Beautiful Baden Baden (Pat)

One of the day trips from our ship was to Baden Baden located deep in the Black Forest, and it was as enchanting as I’d expected.

Baden Baden was one of the few German cities to escape destruction during World War II, mainly because it was a recreational area without any nearby war production facilities. Nestled in the thickly forested mountains, it was for centuries the playground for the wealthy from throughout Europe. Royalty and aristocracy would come from all corners to gamble in the world’s top casino, experience the hot springs and take the Kur – a sauna, massage, and utter restfulness. Even Mark Twain visited Baden, remarking that “I fully believe I left my rheumatism there.” Two castles overlook the town.

The Trinkhalle (Drinking Hall)

We didn’t have time to take the Kur, a two hour plus process, but we did visit the Grand Casino. Inspired by the Palace of Versailles, it was built in the 1850′s and was called by Marlene Dietrich the most beautiful Casino in the world.

Our guide painted pictures in words the beautifully gowned women and elegantly dressed gentlemen pulling up in carriages. Unfortunately it was the main floor of the casino was closed when we were there, but we were allowed in the lobby to glimpse its grandeur.

The Paintings that line the exterior of the Trinkhalle

Then it was on to the Trinkhalle, its long entrance hall decorated with nymphs and romantic legends. Inside we had a glass of the mineral water which is supposed to do wondrous things for one’s health. I had a glass and perhaps it was my imagination, but yes, I had more energy.

Then we went to the Christmas Market and it was one of the largest and most varied of any we visited during the trip. There were rows and rows of the decorated wooden huts, but these included such treats as Black Forest Ham and gingerbread cookies for which the area is famous. I bought several packages of the former to bring back to Memphis and consumed the latter. Then I was tempted by a wonderfully long piece of dough fried in oil and sugared. I shared with others in the group, then regretted the sharing. One myth broken. I’d always heard German food was bland, but I found that totally wrong. The ham was fantastic when consumed in Memphis, the best ham I’ve ever had. And, of course, there was more hot wine to warm us while browsing among the many booths. I found several gifts, including a lovely hand-worked silver medallion necklace and a softly woven silver scarf.

Manger Scene at Christmas Market

It was raining, which accounts for few photos, but I loved every moment of picturesque Baden Baden. The Cathedral was lovely and the downtown charming. Both the city and the ride through the Black Forest were well worth every minute spent there.

The history is fascinating as well. Around 1000 B.C. Celtic tribes inhabited much of the area and their influence is still felt in the names of the rivers, forests and towns. The Roman emperor Hadrian founded the first permanent settlement and there are still remnants of their Roman baths. During the Middle Ages, the province was renamed Baden after a town of the same name.

The Cathedral at Baden Baden

 I minored in history in College, but these recent trips to Europe have brought it all so alive, and I’m hungry for more. You can read about it in books, but seeing these towns and village and cities and learning their history puts history into perspective.

Messages (Tara Taylor Quinn)

I’ve always been a firm believer that things happen for a reason.  We might not know the reason; we might not even know when things are happening that will effect us, but there is reason in everything.

Yesterday, Tim and I stopped by Mom’s.  She mentioned that she was out of Diet Coke and waiting for the ads to know where it was going to be on sale.

Half an hour later, Tim and I stopped at CVS.  I noticed that Diet Coke was on sale.  4 12 packs for $10.  That’s a good price around here.  Good enough that I called Mom from the store, told her about the sale, and told her that I had no idea how long it would be on sale for that price.

Half an hour later, on her way to meet my aunt, Mom stopped by that very same store to pick up the Diet Coke I’d sent her for.  She gets a call from my aunt, who lives just down the street, telling her to get back to her car.  Shots were being fired.

This morning, the parking lot across the street from where I’d sent my mother to shop, was blocked off with Crime Scene tape.  The parking lot of Fry’s Food and Drug Store – a Kroger company store – the chain where we all do all of our shopping.  This is a nice neighborhood.  Filled with snowbirds and churches and kids and elementary schools.  Last night it was the scene of an undercover drug sting operation gone bad.  Right here in suburbia.

