Recently USF and I have been watching a show called “The Chef Jeff Project.” It’s on The Food Network, so maybe you’ve seen it. Chef Jeff is Jeff Henderson. He was in prison for 10 years for selling drugs. Then he got out and worked his way up to celebrity chef. Now he’s helping at-risk youth on his show.

I’m a teacher, and I thought watching his biography would be a good way to introduce the biography unit. My students were actually surprised that biographies could be about living people. As part of the unit, I had the librarian order Chef Jeff’s new book, Chef Jeff Cooks.

I have to admit this was a little selfish on my part because I wanted to read it and try some of the recipes. So last night I finally got a chance. I made risotto with sweet potatoes.

I thought the whole thing would take maybe 30 minutes. I didn’t have to cut much, and I basically just had to heat everything up. USF and I were hungry, so I started cooking at 5:30. Well, it took a little longer than 30 minutes. I think we finally ate at 7.

I don’t blame Chef Jeff. I’m just not a very good cook. The recipe came out pretty well, but who wants to cook for 90 minutes? I was exhausted at the end of it! That’s the problem with The Food Network. They make all that cooking look so fast and easy. I think I’ll stick to writing. It’s not easy, but I don’t have to stand in front of a hot stove either.

So who’s your favorite chef?

HER SECRET LOVER, my latest book, is in the shops. As usual, I have that tingle of excitement, that sense of accomplishment mixed with trepidation. Will everyone like it? Will people buy it? The usual questions writers ask themselves when a book comes out. But this time my feelings are mixed with sadness, because this is the final book in a series. Next year I begin a new series. I’ll miss the characters I’ve come to know so well; they seem like old friends. Although I imagined them and created them they now live in their own world independent of me—well anyway that’s how it feels.

I’ve been through this before. When I first began writing for Avon, I wrote four medieval historicals, and they are all linked. The first book was The Lily and the Sword, and told the story of Radulf and Lily. I grew so fond of this couple that they made appearances in all the other books—I just couldn’t let them go.

But, eventually, I moved on. I wrote a trilogy called The Greentree Sisters, which revolved around the three daughters of Aphrodite, an infamous courtesan. Aphrodite’s own story of rags to riches, of loss and eventually happiness, was woven throughout the three books, and her daughters married and had children and with each book the family grew.

I came to love Aphrodite’s family so much that I couldn’t let them go, and I began another series, linked to the trilogy, which I called The Aphrodite’s Club series. There were two books in this series, A Seduction in Scarlet, and my newest book, Her Secret Lover. They both contain Aphrodite, who does what she does best, gives my characters the benefit of her experience in love and life and helps them toward their own happy endings.

I’m going to miss Aphrodite and her family and friends, but once again it’s time to move on. I have a new series to think about, and this one is called The Husband Hunters Club series! Sounds intriguing? I hope so. This will be a five book series, telling the stories of five young ladies who decide to hunt the husbands of their hearts rather than accept the men their families consider “suitable”.

But I already know what’s going to happen. I’ll grow so fond of my characters I won’t want to let them go. Or then again, maybe I’ll return to Radulf and Lily, and write about their children. Or there are always Aphrodite’s granddaughters. Then again, there is the one book I’ve written that isn’t part of a series—Beloved Highlander set in 18th century Scotland. Maybe it’s time to give that poor lonely book some friends.

Which characters have you read that you fell in love with and just didn’t want to let go?

Is Jane! Jane email me at emilybmckay at gmail.com and I’ll get your address to mail off your prize.

Also, back in October I promised a special prize for anyone who entered all three of my contests. The prize is a book of your choice from my backlist. So if you did, email me at the above address and I’ll double check it against the archives. And be sure to tell me which book you’d like. You can find information about all my books on my website. Thanks for playing!

I didn’t intend to blog on election day. (I was going to blog about zombie geisha transvestites, but that will have to wait.) I picked this date about a month ago and didn’t give it another thought. But since it is election day, I feel obliged to encourage you to vote if you haven’t already. ‘Cause let’s face it, regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, this is a big election and our government should hear all our voices.

To encourage you to vote, I’ve got a fun give away. So once you’ve voted (or now, if you voted already) reply here and tell us about it. No, not who you voted for, but something about the experience (where it was, how long the line was, anything!). One of the people who responds will win fabulous prizes.

In case you’re wondering, these are all the free books I got at RWA that I’m not going to read. So I thought I’d share. There’s also the cool tote and a mouse pad. A great reward for doing the right thing. Or something to lift your spirits if you guy doesn’t win.

Before 48 hour election antics commence…some crazy cats for your viewing pleasure.

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

I was listening to the radio the other day and they were talking about odd names for town and for people. I reached my destination before they started giving some of these names but I thought it might be fun to share some names from the states we live in.

I pulled up a listing of Nebraska towns and what I found interesting was that even odd names don’t seem so odd when you hear them so much. Take for example Wahoo (see sign above). It was once the home of the Late Night Show with David Letterman (remember when he used to pick a town to be out of?). I almost didn’t include it, but then I realized it was kinda odd.

In Nebraska we also have a town a college friend used to refer to simply as “Beaver”:

One that immediately makes you feel at home:

One that makes you want to cry—Weeping Water
One that gets a lot of letters to be postmarked around Febr 14—Valentine

That’s all I could find that seemed out of the ordinary. I know you have to have towns in your state with names that are even more unusual.

Care to share???