Markee's Place

Last posting...

2012-01-31T15:55:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to consolidate all my blogging (even though I haven't blogged much in the past month or so), and will be closing this blog before long. Please go visit http://sweettalebooks.blogspot.com/, my other blog, where I'll be joining my other pen names to blog more.

Thank you and thank you SO much for following my blog! See you on the Sweettale blog side! :)

Smiles,
Markee

FREE BOOK and a chance to win a gift certificate!!!

2011-12-30T07:43:00.002-06:00

I'm piggybacking on the Sweettalebooks blog today, so I can get the word out:

Go on over to Sandy's Spotlight and leave a comment! You can win an Amazon gift certificate. Also, on that page, pick up a free copy of Cameo Appearance. Here's the blurb:

While being blackmailed by her ex-boyfriend who wants to turn her in as the witness to a murder some five years before, Cameo Dreyden has done her best to put the incident behind her. When she finds out the creep is going public anyway, Cameo has no choice but to disappear to places unknown, with a Prince who wants to make her his bride.

The South Pacific is as far away from the Unites States as she can find. Prince Reginald of Charmania whisks Cameo off her feet with a gentle but electrifying kiss, while battling demons of his own. The island nation needs a stable monarchy, because the threat of a takeover to get the newly discovered riches is imminent. Under the island's rules, since the king's ill, Prince Reginald has to marry to save his country, and Cameo's been chosen as future queen.

Surrounded in this idealistic fairy tale setting with castles, frolicking dolphins and the promise of a life of luxury in exchange for her hand in marriage, Cameo couldn't possibly turn it down. However, she's torn between staying to save the monarchy and fleeing to save her life while sacrificing her heart.

Come on over to Book Discussion (even if you haven't read the book) and join in with the fun!

Smiles,
Markee

Very cool music! Check it out...

2011-12-14T07:42:00.000-06:00

I received an email from Rich Batsford this morning.

For those of you who remember, he sent me an email earlier this year because I'd asked the followers of Amazon Kindle on FB what they listened to when reading. Someone had sent me a name of a man who made beautiful music (blog entry is here: http://bit.ly/v0jo7I). Rich emailed me to tell me he wrote songs, too, and I listened. The songs were gorgeous! (blog entry is here: http://bit.ly/pVi0Zm)

Rich sent me some more gorgeous music this morning. Check these out:

http://richbatsford.bandcamp.com/track/listen-in and http://richbatsford.bandcamp.com/album/valentine-court. Those songs are just WONDERFUL!!! How cool to listen to them while reading your Kindle!

So if you want some relaxing and wonderful music, check them out and consider buying his CDs (here: http://www.richbatsford.com/music/order-a-cd/). Fantastic!

Thanks for the email, Rich!!! I wish you all the best!!

Smiles,
Markee

FREE BOOKS!!!

2011-12-12T07:53:00.000-06:00

I'm on TWO blogs today...with three books' coupons listed on both blogs (same books). Also, I have a chance to win a $10 gift certificate on one of the blogs.

So hurry on out there and check out the blogs! They're listed on SweetTale Books' news. They're also here:

December 12, 2011 at Karen Michelle Nutt's Blog (kmnbooks.blogspot.com)

December 12, 2011 at Jenna Jaxon's Blog (jennajaxon.wordpress.com)

Smiles!

Markee

Sandy Wolters' Interview from 8/28/2011

2011-12-09T07:54:00.000-06:00

** I'm moving a few things around, consolidating things. This is an interview with the talented and wonderful Sandy Wolters, from 8/28/2011. **

Welcome, Sandy Wolters!

Today I'm interviewing Sandy Wolters (at sandywolters.weebly.com). She's a wonderful writer with three books for sale at various places.

I asked Sandy a bunch of questions and she stepped up to the plate...in a great way! Enjoy this interview...I certainly did!

Tell us about yourself…where do you live, your background, etc.

I am a native of the Phoenix metropolitan area. I ask you, is there a better place to live in the world? You are literally two hours away from whatever you want to do, water ski, snow ski, fish, camp. How much better can life get than that?

What are your books about?

My genre is romance with a paranormal twist. I raised two beautiful, strong daughters, so that's the type of female character I write about in my books.

I like the thought of women standing head to head with strong men and holding their own. It's fun to take a really strong woman and put her in a situation where she loses her balance and finds herself leaning on the lead male character. Something that would be totally out of character for her to do at any other time.

The women in my books are not looking for a man to complete them. It's certainly not a priority for them because they are happy with their life as it is. Hell, they're not looking for a man at all, but the fireworks sure start when they find their match.

The paranormal in my books shows itself in several different ways. Some of the characters have special abilities, such as quick bursts of seeing the future or having a connection to animals and being able to soothe them. But the main paranormal twist in my books shows itself in ghosts of loved ones coming back to help those that they've left behind out of difficult circumstances.

In my first two books, Maggie Mae and Justice For Emily, a main character literally dies prior to the first paragraph. The reader enters the book with the still living characters already in their grieving process.

Look out the closest window to you. What do you see?

I see a 12-foot long patch of beautiful 5 to 6-foot tall Ziennas of all different colors that my husband planted for me. There's a magnificent Monarch butterfly on one, and a hummingbird trying to defend his new found stash from the other hummingbirds. I could literally watch hummingbirds and their antics for hours.

Why do you write the books you do?

I love it when two strong minded people come together, and find someone in that other person that can make their life better than they ever expected it could be.

I've also had some paranormal experiences with my loved ones coming back and giving me messages when I really need them. Sometimes it's just to say, "I'm here with you. You're not alone."

I want people to read my books and think back to when they've had an experience with a long lost loved one. I want them to know that they're not crazy. They've been given a beautiful gift.

What's your favorite part about writing?

My favorite part about writing is getting lost in the characters and scenes of the book. I really can't believe some of the places they've taken me. It's exciting and extremely stimulating. Many times, I'll sit back after writing a chapter and wonder where in the heck that came from. It's really a lot of fun.

What are your goals in life and/or writing?

I'm proud to say that I've met my life's goals. I'm a very lucky woman. If I were to die today, I'd die a happy, fulfilled woman. I've got an amazing, supportive husband, whom I absolutely adore. We're getting ready to celebrate our 33 wedding anniversary. I've got two beautiful, strong daughters that are living their own lives. I've got an amazing granddaughter that is loving life more each day.

My goals for writing are simple. I understand that time is precious to people. If they spend some of their time reading my books, I want to help them escape into other people's lives. I want them to come to care about the characters, or hate them, whatever the case may be. I want to touch people with my books. It is my goal to leave the readers with a sense of peace at the end of my books.

Where do your ideas come from in writing?

It's funny that you ask this question. I'm not really sure where my ideas come from. I have a very vivid imagination, and I just start seeing flashes of scenes in my head. The characters usually announce themselves and won't leave me alone until I start writing their stories.

What's your favorite book?

Oh my gosh! Does anyone really have one favorite book? I love all kinds of books. Who can beat a good romance? Can you really walk by a mystery/suspense/thriller in a book store without stopping to take a glance inside? And what about horror? I'm constantly checking out Stephen King or Dean Koontz.

This question kind of parallels my lack of understanding of dog shows. How do those people judge the best breed when they are comparing a small, weird looking, hairless dog that I now have nightmares about to a huge Mastiff? I just don't get it. How exactly does that work? But I digress.

I absolutely love to read just about anything I can get my hands on. I've even started a blog on my website to introduce readers to some really great authors that they may not have heard about. I have always loved to read, and I have always shared new authors with my friends. I'm just doing it on a larger scale now.

I'll admit that sometimes it's really hard to get through some books, but I pride myself on finishing what I start. There has only been one book I read, that I felt was so bad that there was just no way I was going to finish it. I held onto it and carried it around with me for weeks. I was so disturbed that I hated this book so much, especially because one of my favorite authors wrote it, that I felt really guilty about not wanting to even open it again. Finally, I ran by the Goodwill down the street and donated it. I felt like a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Don't worry, Dean, I'm not going to tell them what book it was.

Why did you start writing?

I started writing because I love romance, suspense, and the paranormal. So much of the paranormal these days has to do with vampires, etc. My ghosts from the past are a little more down to earth, and always loving and caring. Besides that, the characters wouldn't let me sleep until I wrote about them. I would find myself daydreaming about them. I would lay down at night and find myself awake because I had just dreamt about them. They didn't let me rest until I wrote their stories down.

Who's in your support circle?

My husband, Mike, is my biggest supporter. We were high school sweethearts and I can't imagine what my life would have been without him in it. He's my rock.

For more information, visit Sandy Wolters at sandywolters.weebly.com. Thank you, Sandy!!!

FBI Special Agent Pilar Campos lives and works in a man's world. She loves her job because the only interaction she has with people is pointing her gun at them and arresting them. She's a smart ass with a temper and is not above breaking bones if someone disagrees with her. Needless to say, she doesn't have many friends. She enjoys the fact that she inspires fear in her coworkers.

Pilar and her partner, Rick, have been executing surveillance on the Snowflake Militia Group for two years. Everything was going just fine with the twenty-seven million dollar operation until she was forced to shoot and kill Thorne Baker, the brother of Boone Baker, the self proclaimed leader of the militia group. Her life would never be the same.

Boone Baker initiated a one million dollar contract on Pilar's life and would go to any length to avenge his brother's death. Deputy Director Greg Olsen knows that he has to get his best agent into protective custody, but he also knows that she won't go even if he orders her to. She'll stay and fight to the end. The only reasonable action he can take is to hatch a plan to have her tucked away at a ranch in Northern Arizona owned by Amos Thomas, a man that dislikes people with as much if not more fervor than Pilar.

Away from the city, Pilar's life is transformed. She finds peace at the ranch that she had never felt before. She has a special bond with the animals that transfixes even the most seasoned ranch hands. She learns to open herself to the people at the ranch and develops close bonds with them. She falls in love with Amos, who wants no part of a relationship. Unfortunately for Amos, Pilar knows how he thinks. He is, after all, just like her and that makes his actions predictable. Pilar knows just how to handle him.

Unable to locate the woman that killed his brother, Boone Baker goes to extreme measures to draw her out in the open. In one fell swoop, he will destroy her life as she knows it. Will she be strong enough to continue on, or will he get his wish and kill her?

Amazon buy Link (other buy links listed on her website)

Rachael Merchant is on a cross country trip running from the tragic images of her last case that are embedded deep in her soul. She is a City of Phoenix Homicide Detective that is trying to deal with the freak show her life has become.

Three days ago, she was sitting in a hospital room with a man that had just murdered his three small children because he was angry his wife had left him. After making the arrest, she let the perpetrator know that when he got out of prison she was coming after him. He would not be able to hide from her. She left the hospital, went back to work and quit on the spot.

After a great deal of persuading, her captain convinced her that an indefinite leave of absence was in order instead of quitting. She went home, packed her bags and jumped in the car. With no destination in mind, she just drove.

Rachael found herself on the side of the road, unsure of where she was and on the phone with her partner. All she wanted to do was run as fast and as far as she could from the image of those three small babies with bullets in their bodies.

Officer Patrick Sheehan pulls in front of Rachael while she is bent over the hood of her car looking at a map. He overhears the conversation between Rachael and her partner and thanks fate for dropping a homicide detective right in his lap. His good friend, Emily, was murdered just days ago and Patrick knows who killed her, her husband and his boss, the Chief of Police of Brownwood, Texas.

Boyd Campbell has taken extreme measures to cover up his wife's murder but Patrick is going to do everythiing in his power to put this monster away. He doesn't care what he has to do or say to get this cop to stay and work this case. He needs her help and she is just going to have to deal with it. She could just blame fate for bringing her here when he needed her expertise so badly. After all, the only important thing at this moment is getting Justice for Emily.

Amazon buy Link (other buy links listed on her website)

July 4th, 2005, Maggie's wedding day was the happiest day of her life, the most painful day of her life and the day she died three times.

Maggie lives as a recluse in the home that she and her dead husband, Jimmy, built together. It's all she has left of him. She has her friends, but has turned her back on the world and any possibility of spending her life with another man.

Five years after Jimmy's tragic death, Maggie's world is once again turned upside down when the last hold she has to her husband, their home, is destroyed. Maggie is thrown into the path of a man, the only man, that can bring her back to life. Elk Bend Chief of Police Michael Rogers is here to help her pick up the pieces and move on.

Rafferty, a close friend, has loved Maggie for years. He has been waiting for her to get over the loss of her husband and knows that in time she will be with him.

Rafferty has inserted himself into Maggie's life so deeply that she doesn't see his obsessive behavior. She doesn't realize that she has been stalked by Rafferty even before the death of her husband, or the danger that Rafferty represents to her. Maggie is his and he will do whatever he has to in order to keep her.

