Thursday Thirteen - Thirteen Things I Ate (and drank) In New Orleans

I loved, loved, LOVED New Orleans. The music, the architecture, the people, the nightlife, the mood of the city as a whole. But what I loved the most - and what I really miss right now - was the food.

When I travel, I make it a point to try food that's specific to the location and/or something I can't get at home. And with the wide variety of food associated with New Orleans, it was easy to come up with 13 items. Now I'm hungry!

1. Beignets. From Cafe du Monde, of course. Little wrought iron tables, dusted with powdered sugar, and lines of people waiting for a seat no matter what time of day or night.

2. Gumbo. When I told GPS that I was going to New Orleans, the first question was, "Are you going to eat gumbo?" This question was repeated until the photo was sent as proof.

3. Jambalaya.

4. French toast with pecan praline topping. Rich, sweet, and oh so satisfying. From the Somethin' Else cafe.

5. Crawfish po'boy. Grubbin' food for the first night in the city. At Huck Finn's Cafe.

6. Red beans and rice.

7. Hurricanes. Did you know that you can walk down the street with an open drink container there? This was a revelation.

8. Gator and sausage boudin. Little fried balls of rice, alligator meat, and sausage.

9. Lemon meringue pie martini.

10. Pulled pork over corn cakes topped with corn maque choux. Part of the tasting menu at the Audubon Tea Room reception.

(The following were from the same dinner, a "foodie" feast at Apolline's I won at the work conference I attended the second half of my stay. It was ah-mah-zing.)

11. Heirloom tomato salad with goat cheese feta.

12. Crispy confit of duck leg with grilled zucchini and a quail egg.

13. Brioche bread pudding with praline sauce.

Now head on over to Nine Naughty Novelists for more New Orleans memories!

The DH's Thursday Thirteen - Thirteen Great Albums of the Seventies

You knew this was coming, right? After last week's focus on the sixties, the seventies couldn't be far behind. (And, thanks to a request from notoriouslyunique, there will be a Beatles-themed post in the near future.)

So, without further ado, thirteen albums that rocked the seventies:

Dire Straits 1978 First Album

Van Halen 1978 First Album

Rolling Stones 1972 Exile on Main Street

The Who 1971 Who's Next

Neil Young 1972 Harvest

Wings 1973 Band on the Run

Robin Trower 1974 Bridge of Sighs

ZZ Top 1973 Tres Hombres

The Eagles 1972 Eagles

Led Zeppelin 1971 IV

Crosby Stills Nash & Young 1970 Deja Vu

Marvin Gaye 1971 What's Going On?

AC/DC 1979 Highway to Hell

(Note: I've formatted this list TWICE so the group name, year, and album title are all in separate columns, but it keeps going back to this format. Argh. Sorry for the lowered readability.)

What are your favorites? What didn't make the list that you think should have?

Blog Party -- Thirteen Things About Home For Christmas!

Welcome to day two of the Kate Davies Home For Christmas Blog Party! In honor of Thursday Thirteen, here are thirteen things you may not know about Home for Christmas, my upcoming release from Samhain Publishing.

1. It's my first Christmas-themed story.
2. It's included in THE PERFECT GIFT, the 2007 Samhain holiday anthology.
3. It's one of the only books by Samhain to be released in print first, then e-book.
4. THE PERFECT GIFT has been on the Amazon top twenty romance anthologies bestsellers list since September.
5. My mom and her best friend gave me the original idea for the story, although I've changed it so much I doubt they'll recognize it now.
6. Ethan and Sophia are both a bit older than the typical romance hero and heroine -- and I adore them because of it.
7. I love the idea of going on a Christmas cruise, though I've never had the opportunity.
8. Home For Christmas is one of five stories in THE PERFECT GIFT -- and I'm not exaggerating when I say I love each one of the other stories.
9. The brilliant Anne Cain created the cover, which I absolutely adore. It rocks.
10. I'll be sharing a blurb and some excerpts over the next couple of days.
11. There's an interview on The Romance Studio that goes into a little more detail about the book. Stop by and check it out!
12. I'll be giving away some prizes at the end of the blog party, to celebrate the release of my new book. Every comment you post is an entry into the drawing. So stop by and post!
13. The e-book version will be available on December 18!

