Atlanta, Part III - The Harlequin Party

So me and my posse crashed the Harlequin party (okay, we were encouraged to do so by many people and escorted to the event by the lovely and talented Lori Handeland and her agent). We started out at the St. Martin's party, which we were invited to, but alas, they had no dessert. We went to Harlequin in search of chocolate.

We were not disappointed. A few of the items on the dessert buffet were spoons of apple crumble, "shots" of red velvet cake, chocolate cups of Baileys, miniature creme brulees and of course, a lovely chocolate fountain with an assortment of dipping goodies.

The dance floor was jumping and the fabulous authors/editors/agents were everywhere! Rumor has it HQ super-editor Tracy Farrell shut the joint down. (Actually it's not a rumor, I confirmed it with her the next day. She was rather proud of outlasting the "young" editors.)

A few of the people I spoke to are Tony Kariyainni, Roxanne St. Claire, Jennifer Skully, Leslie Kelly, Jill Monroe, Renee Luke, Donna Grant, Deidre Knight, Julie Ramsey, Elaine Spencer, Gena Showalter and PC Cast.

Yes, that picture is blurry. Trust me that it's PC Cast and Gena Showalter. I don't know why it's so blurry but it's a pretty good indication of how everyone was feeling - warm and fuzzy.

My favorite moment of the night? When Gena pointed to her champagne & chambord cocktail and said, "This tastes like a vitamin!"

Some Hints About The Post Below

A. They both write paranormals.
B. They both blog.
C. They're both crazy.

Atlanta, Part II - Name That Bosom

Not only does this impressive cleavage belong to a fabulous multi-published author but the fingers belong to another delicious multi-published author. Can you guess?

Atlanta, Part I - The Knight Agency Party

I confess, I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I should have. Next year, I'll be better, I swear. I should have gotten a picture of all of us on the bus headed out to Madison for the Knight Agency party - especially since Sylvia Day and Mel Francis were sitting in front of me and my seatmate, Gemma Halliday. (Have you seen Mel's new hairdo? It's fab!)

The Knight Agency sign. Isn't it pretty?

Random folks milling about (that's Mel in the black & white polka dot dress in the background.) You can see the yellow house in the back - that's the offices of the Knight Agency. So pretty inside!

The back of Diana Peterfreund and the profile of her brother. I think they're talking to Maureen McGowen.

This Month At Romance Divas

Wow! What a month we're having at Romance Divas!

Author of the Month : Gemma Halliday – Contests workshop from the Golden Heart winner

Aug 5-7: Paranormal Event with Carrie Vaughn, LA Banks, CT Adams/Cathy Clamp, Gena Showalter, and Kelley Armstrong.
Aug 11 Jessica Faust: Bookends-inc agent in the Chatroom. 9 Eastern

August 8-18 :: Getting To Know The Voices in Your Head Workshop with Jo Ann Ferguson/Jocelyn Kelley

Aug 18 :: Theresa Meyers: PR/Promo in the Chatroom.
August 25 :: Ann Christopher, Patricia Sargeant, Maureen Smith and Sophia Shaw Multi-cultural Authors Chat

(Tomorrow we'll return to Atlanta adventures)

Home From RWA Atlanta

Many stories & photos to share. After I reintroduce my body to sleep.

Stay tuned for such fun blog topics as:

*The Night of the Broken Cigarette
*Crashing the Harlequin Party
*Name Those Boobs

And many more!

Adopt A Soldier While I'm Gone!

Author Mary Stella blogged about this site recently and I decided to adopt a soldier for my own. As many of you know, Hotrod (the DH) is retired Air Force. I have a soft spot for those who wear a uniform in the defense of this nation.

http://www.soldiersangels.org/

To make it interesting, anyone who adopts a soldier and posts in the comments here that they did, will be entered in a drawing for a package of books and other goodies from Nationals. I'll pick a winner at random from the posters when I return (I leave today).

As Martha would say, it's a good thing!

