/s1600/unnamed-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8lci8CSu_M9B_4fSzNraJQT1RUqUyW4TqFw9Ay5h5Q1ItW5s16mulJJWZd4slM_D1R_BuD25YeBnPcx0e1wYuwRX8VO8Ue8S4LgH2puTCA9cgNuYcEJ3sGLjrzg1QPxGsVny1PEPkngc/s320/unnamed-21.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt;">3) Write all the
stories in my head:</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt;"> Okay, maybe <i>this </i>is the least likely thing I'll accomplish. Like
most writers, I have hundreds, if not thousands, of stories </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 17px;">rattling around in my imagination. I would dearly love to write all of them. Even half of them would be pretty darn okay with me.</span></span><br />
<br />
<b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px;"><br /></b>
<b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Keely Thrall</span></i></b><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKlQqpKYriERIccv2yY5w8xHKLNg033F5r7tenj3HmoIrPu1LkDLI_1dVL0YNT7iXPLKxLPL04oDyh46r9eOQeHNvnm-GXOexJknXlAxR17jH9-ot252Z3ZKPIp_jOdjboNMgdCPiL2OJ/s1600/0-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKlQqpKYriERIccv2yY5w8xHKLNg033F5r7tenj3HmoIrPu1LkDLI_1dVL0YNT7iXPLKxLPL04oDyh46r9eOQeHNvnm-GXOexJknXlAxR17jH9-ot252Z3ZKPIp_jOdjboNMgdCPiL2OJ/s400/0-2.jpeg" /></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>1) Like Misha Crews, I have hiking on my mind.</b> When I was in grad school I had to do a little research on el Camino de Santiago for an internship project. I fell in love with the idea of wending my way through northern Spain. I lived on the Costa del Sol for a year when I was a kid, but never explored the rest of the country. The idea of walking in the steps of countless travelers before me fills me with curiosity and a sense of the connections between past-present-future.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>2)</b> <b>Go back to school to earn a Ph.D.</b> In what? Who knows. I think the subject matter is less important to me than the journey and the accomplishment of tackling a rigorous challenge. I’m not an academic by nature (I like to make s*** up and that clashes with things like insuring you get your facts straight), but I love academia and the environment of learning.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqstxZo1Jrb3_oJMo-bOxps3EkJVVeqKIwKHUhGc8lw0L0GYIeERk2Cr6hQygK630oSgS9v194ux-HjEP25rbXlpwzDSWtSpOXFA-ZOeCgFjiJJVlA_HsFc5Yo5iUbzds3_knzx63HQfyR/s1600/0-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqstxZo1Jrb3_oJMo-bOxps3EkJVVeqKIwKHUhGc8lw0L0GYIeERk2Cr6hQygK630oSgS9v194ux-HjEP25rbXlpwzDSWtSpOXFA-ZOeCgFjiJJVlA_HsFc5Yo5iUbzds3_knzx63HQfyR/s400/0-1.jpeg" /></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>3) Channel Bob Hope.</b> I’m serious! That man had a massage every day. He even traveled with a masseuse. What is not to love about that? The man lived to be 100. You can’t tell me a daily massage had nothing to do with it! (Also, is it just me or did Bob Hope steal his nose from Lorenzo de Medici.</span></span><b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-large;"><i> </i></b><br />
<b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span></b><br />
<b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b></b></i></span></b><br />
<div style="display: inline !important; margin: 0px;">
<b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b> Lisa McQuay</b></i></span></b></div>
<br />
<b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px;"></b><br />
<br />
<div style="display: inline !important; margin: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtFbeTM_T2aBD4fMio6DvVCYSItEIkIhmxvFALlbi1_gSMP_fuVqHdoFhWE3k1be2Ph76NgLFNgTSlqX3t_13E3eTPOWtMHTA4aWEyUpwjmCuy08WPQ5x78tjTje1Y8yt_iMNv0jxCmUK/s1600/Unknown-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtFbeTM_T2aBD4fMio6DvVCYSItEIkIhmxvFALlbi1_gSMP_fuVqHdoFhWE3k1be2Ph76NgLFNgTSlqX3t_13E3eTPOWtMHTA4aWEyUpwjmCuy08WPQ5x78tjTje1Y8yt_iMNv0jxCmUK/s200/Unknown-5.jpeg" width="200" /></a><b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px;"><b>1) Visit all 50 states</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">. I don’t want to just visit but spend quality time finding out what makes that state unique. I would like to take a camper with my husband and spend a few months seeing this country. Visit the Grand Canyon, see the Northern Lights, and go where the road takes us.</span></b></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJkJ-258ktlIPa5yYEJuoUQ9GmZqUrfhZF5pFApXDWpaKqfnY9WkMj7Lg6OYnSbr_dSconRjSCavLA7TLsIv-v7_-J1O1f6BrWJZd8fdrYdR3iQqAWs_D4tGrTtgx_q2YJdHqNtQV9s2a/s1600/Unknown-6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJkJ-258ktlIPa5yYEJuoUQ9GmZqUrfhZF5pFApXDWpaKqfnY9WkMj7Lg6OYnSbr_dSconRjSCavLA7TLsIv-v7_-J1O1f6BrWJZd8fdrYdR3iQqAWs_D4tGrTtgx_q2YJdHqNtQV9s2a/s200/Unknown-6.jpeg" width="200" /></a><b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px;"><b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px;"><br /></b></b><br />
<b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px;">2)</b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17px;"> </span><b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px;">Go back to school to get a degree in something just for the love of learning</b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17px;">. It would be something like English, Journalism, History, or a foreign language. Possibly doing this with an eye to teaching that thing that I love learning.</span><br />
<b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px;"><br /></b>
<b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px;">3) Start a non-profit program to help people, especially those suffering from illness. </b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17px;">There are so many people who are having difficulty. Even small gestures mean a lot to those who are not well. There are so many opportunities to do good things. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiCyUyfG-MIa_sZ_1WYthaFdRp40Wo9JvvidGz0a8j5o5cV0ZCXARB2Ypo_1MvkxjHZ93OOi1tWT4hJ-jAfUbJJcoEk4yHA6dr1WcmEgo46X7dg-HmEkx8yGHCRMuVdti5Q95I3XBFN3u/s1600/Unknown-7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiCyUyfG-MIa_sZ_1WYthaFdRp40Wo9JvvidGz0a8j5o5cV0ZCXARB2Ypo_1MvkxjHZ93OOi1tWT4hJ-jAfUbJJcoEk4yHA6dr1WcmEgo46X7dg-HmEkx8yGHCRMuVdti5Q95I3XBFN3u/s200/Unknown-7.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.heraldextra.com</td></tr>
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Lisa McQuayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261421741139099750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-76989084853642821692016-08-22T03:00:00.000-04:002016-08-22T03:00:03.115-04:00Eye CandyThe hot weather made us think of other things that are hot, both past and present. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzqHjmhY5BK0osCUhc9wgqPv3Fod4OqYO8_pBFQXiDLUnXlQYsLNnwMFRWqswfvBYlY4IqYnrnH_vYkJC4Ctl3ExE0jaaH8lwMkcxKQ0DmCctqffLE7BGBm7kTNdAWjjUwWsyD-8rOLQt/s1600/giphy-5.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzqHjmhY5BK0osCUhc9wgqPv3Fod4OqYO8_pBFQXiDLUnXlQYsLNnwMFRWqswfvBYlY4IqYnrnH_vYkJC4Ctl3ExE0jaaH8lwMkcxKQ0DmCctqffLE7BGBm7kTNdAWjjUwWsyD-8rOLQt/s320/giphy-5.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hugh Jackman</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMt9ISP3hgLTQPCwF03Z8G1fobbfyhekrK8zBCt9dIsg4ecLBDn0dTyN0a8cqm-z7I72TYWRDdFdmDCzAG1NVMXNWPjoDOIOX39sRo-RnUJ-b638HQcIXQfNZ8lJIzSU20NMVTFoI_bev/s1600/giphy-4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMt9ISP3hgLTQPCwF03Z8G1fobbfyhekrK8zBCt9dIsg4ecLBDn0dTyN0a8cqm-z7I72TYWRDdFdmDCzAG1NVMXNWPjoDOIOX39sRo-RnUJ-b638HQcIXQfNZ8lJIzSU20NMVTFoI_bev/s320/giphy-4.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gregory Peck<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeHnwPmY-HPstxeMrrdkBJX16_gWLQka32kXPXy1p7gVf0F_wMH5dRZqZwnGkTQh9fdu7ryYU5Sgn5H-m3UvoUwtW8Z9J4tpS-eIcQs2l9ZZrcCFltnwOTAKTSXzvOjfTQ_YlsdKlxYEd/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeHnwPmY-HPstxeMrrdkBJX16_gWLQka32kXPXy1p7gVf0F_wMH5dRZqZwnGkTQh9fdu7ryYU5Sgn5H-m3UvoUwtW8Z9J4tpS-eIcQs2l9ZZrcCFltnwOTAKTSXzvOjfTQ_YlsdKlxYEd/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Reynolds<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary Cooper</td></tr>
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<br />Lisa McQuayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261421741139099750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-19307682455397314542016-08-15T16:46:00.000-04:002016-08-15T16:57:02.944-04:00Monday Needs a Laugh!Who doesn't need a laugh on a Monday? Here are a few favorite chuckles from some of us at the Rockville 8. We hope they make you smile!<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/09799006710672537142" target="_blank">Nichole Christoff</a><br />
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What do you call an alligator who is also a detective? An investigator!<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/11830295917977217739" target="_blank">Misha Crews</a><br />
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Why is the farmer a pillar of his community? Because he's always outstanding in his field.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/08261421741139099750" target="_blank">Lisa McQuay</a><br />
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What do you get if you cross an elephant and a rhinoceros? Elephino<br />
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Why couldn't the flower ride his bike? His petals fell off.<br />
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What do you call a computer that sings? A Dell<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/05656529091898492453" target="_blank">Keely Thrall</a><br />
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Let's makes like a shepherd and get the flock outta here. <br />
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What do you call a deer with no eyes? No idear. <br />
What do you call a deer with no eyes and no legs? Still no idear. <br />
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What do you call a hot sheep? A wooly sweater.<br />
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<u><b>Your turn!</b></u><br />
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Do you have a joke to share?<br />
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<br />Misha Crewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830295917977217739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-56576902018579370162016-08-07T23:53:00.000-04:002016-08-08T00:46:33.528-04:00Making Waves and Memories<br />
