I wish I could say that Lisa and I have been busy writing the last few months, but that would be lying. We’ve been busy working other jobs–putting in lots of extra hours because in this economy, we can’t say no to making much-needed money to pay the bills. Lisa now works at a costume shop where she’s been building costumes for a big-time movie that will be hitting theaters in summer 2011. I’m not sure if she’s allowed to talk about it so I won’t share any details here, but it’s been pretty exciting and we like to think of it as more research for upcoming Hollywood Heat stories we want to write. If you combine Lisa’s and my work hours over the last couple months, on average we’ve been putting in anywhere from 120-160 hours a week. I wish I could say I was exaggerating on that! We get up, go to work, and fall into bed after 12-18 hour shifts, often 7 days a week. But I refuse to see anything but the positive in that. Money is good. Getting out of debt is good. Life is hectic, but good.

We have a release this week–the new and improved, revised version of Forsaken Talisman is coming out in paperback. The official release date is tomorrow, so I’ll chatter more about it then, although you can find it shipping now on several online bookstores if you just can’t wait another day. The book looks absolutely stunning. I’m really impressed with the quality and the cover is beautiful on the print edition. Yes, I will fully admit I’ve hugged my copies more than once.

If you want an autographed bookplate for any of our print books, drop me an email. You can find the link to my email address on the About the Author page on our website. In the email let me know which print books you have and who you want the book autographed to and we’ll personalize it and mail it off. A lot of emails end up in spam, though, so if you don’t hear back from me, try again. We got hundreds upon hundreds of spam email a week, and I don’t want anyone to think they’re being ignored.

And since we’re talking about Talisman Bay…our workload is lightening up a little bit so this week we’re easing back into writing. Our editor, the amazing Anne Scott, has read the first 25,000 words of Eternal Talisman and she loves what she’s read so far. Getting that type of feedback is invaluable and lights the fire under us to get this book done. It’s been too long since we’ve had a new book out, and we know that readers have been waiting for-friggin’-ever for Eternal Talisman to release. It’s a guilt Lisa and I live with daily that we haven’t been able to write fast enough to get the stories to you that all of you have been demanding. Thank you to all the readers and fans who email us all the time letting us know that you’re excited about Eternal Talisman and our other future releases. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you for telling your friends and fellow readers about our books. Thank you for spending your money on our stories. We can’t do this without you. And we want to keep doing this for years to come.

If all goes well, Lisa and I will be back to a semi-regular blogging schedule within the next few weeks. If Lisa’s allowed, maybe she’ll talk about some of her experiences working in the costume shop, and the work she’s done as a background extra on several shows (including House, Big Love and others) over the last few months. I’ve been harassing her to type up her stories and post them because I love hearing about her experiences, so if you want to hear them, join in my harassing in the comments below. And next time she’s not working a 12-18 hour day maybe she’ll start posting them.

We’ll talk soon…and please, don’t be a stranger. Leave a comment or drop us an email. We love hearing from you! (And don’t forget to leave your comments harassing Lisa to tell her recent stories of her behind-the-scenes Hollywood life!)

After several requests and not a little bit of begging, I’m posting the recipe for these wonderfully delicious treats. I warn you now. If you like peanut butter and chocolate, these are incredibly addicting. Truly the best chocolate peanut butter dessert I’ve ever had (and I’ve eaten and baked more than my fair share). This recipe has been in my family forever. I’m not sure where it originally came from or who originally created it, but I owe them a huge debt of gratitude (and they’re probably responsible for at least 20 pounds of my weight =P)

Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Squares

Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Squares

2 cups crushed graham crackers (I often do an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup because I like the extra crunch)

2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups peanut butter

1 cup melted margarine or butter (I prefer butter)

1 Lg. Package of Choc. Chips (I tend to use 1 lg. package and then half of another one. More chocolate is never a bad thing!)

Mix first four ingredients in a greased 9 X 13 pan. Melt choc. chips and spread over the top of the mixture. Refrigerate. Cut into squares. And eat. And eat. And eat some more.

Want a bite?

