I recently tuned in to a radio program when a local DJ was offering good rules of thumb for everyday living. His last suggestion was, “Before buying a used car, you should take it to a mechanic to get it checked out.” Makes good sense to me.

Then a caller offered one that makes even better sense: “Never fry bacon naked.”

So I thought I would list some of my own rules to live by and how I learned of them:

= Don’t keep drain cleaner in your medicine cabinet next to the mouthwash (my grandmother deeply regretted this)

= Keep Icy Hot pain ointment away from sensitive body parts, especially if you’re female (a woman friend)

= Don’t walk outside to get the mail and get distracted when you’ve left water running in the kitchen sink (a neighbor)

= If you use your fireplace a lot, clean out the flue once in a while or risk setting your roof on fire (my in-laws)

= Don’t set your Ipod on top of your mom’s car just before she backs out of the driveway (a friend’s son never saw his again)

= Take your time when chopping lettuce since pieces of thumb don’t make good salad fixings (me)

What wise rules to live by can you share with your fellow goddesses —  and how did you learn them?

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Goddess SuzyQ has a deep passion for the show True Blood from HBO and she generously sent us some ’samples.’ If you haven’t seen this show, you should.

Now.

Or earlier, if you can.

Why? Well, just take a peek . . . This is supposedly Alexander Skarsgård (Eric Northman) though his rep says it’s a photoshop, but we’ll enjoy it anyway:

Wowza, huh?

Then there is Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse):

Delish!

And last, but not least, Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton):

Have any of you seen True Blood? Are you, like me, heading straight to HBO to see the next episode? SPECIAL THANKS TO SUZY Q FOR THIS WEEK’S FROS, THE MEN OF TRUE BLOOD!

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So there I was, surfing the teevee while waiting for The Colbert Show (I heart Steven Colbert), when I caught the tail end of a talk show about a book that detailed how woman shouldn’t marry for love, but instead look for a man with a big bank roll.

I’ll spare you the details, but basically, the more I heard about this book, the angrier I became.

When you’re thinking about marriage, it makes sense to consider a potential spouse’s fiscal traits. It’s unwise to marry a person who has ‘issues’ with sticking to a budget or who can’t keep a job because, like alcoholism or selfishness, it’s bound to cause problems — serious problems — somewhere down the line.

I have no problems with that section of theory presented in the book. The part I have a problem with is the part that states that while it’s silly to chase a man just because he has ‘big blue eyes,’ it’s perfectly ok to chase one because he has a ‘big green bankroll.’

There is one word for this sort of thinking — shallow. It’s just as shallow to marry a man because he is wealthy as it is to marry one because he’s handsome.

Personally, I think the authors of this book are lazy. They want someone else — a husband — to provide them with a shortcut to a certain lifestyle rather than earning it themselves. I hear about this sort of convoluted thinking and all I hear is a chorus of “I’m headed for the Big D and I don’t mean Dallas.”

My theory about marriage can be summed up by the following three statements:

1. Marriage is an option and not a requirement. There’s nothing wrong with deciding not to marry — it’s not for everyone. In fact, I have several unmarried friends who are blissfully happy with their lives. People who marry because they ‘have to be married to be happy,’ rarely are. You should marry because this time, and this person, are right for you.

2. Don’t expect other people to ‘make’ you happy or wealthy or safe or secure. It’s YOUR job to create a life for yourself that is all of those things. If you’re not happy before you’re married, you won’t be happy afterward, no matter how much of a bank roll your new husband has. If it were true that money solved all problems, then why do so many rich people get divorced — and not just once, but often over and over a la Larry King, Donald Trump, Elizabeth Taylor, and many others? Money can’t guarantee happiness.

3. Marry with your eyes wide open. While love will certainly smooth the edges off an occasional disagreement, it won’t solve big problems. You have to address those issues as a couple, as equals. And that takes maturity, self-awareness, and a willingness to take responsibility for yourself and your actions.

Do you think marrying for money alone would work? What do you think makes a successful marriage? When I read about this book, it made me angry because it seemed condescending to woman. Does this sort of thing make you angry, too? Or am I overreacting and should just chillax?

