Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

30
Dec
09

They hate me, they really hate me . . .

By writerds 4 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized

This afternoon I tooled over to BN.com to peruse the state of my books online–something I do with less frequently than I used to since I haven’t had a book out in a while (sniff!).  Anyway, I noticed I had a new 1 star reviefor the reprint of my first book, Spellbound.  ONE star????   Okay, everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but the critic implied that I or my family and friends must have written all the other four and five star reviews since my book just sucked.  Honestly, I don’t think I fudged any reviews for my own books (hell, I can’t remember what I ate for breakfast this morning) but I damn sure know I’ve never asked anyone to write me a favorable review (except for quotes from writers after they read the books in question).

Oy,  I suppose I’m much more disturbed by the implication that folks lied for me than that one reader was dissatisfied enough to post the same review on Amazon, too.   Just one more thing for writers to put up with.

Hope you are having a happier end of the year wherever you are!

24
Sep
09

Hooray for Bollywood (in a book)

By writerds 2 Comments
Categories: reading, romance and Uncategorized

TheSariShopWidowThat’s how Shoban Bantwal describes her latest book, The Sari Shop Widow (Kensington Books, ISBN:  13: 9780758232021). You know from my Vibrant Voices (which I’ll be starting again in February) that I love hearing from ALL sorts of folks.

I haven’t finished the book yet, but I wanted to entice you with a bit of a blurb for the book and a bit of video.  Here first, the blurb:

Pungent curry. . .sweet fried onions. . .incense. . .colorful beads. . .lush fabrics. Shobhan Bantwal’s compelling new novel is set on the streets of Edison, New Jersey’s Little India, where a young businesswoman rediscovers the magic of love and family. . .

Since becoming a widow at age twenty-seven, Anjali Kapadia has devoted herself to transforming her parents’ sari shop into a chic boutique, brimming with exquisite jewelry and clothing. Now, ten years later, it stands out like a proud maharani amid Edison’s bustling Little India. But when Anjali learns the shop is on the brink of bankruptcy, she feels her world unraveling. . .

To the rescue comes Anjali’s wealthy, dictatorial Uncle Jeevan and his business partner, Rishi Shah-a mysterious Londoner, complete with British accent, cool gray eyes, and skin so fair it makes it hard to believe he’s Indian. Rishi’s cool, foreign demeanor triggers distrust in Anjali and her mother. But for Anjali, he also stirs something else, a powerful attraction she hasn’t felt in a decade. And the feeling is mutual. . .

Love disappointed Anjali once before and she’s vowed to live without it-though Rishi is slowly melting her resolve and, as the shop regains its footing, gaining her trust. But when a secret from Rishi’s past is revealed, Anjali must turn to her family and her strong cultural upbringing to guide her in finding the truth.

Here’s the book trailer:

Not for nothing, but isn’t Uncle Jeevan a dead ringer for Lazar Woolf from Fiddler on the Roof?

To find out more about Shoban and her books, check out her website.

12
Jul
09

The witch is back!!!

By writerds 2 Comments
Categories: my work, romance, romantic suspense, secret life of dee, Uncategorized, what's new and writing

Mea culpa. Lo siento mucho. I apologize profusely. Folks have told me they haven’t been able to reach me.

Oops.

I hadn’t planned on disappearing. Unfortunately, my gmail account got corrupted in a way I still don’t understand and can’t access on the computer I used to use in the same way.

I have had sooo much going on that real life overtook the life of my fiction and my communication with you all. I’ve had to deal with folks getting ill, folks falling down and not getting up, myself catching the (ahem) tail end of the piggie fluj-like that afflicted us here in New York. On the flip side, I’ve also been healed of an illness I’ve been dealing with since childhood and discovered I have a calling  I hadn[t anticipated (more on that at a later date).

But I’m back hoping all of you will forgive me for not posting the results of the contest sooner (again, couldn’t access mail) but it is up now. Congrats to our winner Phyllis Lamken.  Way to go!

I’m also announcing the classes I’ll be teaching this summer and fall. First, we’ll have a little summer suspense thing. In September I’ll focus on helping you make your love scenes sizzle.

So thanks for your concern folks. You can always reach me on my contact me page.

Until next time –
Dee

31
Oct
08

Happy Boo-thday and other nonsense

By writerds 4 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized

Yes, it’s the big day for me. I’m not telling you what year, but I started compiling a list of things that did not exist when I was born and got really depressed.

So I thought I’d post something about another source of anxiety–the upcoming election. I don’t think I need to remind anyone that I’m an Obama supporter. If they don’t hold the election soon, I’m gonna bust. LOL But in the meantime here’s something fun pointed out to me by fellow author Gwynne Forster. Enjoy!

09
Aug
08

The power of three

By writerds 2 Comments
Categories: freaky friday, fun stuff, paranormal, Uncategorized and weird science
Tags: , , , ,

I meant to post yesterday on the historic day, but I got sidetracked by a visit from a family friend. Friday was 8/8/08, a very special day. Like 6/6/06 and 7/7/07 the past couple of years, any date with three of the same number is considered important. Historically, three has been the number for perfection. Eights are particularly spiritual. Place an eight on its side and it becomes an infinity symbol.

