Hallo-"weenies"

Here are my niece-pups who live in Nevada.

Despite the cute pictures, Halloween isn't exactly a pet-friendly holiday. Thanks to the SPCA for the following information.

• Keep pets indoors on Halloween night as the extra activity can be dangerous.

• Confine your pets to a safe and quiet area. The constantly ringing doorbell can be stressful so place your pets in a quiet room, with their pet bed, favorite toys, soothing music, and if possible, a human companion.

• Do not take the family pet out trick-or-treating. Pets can be frightened by strange costumes and may result in the animal running away or acting out by attacking. Remember, pet owners can be liable for injuries inflicted by their pets.

• Never let your pet around lit candles. Pets may knock over candles and cause a fire. Curious kittens and puppies especially run the risk of getting burned.

• Candy is not for pets. Most candy will get your animals sick and chocolate is very dangerous as it is poisonous to many animals. Tinfoil wrappers can get lodged in your pets’ digestive tract. Keep the number of your local poison control center and emergency veterinarian handy just in case.

• Never dress your pet in a costume that is not made for pets. If you do dress your pets for Halloween, make sure it is a costume made for pets their size.

• Current Identification Tags are vital. With the door constantly in use on this holiday, pets can sneak out of the house. Make sure they’ve been microchipped and are wearing a collar with current tags.

Happy "BOO"-day!

Happy "HOWL"oween.

Current read: Painted Desert, by Nancy J. Farrier

Cute puppies, no?






Thanks to my cousin Trudi for the cute pix. Don't worry. I'll be back soon with more canine pictorial treats.

Signin' Books in Encino, CA

Current read: Painted Desert, by Nancy J. Farrier (Barbour anthology)


Los Angeles Romance Authors Book Fair...fifteen authors, and here I am among them. Yay. What a great day! We even got mentioned in the Los Angeles Times.

Highlights? Sold 'em all...and the grandbaby came. Sigh.

My New Book Cover! hip-hip HOORAY

Just finished: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown; Grade C-
Here it is...isn't it gorgeous? I got the designer I requested (yes, she did Marrying Minda also), the marvelous artist and editor Nicola Martinez, and got the horses and lone cowboy as well. Sigh.

Now I need to speed-read and finish my edits. I've got a book signing on Sunday for Marrying Minda (can you tell Minda and Mattie are sisters?)...so wish me luck! I'll be posting the blurb next. My wonderful editor helped me with it. I am definitely not a woman of few words.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tanya's Take on Wild Horses and Burros

Current read: The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown


Did you know nearly 37,000 wild horses and burros --descendants of the Wild West -- roam Nevada, California, and Wyoming? Another 32,000 are tended in corrals and pastures in Kansas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. While the Bureau of Land Management rounds p thousands annually for adoption, there have been fewer takers the last few years.

In recent months, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior Ken Salazar had warned that the slaughter of many of these animals might be inevitable. Water and forage are limited in the West, he said, and drought and wildfire threaten both range land and the animals' well-being. There are actually ranchers, Western lawmakers, and even a few Native American groups who long for this practice! Fortunately, Salazer, who is a former rancher, rejects this idea along with most of the American public.

Secretary Salazer has just announced to Congress a new plan to protect both the animals and range by moving thousands of horses and burros to preserves in the Midwest and East. Five preserves in addition to two already maintained would become refuge for 25,000 wild horses and burros. Many remaining on the range would be neutered, and reproduction closely monitored.

The planned preserves, essentially large ranches, would be accessible to the public, ecotourism. Salazar's plan is highly praised as it reverses decades of government policies that consider these critters "nuisances."

The thought of slaughter broke my heart. Horses and burros are tightly woven into the fabric of the Old West. I almost wish those buckaroos were called horseboys in honor of those elegant, hardworking, temperamental equines. And as for burros, well, I just love them and have sponsored three at a sanctuary in Israel.

If only I lived on a farm or ranch and not a typical suburban cul-de-sac. There would be no end to the number of critters in my homegrown zoo. (I'll write about the Safe Haven for Donkeys in Israel soon.)

And maybe Salazer's compassion will reverse the recent horrible decision to open hunting of wolves in Idaho. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. HOWL!

