Up the Amazon - A Journey Into Paradise

Hey all,

It’s time for another trip into the Amazon.  I got great response from you all last week, and today’s blog hopefully should be just as interesting.  Over the next two weeks I’ll go chronologically, starting with day one and working on through the two days we spent in Manaus.

As I mentioned last week, once we got on the boat we had a short introduction time where we got to know the crew, our guides and each other.  Then we had a few hours on our own before any activities were scheduled.  Jonathon and I put our room together--that only took a little bit, then we were up on the deck, sitting in the bow and watching the river go by.  

Lord, it was beautiful.  So green and lush and peaceful.  We went along at a decent pace, slow enough to see the sights, but fast enough to make good progress up the Rio Negro.  We saw small settlements, islands, and acres and acres of trees that were huge and oddly shaped.  I was amazed.  

There were small boats--a little like The African Queen, and barges that moved anything from sand and garbage to housing supplies and appliances.  There are few roads in this area, so the waterway IS the only way to move things around.

We loved the first day on the boat and were filled with anticipation as we headed out for our first canoe trip.  We climbed into the small green canoe and headed out into one of the smaller tributaries off the main river.

I can't express how amazing this trip was.  We cruised into a flooded forest and slid between some of the biggest trees I've seen since my time in the redwoods.  They were beautiful and filled with life.  So many birds I couldn't count, I about got whiplash trying to see everything.  We saw toucans, parrots, and macaws! WooHoo!!!! Below is a picture of some nests made by weaver birds.  They were everywhere along the river.  Pretty damn creative.

After that adventure, we came in for dinner.  The cook made sure she served food that was traditionally Portuguese.  It was great for those who hadn't been in Brazil for long and over the seven days we were on-board, even Jonathon and I were able to taste some things we hadn't before.  Each and every meal was an adventure in itself.  Especially deserts were amazing!

Dinner was followed by a talk by our guide Souza about the native fruits and veggies found in the Amazon.  It was really interesting and I learned a lot.  I took copious notes and I'm sure some will find it's way into the book I'm writing.  

And to end the night, we were treated to a wonderful lighting storm.  All flash heat, meaning no rain, but it was beautiful.  I took lots of pics, but not many came out.  *sigh*

The days started EARLY.  A knock sounded on the door at 5:20am, and we were due at the canoe at 5:50am.  OUCH!!!!  But it was totally worth it.  This first morning and every morning afterwards became my favorite time of day.  We watched the sun rise over the river, and the quiet serenity of the forest was lovely.  In the mornings you could hear the howler monkeys waking up all along the river, and it's a sound you won't soon forget.  Perfect for a zombie movie is what I thought.  I even spied our first critter!  A Northern Cayman Lizard sunning itself on a branch.  Looked a bit like an Iguana. 

The day set the standard for those that followed.  Morning canoe ride, followed by breakfast, then a bit of time as we sailed up the river.  After that, we'd go on a forest walk for a couple of hours, then back for a cold shower, then lunch.  A few more hours of travel, then we'd hit the canoes or sometimes, we'd find a village or ruins to explore.  Then back for dinner, followed usually by a night time canoe ride.  The days changed up a bit, but this was the usual schedule.  And though it kinda felt like we ate then adventured, then ate again, it was a wonderful experience.

This day in the afternoon we visited a indigenous village.  I think they were called the Korubo.  We were shown how these people lived and it really makes you appreciate what you have.  The most amazing thing we saw was how they built their homes.  Planked homes made by chainsaws.  I mean they used chainsaws to smooth logs and make boards.  We were totally impressed.

We also saw how they cultivate the land with fruit trees and other crops.  No manioc here (will talk more about that next blog) but they had palms, acacia, banana and cashew trees.  So very poor, yet they seemed content and happy with their lot.  Really made me think.

They had jewelry we could purchase and I went crazy.  I loved the colors and styles.  I also picked up a wooden carved canoe that looked like what we traveled in, so it was a good souvenir for a memory. 

After dinner, which was yummy--we had delicious maracujá (passion fruit) ice cream.  My newest favorite fruit, this is one I'm totally remembering and making when I get home--we went out for our very first night canoe ride.

I've got to tell you, there is something about sliding underneath the stars as you slip through the low branches of trees that was so romantic AND a tiny bit scary.  But mostly exciting.  I loved it.  The guides used huge searchlights to beam on the trees and at first I was irritated because they moved so fast I couldn't understand how they could see anything.  But after a while I realized they were so expert they knew exactly what they were doing.  And they found things.  

We saw many night birds (check out these beautiful hoatzin) and of course, bats.  And we found a large speckled Cayman.  Beautiful animal, and so still the only way we saw him was by the reflection of the spotlight in his eyes.

I'll be posting night pics from several other people in my blogs, because my camera doesn't do night photos well.  We did more videos than pictures.

Anyway, that was the first day, and like I said, most of our days followed the same schedule.  A few changeups  in the routine, but overall each day was like a wonderful gift we got to open.  Absolutely awesome!!!!