A Mesa police officer had been working undercover.  He’d made an appointment for a drug exchange.  When he got there, the drug dealers – one of whom had just been released from prison and was already wanted for other violations – started firing shots rather than exchanging drugs.  I can only imagine that they’d been tipped off that they were dealing with a cop.  There were two other officers on the scene.  As I understand it, the undercover cop was shot in the leg.  One of the drug dealing suspects was killed.  Another injured.  The third surrendered without further fight.  And two female suspects were also arrested.  There were reports of 14-16 bullets fired.

Mom could have been in the line of fire.  Tim and I had just been there half an hour before.  It wasn’t our time.  But we never know when our time will be.  Something as innocuous as a trip to the local store for diet coke, could be the incident that changes everything.

The laws of attraction say that you attract to you the things that you put energy into.  I’m wondering…is it time to stop writing suspense???

ADVENTURE TIME (Anne Stuart)

I’m sitting on the train, heading down to New York City, and the internet isn’t working, so I’ll write my blog in Word and transpose it if the internet ever becomes active again.  I shouldn’t complain.  I’ve made this almost 10 hour trip often enough before internet became available, so I shouldn’t be so spoiled, but I was counting on it to make blogging possible.

Eh, whatever.

I’m off on an adventure.  Down to the Big City, where I will have a brainstorming strategy session with my agentss.  Might see my current editor or I might now – it all depends, but I WILL see Alan Rickman (be still my heart).  Anyone who’s read my books over the years can easily guess I have a thing for him, since parts of his characters show up in my characters.  Even my golden prince from The Unfortunate  Miss Fortunes started talking like him.

Two nights in a New York hotel, maybe a side trip to Macy’s if I can hobble that far.  Makeup and pantyhose and getting to be a grown up – what fun!

And the best thing of all is  can spend most of the ten hours on the train writing.  I’m hoping to wrap up REBEL by the end of the week, which would be a good thing since it’s due on February 1^st.  But I love the book – wonderful, delicious characters, great tension, etc.  I’m going to have a wonderful time immersing myself in it, and then on to new and glorious things.

In the meantime we’re putting out some of my treasured classics (at least as far as my not-humble self considers them).  Most of the romantic suspense books are out, including the Maggie Bennetts, MOONRISE, and RITUAL SINS at the bargain price of 99 cents for a few days longer.  Plus, of course, the new one, ON THIN ICE, which is coming out in audio by the beginning of February.  The incomparable Xe Sands did the audio, and I cannot wait!  I’m hooked on audio books anyway, and I love hearing my own, because the emphasis is always different and fascinating.

The historicals are coming out slowly.  Speaking of Alan Rickman, we have the divine HIGH SHERIFF OF HUNTINGDON novella for $1.29, which is a play off the sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.  Yes, I made him a hero, but just barely, and gave him a hard-ass nun as a heroine.

Also out are TO LOVE A DARK LORD, which many people consider my best historical, and SHADOW DANCE, which is one of my rare, slightly black-hearted romps.

Coming soon are PRINCE OF SWORDS, a Georgian about a Tarot reader and an aristocratic cat burglar, and LORD OF DANGER, on of my two beloved (to me at least) medievals.  Those should be out soon, and next I think I’m going with THE DEMON COUNT and THE DEMON COUNT’S DAUGHTER.  It’s so much fun to be able to read these again, with new covers and all.

Okay, that’s the end of my self-serving ad.  Except, if you’re reading this presumably you’re interested in my books, or why bother?  So with luck good news for you is good news for me.

Enough about me.  What is your favorite book I wrote?  <g>

OUCH! (Pat)

This will be short today due to a tooth removall today (Friday) and a hefty amounts of pain relievers, steroids, and antibiotics. Warning: I’m not responsible for anything in this blog today.

