Update

Alrighty, it's time to update you on what's going on in my life.
The first thing is that I have a Dragon and I have now trained it--- kind of, sort of. Well you'll see what I mean.
 The next thing is that I have received this morning a rejection letter for Halfback Hero from Shadow Mountain. That's okay though because I am waiting fingers crossed for now but another publisher. And hopefully they'll come to agree with me that Halfback Hero is worth publishing.

On another score, I have just received back from my number one beta reader the first book of my Talisman Series, I will now look into that folder and see what I need to change.
On the other hand, the second book in that series is going well I'm 26,000 words in and know where I'm going from here.

So that's what is happening with this author at the first of this year. Wishing you all a Happy New Year.

Merry Christ-mas

Just another Christmas Tree

Look Mom...

I wrapped her up just for you!

I wish you...

Love,
Happiness,
Success,
Health,
and Peace.

A Christmas Rose for you.

From my house to yours--

Merry Christmas!

Let It Snow!

Ten things our youth are facing that we might not know of...

10. Single Parent Households

The problems begin at home. Since the 1950s, the number of single parent homes has consistently increased to the point of catastrophe. Today, 14 million single parents are responsible for 28 million children. Raising a child is difficult enough in a two parent home, especially in tough economic conditions.

The situation is even direr when there is only one parent. Economically, a single parent is likely to bring less income home. This equates to fewer opportunities for such vital necessities as education. Trying to make ends meet also takes time – time that is spent away from children who need a parent’s guiding/influence. Absent a parent’s diligent guidance, children become subject to higher dropout rates, higher risk of dangerous sexual behaviors and pregnancies, higher chances of drug and alcohol abuse –etc. It truly takes a village to raise a child.

9. Drug/Alcohol Abuse

There was a time in cinematic history where virtually every actor/actress was portrayed on screen with a cigarette in hand. Smoking, it was implied, was cool. As a result everyone was doing it, including kids. Well, as awareness to the danger of smoking increased, “cool” images of smoking disappeared. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about drugs and alcohol. These vices are staples in everyday media. Simply, drinking and using drugs is shown as being cool.

The numbers bear the tale. 21% of high school seniors say they get high and 41% of the same group report drinking alcohol. Our kids are literally moving around in an intoxicated daze. Immature behavior is then amplified due to being under the influence. Drunk driving, poor grades and attendance, anti-social and violent behavior and the list goes on.

8. Growing up too Fast

There was a time when kids enjoyed being kids. Today, even at the earliest of ages, children are partaking in adult activities with serious consequences. Similar to what we see with alcohol and drugs, sex is a very popular and portrayed subject matter. The movies, TV, the internet, essentially everywhere a kid turns he or she is bombarded with sexual suggestions.

In fact, there are entire TV series marketed directly to kids dealing with sex – the egregious being The Secret Lives of an American Teenager and Teen Mom, to name two. Music is a culprit as well. Songs have always had sexual innuendos, but at least “back in the day” you had to be old enough to understand them. Today, it’s all about “How low can you go” and “baby let me sex you up.” Kids are having sex as early as 10 and 11, with teen pregnancies increasingly on the rise. The concept of childhood is literally being wiped out.

7. Violence in Schools

A child’s education is the foundation from which he or she will be able to go forth out into the world and build a life. Schools play a major role in this endeavor, and therefore it is reasonable to expect that these places of learning would be safe havens for the children while they are preparing for adulthood. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

In many instances, especially in low income, urban settings, schools can be a war zone. We are not talking about minor bullying, but rather serious violence. Consider that in the last decade 284 kids were murdered due to school violence – these were shootings, stabbings, fighting and suicides. Growing up is tough enough without having to be worried about being killed while going to math class.

6. Materialism

We live in a society that promotes materialism and so we perpetuate this particular malady by instilling bad habits into our children. We teach our children that the measure of success and happiness in life is how much stuff you have. Kids naturally want things –especially if their friends have something similar. Unfortunately, there seems to be little restraint on accompanying guidance as we go about this.

Essentially, we provide our kids with whatever they want that is within our financial ability to do so. The concept of “earning” what you get or the idea that something “you don’t need” seem to have been lost and discarded. Is there really any wonder why the average adult is $15,000 in debt at any given time? We have a mentality of getting what we want and when we want it that has been ingrained in us since childhood. The unfortunate result is that there are devastating consequences for such continued behavior later in life.