Will Maggie be able to start a new life with Michael? Or will she be so consumed with the fear of losing him that she is paralyzed to move forward with her new life?

Will Rafferty have the power over Maggie to extinguish any feelings she has for Michael? Or will he destroy her trying to wrestle her away from her fate with another man?

This book will make the readers weep uncontrollably when they read about the tragic murder of Maggie's husband, Jimmy, and laugh with the interactions of Maggie and her friends. They will take a journey into the life of the characters that will make them escape and feel the wonder of love transcending death.

Amazon buy Link (other buy links listed on her website)

26 comments:
mountainmama said...
Great interview with a wonderful person! Thanks Markee and Sandy.
August 28, 2011 5:37 PM
Sandy said...
Markee,

Thank you for the opportunity to appear on your blog. It's really lovely.

Mama,

I'm so glad you enjoyed the interview.

Sandy
August 28, 2011 8:27 PM
Markee Anderson said...
Your books are FANTASTIC! That's what made it lovely. :) GREAT JOB, SANDY!!!
August 28, 2011 8:42 PM
Amber said...
Choosing your favorite book is like choosing your favorite child. The answer changes, sometimes from second to second.
August 28, 2011 8:55 PM
Sandy said...
Markee,

What a wonderful thing to say! Thank you again.

Amber,

I couldn't agree with you more.

Sandy
August 28, 2011 8:57 PM
Scott said...
Sandy,

I like what you said about being fulfilled in your life. The sense that you are secure and content comes through, not only in this interview, but in your own blog, and in your interaction with other writers.

This is a fantastic interview. Congrats to Sandy and Markee both.

Scott
August 28, 2011 9:21 PM
Sandy said...
Scott,

Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the interview.

Sandy
August 28, 2011 9:28 PM
Sylvia Massara said...
Excellent interview, Sandy and Markee. I am proud to call Sandy a friend and fellow writer, and she deserves all the success in the world. Sandy, I know exactly what you mean about the characters wanting to come out of your head and making you write about them. LOL.

Regards,
Sylvia Massara
Novelist and host of The Lit Chick Show
August 28, 2011 10:25 PM
Sandy said...
Sylvia,

You have been such an inspiration to me. I'm glad to call you my friend.

Sandy
August 28, 2011 11:36 PM
Markee Anderson said...
OH! I forgot to list this! Sandy did an interview and it's now online:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/page-readers/2011/08/11/sandy-wolters-author-of-maggie-mae

GREAT JOB, SANDY!!!
August 29, 2011 9:55 AM
Shandelle said...
This was a great interview... so true on many levels. I also love all different genre's of books, including the vampire love stories, love me so of those. Sandy's books have made me experience emotions that many other well known authors such as Stephen King and JK Rowling have made me feel. I laugh, I cry, I get the goosebumps :)
August 29, 2011 11:16 AM
Pilar said...
This interview is great and informative! I haven't really gotten into reading novels yet, but I love yours!
August 29, 2011 11:31 AM
Sandy said...
@Markee - Thanks for mentioning that radio interview. It was the first live thing I've ever done and a lot of fun.

@Shandelle & Pilar - In case anyone didn't pick up on it, these are my daughters.

With daughters like this, I don't think life could be more wonderful.

Sandy
August 29, 2011 11:42 AM
Sandra McLeod Humphrey said...
What a great interview--I loved it! Now I've got to check out Sandy's books!
August 29, 2011 12:12 PM
Sandy said...
Sandra,

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think of my books.

Sandy
August 29, 2011 12:30 PM
Kellie said...
Sandy,

Great interview! You are a very talented lady and I am glad to call you friend.

Markee,

Great interview too!! You are talented as well and I am glad that you did an interview with Sandy. I am glad to call you friend as well.

Kellie
August 29, 2011 1:13 PM
Markee Anderson said...
Thank you, Kellie! :) You betcha on the friendship!
August 29, 2011 1:17 PM
Sandy said...
Kellie,

I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm glad you liked the interview. Markee's questions were a lot of fun to answer.

I'm going to be stopping by the Wheel and Inn hopefully later today. I'll see you there!

Sandy
August 29, 2011 1:31 PM
Mitzi Kelly said...
Sandy and Markee,

I have viewed a lot of author interviews and I must say this is one of my favorites! You both did an amazing job - I felt like I was sitting having a discussion with friends. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the books!
August 29, 2011 4:17 PM
Sandy said...
Mitzi,

I'm so glad you felt like you were talking to friends. You were.

Thank you for the wonderful feedback on the interview. Make sure to let me know what you think of the books.

Sandy
August 29, 2011 4:37 PM
Kristie Leigh Maguire said...
Great interview, Sandy and Markee! I enjoyed learning more about you and what makes you tick, Sandy.

BTW, Markee, I just love the background for your blog. Very peaceful.

Kristie
August 29, 2011 6:30 PM
Markee Anderson said...
Thank you, Mitzi! What a sweet comment!!!

And Kristie, thank you!!! Wait until Sept. 1...I'm changing my website, too. LOL! I love nature in the background, and you'll see it then.

Thank you all for commenting, too! What nice people!
August 29, 2011 6:42 PM
Sandy said...
Kristie,

Thanks, Kristie. Glad you could stop by.

Sandy
August 29, 2011 7:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Sandy & Markee . . . The interview was great; it was as if I were there while the two of you were talking. Sandy is an amazing and talented lady. I've previewed and purchased all three of her books, and am looking forward to reading them . . . Knowing the ladies that are the inspiration for her characters is a PLUS!
Linda
September 3, 2011 5:08 PM
Markee Anderson said...
Thank you, Linda! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
September 3, 2011 5:13 PM
Sandy said...
Thanks, Linda. I'm so glad you liked the interview. Please let me know how you like the books.

Sandy
September 3, 2011 6:02 PM

New Book Out! 'A Dream to Share'

2011-11-21T08:17:00.000-06:00

OH! Check out my newest Christmas book!

If you look at the news page on SweetTale Books, you'll see a list of places I'm going to be blogging. If you want a FREE copy of this book, go to ANY of those blogs listed. I'm putting 'A Dream to Share' up with free coupons on all those pages.

If you'd ALSO like other free Christmas books, go to Jacquie Rogers' blog (on November 23) or Karen Nutt's blog (on December 12) and you can get THREE free books, AND have a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card. Jacquie has giveaways ALL WEEK LONG!!!

Smiles!
Markee

FREE DOWNLOAD!!!

2011-11-07T08:24:00.000-06:00

Hey...you...over there. Yeah, you know who you are. You're that closet romance reader, who loves reading romances, but you don't want anyone else to know it.

Have I got a deal for you! Here's a free download for a book by yours truly. A ROMANCE!!! And it's sweet, but complete. LOL!

Go to www.smashwords.com/books/view/90255.

Enter code SR45X at the checkout to get the free book.

It's ONLY good for this week, until 11/13/2011, so hurry up!

No one will ever know, because it'll be on your Kindle/Nook/e-reader with that black (or fill in your own color, even invisible) cover. Seriously! I don't even know who downloaded it. So go ahead. You know you want to. LOL!!!

Smiles,
Markee

FREE BOOK DOWNLOAD COUPONS!!!

2011-10-17T11:33:00.001-05:00

Hey! Want some free books? COOL! Check out the coupons on www.sweettalebooks.com. I have these three listed for now, the coupons good until November 5, 2011.

Here are the three books:

To get the FREE DOWNLOAD coupon, go to www.sweettalebooks.com and get the directions from the links on Smashwords.

ENJOY!
Markee

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL???

2011-09-08T10:26:00.000-05:00

I am! Tonight...at Lambeau Field, in Green Bay, the Saints are coming to town to play the Packers for the opening to the football season. I'm SOOOO glad I don't live on that side of town, because they're predicting tens of thousands to be there for the game (although I'd LOVE to see Aaron Rodgers (#12) or Drew Brees (#9)). There's even a pre-game concert, including Kid Rock, Maroon 5, and Lady Antebellum. They've had the street in front of the stadium blocked for days, getting ready for this.

So if you want to get in the spirit of the game, why not try out my contemporary romance, 'Touchdowns & Potions'? It's a light, fun read, about a quarterback named Andy, his football-hating real estate agent named Jenna, and some love potion an old woman decided Jenna just HAD to have. Mix in some men with a real nose for the love potion, and watch Jenna's scheduled life implode. LOL! Fun times, I tell ya!

AND GO PACK GO!!!! :) (My eye will be on Aaron Rodgers, much to my husband's chagrin. LOL!)

Smiles,
Markee Anderson

Sweet Tale Books

2011-09-05T17:47:00.000-05:00

Check out SweetTale Books!

My book, 'Love Means Nothin'' is being featured because it's time for the US Open! COOLIO!

San Antonio Vacation--for our 20th Anniversary Back in June

2011-08-30T14:48:00.001-05:00

San Antonio Trip August, 2011

My family (including my husband, our three teenagers aged 19, 17, and 15, and of course, me) took a train trip (Amtrak) from Milwaukee to San Antonio (changing
trains in Chicago) from August 19-26. This is a quick overview of the trip, which was SPECTACULAR!

The train

If you want to see what the train looks like, check out this youtube video someone else posted: Youtube Texas Eagle #21.

We took the Texas Eagle #21 south and the Texas Eagle #22 back north. Our sleeper was on the second floor, which swayed. It's 3' by 6' in size, shown here:
Texas Eagle Sleeper (there are other ones on this Youtube like this one at 2:33 if you want to see how cramped it is: another view).

This also shows the tiny stairs to get to the downstairs bathrooms and snack car.
Our car was the last one, so we had to go 3 cars through coach to get to the observation deck and then to the dining car. And yes, it did sway a LOT especially when trying to sleep in that coffin-sized bed. LOL!

The trip down to TX

First stop, Chicago, after riding on a commuter train BACKWARD from Milwaukee to Chicago (did we know which car had the seats facing forward?
Nope!).

We passed many small towns, many bad areas of the country, and many, many woods. I won't bore you with the details, because most of it was spent sleeping on the train.

This is the loungecar and the width of the train, so you can get a feel for the size of the rooms. Two rooms were across from each other in the sleeper car, smaller than the width of these tables.

The train runs late, because they use the same lines freight companies use. We were low priority, so a 34 hour trip took 38 hours. We finally got to our hotel at 3:30 in the morning on Sunday, August 30. The train was SUPPOSED to get in at 9:55 PM on Saturday night.

Our Hotel: Arriving at 3:30 AM

We stayed at the Drury Plaza Hotel Riverwalk. This is the inside of the lobby.
If you're thinking of going to San Antonio, this is the best place we could find.
They have free breakfasts and happy hour at 5:30 with free hot food, saving a ton of
money in the meantime. We got a 2-room suite on the 11th floor, comfortably housing all five of us.

One of the two pools was on the roof, with a gorgeous view of the city. The second view shows where I THINK the Alamo and the mall were located.

Here's a map of the city: Click on the printable Streetcar Brochure. This is the best map I've found of the city. We were at the corner of Commerce and St. Mary's Street. The Riverwalk runs below street level, so you have to go downstairs to get to the
Riverwalk.

Sunday: Seaworld

The next morning, we got up in time to get to Seaworld by 10 (after getting breakfast by 9 AM). Here are a few pictures. Our kids fed the dolphins and of course we HAD to see Shamu. And we did see the feeding frenzy at the shark tank...amazing!

The Riverwalk:

While we were there, we saw the Riverwalk, which is a small river (depth of most of it is around 4-5 feet deep) lined by sidewalks with shops on both sides. It was gorgeous! We took the boat ride at night, and when we got to the Rivercenter Mall, a fantastic band was playing 'Sound of Silence' with one member playing a pan flute. There were also Mariachi Bands playing at various restaurants, shown above. The last picture is of Nix Hospital, beside the Riverwalk. It looks like a facade, but it's more triangular
in shape. That's where Carol Burnett was born.

The Alamo:

We visited the Alamo while there. The Alamo is odd. It's very small and in the middle of the city, with a mall across the street one way and high rise hotels surrounding it.

The first two pictures shown here, the most famous, is of the church. The third picture shows the back entrance to the Alamo. No pictures were allowed to be taken inside (I almost got in trouble for that, when we went into the barracks).

I think the size of the church is about 2-3 standard sized hotel rooms, side by side, with vaulted ceilings. One small room was off the side for the women and children. People from all over the world fought in the battle, because I saw names of men from Ireland, England, etc. This is where Davy Crocket died. To Texans, this is hallowed ground, and I now understand why. It's a memorial, very quiet, yet surreal to stand on that ground. If you want more information, read this: Alamo (Wikipedia).