Next week's blog will have more detail about the highlights of our trip.  You'll discover why I LOVED one particular morning and why there is a pink dolphin wearing a pair of my pants.  *grin*  Want to learn more?  Check in next week and see all the deets!

Hugs to you all,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com

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

Let's Go Museum Hopping!!!

Hey all,

I had such a great day on Friday, I wanted to do a quick blog about the Museum Hop I enjoyed.  As you know, I love a good museum, and in BH (Belo Horizonte) there is an area around the Praca Liberdade (Liberty Square) where quite a few museums cluster. 

I hit all of the ones right around the park and will do any others next week.  Shall we start the Museum Hop???

First off, I headed to the Memorial Minas Gerais, which is a free museum in a magnificent building dating back to the late 1800s.  I can't tell you how beautiful this and the other museums are.  The staircases alone are worth the visit.

This museum traces the history of both Belo Horizonte and the state of Minas Gerais.  It's put together quite well and for most of the museum, though I don't speak fluent Portuguese, I was able to enjoy it a lot.  They have a room made like a cave with primitive art on the walls and moving dioramas about prehistoric man.  There are many rooms of history and how specific areas of BH and MG were settled.  Farming, railroad and mining were things they hit hard on.  I enjoyed it very much.

I was able to take pictures in this museum, which was nice.  I got a good slideshow to show Jonathon since he wasn't able to go with me.

The next museum is called the Mines and Metals Museum and it was also interesting.  Not as much as the first, because I could only take so much about this subject, but if you were into rocks and gems, it was great.  Lots of interactive things to do and some beautiful specimens to view.  I'd have enjoyed it more, but most of the interactive things were in Portuguese, so I couldn't really get into it.  There was a fantastic 3-D journey down a gold mine, which I loved, even though I couldn't understand much of what was said in the presentation.

Anyway, on to the third museum, which was in the old Bank of Brazil building.  This museum presents exhibitions of art from around the world.  This time it was from an old favorite, Le Centre Pompidou Mondern Art Museum in Paris.  Women artists were the highlight at this exhibition, and some were great, other's bloody (and I do mean bloody) weird.  

One was a video which caught my attention.  By Regina José Galindo, it was called Blind Spot.  It was of a woman, standing on a pedestal, naked in a museum.  

Blind people were led in and told what was in front of them.  It was interesting to watch the reactions.  Women were leery and only patted her shoulder, but the men...  Let's just say they were a little more pro-active.  LOL  In fact, there were times I flinched as I watched the woman (who is the artist) get groped.  I'm not sure I'd consider it art, but it was an interesting experiment.  If the video won't play, here is a link to watch for yourself.  http://vimeo.com/channels/296810/28024870  (Couldn't check the preview before I published.)

Another video was of a woman, again naked, on a beach, using a hula-hoop.  Not so interesting, except the hula-hoop was made of barbed wire.  WTF????  As you watched, the barbs bit into her belly, and by the end of the video, she was all bloody and torn.  Sorry...that is just weird.

After that, I was really glad to go to the Cemig Centre of Popular Art.  It is a small museum that shows handcrafts of all types.  Pottery, wood sculptures, papercraft and textiles.  It was wonderful.  I loved the pottery.  One of the artists, Noemiza Batista, does some of the most amazing figurines.  Both mythological or true to life, I've seen her work all over Brazil.  I'd love to purchase a piece if I can, but I haven't found the perfect one yet.

I'll be going back there next week to see a new exhibition.  They're in the process of doing a new wall of graffiti art as well, so I'll be jazzed to see it finally done.

Anyway, it was an awesome day!  One I really enjoyed.  I hope the pics showed you a little of what I got to see.  For more info and pics, look up the museums.  You may find some other things you like as well.

Hugs to you all,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com

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

Amazonia - A River Journey into Paradise

Hey all,

As promised, today's blog, and probably the next two weeks will be about our amazing adventure going up the Rio Negro River in the Amazon Rainforest. It was one of the top places we've traveled, and not only do we recommend it to anyone with an adventurous soul, we loved it soooo much, we'd go back and do it all again in a heartbeat!  That's how awesome this vacation was.

I could spend hours telling you about this journey, but I'll only hit the highlights.  But I can say, without a doubt, the time we spent cruising up the river, traversing the flooded forests in a canoe and then hiking among some of the most spectacular trees I've ever seen (and remember, I lived close by to the California redwoods) were some of the best in my life.

In this first blog, I'll give you an overview of the journey, and then in the next couple weeks, I'll be more specific about the actual things we saw and heard.

We started out by flying into Manaus (pronounced Ma-nouse).  Easy trip from where were are in Belo Horizonte, and we got to the hotel in plenty of time to meander around the area, visit their zoo and then having a quick swim in the pool before we sat down to a sumptuous dinner at poolside.  We were even treated to the dance of the swifts (birds) and bats as dusk fell.  First the swifts then the bats as they swooped through the sky after their nightly meal of mosquitoes.  (Thank you, my friends!)

The rooms were so-so in this hotel.  Huge, but basic, yet the hotel itself is quite lovely.  It sits on the Rio Negro river and is right down the block from the popular Rio Negro Beach.

