Pets In Fiction

Hey all,

After several months, it's finally time for another guest blogger and today's author speaks about something near and dear to my heart. 

Critters in fiction.  As you know many of my stories also have animals in them and I believe they very much add realism to any book.  Kelley Heckart should know since it sounds like she's had a few critters in her life.  So let's hear a little bit about Kelley.  

According to her website... Though Kelley resides on the earthly realm with her husband and two dogs, she always has one foot firmly planted in the otherworldly realm of mystical creatures, fierce warriors and magic. A psychic once told her she has an old soul and this comes across in her tales of long ago places. An avid reader, she turned her lifelong passion for Celtic mythology into a way to express herself through writing.

And it sounds like she has some interesting stories to tell.  So please join me in welcoming Kelley Heckart and let's see what she has to say about Pets In Fiction...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love animals and grew up with pets in the house. We always had at least one dog in the family and I remember a parade of mice, rats and birds in our house when I was growing up. Even after I moved out of my parents' house, I had a dog, and now my husband and I have two dogs. I think this influences my writing because most of my characters have pets.

When I was researching for my latest release, Cat's Curse (Book One in my Dark Goddess trilogy), I discovered that medieval kings usually owned hunting hounds. My hero is an Irish prince and I decided to give him two hunting hounds as his pets. When my heroine first meets this prince, he is arrogant and unpleasant at times, but she discovers he does have a tender side when he shows affection to his hounds. The dogs play an important part in bringing them together. Another character in this book, a Pict king, likes to collect exotic animals like wildcats and birds of prey. This reveals something about the king's personality, and his penchant for collecting exotic creatures plays an important part in the plot.

In another book, Ravenwolf, the mysterious white wolf in the story is based on my beautiful, intelligent American Eskimo. The wolf plays an important part in the plot and the story wouldn't be the same without her. This story is set in Alba (Scotland) in the land of the Picts. The Picts and Celts sometimes kept geese as watchdogs because of their aggressive nature. I have had first hand experiences with geese at a local duck pond and I can verify that geese are, indeed, aggressive. I was chased many times by geese. I thought a goose would make a cool pet for my hero and heroine when they lived in a crannog out on an island loch. The goose added some humor to the story.

Horses play an important part in my stories since my books are set in historical time periods. I like to give them names to show how close the bond can be between human and animal. One of my main characters in my Dark Goddess trilogy is a horse whisperer. When researching the Picts, I came across some information about a secret society of horse whisperers. This unique gift comes in handy during battles. Other animals also appear in this trilogy. A wolf seems like he is a goddess's pet until he shapeshifts into a tall, golden-haired man. Now, that's the kind of pet I like.

I think pets can add something important to a story. They can help show a different side of a character or they can add some humor. Sometimes the story wouldn't be the same without them. Kind of like how in real life pets can make a huge difference in a person's life. My life wouldn't be the same—it would be a lot less fulfilling without my two dogs to entertain, give me companionship and teach me how to live life one day at a time. Have you ever noticed how animals/dogs know how to enjoy life?

Do other writers like to add pets to their stories? Do readers like to read stories with pets in them? 

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict and magic'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good question, Kelley.  I know I appreciate a story more when there is a critter in it.  What about it readers?  Do you like a story that has pets in it?  If so...why?  Leave your comments below.

And if you want to get to know Kelley a little better and check out some of her work, head over to one of the places below.  You'll find all sorts of goodies there!

Thanks Kelley for being a part of my blog!  Happy writing and many good sales to you!

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

http://www.myspace.com/phantomqueen3

BUY CAT'S CURSE

Rants and Whines - Don't You Just Hate...

Hey all,

I've had a really good and a bit of a distressing week so far.  I got a lot done on my work in progress, but there were some things that have gotten in the way so I won't be able to finish it as I planned.

 I'm down to the wire, but this part of the book is so damn emotional it takes a lot longer to put it down.

And it takes a lot more out of me.

