How'd you spend your evening?

Well, this and an empty fire extinguisher are my souvenirs of an interesting night.

What happened? Sit back and relax.

Hubby and I were watching TV this evening. We heard a "WHOMP" outside. I thought for sure a car had wrecked, because we live on a two-lane road that people speed through all the time.

We look at each other and I go flying out the front door and around my car. Next door, I see a car in front of my neighbor's house (it's rural, so we're not right on the road) with flames coming out of it.

I come running back inside to grab the fire extinguisher from the kitchen, and I tripped before the carport (result pictured), scrambled to my feet, hit the door screaming at Hubby to call 911, tell them car engulfed, we need fire department asap, don't know if anyone's inside. Ran into the kitchen, grabbed the extinguisher, ran back out and next door.

There's a guy stopped, staring at the car. I'm yelling at him if he's the driver, if anyone was inside it, etc. as I'm running over. I saw flames in the passenger compartment, but none under the engine.

(Note: My dad was a fireman for years. We had plenty of accidents on the curve in front of my house growing up. And I was a mechanic for several years. So I know my shit. Also, I was a trained rescue diver, so thinking under extreme duress isn't usually a problem. However, my lack of coordination, apparently, is. LOL)

The passenger window was either blown or broken, so I shoot the fire extinguisher into the passenger compartment to see if I can knock it down enough to tell if anyone's inside. The door was locked, so I can't get it open. I can tell there's no one in the passenger seat but can't see the driver side. I run around, that's locked too, but didn't look like anyone in the seat.

I go back around and empty the extinguisher inside as much as I can, still can't see anyone inside it. My neighbor, awakened by I guess me screaming and the fire, comes out with a flashlight and a dead kitchen extinguisher. (Yeah, I know.)

At this point, all we can do is pull back and wait. I was afraid if it went up it might take the power line out above it.

It kicks up again, so we pull back farther. Hillsborough County deputies finally arrive, and then a fire truck. They got it knocked down and said it didn't look like anyone was inside it.

By this time, I'm realizing how badly my knees (especially the right) are fucked up and plop my fat ass down on the ground. (That's the fastest I've run in a while. LOL) Deputy took our info, got in touch with the owner who is at another location, with the keys. My guess is either it was jacked and torched, or insurance. Because the WHOMP Hubby and I heard obviously wasn't from a car flipping, and the only other sound I can associate it with is an explosion.

So as I write this now, it's being loaded on a flatbed. Which Hubby might need to get my ass out of bed tomorrow.

I'm on the couch with an ice pack on my right knee (it's swollen and will probably be a beautiful shade of ouch tomorrow).

So how was your evening?

EDIT: And yes, I've already said I'm using this in a book. LOL

Amazon's at it again -- no more tags.

Well, Amazon apparently is continuing along their "if it's not broke, let's break it!" course of action.

The latest victim? Tags. Yep. If you go look at book pages, tags are gone. Which means it's more difficult than ever to find similar books, or get into the discussion boards (because why on EARTH would a company want to make it EASY to actually ACCESS one of their features??).

https://kdp.amazon.com/community/message.jspa?messageID=445251

http://ebooksuccess4free.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/amazon-removes-tags-on-books-for-good/

Yes, tags were prone to abuse, just like nearly every other user-involved feature on Amazon (reviews, community discussions, etc) but at least they HELPED.

Pphhttttp!

Sing it with me...

Some of you who follow me on social media know of my love for The Big Bang Theory. Here's a little something you might enjoy. :)

Come join fellow BDSM Bibliophreaks!

I just realized I didn't put this up here on the blog. LOL

We've got a new Facebook group for readers and authors of BDSM fiction and non-fiction. It's a closed group, so only members can see the posts.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/BDSMBibliophreaks/

Promo is allowed, but please read the rules in the Files section before you do.

Also, please do NOT directly add your friends to the group. Send them the link, or feel free to post the link anywhere you want, but we don't want people added to the group without them being asked. (The Facebook "invite" feature actually adds them to the group, so it sucks.)

Frankensteining my fibromyalgia.

Apparently I've coined a phrase, according to some of my peers on a FetLife group I'm on for kinksters with fibromyalgia. LOL

I mentioned in a discussion about the various vitamins and supplements I'm tweaking and using to manage the symptoms of my fibromyalgia that I was "Frankensteining" my fibro.

I guess that was a hit. LOL

Since going off Cymbalta cold-turkey a few months back, I've been actively seeking out supplements and vitamins, researching, and trying things. Right now, after over a month on malic acid, I do believe I've got the daily pain under control. In that way, at least, I'm feeling pretty darn good (now that my flare that started in October seems to be over). Recently, my "average" daily pain is far lower than it was.

My current target is fatigue, sleeping issues, and brain fog. Several things have led me to the conclusion I might be low in B-12, so I've added a B-12 sublingual to my mix, while taking away the daily B multi-vitamin (since several of my other vitamins and supplements also contain various Bs) and literally in just a few days, I've noticed a HUGE jump in my energy levels. (Now if the moons on my fingernail beds all come back, I'll know without a doubt that was a 100% win.) I plan on working on my current dosage for several weeks and then tweak it back incrementally until I notice a decrease in energy/increase in fatigue to find my maintenance dose.