There you can sit and drink away your day.  You can take a quick dip (you aren't allowed to swim, we think because of critters--there is a net up) and count the concession stands on the beach.  It cracked us up.  There is beer served at EVERY stand, yet a sign (see the one below with Jonathon in it - click to see closer) says NO ALCOHOL.  I guess here in Brazil, it's considered a food group.  *snort*

Wandering around and sightseeing was a lot of fun.  It was a very relaxing way to start our vacation and since we had to be up and meeting our guides at 7:00am, we decided to make an early night of it.

We were up at the crack of dawn, and since I'd forgotten we gained an hour, I had PLENTY of time to get myself ready. *sigh*  I hate time zones.

But our bags were packed, breakfast eaten, (check out the buffet) and we were in the lobby to meet the rest of the passengers and our guides right as the clock bonged the hour.

We were a decent sized group.  The Tucano, which is the boat we cruised on, is set for 18 people and we were only 16, so the two singles had bunks to themselves.  It was a diverse group, with a 15 year old boy being the youngest (who was a delight and I adopted him for my own) to the oldest, a 75 year old lady with the heart of a twenty year old. (I want to be her when I grow up!!!)

We climbed in the canoes (which we were to spend several hours a day in) and headed out to the boat.  You saw a picture of it at the beginning of the blog. 

Jonathon and I had a great room on the second deck with twin beds we pushed together.  Here's a pic of what it looked like when we got there.  Private bathrooms, and while they'd warned us the boat was primitive, we thought it was quite adequate for our needs.  Comfortable and private when you wanted it, but the top deck had a huge observation area you could spend as much time in as you wanted.

The crew did everything for us and I felt guilty as I watched them tote our bags across the water in the canoes.  But by the end of the journey I'd realized how happy they were to do it for us.  Their jobs are VERY important to them.  The difference between poverty and a decent life.  They genuinely enjoyed the work and it showed.

Anyway, we met our guides, Souza and Edje, who had been working this boat and tour for many years.  They were as expert as you can get and they were wonderful.  I could go on all day about how much I enjoyed these men.  Souza was a joker and told us wonderful tales and legends about the area.  He was so learned about the Amazon, I could have sat at his feet and listened to him all day long.  Edje amazed me.  He could see a bird in the sky--just a speck against the sun and know what it was in a moment.  I asked him how, and he said it was many things.  The way it moved it's wings, the curve of the body.  Or just where it had been seen.  He'd been up the river so often, he had an instinctive knowledge of what was what.

After a quick introduction of the crew, all of the passengers introduced ourselves.  As I said, it was a diverse group, and I made some real friends during the week's voyage.  And it was really nice to be able to speak English, since it was the official language on board and all by two of the passengers were English speakers.  And a huge plus was a good two thirds of the passengers had more travel experience than we did, so we were all able to ask questions of each other and get ideas for more travel destinations.  It was nice to share stories about where we'd been and not feel as if we were bragging.  

Some of you have asked if I was afraid going into such a remote wilderness, but I have to say, at no time was I frightened.  Not only did I feel as if I were in good hand with Souza and Edje, the land spoke to me in ways I can't really explain.  Not only wasn't I afraid, I was excited.  Each and every day I was up at 5:00am (which as Jonathon can tell you is TOTALLY unheard of) and almost jumping out of my skin to get out and experience what was around me. 

I'd grab my bananas (they had two bunches of them up on the observation deck for us to munch on as we wished), my binoculars and my pack and was usually first in line to jump in the canoe.  I never wanted the trips to end.  I could have sat there for days just enjoying the beautiful land around me.

By the end of the trip, the crew (I overheard them talking in the pilot house) called me something along the lines of mulher mente ocupada.  At first I thought they were saying I was mental, which, as you know, is not very far off, but when I asked one of the guides about it later, he laughed.  He said they were complimenting me, because I was always asking questions, picking their brains about things.  They knew, because of that, I was having a good time, so that made them feel good.  They'd in fact, given me the nickname, "woman with the busy brain".  And since they'd nailed it, I could only smile!

The entire voyage was so chock-filled with inspirations for stories, I'll be beyond old and gray before I use them all.  But I can tell you my Brazil story, for the Wandering Star series that will begin being published at Christmas time, will be set in the Amazon Rainforest and was inspired by one of the wonderful legends Souza told us.

Anyway, that's a quick overview.  I'll be back next week with more pictures.  This time of not only scenery, but of some of the birds, people and critters we were fortunate to see.  Until then, check out my FACEBOOK page.  I put pics up there of the trip all the time.  

The highlight for me?  Stay tuned next week to see what I thought was the most AMAZING thing I saw on my journey into paradise!

