A Proper THANK YOU!

To all of our fallen military personnel for protecting our liberty and rights. I have several family members who dedicate themselves to preserving our lives from the evils that exist within our world.  The evils are many, they are vicious barbarians and would destroy us (remember 9/11) in a heartbeat.  I'm grateful to those past and present who have put their own lives in jeopardy to protect our freedoms.  May God keep you all in his care. 

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Next up:  The times they are a-changin...last week I was saddened to have to give up Big Red in favor of a smaller ride more conducive to my changing physical limitations.  It took me a while to mull over the decision, but I finally emotionally let go of my heart throb Big Red and am confident she will go to a new caring home.  I've never been so emotional about an automobile.  In the past, whatever it was as long as it got me from point A to point B and beyond and back home again, I was satisfied.  It was merely a mode of transportation.  I truly fell in love with that big truck and it was hard to let her go.  But, my new little Jeep is parked out front and although it's odd to look out my upstairs window and see it there instead of Big Red, I'm getting used to it.  Went out for a couple of errands yesterday and had no trouble getting in and out of it.  My right arm, which I had to overuse to pull myself up into the big truck, has stopped aching so it's already worth the trade :)

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As promised, a review of "Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers" show in Spokane Tuesday night.  Having gotten a temporary fix seeing Roger solo in Spokane back in February, I was so in need of a full band show, and they did not disappoint!  The setlist was long...filled with lots of favorites including several from the newest release "Unida Cantina" along with some old favorites as well.  A raunchy, crowd pleasing "Girly" and rousing version of "Blue Collar Suicide".  The audience didn't disappoint either, Roger even commented that he was surprised to have such an enthusiastic crowd on a Tuesday night in Spokane.  What...they expected lackluster??? We are a rabid crowd of fans!  I've seen the same fans at shows there for 8 years now, many I can greet by name and others we simply nod and acknowledge each others presence.  It's a comfortable, homecoming feeling that this band and their magical charisma has created among us.  It's one of the reasons I fell in love with them.  Roger says and it is true, RCPM fans are the best rock n' roll audience in the world! Met up with Sandy, another rabid long time RCPM fan and we spent the evening with lots of laughs and most fun, at the front of the stage (barricade) singing and swaying to the music.  We had a birds eye view of JD and Roger and their awesome guitars!  What fun! :)

Local band "Buffalo Jones" opened with their signature sound and got us ready to rock in grand style. These guys are so fun on stage!  They are one of my favorite indie bands and can't wait to hear all about their four city mini-tour opening up for RCPM on the road! It's their first time out on a road trip as a band.  I wish I could have stalked them the whole way!  I could write a book about that.  Oh, wait...I already did :D


Thanks to Chris and my friends at KPND radio, Sandpoint, for giving me the meet and greet package which not only came with some schmoozing with the band before the show, but a really cool Roger Clyne "Mexican Moonshine" flask.  It's awesome!  It was nice to get to chat with the band and give hugs to all, except for P.H. who I spotted escape on the elevator right before the band came out.  It's ok, I know P.H. is somewhat of a recluse and I respect his privacy.  RCPM are the most humble, personable band I know and I thank them for their graciousness and for the great music.  It was a memorable evening all the way around! 

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On the writing front:  I have definitely decided to sever my exclusive ties with Amazon.  I will offer both of my e-reader books "Random Encounters" & "Bright Lights, Money & Show Biz, Honey" for free before my current contract period is up, then they'll be for sale only (no more freebies through KDP Select)  through Amazon and lots of other e-reader outlets so if some of you have missed out because you have a Nook or Reader device, they will be available mid-June.  Meantime, I'm almost finished editing "Back Track" and will soon make the giant leap of getting a proof copy to move on to the next step.  Still need a cover, but I have a few very talented artists to choose from to do that.  

Virtual hugs all around today, but especially hugs to our military.  Thank them for putting themselves in harm's way to protect our wonderful freedoms and way of life.  Without them, I probably would be censored and not able to do this.  The Lhasa is snoozing and I have a notion I'll be getting ready for a bbq today without any help.  That's ok, I'm persnickety (ok, anal...) about preparing food so I'd rather do it myself.  

*Hugs* ~ K

Surprises

I remember a long time ago on an episode of the comedy "Roseanne".  Her son on the show asked her if he was an 'accident'.  The sisters on the show had been teasing him, telling him mom and dad didn't want him.  They didn't plan the pregnancy and birth of him, so he was an 'accident'.  He was distraught, which of course is what the sisters wanted, so he ran to his mom Roseanne and asked her.  She replied, he was a surprise.  He then asked, what's the difference?  She told him an accident is something you didn't expect to happen.  A surprise was something you didn't know you wanted until you got it, thus convincing him her oopsie pregnancy was not a mistake, but merely an unplanned happy event. 

Most of us like surprises, the happy kind, not the: "Oh my God! It's a 6.9 earthquake!" kind. I like giving surprises, it's fun to experience the joy brought to another person with a small gift or token of affection.  Getting surprises can be tricky, cause sometimes people mean well, but it may not be what the recipient would want. In that case, we smile and give abundant thank you's, and be as gracious as possible to the giver so as to not insult them or hurt their feelings.

I lead a pretty uneventful life, most days are like all the others, nothing out of the ordinary happens and I don't get many surprises, unless somebody pisses me off at the 4-way stop and I have to extend a three finger wave.  I'm pretty laid back and easygoing, unless...you cut me off at the 4-way!  If that happens, I turn into somebody even *I* don’t' like.  So, I mostly take the back roads and avoid the 4-way altogether, that's the sane thing to do and it helps keep my blood pressure down. And, keeps me out of jail.  The point to all of this is, I got surprises today!  It was nice surprises, yet...I'm ambivalent.  All in one day, I scored blog interviews, a reply from a query for the first three chapters of "Random Encounters", and scheduled a half hour radio interview that will be streamed live! Holy bajeebers, batman! I'm more nervous than a virgin on her wedding night! I've not thus far in my very short writing aspirations given a live reading of my book.  Now, it's not that I have jitters from speaking live; I'm actually quite entertaining as long as I have a script to follow.  I just have never read PORN out loud for people to hear! Will I get bleeped out with the seven dirty words? Some are in there, you know.  I always envisioned readers of "Random Encounters" would be curled up in their bed with a hot cup of something, hanging on every word to find out how Veronica manages to get men she doesn't know to silently have sex with her. Doesn't sound difficult, does it?  Aaah...it takes skill, lemme tell ya'...I digress...I saw the reader silently relishing the escapades of this poor confused young woman who simply has some unconventional sexual needs. Not reading it out loud to untold numbers of readers listening to it live! Yikes! 

I'll be back when it gets close to the dates in question, the blog reviews and interviews will be online and the radio interview will stream on Dec. 6 @ 3:30 PM PST.  I'll be reading porn out loud in the middle of the afternoon!  Sounds heathenly, yes?

Hug somebody today! I'm going to this afternoon and it'll be divine.

Surprisingly yours,

~ K