Ten Things I've Learned From the End of ATWT

Oh, the things you learn! As The World Turns, currently the longest-running soap opera on TV, is ending its 54 year run on Friday. And in that spirit, I'm focusing on what I've learned from the show, particularly as it winds down. (I haven't been a long-time viewer, but got hooked in the past few months thanks to the the fabulous Luke/Reid storyline.)

So. These may not have been the *intended* messages, but they came through loud and clear in the last few weeks of As The World Turns:

10. Viruses can be treated with antibiotics. (Really? Try telling my pediatrician that.)

9. Straight men with heart disease that could kill them at any moment, in an insta-relationship with someone for three minutes, get to have sex.

8. Two healthy gay men, in a loving, committed relationship for months, don't. Ever.

7. Therefore, if you meet someone you kinda like, have sex with them IMMEDIATELY. Just in case.

6. If a hospital refuses to release an organ for donation to another hospital, any random doctor with a Coleman cooler and an ice pack can storm the building and demand it.

5. Brilliant neurosurgeons in a hurry will not only ignore all warnings in order to speed across train tracks in front of a train, but when their car stalls, they will completely forget how to work a seat belt.

4. Corrolary: seat belts kill.

3. If you're injured near another town, police from your town will be called in to handle the situation, make the EMT's take you back to that hospital instead of one closer by, then show up at said hospital before the ambulance gets there. And even if you manage to survive a train wreck, the excessive delay of medical attention, and the extra time needed to get back to your home hospital, if it's Oakdale Memorial, YOU WILL DIE ANYWAY.

2. If you're brought into a hospital with life-threatening injuries, but are conscious, coherent, and talking, no one will help you. Instead, they'll stand around boo-hooing about how all hope is gone, and then berate your significant other into signing over your organs the minute you flatline.

1. Straight = HEA, gay = dead or grieving. Because EVERYONE gets a happy ending except Luke, Reid, and Noah.

What a marvelous way to finish out 54 years - with plot inconsistencies, failures in logic, poorly paced and written stories, a mean-spirited and ugly focus on a completely unnecessary death, and deeply homophobic messages. Thanks so much, ATWT.

(And an honest, heartfelt thank you to Van Hansis and Eric Sheffer Stevens. You created a beautiful love story, and acted the hell out of every one of your scenes, even the ones I hated. If it wasn't for you two and your amazing talent, I wouldn't care so much. I wish you all the best in the future.)

Anyone Recognize This Song?

I've been all over the intarwebs looking for the song used in this commercial. No one seems to know the title or the artist. If anyone out there has a clue, I'd be forever grateful!

And even if you're pretty sure you don't know it, you should go ahead and check out the commercial anyway. It's pretty cool. :)

Rodeo Book The Second - Untitled WIP

I'm working on a second rodeo-themed book, this time about a team roper and a local he meets on the circuit. Here's a sneak peek:

The bar was insanely hot, with far too many people crammed into far too small of a space. He was lucky he'd gotten this booth to himself.

Oh, who the hell was he kidding? It wasn't luck. It was a combination of glowering and a heavy dose of "don't bother me" vibes.

He fucking hated this part of the scene.

At least with Dane around, he could handle it. He was the best wingman anyone could ask for – great at deflecting unwanted attention without hurting anyone's feelings, able to tease Cam into a better mood when he started turning too introspective.

Plus, Cam never had to worry about Dane horning in on his territory if he was interested in a woman.

And if once in a while he heard whispers that the two of them were more than just buddies, who the hell cared.

God knew he wasn't Dane's type.

And he was big enough, and mean enough, to squash those rumors before they got any traction.

The jukebox started up again, blaring out the same damn song he'd already heard five times tonight. And he'd only been here an hour and a half.

Nobody else seemed to mind, if the rousing cheer and crowded dance floor were any indication. Everybody else in the place seemed to be having a grand old time.

Cam felt tired, and cranky, and mean. Any minute now he was going to tell some kid to get off his lawn.

Christ, when had he turned into an old man?

Checking his watch again, he calculated that he had to stay here at least another half an hour before he could slip out without bringing down the wrath of the rodeo publicity guy. He could do that. As long as everyone left him the hell alone.

Five seconds later, a woman threw herself into his booth, landing on the bench seat across the table from him. Her brown hair was short and disheveled, her breath coming in short gasps. She reached across the table and grabbed his hand, clinging for all she was worth.

"I'll pay you a thousand dollars to be my boyfriend."

****

Hope you liked it!

Rodeo Book The First - The Devil Inside

So, after attending the rodeo for years over Labor Day weekend, I of course had to write a rodeo book. The Devil Inside, a Samhain release, is about a bullrider who gets injured during the rodeo, and the EMT who nurses him back to health. Here's an excerpt:

Cody woke to darkness.

