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Fiction, Food, and Foolishness
What We’ve Been Up To
ANN: March 1st kicks off “Read an eBook Week’, along with ‘Paws to Read Month’ where authors can spotlight pets they feature in their books. Just about every book Ann writes will have a pet. They provide a way for a character to have one-sided conversations to reveal more of their personality.
So today, Susan and I will do some shameless self-promotion!
She and I have been busy these past few months. She’s been writing like a crazy person getting a new series out, while I’ve been doing a major clean-up of my steamy romances publishing sweeter versions under the penname of Emma Ames.
Take a gander at what we’ve been up to!
SUSAN: My new series about a private detective will be told in episodes or novellas, each dealing with a different case. I’m really excited as it will be the first urban fantasy I’ve ever done. It’s set in Austin, Texas, which has a reputation for being weird and will include the surrounding hill country. As a lifelong Texan, I have plenty of stories to draw on.
Jack Charles, Private Detective
My name is John Nick Charles, but everyone calls me Jax. I’m a private detective and not your ordinary run-of-the-mill kind. Paranormal investigating is my thing. I deal with the likes of witches, ghosts, shapeshifters, alchemy, and the occult. My name usually doesn’t come up over cocktails at dinner parties. Most people in Austin, Texas, don’t even know I exist. Unless they find themselves in a situation where they need my particular expertise. And even then, they don’t like talking about it.
All Things Paranormal
It came as a surprise when famous explorer Sir Dwight Winston showed up at my office looking to hire me. Why me? A wealthy man like him could afford a top-notch team of investigators. Simple. He wanted me to keep it off the record. Of course, I jumped at the chance. I needed the money. And it seemed easy enough. My mistake.
The Hunter’s Moon
The morning after an unexpected visit from my Uncle Darwin, my secretary informed me I had an appointment with a potential client. I had qualms, worrying it was one of those cases where I’d be tailing a spouse, trying to get proof they’d been cheating. Imagine my surprise when I found out it had to do with a shapeshifter. One that might be going rogue.
ANN:
The fictional town of Bluebird, Texas is the setting for Ann’s steamy series while her ‘sweeter’ versions are set in the fictional town of Sparrow, Texas.
Fun Fact: Other than Eagle Lake, Eagle Pass and Pelican Bay, Texas doesn’t have any towns named after birds.
Blurb:
Swan Malone never dreamed shooting a promo for the University of Texas athletic department would lead to an acting career, or her first film would be the runaway hit of the year. Sounds like a dream come true, right? Not after she discovers everyone in La La Land lies and so does her family.
When Teague Shanahan joined the National Guard, he never expected to be called to active duty. Now, he’s stuck on the other side of the world with no idea where he is and no one to talk to except the spider in the corner of his prison cell.
When Teague returns a broken man, will Swan’s love be enough to save him?
Find out more about Susan and her books at https://www.susanaroyal.com
FEBRUARY EVENTS
The second month of the year is the shortest one, but it’s chock full of events besides Valentine’s Day. Here’s some interest things we discovered about the month we thought we’d share.
1. February is one of the most frequently misspelled words in the English language.
2. February is American Heart Month, Black History Month, Canned Food Month, Grapefruit Month, Hot Breakfast Month, Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month. and our favorite” National Snack Food month.
3. February got its start as a spring-cleaning festival. Well, kind of. It’s named after one: “Februa” was an early Roman festival and cleansing ritual held on Feb. 15.
4. February doesn’t always have a full moon. The last time it didn’t was 1999. The next time it won’t will be 2037!
5. Groundhog Day originated in Germany. Oddly enough there it’s not a groundhog that forecasts either an early spring or a longer winter: It’s a badger.
6. The odds of being born on Feb. 29 are about 1 in 1,461.
7. Valentine’s Day did not start on a romantic note. According to historians, the day now synonymous with “love” probably began as a pagan fertility festival in ancient Rome. We’ll leave it at that, because some of the other details are disturbing. Another thing: Millions of people in the U.S. buy their dogs gifts or cards for Valentine’s Day.
8. The first Sunday in February is Super Bowl Sunday but it wasn’t always that way—until 2001, the game was played in January. But we’d say that’s a pretty good way to kick off a month.
For more info about Susan and her books, go to: https://www.susanaroyal.com
S.O.B DAY (Spunky Old Broads)
S.O.B. Day (Spunky Old Broads)
Founded by Dr. Gayle Carson, Spunky Old Broads Day is a holiday where we celebrate women who are age 50 and older, who don’t want to get old quietly, and are “interested in living a regret-free life”.
Today, we wanted to spotlight older women and share some funny and thought-provoking quotes about growing older.
Ann: My key for looking younger is similar to Lucille Ball’s…except in reverse. Always tell your age as 10 years OLDER than what you actually are. You might not look so great for your real age, but you’ll look fantastic for someone they think is 10 years older!!
SUSAN: When I was a young girl, and my parents had get-togethers, the men gathered in one room and the women in another (usually the kitchen). The women would be talking a blue streak and suddenly, they’d put their heads together, whispering to one another, following by hysterical laughing. I never knew what they were talking about, just that it must have been funny. Now that I’m much older, I understand completely. Nothing is sacred to women my age. And we’ll laugh about anything. Why not joke about your wrinkles, saggy boobs, poor eyesight or forgetfulness. It’s all part of life. Might as well enjoy it. My advice is: Enjoy life. Especially now.