PS. Feel free to donate to my 3 Day Walk while I'm gone, too. Hey, if I'm going to walk 60 miles in 3 days, the least you could do is through a few bucks towards it, don't you think? :o)

Shopping Update

Found a FABULOUS dress. Amazing. Love it. Totally me. To die for. Yum! And so on sale it was practically free.

But I also came home with shoes. Now wait, before you shake your head and roll your eyes...they're new sneakers so that when I get home I can start training for the 60 mile Walk for the Cure thing I'm doing in Oct. So settle down.

Wish Me Good Hunting

I'm headed out on one last dress finding mission. Yes, I have a dress for the awards ceremony but I'm not madly in love with it. It's not THE dress, it's just a dress. You dig? I know you do.

I will not buy another pair of shoes, I will not buy another pair of shoes, I will not buy another pair of shoes...

Great. I think I glow in the dark.

I was a little overzealous with the hair lightening kit yesterday. If you see me at Nationals, don't be surprised if my hair looks um...excessively blonde.

Things To Do Before Leaving For Conference

1. Decide on outfits
2. Whittle down pairs of shoes to take
3. Organize promotional items for RD
4. Print out all flight info, contact info and party info
5. Pack
6. Lose 20 pounds

You?

The Best Advice

When I was a newbie writer (had yet to complete my first book, but I was writing furiously toward that goal), Hotrod (as my DH shall now be known due to his love and collection of American muscle cars) and I had to attend a "dining out". For you civilian folks, that's a military term for a fancy dress diner where punch is served from toilet bowls. I'm not lying, that's how the Airforce does it. Sela can back me up on this. Look it up if you want to know more.

Anyway, the special guest speaker that night was Orson Scott Card. I was all atwitter like a diabetic in a candy store. Hotrod had spent the better part of the day with him as part of his DV contingent and proclaimed him "a really cool guy." I'm like, "Duh. That's Orson Scott Card!"

Hotrod swept me up to meet him. "This is my wife. She's a writer, too."

Ahem. I had not yet finished a book at this point. This man wrote Ender's Game. ENDER'S GAME. But I digress.

OSC: "Great, nice to meet you." Shakes my hand. "So you're a writer?"
Me: "Uh-huh." I could barely see beyond the stars in my eyes. "But I've only just started."
OSC: Smiles like a father looking at a child. "Writers write. What have you written?"

WHAT HAVE YOU WRITTEN?

Now there's a question for the ages. I proceeded to blather on about Heart of Fire, my fantasy romance work-in-progress. OSC was very nice (translation: he listened without his eyes glazing over) and very encouraging.

I wished so very much that I could have answered his question by telling him I'd completed my book. His "What have you written" question compelled me to sit down and write every day. I never wanted to be asked that again without being able to answer it more successfully. It became a sort of mantra for me.

That was my best "advice", the nugget of writerly wisdom that kept me plugging away on the days when crap was the highest form of prose I could manage.

How about you? What was your best writerly advice?

Gushing In Progress

I'm not one to gush. If I don't like something, I have a very hard time pretending I do. The artful lie is just not one of my skills. Hair, clothes, food, books. Nothing is safe. When a restaurant manager stops by our table to see how things are, my husband cringes because I don't ever say "fine" when things aren't. If I got a rotten tomato in my salad, don't expect me to tell you things were peachy. Same goes for shopping with me. You try on a dress that makes you look like Attila the Ham Smuggler and I'm going to tell you that dress is not for you. Why would I let a friend walk around in any less than fabulous?

Which brings me to a book I read yesterday. It just might be the best piece of women's fiction I've read in the last ten years. Or ever. I can't think of a book in this category that I like better. This book even made me cry and - hello - I am NOT a weeper.

The book is Jane Porter's Flirting With Forty and it is fan-freaking-tastic. I read it in a matter of hours.
But there's more to this book than its entertainment value. It makes you think. About your life, about what personal happiness means, about how you see yourself, about how others see you. Don't be fooled by the cover - this isn't some fluffy chick lit (no offense intended, I love fluffy chick lit).

