Many thanks to Tawny for inviting me to blog today! Once a Blaze Babe, always a Blaze Babe, so I’m feeling right at home hanging out here on this May morning.
Besides hanging out, I should probably present some topic in my daily life that ties in neatly with my June Blaze, WANTED!, the first book in the Sons of Chance series. But after wracking my brain, I’ve decided that tie-in ain’t gonna happen. So instead I’ll tell you about my latest travel near-disaster and see if maybe along the way I’ll figure out that tie-in to the book.
I just returned from the South, which is rapidly becoming my go-to spot for fun. First I flew to Huntsville, Alabama, for the Heart of Dixie Readers Luncheon, which is always a blast. Then Blaze Babe Rhonda Nelson and I drove to Atlanta, where we met with Blaze Babe Jennifer LaBrecque and spent a couple of days plotting books and eating way too much yummy food prepared by Jen.
Great times all around, but I almost mucked it up before I ever left Tucson. Because I’m traveling more than ever, I’m constantly looking for ways to get through security with less hassle. I have my easy-off shoes and a standard outfit that involves very little metal. I have a bitty netbook that’s easy to get out and put away again, and my jewelry is minimal. This particular time I was congratulating myself on how efficiently I’d navigated the process.
I put my ID back in my purse and zipped the purse into my carryon. I had my book and myboarding pass. I was sickeningly well-organized. Then the gate agent announced we’d have to produce our ID again before boarding the plane. I dug out my ID, which I presented along with my boarding pass, but at this point, I was in the chute with no time to put my ID back in the purse that was zipped inside the carryon without holding up the entire parade.
So I tucked my ID in my book.
Did your tummy just clutch? You know what happened, don’t you? Once I was settled in my window seat, I opened the book to retrieve the ID. It was gone.
My seatmate was understanding and let me out, but truly, if she hadn’t, I would have simply 
vaulted over her. Like a salmon swimming upstream, I plowed through the passengers trying to board, all the while scanning the floor and telling everyone within hearing distance that I’d DROPPED MY ID. I made it to the cockpit, and nada.
Wild-eyed, I glanced at the flight attendant. “I’ve lost my –”
Smiling, she held it up. “This?”
I could have kissed her.
There you have it, my almost-disaster story, and I still haven’t figured out how it ties into WANTED! except that maybe . . . okay, this works. My hero, Nick Chance, stumbles upon a closely guarded secret that challenges his entire belief about himself, i.e. his identity. Ta-da! I guess it’s a bit of a stretch to compare my lost ID to Nick’s drama, but it’s the best I can do. And let me just say that writing about sexy cowboys is way more fun than searching the floor of a plane for a lost ID.
Have you ever lost your ID? Or nearly as bad, a credit card? Do you have any tips for avoiding this scary situation?
Tell me all your war stories, which will make me feel better and also enter you to win one of two copies of WANTED! I’ll give away today. Happy Monday!
Entries (RSS)
First…love that cover!
I once lost my shoes on a cross country train trip while traveling with three little ones. I had yarn, so a knitted some booties. No sooner did I have them finished and on my feet when I found my lost shoes tucked down inside one of our seats.
I lost my purse at an RWA I attended, but someone had turned it into lost-n-found…that was a few minutes of total panic. I was sitting in the front row of a workshop when I realized I didn’t have it.
And I want your “Wanted!”
Judi/Brit
I have lost my ID just to figure out I had given it to someone else to keep for the evening. Scary feeling for a few minutes.
Love the cover.
Good Morning Vicki! First I have to say I love the cover and cant wait to read it! I always enjoy your books! As for losing my ID, I have only done it once, and it wasnt just my ID it was my planner that I keep everything in. All my bank cards, ID’s, everything! I was shopping in Walmart with my mom and my son who was almost 2 at the time. I was useing my planner to write on my shopping list. I set it on a shelf so I could pick something up off the shelf and put it in the cart, and I walked away! Lucky for me I didnt get far before I noticed and I went racing back to find it. It was just where I had left it. It was a scary couple of minutes so I can imagine how you felt on the airplane!
Cant wait to read the book. Have a great day!