LiveSTRONG and Prosper

Today is LiveSTRONG Day world-wide. Wear yellow. Donate and get a wristband.

On this date 13 years ago, cyclist Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer...at a time in his life he had no health insurance. His memoir, It's Not About the Bike, broke the ground on T.C. awareness.

Thanks also to my hero, Dr. Lawrence Einhorn, whose research at Indiana University invented the chemotherapy protocol in 1978 that saved Lance's life. And also my husband's last year. Dr. Einhorn makes himself available by e-mail and phone to guys needing answers and second opinions. Thank you, God.

In 1978, s dying patient begged Dr. Einhorn to use him as a guinea pig.

He's alive today.

Of the 7,600 men who will be diagnosed with T.C. this year, more than 95% will survive. But only if the disease is caught in time!

I can't deny the BEP protocol is harrowing and life-threatening in itself. But it works. Get the men in your life to check their balls. Just like our BSE's, guys gotta do TSE's.

Please?

Tanya Writes About Lefthandedness

It's one of my favorite things about myself although I clearly recall in grade two, handwriting J's like F's just as the principal came into the classroom to observe. Although heat flooded me, he didn't seem to mind a bit.

Did you know males are more likely left-handed than females? How special am I? In fact, there are twice as many left-handed boys as girls. Neither of my kids got it, though.

I share the stage with some pretty cool left-handed folks: Picasso, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Beethoven, Paul Mc Cartney, Lou Gehrig, Helen Keller, Prezzes Garfield, George H.W. Bush, Clinton and Reagan (is Obama, too?), and some other guys I like: Ben Franklin and Mark Twain.

Well, I've no politics in me, but I did major in Art in college and I do play the piano pretty well. And since the right side of a brain controls the left side of a body, this surely this means I'm in my right mind.

(Although my hero pictured with me at our daughter's recent wedding may lovingly disagree.)

Tanya Writes About The Falconer

Current read: The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown
Just finished: The Falconer, Elaine Clark McCarthy, A++ a perfect read


I'm not a reviewer or a critic, but this book really touched my heart. I guess because cancer rears its ugly head in it, and the hero puts out wildfires and it's set in California. So many things that make up my up the fabric of my life.

Thing is, I've had this book in the attic for years. It was released in the mid-90's and I don't know how it got into my hands. Maybe someone who knew my hero is a firefighter. Dunno. It's slim and spare with a beautiful cover but somehow didn't make the cut of a TBR list.

But I found it again, going up into the attic for fall decorations. It's short, almost a one-sitting read, with the lyrical prose that I love and our MTV culture usually doesn't.

But oh god she wanted him. She wanted his hands to reinvent her skin, she wanted his eyes to find here there behind her face and release her. She wanted her heart thrown into the sky; she wanted to fly. She wanted it before the dark closed in. So mucy dark and so soon.

The only trouble was, she didn't know if he could want it too. But he might. Please, whatever god may be he might.

The author claimed it only took three days to write. But she to my knowledge never wrote anything else. Sad. It's timeless and wondrous and worth your time. A keeper. A re-read. Again and again and again.

(Ps. If I used this cover image and shouldn't have, please let me know., and I'll remove it)

Tanya Writes About the USS New York

I got this in an e-mail from some fire-buddies and can't help but pass it along. We visited Ground Zero a summer ago on our first (but it won't be last!) trip to New York. Still get chills. Still get tears, thinking of the great sacrifices of 9/11.

Maybe this ship is a kind of phoenix, something rising from the ashes. Something hopeful out of the destruction on that day the world as we knew it stopped turning.

This ship was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center destroyed on that horrific September day.

The fifth in a new class of warship, she's designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. She will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite , LA to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my
neck stood up. It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back..."

Notice her twin towers? Her motto?

“Never forget.”

Tanya Writes About Kama Sutra

Current read: The Falconer by Elaine Clark McCarthy

Oh yum. Of course the picture isn't my hero and me. Although....mmmmm....you could photoshop our faces on there. Because I just went to a Kama Sutra party and got some pretty great stuff LOL.