So I want to take today to just vent a little.  Maybe it will help me get rid of some of the irritation I've carried over the last few days.  And in the comments below, you can join me and rant about the things that may be bugging you. 

Ready?  Here we go

Don't you just hate...

Hearing the politicians make promises and knowing they have no intention of keeping them.  A certain mayor in the Midwest stood behind a podium and promised to make sure no more police were fired from their jobs.  That very afternoon he fired over a dozen police men and women.  When called on it, he explained "it was unavoidable".  That things had changed since he made that promise.  Excuse me?  How did the budget and situation change in the two hours since you spoke out that lie...I mean promise.  Please! 

Don't you just hate...

People who say their way is the ONLY way.  The ONLY real way (in my case) authors should write.  The fact there are hundreds upon hundreds of award winning, bestselling writers who do it differently don't really matter.  The fact the number one romance author in the whole bloody world writes differently is just a coincidence.  These narrow-minded people are the ONLY ones who know anything. 

Don't you just hate...

Hearing the president of Iran say it's the US's fault that 9/11 occurred ,and the only thing Obama can do is "vigorously condemn" the man's words?  Seriously?  How about a big case of whoop ass on that idiot!  I'm sorry.  That type of diarrhea of the mouth should be stopped whatever way we can.

Don't you just hate...

Putting out a serious question or comment on Facebook or Twitter and no one responds.  Yet the guy just after you shows some ugly picture of his aunts butt and at last count he had 1,546,898 bloody comments!

Don't you just hate...

Writing out a really profound blog entry yet when you start to save it the internet gobbles it up and then spits out nothing but gibrish for your fans to read.  Come on...how hard is it to to get that right, livejournal?

Don't you just hate...

Making a time consuming recipe you just KNOW is going to be *sings it* AWESOME, and it is, but your significant other inhales it and then says he'd rather have had pizza. Why is he still alive?  I'll give you pizza, buddy.  And it will be a while before you can dig it out of your pores!  (This from a girlfriend who I was commiserating with.  Jonathon knows better.  LOL)

Don't you just hate...

The fact a highschool dropout holding up the stop/go sign at the road construction makes more than you do and you're a college graduate.  And while I believe that unions are absolutely necessary in some ways, please guys.  Twenty-five dollars an hour to hold a sign?  How does that make sense?  I can see it when it's the surgeon working on my heart, but come on.  Let's make sure the job and the pay are commensurate with each other.

Don't you just hate...

When you go to Walmart (or any other store) and as you walk around and try and take something off the shelf you get a shock.  Now the first time is annoying, but after the 153rd time, the Pavlovian response kicks in and you start whimpering like a baby when you start to reach for that can of peas.  After being forced to wear mittens in our neighborhood store (in Florida so you can imagine the looks I got) I did some research and found out that if you overdry your clothes or hair or wear foam flip flops the static electricity in the environment is drawn to you.  Great!  Now I'm a bloody lightning rod!

And finally...

Don't you just hate...

When one of the services you use like yahoo, google, blogger, twitter or any of the other absolutely necessary (said tongue in cheek) things we use on a daily basis, does an "upgrade" to make it "easier" to use.  And suddenly you find out the thing you used to be able to speed through is now a tangled morass of idiotic links, ideas and unnecessary applications.  You can't use it.  It is so bloody slow you could knit a cow faster.  And it doesn't do ANY of the things you first signed up for.  Take note, Google.  The new image view you have looks great, but is SOOOOOOOOOO slow to load you can die of old age before you see what you're looking for.  And the basic version, while still available, sits at the bottom of the page and you can't get to it because the page keeps loading....s...l...o...w...l...y.  At least give me a default so I can use the basic all the time!!!

Well, that's it.  I've ranted enough.  Now it's your turn.  I know there are A LOT of things that drive us crazy.  Hell, there's even a book written about it.  Check it out. at Amazon  Don't You Just Hate That?: 738 Annoying Things .

Anyway, now is the time to share in the comments below.  Let it out!  You'll feel better.  Besides, you know you want to.  LOL

And don't forget we have our first Guest Blogger on Friday.  We'll be visiting with Kelly Heckart , so come on over and set a spell!  See you then!