One of the interesting things I found outside the Alamo buildings in the courtyard included this picture of the flags (top), and this live oak. This is one of the first times they shipped a live tree. It's now held up with wires, but still alive. This is what the plaque says:

"Live Oak Tree
(Quercus virginia)

In the early part of the twentieth century, many San Antonio residents believed it was
impossible to transport full-grown trees. Walter Whall--a retired English seaman--started San Antonio's first tree moving company and proved it could be done. He carefully removed the earth from around the roots of the tree to be moved and then used a block and tackle to lift it out of the ground. They transported the mature trees through the streets on a wagon pulled by four mules. Whall contended that the hardest part of moving a full-grown tree was avoiding power and telegraph lines.

This Live Oak was approximately four years old when Whall brought it to the Alamo around 1912. The base of the century-old tree now measures twelve feet in circumference while its main branches are over fifty feet long."

Tower of the Americas:

Another site we saw was the Tower of the Americas. It stands at 750 feet (the Seattle Space Needle stands at the height of 605 feet), to the east of the Alamo
and the Rivercenter Mall. The first picture looks up from the bottom, and the second picture is taken from the top. Information is here: Tower of the Americas on Wikipedia. It was built for the 1968 World's Fair.

The trip back:

On the way back, two of the highlights were the Mississippi River and the St. Louis Arch. It was dark when we passed them on the way south. Each morning, my husband and I would roll out of bed (literally) on the train, get a shower and get dressed in the ONE stall they had (separately...get your minds out of the gutter because the shower was SMALL), and go to the observation lounge to watch the sunrise. It was gorgeous, but I couldn't get good pictures because we were moving too fast. I have to admit, the
train trip was really relaxing. Cramped, and delayed, but relaxing. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. We're already making plans to take the train to Chicago next year. The toilets in our car weren't working on the trip back (nor was the A/C on the next car WITH the toilets), so we called Amtrak and got a voucher for another trip, to use within a year. I, personally, can't wait to see Chicago. I've never been there and I hear there are so many sights to see, it will be fun!

Smiles,
Markee

TWO NEW 99 CENT BOOKS!!!

2011-08-03T08:42:00.000-05:00

I (under the name Andie Alexander) put out two new books this week:

After breaking into a home for food, homeless single mother Ellie Blackwood stares at the dead homeowner lying under a Christmas tree. She's trying to remain anonymous, but knows she's also seen the murderer.
She and her half Native American daughter are almost at the end of their rope. Ellie could sell her information to make money to eat, but she'll pay a steep price if the U.S. government finds out.

and

Aspen Dove knows how to get what she wants from every man--until she meets her match in FBI Agent Evan Blaze. While trying to get a story for a doomed newspaper about a local vigilante killer named Justiceman, Aspen becomes the target of not only the mob, but a gang of vigilante bikers with temporary pony tattoos on their cheeks, a serial killer lacking a few brain cells, and Justiceman himself.

These are two different mysteries, the first more serious than the second. Please check them out on Amazon (click on pictures, above), Nook Ruled a Suicide, Nook Justiceman, or Smashwords.

Thanks!
Markee/Andie

Beautiful Music from Rich Batsford!!!

2011-07-18T06:54:00.002-05:00

This past week, Rich Batsford, from England, (at www.richbatsford.com/music) emailed me with the coolest music. I truly enjoyed it and asked his permission to share it with you.

This is what he wrote to me:

I came across your blog where you were writing about how much you enjoy one of my favourite pianist/composers, Ludovico Einaudi. Some people think my music is in a somewhat similar vein, so I thought I would drop you a line and see if you would like to listen to some.

So, here you are - just click to stream or right click to download:

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://richbatsford.bandcamp.com/album/valentine-court"&amp;gt;Valentine Court by Rich Batsford&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Introducing Rich Batsford

Rich Batsford has been performing solo for five years, "Quietly building a following for his melodic and magical compositions" Birmingham Post

Live sets include performances of original, contemporary classical piano music, alongside original, reflective songs and the occasional Brian Wilson cover.

Rich's meditative piano music is an enchanting blend of Beethoven, Vaughan Williams and Satie mixed thru the lens of Steve Reich's minimalism and woven into organic, yet purposeful structures inspired by break beat, post rock and downtempo electronica.

The debut self-released album of piano music "Valentine Court" is available now via iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby etc and is earning an excellent reputation. "Mindfulmess", Rich's first album of songs was launched in June this year with a concert at the Midlands Arts Centre and has a full release coming in the Autumn. The songs combinine gorgeous melody with ethereal vocals, thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and sensitive piano accompaniment.

Key performances to date include: The Big Chill Festival, ArtsFest (main stage), Gigbeth Festival, Drop Beats Not Bombs, Moseley Festival, Birmingham Cathedral.

In addition to making music, Rich is also a freelance comedy booking agent and is pursuing a Buddhist spiritual practice which is increasingly informing his music and lyric writing.

Rich began his musical training in the local Church Choir before exploring his love for vocal harmony further with the National Youth Choir and later the CBSO Chorus. Then, in the 1990's Rich was lead singer and main songwriter with guitar outfits Serene Machine and Maroon and more recently, performed some of his favourite songs regularly to crowds of thousands in professional ex-chart Beach Boys and Four Seasons band, Gidea Park.

In 2006, Rich co-founded the experimental creative network Project X Presents and acted as musical director for five of their unique and large scale "omnimedia experiences".

Visit www.richbatsford.com/music to hear more of Rich's piano music and browse the website for more info.

Smiles and ENJOY!
Markee

A New Chapter

2011-07-13T10:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, a few things happened in my business life that will now allow me to focus on my indie writing. So, after a bit of soul searching, I've decided to branch out under the 'Markee' umbrella and put some of my works under a different pen name. I'll still be 'Markee Anderson' but will also be Andie Alexander (I like those last names that begin with 'A') at www.andiealexander.com. My mysteries will go under the Andie name, and the romances will stay under the Markee name. I'm not sure what I'll do with the mysteries under the Markee name right now, but I'm considering unpublishing them and republishing them with a new name on them (or just changing the author name, if I can do that).

That way, I can focus on a brand for each name. I have many unpublished books on my computer, and after 60 days from yesterday (Sept. 13), I can legally put all my books out on indie without the blessings from anyone. I've also downsized my website side-business to just a few things, so now, I can focus more on just writing and promoting my things.

To sum it up, I've streamlined my life. No longer am I being pulled in different directions, but can focus on just my career. Is this a good thing? I hope so, but only time will tell. For right now, that picture's right...one side of me is cheering me on, while the other side is in freefall. LOL!!!

Smiles,
Markee

Happy Fourth of July!!!

2011-07-04T08:23:00.000-05:00

What are your plans for the Fourth of July? For me, I plan on watching this show:

(1776)

I love this movie! I learned a lot about history by watching this film (my history background is lacking, to say the least). They're showing it on Turner Classic Movies at 1 Central today.

The show now only describes how the men debated signing the Declaration of Independence, but also gave us a hint into the personalities of those involved. I know it's considered to be fiction, but to me, those characters were real, with real lives and thoughts as to their constituents.

Have you seen the movie? What do you think?

Smiles and Happy Fourth!
Markee

Wednesday Writing tips: Five Odds & Ends

2011-06-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

Today, I'd like to talk about a few things that might help your writing. Just little things, mind you, but important all the same.

Did you know...

...if you omit letters at the beginning of a word, you need a backward apostrophe? It's created using the control key and pressing the single quote key twice. So for the word 'til' for example, you'd have the quote backward as ’til.
...the word 'that' isn't necessary in many sentences? Take it out of your writing as much as possible, because it's not usually needed.
...everything in your book should be there only to propel your plot forward? No one cares about details of things that have nothing to do with the plot. So, for example, if you describe how an accountant balances the books for PAGES on end, you're going to lose your reader. That point, if it only shows what the person is doing at work, should be one sentence. 'John worked on balancing the books, while thinking...' where the plot is more important than balancing the books. If you can lose the scene without the plot suffering, get rid of it.
...a book needs a 'hook' at the beginning and the end of each chapter? It's needed at the beginning to get a reader to read the chapter, and at the end to not stop at the end of a chapter. Your goal, as a writer, is to keep your reader want to keep reading.
...when using quotes, put the punctuation INSIDE the final quote, except for a question mark. So, for example, to show a list, you'd write, 'green,' 'blue,' etc. It looks odd and doesn't seem natural, but it's correct. Don't believe me? Check out this site: www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/quotes.asp.

Smiles,
Markee

The Tree Saga...

2011-06-20T17:44:00.000-05:00

My kids say I'm probably the most boring person they know, but they've never visited my head on a good day. Today...a busy day. I'm just NOW feeding my neopets (fun virtual online pets) until they're stuffed full. I had a deadline and had to meet it...last week. I finally met it today. OOPS!

So let me tell you the tree saga. When we moved into this house, there were bushes where we now have raspberries, and this one lone pine tree in the backyard. It was a gorgeous tree, and the robins would build nests there every year, dive bombing our heads whenever we'd get close. It was a real treat to have a bird try to bite our heads, so of course it became a game. Wild baby rabbits would run under this tree to get away from us (we don't bite...we love baby rabbits) which then became another game to us.

This past winter, the tree died. You can see how brown it is against the very green grass. I hoped it was just a 'stage' kind of like teenagers go through, but when the needles began to fall of, I knew there was no hope. Even the Tru-green guy told me the bad news after I told him the tree was dead. He wrote on the paper they leave at the door, "Bad news. Tree is Dead. LOL!"

It was time to take our 'game tree' out of the lawn. But no one wanted to do it. My husband won't let me get a chainsaw (now how am I supposed to learn to juggle, I ask you?) OR an ax. He's afraid we'll hurt ourselves, or him. He did buy another handsaw for the tree. But what fun is that?

Yesterday was Father's day. Our youngest decided, without permission, (she's 15...what's permission?) to cut down the tree. She trimmed all the branches off before anyone knew what she was doing.

Here are the branches:

No one knows how to get the trunk out of the lawn, short of buying that infamous ax or chainsaw (I REALLY want a small one...can you tell?) or hiring someone to help. My husband has decided that he's going to cut it with a hand saw. More power to him.

Here's what's left of the tree:

That's the most exciting going on in our lives right now. Gotta love summertime!

Smiles,
Markee

Sample Sunday--from Dating a Spy Isn't All Fun and Games

2011-06-19T07:14:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday!!! AND it's Father's Day! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

Here's a sample from Dating A Spy Isn't All Fun And Games:

"Lauren, this is Special Agent Kirk. He'd like to talk to you."

Turning, I saw my boss, Robby Galvin, standing next to a man dressed in black. I stood up and shook the man's hand, then pointed to a chair at a table near my desk. "Have a seat."

Agent Kirk glanced at my boss, who left, closing the door behind him. He sat down, looking at my screen. "Are those the CPI numbers for Congress?"

I turned and clicked on the monitor screen, turning it off, as I sat back down. "Yes, and they're confidential until released. I don't need to lose my job because of someone reading my monitor."

The man tried to grin, but it was tough for him, I could see. He didn't look used to smiling.

Going solemn, he faced me. "I'm investigating a kidnapping of one of our own right in front of your building this morning. Do you know anything about it?"

"Not really." For some reason, I didn't trust him.

"Well, he was following you to give you a message."

"What sort of message?"

The man leaned closer. "Stay away from the agency. We know you're working with a terrorist and we want you out of the picture. If we don't get what we want, we'll make sure you're gone."

"I believe that's a threat, sir," I said, getting to my feet. "What agency are you with, anyway?"

He stood up and reached into his pocket. If he had a gun, I was as good as dead. I stormed him, knocking him to the floor, hoping I didn't mess up my makeup or break a nail.

"Help!" I yelled. "Man with gun!"

My door opened and the secretary stood at the doorway, packing heat herself. "Don't move," she said, aiming at the man's head. "Or I'll shoot."

"I was just going to give her my card," the man said to her. "How can you have a gun up here? You couldn't have gotten it through security."

"How did you get your gun through security?" she asked.

I loved her sense of right and wrong. Jatara was an African-American woman with street sense beyond that of the normal Washingtonian. She was raised in New York City and decided to go to D.C. because it was more crime-friendly.

"I don't have a gun," the man said. "I was giving Lauren a card so she could contact me."

I got off the man's chest and let go of my stranglehold on his wrists. "Sorry. I was sure you had a gun."

"No. They won't let you bring guns into this building." Standing up, he turned toward Jatara, who had already pocketed her gun. "How did you get yours in here?"

Her hands flew to her hips. "My what?"

