Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tidbit Tuesday: Trailer Reveal for CALLING HOME

Hey beautiful people!

Hope you're having a nice week. I finally have an empty house today, for another 2 hours! Kiddo's off to my mum's and I can breathe again after having him with me 24/7 for the past 13 days. How did I not go nuts - I wonder!

Anyhow, I have something in store for you today! Remember last week I mentioned I had worked on the trailer for Calling Home? Well, guess what... here it is!

Can't wait for ye all to see it! Please leave me your thoughts in a comment below!




I'm getting so excited! Received the final galley yesterday and I can't believe I wrote that story - so eager for it to go on sale next Monday. :)

Have a lovely week, peeps!

From Mauritius with love,

Zee

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Six Sentence Sunday - Walking The Edge: Snippet #24

Hey beautiful people!

It's a bright, sunny Sunday morning here in Mauritius - with nary a cloud in the blue, incredibly blue sky... Okay, I'll stop before you're tempted to throw something at me! :) I'll trade the sweltering 90 degree heat with anyone's cold weather though - there's only so many clothes you can remove in the hot weather, lol.

So, Sunday once again - we blink and the week is gone, innit? I usually wait with bated breath for Six Sentence Sunday to come, when I cannot wait to share another excerpt with you all and then head over to the many amazing blogs taking part, read those snippets into stories that have me hooked. SSS is addictive, both for posting and for reading excerpts.

Today, I'm taking ye all once again to that hotel room in Marseille today, off the coast along Corniche JF Kennedy, on the upscale beaches of the Prado.

Gerard, the hunky cop, gave in to his craving for Amelia, a woman - a killer! - he knows next to nothing about, except that she makes him yearn, like someone he used to love before.
Amelia too knows next to nothing about her past, as she is amnesiac. But there's one certainty in her blank mind, in her beating heart, in every fibre of her body - Gerard will make everything right, like he used to in the past, in this past that she doesn't recall, but in which she knows - just knows - he played an important part.

Last week, they were naked, he had her up against the wall, and she read his body language as if by instinct. He took her, but where is that impulsive act leading now?

Read on to find out.


'...
He needed no further encouragement to meet her rhythm thrust for thrust. She weighed hardly more than a feather, yet her body took him as if she'd been made for him, responding to the fierceness of his taking her with an equally strong drive begging him to give her everything.

She screamed and her nails dug into his shoulder blades. The flash of pain arching through him, right when he heard the echo of her pleasure in her heavy breaths, in the powerful contractions of her body, sent him over the edge. He came with a groan, emptying his seed inside her all while his soul felt it was losing himself in her.

In a way, he had lost himself, because he'd just fucked the enemy. ...'



And, btw, this is the last excerpt of Walking The Edge (Corpus Brides: Book One) that I'll be posting on SSS. I have a new release, Calling Home, coming out on Monday, December 5 - so will be posting snips from that sweet romance as from next week.

Don't forget too - catch the rest of the amazing SSS posse here. There's bound to be great excerpts in there.

Thanks for coming over, for reading, and double thanks if you leave me a comment. :) Your words tide me through the whole week.

Hope you're having a lovely weeekend.

From Mauritius with love,

Zee

Friday, November 25, 2011

Progress Friday

Hey peeps

It's been a quiet, pretty uneventful week over here. Took some time off to spend with the kids and also with my parents. They live less than 5 miles from my place, and I go there at least once weekly to drop the kiddo off and pick him up. But the last time I actually went to their house to spend a day/half-a-day, can't remember! Must've been back in August, during the winter school break. Just no time (I know I sound like an ungrateful kid!) to go there so often for the whole day. I do talk to my mum on the phone every morning, and every Sunday when I go pick up my son, I'll sit down for a cuppa with my parents and catch up a bit. But lunch and then the afternoon? Yikes. I've tried bringing my laptop with me, but it just breaks my heart to sit there and try to work when it's obvious Mum & Dad want to chat with me about everything and nothing. Plus there's no Internet there. :)

So twice this week, I went to my parents'. After the blow of my mum losing her brother on Sunday, I thought they could do with a little of our presence at their home, and I also didn't send the kid over to stay overnight.

