Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day! Sometimes, the workplace is a lot like the video below, so I'm glad to be off on holiday, today. Enjoy! I'm adding something else to this post. I've been following The Bumbles Monday Movie Theme. This week's theme is: "Working It!" They've already mentioned the first working movie that came to mind, "Working Girl" but here are some more they missed. There's at least a lot of working going on in these movies, if the theme isn't only about working. New in Town (with Renee Zellweger) Take This Job and Shove It (with Robert Hays) 13 Going On 30 with Jennifer Gardner Julie and Julia with Meryl Streep Star Trek Office Space Visit The Bumbles blog and leave a comment if you want to play along. Ashley

Funny cat video

By now you should know I'm a cat lover. Big time. I was thrilled to find out the theme of next year's Halloween anthology at my publisher is "Feral" (Cats). Count me in! I found this hilarious cat video at Nicole McCaffrey's blog and I don't think she'll mind if I share it. It's originally form You Tube. My kitties have done several of the things captured in this movie. They constantly amuse me. I can't imagine life without them and wouldn't want to. So enjoy! Another friend, Sandra Cox, is another cat lover. Visit her for lots more funny cat pics and cat stuff. You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

And you thought you were safe...

And you thought you were safe...from me waxing on about my favorite TV show, American Idol. It's not the time of year I obsess over it and every other blog post at least mentions AI. However, I found this awesome video of Adam Lambert performing live on stage "Whole Lot of Love". Not only do you get to hear his awesome voice and see his performing artistry (this guy was very pro before he ever joined AI), you get to see concert goers throw dildos at Adam and Adam kick one back. I kid you not. Click on the You Tube video below to see for yourself. Why would someone throw dildos at the guy? Because he's gay and they don't like him? Because he's gay and they do like him? Some other reason? You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Ninja cat people

When I first heard of "You Tube" I went "What the hell?"

I didn't see the point. Well, I thought the same thing about Twitter and now I'm addicted.

But I now see the value of You Tube. I mean, look at this great video.

My type of people. Ninja cat people.

The scary part is, I'm NOT joking. Ask anyone who knows me, I LOVE cats and I think ninjas are pretty cool, too. In my next life I want to be a cat, better yet, a ninja cat.

Okay, so the video is weird, but it's cute.

I'm writing a story with werecats. After watching this, maybe I'll make some of them ninja werecats. Why not? Cats are people, too.

My cats think so, anyway. And my book says so. So it must be so.

Joking aside, You Tube is amazing. Someday when I get a good video camera (and lose weight) I'll go crazy making videos and post them on You Tube, just like I'm going crazy tweeting on Twitter.

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

"The Imaginary Writing Process"

