Thanksgiving is a holiday that turns me into more of a foodie than I usually am. In my own defense, I have to say that I was raised in a home where the kitchen was the center of family life. Visitors were usually invited there, if not to eat, then to talk or play cards…and eventually eat.

There were three excellent cooks in my house–my mother and grandmother who were Irish and raised on a farm where food was picked fresh from the garden, and my father who was Italian. His father and mother both cooked. (It’s thanks to my father that many of the heroes of my romances are very skilled in the kitchen as well as the bedroom.)

Needless to say, the cuisine of my childhood was varied and delicious. I was twelve when I started to get into the act. And Thanksgiving was a day when everyone was welcome in the kitchen. Of course I began my career preparing foods for the “real” chefs. But one of my earliest solo attempts was pumpkin pie. I made it with whole cloves instead of ground cloves. No one complained. And the pie was good–except you had to keep spitting out the cloves!

The fact that I returned to the kitchen after my less than stellar debut is a sure sign that I’m definitely a foodie. Another one is that I never walk through my mall without visitng the Williams Sonoma store. I don’t have to buy anything–and I seldom do. But the visit seems to soothe my soul. Maybe because it puts me in touch with those early memories. (And sometimes, they offer snacks!)

I have to say that in recent years, I’ve valued speed and ease rather than gourmet excellence (and dirtying almost evey pot I own in preparing a meal). But in the fall, I start to think of more elaborate dishes. Maybe it’s the memory of that first pumpkin pie that triggers the change in November. Or perhaps it’s the shift in the weather that makes me start thinking of roasting chickens and making stews and soups and my dad’s famous spaghetti sauce (that requires a minimum of five pounds of meat and three hours of simmering).

Then again, this year, maybe it’s the fact that the new crop of TV shows has driven me to watching more than my fair share of cooking shows. And I’ve discovered a new show and a cook I love. It’s called “French Food at Home,” and the cook is Laura Calder. She’s on the cooking channel which is owned by the food channel, but not the same. I love the simplicity of her cooking and the fact that I can tell by watching that it’s going to be delicious. I admire the fact that she looks so at ease in the kitchen. (I also like the fact that she uses one or two pans when Julia Child would use four or five.) She’s also reminded me of bay leaves. They were a staple in my father’s cupboard and his cuisine, and they used to always be on my spice shelf. Thanks to Laura, they will be again.

I also admire Laura because of her story. She tells her audience that she had a good education, a great job, a lovely apartment and a boyfriend. But she wasn’t happy. So she gave it all up and went to France to cooking school, and she’s never looked back. I admire women who decide to change course and reinvent themselves. I think that’s the kind of courage and grit that my heroines need. That’s the kind of heroine I try to create.

So this year, I’m going to attempt to serve Laura’s pumpkin mousse for Thanksgiving dinner–in celebration of courage and grit and gambling everything for what you want. (And I’m not going to use whole cloves!)

Happy Thanksgiving! If you have a special memory of Thanksgiving dishes or a disastrous dish you served and survivied, please share. Or if your a closet Foodie, this is your chance to confess.

One of my favorite things about the fall season is Indian Summer. There’s something about a blast of hot, hazy weather that feels even more wonderful after a series of rainy, cold days.

Earlier this week when the weather in Syracuse, New York, rose to seventy plus degrees for three days running, I thought, “This is it.” Indian Summer is here. I even seriously considered turning my central airconditioning on again. Instead, I took a long walks along Onondaga Lake and thought of summer in spite of the fallen leaves on the path and the Christmas lights decorating the trees.

Yesterday, as the tempteratures once again cooled, I looked up a definition of what Indian Summer really is and I was a little surprised. I always thought it was a spell of warm, sunny weather sometime in late October. But there’s more to it than that. Many authorities hold that the warm weather can only be called Indian Summer if it follows a killing frost.

Problem is–we haven’t had a killing frost yet. There hasn’t even been a gentle frost on the morning grass.

The American Meterological Society’s Glossary of Weather defines Indian Summer as: “A time interval in mid or late autumn of unseasonanly warm weather, generally with clear skies, sunny but hazy days.”

Hmmm. We had clear and sunny skies–but I didn’t notice any haze… So was the wonderful three days we experienced in upstate New York this week Indian Summer or not?

In my research, I came across some interesting facts. Indian Summer only occurs in those areas when winter also occurs. But there is some question about whether it occurs in Alaska. The first reference to the word itself is thought to be in a letter written by a Frenchman. And there has been research on whether or not the word has anything to do with Native Americans.