Fibro is soooo much fun. (NOT!) But I'm more convinced now than ever that getting off the Cymbalta was the right choice for me, although it might not be the right one for everyone. That leaves me only taking my generic Flexeril (10mg) at night for a daily prescription, with my Percocet in reserve as a safety net drug for severe break-through pain, and a prescription for Anaprox (which is, in essence, 2.5 Aleve).

I've also been gratified to get so many notes from readers of my latest release, It's a Sweet Life, where the heroine also has fibro, CFS, and arthritis. It's resonated with so many who are also "invisible" sufferers of these and other chronic conditions. I'm glad it's been so well-received. I'd wanted to work a heroine into a book with a chronic condition like mine, and Libbie presented the perfect opportunity. I wanted readers not just to simply feel sorry for her, but to empathize with those like her, to understand how difficult it is for us on the inside, so to speak, even though to people who don't know us very well, it might seem like we're either fine, or faking it, or looking for sympathy.

We're not looking for sympathy. We're just looking for understanding and accommodation. Believe me, WE want more than anyone else the ability to have a "normal" life. We didn't choose this, it chose us.

So excuse me while I retire back to my mad scientist laboratory to go research some more supplements.

Release Day: "It's a Sweet Life" (Coffeeshop Coven)

Woot! It's release day for "It's a Sweet Life," a prequel for my new Coffeeshop Coven Series from Siren-BookStrand:


http://www.bookstrand.com/its-a-sweet-life

Blurb:

Libbie Addams has a mortgage on her struggling bakery, no love life, no health insurance…and fibromyalgia. She's worried about making ends meet when two hunks show up to rent her extra apartment. Not only do cousins Ken Dougherty and Charles Stackhouse make her money worries disappear, they offer to help out in their spare time.

They also make her panties damp. Too bad they're gay, but they’re great eye candy.

The men have a secret—they're not gay cousins. They're twin brothers hiding from a vengeful mob boss. Charles is Allan Donohue, a prosecutor with the State Attorney's office in Miami. Benjamin Donohue is the undercover detective who helped break the case wide open. Now they're marked for death.

They hope their ruse can keep them, and Libbie, safe. Because now that they've fallen in love with the delicious baker, they’ll never let her go. But when vengeance comes calling, will they ever get to enjoy their sweet life together?

--

It's a mfm contemporary with just a TINY hint of paranormal elements from secondary characters.The Coffeeshop Coven series will center around Many Blessings, the New Age shop introduced in my book, "Out of the Darkness." Not quite the heavy paranormal of my shifters and vampires, I'm hoping my contemporary fans will also enjoy this series.

If you haven't read "Out of the Darkness" yet, it's my 2010 EPIC winner that also provides some backstory for Many Blessings. You don't have to read it to read "It's a Sweet Life" or the rest of the series, but if you want the full backstory, you might enjoy it:

http://www.bookstrand.com/out-of-the-darkness

You can go to my Siren-BookStrand author page and click on the Notify Me link to get an email from Siren when they update my page and add new books for pre-order:

http://www.bookstrand.com/tymber-dalton

(It's also where you can find all my releases under my various pen names: Tymber Dalton, Lesli Richardson, Tessa Monroe, and Macy Largo.)

"It's a Sweet Life" available for pre-order!

Woot! "It's a Sweet Life" just went live for pre-order on Siren-BookStrand's site:


http://www.bookstrand.com/its-a-sweet-life

Blurb:

Libbie Addams has a mortgage on her struggling bakery, no love life, no health insurance…and fibromyalgia. She's worried about making ends meet when two hunks show up to rent her extra apartment. Not only do cousins Ken Dougherty and Charles Stackhouse make her money worries disappear, they offer to help out in their spare time.

They also make her panties damp. Too bad they're gay, but they’re great eye candy.

The men have a secret—they're not gay cousins. They're twin brothers hiding from a vengeful mob boss. Charles is Allan Donohue, a prosecutor with the State Attorney's office in Miami. Benjamin Donohue is the undercover detective who helped break the case wide open. Now they're marked for death.

They hope their ruse can keep them, and Libbie, safe. Because now that they've fallen in love with the delicious baker, they’ll never let her go. But when vengeance comes calling, will they ever get to enjoy their sweet life together?

--

It's a mfm contemporary with just a TINY hint of paranormal elements from secondary characters.The Coffeeshop Coven series will center around Many Blessings, the New Age shop introduced in my book, "Out of the Darkness." Not quite the heavy paranormal of my shifters and vampires, I'm hoping my contemporary fans will also enjoy this series.

