Tanya Writes About Her Hero's Birthday

Oh, yes, his birthday was a splendid day. I took him to see Sex and the City. I know, I know. It's kinda girly, but we just got back from New York and had to revisit the sites again. Yay. Bryant Park was one of our favorite places.

Then it was dinner at a Mexican restaurant in town. Our last meal in the Big Apple, unfortunately, was the worst one. A Mexican pub. Well, no one does Mex. like Californians LOL.

Our dear friend and next-door neighbor Blake wrote in his card, every day is your birthday. And how true. Blake and Betty and their precious sons (it's like our other family) gave my hero a copy of The Last Lecture. We know it'll be heart-rending and soul-uplifting.

I'll save New York for a new blog. I don't have the pix in the computer yet. It's just been nice to write about happy things for a change, after that harrowing siege. I just heard from a new buddy from the T.C. loop that his insurance insurance (well, he prefaced it with a very naughty word) has refused to pay for some of the treatments! Unbelievable. Another of our blessings was our incredible health care, our brilliant doctor and those angel nurses.

In fact, my hero has a check-up tomorrow. Although he is in full health and looks terrific (all that was bald isn't any more), he's getting a little twirly about it. But he found on the 'net beautiful pewter "guardian angel" pins that have a pearl head wearing a nurse's cap. He ordered one for each of those amazing nurses who helped us both through those dark and dreadful days.

Now comes writing their thank-you cards.

There won't be a dry eye in the house.

Tanya Writes About Being Back in the Saddle

Hmmmmmmmm. During those harrowing days of of my hero's chemo, I couldn't write a word. Well, other than this blog where upon I scribbled sometimes, so late at night it was the next day.

But creating, or even reading, took a different set of brain cells, and I just had other things more important inside my head.

But now that we're on the road to Normal, now that my hero's journey has us wondering if those horrible months were just a bad dream, I can get back to writing.

I'm doing just that. I've started a Western that deals with Nate Bertell, a hottie cowboy who plays a small role in Midnight Bride. In that story, he figures he had a chance with Carrie (heroine) but didn't claim her hand soon enough before Jed (hero), a gorgeous stranger, arrives in town stating she'll lose her ranch unless she weds him. I just figure I've been so lucky in love that everybody, fictional or not, deserves some really good lovin.'

So I'm crashing some inspired words every day. Thursday, I spent several hours at the local Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, slurping caffeine with my writing buddy Sarah Dale while we both worked on current projects.

Today, Sarah and I met for high tea with three other writers. I write Westerns, Miriam writes mystery, Sarah erotica, and Ellenie urban fantasy, but we've all got a common goal: Romance.

I mean, I'm going to have a happy ending. Why not everybody else?

Tanya Writes About Deliverance

It's on. Right now on some cable channel. Deliverance.

Now you might ask, so what? It's not a girl movie so it can't be Tanya's favorite.

Or can it?

Well, this blog is about the hero's journey. No, not those yahoos on that canoe-trip gone wrong. A hero who met me way back in high school.

No, we weren't sweethearts then. He was Big Man on Campus and I, well, I was a dork. Yearbook editor. Honor Roll.

He was Football Team Captain and Boyfriend of the Head Cheerleader/Homecoming Queen.

But college was good to me. Four years later we met again at a Christmas party. OMG, it was truly an across-the-crowded-room deal. So I immediately concocted a New Years Eve party so I could see him again.

He beat me to it and called me the next day.

Leave it to me to almost ruin it before it started. Burt Reynolds was the hottie of the day. I guess he'd be the Orlando Bloom or Matt Damon or (God forbid) Justin Timberlake of today. So any movie of his had to be a good choice for a first date.

And that's just what I picked. A Burt Reynolds movie.

Deliverance.

I remember sitting through Ned Beatty's memorable scene and dying inside. He thinks I'm a pervert. He'll never ask me out again.

But he did. We rocked at my New Years Eve party...

...and have been together ever since.

So wherever your hero's journey takes you, hang on tight and stay by his side.

Tanya Writes About Normal Again

Wow, how can it be June? So much of 2008 is a blur, a bad, sad movie. But we're on that road to normal.

My hero had a doctor's appointment today. No, not about the T.C. About the two ruined knees and rebuilt shoulder he sustained as a firefighter. Seems like a slam dunk, huh? But we live in the state of Caliconfusion with an idiot at the helm. He changed the rules on job-related injuries, meaning unless it killed you, you didn't really get hurt.

God help us when the T.C. goes to evaluation. Many universities' studies show that it is a job related condition for firefighters due to all the hazardous materials, fumes, chemicals they are bombarded with over the years. Firefighters get T.C. 102% more often than other occupations. But his first letter from workman's comp mentioned the "alleged" testicular cancer.

Yeah, alleged! He lost a nut and endured chemo so harrowing it almost ended his life. But according to "Ahnold" and his henchmen, it's just an allegation.

But hey. I'm happy! I got working today on a new Western while he was answering this new doctor's questions for the bazillionth time. The last few months totally drained my creativity from me...So tomorrow I'm meeting a writer friend for coffee and laptopping, and a bunch of us authors are getting together for a formal tea on Saturday.

I'm happy! My hero's stronger and hotter every single day with his new stylish goatee --just about the only hair that's started sprouting again. A waiter remarked the other day how cool he looks. Privately to me, he joked about his GQ chemo look.

I'm happy! Our grandbaby spent all last weekend with us! Oh that angel. Now, I love my own kids passionately but there's something about loving a grandchild that I could never imagine before it happened.

Thank God we had that little guy in our lives during those horrible weeks. My hero kept his faith and kept his hope because he knew just who he was fighting for.

Oh, normal. Oh, happy.

Oh, baby.