Hugs,

CJ England  

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com/touchmeteaseme/touchmeteaseme.htm

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/

The Unmentionables - Sex Toys and Games

Hey all,

Today I thought we could talk about something fun.  Toys and Games. And no, I'm not talking about Legos or Chutes and Ladders.    I'm talking about the OTHER type.  You know...  *looks around cautiously*  Sex Toys!  

It's okay.  You can talk about them.  You can look at them on the internet or in that special toy store that sits just outside the country line.  You can even own and use them.  Contrary to what Sister Mary may have told you in school, even good girls and boys can play with them.

And why not?  If you can dress up sexily to please your partner--a new negligee or tight boxer shorts, why not take it the next step and add a little more spice to your relationship.

So let's talk a little about toys, games and the people who use them.

Most people know about the basic toys available.  Like vibrators, paddles, dildos and handcuffs.  There are as many kinds of those as there are people to use them.  Each is a little different and has it's own pleasure for the user.  You can use them by yourself, but in my humble opinion a toy only fulfills its true potential when used with a partner.  Something I enjoyed writing about in my books Don't Spank the Vamp and Don't Tempt the Phoenix.

Vibrators can be a wonderful experience when shared with a lover.  You can use them on each other to enhance your partners pleasure and add variety to the lovemaking.  If you use your imagination, a vibrator or dildo can do wonders for a stale marriage or perk up a new relationship.  As long as both partners are okay with it (and this is of utmost importance) anything goes.

Other toys like paddles, whips and handcuffs fall into what some consider a hardcore type of play, Bondage.  But used between consenting partners, these toys can be just as much fun as anything else.  Role playing is used quite often with these type of toys, and the added excitement of being tied up and submissive or totally in charge of your partner can make the final climax of the union even more pleasurable. 

And one of my personal favorites are games.  Dice, board games, role playing...all of them can make sex fun.  For some, the idea of laughing during sex is absurd, but giggles and gropings as you follow the directions on the dice you've rolled can show you a new side to your lover--one you won't soon forget.

And the more you play, whether it is a bondage game or the use of a vibrator in the shower, the more comfortable you'll be.  So start out small.  Buy that dildo and give it a try.  Order that Naked Twister game and see what your partner says.  But if you've never played  before, don't give up if the first time out you have trouble or are too embarrassed to finish. 

It's a learning curve.  And in some cases you are battling against years of good 'ol Sister Mary or Deacon Joe whispering in your ear that you'll go to hell if you try those toys.  And while each of us must follow our own conscience as to sex and how we live our lives, I firmly believe that what happens between you and your partner in bed, as long as it's consensual, isn't wrong.

So let me end today's blog with a list of toys that I myself or friends I respect, have used and believe can enhance the love play.  If I could find a link I added that as well.  Ready?  Here we go.  *Sister Mary, I think you should probably look away now*  *grin*

Rabbit Vibrators
Cock Rings
Anal Beads
Dildo
Feather Duster
Whip
Handcuffs
Paddle
Nipple Clamps
Vibrating Tongue Ring
Sex Swings
Strap Ons
Adult DVDs
Remote Control Panties
Massage Oils
Love Die Game
Sexy Board Games
Poker For Lovers
Foreplay Connect
Lickable Body Paints
Naked Twister

So there are a few for you all to look at.  But I know those are just a few and I may even be unaware of some toys and games you all love to use.  So now's the time to let us know what YOU like to play with.  If you're embarrassed, sign in anonymously.  I'll switch it over for this week so you all can post that way.

Tell us the games or toys you use and give us a link to find them.  Or, if you haven't had a chance to try anything out yet, tell us the ones you'd like to try.  Inquiring minds want to know!  LOL

Can't wait to see what you come up with.  I'll be back on Wednesday with a blog about some other topic that's caught my attention.

Hugs to all,
CJ England  

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com/touchmeteaseme/touchmeteaseme.htm

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/

Wow! The Mid-Autumn Festival Rocked!!!!!