I haven’t lost my ID but when I was 17, I did have my checkbook stolen by a 16 year old girl that wrote over $2500.00 worth of checks…one was to a state liquor store for $800.00. They wanted to prosecute me said I looked exactly like the ID produced to them…that is until we made mention that I was a minor and what business did he have selling liquor to a minor!!! LOL
First off, I love your books. I can’t wait to read your new Blaze. I lost my whole purse once. We were having a banquet at work and I left my purse in the conference room where we were all eating. Since I was carrying a few sacks out of there, I forgot my purse. Fortunately for me, one of my co-workers came running out to catch me with my purse. Thank goodness.
I lose my credit card at least once a week. Thankfully, it’s only inside of my purse because I forget to put it back into its correct wallet slot. Every time I do it, I vow not to let that happen again. And then it happens again. Clearly, I don’t learn.
Can’t wait to read the new book! I just finished Chick with a Charm and can’t wait for the new one in that series, either.
I’ve lost my gas credit card not once but twice… Guess that makes me a slow learner huh? The first time I must have put it in my pocket and it fell out never to be seen again. Thank goodness no one ever charged anything on it. Now the second time I went in to pay for the gas because they didn’t have pay at the pump. I must have walked off leaving my card on the counter. That time someone did pick it up and purchased a tank of gas on it. When I didsovered that they had done that, I called the CC company and they sent a photo copy of the two recepts from that day and I told them which one was a forgery. I did get my card back that time because whom ever used it left it there and the clerk put it in the register so if I came back it would be there.
My advise is that once you use your card put it in the some place in your billfold every time. Don’t wait till you get to the car and don’t just put it in your purse thinking “Oh I’m going to just get it out again in a moment so I don’t have to put it back this time or I’ll put it up when I get a chance because I don’t want to make anyone mad at me for beinf slow or in the way.”
It is definately scary when you discover something like that has happened.
BTW… I love the cover for the Blaze… Definately HOT!
I actually left my credit card at a coffee drive through the day before a trip (and didn’t realize it). Needless to say, the hotel and stuff kept denying my husband’s card and at the gas station and such. We couldn’t figure out why, couldn’t get a credit card until we got to D’land, etc. I always keep out my wallet UNTIL I get it back or can verify that I got it back.
Love the new Blaze
I heart VLT, but you know that.
Hi Vickie,
Great to see you on the this blog. Sorry about your lost ID. I have gotten very lucky the two times I did something dumb. Once, whenI was 18 I left my purse on top of my car and drove to work. When I got there, I was a wreck with no purse, I retraced my whole route and found my purse in the middle of the road, completely intact with nothing missing. I cried tears of joy! The other time I was at McDonalds with my daughter and I had hung my purse on the back of my chair while we ate. I had my car keys in my pocket, so I drove to the library and realized I had no library card because it was in my purse! I drove back to McDonalds a basket case and again I got tears in my eyes because my purse was hanging untouched where I had left it.
Hmm…. I have lost my sanity several times throughout my life – especially since having my precious kids. Does that count?! lol! Luckily *knocking very solidly on wood* I have not lost a c.c., driver’s license, or any such thing as that. I am always deathly afraid of leaving my purse somewhere, but so far have been lucky.
It’s so great to see you here, Vicki! You are one of my favorite authors and always manage to bring a smile to my face! I have to say that the new cover is very yummy!! lol! Keep up the wonderful work and I hope you have a great summer ahead!
April
cafeofdreamsbookreviews.com
Wow, I feel a hundred times better already! It really helps to know someone feels your pain.
Judi, LOL, you would have been a good addition to Apollo 13! No shoes? Hey, I’ll just knit me some! Talk about the pioneer spirit! Love it.
Runner, I’ve given someone else stuff to keep, like event tickets, and then I usually panic because I forgot they had them.
Omigod, Alina! My sister calls her planner her “brain” and she couldn’t operate without it. I’ve never been organized enough to carry a planner.
Kara, that was one busy girl, writing $2500 worth of checks! Good save on reminding the liquor store that in any case, they’d sold $800 to a minor.