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I am ecstatic.  School starts next week.  All the children who interrupt my concentration by screeching around the corner in their cars, or rolling by on their skateboards, or knocking on my door wanting to sell me something, or playing some game on the street and sidewalk when I am trying to wog by and have to step around them, will be back where they belong:  lockdown.  I get all giddy thinking about it.

Okay, the kids don’t really bother me, except the teenagers in their first cars who drive with more reckless abandon than I ever did.  But there is something about back to school that I love.  Maybe it’s the new structure of the day.  Everything starts a little earlier, there is actual quiet time on the street–I actually get to wog without interference most mornings–and  everyone is in bed a little earlier, which leaves me time to work.

Maybe it’s the change of season.  It’s still hot as hell here, but at least you know with the start of school that change and football are coming.  I have some friends who are new empty nesters.  They are having a party next Friday night to celebrate the fact that they don’t have to be anywhere.  No cheerleading practice, no band practice, no football game they must attend.  They will be serving cocktails around their pool with other empty nesters.  They are embarking on a huge change in their life.

Maybe it’s the tax free shopping weekend.  That sounds so appealing.  I could use some new shoes, right?  But in all the years since Texas has had the tax-free shopping, I have yet to make use of it.  The thought of all those kid elbows keeps me from joining the fray.

And it’s definitely the memories.  I remember when I was a kid, back to school meant new clothes.  One year, they were mostly store-bought instead of homemade, as they usually were.    Must have been a banner wheat or beef year, who knows?  The other thing I loved was picking out my school supplies.  I was most interested in the writing tablets and writing utensils.  Go figure.  And then there was the all important lunch box decision.  I had several,  but the one I loved was the yellow Flinstone lunch box.  The thermos looked like a rock.  Inside that lunch box was usually bologna and cheese, twinkies, potato chips, and milk.    Those were the days!  And that was on top of a morning of pancakes.  It’s a miracle I didn’t pass out from the sugar overload.

What are you back to school memories?  Do you remember your lunch box? Do you remember what was IN your lunch box?  What is your favorite thing about back to school now?

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Mr. Steven Tyler,
I am writing this letter to let you know that I have loved you for more than thirty years. I have all your music and I wore out my original Dream On album. Even though I am not big on animal prints, it is okay with me that you wear cheetah pants and leopard shirts. I even like your silk scarves, even though Mr G says they’re “fruity.” I don’t listen to him because he wears Brooks Brothers and doesn’t have your obvious flair for fashion. He isn’t very PC either. Seeing you in concert was one of the biggest thrills of my life. I saved the confetti from that might and put in my special Plaza Hotel jar.

But Steven . . . how can I love you if you’re going around in public like this? Seriously, what happened? You are obviously having issues. I have so much Sweet Emotion for you. So please Stop Messin’ Around. You are my freebie. When Mr. G and I were picking out our one person in world that we could have sex with and not get divorced, I picked you, Steven. I could have chosen any number of men who would have been ecstatic to be my freebie. I could have picked Patrick Swayze, Johnny Depp or Billy Idol. Or that really cute guy at the store with the blue eyes. They were all serious contenders. Throughout the years, I could have switch my freebie. Mr. G has, but I’m more loyal than Mr. G. I stuck with you, Steven when I could have switched to Brad Pitt or Clive Owen. Then you go and start wearing the big bugged eyed glasses and looking like an anorexic praying mantis. Or worse, an Olsen twin. I can’t have sex with an anorexic praying mantis or Mary Kate. Not even if I close my eyes and think of Lenny Kravitz. So please Steven, just stop. Please go to rehab if you need too. And for the love of all that is good and holy, eat a sandwich. With lots of mayo.

Hugs and kisses. Your most loyal fan,
Rachel Gibson

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I received the covers for my next two books!  This is a new series with a new publisher, and a lot of thought went into the “package,” as it is called in the industry.

As you can see, they went with the gorgeous gowns trend, and I could not be happier. The cover for the first one,Ravishing in Red (Feb, 2010), is on the left. The second one is on the right (March, 2010). Both covers have a lot more texture, highlights and precision than you are seeing here (due to downsizing for the web), and I love them because I think all the textures in the gowns trend are yummy to look at. These are not up on my web site yet, so this is the sneak peek first upload.