Which left me with kids on hand 24/7 since last Friday, and that's kinda driven me nuts as well. Thank goodness for the Playstation, which is hooked in their bedroom at the back of the house, while my 'office' is at the front. I still hear them playing and bickering but at least now, the noise is not literally next to me.

Through it all, I got the gorgeous cover for Calling Home, which comes out in 1.5 weeks, on December 5! Check it out right here in the slideshow on the right. The uber-talented Fiona Jayde did a fabulous job on this cover. :)

I was waiting for this to hit my inbox to be able to start my promo. Also put the image to good use when I devised and made the book trailer over the past 2 days. The finished trailer is 'perking' now - I'll go back to it with fresh eyes in a couple of days, then if no changes are needed, will upload to YouTube and share with you guys. So excited, cannot wait to reveal it to you. Quite pleased with myself how it all turned out. :)

So now I'm looking forward to the weekend, and got 2 beta reads for my CPs on the agenda.

It's also getting hot as hell again over here, and I'm left with a splitting headache and drained of energy every single day. Did I say before that I wanted summer to come on? I take back my words, and bite my tongue too in the process. I want some cold now!

Don't forget - if we're friends on Facebook (and if we're not, yet, what are ye waiting for to send me a friend req???), drop by later today for the Tide-us-into-the-weekend hunk pic. I have a treat for sore eyes wrapped and ready to go *BIG grin*

And don't forget also to check Angela Guillaume's week wrap-up too. She'll definitely have a hunk or two up on that post.

Hope ye all have a lovely weekend! What will ye be up to?

From Mauritius with love,

Zee

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Link Thursday: Romantic Dinner Date Etiquette for Gentlemen

Hey peeps!

Remember last week I started a series of posts about Gentlemen's Etiquette? You do want your hero to be a gentleman, innit? He can be a biker bad boy to a CEO and everything in between, but one thing a hero always is - Noble! And he has manners. :)

So we learned what a man was supposed to do - and not do - when fine dining. Some of it was weird (A gentleman doesn't draw on the table... uh, unless he's 6...?); some was spot-on and a dead giveaway that your hero is, well, "unrefined" (A gentleman never snaps his fingers to attract the waiter's attention); and some was in the good-to-know category (A gentleman never talks about golf at a table where ladies are present... ???)

When you know that two-thirds of first dates happen over a dinner table, these pointers do come in handy (plus, don't forget you can use said pointers to make your antagonist/loser/douchebag male character a better, well, uhm, douchebag...?)

...and when you've acertained that a date is almost always dinner... especially that special date of February 14, aka, Valentine's Day...

What's your hero to do, so he'll behave and come across a gentleman?

Read on to find out!

The article is from Esquire.com, and is written by John Mariani. You can find the link with the original slideshow here

*****

How to Take a Woman to Dinner the Right Way


With expert restaurant do's and don'ts, etiquette tips, and more romantic advice, make this 21-step guide your food bible for Valentine's Day. Or else.
By John Mariani


1. Ask her out at least five days in advance.
But since you've got just a few days until Valentine's Day, you're already in the hole. Assuming you've got a date, tell her the reservation is 15 minutes earlier than it actually is. This way you'll be seated on time.
 
2. French restaurants may seem romantic…
Often they upstage you with a meal that revolves around an exotic menu and wine list instead of you having a good time. And then there's the snooty factor, where you're judged as much by the service staff as your date. Especially when it comes to the tip.
 
3. On Chinese and Asian restaurants:
They are either pushy, crowded, and frantic or completely empty, ensuring you'll be the only ones in the whole place. In either case, you'll be out the door in a hurry. Think about it: When was the last time you spent more than an hour in a Chinese restaurant?
 
4. Mexican restaurants can be amiable.
They have lively atmosphere and acceptable cuisine... but they mark you as a cheapskate. The music usually sucks, but after a few fast-acting margaritas, neither you nor your date will be complaining.
 
5. Steakhouses tend to be meat markets.
Literally. Who wants to compete with the crowds of guys at the bar who can't wait for you to go to the men's room so they can hit on your girl?
 
6. Sushi is very good for a casual date.
Assuming she likes it, it is a little sexy because it's adventurous and marks you as something of a sophisticate. (This is especially true if you if you live in a landlocked city like Cincinnati or Tucson.) Just don't sit at the counter.
 