You see, I live on a neat little cul de sac. We have Fourth of July block parties--this year's was a 50's theme with poodle skirts and an Elvis Impersonator, and Christmas parties where we gals go caroling after a few glasses of wine, and a bunch of us get together most Wednesdays for Zumba, Latin American aerobics. (Oh, I'm terrible at it but it does feel good.) Julie, our lithe and lovely Argentine neighbor leads us and it was her idea to hold the KS party.

What could be finer for a romance writer than a party like that? How about some oils of love with names like chocolate mint, cherry almond, and strawberries and champagne?

A stimulating pleasure balm called raspberry kiss?

Lickable body souffle creams such as chocolate creme brulee?

How about lickable honey dust body powder? Sweet honeysuckle tickle your fancy?

Aromatic massage oils called Serenity, Pleasure Garden and Soaring Spirit intrigued me for sure, but Sweet Almond won out.

And oooooh, personal lubricants like love liquid and pleasure potion had some of the gals heading for demo's in private.

Don't let me get started on the, ahem, playthings. I'll tantalize you with a couple of product names: mini-tongue and classix rabbit pearl.

I can't wait for our next trip to try out my Weekender pack. A beautiful little box of airplane-regulation size goodies.

By the way, my hero is really glad I went to the party.

Ps. I have been considering trying an erotic short story. Somehow I'm kinda in the mood...WDYT?

Tanya Writes About Sunflowers

Just finished Lady X's Cowboy, by Zoe Archer. Grade B+



Please stop by Petticoats and Pistols today for a bit of history on the sunflower. The sunflower has a history?

Yes indeedy. See you there. If nothing else, the pictures rock.

And who doesn't feel better after getting smiled at by a sunflower?

Tanya Writes About Yellow Ribbons

Well, they're yellow. But these ribbons aren't for our daughter's wedding. We just got back from a fantastic trip to Sacramento where I picked up some information about the symbol of the yellow ribbon. And with today being the anniversary of that horrible day the world stopped turning eight years ago, I'm featuring this post here as well as at the Western authors blog, Cactus Rose at The Wild Rose Press.

I never liked the song much, Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree, but that doesn't mean I can't sing it at will all these years later! And I remember wearing a yellow ribbon during the Iran Hostage Crises of 1981-82. These days, I see frequent reminders to pray for our troops on yellow-ribbon car magnets.

But not until last week, visiting Old Sacramento, did I learn the origins of the yellow ribbon. For almost 150 years, displaying a yellow ribbon is a sign of loyalty to family, friends and loved ones far away from home in difficult situations such as war or captivity.

According to legend, the custom of a yellow ribbon showing support for a loved one far away began during the Civil War. At this time, the United States Cavalry wore yellow piping on their uniforms. Women who were married or promised to a Cavalryman wore yellow ribbons while waiting for their soldiers' return. Supposedly the practice kept prospective suitors at bay as well as warned of reprisal by the soldier if his lover was harmed.

Another version of the custom traces its origins to the horrific Andersonville Prison. Officially known as Camp Sumpter, Andersonville was one of the largest, most notorious Confederate prison camps. During its 14 months of operation, more than 45,000 Union soldiers were confined, 13,000 losing their lives from disease, malnutrition, overcrowding, and exposure.

Supposedly a member of the Ninth Ohio Cavalry who had been a Confederate prisoner there for several years, wrote to his wife with the suggestion that, rather than wear her ribbon, she tie it to a signpost near the train station so he could see it upon his return. The tale soon became part of Civil War lore.

The following song spread throughout the North, its words set to an old British drinking song:

Around her neck she wore a yellow ribbon
She wore it in the Springtime and in the month of May.
And if you ask her why the hells he wore it,
She wore it for her soldier who is far, far away.

(Chorus)
Far away, far away.
She wore it for her soldier who is far, far away.

During the 1991 Gulf War and following 9/11, the yellow ribbon symbol has gained widespread popularity as it sends our service members the message that they are never far from our hearts.

Sincere thanks to the Old Sacramento School House Museum for this information.