Learn more about Susan and her books at: www.susanaroyal.com
TO MAKE RESOLUTIONS…OR NOT
Two Gals Gabbin’
About books, movies, cooking, and advice
Decorating, shopping, and gettin’ the best price
Life, love and raising kids
Along with do-hickeys, what-cha-ma-call-its, and thing-a-ma-jigs
We’re just two Texas gals
Straight from the sticks
The only things we won’t gab about
Are religion and politics!
Now that we’re eighteen days into 2021, we wonder how many of you have made resolutions and how many of you have broken them already. Most everyone has a list of things they want to accomplish. Some get done, and some don’t.
Susan: I always start the new year with great intentions of eating healthier and exercising regularly. I get rid of all the sweets in the house to avoid temptation (and yes, I eat most of them. I don’t want to be wasteful after all.) This year we had to cancel our family Christmas, so I didn’t do any baking. So far, I’m exercising every day. We’ll see how long that lasts. I do have one question. What do I call it when I’m struggling to get to my feet after sit-ups? ABS or CARDIO? Anyone?
I usually go into cleanout mode in January. I figure it’s easier to get rid of stuff than clean around it. Things I never seem to get around to are sorting through my photographs (I have some that go back to the early 1900s), sewing (some projects I started years ago), and crafts (I’m getting ready to throw in the towel on that one.)
ANN: I stopped making New Year’s Resolutions a long time ago. Instead, I find myself making Thanksgiving Resolutions! Like this year, after Turkey Day I stepped on the scales, and…Holy Moly!! So, I decided instead of gaining more weight during the holidays, I vowed to do no holiday goody cooking. I usually do a lot for gifts, but this year…nope, nada, not a single cookie did I give!
I gave up bread, sugar, pasta, potatoes, and just about anything white. Also, diet sodas which was a big sacrifice because Lord knows I do love a Coke Zero. I did that religiously for 4 weeks and then started adding just a bit of all those carbs back into my diet.
I’m still sticking with it and surprisingly it hasn’t been that hard. I think it’s because I don’t call it a resolution.
SO…
What’s on your list?
TEXAS TRIVIA
Happy National Trivia Day! To celebrate, Susan and I thought we might play a Texas Trivia Game. We have to admit, we were surprised by our research. We learned some things about our state! We hope you do to! Answers will appear at the end of the post.
TRUE OR FALSE
1. The Academy Award statuette, Oscar, was named for a Texan.
2. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is the alternate landing site for the space shuttle.
3. The city of Slaughter, Texas, has never had a homicide.
4. Texas is the home to the most tornadoes in the U.S.
5. Approximately 90% of the world’s recoverable helium is located in Texas.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Texas has more than:
A-50,000
B-60,000
C-70,000
D.-100,000 miles of highways
The highest temperature ever recorded in Texas was:
A. 114°
B. 117°
C. 120°
D. 124°
Home of the World’s Largest Calf Fry (bull testicles) Cook-Off is:
A. Fort Worth
B. Amarillo
C. Fort Stockton
D. El Paso
Home of the deadliest natural disaster in the U.S. happened in:
A. Galveston
B. Lubbock
C. Houston
D. Texas City
The most popular snack food in Texas is:
A. Frito Pie
B. Corn Dog
C. Beef jerky
D. Peanuts
TRUE OR FALSE ANSWERS
#1/True. The Academy Award statuette was named for Texan Oscar Pierce, whose niece worked in Hollywood for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. When she saw the statuette, she reportedly said, “Why, that looks just like my Uncle Oscar.”
#2–False. DFW has the world’s largest parking lot, but the alternate landing site for the space shuttle is The Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport because it has the third largest runway in the world.
#3–True
#4–True. The Lone Star State has an average of 139 tornados per year.
#5–True. 90% of the world’s recoverable helium is located in the ground under Amarillo, Texas.
MULTIPLE CHOICE ANSWERS
#1— (C) We have more than 70.000 miles of highways, of which 40,985 are paved farm and ranch roads. We also have more than a million signs and markers, and it takes 1.6 million gallons of white and yellow paint each year to paint stripes along the highways.
#2— (C) The highest temperature on record is 120° and it occurred in Seymour, Texas on August 12, 1936. The lowest temp recorded is minus 23 at Tulia, Texas in 1899 and at Seminole, Texas on February 8, 1933.
#3— (B) Amarillo
#4— (A) The Galveston hurricane of 1900 killed between 8,000-12,000 people.
#5— (A, B, C, D) All of these snacks are equally popular in Texas…at least we couldn’t find a clear-cut winner!
How many did you get right?
1-3…Are you sure you’re a Texan?
4-6…Not bad, but you still have a lot to learn.
7-9…You know your state pretty dang good.
10…We bet you even know the words to Texas Our Texas!!
For more info about Susan and her books, check her website at: https://www.susanaroyal.com
We All Need a Laugh
Ann: During this time of a global pandemic, I know there isn’t much to joke about. But sometimes, we need to laugh to keep from crying! Here are some memes that made me laugh.
^The lady in this meme is actually a pretty accurate self-portrait of me!!^
^This made me think women might now include “well-stocked” with toilet paper in their dating profiles! Definitely a plus in this day and time!!^
Ann Everett, Best Selling Author
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