Hey all,

Well, last night we went over to Macau to see what was happening for the Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival.  It had rained all day so we were lucky the rain eased off later on.  It was a bit misty now and then, but it didn't really rain on us.  It was nice and cool so we were able to enjoy ourselves without all the humidity.

Now as some of you probably know from other blogs I've done, this festival is very much like Thanksgiving in the USA.  Not a lot "activities" go on, it's more of a day to spend time with family and friends.  The background is interesting.  Taken from Wikipedia...  Click to read more.

Celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival is strongly associated with the legend of Houyi and Chang'e, the Moon Goddess of Immortality. Tradition places these two figures from Chinese mythology at around 2200 BCE, during the reign of the legendary Emperor Yao, shortly after that of Huangdi. Unlike many lunar deities in other cultures who personify the moon, Chang'e simply lives on the moon but is not the moon per se.

So, as soon as Jonathon got off work, we jumped on a bus and headed over to Senado Square, one of the main tourist areas of Macau.  We were looking forward to seeing all the decorations they've put all over town as well as just wandering.

At the square, they have laterns, flowers and pandas hanging everywhere.  They also have a huge castle set up in the center.  They are all made of this paper-thin material and twinkie lights are placed in and around them so they are quite beautiful when lit.

Once we had enjoyed the scenery there, we travelled to another square in town.  Tap Seac Square.  This was the location of the Chinese Lantern Festival.  They had dancing, more decorations and activites that unfortunately were partially rained out because of the weather that day.  But it went on again on Thursday and the weather was a bit better.  None the less we were able to see and experience things we never had before so for us it was wonderful.  As you can see, their decorations are amazing!

Afterwards, we wandered down to the waterfront where the fireworks were to be done.  We were there early and very few people were around.  We couldn't help but compare it to the American Fourth of July celebration where families claim their turf hours before the big event.  Picnic blankets, bbqs and chests of beverages would be everywhere.  But not here in Macau.

So, since there was no one around yet, we decided to go eat.  Wound up at this really great restaurant called Pokka Cafe.   It has reasonably priced food that was quite good, though the pumpkin sauce on my shrimp pasta was slightly blah.  Jonathon's Japanese pork curry was outstanding.  We wanted dessert, but were too full.  So when we go back next time, it will be just to get the gianormous banana split they have for less than five dollars!  YUM!

Anyway, headed back to the waterfront for fireworks and finally people were there.  The area had become quite festive with families laughing and lanterns bobbing.  Children pulled little animal shaped lanterns with (get this) real candles in them.  Mr. Safety was having a heart attack I know!

But it was beautiful  So many colors and lights.  It was hard to get a picture, but I tried.  It's a little blury, but I hope you can see some of the different lanterns here.  The variety was amazing.  I'm going to go get some as a remembrance!

Then it was fireworks time.  Now I have to admit, the ones we saw during the Moon Festival were not as good as I've seen elsewhere.  We used to have holiday fireworks behind our house at one of the hotels and those were awesome.  And remember when I told you we watched fireworks along the coast of China a few weeks ago?  Those were MEGA great.  So we were a little disappointed with what we saw.  But I enjoyed the responses from the other people.  There was a kid behind us that screamed in happiness whenever a particularly bright firework went off, and the couple sitting beside us grunted and groaned at all the sparklers.  (I even checked once to make sure they were actually "watching" the program.)  Here is a short video of the finale.

Then it was off to home where we celebrated the last part of the night with moon cakes and tea.  We never saw the moon because of all the clouds, but we did what was traditional and went out on the balcony and kissed under the "light" of the moon!

Festivals in other countries are always interesting and often surprising.  While there weren't a lot of activites, we had to remind ourselves there aren't a lot of things on Thanksgiving either.  Other than the Macy's day parade, that holiday is usually spent at home with family, eating and watching football.  So I guess our expectations were a little off.  But we had a blast anyway, because to us it's all about the adventure!