7. Italian restaurants are your best bet.
The staff is affable, they know how to greet a beautiful girl, the food is going to be good even if it's only okay, and the bill won't raise your eyebrows over your hairline. Plus, as Neil Simon once said, "There are two laws in the universe: The Law of Gravity and Everybody Likes Italian Food.
 
8. Wear a jacket or blazer.
A tie couldn't hurt either.
 
9. Don't forget:
Get up from the table when she leaves and returns.
 
10. Tip 20 percent if you expect to return.
Remember to include the wine costs as well, unless you're buying bottles of wine that cost more than $100 each.
 
11. Pay the bill.
If she offers to go Dutch, resist her.
 
12. Offer to switch plates if she hates her meal.
If that doesn't work, ask her what she hates and quietly consult the waiter off to the side.
 
13. Don't flourish a bribe to a maître d'.
Tip him on the way out if you plan on being a regular.
 
14. Don't share plates.
Especially on a first or second date. Try to stay away from the tasting menu, too, while you're at it.
 
15. Don't order soup.
It will end up on your shirt.
 
16. Don't perform the Heimlich maneuver.
Unless you are an EMT, let the trained staff handle this one.
 
17. On tasting the wine:
Don't make a giant production. Take a sip, nod if it's good, and leave the swishing and spitting for the sommelier.
 
18. Ways to tell a restaurant is bad:
The host proudly offers you a free glass of "kee-ann-tee" if you order an entrée; there is a bouncer out front;the bar is packed, but the dining area is empty; there are women's undergarments stapled above the bar; the restroom is unisex; the host says there's a half-hour wait for a table.
 
19. Other ways to tell a restaurant is bad:
Tonight's music selection: showtunes!; the menu has tassels; the winelist comes in a three-ring binder; the place has no listed phone number; the tables are so close together that the waiter has to pull them out to sit you down; it's one of Todd English's restaurants; the waiters have track marks on their arms.
 
20. Yes, you like oysters.
Still, don't ever suggest a food is an aphrodisiac. It makes you sound like you learned everything you know about romance from your dad's Playboy collection in the garage.
 
21. Don't order coffee.
Because if you order coffee, how on Earth is she going to invite you back to her place for a cup? You can always grab desserts on the way back to her place.
 
*****
 
From Mauritius with love,
 
Zee

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tidbit Tuesday: Cover Reveal for CALLING HOME & an interview based on the book

Hey beautiful people!

I've been on pins and needles for a few days now, waiting to get the final cover for my December 5 sweet romance novel, Calling Home!

So... here it is!



I'm totally in awe of this amazing cover designed by the talented Fiona Jayde. She embodied everything I wanted the cover to portray - a dreamy feel, all in nuances, and then the couple on there could actually be the characters in the book. That's how close the resemblance is.

I was waiting for the cover to reveal a bit more about this book, which comes out in 2 weeks, on December 5, 2011, with Noble Romance Publishing. The book is also the first in a themed series titled Destiny's Child, where in every book, a child brings an unlikely couple together.

Here's the blurb for Calling Home (A Destiny's Child Book):


Forensic pathologist Margo Nolan is described as a cold, unemotional man hiding inside a woman's body. Clinical and rational, the ice queen persona is only a facade to protect herself after she has lost the one thing she has ever longed for: Emma, the daughter she brought up like her own.
When tragedy strikes in Emma's life, Margo is the only one who can step in... to become the stand-in parent to the 11-year old! Clueless about children, family life and anything that should involve her heart, Margo is at a loss.
But she need not worry - sexy and easygoing, and much younger, village doctor Jamie Gillespie is here to help the heart-thawing process.


And if you want to read more about the story, check out the amazing interview Jessica E. Subject did with me. We focus on Calling Home and there are even pics of how I imagined Jamie and Margo!
Come take a look!

http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/?p=8159#comment-4259


I am so excited right now, peeps! Can't stay in place at all!

From Mauritius with love,

Zee

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Six Sentence Sunday - Walking The Edge: Snippet #23

Hey beautiful people

It's a pleasant but bittersweet Sunday morning for me right now - as I was putting this post together, I learned one of my uncles just passed away after a lengthy struggle against cancer. It's news that hits home even more given that I'm a cancer survivor too, and he and I actually went in together one day at the hospital, back to back, to see our oncologist.

