Rebirth and Open Hearts

 

 

 

 

Spring...finally. I awoke to the sounds of birds singing this morning and sunshine peeking around the edges of the curtains above my bed...about time! I even went for a long walk in my 'hood and listened to my iPod. I am currently loving indie rock--the Black Keys, Kings of Leon, the Killers, Muse (OF COURSE!), Coldplay, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Florence and the Machine, Mumford and Sons, etc. (I think most of those are considered indie rock anyway). I also love that song "Thriftshop." It is impossible to be still when that song is on. I find myself tiring of Taylor Swift (though I love her "Speak Now" album and always will). She is overplayed on the radio. And Maroon 5/Adam Levine, whom I used not to care for, I suddenly cannot get enough of. I guess my musical tastes are evolving. Had I been writing a blog post about music three or so years ago, I'd have been talking about nothing but opera and showtunes. How I've changed...speaking of which...
I am going through a rebirth of sorts and the timing is great considering spring is when the earth goes through its own rebirthing process. I started a health/fitness kick on the first of March and I am proud to say that as this first month nears the end, I have not had one, single, off-day in my quest to improve my health! And people are starting to notice which does wonders for my self-esteem. I can fit into clothes which, six months ago, would have been a joke to even try on. I'm using an app on my phone called Lose It!  My friend Jessica told me about it and it is amazing. I highly recommend it to all of you out there who might be wanting to lose weight and/or shape up. The app tracks everything for you. It's easy to use and very motivational. Give it a try! I am also an exercise fiend. I spend a lot of time at the gym and, of course, I have Jonathan, my trainer, whom I've mentioned on this blog before. I actually want to run a half-marathon eventually (it's on my bucket list) and I feel myself getting closer and closer to making that happen. I have only experienced a runner's high one time in my life and that was when I was in the Marine Corps. I want to experience that sensation again--there's nothing like it...almost...which brings me to...
Another part of my rebirth has to do with matters of the heart. There's no way I can blog and not mention, even in the abstract, my happiness these days with a certain someone. Open, Sweet, Caring, Amazing, Romantic (yes, those adjectives are capitalized for a reason -- I like acronyms). You truly never know where or when love will find you, which makes me think of those corny Jane Seymour jewelry collection advertisements where she's pitching her "Open Hearts" collection. I used to make fun of those ads! But...it turns out she's right when she says that if you leave your heart open, love will find its way in. Who knew Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, was such a romantic! On that note, I shall sign off here. Happy spring, everyone, and remember...the best way to find something that eludes you is to just stop looking! Until next time...

Weights and Wonders

Another Sunday evening, another blog post (yay! I'm just thrilled I remembered to blog!):
I've been on a roll lately with meeting new people and making new friends. I have become a semi-permanent fixture at the gym and as such, I've gotten to know each of the guys who works there. They're all terrific (and the gals are, too) but one among them has become my personal trainer. His name's Jonathan and, like me, he is a former Marine. Unlike me, however, you can still see the Marine in him! But we are working together to change that. He looks like a bad-ass, kill you with the flick of his pinkie finger dude, but underneath his tough exterior, I've found the pussycat that lives inside. That being said, he doesn't pull any punches during our sessions. He makes it burn. I always feel nervous just before we begin, but when it's over, I feel exhiliarated. I am his pet project and he has promised me results. I also take his kick-boxing class on Thursday nights. It's so freaking hard that sometimes I taste death, but...as Jonathan says..."pain is weakness leaving the body." He's very motivating and also very protective. I love that guy!
I'm thrilled that one of my favorite shows returns tomorrow: "Revolution." Any of you guys fans of that show? I love Billy Burke--he's the star of the show (he's also Bella's father in the Twilight films). Three of my fave shows are on Monday nights ("Dancing with the Stars," "The Carrie Diaries" and "Revolution"). Thank goodness for DVR. I also love "Arrow" which comes on Wednesday nights. I just realized why I love these shows...they all feature HOT GUYS. Speaking of which...
I recently mentioned in a blog post that there's this guy who lives in my phone and he sounds like Antonio Banderas (only better). I'm thinking about him tonight as he's hard at work putting the finishing touches on his new home that he's building on 25 acres of land down in Texas. I'm thinking about how tired he is and how ready he is to get the house finished so he can move in and finally get to enjoy the fruits of his labors. I'm hoping he's drinking lots of water and eating properly and sleeping well at night (because he brings out my nurturing, protective side). You might not think that a man who lives inside an iPhone needs nurturing and protecting--as long as he has a charger and an outlet, he should be good to go, right? But this man needs it (whether he cares to admit it nor not). So, from a distance, I am sending care and protection. As I told him recently, he is now under the protection of my secret service. Though I've only known him a short time, I seriously cannot remember my life before he came into it. He truly is amazing. Which reminds me...
Ever wish you could win an Academy Award? Did you ever make a statuette out of foil and hold it up and thank all the little people? Did you give your acceptance speech and bow and fake cry and thank your lawyer? I'm asking this because I always wished I could win an Oscar. Well, folks...sometimes wishes come true. I finally got my Oscar.
Until next time... 