Hugs to you all,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com

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

 

For God's Sake!!! When in *insert country here*, do as the *insert country here* do

Hey all,

~~~One last recycling of blogs and I'll be back next week with some amazing pictures of our trip up the Amazon River.  This blog is one of the highest read blogs I've had, and though it was done in another country, it applies here in Brazil as well.  Enjoy!!!~~~

I haven't had a rant lately, so I'm due. LOL

As I've lived my life I've learned to let a lot of things go and only save the fighting for the things that are truly important and I feel need to be said. Most of those have to do with someone else. Jonathon says I'm all about causes. If I believe in something, God help anyone who gets in my way. If it's important enough to me I'll just mow you over to get there. LOL

But at the same time, I'll do everything on the planet to make sure you have the right to choose your own destiny. Even if I think that destiny is the most ridiculous one on the planet!

So, as you can imagine, it really upsets and frustrates me when I see others not giving people the same courtesy.

Take living here in Singapore for instance. Now, I've been fortunate in that in my life I've traveled a great deal. I've met a lot of people, both American and foreign, so maybe my outlook is a little different than someone who hasn't traveled as much. But for God's sake...why do tourists act like the country they are in should adapt to them instead of the other way around???

This is a huge pet peeve of mine.

I see it all the time and it drives me nuts. For example, Jonathon and I were at the Singapore Zoo the other day. (More on that wonderful day in my series starting next week.) We are in line at the food court to get something to eat. In front of us are these two men. I think they were German, but it was hard to tell. They were European for sure. Anyway, this one guy is trying to order something but he and the gal behind the counter just aren't communicating. As we listened we discovered it wasn't the gal, but the dude who wasn't getting it right.

See, over here at a lot of restaurants, they have what are called "set meals". That means you order a #1 and you get a #1. This isn't Burger King...you can't have it your way. If you tell them something different, which is what this guy was doing, it just confuses them because it's NOT THE WAY ITS DONE HERE!!! So, after several long minutes of trying to change the menu, the dude finally let's out a few swear words and ungraciously takes what he should have be given in the first place. And he's complaining and swearing about how stupid these people are and why can't they do things the right way.

That's when I lost my temper.

Seriously? The right way? Dude! Who the hell gave you the right to change an entire culture's way of doing things. You're a tourist in a zoo cafe, for pity sakes! It's just a meal. It's one thing to be irritated because it's not the way it's done back home, but to pitch a fit and yell at the person because you don't get the exact piece of chicken you wanted?

After I gave him what-for and Jonathon had dragged me away to eat our own meals--which we did NOT ask to have changed, even though I hate curry--we talked about the ridiculousness of tourists who come to experience another country and it's culture, then insist that the people of that country change to meet their needs.

We spent the next half hour sharing sharing what we'd seen tourists do over the years we've been traveling. It was fun and made most of my mad go away. LOL

So here are in order the ten most ridiculous things we've seen and heard during our stay here in Singapore.

10. "For God's Sakes...Why don't they talk English?" One of the things I hear most and I just shake my head. Here in Singapore most people DO speak a smattering of English at the shops and restaurants. It's part of the job, but regular people, those who don't deal with foreigners on a daily basis may not know more than a few basic English words. Why should they? This is their country. For God's sake...Why don't you speak Mandarin or Malay?

9. "This bathroom is disgusting. Why don't they have toilet paper in it?" Now, I have to admit, this is one I THOUGHT to myself when I first got here. But after being in Singapore for a while, I realized that not having paper in the toilets is just part of the culture. And most of them in malls, MRTs and places that cater to foreigners, do. But for those that don't, it's really very simple and I've thought of two reasons why they don't. a) they clean a lot of the toilets by hosing them out frequently. Paper in the stalls would get wet. And I have to tell you, most of the bathrooms cleaned that way here are a lot cleaner than the one at Ghirardelli Disney World where I used to work! b) Older Singaporeans and the disabled make their living selling tiny packages of tissues. If the toilets all had paper, they'd be out of work!

8. What do you mean, there aren't any napkins?!!!!" Another one easily solved and one I've seen elsewhere, not just Asia. Serviettes or napkins aren't used in other countries like we use them in America. Right or wrong aside, that's just the way it is. And since I doubt bitching about it will change an entire country's way of thinking, why not just keep some napkins in a little bag along with TP in your purse? Problem dealt with!

7. "I'm so thirsty. Why don't they have any damn water fountains?" Why? Because they just don't. While I don't understand it either--you'd think a hot and humid country like this would have a plethora of the things--you get used to carrying a bottle of water or buying it cheap at a food stall. You can whine or you can hydrate. Deal.

6. "Get out of the way, you doby!!!! Why aren't you driving on the correct side of the road?" Seriously? And just what is the correct side? Doesn't it depend on what country you're in? Australia and England drive on the same side as Singaporeans, but Americans, the French and Germans drive on the right. So yes...it may be a bit weird at first, but get used to it. Or please...don't drive!!! And for God's sake, look the correct way BEFORE you cross the street!!!