5. Obesity

Our kids are fat and getting fatter. Recent numbers show that 20% of American children are obese. Not chubby –OBESE! Video games, TV, the internet and fast food are partly to blame. Kids are spending more time sitting in front of a TV/computer screen than running around outside. This sedentary lifestyle has consequences.

Socially, it’s no secret that overweight kids are going to be subject to ridicule from their peers – it’s sad, but nevertheless true. This can result in such issues as low self-esteem, depression, etc. Then there are the health concerns. High blood pressure, diabetes and other maladies that is associated with obesity. Psychologically and physically, obesity is an issue that can be resolved with a simple increase in activity and awareness.

4. Education Disparity

Education is important. Few people would dispute this well regarded fact. A good education(in comparison with a bad one) will provide a child with an increased chance of taking advantage of opportunities to be successful in life. Unfortunately, some people have it better than other. This is not an issue of just one school being better than another school. Rather we are talking about whole classes of American children being denied a proper education that will prepare them to compete in a job market with their peers and have the same access to the American Dream.

Disparity in educational quality is delineated by race and financial status. If you live in a poor neighborhood or are a minority, there is a good chance that the schools you attend are lacking many necessities. While Asians and Whites enjoy high graduating rates, African American and Latinos continue to lag behind. Not surprisingly, because job opportunities are lessen for dropouts, these two groups have the highest incarceration rates.

3. Shifting Economy

America used to sustain itself with making its own products through manufacturing and then t2urning around and selling those products. The economy is shifting to more of a service industry versus a manufacturing industry. In order to cut costs and keep product prices down companies are forced to outsource manufacturing to other countries. Other countries can produce products at much lower labor costs. Some companies have even begun to outsource call center jobs to keep labor costs down. Not only is America now having lower paying service jobs than the average blue-collar job with a sustainable income but our economy is now a global economy.

For example, what happens in Japan or Iraq can drastically alter prices for our stock exchanges, gas/oil, and many other products. What exactly does this mean for our youth? The youth cannot graduate or even dropout of school without going through the pains of a low-income job. The jobs offered with no experience pay very little with very little room for pay increases. In fact, the competition to get a promotion can be fierce. In the past, your high school senior could graduate and go work at the local factory for the rest of his or her life and make a good living. They would not necessarily need to have a college education to survive. In fact, youth today will graduate from college with multiple degrees and still cannot find work that pays enough to sustain a decent lifestyle.1

2. Poverty

The federal poverty level is $22,050 for a family of four. This equates to 21% of all children (15 million children) are considered in poverty. Just to cover basic expenses for a family of four you would need to have a salary of $45,000. This means that nearly 50% of our children are living in poverty. Half of those kids receive no government assistance because their parents earned more than $22,050 that year. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), that poverty is the single greatest threat to children’s well-being.

Poverty impedes learning and contributes to social and behavioral problems. And guess what? There is no income to counteract these problems. Mommy cannot afford a tutor or Daddy cannot afford a counselor. There is a huge opportunity for society to stop being so materialistic and in turn poverty wouldn’t be such an issue because most children will all have the same things –things they need instead of what they want. This would decrease violence in schools because fewer kids would be teased.

1. Erosion of National Pride/Identity

If every year the Olympics were held, this probably wouldn’t be a problem. This list is indicative of the fact that America (like any nation) has problems. The issue at hand is collective though amongst the people affected about how to deal with them. Unfortunately most folks tend to focus on their self and not the whole. We see these problems as affecting “them” and not “me/us” When we hear that America’s children are the fattest among Western nations, this doesn’t sting. When we learn that America’s children lay educationally behind other industrialized nations, we don’t cringe.

There is very little sense of collective identity of people, as Americans. This is a result of our children not being properly educated and guided. There was a time when every child would begin the school day by standing and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Children were taught the significance of the 4^th of July (besides fireworks). These practices are long gone and so is our sense of common destiny. With so many diverse nationalities, races, and ethnic groups that comprise America, the one common bond we all have with one another is that we are Americans.

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm just saying that sometimes I feel this way. Like the one getting slapped and sometimes like the one doing the slapping.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/47/b7/b2/47b7b28021ecfee6be1551bdaeef4a96.gif

Fall Update

As an update I'm currently working on a piece for my Time-travel Series. One that I hope will see publication. I also have my newest New Adult Romance out to publishers Halfback Hero. Will the publisher pick it up? I don't know but we will wait and see!