If this book doesn't move you, you might be dead. Read it and see for yourself.

Blog Round Up

Today's Questions:

*Why is Diana drinking Dos Equis with celebrities? And who are these celebrities?

* What breakfast food is Bonnie? You?

*Who's a single, cat-owning librarian? And is that such a bad life?

*Where are those hot new covers coming from?

*When will men learn? And do the cows have anything to do with it?

The Secret is Out!!!

Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund is OUT TODAY!

Secret Society Girl takes us into the heart of the Ivy League’s ultra-exclusive secret societies when a young woman is invited to join as one of their first female members.Elite Eli University junior Amy Haskel never expected to be tapped into Rose & Grave, the country’s most powerful–and notorious–secret society. She isn’t rich, politically connected, or…well, male.

So when Amy receives the distinctive black-lined invitation with the Rose & Grave seal, she’s blown away. Could they really mean her?

Whisked off into an initiation rite that’s a blend of Harry Potter and Alfred Hitchcock, Amy awakens the next day to a new reality and a whole new set of “friends”–from the gorgeous son of a conservative governor to an Afrocentric lesbian activist whose society name is Thorndike. And that’s when Amy starts to discover the truth about getting what you wish for. Because Rose & Grave is quickly taking her away from her familiar world of classes and keggers, fueling a feud, and undermining a very promising friendship with benefits. And that’s before Amy finds out that her first duty as a member of Rose & Grave is to take on a conspiracy of money and power that could, quite possibly, ruin her whole life.

A smart, sexy introduction to the life and times of a young woman in way over her head, Secret Society Girl is a charming and witty debut from a writer who knows her turf–and isn’t afraid to tell all....

I Want Your Money

Seriously.

Hey y'all! I just signed up to walk in the 3 Day Walk for the Cure (Breast Cancer) in Atlanta in October as part of the Knight Agency team. I have to raise $2200 to even participate so the begging for funds begins now. Please support me because if I die doing this, you'll feel very guilty if you didn't. (How was that for a guilt trip? I'm sure if I was a mother I could do better.) Click Here to see my personal page. (And make a donation!)

Click Here to see my team page.

Amazon Reviews

PERMISSION TO FORWARD

Calling all Authors!

Tired of being trashed with no recourse? There may be something we can do to minimize the effects of mindless reviews.

I am sending a cache of letters to Amazon's corporate office requesting that all reviews be ordered according to their stars. Five stars at the top. One star on the bottom. The reader can choose which order she wishes to read the reviews in, but the best will always be at the top. This may cut down on the deliberate trashing of books because the trashers review wil always be at the bottom and not the first thing prospective buyers will see.

Please send your letters made out to Amazon requesting this change in how reviews are presented to:

Jennifer St. Giles
PO Box 465654
Lawrenceville Georgia 30042

Deadline for final mailing will be Aug. 31 St 2006 but depending on the response I may send several batches. Spread the word.

Thanks, Jennifer

Random Things

Me in front of the Poison Garden - a special section of the Alnwick Castle gardens (no wonder they filmed Harry Potter here!) This garden contained things that could: kill you in a variety of ways, cause your stomach to bleed, raise a rash on your skin, burn out your sinuses just from inhalation, addict you, blind you - both temporarily and permanently, give you diarrhea, stop your heart, eat holes in your brain...I could go on, but you get the picture, right?

The whole gang at the Scottish border. It was such a beautiful day! From left to right - Allyson, Michelle, Sasha (the little one), Rick and me.

Ah, the haggis. Isn't it pretty? And so tasty! Who would've thunk it? Mmmm...haggis...

The "Wildlife"

Who knew sheep were so good at staring? They were very suspicious of the woman with the camera. Get baaa-ck in your car, lady!
This swan was one of probably 100 occupying a small lake near the North Sea. Quite beautiful to see so many of them gliding along together. This fellow was more interested in seeing if we had crackers.
Although you can't tell from the picture, these cows graze right beside a section of Hadrian's Wall - one of the oldest Roman built structures in the world. And as I was standing in that field with them, I can tell you that huge doesn't begin to describe their size. Or aroma.