Oh, Linda, I’ve lost my purse more than once, and it’s always such an awful feeling. I left mine in a MacDonald’s during a road trip, but fortunately I was able to retrace my route and they’d locked it in a safe. Glad you got yours back! Whew.
Hi, Janelle! Thanks for reading Chick with a Charm! LOL about constantly losing your credit card. I have to admit I do that, too. All these little pieces of plastic are so hard to keep track of!
Oh, and I keep meaning to say that I agree that the cover gods smiled on me with this one! He’s blindingly beautiful.
Patsy, have you been poking around in my mind? You just repeated *exactly* what I say to myself. I’ll be standing at the gas pump and tuck my credit card in my pocket thinking I’ll put it away later. Then I forget. I do the same thing with my ATM card. I’m getting better, although I *also* recently left my credit card in the charge folder a Chili’s in the Dallas airport. So you see, there is a pattern.
Hi, Katie! Oh, no, not on your Disneyland trip! I remember how much you were looking forward to that. What a pain in the patooty.
Tammy, isn’t it heartening when you lose something and return to find it still there? It balances out the 16-year-old who stole Kara’s checkbook. I like to think there are more honest people out there than dishonest. And wow, you were lucky nobody had run over your purse!
Vicki…It was so awful….nothing like trying to buy gas and have your credit card rejected or trying to charge a hotel room. Fortunately, we have a second one. Just trying to figure out how to get a replacement one was a pain.
VICKI!!!!!! Oh lovely to see you!! And what a great story you had
Whew! I did lose my wallet once, probably more than 20 years ago. The person who picked it up kindly mailed it back to me, completely intact. That was such a “whew!” moment–I never met the person, but wanted to give him/her a big smooch for being such an honest person.
And I don’t recall permanently losing an ID or credit card since, but I’ve had a couple of those stolen from my wallet before, and it was a pain having them replaced and having to hassle with closing accounts and all that.
Can’t WAIT to read your new Blaze!
Hi Vicki. I lost my car keys a few weeks ago and I felt sick. I retraced my path and could not find them. Luckily someone had turned them in to lost and found at work and I got them back.
Love the cover to Wanted.
Hi Vicki! Great cover on “Wanted!” I want!
Thankfully, I’ve never lost my purse or ID and hope to heaven I never do. So glad you found yours!
Congrats again on the impending release of “Wanted!”. I’m looking forward to reading it!
~PJ
Hey, Fedora! Greetings to another buddy from the late, great Soapbox Queens blog. Thankfully I’ve never had a credit card stolen. If I lose it, it’s always my own stupid fault.
Crystal, let’s
whoever dreamed up the idea of having a Lost and Found department. I wonder what it’s like to work there?
Hello Vicki!!! Glad you found your ID… once I thought I lost my Social Security card… I was frantic… tore everything apart only to find that it had fallen down into a folder in my safe.
My poor parents had their Credit card copied… luckily the CC company called and asked if they tried to purchase electronics… I guess the card had a safeguard, thank goodness… They traced it back to Walmart and my mother thinks it was one of the cashiers that probably did it… my parents had to change their card for continued safety.
Hey girlfriend! I TOTALLY LOVED
Hey Lady!!! I thought WANTED so TOTALLY ROCKED!!! I
Nick! 
Lost Credit Card – Check
Lost Wallet – check
Lost Dog – Check
Lost Husband – Nope. I keep him under lock and key!
Oh my, that cover, how I would love that for a huge pin-up for my wall!! Story sounds wonderful too, all the best for its release!
Never lost any of that stuff, but my husband lost his wallet once, we were just about to call the credit card companies when there was a knock on our door, a good guy found it in the parking lot of the grocery store, saw the address card inside, and returned it, he wouldn’t take a reward either!
no me personally but my family has not just once too , and its is frustarting so much
congrats on the book
such hot covers whoo
My husband and I were on our way to a cruise and it was a disaster!!! Thankfully not the cruise itself but getting there. We had to fly from Edmonton to vancouver to get a connecting flight to L.A. While in Vancouver we were paged to discover that we had LOST
our cruise documents. No cruise documents, no cruise. Luckily, an employee for Edmonton airport found our documents and were sending them on a courier flight straight to L.A. We didn’t relax the entire time until we finally had those documents in hand.
