I Ain't Said Nothin' But A Word...

Santa, Santa, Santa! How’s it going?    Since I’m sure you have your hands full maneuvering that sleigh, ‘dem deer, and that mountain of presents loaded on your back, I’ll make this quick. I tried very hard to be nice this year.   I really did, Santa.   Now, I admit, I had a moment, or two, okay, maybe three, but hey, things could have been worse.   Those moments of naughty could have gotten downright ugly but they didn’t.   I think I done good! The list isn’t long this year, Big Guy!   And do a girl a favor please and just stick to the list.   I’ve already been hit with enough surprises this year that I don’t need you to throw anything unexpected my way.   I’ve warmed right up to that new daughter-in-law the Easter Bunny dropped in my lap and the news of that new grandbaby coming next year…well, I’m still working on that one.   Santa, you know how I am about surprises and this year there have been some doozies! Okay, so as usual peace and good will on earth are

I’m a stickler for detail and I have an impeccable work ethic.   I also take issue when jobs aren’t performed to the best of one’s ability.   Times are hard so I don’t understand individuals who purposely jeopardize their bread and butter by scheming and finagling to not work at all.   It especially infuriates me when I know those individuals have other mouths to feed. This week I’ve encountered one heifer after another who made our collective experiences more difficult than they needed to be because they invested more energy in trying to figure out how not to do their job instead of just trying to do it and do it well.   The young girl at Jiffy Lube galled me first.   It should have been a simple car inspection.   New software had compromised their computer system.   She had excuse after excuse why she couldn’t do what should have been relatively easy to do.   One phone call to their sister store directly across the street resolved the dilemma and she took issue with my ha

I’m doing 25 Days of Christmas Trees over on Twitter.   I love Christmas trees.   Last year was the first time in many years that I actually put a tree up.   I’m excited about the tree I plan to put up this year.   Some folks do the tree thing right after Thanksgiving.   That is just a tad too early for me.   I’m more of a middle of the month tree person. Mid-December through the end of the year is all the tree time I like to handle.   My putting up a tree typically coincides with my feeling that “holiday spirit”.   I’m not quite there yet but I’m planning to be.   ‘Tis the season…and that season just has to have a tree.   Please f ollow me on Twitter and see some of my favorite decorated trees HERE .

Just wanted to say hello and tell you how much I appreciate you stopping by my little home on the web.  The unrelentless jibberish you keep trying to leave me would warm the cuckolds of someone's heart if it had an opportunity.  But it doesn't.  At least not here.  I don't have issues with my libido and don't require a penile implant, penile extender, or any other thing penis related.  I don't have a penis and the penises I'm acquainted with don't have any problems that I'm aware of.  Ultimately, I don't have any desire to help you advertise anything penis related.  You see, I run the penis brigade up in here.  Not you.  As well, I have no interest in links to knock-off shoes, pleather handbags, clothing made in China, or any of the other assorted items you've been leaving on my comment pages.  So you might want to knock it off with the knock offs!   Mr. Spammer, I'm thinking that at some point you and your employees who have nothin

Baby boy is only eighteen-years old with the spirit and a voice of someone twice his age. He moved me and inspired quite the love story.  Boys didn't come like this when I was eighteen!  I am definitely enamored.  Enjoy!

                                   Page Content     Celebrating Na tional No vel Wri ting Mo nth Wake County regional libraries are hosting a variety of lectures and workshops on the art of writing.  If you have a chance don't miss out on an opportunity to talk to some wonderful authors and share your experiences with the art of writing.   Write Ins on Thursdays Cameron Village Regional Library November 1, 8, 15,& 29, 5:30 p.m. NaNoWriMo participants gather to work on their novels. Call 919-856-6710 to sign up. Writers’ Panel Discussion Eva Perry Regional Library Saturday, November 10, 2 p.m. Join area authors Belea Keeney, Robin Greene and Val Nieman for an insightful discussion about the writing process and getting published. Afterward, authors will be glad to answer your questions. Call 919-387-2124 to sign up. Telling a Great Story! East Regional Library Sunday, November 11, 2 p.m. Enjoy Romance Author Deborah Fletcher Mello's p

