Football-- A Matter of Life and Death, Except More Important.

Hey all,

I hope everyone is having a great day.  As I sit here in Buenos Aires, I'm watching Argentina win over Nigeria in the World Cup!  It's so much fun because everywhere around me I can hear people cheering and shouting, cursing and laughing.

And I'm alone in my apartment!  LOL

Seriously, these people take their football (this is what everyone other than the USA calls it) seriously. Really seriously.  On the days when a team is playing, there will be flags in windows and hanging over balconies.  People standing on the corners shouting out their teams name, and if you happen to be in a restaurant, be careful not to root for the wrong team.  

It could be very bad.  

Very, very bad.

Because I mean it when I say these people are totally serious about their football.  Sometimes a little too serious if you know what I mean.  Punch in the face, kiss your ass if necessary serious.  LOL

The other day when Chili and The Netherlands were playing I happened to be in a small pub near one of the plazas downtown.  The Netherlands was winning--handily--and the natives were NOT happy.  Every time the ball went down towards the wrong goal, they screamed and shouted and threatened.  And when Chili got a goal, they almost were dancing in the street.

As an innocent bystander, it was almost like watching a show.  Or a very dramatic soap opera.  And if you're walking down the street you can always tell how a game is going just by hearing the moans, groans, shout and cheers coming out of the different pubs.

That doesn't sound so bad, you may be thinking.  People watch games in pubs all the time, which is why we have sports bars.  And it wouldn't be IF that was the only place they show them.  But it isn't.

Think of the fanciest french restaurant you've ever seen.  Complete with snooty waiters, white tablecloths and crystal wine glasses.  You dress up nice, buy flowers, order expensive wine and plan on spending time with your sweetheart.

Things are going great, you lean closer to steal a kiss and then suddenly...

GGGGOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The place goes nutso around you, your neighbor joggles your table and spills your wine and your ears start ringing.

And there goes your nice pleasant evening.

Yep.  Even fancy expensive restaurants play the games.  They decorate with their team colors, have the games going on every wall and it's organized (and sometimes not so organized) chaos!!!

But...it's fun.  And we've gotten used to it since we first started watching it in Singapore.  I'll never give up my American football, but I have to admit, this sort of football has found a special place in my heart and I don't think I'll ever give it up.

So what's your favorite sport game?  To play?  To watch?  Let us know in the comments below!

Hugs,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams
http://cjengland.com/luckbealady/luckbealady.htm

http://cjengland.com

A Hoot To Make You Smile

Hey all,

A short and sweet blog today.  It's been a crazy week with internet going in and out and some illness in the house, but I didn't want to miss the blog.  I thought about it and realized it's been a while since I found some funnies for you, so why not do that today?  

Sound good?  Then enjoy these great pics.  Have a chuckle...or two or three....

 

 

 

 

And on that note...  Have a great weekend and I'll see you all next week with a blog about how it feels to be surrounded by people who live, eat and breathe the World Cup 2014!!!!!

Hugs,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams
http://cjengland.com/luckbealady/luckbealady.htm

http://cjengland.com

My Best Friend is a Book

Hey all,

I'm a reader.  *snort*  As if you all didn't know.  I became a writer because I loved reading so much.  I love all kinds of books.  Mysteries, chic lit, sci fi, fantasy, thrillers, and of course, romance.  

Being an author I often get books sent to me from other writers, and sometimes I get freebies from my publishers.  And I've found quite a few outstanding authors that way.

Yet the best thing in the world is finding a series that makes me not want to put the books down no matter what else is going on in my life.  I call those "friend books" and when I discover those new friends, I will look for every single book from that author and read until I drop from exhaustion.

I came across a new author recently that falls into this group.  I'd actually had her books for some  time, but had stashed them away and sorta forgotten about them.  But I saw an ad for one online and it reminded me.  So I found the authors file and gave her a try.

Her name... Nalini Singh and she writes some of the best paranormal romances I've ever read.  She's got two main series to try and I really recommend you try them both.  In fact they are so good, I had to introduce you to her.

The first is the Guild Hunter Series, which is the first one I tried.  Here's a bit about it...

In this series, we meet the true rulers of the world: angels. But these are not the benevolent kindly angels we are used to; religion does not play a part in their evolution. These are beautiful, ruthless gods and goddess who rule with an absolute power not tempered by humanity or even goodwill.

