BMG

Hello everyone, Dani here waving from her office and  reporting in to tell you about my wonderful day.  First I was gently awaken by my husband who brought me a cup of coffee while I lounged in bed. Then, as I sipped my morning caffeine, he drew me a bubble bath, lit candles, turned on soft music and left me alone to enjoy the solitude before I had to face my day.

Oh, wait! Back up….rewind, rewind. 

Husband yelled “It’s 5:30. Ya getting up.” Then he promptly rolled over and went back to sleep for a half hour.  Me? I jumped up and hustled downstairs to turn on the coffee pot, run out and get the paper, tossed it on the table and then ran back upstairs to throw on some clothes so I could get my dog, Rocky, to the groomer’s by 7 A.M.

Why so early?  Because Rocky’s a barker. He has to go in first so they can get him in and out before anyone else arrives.  He barks non stop from the time he walks through the door till he leaves.  This morning, I was assured by the new girl at the salon Rocky would be no problem. I tried to warn her, but she seemed to know more than me about dogs.  Okay…so…I left.

Two hours later, she called for me to pick him up, only this time her voice was a bit rattled.  “Rocky is ready. And…could you please hurry.”

Yikes, that kinda scared me. He is an old dog. Maybe he had a heart attack or something.  “Is he okay? Should I bring my husband with me?”

“He’s fine. He’s just driving us all nuts.”

“Oh! I’ll be right there.”

When I arrived, he looked beautiful and, yes, I tipped her well.

After Rocky was safely deposited at home, I hustled off to meet with my writing partner.  We finished up our topic on a talk we’re doing tomorrow night at Glendale Community College.  Alexis Walker, a friend and member of our local RWA writing chapter, Valley of the Sun, asked us if we would speak to her class about team writing.  And, BTW, we get asked about that a lot.  It seems to fascinate prople that we can write together and make it work so well.  I added the ’so well’ part.  My personal opinion. LOL.

We put the workshop together and titled it - “Survival Tips by Tia Dani.  If You Want To Walk The Walk…Then Walk This Way.”

Carol Webb will be there too, talking on networking and promo and Vijaya Schartz will be speaking on websites.  Lots of great info from our Valley of the Sun and Desert Rose writers.  I’ll let you know how it goes. 

We’re pretty new at this speaking thing.  It will be fun, I’m sure.  One of the reasons, I think we write so well together is because we’ve created a voice for Tia Dani.  We’ve worked hard to combine our personalities to form a completely new person.  This took some experimenting and practice.  It didn’t happen overnight.

We read aloud to each other what’s been written.  Actually, I read till my voice gives out then Tia reads till her voice is gone.  Over and over we do this, constantly listening to the rhythm of the story.  If something doesn’t sound right to us, or work the way we like, we talk about it until we agree on the wording and pacing.  The end result?  We both have to be happy.  It has to sound like Tia Dani.

In fact, recently we’ve become so used to being Tia Dani that we often talk in sort of a mixture of words.  What Tia begins with I often finish the sentence.  Or it’s vice versa.

Some days, it gets so bad that some of our friends hold their heads between their hands and say, “Enough, I’m beginning to feel like the bouncing ball following the words.”

Tia and I immediately look at each other and grin.  It’s so much fun discovering who Tia Dani really is.

Yep, Tomorrow is another day and there will certainly be another adventure for Tia Dani to experience.

I’m having the time of my life.

Dani 

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   What does it mean when you have gained 5 pounds, are so body sore you can barely move, have a suitcase bulging with books and every sort of author promo item you can think of?  You’re a 2008 RT survivor! 

I had the best time. I enjoyed RT even more than last year.  Pittsburgh is beautiful, what I saw of it anyway. The hillsides were green and the tulips were blooming. And from our window on the 20th floor, Kayce and I had a nice view of the river. 

However if I had it all to do over, I’d change one thing.  I’d have gone to the dinner that Fabio was at and had my picture taken with him. I mean really, what was I thinking? It was Fabio for goodness sakes!  It is so me, to not get involved and then later, after a couple of butterscotch martini’s, decide that I want to be in the middle of all the hoopla. Only this time it was too late to go to the dinner by the time I decided I wanted to meet him. So like Kayce told you earlier I had to become a Fabio stalker.  And my quest was very unsuccessful.  I kept missing him by only minutes!  Darn it. 

And yes, there was a moment in time when I thought about thumping Kayce when I heard that she rode the elevator with him.  Geesh, you’d think a real friend would have thought to use her cell phone and have me there when they got off the elevator. But no…I get told about it all later.  Ah well, I’ll forgive her, after all when you’re standing next to the King of Romance, I’d expect you’d  have your mind on something other than calling your girl friends. 

Later that night, Isabella saw him headed toward the restroom and ran to get me, but by the time we got back, he was gone.  Missed him again!  Still all was not lost, we found our friend C J Hollenbach and I had a picture taken with him. I think it’s on Isabella’s camera and will eventually turn up.  Just as good as one taken with Fabio and maybe even better.  

Speaking of picture taking. We should have some more great pictures to post when Carol takes them off her camera.  No pressure, take your time, I’m not dying to see them or anything. I’m just glad Carol brought her camera. I went off and forgot mine. So I’m greatful for any taken. Thanks again, Carol. I know I drove you crazy with, “Take a picture, take a picture!”  Isabella has some good ones too, so there should be no shortage of fun pictures.  Oh, and I did manage to have my picture taken with the band guy from the Impalers.  Sonny, or was it Ren D’Antoni??

