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  • Friday Favorite – Jeopardy

    jeopardyA couple weeks ago, I happened to glance at the clock over the stove after work. It read 6:28, so I hurried into the living room and grabbed the remote. Amy shot me a strange look, and I shrugged. “I can watch Jeopardy today!” I might have also included some small happy dance in conjuction with the realization that I was going to get to watch one of my favorite shows.

    To my enthusiasm, Amy responded, “Don’t forget your walker.”

    Can you believe that? I may be a little younger than the average Jeopardy fan, but I still love it. I enjoy the trivia and testing my own knowledge of random facts. I enjoy surprising myself when I do know the question to a hard answer. Not to mention Alex Trabec is a bit of a hoot. And this week finishes up the annual Teen Tournament. My odds of me getting the right response improve dramatically during the teen and kids tournaments, which is … you know … always a good thing. 🙂

    So next time you’re hanging around your house in the evening, pull up your walker and stretch your brain with a little answer and question time.

    Friday Favorite – Christmas Shopping

    I love, love, love shopping for Christmas gifts. What is it about finding the perfect gift to fit a friend’s personality? Or finishing a hand-made gift for my mom? Or tying the last ribbon around a toy for my niece?

    I love shopping for these gifts and putting the time into making themchristmas-gifts because I can imagine the faces of my loved ones as they open them up. Last year, when I traveled back to Arizona, my sister told me that she and her husband really needed new pots and pans, but they just didn’t have the money to buy them. It was so fun for me to wrap that huge box of Rachel Ray cookware. Even more funny was the terrible wrapping job I did on the 12-inch pan not in the box. It was such an awful wrapping job, I was sure that they’d figure it out. But the shock and joy on their faces was everything I’d hoped for.

    And last year I was just strolling through Barnes and Noble when I discovered a book about Michael Phelps. Let’s just say that when Amy tore the paper off, I think I saw a tear in her eye. 🙂

    That’s one of the coolest parts of Christmas.

    But all of those wonderful Christmas moments don’t come without a bit of planning. Or a lot of planning. Usually my planning begins in August. So you can imagine my worry when I confess that I haven’t even started my shopping this year! I am so behind.

    This year is going to include a rapid-fire shopping spree. And most definitely a visit to Amazon.com for the day after Thanksgiving sale. Huge savings! 🙂

    Of course, if you have a good suggestion for a great gift, I’m always open to suggestions!

    Looking forward to finding deals and making smiles until next time. -LJ

    Friday Favorite – Jenness Walker and GIVEAWAY

    Hey guys! I’m so excited to introduce you to another author friend of mine, Jenness Walker. I had the pleasure of meeting Jenness at the ACFW conference in September, and she’s fantastic. Oh, and she’s an amazing writer, too. So I couldn’t wait to tell you about her new book Double Take, just out.

    First tell us a little bit about your new book Double Take.
    Double Take begins with Cole, the hero, reading a best-selling thriller where the villain plays a double-take1deadly game of cat-and-mouse with the heroine. When the first scene from the book is replicated in real life in front of Cole and a woman is kidnapped, Cole believes he holds the clue to her survival in his hands. But will anyone listen to him? Or will he be too late to save her? The story is set mostly in Atlanta and includes some of the scenes from the thriller.

    Where were you/what were you doing when you got the call that Steeple Hill wanted a contract on this book?
    Um…I was in the shower, actually. 🙂 I got a message to call my agent back ASAP, and I had a pretty good idea what it was about. But since I didn’t know how I would react if it was really THE CALL, I figured I should get completely ready for the day before I talked to her. Just to play it safe. 🙂

    What’s your worst habit when it comes to writing?
    Becoming distracted so easily. Email, house projects, new story ideas, spider solitaire (which has been banished from my computer before and is about to be once again!), etc. One of these days I’ll figure out how to stop procrastinating. 🙂