5 keys to Mastery

Key #1: Surrender to your passion. Do what you love. Be an open vessel and thus open to possibilities. Intellectual sensuality… Use your imagination in an effective way. Allow your thought process to run free. Think something that you didn’t expect and you get something unexpected and more profound. When you push the pause button you can see the big picture and are able to see what you need to do with your energy to affect those around you in a grand way. Pause it, crystalize your existence and do something about it. Figure out your role and do it with grace. You always have a true friend in your passion.

Key #2: Practice, practice, practice! Tenacity and practice is the magic formula. Don’t feel that the day to day mundane things are distancing you from your dreams. Everything you do brings you closer to your dreams. It’s just a mindset. The greatest masters are those that don’t get discouraged when they find themselves on a plateau, instead they keep continuing along that plateau knowing eventually they are destined to have a jump up towards their goals and dreams.

Key #3: Have a teacher or mentor. You don’t have to do it alone. Inspire by example and find inspiration in the examples of others.

Key #4: Visualize the outcome. Make it real and present in the realm of your consciousness as if it has already happened. All consciousness exists… if you think it you can make it happen but visualize that it is happening NOW and not that it WILL happen or that you would LIKE it to happen. Meditate on how you see it happening. Visualize it as a done deal.

Key #5: Play the edge. Comfort is the enemy. Use the negativity to fuel your fire and energize and motivate yourself. Expose yourself and take the risk. To take a risk is to truly be free.

Live, Love, Repeat Give Away

Check out my free give away for Live, Love, Repeat. You don't want to miss this!

The give away ends June 26th, 2015. http://t.co/cupoeeZjvy

My Man! Time Machine Needed

Short submitted to True Writer 
byline: Erin Murdock

My daughter is at that stage in her life when she's shopping for the biggest investment she will ever make -- the man of her dreams, her true love, her husband. Hopefully, with a little luck, a good measure of prayer, and careful research and consideration, these three will all be one in the same. It makes the shopping easier in the long run. Up close and personal, I'm grateful I've only done it once and I quite frankly--through dumb luck, I fell into it!

Mind you, I didn't fall in love with him. That kind of love is for romance novels and movies. No, I grew into that part of the relationship and I've found myself needing to work on it quite a few times since. Back to my daughter and her shopping. I've listened to her relate how wonderful one is -- only for her to recant her endorsement after considering additional intel. I must admit it usually takes her longer to gather the necessary intel to flush the "buggers" than I would like.

This morning as I'm relaxing from my yoga stretches she lobs this at me. "Mom, why are guys so #$%& stupid and such jerks?"

I inhale and exhale through my mouth. She takes it as exacerbation, which it's not. "Sweetheart, you've grown up with Mary Poppins. Do you remember '…though we adore them individually, we agree that as a whole their rather stupid?"

"Yeah. So where did you find Dad?" Obviously, this is one that we adore.

"I didn't find him. He found me." I didn't remind her that it happened to be on the baseball field. She knows that story. I did add this though. "I believe they broke the mold after they made him. But even if they didn't, you'd have to go back to the fifties when he was born to find one."

"So, you got a time machine handy?"

---

 [s1]Submitted to Trueswrter 6/17/2014 must have reject or permission before submitting elsewhere.

Live, Love, Repeat --Chapter 3 continued

His gut twisted. He couldn't use kissing for his talent. He paced to the center of the stage, intent on regaining his composure and turned back. Uproars of laughter gave way to female catcalls and applause. If he accurately judged the audiences reactions they thought delay tactics were part of the design to build up his act. He loved attention as much as the next guy, but this?

"You know what happened the last time I asked for an assistant, don't you?" The audience roared. Trevor couldn't help himself; he loved having the audience in the palm of his hand. He didn't know how they'd gotten there, exactly, but he couldn't deny the high.

"Pick me!" and "Do it!" were chanted in unison. Trevor swallowed hard and turned away walking toward the rear of the stage.

Tomorrow the final swimwear competition for the general audience would take place and he knew he couldn't win that round. He let his mind tally the previous scores of the talent portion. He couldn't win this round either, and when added to the response to his dancing with a judge, his chances resembled a snowball on the Strip in August—melting fast. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand holding the mic and put his free hand on his hip. Another approving roar burst from the crowd behind him.

He must do what he'd planned. He shifted his weight. Apparently the audience appreciated the show because the shouts escalated. Well, maybe not exactly what he planned. Hadn't he already played off Aaron to introduce his talent? He pursed his lips and blew, intending to whistle 'Dixie.' It didn't work, the crowd's reactions kept making him burst into a smile. He couldn't possibly smile and whistle at the same time. He turned to the audience.

