Wednesday Randomness: What's My Sign?

Happy Wednesday! Today the ladies and I are talking our astrological signs and whether or not they "fit" us. So, here we go... 

My birthday is July 3, and that makes me a...

Here are two graphics that descrive Cancers that the fabulous Kris Norris found for me - because I've been losing my mind lately (crazy busy stuff, nothing bad!) and she is just that awesome.

Let's just go down the list then, shall we? 

1. Yes. Don't like beign the center of attention at all. Especially in a large group. 

2. Hmm Don't know if how I think is unconventional, really. If pressed, I'd say no. *shrug*

3. Yes. I have a hard time letting things go. Always thinking of what could have been said or done, etc. 

4. Yeah, I think I'm loyal and dependable. I try to always come through, especially when it matters. 

5. Um, I guess so? 

6. LMAO Been hearing this one my WHOLE life, so yes. 

7. Yes. I think think this is one of my strengths. 

8. No, I don't think so. I do often think of worst case scenarios in my head, I'll admit that, but I don't see that as pessimism. And I don't think I'm a suspicious person at all. 

9. Yes. Absolutely yes. 

10. Another firm yes on this one. 

No shock that water is my element…always been drawn to it, love the water. 

Life pursuit of constant reassurance and intimacy…yeah, I can see that. 

Moody? Mentioned in the last list too, and no surprise to me. LMAO Ding, ding, ding. I own it—I’m a moody bitch. Seriously. 

Feeling safe is my secret desire? Yeah, got me there too. 

It says Cancers are enigmas and bundles of contradictions. LOL I suppose that could be used to describe me.I’m not on board with the jealousy thing and making remarks based on that. I think even when I feel jealousy—and come on, I’m human as the next girl and definitely feel jealousy sometimes—I try very hard not to be bitchy about it or hurtful. I really try to keep those things to myself because I don’t want to be hurtful. And I’m not going to begrudge someone else what they have—whether it’s success or something else. 

Endearingly eccentric? Don’t know about that one. But I am insecure at times(*ahem* most of the time… Again, I’ll own it.) Definitely about how I’m viewed by others. *shrug* Working on that. 

I had to laugh when I read the “makes it impossible to operate on an even keel from day to day.” That is me. 100% me. Finding and sticking to a routine is next to impossible for me. I don’t know why and I would love to change that, to be perfectly honest. 

And it’s right on that love and romance matter a lot. Look at what I do? I write romance; I LIVE for the happily ever after. 

So I guess the answer to the does-my-sign-fit-me question, I can safely say yes. LOL 

Go and see what the other ladies have to say about their signs and how they measure up. 

Bronwyn Green

Gwendolyn Cease

Kellie St. James

Kris Norris

Until next week!

Hugs

~J

Wednesday Randomness: What Motivates Me

Happy Wednesday! 

Today, we're talking about what motivates us. Fairly broad topic, actually, but I decided I'd talk about what motivates me as far as writing is concerned. So here we go... What motivates me to write. 

Surrrounding myself by people who are supportive and understanding. 
There's a reason I listed this one first. It's SO important. I'm incredibly lucky in who I share my life with. My husband is pretty awesome--for many reasons, not the least of which is he is so supportive when it comes to my writing and my career. I'd be in a bad, bad place without him, let me tell you. 

Friends, certainly fall under this, as well. I have some pretty amazing friends. Talking with them--whether on IM, via email or the phone, or in person--is motivating. And none of them are afraid of giving me a kick in the ass when needed (which I'm ashamed to say is all too often)

Conferences and Retreat
Conferences are so much fun. Getting to connect with readers and other authors. Seeing friends, making new ones. There is something about the energy at conferences... Even though I come home exhausted, I'm pumped up too. I'm ready to sit town and WRITE. It's awesome. 

Retreat!!! I'm talking about the fabulous retreat I take every year to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with an amazing bunch of ladies. 

A weeks spent on Lake Superior, great company lots of wine, and WRITING. This year, I wrote over 15K words while there... and we did plenty of other things as well. Being there is so motivating and I get so much done. And like with conferences, I come home just as motivated to KEEP writing. 

Accountability

Some of this is just to myself, but let's face it, when you have to answer to someone else...that's strong motivation, yeah? While writing my last book, I found sending chapters to friends--Bronwyn and Kris and Gwen--kept me honest and on track. Nothing like getting an email or IM saying, hey, where's the next chapter? :-D 

Readers
There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, like having a reader emailing or tweeting me saying they liked one of my books and/or asking when the next one comes out. That defintiely gets the fingers moving quickly over the keyboard. :) 

Rewards
Yeah, it's totally self-bribery, no doubt about it. But it works. I make deals with myself. Write for an hour or write 1K words, then I can play on Tumblr and gaze at pics like this...