If you haven't read "Out of the Darkness" yet, it's my 2010 EPIC winner that also provides some backstory for Many Blessings. You don't have to read it to read "It's a Sweet Life" or the rest of the series, but if you want the full backstory, you might enjoy it:

http://www.bookstrand.com/out-of-the-darkness

You can go to my Siren-BookStrand author page and click on the Notify Me link to get an email from Siren when they update my page and add new books for pre-order:

http://www.bookstrand.com/tymber-dalton

(It's also where you can find all my releases under my various pen names: Tymber Dalton, Lesli Richardosn, Tessa Monroe, and Macy Largo.)

"The Denim Dom" (Tony's story) coming soon!

Looks like I have a tentative release date of March 1 for The Denim Dom. (Subject to possibly change, but that's what it's listed as for now.) Yes, that's Tony's story (from The Reluctant Dom and Domme by Default).

No cover yet, but here's the blurb I just turned in for the cover form:

Blurb:


Who needs leather when you can have denim? A denim Dom, that is.

Shayla Pierce dumped her lying ex and moved to Florida to start a job at a magazine. An assignment to write about BDSM leads her to discover a new world and make a slew of new friends, including the sinfully sexy Tony Daniels. She’s just not sure she can ever trust again.

Tony is used to teaching about BDSM, but he’s never trained a submissive he wasn’t dating before. After losing hope he’ll ever find the perfect submissive for him, Shayla walks into his life and asks him to train her for her series of articles. He knows about her bad break-up and their agreement is supposed to be nothing more than business. But as she raises the ante, he’s finding it harder to keep his heart under lock and key.

Will Shayla stay a hostage to her past, or allow Tony to become her Denim Dom?

--

Also, make sure you've read Cardinal's Rule and Safe Harbor, because Tony's book updates you on those characters as well. :)

And if you're on Facebook, I have a page set up to follow along this grouping of books: http://www.facebook.com/TheReluctantDom

Shiny new book cover! "It's a Sweet Life" (Coffeeshop Coven prequel)

Woot! I love showing off shiny new book covers! This one is for my release on 1/18/13, "It's a Sweet Life," the prequel to my new Coffeeshop Coven Series.

Blurb:

Mix one struggling baker with two hunks in hiding. Stir in love, sex, and vengeance. What do you get? They’re hoping it’s a sweet life.

Libbie Addams has a mortgage on her struggling bakery, no love life, no health insurance…and fibromyalgia. She's worried about making ends meet when two hunks show up to rent her extra apartment. Not only do cousins Ken Dougherty and Charles Stackhouse make her money worries disappear, they offer to help out in their spare time.

They also make her panties damp. Too bad they're gay, but they’re great eye candy.

The men have a secret—they're not gay cousins. They're twin brothers hiding from a vengeful mob boss. Charles is Allan Donohue, a prosecutor with the State Attorney's office in Miami. Benjamin Donohue is the undercover detective who helped break the case wide open. Now they're marked for death.

They hope their ruse can keep them, and Libbie, safe. Because now that they've fallen in love with the delicious baker, they’ll never let her go. But when vengeance comes calling, will they ever get to enjoy their sweet life together?

--

You can go to my Siren author page at: http://www.bookstrand.com/tymber-dalton and sign in and you'll see a Notify Me link at the top of the page, between the listing of books and the toolbar. You can click that link and Siren will send you an email every time they upload one of my books for pre-order.

Don't forget, if you have a Kindle, sign up for a Siren account, input your Kindle email address (and make sure in Kindle your account is set to allow files to be sent) and you can pre-order the book and have it as soon as it's released instead of waiting a couple of months. If you have a Nook or other device, you can buy the file and then either upload it to your device via USB cable, or sideload the file into your device by emailing it to yourself (this works great if you have an iPad, both the .epub and .pdf versions will work in your iBooks app and it'll give you an option when you click on the attachment to open it in iBooks).

So, what do you think of the new cover?? :)

Happy 2013! :) The year of an attitude of gratitude.

Well, edits are turned in for It's a Sweet Life, my Coffeeshop Coven prequel that releases on 1/18. And...for those of you who don't follow my Facebook page, I'm happy to announce that Siren has accepted The Denim Dom (Tony's story) and the contract has been signed and returned. I don't have a release date yet, but look for it in March of this year.

(Yes, I finally got Tony's story written!)

New Year's day was pretty melancholy for us because it marked the one-year anniversary of our dear friend's passing due to brain cancer. I spent it working on edits and watching The Twilight Zone marathon on SyFy. I didn't want to see the news or hear one word about fiscal cliffs or anything else.

I quit making New Year's resolutions a long time ago. But something I saw pass through my Facebook feed a few days ago stuck with me, making a "gratitude jar," where you write down every day something good that happened, no matter how small, so you could go back through it at the end of the year.

I decided that this year, I'm going to use my Witches' Datebook that I get every year and write down, every day, something/s good. Already I have that we gathered with friends for New Year's Eve, I signed a contract, finished edits, received a great review from AllRomanceEbooks.com for Bleacke's Geek, and a few other things. Just looking back on the past couple of DAYS makes me feel good. I'm sure after a few weeks and months, when I have blue days, I'll be able to look back and smile and remember to feel gratitude.

What are you grateful for? What have you decided to do this year for yourself to better your life, no matter how small?