"Your gun?"

She glanced around her. "I don't see no gun. Now if you don't leave, I'll call security and they do have guns. I'll tell them shoot first, then ask questions later. I rule up here, mister, and I want you to leave."

"For giving Lauren a card?"

She pointed toward the door. "Leave."

He reached into his pocket and produced his card, handing it to me. "I want to discuss this further. Call me."

I looked down at the white card, tempted to rip it in half and throw it at his face, but thought twice. It only had 'Agent Kirk' and the number listed, not mentioning his agency. If Mitch could get me a contact at the FBI, I could find out more.

"What agency are you with?" I asked him.

His face stayed solemn as he put his hand on my shoulder. "It's a secret. Just remember, get out." He turned and walked away, then out the door to the suite of offices. Jatara and I watched him go.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. But if any more men dressed in black suits come up here, stop them with your gun that you don't seem to have any more."

She smiled. "It's fake. It's not even real. My grandson gave it to me after 9/11 in case someone tried to get in here."

It wasn't funny, but I started to laugh anyway. "Stop them with the toy, then. I don't want to be bugged, because my work is due to the bosses before the end of the week, and it's going to take that long to get it done."

"You got it." She closed the door behind her and I sat back in my chair. I wasn't sure how I'd taken the man down, because beauty queens didn't fight. That was against the well-known world peace rule.

When Plans Go Awry...Make Lemonade. Literally.

2011-06-17T13:51:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry this is late, but I have a great excuse.

This morning, I had a free day planned to write and edit, finally being able to finish a manuscript (well, as free as one can get with three teenagers with taxi plans for me). I was excited...until I received an email. I have a small website business and two of my clients wanted major changes (same changes, two different websites, co-writers). Now. Before 11 when they had to take off for the weekend. It was 9:30 at the time.

So between taxi driving jobs, I got to work on the websites. Shouldn't take long, right? If I lived in a vacuum, that's true. But the usual things hit me...emails with more website things, kids needing things, mail that needed to be tended to, dog taken out, Tru-green guy wanting to talk me into him ripping down one of our trees...you know, the usual.

I was feeling the crunch. I took it out on everyone around me. Someone asked me recently how I do it, with the E-zine, the blog, writing, etc...not realizing I have five (almost six) pen names to handle. Not all of them are all as demanding as this one, because this is my only indie pen name, but I do have another blog and do have to get things out to my agent (that reminds me...I have to get that manuscript out TODAY) for yet another pen name.

I just got lunch. It's 1:47 PM. I stopped, and took the time to make lemonade. Country Time. Seriously. I don't think REAL jobs are this stressful, because most of my clients have no idea that web stuff isn't my only job. It's like having six or seven part-time jobs.

Now to breathe. And to apologize to anyone I yelled at this morning. HAHAHAHAH! :) AND to thank yet another website client for sending me her NEW book with a wonderful note. Thank you!!!

Off to work yet again. I think I'll make it to bed by midnight...gotta get that book to that agent today! :)

Smiles,
Markee

Wednesday Writing tips: Pep Talk Fail

2011-06-15T11:02:00.001-05:00

My kids put the word 'fail' onto everything. 'Epic fail' is the worst failure. So when someone recently tried to give me a pep talk about my latest manuscript, my brain registered 'pep talk fail.'

They told me HOW to fix it, in micromanaging terms, killing all creativity, and throwing me down a sliding board of gloom. My sales of my books fell at the same time and I got in a fight with my husband over something trivial. Friends had drama that affected my outlook, and I was sinking fast. And no, I don't blame my problems all on the 'pep talk fail' but it started the mess and I was darn tootin' going to get myself out of it. It was all mental, I told myself.

Every morning I'd wake up and try to shake off all the negativity, including the pep talk. Not working. So today, I decided to write for ME. The heck with the pep talk (I'd use stronger words, but we have a swearing jar, and since my sales are down, I can't afford it).

And you know what? My attitude is changing. I can see the holes in the plot MYSELF and they have NOTHING to do with the pep talk. My friends are dealing with their own drama and it's getting better. My husband loves me more than ever, all because of MY attitude toward everything.

So when you've given up and can't write another word, time to change your attitude, throw off the problems of the world, and think about your story. One spark can ignite a fire in your book, and make things so much better. :)

That's my pep talk for the day. Just don't tell me it's a 'pep talk fail.' LOL!

Smiles,
Markee

Another Character...Carol

2011-06-13T07:42:00.000-05:00

Carol is a dear friend of mine, living in a different state. We used to live down the street from her and our kids went to the same school. She is the ultimate outgoing extrovert. I love her dearly, however, I can only spend five minutes with her before I need a nap, she's so upbeat. I'm more of a curmudgeon introvert, believe it or not.

Carol's the one who got me hooked on caramel macchiatos and Starbucks. Life is an adventure to her and she makes me laugh all the time. Everyone needs a 'Carol' in their life, because you'll laugh so hard, just loving life around people like Carol. I miss people like that. I don't think the entire state of Wisconsin has anyone like Carol in it…it's probably the cold or something having to do with cheese that's the culprit.

Carol LOVES shopping. I hate it. She also likes strange clothes. I'm more conservative in my dress (polo shirt and jeans, pretty much). Her husband agrees with me, but her daughter (the same age as our son) is a lot like her mom. Retail therapy lives in their household!

When we were neighbors, I'd lost a lot of weight at Weight Watchers. Carol used to tell me that thin people have GOT to have something wrong with them, probably something unseen like 'toe fungus.' So when we'd see thin people, she'd lean over to me and whisper in a LOUD voice, 'toe fungus!' and we'd both laugh. That is, until I lost all that weight. That's when she decided I needed a complete makeover.

She convinced me to dye my hair, gave me a manicure coupon, and took me to sleazy shops to buy new clothes. As she pulled out some of the blouses, I about died. Carol busted a gut, just watching me. She knew I wasn't open to wearing leopard skin, thinking she was hilarious. Here's this wonderful lady who goes to Bible studies…and she picks out leopard skin shirts to wear in PUBLIC. Hilarious!

It wasn't until she and her cousin bought me a Victoria's Secret black bra with matching underwear that I realized she was really proud of me. She handed it to me at the elementary school…which is embarrassing in itself.

I have to thank you, Carol, for making me laugh for those three years when we lived near you. And no, I don't have 'toe fungus,' but man…would I ever love to, by your definition!

Oh, and Carol, your idea of putting that intimate tryst using a roll bar on the top of the Jeep into a book someday…uh…I think I need a caramel macchiato. Make it a Venti. :)

It's now SUMMER!!!

2011-06-10T07:52:00.000-05:00

OK...don't go all 'weather PC' on me. I know summer doesn't start until June twenty-something-th. But if you're a parent in the U.S., as soon as that kid walks out of the school for the last day of the school year, it's officially summer, even if it's just May (and yes, the school we were in back in Kansas was ALWAYS over the Friday before Memorial Day).

So it's now summer here, and I've been *informed* that I have a full summer ahead of me, mostly by my middle kid (the 16-year old redheaded daughter with ATTITUDE, formally called 'dating daughter' but she broke up with the guy and broke his heart). She even made me a calendar so I wouldn't forget all HER activities. She color coated for each member of the family. After showing it to me, she said, "Mom, there are no yellow/orange items on here." (Yellow/orange was my color coating, so no one would see my stuff because they couldn't care less.) That's when I informed my darling child (all sarcasm intended here) that ALL of those items on the calendar were mine, because I'm the taxi driver.

This morning, we started on our 'calendar of horror' by taking the dog to Petsmart to get groomed (she's a border collie and hot in the summer, so we basically have her shaved, get her nails done, etc.). The kids all wanted to come along, but NO ONE remembered the leash. So here I am, dragging the dog down the aisles of Petsmart while she's trying to bolt. She hates the groomer. By the time we get to the grooming department in the back of the store, she's honking while coughing by choking herself.

After getting home, we let the bunny out of his cage (rabbit with rabbitude) and the youngest (she's 15) and I go pick strawberries (our first...and small). We try to come back inside, but the rabbit has locked us OUT OF THE HOUSE! The rabbit glares at us through the sliding glass door with the piece of wood firmly holding it in place, as if 'nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah'. Did I mention he has rabbitude? So youngest daughter runs to the front of the house and rings the doorbell over and over again. Rabbit runs toward the front door to open it. No kidding. But son gets there first, and is laughing while doubling over because we got locked out by the RABBIT!

So the summer has started out with a bang. I feel a headache coming on already, just from the turn of event so far this morning and it's not even 8 am yet.

When does school start again? :)

Smiles,
Markee

Wednesday Writing tips: Traditionally Published versus Indie Published

2011-06-08T08:34:00.001-05:00

There's a discussion forum on Amazon (here) entitled 'What tactics will cause you to blacklist an author?'. It made me think, especially from some of the comments on that forum. One thing that caught my eye were the comments that basically said indie (self-published) books aren't worthy and are only published because they couldn't make it in the traditionally published world.

Whoa. Stop the presses and let's talk about this.

I have an agent, but didn't get a contract until after I'd indie published five of my books. I've learned volumes about writing since signing that contract last November, but I don't think any less of my indie pubbed books. Not in the least. Nor would I ever think an indie book isn't worthy. I just consider traditionally published authors got lucky. I've seen some indie books that are better, by far, than some traditionally published books. I've also seen the opposite, so it all depends on luck and who you know, or so it seems.

A few years ago, if you said you were going to self-pub, you were ostracized. Some big names rose from the self-pub ranks, but they were few and far between. However, indie publishing is much different than years back, with so many big-named authors jumping the traditional publishing ship and going indie. Why? It's simple, when you think about it. They have more control and they can make more money with their name presence, while charging the reader less. The question should be 'why not' instead, since they've made their name already and have a fan base. But note, some of these people were already known, so being traditionally published isn't all bad.

Having a foot in both camps, I can see the pros and cons of each side.

Indie books:
For indie published authors, they have control of their careers, which is a major plus. Instead of marketing by flying from city to city, they can actually focus on writing. They make more per book, even if the price per book is low, than they would with a traditional publisher. Ebooks on Amazon yield the author 35% if the book is less than $2.99 or greater than $9.99, and 70% in that $2.99-$9.99 range. So, for a book that costs the reader $2.99, the author makes about $2.09.

On the 'con' side, indie books don't sell the volume that traditionally published books sell. They don't have the marketing team sending out emails to the world talking about the author's books. Also, I just received a Google alert this morning that one of my indie books has been pirated and being offered on a Japanese site for free. I have no backing to stop such actions as an indie author. And, like the Amazon forum stated, indie published books just don't have the reputation of being 'good books.'

The sales arc for indie books starts slow, then builds over months, the opposite of traditionally published books. So, even though indie books can be put out immediately (compared to traditionally published books that take years to get to the shelves) indie authors have to be patient to make money.

Traditionally published books:
Most big publishers (traditionally published books, in paperback and hard cover, in book stores) require that an agent present the works to them. Agents usually take 15% of the author's cut, to earn their pay. They work with the author and act as intermediary between the publisher and the author. Agents keep getting that payment, even when the contract ends between the author and the agent (see here: kriswrites.com/2011/06/01/the-business-rusch-agents-surviving-the-transition-part-3/). If you read the entire article, you can see why the industry is changing and why some big authors are going indie, now that they've made their names.

Publishing with a big publisher not only gives the author more respect in their field, but can also yield advances for each book. Brenda Hiatt gives a run-down of the payouts by publisher on her website: Show Me the Money!. The average payout per book is around 6%-10% of the sales price (depending on the amount of sales, that could go up), but the amount of sales would be greater than with an indie book. An author 'earns out' the advance before making any more money, thus, that advance isn't just gravy on top of earnings. So, for a $20 book, the author only makes between $1.20-$2.00 per book (assuming the percentage is based on RETAIL and not WHOLESALE). They also have to pay the agent 15% out of that money.

Where does the rest of the money go? Most of it goes to the bookstores, then to the publisher and their bills for things like cover artists, editors, etc. An example of this is shown here: http://www.seahillpress.com/resources/articles/the-reality-of-book-distribution/.

For the cost of each book:

Bookstores take about 45%-50%
The publisher (and that includes payment to the author and agent) takes about 30% (6-10% to the author, of wholesale or retail price)
The printer takes 10%
The distributor takes 10%

Needless to say, the author and agent get the least amount of money. Many times, on a $20 book, the author can get 80 cents. No kidding.

Along with waiting for a book to get to the bookshelves (can take a few years), the author is expected to make appearances at different outlets. Book signings, conferences, and meeting with the publishers take time away from writing and can be expensive, but those meetings do help in marketing.