Hope you enjoyed this brief look at one of the most important festivals here in Asia.  I know I love sharing it all with you!  Please let me know what you think by sharing your comments below!

Hugs,
CJ England  

 Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com/touchmeteaseme/touchmeteaseme.htm

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/

News and Switch Arounds

Okay all,

Just a quick blog to let you know of a change coming up.  I'll be having Guest Bloggers again starting October 1, 2010, so my blogging schedule will change as follows...

I'll be blogging on Monday and Wednesdays about whatever rocks my boat, then on Friday we'll have a variety of guest bloggers coming to play with us.  Our first guest blogger will be Kelley Heckart who writes some dynamite stories and will tell us a little about what she thinks about adding animals into her books.

I also have some other blog activities in the works and as soon as those come to fruition, I'll announce it here. So stay tuned.  You never know what might happen when CJ starts dreaming!  LOL

And don't forget to subscribe to my FREE READ at it's new location.  I'll be starting up the FREE READ on Monday, October 18th with a brand new, never before seen story.  So head on over right now and subscribe.  I'll be having a contest launching the new site, and the first 20 people who subscribe will be entered in twice!!!!

So go to http://cjenglandsfreeread.blogspot.com/ and do the following two things to DREAM WITH CJ.

1. Up in the very top left hand corner, you'll see the tiny little word "follow".  Click on that and indicate that you are going to follow PUBLICLY.  (If you do so anonymously, it won't count.)  I don't have my followers up for all to see on my blog anyway.  It's just for my own knowledge. Comprehend?  Cool.  That's one!

2.  Next, just below that you'll see a form that says, "Subscribe to the FREE READ".  Here is where you fill out your email address.  Do so, and then when you get a confirmation letter, make sure you confirm that as well.  That will add you to a list that will send out notices whenever a new post comes out on my blog.  Once you do that, you're done!!!  And automatically entered into the contest.

Check the FREE READ blog with more contest updates as we draw nearer to the launch date!

Anyway, that's all for today.  I'll be back on Friday with the story about how we spent today's Mid-Autumn Festival.  Pics and everything!  WooHoo!!!!

Hugs,
CJ England  

 

 

 

 

 

 Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com/touchmeteaseme/touchmeteaseme.htm

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/

A Little Something Special - Wife Appreciation Day

Hey all,

As you can see I've done some redecorating.  I'm in the process of making up a new blogger for my FREE READ, so as I was tweaking that I decided to play with this a little so they were color-coordinated.  I've also made it easier for you to follow me.  If you haven't already, just fill out the little form at the top left of the blog then confirm the link when they send it to you.  Once you've done that, you'll get updates whenever I post.  I'll be doing the same thing over on the FREE READ blog, so once it's open for business you can sign up there as well.

Anyway, today's blog  makes me smile just writing it.  You know, sometimes life takes you by surprise.  It can be a good surprise or a bad one and sometimes at the time you aren't sure which is which.  But sometimes something can happen that just warms your heart and makes you smile.

That happened to me yesterday.  Sunday, September 19th was Wife Appreciation Day and I woke up after a bad night of tossing and turning to find that Jonathon, my Sweet Baboo, had left me a surprise before he headed in for an early day at work.  A note telling me how much he appreciated me and some special treats just to say "I love you".

Now this may not seem like much to some of you, but as wonderful and sexy as my husband is, he doesn't easily remember dates for anniversaries, birthdays and special occasions.  He's got birthdays and anniversaries down pretty well after a quarter of a century (wow that makes us old) but special occasions?  Not so much.

So color me shocked when I realized he'd remembered that Sunday was one of those silly special occasions that HE might not think of as important, but I get all gooey over. 

Now of course, this holiday has a bit of a PR problem.  I didn't even know Wife Appreciation Day existed until I saw an email for it.  I promptly forwarded it to Jonathon as a joke, then forgot about it.  But he didn't, and that just makes me tingly all over.  Yeah.  He's gonna get lucky tonight.  LOL

But I have a bunch of questions now. Such as...