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Since I just returned from vacation, I thought I'd tell a story in pictures. I didn't do any writing, but as Stephen Covey suggested, I sharpened the saw. In other words, I rejuvenated myself and just allowed my mind to let go of everything that's been stressing me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb07PgoWKOJg9yn-zSbiRqAhOrYYfyKPrLsbTMPmlF4X5d8Cezo8SwXab7gYPQkFphI7DZpG0-GFOyE4I7hgawk45Dy6HvgbR_Kbr5o0WzjBGXR36I9d_vrC99gFMKccF2LK5QMJQLc4rj/s1600/0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb07PgoWKOJg9yn-zSbiRqAhOrYYfyKPrLsbTMPmlF4X5d8Cezo8SwXab7gYPQkFphI7DZpG0-GFOyE4I7hgawk45Dy6HvgbR_Kbr5o0WzjBGXR36I9d_vrC99gFMKccF2LK5QMJQLc4rj/s320/0.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm rolling in. (copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04zwgeG1zW39ByjqUSgfgtEQ8avhxZGOBi_WOhsPc0JU7klZwlEQKHhZLjWj4clZhrjoTNKCc4-QEeFSOuHgqD9kNWb8upwVH2N59UzHy7Z7P7sYJ9-bX6HzOp7AiZX4B-c5iEkSDKpDp/s1600/unnamed-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04zwgeG1zW39ByjqUSgfgtEQ8avhxZGOBi_WOhsPc0JU7klZwlEQKHhZLjWj4clZhrjoTNKCc4-QEeFSOuHgqD9kNWb8upwVH2N59UzHy7Z7P7sYJ9-bX6HzOp7AiZX4B-c5iEkSDKpDp/s320/unnamed-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aftermath of the storm. (copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjyzL4Xwt51ygq5oKh5aMLiXWZx1UytOsiuvt0-O4pj4T9swPcH1evbqY5kXFrfhAZXm8H3mNlEGnEwVttcKpKk8Ki8AsoWA6KnfERSzclwFCURU9SxJs4BTJYx59TvrzZa2Vzd91sfml/s1600/unnamed-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjyzL4Xwt51ygq5oKh5aMLiXWZx1UytOsiuvt0-O4pj4T9swPcH1evbqY5kXFrfhAZXm8H3mNlEGnEwVttcKpKk8Ki8AsoWA6KnfERSzclwFCURU9SxJs4BTJYx59TvrzZa2Vzd91sfml/s320/unnamed-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the play, "Lost Colony," to start on Roanoke Island.<br />
The play was really well done. The fight scene at the end even included<br />
a woman on fire. My daughter said that after the actress ran into the wings,<br />
she saw the stage hands throw her down and extinguish her. Later that<br />
night, my daughter pointed out a shooting star over the set, which went all<br />
the way across the sky from left to right. (copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLf9nlTOn8814Yah-E2Q5lH3hLL6AP3M6g0VgvNBmrpmggZ6GMbkT3PCYy7V2uHCOi3i0NvOFas2HIKbKqc2l0TtOZrv2IQYln4EzuQr1EcOpg2l3wvGBMR6AIIaPQ_Pj4lI1IBYNkXRZ/s1600/unnamed-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLf9nlTOn8814Yah-E2Q5lH3hLL6AP3M6g0VgvNBmrpmggZ6GMbkT3PCYy7V2uHCOi3i0NvOFas2HIKbKqc2l0TtOZrv2IQYln4EzuQr1EcOpg2l3wvGBMR6AIIaPQ_Pj4lI1IBYNkXRZ/s320/unnamed-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pier. I loved the colors.<br />
(copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAKeJPvf3GxP2_bTySS_iHNf-v6u060tqxns9_QaP5jZ5mebnZYivaPOqc7oc0Tvn6Q0x96kncC2FnvpRafwR6ZOXYPkx_GB7FuUl_2Ce7vmcfkc1u-lBWBbm8tbFBCwwDUtxg3lc9hVi/s1600/unnamed-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAKeJPvf3GxP2_bTySS_iHNf-v6u060tqxns9_QaP5jZ5mebnZYivaPOqc7oc0Tvn6Q0x96kncC2FnvpRafwR6ZOXYPkx_GB7FuUl_2Ce7vmcfkc1u-lBWBbm8tbFBCwwDUtxg3lc9hVi/s320/unnamed-7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing boat. The stark white boat looks<br />
so fresh and crisp against the sky. (copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59TOsgOpqWlAnReLEqNfyyjVLBB2HOKoIdvlEdFqrKjkRIMU_b6RwUJy7p1VHQ14FqdiyJeDtlpE-CxD49tk7lvI1hUHjYd5Ap8IVSFondzh4JxFs5KiTlTJ7O2ZUwSdt8IYLMdSDyxyH/s1600/unnamed-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59TOsgOpqWlAnReLEqNfyyjVLBB2HOKoIdvlEdFqrKjkRIMU_b6RwUJy7p1VHQ14FqdiyJeDtlpE-CxD49tk7lvI1hUHjYd5Ap8IVSFondzh4JxFs5KiTlTJ7O2ZUwSdt8IYLMdSDyxyH/s320/unnamed-8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sand crab trapped at the bottom of the stairwell. We tried to catch him to take him back to the beach but he ended up jumping in the pool. My daughter worked for 10 minutes in 9 feet of water to dip him out of there with the pool net usually used to skim things from the pool. I taught her to crab at a young age and she did me proud. However, when she tried to go up the stairs with him in the net, he leaped back out and was back to square one. We had to leave him because he was too agitated at that point.<br />
This was one angry little crab. (copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8O5CA2sXzYFninGmD6AkAjGXS4AZ7o0DcWqMHYZSsdp6dCBmL6VNighyk8PA66lccIqPl8wjcz74YLTg-Hge0T4_LAy64YWt5b3QsRR89DvB472ox3DGLdXd0T0lqXWPOcLATjfJAj4f/s1600/unnamed-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8O5CA2sXzYFninGmD6AkAjGXS4AZ7o0DcWqMHYZSsdp6dCBmL6VNighyk8PA66lccIqPl8wjcz74YLTg-Hge0T4_LAy64YWt5b3QsRR89DvB472ox3DGLdXd0T0lqXWPOcLATjfJAj4f/s320/unnamed-9.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After being inside for ten minutes, my daughter said, <br />
"I"m worried about the sand crab. Can I go check on him?" <br />
She went back to rescue him. Even prouder of her concern. (copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeSl4QzujGSI685HxRCb8qxEMWSCwvddXJ3iOCRySTWqSd-xrLJ-39pITQDZ7pH0-wvvihn0qojW2VEG8sQ-kkMVgrOr6wRy08l0w3g4wBFIYtRi3R5U9QcUJHWecXvqqD4AIxtxIeotp/s1600/unnamed-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeSl4QzujGSI685HxRCb8qxEMWSCwvddXJ3iOCRySTWqSd-xrLJ-39pITQDZ7pH0-wvvihn0qojW2VEG8sQ-kkMVgrOr6wRy08l0w3g4wBFIYtRi3R5U9QcUJHWecXvqqD4AIxtxIeotp/s320/unnamed-12.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband and daughter in the foreground, leaving the Wright Brothers Memorial, <br />
the site of the brother's first flight. (copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOCO-UKa4xrWvgUGw7vuLv06oS7j9TFTVqBdk1H0RukMYSzB0b9EjMc9K3O53SVZhXLSO5-ygwAN2qxnMUyZoBVFPZ9XXV2VcNeejRVHFcyd7dCiSMVfjm1brXlMgM12tDQJgAuoQCEJx/s1600/unnamed-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOCO-UKa4xrWvgUGw7vuLv06oS7j9TFTVqBdk1H0RukMYSzB0b9EjMc9K3O53SVZhXLSO5-ygwAN2qxnMUyZoBVFPZ9XXV2VcNeejRVHFcyd7dCiSMVfjm1brXlMgM12tDQJgAuoQCEJx/s320/unnamed-13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A serene sunset. (copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKLZcUpx88JMaUrTogW1EOgol4r53yo4e5rKSPlIPAccmtQGyNKVn82JIxSLhx7GZv0Mzfd3Z3wG4rMrSIB05sWQeS1c48mH3daghDQquJBzHP-FXBD4HfWfGEuopQNUz35roHlGLe_cC/s1600/unnamed-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKLZcUpx88JMaUrTogW1EOgol4r53yo4e5rKSPlIPAccmtQGyNKVn82JIxSLhx7GZv0Mzfd3Z3wG4rMrSIB05sWQeS1c48mH3daghDQquJBzHP-FXBD4HfWfGEuopQNUz35roHlGLe_cC/s320/unnamed-14.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All three of us were sunburned on various parts<br />
of our bodies. I'm in the foreground on the raft, my daughter in<br />
the ring. My husband said I looked like a sarcophagus. (copyright)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EZClPrLkTH7ur3pJLbLJR4ogfh7WWCUrmZvEBiuWrgFoc7we1PU9FNtvh3jGmVO4v6OC1ZfSPrOyz3RSUxLw5c4m03mOQFG3M1P-Y_CC9jEEZ-BprHhzy-7xa6zrhOY0W9x7gnXJLs_k/s1600/unnamed-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EZClPrLkTH7ur3pJLbLJR4ogfh7WWCUrmZvEBiuWrgFoc7we1PU9FNtvh3jGmVO4v6OC1ZfSPrOyz3RSUxLw5c4m03mOQFG3M1P-Y_CC9jEEZ-BprHhzy-7xa6zrhOY0W9x7gnXJLs_k/s320/unnamed-15.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went to a nearby national park because we heard that<br />
you could drive through the park and see bears. We saw this<br />
guy on our second trip, standing by the side of the road. He<br />
was right outside my car window, which was as close as anyone<br />
should be to a bear. (copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbaiWJvqAyIq-YA2CRCeqvWyJPMKHMPTtADNb3pVSTe_PKxd4_a6ndiXgzCoxUspzarBYvGl-szmKABgaX42Jr_AZWWK5MumJBkdQ57AlPrxtAIZiqpFhyphenhyphenANg1B9g_IEYDVYknnm7AUUP/s1600/unnamed-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbaiWJvqAyIq-YA2CRCeqvWyJPMKHMPTtADNb3pVSTe_PKxd4_a6ndiXgzCoxUspzarBYvGl-szmKABgaX42Jr_AZWWK5MumJBkdQ57AlPrxtAIZiqpFhyphenhyphenANg1B9g_IEYDVYknnm7AUUP/s320/unnamed-16.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at the national park. (copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wedding at the nearby pier, on the top floor. I thought it looked <br />
magical with all of the lights. My husband is in the doorway downstairs. <br />
(copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjW_dHk_LGzdDKKRcG7O8aIU-o_WxGj0cRDx9IDZv8Ko4hit6cpmo8vKpPBj6ZF9UzMy7vqZpy3QRnRYQAfCO6v7zPXIWrW6f4X2YWPr7b7wPPPiprRZXaCHJpq38N2k4EosetAsBpjAB2/s1600/unnamed-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjW_dHk_LGzdDKKRcG7O8aIU-o_WxGj0cRDx9IDZv8Ko4hit6cpmo8vKpPBj6ZF9UzMy7vqZpy3QRnRYQAfCO6v7zPXIWrW6f4X2YWPr7b7wPPPiprRZXaCHJpq38N2k4EosetAsBpjAB2/s320/unnamed-18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(copyright)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdU0lMMiu_aa8Y-Oz8N5a5W6J5X4WfBGnrsqlgbFEVCY47YLTE77ZrW9dfrKjJxyR9Uz3eAljNwmktSI-r7plwQOrSeJgHi2hclPJoeN4WcNxVftReT2CNgVwrROrTSojB_tVu38_Pxtz/s1600/unnamed-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdU0lMMiu_aa8Y-Oz8N5a5W6J5X4WfBGnrsqlgbFEVCY47YLTE77ZrW9dfrKjJxyR9Uz3eAljNwmktSI-r7plwQOrSeJgHi2hclPJoeN4WcNxVftReT2CNgVwrROrTSojB_tVu38_Pxtz/s320/unnamed-19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two pictures of the pool and the steps to the beach on our last night. I loved looking<br />
at the pool at night. (copyright)</td></tr>
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Lisa McQuayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261421741139099750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-15677141208745887312016-07-18T00:30:00.000-04:002016-07-18T00:30:15.238-04:00In Which Keely Makes the 3 Month Meth MarkLast Labor Day weekend, I woke up thinking I'd sprained my pinky finger in my sleep. It hurt, but I didn't think on it beyond, "ouch" and went about the business of having fun with my visiting mom.<br />
<br />
A few weeks later and the "sprain" hadn't improved. A Google search after that, and I was certain I had nerve damage. Off to the doctor and the start of a four month odyssey of tests and uncertainty that ended with a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (PA).<br />
<br />
Joy!<br />
<br />
I've suffered from psoriasis since the age of twenty, after a perfect storm of Mono, Strep throat, and antibiotics decimated my immune system. Psoriasis isn't fun. Nope. It's a flaky nuisance designed specifically to make the sufferer feel about as confident in their body as an underweight, molting, three-legged rabbit with tics and a carrot allergy.<br />
<br />
Yuck.<br />
<br />
But, you know, one puts on one's big girl panties and muddles through. In the last few years, I'd finally come to a workable detente and figured I had this particular hassle figured out. Creams, lotions, potions, and patience.<br />
<br />
Ha, ha, surprise!<br />
<br />