I'm saddened, and the news left me reeling... but life goes on anyhow, and we all gotta do what we gotta do to move along.

So I'd already signed up for Six Sentence Sunday, and I didn't want to leave anyone in the lurch (and also not put up my link up when I signed up, which to me, amounts to giving my word).

Last week, we were in that hotel room in Marseille, this couple in total lust against the velvet-panelled wall. Heat flared up, fast. Will they follow upon this fire that blazed... give in to their desire for one another...? Read on for today's six:


'...
Bracing his hands on her ribcage, he pinned her to the wall. She understood what he wanted, and in the blink of an eye, her legs came up, brushing feverishly against his hips, then straddling his waist. Standing like that, his body aligned with her core, and with a none-too-gentle push, he swiftly entered her.

Even with her face buried in the crook of his collarbone, he heard the moan she tried to stifle. Her soft, velvety lips trailed up his skin to settle on the pulse beating frantically in his neck. Her tongue darted out to caress the throbbing vein, and she rocked her lower body against his. ...'


Thanks for coming over, and double thanks if you leave me a comment. You know these little words you leave me tide me into the week, right? :)

Don't forget to check out the other Six Sunday posters here - I guarantee there are some amazing reads in that list.

Hope you're all having a lovely Sunday.

From Mauritius with love,

Zee

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Progress Friday--strikethat Saturday!

Hey beautiful people!

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I sat down early in the morning to write the last chapter of Before The Morning. Got into the action, I blinked, it was time to pick up my son from my mum's... and I was 5-10 pages short of finishing the book. Which I did in the evening. 8,922 words added yesterday, and that means...

The WIP is finished! I wrote 'The End' on the ms yesterday night at 9.17 p.m. It totals at 108,400-something words, and is the longest book I've ever written. Lol, told you that one turned epic on me.

Now I need to take a break from the book for a few days/a week, so I can go back to it with fresh eyes and work in the suggestions of my crit partners. Then it's another round of beta reads, before this baby is sent off to my editor (who is waiting for it eagerly, it appears *grin*).

I'm over the moon right now. This book has been a labour of love all the way. From devising the characters, to tying the overall arc of the Corpus Brides series over all 3 books in this lineup, to the sheer amount of research it took to get this one as beefed up as possible. This is one story where almost every physical location I mention in the book actually exists - from the houses in Mayfair, Notting Hill, and Hastings; to the city centre of Prague; the Roman necropolis at Alyscamps in the south of France; the tunnel shaft of the Brunel Tunnel, found under the Thames and the first ever tunnel dug under a river - each and every one of these places exists and I did my best to get the location and details right. Not to mention the absolute fest of guns and other weapons my characters use - I got a crash course on semi-automatic pistols and sniper rifles, and can't wait to share that with my readers.

So please forgive my lateness with my progress report. I had set my goal to finish this book by yesterday, come what may, and I did it. I started this ms on July 27, and through 3 weeks-winter-break with the kids and them going back to school, and the start of the summer break - I worked for 3 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days on this one. Not bad for an epic-length story, especially when life and other books' edits flitted in too.

I sit back to enjoy a nice, restful weekend now. What are ye all up to? I admit my brain is a tad fried, but it's a good kind of fried, lol.

Wonder what my CP and the sister of my heart, Angela Guillaume, has been up to this week.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

From Mauritius with love,

Zee

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Link Thursday: A Gentleman's Guide to Dining Etiquette... and other guidelines for life

Hey beautiful people

Sorry I've been AWOL again this week on the postings. Been trying to finish the WIP, Before The Morning (one chapter short of the end! Woot!) and I also have the boys at home on break. Between navigating these, my days are topsy turvy.

But then I came upon this article, and I knew I just had to share with you all!

We write heroes, right? Honourable men, strong men, sexy men, bad boys, sweet men - but always, always, gentlemen! There are some things a man should definitely know... like how to behave at a dining table. Most first/successive dates happen over a dinner table, and I suppose you want your hero to behave like a gentleman, not like a baboon (reserve that for the good-for-nothing layabout your heroine has to ditch!). Even villains need some manners - I love me a suave, smooth villain like the ones in James Bond - totally classy, and always, always, gentlemen!).