Who came up with this?  Are there parades?  Are there greeting cards for this holiday?  How can we make MANkind appreciate this holiday more?

And then I thought...is there a Husband Appreciation Day?  I looked it up and sure enough, there is.  We got awhile to make plans, ladies.  Their holiday doesn't roll around again until April 17th (third Saturday of the month). 

But for those of you whose hubbys didn't know about this day, show them this blog and tell them you'd be happy to take any and all appreciation a day late.  After all, it's the thought that counts, right? 


BTW...it's also Talk Like A Pirate Day, so if you aren't married or in a relationship you can always celebrate that way!  LOL

See you on Friday!

Hugs,

CJ England  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com/touchmeteaseme/touchmeteaseme.htm

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/

Is This A Bus Ride or the Macau Grand Prix???

Hey all,

Now I'm the first one to admit up until moving to Singapore, I hadn't taken a bus more than a handful of times in my life. Living where I did in the country did not lend itself to bus travel, and in Orlando the bus stop was just too far away even if I had wanted to take it. So, using public transportation is pretty new to me.

In Singapore the bus and MRT systems are tied together. You get a card, put X amount of money on it, and you're ready to go. You just swipe the card each time you get on and off and they deduct the amount as needed. Very quick and handy system.

The buses are well kept as are the MRTs and it's only at rush hour that you run into the common "sardines in a skinny can" problem.

It's a little different here in Macau.

After being in Singapore we were more educated in using buses (Macau has no subway system) but it's a bit of a challenge in Macau since everything here is either in Chinese or Portuguese. The maps are a little difficult to figure out, but one day I just decided to get on the damn bus and make myself understand where I'm going and where in the HE double toothpicks I've been.

So therein lies the adventure.

First off, since everything is in another language you can't just look at the stops and know where to get off. You either have to ask, which is an iffy procedure in itself, or just, as I usually do, wing it, get close and hope for the best. If I blow it, I just chalk it up to experience, jot it down on my map and try again.

But that's not so bad. You give yourself time to make some mistakes and head on out. And Macau isn't that big. You can't get lost. (well you can, but that's another blog story. just ignore me.) If you get off at the wrong place, you get on another bus and eventually you WILL get where you are going.

Now on the bus is where it really gets interesting. It's always crowded. There aren't enough buses to go around so not only is there not enough seating, standing room only is just a hope, especially at rush hour. And I swear to you, every bus driver we've driven with acts like he's a Grand Prix driver. Seriously, you barely get on the bus and he takes off sending everyone flying. No one bothers to apologize anymore. You KNOW you're going to fall on someone.

Lucky are those that have seats. At least they are balanced. But if you are standing, which you most often are, you have to hang on for dear life. The starts and stops are so jarring, you don't dare do anything with your hands. They are absolutely needed to hold on with.

Jonathon and I use to wonder why a lot of Chinese have bruises on their legs. Now we know. You can't ride a bus in Macau without putting in for some type of accident insurance. LOL

So between the screeching brakes, bruises and no place to sit, you'd think a taxi is better to take, and it is. But it isn't as much an adventure and since the bus system is so inexpensive (and I'm cheap) I take it anyway. Part of the fun is not know what the ride will be like.

Will I get a seat? Will I get to keep it or should I give it up to that man who looks older than dirt? Was that my stop or should I keep going? When did that guy last bathe? What is that outside? Oh, cool!!!! I'm going to get off at the next stop and explore.

The things you can discover by riding the bus far outweigh the irritation of not knowing the language, getting a seat or getting lost.

Now, if I could only find a driver who kept it at a manageable speed!!!!

Hugs to all and I'll see you on Monday! Have a great weekend!!!!

CJ England

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

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/

There is No Place Like Home

Hey all,

I thought a lot about America over the weekend. The anniversary of 9/11 brought back so many memories and made me realize even though I might get cranky about the government and what is happening, I truly love being from the USA. We have freedoms there a lot of people don't even contemplate. We get CNN over here, but it is an international version. They might mention what is happening in America but it's a side note here. They give a lot of time to Asia which is only right since this is where we are living.