    Now let’s have a little fun. It’s Girls Night Out, and you’re next in line at karaoke. What’re you going to sing?
    First of all, this is fantasy, right here, because I am so not a solo kind of girl. 🙂 But…for some reason Unbreak My Heart is the first song that popped into my head–a favorite from my melodramatic high school days. 🙂

    If you could “borrow” one character from a movie, TV show, or another book for your current WIP, who would it be? Why?
    jenness-walker1I’d say Adrian Monk, but I don’t think I’d have the patience to put up with him as one of my characters. lol. So I’m thinking Morgan from Kristen Heitzmann’s A Rush of Wings. He’s a secondary character in this book, not yet attached, with a past that’s left him wounded and somewhat mysterious. I love writing/reading about heroes like that.

    If you had a Saturday all to your self-no deadlines, no commitments-what’s the first thing you’d do?
    Right now I could use some extra sleep and a relaxing day. So I’d say change into fresh pajamas and read a book while I eat an Entenmann’s devil’s food doughnut for breakfast.

    Any parting words?
    Read Liz’s book! It’s a lot of fun. 🙂

    I swear, I didn’t pay her to say that!

     Want to learn more about Jenness? Visit her online at www.jennesswalker.com.

    And … because Jenness is AWESOME … I have a signed copy of Double Take to give away. Just for you! Or you! Or any of you. So if you want to win, leave a comment with the last thing you saw that made you do a double take. I’ll pick one winner at random next Friday, so leave a comment and get a chance to win. And if you don’t win, be sure to pick up a copy at Walmart, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, or any other book store.

    Friday Favorite – Band of Brothers

    band-of-brothers-1If you’ve seen my twitter updates, you won’t be surprised by this weeks Friday Favorite. I’ve spent the better part of every evening the last week or so watching the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, which I borrowed from the library with the specific intent of watching it with my friends Jess Barnes and Jess Lacy. But Lacy’s grad school and Barnes’s family commitments kept us from actually getting to watch it together. So I had a decision to make: return it to the library and wait another 4-6 months to get to check it out again or watch it on my own?

    Since both Lacy and Barnes had already seen it, I figured I’d make a go of it. And if I didn’t like it, I’d just take it back to the library. No problem, right? 

    But just the idea of not liking it? Ha! What a laugh. How could you not LOVE the 10-episodes about Easy Company? I certainly can’t. But let me back up here a little bit for those of you unfamiliar with it.

    Back in 2001 a little miniseries aired on HBO called Band of Brothers. Based on the book of the same name by Stephen E. Ambrose and helmed by none other than Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks as executive producers, this epic takes us on the journey of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army from training to D-Day to the Battle of the Bulge to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. This elite company of paratroopers were the first in military history to jump from airplanes behind enemy lines. They sustained a 150 percent casualty rate and now, all of them over the age of 80, their heroism is glimmered in this amazing story.

    I love so much of this series. I don’t even know where to begin. So perhaps I’ll start with the disclaimer. That is that Band of Brothers is not for children or adults with sensetive stomachs. The battles are bloody, the language often foul, and themes heart-wrenching. And you’ll walk away from it with a new respect for the men who fought in WWII.

    I want to continue, gushing about this fabulous miniseries, and yet I’m afraid that my words can’t do it justice. How can I possibly put into the words the emotion that choked me up with each interview of the real survivors of Easy Company that begin each episode? How can I begin to express the respect that I’ve gained for these men by watching their stories?

    Maybe I can start with a quick sum up: Everything I ever needed to band-of-brothers-6learn about leadership, I learned from Dick Winters. Lt. Dick Winters (played by Damian Lewis, who I already loved as Charlie Crews in Life)(Seriosly I just spent 20 minutes going through my blog archives looking for a Friday Favorite about Life, but apparently I haven’t done one yet. That will be remedied.) is the man that all the others in Easy Company look up to. He’s the one that goes on training runs up the mountain with his men, even though he’s been assigned to an easier task for the moment. He’s the one who builds up the men, and as he’s swiftly promoted through the course of the war, he continues to be a leader with integrity and bravery. He leads his men into battle, never asking them to do anything he wouldn’t do. He’s fierce and kind, strong and compassionate. He never took leave, and wouldn’t stray from the side of his men. As he was promoted, I could tell that his heart broke as he moved further away from the men of Easy. If I could work for anyone, I’d want to work for him.

