Vacation

When I think back over my life, some of my best memories come from vacation trips that I took with my family. Although I've never been out of the U.S., I have been many places in the country and have seen many amazing and inspirational sights. I'd like to share some of them with you.

My family and I used to take regular trips in the Fall to the mountains of western North Carolina to see the leaves changing, and over the years I went gem mining, walked part of the Appalachian Trail, saw the Biltmore mansion and quite a few very old cemeteries. The sheer beauty of mist-shrouded mountain tops and rushing waterfalls set against the backdrop of the reds, oranges and yellows of the leaves is something I think everyone should see. That was also where I saw my first significant snowfall and the experience is one I'll never forget.

Throughout the 80's and 90's my parents and I went to national medical conferences concerning the birth defect I was born with, and every year it was held in a different city. My parents owned a motor home and we drove all over the country in it. I got to see the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, the Alamo, the Great Lakes, Washington D.C. and Peru, Indiana, home of the soon-to-be famous Miller Sisters!

Each and every place I've been to has made an impression on me. The natural beauty I've seen has reminded me of the sheer awesomeness of nature, and the fact that we're all connected as part of the natural world, no matter how much we may have distanced ourselves from it. At the same time, it's also very fragile and easily destroyed, and once it's gone it's gone for good.

The historical places I've visited have had much to teach me as well. Arlington National Cemetery, the war memorials in D.C., the Alamo and Gettysburg were all stark reminders of the horrors of war and the sacrifices that so many have made for this country. Dealey Plaza, where JFK was assassinated, made me realize that the unthinkable could indeed happen. New Orleans has a fascinating history of French and African-American influences, with a heaping helping of jazz thrown in for good measure.

Have you been anywhere that inspired you or moved you in a profound way? If so, where was it and what effect did it have on you?

RT.... Sort Of

I had every intention of writing a fabu post about my Romantic Times adventures. Unfortunately, I came home and spent the entire week playing catch up. I'm still scrambling, so.... the fabu post is forthcoming. Meanwhile I'll share a couple of pictures. I didn't take any, but got these from a couple of friends. First up, me as a flamingo in Heather Graham's dress rehearsal for her Mystery Musical--Spellbinder. That's me in the foreground. Flamingo #1, along with fellow flamingos, authors Alex Solokoff and Harley Jane Kozak. Explanation.... forthcoming.
Later in the week, I appeared at the humongous bookfair as, well, me. Hank Schiffman, an amazing photographer and huge book fan, snapped this shot of me. I don't consider myself photogenic so I was super thrilled by this pic. Thank you, Hank! Editor buzz from the convention.... What they're most looking for? Sexy historicals and dark paranormals. More juice.... forthcoming! Meanwhile.... what's the craziest costume you ever wore.... in public?

SIS Beth

FAMILY

I love spending time with family. Especially if they live far away. Brenda visited last weekend and I had a great time being with her. The little cake fight was a blast. I don't get to visit my sisters that live out of state. It's my own fault. I have a fear of driving and I don't like to fly anymore. I need to work on those fears. They are keeping me from the ones I love.

With this new job, I am working a lot of nights. I get to see my girls for about an hour in the morning. When I get home they are in bed. I miss them. I miss the after dinner hikes. It seems that when I get off work early or have the day off, it is raining. I guess I can look forward to Summer when it doesn't rain as much. I hope my girls aren't too mad at me for working so many nights.

What about you? Do you get to see or visit your family as much as you like? If not, how do you deal with it?

SIS BJ aka Aleena Blackwood

Cinco De Mayo

Ah, Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May. That's the day the Mexican Army defeated French forces at the Battle of Puebla. Here in Florida it's a pretty big celebration. You see Cinco de Mayo parties advertised at most bars and people celebrate with massive amounts of tequila, margaritas and Mexican beers.

Can you taste that frozen margarita as it slips icily down your throat? Or maybe you like tequila shots better. And is that a mariachi band playing in the background? What song is that? It sounds like they are singing Happy Birthday. Yes, yes, I think it's Happy Birthday. Who are they singing Happy Birthday to? Let's listen in...

(imagine 4 guys dressed in mariachi attire, playing guitars and trumpets and singing with accents)

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear B.J.

Happy Birthday to you!

Yes, here at SIS Cinco de Mayo has a different meaning. For us, it's time to celebrate B.J.'s birthday! And I think instead of margaritas, she would like us to celebrate with Bloody Mary's.

In honor of B.J.'s birthday, I would like to recite a little poem...Uh hem...

Some say you're sweet and shy

You couldn't hurt a flea

But I saw the evil in your eye

When you smeared cake on me

Um, wait, I can do better...

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I wish you a happy birthday

And send lots of love too!

Ok, I stink! A little help here please! Feel free to add a poem of your own to help wish B.J. a wonderful birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BJ! WE LOVE YOU!!!

SIS Bren

Overprotective

I have always been very protective of my girls. I don't let them do some things that other kids do. Sometimes I think they get mad at me, but I get so nervous. I even have problems with letting them walk or ride their bikes around the neighborhood. We live in a nice neighborhood. Somewhere you would think of as safe. In this world, though, how do we ever know what's safe or not?