5. "But that's not football!!! You said we'd be watching football. Turn the channel!!!!" Okay, this is more aimed at American's, but still holds true. Here, football is what we call soccer and they are rabid for it. Every Friday and Saturday night in the courtyard below great crowds of people come to watch the games. They shout, they boo and they cheer! So don't diss their game, please. You can either turn off the TV or do what we did. Reluctantly become involved with the game. LOL  And now, we love it!

4. "Bloody Hell! Get out of the ^$% way!!!" A common cry heard from tourists, it usually follows when said tourist is queuing up on the right side of the platform or on the escalators. Since the rule is to ride on the left side or move to the left on a platform, it's easy to spot the new people to the country who are fighting it out for space where they shouldn't be. Just learn the pattern and adapt. Unless you're a real idiot, it isn't that hard.

3. "Whadda ya mean you don' t have _____? (insert food stuff here)" For me it was my coffee chocolate from International Foods. I just can't enjoy a coffee without it. But it was too heavy to carry so I did without. But you can't believe how many times I've heard a tourist snarl at a clerk because they didn't have the exact thing they wanted. Part of the fun is figuring out what you can have instead. Make it a game, people, and don't get cranky that they don't have Wisconsin cheese here just for you.

2. "Leave me the #%$% alone, I don't want to sit down and eat. No, I don't need a tailor! And no, I sure don't want to come in and buy something!!!" Now this one is one I struggled with a lot. Here in Singapore when you walk by a restaurant or shop they have greeters out there who try their best to get you into their establishment. They have no personal space bubble as we American's do and will literally attack when you walk by. I feel like a gazelle down by a waterhole! There are days I just want to stand and scream...LEAVE ME ALONE OR I WILL HURT YOU!!!!

But, as I said, this is the way they do it here so it's my place to let it go. It's not easy and I do avoid the streets that are really bad, but once I was able to deal with the personal space issue--just ease them back, they don't take it as hostile--I can at least shop without feeling like a slug for saying no thank you a hundred times! But this one, of all the weirdnesses, is one I have the hardest time with.

1. "Oh my God, John! That man just touched me/looked at me/gave me the finger/said something nasty! Do something!!!" Well, John, if you do do something you just might be doing it for the wrong reasons.

Let's start with touching. Believe me, I have a VERY big personal space zone and as I mentioned before, getting past this was difficult. But most people (cretins not withstanding) don't understand that touching you is a violation of that PSZ. A lot of people here touch each other socially. Girls and guys both. In fact its been one of the hardest places to tell straights vs gays unless I really watch them close. I've been bumped, pushed, stroked and even had one old Chinese dude feel me up as he walked by. (It wasn't personal. My boob was in the way of his hand.) So if they don't mean anything by it, why let it bother you so much?

Now the looking part. Here in Singapore we have many different cultures and beliefs. And each has their own way of dealing with things. An older Chinese man rarely meets my gaze, but an Indian man not only will meet it, some of them have a leer down pretty damn well. I have to be careful in Little India because my natural gregariousness plus blonde hair makes for some pretty interesting visits. I've had whole groups of men stop dead and stare at me. If I wasn't so creeped out, I'd be flattered. But when I asked about it, I was told that it was just the way they showed their appreciation, and that it was normal as long as they didn't touch. So I guess I'm pleased???

Hand motions. We all know how easily misleading a hand gesture can be. The wrong movement can a war start. In this country if someone is using their hand to show they want three bowls of rice, or three smelly durians, they use a single middle finger. And we all know what that means back home. But remember...this isn't home. That gesture you think is so horrible and insulting just means he wants to charge you three dollars for a rickshaw bike ride. Don't get your knickers in a twist.

And finally speech. This one actually makes me laugh a lot. Since I don't speak any Malay or Mandarin other than Thank you, Toilet and How Much? when someone says something to me, it's pretty much guess work as I figure it out. But I've had some comments tossed my way that I KNOW were insulting by the tone, just as I've had other comments that were obviously flattering. But the one that sticks in my mind most was when a man growled at me.

I'm still not sure what he meant. (I picked a bird's nest off the ground. No birdies...just the nest) When I saw him watching, I showed him the nest and he nodded, then growled. I kid you not. Growled. I have no idea why. And I was actually afraid to ask. LOL

Another time I was in a cafe and the clerk asked the customer (European) if she wanted Coke or Coke Light. The customer frowned and said neither, she wanted a diet Coke. The clerk nodded and said Coke Light. And again, the customer--a little more irritated this time--refused it, saying she wanted diet Coke. I stepped in at that time to explain they were the same. The clerk looked relieved, the European still irritated. She looked down her nose at me and said, "Why don't they just call it by the real name? How silly!" To which I responded, "How silly to expect them to rename it just for you!"

She left with her nose still up in the air. I got a free Coke Light from the clerk.

So, there you have it. Ten of the things I'd dearly love to strangle stupid tourists for. Not the mistake or the thought, mind you. But how they handle it. We are in someone else's country. Not our own. So rather than spend your time moaning about how it should be like home, embrace the differences and enjoy.