Now, it's not like I think my self-congratulatory, "you've got this, girl" pats on the back triggered some weird-ass karma, but it is beyond frustrating that I'd just settled into a maintenance routine when the PA decided to take roost.<br />
<br />
Gah!<br />
<br />
The good news, of course, is that PA is treatable.<br />
<br />
Woot!<br />
<br />
Sunday, July 17 marked the three month anniversary of my first dose of methotrexate. I take 8 tiny pills once a week and a dose of folic acid daily. My skin has improved exponentially (good-bye sucker flakes!). The joint tenderness that had, between onset of the pain to first dose, spread throughout my entire body, has decreased to the point where I no longer move like the Tin Man in need of a lube job.<br />
<br />
Ahem.<br />
<br />
Of course, the drug makes booze a bit of a danger. Stupid liver incompatibility. As a result, I haven't had a drink since April 15. Turns out, I miss the social aspects of alcohol consumption a lot, but the physical drag that can come from drinking just a bit too much, just a little too often, not at all.<br />
<br />
Win!<br />
<br />
Another BIG win since clearing away the fog of pain and lethargy of a regular drink after work: I've spent a lot more time on my writing. The result: I've finished a round of revisions on my WIP, resubmitted to the editor who requested them, and dug into book two of the series.<br />
<br />
I'm not always sure about what's causal vs. correlated, but the story I tell myself each day is that I'm functioning better because I'm treating myself well.<br />
<br />
Hooray!<br />
<br />
Seems like a positive "happily for now" place to end things, so I'll sign with this question: how do you handle the sideswipes your body slams you with as you age? Emotionally, logistically, or other...<br />
<br />
<br />Keely Thrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05656529091898492453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-83887842141674963672016-07-10T23:00:00.000-04:002016-07-10T23:00:25.933-04:00Midsummer Night's Reading DreamsA number of the Rockville 8 ladies are out on vacation - and who can blame them?<br />
<br />
But let it not be said that we can't field a varied and compelling beach read list however brief it may be! Read below for what Lisa, Misha and Keely are reading now and what we're diving into next - and let us know whose pages YOU'RE turning this summer!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Misha Crews</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVCZCy65ZLHZvKphyMgWSXhFFEzYSPuMQFDcafOzOICRdQrqYc8AjAFRoXUVPfacP8B-_bbqZrnJBQ4PVmjwgwqHpil7EL0DFRL5l46hNPH3Sun3hR3-DCqhWlKsarCLn0u52TvR1IWqO/s1600/DarkAngels-KarleenKoen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVCZCy65ZLHZvKphyMgWSXhFFEzYSPuMQFDcafOzOICRdQrqYc8AjAFRoXUVPfacP8B-_bbqZrnJBQ4PVmjwgwqHpil7EL0DFRL5l46hNPH3Sun3hR3-DCqhWlKsarCLn0u52TvR1IWqO/s200/DarkAngels-KarleenKoen.jpg" width="126" /></a>What I’m reading: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Angels-Novel-Karleen-Koen/dp/0307339920/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468000484&sr=8-1&keywords=dark+angels+karleen+koen" target="_blank"><i>Dark Angels</i> by Karleen Koen</a><br />
<br />
How’d I find it: I love this author, and always try to read anything she
writes. Her first book, <i>Through a Glass, Darkly</i>, is one of my all-time
favorites. <i>Dark Angels</i> actually came out several years ago, and somehow
it slipped under my radar at the time of publication, so it was quite a treat
to find it!<br />
<br />
I recommend it because: It's overflowing with fascinating characters,
complicated love stories, and intrigue. Lots and lots of intrigue! Plus, it's
set in the 1600s, in the court of Charles II, and Koen handles the historical
details beautifully.<br />
<br />
What I’m reading next: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Train-Novel-Paula-Hawkins/dp/1594634025/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468000619&sr=1-1&keywords=the+girl+on+the+train" target="_blank"><i>The Girl on the Train</i> by Paula Hopkins.</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Lisa McQuay</u></b>What
I'm reading: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadowy-Horses-enchanting-mysterious-bends/dp/1402258704/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468000564&sr=1-1&keywords=the+shadowy+horses" target="_blank"><i>The Shadowy Horses </i>by Susanna Kearsley</a></div>
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How'd
I find it: I've read other works by this author and just adore her. I read <i>Marianna</i>
first and couldn't put it down, even going back to my favorite parts to re-read
them when I was finished. It stayed with me for a long time and I kept thinking
about all of the plot twists and hint that she subtly gave us to lead us to the
conclusion. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I
recommend it because: it has a fascinating setting, historical mystery, centers
around a fascinating occupation, and the characters are unforgettable and
well-drawn. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />What
I'm reading next: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/That-Thing-Whispering-Romance-Book-ebook/dp/B01G2ER712/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468000649&sr=1-1&keywords=that+thing+you+do+maria+geraci" target="_blank">That Thing You Do, by Maria Geraci</a>. I met her recently and
had some great conversations with her. I'm betting her books are equally
wonderful. </div>
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<b><u>J. Keely Thrall</u></b></div>
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What I'm reading: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dominance-Never-Dies-Masters-Mercenaries/dp/1937608522/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468000793&sr=1-1&keywords=dominance+never+dies" target="_blank"><i>Dominance Never Dies</i> by Lexi Blake</a></div>
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How'd I find it: Funny story, in the wake of Fifty Shades of Gray, a pal recommended author Cherise Sinclair for anyone who wanted to read well done BDSM romance. I admit, I was curious so I scooted on over to Amazon, looked CS up and bought the first book at the top of the search...which happened to be book one of Blake's Masters and Mercenaries series. </div>
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I recommend it (the whole series) because: it's goofy, over the top, kick butt fun. Blake's characters aren't people you'd meet in real life, but who the heck cares when you're having as much fun as they are blowing s*** up, roughing up the bad guys, and having kinky sex? That said, in each book, Blake deftly pulls the heartstrings as her h/h work for their happily ever afters. When I need a break from heavy, I love the wild, kooky ride I take each time I enter this world. </div>
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What' I'm reading next: Good golly, I have no idea! Suggestions, please! </div>
Keely Thrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05656529091898492453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-5389192671967082252016-06-26T23:17:00.000-04:002016-06-26T23:19:39.105-04:00Back to the Books<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhcidLslnM9dhb286Rusmkh6zMM81XU7OoQYyQxDb76btRP5rfcVDv9-Xc4MrP1_P47qXXq9UT66qVqsKc5CT95DWmLX3QKvAKMST2Ugmh-w4d1r-5sTR5u8QbtiPng2z5dWFzwcJ_cZ-/s1600/pen-fountain-pen-ink-gold-39065-medium.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhcidLslnM9dhb286Rusmkh6zMM81XU7OoQYyQxDb76btRP5rfcVDv9-Xc4MrP1_P47qXXq9UT66qVqsKc5CT95DWmLX3QKvAKMST2Ugmh-w4d1r-5sTR5u8QbtiPng2z5dWFzwcJ_cZ-/s200/pen-fountain-pen-ink-gold-39065-medium.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.pexels.com</td></tr>
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I took a hiatus from writing, not because I was tired of it but for other good reasons which I’ve discussed before but don’t really want to rehash here. What does matter now is this—once you’re ready to start your writing again, how do you get your writing groove back? <br />
<br />
I decided to look into what others have written about this. This is a compilation of all the advice that resonated with me.<br />
<br />
On the website Live Write Thrive, guest blogger Janice Kersh gave a list of ways to start writing again. My takeaway from what Janice said is that you must create a ritual such as having a certain type of tea or reading a poem that puts you in the mindset. It should be something that triggers the start of your creative process, whatever that might be.<br />
<br />
The full text is <a href="http://www.livewritethrive.com/2015/09/14/how-to-get-in-writing-shape-after-a-long-break/">here.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiWLLnwfD8kDx9l1MxpQTnoROdSNWJE-nBJNdfl5VoK1AgnNJuPVl098f-8lur5q7bQTVz7ecSaUac56B0MxRf_Y7EVghFKys59JefJHpD-imhyphenhyphenpw_j0NN9EaD2FHL4wEPLTEVM9-vf8Q/s1600/startup-photos-medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiWLLnwfD8kDx9l1MxpQTnoROdSNWJE-nBJNdfl5VoK1AgnNJuPVl098f-8lur5q7bQTVz7ecSaUac56B0MxRf_Y7EVghFKys59JefJHpD-imhyphenhyphenpw_j0NN9EaD2FHL4wEPLTEVM9-vf8Q/s200/startup-photos-medium.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.pexels.com</td></tr>
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At The Write Practice, Marcy McKay suggested to let go of the guilt. You will not get the time back you’ve spent away from your writing. Another thing suggestion she made is something that has worked well in the past for me—to set a minimum goal for yourself that you must complete each day. Whether it’s one page, 250 words, one scene, etc. just make sure that you complete your goal each day. See more on this <a href="http://thewritepractice.com/how-to-get-back-into-writing/">here.</a><br />
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Nathan Bransford notes that you must realize that your first day back will not be productive. It will not be perfect and it will not be good. Accepting this fact will help you muddle through that first session. More on what Nathan said is found <a href="http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2012/02/how-to-return-to-writing-after-long.html">here.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3F7xr6Ur6s5g5OSdJ0IujpDKM78kIxmWWTLaxQZgXEoRsG43ob_MVkaC4ONmYxYFOr6m3obM9wI9MIyCa5m0mzP4XG6rV63SRbUB9P_fbPFFaYuZr7g2N1_dCRr0XDd4FbnXX3AG1STAI/s1600/red-hands-woman-creative-medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3F7xr6Ur6s5g5OSdJ0IujpDKM78kIxmWWTLaxQZgXEoRsG43ob_MVkaC4ONmYxYFOr6m3obM9wI9MIyCa5m0mzP4XG6rV63SRbUB9P_fbPFFaYuZr7g2N1_dCRr0XDd4FbnXX3AG1STAI/s200/red-hands-woman-creative-medium.jpg" width="0" /></a>At Standout Books, Paige Duke says to be intentional and organized. One way she suggests is to use an organizer. I used to use one of these and when I was faithful with it, it worked very well. I think that I need to dust it off and start using it again. It would help me plan and carve out time to do my writing. More on this <a href="https://www.standoutbooks.com/start-writing-after-break/">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.pexels.com</td></tr>