Where the hell was he?

“Are you awake?” A cool hand smoothed the hair back from his forehead.

“Unfortunately,” he muttered, which made her laugh softly.

Her. Her who? Damn, he’d been on the road for a long time, but forgetting the woman he was with…

That was bad. Even for him.

The room, what he could see of it, was unfamiliar. Not surprising, considering how many days he spent on the circuit each year. But this wasn’t a hotel room.

And he couldn’t place the woman standing next to the bed.

It didn’t help that his brain felt stuffed with cotton, and the room kept wavering in and out of focus.

“Pain pretty bad?” She leaned over him, straightening the sheets. He knew that scent. Why didn’t he recognize the woman?

Okay, start with the basics. It was night. The shadows in the room were deep and quiet. And his mystery woman, the one now checking the bandage on his arm—holy hell, how had that happened?—was wearing a nightgown.

The light from the hallway spilled into the darkened room, putting her face in shadows but turning her virginal white gown almost transparent. She probably thought the long-sleeved garment was modest, but with the light behind it, Cody could see every curve of her body.

Damn.

His groin tightened, an instinctive response to this woman. He did know her. Or at least his body did, if his instant hard-on was a clue. Gritting his teeth, he searched his fogged, noncompliant brain. Why couldn’t he place her?

“Hang on,” she said, turning toward the nightstand. The light through the thin fabric outlined one taut nipple.

Hell. He was clinging by his fingertips here.

She held out a couple of pills in one hand and a glass of water in the other. “It’s time for your next dose,” she said, helping him to a semi-upright position. As she leaned over him, her chest brushed against his arm. He tightened his jaw for reasons other than the pain coursing through him.

She tipped the pills into his palm, but he shook his head.

“I’m okay.” He hoped she couldn’t see the sheen of sweat on his brow that proved he was a liar.

She pursed her lips, obviously not fooled. She set the medicine down on the nightstand, within easy reach. “Your call.”

He closed his eyes, willing the room to stop swimming.

She sat down next to him, careful not to jostle the bed. Lifted one eyelid, then the other, which was kind of weird. “What year is it?”

“What?”

“How about the president? Do you know who’s president now?”

There was that scent again, something sweet and fresh, like fresh-baked vanilla cookies. God, she smelled good. He captured her hand with his and tugged gently. “Stop asking foolish questions and come back to bed.”

She didn’t move. She didn’t say a word. But her tension level spiked off the charts.

“What is it?” He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “Come on, baby.”

“I’m not your baby, Cody.” She tugged her hand from his and stood. “And I haven’t been in your bed for thirteen years.”

Thirteen years? He stared at her.

“Not that you were particularly happy to find me there. Booted me right quick. You were pretty insistent on that.”

He’d kicked her out of bed? Was he insane?

“You have no idea who I am, do you?” She shook her head. “Do you remember getting thrown off the bull? The ambulance ride? Hospital? Anything?”

“I’m a little confused,” he admitted.

“Please tell me you remember signing the release papers…”

He probably looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“Crap.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I knew I should have stayed away. The rodeo is nothing but trouble.” She glared at him. “And that goes double for you, Cody Ringo Shaw.”

Oh, shit. Nobody knew his middle name except family and… “Sam?” No wonder she sounded familiar, looked familiar.

Hell, even smelled familiar.

“Got it in one,” she said dryly. “You’re good.”

Cody struggled to sit up, gasping as pain hit him from all over. Damn, he was in worse shape than he thought.

“Sam, I’m sorry.”

She shrugged. “Forget it.”

“Why am I—”

She cut him off. “Rodeo accident. You’re on bed rest for the next seventy-two hours. After that, who knows?”

Bed rest? “Here?”

“Yep.” Sarcasm lurked behind the terse reply. “Lucky me.”

Shoulders set, she stalked out of the room.

Lucky? Cody fell back against his pillows. It seemed his luck had just run out.

****

You can find The Devil Inside here. Hope you enjoyed the excerpt!

Tomorrow, I'll post an excerpt from my rodeo WIP.

I'm Not A Cowgirl...

...but I play one on Labor Day Weekend.

Yep, I'm back from the yearly trek to the rodeo, and I've got lots to share! Pics, excerpts, and a sneak peek at my rodeo-based WIP. Stop by all week to see what's up!

Today, here are a few pictures from the weekend. Hope you enjoy!

