Stupid Motorist Law

Well, we had to have another flooded wash rescue over the weekend--a Pizza Hut delivery man crossed a wash despite "do not enter when flooded" signs, and his teeny tiny little car was swept off the road into the wash, where he had to be rescued by firefighters.

Apparently, he had already successfully crossed the wash, where a couple of inches of water ran across the road, and delivered the pizza. On his way back, though, he was hit by what he referred to as a "wall of water", and his car was swept off the road. According to the experts, it doesn't take much water to float a car off the road (which makes sense. If you've ever hydroplaned while driving, you'll know that to be true).

Fortunately, this guy wasn't hurt. Unfortunately, his car is still stuck in the wash. Whether it's salvageable is one thing. Whether he has $2,000 to pay for his rescue because he ignored the signs is another.

Monsoon season in Tucson. Brings out the stupid in even the smartest people...



"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe." ~Albert Einstein

Deliciously Naughty Monday

Come on over to the Deliciously Naughty Writers' blog and read an excerpt from my latest book, Claiming Hannah. And say hi while you're there! :)

See you at DNW!



"Any time you've got nothing to do--and lots of time to do it--come on up." ~Mae West

Lazy Saturday

*Yawn* Think I'll just head back to bed...



"An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises." ~Mae West

Humans And Their...Er, Resources

There was much excitement at work Wednesday afternoon. Seems the rumors about the boss and one of his employees is true. He was in California. She went to California, too. The way we knew? Someone from the airline left a message on our work voice mail confirming her tickets.

Within a matter of half an hour, just about everyone at work knew about it. (It's a small company--only about 30 or so people in the office at one time.) One person in particular--let's just call him our resident drama queen--made it a point to tell me, since I'm the Human Resources person. While he told me to put me in the middle of it, there is a concern here. It's called sexual harassment. If the romance goes sour, the employee could allege that the boss coerced her into the relationship. Or if she's perceived as getting disparate treatment (better opportunities/benefits, etc.), someone else who isn't getting those opportunities could file a sexual harassment charge.

Oy. So yesterday morning I talked to the boss (who's also my boss) and told him people knew. (I thought he and the employee should at least know they could quit trying to cover it up. That just makes it worse.) I also reminded him of the risk he's putting the company in. And I told him I was very uncomfortable having to talk to him about the whole thing, which he seemed to appreciate. He acknowledged he's held to a higher standard than others, but went on to say he's only human.

And, apparently, he's putting his human, er, resources to good use.


"Give a man a free hand and he'll run it all over you." ~Mae West

A Little Bit About Monsoons

Usually when people talk about monsoons, you think of India. But did you know that southern Arizona around the Tucson Basin is one of the only true monsoon weather patterns to occur outside of India? (The definition of monsoon is "seasonal wind shift".) Both areas experience a seasonal wind shift, both occur in the summer, and from the south. Both areas occur in warm climates, with large, warm bodies of water to the south-southwest and southeast–-the Indian Ocean near India, and the Sea of Cortez and Gulf of Mexico for Arizona. Both areas also have large mountain ranges to the north (India's Himalayas, and our Sky Islands), which interrupt the moist southerly air flow, thus dumping more precipitation.

Sometimes a lot of precipitation.

Microbursts sometimes occur during monsoon storms. (A microburst is a very localized column of sinking air, producing damaging winds at the surface that are similar to tornadoes--the term is defined as affecting an area 2.5 miles in diameter or less and are capable of generating wind speeds higher than 168 mph.) They generally are formed by precipitation-cooled air rushing to the surface, but they perhaps also could be powered from the high speed winds of the jet stream deflected to the surface in a thunderstorm. Every monsoon we have multiple microbursts which uproot trees and snap wooden telephone poles as if they were toothpicks.

And, of course, there's the danger of flash flooding. Even if we stay dry in the valley, it could have rained in the mountains, and gravity does the rest. We have what's called a "stupid motorist law"--if someone drives past barricades or enters a low-lying area that has "do not enter when flooded" signs, and they have to be rescued, they have to pay $2,000 for their rescue. People who do this with children in the car are also charged with child endangerment. It's that serious.

But it's spectacular, too. We actually have water in our rivers...

Tuesday Treat

Ain't he fine? Makes me wanna join him on that sofa...



"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it." ~Mae West

Deliciously Naughty Monday

Come on over to the Deliciously Naughty Writers' blog and chat with me about vampires and why we find them so compelling.

See you at DNW!




"A dame that knows the ropes isn't likely to get tied up." ~Mae West

Favorite Fictional Characters

There are a lot of people right now going crazy with the latest (and perhaps last, if JK Rowling holds true to her word) Harry Potter book. I'll admit--I haven't read any of them, and I've only seen two of the movies. *shrug* I just don't get that excited about things, I guess. When there's hype I don't pay much attention.

