Fruit Fly Invasion

I know. Anyone who studies the timeline for body decomposition shouldn't break into a sweat at the site of pesky tiny flies but I can't help it. These things drive me absolutely NUTS!

I like to have fruit in the house. Who doesn't? It's a quick healthy snack. When the kids want to reach for chips or chocolate I'm quick to point out healthier choices like the bowl of apples on the counter. Except a couple weeks ago I had to ban practically all fruit from the house until I got rid of the damn fruit flies.

I talked about it to my good friend and author Mary Forbes who, by the way, has a great new book out (Red Wolf's Return). Mary recommended I spray my house plants because apparently these little dudes will lay eggs in there. *shudder* Thanks Mary. For days I was convinced my African Violets had turned against me! However I took the time to spray all my household plants and investigate them all carefully. No bugs.

After declaring our house fruit fly free (say that 10 times fast) I took a risk and loaded up on apples, bananas and, yes, even berries at the market. And now THEY'RE BACK.

I'm open to suggestions.

Do you feel lucky?

Gotta love Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry. The exact movie line is:

"You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk?"

Yesterday I was talking to a friend who said, "Man, are you lucky!" She was referring to the fact that I get to do what I love and get paid for it. She's told me this many times and every time I just smile and say, "I really feel blessed." She's a good friend and I know she means well but I always feel a slight twinge of annoyance when someone says I'm lucky to be published. To me, luck is for lotteries and slot machines. I don't feel that it took much luck for me to get published. It did take me five years and five manuscripts to sell that first book though.

During those five years I wrote with four little children nipping at my ankles. I wrote while nursing, burping and rocking babies. I wrote during midnight feedings and through temper tantrums (sometimes my own). I also wrote on little scraps of paper during soccer games.

I'm not special. Lots of writers I know were just as lucky to work their asses off too LOL!

So do you believe in luck or do you think we make our own?

New Book Cover!

I've got a new book cover for THE REMAINS OF THE DEAD. Yes, the skinny chick is dead. It's a good thing. Really.

You see, booksellers thought the old cover skewed young. Take away the girl and add a ghostly handprint and they LOVE it. And I LOVE it. So do you love it? I'll leave the old one up on the right for a few days so you can compare the two.

Those of you who already received bookmarks with my old cover, yes, I'll be doing up new ones. Anyone wanting a bookmark just needs to email me their address through my site by clicking here.

Change. It's a good thing :)