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One last thing on kick-starting your writing that Janice Kersh said that resonated with me is to recognize that your writing style may have changed. Embrace what comes next and go with the flow. I do feel differently than I used to—not like I don’t want to write but not the same, either. Perhaps that’s part of why I don’t know what to do—because I’ve changed. So, if I’ve changed then maybe my process needs to change as well. This is something I’ll have to consider as I find my new normal. <br />
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Does anyone have any other suggestions for getting your writing going after a hiatus? I’d love to know what they are.<br />
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<br />Lisa McQuayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261421741139099750noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-4956505339465763742016-06-19T20:34:00.003-04:002016-06-19T20:37:30.287-04:00Happy Father's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="color: white;">Happiest of Father's Days!</span></i></h2>
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<span style="color: #ffe599;"><i><span style="color: #20124d;">One of the most attractive things about a man is his prowess as a good father. When women see men who are engaged and active in the raising and care of their children, they go a little gaga. Is it any wonder? The species is </span></i><span style="color: #20124d;"><i>propagated when good men are able to ensure that their progeny continue on. It is in the providing for and the care of these little ones who are unable to care for themselves that we see what a man is made of and if his line will blaze into the future as a mighty warrior. So here's a big thank you to fathers everywhere who have wiped noses, encouraged perseverance and roar-dom, who have helped us up when we've fallen, who have dried our tears when we feel like life has defeated us, who inspire us to be better than we ever thought we could be. We love you. And we thank you for your sacrifice. Happy Father's Day!!!</i></span></span></div>
Mackenzie Lucashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508204115833993481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-90465028675596808412016-06-06T17:31:00.002-04:002016-06-06T17:31:58.172-04:00In Which Keely Shares a Recipe for an Open Door CocktailFrom my office door, I hear birds chanting a multilingual song cycle. The wind ruffles the tree leaves, Zephyr's fingers mussing green hair, fond and friendly. An airplane vrooms overhead, a few seconds of technology drowning out the steady drone of the carpenter bees that buzz around my air conditioner. All big talk and posturing, the bees are like punks hanging out at the square on a small town Saturday night.<br />
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Every so often, the breeze slips through the screen door, unscented today because the wild vine grown lush and curly up the wall of my second floor stone patio is bloomless. My nose appreciates the reprieve from wisteria's tyranny, No blowzy perfumed punch to the sinuses today, no sir.<br />
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The sky is a faded, milky blue crowded out by a mix of fluffy popcorn and that dense layer of dirty white that says, ha, and you thought you'd have a drink outside tonight, no dice, I'm gonna open up and cry all over you. Honestly, those clouds have been rude bullies all spring. Do they even like raining, do you think?<br />
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All day, I've been touching base with what's going on through my open door, staying in the moment, exercising my five senses (taste: mint gum. The flavor of which technically *could* come from the garden beyond, so I'm going with it) and igniting my imagination (what if we could train the vine to grow in origami shapes?).<br />
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I'm all lit up with possibility and potential. And it feels good (cue the music!).<br />
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Want a piece of the action?<br />
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Yes?<br />
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Then might I advise an open door cocktail, stat: 5 parts senses, 1 part dreaming.<br />
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Mix well, drink liberally, and see if this magic elixir doesn't imbue you with a sense of wonder and well-being.<br />
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Bonus alert: this recipe is calorie free!<br />
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Keely Thrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05656529091898492453noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-7248782627620107162016-05-30T06:00:00.000-04:002016-05-30T06:00:30.711-04:0092 Pounds and Counting: Remembering What's ImportantToday is Memorial Day, which is way, way, WAY more important than whether or not I am losing weight again. (Way.) So I'm just going to give you a quick update on my weight loss journey, and then it will be on to more important matters.<br />
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A Quick Update</h3>
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Yes, I'm pleased to be able to tell you that I'm slowly reversing the trend of my weight re-gain (huzzah!). There's been no magic to it: it's just eating salad, tracking calories, and walking. My next post will be on August 22, and I'm hoping to have even more good news by that time. In the meantime, you can catch up with my weight loss ups and downs by <a href="http://rockville8.blogspot.com/search/label/weight%20loss%20journey" target="_blank">clicking this link</a>. <br />
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<h3>
A Day of Remembrance</h3>
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Memorial Day is our special day to remember the men and women who have given their lives in service to this great nation. (And yes, although it may be flawed, it is, indeed, a great nation.)<br />
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On behalf of the women of The Rockville 8, I'd like to formally extend our thanks for the sacrifices of the few, in service to the welfare of the many. Our gratitude is deep and never-ending.<br />
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<br />Misha Crewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830295917977217739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-63205010153797003112016-05-23T10:13:00.002-04:002016-05-23T11:23:47.992-04:00In Which the Ladies of the R8 Leap into Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><b>This summer the ladies of the Rockville 8 have a whole lot of fun planned,</b></i></div>
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<i><b>from vacations to new books to a little something, something extra.</b></i></div>
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<b><u> J. Keely Thrall:</u></b><br />
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<b>Vacation: </b>A staycation! Sadly, I’m not headed to RWA Nationals this year, but I *am* looking forward to spending some time at my condo’s pool! And wonder of wonders, I think it will be TWO FULL WEEKS. Aaaah, I can already feel my shoulders dropping from up around my ears as I turn into a boneless sloth...<br />
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<b>Book release: </b>Protecting His Own, by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cherise-Sinclair/e/B002YEHPYY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1464012733&sr=1-1">Cherise Sinclair</a>, latest in her popular Masters of the Shadowlands series.This is a companion novella to the book Breaking Free, a look into Beth and Nolan's HEA. I'm also on tenterhooks for the next "Beyond" book from writing duo <a href="http://kitrocha.com/">Kit Rocha</a>. This post apocalyptic franchise swept me up in a whirlwind earlier this year and I'm salivating at the thought of getting my hands (and eyes) on the next installment of kinked out fun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRjWCJhEVraCydNZbVTzPyQzrdY9BnaOF-xrcnAQYq7IiBEN7rYvTUQWNpKFXMgEHa_CL0k7pmLW2HJQyVabjwpXzAqI2Kuf0JNpa4EeatAEAPBzUY83PYJUfZs6ZhER6srsZ0AHrIoxu/s1600/star+trek+beyond.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRjWCJhEVraCydNZbVTzPyQzrdY9BnaOF-xrcnAQYq7IiBEN7rYvTUQWNpKFXMgEHa_CL0k7pmLW2HJQyVabjwpXzAqI2Kuf0JNpa4EeatAEAPBzUY83PYJUfZs6ZhER6srsZ0AHrIoxu/s200/star+trek+beyond.jpg" /></a><b>Movie: </b>Star Trek Beyond (or pretty much any geek movie franchise installment. I’m not picky!)</div>
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<b>Lagniappe:</b> Earlier this year I submitted a MS to Entangled and received a "revise and resubmit" letter from one of their editors, with a due date of late June. Totally stoked to send it the requested edits and see where it takes me!<br />
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<b><u>Misha Crews: </u></b><br />
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<b>Vacation: </b>I've been invited to Williamsburg, VA for a week's writing retreat. It's been years (decades?) since I've been to the Williamsburg area, and not only am I looking forward to hanging out with some writing friends and getting some good work done, it will also be fun to get reacquainted with a part of the state that I don't get to visit very often.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDN2maLi5YxR9emSgk3fNaYNpV1vcKruhI92E2RpbDfnbbtY0XAQ_GYpolCMkbDYf5s0BMD2p6elcnq9eLFeeRkf8T2UFiWT8LQhflb7qhPBjnL-FcSNHdp1gFB6SN3quJbH7NHVr69ai1/s1600/GaimanViewCover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDN2maLi5YxR9emSgk3fNaYNpV1vcKruhI92E2RpbDfnbbtY0XAQ_GYpolCMkbDYf5s0BMD2p6elcnq9eLFeeRkf8T2UFiWT8LQhflb7qhPBjnL-FcSNHdp1gFB6SN3quJbH7NHVr69ai1/s200/GaimanViewCover.jpg" /></a><b>Book release: </b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/View-Cheap-Seats-Selected-Nonfiction-ebook/dp/B00RLRLB26/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1464012695&sr=1-1&keywords=the+view+from+the+cheap+seats">Neil Gaiman's The View from the Cheap Seats</a>, which will be released at the end of May. I've pre-ordered the audio book, which he narrates himself (swoon!). Here's what the publishers say about it: "An enthralling collection of nonfiction pieces on myriad topics–from art and artists to dreams, myths, and memories to comics, films, and literature – observed in award-winning #1 New York Times bestselling Neil Gaiman's probing, amusing, and distinctive style. An inquisitive observer, thoughtful commentator, and assiduous craftsman, Neil Gaiman has long been celebrated for the sharp intellect and startling imagination that informs his fiction." Can't wait!</div>
