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Here I sit at Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix waiting for breakfast—thankfully they serve a real live breakfast in the bar here.  And no smart-alec assumptions :)  I’m drinking water.  Not even my stomach can handle alcohol this early in the morning unless I’ve not been to bed yet – and the last time I tried that out was quite a few years ago…lol!

You can probably tell I’m not totally awake yet, but I wanted to do a quick blog so everyone didn’t think I disappeared off the planet for a few days.  This week has been very hectic, both getting ready for this trip, taking care of a sick hubby, getting kiddo ready for end of year stuff, not to mention working on my deadline and a thousand other things.  But I’m thankful to be so busy—it’s much better than being bored!

So, back to the point—can you tell I haven’t had my Starbucks yet this morning?  Anyway, I’m headed to Denver to speak at the Heart of Denver Romance Writer’s chapter.  I’m speaking on “The Life of a Writer:  Is It All Really Glamour & Bon Bons?”  And if you don’t know the answer to that—maybe you need to hear this talk as well :)  I’m staying with my friend Lizzie T Leaf while I’m there and she told me we are having some party time tonight, so look out Denver!

I’m only there for today, I speak tomorrow and then head home tomorrow night.  A quick trip.  So I figured, no problem – a change of clothes, my toiletries bag, a few of my books for giveaways, handouts for the workshop (and a freaking coat! after I found out it’s only going to get up to 60 degrees or so there!) and some promo items.  One of those tiny suitcases you can pull behind you—my laptop bag and I’m all set, right?

I checked in at one of those little kiosks in a record six minutes from start to finish and then as I was standing in the security line craving a Chai Tea Latte, I realized that my toiletries bag was NOT going to fit into one of those little quart bags to make it though security.

Crap!

So, back I went downstairs to admit I had a space moment, and check my tiny suitcase.  Lucky for me, the people in front of me had done much stupider things (namely wanted to carry on their bowie knives and were protesting that they couldn’t carry them on the plane.)  So by the time I got up to the desk—the harried counter clerk was very happy to have a friendly person with an easy request!!

Luckily I was also nice to the lady up at the security line, who recognized me from my second attempt and allowed me to jump into the employees security line so I didn’t have to start all over.  See!  It pays to be nice! 

Anyway, that brings me back to here in the bar where Linda and Charlotte have served me some very good eggs, bacon and toast, and keep refilling my water before it even dips below half full.  It probably didn’t hurt that I let them chat me up about my pink Mac laptop, gave them bookmarks and “Got Seduction” buttons from my Seduction series and answered their questions about what it’s like to be a romance writer.

I really do love readers—their enthusiasm always makes it easier for me to sit down and push through a really hard scene—which I will doing on the plane if I have enough elbow room in coach to put the laptop on the little fold down table.  So wish me luck!

I’m not sure I’ll be able to get back online until I’m sitting in the airport tomorrow night in Denver waiting to come back, but I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Cassie/Tina

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I just wanted to take a moment to wish all the mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day. Here’s to brand new moms, to old moms, and all the moms in between. I could list thousands of reasons why each and every one of us is special and unique, but I won’t. Instead I’d like to share my mother’s day weekend with you.

My daughter went camping this weekend so on Friday before she left I found a single daisy on my desk and a note. The note was covered with different ways to say ‘Mother’. Short, sweet and to the point.

My son, who chose not to go on this camping trip took me out to dinner last night. We then came home and watched movies together. Again, nothing fancy - short and sweet.

How have you…or will you be spending your mother’s day?

Take care,

Kayla

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Well, today it’s officially my first day as the President of the Valley of the Sun Romance Writer’s chapter # 85. Long story as to how I ended up going from Vice to Prez but in a nut shell, I’m here.

First I’d like to say how proud I am to be a part of this great community. I’ve published 4 novels and 1 novella in 2 years because of help and encouragement I’ve received from this group.

I can still remember walking in to my first meeting. We met in the back room of a Denny’s and everyone was already in there when I arrived. I was immediately enveloped to the group. Women scooted chairs over to make room for me, asked me dozens of questions about what I wrote, etc. It was overwhelming for someone brand new to this whole wonderful world. But they made me feel welcome and before I knew it I’d become one of them.

We would like to extend this welcome to all of you. If you’re brand new, seasoned writer or like me and somewhere in between come to one of our monthly meetings. If you’re not in the Glendale, AZ area then find a chapter near you and check them out. I’ve made great friends, tons of connections and memories to last me a lifetime. If you’d like to check us out here’s the information to attend:

Valley of the Sun Romance Writers of America
Location: Great Wall Buffet 5905 W Bell Road The meetings are held on
the 2nd Tuesday’s of every month.
5:30 dinner and networking
6:30 Business meeting
7:30 Guest Speaker
See our website for guest speaker information -
http://www.valleyofthesunrw.com/

That’s all folks!

Kayla Janz

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Well, when I returned from RT, I had a few days of being healthy before I became deathly sick.  I won’t gross you out with the gory details.  Let’s say it was bad this time. Everytime I travel when I arrive home I get sick.  It’s a 95% possibility and all my friends and family know this about me. 

And, I’m blaming the airlines for my inability to stay healthy when I travel.  I’m breathing in 120+ peoples colds, allergies, smoking, just ate something that doesn’t agree with me breath.  YUCK!!!!

