Word of the Week: kerfuckle — a cross between “fuck” and “kerfluffle”; a small-scale disturbance, hubbub, or upsetting event that is annoying enough to make you say “Fuck!” (Invented by Mistress Heidi herself when a recent household accident was more than just a kerfluffle…it was a kerFUCK!le.)

Apologies for being late with our Drink of the Month for April, but last week was so busy, this is the first chance I’ve had to post it.

Spring Fever

Ingredients:

3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz mango syrup
1 1/2 oz apple juice
2 oz blood orange juice

Preparation:

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake well.
Strain into a collins glass half-filled with crushed ice.

This is quite exciting for me.  And I actually awoke to the news first thing Saturday morning, so I’ve been giddily awaiting the moment when I could officially share! :whichone

Okay, drum roll, please…

I am a Double Finalist for Orange County RWA’s “Book Buyer’s Best” Award!!!

Oh, yeah. :getdown :getdown :getdown

INHERITING HIS SECRET CHRISTMAS BABY is a Finalist in the Category Romance category

&…

KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP is a Finalist in the Single Title category.

:chick :chick :chick

Can I just say how truly delighted I am by these nominations?  And for the one from Colorado Romance Writers’ for in their “Award of Excellence” competition, as well.

Not only because…well, let’s face it, it’s just plain awesome!  But also because A.) the judges of these two contest are booksellers & reader-readers (as opposed to readers who are also writers, etc.), & B.) it’s truly gratifying to see KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP get so much positive attention after the lukewarm reception it received when it was first released.

Oh, yes, it’s true, & some of you probably remember the hullabaloo back then.  Because the heroine of the story, Grace Fisher, was a tad…bitchy in the beginning.  She thought Zack Hoolihan, the hero (& also her fiance in the first two “Chicks with Sticks” books) had cheated on her with a puck bunny, & went a little mental.  She destroyed his Hummer & did a bit of damage to his apartment.  But some readers & reviewers didn’t appreciate the level of her vexation.  Apparently, it’s okay for Carrie Underwood to sing about it, but not for me to write about it. :humpf

And that’s okay; really, it is.  As my father used to say, “You can’t please everyone.”  He was also fond of, “There’s no accounting for taste.” :devang   So I know not everyone is going to love every one of my books or every single thing about every one of my books.  I’ve got favorite authors who occasionally do something in a story that rubs me the wrong way, too.

But I happen to love Grace & Zack, & I love their love story.  So it’s really gratifying to have so many folks discovering them anew & loving them, too.

Thank you so much, Colorado Romance Writers, Orange County Chapter of RWA, & all of the judges who read entries for both contests! :bees