Tag Archives: writer

My Town Monday: A Remembrance for Memorial Day

Paul Laurence Dunbar

Yesterday, my daughter and I had a mom-and-daughter afternoon and visited a local historical site neither of us had yet visited: the Paul Lawrence Dunbar State Memorial. Dunbar was a celebrated writer who was born in Dayton in 1872 (died in 1906) and is a significant literary figured not only for his work’s own sake, but because he was an African-American who wrote both in black dialect and in standard English.

Dunbar’s parents were both former slaves, and his father enlisted to serve the Union in the Civil War. Dunbar was always proud of his father’s military service, and his first poem was published when he was only sixteen! It’s particularly relevant today as we remember those who served and sacrificed their lives.

“Our Martyred Soldiers”
by Paul Laurence Dunbar (public domain)
Dayton National Cemetery at the Veterans Affairs grounds
In homes all green, but cold in death,
Robbed of the blessed boon of breath—
Resting in peace from field and fray,
Our martyred soldiers sleeping lay.
Beneath the dew, the rain, the snow,
They heed no more the bloody foe,
Their sleep is calm, to them alone
‘Tis giv’n to lie without a moan.
The sun may shine in all his might—
They know no day, they know no night,
But wait a still more lasting ray,
The coming of eternal day.
No longer marches break their rest,
Or passioned hate thrills through the breast,
They lie all clothed in calm repose,
All safe from shots of lurking foes.
The grave’s a sacred place where none
Of earth may touch the sleeping one;
Where silence reigns, enthroned, sedate,
An angel guarding heaven’s gate.
The wind may blow, the hail may fall,
But at the tomb is silence all;
Man finds no nobler place to pray,
Then o’er a martyr’s lifeless clay.
Sleep on, ye soldiers, men of God,
A nation’s tears bedew the sod;
‘Tis but a short, short time till ye
Shall through the shining portals flee.
And when this memory lost shall be,
We turn, oh Father, God, to thee!
Oh find in heaven some nobler thing
Then martyrs of which men can sing.

I’ll share some photos and more interesting facts we learned about Dunbar in future posts.

What are you doing this Memorial Day? Or, if you’re not in the U.S., does your country have a similar day of remembrance? Do you have a friend or family who served that you’d like to tell us about? Please feel free to do so in the comments!

My Town Monday: Where the Stars Come out for Brunch

Last week for Mothers’ Day, my husband and daughter took me out for brunch at my favorite place for breakfast – The Golden Nugget Pancake House. Not to be confused with the Chicago-based chain of the same name, the Golden Nugget’s been in the Dayton area since the early 60’s. They don’t have a website, so I wasn’t able to easily check exactly when it first opened, but it’s been a fixture on the south side of town ever since. With its retro-diner decor, hearty portions, plain and simple but delicious coffee, and paper coasters that haven’t changed since I can remember, it’s like a tasty trip back in time.

The paper coasters featuring "Goldie" the burro haven't changed since the 60s

I can remember going to the Golden Nugget with my grandparents when I was little in the early 70s. I vaguely remember the exterior looking like the postcard above, although I don’t remember the interior being those colors – I remember the chairs and booths being a 1950s aqua blue, which they were until the building burned down in 2006. Thankfully, they rebuilt it, with an updated look that still has a retro flair.

It became a regular spot for me after I graduated from college. There’s nothing better after a night out partying, if you can hack the 1/2-hour or longer wait. Back then, there was no waiting area in the restaurant, just a long vestibule along the front. On weekends, the line would fill that area, and wrap around the building. If there were only two of you, and you were at the back corner of the building, the wait was 30-40 minutes. Once you got inside, it was about 15. And it was totally worth it. Unsurprising since “Pancake House” is part of the name, there’s a good variety of pancakes available, although not what you’d get from some of the larger chains. My favorite is cinnamon pancakes with apples. They also offer this in French toast, which was what I had last week. Yum! The coffee’s fantastic – strong, but not bitter. They use Superior coffee, which from what I understand, is a common offering from restaurant supply services. But nowhere else does it taste like at the ‘Nug (as my friends and I affectionately called it). The servers are very conscious of coffee, too – it’s unusual for your cup to be empty.

The Golden Nugget today

I also went there for lunch occasionally, since I worked down the street for my first “real” job. Lunch is good, too – basic stuff like burgers, grilled cheese, and soups. My favorite was broccoli cheese soup. I had a coworker who ate lunch there every day. The main reason was she was a coffee fanatic, and loved the friendly wait staff who always kept her cup full. She almost always got the same thing to eat: fried mush. I tried it once, and it was good, but not being a real Southerner, I can’t vouch for it. I can vouch for the biscuit and gravy though – awesome, and a sure ticket to a food coma!

My coworker also saw some interesting people there. Once, she saw Andre the Giant when WWE (or back then, WWF) was in town. She’s also seen Rob Lowe and Martin Sheen there, who are both from Dayton. I’ve never seen anyone famous there, but the food and coffee’s enough to make me come back, and even brave the line occasionally.

So now you know where to go for breakfast or lunch if you’re in the area! The Golden Nugget doesn’t have a website, but they are on Facebook. If you’re from around here, do you have any Golden Nugget memories to share? If you’re not, what’s your favorite place in your hometown? I’d love to hear from you – please comment and let me know!