I had a story once.  Bits and pieces of it have found their way into every one of my books.  Twisting and turning it until there was nothing about me that was recognizable to anyone else but me proved to be one of my greatest challenges.  But twisting and turning one story into another is what I love to do. Even the dental-challenged barista at my favorite coffee shop has a story.  Hers wasn’t what I imagined it to be, the casual grandmother having another side to her sweet persona.  Discovering that she’s a displaced cancer researcher was eye-opening.  She’s displaced due to her ex-employer’s budget cuts and with no interest in returning to her former career, she’s content pushing pastries and espresso until she gets to retirement.  We talked for hours and she had some interesting warnings about the things we might find in our water. The woman at the airport had a story too.  A single mother, she was known to work as many as three jobs at one time to get her only daughter thro

Releasing a new book always comes with its share of anxiety.  It sits right up there with sending your first born off to kindergarten, then college, then finally cutting those apron strings to let them find their own way in the world.  It can truly be a nail-biting, tooth-gnashing experience.    And it's with much excitement and a hell of a lot of anxiety that I announce the release of my second literary novel, GRAYE .    I lived this story and in 1998 made the commitment to put it down on paper no matter how challenging that proved to be.  And it proved to be quite the challenge!  The characters would come and go at their leisure, sometimes refusing to let go when I needed them to most.  Voices screaming in my head to come out when I desperately needed quiet. Then there were those moments when I needed to hear from them and the silence was deafening.  This is a story that has been a long time coming and now that the last "t" has been crossed and the last "

Just sharing the new cover for my January release Passionate Premiere, the official first book in the Boudreaux series....My only gripe is I wish they had left his dreads down instead of giving him that Little Richard updo.   So what do you think?

I am connected to an amazing group of incredible women.  I have sister-friends who are artists and crafters and writers; talented individuals who are able to birth beauty out of little to nothing.  I am, at times, in awe of their abilities.  There are times that my spirit is moved to tears by the magnificence they are able to produce and their works inspire me to do and be better with my own. Recently, a dear, sweet friend revisited that special place inside of herself to create an incredible piece of prose that she’s coined, The Color of Women .  It’s a work in progress after an eighteen year hiatus.  And all I can say is she’s been missed and with eighteen years of pure magic to release we will all be incredibly blessed to be touched by her talent. I love being able to share just a little of what my dear, sweet friend has shared with me.  I am in awe of her talent and have been truly inspired by the gift that is the woman she is.  She has moved me to tears.  Enjoy!

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Youth today are in a league all their own.  They are a new breed of kid and with this generation coming up, I can only ask “why?” Joshua graduated over a year ago.  Since then he’s made no effort to do anything of any value.  No effort has been made to go to school or work.  I asked Joshua if he had plans for his future.  He answered with a disinterested shrug of his shoulder.  I asked if he’d considered college.  He told me that he really had no interest in anything at all.  Joshua said he’s all about “making that paper”.  Since Joshua doesn’t have a job, and doesn’t seem much interested in anything at all, legal or otherwise, I don’t know how he plans to make that "paper" happen.  His parents support his bad habits, affording him the only "paper" he ever seems to get and he can’t rationalize why he should make any effort to change. Tasia was raised by an adoring grandmother.  She was made to go to church every Sunday and be respectful of her elders.  S

Age, and wisdom, have made me exceptionally cautious about the people I invite into my personal space.  Not everyone is allowed access to my private life and those invited are usually vetted for some time before I feel comfortable enough to welcome them in.   Recently I became acquainted with a group of women who I’ve been able to spend much time with.  I was open to the possibilities of new friendships and bonds being formed.  But women being women, it soon became clear that things were not as picture perfect as they first appeared.  And women being women it took no time at all for the claws to come out, for jealousy to flare, and the possibility of any enduring friendships to come to a swift and screeching halt. After witnessing some seriously bad behavior I, and another in that little clique, were accused of our own bad behavior.  The accuser cast a shadow on our integrity while smiling in our faces the entire time.  Our behavior was deemed conduct unbecoming to anyo

I made my boys cook.  I saw it as a major necessity to keep them from starving.  In my mind it also kept them from becoming dependent on a woman their mama didn’t like.  Of course, back in the day I was convinced there wasn’t a young woman in the world good enough for my boys.  But my older boys all married incredible women, proving me wrong.  And I hope those women were impressed by the culinary skills my babies brought to the table. Baby boy took his culinary skills to a whole other level.  I’ve written before about his talents in the kitchen, having nicknamed the kid Chef-Boy-You–Are-Good by the time he was twelve years old.  However, I’m a little taken aback by some of his recent culinary endeavors.   Son-shine is stationed in Texas.  They have snakes in Texas.  Nasty, poisonous snakes.  I’m not understanding the attraction, but always one to push the boundaries the kid figured why not.  Why not turn a rattle snake catch into a savory, butter-milk soaked delicacy serve

His Netflix choice has turned me into a blubbering baby.  This is a must-see film for everyone!  Just don't forget a very big box of tissue.