    And then there’s Lewis Nixon (played by Ron Livingston of Office Space fame), Winters’ best friend and the intelligence officer of Easy. For all of Winters’ morals, Nixon struggles with the opposite, seeking peace in the bottom of a bottle. He doesn’t find it there, but his friendship with Winters is an amazing thing to behold.

    band-of-brothers-5Each episode is told through the eyes of one of the men of Easy. One focusing on the replacements, one on the senior noncom (noncommissioned officer), one on one of the original soldiers who was injured and away from the company for 4 months. One of my favorites was from the medics perspective. My heart broke as we watched him try to save men and lose them. And it soared when he tried to save them and succeeded. Mostly I loved watching him run from fox hole to fox hole looking for supplies for the men, putting himself in danger every moment so that he’d be ready when they needed him.

    One really shocking moment for me was in the 9th episode. By this time the German army had surrendered, and Easy men were out on practice patrol. They stumbled on something they didn’t understand. Something they’d never seen before. One of them runs back to camp to find Winters, who brings translators. They’ve discovered a consentration camp, abandoned by the Germans, but still full of prisoners. But they didn’t even know what it was. They didn’t know why the men inside had been locked up, starved, and many killed. It broke my heart when the men of Easy realized that they’d been locked up and treated worse than animals because they were Jews. I just couldn’t imagine that they’d been fighting for nearly 2 years, and they didn’t have any idea what Hitler had been up to.

    This undertaking was enormous, and the number of actors and extras extraordinary. I can’t count the number of times I realized I was watching an actor I recognized. From David Schwimmer of Friends fame to James McAvoy to Donnie Wahlberg to Neal McDonough to Jimmy Fallon. band-of-brothers-2They all played a role, some big. Others small. But it seemed every episode I was saying, Hey! I know that guy from something.

    On top of this amazing story, told incredibly well, the DVD set includes really interesting special features. There’s a video diary from Ron Livingston showing the actors boot camp, more detailed interviews with Easy Company veterans, a making of featurette, interactive field guides, and much more. Kuddos to Hanks and Spielberg for equipping their audience to really begin to understand what Easy Company meant to the war and the world.  

    As I mentioned before, each episode began with interviews from the survivors of Easy. But they weren’t identified until the end of the last episode. How incredible to get to see the men who actors were portraying. Of course when they were interview in the late ’90s, these men were in their 60s and 70s, but to hear them talk about their experiences is incredibly moving. It still brings them to tears. And it brought me to tears too. One of the men said at the end of the interviews that he’d received a letter from one of the other men in Easy. In the letter he wrote that his grandson had asked if he was a hero in the war. He replied, “No. But I fought in a company of heroes.”

    Well … there you have it. My completely inadequate post about one of the best miniseries I’ve ever seen. So if you’re looking for a Christmas present for your favorite author, forget this. I don’t think Francine Rivers wants it. But I do!

    So thankful to have been born in a country where these men are recognized and honored until next time. -LJ

    Friday Favorite – Christmas books

    When it’s as cold and wintery as it is now, there’s nothing I like more than snuggling up under the covers in my bed and reading a great Christmas romance. I love YAs, historicals, and contemporaries. I just love a sweet holiday story.

    There’s something so romantic about snuggling in front of a fire, the mood set by snow falling, and spending time with ones you love. It just seems like the perfect time of year to fall in love. And I’ve always thought it would be fun to write a Christmas story. Maybe I’ll get my chance.