Yum!

Don't forget the milk. Cheers!

In the meantime, we’ve been preparing to go. It’s scary how the prep can take almost as much time as the vacation. I can’t even count how many trips we’ve made to our local Super Target to buy clothes, travel-size items, a backpack, wallet (thanks to the zipper on mine deciding it no longer wanted to work early last week), shoes, etc., etc., etc. Then there’s the trips to the pet store to buy everything our animals (2 dogs, 4 cats) will need while we’re gone. My sis is petsitting for us, but we’ve had to stock up on stacks and stacks of food for the animals. We actually bought out every kitty litter disposable container and we still don’t have enough for the time we’re gone. We’re going to have to hit up every other pet store in our area and keep our fingers crossed we can find enough.

The three of us also got haircuts. Can’t travel with the old ‘do, ya know? My hubby and son went the easy route and shaved it all (almost) off. I haven’t seen my husband with his hair cut this short since we first started dating in college and he was a member of ROTC. When he walked into the house I almost fell on the floor. Now if only the old army uniform still fit… Sexy.

I got my hair cut shorter than I expected, but I love the new look. I went with a quick and easy layered bob, with violet and gold highlights. Fun, right?

Jen's new 'do

Unfortunately the photo doesn’t do the color justice, because the highlights are subtle. But I love it.

And even with all I’ve gotten done, I still have so much left to do! At least I know all the rushing around will make the next week fly by.

I’m hoping to update the blog at least once while I’m on my trip, but it’ll depend on if my hotel’s free wi-fi works. Once I’m on the cruise though, I hope to twitter at least every once in a while. It’s 50 cents per text though, on my phone, so I probably won’t be doing it too often. But if you want to follow my trip through twitter, you can find me there at http://twitter.com/ashleighrainejn

If for some reason I don’t get to check in from England, I promise I’ll share lots of photos upon my return. I hope everyone has a great July! I know I will.

Although I’m nowhere near the swap meet enthusiast that Lisa is, I do find it fascinating to see what people are selling. At my local swap meet, videos, as in old VHS tapes, were in abundance, whereas I didn’t see a single DVD (maybe they all sold?). There was also lots of clothing and jewelry and junk, for lack of a better word. Things that I’m pretty sure I’ve seen piled in my dad’s or my own garage that we just don’t know what to do with even though we haven’t used it in a dozen or more years. Although Lisa and I didn’t find any treasures at the swap meet, we decided to keep trying by hitting up a few thrift stores.

Lisa has an eye for finding treasure, and throughout the rest of our shopping day she found all sorts of goodies. I found a couple books for my son and a couple shirts for myself that look like they’ve never been worn. Score! Lisa found some clothing and an exact duplicate of a glass bowl her friend Eddie lost when his house burned down last year. We came home with quite a few bags of goodies, and what made it all the more exciting is that we spent less money than we would have if we’d gone out to lunch. Guilt-free shopping, it’s one of my new favorite things to do!

The guilt-free shopping made the regular shopping I had to do yesterday that much harder. I needed a few things for my upcoming vacation, but after spending so little money at the thrift stores, I could not get myself to pay full price at the bigger chain stores. A shirt for $45 when I got two for less than $10 at the thrift store–two shirts that were just as nice (and one of them from the same store–label still intact–that wanted me to spend $45 for one in the same style)? Heck no I’m not paying that. I did pick up a few things that I absolutely needed, but I sure didn’t get the thrill out of it like I did from my thrift store shopping.

Which made me realize something–well, something I’ve known but really hit home for me with two shopping days back to back. I want value for my money. I want to feel like what I have is worth more than what I spent. If I feel ripped off, I’m not going to enjoy wearing (or using, as the case may be) the product I purchased. So why purchase it? Maybe that’s why so many big chain stores are going bankrupt. The economy woes have made people realize what they’re willing to spend and what they really need and can do without, and it’s simply no longer feasible for the majority of folks to spend $45 for a shirt (can you tell I’m really stuck on that ridiculous pricing?)

