I've Been Interviewed! Check It Out!

Check out my interview today at Sarita Leone's blogspot!
http://www.saritaleonepages.blogspot.com/

Leave a comment, and you just might win a PDF of my latest book, MY STRENGTH, MY POWER, MY LOVE from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid!

A Re-Post From A Blessed Chic

PH#2: Hands

I appeal to all my readers to please pray for the divine healing of sis Emily who is confined in a hospital right now because of a severe lupus flare. By the stripes of Jesus she is healed. Amen.

This is my swollen hand during my recent confinement in the hospital due to a lupus flare.

Posted by: Emily of A Blessed Chic

Re-posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Philippines

Personal/Prayer Request

My Friend Hater.

I think you should change your name. Because you’re not a hater, more like an opinionated, OBJECTIVE, guest on my blog that is welcome to post whenever you would like.

Sure, I don’t know your sex, age, or name… but to be perfectly honest I don’t care. With regret I must admit that I am no journalistic genius so I take great compliment to the fact that you chose MY blog to comment on, even if it wasn’t random at all. I'd like to think it is… but hey, if we know each other in RL and you choose to be anonymous for un-obvious (sp?) reasons, who am I to judge?

Well, except of course if you DO get mean… then well, I’ll just be a biotch.

Apparently I am good at that?

(Technically a rhetorical question, don’t answer that)

Now, in honor of our welcome guest Cameron (Hater: this is the name I would like to bless you with… androgynous, yet closely resembling mine) I will leave you all with the immortal words of ….

HILLARY DUFF???

Yup…Hillary Duff...and just 'cause I feel like quoting Miss Sassy Pants Duff.

Don't spit on me and shame yourself
Because you wish you were someone else
You look so clean but you spread your dirt
As if you think that words don't hurt
You build up walls no one can climb
The things you do should be a crime
You're the queen of superficiality
Keep your lies out of my reality
And when you're nice it's just a pose
You're one of those

Chorus:
Haters
Traitors to the human race
Haters
What a drag, what a waste
I'd like to see them disappear
They don't belong anywhere
Haters
Haters

Spinning a web that's hard to see
Of envy, greed, and jealousy
Feelin' angry but you don't know why
Why don't you look me in the eye?
You want my friends, you want my clothes
You're one of those

Chorus
Haters
Haters
Different life forms, different species
Broken promises and treaties
Talkin' 'bout exterminating
Not the haters, Just the hating

You say your boyfriend's sweet and kind
But you still got your eyes on mine
Your best friends got her eyes on yours
It all goes on behind closed doors
And when you're nice it's just a pose
You're one of those

Chorus
Haters
Later for the alibies
Haters
Any shape, any size
I'd like to see them disappear
They don't belong anywhere
Haters
Traitors
Haters
Haters
Haters
Haters
Haters

Random Acts......

You know what is so inspiring to me?
Someone you don't even know......and haven't ever even met, nor possibly ever will.......sending you a gift.

And for no apparent reason other than this person was being very kindhearted and giving.

I love that when that happens to people!!
I mean it doesn't even have to happen to me me. I just love it when I see "giving" in action. But what a great joy when it IS about ME!
Ha!

Right before St. Paddy's Day my new blog friend "TEA" told me she wanted to send me a pretty doily that she makes and asked me "What color would you like."

Soon.....as promised....a lovely GREEN doily showed up at my house and I was soooo thrilled that someone would do that for me!

I bought this teapot in Ireland....and look how cute it is under my new doily!!!

Thanks so much to Miss "TEA" who is a huge blessing to me.
Believe me I will remember her every year at St. Patrick's when I decorate!!

I have a million more things to report......but no time right now to write.
But stay tuned.
I will be back soon. I think.

Where Do You Buy Your Ebooks? (It matters to the authors.)

Where do you buy your ebooks? Because it matters to the authors.

The best place to buy them is at the publisher's website. Why? Because authors get paid by the book, and they make their best percentage at the publisher's website.

Some publishers are even offering immediate discounts on new releases. For instance, Whiskey Creek Press has each new release at 10% off the first three months.

I know a lot of people wait until the book gets to Fictionwise and ARe because they have an account already established with them. That's okay. Authors get paid the least from those bookstores, but they often sell the most books there.

Either way, buying a book is the best way to tell an author, "Keep writing!" To which we reply, "Keep buying and we will!"

Ode To The Irritated Friend

(With apologies to Dr. Seuss)

I will not go to stores with you.
I will not go to mall with you.
I will not shop for shoes and such.
I do not like to shop that much.

Please let me edit on this book,
This book that’s just like tenterhooks.
My time is short - oh, won’t you see?
Please let me edit! Let me be!

