Welcome Guest Author Eric Luper!

Today I am welcoming Eric Luper as our guest author. Eric has been the subject of an Examiner.com article and was recently my guest for April on Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages. He is the author of three YA books, The Big Slick, Bug Boy, and his new book, Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto.

About Eric Luper

Eric Luper has lived in Albany, New York since 1999. Before that, he hopped from town to town depending on where he was going to school or working. As an English/Creative Writing major at Rutgers College, Eric tried to escape his literary destiny by going to chiropractic school. Soon he discovered that, although he made a great doctor, his heart was somehow wrapped around putting words onto paper. more

The following is basically the conversation Eric and I had Thursday, April 22nd on the Blog Talk Radio show, Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages. Anyone who would like to hear our voices please tune in and listen to the archives.

The Interview with Eric Luper

Barbara: It says in your bio that you have lived in several places. You grew up in Springfield, NJ. Lived in Merrick, Long Island, New Brunswick, NJ and finally Albany, NY. Which was your favorite place to live and why?

Eric: There are good things and bad things about every place I’ve lived, but I’d have to say that location matters less to me than the people I associate with. I’ve been blessed with great friends and that can make even the most boring place interesting.

Barbara: What one thing changed your mind about just being a chiropractor?

Eric: Chiropractic care and writing occupy a different part of my brain. Likewise, they satisfy different hungers within me. I like doing both and cannot imagine what life might be like without writing.

Barbara: You came to writing late. What made you decide to become a full time writer? Did you have a mentor? Who was it?

Eric: Technically, I’m not a full-time writer since I still have my practice, but it’s likely I put in as many hours at the keyboard as a full-time writer. My mentor would have to be Mr. Frank Hodge. Frank used to own a children’s bookstore here in Albany NY. Not only did he give me a harsh dose of reality when I showed him my first stab at childrens’ writing, but he always put the right books in my hands to illustrate what he was trying to teach me.

Barbara: Did you start by writing short stories or novels? Are any of these early pieces published?

Eric: I wrote mostly short stories and one novella in college, but when I started writing in earnest it was novels all the way. Short stories are a tough sell and it’s nearly impossible to make a living writing short stories for childrens’ magazines. I do have a few articles published in Highlights and Weekly Reader though.

Barbara: How long did it take you to publish your first novel? Would you take us through the process?

Eric: After a five-year stretch of rejections, I started fresh and wrote BIG SLICK. The book took me around 5 months to write and a few more to polish and it was accepted on one of my first submissions. Farrar, Straus and Giroux was great through this process and we had the book edited and ready in a rather short time. The novel came out in 2007.

Barbara: Bug Boy is about the racing world and explores what it was like to be a jockey in the thirties. Why did you decide to write about this?

Eric: My eyes were opened to the topic when I read Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand. During the Depression, children were sold into the horse trade. They were used and abused, many being beaten or traded from stable to stable like commodities. In researching the subject, I discovered that not much has changed over the decades when it came to the living and working conditions of track workers. BUG BOY quickly became a passion project; the research was maddeningly addictive.

Barbara: Seth Baumgartner’s Love Manifesto caught me and held me the whole way through the book. Did you base this character on anyone you know or maybe on yourself as a teen?

Eric: First of all, thank you. SETH BAUMGARTNER’S LOVE MANIFESTO is something of a departure for me and something I consider to be quite risky. The reception I’m getting for it has been quite encouraging. Humor is not an easy thing, especially when dealing with heavy subject matter. I think all of my characters represent a facet of me in one way or another, so, yes, Seth is partly me. However, he’s also partly someone else. But if you’re asking me if I’ve based him on anyone I know or used any real-life situation for the book, the answer is no.

Barbara: What is your writing process? Do you have a specific routine?

Eric: I tell people that I write between the raindrops. With two kids, a business, and working full-time, it’s rare for me to have blocks of time to write. The concept of a regular writing routine is unthinkable. Likewise, I tend to think on my story for long periods of time and then write in bursts of inspiration rather than trudging through a specific word count each day. I’m not an outliner and I find I make lots of wrong turns before I find the right one. But that’s okay; It’s just how I create.

Barbara: What was the reason you decided to have your first book signing for Bug Boy at Foxwoods Casino?

Eric: I love to support my independent bookstores, for sure, but I think it’s also important to find signing venues whaere you’ll find a higher concentration of people with interest in your subject matter. Foxwoods not only has the largest race betting parlor in the country (which was perfect for BUG BOY) but it’s also the home of the World Poker Tour poker room (which was perfect for BIG SLICK). And it was a wildly successful signing!

Barbara: Tell our listeners something that is not in your bio about you.

Eric: Gosh, that’s a hard one because I rewrite my bio so often. I’m not sure I ever mentioned that I spent 5 months traveling through Europe after college and spent a good amount of time volunteering on a reconstruction project at a medieval castle in the Loire Valley in southern France. I learned so much about history and masonry while I was there. It was fascinating.

Barbara: Do you have any plans for another novel? Who will publish it and when will it be published?

Eric: I have plans to keep writing as long as I can see my computer keyboard! After SETH BAUMGARTNER’S LOVE MANIFESTO, which releases on June 8th, I have a middle-grade novel coming. Currently, the title is JEREMY BENDER VS. THE CUPCAKE CADETS and it’s sort of Bosom Buddies meets the Girl Scouts. That one is slated for release sometime in 2011 with my current publisher Balzer + Bray (an imprint of Harper Collins).

Barbara: What are your plans for future book signings and book events? Please tell our listeners where and when they will be.

Eric: I had a book signing at the Hudson Children’s Book Festival on 5/1 in Hudson, NY. Check it out at www.hudsonchildrensbookfestival.com. (Unfortunately this is coming out after the weekend.)

I also have a signing coming up at Book Expo America (BEA) on Thursday, 5/27 at 10:30am. I’ll be signing hardcover copies of SETH BAUMGARTNER’S LOVE MANIFESTO. I can’t wait for that one!

Then, the official release of SETH BAUMGARTNER’S LOVE MANIFESTO will be at The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza here in Albany on Saturday 6/12 from 3 to 5pm. I’m doing a dual signing that day with author and friend, Coleen Paratore, who will be signing a few of her books as well!

Be sure to check my website (www.ericluper.com) or my Facebook page for any additional information. I’m usually pretty good at updating things and announcing things.