Or stay home!!!

Do you have a story you can share? Either something you've done or something you saw another tourist do? Share it below and give us all a laugh.

See you next week!

Hugs to all,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com

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

Sexy Toys and Lovers

Hey all,

I figure since I'm on vacation it's time to bring back one of my favorites. Today's entry is on my bestselling book, Don't Spank the Vamp. The idea came from a discussion I had at an RT conference with Linnea Sinclair and a group of other panelists about one liners and blurbs. Linnea tossed out the name Don't Spank the Vamp and jokingly challenged us to write a book with that as an idea.

Well, I went home and took her up on it. It started out as a short story and was so well received, when I moved it to Samhain, I revamped it, making it 2/3rds longer and even hotter. It was a bestseller at two publishers and has gotten great reviews. Check these out...

Emotions pour out on every page and DON'T SPANK THE VAMP makes one believe in the supernatural power of love.~~~Ecataromance Sensual

One heck of a spicy romance. CJ England takes readers deep into the very sexy and emotional world of vampires. A Recommended Read~~~Ck2s Kwips and Kritiques

Hot, Hot, Hot! This book was steamy and sexy from the start to the finish.~~~Literary Nymphs 

A hot sexy story with characters to die for. Soul stirring, yet with a fast paced storyline that will melt your heart.~~~Love Romances & More

An instantly addictive book. Be sure to have a fire extinguisher handy~~~Romance Junkies

Felt pretty good about all those. And what was supposed to have been a single book, evolved, as so many of mine seem to do, into a full fledged series. Once you meet the characters, you'll become instantly invested, just like I did. I had to write more about them because I wanted to know who they were!!!

But let's start with Don't Spank the Vamp... Here's the blurb, followed by a Hot excerpt! X rated, so shoo the kids away!!!

Dawn is so focused on making a name for herself in the art world, her personal life has fallen into a rut. She spends far more time with her hands in clay than on a man. Then her friends liven things up by taking her to a toy shop for her birthday. A very different kind of toy shop for special sexual games. And there’s more than sexy entertainment on the shelves—a fortune teller says Dawn’s destiny awaits if only she will reach out and take it.

Aidan is a vampire who has existed for over a century searching for his one true soulmate, his twin-flame. One look at Dawn takes Aidan’s breath away. One kiss later, he knows she is the one woman who will sustain him forever—if he can convince her to walk with him on the wild side.

Dawn responds to his inspiration better than he could have hoped. 

Then she goes one toy too far…

Excerpt

“What are those for?”

He gave her a sexy smile and climbed onto the bed. “Lesson one.” He pushed her onto her back and kissed her lightly. “Do you trust me, Dawn?”

She began to tremble. “I think so.” She searched his dark face. “I want to.”

“That is a good beginning,” he said quietly. He took one of her wrists and tied a colorful tie to it. Then, keeping his eyes on hers, he carefully attached her wrist to one of the bedposts.

Dawn’s heart pounded in a mixture of dread and excitement. She’d never done anything like this before. She wasn’t sure how to respond. But she did know her quim was throbbing, and the thought of being tied up wasn’t nearly as frightening as she thought it would be.

“Obviously, this is something new to you, so let me tell you how it works.” Aidan spoke softly as he affixed her other wrist to the post by the headboard. “After I tie you up, I am going to do things to you that will make you scream with pleasure. I will not hurt you, but some of the things will be different, and at first, some may even be frightening to you.”

He continued to watch her as he moved down the bed and gently spread her legs apart. Wrapping a tie around one ankle, he secured it to the post at the foot of the bed. “But you will always be the one in control, even tied up. I want you to choose a safe word. If you use it, I promise I will stop whatever I am doing to you.”

Dawn’s nerves were jumping, but the very care he was taking gave her the security she needed. She thought quickly. Could she do this?

Aidan fastened the last knot and then leaned back on his heels. “Give me your safe word, Dawn…if you want to continue.”

The look of desire in his eyes decided her. “Palette,” she whispered. She trembled with the enormity of her actions. “My safe word is palette.”

He smiled. “Perfect. If at any time you want to end what we are doing, just say the word. But understand, once you do, everything will stop.”

“Everything?”

Aidan chuckled. “I will release you from your bonds, and we can continue, if you wish, with a more accepted form of lovemaking.”

Dawn gave her hands an experimental tug. She couldn’t move. “I thought you said we were going to use some of your toys. I didn’t see these downstairs.”

Surprisingly, the big man’s cheeks reddened. “Ahhh…it has been a long time for me. And you are the first woman I have wanted to play with in a very long time.” He bent and dropped a kiss on her flat stomach. “I don’t usually keep handcuffs up here, so I had to improvise.”

She giggled at his embarrassment. It was endearing. “So you don’t have any toys, huh?” she teased. “All smoke and no fire?”

His eyes darkened. “I didn’t say I don’t have toys. Just not handcuffs. I always keep a selection up here to show to buyers. I won’t disappoint you. That…I can easily promise.”

She wriggled in nervous excitement. “Then get on with it.”

Aidan laughed. “So curious. All right, love. We will start with this.” Leaning over, he took the last tie and lightly placed it over her eyes.

Dawn’s mouth went dry. He was going to blindfold her too? Her heart pounded faster at the thought. She said nothing as he tied the silk securely over her eyes.

“Too tight?”