Please do not call me ‘cause you’re bored.
Do not ring bells at my front door.
I cannot drop what I have now.
I will not drop it, not no-how!

I want to write! I want to write!
Why can’t you see I want to write?
I work all week, my time is short.
I write my books all through the dark.

You work all week, then off you go.
You’re off to play and see the shows.
But I would rather stay right here
And write and write and write, my dear.

So don’t be mad and don’t say things,
Those hurtful things that bite and sting.
My time is short, my hours few.
Let me do what I want to do.

Just be a friend and let me write,
And if you do, one day you might
Find right there in the book, you’ll see
A Thank You page to you from me.

Dear Linda: If any one of your books could be made into a movie...

One of the most often asked questions I get is "Which one of your books would you like to see made into a movie?"

Hands down, THE BATTLE LORD'S LADY.

Publish America has the rights to this book until 2013. After the contract is up, I want to re-submit this book and its two completed sequels to another publisher. I'm also in the middle of a fourth book (I'm calling all of these books my Battle Lord Saga), with a fifth one already outlined.

In addition, I have a trilogy planned around each of Atty and Yulen's three children, which I'm calling The D'Jacques Dynasty Trilogy.

Another frequently asked question is, "Who is your favorite heroine of all that you've written?" (Often accompanied by, "If you could be any heroine in one of your books, who would it be?")

Again, hands down, it would be Atty/Atrilan from THE BATTLE LORD'S LADY.

Got your curiosity going? Hope so. :D

Re-Uses for Old Books, Take 5

Do you live near an used book store? Take your old paperbacks and hardbacks there. Trade them for in-store credit, or with Half Price Books, take the money and run.

I've done book signings at used book stores, and I love it! Most used book stores are locally owned and operated. The atmosphere is warm and comfortable, and often the hostess sets out goodies and drinks for the authors and customers. Better yet, the owners will often take the authors' books and sell them on commission.

(Note! Let's say you have a few paperbacks with not-so-pretty covers. Go ahead and give them to the UBS. They can still offer them in their Buy-1-Get-Something-From-This-Bin-Free box!)

I'm giving a shout-out to Pam over at Boomerang Books in League City, Texas, and Jennifer at Books Ink in Portland, Texas.

You girls ROCK! :D

Which Sea Creature Fascinates You Most?

What sea creature fascinates you most? Given the chance, are you willing to interact with your favorite sea creature? Please explain your answer.



Tags: Dolphin, Whale Shark, Manta Ray, Octopus, Turtle, Shark, Blue Whale, Humpback Whale, Sea Lion, Sea Otter, Killer Whale, Great White Shark, Jelly Fish, Dugong, Tiger Shark, Moray Eel, Corral Snakes, Walrus

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Viewpoint/Opinion

Swap, Buy & Sell Products!

It's official! After many suggestions and comments to have this available, it's finally here. Now you can Swap, Buy and Sell your products with other Hairlista's! How cool is that?! :-)

This is a better option rather than throwing them out and having them go to waste. This category is located in the forum section. Be sure to check out the rules and guidelines too.

Have Fun

In Case You Didn't Know, My Books Are Available for Kindle, Too!

Or should that be "Kindle 2"? ;)

Either way, I had an email asking me if my books were available on Amazon for the Kindle. Yes, they are! Not all titles, at the moment, but they will eventually be listed over there for that format.

Thanks for asking!

Pre-Judging a Book By Its Genre - DON'T!

I've been reading a lot of twits on Twitter recently, and holding my tongue. I've also been reading other blogs regarding books of a particular genre, and biting my lips to keep from responding.

Well, this is my blog, and the gloves are off. That being done, all I have to say is:

Do Not Judge A Book By Its Genre!

I write sci-fi romances. I've lost count of the number of people, especially reviewers, who have written to tell me that they 1) normally don't like sci-fi romances, especially erotic ones, or 2) will read them, but have pretty much figured they were all the same. But then they read something of mine, and have all their preconceived notions blown out of the water.

Plain and simple, I write the stories I want to read. I have probably read three or four sci-fi romances in my lifetime. Yeah, I know that what I write is nothing like them, but I never wanted to emulate or imitate them. Take the sex out of my books, and you'll still have a loving romance, characters you'll care about, suspense, action, angst, and an HEA.

