Sweet Saturday Sample - Oct 29

            This week we’re again following Peggy, a character from our book I.O.U. SEX. Peg has finally decided this is the day to start getting healthier. We have all experienced that moment of clarity when change is upon us, but what will Peg do with hers?

            With new resolve and inspiration, Peggy dressed and marched down to the kitchen for her first healthy breakfast. She filled the teakettle with water, set it on a burner to boil, then went in search of something low calorie to eat. She found an orange and several apples in the fridge, leftovers from when she’d made an apple cinnamon cake with citrus glaze topping. Choosing the orange, she stood at the sink and removed the peel with her thumbnail. She bit into the juicy pulp—mmmm, delicious—and wondered how long it had been since she’d eaten fresh fruit without whipped cream or sugar on it.

            While waiting for the kettle to whistle, she went to the pantry for a teabag. In her search, she found two boxes of pop tarts, some sugary cereals, and a container of pancake mix, her usual breakfast choices. She threw it all into the trash. Wherever she looked, junk food lurked on the shelves. She attacked the high-calorie items in the same way she weeded her rose beds—without mercy. Ten minutes later, the trash can overflowed and the pantry’s shelves were almost empty. She reached for a pen and started a list of all the things she’d need to buy at the grocery store later that afternoon.

            Sipping her tea, Peggy added other items to her list—workout clothes, walking shoes, socks, pedometer, notebook, as well as a book that listed the calorie content of foods.

            She’d have to do a lot of preparation to really begin attacking her fat in earnest. Rather than be daunted by the work ahead, Peggy felt energized and optimistic. She grabbed her purse and keys. The Farmer’s Market sounded like a good place to start.

Even though she didn’t have a lot of healthy foods on hand, Peg made the most nutritious choice available to her—a fresh orange. She’s off to a great start, because she’s now aware of what she’s putting in her mouth! But as many of us know, the real challenge comes as the days turn into weeks. Can Peggy hang in there with her healthy eating plan? Is there some exercise in her future? Will she find something to inspire her to stick with this major lifestyle change?


Book Title: I.O.U. Sex
Genre: Women's Fiction / Romance
Book Rating: R (sex between consenting adults M/F)
Available in paperback and eBook formats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble,  CreateSpace and Smashwords.


Thank you to J. Gunnar Grey for once again hosting Sweet Saturday Samples. To read posts from other blog hop participants, click here: Sweet List 

BAH-HUMBUG & HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Halloween 2011! I live in a little town in far North Texas, population 1,579. There are a few "neighborhoods"--I live in one of them--and everyone else lives out in the country or near the lake. Therefore, all the children from our town and others nearby just LOVE to come "trick-or-treating" on my street. It's a real zoo around here on October 31st! But most of my neighbors have risen to the challenge and decorated their homes and yards for the occasion, as you can see from the photos above.

For several years now I have shopped at Sam's for some really good Halloween treats to give out, not those tiny candy bars, but full size ones. Needless to say, my house was a popular stop for all those kiddies. However, the year before last I gave out almost 200 treats before I ran out and had to turn the lights off!

Therefore, last year my husband and I decided to take a Halloween "holiday". We turned out every light inside and outside the house and buttoned down the hatches. Then we left just before dark and drove to a nearby city to have a nice, leisurely dinner. After that we went to Target and strolled the isles in virtual isolation--the place had almost no customers! I guess we were being a bit "Scrooge-like", but we enjoyed the experience so much we've decided to give a repeat performance again this year. "Bah-humbug & Happy Halloween" everyone!

~ Miss Pickles (alias Sandra)

SPOOK-A-LICIOUS BLOG HOP TOUR - Contest Winner

          

     We're pleased to announce that Nay Nay is the lucky winner of an ebook download of I.O.U. SEX. Nay Nay said her favorite Halloween costume would be a Regency ball gown, and she doesn't care if she has the figure for it or not! We feel exactly the same way.
     Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave comments and enter our Spook-a-Licious contest. If we invited everybody who entered to a Halloween party, we'd have: a gothic demon, an Amazon warrior princess, Xena, Cleopatra, a Doraemon character, a Victorian vampire, Scarlet O'Hara, an angel, an Egyptian priestess, a Greek goddess, plus party-goers dressed in gothic fey, a regency ball gown, and a glittery dress with a feathered mask. We'll be the ones in the Annie Oakley and Elvira (Mistress of the Dark) outfits. Wouldn't that be a fun group?
     To find out how to order I.O.U. SEX (as an ebook or in paperback), click on the Buy I.O.U. SEX tab above. And have Spook-a-Licious Halloween!

Sweet Saturday Samples - Oct 22

We’re here again with another Sweet Saturday Sample. Thank you to everyone who follows this weekly blog hop, and welcome to newcomers who are visiting for the first time today. We appreciate your interest and welcome your comments.

For the past several weeks we’ve been posting excerpts about Peggy, one of our characters from I.O.U. SEX. This sweet lady just can’t seem to get her weight and related health issues under control. We join her the day after she’s had a heart-to-heart conversation about these topics with her best friends, June and Kiki.

The next morning, bright Texas sunshine streamed through the plantation shutters in Peggy's bedroom, waking her from a night of restless sleep. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned.

Peggy looked down at the mounds her body formed underneath the white sheet, thinking they looked like the foothills of the Rockies, with bumps and bulges galore. She sighed. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she control herself?

Her thoughts went back to Kiki and June's visit the night before. With their words fresh in her mind, Peggy climbed out of bed and walked into the guest bathroom. She took a long look at her face in the mirror and made a promise.

This is the day.

As of right now I am going to eat only healthy foods, keep a food and calorie journal, and start walking. Losing all this flab might be slower than cold molasses, but it's taken me a lot of years to gain it. One way or another, I'm going to get healthy.

Cross my heart and hope not to die.

Peggy removed every last stitch of clothing and stood in front of the Weight Watchers scale she'd purchased in one of her lost-cause diet attempts. She followed the directions printed on the front, tapping the scale with her big toe to activate it. When the read-out said "00", she climbed aboard and braced herself for the shock. The glaring truth flashed back at her—217 big ones. Somehow she'd lost three pounds since her last doctor's visit, but the huge number still made her cringe. It's a start, she thought, and I swear I'll never see a number that big again.

As you’ve probably realized, Peggy isn’t your typical glamorous character from a romance novel or from women’s fiction, but she’s definitely representative of a large segment of the real world. Anyone who’s ever been on the diet merry-go-round understands the challenges Peggy faces. We hope you enjoy following her story as she works to lose her excess pounds, and at the same time joins her two friends in tracking down their high school boyfriends.

Book Title: I.O.U. Sex

Genre: Women’s Fiction / Romance

Rating: R (tastefully written sex scenes between consenting adults – M/F)

Available in paperback and eBook formats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble,  CreateSpace and Smashwords.  

To connect with other Sweet Saturday Sample authors, click here: The Sweet List