I had an interesting day yesterday. Spent it in an emergency room rather than with my friends talking Donald Maas. The red-headed hellion is fine, but has a very nice goose egg on her head to go along with the pretty bruises up and down her back.

I did finally start working on my TBR pile. I’m doing my best to conquer Katharine Briggs’s The Fairies in Tradition and Lore. It reads like a textbook but is filled with a huge world of fairy stories. I’m hoping to find that spark of an idea…

And while surfing the other day, looking for some online Tarot instruction since I bought this pack of cards and the book that accompanies it sucks, I found a site that does FREE one-card readings. I submitted my question. Here’s the lovely response I got from “Moonbug”, my spirit guide:

Thank you so much for visiting me at the Free Tarot Network! I am happy to provide you a free one-card reading about your question: ‘Will I get another New York publishing contract before the year is out?’

Peace & blessings,
Moonbug

So you heard it from “Spirit”. Good news should come in the Fall. And I signed up to join the network so that I can do one-card readings under a mentor. Should I tell him I’m a newbie? Maybe we could have fun with readings on my blog or during our monthly chat!

And according to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft, the June moon brings love, marriage (now, we know why women want those June weddings!), and success. So see there? I have double the good news today!

That’s what I’m talking about today over at the AA loop. So follow the link below and join me!

So, Friday was interesting. I made the trip to Conway for the Donald Maas workgroup (an hour and a half one way!). All the ladies were very nice. One I already knew from the Diamond State Romance Authors.

We were getting to know each other and talking about the story we want to use while we go through the Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook, when I look through the plate glass window and see a trampoline go flying by.

I must have said something like, “Well, that’s not something you see every day.” The women turned to the window and started making noise about how nasty it was outside. When more large objects got hurled through the air I said, “Let’s get behind the wall.”

Yeah, there was a tornado in the neighborhood. And we never got the siren or saw a funnel—just wind so strong it turned deck umbrellas inside out and bent them sideways, sent trash cans sliding down the street, and flattened large sections of privacy fence. The rain came at us sideways, and for a few moments even seemed to curve upwards.

When it was over, so was the meeting. There was just too much excitement to get back to work. Then I went out to my car and had a nasty surprise. A large section of shingle from a neaby roof had gotten wedged under my car, and the gritty side flapped against it. The side that faced the wind was covered with pits and tiny, hair-like scratches. I’m bummed because my deductible is pretty high, but whatcha gonna do?

I know what I’m gonna do—write another story to pay for the paint job.

Okay, so when I opened this blog up, the only thing I could think of to talk about was my tattoo. So the original title was “My tattoo’s molting!” But then I thought that people might be eating breakfast (or whatever you eat when you don’t live in my time zone), so I had to really think hard for another topic.

Then I remembered that tonight I will be at the Fallen Angels Reviews site!! Yup, I’ll be in their chat room at 8 PM CST, talking about whatever anyone who shows up wants to talk about. If you’ve never been there, here’s the link: Fallen Angels Chat Room (And yeah, I do give out a prize, er bribe!)

So back to the tattoo. Or not. Since LOCKDOWN’s out now, and I can focus completely on my Work-in-Progress (a cowboy menage), you’d think I’d be ready to blast through the end of that story. Only have a chapter and a half to go. But nooooo!

Last night I saw an email about someone who was looking for another author to join a special group tackling Donald Maas’s Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. Since I have the workbook and have never made it past chapter one because I have no discipline, I called her at 9 o’clock last night begging for a seat at her table.

So today, I’ll be away from the computer, away from the email and my WIP. But I’m taking my camera. If our fearless workgroup leader doesn’t mind, I’ll come back with pics so you can see what working writers really look like!

So you’re still wondering why I typed the title back in? Couldn’t help myself. I didn’t know tattoos could be so gross. It itches like hell and is shedding skin like I have some skin-shedding disease, only my skin’s shedding in pretty colors. And I still can’t get into the pool.

Today, I’m blogging about Lockdown at Access Romance’s All-A-Blog. I’d love to see you there.

But you’re really wanting to know who the winners are of my countdown, right? I won’t make you wait or tease you. Oh wait, on second thought…I think I’ll wait until tonight to announce the winner! So if you’d like one more chance to win, be sure to visit me today and post a comment! 😈

And if you’ve forgotten what prizes I’m offering, be sure to check out my June 7th blog entry!!

The Devlins have a family reunion going on this week, and the girls decided they needed to do something wild—something to bond over. This was someone’s bright idea.

We’re outside Redbeard’s Living Canvas in Hot Springs. From the left it’s my niece Liz, SIL Teresa, SIL Shanna, me and my 70-year-old Mom. See the smiles? We had no idea…

I’m sure the biker dudes/tattoo artists thought we were pretty interesting. We were certainly fascinated meeting them. My poor mom didn’t blink an eye at the F-bombs that exploded, but watching her grit her teeth and blink like mad every time the needle carved into the top of her foot was really pretty funny. Of course, I thought she was just being a little wimpy.

UNTIL, it was my turn. I know I made some interesting faces because my niece laughed her ass off. My SIL told me my fingers were completely white because I was digging them into the chair so hard.

This is a pic of the work in progess. It’s kind of sexy looking at it in hindsight with tattoo dude hovering over my quivering toes.

The experience may have been painful, but we had a blast. And we love the results! We came back to the house and sat out on the patio admiring our new art. The guys think we’ve all lost our minds. They just don’t get it. We know we’ll have something permanent to remind us of family every time we glance down.

Here’s my mom’s awesome dragon:

Shanna’s pretty flowered anklet:

Teresa’s colorful butterfly and rose:

Here’s my final result (my poor foot’s swollen). Keep in mind I intended to go for something small and dainty!

Join me if you can! I’d love the company!