Book BIN Tuesday - Burning Up

I'm a huge Susan Andersen fan, so I'm really looking forward to her newest book, Burning Up. It sounds great:

Though it's been years since the infamous Macy O'James stepped foot in Sugarville, Washington, everyone remembers what she supposedly did. The tiny town is still buzzing about her crime and lack of punishment.

Now back to lend her family a hand, Macy vows to hold her head high—especially at her high school reunion. But forget about the hottest man in Sugarville escorting her. Though she and fire chief Gabriel Donovan generate enough sparks to burn down the town, he's a law-abiding, line-toeing straight arrow. So not her type.

But maybe—just maybe—he can change her mind about that.

****

:) Gonna run right out and Buy It Now!

Book BIN Tuesday - Primal Pleasure

Ooh! This one looks good!

He will have his revenge—one wicked seduction at a time.

Pendragon Gargoyles, Book 3

Emma is used to getting dragged into her twin sister’s magical messes, but this time her predicament is more than a minor annoyance. She’s chained to a cat shifter that her sister encased in a curse of stone. Worse, the unfortunate gargoyle’s waking up. And her sister’s not there to take the heat.

After a century suspended in stone, Cian would do anything to get his hands on the sorceress who put him there. Strangely, his dreams of revenge turn into an animal hunger to put his hands all over her—in every delightfully wicked way imaginable.

Never as talented as her sister, Emma doesn’t trust her own magic. But for now she must let Cian believe she’s the culprit in order to strike a bargain: to permanently lift the curse in exchange for his tracking skills to find her missing sister. The longer she is near him, though, the closer she comes to surrendering much more than her body to the brutal warrior.

As their attraction catches fire, Emma dreads what could happen when he learns the truth. If he will sacrifice her to break the spell…or fight for a love that goes beyond animal instinct.

Product Warnings
This book contains adult language, violence, bone-melting explicit sex and a stubborn alpha male who likes his revenge served hot, wild and strong enough to bring him to his knees.

***

I just love the warnings on Samhain books, don't you? So why not run on over to My Bookstore and More and Buy It Now?

Book BIN Tuesday - A Little Bit Wild

Ooh! A new Victoria Dahl book is out now! Here are the deets:

He is not what she had in mind.

Jude Bertrand is not an excellent dancer. Nor does he wear the most fashionable coats. But when Marissa York's brother approaches him, desperate to preserve Marissa's tenuous reputation, Jude does prove heroic enough to offer to marry the girl. In fact, the union should more than make up for his lack of social graces - and his own scandalous past...

But minds change...

Marissa knows that betrothal to the son of a duke - even one as raw and masculine as Jude - will save her from ruin, but that doesn't mean she's happy about it. Soon, though, she finds that Jude has a surprisingly gentle touch - and plans to use it to persuade Marissa that their wedding day cannot come soon enough...

Sounds fabulous, no? I love Dahl's books, both contemporary and historical, and I can't wait to read this one. How about you? Why not head out and Buy It Now?

Inspiration Friday - Fanvid Edition

Today's episode of Inspiration Friday is dedicated to all the fans who tirelessly work to create new and fabulous videos in honor of their favorite shows/movies/etc. Yes, the fanvid artists!

I admit it, I love fanvids. Especially ones that are extra creative and well-made, with edits that are snappy and lyrics that match the action onscreen. I thought I'd share one that really works for me, based on a show I've barely watched. Sometimes you don't even have to watch the show to enjoy the fanvid!



Hope you enjoy!

Oh, and on a related note: I'm also blogging over on Nine Naughty Novelists, on the topic of fanfic. Gee, wonder what I've been thinking about lately? :) Drop by and say hello!

Book BIN Tuesday - Infamous

Squee! Suzanne Brockmann has a new book out!

This one isn't part of her Troubleshooters series - the next (and last for a while), Izzy's book, isn't out until 2011 - but it looks like a fabulous one as well.

Here are the deets:

When history professor Alison Carter became a consultant to the film version of the Wild West legend she’d dedicated her career to researching, she couldn’t possibly know that she would not only get a front row seat to a full-blown Hollywood circus, but that she would innocently witness something that would put her life in danger. Nor did she expect that a tall stranger in a cowboy hat would turn the movie -- and her world -- completely upside down…

A.J. Gallagher didn’t crash the set in dusty Arizona to rub elbows with Hollywood’s elite. Unable to ignore ghosts from the past that refuse to stay buried, A.J. came to put an end to the false legend that has tarnished the reputation of his family. But when he confronts Alison, sparks fly. And when she becomes targeted by ruthless criminals, suddenly she and A.J. must face the intense attraction that threatens to consume them, in order to survive the danger that threatens their very lives.

*******

Sounds great, doesn't it? So why not head on out to the bookstore and Buy It Now?