So if you are not a fan of sci-fi romances, still give one of mine a chance. Just one, that's all I ask. Don't put on blinders and lump every writer's books into the same pile. The GENRE may be the same, but our voices are totally different. And - who know? - you may end up adding sci-fi romances to your TBB/TBR pile. :)

New Changes and Appearances

Be sure to check out the newly added improvements to our Network:

• New Themes - Choose from over 50 cool new themes. The layout is different and easier to follow.
• New Invite Page - Much simpler format allowing you to invite your friends and family.
• New Badges - You can customize the background and text color of the badge to your liking. Grab the embed code to paste on websites and social networks.
  

St. Paddy's Day "Louisiana Style"......

It was the Annual "Mahan Celebration of Ireland Party" here at our house last Sunday afternoon....This is how we "cook" our "Irish" meal.......South Louisiana style.

Don prepping to cook.
There were EIGHT big ol' "Corned Beefs" (does "beefs" sound proper?) cooking in that big Crawfish pot. The potatos were going to cook in the Turkery frying pot.
We have learned how to "retro-fit" our Irish cooking with our Cajun resources.


Miss Priss with her eyes closed.....with her friend Joshua.
I believe we had 20 plus people in and out through out the day.

We even had a "Kiltwearer" appear......
Our good friend Paul wanted to wear my kilt.....
Problem was though......It was MORE than a tad bit too small.....I tried to warn him of that, but he paid me no mind.
Paul "entertained our troops"....that I must say....we laughed our heads off.....
Especially when he did some sort of odd "Jig" or something.
Maybe he was trying to do the "Can-Can?"

"It wasn't "Traditional dancing" nor pretty" by any means but it was hillarious.
Paul tormenting Kolin...

Miss Phillis who I work with, and some of my pool friends...Miss Phyllis, Miss Norma and Miss Sandi.

Paul's dear, sweet wife Kelly.....
Misss Priss, Josh, Kolin
We love to do this event every year for our family and friends.
My husband Don after the party....tired, but happy.
I think we all had a good time and made some good memories while we thought of and prayed for and celebrated Ireland.

Would you like a free bookplate?

Just ask me! They're free for the asking! And if you want, I can also autograph it for you! Just send me an email with your name and snail mail address to Linda@LindaMooney.com

softball season has begun!

...and you know how i know?

Because I am SORE AS FUCK. And every time someone has asked me to make plans, I have to cut them short with "Sorry, I am in a tournament that weekend".

As depressing as that may sound to the non-sports-enthusiasts... I am uber excited! This weekend I was in TWO tournaments (read: dumb ass commits to two teams for two different tournaments without realizing it), so I ended up playing 6 games. My body is yelling at me.

Loudly.

Next weekend will be much of the same since I expect our team to kick some serious Langley ass...which in turn means approx 5-7 games to the final. Meh, it's all worth it.

So in short... I'M BUSY.

So suck it

This message not intended for those special people I actually want to make plans with and can't.

End of post.

No, I will not be at RT this year.

No. In response to a lot of people on the loops asking me the same question, I will not be attending RT this year. Or the Lori Foster get-together. Or RWA.

It's not so much the $$ issue. It's the fact that I can't take off from my teaching job for more than 3 days. If I do, I'd better have a doctor's excuse or else be docked FULL PAY for those days I was gone.

If RT comes back to Houston, or maybe Dallas/Ft. Worth, I could drive it, and then I'd get to see everyone.

So, for those of you going, safe trip! Have fun! And don't forget to blog your experiences after you get home.

Would You Rather Live in The North Pole or The Sahara Desert?

Supposed you only have two choices where to live, would you rather live in the coldest part of the North Pole or the hottest part of the Sahara desert? How would you cope with the extreme weather conditions? Please explain your answer.

Tags: North Pole, Sahara Desert, Extreme Cold, Extreme Hot, Global Warming, Ozone Layer, Choices

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Viewpoint/Opinion

My Books Are Now At The Sony Ebookstore!

Whoohoo! My books can now be bought at the Sony eBookstore! So if you have a Sony e-Reader, head over to http://ebookstore.sony.com/ and see what they have. Not all titles are up yet, but soon will be as they're currently being formatted and uploaded. :D

Re-Uses for Old Books, Take 4

New Life for Old Books (and old Books-On-Tape)

Donate them to your local library. Even those books you don't think anyone would want... someone might surprise you.

Libraries can use every extra penny they can get!

Wearing of the Green.....

You know as well as I do that EVERYONE is "Irish" on St. Patrick's Day......whether they have one drop of Irish blood in them or not.
Most people that I came across last Tuesday were "wearing Green".....

My good friend Nora and I had made plans to go to lunch that day. No Irish food for us that meal.

We ate "Cajun" food wouldn't you know....at a sweet, little, neighborhood restaurant called "Jasmine's On The Bayou."
We always try to support our area business's. Especially in times like these.