Thank you for visiting Eric. Anyone who would like to ask Eric a question please leave your comment here. Eric will be available to answer your questions through the weekend. Anyone who leaves a comment or question will be in the drawing for an ARC of Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto. Of course Eric and/or I will respond to your comment too.:)

Until the next time, thank you to my readers and welcome to my new readers! Since April is over I am no longer writing a poem a day, but I will be writing a poem a week on Wednesdays. I haven't decided if I am going to post those or not. My thanks to everyone who commented and helped me to choose the 5 poems to send for submission. Here they are:

Empty

Memories
Pochahontas
Self – Portrait
Letting Go

Wish me luck! I am up against so many talented poets that I don't think I have a chance.:)

Big Announcements!!!

Pictures of Our New Place!!



A lot has happened since I last posted. First of all a giant thank you to Janie Franz for being the best guest author I ever hosted!!! While she was a guest on the blog her book became a bestseller and I am thrilled for her. The interview was considered great from so many people my face is a permanent red!!!!:) Seriously, thank you to all the people both on the blog and off the blog who commented and enjoyed the interview. Janie was an excellent guest author to interview!!!

Now for the big announcement:

The winner of the free ebook is:

cassandrajade !!!!!!

So please let me know your email address so I can send you the free ebook. You are going to love this story.:)

The other big announcement is that in the game "Where Will We Live" there has also been a winner!!!! Yes!!! The Ehrentreu family has found a great place to live, but it is not in New York and that makes me sad. We have decided to move to Stamford, Connecticut to a beautiful apartment that has everything we could ever want.:) I won't tell you the name of the place, but you can see by one of the pictures here that it is right near the water and we love that!!

For awhile it looked like there would be no place for us, but then we found this and believe me it didn't seem possible that we would find a place at all. Yet a few days after I posted my last post there it was!! We are very excited and though it might be a little smaller than our last place it is going to be much more fun in every way. It has an exercise area right on our floor. Now I have absolutely no excuse not to work out:) There is a pool right outside our apartment and the water of Long Island Sound is right outside the gate!

So thank you to all the wonderful people who kept me sane during this very trying time. We are still not quite finished yet in the old place and I am sure that the whole incident is not finished yet. There might be some legal implications that my husband, the lawyer, is now working on with his legal eagles.:) To all my friends both here and on Facebook I say a giant thank you and I love you all!!!

The next week is going to be very busy, so I might only post once or twice more. I had hoped to have my review of The Bowdancer, but didn't have a chance to write that either. Again Congratulations to Janie Franz for her terrific achievement! By the way, if you want to continue to leave comments for Janie, if you leave them on Welcome Guest Author Janie Franz I am sure that one of us will still answer you. Unfortunately, the contest is over.

Thank you to all my readers and to any new readers who visited for Janie's interview. I hope you will come back occasionally to read more of my meanderings.:)

Postcard Friendship Friday! with a Polar Bear!

The photo I'm including here could be a postcard. We took it through the bus window when we visited Yellowstone National Park. I think it goes along with the theme of the blog today. What do you think? It's of a bison just wandering around the parking area.

What do you do when a polar bear is coming straight for your tethered dog? This is not a problem we here in the lower 48 states have to think about, but my friend sent me these pictures and I thought that I'd post them. The polar bear in these pictures looks like the tamest and most well-behaved ever. I think what I like best about them is the gentle expression on its face and the compassion the bear shows to the dog. See for yourself. Scroll down and see the polar bear in its natural setting.

I've always hated that baby polar bears have been clubbed to death and imagine the horror a mother polar bear feels when this is done to her baby. The behavior you see here is the opposite of how you think a polar bear would react in the wild. But here is a good reason to protect these gentle creatures.

The polar bear comes close to the tethered dog. The person taking the picture

looks on in horror and worries the dog is now food for the bear.
The bear comes close to the dog and look at the expression on

its face.
Then it throws its paws around the dog and hugs it. Look

how sweet its face is.
Afterward the two stand quietly together in a friendly almost

human moment. They seem to be communicating wordlessly.
The polar bear holds the dog in the crook of its arm as if to

warm it or protect it from the elements. It looks more like

a furry blanket here than a giant polar bear.
Finally the bear feels secure and lays down at the feet of

the dog. The bear's expression is calm and peaceful. Its mouth

has been closed the whole time.

Yes, that was a departure for me, but think of the benefit of showing people the real behavior of an animal in the wild. Do polar bears in captivity act like this? Probably not, because everything in captivity changes. I'm using this for my Postcard Friendship Friday.:)

Okay, here is the winner for the free eBook from Penny Ehrenkranz.

It's www.aphorisms.com and I just left a comment on his blog.

Not happy about Melissa going home on SYTYCD, but love Kayla and Brandon. Also love Evan, so Jeanine will have to be spectacular to out dance Kayla. Just my thoughts, of course.

Until the next time, please leave your comments about how you feel about any of this post. It's kind of a mish mosh of animal photos.:) Certainly not my usual fare, but my guest author is once again not able to be here. So we have to adapt. Jennifer Banash will be with us, hopefully, later today. Keep checking. I might put a new post on during the afternoon.

By the way, for anyone who wants to know today is my birthday! I'm a Leo and love lions. See my post about Why I Love Lions to know why.

Learn About Guest Author Penny Ehrenkranz

Welcome to our Guest Author for this week: Penny Ehrenkranz

It seems I passed a milestone for my last post and didn't know it. It was my 100th post!!! Yay!!!! Cue balloons and confetti!!!! Well virtual ones at any rate.:)

Today I wanted to give you a little bit of background about the guest author for this week, Penny Ehrenkranz. She will be joining us tomorrow, Friday, but you can learn more about her here. It's cool that our last names begin the same.:)

Bio
Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut, where she graduated high school in 1964. A zest for life and adventure gave her the desire to sample many of life's pleasures including being a "flower" child in the late 60's and early 70's, a motor-cycle enthusiast, and a practioner and teacher of yoga. Travels in an old VW van brought her to California in the late 1970's where she met her husband. They now live in Oregon with their three dogs and five cats. She is a mother and a grandmother and enjoys gardening, reading and crocheting in her spare time. She has published more than 85 articles, 60 stories, two e-books, a chapbook, and her stories have been included in two anthologies. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children's publications and non-fiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications. Her writing blog is available at:

http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/

Before she joins us you can familiarize yourself with one of her novels, Ghost for Rent. By the way, anyone who leaves a comment or question will once again be in the drawing for a free book!! So let's see a lot of comments or questions starting today. If you leave a question for Penny she will answer it for you when she gets here.

