Latest Interview, New Kitten, Next Book and more!

I've been quite scarce in the blogosphere the past few months, popping in every so often at the Heartwarming blog...but that's been about it. I've missed you all, but sometimes things happen we can't control. Shortly after returning from Nationals, I became very ill, spending most of August with a fever, flu-like symptoms and foggy brain. It turns out, I had stage 2 Lyme Disease...a diagnosis that came the day I got my revisions for my second book.

Of course, the die-off reaction I had when I began Lyme treatment was severe and the arthritic and nerve pain (I had a lot of neurological manifestations) made typing nearly impossible. After a few weeks, I managed somewhat, but I had to reserve all my typing energy for revisions, and that meant no blogging (because it really hurt). I still  have some symptoms, but I'm doing so much better now and improving daily. Now, Murphy's Law, right when my hands were not functional, all my major appliances had to break down, including but not limited to my microwave and dishwasher. Sigh.

Also, last month, I had to nurse my eldest through a terrible, resistant strain of pneumonia. We're talking fevers of 103-104.5 while on medication, and an antibiotic that didn't work. He ended up on two different oral antibiotics, plus daily injections (in lieu of hospitalization). Luckily, he finally responded to treatment and is doing well...BUT...I ended up with two weeks of bronchitis that turned into laryngitis and was finally diagnosed with pneumonia myself. Not as bad a case as my kid's, but bad enough, given my asthma. I'm still recovering, but at last I have enough energy to rejoin the world.

A million other things were going on through all this and my stress levels were out the roof, but things are starting to look up now and I have some news to share (warning: cute kitten coming up)!

First of all, my latest interview at USA Today's Happy Ever After is up! It's with fellow animal lover and author Kate James and you can check it out HERE!

Secondly, my second book in my Harlequin Heartwarming series is due to release March 1st, 2015! Yay!! It's titled After the Silence and you can check out the blurb or pre-order HERE.

And finally...

I adopted another kitten from out local SPCA! Those of you who hung around here last November may recall that I adopted two brother kittens (Nimbus and Storm...or as my kid says, Stormageddon) who were taken in after their mother was killed by a car. THIS is the post I had up with their pics at the time. They're much bigger now and the best cats ever.

Well, they've just been joined by a little boy who looks like a Maine Coon mix. My teen named him Grimalkin (Grim for short) after the character in The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa (Harlequin Teen).

Now, cuddling with him makes the past few months worth it :). I hope you all have been well. See you around!

Tree Addict

I'm a little late posting today because my fingers, wrists, and arms are aching like crazy. Before you think that I was being a good little writer all weekend...and I broke some word count barrier...I must confess. Words aren't to blame, although everything constitutes working on our writing. Right? Even gardening can be considered a source of inspiration, time to think of story twists, or untwist a story problem, or just time to address a writer's health by getting their butt moving ;).
 

Peach tree in bloom

I gardened with my husband all weekend. We (husband is shaking his head and pointing his finger at me) bought more trees. I have a serious thing for trees. They're gorgeous, calming, and good for everyone and everything. I love looking through tree guides, and I've used them plenty in plotting out my landscape. I plant for spring flowers, fall color, winter interest (ie. cool branching and bark), strategic shading etc... It really is a science and an art (and I'm no expert by any means). Hey, some girls like diamonds or shopping for shoes. I like trees (any plant, actually) and shopping at garden centers.
 

Yoshino Cherry tree in bloom. These don't fruit, but they're amongst those famous cherry trees in DC. 

Young Yoshino Cherry tree

My hubby has a hard time appreciating that fact while he's digging tree holes. I do my share of digging and transplanting sod, but he works hard babying 'my' trees. We deal with a lot of rocky soil (enough that we invested in a pick axe). Enough said.


Plum tree in bloom. This one gives us a great plum harvest every year.


