Hey everyone!

Today is the second day of NaNoWriMo! Yes, I’m very excited because I haven’t had a chance to NaNo since 2006 and I didn’t finish that year due to preparations for our big move back to Oklahoma. That happened to be the month, just after Thanksgiving, that hubby decided we would move come spring to ‘take his wife back home’ and though I was thrilled, I had to ditch on NaNo.

So I thought I’d share my crazy NaNo preparations. I really don’t have any specific way I do it, except that I don’t plan. On day one I open a fresh word doc and let the characters come alive and whatever comes out of it is what I write.

As many know, I write contemporary romance. For some reason when I start NaNo it always comes out that I have a paranormal in front of me! Maybe my characters are trying to tell me something? I don’t know, but I ALWAYS have fun exploring this side of romance.

So what am I writing this year? Well a couple of days ago a whisper of a haunting idea floated on wispy mind clouds and that’s what it is. Wispy and haunting…literally. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that a ghost story came to me. I gave it a little thought, how it might go and let it go. Yesterday it returned and it’s not turning out anything like I imagined! Isn’t that the way it goes? LOL

So, after some editing for work, I’ll be off playing with spooks in an old estate manor for the day.

If you’re NaNoing, how do you get ready? Feel free to share a line or two if you want. Here’s a taste of Ghost of a Chance. Have a great writing day!

At twenty-five Kenzie still had trouble admitting to herself she could see ghosts, much less speak to one, or tell anyone else. She hadn’t even told Raze for fear he’d want her to join his team of spook chasers. Kenzie didn’t want to believe in the apparitions that swirled like cold fog around her everywhere she went. As long as she didn’t acknowledge their presence she learned they couldn’t manifest into more.

That was the key–ignore them and they eventually faded to nothing more than a constant chill that enveloped her like a cold second skin…constantly.

Hi again! Thank you for joining me for my monthly post here at Authors By Moonlight.

I have tried to think of something “Autumn” to talk about and ran into a coupla problems. I know, what else is new, right? Be nice! It’s not my favorite season, but I like Fall well enough; relief from scorching heat as Patricia mentioned Wednesday, excitement of fall holidays leading to winter holidays. But Fall… Most people look forward to the food of the season. Not me, unless orange and brown candy corn and hot cider counts. I don’t like pumpkin food/drink of any kind and don’t understand the obsession food in general. I eat what is necessary to keep from starving to death and that’s about it. Lol Fall holidays? Not big on Halloween anymore, except for the candy. I don’t care for Thanksgiving at all. I do, however, look forward to Christmas!

But let’s go back a bit. When my three daughters were young Mitch and I embraced all holidays to the fullest extent. He got wood one year and we made painted yard decorations that lasted for years for Halloween and Christmas. Ghosts, RIP headstones, carolers with howling (singing) dog, who all stood around middle daughter’s pine tree in the front yard with lights and music, Santa climbing in the chimney as his sleigh and reindeer waited on the roof peak and a nativity our church borrowed for Christmas programs. All made with plywood, paint and love.

The second year, after making the decorations, they (hubs and girls) made a few additional items. One of those was a big black, hunched-back cat with shocking green eyes. For some reason youngest daughter’s dog hated that cat! When we pulled out decorations each year Dottie (I posted here in May of her passing) would growl and bark at the cat and run from it if we held it toward her. We never understood what it was about that cat she didn’t like. But if we turned it so she couldn’t see the black body or green eyes- it made no difference to her. She hated that cat. Funny since we had two live cats she liked, and though neither were black, my oldest daughter’s calico was mostly black. Still, it didn’t bother Dottie.

We don’t have any of those decorations any more, but they served our children, our family, church and neighbors, well for ten or more years. I loved those days, cherish the memories.

I miss those days. The girls are grown with their own families now and if it weren’t for fil and oldest granddaughter, of whom we have temporary legal guardianship of, living with Mitch and I, we would be empty nesters today- we’re both in the autumn of life now.

One daughter and her hubby took their two girls to Colorado this past June and writing this post  made me realize this is the first year, out of 28, that we’ll spend without all three of our girls with us. Without all four of the current grandbabies (number 5 is due to arrive in late January) laughing and playing in my house.

It will be different, but I have tried (as Peter Pan does) to look at life as the biggest adventure of all! That includes major family group alterations. I don’t have to like it- but I will accept it.