Synopsis

GHOST FOR RENT

This middle grade, paranormal, ghost story is aimed at youth in grades four to six. It is approximately 13,280 words, 10 chapters, and 65 pages long. The story begins when eleven year old Wendy Wiles learns her parents are planning to get divorced. Forced to leave her beloved city home for a cheaper country place, Wendy, her mother, and her twelve year old brother move to rural Warren, Oregon.

On move-in day, Wendy meets a neighbor girl who tells her their quaint country home is haunted. Events proceed quickly as Wendy, her new friend, Jennifer, and Wendy’s brother, Mike, see ghostly figures dancing in the woods. Despite Mom’s claims that “there’s no such thing as ghosts,” paranormal events continue to occur in the Wiles’ home. Meanwhile her brother Mike, arch-tease, continues to torment Wendy, claiming he’s causing the unusual happenings.

Wendy searches through library records to get to the bottom of the mystery. Finally with Jennifer’s help, Wendy begins to unravel the truth. At last even Mike can no longer disbelieve and decides to aid Wendy in her search. By the end of the story, the three young sleuths have uncovered an accidental death, a suicide and a murder.

Her middle grade novel Ghost for Rent, in trade paper back is available at http://www.hardshell.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=0759910057 and as an eBook at

http://store.fictionwise.com/servlet/mw?t=book&bi=8656&si=42

Her young adult illustrated chapbook, Dragon Sight is available at
http://www.genremall.com/fiction.htm
.
Author: "Ghost for Rent," a children's story available from Hardshell Word Factory. Do an author's search for "Lockwood" at http://store.fictionwise.com/hardshell/

Author: "Dragon Sight," an illustrated, staple-bound chapbook, available from Sams Dot Publishing at
http://projectpulp.com/item_detail.asp?bookID=-30131150 and
http://www.genremall.com/fiction.htm

You can contact her:
pennylane97053@yahoo.com
Free-lance Writer of Genre Fiction and Non-Fiction

One thing before I go. I've gotten onto Twitter. If anyone wants to follow me I am: barbehr. Yes, I finally caved and did it. Maybe I'll see some of you there.

Welcome Guest Author Cynthia Polansky at Last!!!

Before we talk with our guest author, Cynthia Polansky, I think I have to say something about the white supremacist who shot the guards at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. I have been to that museum and being Jewish it tore my heart out seeing the actual remains of the clothing. The exhibit that got me the most was the shoes and the suitcases thrown in piles. My own father came from a village that was obliterated by the Nazis. The idea that any kind of hate crime could occur within the borders of my own country sickens me. I am so sorry for the family of that guard who saved the lives of the people who were visiting the museum. The hatred in this old man's heart that caused him to commit such a heinous crime is the same poison that created Hitler and allowed him to destroy the lives of so many innocent people. I am happy that this mad man, who even at 88 years old still carried such vengeance in his heart, was unable to continue his attack. I will not put the name of this person here. Please see more about this story by clicking on the link for the Holocaust Museum.

Our guest author, Cynthia Polansky's book, Far Above Rubies, shows how even when a society seems safe and open, almost anything can happen to cause freedoms to be destroyed. We must be constantly vigilant and make sure that this hatred does not spread.

Cynthia, welcome to my blog! So happy to have you here at last as the title says! I can't wait for all of my readers to meet you. Here is a little bit about Cynthia Polansky before we start our interview.

She lives in Annapolis, Maryland, United States. Cynthia Polansky is the author of two novels, Far Above Rubies and Remote Control and four nonfiction books (written as Cynthia P. Gallagher). She has terrific friends who continue to provide support while she works on her next book,WHIFF: Human Aroma Through the Ages. She writes a blog, Crossing Polansky where you will find the longest list of homophones I've ever seen.:) Visit her website at www.cynthiapolansky.com.

After learning more about her and her writing I hope you will see what a very special writer Cynthia Polansky is and why I am thrilled to have her here.

Lets get right to the interview.

Barbara: The first thing I noticed is you are listed with two different names. Why do you write fiction as Cynthia Polansky and non-fiction as Cynthia P. Gallagher?

Cynthia: When Far Above Rubies was written, "Gallagher" didn't strike me as a credible name for the author of a Jewish-themed book, so I used my maiden name, "Polansky." I had already published a number of small magazine articles and other work under my married name, "Cynthia P. Gallagher," so for consistency's sake, I decided to continue writing nonfiction as Gallagher, and fiction as Polansky.

Barbara:. I have read and reviewed Far Above Rubies, but I haven’t read Remote Control. How is it different from your first novel?
Cynthia: Remote Control differs in every way from FAR except that both protagonists are Jewish. Where as FAR was based on a true story in a historical era, and written in a literary voice, Remote Control has a contemporary, humorous voice and is totally speculative. That's when it hit me that I wasn't going to stick to one genre!

Barbara: How did you get the idea to write Remote Control?
Cynthia: During one of the many fascinating discussions I have with my artist friend Mary Yaeger about life after death, a topic we both find interesting. We've read a lot of the same authors on the subject -- James Van Praagh, Sylvia Browne, George Anderson -- and have a grand time speculating on spirituality and what lies ahead. Somehow the notion came up of reviewing your past lives from the comfort of a lounge chair in heaven, and a novel was conceived. Must have been the wine.

Barbara: The heroine of Far Above Rubies seems larger than life. How did you get the idea to write this book and who was the inspiration for it?
Cynthia: The heroine, Sofie, was the aunt of my friend, Mieneke. We were both volunteering as docents for a touring photographic exhibit called "Anne Frank in the World." Each time I listened to Mieneke telling her aunt's story to the school groups I guided through the exhibit, I grew more convinced that the world needed to know about the woman who had voluntarily gone to a concentration camp just to look after her six stepdaughters. I urged Mieneke to somehow preserve the story, but she didn't think anybody would want to read about her family. Now I love saying to her, "Told you so!"

Barbara: When did you start to write your books about dogs? How did you get the idea to do this?
Cynthia: I adore dogs, so it's not surprising that most of my published works have been on that subject. In addition to articles for dog magazines, I wrote a monthly column online called Boxer Shorts, funny anecdotes about Boxers (I intend one day to reinstate this column, by the way). One day TFH Publications, the parent company of Nylabone and a leading dog reference publisher, contacted me. They were updating their single-breed guide books (found at most pet supply stores), and asked if I would be interested. I've done three titles for them (The American Pit Bull Terrier, The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and Boxers) and one for Bow Tie Press (Bulldogs).