But this got me to thinking about some of my favorite fictional characters. Two of mine are much, much older than Harry Potter. One was created in 1897 and the other ten years earlier. I'm talking, of course, about Dracula and Sherlock Holmes.

Two completely different characters--one being cast as the epitome of evil, the other as the relentless pursuer and bringer to justice of evil--especially when it concerned Professor James Moriarty.

As a side note, Fred Saberhagen wrote several books with Dracula as the main character (The Dracula Tape, An Old Friend of the Family, A Matter of Taste, A Sharpness on the Neck, and my favorite--Holmes-Dracula File).

Who are your favorite fictional characters?



"May I congratulate you on thinking of wooden bullets? I had begun to believe all Englishmen were fools." ~Dracula, in the Holmes-Dracula File

A New "Messin' With Sasquatch"

Ewwwwwwww! But ROFLMAO!!



"When I'm good, I'm very, very good. But when I'm bad, I'm better." ~Mae West

New Cover - THE PRAETORIANS: INFILTRATION

Ain't it purty? *sigh*

Scheduled to be released in September.



"A gentleman is simply a patient wolf." ~Lana Turner

Burger and Fries, Anyone?

Somehow, I don't think this poor little guy's gonna get adopted...



"Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are God." ~Unknown

Yeehaw!

Save a horse...



"Don't squat with your spurs on." ~Anonymous

It's The Weekend!

Woohoo! It's Saturday, finally! I don't know about y'all, but this has been such a long week for me. And before I know it, it's gonna be Monday and time to go back to work again. Phfffft.

But I'm not gonna think about that. We're having a party at my place today--and you're all invited. Just come over to Follow Your Passion and join. You'll get to read excerpts, chat with authors, and have a chance to win cool prizes.

Hope to see you there. As incentive, here's some eye candy for you to enjoy...


Have a terrific weekend!



"If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?" ~Unknown

Follow Your Passion

We're having a guest author day at my readers group Follow Your Passion--tomorrow from 9-9 EST. (What was I thinking?!? That means I have to be up and coherent with the ball rolling at 6 a.m. my time. Oy!)

My guests will be:

Ann Cory (Ellora's Cave and Whiskey Creek Press Torrid)
Kate Hill (Ellora's Cave, Changeling Press, New Concepts Publishing and others)
Tara Nina (Ellora's Cave, The Dark Castle Lords and Wild Rose Press)
April Reid (Amber Heat/Amber Quill Press)
and
Sloane Taylor (formerly with Triskelion and very soon to have a new home!)

We'll be sharing excerpts, chatting with readers, and offering up yummy contest prizes, including some free books. So join us and follow your passion!



"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music." ~Angela Monet

Leftovers

Okay, I still have a few movie quotes that no one got. I'm listing them here along with a hint--the actor who spoke the line...


2. "I'm drowning here, and you're describing the water!" (Jack Nicholson) ~As Good As It Gets (Colleen)

4. "I don't make things difficult. That's the way they get, all by themselves." (Mel Gibson)

5. "He would have to have an enormous Schwanstooker." (Teri Garr)

14. "When a man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butcher's knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross!" (Clint Eastwood) ~Dirty Harry (kis)


So, okay. Does that help? :)



"I only have 'yes' men around me. Who needs 'no' men?" ~Mae West

Live Free or Die Hard

Well, I'm reporting today on my movie day yesterday. My friend S and I went to see Live Free or Die Hard. It has a lot of action and Bruce is...Bruce, so that part was good. The young actor playing his sidekick (the Apple computer guy from the commercials) was very good--had the best lines in the movie. However...

It was way too over the top. I couldn't suspend my disbelief quite enough to believe that John McClane, who's no relation to Superman, whatever the Die Hard franchise would have us believe, could survive all of what he went through. And after a few lessons in how to fly a plane, I doubt very much he'd be able to fly a helicopter. Then he loses the bad guys and just walks in where they are like he knew all along? Or happened to stumble upon them, which is just as implausible?

Pul-lease!

Glad I went to the matinee instead of paying full price. And I'm seriously thinking of limiting myself to the $3 movie theater from now on...

So, if you've seen the fourth installment of Die Hard, what did you think?


"With all things being equal, I'd rather be in Philadelphia." ~John MClane/Bruce Willis in Die Hard

Live Free or Die Hard

Goin' to the movies this afternoon... I'm hearing this is really good. I'll let you know.

~ * ~

I'm over at the Deliciously Naughty blog today--come over and chat with me about vacations.



"Just a fly in the ointment, Hans. The monkey in the wrench. The pain in the ass." ~Bruce Willis/John McClane in Die Hard.