Call us pathetic, but oldest daughter called and we kept our phones on speaker for two hours as we watched the Presidential debates “together” from 900 miles apart last night.

What? I said I’ll accept, at no time did I say it would be with grace!

My question for those empty nesters out there is: How do you do it? I miss my kids so much when they aren’t within throwing distance. How do you survive when one or more of your babies moves so far away you only see them once or twice a year, if you’re fortunate?

Hi ABM fans! Can you believe it’s August already? I’m trading days with Patricia for those who may have been expecting her Wednesday, or go looking for me on/Friday. Hubby and I are going out of town Friday to Sunday to see our oldest daughter and her family since their move to Aurora, CO a month ago. While we’re there a young woman my girls grew up with is getting married (that’s actually the catapult for us going this particular weekend) and she really wants us there. We are her second parents.

I’ve been trying to figure out what the Sam Hill to blog about and have been coming up blank. But then I remembered something huge that happened this month two years ago that actually has something to do with now, and my upcoming release with Lyrical Press, Inc.

So, I thought I’d just share a little story about my contemporary book-in-edits.

It was July 30, 2010, when my critique group “leader,” and fellow new author- her debut book comes out later this year or next with Entangled Publishing- challenged our little group. Mills and Boon had decided to do what they called a Fast Track Initiative. Send in however much you have of a manuscript by August 24^th, 2010, and they guaranteed a response by the end of that month. I accepted, as did several other members of our group.

I had other projects going, but none fit the Medical line taking submissions. I wailed, whined and pulled my hair after accepting Melinda’s challenge. Why? Heck, I don’t write medical! It literally took me a hours just to think up a theme for a story. Seriously. What could someone who knows nothing about medicine possibly write that would be convincing to M&B Medical that I knew what the heck I was writing about?

I asked myself- and hubby- what do I know that could fall into the medical field? Then it hit me. I know enough about animals to pass the test. A veterinarian. Ok, and let’s make hero an EMT, but not just any EMT- nooo, I decided he flies in a helicopter, a Mediflight paramedic. Yeah, I know exactly…nothing about that! It took me to Aug. 16th to scrape out one chapter I titled “Perfect Dr. Viv,” but I polished and sent the chapter to M&B on August 17^th.  One week before their deadline. The craziness began when an editor loved my chapter! I really hadn’t planned to need to write the whole book, so I didn’t write any more…at first…

Over the next three and a half months I ended up writing and submitting first  one, then three chapters, and then the full.

I edited and then rushed my critique group through it and emailed the whole thing to the editor on Dec. 18^th. Yes I forgot about it a third time. What editor gets back to us on a full in less than six months?

On Jan. 24, 2011 I got another email from her…

Editor-lady hoped I’d be open to revisions and to resubmit. Otherwise known as an R&R.

I did not jump right in this time like all the others and say yes. If you have received one of these, or do in the future, you shouldn’t either. Let that request sit a solid day or more and then really read it, every detail of it, and then give serious consideration before you agree.

My revision request came with five- count them, 5- pages of well-thought out revision suggestions. I gave it a week in which I read her revisions over and over, talked to the group and other writers, looked areas up in the ms she specifically pointed to, read the email in full again. Then I finally decided I would try.

Jump forward through the next seven+ months, throughout which time I sent revised chapters back and forth with editor-lady.

I chose this long-winded post today for one main reason. Here it is:

When edits change the basic fabric of YOUR story, YOUR characters, to the point you, THE AUTHOR don’t know who they are- there’s something wrong. It’s wrong because it’s not your story anymore. It’s not the creation, the birth child of months of sweat and tears and determination from you. It’s become something else.

That’s what happened to me. The closer editor-lady thought I was getting to what M&B Medical wanted- and closer to a possible contract- the less I began to understand my characters. The less I knew where the story was going and the less I wanted to look at the story. At all. It wasn’t just that I was sick of these two, as any author can relate. I didn’t know them or their story and that made it impossible for me to write their new story as it unfolded- because I didn’t have a clue where it was going. I got to a point I couldn’t force myself to open the document.

It wasn’t my story any longer.

On Sept. 4, 2011 I emailed editor-lady and informed her that, though I loved working with her, I no longer felt M&B was the best placement for my book. I withdrew my manuscript from HQN/M&B. That was a difficult decision. To tell a HQN editor thanks, but no…

Good news- Always deal in a professional manner with editors, no matter how you might feel. Separate yourself from the issue and be upfront and sincere. Why? Here’s part of her final email conversations to me that week a year ago:

I’ll also be sad to see the back of Viv and Conner – there was such a lovely bond between them! – but best of luck with your future writing.