Barbara: The story of Far Above Rubies takes place in Germany before the war. What kind of research did you do for this book?
Cynthia: My friend Mieneke is Dutch, as was her aunt Sofie about whom I wrote, so I needed to learn about life in Holland in the 1930s and 40s. Mieneke supplied me with the background info, Dutch terminology, the town where Sofie grew up, etc. I had previously visited Holland myself, which helped with the visuals. The historical facts about Europe and the war came from research books. I've never traveled to Auschwitz, but some day I plan to participate in a "March of the Living".

Barbara: For people like me who don’t know what it is, would you please tell us about a “March of the Living”.
Cynthia: As stated on their website,THE MARCH OF THE LIVING is an international, educational program that brings Jewish teens from all over the world to Poland on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, to march from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest concentration camp complex built during World War II, and then to Israel to observe Yom HaZikaron, Israel Memorial Day, and Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day.

The goal of the March of the Living is for these young people to learn the lessons of the Holocaust and to lead the Jewish people into the future vowing Never Again. They have a similar trip for adults.

Barbara: Do you have a preference for writing fiction or non-fiction? Why?
Cynthia: It took me a long time to figure out the answer to this question! After 2 novels and 4 nonfiction books, I've concluded that my heart is in nonfiction. I prefer reading nonfiction to fiction, so it's natural that I would prefer writing it. I had always thought that a "real" writer must write fiction, so I started out that way, but I'm not going to fight against nature.

Barbara: I noticed you have two websites and a blog. In addition to this you are currently touring to promote your new book. How do you juggle all of this and have time to work on your WIP?
Cynthia: Who says I have time? Seriously, it is a problem! Hiring an administrative assistant has helped a lot; she takes care of much of the daily mundane tasks that eat up my time. I've also resolved to stay away from email until the end of the day. Checking my email first thing in the morning generates so much ancillary work that I never get to anything else!

Barbara: Please share your writing process with us if you would. What does a typical day look like?
Cynthia: I don't have a rigid routine, but one thing is clear: I cannot write in my home office. Too many distractions. When working on a manuscript, I go to coffee shops or the library. Writing "dates" with a friend keep me accountable. I tend to write in bursts, which is stressful, but I can't force creativity.

Barbara: Do you have any work published online? How do you feel about eBooks and devices like the Kindle?
Cynthia: Most of my work is available online as well as in print. I know I have to keep up with technology, so my books are available electronically, but for my money, nothing replaces a real book. E-book readers have come and gone, and I suspect the current Kindle craze will eventually subside. Perhaps we old-fashioned book lovers are a dying generation, but for me there's no substitute.

Barbara: How involved are you in the marketing of your books? How much has your publisher helped?
Cynthia: I am the primary marketer of my books. It is a full-time job and a learning process, but it's the norm for authors. The days when publishers did it for you are long gone. Publicity budgets are spent on the successful authors likely to make money, not newbies. My publishers are small independent presses, so their resources are limited, too. A lot of promotion is cooperatively accomplished. But the truth is that if an author doesn't have the means and the will to dive headlong into consistent, long-term self promotion, commercial success is unlikely.

Barbara: How do you feel about writers having an agent? Do you have an agent?
Cynthia: Agents definitely help get a writer's foot in the door, but that doesn't mean you can't become a successful published author without one. I had an agent many years ago for Far Above Rubies but nothing came of it. It requires a lot of tenacity to get a publishing contract on your own, but it can be done. I hope to land an agent for the book I'm now working on because I feel it does give you a certain amount of instant credibility.

Barbara: What are your feelings about self-publishing? Would you ever self-publish any of your own work?

Cynthia: I have self-published in the past. Far Above Rubies was initially self-published through Booklocker, a wonderful company with integrity. I would be reluctant to self-publish again, having seen first-hand the stumbling blocks and prejudices self-pubbed authors face. The industry still believes that self-pubbed books were not of sufficient caliber to be traditionally published, and this stigma is very hard to shake off. A lot depends on an author's goals for her book; sometimes self-publishing is the right thing to do.

Barbara: Do you have any interesting anecdotes to share with us from your touring and book signings?
Cynthia: I always chuckle at book events because nobody seems to realize I'm the author, especially if I'm in a bookstore. I am standing behind a table stacked with my books, with two posters on either side, each containing my photo, and wearing either a badge that says my name, or a tee shirt that says, "Yes, I am the author." Yet nearly every person who stops to look asks me if I've ever met the author, or if I know where the rest room is. I've never liked talking to people whose eyes are on my chest, but in this case, I encourage it!

Another classic happened right after I wrote Far Above Rubies. I was at a reunion of airline personnel with whom I worked at Reagan Airport in DC about 20 years ago. Catching up with everyone's news, I proudly told my former boss that I had just finished my first novel.

"No kidding!" he exclaimed. "You've never read a novel before?"

Cynthia, thank you so much for being my guest today and I hope that people will comment or ask you a question, because I know we are giving away a copy of your novel, Remote Control to the lucky winner of the drawing. To be in the drawing you need to leave a comment or question for Cynthia here. I only take the names that have commented here. So if you're new to this blog or you don't leave comments, you might want to jot down something quickly so your name will be here for the drawing. Also, if you haven't read Far Above Rubies, you should definitely get your own copy and read this incredible story. You can see my own review of this amazing book on amazon.com or you can read the other reviewer's reviews. I didn't go into enough detail for some people, but I don't like to give away much of the story before it's read.:) I like surprises.:)

Until the next time, I will be checking back from time to time and Cynthia has said she will be around too to answer your questions. Tomorrow I will be posting more from Betty Butler as promised.

Quotable Thursday

George Eliot 19th Century Woman Writer
"from a painting by D'Albert-Durade,
made when the novelist was thirty years of age

"Yes! Thank God; human feeling is like the mighty rivers that bless the earth; it does not wait for beauty—it flows with resistless force, and brings beauty with it."
---George Elliot, Adam Bede

This is for all the women writers I know. Pam of Teratali Reiki and Counseling, this is for you too. This is also for the Women's Blogger Directory of which I am a part. We are women hear us roar!!!!

Today I am posting a quote I recently saw that expressed how I feel about expressing feelings. As you can see, it comes from a writer from the nineteenth century. She was a brave forerunner for the women who are now commonplace as authors. Yet at the time she wrote it was highly unusual for women to be well known authors. She lived from 1821-1881 and during that time she constantly challenged the accepted mores for time in which she lived. In this biographical information we can see why she might have written this about feelings.