I am writing about this because of my oldest. She is 14 now. I have let her go to a couple movies with friends. She has always been allowed to go to sleepovers and school functions. I let her stay at the house by herself for short amounts of time here and there.

She asked me the other day if she could babysit 2 of my nieces this Friday. It would be until after midnight. Her and 2 very little girls by themselves that long makes me very uncomfortable. I wouldn't let her stay at my own house without an adult for that late. I know she is not happy with my decision.

Growing up, many of us SISters babysat other kids. I know I was doing it by her age. Why am I so scared to let her do it then? She's pretty mature and she is responsible. I just can't bring myself to let her do it though. Things just seem different to me now. The world is different.

Am I being too overprotective? Would you let her do it? If you are a parent, do you consider yourself too protective?

SIS Brandy

Our Guest--M.J. Rose

Today I have the honor of introducing our special guest.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the amazing M.J. Rose.

At the Museum by M.J. Rose

Growing up, I didn’t want to be a writer; I wanted to be an artist. We lived a block away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and I started taking Saturday morning art classes there when I was just seven years old.

I’ve often felt art is my religion and that museums in general but the Met specifically is my temple of choice. It’s where I go to be renewed, refreshed and inspired. I don’t think I’ve ever gone longer than a month without visiting there.

So its not all that surprising that sooner or later I’d write a novel with a museum as one of my main characters and that I’d pick the museum that was in my backyard when I was a kid.

But how I got idea for the Hypnotist is surprising, at least to me.

One day about three and a half years ago, on one of my regular pilgrimages to the Met, I headed straight for one of my favorite spots. The Mastaba Tomb of Perneb is a tiny bit of 5^th Dynasty Egypt transplanted to Manhattan. A gift from Edward S. Harkness to the museum in 1913.

You can enter the limestone tomb from the left or the right. One doorway leads to the main offering chapel. I took the other, which leads to a second ritual chamber. The space is very small and only three or four people can fit at the same time. I was lucky to be in the intimate ritual chamber alone and looking through the slot in the wall at a wooden statue of Perneb in the room beyond known as a serdab. In ancient times this passage way allowed for family and priests to offer up incense and chants to the deceased.

I heard footsteps. A little girl about seven or eight had entered and came up beside me to look through the slot. She had long blonde hair and was wearing a school uniform. I watched her examine the space, giving every section careful attention.

“It hasn’t changed much at all,” she said finally in a wistful voice.

I asked her what she meant.

“Since the last time I was here,” she said.

Something about the way she said it made me curious. “When was that?” I asked.

“When I lived in Egypt.”

“You know this tomb has been on display in this museum since 1916.” I said.

“I lived in Egypt way before that,” she said and smiled. She was about to say something else when from outside the chamber an older woman’s voice called out.

“Veronica, it’s time to go. Now. Please.”

The little girl ran off, quickly, without looking back, without giving me a chance to ask her anything else.

Even though I write about reincarnation, I haven’t had any meaningful reincarnation episodes of my own. I don’t get visitations. I’ve never seen a ghost. But I’m not sure what happened that afternoon.

I can picture Veronica in her navy jumper and white blouse that had a dark smudge on the collar. She had a one-inch scratch on her left hand. Her hair was pulled off her face with a silver barrette. A lot of curls had escaped. She had a child’s voice but it was so charged with adult emotion.

It was that emotion which sparked the idea for my novel, The Hypnotist. And the paintings and sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum that fueled it.

If you go the Met, please go visit Perneb’s tomb. And if you see a little girl there with long blonde hair and a blue school uniform… ask her if her name is Veronica… and if it is, thank her for me.

Blog www.reincarnationist.org

Website - www.mjrose.com

M.J. will stop by periodically to answer any of your questions. Not only is M.J. an incredible author, she's also a marketing phenom. Don't be shy. This is your chance! ~~Elle

How Do I Love Thee

In honor of Beth's trip to the Romantic Times Convention this week, I've decided my topic today will be romance. I've never been accused of being a romantic guy, and I think it's safe to say that I never will be. Chalk it up to being a Sagittarius or whatever other reason I happen to think of at the time, but it's just not me. That having been said, I have been known to do some romantic things when I put my mind to it.

One of the most romantic things I ever did, and I know my wife would agree, was for our anniversary several years ago. Back when we were dating, she told me that her favorite TV show was 'Beauty and the Beast', and her favorite episode was when the main characters exchanged gifts on the anniversary of their first meeting. The Beast's gift from Catherine was a porcelain rose that he could take back to his world beneath NYC and always be reminded of her world above and her love for him.

I was able to find a porcelain rose that closely matched the one in the episode, and when I explained to her that I got it for her because I remembered how much that episode meant to her, she was moved to tears. It wasn't a grand gesture and didn't involve a lot of work or expense, but the impact was huge simply because I remembered something that touched her.

I couple of years later I had roses sent to her work for Valentine's Day, with a card that read: 'I would rather spend the worst day of my life with you than spend the best day of my life without you'. Simple, but heartfelt and moving.


What is the most romantic thing someone has done for you or you have done for someone? What would be the most romantic thing someone could do for you?