The vampires in here are unusual as they are made, not born, from a special venom that angels must secrete to avoid going insane. Humans are tested; if found compatible, they are made into vampires. There is a price to pay for this immortality, though. The human must sign a contract of servitude to the angel making him, agreeing to serve for a specified amount of time.

Should that vampire decide to try and escape his contract, then a guild hunter is called in to hunt the vamp down. A guild hunter is a gifted human individual who can “scent” vampires. These humans are above normal in strength and stamina.

And when the angel in charge of North America falls for the best and meanest guild hunter on the planet, nothing will ever be the same again.  

I LOVED this series.  The first book is wonderful, filled with danger and excitement and passion.  If you like your men alpha, then you'll adore the angel Raphael.  And if you like kick-ass heroines, then Elena will fit the bill.  But it's the passion between the two that is so damn good.  Add beyond awesome world building, fantastic character development and dialog that will make you both chuckle and cry, then you have a book that is a total winner.  And each book in the series is just as good.  While many are about Raphael and Elena, they also have several other couples in their own books and each of them is just as awesome.

When I started the other series, the Psy-Changelings series, I couldn't believe they would be as good as the first one, but I was so happy to be wrong.  These books are just as good, and if you like shapeshifters, you'll flat out adore them.  A little about this series...

The series is set in a futuristic alternative Earth and populated by three groups: the Changelings, the Psy and humans. The changelings are shapeshifters. The Psy are humans with psychic powers who have been taught from birth to suppress their emotions.  And the humans are...normal humans.

The Psy is the largest and most powerful ruling body on Earth. The series tells of the struggles between the three groups and the struggles within each group. Each story features a different hero and heroine who meet and fall for each other.  The stories are filled with non-stop action, suspense and mystery, but nicely balanced with hot steamy romance and bouts of hilarious comedy. 

Since I love shifters and I write books about them as well as those with psychic gifts, these books are right up my alley.  I devoured them, one after the other and I wanted to have a tantrum when I ran out of books to read.  

Luckily, she's still writing both these series, so I can look forward to several more books in the future.

Curious now?  You can check out Nalini and her books at her website at http://www.nalinisingh.com/index.php .

Do you have a favorite author to share?  Or have you just discovered an author that you're going to add to your "Friend Books"?  Let us know in the comments below.

And happy reading!!!!

Hugs,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams
http://cjengland.com/luckbealady/luckbealady.htm

http://cjengland.com

 

Do You Believe in Love at First Sight,or Should I Walk by Again?

Hey all,

I've been reading a lot these last few days.  I caught a stress cold and had to take it easy when we first got here to Buenos Aires.  For some reason, all the books I've read in the last week had something to do with love at first sight.  And I found that some of the books really bothered me with how they handled it.

 
Now, don't get me wrong, Love at First Sight is something I believe in with all that's in me.  I've written stories about it and love reading books about it.

But at the same time, walking into a club and (naughty word alert) constantly getting hit by lust, wet vaginas and erect penises and then falling in love with that person--while possible--is a bit lazy.

I guess what I'm saying, is using lust instead of character development irritates the hell out of me.  That's what I think is lazy.  That, to me, is cheating!!!!

Again, don't think I won't use a little lust when it's warranted.  Lust can and does bring people together.  But when that's all you get.  When that's where it stops, I don't think it's romantic love.  It's Erotica.  And while that's not a bad thing, for me, it's not romance...it's not love.

So what is?  Romance for me to the building of love between two people. Getting to know each other.  And while it can start by getting into each other's pants, you've got to do more than that to make it a real and lasting love.

I think that's what bothered me about the books I mentioned at the beginning of the blog.  They were hot and spicy, well written and interesting, but still they left me flat.  Because while the sex scenes were great, that's all that was there.  They met, fell in love, had sex, the end.  Nothing else.  No growth, no building, just the act and readers were expected to be fulfilled by that.

And maybe some are.  Different strokes and all.   But for me, love at first sight is VERY different than lust at first sight.  I want lust AND love AND romance.  Is that too much to ask?

So, what gets you happy when you read a Love at First Sight book?  Do you have certain things that need to happen before it's the BEST BOOK EVER????  Let me know in the comments below!!!!

I'll see you next week...

Hugs,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams
http://cjengland.com/luckbealady/luckbealady.htm

http://cjengland.com