The whole process of brainstorming and researching my input on these made me notice covers individually and as a group in ways I normally don’t. So I noticed some of the other trends too.

For example, there is a trend of returning to pastels in some historicals, and also what I call a retro trend—more painterly covers, especially painterly clutches. By painterly I mean the look of open brush work and a sort of impressionistic, fly away look, with a strong sense of movement. I call it retro because these covers remind me of the covers from the ’80s when the characters always appeared wind-swept. The choice of colors being used for these reminds me of the palettes used then too.

We are also seeing faces again on some historicals. This is also a trend that, after headless people for so long, can look fresh.

Then, in other genres— especially suspense, paranormal and urban fantasy– there is a monochromatic trend. One color really dominates, like yellow or blue, and most of the cover appears to be shades of that color. There may be other colors, say for an item of clothing, but often it won’t be in a contrasting color, but instead a closely related one. If the dominant color is blue, that exception may be purple or green. If it is yellow, the exception will be red or orange.

 This is very effective for a cover that has a lot of imagery because it keeps the dangerous street/landscape/lurking villain/post-apocalyptic world from creating a cover that is just too busy to be absorbed visually, the way it would be if every item had its own strong color. But this is sort of retro too, harking back to the days when covers did not use full color as a matter of course.

This monochromatic look is affecting historicals too, but not as obviously. Both of my covers reflect it. So do some of the other Goddess covers in the left column of this page  <—–

Of course we all are aware of the guy’s naked chest trend. It has been going strong for several years in just about every sub genre. I find that I am becoming a connoisseur of those chests, and a bit picky about the pecs and abs after all this experience viewing them.

What trends are you seeing? Which ones do you like?

Do you miss any that have fallen out of favor?

If you could create the perfect cover for your favorite sub-genre, what would it look like?

Do you have a favorite cover, or a book that you know you ended up buying because a great cover grabbed your eye? 

Do you have any predictions about the next trends?

As far as contemporary romance—Is it my imagination or has there been a high heel trend?

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Today is the day I launch a new contemporary series.   I’ll be honest, goddesses, I am a little nervous about this one.  It’s not standard romance fare.  For starters, it is a love triangle.  Secondly, I don’t think it’s obvious who the hero is.  And third, it is about making difficult choices.

The idea for this book sort of started with my nephew, who joined the Marines a few years ago because he thought it was the right thing to do after the events of 9/11.  He served two tours in Iraq, but is out now and on to his new life.   When you have a loved one over there, the thought of losing them is never very far from your mind.  In addition, annually our local paper runs an issue that shows the faces of all the men and women from Central Texas who have lost their lives in the war.  It’s heartbreaking.  You cannot look at those pictures and not imagine the grieving families who would give anything to see them come home.  I began to think, what if one of them did come home?  What would he or she come back to?  How would life have changed?  My imagination went from there.

This book is about a woman who loses the love of her life to the war in Afghanistan.  She grieves for a long time but finally comes to the realization that life is worth living again.  She meets another man who helps lift her out of her despair and falls in love with him.  About three years after she last saw her first husband, she is settling into life as a newlywed again and gets word that there has been a mistake—her first husband isn’t dead at all; he’s been held captive by the Taliban, escaped, and now he is coming home.  Of course that is happy news, but then the inevitable question rises up:  Whose wife is she?  She loves two men, and two men love her, but she must choose, and someone is going to be hurt.

In all honesty, I didn’t know who she was going to end up with until nearly the end.  It is an agonizing decision for her to make, and fortunately, I’ve never had to make such a tough, tough choice.  But it got me to thinking–what are some of the tough choices I’ve had to make in life? I can think of three off the top of my head:

1) to leave Texas and move to Washington DC when I was a pup.  That sounds really silly now, but at the time, it was a huge choice for me.  Security vs. adventure.

2) to end my first marriage.

3) to quit my day job and take a leap of faith that I could earn a living at this writing thing.

So far, everything has worked out for me.  I believe in the adage, “no risk, no gain.”  Not that I am looking for hard choices, but it seems in the times I have taken the most risk, I have gained.  What tough choices have you had to make in life?  Was it worth the risk?  Would you do it again?  And please give SUMMER OF TWO WISHES a try — my mortgage company will be almost as grateful as me!

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