The Castles - Part One

Edinburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle - on the coast of the North Sea

The portcullis at Alnwick Castle. This castle played the roll of Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films.
Raby Castle
Another of Alnwick

Home!

We're back from England and had a huge blast! It was a great trip, and there are many stories to tell. I'll be doing pics and such all week.

Some of the highlights?
* Backing the rented Mercedes into a post in an Edinburgh car park
* Eating haggis
* Getting a ride from two British highway patrolmen
* Having tea in a treehouse
* Naked chicken dancing

Want to know more? You'll have to stop back this week!

Long Live the Queen!

We're off to England and Scotland today. Not sure if I'll get a chance to post while I'm there but feel free to amuse yourselves with previous posts.

Can't believe when we get back Nationals will be about 2 weeks away. Is it possible to lose weight eating scones, Cadbury chocolate and pub food?
Cheerio!

So What Do You Write?

That's usually the question that follows immediately after someone asks "What do you do?" and you answer "I'm a writer."

Sometimes I say romance. Sometimes I say women's fiction. And sometimes, depending on the crowd, I say contemporary paranormal.

How do you answer? Does it depend who you're talking to?

Six Degrees of (Blog) Separation

Do you blog hop? If so, how do you do it? Randomly or with thought? Do you hit the same blogs all the time? Try to find new ones? What brings you back to a certain blog time after time?

I spent some time this morning blog surfing based on the commentors on other blogs. In other words, I started at one blog, left a comment, then picked one of the other commentors and hopped to their blog and so on. I love finding new blogs and leaving a comment.

So, how do you do it?

Leaving...On A Jet Plane...

Hey y'all. I'm headed to England/Scotland on Friday with hubby, sis-in-law, the four-year-old niece and their 18-year-old cousin. Should be a blast! While he golfs, we'll be spa-ing it up and shopping.

I really like England and Scotland. The people are so nice! This will be my third trip but I'm looking forward to spending more time in Scotland this go-round.

I'll be sure to take pics. Edinburgh Castle is one of the most magical places I know. Well, that whole city is, really. The pic below is Slaley Hall, the Edwardian Manor house we'll be staying at. It's obviously been converted to a hotel, but from what I read, still maintains much of its original feel. And actually, we won't be staying in it, exactly - we have a lodge on the 1000 acre property.

And no matter how much Lara Santiago tries to convince me, I will not be eating Haggis.

Friend Me

Well, I've gone and done it. I now have a Myspace page. If you want me to add you, leave your page in the comments section!

http://www.myspace.com/kristenpainter

I feel so hip.

And The Winner Is...

Mel Francis and her caption:


"I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for some postage today."

Once again, there were SO many good ones, but this one just tickled my funny bone. Maybe because it most closely captures Scooter's attitude. Anyway, great job to everyone who submitted a caption. I'll be doing this again in a few weeks (right before RWA Nationals, I think). Mel, don't forget to email me your mailing address!

Honorable mention to Bebe Thomas and her stinky breath caption.

Death by Coffee

I almost died yesterday. Or at least, I survived an unintentional poisoning. Via coffee. It's true! I met up with some chaptermates at the local Books A Million as we often do on Thursdays, and as we often do, we sat in the cafe and ordered beverages. I ordered a sugar-free raspberry mocha and so did one of the other ladies. We got our drinks, sat down and proceeded to discuss our writing.

I had a very hard time liking my coffee (even though one of our group had ordered it the last time and loved it). I mentioned that it tasted "icky" and the other lady who ordered the same thing said hers tasted weird too. Almost like the milk was bad, except she'd gotten skim and I had half-n-half. That left the sugar-free raspberry syrup.