"Stop it," Trevor managed a flirting glare at the first row of females. The crowd rumbled. His attention riveted to the most verbal heckler, a striking brunette, and her blonde companion. The vivid white of the spotlight blinded him. A sharp whistle from somewhere in the crowd cut the yells.

"That's it," Trevor said in mock disdain.  More shouts. "You realize that if you're not quiet, I can't do this and I'll be disqualified." The crowd hushed. Tension filled the air. Another sharp whistle pierced the silence. He stood tall, his feet shoulder width apart.

"You," he pointed the direction of the whistle. If the heckler wanted a part of this, he could have it. "You, the one with the whistle, could you join me here on the stage?"

To his surprise a female stood. The spotlight swiveled to her making the fabric of her blouse almost translucent. She sidestepped those seated on her row. Wow, I can’t whistle with a siren like her standing next to me. There has to be a mistake.

Live, Love, Repeat --Chapter 3 continued

His gut twisted. He couldn't use kissing for his talent. He paced to the center of the stage, intent on regaining his composure and turned back. Uproars of laughter gave way to female catcalls and applause. If he accurately judged the audiences reactions they thought delay tactics were part of the design to build up his act. He loved attention as much as the next guy, but this?

"You know what happened the last time I asked for an assistant, don't you?" The audience roared. Trevor couldn't help himself; he loved having the audience in the palm of his hand. He didn't know how they'd gotten there, exactly, but he couldn't deny the high.

"Pick me!" and "Do it!" were chanted in unison. Trevor swallowed hard and turned away walking toward the rear of the stage.

Tomorrow the final swimwear competition for the general audience would take place and he knew he couldn't win that round. He let his mind tally the previous scores of the talent portion. He couldn't win this round either, and when added to the response to his dancing with a judge, his chances resembled a snowball on the Strip in August—melting fast. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand holding the mic and put his free hand on his hip. Another approving roar burst from the crowd behind him.

He must do what he'd planned. He shifted his weight. Apparently the audience appreciated the show because the shouts escalated. Well, maybe not exactly what he planned. Hadn't he already played off Aaron to introduce his talent? He pursed his lips and blew, intending to whistle 'Dixie.' It didn't work, the crowd's reactions kept making him burst into a smile. He couldn't possibly smile and whistle at the same time. He turned to the audience.

"Stop it," Trevor managed a flirting glare at the first row of females. The crowd rumbled. His attention riveted to the most verbal heckler, a striking brunette, and her blonde companion. The vivid white of the spotlight blinded him. A sharp whistle from somewhere in the crowd cut the yells.

"That's it," Trevor said in mock disdain.  More shouts. "You realize that if you're not quiet, I can't do this and I'll be disqualified." The crowd hushed. Tension filled the air. Another sharp whistle pierced the silence. He stood tall, his feet shoulder width apart.

"You," he pointed the direction of the whistle. If the heckler wanted a part of this, he could have it. "You, the one with the whistle, could you join me here on the stage?"

To his surprise a female stood. The spotlight swiveled to her making the fabric of her blouse almost translucent. She sidestepped those seated on her row. Wow, I can’t whistle with a siren like her standing next to me. There has to be a mistake.

Live, Love, Repeat --Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

To Trevor's surprise the judges of the semi-finals were not from an older generation. If they had been, he wouldn't have felt a whisper of self-consciousness. This group of judges appeared to be a group of very loud and man-hungry women in their twenties and thirties. Of course it made sense. This 'eye-candy' festival in Las Vegas paraded as an opportunity to promote small businesses. An attractive male owner or employee, preferably single, represented local businesses, each vying for one of the generous advertising packages. Trevor knew only the top prize would tide the company over until the season rolled into full gear. He compressed a snide smile on his lips, willing himself to put on a good show in the name of promoting Prestige Pools.

Trevor joined the other forty odd men in Speedos as they paraded around the beautiful pool at the Nugget. Each man wore a number on his right hip. Trevor measured himself against the rest. He stood at six feet two inches, slightly above average. Several of the guys sported obviously spray-painted tans. He knew his was all natural, even if the calendar read the end of March. Spending time in the cooler sunlight seemed warm after his polar dip last month.