Unfortunately, George Elliot whose real name was Mary Ann Evans/Marion Evans, was unable to write under her own name. In fact there was a controversy over her first novel, Adam Bede. Impostors tried to take credit for it. When it was revealed that she had written the book all was solved.

There is more about this fascinating author, but I have to get to my guest author. So that is all for this post. Please see the following post to learn about Cynthia Polansky and her writing.

In the meantime, I'm so glad that people like George Elliot came before us and women no longer have to disguise their own identities to publish major works. I don't think she has been paid enough attention by modern writers. I do remember reading Silas Marner in high school and not really appreciating it. If I had known that George Elliot was really a woman I wonder how much more interest I would have had in it.:) Come to think of it my teacher never told us it was written by a woman or else it just didn't sink in, which is probably because I was so bored and didn't pay attention.:)

There's so much to talk about from the few days I've been away. I find that it's difficult for me to post on weekends. So I hope everyone had a great weekend. Yes, this is Tuesday, but if you've had a good weekend it should spill over into Monday, don't you think?:)

I am going to have the Guest Author, Cynthia Polansky here on Thursday. We had a little mix up last week, but that's all straight now and she has graciously answered my questions and will be here to answer yours too. Learn more about Cynthia and her writing here. She is the author of two novels and several non-fiction books about dogs. She has also written a column and is currently in the process of a new fiction book. Please come back on Thursday to meet Cynthia Polansky. In the meantime, I will post part of my review of her book, Far Above Rubies. You can find the whole review on amazon.com under Reader Reviews.

Far Above Rubies: A Novel is a thin book, but starting in pre-war Holland it tells a powerful story. Imagine you married late in your life to a widower who has six daughters. The heroine in this novel,lovingly called "Tante Soof", overcomes the natural antagonism that her new stepdaughters have for her and she and the daughters form a bond that is almost stronger than with a natural mother. When the joy of an engagement lights up the family they never dream that the next moment everything will change forever for this loving Dutch family. Read more...

Cynthia is giving away a free copy of her novel, Remote Control to the lucky winner of the drawing we will hold after her visit. You need to post a question or a comment to be in the drawing. So for all of you who visit and don't comment, please try to write something so you will be in the drawing.:) You will have until Monday to make your comment or ask a question.

Tomorrow I will be telling your more about Betty Butler, who has sent me more of her writing that I will post here. I also have more pictures of her. Until the next time, welcome to my new readers and for all the people who have friended me on Blog Catalogue. I am enjoying m

eeting all of you. To the people who have been readers for awhile, thank you for continuing to read and enjoy my crazy thoughts and meanderings.

One more thing before I go. I am going to be on BlogTalkRadio on June 24th to read and discuss my story, "The Trouble with Follow the Leader." If any of you are interested you can go read it on Story Station Archives. It is based on a true story that I will discuss here after the interview. If you click on the link you can sign up to hear the broadcast. It is being held by Red River Writers for Robin Falls Kids. I hope many of you will be able to hear it. But if you can't I will try to find a way for you to hear it too.:)

Guest Author Cynthia Polansky Coming Tomorrow - Thursday

See I told you there might be a guest author here this week.:) In fact, this author contacted me to remind me she was coming. This promises to be a very good interview with an author who writes both fiction and non-fiction.

It's very interesting how I met Cynthia. We were both at BEA two years ago and we were both on a line to get a book signed by another author. She gave up her spot in line for me, because she had somewhere else to go. I was grateful to her for doing it, so we exchanged emails. Then I began receiving her newsletters every month and soon I realized that we knew each other but from where? Then I received her book, Far Above Rubies, in the mail to review and I read it. I still didn't put the pieces together until I saw her picture and realized it was the same Cynthia Polansky.:) If you have never read it, go to amazon and get a copy. After this interview you will want to read it. For those who don't like reading long books this will take you only a day or a few days to read. Just click on the amazon banner to get there fast.

Here is a little bit about Cynthia Polansky:

She lives in Annapolis, Maryland, United States

Cynthia Polansky is the author of two novels, Far Above Rubies and Remote Control and four nonfiction books (written as Cynthia P. Gallagher). She has terrific friends who continue to provide support while she works on her next book,WHIFF: Human Aroma Through the Ages. She writes a blog, Crossing Polansky where you will find the longest list of homophones I've ever seen.:) Visit her website at www.cynthiapolansky.com.

Come back tomorrow to find out more about this amazing and fascinating author, Cynthia Polansky. We will be having a drawing for a free book. If you leave a comment you will be in the drawing. This will start on Thursday and Cynthia will be here to answer any questions you may have. Hope to see a lot of you here and commenting. Remember, you can't be in the drawing unless you leave a comment or question.:)

Guest Author Pierre Dominique Rostan

We do have a guest author today, but unfortunately running late. So will continue until tomorrow for the commenting. Also, please continue to comment through the weekend. The drawing will be held on Monday, May 11th.

This is also Quotable Thursday for my friend Pamposh Dhar's blog, Teritali Reiki and here is mine:

"I am not only a pacifist, but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace."

- Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (1879-1955)

Today we welcome our guest author Pierre Dominique Rostan, whose book, THE CAINE LETTERS will be published in December, 2009. This is Pierre's first published book, so for today I am going to give away something from me. If you leave a comment I am going to give away a book to be announced from my

own book

collection! I have doubles of some books and would love to give them away to someone who would appreciate them.

Welcome Pierre Dominique Rostan, author of THE CAINE LETTERS to my blog as my guest author for this week. Due to technical difficulties we are a bit late, but we are adding a day or two to this event for you. Computer problems are not foreign to many of us, so I'm sure we all understand!:)

Let's begin:

Barbara: Would you please tell us all the origin of your name?
Pierre: Allow me to introduce myself then! Pierre Dominique Roustan. Yes, you readers out there can say it: it’s a cool name. And that’s because I’m cool. I’m a 2nd generation Hispanic, born in Chicago, Illinois, son to a fiery Puerto Rican woman and a tough-as-nails Nicaraguan man. And, yet, you ask why I have such a French name…. Because my dad’s half-French. Yes. It’s true.