I’m sure plenty of other people feel the same way as me. It’s no longer convenient to spend more money just to be done with the act of shopping. I’m becoming a bargain hunter more than I ever have been before. When I do part with my money, I want to feel good about it. I now spend more money buying handmade items on artfire and etsy than I do buying mass-produced goods.Most of what I buy has a story or a history to it, because that makes it more fun and memorable and special. I’m buying things I’ll hold onto for years and years, and not because it’s junk I’m not sure what to do with so I throw it in my garage, but because it’s special to me.

So has anyone else had any shopping epiphanies lately? Or is there any places you can recommend for good deals or exciting finds?

Write a blog post. Whoops!

I suppose my brain is a little full these days and stuff’s gonna spill out no matter how hard I try. I’m gearing up to start having a booth at my local swap meet. I want to get rid of some stuff and having a garage sale on a street with no traffic is, well, futile. By doing a swap meet, I can get rid of stuff as well as perhaps sell a few Twilight’s Fancy necklaces, too. It’s always fun to meet new people. (And I’m such a kamikazee flea market shopper. Good golly, is it an addiction for me… Which is perhaps the biggest reason why I need to sell off some of my surplus! Then again, for me it becomes more of a swap meet because I’m basically swapping goods for the money I put in years ago.)

I’ve been buying second hand stuff for over fifteen years now. Luck is usually on my side, too. Usually. Or maybe it’s just that I have such a long mental list of stuff that I’ll buy if I find. Yeah, I think that’s more likely.

For instance, a few days ago I found an antique doll body at the flea market. While I have a stash of doll heads, I have very few socket ones that require ball jointed bodies. I prepared for the normal price of $100+ when I asked, “How much?” But the guy said, “Twenty bucks.” It was everything I could do not to do cartwheels down the aisle and back. I handed him my yuppie food stamp and he handed me the bag o’ doll parts. The head for which I bought the doll…?

Queen Louise has been in my collection of doll heads for about 11 years now, just waiting for a body at the right price to come along. She’s cracked and broken and glued back together, so getting either a brand new reproduction doll body or one in great shape just wouldn’t work right. Plus, prices for them things even in poor condition are a helluva lot more expensive than $20. Luck was finally on my side. Finally.

I wonder how many years it’ll be before I finally assemble doll head onto body, but hey, I’m one step closer than I was a week ago. Plus, the only thing I don’t have for her is a hip joint ball. Over the years, I’ve collected all the other necessary bits (wig, eyes, dress). Perhaps I’ll make her my next project. I can likely hit up ebay for that silly hip joint ball.

Here’s to cleaning house and making a small return for the trouble! I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

I will marry my friend,

the one I laugh with, live for

dream with, love

Today hubby and I celebrate our twelfth wedding anniversary.  Twelve years…not too shabby, right? And we dated for five years before that. I’ve been with my hubby for more than half my life. Pretty cool, huh?

I love you, honey, even more than I did when we kissed in this photo a dozen years ago. Here’s to a dozen more dozens!

The saying above the photo came from my wedding invitation, which I came across when I started browsing my wedding album trying to decide which photo to share. So much has changed in the last dozen years. As I was flipping through my album I noticed how many people who were at my wedding who aren’t in my life anymore. There have been deaths, divorces, and people who I’ve simply lost touch with over the years. But it also made me thankful for the friendships that have lasted. All of you who regularly follow this blog know that Lisa and I have been friends for-evah. Heck, I’ve known her four years longer than I’ve known my hubby. So, since this is the Ashleigh Raine blog, I thought it appropriate to close this post by sharing a picture of us on my wedding day. Holy crap we were young.  Look at Lisa’s hair! And me–way too many pounds ago. LOL.

In fact, I was so wrapped up in it that today flew by. I kept telling myself I’ll take a break…after I fix that alignment…after I figure out how to get that element to show up in the correct spot…after I fix all the text colors, the link colors, etc. ad infinitum.

If lunch hadn’t already been in a bowl in the fridge, I think I’d've missed that today, too.