But what you hear is very different. We hear news from Hong Kong, Japan, China, India and the islands of Southeast Asia. The laws are different...the rules are different, but more importantly, the belief system is different. Even though I may want to, I can't judge these countries by my own American standards.

For example in Singapore you can be killed for drug smuggling. No slap on the wrist here but death by hanging. First offense or career criminal it doesn't matter. You may die.

In China you can be put to death for corporate malfeasance. Which is a fancy term for if a corporation is found guilty of doing something wrong--in the case I saw, it was using bad ingredients in infant formula. Three CEO's were sentenced to death when children died after eating their tainted food. Food that was tainted because they were more worried about cost overruns than safety. Much more than the slap on the wrist they would have gotten in the states.

And you all have heard the news about how women are treated in Pakistan. A woman is accused of adultery and not only is she stoned, her husband gouges out her eyes, and cuts off her nose and ears. While he is eventually jailed for the crime (one of the first times a man is incarcerated for such a thing) many men in the country still believe he did nothing wrong. And the abhorrent treatment continues. Mainly because the women have no idea their lives could be any different.

It's one thing to go visit a country. You can deal with the odd laws and mostly ignore how you feel about the belief system. But when you live there, it's different. Not only do you have to abide by these laws, you don't have the most basic freedom of saying what you think about them. In many of these countries saying you dislike the government is an offense punishable by jail time. So, you learn to watch your tongue.

But again, this isn't America. So we can't judge how their country is run. Human rights isn't something that is black or white over here. Talk about a gray area.

So the adventure has a harsher side, one a lot of people don't think about when they sigh and say they'd love to live somewhere exotic. Living in Singapore gave us a taste of it, but Macau is even more different, barely westernized at all. For an American who takes freedoms for granted, it's a dash of cold reality straight in the face. One we now look at very differently.

I say this as a memorial for the people who died in an attack against our American freedoms. After living outside of the USA for the time I have, I truly believe what we have there is very special and worth fighting for. Even if you are jaded as I am and often wonder if it does any good, do your part. Vote for the people you think will do the best for our country. Vote against laws that may erode our basic freedoms. Help where and when you can and remember NO man is an island. We all need each other.

So, next time you see your neighbor, give them a smile and a wave. You never know if you might need them in some emergency. And say thank you to our brave men and women in uniform. Whether it is the military or those who protect us at home, they stand between us and the craziness of the world at large.

And never forget just what you have at home. Americans are very fortunate people. Maybe it's time we started to act like it.

Hugs to all and see you on Friday,
CJ England

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

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/

A Quick Look at Where We've Been

Hey all,

I know I got sick just when we got back from our trip through Asia and Nepal, so I thought today I'd put together a quick photo album of some of the places we went to. And at the end, I'll do another contest since I wasn't able to finish the one I started before. I will add those who entered before in this one, just to be fair!

So we'll start off with a couple of pics I promised before. One of the most unique places I visited. Batu Caves in Malaysia.

Outside the cave looking in. 272 steps to the entrance. This is a holy place for many, watched over by Murugan, a Hindu deity . While I was there they had a religious ceremony going on inside and it was quite interesting for this westerner to watch.

The inside of the cave looking out. There are thousand of rock formations, stalactites and stalagmites as well as statues of gods, goddesses and pilgrims on holy journeys.

And one more. This monkey looks cute, but is really a terror. You have to watch yourself around them. They run free and expect a treat. And if you don't have one, they get cranky. This monkey is looking innocent just after ripping the shiny hair clip out of a lady's hair right next to me. Took both of us to get it off her!

I have tons more because it was such a cool place, but I since I have so much to tell you, I'm limiting myself. LOL Someday I'll get my pics on my website and then all can enjoy them. Someday.

And here is a quick look at another place we enjoyed on our trip. This is in Cambodia. As you know we spent some time in Angkor Wat as well as wandering around the countryside. Here are some of the discoveries we made. This is an area we'd love to go back to someday.