Brodie had spent hours with Trevor at the gym and the results were impressive. Trevor hadn't been flabby to begin with, but they'd done a bit of sculpting, and Trevor felt confident, until number thirty-one paused in front of the gaggle of women and entertained them by making his pectorals dance. Whoops and screams filled the air leaving Trevor with little doubt as to the favorite. Several more of the guys joined the dancing pectoral display. Trevor considered it but decided he needed to find a more unique talent for the female audience. He considered what his talent might be as he sauntered past a group of panting females. Dang, this was demoralizing. Still, as luck would have it, he found himself between two apparently less appetizing guys for the duration of the early competition.

The first cut made, he found himself in the next round where he knew he excelled. He looked good in his tuxedo and he knew it. A group of ten guys made the cut. In this round, the guys presented their dancing skills. Trevor's jaw dropped to observe a few of the guys did little more than shake their butts and snap their fingers. Number five did some kind of pole dance ending with him ripping off his shirt. Trevor scowled, hoping the guy had at least had the decency to own the tux rather than rent it. For the first time in his life he appreciated a mother who insisted he learn how to dance and take her across the ballroom floor in a tango.

Trevor approached the women on the panel of judges, his music playing.

"Would one of you ladies care to dance?" Two of the women scowled at him; apparently they either didn't know how to dance or doubted his ability. He noticed the slender judge, closer to middle age, wearing the backless evening gown, squeeze a smile from her lips, a smile denoting her interest. He approached her and offered his hand. "May I have this dance?"

She nodded and stood.

"Would you prefer an open form or a closed one?" Trevor asked hoping he wasn't making a major mistake.

"Closed."

He gathered her close, her chest next to his, the inside of their right thighs together. To his surprise, she had obviously danced the tango in the past. Together, they covered the floor. The sultry movement of dancers as an impromptu team flowed with fluidity, although unrehearsed. They didn't share a single word, conforming to the competition policy which discouraged contestants and judges to mingle. The last chord faded as she leaned away from him, their thighs still anchored for balance. He brought her upright. She tilted her head in a modest thank you, and he escorted her back to her seat with a, "Thank you for your assistance."

He smiled and retreated to the wings of the stage to wait. His marks were mixed, some high and one or two extremely low. Apparently there were mixed opinions amongst the judges on how involved any judge should be with the actual competition, not merely the judging of it.

The talent portion followed. Trevor wished he could share his true talent but the show demanded performing arts, not visual, which meant his designing of pools, even the one here at the Nugget where this contest would finish on the morrow, remained out of the question.

He stood in the wings watching and listening, an opera aria in need of a little help, and a love song inaudible due to the swooning audience, maybe because the guy ripped off his shirt again. Vocal talent followed a jazz trombone. A drum solo, and a strip tease dance lacked timing. The humorous story telling stole the show, followed by a ventriloquist act and knife juggling. Trevor knew trouble loomed but the last act before his own sealed his fate. Aaron, the guy who had started the pectoral muscle dance at the pool,strutted on stage without his shirt. Trevor shook his head. He couldn't see the display but by the whoops and hollers from the audience, Aaron out did himself. He turned toward Trevor to leave the stage, his sculpted abs accentuated by the spotlights.

"Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Trevor Palmer," the emcee announced as the screams faded.

Trevor carried the microphone on stage. He looked good in his tuxedo, his shirt popping with bright whiteness. At the pool, his rich brown hair had been relaxed, as though he'd run his fingers through it, but tonight his hair exemplified perfection.

"I'm not matching that performance. I wonder if Miss America could." Trevor meant his comment as a snide remark toward Aaron, but the audience ate it up with an approving roar.

"Maybe a duet?" Trevor knew he could make his pectorals dance, maybe not to the music as Aaron had, but enough. He tightened his muscles, causing his shirt to go tight with each flex. The crowd cheered.

"Naw. That's just a cheap rip-off on his talent." A few cheers. Were they expecting him to rip his shirt off? He didn't intend to.

"This is more my style." Trevor pursed his lips, wetting the inner edge with his tongue. The women seated in the front squealed. A smile ripped across his face. He couldn't do it. He could feel his eyes twinkling under the spot light. He shook his head, wiggling his lips in an effort to get his smile back under control. More screams. He walked over to the five women in the front row who seemed to be leading the screams.

"What is it you think I'm going to do?" he whispered as he leaned down. The microphone caught his words.

"Kiss." "Show us how you kiss." Came the responses. Trevor stood up and looked into the spotlight, amplifying his surprise as it played across his face. He looked at the women, pulled his mouth into an 'O' and exhaled.  He could only think of one way out of this expectation--play it up.