The pictures shown are of trees we planted about five years ago. I have a lot of fruit trees (apricot, apple, plum, peach, persimmon, fig, sour cherry, and a hairless kiwi vine), as well as ornamental trees (japanese maples, Yoshino cherries, tulip tree, weeping willow, sugar maple, blue spruce, and many more). This year we're adding chinese chestnuts (I love chestnuts), another cherry, and I'm planning to get mulberry and paw-paw trees. I told you. I'm an addict. The good news is that I'm limited by planting space...I'm just not there yet ;).

Purple plum tree in bloom (non-fruiting)

Any fellow tree/shrub/flower lovers out there? Are you more likely to plant it yourself, or pay someone to do the gardening for you?

Love your heart: National Wear Red Day

You may have noticed that I have a Go Red For Women link on the sidebar. Women and heart disease is an issue that's...well...close to my heart. In spite of my relatively young age and healthy eating habits, my awful family history of heart disease and recent bloodwork indicate that I'm at high risk. I've been given a few months to see if I can change my risk factor through diet and excercise. If not, I'll have to start taking a prescription med. In the meantime, I'm a baby aspirin-a-day gal.

But that's not all. I've personally known young, seemingly healthy women who have died from heart attacks. One of them was one of the physical education instructors at my highschool, and she was in her thirties. An avid jogger at that. Another was a neighbor. A mother the same age as myself. Talk about a wake-up call.

Tomorrow is National Wear Red Day. Visit the Go Red For Women site and explore the information and informative links provided, including one to the American Heart Association's Heart Attack Risk Calculator. Pick up a copy of Prevention Magazine's latest issue (February 2011) dedicated to women and heart disease, and read up on the latest screening tests your doctor may not have mentioned. Hear stories of young heart attack/stroke survivors and how their conditons were missed. (I subscribe to Prevention Magazine, but  you can find it in your grocery store aisle). The latest RWR (Romance Writer's Report for RWA members) has numerous articles on staying healty, as well as Go Red For Women heart disease facts.

You are your best advocate. Be a well informed patient. Ask for those tests. If you think that your doctor is brushing off your concern, find another doctor if at all possible. Heart disease kills 1 out of 3 women a year. It's the number one killer of women over age 20.

Be your own proactive heroine.

Stay healthy. Be aware. Spread the word.

Wear red on February 4th! I'll be sporting my Go Red For Women red dress pin as well :)

Food for thought...literally

It's Therapeutic Thursday AND my 50th blog post! I can't believe I hit 50. It feels like a birthday, albeit a fairly young birthday in blog years ;). In the spirit of staying young, I want to hit on a topic that I feel is so important to a writer's health and productivity. Food.

Food for thought...literally. We often hear writers complain about their muses going into hibernation. We've all read articles on how to battle writer's block. Some even claim that writer's block doesn't exist...that it boils down to nothing but writer laziness. Well, when it comes to serious writers, laziness is a strong word, and I think that it may carry the wrong connotation. Drained is more appropriate. How would you feel if you starved yourself for days? How would you feel if you ran a marathon, but didn't drink or eat afterwards to replenish your reserves? Drained of energy. Jittery. Unable to focus or think worth a darn. Guess what? Your brain needs nourishment too. I'm not talking about a day at the spa, a nap, or a movie. I'm talking food.

Studies have shown that thinking actually drains the brain of energy. Seems like common sense. I don't know about you, but I feel hungry after typing away at pages and pages of a manuscript. Seriously though, all that plotting, creative thinking, emotional investment, and editing we do actually depletes energy stores in our brain. That's why we feel exhausted after writing. That's why we can reach a plot problem and not see a solution until we've eaten dinner and had a good night's sleep. It's also why not eating breakfast is like trying to drive to work on an empty gas tank.