So we get to L.A., and get to the cruise terminal. When you book a cruise, you need to have the credit card you’ll be using and it’s marked in your documents which card it is. So we’re at the desk with the previously lost documents, and discover the credit card we had tapped for the cruise is MISSING! No matching credit card, no cruise. Luckily, again, we found a sympathetic employee who allowed us to call my husband’s father, who went to our house and found the credit card, and we were able to sign in that CC over the phone, after signing a crapload of extra waivers.
Thankfully, the rest of the trip went off without a hitch
. I aged about 10 yrs though in a matter of hours that first day. I’m so looking forward to this book, I (L)Blaze
Hi, there, PJ! I’ll bet you’ve never lost anything because you’re so organized!
Colleen, losing a valuable card is *such* a stress producer. I’m glad you found your SS card!
Hey, Cyndi! LOL on the list and thanks for the
on the book. I’ll bet your DH keeps an eye on you, too! As for the dog — I just realized there’s something way worse than losing a CC or ID. I hope you got your doggie back!
Aww, Karyn, what a great story! It renews my faith in human nature. A wall-sized poster of Nick Chance, huh? I could go for that, too.
kh, the beautiful thing is that the next two for July and August are just as yummy, if not more so!
Ugh, I’m so sorry about the lost ID, I know how terrifying that can be! I lost mine after I had taken my cousin to the airport. I freaked out and couldn’t drive for a week. One day I was cleaning out my truck and lo and behold, there was my ID under the seat. I must have stuck it in my pocket after getting back in my truck after the airport excursion. I think I did that because I was pretty stressed that my uncle was dying of cancer because I’m horrifyingly careful with my ID.
Oh, and on a side note, I LOVE your books and I love that cover! It’s weird that Lori had mentioned you were blogging today because I had one of your books in my hands this morning! How cool is that??? lol
Congrats on the upcoming release, Vicki. Luckily I have never lost my ID or credit card. I’ve had friends who forgot to get their credit cards back after opening a tab and leaving the credit card with the bartender.
Sticking my ID in my pocket would be typical of me, too, Madelina! And some of my jeans have really shallow pockets, so I can imagine doing exactly what you did. Oh, and it’s always welcome news to hear that someone’s got one of my books in their hands, LOL.
Jane, it’s embarrassingly easy for me to leave my credit card behind. I’m glad you never have. Stay vigilant!
Glad you got it back. I haven’t lost my ID yet. *knock on wood*
I love, love the cover of your book! That cover alone put that book on my to buy list.
Vicki Lewis Thompson, so nice to see you here & so nice you have a Blaze coming out! I’m looking forward to reading it.
Sadly I have several lost stories!
When I was in Reno, many years ago, many, I put my purse in the chair next to me. We left the casino and all of sudden I realized I did not have my purse. We went racing back in to find it missing, needless to say I was in a panic. We went up to an employee spoke with the right person who found my purse in the lost & found. Thank heavens for honest people. 
I won’t bore you with any more of my mishaps. I’m glad you got your ID back as that would be a bummer to not have when traveling.
Vicki, have to say I have not lost any of these two, thanks to my mom buying me this stylish little wallet that is easy for me to just grab and take with me when I travel or just don’t feel like lugging my purse with me. It fits in my pocket or goes in a backpack when our family travels to the races. I do have to tell you I am in the middle of Wanted and LOVE IT!! My son’s baseball games and end of the school stuff to to is putting a hamper on finishing it. But, I am glued to it when I do read and can’t wait to finish it. I also have your Showcase novel to read soon by the pool. Thanks for the great reads
LOL – Do I ever have a story about lost ID! One morning a few months ago, I took my wallet out of my purse. It had something to do w/ my son’s library card & the bookmobile coming to school. I put my wallet near the windshield wiper on the passenger side & proceeded to take my dtr to school. I had to cancel the bank card right away when I figured out what happened, but I was still w/o my drivers license & $$ loaded onto a Marathon card & a Circle K card. Miraculously, my husband produced it a few days later after an acquaintance had found it along or on the rural highway we use to get from pt A to pt B. Everything was intact & I got a new bank card out of the deal. Glad to hear you recovered your ID so quickly, Vicki!!