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<b>Movie:</b> Hello, My Name is Doris. (It came out in March, but I missed it in theaters; now eagerly awaiting the dvd.) This movie looks hilarious and heartfelt, and those are two of my favorite things!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L6vBnnryIug" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Lagniappe:</b> Actually finishing my novel! I've been working on this book for years, and it seems unfair to leave the characters in limbo like that. It will be great to get it done and out into the world, and then get on to the next novel. It's going to be a great summer.<br />
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<b><u>Mackenzie Lucas:</u></b><br />
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<b>Graduation: </b>My middle son is graduating high school in little over a week. Hoorah!!! I'm looking forward to this in that bitter-sweet way emptying-nest mom's do. Then summer will be all about preparing him for going off to university in August. I'm also looking forward to my own graduation from massage therapy school at the end of August. Yeehaw. Ready to get out there and get my business rolling.<br />
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<b>Vacation:</b> Hopefully a family vacation to the Outer Banks in July, if I can get it planned in the midst of the chaos that is my life right now.<br />
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<b>Book release:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Little-Lies-Heartbreaker-Novel-ebook/dp/B0166JZYHW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1464012658&sr=1-1&keywords=sweet+little+lies">Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis</a>. This is a new series start by Shalvis, set in a coastal town, probably much like her popular Lucky Harbor series. Can't wait to devour this one when it <br />
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comes out on June 28th.<br />
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<b>Movie: </b>Bad Moms, which comes out July 29th. Looks hilarious. And, oh-so irreverent, and yet strangely applicable from the trailer.<br />
<b><br />Lagniappe:</b> I had to look this one up, because I didn't know what it was ... it's broadly known as "something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure." So, my lagniappe for the summer is looking forward to enjoying the sun and fun one day at a time as it comes, and to writing a new novella set in the Essence world as well as the first book in a new series. As well as enjoying my kids this summer. Guess I've got a lot of lagniappe.<br />
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<b><u>Lisa McQuay:</u></b><br />
<b><br />Vacation:</b> Outer Banks. A corner condo with an ocean view and a screened porch with breezes from the front and side. I can't wait to slow down, walk on the beach, read and just plain chill. It's been a hectic 2016 thus far.<br />
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<b>Book Release:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Me-That-Way-Cottonbloom-ebook/dp/B017RBWIWM?ie=UTF8&keywords=Kiss%20me%20that%20way&qid=1464012566&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1">Kiss Me That Way by Laura Trentham</a>. I read her historical series, Spies and Lovers, and absolutely loved the books. It's released on May 31, 2016 and I can't wait to try one of her contemporaries.<br />
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<b>Movie:</b> Jason Bourne. My husband and I love, love, love the Bourne movies and have watched them over and over. When I told him recently that the "Tires felt a little splashy on the way over here," he knew EXACTLY what I was talking about. I was so excited when I saw the advertisement on TV for the new movie that I ran to the next room where he was to tell him the good news.<br />
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<b>Lagniappe: </b>Finish my current Romantic Suspense novel. Get it to the agents who requested it. I'm currently doing a schedule to make that happen.<br />
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<b><i>What are you looking forward to this summer?</i></b></div>
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Keely Thrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05656529091898492453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-27763797103243612202016-05-16T23:36:00.000-04:002016-05-16T23:36:08.429-04:00Yes And...<div class="MsoNormal">
This past weekend, I had to throw the equivalent of a
wedding reception for an event at my daughter’s school. Suddenly, everyone else
who was on the board had other commitments. It’s not that I had no commitments
but I decided instead of worrying I would step forward. Or, at least I wouldn’t
take one giant step backwards with everyone else. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Rntax0p0T86gVZi7osXGJINOomAKRoS3RcNWVlIjbHi3XQZoAq3j8V-rRTMGf5nurrSTOSlo7yBOCYjHpwaEM1HfPsqOoVPpsqpIuFBLQH0OpQhNLe1SyvHDedtss4Qma_RzEUZMRa-Z/s1600/pexels-photo-48695-medium.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Rntax0p0T86gVZi7osXGJINOomAKRoS3RcNWVlIjbHi3XQZoAq3j8V-rRTMGf5nurrSTOSlo7yBOCYjHpwaEM1HfPsqOoVPpsqpIuFBLQH0OpQhNLe1SyvHDedtss4Qma_RzEUZMRa-Z/s320/pexels-photo-48695-medium.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Pexels.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Recently, at another event at my daughter’s school – yes, I
live there these days – a senior made a speech about her future endeavors. She
said instead of saying “no” or “yes, but” she decided that she would say “yes
and.” The words “yes and” leave us open to possibilities. “Yes but” is
basically a form of no. Maybe not a complete 'no' but a wimpy way of saying “I
don’t really want to do this because of this-this-and-this but I will if I have
to.” A “but” in the statement closes doors. An “and” opens you up to
possibilities. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought about this in context to the reception I just
planned and executed. It was difficult, scary and hectic. But it turned out
beautifully. I made connections with people I would not have otherwise. I
stretched myself to try new things. But most importantly, I did it. I said “yes
and.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s wisdom in the enthusiasm and energy of the young. It
goes to show you that life lessons are everywhere if you’re really listening.
And remembering the “and” that follows the “yes.”<o:p></o:p></div>
Lisa McQuayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261421741139099750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-58163058639722867452016-05-09T07:09:00.002-04:002016-05-09T07:10:24.213-04:00Happy Mother's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKpKOHczNRylEIu050yrVrdaOgCG58m4cKA9CEAfn084dwmjz7muCAltx8CJ99DYEPfDjx1JmL3tgdc9B2DtxY271lZnQ8ItSNlGU3gqOvSIoc8j-CICjPjebyO0CdxX1ilBayOMpQCI/s1600/27699160_s+Mother%2527s+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKpKOHczNRylEIu050yrVrdaOgCG58m4cKA9CEAfn084dwmjz7muCAltx8CJ99DYEPfDjx1JmL3tgdc9B2DtxY271lZnQ8ItSNlGU3gqOvSIoc8j-CICjPjebyO0CdxX1ilBayOMpQCI/s400/27699160_s+Mother%2527s+Day.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Happy Mother's Day</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To all the mothers out there, here's wishing you a wonderful day, week, and year. We celebrate you. All you've done. And all you will do. Often, it's a thankless job. One that requires patience, unconditional love, and lots and lots of sacrifice. So we at the R8, want to take a moment to let you know we appreciate you and value you. May your life be blessed ten-fold for the love and care you've extended to your children and families. Love to all! Thank you for what you do!</span>Mackenzie Lucashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508204115833993481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-71010057028256844092016-04-18T14:10:00.001-04:002016-04-18T14:11:59.208-04:00In Which Keely Keeps Her Pillow, So There<div class="MsoNormal">
Every so often, I get on a Walden Pond tear and decided it's time to declutter (why dictionaries don't yet recognize that as a word is something I don't understand). I winnow out my clothes, chase down tchotchkes, renew order to closets. Of course there are sacred cows in my home, things that remain safe from the chopping block year in and year out. Including the subject of today's post. </div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>I’ll let you in on a little secret. I have a throw pillow so beyond “tired” I hide its original casing under a more
respectable cover so it won't freak people out when they visit. </i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Respectable Outer Wrappings by J. Keely Thrall</td></tr>
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In the weeks before heading off to my first year of college,
my stepmother and I were shopping in one of those discount stores that carry
STUFF. Cool stuff, useless stuff, wearable stuff,
edible-if-you-don’t-care-about-expiration-dates stuff. Potential this-needs-to-come-to-college-with-me stuff. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We walked past an end cap and there it was. The Pillow. Ugly-cute. So many light-years away from my style, it still amazes me that it
landed in our cart. It matched nothing in my burgeoning suite of heading-to-school items.
Tacky, I thought. Cringe-worthy, I feared. Eyebrows-raised-what-was-I-thinking-recrimination-worthy, I knew. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But bloody hell, I fell for that pillow, hard. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grumpy pillow! Photo by J. Keely Thrall</td></tr>
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So hard, I still
have it nearly thirty years later. Today, the spun fiber filling is clumpy and
unfluffable. The beige background has some suspicious
staining. It's missing a lot of its surface stitching. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But that face. That grumpy-before-Grumpy-Cat-was-cool face.