So what should we be feeding our brain? The brain is made up mostly of fat. That means it needs fat (fatty acids) to be healthy, but the good kind of fat like we get from olive oil, avocado, seeds, and nuts. The myelin sheath that protects neurons and promotes rapid signal travel is also made up of fat. See how important it is? Omega 3 fats are extremely critical to good brain health. You can find these in seafood, flaxseed, and walnuts. Omega 6, found in fruits, other seeds and certain nuts, is also important, but the balance between 3 and 6 is a bit off in today's diet, compared to that of the cavemen. The abundance of processed foods, even those using healthy oils, has tipped the scale for omega 6. More omega 6 than omega 3 in our diet can lead to inflammation, including that of the brain. The trick? Eat more foods high in omega 3 and opt to eat natural sources of omega 6. The less 'off-the-shelf' foods, the better.

By the way, TRANS/HYDROGENATED OIL is POISON for the brain! It actually weakens brain cells and disrupts communication and mental performance!

The brain also runs on glucose for fuel. Yep, sugar. But not the refined, bad-for-you, table sugar. The brain breaks down complex carbs from whole grains and fruits to gather the glucose it needs to function at optimum levels. If you gorge on refined sugars that put you at risk for diabetes, you'll actually starve your brain rather than feed it. That's why simple sugars lead to a sugar crash experience...jitters...inability to concentrate etc... That's also why following a low glycemic index diet works so well and a zero carb diet doesn't. By eating fresh fruits, vegetables, and complex carbs that don't sugar up our system too quickly, we give our brains the constant energy source it needs...and it gives back by letting our muses work their magic.

The brain also needs amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and essential micronutrients found in a balanced, varied diet. A few other foods that boost our concentration and thinking are caffeine, chocolate, and blueberries. Good news, huh? Caffeine, even that from chocolate, has been shown to increase short term concentration and focus. As with everything, don't overdose. Chocolate, the dark type (lower fat and sugar), is full of antioxidants that help protect against cognitive decline. All you need is once ounce per day and that'll keep the calories in check. Blueberries are high in antioxidants and have been shown to protect the brain from oxidative stress. In studies, they actually brought the learning capacity of older rats up to par with younger rats!

Okay, I tried to keep it basic, but I'm probably boring you with facts anyway. Hear me out though. Think about it. Maybe the way to mastering your muse is to feed it. I did a recent blog post about being cave women at heart. Well, we need to eat like cave women and men if we want to keep our minds healthy. Measure out a handful of nuts and dark chocolate chips (about an ounce each) and keep them on your desk for snacking instead of chips or candy. Have some blueberries, whole grain, and coffee at breakfast. Try it and you might find yourself spending less time zombie staring at your computer screen and more time quality typing.

I really did skim over brain/diet detail, but if you're hungry for more check out The Brain Food Pyramid by The Franklin Institute's Resources for Science Learning. Click on each of the brain's essential components. Interesting stuff made simple.

Here's to a year of good food, excercise, and healthy muses!

Revision Elbow and other writing induced Repetitive Strain Injuries

It's time for another Therapeutic Thursday post, and this one was inspired by the arm pain I suffered from while trying to wrap up my last manuscript in time for the GH deadline. Who knew writing could be dangerous?

I bet that you've all heard of Tennis Elbow or even Golfer's Elbow. Well, apparently writers have their own elbow ailment called Revision Elbow (or Student's Elbow). I'm not making this up, but I did laugh when I saw the name. Go figure. Revision Elbow is a repetitive strain injury suffered by anyone who works at a keyboard for lengthy periods of time. Fellow writers know that completing a manuscript draft requires hours at the computer on a daily basis (or most days), only to be followed by hours and hours of revisions. I've been suffering from elbow pain that radiates down my arm. That pain motivated a little research.

Check out this excellent article at Writers Services. According to the article, writers, and all keyboard/mouse users, can suffer from Tennis Elbow, Golfer's Elbow, and Revision Elbow. It describes the pain involved, the cause, and most importantly, what we can do to reduce our risk or alleviate the pain.

Another article by Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz  over at Writing World, describes how yoga techniques can be used to reduce hand-wrist tension.