She shook her head. She didn’t know if she could speak. She felt him leave the bed, and she could hear a rustling sound. Then the bed sagged again, and she held her breath, waiting. What would he do to her?

It seemed like forever before she felt a gentle touch on her chest. It was fleeting at first, but it made her whole body tighten in reaction. Then she felt it again, a longer, more erotic touch as it circled her nipples and traced across her soft curves.

She moaned and arched her body upward. The touch was so soft, so erotically sexy, she couldn’t help herself. Over and over again, it traced around her nipples, sensitizing her breasts, before finally flicking across the tips themselves. She cried out, the feeling shooting through her like a tiny bolt of lightning.

He moved then, tickling down her stomach then up her sides, touching under her arms and then circling her neck. It fleetingly touched her lips, and when she instinctively licked at it, she realized Aidan was teasing her with a feather.

She moaned again as the feather moved back down her body. It made one more stop at her breasts before tracing down past her bellybutton, to the hair between her legs. Dawn cried out in surprise when the feather flicked gently through the curls and touched her moist lips. When it teased her clit, heat began to coil in her stomach.

“Aidan…” she moaned.

“I’m here, love.” Aidan swallowed hard as he watched her wriggle on the tangled sheets. He stared down at her spread-eagled body, and his own tightened dramatically. Her swollen nether lips were exposed to his gaze, and his mouth watered at the sight. A mixture of his seed, and her own juices dribbled down her thigh.

Touching her this way made him want to explode, and he was very glad they’d already made love once. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to handle it. He took a deep breath, wanting her again, as much, if not more, than he had before.

Carefully, he drew the feather through her exposed lips, seeing it gather the wetness pooled there. Unable to help himself, he bent and replaced the feather with his tongue.

She cried out and lifted her hips instinctively. He groaned aloud. She tasted of woman and heat, along with his own essence. It was the most delicious thing he’d ever had in his life. He sucked and nibbled until her movements signaled her climax was close. Abruptly, he lifted his head.

“Not yet.”

Dawn groaned. “Aidan…please.”

“There is more. Much more.”

She whimpered and strained at her bonds. “But—”

“Shhh…” he whispered, dropping a kiss on her pouting lips. “Just enjoy.”

He moved again, feeling her stiffen as his hand traced down the cleft of her rear to the small wrinkled hole of her backside. Gently, he massaged it, carefully covering it with slippery oil.

“Aidan,” she said uneasily.

“Give it a chance, love,” he urged. “Everything is all right. Remember, you always have your safe word.”

She nodded and took a deep breath, knowing he’d promised he wouldn’t hurt her. Something pressed against the rim of her anus. It was cool, smooth and about the size of a man’s thumb. It went in easily at first, the lotion he’d massaged into her easing the way, but then she felt it spreading her, as whatever he’d inserted in her rectum, widened at the bottom.

“This is a butt plug, sweetheart,” he said hoarsely. “It will add to your pleasure, this I promise you.”

What he was doing was exciting to him, Dawn could tell by the sound of his voice. All at once she relaxed again. She loved knowing she could do that to him.

“What does it do?” she panted out. The fullness took a little bit to get used to, but it wasn’t unpleasant.”

“Wait.”

*end of excerpt*

I wanted my hero to be sexy, generous and totally in love with his lady. I got it. Aidan is every woman's dream. So what if he nibbles on your neck once a day!!! *smile*

Buy this hot, hot story at by going HERE. And enjoy!!!

Hugs to all,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com

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

A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action

Hey all,

This will be my last new post for a while.  We're leaving on our "Up the Amazon River Trip" tomorrow so I'll not have access to a computer.  That's okay with me.  I need some time away just to enjoy the quiet of the rainforest and the company of the man I love most in the world.  Getting back to basics is so very important sometimes.

I'm dreaming of laying in a hammock with my sweet baboo, watching the river dolphins jump as the rainforest slips quietly by.  Relaxing, reinvigorating, and delightfully fresh and new, it's exactly what the doctor ordered!

I'll do a blog or two on our vacation in October.  You'll get lots of pics, maybe a video or two, and a few adventures.  I plan on basing my Brazil book in this area IF the inspiration hits.  Which I'm pretty sure it will.  How could it not?

Meanwhile, I thought I'd share a few pics of the first week we've spent in Belo Horizonte.  It's been a busy week trying to get all the last minute stuff done, but I've been able to see a few things here in town.  I love wandering, and sometimes I find some amazing and wonderful surprises.  Enjoy!

This first pic is the view from outside our hotel window.  Not too shabby!  We have a bunch of bars right below us and ALWAYS know when there is a soccer game on!  :-)

Next we have one of the palaces here in Belo.  This one is called Palácio da Liberdade or Liberty Palace.  The first pic is of the outside.  Lovely!  And very similar to many places we saw in Germany.

And this pic of the staircase.  Absolutely gorgeous!  Done out of melded steel, it was designed by a German artist and brought here to Brazil.

One of my favorite things to do is wander through street markets.  They have one in Belo that is very similar to what we had in Singapore.  The different merchandise is so interesting.

And this beautiful picture is of the park closest to us.  Praca d Liberdade, surrounded by several of the city's museums.  Not huge, but quite lovely.  The building in the background is another done by Oscar  Niemeyer.