Barbara: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Pierre: I’ve been writing ever since I remembered being able to walk. It was one of those things you just couldn’t get away from, you know? My parents had me tested for giftedness, and the results came back showing I was gifted. What gift(s) I had? Wasn’t sure. Didn’t care. So much so that I sometimes omit the pronouns when I write. However, my parents cared, teachers cared, others cared; and they saw something in me. It didn’t take me long to realize that I loved to write—poetry, fiction, nonfiction, anything. I just had this need to fill the white space on a piece of paper with some sort of manifestation of my imagination (that’s a mouthful there), so much so that I followed my heart and earned a B.A. in Creative Writing at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Barbara: It’s wonderful when you know what you want to do when you are so small.:)

Barbara: What have you written before this?
Pierre: I write urban fantasy and thrillers (and sometimes those two genres go together for me). My debut is a fast-paced thriller known as THE CAIN LETTERS. Look for it. However, it wasn’t my first finished manuscript, nor my first project. I actually wrote my first ‘story’ at the tender age of 10, I believe. It was about 20 pages long. The next ‘story’ I wrote landed me a 200-pager. I can’t remember exactly how old I was, but I think I was a freshman in high school. I then wrote another story that stretched to 300 pages long. Here’s the real kicker, though; the next project I took on actually pulled in about 540 pages…. 154,000 words, and the best part about that was I, initially, thought that was too short!

Barbara: How long did it take you to publish THE CAINE LETTERS?
Pierre: The writing of THE CAIN LETTERS at 74,000 words moved fast. I had learned a lot about storytelling, about pacing, about plot, about character. THE CAIN LETTERS is a culmination of all that I’ve learned.
For those aspiring writers out there, let me tell you: following a dream kills. The good thing, though, is your passion for writing makes you reborn every single time. Through every rejection, every bout with writer’s block, every setback, anything getting in your way, that desire to write brings you back up. Every single time. Let me tell you how dreaming kills: I received over 100 rejections for THE CAIN LETTERS, about 97% of them from literary agents. And those 100 rejections were spread over one year, almost to the day. The middle of March, 2008, was when I finished the manuscript. I just signed my contract with Eirelander Publishing about four days ago—without a literary agent. Funny how time flies.
You never know what’ll happen. I just learned to keep trying. It paid off.

Barbara: That is very good advice for aspiring writers. You are a very good example of never giving up no matter how many rejections you receive.

Barbara: Please tell us about your book THE CAINE LETTERS.
Pierre: Those who’ve followed my blog might know a bit here and there about the book and the characters, but let me paint a picture for you real quick:
Enter: Alexandra Glade who is an auburn-haired, gray-eyed beauty of a woman, black trench coat, turtleneck and tight pants, armed to the teeth with all kinds of weaponry. Think “The Matrix”, “Underworld”, “Blade” with a little bit of sex appeal, and there’s Alexandra for you.
Barbara: Okay, I’m hooked. Please tell us some more about the story. Pierre: With her team, an organization known as the Berith Lochem, Hebrew for ‘Divine Covenant’, Alexandra hunted rogue vampires and other abominations for the sake of God alongside her comrade Kyan Tanaka, a Japanese man bred into the world of a mercenary until he found God. With remarkable resources, the Berith Lochem served the Vatican and other clients looking for a cleansing of some kind. They were like bounty hunters.

It was easy, you know? Hunting vampires. The life was so linear. And simple. Until a strange book surfaced that seemed to be of some interest to many of the damned—most notably two master vampires of cunning strength and power, two of the strongest in the world, actually—a Russian known as Nikolas Stahl and a savage Los Angeles native named Mason Richter. The book had ancient knowledge regarding something that had been locked away, secret, since the beginning of time—The origin of the vampire. How it all began.

Barbara: Yikes! Can you tell us some more without giving away the whole book?
Pierre: No longer was Alexandra’s life so linear. Her journey suddenly came upon forks of all kinds. And obstacles. The book, dating way back to the times of the Exodus, revealed the origin. And it was a shocking one. One that would shake the pillars of the world, of faith—The world’s first vampire was the world’s first murderer. Fitting. And terrifying.

Barbara: Oh my goodness! Would you tell us who this is?
Pierre: Yes. It was Cain, brother of Abel, son to Adam and Eve, had struck a deal with Satan to cleanse himself of the guilt, the shame, the despair of a dying world and the mark of banishment on him. The cleansing took away his humanity, took away his soul even—and made him into what was commonly known as…vampire.

Barbara: Why would he do something like that?

Pierre: He was driven by blood, as a reminder of Abel’s blood on his hands, Cain walked the earth. Immortal.

Barbara: So what do Alexandra and her team, plan to do with this information?

Pierre: What Alexandra realized was that Nikolas and Mason planned on finding Cain. The secret book revealed his hidden location for so many centuries. What Alexandra feared was what they intended to do once they found him—It didn’t take her long to realize that they were planning on killing him. These two master vampires, countless ages apart from a man of the book of Genesis, were going to silence the father of the damned.

Now on any other day, Alexandra Glade, Berith Lochem vampire hunter of vengeance, wouldn’t have a problem with the idea of the father of the damned dying. But she knew Scripture. And what she knew terrified her even more than Cain….

Barbara: Wow! I’m always a sucker for someone who wants to save the world. Would you be able to tell us more?

Pierre: She couldn’t allow Nikolas and Mason to kill Cain.... For the sake of the world hung in the balance. Cain had to live. All her training, all her scars, anything that made her a hunter, she had to forsake so she could protect the very first vampire from death. All to save mankind.

Barbara: This is quite a decision. How could she make it?
Pierre: Could she make such a decision? With her duty,her need to hunt and kill vampires, her fierce vengeance…. Could she reject all of that…. And save a fierce killer like Cain?

Barbara: Are you going to tell us what decision she makes?

Pierre: I’ll let that simmer in you a little bit. I can’t give all of it away, people. Come on! You’ll have to read the book when it debuts.

Barbara: I wish it were being published earlier. Do you have any sample chapters we can read?
Pierre: I can't attach any sample chapters unfortunately.

Barbara: Where did you get the idea for your novel?
Pierre: I'm quite proud of how I came about the idea. It's very simple: I'm fascinated with vampirism, the whole mythology of it. I'm also a devoted Christian, and the idea of researching Christian theory and merging it with concepts of vampirism interested me. I read up on theory behind the recent bestseller THE HISTORIAN, also common mythological stories involving vampirism and also research in the Old Testament and found that I was onto something. I was definitely onto something for myself given that I'm a fan of "The Matrix", "Underworld" and "Blade" as well as Dan Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE. In seconds, I knew I had a high concept I was instantly satisfied with.

