story

Dear Santa ~

| Melia Alexander

Ah, Mash-Up Monday…. How quickly you arriveth!

Our girls (Niece and Niece 2) are leaving for Guam in a few weeks to spend the holidays with their parents, which basically means we have a scrunched up Christmas schedule with them. Which also means we’re celebrating early this year. And which ultimately means getting their Christmas lists uber early.

Still, I had to laugh (to myself, of course! *snort*) when I saw Niece 2’s list:

20141109_191712Ah, to be fifteen again!

So. Any votes for getting her Nash Grier for Christmas? 😉

Have a fab week,
Melia

 

Camelot

| Melia Alexander

It’s Travel Bug Tuesday!

I’ve done a fair amount of traveling in my life, but some of my fave places have been in my own imagination. Have you tried it? It’s a lot of fun! Sometimes, it’s even more fun than actually doing the stuff you thought about in the first place. (Case in point: not jumping out of a perfectly good airplane is valid, no matter how many times I’ve made that jump in my head!)

So on a recent trip girl-trip to Vegas *waves to Notre Dame High School gal pals*, La Muse took advantage of the sights and sounds and smells and feel and tastes around us. Take, for instance, the night I gazed outside my hotel room and saw this:

20141012_020305Initially, La Muse saw what I suspect most do: Knights in shining armor … ladies in gorgeous gowns … maybe even a huge ball celebrating the birth of a new monarch.

But then she added this: within the castle walls was an uber secret ginormous library known only to the princess. She’d spend HOURS locked within its walls,while  castle-life continued (how else was she supposed to buy more books?). There was an endless supply of chocolate – grown in her magical garden, natch! With decaf Americano to go with it in the morning, to be replaced by Cab Sauv at night, the library was Heaven on Earth!

At least, it would be for one perpetually busy writer-type who’s on the verge of pouting ’cause she doesn’t have enough reading time, but who shall otherwise remain nameless…. *Whistles up at the ceiling – is that a spider up there?*

What do you see when you look at the above photo? Please share!

Happy travels,
Melia

Edit Mode

| Melia Alexander

Happy Mash-Up Monday!

So. Yeah. I’m in the middle of revisions where my editor pointed out that, among other things, I have a horrible aversion to commas! Happily, this is what my life is about these days:

P1170596Heading back to the manuscript so I can add those commas!

Have a great week,
Melia

 

Kickass Women, CrossFit Style!

| Melia Alexander

Welcome back to Mash-up Monday!

Last week’s post was on the guys I’d . . . um . . . observed at this year’s CrossFit summer games. And while I’d toyed with the idea of a CrossFit hero, there’s a part of me that believes a CrossFit heroine would be a better fit! Check these out.

The competitors were incredibly inspiring!

I dunno about you, but it seems to me a kickass CrossFit heroine could be an interesting story character in a romance novel, too. What do you think?

Have a happy week,
Melia

Blue and Green

| Melia Alexander

Welcome to Fashionista Friday!

One of my fave color combos is blue and green – most variations of it, anyway. Reminds me of walking in the woods on a bright, sunny, blue-sky filled day! 🙂

While browsing through a small town recently, I spotted this in a shop window.

DSC_0262I know the photo doesn’t do it justice, but the place was closed for the day. 🙁 Or maybe  it was a good thing. . ..

Still, don’t you love the shapes and the way the colors were combined? The shots of purple totally add to the necklace, too. I could totally see myself wearing this!

What do you think?

Happy shopping,
Melia

Puntan Dos Amantes (Two Lovers Point)

| Melia Alexander

Welcome to Travel Bug Tuesday!

As a child growing up on Guam, I loved hearing the local legends. My writer-brain  must’ve been developing even then, because I found the story of Puntan Dos Amantes (Two Lovers Point) the most fascinating.

The story’s pretty simple: Boy meets Girl. Boy loses Girl to Spanish Dude. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAGirl says, “What the . . .. Hell, no.” Then she takes off with Boy while being chased by Spanish Dude and Girl’s dad. The two lovers run through the jungle and over hills, dodging the mob of peeps as they try to get away. But when they got to the edge of the cliff . . .. Well, you can probably guess what happened. But if you want the full story, you can find it here.

On my last trip to Guam, I visited Two Lovers Point. The weather was perfectly warm, with a slight breeze coming off the Pacific. The sun shone as tour buses brought in Japanese visitors. And I was there with Mr. A. We stood at the observation point and stared out at the ocean, a vast expanse of blue that stretched until it met the sky. There was a moment when I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have to choose between living the life you want, or not living at all. Could I do what the two lovers bravely chose to do? The legend does make one wonder!

If you’re ever fortunate enough to visit Guam, do check out Two Lovers Point. It’s an island must-see!

Happy travels,
Melia

 

Take Me Back Thursday: Talking Like a Sea Lion

| Melia Alexander

One of the things I most adore about Mr. Alexander is his kooky sense of humor. And, really, with as intense as life can get, a great sense of humor goes far, yes?

This photo was taken several years ago at a pier in San Francisco where sea lions piled on each other and entertained the crowds gathered on the dock. And this is Mr. A imitating them:

a022_22 (2)Whenever I see this pic, it takes me back there. Back to the smell of seafood and baked bread, the throngs of tourists elbow to elbow for photos on the pier, and the barking noises of the sea lions that made Mr. A mimic them and eventually pushed me towards hysterical laughter.

In that specific moment of time, I knew life was perfect.

I love memories those kinds of memories! Do you have particularly fond memories that, when triggered, make you believe all is right with the world?

~Melia

Mash-Up Monday: The Game of Real Life

| Melia Alexander

I’ve loved playing THE GAME OF LIFE. I love the chase to the end, collecting as much money along the way in order to win! And if Mr. Alexander was involved it became even more interesting mainly because I hate losing to him. 🙂 I admit I’ve got that naturally competitive streak in me. Fortunately, I’ve managed to tame it over the years. Kinda.

Anyway, what a surprise to find a board game that was much more realistic, much grittier, and way more adult than the original. Pure genius!

It starts out with a roll of the die to determine a player’s sex at birth, overall health, and socio-economic class. And as the game progresses, there are the same kinds of experiences offered in real life. Check these out:

Life’s temptations
Starting the game
The famous mid-life crises
Dying happy
Chris Pender – the genius behind the game

But unlike real life, where our culture tends to most value he (or she!) who dies with the most stuff, in this game, the winner is the one who ends with the most “smileys”. Which means that a player can “die” before anyone else and still win the game. How’s that for a different spin? And how thought-provoking for the real game of life. . ..

The best part? As a writer, you got yourself a great back story for a character in a future book. Just sayin’!

So if I invited you over for a rousing game, would you come? And, yeah, there’ll be booze. 😉

Happy playing,
Melia