The pros of being traditionally published include gaining a reputation, having books edited for you, marketed for you, and getting an advance. Also, there is backing because a team of people are working for you. Agents also have lawyers to negotiate movie rights, as well as overseas contracts.

The cons include having to attend different conferences and book signings, having to get past a gatekeeper (the agent or publisher) who decide what gets published, and making the lowest percentage of a book's sales, even though without the author, there would be no book.

So for the Amazon forum members to disrespect indie books is a tragedy. Many of the indie books I've read could easily stand up against some traditionally published books, and the readers pay less for very creative works. I've found that many indie books take a bad rap from reviewers, too, only because they're indie pubbed.

Smiles,
Markee

New Ezine!

2011-06-06T05:42:00.003-05:00

This past week, I decided to start something new. The goal was to share with readers, to make the relationship between author and readers more personal. So I started an E-Zine...an online magazine. I had the usual pages, but also included a contest for the month of June.

I thought the contest wasn't that easy. It was a cryptogram, which I would think many people would shy away from. My father used to love cryptograms (he died in 2007) because he worked on breaking codes when in the Army. So, in his honor, I included a cryptogram with two clues, for those who have never done cryptograms before. Within minutes, I had a response (and I thought I'd have none at all), and the answers kept coming in.

I told my mother about this, because I was amazed at the response. People loved solving the cryptogram, and I received many nice comments in the emails, about how they really enjoyed the puzzle. Mom's response? I made it too easy. She does the cryptogram every day in the paper and they NEVER give more than one clue. The one clue they do give tells only one letter in the answer. She made me laugh, because I got people to try and not get disgusted with the puzzle and/or me.

So, next month, I want to do something different for the contest. Mom's reply? Cryptogram solvers won't like that...keep it the same. Mom's a hoot. She's turning 80 this year and refuses to try anything new, like a computer (LOL...they've been around for a LONG time but that's 'new'). Cell phones bug her. She won't even use a credit card.

I hope I never get that old, mentally, that I can't adapt to new things.

Regardless, try the June Contest on the E-zine. It's not that difficult (according to Mom), and it's fun. When you send me the right answer, you get put in a pool to win a $10 gift card to Amazon.com.

Have a great week. I'm off to figure out a contest for next month. Any ideas?

Smiles,
Markee

Sample Sunday--from Touchdowns & Potions

2011-06-05T08:35:00.001-05:00

It's Sample Sunday!! YAY!!! Here's an excerpt from 'Touchdowns & Potions' (from chapter 1):

Edna laughed as she sat. "Yep. Now, about this practice man. What's his name?"

Jenna took a sip of the tea then faced Edna. "Andy."

"Wait. It isn't Andy McKnight, is it?"

Jenna tilted her head as she took another bite of the delicious cookie, the overabundance of chocolate chips melting in her mouth. "Yes, it is. How do you know him?"

"Oh, dear Jenna, if you're going to get a man, you need to watch sports. He's the most fawned over man in all of Lincoln and probably the nation. He's hot, and every woman would love to have him. I heard he has so much fan mail, they had to hire six people full-time around the clock just to open the letters."

"He's that famous?" She had no idea that a slob such as Andy, could be that famous. But fan mail? She hoped it wasn't groupie women.

Wait. Where did that come from? Was she that infatuated with the guy to have something like that creep into her brain?

"Are you sure you don't want this guy?"

Jenna lowered her eyes. "He's not right for me, that's all." Especially if she had to compete with lovesick women.

"Why?"

"I can just feel it." Jenna wasn't the type to gossip, and didn't want anyone to know what she knew about the slob, Andy McKnight.

Edna studied her face for a moment in thought. "I think he is right for you. I bet he even made a pass at you, didn't he?"

"Well…"

"He did? What did you do?"

Jenna lowered her head and covered it with her hand. "I…uh…walked away from him in anger."

"Good."

She raised her eyes and faced Edna. "Good?"

"Yes, ma'am. It shows you're not easy. He needs to respect you and not think of you like the women fawning at his feet, willing to do whatever he wants. Tell me more."

"I don't think I can. He's a client and that's just not right."

Edna bit her lip in thought. "Tell me about his house. I promise it won't go anywhere else."

"It's huge and he has a dog."

"A dog and a big house, huh? Was he alone?"

Jenna felt trapped, because she didn't want to gossip. She took another bite of the cookie and weighed her options. "Sort of."

"Oh, I get it," Edna said with a grin. "He had some of his friends over and they had a party. The place wasn't clean, was it? I bet one of them even had a girl over. Am I right?"

Jenna chuckled as she faced the older woman. "How do you know that?"

"It's written all over your face. But remember, he made a pass at you. You were more important than the girl who was visiting. When do you meet him again?"

"Tomorrow at eleven at his place."

Edna smiled. "Good. Wear something like you're wearing now, be yourself and I want you to try something out for me."

"Huh?"

Edna got up from her seat, reached into the back of her cabinet and removed a small vial of a clear liquid. She opened the container and sniffed it with a smile. "This is a love potion and I'd like you to see if it works."

"A love potion? I don't think I can—"

Edna grabbed Jenna's arm and put just a drop on her wrist. "It won't wash off for exactly a week, so don't even try." She grabbed Jenna's other arm and put a drop on that wrist as well. "It only takes a few drops because this is powerful stuff." She screwed the lid onto the bottle and put it back in the cabinet. "I'd like you to tell me how it goes."

Speechless, Jenna stared at the woman, her mouth falling in surprise. She looked at both arms, sure this was just a bunch of hooey. Since her arms looked the same, she sniffed her wrists, which smelled like vanilla. "Okay, we'll see how this goes." She checked her watch. It was 9:51.

"It's not what you think," Edna answered. "It smells a little like vanilla, but it's got more in it than that once it dries. Only men can smell it, too. I want to know how it all goes tomorrow as soon as the meeting's over."

Jenna almost laughed at the woman. "I'll call you and let you know. In the meantime, I have plans for your home, if you still want to sell. You don't have to, you know. You could live here for a long time if you wanted to."

The old woman shook her head with a grin. "You're the most honest person I've ever met. Most people would see the dollar signs, but you see much more. I think I'm ready to sell, but not sure I want to go into an old folk's home. It's so final, like I'm just waiting to die."

"You're right about that," Jenna answered. "So think about what other options you have."

"I'll do that. In the meantime, I want to help you. Let me know how it turns out with Andy, and I'll do my best to make sure your practice on him works."

"What if he's not the right one?"

"Don't worry, honey. He's your practice man right now, and if he turns out to be Mr. Right, you'll know it. Then I want you to grab him and make sure he knows it."

"I'm really not that kind of girl."

Edna leaned looking like she was telling a secret. "You need to become that kind of girl."

What was Jenna getting herself into?

Fun Friday!!! I found my new digs...I think!

2011-06-03T06:20:00.003-05:00

** Since I just found out that it might be illegal to embed videos, I'm changing my posting. **

And no, I wasn't looking for any new digs, but imagine what it would be like to live in a window and have people talk to you all day long. That would be a hoot!!!

Check out the video. It's here on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSpc3c1zOLQ&feature=player_embedded

Smiles and HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Markee

Wednesday Writing tips: Using the word 'that'

2011-06-01T05:33:00.000-05:00

I had a chat with my agent yesterday, and told her I was working on this old manuscript, because this publisher wanted to see it. But, when asking about word count requested, she said my number was about 4,000 words too high. She said, 'take out all unnecessary words, such as 'that.''

Now, I learned a while back, that the word 'that' was usually unnecessary. For anyone who's ever entered a romance writing contest, that becomes second nature. For example, in the following sentence, the word 'that' is unnecessary:

I brought the cake that she was expecting.

It would be rewritten as:

I brought the cake she was expecting.

I think Americans use 'that' too often in their speech. If you don't know if the word should be there, use Microsoft Word's rules. Sometimes you have to use it, but it's not nearly as necessary as you'd imagine.

Smiles,
Markee

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T06:23:00.002-05:00

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all service men and women, for giving of their time and their lives to protect us at home.

God bless every one of you, for keeping this a free land.

Markee

Sample Sunday--from 'Saved by the Glass Slipper'

2011-05-29T08:21:00.000-05:00

Enjoy this excerpt of my book, 'Saved by the Glass Slipper':

I dried myself off and inched back the shower curtain, checking to make sure I was alone. The door to the bathroom was shut, so I opened the curtain farther, stepped out and got dressed. After I combed my hair, I brushed my teeth, then applied some makeup over my pasty, hangover-looking skin. Alcohol was not my friend and I decided that was my new mantra.

The phone rang as I applied some makeup. “Can you get that?” I yelled into the living room.

“Sure.”

I heard a ‘hello’, then ‘yes, this is her apartment’. I didn’t hear much more, because I decided to dry my hair, since it was dripping. Whoever it was could wait, because the only people who ever called me were my brothers, telemarketers and…Connor. Uh-oh.

I flipped off the hair dryer and ran into the kitchen, where Mark was in a heated discussion on the phone.

“No, she’s with me today.”

Uh-oh, just as I thought—Connor. I held out my hand for the phone while Mark smiled and shook his head.

“Sorry, buddy, it’s over and you lost.” He hung up the phone and grinned.

“Connor?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

He nodded, his hands flying to his waist. “How long has he been playing psychological games with you, anyway?”

“Two years, and I’m not sure if they’re psychological games either.”

“Oh, yes they are. He even has you doubting his technique. I’m really glad he’s gone and you were at the beach yesterday.”

“Yeah?” I asked with a grin. “I vaguely remember that. Hot dogs, right?”

“Yep. You’re better off without that psycho. He was even trying to get into my head.”

“He’ll be here soon. He lives about a mile away, and I don’t keep that bat at the door just for security purposes.”

“I say we leave right now.”

“But I was going to eat breakfast.” I pulled a bowl out of the cabinet, then opened a drawer for a spoon.

“You don’t have anything to eat in the fridge anyway.” He put the bowl away then grabbed my hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

“But—”

“No buts,” he said. “I’m paying.”

I stopped him before he opened the door. “You think of me as a charity case, don’t you?”

“No. I think of you as very strong, very bright, and independent.” He looked around the living room. “Anyone who has the tenacity to stay here by themselves is a force to be reckoned with.”

I put Mark’s clothes that I’d been wearing into a bag and we left the apartment. Just as Mark opened the passenger’s car door for me, an older four-door lime green car pulled into the parking lot.

“Who’s that?” Mark asked.

“Connor. Let’s get out of here.” I hopped into my seat.

Before Mark could run around to his side, Connor—a small wiry man with thick glasses and a black beard—got out of his car and stormed over toward us. I looked at Connor—Mr. Negative Seventeen—then at Mark—a definite twenty, who was muscular and much cuter than Connor could ever be. What was I ever thinking when I went out with the psycho idiot? Even Mark’s red sports car was a lot cooler than Connor’s lime green clunker.

“Who are you?” Connor yelled.

“I’m a friend of hers,” Mark said. “And she’s with me today. You’re out of luck.”

Connor ran to Mark with his arm swinging toward Mark’s face. Mark ducked, grabbed Connor’s arm and twisted it behind him, slamming his head down onto the hood of the red sports car.

“I don’t think you want to do that,” Mark said, getting closer to Connor’s face.

Just as I’d opened the door and gotten out of the car to protect Mark, a van pulled up and four huge men hopped out, approaching Mark and Connor.

“Is there a problem here, sir?” the biggest of the men asked.

I couldn’t believe my ears. “Sir?” I looked at Mark with my mouth opened then stared at all of the men. They had muscles upon muscles and appeared to be military in their mannerisms. They were dressed in black pants and black polo shirts that had a logo of a hat on the shirt, with the name ‘Madcap’ under the logo. I recognized one of them as the man in black who was following me at the beach the day before, and another as the man in the bank with the white shirts and jeans. Taking a step backward, I just watched them, more out of curiosity than fear. This was weirder than I’d ever imagined. Why would Madcap men follow me on a walk to the beach and stand in our lobby at the bank?

Smiles,
Markee

Fun Friday!!! This site is hilarious!

2011-05-27T06:17:00.003-05:00

I found a funny site, thanks to Monya at the Spinning Wheel 3 yesterday. It just cracked me up. If you want to LOL, (and to my Monk friends, that's LOL out loud), go here: www.worldoflongmire.com/features/index.html.

Check out the first three features...I can guarantee you'll be LOLing a LOT!

Enjoy!!

Markee

Wednesday Writing tips: Using Names in Dialogue

2011-05-25T06:38:00.001-05:00

I've been reading a lot of books lately (can't get enough of my Kindle) and have noticed that many writers have issues with grammar and the craft of writing. I used to get so upset at authors who didn't know how to write, but now, I just enjoy the story instead.