There’s something about the calm before a storm that feels particularly satisfying.  It’s knowing that no matter what devastation might be coming in your direction, that you are more resilient.  Beating you down might be a harder task than imagined. I’m in the midst of calm while a storm brews with a vengeance around me.  But being beaten is not an option, not without one hell of a good fight.  I think it’s my age.  I have no tolerance for nonsense, being less inclined to bite back my words.  I'm unwilling to tolerate bad behavior, not even my own.  So, as I weather the cold fronts about to collide I know when all is said and done I will still be standing, everything balanced as it should be.  I’m grateful to be so blessed.

It's some sort of night and I'm feeling some sort of way. The beat of this song just feels good! Hot, sexy, and decadently wicked. I can feel a serious writing binge coming on. Words are the sweetest addiction.

So let me tell you about my day. There was an open casting call for THE BIGGEST LOSER and my guy and I took up the challenge and attended.  We both have much weight to lose and since we are big fans of the show, we figured why not take advantage of the opportunity.  So bright and early (very, very early) we headed to the Rex Wellness Center in Knightdale, NC to join a lengthy line of hopeful candidates.  Talk about a fun time! Arriving shortly after six in the morning we were close to the front of the line, being numbers 074 and 075 on their lineup sheets.  For us, the weather was perfect, overcast with moderately warm temperatures.  We were not uncomfortable compared to people who arrived later and found themselves directly beneath the sun’s rays by the lunch hour with the temperatures quickly approaching hot as hell. Things didn't officially kick off until shortly after 10 am.  During the wait we got to know the people in line with us.  There was the bright and b

I am touring today over at A HOPEFUL ROMANTIC ! Where it's all about love....all the time... So, please, stop by and linger for a while!

The release of FOREVER A STALLION is just around the corner and I’m excited to introduce the one and only Stallion sister, Phaedra Parrish.  But I’m even more excited to introduce Mason Boudreaux, the oldest son of the Boudreaux clan out of New Orleans. Much like the Stallion’s, the Boudreaux’s are a tight knit family bonded by the strength of loving parents, grounded in their faith, with a sibling lineup that will make for some interesting antics, fun-filled moments, and hopefully, some really great story lines. The Stallion brothers were all dark chocolate treats, each with his own delectable filling.  John was pure candy, nothing else needed.  Matthew was nougat, a complex mix of chewy rich fudge, nuts, and fruit.  Mark was the chocolate treat with the surprise middle, each bite a surprise, and of course baby brother Luke was simply nut-filled. And now, I have the Boudreaux’s, a kaleidoscope of personalities from powerhouse Mason to pampered princess Tarah.  When this

It’s a fairy tale, of sorts.  There’s a King, a Queen, a Princess, and the requisite loyal monarchy.  The King has built an empire of sorts, entrusting his wonderland to the whims of the Queen and the Princess.  The Queen is kind of Cruella de Vil-ish just without the dalmatians.  Despite her assertions that her greatest joy is to motivate her minions, she’s extremely judgmental, quick to criticize and she’s been known to have a vicious tongue.   The Princess holds herself in high esteem, but there are no others who do.  She’s a master manipulator, devious and deceitful, and when you combine that with dumb girl stupid, it can prove to be a lethal combination.  Just ask the poor souls she’s left quivering in her wake.   The King would seem to be an intelligent leader, a trailblazer of sorts but has gotten himself caught between his two leading ladies.  Thelma and Louise run rip shod behind his back, their tactics the stuff that brings about mutiny, mass migrations, and c

It's a HOT Saturday night and the water is just fine! Good friends, good food, good drink, a great time! So come do how we do! 'Cause everything is gonna be all right!