As I do think you have a wonderfully fresh, sparky voice, if you decide you are interested in submitting to M&B again, then don’t hesitate to email me directly.

With best wishes

Be professional and good things come. When I pulled that book from her, I was certain I’d signed my fate with M&B. I mean- who does that?! I was as happy to get this last email as I was that very first chapter request. She also suggested which lines I might sub to when I informed her it wouldn’t be Medical again. J

Great news: In May, 2012 I sold that same book to Lyrical Press, Inc. My lovely editor and I are moving forward in the edits for a tentative March 2013 release. MY story. The one I wrote two years ago- as I wrote it. My editor and I had fun coming up with the new title, Risk Factors, and it suits, and I’m happy with everything about the process this time.

I gave it a shot with M&B, after careful consideration, and I allowed the story to take a path I wasn’t happy with in the end. My bad. But I also knew when to call it a day. It’s MY book. My baby. Mine. If I, or you, don’t stay strong in this business it can make for not so pleasant experiences. I learned my lesson and I’m happy it turned out the way it did. Will you be able to say the same for the sake of a coveted publishing experience? I hope so. But keep in mind that not every publisher and book may be suited for each other.

Thank you for letting me make your eyes bleed today with a longer than normal (for me) post. I hope my path helps someone else. Have a happy August, and thank you for visiting Authors By Moonlight! I hope you have time through the month to see what the other girls have planned to entertain you with.

Happy summer everyone! Congratulations to all our Summer Solstice basket winners!

If you are in Colorado, I pray you’re safe from the wild fires. If you’re in the east, prayers for those affected by the storms that yanked the power from so many. It’s been a strange season here in Oklahoma this year. Spring always brings tornadoes and here in the central of the state we had one to mention. It was scary though it was a good ten miles from our house, my husband was only a half mile from where it touched down. We’ve had rain. Now when I say we got rain it usually is accompanied by house-rattling thunder that sends hubby’s little dog into panic attacks so those are bad. Very bad. Strangely, we’ve had just one or two mild ones. The rest of the spring we got two to three days at a time of much needed no-fear rain, downpours. I like those. Feed the earth without scaring my pants off me—I can handle those storms.

They were saying to expect triple-digit heat by the end of April and that, too, didn’t happen. I think we have had one or two days and it’s already July. By this time last year we were well on our way to thirty days straight of 100%+ temps that began in June, totaling 63-100%+ days by the end of summer, without a break for even one day of less than 100%. As I said- odd weather this year. But I can’t help wondering—for all our calm spring, lack of severe weather/tornadoes—what’s in store for us come fall?

borrowed from http://goldenretrieverforum.com

I think for now I’ll enjoy the nice weather and not let what may come spoil this beautiful summer for me. I hope you have a nice and bearable summer. While you’re here, why not share your weather with us here at ABM? We’d love to hear what  other parts of our country and the world are having in the way of a normal/abnormal season.

Happy belated Independence Day!

Osiyo~ or Hello, in Cherokee

Being part Cherokee when ABM mentioned our Summer Solstice Party and Give Away I immediately knew I would do my Summer Solstice post in relation to my Indian heritage. I searched out a couple of websites to share with you and found out more about my ancestors. Can’t go wrong!

Did you know Sol+stice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning “sun” + “to stand still?” As days lengthen, the sun rises high, until it seems to stand still in the sky.

The Summer Solstice is a major celestial event that results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, but the Southern Hemisphere has their longest summer day in December.

Equinox/Solstice diagram courtesy of http://cherokeebillie.wordpress.com

You can read more about this and a lot more by Googling Cherokee Summer Solstice.

The Cherokee believe the world is one and each and everyone of us is related to all living creatures. Water plays an integral role in Cherokee worship. Taking a dip in a pool is a ritual practiced by the Cherokee Indians before an important ceremony, religious festival and also before a war. They celebrate “Green Corn Festival” annually, to appease the god of agriculture and to promote unity among their clan.

Native Americans, no matter the tribe, love to tell stories for all occasions.

I’d heard this story before from my Daddy, who was raised by his Cherokee-speaking grandfather, but was surprised and pleased to come across it while researching this post. I have to share a lesson with you in The Story of the Red Elm. Why a lesson? Because no Indian ever tells a story that doesn’t have a lesson attached. Jesus called them parables.

