Just Saying...a word from the fab Cassandra McGuire

First I would like to thank Allie for this experience. I am not a writer, more of a reader and talker. I met Allie on FB stalking her because of her series BGirls, then met her and the Ladies of Sassy Seven at Romanticon. You can't help but to instantly fall head over cowgirl hat for each and everyone-so different but blend just right. I read my first romance book at the age of 16 and no, sorry, I don't remember the name of the book, nor the author but I do remember the book pissed me off. I ended up throwing it across the room in Algebra almost hitting the teacher. Needless to say that made me want to read more. I started reading because I wasn't interested in boys yet and I had those lovely things called breasts, a size 36-dd, kinda insecure of myself with people always staring because of those puppies who had their own zip code - they always got there before the rest of me did Let me tell y'all the first sex scenes that I read were oral sex scenes, I really didn't know what to think, grossed out and also kinda amazed that fingers, tongues and yes even a penis would even go those certain places. I enjoy reading paranormal, shifter, BDSM, contemporary and historical. There's a variety so all my grounds are covered. Paranormal for the fix when you want that nibble on the neck, J.R. Ward or Lora Leigh are great examples. And for the shifter for the Alpha male- I like Shelly Laurentson or Eve Langlais. And oh my BDsM anything dominated - I go for Cherise Sinclaire, Eliza Gayle, Desiree Holt and Kallypso Masters. They are all too great to read just once. Contemporary I read Allie Standifer and Sydney Landon and I am finding new authors all the time. Historial I adore Stephanie Laurens' the Cynsters Series. Still to this day I collect both on paperback and my NookColor aka nookie. Each of those authors brings something different to each character, not just the story at hand. And if you're an avid reader you know the difference and when characters mesh well and I can tell also after reading a few pages if I'm going to like a book. I don't care for too sappy of a female always crying or a book that has nothing but sex in it. That's not a book; it's porn to me. I like Alpha roles in a book, not so much, ‘I man, you woman spread em', - just the ones that know what they want, go after it, and treat each other with respect. Yeah, I know there are bumps along the way but hey- that's why it's a fantasy and I can cuss the book and the author at the time. I enjoy reading because it helps me escape reality for an hour or two. Being a single mama of three teenage kids-twin boys seventeen years old and one has Down Syndrome and a sixteen year old girl. I know, I know- feel my pain with the sixteen-year-old girl and she also has a Nook Color, so that means that she can also have access to any yes any of my books. She asked me one day what a ménage was in front of one of the doctors I work for. Want to talk about embarrassed? The doctor was, let me tell you. She tends to ask me before she reads my books now. I hope y'all at least find an author that you enjoy reading something. Remember word of mouth travels far and I am always pimping out my favorites at work-to friends-actually even my kids teachers. So y'all take a break from the TV and take a little time for yourself and hey who knows you may be tied up in Shadowlands or on a Cyborgship with Sky. Cassandra

Mini-Mutiny

So NaNoWriMo is starting up November 1st. For those of you not in the know NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing in a Month. It means I'll be striving to write 50K in one month and losing what's left of my sanity one word at a time. While I'm away the ladies of the castle will play. So for 30 days the crazy women in the Royal House of Bitches will take over my blog, website & with Nic Austin's help probably my facebook. Crossing my fingers that I have a palace to come home to.

So ta ta for now and lets cross our fingers we can meet here again.

Good luck, play nice & remember never let Margie 'cuddle' the guards alone! Kudos!

Into every life a little bitchiness must fall.

Yes, even in a writer’s (cough cough) idyllic life there are road bumps and snags. Anger, misunderstandings and simple misperceptions cause hurt feelings and slights where none was ever intended. Where is all this going you ask? Well, I have no idea so we’ll all be surprised at the end, okay? Recently I not only hit one of those bumps in the road I face planted going around 200mph. Let me tell you it hurt still stings a little too. All because of lack of communication and insecurity, which is normal for humans. Being unable to read minds we all fail our friends at one time or another without meaning too. However when that hurt isn’t addressed is when the bigger problems start to creep up and then fester.

Huge confession #1 I am human #2 I make mistakes, sometime huge ones. #3 I cannot read minds #4 Sometimes I take my friends for granted even when I don’t mean to. #5 I say things in anger that I don’t believe even at the time I say them. Temper is a horrible thing to unleash on people who honestly care about you. Every day life is hectic, crazy and complicated on a good day so when I see a missed call I think Oh I’ll call back as soon as I finish this or do that. Then me being me forgets and my friends are left hanging thinking I don’t care enough about them to return their call or text. Not true but you see where the misconceptions start. The responsibility is mine if I want to keep the amazing friends I have and I do. The thing is I, of all people, should know better. I know how short life is and how precious each second I spend with my friends is. Yet somehow I expect them to read my mind and know their own importance in my world. Duh! picturing me licking windows here If I can’t read other’s minds or emotions why the heck do I think they can pluck my thoughts and feelings from the air?

Reality is we all have fights since no one on the planet is perfect. The beautiful thing is when we open ourselves up to our mistakes, drop the pride making us stupid (myself included) and embrace the very things, which made us friends in the first place.

Last year I thought I lost a friend due to my own ego and my pride had me dropping any and everything to do with her. Yes, I know I’m not that bright. Anyway, time marched on hurt gave way to understanding and pride crumbled under the misery of missing my friend. When she made a tentative overture I grabbed hold of it and embraced the connection once again. Turns out she had a lot of shit going on in her life and didn’t know where to turn. See there goes that whole mind reading thing again. A few years ago I went on a trip with three friends. Had a blast until the night before we left. My bum ankle caused me to go back to the room early I thought my buddies would stay with me. Took a shower & when I got out everyone was gone. Hurt and pride took over once more as thought they didn’t want to hang out with me anymore. The next morning after we all woke up I was childish and bitchy. One of my dearest, normally sweetest friends called me on it. Once she broke the tension I understood all the bad thoughts had been in my head only & I’d taken my weirdness out on them. More recently those dearest to me have drawn away chased by their own demons of insecurity, pride and a lack of communication. Why do we think better of everyone else than we do of ourselves? Why is it so much easier to believe the bad stuff we hear than the good?

Things I should say to the sisters of my heart. You are amazing. You are beautiful, talented and there is no one else like you in the universe. Thanks to you my life is richer and fuller just because you’re you. When life goes to hell I know you’ll be there on the other side to prop me up, kick my ass or hold my hand. I’m amazed by everything you are and everything you do and feel so incredibly blessed to have such a beautiful person in my life and that you call me friend in return. Thank you for the small things and the big ones. Thank you for having my back, for kicking my butt, but mostly for sticking by me when I didn’t even know I needed you. Friends like the six of you make life an adventure that I wouldn’t want to go through with anyone else.