My Favorite Latin Lover

Once in a while (actually…most of the time) I’m just a tender-hearted sap! “Surely not you, Marcia!” you’re thinking…right? But seriously—certain things just pluck at my little heartstrings like you wouldn’t believe! One of those things happened in January—when Ricardo Montalban died! How sad! I loved Ricardo! Loved his handsomeness, his eyes, his smile—and of course his voice! He was an icon of my youth! And NOT because of the TV show, Fantasy Island! I loved Ricardo for his roles in those wonderful musicals of the 1950’s! Especially a little known movie entitled, Two Weeks with Love! Oh my heck! I soooooooo remember seeing Two Weeks with Love for the first time when I was really, really young! Starring Jane Powell and Ricardo Montalban, Two Weeks with Love absolutely captured my heart!
Funny, romantic, entirely adorable—this movie has endured as one of my very, very favorites! AND it’s why I love Ricardo Montalban! I love when Demi Armendez (Ricardo’s character in the movie) get’s covered in tapioca one night at dinner! Patty (Jane Powell) says, “Oh! Tapioca!” Demi (Ricardo) then says, “With raisins,” picking a raisin out of the tapioca covering his jacket. Oh my heck! You have to love it! AND you have to see it! It’s a very hard movie to find—especially on DVD! It’s available on my website right now (Marcia’s Bookstore) but quantities are very limited! Yet, I love the movie so much—adore Ricardo Montalban so entirely—that I felt the need to pay tribute to him here—small tribute, perhaps—but tribute all the same! And so...click the link below (it will take you to a Youtube.com clip)…and enjoy one of my favorite scenes from Two Weeks with Love—a tango starring my favorite latin lover!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-gXFdQIyQE&feature=related

Shirts and Laddies…(Just All In Good Fun!)

Remember how much fun we all had with “Kissing Clue” back in November? Well, though I’m feeling a little shy about trying it…someone suggested another fun thread to me! AND I think I have the guts today to post it!

However, I must preface by revealing a secret to you…seriously…it’s a total secret that only like 8 people have owned a knowledge of before this minute! So…here’s my confession:

Years and years ago—when I first began letting a few close friends read my stories—a group of us used to get together and have “readings!” One of my friends—who was a really great read-out-louder—would read my stories aloud, while the rest of us dipped strawberries in chocolate, ate Rise Krispie Treats, candy, various appetizers, etc. It was during one of these delicious events—a reading of “The Foundling” (you know it by its published title, Desert Fire)—that my friends began to comment on the fact my heroes always managed to strip off their shirts somehow! It was true! I’m not sure I had consciously become aware of it yet. Still, we all giggled and commented, teased and discussed it. Therefore, on that very night—I promising my friends then and there that I would always manage to have the hero appear shirtless somewhere in my stories! Actually, I think I promised them that the hero would always remove his shirt somehow…or have it removed somehow! Consequently—thanks to my friends and mostly because it just works for me—you can always find my heroes appearing bare-chested somewhere in the story! ! (As a side note, I once had reader’s husband (ex-Marine) tease me and tell me his wife couldn’t read my books anymore because she’d told him he took his shirt off wrong!)

(As another side note…when The Foundling was being sent into publication, the publisher was afraid people would misread the title…you know…omitting the “u” and thereby misconstruing the meaning of the word. So—one afternoon before the book was headed for the printer—the VP of the publishing company, the marketing staff, and myself were sitting around a conference table tossing up possible titles! The VP (Jeff) suggested, “Shirtless Men in the Desert!” Then, “Hairy Chests Forever!” We all laughed as he came up with title after title referring to just this familiar tag in my books! It was finally agreed…Desert Fire…would be the new title of The Foundling—I still prefer, The Foundling, though.)

Anyway, a friend suggested to me that since we all had so much fun with the “Kissing Clue” blog… I should try a “Name Your Favorite Shirtless Scene” game! (I’m like totally blushing right now!) Instead of Chutes and Ladders…let’s call it Shirts and Laddies! Okay?

So, if you’re game I’ll start it out with two of my favorites…

“There he stood, in the cool October weather wearing boots, pants, a hat, well-worn gloves—and no shirt.” –Jackson McCall in Desert Fire

“Violently he tore open his soiled shirt, sending buttons flying throughout the room. Wadding it up, he brutally threw it at her feet.” –Race Trevelian in Indebted Deliverance
(Okay…THIS one is one of my favorites! Remember? When she smashes her breakfast all over his front and me makes her clean it up?)

New Year Changes

Moving is crazy! I’m so behind! Still, I wanted to share a few photos with you! Saying goodbye to 2008 and a beautiful beginning to 2009!

I call this one, “The Ghost of Christmas Past!” My nephew and I were fiddling around with timed exposure on Christmas Eve! See my “ghost” off to the left? I’m so weird!

New Year’s Eve found us enjoying the company of good friends! Here are a couple photos of Kevin and his buddy Tracy getting ready for a mean round of Wii tennis! The boxing was out of control! Silly boys!

Nothing like a little sparkling cider to usher in the new year! I guess all the women were just too short to make it into the photo!

You KNOW how I LOVE seeing hot air balloons drifting through the sky! One evening, just before sunset, my boys and I spotted a couple! Love it!

The Time of Aspen Falls

Merry Christmas! Things are crazy at our house right now...so many things going on...including a move on the 27th! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Still, guess what's just around the corner...The Time of Aspen Falls! At Last! Thought I'd share a little secret with you...and here's the cover! Let me know what what you think!