Thursday Thirteen #35 -- Flood Edition

Not much to say this week, so I thought I'd let these pictures speak for me. (With a little commentary -- I *am* a writer, after all.) All these photos were taken after the devastating flooding in the Pacific Northwest this week.

Closed and guarded freeway on-ramp.

This is the most air rescues the Coast Guard has performed since Hurricane Katrina.

A fountain that's normally dry in December.

Note the speed limit sign.

No fastpitch this week!

A familiar sight.

And another one.

I hope you and yours are safe, warm, and dry.

Thursday Thirteen #34 -- Booksigning Edition

Okay, it's been well over a week since the Samhain booksigning. But I (1) need a topic for TT, and (2) finally got the pictures downloaded. So here are thirteen things I learned at the Samhain booksigning November 3:

1. Lauren Dane and Stacia Wolf are both fabulous women! I had a great time chatting with them and getting to know them.

2. A good bookseller makes a huge difference. Our contact at Waldenbooks ordered in a ton of books, asked us to sign the remaining stock, and promised to face the books out over the holiday season. How cool is that?

3. The Rainforest Cafe is like eating inside the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. Except without the corny jokes.

4. There's a drink at the Rainforest Cafe that comes in a glass with flashing neon lights around the base of it. If I'd seen that before I ordered, I probably would have gotten it.

5. All customers coming into Waldenbooks after shopping at Radio Shack set off the security alarm.

6. Three authors and multiple books can squeeze to fit one small rectangular card table.

7. It's harder when said table is inside the posts of the security system at the entryway.

8. Friends and relatives who come to the mall on a Saturday night to support you at a booksigning are to be cherished.

9. It is impossible to participate in a booksigning without spending way more money on new books than you ever could have made in royalties for the night.

10. This is not a bad thing. :)

11. Dinner beforehand is a lovely thing. I highly recommend it.

12. Dessert afterward is even better.

13. I can't wait until the next booksigning!

Thursday Thirteen #33 -- Everybody in the Pool!

Thirteen things I like about swimming lessons

1. It's inside. No more freezing my behind off on the soccer field.
2. The pool viewing area is warm. See note above.
3. I like watching my kids enjoy being in the water.
4. Living in the Pacific Northwest, and owning a boat, swimming is a survival skill.
5. Two hours of no arguments over computer time and television, twice a week.
6. I can write on my Dana and still keep an eye on the kids.
7. My kids look forward to it.
8. Swimming plus shower equals no bath night!
9. It tires them out right before bed.
10. Getting our money's worth out of our health club membership.
11. Keeps them active in the months between soccer and fastpitch.
12. They're actually getting better with each session.
13. Makes me look forward to the summer, and vacation time.

Thursday Thirteen #32 -- Neil Young Edition

(header graphic courtesy Write From Karen)

So I went to the Neil Young concert this week. Here are thirteen random thoughts about the event:

1. The venue seated at most 7000 people. I liked it better than being in a huge arena in the nosebleeds.
2. It was definitely the anti-arena show. Odd, industrial-looking set that seemed cobbled together of random pieces of machinery and letter shapes, no fireworks or special effects, just Neil and his music.
3. Of the entire opening set, performed by Pegi Young, my favorite song was the second performed.
4. At the end of the song, she announced that it was the one that WASN'T on her album.
5. I really like Like A Hurricane.
6. The concert was performed in two sets -- acoustic and electric. Nice way to highlight both sides of Neil.
7. It may seem counterintuitive, but I actually felt more sleepy during the rock-out electric set.
8. Am I getting old? I can stay up til all hours on the computer, but put me in a dark concert hall with music being played, and I'm ready for a nap.
9. Loved Cinnamon Girl.
10. Wished he'd played my all time favorite, The Needle and The Damage Done.
11. Absent that, my favorite of the night was probably From Hank to Hendrix.
12. At the end of the second set, random letters of the backdrop lit up. Spelled out? Neil. :)
13. My next concert experience will be VERY different. Tune in next week for details.

Oh, and if you TT'ed at my blog last week, be sure to scroll down to the previous post. You may already be a winner! :)

Thursday Thirteen #31 -- Birthday Edition!