    Here are some books I’m especially excited about reading this winter. What am I missing? What is your favorite Christmas book?

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    Friday Favorite Flashback – Hang Time

    This week I thought I’d offer a bit of a flashback–to 1995 to be exact.

    Back in 1995, I was a freshman in high school with a thing for Saturday morning shows for teens. Oh, yeah. I was all over Saved by the Bell, City Guys, Running the Halls … well, you get the picture. My deal with my mom was if I folded laundry while I watched, I could watch these shows every weekend. My favorite of these shows was Hang Time.

    Hang Time was a show about Julie Connor, who loved basketball. But when she transfers to Deering High School, she discovers that they don’t have a girl’s basketball team. So she tries out for the boy’s team. Seems logical enough.

    That’s pretty much the premise of the entire show, and even though I’m not a big fan of basketball, I loved this show. The guy players and coach seem to come and go over the course of 6 seasons (I’m not sure how that works with Julie’s 4 years in high school), but Julie and her cheerleader friend remain the same.

    So you’re probably wondering why it’s making an appearance on my blog, some 14 years later. Well, I just discovered that nearly every episode of Hang Time is available on YouTube.com. Thank you, YouTube. So I decided I was going to watch some episodes, starting at the very beginning of season 1.

    You know what? The show is awful! I mean really, really cheesy. And I like a bit of cheese in my books, movies, and TV, so you know it’s saying something about Hang Time. But I can’t seem to stop watching the bad acting, poor dialogue, and really bad fashion. I keep hoping it’ll get better. Maybe by the last season it’ll be really watchable. So I thought I’d share just the opener with you, so you can see what I’m talking about.

    But refamiliarizing myself with Hang Time has made me wonder what other things I loved (slouch socks, hair-sprayed bangs, Union Bay striped shirts) that are actually really cheesy. Hmm … what did you once love that you’re now realizing is really terrible?

    Cringing over how I spent my time 14 years ago until next time. -LJ

    Friday Favorite – In honor of football season!

    In honor of the start of the NFL season, I’m pleased to feature my favorite football player of all time.

    PEYTON MANNING

    If you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last 10 seasons or so, then you’ve really missed out on watching Indianapolis’ QB Peyton Manning. You may have heard of his brother Eli or his dad Archie–both NFL QBs too. Although his dad retired many years ago. But Eli led the NY Giants to a Super Bowl victory just a year after Peyton took his Colts to win the title.

    In honor of Petyon, who isn’t just a great QB but is also an all around great guy, I bring you a countdown of my top three Peyton Manning commercials.

    #3 – Because everyone needs a a hair cut that will last forever …

    #2 – Because that mustache couldn’t be any better …  

    Friday Favorite – The Lovely Ladies of Vail

    Last weekend I went to Vail with several dear friends. The in-laws of one of the girls graciously allowed us to use their condo for the weekend, so 6 of us hit the road for a weekend of fun and exploration in the mountains of Colorado. Here’s a photo tour of our weekend. (Except, I missed pics of all the ice cream we ate and games we played. Congrats to Ashley B who finally won a hand of killer uno just before midnight on Saturday! And here’s to Grace, who tried to sabotage AB’s winning by passing her the biggest hand of the night.) 🙂

    Oh no! The bears got Ted!
    Oh no! The bears got Ted!
    Kelly, Ashley, and Grace up for some Irish pub fare
    Kelly, Ashley, and Grace up for some Irish pub fare
    Me, Katie, and Jo--not discussing our male waiter's crocks.
    Me, Katie, and Jo--not discussing our male waiter's crocks.
    Grace, Ashley, and Johanna getting ready to hit Vail Village.
    Grace, Ashley, and Johanna getting ready to hit Vail Village.
    Gorgeous arcitecture!
    Gorgeous arcitecture!
    Takin' a break!
    Takin' a break!
    Love the covered bridges. So beautiful!
    Love the covered bridges. So beautiful!
    The Betty Ford Garden - the flowers weren't what I expected, but the waterfalls were so cool
    The Betty Ford Garden - the flowers weren't what I expected, but the waterfalls were so cool
    My dream home. Doesn't it look like a fairy tale house?
    My dream home. Doesn't it look like a fairy tale house?