I love to travel, but hate when I come home.  One of the reasons I get sick is because I don’t have a spleen.  This means my immunities are very low.  I’ve tried airborne, vitamins, blah, blah and nothing.  I get sick. 

When I worked for Corporate America, I was traveling for business and pleasure a lot.  It was soooo bad that my row mates came to me and asked me to get a flu shot, which were being given for free that day from the nurse in the building. 

So if anyone has any other remedies that may help me stay healthy when I travel I would appreciate it.  I’m to the point that I’ll stand on one leg, jump up and down, pat by head and bark…..lol.

Finally recovered Isabella

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Well, for me, Wednesday was the day that women around the world dread 364 days out of each and every year…at least, it’s the day they should dread.  Oh hell, that’s not right either.  I don’t mean it should be a dreadful day…I just mean they should be doing it every year.  Cut to the chase?  Okay…mammogram day.  Today was the day I was scheduled for my yearly mammogram.  The big M, the dreaded vice, the contemporary equivalent of the rack, a modern day torture device that I have no doubt was invented by a man with a deep-seated hatred for the opposite sex. 

Think about it!  Only a man who hates women would come up with an idea like that.  If a woman had invented it, the damn thing would be cushy and pink.  You’d be able to sit down while it gently gave you a massage, ran warm water over your feet, and you’d be able to get espresso out of the little compartment on the side.

But no…instead, we’ve got a cold, chrome monster that morphs like a transformer into whatever position can inflict the most pain.  You have to stand at an impossible angle with your boob pointed off to the left or right, your feet pointed straight in front of you, your chin in the air, your shoulder limp at your side, and one hand stretched around the back to hold onto a handle the nice man conveniently provided…Thank You, Mr. Inquisitor!  And you do all this while the nice lady smiles, gropes your boob, squishes it, moves it left and right, rolls it into a ball, flattens it like pie crust, and then pushes the button that makes another cold plate drop on top of it like a falling elevator.  

It’s all you can do to not scream as your boob is squished like a slow-minded squirrel trying to cross the highway.  You hold on for dear life and draw blood as you bite down on your tongue, all the while the machine is squeezing your left tit so hard that the blood shoots backward, up into your brain.  I don’t think blood’s supposed to run through a vein in both directions…it tends to create a whirlpool effect, making you feel like you’re about to pass out…which is probably the only way they can get you to hang onto that damned machine!

Now, it wouldn’t be bad if they only did this once.  I could maybe take that…or even twice I would understand…I do, after all, have two breasts.  But NO!  They gotta take two or three runs at each side.  Gotta get a good shot…a good picture…a clear view.  Of what?  My armpit?  My collarbone?  Because they are ALL squished in there right along with my poor aching ta-ta.  The whole test takes maybe fifteen or twenty minutes…then I spend the next 364 days recovering my dignity, swearing I’ll never do it again, and building up the courage to finally schedule another appointment.

Now, as if that isn’t bad enough…apparently, it’s important to keep track of your nipples during this process.  The story goes that you have to know where the nipple is at all times in the picture because it tends to create a shadow that can be misinterpreted.  The nice woman with the annoying smile explained that the breast tends to roll and the nipple winds up in awkward positions during the test.  Ya think?  I can tell ya just exactly how that happens!!!  Anyway, she says they must keep track of it – hence, the chilly metal BB they tape directly to the center of each nipple.  Thank God, I only have two!

So, now that the test is over and you’ve survived, it’s time to get dressed and the nice woman with that smile that’s starting to piss me off says, “Oh, and honey, don’t forget to remove those BB’s before you put your bra on.”

Crap!  She stuck ‘em on there with tape…now I have to peel ‘em off.  This isn’t going to be pretty!  I stand in the dressing room naked from the waist up, staring down and building up the courage to rip off the first one.  I remember this part from last year and I briefly wonder if it would really be all that uncomfortable to just wear them until they slough off on their own.  But with my luck, I’d forget and end up in jail when I set off the metal detectors my next trip through airport security.  There’s an Kodak moment for ya!  No, I’ll do it.  So I take a deep breath, get a good grip on the edge of the tape, and yank real fast…like mom taught you to do with stuck-on band-aids.  YEOW!!!  Now I’m panting, trying to get breath into my lungs which have slammed shut from the pain.  I just can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am that I don’t have hair on my nipples.  Although, if I did, it would be one way to get insurance to pay for a good waxing.

Apparently, there was a problem in the past with those little BB tapes not staying in place…because some jackass has gone and improved the adhesive.  And when I find him, I’m going to beat him to death with my purse.  Crap!  I still have one to go.  Okay, long story short, I got the other one off, got my clothes on, and fled that torture chamber like my ass was on fire.  

Ya know, I commented to the nice woman as she was grinding my left boob into the cold plate on the machine that if men had to take this test, they probably would quickly invent a more user-friendly contraption.  

She chuckled and said, “Well, you know, some men do get breast cancer, so we occasionally have to put their breasts in it too.”  

I stared at her like her last brain cell was squeezed into that device right next to my throbbing ta-ta.  Men’s breasts?  Are you kiddin’ me?  Hell no!  I had other body parts in mind!!!

Well, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.  Hold on tight now ‘cuz we’re gonna go real, real fast!

Love ya,

Kayce

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