But I wonder how many of these writers even know they're not entertaining some of their readers, but just annoying them? Maybe I can help them realize it?

So, starting today, I'm going to explain what I'm finding that just bugs me. Granted, I'm no editor, and I don't have a degree in English (my college degree was in math), but I've learned a few things over the years.

The first thing I'd like to discuss is what a friend of mine calls the 'Dick and Jane' form of dialogue. Here's an example of what I've seen lately, which pulls me out of the story. This is just the dialogue, but see if you can figure out what's annoying me (like that would be tough given the title of this post):

"Come with me, Jane. I want to show you something, Jane."

"Sure, Harry. I can't wait to meet your mother."

"That's not funny, Jane. My mother is the devil incarnate and you know it. She's been all over the tabloids with devil horns drawn on her head."

"Well, Harry, that might be true, but she is the mother of the infamous Harry Jones."

"Very funny, Jane. I'm not infamous. I'm famous."

Did you figure it out? There are only two people in the discussion, but the writer feels like it's necessary to include names in EVERY paragraph (different paragraphs show that different people are speaking). It sounds like first grade dialogue in my head.

If you're guilty of this, I'd like you to go to a restaurant and listen to two people speaking at a table, but only two people. Do they EVER use the other person's name? Yes, but only if they want to emphasize the name. One rule of thumb I use is to include a name in a dialogue tag or an action tag every 3-4 paragraphs, if there are only two people speaking. So, for example, the above set of sentences might read like the following. Notice I introduce the two people in the first sentence.

Harry grabbed Jane's hand. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

"Sure. I can't wait to meet your mother."

While she laughed, his expression remained solemn. "That's not funny. My mother is the devil incarnate and you know it. She's been all over the tabloids with devil horns drawn on her head."

"Well, that might be true, but she is the mother of the infamous Harry Jones."

"Very funny. I'm not infamous. I'm famous."

Can you tell who's talking in each of the sentences? Did I even have to use the names in dialogue? No. I did use it in one sentence, for emphasis (the infamous Harry Jones), but we already knew Jane was speaking.

Music Monday--Call Me Al

2011-05-23T05:53:00.001-05:00

This video just cracks me up! Enjoy!

It's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsEjsIbWq88&feature=player_embedded

Smiles!
Markee

Sample Sunday--from 'All for Aaron'

2011-05-22T08:06:00.000-05:00

It's Sample Sunday! YAY! I'd like to give you a sample of 'All for Aaron':

Kelly sat beside Aaron on the carpet and cried while watching him play. She mulled over the incident that had happened so many years before. She knew Richard was playing games then and now, but she couldn’t chance telling him that. She’d married him, hoping he’d forget and never make life nasty for her. She had to sign the divorce papers or he’d promised he’d tell their secret. If anyone found out, she’d be in big trouble. Kelly didn’t like being controlled, but knew her lot in life.

At dinnertime, she made sandwiches for Aaron and her and they both ate dinner at the table. No one would ever understand what she had to do to get through her day or how anyone could cope or function under such scrutiny. She’d been watched for so long, it almost seemed second nature to her. Drew was the only one who’d even come close to understanding.

She lay down on the couch and watched Aaron. She must’ve fallen asleep, because two hours later, the phone rang.

“Hello?” Kelly answered.

“Is this the Chinese restaurant on O Street?”

“You have the wrong number. Please try and dial the right number next time, okay?” Her voice was as cold and brutal as she could muster.

“Thank you.”

Kelly hung up the phone, scooped Aaron into her arms, and walked to the basement. As soon as she unlocked the door, Drew stepped inside.

Kelly put a finger to her mouth for him to be quiet, then whispered into his ear. “I don’t think there’s a bug down here, but let’s turn on the television just in case.”

She walked to the large television, closed the curtains over the small basement windows, and only turned on one small lamp in the opposite corner. She glanced at her watch and tried to remind herself to put Aaron to bed soon. He played on the floor while Drew and Kelly sat on the couch.

Drew whispered to Kelly. “Can we talk now?”

“Not really. I need to have someone check this place out for bugs.” She felt sad, because she had to deal with this problem. “I never know what Richard is planning. Right now, he suspects you, and called to tell me he has a room picked out at the institution for Aaron.”

Drew put his arm around Kelly as the tears started down her cheeks.

“I’m so sorry. That man is horrible. If you want me to get involved, I will, as a friend.” He moved closer to her and wiped her tears from her cheeks.

She moved her head back to look into his blue eyes and viewed his whole face, finally resting her gaze on his lips. “I don’t think there’s anything you can do, but I’m grateful for the offer. I’m just glad you’re here to hold me. That helps tremendously.”

“I should have brought you some flowers or something. That always works.”

“No. If Richard or one of his employees comes here and sees flowers, he’ll really know something is going on.”

“That’s so sad. You can’t have any peace, knowing he’s watching you all the time. I just can’t believe someone would be so mean to someone as beautiful as you.” He touched her hair, and stroked it off her face. “Do you mind if I kiss you?” He wiped away her tears with his fingers again, his adorably handsome face close to hers.

She really wanted to kiss him, but knew it just couldn’t happen. He just smelled so good, with minty-fresh breath and some type of wonderful aftershave.

She sat back slightly to compose herself. “I don’t know. If Richard gives me another lie detector test, I won’t be able to lie about it, and he might think it was a date. I would love to kiss you, though. Does that make you feel better?”

Drew grinned and kissed Kelly’s forehead. “I’m here for you if you need a friend.”

“I’d like for you to be more than that, but don’t dare do anything about it. Does that make sense?”

“Sure does. I’ll wait as long as it takes, Kelly. I’m here for you and for Aaron.”

She wiped her cheeks and stopped crying. “You’re too kind, sir. Why are you doing this?”

“Because I really care about you. I hate seeing you in this situation, and I really want you to be free to live your life. No one should be held prisoner like this.”

“But you don’t have to do this. You could just turn a blind eye and go on your merry way.”

He wrapped both of his arms around her, holding her head to his chest. “My beautiful Kelly,” he whispered. “You need someone to help you through this. Don’t you see that? He’s got you so scared of him, winning psychologically every time he breathes.”

Smiles,
Markee

Blog tour--Sandra Edwards

2011-05-20T05:44:00.007-05:00

We have a wonderful guest today!

Sandra Edwards (author of Crazy For You, Incredible Dreams, Secondary Targets, Broken Wings and Vegas, Baby) is giving away a new Kindle 3 with a nice starter library from some fantastic authors.

For more information on the giveaway drop by her website for the details www.sandrawrites.com.

For those who are following the blog tour/giveaway, here are your questions for this stop on the blog tour:

1. In the first chapter of Tess St. John's Second Chances, who dies? -- Find the answer at: http://www.TessStJohn.com

2. Where does J.E. Taylor write? -- Find the answer at: http://www.jetaylor75.com/id30.html

Good luck!

Markee

Random thoughts: Trolls, Discussion Forums, and Marketing

2011-05-18T07:35:00.000-05:00

According to dictionary.com, a troll is:

troll 2
[trohl]
–noun
1. (in Scandinavian folklore) any of a race of supernaturalbeings, sometimes conceived as giants and sometimes asdwarfs, inhabiting caves or subterranean dwellings.

2. Slang . a person who lives or sleeps in a park or under aviaduct or bridge, as a bag lady or derelict.

But to me, it takes on a different meaning, and different according to targeted platform.

A troll to a writer is someone who writes bad reviews, or is mean to others on forums, for no apparent reason.

To illustrate this for the review part, if you go to almost any of my book pages on Amazon, you'll see troll comments. How can I tell they're trolls? There are a number of things that flag them to me, as trolls. For example, the writer has written one or two reviews, total, and they're mostly negative. Another key indicator is if the troll writes nothing of substance in the review, such as (paraphrasing here) 'this looks like a high school kid wrote it' but doesn't give specifics, or my favorite, 'the plot is like every other book the author wrote, so I won't buy any more of their books.' Um...if they didn't buy any other books, how do they know that? AND, considering all of my books are extremely different, I don't think so. I have 3 contemp romances written in third person, and 2 mysteries written in first person, and all plots are VERY different.

Ignore the troll reviews. Their motivation may differ between trolls, but I have my theories. For each of the books where I had troll reviews, they were presented on very popular blogs at the time. Their ratings went very high, very fast, then fell back slightly. Someone, somewhere, was irritated with being kicked out of the spot where my book went. OR someone has a personal vendetta against the author, such as a stalker would harass their victim.

This leads me to the next type of troll. The troll hanging out in the discussion forums. These types are dangerous, I think, because they not only harass the authors on the forum, but follow them to their book pages and anywhere they happen to be on the Internet, making the author's lives miserable. This happened to a friend of mine, and his sales suffered, as well as his reviews. All he did was post on a discussion forum and tell the trolls to leave him alone. They didn't. Because of his bad luck, I've stopped posting on forums as much as I had been. I believe there are cyber-stalking rules, however, how can you stop these people if you don't even know their real names? Many times, these trolls set up more than one account, hiding behind their names. They could be located anywhere in the world, too, where the stalking laws are non-existent. If you want to read more about cyberstalking, go here: www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbName=DocumentViewer&DocumentID=32458

So what should an author do? Ignore the trolls or have your friends downgrade them on your book's page. Laugh at their childishness. OR take out a lawsuit if they become stalkers. It would only take one or two famous stalking cases to stop trolling and stalking.

As for marketing, any publicity is publicity, even if negative. And, if the trolls buy your book (verified purchase, on Amazon will be listed with their review), that does help you, because you reap the payment of what they paid. It makes their review more credible, but the bottom line is the money you make on your books.

Good luck...it's a scary world out there. Stamp out the trolls everywhere! :)

Markee

Monday Music--Knights in White Satin (Moody Blues)

2011-05-16T05:37:00.001-05:00

I'm feeling 'zen' today after hearing this song over the weekend. This is a song from my childhood (yeah, I'm old). I even saw the Moody Blues in concert when we lived in North Carolina. Very very cool!

It's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEs-UsI8fq8&feature=player_embedded

Have a great week!
Markee

Sample Sunday--from 'Love Means Nothin''