Tanya Writes About the Livestrong Wedding, part 2

Current read: Lady X's Cowboy, Zoe Archer










Yes, yellow roses, gerberas, callas. Lemons. Livestrong wristbands for favors. A Tour d' France jersey-themed groomscake. Each table named for a Tour term. Lemondrop martinis.

Everything picture-perfect, to die-for. Willingly. Sigh. Even down to the little china plate her dad and I ate our cake from, thirty five years ago! (Her brother and his bride ate off it five years ago.)



Sigh again. And live strong!

Tanya Writes About the Livestrong Wedding, part 1

Current read: Lady X's Cowboy, Zoe Archer

I'm not over the wedding yet. My hero, my T.C. survivor, the love of my life and my husband of 35 years, was on board every second of our daugher's wedding. He attended every bridal gown try-on, every fitting.

Yet...on that glorious day...(he confided all this later.) He stood there, waiting for her to take his arm. Then he saw her as he'd never seen her before. His breath caught and his heart stopped.

She had picked the date, the 8th, in honor of him. For 16 months before, on an 8th, his remission had been announced. And he got his dream. During those killer days of chemo, he'd confided something else. Let me live to give my babygirl away at her wedding.

He got his wish, his prayer. His dream come true.

Tanya Writes About...wedding shoes

Current Read: Lady X's Cowboy, Zoe Archer
Just finished: Cranberry Hearts, Barbour Anthology, A+


Well, ya hear all through your childhood about ruby slippers and glass slippers, then ya grow up and it's all about Choos and stillettos. Toss is the occasional pricey flip-flop or Nike cross-trainer should need arise.

I myself am partial to my Ahnus, the best feel on my reconstructed foot but I managed a darling pair of black satin strappies for the wedding. And they weren't even new. I got them for our New York trip last summer and wore them on our dinner cruise around Manhattan. Way comfortable and broken in...although I changed into some Vera Wang ballet flats for the reception.

But how about my babygirl and her yellow shoes? Long a fan of "Chuck Taylors" combined with fancy duds, she always wore matching Chucks with her sorority formals, and her brother wore spankin' new Chucks with his own wedding tux five years ago. Oh yeah, she wore the strappies for the ceremony but partied on all night long with those Chucks.

Do I have cool kids or what?

Tanya Writes About...a picture being worth a thousand words.

Just finished: Cranberry Hearts, Barbour Anthology. A+

It's hard getting back to the blog. I don't know why I thought I'd have more time now that the wedding is over! There are tons of pictures to go through, memories to relive. Wedding roses to dry. Real life going on. And a Christian inspirational novella I'm finishing up...(a new genre for me, as well as a contemporary setting. Wish me luck!)

So here's a baby GQ moment for you. The Ring bearer. Is he adorable or what?

Tanya Writes About A Wedding...and an Anniversary

Last week, we shared our daughter in marriage. There's no "giving away" for us. She's got a lovely man who treats her right...who treats her the way her daddy has treated me for 35 years this very day. I adopted a star for him so it can shine down on us, always, until the end of our days.

So, this one's for you, babe:

STILL THE ONE (Orleans)

We've been together since way back when
Sometimes I never want to see you again
But I want you to know, after all these years
You're still the one I want whisperin' in my ear

You're still the one I want to talk to in bed
Still the one that turns my head
We're still having fun, and you're still the one

I looked at your face every day
But I never saw it 'til I went away
When winter came, I just wanted to go
Deep in the desert, I longed for the snow

You're still the one that makes me laugh
Still the one that's my better half
We're still having fun, and you're still the one

You're still the one that makes me strong
Still the one I want to take along
We're still having fun, and you're still the one

Changing, our love is going gold
Even though we grow old, it grows new

You're still the one that I love to touch
Still the one and I can't get enough
We're still having fun, and you're still the one

You're still the one who can scratch my itch
Still the one and I wouldn't switch
We're still having fun, and you're still the one

You are still the one that makes me shout
Still the one that I dream about
We're still having fun, and you're still the one...

You're still the one, for now, for ever. For ever and ever AMEN.

Tanya Writes About "My Little Girl"

Oh, it was the best daddy-daughter dance ever. Yes, they practiced. Had a private lesson. Did I sob? No. Did I get misty and teary-eyed? Yes. How could I not? It was the moment I'd dreamed about since she was born, made even more real during the nightmare of her dad's illness last year.