Long, long…long ago, when the earth was very new, the Creator made all things, and all things were good. He made the sun, the moon, and the stars in the heavens. And, He made the length of day…twelve hours of daylight – twelve hours of darkness. And that was good…until the people came.

They did not see why they needed twelve hours of darkness. It was during the daylight that they got their work done – planting the fields, hunting, making their many crafts – arrowheads, baskets, pots. They wanted light. They got together in a circle to discuss it. And, yes, most of the people wanted all light, but, you know, there are always the few nay-sayers. And, they said, “No! We like the night. It is cool, and we can sleep.”

“Huh!” said the others. “You are just lazy. You do not like to work.” Since most of the people thought it was good idea to have twenty-fours of daylight, they called forth Eagle. Now, Eagle had a special place among the people. He could talk to the Creator, he could talk to the animals, and he could talk to the people. So, the people said, “Eagle, you must go to the Creator and tell Him that we no longer want twelve hours of darkness. It wastes valuable time. We want the light.”

Eagle thought this was a strange request, but he flew into the sky and landed at the foot of the Creator. He told Him what the people wanted. The Creator looked surprised, for He thought the length of day was good. “Well,” He said, “if you are sure that is what the people want, then, so be it. From now on, a day will be twenty-four hours of light.”

Eagle came back to the circle of people and told them what the Creator said. And, those who loved the light called out “Yes! Yes! We love the light!”

At first, it was a good idea.

Read the full story: http://bit.ly/JySF4k

I hope you enjoy the story and have a fruitful Green Corn Festival Moon!

While you’re here don’t forget to comment, and return often, for the chance to win one of five gift baskets during the month of June! Baskets filled with writerly goodies!

Dodadagohvi~ Until we meet again

Hello!

I was so very ready for a new month when May popped it’s lovely head through. April be gone! No real tornadoes to speak of, though my hubs did get cornered at Walmart when one touched down in the large town nearest us (Norman) and within a mile of where he’d stopped to shop. No injuries, no deaths and some, but not much severe damage to buildings over all.

The storms that touched my life were within, and within my family circle. My seven-year old granddaughter broke both bones midway in her left arm falling off a gate she never should have been on. Kids… My older-by-2-years sister went into the hospital and has been diagnosed with severe vertigo due to inner ear nerve damage sustained as a baby.

Then if that wasn’t enough, we had to have my youngest daughter’s 12 yo dog aided over the Rainbow Bridge.

We bottle fed Dottie, and her litter of five, from the time they were three weeks old, loved her, miss her.

But there was happy events that month to celebrate. Said 7 yo granddaughter reminded me she turned 7 on April 3^rd. My only niece (or nephew for that matter on my side as opposed to hubs’s) announced she’s pregnant with their first baby! Due in December which is also my birth month. *picture me grinning very big here*

But with all the negatives last month I fell into a funk with writing. Understandable? Perhaps. It also made me completely overlook my regular post date here at ABM. So I thought I’d embrace the negatives and evaluate how I might bring myself out of the funk.

To begin with my publisher had a big series launch party on the wild rose press general loop. You can join here.

I contacted some editors who had partials I’d submitted previously and have not heard from in a long while.

One email followup resulted in a request for the full MS, and if that doesn’t cheer me up then I must be dead!

On the other hand, the second followup resulted in feedback contained in a rejection. I more or less expected that after no word for twenty-two months but-again- if that didn’t bother me, then I must be dead!

But either way- these responses show me that I’m still working, writing, submitting, trying. And that’s what gets me through my funks. Work. While I may not be able to put new words down during what I call my moping period, I’m still keeping my mind active on the craft.

What good is that you ask? Well, for me, it keeps me thinking about the writing and not as much on the dismal points. I am able to draw myself back into my writing easier because my characters continually speak…and I’ve been listening, even if it was with one ear. The result? I was able to finish necessary edits on the MS and then send it to Lyrical Press per the editor’s request. I have something out there again.

I was also able to add a few words to the cowboy short I’m targeting toward WRP and their newly launched Honky Tonk Hearts series which you can get here. Keep in mind that, while there are just two available currently, more will release each month. Two per month I believe.

So that’s my game plan. Leap into the new month to bloom like the Day Lilies in my flowerbeds. Kick April out with new projects in publisher-land and finish this dang cowboy’s story so I can submit it soon. Mostly I’ll look ahead and not back.