I always like to hope that I have a bit of a heroine in me. Just a trace, maybe.

I want to be steady in an emergency. I want to offer help when help is needed. I like to think I would spring to action if someone was in danger.

But mention a dentist to me, and I turn into a mass of trembling jelly. Having had some bad experiences in the past, I tend to view any visit with great trepidation. Today proved me correct when a visit turned into three hours of misery, when a broken tooth (from Christmas toffee) proved extremely stubborn in being removed (I must admit a few other repairs were made). And no, gas, which I insisted upon, did not help at all.

Dentists hate to see me come in the door.   Perhaps it’s the utter terror on my face.

Or the pile of books I always bring.   I know, I know, this is ridiculous, but books are not only a distraction, but just the feel of one in my lap provides comfort. Three multiply that feeling. What if another patient had an emergency and I was stuck for hours in one of those small, white rooms furnished with wicked looking drills?  (What was the title of the film in which the villain tortured the hero by using dental instruments?) I can’t remember the name but I remember every horrifying moment. It has haunted me for thirty some years.

Then I explain in great detail that although I think dentists must be very nice people, I would just rather not test that belief. And yes, I do want gas, despite the fact that they explain, again in great detail, that it is completely unnecessary with all the new techniques. Well, it really hasn’t been that long since my last visit. I didn’t notice any new techniques. The drill still drills, and what looks like plyers still pulls and the picks still gouge.

I survived, which is a good thing, but I look like a beaver with swollen cheeks and orders not to drink an alcoholic beverage for twenty-four hours.    I was also told I must eat soft foods for three weeks as to not disturb a temporary crown.

But I must admit I will be most happy to go to Spain with fine teeth, and I am really, really glad I didn’t live in the 1880′s when I probably wouldn’t have any teeth at all or have them jerked out by Doc Holliday.

And now off for another pill.

Remember, I warned you.

TEN WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE TODAY (Maggie)

$3.99 or FREE for Amazon Prime Members

Wow, it’s Thursday and I forgot to blog.  So I’ve decided to give you a little taste of my wisdom and such, by telling you my top ten ways you can improve your life RIGHT NOW, TODAY.  The book to the left is chock full of such inspiring insights and whatnot.  (Kindle Exclusive till March, then it’ll go far & wide.)  I’m highly qualified to write it because I’m almost 50.  That makes me wise.

(Stop rolling your eyes and respect your elders!)

Okay, so without further ado… (drum roll, please…)

Top Ten Ways You Can Improve Your Life TODAY!

1. Do not ever yell at people.  Not out loud, not in email.  When someone does something you don’t like, you have to remove “yell at them” from your list of options.  Just don’t do it.  Ever.  Don’t yell at your kids, your spouse, your employees, your employer, the guy who cut you off in traffic, nobody, no way, no how, NEVER.  It’s just not okay.

2. When you get the urge to do #1, stop and ask yourself why what this person did has the power to make you feel angry.  Then remind yourself that when someone does something awful, it says alot about them.  And it says nothing about you.  It’s always all about them, and it never has anything to do with you.  It’s not their job to behave in a way that makes you feel better.  See, when you get angry at someone, that’s what you’re asking–for them to behave in a way that makes you feel better.  Less angry.  But that’s not their job.  So no more anger, and no more yelling.  Take care of your mood yourself.

3. When bad things happen, stop and look at them from a bit of a distance and see if there is anything good that comes from it.  Is there anything you can learn from the bad thing?  Even if it’s just “I don’t like this bad thing.”  Quickly follow that with, “I’d like this much better” (filling in the details of what you would prefer.)  I don’t like being sick.  I’d like being healthy much better.  And then turn your entire focus to how you can be more healthy.  Focus on that.  Not on the cold, flu or worse that caused you to want health more than you did before.  Apply this to every bad thing, acknowledge it and then shift your entire attention to the solution, the improvement, the thing that you would prefer instead.  Instead of “I don’t want to eat broccoli,” say, “I would really love a T-bone!”  Get it?  Good.