health (s)care

I dodged a bullet today! I had a little health scare but, thankfully, all is well. I had my annual mammogram on Tuesday and received a message that something suspicious was noted on the right side. So...I called and was given an appointment for this morning at the Cleveland Clinic. I went in and had further testing done and the doctor recommended a biopsy to be performed the same day (of course, that didn't sound promising). So I went in for the procedure where more x-rays were taken. I was on the table in the ready position for the biopsy (and shaking a wee bit from nerves because I have a serious fear of needles) when the doctor determined that what we were all seeing in the films was calcification near the skin and nothing at all to worry about. So...no needles for Kellie today! YAY! I just have to go back in six months for a follow-up. Needless to say, I am a happy chick today. Of course, I had a few hours of worst-case scenarios running through my over-active imagination. I like to believe I am a very positive, optimistic, glass half-full person, but I do have my little fatalistic streak.I'm the one who, upon experiencing turbulence in-flight, thinks to herself--DUMMY!YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A FASCINATION WITH AIRPLANE CRASHES SO WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK'S GONNA HAPPEN ON THIS TURBULENT FLIGHT? ARE YOU TEMPTING FATE? ARE YOU TOYING WITH THE UNIVERSE? ARE YOU NUTS? YOU COULDN'T DRIVE?
Sorry, I probably didn't need to yell that. I don't visibly react to turbulence on a flight but, once I did take my son's hand and say good-bye when we hit a particularly rough patch from Seattle to Cleveland. He just looked at me like I was crazy. When the turbulence was over and all was well, I had the presence of mind to say hello to him. That confirmed my craziness.
So listen up, ladies! It's all about early detection! Schedule a mammogram today if your're older than 40 and/or have a family history. Your loved ones will thank and you'll certainly thank yourself. I know I did!

Spring!

The calendar says it's spring but Mother Nature says HAHAHAHAHA--NOT YET! It's freezing outside! But the sun is shining so that's a step in the right direction.
Lots of things brewing here in Gypsy Land. My new website has launched and now I have to learn how to manage it. Oh, boy. It looks pretty but there are a few things about it that I find odd. I'll figure it out somehow.
I'm currently writing the outline that will become the screenplay for The Gypsy Thief. It's daunting and I am waaaay behind schedule because I keep getting distracted by this beautiful creature who lives in my phone. Yes, it's true...my iPhone is alive and well. Turns out there's a living, breathing man living in it. He's with me everyday, keeping me company, encouraging me and making me happy. Now, I've heard of people getting addicted to their iPhones, but I'm quite sure I've taken the concept to a new level. The thing is...the voice in my phone belongs to an actual human. One of these days I'm going to meet this guy, but until that day...I'm loving my new best friend in its electronic form (and his human form, too). Don't think I mentioned this part: The man in my phone...? He sounds just like Antonio Banderas. I've always wanted my own Latin Lover (it is, after all, the name of my first book!)!
The Dark Prince is in the publishing phase now. I have seen the opening pages and the interior elements look just like Gypsy's. It's quite beautiful. I can't wait for you all to read it. The pub date is still set for some time in May (probably early in the month). I'll keep you posted.
I shall close here. I am going to enter The Gypsy Thief in a contest and I need to print out the entry form but, OF COURSE, my printer won't allow me to print, so it's off to the library I go.
Happy spring, everyone...get caught reading!!!!!

The Dark Prince and Other Treasures

Another long period of time between blog posts but I'm back again and promising myself to be a more prolific blogger. Here's an update from my world:

I continue to promote The Gypsy Thief. I was recently in contact with a Hollywood agent who represents the actor Graham Rogers who plays Danny on Revolution on NBC (think Andrew Easton in the book). He advised to me adapt The Gypsy Thief into a screenplay so I ordered the special software called FinalDraft and now I have to learn how to use it. I've been reading a book about screenwriting and it sure is different from novel writing.

My new website is almost ready to launch. I saw it for the first time yesterday. It needs a little more fine-tuning before it comes out into the world. It should be very soon.

The Dark Prince will be released in May. The cover is beautiful. It features Miguel, the gypsy, and he looks a lot like Jacob Black aka Taylor Lautner, but it's actually a model. He is gorgeous!

Before I go, I have to say something about a significant occurrence in my life. But first I must ask a question. Have you ever wanted something so much that you actually conjured it up...as in...you actually made it happen? Like...you took something fictional (say, a character in a book that you were madly in love with) and MADE HIM EXIST FOR REAL?????? Well, Kellie here apparently has magical powers because I did it. I made a boy in a book become real (only this one is a man and he is age-appropriate--thank goodness!!). The book is called Perfect Chemistry and the character is Alejandro Fuentes. It's by Simone Elkeles and it's my favorite book of all time. As for the non-fictional Alex....he has a different name and he is pretty awesome (he is also the same nationality as Alex). I'm gonna save him for another blog. It's still early stages and I don't want to overstate the relationship but I've gotta say...who knew the real thing could be as good as the fictional thing? Needless to say, I'm kinda in a state of constant rapture. I'll leave it at that for now...hasta mas tarde...