You have to watch this You Tube video. It's an absolute scream. It's called "The Imaginary Writing Process". When I first heard of You Tube, I wasn't impressed. I could care less. But I'm beginning to become a fan. I've even made a few of my own book trailers and posted them to You Tube. This clip above has me drooling to buy a video camera so I can make actual film. Soooooooooooooooooooooo, per this video's premise, before you became published, or if you're not published (yet, or because you have no desire to be a writer)what did/do you picture the writing/publishing process to be like? All sunny mornings with roses shooting up? Roses without a single thorn? Did you imagine you'd be instantly famous and people adore you (not only your books) so much and swarm you whenever you went out in public, begging for autographs, lavishing you with gifts, begging to hire you for public appearances? Did you imagine you could tell the day job boss to "take this job and shove it"? That your first novel would be such an instant success you'd be a multi-millionaire, buy a new mansion, hire a full wait/cook staff to follow your every whim, and that you could travel the world whenever you desire? Did you imagine your editor, publisher, readers, and book reviewers would love every single word you wrote, exactly the way you first wrote it? That you'd be hailed as the greatest literary novelist since Shakespeare, maybe even BETTER than Shakespeare? Did you imagine that everybody would respect your position as writer? That your family and friends would be in total awe of your new profession? That they would be 110% supportive? That they'd tell all their friends and associates how wonderful your book(s) is? I don't know about anyone else, but I can imagine A LOT. However, I never quite imagined any of it as a musical like in this musical, LOL. But this is a cute interpretation. My reality is not quite like this video. Or my own musings. Most of my family could care less that I write, even find it annoying. They certainly don't want to read my romance novels (underline "romance"). They're embarrassed to tell their friends that their mom/wife writes one of "those things". They won't be quiet for me to write. They won't even try to be quiet if I'm trying to do a phone interview. I have to escape to Borders or the library or my car for a quiet place. Of course, Borders or even the library isn't always quiet either, so I have to use ear plugs or my MP3 players. As per money and fame - let's just say I'm still working on these... I'm not quite a millionaire yet - after 40 published books. And no one recognizes me as an author, not even at Borders or Barnes & Nobles which are full of readers. Oh well... Spill. I want to hear what you thought. And what the reality has been for those of you who are published writers. What do you think I was doing on Labor Day 18 years ago? Think hard... Did you guess? If you guessed, did you guess that I was actually in labor, getting ready to give birth to my daughter #2? Honest to God. I was in labor on Labor Day. Everybody got a laugh out it, except me. Eighteen years later, I now see the humor. :) I'm worried about my friends in Gustav's path. I'm writing this post on Sunday evening, so the storm's not made landfall yet, but New Orlean's already been commanded to evacuate and most people have done so. My friend "C" supposedly hopped in her car to evacuate NO yesterday. My friend "P" who lives in Baton Rouge, is hunkering down at her friend's house. Having lived through two category 3 storms and on the verge of a category 4 storm, I respect these things. I fear them. I'm glad so many people in NO are taking Gustav seriously. It's better to be safe than sorry. During Hurricane Elena (1985, a cat 3 that hit Biloxi) we were miserable. We were in the Air Force shelter for a few days. It was hot and sticky and stinky. Nerves were frayed. I was chasing 3 toddlers around so it was not fun. Our electric was out for weeks. We had a lot of debris to clean up. Luckily, we had no real damage although some people did. Biloxi/Gulfport/Ocean Springs was a mess and hard to navigate for well over a month. Here's a spot of good news! I'm doing the happy dance. Billy Mac from Critique My Blog: http://critiquemyblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/happilyever-after.html likes it. "....My hat's off to Ashley and I wish you much continued success in your craft." Thanks Billy! You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Holodec Fantasies, Romance, Sad Songs, etc.

I just popped over to Vi Dig's blog and found this. I hope you don't mind I went to You Tube and got it, too.





I love this song. Unfortunately, it makes me very nostalgic, even sad.

It reminds me of a man I loved very deeply, who, like the song said "left me when I needed him most". He never came back, not really.

We were in the Air Force and had an Air Force romance during tech school. Then he went home as he was in the Guard, and he resumed his life. I embarked on a new life as I was Active Duty Air Force.

I was a fool for getting involved with him in the first place. I knew it, but like a train wreck, I couldn't seem to stop it. Or at least I didn't until my heart was too far gone.

I'm still a fool as I've never forgotten him although I'm sure he's forgotten me. It's only been 30 years, a lifetime ago. He's married. I'm married. We both have kids.

Oh, I've tried to forget the guy. Sometimes I'll succeed in not thinking about him for a few weeks, or feel like I'm over him for lots longer. And then I'll hear this song or one similar, and I'm almost right back where I started. Has this ever happened to you? Why does music do this to me? Maybe to all of us?

This was our song, so this one really makes me sad when I hear it, and yet, I listen to it a lot. It's on my MP3 player, a CD in my car, and my Last.FM play list. Someone over at You Tube called it "gay". Perish the thought! We used to slow dance and slow kiss to this one. Funny though, the title is just the opposite of what we are. It's what I hoped for years we'd be. Oh well. I'll always have the song.



Alright, I'm not into being sad. Let's turn this around and get happier.

As you may have noticed by my counter in the upper right hand corner, I have a new book coming out in about 3 days - WILD FANTASIES.

Are you a Trekkie? Have you ever wished you had a holodec so you could live out your fantasies? So you could program anything in the universe? So you could have a wild love affair, an exciting adventure, or just a nice dinner? Whether you have or not, I sure have.

My heroine, Jala, is a lot luckier than I. She has a holodec at her disposal and she makes good use of it.

It's a fun romp with lots of love, action, and adventure, just the way I like my romance.

So, if you had a holodec and could program your fantasies, what would they be? Don't be shy. Spill! :)