So here I stumble upon this article - a guide to proper, fine dining etiquette for gentlemen. Trust me - your heroes could use these pointers... and come to think of it, the men in your life too.

This will be the first post in a series of etiquette links I'll post in the coming Thursdays. Enjoy!

The article is from John Mariani and I grabbed it from Esquire.com You can check it in the original slideshow here.

*****

A Gentleman's Guide to Dining Etiquette

Thirty-nine rules to eating like a proper man, courtesy of Esquire's food correspondent, and in no particular order. But very particularly.

By John Mariani

1. A gentleman is never unintentionally rude.

2. A gentleman always dresses appropriately.

3. A gentleman never bribes a maître d'.

4. A gentleman never has more than one cocktail before dinner.

5. A gentleman never takes more than one minute to decide on his meal.

6. A gentleman never talks about golf with women present.

8. A gentleman does not table-hop.

9. A gentleman does not frequent any restaurant so loud that he cannot hold a conversation with the person across from him.

10. A gentleman never drinks beer from a bottle at a restaurant.

11. A gentleman does not use sugar substitutes.

12. A gentleman always gets up from his chair when a woman gets up from hers or approaches the table.

13. A gentleman does not drink water with a lime or lemon slice in it.

14. A gentleman never has his cell phone on the table.

15. A gentleman never discusses the price of a meal or wine.

16. A gentleman never overtips.
 
17. A gentleman always orders after his guests do.
 
18. A gentleman never orders salad as a main course.
 
19. A gentleman never applauds when the chef comes out.
 
20. A gentleman takes his mother out to dinner at least four times a year.
 
21. A gentleman lets his father take him out to dinner four times a year.
 
22. A gentleman does not sniff the cork but merely glances at it to see if the vintage is the same as on the bottle label.
 
23. A gentleman never says more than three words about the quality of a wine served.
 
24. A gentleman should always quietly dispute an error on a check with the manager.
 
25. A gentleman should never dance at a Greek restaurant…
 
26. ... or sing karaoke in a Japanese restaurant.
 
27. A gentleman never tucks his napkin into his shirt.
 
28. A gentleman should send back a wine only if it has gone bad or been corked.
 
29. A gentleman should never be ashamed to ask for a doggie bag.
 
30. A gentleman never shakes a breadstick in the air to make a point.
 
31. A gentleman never draws on the tablecloth.
 
32. A gentleman never admires another man's shoes.
 
33. A gentleman should never put his hand over a wine glass to indicate "no more."
 
34. A gentleman never snaps his fingers to get a waiter's attention.
 
35. A gentleman knows the difference between a sauce spoon and a soup spoon, as well as the functions of all silverware on a table.
 
36. A gentleman goes to the restroom before sitting down to dinner.
 
37. A gentleman never asks a chef to alter his cooking.
 
38. A gentleman always has coffee after dessert.
 
39. A gentleman may flirt with the coat check girl but must never ask her out on a date.
 
*****
 
From Mauritius with love,
 
Zee

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Six Sentence Sunday - Walking The Edge: Snippet #22

Hey beautiful people

It's raining here (not men, unfortunately... but we need the water after the scorching, dry heat of the past few weeks). So, if it's not raining men here, I'm pretty sure it will be raining hot, hunky, and honourable men in all the Six Sentence Sunday snippets going up today. Don't you agree? :)

And since it's dull, dark, and wet, here in Mauritius today, I'm gonna turn up the heat a little and put my own hot, hunky, honourable hero out there for public consumption (my, aren't we wicked today! *grin*).

So, last week, we were in that Marseille hotel room... and Gerard had Amelia in his arms, and he pushed her naked body against the velvet-panelled wall. Heat is flaring...


"...
Her hand came down from his neck to open the buttons on his shirt, pushing off his shoulder holster in the process; he helped her and shrugged out of the leather, then the cotton garment. His bare skin brushed against hers; her hardened nipples rubbed against his torso - he groaned and tore his mouth from hers to trail hot, fevered kisses along the column of her throat.

Small, plaintive moans escaped her on rushed exhales as she let him explore the recesses along her collarbone; she wanted him as much as he wanted her—he could feel it in the way she abandoned her body to his touch, to his kisses. He undid the button and zipper on his jeans and pushed them off, kicking them to the side.

Her leg came up along his thigh, her soft skin sending sparks of desire along his limbs and throughout his body.