Today, or on any other day, you can use the power of eight (infinity) to clear your energy and rejuvenate yourself. Make a quiet place for yourself where you will not be disturbed. Sit upright but in a comfortable position. Breath deeply from your belly until you begin to relax. Imagine a white light glowing at your base (red) chakra (see chart below for chakra locations and colors). See that light begin to glow red. From that center imagine a ribbon of light flowing toward the front of your body, around your side and into your back. The ribbon flows around your other side, making a figure eight. Let the ribbon flow a few times, growing brighter and more intensely red each time. As you visualize this imagine that your most basic concerns (money, survival issues, fear) are released into the light and burned away. When you feel moved to, disconnect the ribbon and let the light return to the chakra.

Repeat this with the six remaining major chakras as follows:

sacral (orange)–creativity, sexuality
solar plexus (yellow)–power, ego
heart (green)–love, caring
throat (blue)–communication
brow (indigo)–imagination, visualization
crown (indigo)-spirituality, enlightenment

After you have cleared each chakra, take a few more cleansing breaths then open our eyes when you are ready.

This is a much simplified version of the Infinite Spectrum meditation created by Laurelle Shanti Gaia. Ironically, or maybe not, you are supposed to do this meditation daily for eight weeks to completely clear the chakras.

For a fun chakra test, go here.

30
Jul
08

Hold on to your knickers

By writerds Leave a Comment
Categories: Uncategorized

Queen Elizbeth’s just sold at auction for $9,000. The undies, of the crotchless variety are two separate legs held together by a drawstring. Naughty, naughty, but I doubt the style will ever come back into vogue at Victoria’s Secret.

21
Jul
08

Batman no joke

By writerds 7 Comments
Categories: entertainment, fun stuff, in the news and Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , ,

Riddle me this, riddle me that. Who’s afraid of the big black bat? Apparently no one since the movie raked in a record 66 plus million for one day and a record $155. for the weekend.

I haven’t seen the movie, but my nephew was there for the first midnight show in our area–come to think of it, he never did call to tell me what he thought of it. As y’all know, I’m much more of a Netflix kind of gal. I watch when I can eat my own damn popcorn. LOL

But does this whole hoopla strike anyone but me as being kind of morbid? I mean doesn’t it seem like folks want to see it just because Heath Ledger is dead? I’ve been a big fan of his since the commercial bomb but personal love, A Knight’s Tale, so it’s not as if I haven’t been following her career. Still, I wonder if people would be so quick to rush out to see the movie if Ledger had lived.

But let’s focus on the positive. It doesn’t surprise me there’s Oscar buzz around his performance. I hope he gets the nomination at least. I still loved Jack Nicholson as the Joker, though. Eventually I’ll see this new one to compare.

15
Jul
08

The Politics of Smear

By writerds 3 Comments
Categories: politics, Uncategorized and wtf?
Tags: , , , ,

Not since Miller’s great taste/less filling debate have folks seemed equally and vociferously divided over a popular image.

Enter Barry Blitt’s controversial cover for the July 21 edition of the New Yorker magazine. According to a poll I saw on my local news 47% of those polled thought it was satire; 48% thought it was racist drivel. At the very best, whatever you call it, the use of the artwork was ill-advised. I’d rather not get into the worst.

In the picture, Obama is dressed in traditional African garb; Michelle is tricked out a la Angela Davis–all while a flag burns in the Oval office fireplace and Bin Ladin’s picture hangs on the wall.

Leaving aside the intention of the artist and the magazine for a moment, what I want to know is why it didn’t occur to anyone that such a cover would blow up in their faces. Was there no voice of reason to say, hey, maybe these images might be misconstrued whatever our intent?

Guess not. The New Yorker tends to thrive on controversy, annoying liberals and conservatives almost equally. But a note to the folks at the New Yorker–it ain’t satire if folks don’t find it funny. The point of satire is to expose the absurd. It’s not satire if what you appear to be exposing is character not caricature. Captioning the piece The Politics of Fear doesn’t change the fact that the cover more likely reinforced detractors views of the Obamas as being militant, Muslim extremists rather than ridiculing them.

Now that’s funny, and not in a ha ha sort of way.

To read more go here.

On a more positive note, at least it beats this–

04
Jul
08

If this ain’t freaky nothing is

By writerds 4 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized, weird science and wtf?
Tags: , , ,

Born a woman, became a man, gave birth to a girl and became a dad. Is that a rhyme? Guess not, but it is weird.

03
Jul
08

Me in a Threeway

By writerds 6 Comments
Categories: secret life of dee and Uncategorized
Tags: , , ,
oh no!

oh no!

Oh, not in a good way. The guy in front of me stopped at the red light. I stopped at the red light. The woman driving the minivan behind me didn’t stop. The next thing I knew I was crashing into the black sportscar in front of me.

Not the kind of threesome one wants to write about. Hope your day is going better for you.

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Get into your most comfortable reading chair,
take off your shoes,
turn off the phone
and let Ms. Savoy's incredible talent take you away.


  --Debra Ross,
     Romance in Color
A skewed sense of humor has kept me sane through 10+ years of teaching and almost as many writing. I invite you to come in and look around. Leave a comment if you like. My goal is to leave you with a smile on your face and a few new thoughts to mull over. If you like the blog, please tell your friends. If not, tell your enemies.

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