Come on...THAT'S motivating, yeah? 

Or I can read (usually a filthy fanfic or something) for a half hour or so. But I set a timer so that when my time is up, I get back to writing, working towards the reward. :-D 

And that's it. That's how I'm motivated to keep plugging away and getting the words on the page. Make sure to head on over and see what motivates the other ladies. 

Bronwyn Green

Gwendolyn Cease

Jenny Trout

Kellie St. James

Kris Norris

Leigh Jones

Until next week...
Hugs, 
~J

Wednesday Randomness: If I Had a Superpower...

Happy Wednesday, friends! 

Today's topic is, if I could choose a superpower, what would it be and why. 

After the last couple weeks of craziness (well, life was crazy before then but...), it was easy to choose what superpower I'd like. I want to be able to be able to STOP TIME. 

As in, stop time but *I* can still move while everything and everyone else is frozen. I could get stuff done then, right? Add desperately needed time to my day and get more done. 

I would use this power for good, I promise. I would never EVER abuse my power. 

Shut up, Arthur/Bradley! I would use it for GOOD - so good Merlin/Colin would approve and be impressed with my awesomeness and give me looks like this...

Yeah, any excuse to put pics of these cuties...I'll take it. Don't tell me, you're surprised. ;-)

Anyhoo, that's it from me. Nothing mind-blowing; I just want MORE TIME. 

So get yourselves over to the other ladies' blogs and see what superpower they would choose. :) 

Bronwyn Green

Gwendolyn Cease

Jenny Trout
Kellie St. James

Kris Norris

Leigh Jones

Until next week!

Hugs,

~J

Wednesday Randomness: A Few of My Favorite things - Food & Drink Edition

Happy Wednesday!

It's time for another A Few of My Favorite Things post. And this week, we're talking food and drink. Yum.

I'm just going to jump right in...

FOOD

While I could list lots of foods I like, I have two favorites. They are a complete taste of home for me.

Pasties 

Basically it's meat, potatoes, onions, rutabaga, and seasoning (sometimes people put carrots in too, but I don't agree with that) cooked in a pastry shell. It is sooooooooooo good.

Tostada Pizza

 Specifically from the Ambassador Restaurant in Houghton, Michigan.

I can't tell you how much I love this pizza. It has a thin crispy crust, seasoned meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and a spicy sauce on top. I always eat WAY too much and my lips burn by the time I've finished overinduldging. And yeah, totally had some when I was up there last week on vaca.

DRINK

Mountain Dew

I drink way too much of it. It's quite disgusting how much and I really need to cut back. It's on my list, I swear.

Wine
I like my wine cheap and sweet. I feel no shame.

Sweet Tea

Simple and refreshing. Not much more to say. Love it.

And that's it for me. :) Go and check out what the other ladies rank as their favorite foods and drinks.

Bronwyn Green
Kellie St. James

Kris Norris

Until next week!
Hugs,
~J

Wednesday Randomness: To Write, I Need...

Happy, happy Wednesday! This week, the ladies and I are talking about what we *need* to write.

So, there are the basics, yeah? And that is really just two things for me.

1. Something to write on - Computer or even a notebook and pen. 
2. Some kind of caffeinated beverage. And yes, this is a NEED at this point in my life. 

I'm easy, okay? 

Now, there are things I prefer to have when I write and that make it a much more productive process. Those would include: 

1. My comfy chair and ottoman. But I can write pretty much anywhere. On a couch, at the table, on a bed, on the floor, in a box, with a fox...
2. A quiet, calming, relaxed atmosphere. I couldn't even type that without laughing because that would be fabulous but hasn't happened around this gal for like seventeen years. And there is no signs of that changing anytime soon. So I settle instead for...
3. Music via earbuds to drown out the chaos that is the Jarman household. I have playlists now that fit the mood of the books I'm currently working on.
4. Access to friends - by phone, email, texting, IMing. I don't care how but I need to be able to touch base with my buddies. Either to help me through a freakout (I wish I could say they are a rare occurance, but...), help me through an issue with the book, or just to talk and give me a much-needed break. And I am here to return that favor for them any time they need it. 
5. Internet - Of course I could write without it, but I don't want to and it would make things so much more difficult. Having information at my fingertips...love. Of course, it can also get me into trouble.

Hello, distracting Merthur fanfic....

And that does it. :) 

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Wednesday ladies need to write. :) 

Bronwyn Green

Gwendolyn Cease

Jenny Trout

Kellie St. James

Kris Norris

Until next week!

Hugs, 

~J

Wednesday Randomness: A Few of My Favorite Things: MOVIES

Happy Wednesday! It's the first Wednesday of the month so that brings up to another "A Few of My Favorite Things" post. This month we are doing movies.