Now—he needed her now. ..."


Catch other hot, hunky men in the rest of the Six Sentence Sunday posse's snippets here. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. :)

As always, I love your comments! Leave me a few words and tide me into the week with a smile. :)
From Mauritius with love,

Zee

Friday, November 11, 2011

Progress Friday

Hey peeps

Sorry I've been MIA this week. I was up to my neck in edits on Calling Home, my December 5 sweet romance release with Noble Romance Publishing. One thing you gotta know - nitty-gritty and I do not go together at all, so edits are always, always a pain. After days of staring at those word-filled pages so much my brain got static burn, today I just finished with the formatting and looking at that little backward-P paragraph sign and all its space dots on the page made me cross-eyed (yikes, passive voice! See, it's obvious I just came from an editing round!).

That being said, I cannot stress how much my editor over at Noble is a Godsend and a wonderful editor and great lady too. She always asks the pertinent questions and her suggestions are spot on. Thanks to her involvement and expertise, I now have a spick-and-span , shiny story ready to go. :) She prodded and poked and this led me to add a little over 6K of improvements to the ms.

So how's that for progress, people? 6K and a 50K-novel edited fully? And don't forget I have the hyenas at home too this week. Go me!

And now I'm wiped. Totally gotta destress (Burn Notice tonight?), and yeah, I think I deserve some Nutella ice cream now. Or a Death By Chocolate Magnum. TGIF and soooo looking forward to the weekend now.

What are your plans? I'll be doing... nothing! Tada!

It's been a mad, mad week, and speaking of... wonder if Angela Guillaume had a week from Looney Tunes land too.

Have a lovely weekend, peeps! XOXO

From Mauritius with love,

Zee

Sunday, November 06, 2011

Six Sentence Sunday - Walking The Edge: Snippet #21

Hey beautiful people

It's a calm, quiet, lazy Sunday morning in Mauritius... and though I know I should laze around too, I just cannot stand the idea of peace and quiet right now.

So how do I brew up a little excitement? Six Sentence Sunday, of course! While I wait for the list to go live and the other participants' excerpts to go up, let me add mine.

Last week, we faced the question of "What would happen if they kissed?"

Well, they have kissed, and what happens now? Remember there's a sudden fire that blazed between these two in the hotel room. Gerard has thought of a woman from his past, whom he wants to forget, and the only way for him to do that is to lose himself in the moment, in Amelia.
Amelia, despite her blank memory, is trusting her heart and her dormant instincts that are guiding her, urging her to put her trust into him, because the moment is so reminiscent of the ones she is sure they have had in the past.

But, the problem remains - Gerard doesn't recognize her, and her amnesia is not helping any. Who is she really?

What happens after that kiss, after Amelia is certain that Gerard will make her finally come alive? Read on for today's six:

'...
Gerard groaned - her passion was enough to blow to ashes whatever remaining sense he still possessed.

She's a killer, his rational brain prodded; She isn't going to kill me now, another side retorted - in fact, he'd die if he didn't have her. Not very professional of him, he reckoned, but who gave a damn right now, because she made him think—

Stop that!

He needed to forget, to focus on the here and now, and so he released her cheek and reached down to grip the towel, peeling it off her in a rough jerk. She arched against him, and he moved forward, making her take a step back until her body was pressed to the velvet-paneled wall. ...'


Catch the rest of the Six Sunday folks here. Thanks for dropping by today, and double thanks if you leave me a comment. XOXO

From Mauritius with love,

Zee

Friday, November 04, 2011

Progress Friday

Hey peeps

It's been of those weeks of total extremes - where everything that could go right went perfect, and everything that could go wrong went, well, to hell in a handbasket.

All of which leaves me tired, weary, washed out... you name it. Not helped by the fact that summer break kicked in today and I'll have the kiddo on hand for the next 9 weeks. Yes, I am sooo looking forward to that, you bet!

Nevertheless, thank goodness the one thing that went right this week went totally right, and that it was the writing. Clocked down a grand total of 7,714 words on Before The Morning, taking me through the end of one chapter, start to finish on another, and setting up for the remaining leg of the book. I can so see this ending in another 2 chapters/10K words (which does, yes, mean that I'll have gone epic on this, but hey, the story's asking for it and the only time I felt so in tune with my characters was on another story that went epic too).