Barbara: Do you have any plans to write more books?

Pierre: THE CAIN LETTERS is, indeed, a beginning of what is most definitely a series for me. Having landed a contract, you’ll see a few more continuations, following the adventures of Alexandra Glade and the Berith Lochem. But until then, face the fear that is THE CAIN LETTERS. And believe. Believe in evil.

Barbara: How do you feel about eBooks and the Kindle?
Pierre: I love that question: it pertains to the now. And the now is so important when it comes to the publishing industry. I have to say being a 'reader' for 'recreation' is a whole lot different than being a 'reader' as an 'author' (especially when I'm saddled with heavy edits for the manuscript--it's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it). A few years ago, if I were to answer that question, it would be "don't care for eBooks or Kindle, don't want it, don't know what it is, don't care what it is, don't want to know what it is, may I have some macaroni and cheese?".

Now, though, the answer is very different; you see, as an author, I've found myself interested in other people's work--on a literary level, sometimes more than on a recreational level. I have many friends who aspire to be published, who have Microsoft Word files carrying their prized treasures of manuscripts galore for me to read. But you see? I have this problem. It's called my back. And my back doesn't like it when I sit at the chair at my desktop (I don't have a laptop, which sucks) for hours at a time reading a book via Microsoft Word.

Knowing that, the prospect of having a Kindle, reading an eBook, is so much more exciting for me. And for my back. It's that much more convenient, too. But listen.... I'll always be a good ol' fashioned print paperback hardcover reader who loves that fine paper smell and the sweet sound of turning pages. But let's face it--when I write as much as I do, I read a lot more. I mean A LOT more. And the idea of having a Kindle and being able to purchase eBooks for both fun AND work is a very good idea. Don't get me wrong, though--I have my favorite authors (Stephen King, Terry Goodkind, J.K. Rowling, Terry Brooks, John Grisham, Tim O'Brien, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe etc etc.), and those authors deserve a place on the real-life materialistic bookshelf gathering dust until I'm graced with the desire to pull them out and immerse myself in their lost souls of words. But every once in awhile, it's nice to pull out the Kindle, purchase a book and read while on a plane, or on a boat, or on a train. Or anywhere for that matter. Convenience--that's what it's all about.

Barbara: How are you planning on marketing this book?
Pierre: Watch the sweat pour down my face as I even think about such a question. That's like jumping into shark-infested waters with a Super Soaker and thinking I'll survive (little do I know that the Super Soaker's loaded with some kind of shark repellent, thank God). Marketing. Heh. Well, essentially, I'm marketing my book RIGHT NOW, Barb. Facebook has also become an incredible asset to the new breed of authors showing up in the publishing industry today. We're taking an initiative now, you know? MySpace is a great place to market a book as well. There are pages on there specifically for main characters, too. It's pretty awesome. That's something I'll be planning on in the near future, too. I have a video book trailer as well, although I'd like to legitimize it and use original material. Something I haven't seen yet from authors but would like to try someday soon is Second Life. I can't imagine the kind of marketing possibilities with Second Life, creating a virtual 'home' online dedicated to the world you've created for your book. The possibilities are endless in this digital age of publishing. It's looking pretty bright.

I'd still like an occasional book tour, though. Hotels are fun. And so is signing books.

Barbara: How do you feel about critique groups? Do you belong to one?
Pierre: Critique groups are incredibly invaluable. But I don't have one. Unfortunately. I find it not so much of a loss when you have a kick-ass editor. I, however, DO have beta-readers. While they don't provide as much of a 'structure' in constructive criticism and feedback as a critique group can, they do provide direction in how to think about your book. But my honest opinion? You have one super-cool, kick-ass (the term 'kick-ass' is almost a must when it comes to critique and editing) person (a.k.a. editor) to help you with your manuscript, you're golden.

Barbara: Would you please give us an idea of your writing process?
Pierre: Listen up, people: my writing process can only be known by very few cherished souls-- I sit down in front of the computer. I eat chips/cookies/ fig newtons/anything sweet. I drink pop/juice/anything with caffeine. I write until my fingers fall off or until I fall asleep on the keyboard. There you have it

Barbara: Thank you so much for being my guest. I have to tell you that vampire books are not my usual genre, but this one looks like it combines a couple of different themes in one story. Do you have anything more to add?

Pierre: That’s all I got for all of you, readers. Give it up for Barbara Ehrentreu as well! Put your hands together. It has been an honor being her guest. Feel free to make as many comments as you like! Barbara and I will be checking. Questions? Concerns? Coffee? Cupcakes? Oh, and stop by “Writing and Reading”, just to check out the scene, check out the pad, http://writingandreading.today.com. I’ll see you later. Taco Supreme.

Please don't forget to ask any questions you might have for Pierre or leave a comment. Remember the drawing will only be for people who have left a comment or question.:)

Until the next time, thank you to all my readers and especially to Shey author of Shey-Strides for the awards she gave me this month.

These are the Friends Award and the

Makes My Heart Smile Award. On my next

post I will announce the winners of these awards

from me.

Hurray it's May!!!

Pierre Dominique Rostan

My guest author for Thursday, May 7th

You know I'm going to put a picture of a Newfoundland on all my blogs, because it got such a great response!:) No, seriously, people just love pictures of dogs of all kinds. I'm finding that people will comment on Facebook about dogs more than anything else.:)

So it's May and April with it's poem a day is over. I haven't written any poetry since April 30th. In fact, I haven't written anything of consequence since then either. I didn't even write a blog until now. I guess when you're writing at that pace it's best to rest a little.:) I'm still relatively calm since I got out so many pent up emotions last month. I think everyone should try to do that once in a while. It's actually better than punching a pillow, which I 've done on occasion when someone has infuriated me and I can't do anything to them.:)

This is a short post to let everyone know about my guest author for Thursday, May 7th as part of the Red River Writers Blog Tour. He is Pierre Dominique Rostand. His picture is here and he has a new novel which is scheduled to debut in December. He has agreed to come on here and talk about his writing with us and I am very happy to host him. His novel THE CAIN LETTERS has a very colorful history and I will let you find out on Thursday when he is my guest author here. In the meantime, you can check out his blog Writing and Reading where he talks about his novel and his writing a great deal.