My friend, Nora
Herself
OF COURSE I had on my fabulous Green WOOL blend jacket with the really cool crest on the front that I bought at a thrift store a few years ago JUST for this day.

And it was very hot Tuesday.
We went shopping next and Nora wore my coat at the store and I bought a NEW "Green" shirt to wear......because I was burning up.
It was 80 degrees outside.

Here is something Miss Priss funny that she just called and told me.....
and it make my heart glad.

Miss Priss and I work at the same little store.
She said to me on the phone just now....."Mama, have you met the new lady that is starting?"
And I said....."No why?"

The she said....."Oh you are going to have so much fun with her!"
To which I said....."OH MY GOSH IS SHE BRITISH???"

Miss Priss replied....."Yeah, Mama she's brand new  to our country."
I then told her......"Oh this is going to be so fun!"
You know once I met her..this new lady at work...I found out she'd lived in America about 20+ years! HA! She still has a very strong accent is all.

Happy First Day of Spring!

Dear Linda: Regarding HeartFast and HeartCrystal

I'm getting emails coming in from reviewers and readers asking about a third sequel, or at least a book 3, to the HeartFast/HeartCrystal series.

Insofar, here are some of the "loose threads" people are wanting to see "tied up" (no real spoilers below):

* The son.

* The daughter's powers.

* How they raise two kids with out-of-control powers.

* The pirates. How they stop them.

* Commander's relationship with Devorah. How that comes about. (This one was mentioned several times.)

* The kid who looked through the window in the first novel and swore he would become a Guardian.

* Destiny and her predictions. What's her story? Her background with the large silver eyes.

* And what about the details of Star's background? What lead to her leaving home? When did she know she had powers?

* And more background on the Guardians. How did they get started?


Dang it! Now you've got me to thinking! LOL! Don't be surprised if you see something pop up soon in my WIP section on my website, or on this blog.

(Thanks to Jo for the nudge. Or is that a thwack with a rolled-up newspaper? LOL!)

Sad

I'm sad today for the family of
Natasha Richardson......I can't say I was a huge fan of hers.

Although I loved her in
"The Parent Trap."
I am a fan of her husband,
"Liam Neeson." He's played in many of my favorite movies.

I have been praying for him and their two sons ever since I heard they were moving her to New York City.
~Please feel free to join me~
I think they are going to need it.

What Three Wishes Would You Ask From The Genie of The Lamp?

You found the legendary lamp of Aladdin and the genie told you he will grant you three wishes. What three wishes would you want to ask from the genie? Please explain your answers.

Tags: Three Wishes, Aladdin's Lamp, Genie, Discovery, Wealth, Fame, Power, Happiness

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Viewpoint/Opinion

Depression Doesn't Begin To Explain It :~(

For the past year and a half I have been anxiously awaiting retirement. This year is my 31st year teaching. I am 54.

According to my calculations, I would be able to retire at the end of the 2009-2010 school year, and be able to devote full time to my writing. My house would be paid off by then, and my reduced retirement check would pretty much equal what I'm taking home now minus my house payment.

I received the news today that the Texas legislature has changed the rules. I must wait another 4.5 years before I can retire with full benefits.

Oh, yes, I can retire next year with partial benefits, but after 30 plus years teaching, I'm not going to settle for less than 40%.

FOUR AND A HALF MORE YEARS.

I'm not just upset. I'm devastated.

and were baaaaaaaack...

...with about zero energy lol.

I have always laughed at the saying "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"... because I thought that those who repeat that saying with any ounce of inner belief, were...well... full of bullshit.

My tune has been changed.

And don't take that out of context! I went to Vegas with 4 lovely ladies, and while I would like to say we were on our best behaviour, I cannot without lying...but I will say that I love these ladies with all my heart and well, to US, Vegas is SACRED. Seriously, this should be a bi-yearly de-stressing trip for all of us.

Now, take from those paragraphs what you will... I did warn you not to take anything out of context. We were relatively well-behaved ladies, but because this trip meant so much to all of us, we are going to keep our time spent together just that... OUR time together. Perhaps some of you should be saving for next year?

I will say however, that it IS the city that never sleeps... or so the people never sleep. I have been home for nearly three days and I still can't seem to catch up. Pumping oxygen into the casino's and hotel rooms was ingenious... because even when I was tired both mentally and physically, the ZZZ's just were not happening for me. I am not a napper as a rule, but when I am THAT exhausted, I can usually manage. Not in Vegas. Probably never in Vegas.

With all that said, I am glad to be back to 'normalcy'...

Hello my life!

Addendum to all this "Siffy-ness"

Point made over at EREC.