We took them back up to the counter where the counter person did a sniff test. What you can tell from that, I have no idea. I watched as she poured a bit of mine out into the sink. It was lumpy. LUMPY. Not a word I want associated with my coffee, capisce?

I immediately felt ill. She made us new, different, non sugar-free raspberry coffees. (Straight mocha - big YUM!) Still, just thinking about that makes me queasy.

If I die soon, you'll know why.

Caption Contest II

Here's the second installment of the caption contest! The first one was such a blast and everyone had such great answers that I plan on doing this at least once a month. This week's picture:

This week's prize for the best caption is PC Cast's Goddess of Light and...it's autographed! This is a great read - if you're not familiar with her Goddess Summoning series, you're missing out.

The winner will be announced Saturday morning!

Pitching the Pitch

The upcoming RWA National conference in Atlanta will be the first conference I've attended since joining RWA at which I will not be pitching (or trying to corner in a convenient location) an agent. Having one changes everything.

I won't be up late the night before rehearsing and rewriting my pitch to perfection with willing friends (who are also in the same boat). I won't walk around the morning of my appointment with sweaty hands, nerves of jello and the inability to stop reading my pitch cards every five minutes. I won't be sitting in the hall, waiting with all the other pitching attendees, staring at the wall mouthing my pitch or smiling nervously at the person next to me, wondering if they'll get a request but I won't.

This year when I meet agents throughout the conference, I will be my normal outgoing self. Will I schmooze? Sure, on the behalf of Romance Divas. But on a career level, I will simply see them as people, not as minor deities in possession of some magical key I desperately crave to unlock a door I desperately want to pass through. (Yeah, I used desperately twice in one sentence. Do you think I didn’t want an agent?)

I’ve pitched numerous agents and editors and had numerous requests for both partials and fulls because of the appointments. Did anything come of those requests? No. Nada. Zip. Do pitches ever result in anything more? I’d love to hear from you if you found your agent or editor that way. I’m sure it happens, just not familiar with anyone who’d had success going that route.

Does that mean if I were still agentless, I wouldn’t be pitching? Heck no! I’d be pitching like an MBA all-star. I’m the last one to turn down an opportunity. Don’t you recall the time I handcuffed Harlequin editor Tracy Farrell to me? If you don’t believe me, ask Diana Peterfreund. She was there.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to this year’s conference with a sense of calm I’ve never had before.

New Agent Blog In Town

There's a new agent blog in town (not my agent - man, do I love saying my agent) but check it out, the chicks from Bookends are blogging!

http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/

The Biggest News of All

In case you aren't on any the same loops with me, or aren't a member of Romance Divas, or don't belong to any of the same chapters as me, or seen the billboard...

I just signed with Elaine Spencer at The Knight Agency!

I can't believe I not only have an agent but I'm with the agency that has been my number one pick since I started this journey toward publication. Life is good, God is great.

I'm A Finalist!

Hey gang, I just found out The Perfect Dish, my third book, is a finalist in the TARA contest! This means that every book I've written so far has finaled in at least one contest. Now, if I could just win one...

Maybe I need ginko?

I thought I blogged today. I could have swore I blogged. But apparently I didn't. So I'm leaving a reminder for myself to blog tomorrow.

Self? Blog.

On a side note, I figured out that between June 3rd and June 13th, I've written 96 pages. Holy cow! Does that seem like a lot to you? It does to me.

Write write write!

I've managed to keep up a pretty good writing schedule and actually hit the 1/3 mark on my WIP last night. My goal last week was 50 pages - I actually did 58. I have the same goal this week - 50 pages. I'm only 7 pages into that goal so far but have high hopes. In fact, today I plan for at least 12, maybe 15. I have my coffee at the ready and my fingers are warmed up.

What are some tips/tricks you use to motivate yourself?

And The Winner Is...

I'm really glad I ran this little contest. As many of you read over at RD, I had to put my eldest cat down last night - a very hard thing I'm still not over. It was great to read these captions and I was happy to have a reason to smile.