That not-found-in-nature eye color. That This-Deserved-Velvet-attitude of the portrait’s subject. <o:p></o:p></div>
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How, I ask, can I throw that away?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can’t.</div>
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And since it still give me a spark of joy, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461002726&sr=8-1&keywords=marie+kondo+the+life+changing+magic+of+tidying+up" target="_blank">Marie Kondo (mistress of tidying up)</a> says I don't have to. </div>
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Score!</div>
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What about you? Are you a tosser or a keeper? Do you have the equivalent of a security piddow whose super powers you hide in Clark Kent style outer garments? Or is that just me?</div>
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Keely Thrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05656529091898492453noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-54445198822798450162016-04-11T13:55:00.000-04:002016-04-11T13:55:03.142-04:0090 Pounds and Counting: Just Keep SwimmingWow, it sucks to write this, but it's true: I have gained more weight. Sigh. I wish I had some deep insight or reasonable explanation, but it's just the same old, same old. I don't mind saying that I'm a little discouraged. But it ain't over! My plan is to follow the advice I've given myself in <a href="http://rockville8.blogspot.com/search/label/weight%20loss%20journey" target="_blank">previous posts</a>, and just keep at it. I'll be back on May 30th, and we'll see how things are at that point.<br />
<br />
Two titles I had considered for this post were: "I Got Nothin'" and "WTF?" but instead, I went with "Just Keep Swimming," because sometimes, that's all we can do. So here's a little bit of Dory from <i>Finding Nemo</i>, singing my personal anthem. I hope that where every you are in your personal journey(ies), you are also swimming forward towards your goal! See you in a few weeks.<br />
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Misha Crewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830295917977217739noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-66730291656679120402016-04-04T13:03:00.001-04:002016-04-04T13:03:45.492-04:00Beauty and The Beast and The Rockville 8Question: who loves fairy tales more than romance writers? Answer: pretty much nobody. And one of the most enduring and romantic fairy tales is Beauty and the Beast. So today, we at the R8 thought it would be fun to discuss our favorite versions of this multi-faceted and much-loved fairy tale.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Misha Crews</h3>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8LJOxDHl1rIu8oL1kVXFhGYxm0eMy-lQ_BLDtgTbD4IatTYfkOEUzTRf8mb96UWLu8-Xr0aBBj9DOWKFyaIxfjaKFMv5yDG3LCg_YsFHWpvaGKfTyxUjwiSLVjQIylVvhvEwXBn4Ma4/s1600/beautyandthebeastmercermayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8LJOxDHl1rIu8oL1kVXFhGYxm0eMy-lQ_BLDtgTbD4IatTYfkOEUzTRf8mb96UWLu8-Xr0aBBj9DOWKFyaIxfjaKFMv5yDG3LCg_YsFHWpvaGKfTyxUjwiSLVjQIylVvhvEwXBn4Ma4/s200/beautyandthebeastmercermayer.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></div>
<b>Which version is your favorite?</b> Like everyone, I adore the 1991 Disney version (a book-loving Beauty, plus Jerry Orbach <i>and </i>Angela Landsbury? What's not to love?). But I think my favorite is the 1978 book by Marianna and Mercer Mayer.<br />
<br />
<b>Why this one?</b> It's the first time I remember being exposed to this story. And even as a child, I was touched and fascinated by the idea that even the meanest, creepiest beasts might have a tender side. Maybe there's a reason why they roar and rampage. In addition to the romance, this story helped teach me to look past the exterior and realize that with everyone - beauties, beasts, and betweeners - there is always something going on underneath. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Mackenzie Lucas</h3>
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<b>Which version is your favorite?</b><br />
Really, the
only version I know is the Disney version. I'm sure there is a Grimm
Brothers version or a Hans Christen Anderson version, but I've never
read any of them or really seen any other versions televised on in the
movies. So I'm sticking with Disney's Beauty & The Beast.<br />
<br />
<b>Why this one?</b><br />
What's
not to love? Dancing candle sticks and clocks. Plates and forks and
teapots that sing? It's magical. Seriously. And the beast is a good guy
underneath his bluster. Plus, there's just something attractive to me
about a man who needs to be tamed. And I think Belle does a mighty fine
job of it in this version. I also adore that she's bookish. ;0)<br />
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<b>What one thing (if any) do you wish that version had handled differently, and why?</b><br />
I
wouldn't really change anything about this version. The part I
personally had the most anxiety over was when Gaston leads the whole
village to rise up against the Beast. For some reason that kind of
injustice tweaks me the wrong way--kind of a falsely accused trope that I
really hate. Jumps all over my sense of justice nerve.<br />
<br />
I do
believe that the Beauty and the Beast trope is a core story I use often
in my own fiction. Sometimes the woman is the Beast and sometimes it's
the man. Either way, love heals and tames all. Gotta love it. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Lisa McQuay</h3>
<br />
<b>My Favorite Version:</b><br />
<br />
My favorite version is the first version I saw, starring George C. Scott and Trish Van Devere (real-life husband and wife).<br />
<br />
<b>Why this one?</b><br />
<br />
Trish is so luminous in this version and George is appropriately prickly and ill-mannered as the Beast. I liked the moody and mystical quality this production had.<br />
<b><br />What would I have handled differently?</b><br />
<br />
I remember being slightly disappointed as a young girl that George wasn’t younger and more of a Disney-like hero. As an adult, I see that there’s a sexy quality and intensity to him that is quite attractive. I wouldn’t change a thing. <br />
<br />
<h3>
J. Keely Thrall</h3>
<br />
<b>Which version is your favorite?</b><br />
<br />
Well, I adore the Disney version. A heroine with brown hair like me! And she reads! And what a cute beast. Love your whiskers and your library, dude! But for this occasion, I’m going with Beast by Judith Ivory. It’s an historical romance, but set around the turn of the 20th century, still not an era often visited in romance. Its heroine is Louise, a young woman so beautiful men go slack-jawed when they see her. Our hero is Charles, a French sophisticate who is blind in one eye, scarred, and walks with a limp. Definitely a little beasty boy in the looks department.<br />
<br />
<b>Why this one?</b><br />
<br />
Ivory’s writing style is lush and textured, her conflicts heartfelt yet emotionally grown up. This couple’s issues are not easily solved “if only they would sit down at talk it over.” Their HEA is hard fought, passionate, and satisfying.<br />
<b><br />What one thing (if any) do you wish that version had handled differently, and why?</b><br />
<br />
I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m a consummate re-reader of books. I will read a story into the ground if I love it hard enough. But the opposite is true for me, too, and this book falls in the latter category. I was so entranced while devouring Beast that I knew reading it again would be like trying to get back-to-back holes-in-one on the golf course. Sure, the second ace is cool, but that sense of surprise, awe, and uniqueness is somehow lessened with the repetition.<br />
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For nearly 20 years I’ve held my full immersion into Ivory’s world locked deep in my heart, a “pure romance” epiphany that needed no further enhancement (for this same reason I’ve not been able to re-read Lord of Scoundrels [another iteration of Beauty and the Beast, perhaps??]. Thinking about Beast for this post makes me wonder: with 20 years more reading and 15ish years of writing under my belt, is it time to take Beast off the shelf and see whether it continues to live up to my hype? Misha Crewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830295917977217739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-30868383493863627462016-03-27T23:47:00.002-04:002016-03-29T22:47:28.466-04:00The Easter That Wasn’t EasterThis was a weird Easter. I didn’t do all of the normal things I do each Easter. Instead, my daughter returned late last night from a three-day school trip to New York. She saw three plays and did a tour of the city. It was the first time she has been away from us other than staying with friends and family. She’s been talking about all of her adventures, excited and happy about her trip and proud of herself for navigating it without her parents.<br />
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I wasn’t as nervous about it as I thought I’d be. Yes, she was being chaperoned. But it was more than that. I had faith in her. I knew that she’d take care of herself. Her father and I have tried to instill independence in her. However, she is innately self-reliant. Even when she was a toddler, if she fell or hurt herself, she generally wouldn’t cry. She just wanted to get back to what she was doing. She learned to put her own seatbelt on in the car seat and would get angry if I tried to do more than check it at the end. As soon as she could walk she wanted to push the stroller rather than ride in it. Her mantra was “I do, I do, I do!”<br />
<br />
It gives me a pang to think about her leaving home. The next few years are going to be a transition to preparing to eventually turn over the reins of her life to her. I’m learning to be ok with that. But I’m glad that it isn’t happening tomorrow because I’m not quite ready yet. But I’m working on it.Lisa McQuayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261421741139099750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-48482232911132767612016-03-20T22:42:00.002-04:002016-03-20T22:50:39.842-04:00Finding Peace in the Midst of Chaos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago, I had an epic meltdown. Let me back up a moment. I’m not one given to drama. I don’t do Diva. I don’t do personal meltdowns. I handle life as it comes. I weather through. Usually quietly. Often confidently. Pushing ahead and never looking back, I take one day at a time as it comes and plow through the tasks ahead of me. Yet, there, on a quiet Saturday afternoon and into evening, I found myself in the middle of the perfect storm of gargantuan meltdowndom. Ugly cry, sobbing meltdown. To be fair, I was at the point of exhaustion. I had a big test coming up in two days and felt ill-prepared. I hadn’t finished judging all my RITA books. I had a to-do list that stretched across my desk--the biggest of which was to pull together my tax information in order to do taxes. Heck, that would stress anyone out, right? This was so unlike me. I had no clue what was going on. But as I sat there doing the ugly hiccup sob, I finally came to the realization that I felt totally alone in the world. I was lonely. While I had a million things to do and I was alone in my house, a meltdown held me captive because I was ALONE.<br />
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What? Yeah, the realization slapped me up alongside the head, too. For years, all I’ve wanted was to be alone. To find one moment to myself. Away from the chaos of being a working mother and a wife and a writer. And now that I find myself with time to call my own, I’m struggling with the idea of a lonely road stretching out ahead of me. The path is not an easy one for me to contemplate.<br />
