Redding, California Motion Fire

My oldest son lives in California. One of the big fires is close to his city now. His boss and some friends he works with have already been evacuated, but they live farther out of town. He’s been sending me photographs, so I am adding some of them here. It’s so scary. From some of the photos sent to me, I am seeing some of the places I have visited while there, like Shasta Dam, Whiskeytown Lake, and other places like that where the fires are breathing on the borders. It’s just sickening to see the devestation!

 

This week my youngest son is going to California to tour Napa Valley. There are fires around Sacramento, too, so I don’t know how much of Napa will be closed off. They won these tickets, and the plans are all made, so they can’t change it now.

 

Been working on the third book in my Enc …

I’ve been working on the third book in my Enchantment series. So far I’m just beginning Chapter 9. I was working on my newest contemporary romance, but set that aside while I have the calling and urge to work on book three. Other than that, I’ve been planning on my book signing/ presentation next month on August 12th in my old home town. It’s always fun to visit there, and see all my friends. I’m excited to introduce my second book to them. Last year when I talked about the first book, Visions of Enchantment, the second was in production. Now, I have that to show and tell about. Readers who have read both books are telling me that even though they loved Visions, they absolutely loved Enchantment’s Embrace even more. That’s so thrilling to hear! I just finished reading The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. I loved that book! I’m now reading The Rescue by him. He’s quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Race Car Driver or Model?

INDY SPOILERS for the Japan Race 4-19-08.  I’m a race fan, mainly NASCAR and IRL.  Last night the first female to win an open wheel race made history.   Go Danica!  She has been racing a couple years now, and had a lot of pressure to win.  Fans were beginning to wonder if she could ever win a race.  All the announcers covered her throughout every race, and covered her, and covered her.  You’d think she was the only one in the races.  I’m all for women in racing,  and sports, but I have to tell you, I’m really sick of the media throwing in her half naked photos and videos, and sleazy commercials any time they have to talk about her.  Don’t they realize women watch this sport, too.  I wonder how many women and children are offended when they pop her bikini shot in front of their faces.  I want to see her for her talent, not her body.  Yesterday, my 12 year old step-daughter turned around just at the minute they displayed the swimsuit video, and she turned her eyes away because she thought they were showing her nude.  I told her that her bathing suit was nearly skin colored; she wasn’t naked.  She was offended, and thought she saw something she shouldn’t have seen.   I shouldn’t have to explain stuff like that when watching a car race.  I haven’t seen one male race car driver anywhere, in commercials, photos, or videos wearing anything other than pants or shorts.  Hey, guys, men wear swimsuits, too!  Women watch racing!  Honestly, though, I don’t want to explain that to a child either.   I hope that now she won’t be posing totally nude if asked.  Then we’ll have to watch that commercial for years to come.  Oh, no, no, I know they won’t show the whole spread, no pun intended.   What does her husband think about this? I wonder.   Many of you will probably give me flack about this, but maybe you should sit in front of the TV with a child and monitor what they see in a family event!  It can’t just be me who feels this way, but of course, my husband says no one cares.  I’d like to know if anyone else cares what is shown during a simple race.  Let me know, leave me a comment, tell it like it is.  I can take it.  It’s just my hope now, that since she won this race, and actually did make history, she won’t have to sell herself with her body.  She’s a talented woman, an awesome driver, a wife, a daughter, a winner!  Come on Danica, let us see you for that, not for your half nude photos and videos I can’t let a child see.   Let us love you for your talent! 

 When she started, she was the ‘big deal’, and I understand that.  After all, a tiny, young girl handling a car that goes over 200 mph is a feat.  That is a big deal.  She is a big deal!  But it bothers me that before this win, she was better know for her magazine lay outs showing her in sexy poses, and most recently the swimsuit photos.   So, I say again, let us see these atheletes for who they are, and for their talents.  It’s mainly up to the media, or maybe I should say, it’s up to us. 

Shake my World at 5:34 AM With an Earthquake

You heard about the earthquake this morning…  Well, I felt it here in west Michigan, near Kalamazoo.  There I was, sitting enjoying my first cup of coffee, kind of stretched out on the couch.  Then the couch started moving like it was floating on waves.  At first I thought it was my body shaking, which scared me in itself!  I sat up immediately, but it didn’t stop shaking.  Then my first thought was an earthquake, of course.  We don’t usually have earthquakes here, but on occasion we’ll feel a tremor or two, but not often.  I tried to see if my ceiling fan was moving, but it was too dark in my room.  Well, after what seemed longer than 34 seconds, it just stopped as suddenly as it started. 

A short time later my husband got up and I told him he was going to think I was crazy, but the couch just moved and shook.  He said, “So did the bed!”  We turned on the news, and sure enough, there it was– 5.4 on the Richter Scale.  Later in the day they changed it to 5.2.  It was kind of interesting to say the least, but not something I want to see a lot of.  Some years ago my son moved to California, and I worried about earthquakes, and him being in one.  He’s in northern California and has a tremor now and then, but he’s always been away when it’s happened.  Today he told me that I’ve felt an earthquake stronger than him, and he’s out there where it happens a lot!  All in all, I didn’t hear of any damage here, but I know it even went more north of where I live, and then west from me. 