William Safire in one of his wonderful columns on language for the “New York Times Sunday Magazine” claimed the term is prejudicial to Native Americans since Indian Summer means a “false” summer.

False or not, “real” Indian Summer or not, I’m really happy I got to walk along the lake for three days. And I’m more than happy to pay for that when the snow comes next week.

Do you experience Indian Summer where you live? What is your favorite thing about fall?

Yes, I’m back to blogging about weddings again. This has just been my year for celebrating them, agonizing about them, (complaining about my mother-of-the-groom-dress), and enjoying them.

In May, I was the mother of the groom–my son Brendan, and on this coming Saturday, my brother will be the father of the groom–my nephew Nick.

I’m thrilled for several reasons. Most importantly, I’m happy because Nick is marrying a wonderful young lady named Kristin. As a romance writer, I have a belief that it’s possible to find that one person in the world that you’re meant to be with and that making that commitment is one of the most important things you can do in your life.

As an added bonus–since my brother’s family lives in Michigan and I live in New York, Nick’s wedding is an event that brings us together on a happy occasion. But since I’m in a sort of wedding daze, I started to think about what is most important to me about weddings.

It’s not the stress. I can’t force myself to watch TV shows like “Brideszillas” and “Say Yes to the Dress.” It’s too bad that there has to be so much pressure surrounding weddings–especially for the bride and groom. What I’ve come to treasure about weddings are the traditions that get passed down in families. For example, I think the “something borrowed” is a beautiful tradition. My daughter-in-law Nicole’s mother and father were married in a Greek orthodox ceremony, and she borrowed the crowns they exchanged and incorporated them into her own bridal ceremony.

That made me think of what I borrowed for my own wedding. My initial plan was to borrow my mother’s wedding veil. But it had yellowed with age. Instead, we had it copied, and I went to plan B. My younger sister had entered the convent right after she graduated from high school. Soon after, she took her initial vows as a bride of Christ. When I got married, I “borrowed” the shoes she wore during that ceremony and I walked done the aisle wearing them.

Do you have any wedding traditions that you’ve honored–or any that have been honored in your family? Or do you have any thoughts on weddings you’d like to share?
Let me know.
Cara
PS–if I promised you a book on my last blog–9/29–they’re in the mail. You can blame my slowness on my wedding daze.

Do you have any wedding traditions you want to share? Or any traditions that you’d like to

I started thinking about why I love to read romances yesterday–for two reasons. One, I knew I had to blog today. And two because September 29 was my mom’s brithday–and she just happened to give me my first romance to read.

But then I realized that Mom hadn’t really given me my very “first” romance to read. She’d just given me my first Harlequin/Silhouette romance novel to read. It was Nora Roberts’ “First Impressions,” a Silhouette Special Edition. I still have it on my book shelf. What my mom and that first book did for me was open up the whole world of really wonderful romance stories that were available in numbers each month. Before that, finding romances required a dedicated and motivated reader.

When I first started reading for fun, I was seven or so, and I quickly became a Nancy Drew fan. She was strong, she had great adventures, a nifty convertible to drive, and good friends. Most importantly, she solved mysteries and made a difference in people’s lives. The books weren’t romances, but they taught me to like stories about strong women.

It wasn’t until I was fourteen or fifteen that I dsicovered “Jane Eyre,” Wuthering Heights,” and finally all of Jane Austen’s works. After college, I gradually turned to the writers of gothic romantic suspense (Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney). And then I dsicovered Gerogette Heyer and was so happy that she was so prolific. I even read some Barbara Cartland books, but Georgette was my favorite. Since I’m also a fan of mysteries (who have a woman as the detective), I had some other kinds of book to read while I continued my hunt for romances.

Why did I become such a fan? That’s the question that I’m thinking about on my mother’s birthday. And there are a few reasons.

Number one is because I love stories that end happily–where two people find each other or where some kind of justice is achieved. I like to believe that good triiumphs and happiness is possible. I also prefer classic comedy to tragedy. Give me Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” “Twelfth Night,” or “Taming of the Shrew,” instead of “Hamlet,” “Othello,” or “Macbeth” anyday.

I also like reading romances because they tell women’s stories. My story. They give me a heroine that isn’t the passive girl of the old fairy tales. The romance heroine acts and wins. She has a goal, and in achieving that goal (and falling in love) she changes and she makes changes for others. She makes a difference and she matters. And when I take that journey with her, I believe that I can change too. That I can make a difference.