    Wishing I was back in Vail until next time. -LJ

    Friday Favorite – Friday Nights on USA

    I love Friday nights on USA! Especially with the start of the new seasons of Monk and Psych.

    This is Monk’s final season, and I’m really going to miss the OCD detective. If you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last 8 years, you probably don’t know that Tony Shalhoub has been nominated for an Emmy for his role as Adrian Monk nearly every year since the show started. You might remember Tony as the taxi driver from Wings.

    Anyway, our dear detective has been solving crimes against all odds–like having to leave his house–for 8 seasons. What I really love about the show is that I always know who the killer is. I mean, usually it’s revealed early on, so the enjoyment of the show is all about how Monk will figure it out. The crimes are really creative, and for a suspense writer, it’s a great way to stretch my brainstorming.

    monk

    Directly following Monk is Psych–pretty much the funniest fake-psychic detective show, ever! Shawn Spencer’s dad was a detective for the Santa Barbara Police Department, and he taught Shawn to pay attention. To everything! Shawn has honed his photographic memory and makes a fantastic detective.

    Problem is Shawn doesn’t want to be a detective. So he and his best friend Gus (played by none other than Dule Hill!) have opened Psych–the psychic detective agency of choice for the SBPD–with Shawn as the psychic. Gus is a rather reluctant partner, after all he has a day job as a pharmacutical salesman. The way these two play off each other is so funny! And the one-liner zingers they toss back and forth are hilarious. Stir in a little unrequited love from Shawn to detective Juliet O’Hara, and it’s the perfect show! I laugh. I cry (because I’m laughing so hard). It’s a beautiful thing. And it doesn’t hurt that I have a little crush on Shawn.

    psych

    I do love Friday nights on USA. Hoping you’ll tune in next week, too. 🙂 Until next time. -LJ

    Friday Favorite – Less Than Perfect

    So a couple months ago Katie and Stephanie informed me that there was a show I just had to watch. It stars Zachary Levi (of Chuck fame). Being a fan of Mr. Levi, I decided I’d give it a try. Trouble is, it’s not available on dvd. But then they informed me that Lifetime is airing reruns of the show.

    Thus Less Than Perfect entered my life. With a little help from my dvr, I’ve made it through the first three seasons, and sure enough, it’s a hoot!

    less-than-perfect

    Less Than Perfect stars Sara Rue as Claude Casey, a young temp at GNB, who ends up getting the prime spot as the assistant to Will Butler (played by Eric Roberts, who is actually Julia Roberts’ brother. Who knew?). Will is the on-air talent of the tv station, and everyone wants the job that he offers to Claude.

    Claude shares an office with Kipp, our insatiable Mr. Levi, who is an absolute hoot! He’s so funny as the snobby guyzachary-levi-2 who’ll do anything to get ahead. Kipp’s best friend in the office is Lydia (Andrea Parker from The Pretender), who wants to marry rich and will do anything to be rich. Add in goofy characters played by Sherri Shepherd and Andy Dick, and it’s a free-for-all laugh-fest.

    I think my favorite part of the show is the witty one-liners that Claude and Kipp offer. For example:
    Kipp: Hurry! Quick, quick, quick quick, quick!
    Lydia: Are they coming?
    Kipp: No, it’s just really creepy down here. Somebody brought a lunch from home! 

    or

    Lydia: Your scent is supposed to linger, not change global weather patterns. 

    Just so funny! If you’re up at 7am and looking for something to watch, I definitely recommend Less Than Perfect.

    Thanking Lifetime for airing such a great show until next time. -LJ