When I got home and told my hubby about our trip and my search for Fabio, he reminded me that I had my very own cover model right here at home. Him!  Yes, it’s true, he was on the cover of a magazine once. The Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders magazine.  Of course he was fully dressed and the distribution of the magazine wasn’t much to brag about since it only goes out to local members, but he was still on the cover. Works for me!  I think I’ll dig that issue out and frame it. Maybe hang it on my office wall.

Oh well, back to RT.

Overall I met and made so many new friends, it was fantastic. Especially all The Wild Rose Press authors and Rhonda and RJ. What fun to now have faces to go with the names.  And, I was thrilled to meet Amanda, my editor. She is so pretty and what a character.  We really hit it off.  Amanda and I danced till we dropped at the Dorchester party.  Probably one reason I’m so body sore.  It’s been a long time since I danced that much. Good thing I’ll  have a year to rest up. I bet I’ll need it. 

More good news. Our Butterscotch Martini Girls Critique workshop was a big success. We had a better turnout than we even hoped for and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  We focused on answers to all the critiquing challenges.  Especially for the new writers who are somewhat overwhelmed and not sure how or what is expected from them when giving a critique.   We had quite a good question and answer session too.  And, afterward we received some good feedback. All in all I think it went really well and it was a unanimous BMG decision to give another workshop next year.  Still it was a big relief when it was all over and we could relax.  So much so that it called for a celebration, more butterscotch martini’s.  And I need to add a big thank you, Vijaya Schartz!  She gave us a wonderful impromptu introduction.

 Before I forget. Mega congratulations 2008 Mr. Romance winner Chris Winters!

When my email arrives to ask if I plan on attending again in 2009, you bet I’ll respond with count me in!  RT Orlando ‘09!  See you there!!!!

                                        Quote de jour 

“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it!  If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.  If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.”

                              - Nora Roberts -

Well, I’m off to get some edits done today.  It’s time to get back to work.

Happy writing everyone,

Dani/Tia Dani

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“Are you here for Chef Mike’s class?” asked an older lady standing to Cara’s left.

Cara nodded. The taste of lip gloss reminded her to quit chewing her lip. Someone might guess the idea of cooking had her rattled. And, she told herself, allowing her mother to talk her into cooking lessons didn’t make her a pushover. After all, none of these anemic women could know she’d nearly burned her parents’ house to the ground while attempting to make French fries. None of these women looked like she’d even eat a French fry, let alone cook one.

“Michael is a wonderful teacher,” the woman gushed. “This is the third time I’ve taken his class.”

“That’s nice,” Cara said, visions of well-built firemen popping into her head. Ordinarily it would be a good thing, but cooking with a mob of too-skinny blondes redefined her perception of being out of her element.

“Don’t worry. You’ll do just fine,” the woman assured.

“Why bother to worry when you can just as easily obsess?” Cara quipped. She followed behind while the statuesque leader showed the group into the kitchen.

“Welcome, everyone, to Chef Mike Nichols’ kitchen!” The woman gave an exuberant Vanna White sweep of her skinny arms.

Cara had only a moment to be captivated by the sparkling white walls and gleaming metallic surfaces before she spied the cameras. Why were there TV cameras in the kitchen? Riva might want her face in front of a camera. Cara definitely did not.

“That’s not good,” she said under her breath, her feet glued to the floor while everyone else continued to file into the room. “I can’t do this. I don’t like to have my picture taken, let alone this,” she said to anyone who cared to listen.

Cara’s mouth started to dry. She managed multi-million-dollar portfolios and yet the thought of cooking in front of cameras reduced her to a mass of quivering green Jell-O-the only thing she could cook, once she’d coerced someone else into boiling the water.

The sound of a dull thud penetrated her fear. Cara turned her head to see a metal tray careen toward her out of the corner of her eye and then heard the tray’s contents hit the floor with a crash.
“Shi-shoot! Please move the camera cord before someone gets killed.” The big man who had just dropped the tray stood defiantly, fists on his hips, glaring at the cameraman. Just as quickly, the frown left his face when he glanced over at Cara.

She felt like a deer caught in the headlights surrounded by a herd of blonde heads as she looked back at the man who had to be Chef Mike. The sure thing? Her sure thing? No way!

Cara had to remind herself to breathe as she looked at him-inch by incredible inch. There were so many hunky inches she couldn’t take them in fast enough. Perhaps seventy-five of them in all, and each begged for her complete attention. Hunk with a capital “H.” She was getting hot just looking at him. Chef Mike? Could she get that lucky?

This was her sure thing?…

More?

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       Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.  I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.

                             Louisa May Alcott

Have a wonderful day, 

Tia Dani

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I finally picked up the Romantic Times review in the May RT magazine.

Slayers Inc.
Brit Blaise 4 Stars!
Woohoo!  (My words, not theirs)

“Blaise will blow you away with her dynamite book.

Heroine Jenna will have you pumped and ready to kick some vampire butt! There’s plenty of action throughout the story, which will get your adrenaline rushing and generate enough heat to make you turn on your air conditioner.”

SUMMARY: Jenna Bradley is a newly made vampire, out to kill the bloodsucking monster who made her and killed her best friend. Bent on revenge, she’s determined that no one stands in her way, not even Cooper, the great slayer of Slayers Inc., who has his own reasons for going after the monsters.”
Cover by Trace Edward Zaber

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