I’ll be back next month, or Friday, June 1 with my regular scheduled post!

Lyrical offered me a contract for the requested full over the weekend! I’m multi-published!!!

Welcome! I’m Calisa Rhose, author of, Wild Rose Press debut ebook, Home. Thanks for reading my debut ABM post! I can’t say how thrilled I am to be part of a wonderful group of writers! It is, literally, a dream come true.

I gave a lot of thought to this post. Everyone is focusing on the beauty of- my favorite season- Spring, where they live. Gentle rain showers that will usually and delightfully result in a myriad of color, flowers, plants peeking their heads above ground to bask in the sun and grow. It represents that and more for me. Spring means horseback riding, rodeos, baseball and fishing at the rivers or lakes. Can you tell I grew up a tomboy? lol I love all of these things and more.

I spent eighteen years in California and when we made plans to move back here in 2007 friends there asked why? “Aren’t there tornadoes in Oklahoma?” I responded blithely, “Yes. But I can see a tornado coming, unlike the earthquakes California has that sneaks up unseen.” So I’m ‘Home’ as my debut release talks about. For good or bad, it’s where I’m from. Where I love.

But what, you ask, is the ‘more?’  The most memorable ‘more’ in Oklahoma is that fifth season many of you in points west and extreme east don’t have, though unlike us, you have another variation of a fifth season. Ours, here in the Midwest, and not just Oklahoma (but that’s where I am), is…TORNADO season.

I grew up here and never saw a tornado that wasn’t on the news after the fact. Have you watched a newscast following a tornado? How about while it’s tearing its way across the land, as you watch tv? You look out your door or window and see clear blue sky overhead and maybe a dark sky farther over from you, maybe something as innocuous as a rain cloud- but it’s moving away so you’re safe, right?

Two years ago hubby and I looked up, straight up, over the house and it looked like God’s triple-head, electric razor spinning over us. We stood there, staring, in awe (I always forget a camera when it matters so these two on the left, and the actual tornado, images were not taken by me). Then God breathed on us- this hot gust of breath that seemed, not to come across us as a breeze, rather it was a huff of hot air straight down, in an otherwise cool day. Then those three heads of the razor began to rotate in a circular pattern, all together while each also spun independently of the others. Rotations are how tornadoes begin in a visible form. We took granddaughter, middle daughter and our four small dogs a mile away and sat in the car, joined soon by a neighbor, to watch those ‘rotations’ move off to the east before feeling safe enough to return home. I had visions of a tornado shooting down like a bolt of lightening, zapping us away.

exact location we saw May 23 tornado, taken the next day

Those rotations merged together 12 miles east of us and ‘dropped’ to the ground. Over our house was beautiful blue sky again. Ahhh- deep breath of relief. Right? No. Others were now in real danger since a tornado was active on the ground. Others…like my baby and oldest daughters. The younger of whom was six miles outside of their town, in the middle of nowhere, at her and her husband’s convenience store working her shift. I called and told her there was a tornado headed right for her, but her husband said the news wasn’t reporting anything unusual in their area. I think he was watching the wrong news channel because…it was there! I directed her gaze across the miles to the rain wall cloud southwest of her location, and informed her there was a tornado inside that dark cloud bank headed her way,. Those are called ‘rain-wrapped’ tornadoes. She became very rattled, especially when soon after her power went out. Her sister, my oldest dd, stopped in on her way home from work to check on her baby sister and left again. I got a call from youngest daughter a few minutes later. She was crying and terrified, driving in hail and hard rain, following a customer to his house to take shelter in his cellar with another of her customers. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that man today, though I’ve never met him!

May 23, 2011, Dibble, OK

That tornado tore through a mobile home park four miles from my daughter’s store. Luckily no one was killed. Unfortunately, tenmiles away, three miles from older daughter’s house, a young mother was killed and her three children all critically injured when it tore through their mobile home park. That day was May 10, 2010- my baby daughter’s 21^st birthday.