I've heard that squeezing massage balls or stress balls in your hands 15-20 times, several times a day, helps to strengthen fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms. That may help reduce the chance of injury, and it would be an easy, mindless thing to do while brainstorming characters, plots, or other manuscript ideas. Consider it physical therapy for writers. There are several hand excercises for writers described over at Livestrong.com.They include the finger bend, finger walk, and shoulder-to-finger roll. I know these sound simple, but they really do help. In fact, I remembered Nora Roberts describing several of her arm/finger stretches at the chat she gave during RWA Nationals in DC in 2009. She stressed how important it was to do them (I can only imagine how important for such a prolific writer). Well, my writing schedule wasn't as rigid at the time so I filed the info somewhere in my brain. Now I understand what she meant.

Writing injuries can escalate to Hand Dystonia (writer's cramp) and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Why let it go that far when you can do preventative excercises, or ones that'll nip the pain when it starts. Seriously, check out those links. Even if you  pick one or two stretches to stick with, it's better than nothing. Don't wait for the pain to hit right before deadline crunch time.

Edited to add a few more helpful sites: www.ergocise.com/pains.html and http://www.orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00261

*Stop by Monday for a visit with author Jennifer Shirk. She's doing a fabulous holiday giveaway. You won't want to miss it!

Baked Salmon, Mango-Avocado Chutney, and The Spa

What do salmon, mango-avocado chutney and going to the spa have in common? Eating MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid) rich recipes and enjoying stress-reducing trips to the spa are both great for heart health. One way MUFAs help is by reducing belly fat, thereby reducing fat near the heart. We romance writers are into emotionally healthy hearts, aren't we? What about physically healthy? I have to confess that I've never been to a spa. I've never even had a professional massage. That'll be changing very soon.

My husband and I recently celebrated our 17th anniversary. He got me a spa certificate and told me that I needed to put it to good use. I made him dinner (men are too hard to shop for). I like getting creative in the kitchen, and judging from his reaction, this recipe made the cut.

Rula's Dill Baked Salmon with Mango-Avocado Chutney and Brown Rice

Fish:

• Place boneless fillets of wild caught salmon in a baking dish (single layer)
• Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and dried dill
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until done (flakes with fork and looks opaque...time varies with fillet thickness)

Chutney:

• Peel and dice two mangoes and place in a bowl
• Peel and dice one ripe avocado and toss it in
• Slice and add 1/2c of pitted kalamata olives (I like the Peloponnese brand. The right olives makes all the difference in the final flavor.)
• 1TBS white vinegar
• 2TBS chopped cilantro
• A dash of sea salt to taste

Top each fillet of salmon with a few tablespoons of chutney and serve with a side of brown (or wild) rice. Enjoy!

Note: I also tried the chutney with baked cod and by itself as a snack. It's great for a sweet and salty craving.

And now for that spa treatment...

The Dream Writing Scene

If you could choose the ultimate spot on earth to sit and write, where would it be? Spread that imagination now (no excuses...we all have plenty of imagination)! I'm talking absolutely anywhere or any type of place. This is your ideal writing scene. A scene where your muse runs wild, where interruptions are nonexistent, where you feel rejuvenated and creative, and where the only conflict lies between your characters.

For me, it would be a serene beach. I grew up near beaches, and there's something about the power of the ocean that sweeps me away. It makes all problems and worries seem insignificant and pointless. It's rhythm lulls a person into a meditative state, no doubt lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormone levels. Call it beach therapy.

I took the photo above a couple of years ago, during a vacation at The Outer Banks of North Carolina. A few palm trees would have been the icing for me, but I like all kinds of beaches, so long as they're not crowded. The more shells and sea glass, the better.

Some of you may be thinking, "Uh, sand in my laptop? No way." Remember, this is about an ideal (and the computer can stay in the beach house :)). What's your dream writing scene? Is it a cabin in the mountains? A contemporary, corner office in a high rise? A bustling coffee shop where you can people-watch while you write? Close your eyes and take yourself there once in a while. You deserve it.

Get off that chair!

