Last Friday, I sent my literary agent this picture:

That absolutely delicious man is Julian McMahon, and this picture is the model for the hero of my second full-length erotic romance, Jeremy Vaughn, Duke of Kilgrath.

After we drooled a while, she said something about guys being hot. And it is so true. Virtually every single man has something beautiful about them. Whether it’s the whole picture like Mr. Hotness up there (who may actually be sex embodied), or just the warm masculine scent or the sparkling eyes or the crooked smile, every man has a certain something about him.

So what is your favorite thing about a man (yours or the species in general). What attracts you physically or otherwise?

Does anyone know about the Daylight Savings change? I’ve heard that we go to Daylight Savings in March, but I’m too lazy to go searching for the actual date.

And since this is different from anything we’ve done before, won’t we have to change our computers, too? Will that screw things up, come the end of April when our computers change themselves?

Help me out, folks – I need details !

A friend recently sent me an email with some examples from Jeffrey Kacirks’s 2002 Forgotten English calendar. She thought some of the words might have been used in romance novels of old.

Here’s her sentence: Edward smickered at Emily, her dress cliquant in the light. He hoped not to get the mitten tonight.

I thought it might be fun for each of us to come up with one sentence using one (or more) of these words!

Smicker – to look amorously or wantonly. Robert Nares’s Glossary of
the Works of English Authors, 1859.

Cliquant – glittering with gold. C.H. Herford’s Glossary of the Works
of Shakespeare, 1902.

Hempy – mischievous. Applied jocularly to giddy young people of both
sexes. John Brockett’s Glossary of North Country Words, 1825.

Get the mitten – to be rejected or discarded by one’s sweetheart.
Sylva Clapin’s Dictionary of Americanisms, 1902.

Illepid – dull and unpleasant in conversation. Edward Phillip’s New
World of English Words, 1706.

Plant the whids – take care what you say. John Awdeley’s The
Fraternitye of Vacabondes, 1565.

Brownstudy – gloomy meditation. Thomas Browne’s Union Dictionary,
1810.

Clunch – sour-tempered; abrupt in speech, and irritable. Edward
Sutton’s North Lincolnshire Words, 1881.

Dungeonable – shrewd, or as the vulgar express it, devilish. John
Brockett’s Glossary of North Country Words, 1825.

Gammerstang – an awkward, tall, slender person, male or female. Nodal
and Milner’s Glossary of the Lancashire Dialect, 1875-1882

Here’s my sentence (keeping in mind that I’m not a historical author):

“Plant the whids,” Hortense said to Harry, “that hempy Lady Rutherford is close.”

Okay….your turn..

In the world we live in today, sometimes it’s difficult to find inspiration. Not motivation to write, but motivation to write happy endings. The divorce rate is over 50% and the news is filled with sad and dejected stories that often leave us questioning in the goodness of mankind. And then something will happen that will remind us that love prevails over all of those negative things. For me it’s remembering my parents who have been happily married for 46 years and my own marriage that might be relatively young, but is solid and strong. But sometimes the world outside my own little world will pleasantly surprise me. Last week a photo was released which reminds me of the enduring power of love.

This pair of skeletons was found at an archaeological dig site in Italy. Look at how their arms are entwined. It makes me wonder so many things about them – who were they? How did they die? I like to think they died peacefully holding one another, facing each other and reflecting on their love-filled life. Seeing that picture reminds me that what I write is not complete fantasy, that there are couples out there that survive and thrive and win. So what inspires you?

And scroll down to read about Kim’s organizational skills.

In the past several days, as I have been busily preparing for my Disney trip, I have been forced to finally admit to something that I have long denied to myself and others: When it comes to certain aspects of my life, I am what my family likes to call “hyper-organizational.” I do believe that a medical professional would probably diagnose me as having more than a touch of OCD.

Looking at my cluttered desk or jumbled file drawers, you would never suspect that such a thing could be possible, but I have come to the sad conclusion that it is true. Yes, I admit it. I am a list person. Especially when it comes to planning trips and other activities. I think I drove my sister crazy with lists of plans for her baby shower last month. And when it comes to getting ready for a vacation… Oy! I make lists of what to pack. I make lists of what needs to be taken care of before I leave. I make lists of what I plan on doing during my trip and when. In fact, I have become rather notorious for my detailed, multi-page itineraries. And this week I have been in my element as I type up lists and e-mail them to the rest of my family members. Just yesterday my brother asked me if I had remembered to leave room on the itinerary to schedule in bathroom breaks. And he wasn’t joking.