(header courtesy of Write From Karen)

Thirteen presents I got for my birthday (which was yesterday!)

1. Slippers

2. A bottle of Gewurztraminer

3. Three great-smelling hand soaps

4. A white shirt and brown trouser outfit

5. A green, sparkly, already-sharpened pencil

6. The last piece of watermelon bubble gum

7. Two print blouses

8. My youngest's favorite Wiggles video ("you can watch it whenever you want!")

9. Khaki dress slacks

10. Dinner from Arby's so I didn't have to cook

11. A "book bag" made out of printer paper and transparent tape

12. A dozen cut-out hearts artistically draped over the living room chair

13. A ton of hugs and kisses!



Yes, I was spoiled -- and loved every minute of it! And to keep the fun going, I'm holding a blog contest through Friday at midnight. Anyone who posts between now and then is in the drawing for a prize! So be sure to drop by this weekend to see if you've won!

Thursday Thirteen #30 -- October Edition!

Thirteen reasons I love October...

1. Cold, crisp, fall days.

2. Chili in the crock pot and fresh bread from the bread machine.

3. Halloween candy.

4. Not so much weeding.

5. Hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps.

6. Hot chocolate without peppermint schnapps.

7. My birthday!

8. End of soccer season (which I love, but I'm ready for it to be done for the year).

9. Reading a book on the couch on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

10. Halloween costumes. (I don't get to wear them anymore, but it's way fun helping the kiddos pick them out!)

11. Did I mention Halloween candy?

12. Holiday decorating. (Just for Halloween/harvest time. I won't pull out the Christmas decor until the day after Thanksgiving, thankyouverymuch.)
13. Trick or treating with the kids!

Thursday Thirteen #29 -- Banned Books Week Edition

In keeping with the theme of the week -- banned and challenged books -- I'm listing thirteen frequently-challenged books that I loved.

And don't forget my contest! Comment in the post right below this one, and you could win a free download of my latest book, Lessons In Love.

1. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

2. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

3. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

4. The Giver by Lois Lowry

5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

6. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle

7. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan

8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

9. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

10. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

11. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher

12. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney

13. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Wow! Let me tell you, it was hard to narrow that list down. How about you? Check out the ALA list of most challenged books of 1990-2000 and tell me what you think!

Thursday Thirteen #28 -- Girls Night Out report!

Since I focused on my then-upcoming booksigning last week, I thought I'd take today to report back on how it went. Here's the skinny:

1. Thanks to traffic, I was twenty minutes late getting there. Then I spent ten minutes driving around the parking lot trying to find a parking space. Not the best start to the evening!

2. Once in the mall, I went over to the signing tables to find my seat. There was no nametag for me. Again, not auspicious.

3. Once we figured out that Kate Austin was signing at a different bookstore and the tag really should have read Kate Davies, I breathed a little easier. The signage was fixed right away. :)

4. Even as late as I was, I still managed to be the third author who arrived. Evidently, I wasn't the only one with travel issues. (The ferries were a nightmare, from what I understand...)

5. At the start of the evening, I got to sit next to Ann DeFee, a Harlequin American Romance author with a great sense of humor. We spent a good portion of the first hour standing at our table, answering questions about RWA and becoming a published author.

6. Most repeated comment of the evening:

"You wrote that?"

"Yes!" (Big smile)

"Gee, you look too conservative to write something like that!"

Huh?

7. At around 6:30, my seatmate arrived -- Susan Lyons. A fabulous Brava author, Susan and I had fun shocking passersby with our book covers. (We were the "hot" section of the signing.)

8. Jaw-dropping moment: A woman walks by, picking up bookmarks, pens, candy, etc., from each of the authors. Then, as she walks away, she announces loudly, "I'd never read a romance unless there was nothing else available."

9. My best publicist? My mom! She talked up the signing to everyone. Including the woman at the Clinique counter, who rushed over to introduce herself. Way to go, Mom!

10. The hot tamales were a big hit! (If you can't read the label, it says, "...because a little spice is nice!", with my name and web address on it.) I was glad, because staying up until 2 a.m. filling little cellophane bags with candy is a bit of a pain. Ah, the glamorous life of an author...

