L.J. HOLMES...IT'S FEBRUARY. WILL SHE SEE HER SHADOW? (Part Two) and LEAP away

Success...so far. L.J. Holmes, otherwise known as my mother, hasn't seen her shadow yet. (AND thank God she's not really a groundhog. It would be too easy for her to pop her head up and down from her bolt hole instead of answering the tough things...I don't think it would be a good thing if I tried to play

Whack-a-Mom with her either.)


While I was reviewing Mom's first visit and some of the pictures I posted with it, it dawned on me we were both cute babies, and despite a couple decades between us, almost identical.

Take a look at these and tell me if I'm not right?

So maybe like the proverbial acorn, I really am to be a writer just like my

strong as an oak Mom?

What do you say about this Mom?

You're cute!

You're not going to side track me from the real reason you're here. In part one you told us a bit about how you came to be a published author, but you've left out a lot.

So let's get started. I hate asking the "usual" question, so I won't. In October of last year you released a book, now part of a series. How did that come about?

Since I already blamed you for turning Santa is a Lady into a series, and I only have one other series, I'm going to assume you're talking about,

Suc-U.

I've always been a bit of an oddball. I can write short stories really fast and sort of off the cuff. We've lived at our complex for twenty-one years now and have seen a lot of comings and goings, but none tickled my inner voice, I sometimes affectionally call Nudge, more than the year they painted all of our fire hydrants to look like

Dalmation Fire Dogs.

Naturally Nudge couldn't just appreciate the absuridity of our fire hydrants. Nope, she made me pull out pen and paper one day while on my handicapped bus to write a short, as in 134 word, story called DOUG THE WISHFUL FIRE HYDRANT.

Of course in the end, Doug who has an arrested hose and wants so desperately to make it grow has it snap off and go sailing out of our complex and barrelling down the interstate still attached to the tailpipe of an eighteen wheeler.

Poor Thing!

Anyway, that kinda tells you how warped my sense of humor can be.

I was minding my own business one evening in one of the

Muse It Up Publishing Chat rooms, I think, when our glorious publisher put out a request for

short erotica stories. I saw the request, shook my head in negation, and said to myself, "She

does NOT want ME writing erotica." Now I won't repeat the dark euphemism that exploded in my head. Let's just say I reworked it and  the title SUC-U was born.

Do you want me to tell my readers what that uhmmm euphemism was?

Not if you value your life! Some things are better left to the imagination.

I'll let you slide...for now, but only if you'll tell us what the Suc-U series is about.

You do have a disclaimer on this sight don't you? Don't suppose you'd let me remove it so I could justifiably not answer this question?

No, I didn't think so. Tell me again, why do I keep you?

Because you worship the ground I walk on...and there's also that other thing. You love me.

Today anyway.

Okay Suc-U is about an organization of succubae that operate an escort type service only they're escorting men during their dreams. You've heard about wet dreams? Well these immortals give guys wet, hot, and smoky dreams, for a fee.

What I love about this series, (and I know from how you keep accusing me of being bent, you do too,) is the names I come up with, like Balisima Buster, or Bal Buster for short.

Of all the stories contracted so far at Muse, do you have a favorite?

Actually I have two. I adore the first collaboration you and I did called HER LAST DAY. It's about a young Roman woman,

Daria, and follows

her from the moment she arises

on the day Vesuivius erupts until it has totally buried Pompeii and

all like Daria that did not escape the volcano's rage... It's told 100% in Daria's voice, and I just love it.

I don't know yet when it will be coming out, but I am so proud of this story and the work we did together to bring it to fruition. It was rejected twice before we got it right enough to earn us a contract.

My other favorite is the one I am right now working on my first round of content edits for, called ECHOES FROM THE PAST.

I am one quarter Cherokee and grew up under the guidance of my Grandmother, daughter of a tribal Shaman, herself a Shamaness. My Native Heritage, though heavily watered down...(Nonnie married a General with a real melting pot in his makeup)...means a great deal to me.

ECHOES lets me share some of my profound love for the stories Nonnie shared with me and my own love of ancient history.

This story introduces us to Kira Firebird, a renowned Native American archeologist and

Ahoishmahir who may be a ghost, may be flesh and blood, may be a figment of her imagination, or may be a voice with roots that stretch back before Atlantis, all the way to

Lemuria.

This story is very dear to me. Many of the names I use are names I heard on the lips of my grandmother as a child growing up, like Anniki.

The story is mine, but I'm not sure it's also not something buried in my long term memory from the years of listening to Nonnie weave her magic.

What is the best thing about being a writer?

Having the power of creation at my fingertips. In the sequel to Santa Is A Lady, The Christmas War, I name Beck's mother after my former mother-in-law and give her the comeuppance I was not able to exact in real life.

One of the peripheral characters in ECHOES is Kira's spirit guide sent to help her with her quest.

He appears as a wolf, but in actuality he's the spirit manifestation of

her dad, whom she quickly names Boomerang. Boomerang is based on my own Dad. Through creating Boomer, I fashioned a father that finally understands his daughter's uniqueness and is proud not ashamed of it.

I suppose that means through my writing I am cauterizing wounds I could not suture in my real life, and turning negative into positive.

Do you always seek happy endings in your stories?

That wouldn't be realistic. There are some topics Nudge demands we write about that would read false if the characters were given a happy ending. So far I've only written one,

Twilight Comes, that could not have a happy ending. I'm sure there will be others though.

Life isn't always happy.

That is true. Okay L.J.  Mom...

what's next?

How would I know? This is YOUR blog. You tell me?

How about you tell us of your most embarrassing moments?

Right! How about I send you back where you came from?

I admit I was a bit smaller than my brother. He was seven pounds fifteen and a half ounces, whereas I was a petite seven pounds eight ounces. Still I don't think putting me back would be as comfortable as bringing me out was, and we both remember how much fun my coming out was.

(NOT!)

Wicked child!

I learned from the best!

So does that mean the most embarrassing moments is out?

Count on it!

Then how about you give us a brief synopsis of all the books you have out right now and those coming out?

I WILL get you for this. Okay send me a list.

You need ME to send you a list of your OWN work?

Claiming senility is one of the few advantages of advancing age.

That's just snarky!

Yep, it is, and I love you, Kat.

Mmmm...yeah, well, I love you too. Until next time, L.J. (a.k.a. Ma) keep away from bolt holes, cause I promise I'll find you.

To all my readers, thanks again...and Mom, really, thanks.