"Seriously?" he asked into the mic. "You want me to do that here?"

Family Bonding Part 7

Don't forget date night! Kids are important, but so is your partner. Going out for a special night at least once a week—just the two of you—is important for reconnecting. It also shows your kids how important you are to each other.

Remember: This series of Family Tips started-for me at least- at Source: Inc.

Live, Love, Repeat --Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Mercedes rolled her eyes in disbelief. Her twin sister was so different now. When she arrived in town her hair had been .blonde. Over the months it had morphed, with a lot of help from chemical bottles, into a rich auburn that looked pretty good if Porsche kept the roots colored.

“Think of it as a late birthday present to me.” Porsche coaxed.

“You are not dragging me to this—“ Mercedes shook her head trying to find the right words to describe her distaste, while a smidgeon of interest niggled her thoughts with anticipation. She hadn’t allowed men of any age, weight or size to be a part of her life since leaving home. Now, just months from graduating with her Master’s Degree, Porsche dangled tickets to the most sought after show in Las Vegas. This wasn’t a show on the strip with all the glitter and glitz but real men—local men—available men. “This meat market you call an auction for charity.”

“Well, you don’t have to go to all the events with me. I know how you hate seeing men in speedos.” Porsche’s eyes glittered with excitement. No doubt the less the guys wore, the better she’d like it. That is where the differences had started back in the day. Porsche ogled the high school jocks, or at least what their small community had to offer on that agenda. Mercedes had gotten caught watching JC, the post high school playboy in town, in a compromising position. Her jaw had dropped to her knees. While heated embarrassment broke in waves over her, JC had disentangled himself from his latest conquest, pulled up his jeans and approached her. She didn’t remember what he said but she would never forget his meaning. She had no interest in a three-way and even less in him. When it came to women, men were pigs, no matter their age.

“But you might really enjoy the evening show,” Porsche continued. “The talent exhibitions from these guys it should be quite entertaining.”

Mercedes knew Porsche’s version of good entertainment didn’t match her own and yet she had ‘pinky promised’ on their birthday to spend an evening with her sister in the coming year. Why, oh why had she allowed herself to believe the evening would never come? It had and in the form of not just one guy, but a whole bunch of them.

“Fine,” Mercedes bit off the word. “But you still owe me an evening for my present. I don’t know what it’ll be, but you better not renege on your side of the bargain.”

Porsche pulled on her pink jacket, the one she always wore these days. Pink currently reigned as Porsche’s signature color. Looking in the mirror she pulled the hood up and positioned it about her face.

“Me? Renege? When have I ever not kept my word?”

“Oh, Sister, how about pretty much every time you have a few too many drinks? Don’t deny it. You never could hold your liquor. Why do you drink anyhow?”

“Because sister dear, its fun.”

Mercedes scowled. “I wouldn’t call a hangover fun.”

“Maybe not, but what goes on between the first few drinks and the hangover is…” Porsche gyrated her hips enticingly.

“I should have asked you to be sober for a whole year for my birthday present.” Mercedes grumbled.

Porsche turned her back on the mirror and glared at Mercedes, her posture portraying total defiance. “You wouldn’t dare ask me for that. It would be totally cruel and unfair.”

Mercedes shook her head gently. “Only for you, dear sister. Only for you.”

“If you do that, you might as well add me swearing off men for the rest of my life.”

Mercedes pantomimed a swooning death. “Heaven forbid. Your heart might stop.”

“I know. Right?” Porsche kissed her sister and stepped to the bedroom door, adding a shoulder twist and eye roll. “Thank you for not being so cruel to your one and only sister.”

Family Bonding Part 6

Do the morning or afternoon school run. This gives you a chance to encourage your kids to have a great day, ask them how their day went, and show them how proud you are of them.

Live, Love, Repeat --Chapter 1

Trevor adjusted his goggles and jumped. He might as well have dived into liquid ice. The bone chilling water enveloped him, slicing through his flesh with numbing clarity. The painful cold caused every hair on his body to stand on end and set his teeth to chattering. His breath effectively stolen by the freezing water, he managed to fight to the surface of the pool.

He stared at his work crew in shock, unable to think of a single cuss word.

"Cold, ain't it hombre?" Rufus, the only Mexican on the crew asked. Rufus stood a mere five feet four inches tall, with jet black hair in careless disarray, his typical work uniform of jeans and baggy tee shirt threadbare, but clean. He held Trevor's towel in a crumpled wad of disheveled terry cloth. Trevor eyed the towel, anxious to wrap himself in its warmth.