This is at the airport. This vehicle is a Tuk-tuk and we loved it! It moved along at a pretty good clip, you could feel the fresh air and was CHEAP!!!! What would cost 10 dollars American for a taxi ride was only a a few cents. And we loved our driver. We met him the first day and kept calling him from that point on. Little English, but he was a sweetheart!!!!

The floating village on the biggest lake in the area. Tonle Sap. These places are amazing. Everything is done right on the water. Eat, sleep, bathe (we saw a few women taking a bath...OMG) and even garden. We saw pens of chickens, ducks, fish and even pigs out there. They have a school on the water with an actual basketball court. High walls of course.

And one of our of favorite places we visited. The atmosphere of the area was so spiritual and exotic. You might recognize this tree growing out of the ruin from the movie "Tomb Raider". It was shot on location here. This part of the Angkor Wat ruin is called Phnom Penh and is one of the ruins they've allowed the jungle to take over. It gives you a look at what the explorers may have seen when they first arrived. And you can see how big it is by Jonathon in the picture!

Well, that's it for today. I'll post more pics later, but I've got to go get ready to go. Jonathon has tickets to a premiere of the show he's working on. The House of Dancing Water. Check it out here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8mu8PfWnyY It's amazing and I can't wait to see it!

And the contest???? All you have to do is comment and tell me what pic you like best and why. That's it. How easy is that? The contest will run through the week and next Friday I'll draw a name from all the comments and you'll win my latest ebook, Touch Me...Tease Me. The more you comment, the more chance you have to win!!!! WooHoo!!!!!

Hugs and I'll see you on Monday.

CJ England

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

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/

Back in the Saddle Again-Macau Style

Hey everyone,

I'm pleased to say I'm sitting here in my brand new apartment overlooking the bay as I write this. The day started out kind of hazy, but it's burned off this afternoon. From my balcony I can see the city of Macau across the bay, China to the north and on a really clear day, some of the smaller islands west of Hong Kong. From the other side of the apartment I can see some of the island of Taipa where we now live.

Here are a few pics of the view from the apartment. I love it.




So, I'm trying to get back on a schedule. Both in my personal life and it writing. It's hard to do because Macau has some odd immigration rules and red tape and although Jonathon has been told he is approved to get a blue card (like a US green card), he hasn't received it yet and until he does I can't put in for mine. Illogical, if you ask me. Why not do both at the same time? If he had been rejected, then so would I.

But, the rules say we have to wait and if it goes too long, I may have to leave the country for a while until my card does come through. I'll probably just go over to Hong Kong, but it's a pain and not knowing makes it hard to settle completely.

We are trying though. Buying furniture and getting a kitchen put together. Haven't had to do that since college. LOL Jonathon is putting in 12-14 hour days getting ready for the show to start. The "opening" date is the 17th of this month, so as you can image, things are a bit hectic right now. After things get on track, we will be able to explore our new home.

I've been spending my days making shades for those huge windows you see in the pics and exploring the area. The streets are like rabbit warrens and since my sense of direction is non-existent here, I carry a map and a compass just so I can find a way home. Or, I get on a bus until I recognize something. When all else fails, I'll break down and take a taxi. They're really cheap here.

Anyway, like I said, I'm trying to get back on a writing schedule. Right now I'm planning to blog Mondays and Fridays and I'm hoping to add Wednesday's by the end of the month. My FREE READ on my other blog will start up again today and should (barring getting kicked outta the country) continue until the story is done.

I'll be updating my website and sending out a newsletter for all you patient people. I've got contest winners to announce and more fun to share. So stay tuned. I'm back and I hope the craziness of the last 18 months is now at an end. I miss just being able to write. Jonathon is pushing me to really get back to work. I think he feels guilty for taking me away from it. But what else could I do? Where my sweet baboo goes, so do I.

So, have a great start to your week. When I get some furniture, I'll post some more pics. Let me know what you think of my new abode's view in the comments below!

Hugs to all,
CJ England

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

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/