Christmas Visits

Welcome to Travel Bug Tuesday!

One of the bestest parts of the holidays is visiting with friends and family. 20141223_091522Especially when you actually like them! So it was when I trekked over hill and dale and through mud and sleet in bare feet…Well, okay…So I really packed a bag and shoved it into the car trunk before heading up the freeway, but still…

Anyhoo, I got to spend some wonderful quality time with my lovely writer pal Fiola Faelan! We talked writerly stuff and life stuff, and I was reminded yet again how incredibly lucky I am to have amazing people in my life. And that includes you all!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for leaving a message or two. As I continue on this publishing journey, your presence here means more to me than I could ever express!

Happy travels,
Melia

Ensalada Mixta

Happy Food and Wine Wednesday!

Personally, I love ice cream. Like, really, really, REALLY love ice cream. (What can I say? I’m my father’s daughter!) If I could get away with it, I’d have ice cream at every meal. Heck, there’s a pretty good chance it’d be all I’d have! But that fantasy comes with a price – mainly at the waistline as well as feeling yucky-tired all the time. Who wants that?

Since ice cream for the rest of my life isn’t happening, I have to figure out a way to balance it out, so I turn to my fave standby: salads! An awesome combination of greens and protein makes for a happy tummy. ๐Ÿ™‚

A few weeks ago I was in Central Oregon where I met with fellow romance author-pal Marie Harte for lunch at La Rosa. I found this on the menu:

20140824_130242Ensalada Mixta. Crunchy lettuce and cabbage, pickled red onions, avocado, marinated beef. And instead of the creamy dressing that was served, I opted for the house made salsa which led to extreme happy-dancing in my mouth!

Really, I couldn’t think of a better meal to go with the great writing conversation! And, yeah, I had ice cream later. . .. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Are you a salad fan? What’s your fave combination?

Happy Eating,
Melia

 

Roses at Play

I’m so lucky to be part of an awesome RWA chapter, the Rose City Romance Writers. Not only are these gals (and guys!) some of the most supportive, creative, talented group of writers, they also know how to have fun. ๐Ÿ™‚

As the Christmas season comes to a close, here are a few pics from our holiday get-together.

Our buffet table - NOM!
Our buffet table – NOM!
Love that smile, Susan Lute!
Love that smile, Susan Lute!
Delilah Marvelle proudly displays her tummy tuck!
Delilah Marvelle proudly displays her tummy tuck!
Jessa Slade autographs her book as a gift to one of my day job peeps.
Jessa Slade autographs her book as a gift to one of my day job peeps.
Collette Cameron, Jessa, and Delilah - one of several poses that day. :-)
Collette Cameron, Jessa, and Delilah – one of several poses that day.
The lovely Anna Brentwood with her debut book, The Songbird with Sapphire Eyes.
The lovely Anna Brentwood with her debut book, The Songbird with Sapphire Eyes.
The wonderfully talented Betty Booher and me. We finally did some catching up!
The wonderfully talented Betty Booher and me. We finally did some catching up!

Sometimes, things get so intense that we forget that writing, like life, should be fun, and the creative process a discovery of self as much as storytelling. On this particular day, taking the time to talk shop, family, challenges, and just being together did wonders for re-filling the creative well. Love when that happens!

So this year, one of my personal challenges will be to take some time out to hang with my fellow roses!

Enjoy life,
Melia

Wordy Wednesday: Like Powdered Sugar

Hello and welcome to Wordy Wednesday!

It snowed in my part of the world. And it hasn’t melted yet. Something our area isn’t used to seeing. Or driving in. Which means that schools have been shut down since last Friday. Yep. Lucky me to have nieces at home and suffering from cabin fever by day two. . .. And also lucky me for not having to stay home with them. ๐Ÿ™‚

This pic comes courtesy of a drive to the office yesterday.

P1150706It was so pretty I had to stop a moment and just take it in. By the end of the week this will all be gone. . ..

So, writer-peeps, is there a scene your muse can spin together from this pic? Where’s the hero/heroine off to? Are they excited or ticked that they’ve got to go through snow to get there? Would any weather stop them?

Happy writing,
Melia

Searching for Story

Recently, Niece 2 requested a trip to visit sea lions. I pointed out that sea lions would be hard to find this time of year, but she insisted it was something she REALLY wanted to do. Not sure why a One Direction/hormone-driven/pom-pom wielding kind of girl would make such a request, which is probably why insanity curiosity made me take a day off from writing. But I really didn’t.

See, the thing with being a writer is that the brain doesn’t shut down. At least, mine doesn’t. Which can be super annoying, particularly to non-writers. DSC_1757(Note: I have a habit of verbally analyzing movies. On the upside, Hubby can now identify the “Black Moment” in a film. Not sure how that’s an upside, but . . . *shrugs*)

So as we trekked over mountains to get to where the sea lions are in our part of the world, La Muse busily smoked cigars, downed a couple shots, and watched and listened and absorbed everything – from the changing landscape, to the semi-trucks on the road, to conversations between me and my nieces, and even the playlist they’d chosen for the drive. DSC_1774(Given the songs I’d been subjected to, it was about two hours too long. But that’s another post!) And then she spun scenes for me. Fun scenes. Intense scenes. Scenes that helped torture the hero and heroine in my WIP. Nice of her to do it while I’m driving and not while I’m staring at a blank screen, huh? Particularly since there was no pen and paper anywhere in the car so someone could take notes. *Insert overly dramatic sigh* DSC_1757

Which just goes to show that sometimes a writer needs to take a break, to do something that allows La Muse to recharge. Okay, okay! That’s the story I’m telling myself. . .. ๐Ÿ™‚

And the sea lions? Here’s the closest we got to see them that day:

DSC_1746LOL!

While words didn’t make it onto the page, La Muse gave me direction, and I spent some quality time with family. A worthwhile trade, in my opinion. (Only next time, I’m choosing the playlist. Be warned, nieces, be warned!)

Whether or not you’re a fellow writer, everyone still needs to recharge. What do you do?

Happy writing,
Melia

Wordless Wednesday: Just Desserts

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday!

‘Tis about the season to indulge because calories don’t count around the holidays, do they? ๐Ÿ™‚ This particular photo was taken at the October Emerald City Writers Conference (attendees are treated very, very, very well):

P1150488So, writer peeps, would your heroine (or hero) be able to resist reaching for one (or six!) of these?

Happy writing,
Melia

Wordless Wednesday: It’s a Girl Thing

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday!

I LOVE doing girly things with my nieces, especially the younger ones.ย  This is Youngest Niece when she came to visit.ย  It was such a treat! (Especially since she opted to go home with her parents! ๐Ÿ™‚ )ย  Of course, we had to plan a girly-girl day, complete with mani-pedi and a new hair cut.

IMG_3237 It amazed me how she cued into everything done that day with the fascination that comes with being young.ย  Hope she hangs onto that trait for a LONG time!

So, my writer-peeps, any scenes or characters come to mind for you?

Happy writing,
Melia

Wordless Wednesday: Bikini Weather

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday! (Although I’ve pretty much given up on the “wordless” part.)

My last post was, admittedly, an old one I’d done about my mom, this being her birth month and all.ย  So it got me to thinking about Guam – the island where I grew up.ย  I remember seemingly endless days of sunshine and warm tropical breezes whispering through the palm trees. . .. Total bikini weather!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Can you feel it now?ย  ๐Ÿ™‚

So, writer peeps, what scene or story idea does this photo inspire in your muse?ย  Please share!

Happy writing,
Melia