I also like to read mysteries with female heroines for similar reasons. In mysteries, the female detective takes the hero’s journey. She solves the mystery, catches the killer, and in a way saves the world. And that always used to be a boy’s story.

These are pretty much the reasons that I love reading romances. And it’s certainly why I love to write romance stories that have a mystery subplot.

Why do you love reading romances? Or how did you become a romance fan? In honor of my Mom’s birthday, I’m offering a free book from my backlist. Happy reading!

Cara

I had a fire in my fireplace this morning. Sure, all I had to do was flip a switch. (No kindling or dragging in firewood for me!) But the morning was nippy enough to enjoy my first cup of coffee in front of a fire. Very nice! In spite of the fact that my air conditioner kicked on at least once or twice over the weekend, fall has arrived.

And that got me thinking about some of my favorite things about the season. Even though I’m definitely a summer girl.

Of course, food shoots to the top of the list. But I started out thinking healthy. Upstate New York is the place to live if you like apples! Sure, they’re available all year round, but during the fall, the taste is phenomenal. I think my affiity for apples can be traced back to the fact that my great grandmother had an apple orchard on her farm. I not only could pick the apples, I could climb the trees (when she wasn’t looking.) But they didn’t taste nearly as good as the ones I can buy right now. Sorry, Michigan! Yayyy, New York!
And then there’s the less healthy “tailgate food” for football games. Since I’m one of those really odd people who favors the savory over the sweet, I’m a real sucker for game food. Give me an appetizer over dessert any day. Thanks to one of my students, I have a killer recipe for a Super Bowl Dip that captures the taste of a Hoagie! (I know this addiction doesn’t fit the “profile” of a romance writer, and that’s why I’m usually in the kitchen whipping up something instead of actually watching the game.)

Fall also means a new season on TV. And that is the only thing that is consoling me as I watch the finales of all my favorite summer shows! It’s good-bye to “The Closer” and “Covert Affairs” this week. “White Collar,” “True Blood,” (not to mention “Burn Notice” and “Memphis Beat” are all history). I have purchased my annual copy of “TV Digest” at the check out counter of my grocery store to help me through this crisis.
I do know that “Castle” is coming back. And I did watch “Nikita” this week. (I have a weakness for women who can kick $#%*). “Lone Star” looks intriguing and I am a fan of “Lie to Me.” I admit that I do have an addiction to mystery/adventure, action packed thrillers, as well as good looking, slick con men. And I’ve no doubt that the eye candy involved in the two NCIS shows will help me adjust to the new fall season. Eventually.

What are your favorite things about Fall? I’d love to hear them. And what TV shows are you looking forward to?

Happy Fall!
Cara

Summer will inevitably come to an end. Not today. Today the temperature in unpstate New York will rise to 89. And we will have more of that kind of weather heading our way. But classes begin Mondays at our local universities and a couple of days after labor day, the secondary and elementary schools will also start up again. Summer will end, no matter what the weather is like.

The last tomotoes and flowers will be picked, the grass won’t have to be mowed as often, and the days will continue to grow shorter. Something always tugs at my heart when the seasons change. Maybe it’s the fact that they remind me time is passing and I’d like to hold it still for a while. But for me, summer is my hardest season to let go of.

In order to hold onto summer, I try to cram in all the things that I haven’t yet done. First, I try out the recipes that I promised myself I would get to. I love to cook. That’s probably why characters in my books usually have some talent for cooking. Reese Brightman, the heroine of my August Blaze, “Twice the Temptation,” is a five star gourmet cook who just got her own TV show and is working on her second cookbook. (Reese may be who I want to be when I grow up! And when I factor in the hero of that story I think I definitely want to be Reese).

One of the recipes that I’m going to make for Labor Day is one that I haven’t made in several years. (It’s not even in Reese’s cookbook–though it should be). It’s a great salad to take to a family gathering. I first experienced it (and experienced is the right word) at a pot luck dinner and I had to have the recipe. Almost everyone present took the recipe home, so I thought I’d share it with you.

I head Napa cabbage sliced
5 green onions sliced

Topping:
2 packages Ramen noodles crushed (omit seasoning)
1 small package slivered almonds
1 small package sesame seeds
1/4-1/2 cup butter
Place topping ingredients in large pan and saute until brown.

Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup soy suace
Mix dressing ingredients in a jar.
In a large bowl, toss cabbage and onions. Add topping and pour dressing over. Then toss again.

This salad tastes better than the sum of its ingredients–really yummy–and it’s a great way to hold onto summer for a little longer.

The other thing that I’m going to do to hold onto the waning days of my favorite season is to finally read the books I haven’t gotten to yet. One of those will be a book that has been highly recommended to me by both a colleague I teach with and by my optician. He was raving about it while he fitted me for a new pair of glasses. The book is Stieg Larrson’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo,” and it’s part of a trilogy. My copy is on the way from Barnes and Noble. Have any of you read it? I also intend to fit in Nora Roberts’ “The Search.” The nurse at one of my doctor’s offices said she stayed up all night reading it.

I tried to think of the last time I stayed up all night reading a book. Both Bronte sisters’ books did that to me when I was 14 or 15. “Gone With the Wind” and “Rebecca” also kept me up reading into the wee hours. “Silence of the Lambs” made me miss the whole first day of a vacation in Hawaii. And Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” made me miss most of a weekend I spent visiting friends. I simply couldn’t put those down. And in Stephen King’s case I couldn’t sleep with a window open for about two years!

Oh, and the last thing I’m going to do to hang onto summer is to walk everday. It’s a habit that I’ve tried to build up over the summer and I’m not going to let it go. Even if I eventually have to do it on my treadmill.

Do you have some things you’re still going to fit in before summer ends? Do you have a favorite summer resipe or a book that’s going to keep me up all night (before I have to get serious about getting enough sleep to teach the next day). Let me know.

And most of all, enjoy the last days of summer.

Are mine the only summers that seem way too short? The back to school ads are on TV–a sure sign that summer’s endless days are dwindling away to a precious few. And–even worse–the “new” summer TV series are already warning that there are only two or three shows left until the season finale! (By the way, I want to thank whoever it was who suggested that I watch “Haven” on the SyFy Channel. I’m really enjoying it. I’m also loving “The Glades” on A and E. But they’re all ending soon!)

Maybe the length of the season is somehow attached to the fact that I’m an adult? When I was a child, the time from the last day of school in June until the Tuesday after Labor Day seemed to stretch forever. And there was nothing to do but choose what T-shirt I wanted to wear with my shorts, what games I wanted to play with the kids down the street and which book I wanted to read that week.

Or maybe it’s just me who feels that my summers don’t have enough time for just…relaxing anymore. The lady who lives behind me has time to sit out on her deck and do nothing but get a tan. If I go out on my deck, I feel that I would have to clean my grill first. And perhaps sweep the floor. And then there would be the windows… Those tasks would definitely eat into my tanning time. And if I don’t go out there, those chores can remain on my to-do list. Until next summer.

Or maybe–and this is just occurring to me–maybe my summers seem shorter because I’m actually doing more things. This summer I’m traveling to Florida three times, I’ve been to Rhode Island once, Vermont once, and Michigan once. Could it be that my childhood summers only seem longer because I was pretty much confined to one place?

Maybe my ptoblem isn’t that summers are shorter but that I have to find more time to fit in “summer things” while I’m at home. Any suggestions?

The one thing that I still seem to fit into my summers is time to read. (Although I listen to a lot more books than I actually read any more). The ones I’ve especially enjoyed reading this summer are: Amanda Quick’s “The Burning Lamp,” Tami Hoag’s “Deeper Than the Dead,” J.D. Robb’s “Fantasy In Death,” Elizabeth Lowell’s “Death Echo.” These are all writers I’ve been reading since they started out in short category romance. I would recommend all of them. Currently, I’m reading Linda Howard’s and Linda Jones’ “Blood Born.” Ordinarily, I’m not a vampire fan, but I’m hooked on this one. It’s currently in my CD player in my car and I’m already thinking of errands I can run today so that I can listen to it. And Nora Roberts’ “The Search” is next. One of the nurses at my doctor’s office said she didn’t sleep for two nights because she couldn’t put it down.

In the waning weeks of summer, do you have any suggestions about books that I could add to my “to listen to” list? What’s the best book you’ve red this summer?

Or do you have any suggestions on how I might stretch out summertime in my own home? (I’m at the point where I’m actually thinking I have to clean out my closet and line up my fall teaching clothes. Ugh! Help me!)

I’m not offering any free books for suggestions this time, but if I’ve promised you a book earlier and somehow missed your email, please send me another reminder.