So come and join the discussion on Thursday with my guest host, Pierre Dominique Rostan and leave a comment. I know that I am looking forward to finding out how he got his name.:)

Until the next time. Thank you to all of my readers. Please notice that I have added a share button if you must show someone one of my posts.:) Also want to update you on the status of my story, When My Life Changed. I am on Chapter 24. I think it's almost done!!!

Poem A Day for Day 26

Today wraps up our guest author John Wayne Cargile with his book, The Cry of the Cuckoos, and again many thanks to him for participating in the discussion we had in the comments section.:) Also thank you to everyone who commented. You are all in the drawing for the free eBook, and the name of the winner will be announced later this week. I have included a book cover of the eBook the lucky winner will receive.

My schedule for guest authors is filling up for both May and June and right now I have at least three more for May and June.:) If you are interested in being a guest author here, please contact me on Facebook and let me know. Or leave a comment here. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.:)

My daughters are worried still about swine flu. From what I could see there are only twenty people in the United States who have it. Please take precautions though. Washing your hands is really important as suggested by the CDC website. Also I suggest taking extra vitamin C and a very strong multivitamin. I don't care what doctors say, but I've been taking a very strong one for almost twenty years and it really works.:) I take Maxine Vitamins from Country Life. They are great for women and they do make one for men too. :)

Here is the poem for Day 26. The prompt was to write about a misunderstanding. Here is one that actually happened to me. If there is anything that is a little bit odd it has happened to me. The towing yesterday also happened to me and there is a postscript about that at the end of this post.

The Misunderstanding

We came in separate cars
The first mistake
You gave me your member
card to buy the tickets and
I bought two handing one to
the ticket taker and describing
you to her as that heavy guy
with a beard

I took my seat and saved
the seat next to me. Warding
off movie goers who looked
over at me with disdain as the
theater began to fill and mine,
a coveted front row seat was
next to an empty one on the
aisle I saved for you.
I waited, craning my neck to
see the back of the theater
Hoping you’d appear each
moment as the lights dimmed
and you still weren’t there.

When the movie ended and we
streamed into the lobby there
you were coming from the
theater next to mine
“Where were you”” I said after
a peck on your lips.
“I saw the movie.”
“But I left your ticket for you
with the ticket taker.”
“You did?”
“Yes, how did you not get it?”
“I went up to the ticket taker
and there was no ticket there.”
“What,” I said, “ where was it?”
“I just got another ticket and
saw the other movie.”

We walked up to the ticket taker
Eager to solve this mystery.
“Don’t you remember I said to give the
ticket to a man who looked like this one?”
I pointed to my husband. She said, “Oh
no, a man who fitted that description
came by and I gave him the ticket.”
"You mean there's another man who
looks like him?" We all laughed and
accepted the free tickets for next time
from the manager who told us this
was a first for him.
copyright 2009 by Barbara Ehrentreu

*****************************************************************************

Here is the postscript to "Towing Our Car" poem. Yes, the AAA called us at 3AM and deposited the car at the right service station. My husband went to check on the car and our usual mechanic is looking at it. If you are interested in knowing more I will probably have some information on the next post.:)

Until the next time, this week I will be highlighting a new blog instead of interviewing a guest author on Thursday. It could be yours, if you have one. I have a few people in mind, but no winner yet.:)

Poem A Day for Days 22 and 23

Even though this is guest author day it is still April and time to post my poem. I am a day behind, but I will post two poems to make up for this.:)

Before I do that, though, here is my quote for Pompash Dar who is holding a Quotation Thursday on her blog!

"I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace."

Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (1879-1955)

It's not about writing, but it expresses how I feel.:)

Today's prompt was to write a poem about work of any kind. Here is the Poem A Day for Day 22:

About Work

I remember those days
when the alarm awoke
me like a hammer slamming
onto my dreamless sleep
Demanding I begin the day
Pushing me into the vortex
of the rushing traffic as I
put on lipstick and turned
onto the highway – sometimes
the sun hadn’t risen yet.

The smell of chalk dust and
remnants of half-eaten
sandwiches left in lunch boxes
returns as I think back to
those days when my life
was ruled by the rules of
others. The feel of worn
wood under my fingers
The vomit green paint on
the walls I strived to hide
with children’s drawings and
writing, but it peeked through

The little nonsense each day
Culminating in time wasted
So much time spent worrying
Not enough given to the lost
and unfettered – the ones who
floundered in dark waters – who
would never be with their peers
Who would always have to crane
their necks to see the top step
they would never reach. Those who
dropped off - gave up the climb.

As I have given up the fight to change
what refuses to change – Too much
energy wasted when my young soul
could have been flying and writing
Instead of standing on hard wood trying
to cram the sum of knowledge into
inattentive minds washed clean of thought
while closed heads incapable of the
ability to dream set up thrones in judgement
It wouldn’t have been work without them.

copyright 2009 by Barbara Ehrentreu

As if you couldn't figure it out, the above poem was about how I felt about teaching. But it could pretty much sum up how I feel about work.:) Going according to other people's rules isn't my idea of fun.

Here is the prompt for today. Write about a regret you have. Here is mine:

What If

What if instead of ignoring the twinge
of desire I felt when I heard your name

we’d met before the years erased all
possibility and formed a bond from the

bits and pieces of shared experiences
and side by side friendship of friends’ children?

What if you’d come to my door with flowers
and we’d been wined and dined for the

triumph our mothers would have felt at our union
And maybe then we might have the passion

that came to the surface the day we met
years later like an unformed boil that needed

to come to a head. Instead of me sitting on your
lap with someone else’s baby and you flustered

by this sign of affection so long desired?
But the timing was wrong

I was a young new mother adrift in the life of
Sesame Street and diapers and you were living

the upper east side dream complete with modernized
four poster bed and significant other.

My childhood friend who cajoled and teased me
Your presence lost to me when we parted

Took separate paths and forged our own ways
Until the day your mother’s furniture crossed my door

The need to see you pushed me to call and your
excited voice to see me after all those years.

As if I were around the corner and we could meet
immediately and live out our childhood's fantasies

That coffee table with the delft tiles is gone now, but the
tiles remain a little worse for wear, the sofa sold before we left Kew Gardens

But I will always remember the look you gave me when we
were inches from a kiss and the cry of my child

reminded me that maybe it was too late
Maybe it was time to put away childish joys.

copyright 2009 by Barbara Ehrentreu

Until the next time thank you to my readers and the new people who are stopping by. I hope you'll return.:) Remember to read my Guest Author interview with John Wayne Cargile and leave a comment or question to be in the drawing for the free e-Book!!