4.  Start every single day noticing how much you have to be happy about.  Being alive, living in the time you do, in the place you do, with the people you do.  The birds, the trees, the sun the air.  Your pets, your hobbies, your friends, your lover.  Really really relish the hell out of the good stuff.  It leaves less room for the bad.

5.  Stop watching the news.

6.  Drink more water.

7.  Spend time outdoors every single day, no matter what.  No exceptions.  I don’t care if there’s a blizzard.  Bundle up and walk the dog.

8. Laugh more. Really. Watch Comedy Central or read a funny blog, but just laugh more.  It’s so good for you!

9.  When you lie awake in bed worrying about something, stop.  Ask yourself, “Is there anything I can do to fix this problem right now?”  If there is, get up and do it so you can sleep.  If there’s not, then realize that worrying about it is useless, and put it aside until a time when you can go fix it.  Deal with each problem only when you can actually fix it! Anything else is wasted time & energy.

10.  Remember the most important thing you can do in life is enjoy it.  We didn’t come here just to put in our time and get it over with.  We came here for the blissful experience of being human.  It’s a gift more precious than many of us realize.

So there you go.  10 tips for improving your life that you can begin using right now, this very red hot moment!

You’re welcome.  Now go buy or borrow a copy of SHAYNE ON YOU.  I promise you’ll love it. 

Maggie

On A Bicycle Built For Two (Tara Taylor Quinn)

This picture was taken almost five years ago now!  Hard to believe.  This was the second time in my adult life that I’d been on a bike.  Tim and I were on Mackinaw Island, in Michigan, and had rented this bike for the day.  We had a blast.  And have talked about it time and again.

Sooo…now that we’re in our new life and doing the things we’ve said we’re going to do…

For Christmas this year, we asked for a bicycle built for two.  I didn’t really think we’d get one.  It was kind of silly thing to ask for.  We’re not kids anymore.  (Okay, maybe we are, we asked for the bike!)  I wasn’t surprised that there wasn’t a bike under the tree.  But then, I forgot, for just a second, about Santa Claus.  I’ve always believed in Santa.  I’m dead serious about that.  Santa isn’t just a guy in a red suit.  He is the spirit of Christmas.  Of people rising to larger than life occasions, reaching deeply into themselves and finding the ability to do more than they think they can.  Not in gifts, but in life.  Not for self, but for others.  And Santa is also magic.  If you believe, it will come to you. In some fashion.  And sometimes, even if you don’t believe, it will come to you.

The presents were all opened.  We all felt loved and gifted and happy and ready to play.  And then Mom reaches up to the tree for an ornament.  She hands it to Tim and I.  Inside is a picture of our bicycle built for two.  And the money to order it.  There were too many choices and she wasn’t sure which choice to make.  I had no idea, either, once I started actually looking.  But Tim’s a biker.  He knew.  And this past week – our sleek, 21 speed, silver bullet arrived.  What a gift!  Far beyond what I’d expected.  I am now experiencing my mountains and blue skies and sunshine in a more intimate, glorious way.

The first day we took the bike out in our neighborhood – we rode a couple of miles to a place we like to eat and had lunch, and took the long way home.  I couldn’t wait to get back out.  And on Saturday I got my wish.  Tim and I tend to start out with a goal in mind and end up adding goals along the way.  We were just going to go for a little ride.  But we live out at the base of the Superstition Mountain.  The roads don’t just curve around in a neighborhood – they go straight out to the mountain.  And dead end.  We took one.  And there Iwas, with the wind in my hair, the sun on my face, and all around me the air of the mountains seeping into my skin and my lungs.  The views were glorious.  And we weren’t experiencing them encased in a vehicle.  We were right there with them.  Biking is much different from skating.  While skating is still my first love, and we are still skating, on skates you are limited to clean pavement.  On the bike, we could just go.  And we did.  Really far.  Our little ride turned into so many miles I lost track of them.  We rode to the mountain.  And then into town.  We passed a shop I’d been wanting to visit and went in there.  We rode by Mom’s house.  And eventually, we made it home.