I hope you all enjoy the last days of summer!
Cara

I’m taking poll on how people feel about birthdays. The topic has come to my mind because this week (July 28–to be exact) I’m celebrating one of those milestone ones –the kind with a 0 or a 5 involved. They hit me a bit harder lately and make me think a bit more. They also make me very happy that I’ve lived to reach another one.

As I look back on all of my birthdays, I’ve started to think about the different ways I’ve celebrated them. When I was a kid (except when we were traveling to or from a cottage my family used to rent in Northern Michigan), I got to choose my favorite dinner. And I always chose the same thing–turkey salad from Sanders, a famous restaurant and ice cream parlor in Detroit, Michigan. My mom always had the turkey salad delivered to the house, packed in dry ice, along with Sanders’ famous ice cream and birthday cake. Heavenly! As long as my three sons were all living at home and unmarried, I used to let them choose their birthday dinners, too.

I also vividly remember my fifth birthday because my Mom threw a huge party for me. I can picture myself playing in the back yard with friends and each of us received a special paper doll with a complete wardrobe that could be attached with magnets. Funny that I remember the magnetic paper doll more than any of the presents I received that day. And I still have images in my mind of running on the lawn in my party dress. It’s been a long time since I’ve worn a party dress on my brithday! I think I’m going to revive the tradition this time.

Another memorable birthday was also one of those milestone ones. This time my editor Brenda Chin (who is the best editor in the world) invited her authors to go white water kayaking. What fun! We were all in individual kayaks and I eventually flipped out of mine and had to cling to a big rock until I was rescued by our guide. And he was the epitome of a Blaze hero! High quality eye candy. I eventually put him in one of my books.

Another birthday that stands out in my mind was the one when my oldest son took me to my favorite local restaurant, Rosalie’s, in Skaneateles, NY. I was going through a divorce at the time, and I was so moved by his thoughtfulness. He didn’t want me to be alone. But he didn’t just take me to any restaurant. He took me to my favorite even though it was an hour’s drive away. Kevin has also inspired many of my heroes. He has a lot more than eye candy going on.

I could go on and on. Believe me, I have quite a few birthdays to remember here. Recently, I’ve been celebrating a lot of them during RWA’s National Conferences. And that’s what I’ll be doing this year. On July 28, I’ll be signing books at the Literacy Signing in the Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, and then my roommate is treating me to dinner. I’ll be wearing my party dress to both events.

And I’m going to do something different this year. Instead of confining my celebration to just one day, I’m going to continue to celebrate all year. Another author and I are already planning a trip to Spain next March, and I have a list of new things that I’m going to try. Not a bucket list. I’m not quite ready for that yet. But birthdays are too marvelous to celebrate them on only one day.

How do you feel about birthdays and what special ones do you remember? Please share. And I’ll send either my new August release, “Twice the Temptation,” or any book from my backlist to the top five stories.

Happy Birthday to all of you!

What are your favorite things to do in the summer?

Lately, my favorite things are reading, traveling, and (I hate to admit it) catching the new summer series on cable TV. I think at some time in my (not too distant past) sitting by a pool or on the sand at a beach would have been right up there. And swimming would have hit the top of my favorite-things-to-do list. (But a visit to a pool or the beach always involved a book. Or two or three.) Lately, my old favorites like riding my bike, roller skating and running aren’t even making the top ten anymore.

Just in case any of you are favoring more sedentary activities (as I seem to be doing), I’m going to recommend a great book, a new TV show, and a travel destination.

The book I highly recommend is one that I picked up in the Borders at the Jet Blue JFK terminal because I had a four hour layover. It was Elizabeth George’s latest Thomas Lynley mystery, and I loved it. (I have to admit that I love to read mysteries probably even more than I love to read romances. Give me romantic suspense and I’m in heaven!) I used to be an avid fan of Elizabeth George’s, but I haven’t read her in a while. This story and the English setting fascinated me, and since she’s never a quick read, it distracted me from things I had to get done. For me, that’s always a sign of a really good book. (“Silence of the Lambs” once cost me a whole day in Hawaii! Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” made me miss most of a Labor Day Weekend at a good friend’s house.)

Now for the TV series. So far my favorite new series of the summer is “Memphis Beat” on TNT. “Covert Affairs” on USA is premiering tonight, but it will take a lot to edge out “Memphis Beat” as one of my new favorite summer shows. Of course my “old” favorite summer TV series include “White Collar,” “Burn Notice,” “The Closer,” and “In Plain Sight.” But the thing I really like about “Memphis Beat” (aside from the fact that it’s a cop show) are the characters and the setting. I’ve watched three episodes and I want to visit Memphis.