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As I’ve talked in previous posts, I’m in transition. My nest is emptying. The second of my three sons leaves for college in August. So my house has gotten quieter and quieter. My sons need me less. Or less in the way that they’ve always needed me. They’re more self-sufficient. They make their own meals. Get themselves to practice and school. Do their own laundry. Have their own social lives. I know, I’ve raised good, self-sufficient modern men, right? Yes. Perfect. Good job, mom. So why does this leave me feeling empty? It could be because I also find myself alone a lot more than I’ve ever been. And when you’ve been used to chaos and busyness for the past twenty years, it’s hard to downshift to a slower pace of home life and not feel it in your gut like a sucker punch.<br />
<br />
And, really, it’s not like the pace of my work life has slowed down at all. I basically work three jobs besides my job as mother. I am busy. Yet, my axis has shifted. My world no longer revolves primarily around my kids and their well-being and activities. While they are still a huge part of my life, and thus in the same orbit, they’re no longer the big focal point. Everything does not revolve around them. So what do you do with that, when suddenly your time is your own and you find yourself alone? Not only alone, but lonely?<br />
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In that moment, that night, all I could do was cry. When I’d cried all I could, I took a hot bath, had a stiff drink, then crawled into bed and flipped on the television. One of my favorite new shows, Lucifer, was airing. So while I lay in bed, trying to catch my breath and breathe, I also crawled out of my own head--stopped navel-gazing--and submersed myself in someone else’s story. It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep. Yes, by shortly after nine o’clock on a Saturday night, I was fast asleep. By one-thirty in the morning I woke up and felt so much better. Like myself.<br />
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I took four important lessons away from my meltdown. This may not be a roadmap to peace for everyone, but it was a roadmap to my peace that night, and you might be able to use it as well.<br />
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One, during my meltdown, my girlfriends texted me. Kismet? Serendipity? God? Call it what you will. But in the middle of one of my darkest moments to-date, my friends who were getting together without me that night, reached out to me. They tried to cajole me to come join them, but I couldn’t. I was a puddle. A hot mess. Unfit for company. But what I did gain from that interaction was assurance that I was loved. Truly loved. I have great friends. Friends who often tell me they care for me and love me and who back it up with actions. So while my emotions told me I was physically all alone at that moment, I was reassured that while miles and miles away, my friends loved me, were thinking of me, and were connecting with me.<br />
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Two, you need to take care of yourself. Part of that self-care came in the form of soaking in a hot, lavender-scented bath while sipping bourbon. For some it might be eating ice cream. When we crave comfort, we need to find something that comforts us. Not something that works for someone else. But in a tiny way feed a need to be taken care of and treated to something special that we enjoy. Two of my favorite things are hot baths and bourbon. So, voila. Instant comfort.<br />
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Three, when you’re exhausted emotionally, spiritually, and physically, sometimes, the best thing you can do is go to sleep. Take a nap or go to bed early. Crawling into bed that early on a Saturday night is unheard of for me--I’m a night owl--however, it was the most helpful thing I could do for myself at that moment. Proven by the fact that after four solid hours of sleep, I felt like a brand new me. Yeah, can we say exhaustion takes an emotional toll?<br />
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Four, sometimes you just need to get out of your own head. Escape all the swirling thoughts. Read a good book. Watch a favorite movie or television show. Pull out your manuscript and work on your work-in-progress. Submerge your brain in someone else’s problems, in someone else’s story. When you come back to your reality, eventually, you’ll have given your brain a much-needed rest so that it can problem solve and find solutions for all those pesky, persistent issues that still nag at you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePy3c3Kw2LsWLTgtUFaNRrJSUxj1Pihm4tfzf86cSnJ0XQNWg1K7szz2W6kEH6DUSj_sopsHOgwF5NNFakm6OrlFKF0t8CpZ1AN5FqzWwH4gHzsKJwgn7n7CSclRjY8LRmqVUQoesaYw/s1600/12453706_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePy3c3Kw2LsWLTgtUFaNRrJSUxj1Pihm4tfzf86cSnJ0XQNWg1K7szz2W6kEH6DUSj_sopsHOgwF5NNFakm6OrlFKF0t8CpZ1AN5FqzWwH4gHzsKJwgn7n7CSclRjY8LRmqVUQoesaYw/s320/12453706_s.jpg" width="320" /></a>I have no doubt that my days of meltdown are not totally behind me. I’ve got a long way to go in this transition phase as I face the emptying nest with milestones over the next five months and into the next two years. I’m working hard to keep myself healthy and strong, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. However, some days the perfect storm will hit. When it does next time, I believe I have a contingency plan. A way to find level ground and see my way free. I can’t promise I won’t go through it again, but, I can be confident that I’ll see my way though the chaos to a place of peace again because I’ve done it at least once before. Serenity hovers in my future, even if I am flailing in chaos because I've found my way through the chaos in the past and peace did return.<br />
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So tell me how you find peace in the midst of chaos when your life feels like it’s swirling out of control? I’d love to hear from you.<br />
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Mackenzie Lucashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508204115833993481noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-39203238921815888872016-03-07T11:52:00.002-05:002016-03-07T11:52:52.158-05:00In Which Keely Fangirls over Kit Rocha and the Magic of Series in RomanceLike all avid readers, I'm always on the lookout for new-to-me authors, preferably ones with a backlist of titles that I can tear through like a hot knife through butter.<br />
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Even better are the authors who deliver consistent high-quality reads within a series. Whether it's continuing characters from book to book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nichole-Christoff/e/B00N6Y9ZIU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1457367626&sr=1-1" target="_blank">(like our own Nic's Jamie and Barrett</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/J.-D.-Robb/e/B000APT7Y0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1457367663&sr=1-1" target="_blank">J. D. Robb's Eve Dallas and Roarke</a>) or something else that holds the series together - a threat to society, a small town community, a family saga - there is something addictive about returning to the a specific world to get your fix.<br />
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The peeps over at <a href="http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/" target="_blank">Smart Bitches, Trashy Books</a> send out an email on Fridays with a round up of romances that are sale (if you don't already subscribe, I totally recommend you do!). A couple of weeks ago, they recommended the first in a series by <a href="http://kitrocha.com/about-the-author/" target="_blank">Kit Rocha</a> called Beyond Shame. It sounded intriguing enough to give it a try...and at the time it was free (and as of today, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Shame-Book-1-ebook/dp/B009BURC6K/ref=la_B009BXVGAU_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457368050&sr=1-2" target="_blank">it looks like it's still free</a>). Nothing to lose but a little time if I didn't like it, right?<br />
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Nothing to lose but every single free minute from the last two weeks.<br />
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I read book 1. I devoured book 2. I bought the series bundles (there are three) and pre-ordered book 7. Today, I'm mourning the fact that book 8 doesn't come out until idon'tknowwhenboohoohoo.<br />
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Hot knife through butter.<br />
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So what caught me? Well, interestingly, it wasn't the sex. Which is plentiful (as befits an erotica) and h-o-t (ditto).<br />
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No, it was the community. Rocha builds a society of misfits who come together in adversity to build a family that isn't beholden to doing anything "the old way." Unlike in the ubiquitous motorcycle club titles on the market or some of the BDSM-leaning romance I've read, the protagonists in Rocha's books are fighting to make their world a level playing field for men and women. These stories aren't about humiliation, or playing by some set of hard and fast rules, or even equality.<br />
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Ultimately, for me, Rocha's world is about human dignity.<br />
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That sounds pretty heavy and I promise, it's not. If you simply want to read about a group of hard drinking booze smugglers who like to fight and have a lot of filthy, fun sex, you're in luck. You can have exactly that read. If you're interested in something a little more, a bit richer, well, damn, you've got a twofer going here, because it's not hard to glean Rocha's message of positive gender politics while enjoying a series of well written, whip-smart romance.<br />
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Have you read Rocha? Are there other series or authors you've sucked down in big greedy gulps?<br />
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<br />Keely Thrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05656529091898492453noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-53030059058184568622016-02-29T21:57:00.000-05:002016-02-29T21:57:13.376-05:0095 Pounds and Counting: Backsliding, and Complacency vs. Self EsteemSo, yes, it's true: I have "backslid" to an alarming degree. And to be brutally honest, one of the reasons this post is late is that I wasn't sure what the heck I could say about the situation. Even as I type these words, I'm still not sure. Let's find out....<br />
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<h2>
A Quick Recap
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<em>(You can find my previous weight loss posts </em><a href="http://rockville8.blogspot.com/search/label/weight%20loss%20journey" target="_blank"><em>at this link</em></a><em>.)</em>
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<br />
In 2010, I weighed in at 365 pounds. Five years later, in June 2015, I had lost 100 pounds. I hit my lowest point in umpteen years on September 15, when I weighed 250. (Cue the happy dance.)
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I regained a little weight after moving house in October, but when last I posted, I was maintaining my weight in the low 260s and feeling good about myself. Even after going on vacation over Christmas, I managed to maintain. Since returning home, however, I have gotten lax both with diet and exercise. Cue the frowny-face.
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<h2>
So What the Heck Happened?