And this picture is one I took of one of the cultural events during the weekend.  Called "The Caffeine Trio", they do 1940s music.  I enjoyed them very much (looking for a patron if you're interested!), but I have to admit it was odd listening to women with a Brazilian accent doing do wop music! :-)

Anyway, I'll be back next week with a previously blogged blog.  Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as we brave the Brazilian jungle!  LOL  

Hugs to all!

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com

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

It's Road Trip Time - On To Belo Horizonte

Hey all,

Well...we're here in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.  Another new place, this one the sixth biggest city in Brazil.  It's VERY different from Brasilia.  That city was in the middle of the cerrado,  (tropical savanna) and quite flat.  

But while this city is also in the cerrado, it has lots of hills.  It's a bit like San Francisco in that way.  

Yesterday was Jonathon's first day setting up, and I put together our new home (aka hotel room).  That's the fun part for me, making each new boring, ugly hotel room into something special.

The trip here was enjoyable, too.  We headed out of Brasilia south to a small town called Cristilina-- where the claim to fame is the huge mining operations that used to be there.  Now, it's not the most interesting place, in fact, the part I liked best was that they drove tractors around town, and parallel parked them, just like they were a car.  LOL

But we did go to a factory and wandered around the showroom and area where they cleaned up the crystals.  I bought a beautiful chunk of amethyst which is a power stone for--you guessed it--dreaming!  Then we went and bought some white crystals on strings from a vendor on the road.  I have no idea what we said to each other, but he was older than dirt so I just had to buy something from him.

Then we traveled on to Caldas Novas, the biggest hot spring complex in Brazil.  We were hoping for a a more primitive area, more wild, but all the springs are made into waterparks, so we enjoyed a dip in the thermal pool and played on a few of the slides.

From there we headed on to Belo Horizonte.  From Brasilia, the journey took two days, and we enjoyed it thoroughly.  We saw our first giant anteater (it was dead on the side of the road, but hey...it counts!!!)

We also drove through some interesting areas, there were several detours that we had to take that took us out into some pretty uninhabited and wild country.  Birds everywhere.  We saw our first wild Brazilian toucan fly overhead and quite a few emus.  Yeah, emus.  Or at least something close to an emu.

We also ran into several wildfires.  Apparently they are common, we saw the aftermath all along the roads here.  But we drove right into one with flames flying high on both sides of the road.  Pretty scary and not a firefighter in sight.  And I don't think they come for them.  We could see the flames and smoke for miles.  Seemed nobody but us cared at all.  Weird.  In the USA we'd have ten trucks filled with firefighters racing to stop it.

But anyway, we finally got into Belo, found the hotel and then dropped off the car.  We found a great restaurant where you pick your own shush-kababs of meat and they grill them in a big wood stove.  Totally yummy!

So, it's a new town and new adventures.  We're here for another week, then we're off on our Amazon trip!  Woohoo!  Will be back with more news about that next week!

Hugs to all,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com

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

Ooops, I Almost Missed One -- So Here's Some Fun

Hey all,

Sorry this week's blog is late.  It's been crazy since we're moving on to Belo Horizonte on Tuesday.  But I wanted to touch base.  I'll have another blog next week, but it will be on Friday instead of the usual Thursday.

I've been doing a lot of sewing, writing and jewelry making here in Brasilia.  Not a whole lot else I want to do.  Some things I think I should do, but I can't get myself all excited about them, so I've finally decided to shrug them off and wait until Belo to do anything touristy.  LOL

Once in Belo, I'll have ten days before we're off on our next big adventure.  I can't remember whether I've mentioned it here or not, but we're taking a seven day cruise up the Amazon river.  I'll be doing a blog or two on that in October.

But today's blog is just a fun one.  As I've been doing research I found some things I thought I'd share with you.  I hope you enjoy them.

This first one is something I did one Saturday here in Brasilia.  I met this great group of people through Cirque and was able to take an hour to play with them.  They are called Batala Drum Group and they are in a word... AWESOME!!!!  Here's a pic with me and following it is a link to a news video they did with Cirque last week.  

 

http://videos.r7.com/grupo-batala-toca-para-artista-do-cirque-du-soleil/idmedia/5220b0ac0cf2d89895110240.html

This next link is one my friend Pat sent me.  I giggled like a school girl when I used it.  Silly fun for everyone.  http://img0.liveinternet.ru/images/attach/c/5/3970/3970473_sprite198.swf  Seriously, the people that do this stuff have a lot of times on their hands.  *grin*

And one last treat.  Jonathon took me to a restaurant the other night.  Delicious food and we had a great time.  But while we were eating, they had a video running.  One we'd never seen.  Have you ever heard of The Piano Guys?  According to the media, they started making videos for fun and became a world-wide sensation.  I enjoyed them so much I immediately got their albums.  Perfect background music, but the videos were even better.  Take a look at youtube and see them all.  But this one was my absolute favorite. 

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Is that a hoot or what?  And great music, too!  I love finding things like this.  Remember serendipity?  

Anyway, you all have a great week.  I'll be back on Friday with a note about upcoming events in Belo Horizonte!  

Hugs!

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com

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