New Release - CLAIMING HANNAH

The follow-up story to the 2006 Amber Heatwave winner and best-seller The Claiming:



Mix a zealous animal rights activist with two horny space cowboys and you get more trouble than you can handle...

Jax Marjani was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, all because the corrupt government of his homeworld wanted his sister's lover, the exiled prince of the planet Nosfer. Now that Jax has been released, thanks to his sister and the vampire prince, he's settled on the barbarian planet of O'Kar 6, content to raise cattle and complete legitimate shipping runs between O'Kar 6 and Nosfer with the help of his best friend, Ian Hunter.

But when feisty Hannah Trueblood helps steal his cattle, Jax finds he's as much of a barbarian as the natives on this backwards world--and stakes his claim on her.

Submission never felt so good...


Click here for an excerpt or to buy.



"Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before." ~Mae West

Movie Quotes - Continued

HELD OVER FROM YESTERDAY...


I haven't played this game in a while, and it's fun, so...

Here we go! I've listed a number of lines from movies below. If you know one or two, leave a comment with the number of the quote and the movie it's from. I'll update the blog when I get home tonight, showing the first person who correctly guessed the movie by putting the movie and the person's name in red beside the corresponding quote. Now, no cheating--no doing a search on the line!

Name that movie:

1. "If you were a dork, you should say you're sorry. Girls like that." ~The American President (Stephanie)
2. "I'm drowning here, and you're describing the water!"
3. "I've been dead once already; it's very liberating." ~Batman (Sam)
4. "I don't make things difficult. That's the way they get, all by themselves."
5. "He would have to have an enormous Schwanstooker."
6. "What wouldn't I do for the right guy?" ~Practical Magic (Stephanie)
7. "Wow, that was just like 'Carrie'! I thought she was gonna kills us all." ~Never Been Kissed (Stephanie)
8. "Oh, but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you." ~Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Sam)
9. "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it." ~Men In Black (Stephanie B.)
10. "I picked a helluva day to quit drinkin'." ~Airplane (Sam) but also....?
11. "Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today." ~Groundhog Day (Sue A.)
12. "I have no armor left. You've stripped it from me." ~Casino Royale (Sam)
13. "If I give you another face lift, you're gonna be able to blink your lips." ~First Wives Club (Shawna)
14. "When a man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butcher's knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross!"

Know one of these? Leave a comment--let's have some fun!



"I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it." ~Mae West

Movie Quotes

I haven't played this game in a while, and it's fun, so...

Here we go! I've listed a number of lines from movies below. If you know one or two, leave a comment with the number of the quote and the movie it's from. I'll update the blog when I get home tonight, showing the first person who correctly guessed the movie by putting the movie and the person's name in red beside the corresponding quote. Now, no cheating--no doing a search on the line!

Name that movie:

1. "If you were a dork, you should say you're sorry. Girls like that."
2. "I'm drowning here, and you're describing the water!"
3. "I've been dead once already; it's very liberating."
4. "I don't make things difficult. That's the way they get, all by themselves."
5. "He would have to have an enormous Schwanstooker."
6. "What wouldn't I do for the right guy?"
7. "Wow, that was just like 'Carrie'! I thought she was gonna kills us all." ~Never Been Kissed (Stephanie)
8. "Oh, but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you." ~Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Sam)
9. "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it." ~Men In Black (Stephanie)
10. "I picked a helluva day to quit drinkin'." ~Airplane (Sam) but also....?
11. "Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today." ~Groundhog Day (Sue A.)
12. "I have no armor left. You've stripped it from me." ~Casino Royale (Sam)
13. "If I give you another face lift, you're gonna be able to blink your lips." ~First Wives Club (Shawna)
14. "When a man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butcher's knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross!"

Know one of these? Leave a comment--let's have some fun!



"I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it." ~Mae West

Still Feeling Patriotic

Have a great day!


"A man in the house is worth two in the street." ~Mae West

Happy Fourth!

To all Americans today--remember our troops:



Stay safe today. Happy Independence Day!

~ * ~

This is a double-post day, so be sure to scroll down to read the latest installment of The King's Pryde.



"America's greatest strength--and its greatest weakness--is our belief in second chances, our belief that we can always start over, that things can be made better." ~Anthony Walton


And just because this one's so funny--and true--it's a double-quote day, too:


"America is a large, friendly dog in a very small room. Every time it wags its tail, it knocks a chair over." ~Arnold Toynbee

Happy July 4th--Early!

Yeehaw!!! Happy July 4th--one day early. :)


"The peace and welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be secure only as we cling to the watchword of true patriotism: 'Our country -- when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right.'" ~Carl Schurz

Deliciously Naughty Monday

Come on over to the Deliciously Naughty Writers' blog and chat with me about men and their clothes.

See you at DNW!



A man can be short and dumpy and getting bald but if he has fire, women will like him." ~Mae West