I'm all for BICHOK (Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard). Discipline is a must, but I'll save writing discipline for another post. Today I'd like to talk about balancing BICHOK with GYBM. Notice the subliminal message, gym, in there? I mentioned, in the past, how much I hate working out at a gym. It's too public. However, there's no excuse not to GYBM. It stands for Get Your Butt Moving.

The writing profession enjoys a great deal of down time - as in sitting down, not resting. It's so important for writers to get up and move, yet so easy for us to forget. Writing a book is hard work. It's engrossing, and we can easily get lost in the task. For those with families or daytime professions, scheduling writing time is hard enough. Excercise, unfortunately, gets put on the bookshelf, or on our TBD (To Be Done) pile. I had the extraordinary opportunity to attend the Nora Roberts chat session at last year's RWA meeting, and even she stressed the importance of excercise. If the Nora Roberts, who is incredibly prolific and busy, can squeeze excercise into her routine (and she does), then we all should at least make the effort.

I'm not going to recite the medical benefits of excercise. We've all heard how it revs your metabolism, increases bone density, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, fights heart disease...oops. Sorry. I said I wasn't going to recite, there's more, but go ahead and google or grab a copy of Prevention Magazine and flip through it. Movement gets your blood flowing, and it'll probably help get your story ideas flowing too.

I'm really lecturing myself here. I'm terrible at sticking to a workout schedule. It's really embarassing considering that, years ago, I earned a black belt in karate and even taught it. I wouldn't consider myself fit at the moment, but I'm hell bent on getting there again. All in the privacy of my home. What I need to do is start a routine. Whether I excercise AM or PM, before or after writing, for 15 min or 30, it doesn't matter...as long as that routine is maintained. I think the key is in making sure it's doable. If I say I'm going to do an hour when I know I don't have the time, my plan will fall through. I'll be sunk before I sail. Every little bit counts. The benefits will add up. The same philosophy applies to writing. You may not have time to get 2000 words in a day, but if you can promise a steady 200 or 500 or whatever, it'll add up. You'll reach your goal.

This summer, get your BICHOK, but GYBM too! My equipment? A treadmill, excercise ball, excercise band, hand held weights, ankle weights, the staircase (actual stairs in the house), a yoga/pilates video, and my garden. I actually made use of the treadmill today! Excercise bands are awesome because they're so versatile and light (easily packed in a suitcase). The same goes for yoga/pilates because...well...you take your body wherever you go :). What do you do to work excercise into your writing routine? What's your favorite at-home equipment?

I'm an acronym for work stress!

A few days ago, I decided to google my name...you know...just in case I'd magically become famous and didn't know it. Lo and behold, I discovered that my name is an acronym! Two actually. RULA stands for Restricted Use License Agreement, but more interestingly it stands for Rapid Upper Limb Assessment. No, this has nothing to do with how your romance hero checks out your heroine.

RULA is a tool, developed by Drs. Lynn McAtamney and E. Nigel Corlett, to evaluate a worker's risk for job related injury based on their physical position on the job. They even came up with a worksheet that's used for the evaluation. It's all about ergonomics (like those specially designed chairs), and given that we writers spend endless hours at our computers, it quite important to us. I'm sure at least some of you are familiar with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, back pain, neck pain, or headaches, but what about Computer Fatigue Syndrome?

Computer Fatigue Syndrome isn't some excuse for your muse not cooperating or your characters eloping on you. It's very real, and it's symptoms can include burning/watery eyes, headaches, eyestrain, neck/back pain, and blurred vision.

Neck or back pain is primarily caused by sitting in the wrong position. The popularity of laptops and hand helds complicates matters because people can now lie down or curl up with their computers. Ideally, when sitting at your computer, you shouldn't be cranking your neck back in order to look up at the screen (check out the RULA link above for diagrams). Your neck should be in straight alignment with your spine, and the computer screen should be about 15 degrees below your horizontal line of sight. The screen should also be about 20-28 inches away from your face.