So does anybody else do this too? I’d like to know that I’m not alone in my insanity. And in the meatime, I’ll get back to packing.

My Mom just sent me the little sheet of these 8 children’s book stamps – I’ve been wanting them ever since I laid eyes on them!

Any other great stamps out there that you have been using? Until my post office gets these in stock, I’m not sure I can use them!!! They are even cuter in person, I swear.

You can get a better look at them by clicking here.

Scroll down for Shana’s spring break and Groundhog post!

Not that I usually trust small, furry creatures (Jaunty is a major case in point!), but I really believed that winter was over and spring was coming. I live in Houston, and we had some days last week that were so warm, I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt on my morning run.

And then the cold blast hit. I bet a lot of you are bundled up in front of your computer, staring out the window at piles of snow as you read this. It’s not that bad in Houston, but it’s supposed to get in the 20s tonight, and that is really cold for this part of the world.

So in the midst of this cold, wintry time, I thought it might be fun to think about Spring Break.

My anniversary happens to fall over Spring Break, and Ultimate Sportsfan and I can see this is going to cause problems. We recently tried to get a flight to San Francisco during the week of Spring Break using free miles on Southwest, and we couldn’t get any! We could get there but not back.

So guess what? We’re not going to San Francisco for our anniversary.

So I’ve been reminiscing about other Spring Breaks I’ve had. My first year in college, I went to New Orleans for Spring Break. It was fun to see all the culture and the beautiful houses in the Garden District. But, okay–the best part was that this was when the drinking age was still 18. How weird for someone who was 19 to be able to go into a restaurant and order a drink!

Other Spring Breaks I spent at school, trying to catch up on my studies. Those weren’t so fun, but they were necessary.

So what about you? Are you looking forward to Spring Break? Have any great Spring Break stories?

Lacey Kaye is the big winner of Allison Brennan’s book! Congrats, Lacey.

This is the view from my front porch:

Just an FYI, the piles of snow off the drive are up to my waist.

Now scroll down and see what Jaunty has in store for us on this fine Valentine’s Day!

Jaunty P. Quills here. I feel it is most appropriate to give a bit of this holiday’s history because there seems to be some common misconceptions involved. It was started many years ago by the patron porcupine, St. Valentine, who sent the first “valentine” to his porcupine love from his prison cell. See, porcupines are very romantic! Most people don’t realize that this is a porcupine holiday, but I know the Lady Quills will be honoring me by sending lots of chocolate-covered pinenuts. Right, girls? Girls?

Hmmm….they seem to have all disappeared. No doubt to rush out and get my chocolate treats. They did leave messages for you though, but before we get to those, I wrote a special love poem just for you.

Jaunty is brown,
His quills are quite sharp,
He says Happy Valentine’s Day,
From the bottom of his heart!

ANNE: Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope your day is filled with your favorite things – whether they be rosy hearts, fuzzy slippers, or tickets to the monster truck rally!

CINDY: Lord Avebury said “It is not enough to love those who are near and dear to us. We must show them that we do.” Celebrate Valentine’s Day by showing those closest to you that you care. Share the Love!!

JENNA: May you have a romantic, wonderful Valentine’s Day! Celebrate love in whatever way makes you smile (my suggestion… read DESIRE NEVER DIES!! .

KIM: Hugs–and chocolate–to all from Kimberly Logan. May you have a wonderful Valentines Day with the ones you love.

MARGO: Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone who has ever had a romantic thought or done a romantic deed. Remember, it’s the little things, day to day, that create Romance!

ROBYN: Happy Love Day from Robyn and The Professor! May your day be filled with chocolate, roses and sweet, sweet kisses.

SHANA: Hugs and chocolate kisses from Shana and Ulitmate Sportsfan! Here’s hoping you make every day Valentine’s Day.

SHIRLEY: A wise man once said “Love doesn’t make the world go ’round; love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” Hope you have someone to share today with who’s making your ride worthwhile!