As for the bad that went ugly... well, tomorrow's another day, right? Gotta buck up and face it head on, though I've got as much energy as a washed out and wiped down dish rag right now. But, onwards and forwards, right? We're each one of us responsible for what we make of your future and how we handle our destiny in the palms of our hands.

That's what my bestie, author Angela Guillaume, would tell me. I hope she's had a better week than I've had, so why don't we check out her blog and find out?

Hope ye all have a lovely weekend, peeps! XOXO

From Mauritius with love,

Zee

Thursday, November 03, 2011

Link Thursday: What You Can Learn About A Guy From His Shoes

Hey beautiful people!

It's been a busy week for me so far, and that's why I've been MIA here. Apologies - I'm plugging to finish Before The Morning and then we had two days of public holidays this week, so the whole crew was home. That, you know by now, equals no work. :) Add to it that my son is in his final trimester exams and I'm having to take time out to coach him with revisions and studies.

Anyhow, back on board... And I have something a little light and funny today.

We all know I'm a shoe-holic. Currently planning my next trip to Aldo at the end of this month, but I digress...

So, women love shoes, but what about men? See a woman in a stiletto heel and another in a pair of flats and we can judge the 'characterization' of that person right away. How does this happen where a man and his shoes are concerned?

Read on for this funny yet insightful article. I grabbed it off Betty Confidential and you can find it online here.

Enjoy!

*****

What You Can Learn About a Guy by His Shoes
Could his footwear be the key to his personality?

By PJ Gach

We women love shoes. We have shoes for every mood and occasion. We don’t think it’s odd to buy four pairs of black shoes in one shopping spree. In our minds, they’re all different, even though they’re the same color. We know what it means when our friends wear flats or dazzling red heels. We can size up work competition by simply glancing at their feet. So why aren’t we doing the Sherlock Holmes thing when it comes to guys and shoes?

I’ve whipped up a quick handy-dandy guide to figuring out what men are like based on their footwear. It’s not scientific and it’s definitely tongue in cheek.

Sneakers

Call them kicks, trainers, high-tops, whatever you call them; they’re really just an athletic shoe. If a guy wears them 24/7 it could be that he’s a jock. Or he’s a jock wannabe. Or has really bad feet. Don’t be around him when he takes off his sneakers, you could pass out.

Wing Tips

He likes money. A guy who wears Wing Tip shoes is in a buttoned down industry like finance, banking, insurance or any field where they talk in hushed tones and fling millions around like popcorn. If your guy wear these shoes, he’s a very serious guy. If he wears them with jeans, well, either he doesn’t have any fashion sense (you can help him with that) or he’s really, and I do mean really, buttoned up.

Boat Shoes/Moccasins

If his first name is Chip, Skip or a relative’s last name, you’re dealing with a preppy. Preppy guys have great smiles. They’re charming, funny, dress funny. Yeah, I’m serious, have you seen the embroidered lobster pants they’ll wear during the summer. And they’re really cheap. They don’t carry much money, preferring to borrow things for friends for amusements. Okay, these things could be yachts, summer houses or planes. Not a bad deal.

Cowboy Boots

If he’s a genuine cowboy working on a ranch, they’re cool. If he’s a country singer, they’re cool. If he works for an insurance company and cows make sneeze, he’s still a little kid inside.

Motorcycle Boots

He drives a motorcycle, speaks five languages, is math whiz, practices Shaolin Kung Fu, and is independently wealthy, incredibly kind and a great kisser. Oh, right, that doesn’t exist. Um, he wears moto boots because he’s got a bike. He wears moto boots because he’s into heavy metal. Or he just likes them.

Loafers/Oxfords

He’s Chip's/Skip's cousin and works for the family firm. He works out a lot and has a great butt.

Trendy Shoes

He knows the names of more shoe designers than you can dream of. The moment a new style or trend hits, he’s the first one to buy them. His shoes will always look better than yours. His wardrobe will always be better than yours. He knows the best brunch places in town. His apartment is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. He did it himself. He knows all the right people. Oh, and he’s gay.

Tell us: Do you check out guys shoes?

PJ Gach is Senior Editor: Style + Beauty at BettyConfidential.
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From Mauritius with love,

Zee