2011-05-15T08:03:00.000-05:00

It's Sample Sunday!! YAY!! Here's a scene between Melody (a nice innocent girl from West Virginia) and John (a tennis pro) in New York City:

~~~~~

"No way. I don't let tourists pay for my meals." He leaned closer. "It doesn't do well for my image."

"Which is…?"

"I'm a playboy, according to the papers." He leaned up closer to her ear. "It's not true, but my publicist thinks it'll bring in more revenue." John held the door open for Melody, making her stare, because she'd never met a chivalrous man before. She entered the building, but couldn't take her eyes off the adorable man treating her like a queen.

"John!" The heavy man behind the counter wearing the apron extended his arm and shook John's hand as soon as he walked up to the counter. "Long time no see!"

"I've been touring," John said. "I'm finally back in town for the U.S. Open."

Melody felt her mouth drop, sucking in the spicy scented air of baking pizza. "The U.S. Open? You're a pro?"

"Sure," he said, facing her. "You don't get out much, do you? I'm all over the news because I'm finally seeded with the best."

"You don't know him?" the man behind the counter asked Melody.

"No. I don't have time much for television. I work too much."

"You're not from around here." The man shook her hand. "I'm Tony DiGlassie, and I own this place. Where are you from?"

"West Virginia," she said. "I just got off the train."

"Oh, a tourist. I should've guessed from that sassy accent. Love southerners. They're great for business." He turned and went into the kitchen. "The usual, John?" he yelled, glancing over his shoulder.

"Sure, Tony." John turned to Melody. "Want some pepperoni pizza with the works on it? It's really good."

"Sure."

"Make it two, Tony," he shouted into the back.

"Sure thing!"

Melody leaned up on her tiptoes to whisper into John's ear. "I've never had the works. What is that?"

"Oh, you'll see. I promise it's the best pizza you've ever had."

She looked around the small diner. One man sat in the corner, watching the television mounted on the wall. "Why isn't this place crowded?"

John checked his watch. "It's almost eleven at night. This place is hopping at meal times."

"I thought no one slept in New York?"

"That's Vegas, not New York. There are places open until late, but some places close at eleven. This place doesn't close until midnight. So who's getting married?"

She thrust her hands into her pockets. If she didn't do something with them, she was tempted to put her arm around him. "Elsie Mae Johnson is gettin' married. Wait. She changed her name. It's Elise Johnson since she moved to New York to become a dancer."

"Did she make it as a dancer?"

"Sort of, but she met a very rich lawyer named Charles Westbrook the Third."

John's eyebrows rose. "Lucky Chucky? She's marrying him?"

"Do you know him?"

"Know him? We went to high school and law school together. We grew up in the same town." He studied her face for a moment. "Would you like an escort to the wedding? I'd love to see Chucky's face when I walk into his wedding."

Smiles,
Markee

Fun Friday!!! Word Search--Weekend Activities

2011-05-13T12:35:00.001-05:00

Here's a fun word search, with things you'd do on the weekends. Click on the first letter to turn it yellow, then drag it across the word and click. It'll get crossed off on the bottom. (if it doesn't work, just print it out and find the words on paper).

Have fun!

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;noframes&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href='http://www.wordsearchmaker.net/wordsearchplayer.aspx?puzzleid=c3bc3a9c-a9d1-4900-9507-79d4b20f3c81'&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Free Word Search Puzzles&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/noframes&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;Make Your Own Word Search

Smiles,
Markee

WOW! Free Books Galore!!!

2011-05-11T07:11:00.001-05:00

I have a habit to go to certain websites every day, just to see what's going on. I went to http://www.febd.net/ebook this morning and saw about 233 free Kindle books, mostly fiction. WOW. That's a LOT of free books for my Kindle! Usually there's like one or two decent ones, but today, I might have to spend a lot of time taking a look at them. They start around page 12 in the list, then go down in number, to see the more recent ones.

Have fun and Happy Reading!!!

Markee

Music Monday: Monkees--this is HILARIOUS!

2011-05-09T05:54:00.001-05:00

Check out this video. It has running commentary about Davey Jones and the other Monkees. You have to see it to believe it. It's hilarious, because I don't think they originally played their own music, but had to be taught to play the instruments.

It's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nViC0K-zifk

Enjoy!
Markee

B Movies

2011-05-06T06:58:00.000-05:00

I love B movies. They make me laugh, especially if they were created as serious movies. 'B' movies are low-budget motion pictures that are usually poorly done or the acting is less than ideal. Sometimes, they're created that way for a purpose, to be included in the B movie rating.

So a local movie theater up here in the Green Bay area has decided to bring in more revenue. They're going to show B movies on the first Friday night of the month, through December, at 11:59 PM. But they're not stopping there. In true 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' (see here for a description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094517/trivia), they're going to have local stand-up comedians yelling at the screen throughout the movie, asking things like 'why are you stupid enough to go into the dark basement when you know the scary music is playing'?

I can't wait...but can I sit through a movie in the wee hours of the morning? It's hard to tell...but I'm willing to try!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Markee

Am I Employed Yet?????

2011-05-04T07:12:00.000-05:00

I'm a stay-at-home Mom. It's not by my choice, but when we moved to Wisconsin, my computer contracting work dried up (I guess people don't like sending emails to Wisconsin or something). The job market was bleak up here, and I was needed to acclimate our children into school and their lives. They needed me, or so I told myself. So when the kids were in school, I wrote. I refuse to accept that I'm married to the house, OR that I LIVE for cleaning (no way). We've lived here over seven years and I don't see the job market opening up and almost refuse to even look. Our kids need me more than ever now, to be a taxi, therapist (I swear I should be compensated for listening to 'who likes whom' at school), tutor, etc., since they're in college and high school.

But the problem lies in my family...not the people who live in my house, but my mother and sisters. (My brother couldn't care less...he doesn't speak to me or many of my family members). I get 'so when are you going to get a REAL job' more often than not when calling home. 'Does your husband still want you around if you're not working' just galls me. Yes, I AM working. I'm probably putting in more hours than the normal employee. I work 12-14 hours days, always on the computer, writing, rewriting, editing, and marketing. I don't just work five days a week, I'm working seven days a week. How many employees do you know who do that willingly? And, I get business-related phone calls at any time of the day and night. Do you know any regular employees who would take their work home with them?

So now, my indie books are starting to turn a profit. I'm getting good nibbles on my agented stuff for different pen names (three pen names, actually, I think). It's the beginning of great things. So I called home to talk to my mother to tell her that I may even consider myself employed. She's not very thrilled. I guess making a few hundred dollars a month isn't good enough yet. 'If you'd just get a job...' I hear. MOM! I'M EMPLOYED!!! I HAVE A JOB!!! I'M KEEPING YOUR GRANDKIDS HAPPY!!!

Think that'll do it? Does anyone else have this problem, or is it just me?

Smiles...sort of,
Markee

Music Monday--God Bless the USA

2011-05-02T05:54:00.001-05:00

I'm feeling very patriotic today, just like the many people in the USA. So sit back and listen to one of my favorite patriotic songs:

It's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E&feature=player_embedded

Smiles, and God Bless the USA,
Markee

Sample Sunday--from 'Dating a Spy Isn't All Fun And Games'

2011-05-01T07:55:00.000-05:00

I'm sharing a sample from 'Dating a Spy Isn't All Fun and Games' today. First, here's the blurb: Ex-beauty queen contestant Lauren McDonald is thrust into the spy underworld when her boyfriend's job starts to seep into his personal life, making her the conduit for the transfer of information from one enemy to another. Her life can never be the same again when she agrees to marry her boyfriend and become an agent, just to save her life and the United States. But the odds are against her, and those dreams of a peaceful married life go right out the window when she finds out the true mission of the enemy.

Priced low for people to afford, it's approximately 336 pages in length. Written in first person POV--mystery.

Sample:

~~~~~
We sat in Shawn's office, with Rick sitting right across from me. The man was a Lee clone, looked like he ate rocks for breakfast, and was tougher than any man I'd ever met. He definitely wasn't my type, but from the way he eyed me while licking his lips, I kept thinking he thought I was his type.

Keeping my eyes on Shawn, he looked irritated beyond belief.

Bryce and Dusty walked into the room and as soon as they walked beside the table, they both stared at Rick, who was now sticking his tongue out and wagging it at me.

"Rick," Shawn said. "Look at me, please?"

"No. I want her and you know it."

Shawn glanced toward me. "Move seats. I want Dusty there."

"Got it." I stood up and watched as Rick's eyes followed me back to Shawn's desk, behind his seat.

Shawn slammed his hand on the table, making everyone jump. "Rick!"

The man turned toward Shawn. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"I…uh…" He glanced toward me, then faced Shawn. "I don't know."

Lee walked into the room, joining me at the desk. "What's going on?"

I leaned closer, lowering my voice. "The guy has a thing for me, and is doing odd things with his tongue."

"Huh? He's solid, probably more than anyone I know."

"Just watch," I whispered.

"Rick, tell me what happened when you went to the dating service."

"Oh, that." He glanced toward me and smiled. "I'd rather talk about Lauren."

Shawn touched his shoulder. "You're married and so is she. I need you to focus here. Tell me what happened at the dating service."

"No." He crossed his arms, turned his chair and stared at me, smiling. His tongue went in and out and he stood up. Walking toward me, he reached out.

"Rick!" Lee said, moving in front of me. "She's not here anymore. Tell me what happened at the dating service."

"Where did Lauren go?"

I moved down to my hands and knees and crawled under Shawn's desk. Lee walked out from the desk and approached Rick. "She's gone. Sit back down or I'll call security."

He sat back in his seat while I watched through a crack where the bottom of the desk met the credenza.

"Tell us what happened?" Shawn asked.

"Well, I met with a guy named Ed, like you requested. He took me to a bar where we met with some other of his Russian friends. They didn't know it, but I knew what they were saying in Russian. I played dumb, listening to what they thought of me and how they could use me for the bombing."

I knew the information from my head was classified, so he shouldn't have known about any nuclear codes or bombing.

"What bombing?" Shawn asked him.

"They're bombing the U.S. with a sub off the coast. They have to wait for the Internet video from Lauren. She'll give them the location, but the numbers are jumbled on purpose. The code will tell them what numbers to transpose." He turned toward the desk. "Where did she go? I'm in love with her."

"No, you're not," Shawn said. "Who told you that?"

He spun slightly toward Shawn, his chair still aimed at me. "Ed did, and I believe him."

"Why would he tell you that?"

He looked over at the desk again. "Because he knows I can't be hypnotized."

This was just a weird situation.

Shawn touched Rick's shoulder. "Are you under any type of hypnosis right now?"