Burning or watery eyes result from a reduced blink rate. Studies have shown that when we work at a computer, or even read for that matter, our blink frequency is reduced. This basically means that we stare, and staring makes our eyes dry out. Burning or stinging can be a symptom of dry eyes. Whoa! Wait a minute! How can dry eyes be watery? I know it sounds paradoxical, but it's because of reflex tearing. We gush out more tears than our lids can hold in order to compensate for the dryness, hence overflow.  Remedies include consiously remembering to blink a the first sign of symptoms, keeping a bottle of preservative-free artificial tears by your work station, taking breaks and wearing the right glasses (we'll get to those next).

Eyestrain, headaches and blurred vision result from a number of things. Glare from windows and overhead lights is a big culprit. Just think about how much harder it is to see through your car windshield with raindrops and headlight glare in your way. Try not to sit with your back to a window, or at least close the blinds. Also, adjust your screen brightness to your comfort level. Overhead fluorescents are a bugger, but if you can't do anything about them, try an anti-glare screen (clip-ons used to be available...not sure now) or adjust your screen angle a bit.

Wearing the proper glasses prescription (if needed) is a must. Pixels are a lot harder for the human eye to focus on than regular print. Our eyes have to work a lot harder to maintain proper focus at a computer. As a result, we can develop pseudomyopia (BTW, this can occur with any near work in some folks). This is where our eye muscles work so hard to focus up close, that they cramp or get stuck. When we look up at a distance, everything is blurred because our eye muscles need time to relax and refocus for far away. It's kind of like sitting with your legs tucked under you for too long and then not being able to stand on them for a few minutes. Taking a 15 sec to a minute break to focus on a distant object every 30 minutes or so, helps a lot. Consider it a moment to reflect out the window or to gaze at your inspirational adonis pin-up across the room. A pair of computer glasses could help take some of the load off your eyes too. An eye exam would determine if you need them or not. For those of you wearing trifocals or progressives, that proper sitting postion I talked about earlier will be extra important.

I know I'm gearing this toward writers, but don't forget about your kids. Ever see them rubbing their eyes or looking like they've just woken up when they finally put their PSP down? They need breaks and/or eye exams too!

Happy tapping!

Therapeutic Thursdays

In my opinion, writer wellness is directly proportional to writer productivity and product quality. Workshops devoted to a writer's mental and physical health are increasing in numbers. Lately, I've come across many chapter meetings devoted to a writer's mental and physical health. My initial reaction was less than enthusiastic. I understood the link between stretching my body and stretching my mind, but the thought of stretching or meditating in a room of writers didn't appeal to me.

Let me explain that I'm not a gym person in general. The thought of lying down spread eagle in front of muscular, sweaty men is...well...embarrassing. Intimidating. Hey, I'm an introverted writer. And yes, that's pretty much the position required at one of those thigh-weight-pressing machines. Okay, maybe the fantasy of a personal trainer hero walking up - wait. Let's not get sidetracked.

My point is that a writer's physical and mental health is important. Imagine what we'd look like if we did nothing but sit and type all day (internet browsing included). Picture a bunch of hunchbacked dames with rears the size of Texas. We've all experienced fried brains. Everyone needs a chance to decompress and fuel their muse.

On Therapeutic Thursdays, I'll post anything that has to do with a writer's personal well-being. It could be anything from healthy recipes (I'm gluten free so there'll be some of those), at-home excercise equipment or DVDs that I love, ideas on how to relax the mind or refresh the muse, great writer escapes and more. You get the idea. The best part is that the ideas can be shared and tried out in the privacy of your home. I'll be looking for all your ideas too, so don't be shy!

For today, I'll keep it short (LOL, too late for that). My health bible is Prevention Magazine. I love it. It has everything from the latest on nutrition to great yoga/pilates moves. It's a must have in my world. What are some of your favorite wellness magazines or books that you feel are writer-must-reads? Are you a Prevention Magazine addict too?