There were SO many good ones, I've actually picked two winners (both will receive copies of the book). They are:

"That short little man you sleep with? He's got to go. He burps and farts and takes my spot on the bed. You've got until Tuesday." Laine Morgan

(For the record, Sam would like everyone to know he really loves his daddy, even though everything the nice lady said is true.)

"This IS my happy face" Babe King

(Sam thinks expressing himself is NOT a top priority. After all, there is so much more that goes on in a cat's life...)

Congrats! Laine and Babe, email me with your mailing addresses so I can get your books out to you! And thanks to everyone who made me smile. I think I'll do this again next week!

Caption Contest

I've decided to run a little contest to test your creative juices. The best caption for the picture below will win a copy of Cheyenne McCray's Forbidden Magic. Sound good? Just leave your caption in the comments section. Enter as many times as you like and tell your friends!

Caption this pic...

To win this book!

(Winner will be announced Friday)

Coming Soon: Romance Divas Newsletter

At long last, the Romance Divas newsletter, The Diva Dish, is about to go into production. It will feature articles about writing and the writer's life (some from authors you know and love), book reviews, industry news, diva news, upcoming workshop info, contests, etc - it's going to be great!

And while I know we all probably belong to too many Yahoo groups already, this is a once a month newsletter, so you don't have to worry about it clogging up your inbox. Sign up today!

Subscribe to the Romance Divas Newsletter!
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Just Because

A few pics of my cats, Sam (tiger stripe) and Scooter (black) because I thought it would be fun and Mondays need all the fun they can get.

Scooter sleeps like this all the time. (And his head is on his black furry mouse, that's not some weird mishapen ear.)

Do you really have to write right now?

Brokeback Kitties

Enslave Me Sweetly - Now in stores!

Enslave Me Sweetly by Gena Showalter

She has the heart of a killer, and the body of an angel. . .

Eden Black walks among humans, protecting them from the murderous evil of other-worlders who abduct and enslave. And though she appears to be human herself, Eden is an alien, a Raka, distinguished by her golden hair and skin, and gifted with the ominous ability to kill without remorse – and with total accuracy. That is, until the fateful night she has one shot to eliminate her target, a human slaver – and misses.

“Failure” is not in Eden’s vocabulary. Neither is “partner” – but that’s what she is forcibly assigned after recovering from her disastrous mission. A sexy, steely-nerved human agent, Lucius Adaire enjoys nothing more than sparking the fury – and rousing the desire – of the fiery female assassin to proud to admit defeat. Locked in an assignment they cannot afford to lose, Lucius and Eden find themselves bound in two high-stakes, heart-pounding games: the dangerous web of kill or be killed, and the erotic dance of seduction. . .

Showalter first demonstrated her skill at blending sizzling romance and nail-biting suspense set in a convincing futuristic society in Awaken Me Darkly (2005). She now continues the roller-coaster-like adventure in an equally entertaining tale that will please a wide cross section of readers. *Starred Review* Booklist.

Order your copy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or BooksAMillion.

For more information, visit Gena’s website at http://www.genashowalter.com/ and her blog at http://www.genashowalter.blogspot.com/

Drop Dead Gorgeous is Drop Dead Fabulous!

Where is love when you really need it?

Certain that she will depart this world at the tender age of twenty-eight, Madison O'Donnell is determined to experience breathless, passionate love in the two weeks left to her, no thanks to her stuffy boss, T. Laurence Hobbs!

T. Laurence is the perfect tax accountant, a man who likes his ducks in a row and his numbers in a column. But there is no way he will sit by while the lovely Madison throws herself at the absolute wrong man.

If the only way to save Madison from herself is to make her fall madly in love with him, then it's up to T. Laurence to make it happen. And as he turns his number-crunching skills to capturing his sexy secretary, he's beginning to think that there is more to life than death and taxes!

---------------------------------------------

I just read this book over the weekend and I have to say, it's just been added to my keeper shelf. It definitely goes into my Top Five for books so far this year. Do yourself a favor and read this book - you will not be disappointed. If you're a fan of Cruisie - you'll love Jennifer Skully! In fact, I loved it so much, I ordered her entire back list.