</h2>
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This is the question I've been asking myself. And the rock-bottom truth is this: I got complacent. I allowed "feeling good about myself" to slide into "feeling so good about myself that I stopped taking care of myself," which is kind of a silly thing to do. <br />
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Wondering where the real difference between these two attitudes lies, I have decided to consult the dictionary (or at least, the online dictionary). <br />
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<h2>
Complacency vs. Self-Esteem</h2>
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Here's how Dictionary.com defines self-esteem:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect.</em> </blockquote>
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"Realistic respect." Nice, right? That's what I was feeling at the end of December, when I wrote <a href="http://rockville8.blogspot.com/2015/12/100-pounds-and-counting-maintaining-and.html" target="_blank">this post.</a> <br />
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So, now let's take a look at the other end of the spectrum. Here's the definition of complacency:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc. </em></blockquote>
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"Quiet pleasure… unaware of some potential danger… smug satisfaction with an existing situation." Boom. That's my huckleberry. I've been a little too satisfied with where things are. I need to find my hunger for change again, instead of just my hunger for French fries.<br />
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<h2>
So, How Do I Turn Things Around?</h2>
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Ugh. I wish the answer to that question were "order a pizza," but that's kind of what got me here in the first place.<br />
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Really, the best place for me to go is back to my old stand-bys: walking and salad. It's funny to write that, it seems so simple, but those two little things lie at the core of the success I've had in losing weight. But the tricky thing is that I'm now in a new place, with a new schedule, and am combatting both loneliness (I'm not afraid to say it: I miss my friends!), and a fair amount of boredom (I also miss my day job… or to be more accurate, I miss having a place to go every day). (Recently, the places I've been going on a daily basis all have calories as their final destination, which explains a lot.)<br />
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So, I need to take my old successful actions and fit them into my new life. And I can do that… I think. To make it official, though, I should really make a list. (I don't get much done unless I have a list.) Here goes:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Walk a mile, at least four times a week. I prefer to walk at night (it's the vampire in me), so I'll set my walking time as 8:00 PM.</li>
<li>Eat two salads a day. For some reason I've lost my taste for the usual leaf lettuce, so I'm going to try some chewier greens: romaine, kale, arugula, spinach. When my enjoyment of the lighter greens resurfaces (and it always does, eventually) I'll work them back into my diet.</li>
<li>Start counting calories again. I used to use an app on my phone for this, but to shake things up I'm going to record what I'm eating by hand for a while. Maybe that will make it more interesting. </li>
<li>Give myself some motivation: I will go ahead and buy some jeans in a size smaller than my smallest size. What fun it will be to fit into those!</li>
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<h2>
Ah, Catharsis</h2>
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Well, as usual, writing this post has been extremely cathartic! Thank you all so much for letting me ramble and vent. I hope you've found all this at least a little entertaining, if not helpful.<br />
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My next post will be on April 11. It will be interesting to see where my weight will be at that point!<br />
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<h2>
And What About You?</h2>
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That's enough about me. What about you? Do you have any stories to share? All stories - whether of frustrations or successes - are always welcome. Any inspiration for me? Commiseration? Advice?Misha Crewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11830295917977217739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-48326106508593607912016-02-21T23:01:00.001-05:002016-02-21T23:02:41.444-05:00Whatcha watchin'?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the Christoff household, we love the late winter season, because even as the wind howls outside, we're cozy indoors, on the couch, with each other, our dogs, our favorite books, our must-watch movies, and new-to-view TV shows. And if you ask our opinion, this year, TV is better than ever. Here's what we can't wait to watch:<br />
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1) <i>The X-Files</i> Revival<br />
Often imitated, but never duplicated, <i>The X-Files</i> starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson didn't just launch the careers of its stars. It launched the fledgling FOX network and a plethora of amazing writers, directors, and producers who would go on to mastermind more TV phenomena like <i>Lost </i>and <i>Supernatural</i>. But after a rocky conclusion to the original series and a rough start this time around, <i>The X-Files</i> are back in a big way, if only for a six-episode event, reminding us just how tenuous the truth can be and setting new records for FOX. David Duchovny is still the "spooky" Special Agent Mulder and Gillian Anderson has only grown in beauty, grace, and ability as Special Agent Scully. With inside jokes for X-Philes and cameos by beloved character actors, this isn't a show we watch On Demand or online. This is good, old-fashioned appointment television, and you'll know where the Christoffs will be every Monday night throughout the series.<br />
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2) <i>Pretty Little Liars: Five Years Forward</i><br />
Based on the Young Adult novels by Sara Shepard, this series about four girls who are cyberbullied after their clique's queen bee ends up dead, led moms and daughters to watch TV together like the entertainment industry hadn't seen in decades--and to break land speed records tweeting about every aspect of the story. When the show's writers wrapped up the main mystery and the characters' high school days last fall, however, many thought it signaled the end of the series. In an innovative move, though, the Liars are back, fresh out of college, and facing new threats together. All at once, the show has gone from YA to NA, just as its audience has, and the fit couldn't be better for the actresses, too, who are now well into their twenties. This is the power of strong writing, and in my house, we're loving every minute spent watching it.<br />
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3) <i>Detectorists</i><br />
This British import from BBC Four features Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones as a pair of small-town misfits, armed with metal detectors and on the look-out for fame and fortune. Like the rest of us, however, they're truly searching for their heart's happiness, whether they know it or not. Always funny and often bittersweet, this show is for anyone who's hit a certain point in life, looked around, and realized this isn't the ride you signed up for. Will characters Andy and Lance find their true bliss? Mr. C and I certainly hope so, because that might mean there's hope for all of us.<br />
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So, that's what the Christoffs are watching this winter season. What's on your TV and why do you love it so?Nichole Christoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799006710672537142noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115759973832197426.post-21666075171155953852016-02-15T05:00:00.000-05:002016-02-15T05:00:14.137-05:00Our Favorite Romantic MoviesGood morning and Happy Monday! We hope that your Valentine's Day was spent with someone you love. And if you live on the East Coast, we hope that you stayed warm during this very chilly weekend!<br />
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This week we want to extend the love of Valentine's Day by sharing some of our favorite romantic movies! And we hope that you'll feel free to share your favorite romances with us in the comments.<br />
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<h2>
Nichole Christoff</h2>
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MOVIE: The More the Merrier from 1943<br />
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WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Determined to do her duty as a patriotic American during the uncertainty of World War II, Connie (Jean Arthur) sublets half of her Washington, DC apartment to ease the housing crunch. Connie counted on a respectable lady roommate, but when the doddering Mr. Dingle (Charles Coburn) cons his way into the lease, things seem all right--until he sublets half of his half to the handsome Joe Carter (Joel McCrea). Sparks fly even though Joe doesn't fit into Connie's Washington, DC world, and Joe is due to ship out on a secret mission. Add in the mores of the wartime 1940s and the machinations of the ornery Mr. Dingle, and hilarity ensues.<br />
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WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT: First of all, Jean Arthur is a treat. Cute, quirky, energetic, smart, strong, and able, she's the lady I'd love to be. Joel McCrea as Joe is an everyman, and he plays the strong silent type to a T. Charles Coburn's shenanigans are hilarious due to sharp writing, but also his deceptively cuddly demeanor. This movie was released in 1943, right in the middle of the uncertainty of World War II, and that's a very real part of this story. No one knows if they'll have tomorrow, just like our 1940s grandparents--and just like our military members and spouses, today.<br />
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FAVORITE SCENE/FAVORITE LINE: After Connie and Joe accidentally end up on a date, thanks Mr. Dingle's maneuvering, Joe walks Connie home--and he can't keep his hands off of her. Walking down the street, his hands are at the small of her back, the nape of her neck, her shoulders, ear, and throat. She's like a toreador with her cape as she politely but firmly redirects his touch. All the while, they cling to small talk about everything else except their feelings for each other and the fact Joe must leave for his dangerous mission. But they can't resist their attraction and end up in a mind-melting kiss that's a turning point for the remainder of the film. This scene is never out-of-bounds when it comes to 1940s propriety, but don't let that lead you to assume it's old-fashioned, cute, or quaint. It's smokin'!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_jBnKZjxAMY" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<h2>
Misha Crews</h2>
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MOVIE: Enchanted April (1991)<br />
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WHAT IT'S ABOUT: In post-World War 1 England, four unhappy women from different backgrounds pool their resources to rent a castle in Italy for the month of April. As the wisteria and sunshine of San Salvatore works its magic on their troubled souls, the women begin to come into their own, and love soon follows. <br />
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WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT: So many things! The women are well-drawn and beautifully acted by Josie Lawrence, Miranda Richardson, Polly Walker and Joan Plowright. Their love interests (Alfred Molina, Jim Broadbent and Michael Kitchen) are quirky, flawed, as well as attractive and heroic in their own unconventional ways. <br />
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This film is a symphony of happiness, but it's never cloying or overly-sentimental. It's funny, beautiful, and so lovely that you can feel your spirits rising like an armful of balloons. <br />
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FAVORITE LINE: There are too many to count, but here's one of them: "In my day husbands and beds were very seldom mentioned in the same breath. Husbands were taken seriously, as the only true obstacle to sin."<br />
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<h2>
MacKenzie Lucas</h2>
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MOVIE: The Ugly Truth<br />
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WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Plot summary as listed on IMBd (Because who can do it better? Right?) "A romantically challenged morning show producer is reluctantly embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her chauvinistic correspondent to prove his theories on relationships and help her find love. His clever ploys, however, lead to an unexpected result."<br />
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WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT: I adore enemies to lovers stories. Period. This movie is the epitome of that trope. *:) happy.<br />
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FAVORITE SCENE/FAVORITE LINE: My favorite scene is the salsa dancing scene. What I love about it is you can physically see the sexual tension building for these two in this scene.<br />
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<h2>
Lisa McQuay </h2>
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MOVIE: Sense and Sensibility<br />
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WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Two sisters navigating love in Regency England.<br />
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WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT: So much of what you know comes from what isn't said but portrayed subtly through body language and inflection.<br />
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FAVORITE SCENE/FAVORITE LINE:
"What can I do?" - Colonel Brandon
"Colonel, you have done so much already... " - Elinor
"Give me an occupation, Miss Dashwood, or I shall run mad." - Colonel Brandon, Sense and Sensibility<br />
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<h2>
Keely Thrall </h2>
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MOVIE: I Love You Again (1940)<br />
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WHAT IT'S ABOUT: William Powell is a con man with amnesia. When he comes back to himself after a hit to the head, he plots to rob himself-and his business-and skedaddle. The only thing he doesn’t count on is falling in love…with his wife, Myrna Loy.<br />
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WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT: The chemistry between Powell and Loy is present in all their movies, but this might be the sweetest and kookiest of the bunch. Watch for the cooing, Bill dancing solo, and Myrna debating whether or not to give her guy another bang on the head to re-“cure” him of amnesia. I prefer my romance with a big splash of laughter and these two are pros at delivering both. They have such a good time on screen together that it’s impossible not to join them.<br />
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FAVORITE SCENE/FAVORITE LINE: “Ever since you got off the boat, you’ve been chasing me like an amorous goat. You’ve tried your darnedest to make me fall in love with you and now you have. So from now on, I’m going to do the chasing, and believe me, brother, you’re going to know you’ve been chased.” ~ Myrna Loy just before she lays a kiss Bill Powell.<br />
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The Eighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03966202602120800766noreply@blogger.com0