11. Funniest moment: a woman walks up with a big smile on her face. "I understand you (meaning writers) sometimes come into the schools and give talks." I held up my copy of my book and said, "I don't think I'd bring this into the schools." She said, "Oh, sorry!", blushed, and literally ran away.

12. Our table, left to right: Gerri Russell, Ann DeFee, Susan Lyons, and me. The table on the other side of the signing (sorry, no pic!): Cherry Adair, Pat White, and Elizabeth Boyle. Couldn't make it: Dawn Calvert, my chaptermate and a fabulous author who got sick. :(

13. Best of all -- I sold out! I even signed copies for people I didn't know! :)

It was a great evening and I'm so glad I was able to participate. Thanks to Peninsula RWA and Barnes and Noble for sponsoring a wonderful event!

Thursday Thirteen #37 -- Girls Night Out!

So Friday is Girl's Night Out at the Kitsap Mall in Silverdale, WA. I'm going, and you should go, too! Here are thirteen reasons why...

1. It's a fundraiser for local women's and children's services.
2. You get tons of giveaways and discounts.
3. It's a big party -- 25,000-plus women attend each year.
4. You can show up any time between 5:30 and 10 pm.
5. There's a big multi-author booksigning right near Barnes and Noble.
6. Discounts at Baskin-Robbins! And Cinnabon!
7. Cherry Adair is one of the authors signing at Barnes and Noble!
8. So are Elizabeth Boyle, Dawn Calvert, Lacy Danes, Ann DeFee, Susan Lyons, Gerri Russell, Dominique Sinclair, and Pat White.
9. I'm one of the authors, too!
10. And Suzanne MacPherson, Kate Austin, and Alexa Darin will be signing at Waldenbooks (down the mall).
11. There's going to be a basket raffled off at the signing.
12. I'm bringing candy.
13. It's my first booksigning. I don't want to be lonely!

So stop by. If you tell me you read about it on my blog, I'll have a special giveaway for you!

Thursday Thirteen #26 -- Thirteen Things I'm Happy About

Okay, confession time. I've got a monster of a head cold and I can barely remember my own name, let alone come up with a TT topic. So here are thirteen random happy things.

1. Lessons In Love is out! I'm always psyched when I have a new release.

2. I heard Hey There Delilah at least four times today. It's the family's latest favorite -- each of my kids have their own favorite lines, and we all sing along at the top of our lungs.

3. Top Ramen. When I've got a head cold, nothing's better.

4. Lover Unbound is coming out September 25. Woo-hoo!

5. The Perfect Gift is coming out September 25. It's hard to tell which one I'm looking forward to more. :)

6. Fuzzy socks Mom made for me a couple Christmases ago. I love how warm they keep my toes.

7. Girls Night Out is coming up on the 21st. My first official signing! If you're in Northwest Washington, stop by and say hello!

8. Soccer season. I love hot chocolate on cool Saturday mornings, watching the kids charge up and down the field.

9. All my books (except LiL) are now available on Fictionwise! If you buy your e-books there, three of the four are on discount right now as new books.

10. All of my kids are loving school this year.

11. I sold a new book!

12. What, you want more details? Okay, Lessons In Trust is a follow-on book to Lessons In Love. The heroine is Lucia, Alex's sister. It'll be out early next year, and the two will be released in print together near the end of 2008.

13. I actually get to do what I love -- write -- and share it with you all. I'm truly blessed!

What are you happy about this week?

Sorry, no TT this week...

...I'm too busy checking my sales ranking on Amazon.

Okay, not really, but I do have to admit to scrolling down that page a time or two.

Seriously, I got hooked into editing a document for my DH and can't think of anything to TT about. I'll be back with something clever for TT next week, I promise!

Thursday Thirteen #25 -- Photo Edition

Thirteen Photos from my summer vacation!

The Maliboomer, at Disney California Adventure.

Parade of Dreams, Disneyland.

Electrical Parade, Disney California Adventure.

Sea lion on the docks in San Francisco.

A redwood, Avenue of the Giants, California.

Somewhere on the California coast.

One of the many art deco bridges in Oregon. Gorgeous!

View from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Forest.

Ditto.

And, er, ditto.

Cape Flattery, Neah Bay, westernmost point in continental U.S.


Pacific Ocean/Straits of Juan de Fuca

View from the water!