Etsy - Rose Cottage in Kalamazoo

I have started my own store on Etsy. I am selling baby blankets, cell phone charms and other stuff. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Here is the link: rosecottagekalamazoo.etsy.com

Replacement Windows

I got the funniest email today and I just had to share. :)

REPLACEMENT WINDOWS

Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with that expensive double-pane energy efficient kind, and today, I got a call from the contractor who installed them. He was complaining that the work had been completed a whole year ago and I still hadn't paid for them. Hellloooo,............just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. So, I told him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year, that in ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves! Helllooooo? It's been a year! I told him. There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up. He never called back. I bet he felt like an idiot.

I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.

Stop the Author's Guild and Google from STEALING your Books!

http://www.authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/settlement-resources.html

The Author's Guild and Google settled a class action suit brought by the Author's Guild against Google. Google has been copying books from the libraries whether they had copyrights or not and making them available to the public. The Author's Guild decided they could represent all the authors in the world and sued them. They settled and unless you (the author) opt out, Google has permission to copy your book onto their website if your book has been out of print for one (1) year. According to copyright law, books are under copyright for 70 years after the author's death. This settlement makes that null and void.

It is outrageous that the Author's Guild thinks that they can represent all of the authors whether or not they are a member of the Author's Guild. It is outrageous that Google thinks they can scan copyright books and make them available for free without any repercussions. It is also outrageous that the judge actually agreed to all of this.

I would recommend to everyone that they go to Google and determine if their book is on their site and if it is, send them a DMCA Take Down Notice. Here is the link to Google Books to find out if your book is listed on their site.
http://books.google.com/books

Any suggestions on how to handle this would be appreciated!

16th Birthday Party

My daughter has decided for her 16th birthday party to have an......

ALIEN Theme, not jewelry, tiaras, flowers, nothing like that, but aliens from outer space.

Only my daughter could come up with something like this.

We did the invitations today. Here is what the invitation states:
Earthling(s)
You are invited to the
Homosapien Extermination Project (this has a line through it)
16th Birthday Party
For
XXXXXXX
Hosted by the invading (Invading has a line through it)
Nice alien forces
At the house with the space ship
hovering over the yard

We are going to hang planets from the ceiling, place alien posters on the wall and put black gossamer star material on the walls. If any one has any other suggestions they will be appreciated

Books

What are some good books you have read lately? Or some favorite authors that you enjoy reading?

Here are some of mine:
Books
Packing Heat - it is a fun, FBI suspense book, I know it sounds like an oxymoron. But it is good.
Lavender Morning - it was the new one by Jude Devereaux
I haven't read a lot recently, but here are my favorite authors:

Authors
Patricia Briggs
Christine Feehan
Karen Moning
Catherine Coulter
Iris Johanneson ( I never remember the spelling of her last name)

I am hoping that by reading different types of books, I will be able to get back into writing. My Molly book is slowly coming along. I am working on possible titles, so if anyone has suggestions, I would love them. :)

The Monkey's Disgrace

My mom reminded me of this poem:

Three monkeys sat in a coconut tree
Discussing things as they are said to be.

Said one to the others, "Now listen, you two,
There's a rumor around that can't be true
"That man descended from our noble race
"The very idea is a great disgrace.

"No monkey has ever deserted his wife
"Starved her babies and ruined her life
"And you've never known a mother monk
"To leave her babies with others to bunk

"Or pass from one on to another
"Till they scarcely know who is their mother.

"Here's another thing a monkey won't do
"Go out at night and get on a stew.
"Or use a gun or club or knife
"To take some other monkey's life.

"Yes, man descended, the ornery cuss
"But, brother, he didn't descend from us."

~ Author Unknown ~

Three monkeys sat in a coconut tree cussing things as they are said to be. Said one to the others, "Now listen, you two, There's a rumor around that can't be true "That man descended from our noble race "The very idea is a great disgrace. "No monkey has ever deserted his wife "Starved her babies and ruined her life "And you've never known a mother monk "To leave her babies with others to bunk "Or pass from one on to another "Till they scarcely know who is their mother. "Here's another thing a monkey won't do "Go out at night and get on a stew. "Or use a gun or club or knife "To take some other monkey's life. "Yes, man descended, the ornery cuss "But, brother, he didn't descend from us." ~ Author Unknown ~

Molly Part 3

I am working on a title for this book, so if you have any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated. Here is the next installment:

She took a deep breath and offered a silent prayer to God, “Please Lord, clear my vision to make it to the conference room without incident. She forced herself to walk continue on to the conference room. Once she reached the doorway and could see light filtering into the room, she could breathe again. Chris brushed past her and started putting new information up on the board. Molly walked around the room, refamiliarizing herself with the layout before walking over to the boards on the far wall. She could tell where Chris had organized the pictures of the connections to Angel, but wasn’t able to tell who was in the pictures. On the second board, Chris had laid out the timeline of Angel’s last few hours before she had gone missing.

“Chris, could you explain the boards and pictures you have laid out for me?”

“They are on the board, Molly. Just look at them, it is pretty self-explanatory.”

Molly closed her eyes briefly, she knew he didn’t mean to be insensitive but it still hurt, “Thanks Chris, I will find someone else to help me.”

Chris frowned at Molly for a moment before comprehension dawned, “Molly, I am so sorry. I didn’t think. Come here and I will explain the board to you.”

“I know Chris. It’s all right.”

Chris took a deep breath, before turning back to the board. “We have Angel in the center, off from her, we have her mom, her friend Lucy, Lucy’s parents and Angel’s dad.”
Molly frowned, “Do you have anyone else on the board?”

“No, we are talking to her friends and teachers to see if she mentioned anything or anybody bothering her, but haven’t found anything yet.”

“Did you talk to anyone at the community center?”

“No, we didn’t know she still went there.”

“Yes, she has been. Talk to Javier and Jorge and their little sister Margo, they have been playing basketball lately. Also talk to Lisa Cammings. She is one of the counselors at the center and Angel has had a couple of sessions with her.”

“I thought you hadn’t seen Angel since right after you were attacked.”

“I haven’t seen Angel, but she messages me online and sends me text messages on my phone. Did Lucy tell you who Angel’s new boyfriend is?”

“No, we didn’t know she had a boyfriend and Jill didn’t know about one.”

Molly snorted, “Of course Jill didn’t know. Angel doesn’t talk to her about her private life. Would you after what the child has been through?”

“So, who do you recommend we add to the board, besides, Javier, Jorge, Margo and Lisa?”

“I would also add William, he is Lucy’s brother. He has had a crush on Angel for about 2 months. Other than that, I will wait until we talk to Lucy and the group at the community center.”

Chris was silent as he watched Molly for a moment, it broke his heart what that monster had done to her, but she had survived. It took resilience to make it through the turmoil not only her body had been through but her mind as well. “Do you want to stay here and talk to Jill or did you want to go over to the community center with me? We can have Arnold go talk to William and Lucy.”

Molly stared at the board for a minute longer before she said quietly, “I will go with you to the community center. I need to tell them in person. It will help that they know me.”