He tried to glare at each of his three employees in turn. Was his face frozen solid? His eyes seemed the only organs still responding to brain impulses. No wonder the guys refused to inspect the pools. What had he been thinking? He'd been thinking of how to get a jump on the competition and save his floundering company at the same time. The company, his legacy and inheritance upon his father's passing, or rather forty-nine percent of it. His mother, in conjunction with the stockholders, owned the other fifty-one percent.

Trevor had shown a propensity for designing pools early in his life and over the years his father had made Trevor's drawings a reality with several of the pools installed in the greater Las Vegas area. Trevor much preferred designing to installing or maintaining. Conceiving, planning and drawing were the part of the business Trevor did best. Running a crew proved his downfall last summer. If he couldn't manage these guys they might all end-up unemployed. He had to find a way to prove to himself, his mother, and the stockholders his value as more than a rich, spoiled screw up.

The outdoor temperature in the sun at this hour boasted 52°F and rising. Not bad for a brisk walk, but not the overly warm triple digits this same pool area would harbor in three month’s time. People wanted to use their pools as soon as the temperatures hit the low eighties which required inspecting and repairing the pools in cooler temperatures.

"Ready to get out Boss-man?" Brodie, the smart-aleck on the crew, crossed his arms over his chest. Not an easy feat for a guy with a chest circumference of fifty plus inches and arms to match.

Anxious to get out of this fix without losing face should have been Trevor's first concern, but survival preempted his faulty leadership skills. His gaze fell on Darin, the youngest man on the crew and Brodie's 'little' brother. Both brothers wore Under Armour and jeans for work this morning. Brodie often beat Darin's tender hearted emotions out of him whether physically or by shear intimidation of muscle and strength. Even so, Darin didn't let Trevor down this time.

"Guys," Darin hesitantly pleaded. "His lips are turning blue. Shouldn't we help him out?"

Brodie dropped his arm, his palm toward Darin as if to catch him with an underhand swing. "Not 'til he admits we aren't 'girly-men.' What do you say Trevor? Are we being 'girly-men' for refusing to jump into these unheated pools for another month or so?"

Chilled to the bone, Trevor did his best to swim toward the pool steps at the shallow end of the pool. As soon as he thought he could reach, he put his feet down to touch the bottom of the pool. Had the guys warned him the cement owned colder temperatures than the icy water he would have laughed. Now he could barely gasp in shock.

"I…" Trevor's teeth chattered. "Never said 'girly-men'." He locked eyes with Brodie knowing he needed to appear impervious to the cold if he wanted to come out on top in this situation. Could his muscles actually be shriveling? He needed to play the part of leader even if this decision proved one of his less sensible edicts.

"No?" Brodie held both smaller men back with his tone and imposing presence. Trevor knew neither of them dared cross the ogre. In Brodie's present humor he might toss them in the pool to keep Trevor company.

Trevor shouldn't have lost his temper last week during the combined crew meeting and card game. Mixing business with pleasure proved to be a stupid idea. Business gave way to betting. Insolent wise cracks damaged crew morale causing Trevor to place an unwise wager hoping to improve crew loyalty. Trevor bet his masculinity against Brodie's, more than a simple wager of one man's cajones against another's. Trevor wasn't sure what motivated Brodie, but he suspected just the opposite of what motivated him-- That had instigated a rather reckless decision and now he paid for it in spades. Wanting the guys to work together and get into the pools to inspect them for any needed repairs and make them, wasn't worth catching pneumonia, even if it would pacify his mother and the shareholders. A visceral knowledge of imminent failure hovered over Trevor.

Rufus broke ranks as Darin made an effort to plead Trevor's freezing case to his brother. While Darin kept Brodie busy, Rufus skirted the pair and stood at the top of the pool steps, the terrycloth in hand. Trevor spared little attention to the brother's rivalry until safe from the bone chilling water and frostbite. Rufus draped the towel over Trevor's shoulders before he cleared the icy cold.

"Th-thanks, man," Trevor shivered out the gratuity and headed for the sundrenched pool deck. There he laid himself flat, hugging what warmth the hard concrete offered at nine in the morning. He turned his head toward the feuding brothers. Brodie held Darin in a chokehold. Trevor exhaled. At least Brodie wasn't threatening to throw Darin in the pool.

"Come on, man," Trevor called across the frigid water. Brodie wasn't a mindless bully; he just acted like it when he believed his manliness was in question. "It's me you're mad at this morning and you proved your point. The unheated pools are too cold, even if they've been covered like this one. Let him go."