REAL LOVE VIRTUAL TOUR

Every year I spend the weeks between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day reflecting on the old people.   (Aren't my ma and pa pretty?)  Celebrating Mother’s Day has always come with relative ease.   Gifts for mom were easy.   Spending time with my mother even easier.   Father’s Day has always been more of a challenge.   By the time I was twelve I’d pretty well exhausted the requisite supply of socks and ties we’d pick out for my daddy.   One year I’d even given him a rock to use as a paperweight.   Not sure whose brilliant idea that was but I’ll take credit for the creativity.   If I recall correctly, it was a pretty rock and I don’t think it cost me more than an afternoon in my mother’s garden searching for the perfect, naturally polished stone. Over the years the perfect gift has given way to the perfect card.   Depending on whether or not my daddy and I were on speaking terms determined whether it was a Hallmark or just your generic dollar store variety.   Son-shine took g

For the last few days I have been swimming in a well of emotion.   It hasn’t taken much to make me teary as I have been on the verge of breaking out into that really ugly cry.   My baby boy has two best friends that have been an extension of our family since forever.   When they were in school it was the rare occasion that you ever saw one of them without the other two of them and if they weren’t traveling as a trio, you were sure to see some duo combination, two seeking out the third.   When my son-shine was out of my sight I knew that he was at one’s home or the other’s and I trusted that he was safe and well, their mother’s caring for and loving him as if he were their own. One day the trio was acting up as only they could, playing a random game of hokey pokey, kicking one foot in as they roared with laughter.   At least that’s what I think they were doing.   For all I know it was a game of karate kick something, boys being boys.   But they were happy and laughing and a

‘Tis the season, graduation season! Around the nation young people are walking across stages, waving their diplomas high and proud, taking the first steps toward the next phase of their lives. Three of my favorite people celebrated this past week, having made family and friends very proud of their accomplishments. Of the three, two have clearly defined goals for their future. One has entered the military.  Another, after being accepted to four of the most prestigious colleges, has confirmed enrollment at their first choice. And then there is that one who doesn’t have a clue, still contending with “what now”. Recently, I worked on a research project talking to a host of high school seniors about their future plans. For each one who had already applied and been accepted to college, or who had enlisted in the military and was preparing for boot camp, there were two more who still didn’t have a clue. For them, the prospect of tomorrow was still about having a good time wit

I am already having a day.   For thirty minutes I was contemplating my Muppet personality.   Why, you might ask.   Why not?   At the time I didn’t have anything better to do.   Like I said, I was already having a day. For years I adored Miss Piggy.   Her creator, Frank Oz said she was “a truck driver wanting to be a lady”.   I got that.   Like Miss Piggy, I was destined for stardom and nothing was going to stand in my way.   She and I both had our public personalities – soft, demure, and lady-like.   Piss us off and it was on like a firestorm.   Miss Piggy kicked Kermit’s green butt a time or two when she wasn’t kissing it.   I wasn’t much about kissing anything that I had to kick. But I’ve evolved.   I’m no longer wanting to be anything, lady or otherwise.   The public personality isn’t quite so soft and demure.   Piss me off and it is still on.   So, I was thinking that I’m more like Janice Muppet now. Janice is the lead guitar player in the Electric Mayhem.   She

It’s been a great day.   It started with one of those gut busting laughs that brings tears to your eyes. I laughed well before my first cup of coffee, right through breakfast and I am still laughing.   There’s not been an ounce of chaos today and chaos has reigned for nine hours per day every day for the last three weeks.   But that too shall soon pass. I probably should have bypassed that all-you-can-eat buffet dinner but the fried chicken and banana pudding just wouldn’t let me.   I ate well and I’m sure I’ll be regretting it next week when I have to throw in an extra hour or two of exercise to work off all the unnecessary calories. The highlight of my day though was the afternoon excursion through the antique market and being reunited with the violinist.   I had first discovered the violinist two, maybe three years ago and I’d fallen head over heels in love with him.   Back then he belonged to someone else and could not be had.   I walked away from him heartbroken believi

It's my mood right now...walked when I should run, ran when I shoulda walked...and I don't know...I don't know...

This is SO cool!  I've always said this small town sits right on the edge of heaven.  I found my creative muse here and the community has nourished it beyond measure.  It's home, sweet home, and I've yet to find another place that moves my spirit as much.  Click on the link below and experience my little piece of heaven! LIFE IS GOOD