The travel destination I’m going to recommend is Queechie, VT. I’d never heard of it. My sister dragged me there on our way back from Nargansett, RI to Syracuse, NY. We did visit a beach first, and the route makes a nice triangle on the map. We stayed in Woodstock, but the place that drew my sister there was the glass blowing factory that Simon Pearce established in Queechie. Simon relocated his family there from Ireland and bought an old mill to design and manufacture his glass. His wife is a potter. In addition to a waterfall and glass and pottery demonstrations, there’s a fabulous store and a gourmet restaurant. Shopping, great food and wine–that seems to define what I like in a travel destination–even more than a beach. Queechie is a bit out of the way, but if you’re visiting New England, I highly recommend it.

One more thing–as long as I’m listing favorite things and recommending… It’s the fiftieth anniversary of the novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” If you haven’t read it, I recommend it. If you have read it, I recommend reading it again. I had the great pleasure of teaching that book for fourteen years to ninth graders, and I never grew tired of it. I intend to read it again myself before the summer ends.

Have you got a list of favorite things you like to do in the summer? Do you have a book or a travel spot or TV show that you’re crazy about? Or do you have a memory of reading “To Kill a Mockingbird?” or seeing the movie?

Please share.

I’m not a bird watcher. Although there was a time when I did spend some time frowning at a beautiful red Cardinal as she preened herself in the side view mirror of my new little convertible–and left deposits! But most of my hobbies are indoor ones–eating, cooking, reading, writing, teaching. Oh–and watching TV and sleeping. The last may be my favorite, depending… I’m not even a gardener although I’ve made a few abortive attempts.

But lately, there’s a certain bird I’m watching very carefully. Every day. I may be becoming obsessed with her. She’s a Robin who’s built her nest in what I believe to be a very precarious spot. It’s tucked into the small space between my front porch light and the wall of my house. I can see her through the etched glass in my front door. And when I check on her, which I do more and more frequently, I think she can see me too.

Since my office is right next to my front porch, I can hear her every day through the wall. She makes a kind of croaking/burrowing sound. Curiosity had me making several Commando-like approaches to my front door to investigate. I finally caught her in the act of sharpening her beak on the wrought iron top of my porch light.

Strange.

Sometimes, I’ve caught her just sitting there with her beak open and no sound is coming out. At least no sound that I can hear.

The whole nest making process took some time. Initially, there were two Robins working on it. Their first attempt fell off the porch light. The chattering I heard through the wall of my office alerted me to the event. When I looked through my front door, I saw this pile of long dried grasses, twigs, and other unidentifiable debris littering my front porch. The two birds stood in the center of it chattering away at each other. I went back to work thinking that they would seek a safer place to rebuild.

They didn’t. The second nest took about a week to create. She did most of the work while he perched on the overhang of my garage giving instructions and critiquing her efforts. (So typical, I thought.) The end result looks like a Martha Stewart creation gone very bad.

But they evidently were satisfied. It’s been about three weeks since they completed the nest. She wasn’t in it very much at first, but for the last two weeks, she’s seldom absent. When I came back from a weekend trip on June 20th and my son carried my suitcase to the front door, she flew to the driveway across the street and yelled at him. When he came to visit mid-week, she flew to the overhang of my neighbor’s roof and refrained from commenting. (He did tell her that everything was all right.) Last night we celebrated my youngest son’s birthday, and she stayed right in the nest while company came and went.

She seems to be getting comfortable with us. She’s in her nest right now. I’ve checked on her three or four times since I’ve started writing this. I have no idea how long she’ll be there–or whether or not she’s laid any eggs yet. Nor do I know how long the little ones will stay in the nest–or how that will work out.

What I do know is that I’ll miss her when she’s gone. Maybe it’s because I’m a mother too.

Does anyone have any interesting bird or animal stories to tell? Or does anyone have any information on how long a siege I’m in for? I’m hoping that this doesn’t turn into an Alfred Hitchcock experience.

I’m offering a free book for the most interesting story and also a free book for the most helpful advice. The winners can choose from my latest Forbidden Fantasy trilogy (“Led Into Temptation,” “Taken Beyond Temptation,” or “Twice the Temptation”). Or a choice from any book on my backlist.