Brodie continued to hold Darin in his strong grip. He extended his arms over the pool at chest height. Darin struggled to keep his feet on the pool deck. Brodie had him poised above the water at a forty-five degree angle. Darin dared to look over his shoulder at the chilly water below him.

"I dare ya, you little wiennie," Brodie taunted his kid brother.

"Brodie," Trevor called. "You put him in the brink and I'll fire you for harassment."

"You wouldn't," Brodie argued, his attention more on Trevor than his captive.

"I would. Think about it. You explaining to your sweet mother and your hot girlfriend why your little brother still has a job and you don't."

The taunting look of glee on Brodie's face broke to concern as he squinted at Trevor. Several moments passed while Darin arched his back and tried to keep his feet on the pool deck. Brodie pulled his arms in and let go. Darin scrambled in an awkward dance and managed to remain on dry ground.

"You're probably going to fire me for your being in the pool this morning anyway."

 Trevor smiled, his lips warming as he lay prone on the pool deck. Brodie's antics never ceased to amaze Trevor. Occasionally a big man like Brodie needed to slink like a dog.

"Nope. You didn't push me in. I jumped of my own accord." Trevor pushed up to his elbows, placing his hands flat on the concrete to warm. "You know, I didn't call you girly-men."

"No?" Brodie questioned.

"Rufus, you're in my sunlight. Move it," Trevor ordered. Rufus stepped to the side moving his shadow off Trevor's inert form. Trevor resumed his banter with Brodie. "I told you that you needed to 'put your big girl panties on' and do the pool inspections."

Darin meandered behind Brodie and mimed pulling on overly large panties. Trevor managed to keep a straight face but Rufus chuckled at Darin's antics. Brodie spun on his antagonist.

"Don't do it Brodie. I'm not bluffing about firing you." Trevor warned.

Brodie turned back to glare at Trevor. "Fine, but only 'cause I need the money."

"Glad to hear it." Trevor hugged the concrete again, thankful for the heat it gave. "You need cash, so I take it you're going to represent Prestige Pools at the Mr. Nevada Contest."

"Heck no. I'm not parading around in a 'g-string' for no bunch of toothless old fogeys with drool to their chins." Brodie skirted the pool and advanced on Trevor. "The bet was that you inspect this pool, not that you'd get in it. Did you have time to inspect the bottom and all the walls in that split second under the water? I doubt it. That means you, Mister Boss-man will be the one putting on a show and strutting your stuff."

Family bonds Part 5

Exercise together. Shooting some hoops, taking a walk, or just throwing or kicking a ball together while you small talk will be great for your family relationships.

Live, Love, Repeat

 One life...
Porsche has sworn off all men but meeting Trevor has changed her best laid plans, throwing her resolve to find the perfect man for her sister against her stumbling head on into the ideal man for herself.
 

 Living to love...
In our contemporary world, Trevor Palmer must sink or survive, quite literally. Choosing to manipulate the changing hands of his company for his own good, he relocates to the rough country of Idaho. In searching his great great grandfather’s journal for a lost and hidden mine but when that goes awry, costing him the woman he loves, he must not only deal with his emotional loss but cope with being wheelchair bound. Paralyzed from the accident, Trevor must choose to move on with his life or let his misery consume him. A decision made all the more difficult by his controlling mother and her new husband.

 Possible to Repeat...
Mercedes has worked hard to get her job as a therapist for a new age rehabilitation clinic but will her creative therapy heal Trevor or bring them both to destruction? Trevor’s disability may be more in his head with his Conversion Disorder but it may be a physical loss as well. His loss is real but may cause him to abstain from love. Mercedes cannot let herself fall for a patient especially when a family catastrophe hits.

Porsche’s fate is forever sealed. Trevor can choose to let the accident bind him to his wheelchair and the Las Vegas heat forever or to take his mobility back. Will he dare to follow the spunky therapist’s questionable theories for healing? Will Mercedes choose to take a gamble and even risk her own career success or professional suicide?

Family Bonding Part 4

Attend kids' concerts and games. Kids want to see your face in the crowd. You can share their wins and help them understand their losses. These shared experiences make for great conversations over many family dinners to come.

Family bonding Part 3

Read with your kids. Reading not only helps you connect with your kids, but also helps build their vocabulary, increase their curiosity about life, and gets them interested in reading. They will cherish it forever.