I’d still be nose-deep in html if it weren’t for the file mysteriously disappearing. Yeah. Like, as I was using it, POOF! File not found.

WTF?

I’m learning so much, and I was finally feeling like I was getting somewhere. I’ve pulled out half of my hair and there’s a keyboard-shaped dent in my forehead, but I was really getting somewhere. I can’t say that I’d actually figured anything out because that would imply that I kinda learned exactly what it was that I was doing rather than a whole lot of trial and error that was more and more based on educated guesses.

I found a backed-up file that’s very basic, but might be better than nothing. I haven’t even opened it yet. I’m too terrified. I don’t think I really wanna end my Friday on this note. I was almost ending it with 85% of a website done. Almost…

Better luck next time? Good golly I hope so! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone…or at least less stressful than mine’s gonna be!

Of course, to fully enjoy my vacation I have to finish off a pile of responsibilities both for the day job and for my personal life, which has me working 12-15 hour days and riding myself ragged. (Which is also the reason I’m posting late today. I got so involved in work I almost forgot to blog.) But the nice thing about that is it’ll make the time speed by, and once July 13 rolls around and I’m driving to the airport, I’ll be in full vacation mode and won’t have to worry about anything besides how much fun I’m having.

I’ll be spending three full days in London, and I have a list of must-dos and can’t-wait-to-sees. Lisa, who has traveled to England 3 or 4 times now, I think, has told me that if I do nothing else, I have to see the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey, so those are on the top of my list. My son–who is an even bigger Doctor Who fan than I am–has told me that he wants to see some of London that has been featured on the show, so we plan on visiting The Eye. For those of you who’ve been to London, do you have any suggestions of what I should see?

Last month, I was in a tiny booth by the front, but in two days, I’ll have a regular size booth in the Arts and Crafts section. Like, it’s really real. I’m really doing this. It’s not my first booth, but it is my first bigger-than-just-a-table booth. I’ve made all sorts of necklaces and purses, so I’m not worried about filling the space.

I’m worried I’ll just be stupid and forget to bring it all!

One of my friends is going to help me out. She’s the one who got me back into the paranormal field in the first place which lead to me becoming a TAPS member last year. I’m really hoping she’s my good luck charm again. Jen might be coming along, too. It’s always fun to see people I know… Just like at book signings. I smile at everybody, but screaming girly hugs are always fun!

If you’re anywhere near Pasadena, CA, come out to the Rose Bowl. It’s an amazing sight–so many vendors that it takes several hours to see the whole thing. I’ve only done it once and I was practically running. I should’ve gotten there sooner. This time, I’ll be in my booth and I might even bring some beads to make a few more necklaces while I’m there. Or customize. Or, or, or…

I’m just so nervous.

But that’s a good thing. Like in my theater days. I worked backstage, but the best shows were the ones where I had butterflies in my stomach before the curtain went up.

And now because I like to celebrate my Fridays with a little laughter, here’s a shot of two of my turtles. The one on the top (his name is Barge) just really likes to be out of the water and dry off real close to the light. I mean, real close. As close as he can get even if something (namely Flip) is in his way…apparently.

The turtle on the bottom has a pointy shell. If Barge is that determined to get what he wants, perhaps I should be, too. See you at the Rose Bowl! I’ll have the stuff you see below…plus a whole lot more!

The biggest and most important day in my life also happened in June. I became a mom on June 9, nine years ago, to the most amazing kid on the planet. To celebrate, we’re going to dinner tonight–sushi–my son’s choice. Then tomorrow, I’m taking the kidlet to Disneyland for the day. He doesn’t know about it though–it’s a complete and total surprise. It’s hard to keep anything a secret from him because he’s pretty smart and aware, but I’ve managed to plan the trip without him figuring anything out. My entire family’s attending, as well as my bestest friend Wendy, who’s driving in from San Diego with her son. I remember my parents surprising me with a trip to Disneyland when I was a kid–it’s one of my favorite memories–and I wanted to give my son that special memory as well.

Happy birthday to my beautiful boy. I love you, sunshine. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and my best, proudest accomplishment.