On Sunday I paid for that ride.  I’d used muscles I hadn’t used since I was a kid.  They let me know they were there.  I am very thankful for them.  And we’ve made an agreement – those muscles and I.  I promise to pay better attention to them, to give them a chance to enjoy their re-emergence on a less rigorous schedule.  And they promise to take me on many many years of glorious rides.

How about the rest of you?  Anyone like to ride bikes?

Suzanne, the reluctant community organizer (Suzanne Forster)

Some of you know about the David-Goliath battle my neighborhood has been waging with Big Development.  Our mission is to save the last unprotected coastal open space in our county–and the Little Guys have had another modest victory!!!  

Our committee of concerned residents held a tabling event in our community to raise awareness of the impacts of the development–and people actually showed up! 

It’s been a challenge to motivate and mobilize people to become active, but finally, solid proof of the severe impacts to our community and to the region are available in the Draft Environmental Impact Report required of the developers.  When people saw the far-ranging traffic impacts, the air and noise pollution, the health hazards of developing an operational oil field for residential use, and the damage to property values and quality of life, they were eager to sign up for our email list and several wanted to get involved.  At long last, the community organizing pays off!   

I was going to post a full report today with some of the GREAT pictures we took, but once again, the pesky pix aren’t cooperating.  I promise to have the glitches figured out by next Tuesday’s post. 

Suzanne

PROGRESS REPORT (Anne Stuart)

So I decided it was time for an all-new me, even more fabulous than before, and I thought I’d give you a status report.  Progress, not perfection is a 12 step saying, and since I’m not a perfectionist it’s one of my favorites.   So here are my own babysteps, in hopes of encouraging the rest of you guys.

I’ve gone from at least 8 Diet Cokes a day down to one, first thing in the morning.  I could probably even cut that one out, but hey, it’s little enough, and I’m not tempted to have another one.  Originally I was going to cut to three a day but after a day the later DCs just tasted odd.  I’m trying to push water but that’s something I could definitely improve on.  If I went for bottled water it wouldn’t be a problem but I’ve got delicious water from my own well so I don’t want to use up all that plastic.

I’ve lost 10 pounds so far, which will slow down — it’s always easy to lose a chunk to begin with, and a stomach bug sped things up a bit.  So far I’ve cut out all fast food, all fried food, sugar, white flour.  Trying to push at least 5 veggies and fruits a day, preferably more.  Going for one vegetarian meal a week, no red meat (Richie doesn’t eat it so that’s easy enough).  No seconds.

That’s all been pretty do-able so far, but it’s early days so far.  However, I’m in the zone, and it’s easy enough to drink iced tea instead of DC, easy enough to get stuff from a supermarket salad bar instead of Mickey D’s.

I’ve been working on decluttering –  my bedroom is a disaster area.  I’ve been emptying one laundry basket a day, and I only have one more to go.  Of course, then I have to deal with all the crap on the floor that was underneath all the laundry baskets, but it’s a step in the right direction.  As soon as I finish I get to set up my new tv (but not before).

Haven’t done too well on the exercise part yet.  I keep wanting to get over to the pool (the main exercise I can handle at this point) but I keep having to take care of my grandson, take care of my mother, take care of my life.  I’m hoping for later this week.

And I’ve been writing.  Not as much as I could wish, but there’s always room for improvement.

Mostly, I’ve been surviving family trauma and not turning to food.  It’s always so easy to find excuses, but I’ve been fighting it, trying to be as sane as possible.  Most of all, I’m trying to keep it one day at a time, one moment at a time.

So check out www.reinventingfabulous.com.  Crusie’s blogging with me too, and she’s one of the wisest women I know.  Come and heckle, or be inspired.

Because it’s never too late to reinvent yourself, no matter how fabulous you were to begin with.