Some people put this cute, fun prank together and carried it out in Grand Central Station. There were over 200 people involved. Check it out!

Last week was my anniversary. USF and I have been married 2 whole years. Sometimes it seems like it’s gone by super fast and other times…well, it doesn’t always seem to go by quickly.

So while I was on my way to the drug store to buy him a card, I started thinking that maybe I should get him a small gift as well. I remembered that our first anniversary was easy because that’s paper. A card worked perfectly. But what’s the second anniversary?

Enter good old Mom. Sorry, Mom. I mean, good, young Mom. I called her and asked what the appropriate gift for year 2 is. She told me it’s cotton, then looked it up on a website. Apparently, that’s traditional. The modern equivalent is china. Well, they don’t have any china at the drug store, so cotton it was.

I ended up taking cotton balls and making him a little card out of them. He liked it, though he was a bit confused at first. (Apparently, USF isn’t up on anniversary gift traditions).

Here’s the link to the traditional and modern anniversary gifts for each year. What do you think? I kind of like the traditional, though I don’t think that’s what they had in mind for lace.

Anniversary Gifts

I’ve got a contest going on my website, so stop by and enter! Go to MargoMaguire and visit the “news” page for details. I’ll be drawing prizes at the end of April.

In the meantime, I’m working away on my next book, which will be a January 2009 release. I’ve got a title, too. It’s going to be called WILD. Now, that’s a title that brings to mind all sorts of things, don’t you think? I’m wondering if any of you can figure out the premise of the story, based on the title. Give it a try … if anyone gets it, I’ll send you an advance copy of TEMPTATION OF THE WARRIOR, which will be released next week!

Congratulations to Rebekah for winning her choice of my books. Just email me and we’ll hammer out the details.

And here’s a little pre-Easter humor for you.

Ever watch that show? It’s on A&E and I totally love it. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with it, it’s set in a film school (acting and directing) and the host has one actor on stage and they go through the actor’s work, asking questions about techniques and whatnot. And then at the end the students get to ask questions themselves. I always think it must be a scenario not unlike that RWA’s National conference where the cream of romance’s crop is often available for workshops and questions. And it’s just really fascinating to listen to actor’s talk about their craft in similar terms to how I’m used to creating characters and story. But the best part of the show is right before the host turns the actor over to the students and he ends with a famous questionnaire.

What is your favorite word? CRISP – it’s the perfect onomatopoeia

What is your least favorite word? ENVELOPE – I never know how to say it

What turns you on? MY HUSBAND’S LAUGHTER

What turns you off? ANY KIND OF HARM TO CHILDREN

What sound do you love? BABY COOING

What sound do you hate? SQUEALING BRAKES

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? WINDOW PAINTER – I’d love to do those holiday paintings on store windows

What profession would you not like to participate in? PODIATRIST

What’s your favorite curse word? BUGGER

If heaven exists what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? YOUR LOVED ONES ARE WAITING OVER THERE

Answer it with me, and then tonight at midnight I’ll randomly pick a winner to receive an autographed copy of one of my books – your choice.

Batman is sexy. He’s built like a rock, moves like a gazelle and protects those who can’t defend themselves. Yum! But there’s more to Batman’s allure than simply being a hero—his secret identity makes him mysterious, intriguing…exciting!

A reviewer recently called the hero in my new book, The Governess Wears Scarlet, a Regency-era “Batman”. The gorgeous Jason Steele is a daring Viscount haunted by tragedy and in need of understanding. Jason leads separate lives — by day he’s a barrister and nobleman, and by night he’s a masked vigilante. One night he rescues a veiled woman and their anonymity unleashes flaming passions too tempting to ignore. Jason doesn’t realize that he knows the tantalizing woman he meets under the cover of darkness each night, a woman with secrets of her own to hide.

Does the mysterious stranger appeal to you as a hero? Have you read any good books where secrets identities enhanced the story? Please share!

Thanks, Jaunty Sisters for inviting me!

I have to do this. I hope you enjoy …

John O’Reilly hoisted his beer and said, “Here’s to spending the rest of me life, between the legs of me wife!”

That won him the top prize at the pub for the best toast of the evening!

He went home and told his wife, Mary, “I won the prize for the Best Toast of the Night.”

She said, “Aye, did ye now? And what was your toast?”

John replied, “Here’s to spending the rest of me life, sitting in church beside me wife.”

“Oh, that is very nice indeed, John!” Mary said.

The next day, Mary ran into one of John’s drinking buddies on the street corner.