The man nodded. "Yep. I can't come out of it until Ed tells me I can. I have to stay near Lauren, too, to make sure she gets to the meeting place tomorrow."
~~~~~

Have a great day! Smiles!
Markee

What Else is on TV today?

2011-04-29T06:21:00.000-05:00

I turned on the television today to realize that nothing must be going on in the world, because every channel that wasn't showing infomercials were televising the Royal Wedding. Wow...a day without sad news! How amazing!

So, of course, I had to keep the television on, amidst rumors of a royal pregnancy, just to see if she looked pregnant or hurled (wouldn't THAT have been amazing news).

Now that the wedding's over and I'm watching them ride through the streets in a horse-drawn carriage, I want to know how Kate keeps that smile. She appears so 'royal' looking, nothing bothering her. I couldn't do it. I'd be a mess. But she's just taking it all in stride. She even has the wave down.

So what else is on TV today? IS there truly no other news or shows to be played? I guess I'm just not one for weddings, overall, but it's like I HAVE to watch this. History in the making, folks...this is what romantic dreams are made of.

Smiles,
Markee

Chillin' with My Cup 'o Joe...

2011-04-27T07:18:00.000-05:00

It's been a week and a half already, and it's only Wednesday. On Monday, after shuttling one of my kids to a local library for a study group (my kids had off for the Easter weekend), I came home with a full schedule planned for me. I've been working on two manuscripts for my agent, for another pen name. Last week, the agent also gave me permission to put one of my mysteries (not a cozy, not lighthearted) out to indie publishing, but it'll take a while to edit it and get it ready for publication.

So I have a 'full plate' and was settling down to write (I was actually in the bathroom) when the phone rang. On the third ring, I finally grabbed it. It was my agent. Now how do you explain you were on the 'throne' which is why you couldn't get the phone? Eh. She was really calling me for a reason, so I'm glad I ran to the phone while pulling up my underwear. She'd been chatting with an editor for a HUGE NY publisher about one of my cozies. The editor was very interested in the storyline, however...and this is what always gets me...I have to do almost a total rewrite of the story. The focus isn't right. The name of one character isn't right. The hero's not behaving right. And so the story goes. A rewrite. But the more I think about it, she's right. These things she wants would make the story a LOT stronger. Ideas swirled in my head. Thoughts of a big advance and a huge pen name inflated my ego. Was I ready for this? Could I handle the work I WAS doing for the first pen name AND rewrite this cozy for my mystery pen name, while trying to get yet another book out on indie? I have no idea...and still don't.

So yesterday, I couldn't function. I read my Kindle with any short free book I could find (I couldn't concentrate on a long book). I emailed some of my friends. I hung out on Facebook and discussion forums. I was a mess! It's like writer's terror!

Today, I'm a little better. I've put it into perspective and am now 'chillin' with my cup 'o joe'.

Thus, if you try to email me or comment to me on any social network, realize my head's not really here with me. But I'm trying! I am thankful to my friends who email me with notes like 'breathe' and stories about some fictitious Llama who's hilarious. Life goes on and even though sometimes it's not status quo, it's still life. We all put our pants on one leg at a time, even if it's while running to the phone from the bathroom.

Smiles,
Markee

Music Monday--Ludovico Einaudi Nuvole Bianche

2011-04-25T09:10:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Torok Istvan who responded to my question about 'what do you listen to when reading your kindle' on the Amazon Kindle Facebook Page, I'd love to introduce you to some GORGEOUS music. Thank you, Torok!!!

It's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GTkzyyv0DuA

Isn't that amazing? This guy (Ludovico Einaudi) has a bunch of albums. I just lose myself in this music! How about you?

Smiles,
Markee

Happy Easter, everyone!!!

2011-04-22T12:32:00.000-05:00

My kids have a 4-day weekend and they started out this morning by wanting to go shopping. Thus the late posting here. Since they're now pulling on my arm to yank me to yet ANOTHER store, let me wish you all...

a VERY...

HAPPY...EEAAASTTTERRRRR!!!

aaaaaggggghhhh!!! They're pulling me!!!

LATER!!!

Smiles,
Markee

Snow, Snow, Go Away...

2011-04-20T06:31:00.000-05:00

Mother Nature hates us. I swear. We 'received' (and it was NO gift) 9.9 inches of snow yesterday and last night. Yesterday, our grass HAD been green and almost ready to mow, but then the snow began to fall. It was a heavy, very wet snow. Along with that, we had thunder and lightning, or we had 'thundersnow' (like a thunderstorm but with snow instead of rain.) The weatherman said we had 1000 lightning strikes per 1/2 hour yesterday in this area. That's a lot.

So in honor of this spring dump of snow, I've created a new top ten list of things to do:

10. Fire all local weathermen. 4 inches of snow predicted should NOT mean we get over double that. Other than politicians, they're the only profession I know of where they can be wrong 80% of the time and still keep their jobs.

9. Create a gigantic bubble to put over our house so we don't have to shovel.

8. Rewire our vacuum cleaner to blow out very very hot air in a wide swath to melt all snow on our property.

7. Demand that all local governments put hot water pipes under the streets so we never have bad roads again (if the tiny country of Lithuania can do it, so can we).

6. Make it illegal for it to snow in April. Everywhere. Fire any weatherman who predicts this (see number 1).

5. Thundersnow should be outlawed. We never had it as a kid, so we certainly don't need a new word now.

4. Start building snowmen on our front lawn like Calvin does in the Calvin and Hobbes comic strips. I think I'll start with a snowman holding an April calendar in horror with a knife to shred the paper.

3. Make the snowblower our mower, saving the need to sharpen any mower blades.

2. Hibernate until summer, which now seems to be slated for the first week of September, right before next winter's snowfall.

And the number one thing on my to-do list:
1. Shoot that stupid groundhog. Six weeks, my foot!

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Off to shovel. AGAIN.

Smiles,
Markee

Music Monday--Outcast

2011-04-18T06:36:00.002-05:00

I just LOVE this song. It's called Outcast and really fits my life. I never felt like I fit in anywhere, always 'outside' the rest of the people in the group. I learned how to conform, but it wasn't really me. So this song defines what I think many people feel. Very cool song!

It's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FfJ2-N5EGRY

Here are the words:

Outcast by Kerrie Roberts:

Lyrics: (http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/lyricsdetail.php?lyrics_id=65702)

Since I can remember
Guess I been a problem
Never had a filter
Never been the popular one
To sugar coat what I know is undeniable
I just can't hide it
I wear it like a letter

Everywhere I go
Everyone is talking
I can feel them staring
They hope I'm just pretending
And giving up my power
Caving into pressure
I'm not living for them
I live for something better

I'm not good enough
I'm not what they want
But let me tell you what
I know who I am
So just throw me out
For not fitting in
I will stand my ground
And be an outcast

So-o what if I'm an outcast
So-o what if I'm an outcast

So what if I don't look the
Part I'm supposed to play
What if I don't follow
All the rules they make
They think I should be perfect
They love it when I mess up
No grace in case I blow it
A good girl shouldn't need it

I'm not good enough
I'm not what they want
But let me tell you what
I know who I am
So just throw me out
For not fitting in
I will stand my ground
And be an outcast

So-o what if I'm an outcast
So-o what if I'm an outcast
So slow and everybody's so fast
So-o what if I'm an outcast

I try to play nice
I don't want to fight
But I won't be great
When it sounds like I'm right
Cause what I believe
Is what makes me strong
If I don't belong
I hold onto love

I try to play nice
I don't want to fight
But I won't be great
When it sounds like I'm right
Cause what I believe
Is what makes me strong
If I don't belong
I hold onto love

So-o what if I'm an outcast
So-o what if I'm an outcast
So slow and everybody's so fast
No matter what it costs
I'll be an outcast

I'm not good enough
I'm not what they want
But let me tell you what
I know who I am
So just throw me out
I'm not fitting in
I will stand my ground
And be an outcast

I'm not good enough
I'm not what they want
And let me tell you what
I know who I am
So just throw me out
I'm not fitting in
I will stand my ground
And be an outcast

Smiles,
Markee Anderson

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-04-17T08:02:00.000-05:00

I'm new to this Six Sentence Sunday stuff (man...that's a mouthful!) so bear with me if I can't count. HAHAHAHA!!!

This is from 'Touchdowns & Potions'. In this scene, Jenna's in a grocery store looking for something to get rid of the love potion that makes all men go crazy...

"I'm fine. I'm just going to get some lemonade in the dairy aisle." She picked up a container just as a man pinched her butt, forcing her to shriek.
"What was that?" Andy exclaimed.
"You're adorable!" the pincher said. "Come home with me and I'll show you some new uses for that lemonade."

This was such a fun book to write. I hope you enjoy it!

Smiles,
Markee

Brittany...another character

2011-04-15T05:43:00.002-05:00

I go to Walmart to shop. It's cheap and a one-stop shop. I hate shopping, so this is perfect for me.

Brittany works as a clerk at Walmart and since this is a rather unfriendly town to outsiders, I got to know her when I'd go through her checkout every week. Her line was always low and now I know why. People didn't want to hear about her life. But I fell for it.

I'd spoke to her more than once over a few months and she finally found out I was a writer. She wanted to meet me for lunch to 'bounce a few ideas' off me for a book.

Sure. (I was so naïve back then.)

So I meet her at a local dive near Starbucks and sit down with her. We order meals and she proceeds to tell me her life dream.

"Back when I was two, I was abandoned in our fenced-in backyard for five minutes outside while my mother went to grab the phone. Since then, my life's never been the same."

I instantly crave a Starbucks caramel macchiato, feeling a long story coming on.

"Then, when my brother hit me when I was four, I knew I needed psychotherapy," she says.

Shoot me now.

"When I grew up, I just knew my life would be a best-selling memoir, so I wrote all 600 pages of it—"

"Wait," I say. "600 pages. About your life?"

"Well, of course." She pulls up her hand and starts ticking things off on her fingers. "I had a kid at 15, was married at 18 for my first marriage, became a Wiccan, then divorced at 19, got four tattoos at 20…want to see them?" She stands and begins removing her blouse.

"Uh, no. I believe you." I'm craving a grande caramel macchiato right now, knowing I can't handle the sugar, because it makes me act drunk.

She plunks down in her seat and grabs a French fry, sticking it into her mouth. "Anyway, I married again at 21, squeezed out two more kids that the state took away from me, got into recreational drugs—"

"Recreational drugs?"

She waves me off. "Yeah. I only spent two years in jail for attempted murder. But now, my life's turned around and Wicca has helped me, since I now have cancer. Did you know the Bible's not real?"

Make that a Venti Caramel Macchiato.

"Um…do you know I write romances and some of them are Christian romances? All of my stuff's fairly sweet."

"Won't sell," she says.

Probably right on that one.

"Besides…" She snags a fry and waves it through the air. "You sound like you need psycho help. Now back to me. I have this 600-page book and am ready to publish it, but lost it on my hard drive. Do you know how to get it back again?"

I can tell her about the recycle bin on her computer, or I can save the world and her from this story. Tough dilemma, but I can't lie. "Not really, but it might be in your recycle bin."

"I checked there. It's gone. I'm gonna have to write it again." She leans on her hand with her elbow in the table. "I have to relive my life again." She snorts up her tears. "Well, it's been nice knowing you." She waves for the waitress, gets her bill, pays it and leaves.

I guess the invisible 'Talk to me words' disappeared from my head. I pay my bill and run to Starbucks, getting a Venti Caramel Macchiato and a blueberry muffin just to wash the past hour or so from my brain.

Thank you, Starbucks…you're a lot cheaper than psychotherapy!

YAY! Gift cards!

2011-04-13T06:07:00.005-05:00

My birthday was on Monday. Yeah. I'm now 50. Depressing. I didn't want anyone to know it, only telling a few people. But as the day progressed, I realized 50's not that bad and I told more people. By the end of the day, it was no big deal.

I asked for gift cards for my birthday, and that's what I got. One was for Starbucks (of course) and the other was for Amazon.com. I went to Amazon and bought a BUNCH of indie-pubbed books. I'm so excited, because now, I can actually read the books I've wanted to read for a long time. But we're taking an extended vacation this summer, and I decided I'd save a lot of them to read for that trip (since we're taking a train 34 hours each way). So now I wait, yet again.

Here are a few of the indie books I bought...there are more, but I've been waiting a LONG time for these:

These are just a few of what I bought, and are in no particular order. I can't WAIT to read each one of these. Have you read any of them? Should I be scared of any and not read them at night?

Smiles,
Markee

Music Monday--Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop

2011-04-11T05:06:00.002-05:00

Do you have a favorite commercial, where the music just grabs you? When it comes on the television, you stop what you're doing, just to listen? This is one song I've heard on commercials (don't ask me what the product was...I have no idea).

It's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=erywPdFfORE

This song is like a vacation to my ears. It calms me down and gives me time to take a breath. Thank you, Barry, for sending it to me! I do appreciate it...I need the vacation today!

Smiles,
Markee

Characters…they’re everywhere and seem to be following me!

2011-04-08T06:40:00.000-05:00

Today I'm going to start an ongoing saga of the characters I meet. These stories are based on real-life events, believe it or not, with names and event details changed to protect myself from being killed. :P (that's a smiley face with its tongue sticking out for tongue in cheek…if you don't like it, tough. HAHAHAH!)

So I have this strange ability to draw odd people into my life, for some reason. My old officemate at work used to tell me I had and 'talk to me' written across my forehead. Of course, I had to go to a mirror to see if it were there, but alas, no words appeared (I'm a little on the gullible side). They were invisible to everyone but the most insane, I swear.

Here's an example. (Oh, and I'm practicing my present tense writing, so ignore any past tense words...they're ingrained in my head.)

I was walking around our local grocery store with a tall (which means small, 12 oz size in Starbucks land) cup of Starbucks coffee when this older blue-haired woman approaches me in the produce section. (Starbucks is a theme in my life, to calm my nerves from dealing with weird people and I should get payment for product placement here).

"Can you tell me where the bell peppers are," the old woman asks, standing BESIDE the bell peppers.

My husband shoots me a 'here we go again' look and walks away with his venti (that's their HUGE 20 oz size and yes, I looked up the spelling) latte, leaving me with the old lonely woman."

"Uh, right there," I say.

"Well, I'm making chicken salad and need to put peppers in it. Do you think the green or red would be better? I add grapes and walnuts…" And on and on and on she goes. My mind swirls, wondering what planet she came from as my husband waves and laughs at me from across the huge produce aisle.

"I see," I say to her. "I think the red. They're sweeter."

"Do you add cucumbers to your chicken salad? My grandkids don't like cucumbers so I hide them in there. Do you think I talk too much…"

Before I could answer, I find out all about her grandkids, her great-grandkids, and even where she hides her extra key to her home.

Welcome to my world, because this is typical for me. Fortunately, after 20 minutes, my husband saves me, telling me he thought he saw someone ready to pull the store fire alarm and we had to check out. He and our 16-year old daughter had done ALL the shopping, which I HATE doing.

Hmmm…guess I lucked out after all! Thank you, little old lady who's making weird chicken salad!

A Dedication to My Facebook Friends

2011-04-06T06:31:00.000-05:00

Facebook is an absolute blessing. I have the best friends there, I swear, and every one of them brings different aspects of their personalities to my life. For example, there's the political one, the one who posts the most hilarious things constantly to get 'head desk' comments in return, and of course, the guy who drinks Red Bull to get writing. Most of my friends on Facebook are writers, but they are characters! I've learned more about their lives than I know about my teenagers' lives.

I learned yesterday (or was it the day before) from one of my friends in Hawaii that there's a read-a-thon going on this weekend (check it out if you just LOVE to read: 24hourreadathon.com). Another friend keeps me updated on baseball scores as they happen. I mean, think about it. Twenty or more years ago, you'd actually have to CALL these people to find out cool information like this. Red Bull had just been created in Australia (1987), but hadn't been introduced to the United States until 1997 in California (thank you, Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull). How times have changed!

Anyway, I want to thank all my Facebook friends for entertaining me during the day. When I'm bored, I just pull up Facebook and read what my friends are up to (or shouldn't be up to) and just laugh and laugh.

Smiles and have a great day!
Markee Anderson

Just Another Music Monday!

2011-04-04T09:08:00.001-05:00

I love music! I also have to admit, much of what I like is romance music and Christian soft rock, which can be really romantic sounding. I'm a romance writer, so shoot me. HAHAHAH!

Today I want to take a look at Doctor Who. I just LOVE Doctor Who. I thought Christopher Eccleston was 'the man' but now, I'm thinking David Tennant is even hotter! Matt Smith...eh...not my cup 'o tea. Take a look at this video and tell me David's not just a hotsie totsie:

It's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3YESTRCtQA&feature=player_embedded

Smiles,
Markee

Welcome to Markee's Place

2011-04-04T07:19:00.001-05:00

Welcome! I want this to be a place to sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself. Sometimes you'll think I'm insane, but hey...that's what makes the world go 'round. What's the point if there's no happiness in this world? :)

Have a great Monday!!! I sure will!

Smiles,

Markee