Last year during a storm, on close the same date (May 23^rd), my niece and her fiancé were going to her friend’s house and told us to follow them to their cellar. No, we’re fine. We’ll stay home. The weather got worse and within fifteen minutes hubby and I (and yes, the four small dogs) left. We drove three miles to the tiny town of Dibble where niece’s friend lived and as we pulled up at the stop sign a block from our destination I looked ahead of us and I think I screamed. Less than three miles in front of us…my first visual tornado roared across the farmland! We hurried to the cellar and think if we’d only stayed home- ‘that’ time- we’d have been farther away and safer than going to the cellar put us.  (I didn’t take this photo, but it is of the exact tornado we saw, and it looked just like this when we did see it– in the location of above picture.)

garbage dumpster can in tornado ravaged tree, taken 5/24/11

The next day hubby and I drove around our neighboring areas and I cried at the damage so close to home. I will never forget the day it all became so real to us as it has for many others before. The scars of the three tornadoes that encircled our towns (we lived equally between two towns, our address in one, school district in the other) is still visible today, though buildings have been rebuilt or eliminated altogether since. The earth has recovered, some of the trees have grown back out, but you just see it. You know.

You remember…last spring in Oklahoma. And you can’t help but wonder what this spring will bring. Our new house is almost in the path of the 2010 tornado (within a mile). I comfort myself with the knowledge that this house has withstood twenty-plus springs right where it sits, alongside other houses that have been here as long and longer. They still stand, untouched by nature’s terror. I thank God. And I pray. But I don’t want to live anywhere else. Oklahoma is home.

What does spring mean to you? Good or bad- are you ‘Home?”

Get your copy of HOME at The Wild Rose Press and Amazon and B&N.

Small-town country girl Calisa Rhose lives in a semi-remote area of Oklahoma with her husband, five dogs, one cat and one horse. All of her three daughters and their families live within throwing distance. She’s a member of RWA and the local chapter OKRWA. She intends to nurture and continue to grow as an author with the help of her family and supporters.

Feel free to visit my other haunts when you have a chance.

Find Calisa at her website/blog http://calisarhose.wordpress.com

On Twitter @Calisa_Rhose and Facebook @Calisa Rhose

She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at calisa.rhose@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting ABM and welcoming me to my new cyber home.

Let’s get on with this countdown!!!!

DAY 1!!!

I was researching something that would say Christmas and still fit with my book HOME set in fall 1967. My hero was a medic who’d been sent home early to a town that treated him with the crude stigmatism so many Vietnam veterans did then, and still do today, live with. I found this passage from a veteran during the war (1965- @ the time Sam Callahan enlisted)and thought how it fit my hero, Sam Callahan in so many ways. It is worth sharing here with the link in case anyone wants to read more.

X-MAS 1965, GETTING OUT OF “SYNC”

by N.A. DOC BLAND

Some of this is kinda fuzzy, but I am sure that I spent X-mas day of ’65 flying

TWA to RVN.

Dec. 21:    Leave Evansville, In……. Dad, mom, & and girl I had met while home

on leave, and spent two days and a real unforgettable night with.  She give me a real

nice letter to read right before I boarded plane, turned out to be a “Dear John” letter.

Only the second time I ever saw my dad with “tears” in his eyes,  remember wondering

“why.”  My dad had served in South Pacific during WW 2, with Marine Corps.  After I

was in country about 3 mins I knew “why.”

Had stop and change of planes in St. Louis, Mo.  Next stop San Francisco.

Checked in Oakland Repo-Depo, think I spent a day or two here.  Don’t remember anything except they made sure we had on Class A’s summer uniform on and gave “strict instructions” that we keep them on until we arrived in RVN.

Think we left from Oakland in daytime.  On TWA.

Stopped at Seattle, Washington…. had to get off plane while they refueled.  A

few of us got together and went to Booze store for a larger group.  Had to run about

a mile in cold and snow on ground in short sleeves to store, as I remember we had to

go there because the airport was not allowed to sell booze by the Bottle.

When we got there the line was real long standing outside.  We started at back and

asked folks if we could get in front of them, telling them we were on our way to Viet-Nam

and had to be back on plane in about 30 min-utes or so.  Everyone was so nice and let us

go ahead of them, one guy even pitched in a few bucks, had one ass-hole that didn’t want

to let us ahead of him about halfway through the line.

Some real big “logger” looking guy that was a few spots ahead, overheard this ass-hole,

come back and grabbed him by his shirt collar and took him off to the side for a little

“talk”, someone at the front said right away “you guys hurry up and get right up front of

me,” wonder what the “logger” said to the ass-hole?