Because I’m an organizational freak, I’ve never lost any of my important cards. Whenever I come home from a day where I used any of my cards, I go through my wallet/purse and make sure everything is in its place and immediately balance my checkbook. In this way, I’ve never lost anything or been overdrawn.
Hi Vicki, it is great to see you here. I picked up the Showcase with one of your very first stories. I can’t wait to get into it.
I am also looking forward to checkout your next Blaze. I am a sucker for a cowboy. Please don’t count me in for the contest. Have a blast here.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Hi Vicki! Just popping in to say hi, and I’m so glad to hear your adventure ended well (TG for sharp-eyed flight attendants.) You don’t have to enter me in the contest–but wow, what a cover!!! Can I have him?
I once misplaced my car keys while on a 2 day trip by myself. I stopped at a gas station and then couldn’t find my keys. I spent a frantic 10 or 15 minutes searching the car for them. I did find them, but I never went on a trip by myself without pinning a spare set of keys to my clothes.
I have been very lucky and never misplaced my ID or had it stolen. I have misplaced other things around my home. I’m kinda loopy after being up for long periods of time so I usually make sure to put everything back in it’s place so it doesn’t get lost.
I’ve never misplaced my ID but my mom and i found one last summer at a big 4th of July festival in a town nearby. We were actually heading out of town and i saw it laying on the side of street. I stopped and picked it up and just so happens a parade was getting ready to start and therefore there were several police officers around so i pulled up by a couple and gave it to them. I figure maybe someone had it in their back pocket to get into a something for 21 and over and it fell out. If had not found a cop I’d have turned it into the state police office the next day. I bet that lady it belonged to did some freaking out that afternoon though. She was from out of the area based on her drivers license. I’d hope someone would turn my ID in if i lost it.
Lisa
I haven’t lost anything… knock on wood!
However, I work in a grocery store as a cashier. Please try to check the area where the credit card slides through. I’ve found several credit cards which we turn into the front office. People also leave their purses in their carts. Luckily our store has some really honest people returning the purses!
I’m so unorganized I lose everything! But your story reminded me of how people leave i.d.’s and anything and everything in books! I work in a library and what people use for bookmarks and then leave in them… Driver’s license, of course. Most resently: savings bonds. The most disgusting was a slice of cheese!!!! Glad you got your i.d. back so quickly. Nothing worse than that horrible panic feeling! Thanks for sharing!
Hi! a few years ago I lost my wallet for i was rushing on taking my mom to her work. There was a snow drift and it was on top of the drift, didn’t know that at the time. Anyways, I went shopping and thats when I realize I losted my wallet, it had over 1,000 dollars in it. I was so upset, in the mean time, the town (he drinks alot) but a mailman found my wallet and took it to the police station. I loive in a small town and everyone knows my mom and family. So I went to my mom’s work and she had my wallet. I gave him a reward but wouldn’t take it, so I bought him lunch for he came in the place i worked almost everday. I was so pleased, and all rhe money was in it.
well i just lost my phone , argh and fella lost his about week ago, and lucky the woman that found it at walmart, called every number on it to let him know where it was, which he was so surprised he didnt even get the womans name
dang how i miss the first one, i just saw blonde with a wand
CHICK WITH A CHARM
March 2010
BLONDE WITH A WAND
February 2010
Once I visited a Hinton Garden in NJ and I used my American express card to pay. What a surprise a couple of days later! I had an extra $320 on my card for a Comcast cable bill. The funny thing is that I don’t have cable just Satelite Direct TV. I had to do a police report so my credit card so will remove the charges from my account. It took quite a while but I got it clear.
I learned my lesson I will never go to a Hilton Garden away. from that point I always try to pay in cash for my hotel cost so there is no opportunities to steal my credit card account.
I did called the hotel manager and let him know what had happen and advised him to keep his eyes open with the front desk staff.
I read this book and loved it! I am glad Vicki is back writing for Blaze.
I was curious about the winner for this post!