Review– Four Cups from Coffee Time Romance

ENCHANTMENT’S EMBRACE: BOOK 2 OF THE ENCHANTMENT SERIES MARY J. DRESSEL ISBN# 1-60441-798-6 February 18, 2008 Publish America 111 E. Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701 Paperback $24.95 327 Pages Romance/Time-Travel Rating: 4 Cups Eryn Sterling reminisces of time gone by after laying her great-grandfather to rest. Her mind carries her into a past surrounding a portal that can be good and bad. She had no idea the portal would become a part of her life. Uriah Prescott runs the Enchanted Inn. He loves Eryn and if necessary will to go to the ends of the earth for her. After learning about the portal, years of their life seem to change in a heartbeat. Eryn is content with Uriah, but remembering things about her parents make her wish to cross the portal. She recalls how things changed when she lost her parents. The portal is her way of stepping into the past. Nothing told her the man she married in the past would be her true love once she found the escape again to the present. Uriah promises never to forget Eryn whether he steps into the portal to the past or future. When the two are able to connect with each other, they not only find happiness in each other’s arms, but a tinge of danger along the way. Both must battle their way through the past again to make things right for their future. Enchantment’s Embrace is a story that is distinctive in its own way as the reader feels as if they, too, have stepped into the portal, fresh into a fantasy to meet their true love. I enjoyed reading about Eryn and Uriah and their conquest. In all, it was a good book and I could tell Ms. Dressel put a lot of hard work into the settings and time-travel. She allows the reader to share in the connection of Uriah and Eryn and the love he feels for the only woman he wishes in his life. I liked how Uriah and Eryn were able to help and share their life with many in the past and present. Cherokee Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books

eMail this Review

April Newsletter

My April Newsletter is ready.   This month I did an interview with a Book Cover Designer, and you can read it in my newsletter.  We would appreciate any comments.  

Thanks! 

  

Loves Enchantment Newsletter

http://www.maryjdresselsnewsletters.blogspot.com

Thanks!

Enchantment’s Embrace Won Best Book Cover Art Award!

This is so exciting!  Thanks to everyone who voted…  Enchantment’s Embrace was voted by readers to be the best cover art for March 2008!

White Spring

Spring arrived on March 20th.  March 21st we had 14 inches of snow.  Everything was green again for a few short days.  The roads were full of pot holes, thanks to the salt we all want in the winter.  But, the sky was turning a pretty cornflower blue, telling us spring was here.  Yes, we saw this for a day.  Then… the news said there was a threat of 6 - 10 inches of new snow.  Sure, I knew March was unpredictable, I even said it to a few of my friends…don’t trust March.  I looked out my classroom window Friday morning and thought I saw fog, but it wasn’t fog!  It was snow.  By 2:45, it was nearly eight inches.  And that was just the top of my car.  It even had a shelf of snow from the drift, leaning out over the side of my car.  After cleaning that off, I had the fun of driving home.  My usual 55 mph drive was down to 35 and maybe an occasional 40 mph.  As I got closer to home, it was more like 30 miles per hour.  Oh, what joy that was because by then it was fully drifting over the roads, and deep.  Finally, nearly home, at least I was hoping it was my home since we were then having a whiteout, it was hard to tell for sure.  But, I learned it was my street, but now, where was the driveway? I wondered.  I finally found that too.  Anyway, I made it home safely, but I think it was the worst drive I had all winter.  All this happend the second day of spring.  It’s still pretty outside, though, with the boughs of the pine trees covered with thick bunches of white clumps.  The driveway is mud today, the street is cleared after 5 trips with the snow plow, and it even looks like some melted off my truck in the driveway.  At least it’s down from 14 inches to about 8 on the roof and hood.  I guess the moral of this all is that it’s spring in Michigan!  And don’t trust March.

Another Week’s End

It’s almost the end to another week.  The creative writing class I’m teaching is going well.  It takes a lot of planning to make it run smooth, and I’m having a fun time teaching!  It’s a good feeling to be in a room full of other writers, sharing what I know to help them become the writer they want to be.  I actually learn some things from them too! 

I’ve been busy with everyday family things, also, so I haven’t spent a lot of time working on my own writing in the past two weeks.  Oh, it’s always there, though.  Ideas and plans for my current book are constantly running around in my head, my imagination still working in the background.  Even though it doesn’t all get put on paper, or in the computer, it’s still there.  My advice is always to write down your ideas, and I still do that so I don’t forget anything new that pops up. 

I’m planning my next newsletter.  It will be out soon.  I’m going to do another interview.  It’s tentative right now, but if he has time to answer some questions, he will.  I caught him off guard because he said it’s out of the ordinary for him.  Who is it, you might ask?  Well, he’s a book cover designer!  I’ve always wondered what a designer has to go through to design a book cover.  I mean, we all know how important a book cover is.  It’s the first thing a reader sees when looking for a book.  So, I think this interview will be interesting.  I’ll even post it here, as well as, in my newsletter.  Oh, did I say that this guy actually designed both of my book covers?   I can’t wait!

I’m hoping to have more information to post next time.  I’m still setting up book signings and presentations, so look for that information to be coming soon.  

Have a safe and wonderful weekend!

School Field Trip!

tI guess “My Muse” has been welcoming you readers long enough, (the post just below this one, and totally different)  and it’s time to post something new.  Yesterday was a fun day.  I work in a middle school, and we had an all day field trip!  The kids had a blast, and it was even better because they earned this trip through good grades and behavior for a semester.  It was fun for all! 

 

We split the grades up, and some went one place, and the others went to a different place.  All was well, but everyone was tired when we got back, or maybe I should say, “the adults were!”  If you’ve never gone on a field trip with middle schoolers, you should.  Sometimes this age group gets a bad rap because they are going through so many changes, but this age can also be a lot of fun to be around.  I’m not saying it’s always perfect, because, of course, it’s not.  Nowadays, the school work is harder than it used to be, and the homework is piled on.  So, a fun day no matter if it’s a movie and popcorn in school, or a field trip to a fun place is a good reward for them.   When we got back from the trip, we were very proud of them!