The man chuckled leeringly and said, “John won the prize the other night at the pub with a toast about you, Mary”

She said, “Aye, he told me, and I was a bit surprised myself. You know, he’s only been there twice in the last four years. Once he fell asleep, and the other time I had to pull him by the ears to make him come.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Six retired Irishmen were playing poker in O’Leary’s apartment when Paddy Murphy loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest, and drops dead at the table. Showing respect for their fallen brother, the other five continue playing standing up.

Michael O’Conner looks around and asks, “Oh, me boys, someone got’s to tell Paddy’s wife. Who will it be?”

They draw straws and Paul Gallagher picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don’t make a bad situation any worse.

“Discreet??? I’m the most discreet Irishman you’ll ever meet. Discretion is me middle name. Leave it to me.”

Gallagher goes over to Murphy’s house and knocks on the door. Mrs. Murphy answers, and asks what he wants.

Gallagher declares, “Your husband just lost $500, and is afraid to come home.”

“Tell him to drop dead!”, says Murphy’s wife.

“I’ll go tell him.” says Gallagher.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Into a Belfast pub comes Paddy Murphy, looking like he’d just been run over by a train. His arm is in a sling, his nose is broken, his face is cut, and bruised, and he’s walking with a limp.

“What happened to you?” asks Sean, the bartender.

“Jamie O’Conner and me had a fight,” says Paddy.

“That little O’Conner,” says Sean, “He couldn’t do that to you, he must have had something in his hand.”

“That he did,” says Paddy, “a shovel is what he had, and a terrible lickin’ he gave me with it.”

“Well,” says Sean, “you should have defended yourself. Didn’t you have something in your hand?”

That I did,” said Paddy, “Mrs. O’Conner’s breast, and a thing of beauty it was; but useless in a fight.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An Irishman who had a little too much to drink is driving home from the city one night and, of course, his car is weaving violently all over the road.

A cop pulls him over. “So,” says the cop to the driver, “where have ya been?”

“Why, I’ve been to the pub of course,” slurs the drunk.

“Well,” says the cop, “it looks like you’ve had quite a few to drink this evening.”

“I did all right,” the drunk says with a smile.

“Did you know,” says the cop, standing straight, and folding his arms across his chest, “that a few intersections back, your wife fell out of your car?”

“Oh, thank heavens,” sighs the drunk. “for a minute there, I thought I’d gone deaf.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Brenda O’Malley is home making dinner, as usual, when Tim Finnegan arrives at her door.

“Brenda, may I come in?” he asks. “I’ve somethin’ to tell ya”.

“Of course you can come in, you’re always welcome, Tim. But where’s my husband?”

“That’s what I’m here to be telling ya, Brenda. There was an accident down at the Guinness brewery”

“Oh, God no!” cries Brenda. “Please don’t tell me.”

“I must, Brenda. Your husband Shamus is dead and gone. I’m sorry.

Finally, she looked up at Tim. “How did it happen,Tim?”

“It was terrible, Brenda. He fell into a vat of Guinness Stout, and drowned.”

“Oh my dear Jesus! But you must tell me true, Tim, did he at least go quickly?”

“Well, Brenda, no. In fact, he got out three times to pee.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mary Clancy goes up to Father O’Grady after his Sunday morning service, and she’s in tears.

He says, “So what’s bothering you, Mary my dear?”

She says, “Oh, Father, I’ve got terrible news. My husband passed away last night.”

The priest says, “Oh, Mary, that’s terrible. Tell me, Mary, did he have any last requests?”

She says, “That he did, Father.”

The priest says, “What did he ask, Mary?”

“He said, ‘Please Mary, put down that damn gun…’ ”

Have you ever stopped to think how quickly things can change in your life? In the blink of an eye you can go from not having someone special to meeting the man of your dreams. You can go from being single to saying “I do” and being married. From being a couple to having baby make three.

But life can also throw us unexpected obstales in a blink of an eye. Accidents happen. A job is lost. A loved one is diagnosed with a serious illness. Someone close to us dies.

This week I found out a beloved aunt is terminally ill. It got me to wishing for some good news. Have you had something unexpected nice/good happen to you in the past month? If so, I’d like to hear about it, no matter how significant or not….just share some good news and brighten my day.

I know something about our recent guest blogger and I’m gonna keep it a secret…oh, wait, no I’m not.

I thought you’d all like to know that Victoria’s book, THE PERFECT WIFE, hit NUMBER ONE on the New York Times List!!!! Woo-hoo!

Isn’t that jaunty spectacular?!!!!

There could only be one winner of Delores’s cowboy and that is Crystal B! Congrats Crystal and go ahead and email Delores at df@dfossen.com so she can know where to send your book.

Now scroll down and read our guest blog by Delle Jacobs!