Seems like it got dark real fast while here.  Everyone got a arm load of booze,

think store manager even give us a few free bottles.  So anyway we got back to

plane with 3 minutes to spare. Next stop Anchorage, Alaska, Dec 24th, bright sunlight but real cold, had to get off for some reason (fuel?). All I remember is everyone was making comments about the cold and having short sleeve shirts on. Don’t seem like hardly any time at all went by and it was dark again.

Do remember that the pilot announced that we would cross international

dateline soon and that X-Mas Day would only be 7 hours and some

minutes long.  Can remember one of the stewardesses took our booze and

fixed everyone up to three drinks, started serving them when we crossed

that dateline, and it was X-Mas. Think most every one only had one or two drinks, and I remember it got real quite

and stayed that way until we got ready to land in Toyko, by then it was the 26th.

Remember looking at Cameras there.

Next Stop:    “Viet-Nam.”

Hard to believe that I was under serious consideration for CMH while there, yet

found myself in Jail for “vagrancy” X-Mas of 67.

PS:   Sitting here with tears in my eyes thinking and wondering about the “guys”

I shared that plane ride with, would I recognize any of them, doubt it.  Never saw

any of them before or after that X-Mas ride.  God it hurts to think about how

young and innocent we were, and knowing a bunch of them didn’t get to come

home sitting up in a seat, like I was lucky enough to do.

I sit here in this “lab” and see the kids, and think to my-self, “was I really that

young, how the hell did I survive it?” Will X-Mas ever be that “special” again for me, are the “best” of times over for this old medic?

One last personal note, if could share one thing with folks about X-Mas season

and giving I would say “Give of your self, the ‘stuff’ passes out of our lives for

the most part, Warm Memories Stay for a life-time.”

That stewardess warmed my heart so much that when I came back and was on a

flight headed to Kentucky to see my folks, I gave the “stewardess” one of two

“yard” bracelets that had been given to me by a couple of real “special” yards.  If

you really want to do something special for X-Mas, if you see someone with that

scary, lost, pained where-am-I look in their eyes, try to just give them a warm

compassionate smile.  You never know–that “smile” just might save their life. http://www.vietvet.org/xmastime.htm

Wow. I think this still holds true to this day for our soldiers serving today.

And now a little about my novella, HOME, from The Wild Rose Press.

TAG: What could a gypsy and a Vietnam veteran have in common?

EXCERPT-

“I’ll always want you, Poppy.”

Her head shook in automatic denial. “You’ll want a girl who fits your life. Not some gypsy with no family lineage to brag about. Your momma won’t accept that, either. She’ll make you choose someone like Connie, someone who fits into your world. Not the girl everyone avoids and whispers about behind her back. You’re gonna be the town’s doctor. You need an uppity wife who will make you proud.”

When Sam laughed, his chest shuddered against her back. Deep, husky, real. He turned her in his arms and looked down at her, smiling. “Poppy, do you honestly think I give a damn what people think? Look at me! I’m the town outcast, the survivor who should have died saving the others, not be here planning a future that includes a wife, a medical practice. “I shimmy under park benches, run from my mother’s lipstick, for God’s sake. I wake up screaming and crying over nothing in the middle of the night, crawl under my bed and hide, shaking,

until morning. Hell, I can’t even be a doctor because I haven’t finished school yet.”

“I didn’t know. It must be awful for you.” No matter how it hurt Poppy to know he used her, it felt much worse to know how he hurt alone. “The only time it isn’t awful is when I’m with you. When I think of you.”

********************************

Get your copy of HOME at The Wild Rose Press and on Amazon.

Small-town country girl Calisa Rhose lives in a semi-remote area of Oklahoma with her husband, five dogs and one horse. All of her three daughters and their families live within throwing distance. She’s a member of RWA and the local chapter OKRWA. She intends to nurture and continue to grow as an author with the help of her family and supporters.

Find Calisa at her website/blog http://calisarhose.wordpress.com

On twitter @Calisa_Rhose and Facebook @Calisa Rhose

She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at calisa.rhose@gmail.com

The day following the New Years Day party on my blog (that’s TOMORROW!!!) I will be giving away the first copy of HOME to one lucky commenter! Don’t forget to leave your EMAIL ADDRESS in your comment! Be sure to come to my BIG SALE PARTY on my on January 1, 2012! The more you comment this week, the greater your chance to win! You can find the full tour schedule on my website at the link above, or you can go directly from here for the release week party schedule http://calisarhose.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/home-for-love/

Thank you for hosting me at Authors By Moonlight!