You're beautiful, baby, from the outside in. Both of you! oxoxoxoxox


My Little Girl

Gotta hold on easy as I let you go.
Gonna tell you how much I love you, though you think you already know.
I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm.
You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born.

You're beautiful baby from the outside in.
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again.
Go on, take on this whole world.
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl.

When you were in trouble that crooked little smile could melt my heart of stone.
Now look at you, I've turned around and you've almost grown.
Sometimes you're asleep I whisper "I Love You!" in the moonlight at your door.
As I walk away, I hear you say, "Daddy Love You More!".

You're beautiful baby from the outside in.
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again.
Go on, take on this whole world.
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl.

Someday, some boy will come and ask me for your hand.
But I won't say "yes" to him unless I know, he's the half
that makes you whole, he has a poet's soul, and the heart of a man's man.
I know he'll say that he's in love.
But between you and me. He won't be good enough!

You're beautiful baby from the outside in.
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again.
Go on, take on this whole world.
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl.

Tanya Writes About, well, being a MOBster

(No. She did not Say Yes to this Dress. But it was, briefly, a contender.)

Current read: (not a lot of time these days. These are great stories but I'm not quite done with the last one...) Cranberry Hearts, Barbour anthology.

We're in the countdown now. Nine months of planning have evaporated into six more days. Bridesmaids' luncheon is tomorrow...I'm finishing up the ring-bearer pillow, made from a scrap of the white satin I used to make her presentation dress for the sorority during Parents Weekend not all that long ago...fellow Cactus Rose author Paty Jager is filling in for me next Wednesday at Petticoats and Pistols...

Tuxes to get. Yellow satin ribbons to tie around the programs. Envelopes to address for the wedding favors--LIVESTRONG yellow bracelets. Mani-pedi, Massage. Last Wednesday's practice daddy-daughter dance (to Tim McGraw's "My Little Girl") had me so misted up I know I'll be comatose during The Real Thing.

That's because my hero told me, when the testicular cancer diagnosis smacked us in the head: Oh, I want to live to give my daughter away at her wedding.

Well, praise God. He's getting his wish!

I blogged a while back about the bone spur getting removed from my right foot. My intent was to heal up in time to get some kick-ass stilettos for the wedding. but I've have to content myself with three fun pairs of ballet slippers for the dancing part. I'll gut it through the black satin strappies during the ceremony. (I will not of course, wear all three. But I haven't yet decided which pair will make the cut. There is one pair, the Vera Wangs I did NOT get on sale, that will likely make the cut.)

After The Wedding is heartbreakingly over, and the lovebirds are sunning it up in Aruba, I'll get back to the blog with some of my good reviews for Marrying Minda and my oxymoronic goal to write an erotic short story AND an inspirational novella at the same time.

Do you think it can be done?

Be patient when nothing new appears here for a while. I've got a lot on that tiered crystal cake plate. So I'll leave you with an Old Scots Song.

The woman wasna taken
From Adam's head, ya know,
So she must no command him, (yeah right...this is me.)
'Tis evidently so;
The woman wasna taken from Adam's feet, you see,
So he must no abuse her--
The meaning seems to be.
The woman she was ta'en
From under Adam's arm,
Which shows he must protect her
From injury and harm.

Tanya Writes About...Marriage

Current read: Cranberry Hearts, Barbour anthology


Here are some witticisms to share while we await our daughter's wedding day...and while I scour the attic to find the garter I wore for her something borrowed. Something, blue, and something old. One fell swoop. I easily found for her the sixpence I wore in my shoe, but the garter is playing a gosh darned game of hide-in-seek.

On marriage:

To have and to hold. from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.
--Book of Common Prayer

Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they cannot e separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them.
--Sydney Smith

No matter how happily a woman may be married, it always pleases her to discover that there is a nice man who wishes that she were not.
--H.L. Mencken

Many a man has fallen in love with a girl in a light so dim he couldn't have chosen a suit by it.
--Maurice Chevalier

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
--Matthew XIX, vi

Well, time to dig some more...