I have TONS of movies I love and it's actually a constant changing list, so I'm going to limit myself to a handful I watch again and again.

Pride and Prejudice - the A& E version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Now I enjoy other adaptations, quite a bit actually, but this is my overall favorite. I love Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy. And I think this version better reflects the book than others I've seen.

A Royal Affair - I watched this on Jenny Trout's recommendation. When I finally got to it, Jenny was NOT online. That didn't stop me, friends, from having an entire conversation with her while I watched this...this...wonderfully beautiful film. She came home to like 20+ IMs from me as I reacted to the movie. There is copious amounts of costume porn (le sigh) and, OMG, the dance scene between Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen!) and the Queen...

I can't even adequately describe it. The tension, the gorgeousness of it... *deep breath* I could watch that alone again and again. And have. :D

Mists of Avalon - One of my all time favorite Arthurian movies. Honestly, I don't know what to say about this. There's just so much. I'll just say I love the character of Morgaine in this. My heart breaks for her but her love for her brother, Arthur, and how strong she is...beautiful. I will readily admit, though, I want to smack Guinevere a lot during this movie.

Constantine - I just caught this the other night while I happened to be on IM with Kris Norris. I know she'll approve its inclusion on this list. (Keanu, eh, Norris?) I don't have a ton to say about this, other than I love to watch this again and again. Good vs evil, angels and demons, a wee bit of sexual tension...What's not to love?

Braveheart - I'm not a huge Mel Gibson fan, but I love this movie. I know it's not even historically accurate, but I don't care. I'm just entertained by it. Again and again. And I named one of my kids after Catherine McCormick's character, Murron, because I liked the way it sounded. Though I changed the spelling a bit. :) 

Lord of the Rings trilogy (that counts as one, right? :D) - No shocker that I like the movies as these are some of my favorite books. I'm fairly certain this is going to show up on Gwen's list. She has mad love for Viggo/Aragorn. And I appreciate that...AND HIM. But for some reason, I go against all my usual preferences and find myself totally digging to Legolas. 

I don't know what it is. I don't usually go for blonds (and I do think Orlando Bloom is fine when when he is not rocking the long blond wig). Apparently this fictional dude and Bradley James are the exception to my rule. 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - OMG, the love I have for this movie knows no bounds. Just watch it, if you've never seen it. Watch it again, if you've seen it before. 

And I'm going to leave it there. Because I'm cracking the hell up over the Holy Grail quotes and I think I'm going to go watch the movie again. :-D

I can't wait to see the other ladies' lists.  I *know* Labyrinth will be on Bron's list... I've just witnessed her horror that I've never seen it. I don't know why... It's on my Netflix queue/list and has been for some time, but I've just never watched. She is now plotting to rectify this grievous offense on my part. :) 

Bronwyn Green

Gwendolyn Cease

Kellie St. James

Kris Norris

Tess Grant

Until next week!
Hugs

~J

Wednesday Randomness: GO AWAY, STRESS!!

Happy Wednesday, everyone. This week's topic - Stress and How We Cope With It - is quite apropros considering the week I'm having. Nothing horrible, just lots of stress (some of it good stress). 

So what do I do to cope with it... Well, I'll be the first to admit not all my coping mechanisms are healthy. That said, here we go...

Smoking - This is the non-healthy way. I've been desperately trying to quit the horrible habit I was stupid enough to start. I do pretty well...then the stress hits and all my good intentions/work goes out the window as I go outside to light up. It soothes me and calms me down. I get to walk about from what is stressing me out, even if it's for the short time it takes to smoke a cigarette. So I'm always on the lookout for healthier ways to cope that can replace this one. 

Mindless TV Watching - For the last few months, watching Hannibal on Friday nights with Bron on IM (Because I couldn't do it alone, people! Too much) was a huge stress reliever. Odd, that, considering how tense I was while waiting to see what would happen each episode. But yeah, watching an episode or two (or six) of a show - like Merlin, Hannibal, Game of Thrones, Primeval, Supernatural... - is a definitely way to decompress and I don't have to THINK. It's totally shallow of me, but come on, how can I stress when gazing at these lovelies...

Talking with Friends - I am so freaking lucky. I have a circle of friends who are amazing and who help me through the really hard times. I don't know what I would do without them, without the knowledge that I can ping them on IM or dial their number, and they'll be there. 

Listening to Nature Sounds and/or Guided Meditation  - I don't do this one often enough because it totally works when I do. Listening to waves or a thunderstorm or doing a guided meditation...I find it more relaxing and ultimately better than a nap. I end up more calm and able to then do what I need to. 