Check Out This Hot Read!

Sunset Key
Cassidy Kent
ISBN 1-59426-563-1

Freesia Daniels, personnel specialist and consummate planner, wasn't prepared to get the boot from her company for possessing a heart. When she decides to return home from Boston to the sunny beaches of Key West to lick her wounds, she discovers her heartbroken past has finally caught up with her in the form of Zachary Gray, her childhood sweetheart. He lures her to his island getaway and lands them smack in the middle of a raging hurricane. Lightning doesn't often strike twice, but this storm might give them both a second chance at love.

Size: HeatSheet
Rating: Pulsar
Excerpt: http://www.phaze.com/Excerpts/SunsetKeyExcerpt.htm
http://www.phazebooks.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=87

Note: Cassidy Kent is the pen name of my Romance Divas co-founder and personal webmistress, Jax Crane, so please support her by downloading this fabulous story - after all, it's only $2!

Getting Back In The Saddle

I'm done traveling for awhile, thankfully. Don't get me wrong, I love to travel - but I really want to get Date With The Devil done by conference. See, I just can't pitch a book that isn't done. I don't feel right about it. I will, however, pitch a book that might not be fully polished. I can polish a book in a couple of weeks but to have to finish one...I think it would just end up a mess.

Anyway, it's time to write again. So stay on me. I need to be accountable. Today's goal is five pages.

Pics from RT

Since blogger is finally cooperating, here are some of the costumes my roomie, Lara Santiago, and I wore to the parties.
Here we are at the vampire ball. Are we scary and cute?
The fairy ball was the most beautifully decorated of them all. And had some of the coolest costumes!
This is the fantasy party - I was Simi from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Darkhunters (note the horns) and Lara was Mata Hari. Fun stuff!

The Sound of Strangers Singing

I've been sung to twice today, once at breakfast and once at dinner. Ignoring the fact that it's my birthday, I'm just happy to be home from RT.

Pics and stories tomorrow!

Kauai Pics - Part III

Just a few more pics of Kauai - this time with us in them. I'm off to RT on Monday so when I get back, we'll be doing pics again! Here's us on the helicopter. I'm not feeling as carefree as I look. Seriously.

This one's pretty obvious. It's us outside the copter, after the ride. My smile is completely genuine at this point.
Here we are on our last night at the Bali Hai restaurant. And yes, my arm is completely sunburned thanks to riding in the golf cart with my hubby and not wearing sunscreen. Still, I'm looking very island-y in my native sarong. :o)

Kauai Pics - Part II

Today's pics are strictly scenic. Kauai is one of the most beautiful places on earth. This pic was taken at the Kilauea Lighthouse bird sanctuary.
Here's a shot from the helicopter tour we took showing the Na Pali coast line. Look familiar? It's been the setting for numerous movies, including Jurassic Park, Seven Days Six Nights and The Thorn Birds, just to name a few.
Speaking of movies, here's a shot of Bali Hai, made famouse by the movie South Pacific. It's also Hanalei Bay - as in the place Puff the Magic Dragon lives. (And it's Hana-LAY not Hana-LEE.) And here's a sunset over Hanalei Bay. Much more impressive in person, I assure you.

Kauai Pics

Today's topic: Flora and Fauna
I don't know what flower this is but I thought it was beautiful.

Ah, the Kauai icon - the wild chicken. They are everywhere! And the roosters like to compete to see who can crow the loudest. Usually at 3am in the morning.

Red hibiscus used to be the Kauai flower until the powers that be realized the red color was man-made. Now it's the yellow hibiscus because that color occurs naturally.
The national bird of Hawaii, the Ne Ne goose. Very sweet little creatures who seem to enjoy buttered toast more than you'd think. Not that we threw our buttered toast off the balcony or anything.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow!

Back From Kauai!

Home now - great trip - hope to post some pics tomorrow!