Retreat - I do a retreat with a group of awesome ladies every year. In the UP of Michigan on Lake Superior. It's crazy how one week out of the year can affect my day to day life. Like, right now, I'm counting down the days. It's getting me through the really tough ones, knowing that soon, I'll be hanging with my girls, drinking some wine, writing a whole lot, and laughing until my face hurts. 

And look, the view alone is relaxing. 

And that's it from me this week. Be sure to check out what the other ladies do to kick out stress. I know I will be...always looking for ideas on that front. 

Bronwyn Green
Jenny Trout
Kellie St. James
Kris Norris
Leigh Jones
Tess Grant

Until next week!
Hugs
~J

Wednesday Randomness: My Dream Yard

Happy Wednesday, everyone! This week's topic is Dream Yards.

This probably won't be a cohesive picture of what I want my yard to look like. It's more a hodgepodge of things I'd like in a yard--they don't necessarily go *together*. LOL

I would love a place to entertain outdoors like this. I adore the fireplace and grill/kitchen area. 

Or this, guys, THIS...

I'm yearning for an outdoor oven ....It should totally happen.

A water feature scores high on my list. I would love to have something like this in my yard. To be able to sit outside, listen to the water as I read, wrote, or just lazed about. 

I would love the knowlege, time and patience to have a good vegetable garden in my yard. I *do* grow some veggies, but nothing big. I am quite infactuated with the idea of growing my own produce, but thus far, I haven't had the time to make this happen. I really should work on that. 

AN HERB GARDEN! I want it so badly. I love to use fresh herbs and growing them would be fabulous. 

And what yard would be complete without...

...a hammock to relax in. Perfect for curling up with a book or for a nice nap in the breeze. 

And I sure would like to find these in my backyard... 

What? Norris wants pretties in posts...and they're all outside! And it's MY dream yard. I want them in my dream yard. :D 

Make sure you go check out what the other ladies want in their dream yards

Bronwyn Green

Gwendolyn Cease

Jenny Trout

Kelly St. James

Kris Norris

Leigh Jones

Until next week!

Hugs, 

~J

Wednesday Randomness: These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things: Books

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

This week is the start of a new regular feature for our little Wednesday blogging group - "These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things".  The first Wednesday of every month we are going to post about our favorite things. This month is BOOKS. :) 

What did I get myself into with this one? I loooooove books, so writing a list of my favorites...I will have to limit myself. LOL I'm seriously just took a look at the bookshelf and chose the ones that have been there for so long and read so many times that you can barely read the spines. LOL So here goes nothing. 

The first two are series I read as a child and read with my kids and hold a special place in my heart. 

The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I read these like crazy when I was younger and loved reading them with my kids when they were little. Living in Minnesota, we've been to Walnut Grove, Plum Creek, and Pepin, Wisconsin to visit the places from the books and all that fun stuff. We went through several copies and read them until they were falling apart. 

The Anne of Green Gables series by LM Montgomery

I know there are more books in the series, and they were read, but these were the three that were read the most...and over and over again. 

Next is another series. 

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

I started reading Harry Potter when my oldest was in 1st grade, because he wanted to read it. I wanted to what level it was (he was an early reader but still) and it was appropriate. Some may say it wasn't appropriate to let him read it, but I totally did. I was swept into the series as much as he was and we had many wonderful conversations about it. 

Parent-child bonding through books is the best. :-D

JRR Tolkien's books were my first taste of fantasy, and I was swept away. I could go on and on, really, but let's just leave it at I looooooove these books. 

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

I love Austen. Have since high school when I was forced to read Emma. I thought it was going to be awful and was proven wrong. But, out of all of her works, Pride and Prejudice is my favorite. I still pull it off the shelf to read often. I will see every adaptation of it on film and TV. I read sequels people write (some are okay, some just painful to read), or modern retelling of the story. My love knows no bounds when it comes to Lizzy and Mr. Darcy.

As a romance reader, I cut my teeth on the books of Jude Devereaux, LaVyrle Spencer, and Julie Garwood. I will admit, I don't read many historicals anymore, but these books (not just the ones pictured below, but all the books from these authors)... I still have them lined on my shelf and will pull them out. Comfort reads, like visiting old friends.

And that is where I'm going to leave it, folks. I could go on...and on...and on, but let's face it, none of us have time for that, do we? And I have a book to finish writing. (Do you hear the whip cracking? Because it is, and it stings!) 

What are your favorite books? Which ones pull you back again and again? 

Don't forget to go and check out the other ladies' favorites!

Bronwyn Green
Gwendolyn Cease
Jenny Trout
Kellie St. James
Kris Norris
Leigh Jones
Tess Grant

Until next week!
Hugs, 
~J