Three Birthdays and a Mothers’ Day

Like many families, mine had planned to spend Mothers’ Day together last Sunday. But instead of attending a cookout in her honor, my mom was bringing my dad home from the hospital – something she was glad to do (and everyone else was glad she was able).

But this wasn’t just to be a Mothers’ Day cookout. We have three birthdays in my family this week, and it was going to be a quadruple-combo celebration! My birthday was Tuesday, the 15th, my husband’s is today, and my brother’s wife’s is Saturday. Dad is doing well, so it looks like our postponement to this weekend is a go!

It’s always hard to buy for my mom. She’s trying to declutter – she has not only her and Dad’s stuff, but both their parents’. My parents also typically just buy for themselves whatever they want and need. Gift certificates make a good clutter-free gift, and have pretty much become a default in my family. The surprise is where are they from. 😀

I do have something special for the other mother in attendance (besides me, I mean), my sister-in-law’s mom. She’s like the aunt I never had – my dad’s an only child, and my mom’s only brother was divorced when I was little. I don’t think Ann reads my blog (she’s the kind who’d comment if she did), but she’s always been wonderfully supportive of my writing – not that the rest of my family hasn’t, but she’s an artist, and really understands what it means to me. So for Mothers’ Day, she’s getting a brand-new copy of my newly-released print version of Time’s Fugitive.

Yes, it’s now out in print! So if you’ve been waiting to read it in pulped-tree form, it’s now available at Barnes & Noble.com, Amazon, and should be coming to other online retailers soon.

The get-together should be a good time – they always are! My daughter and my brother have birthdays nine days apart in August, so we celebrate theirs together, too. And my mom’s birthday is always near (or on) Father’s Day, so we combine those.

Do you have combo family celebrations? Any special person who’s not related, but like family? I’d love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments. And if you have any ideas for clutter-free gifts that aren’t gift cards, I’d love to read them!

Misfit Monday: Appendices

Useless, or something extra?
Appendices. Even the word is a misfit! Plural for appendix, it’s an oddity: where most plurals in English are formed by adding “s” or “es,” appendix’s “x” is a shape-shifter, and turns into a “c.” At least that’s the plural I’ve always seen, although according to Dictionary.com, “xes” is also correct.

First, I have to thank my brother for this post topic. I’ve discussed my own Sheldon Cooper tendencies last week, and a few weeks before, but really, I’m not that much of a neat-freak – just when it comes to my car. My brother’s tendencies in that area extend to the processing of information, too. (And yes, he’s an engineer, and very intelligent.)

It all started Thursday, when my mom wound up having to take my dad to the emergency room for unusual, really-bad stomach pain that turned out to be appendicitis. When I called my brother and told him, he asked, “What exactly is an appendix?”

I explained that it was a vestigial organ attached to the large intestine. Then he started to read a definition to me: “Supplementary material at the end of a book, article, document, or other text, usually of an explanatory, statistical, or bibliographic nature.” * (He was obviously looking it up on the computer while we were talking, LOL!) But what it really comes down to is that the appendix is the misfit text in a book – the stuff that doesn’t really fit in anywhere else. And you’re not really missing much if you skip it; it’s supplemental information.

Holding cell, spare parts, or none of the above?
But the information on the anatomical appendix turned out to be quite interesting. I’d always thought it was a vestigial organ that no longer served any purpose, other than to cause some people problems. But there were several theories on Wikipedia. One was that it’s sort of a protected storage bin for helpful bacteria, when there’s an infection elsewhere in the system. Another theory is that it’s an enhancement to the immune system, but this is mostly disproved by the fact that removal doesn’t seem to harm anyone. The argument to that disproof is that perhaps it’s more functional in areas without modern sanitation and hygiene. But there is one potential use that has been proven: spare parts, for people with congenital defects or after surgical removal of problem “parts.”

Strong, silent type
When my mom and I met with the surgeon after he finished with my dad, he told us that Dad’s appendix had been a mess for at least five days, and was amazed it took him that long to seek medical help. But Dad insists that he wasn’t in any pain until the night before. At any rate, all went well, and my dad came home yesterday. My daughter says her band director had acute appendicitis a couple months ago, and had to be rushed into surgery. He was back in school three days later (albeit against his doctor’s orders). Hopefully, my dad’s recovery will be as quick.

And hey, my brother learned something new, LOL!

What do you think – is the appendix useless, or does it serve a purpose? Have you or anyone in your family had appendicitis? How long ago, and how long did recovery take? My husband’s prepared to do some extra lawn mowing, but he’s wondering for how long!

* Definition from Dictionary.com

ROW80: New Babies – Help Us Name Them!

I got some new babies for Mothers’ Day. No, not human babies. Furbabies!

We’ve had gerbils for years, ever since my daughter wanted “a small pet” when she was seven. I had gerbils when I was a kid, so that’s what we got. We’ve gone through a couple dozen since then, and once again were down to one as of a couple weeks ago when our little Onix passed away.

His cagemate, Sandy, has definitely been mopey since then. Gerbils are social animals, and are happier in pairs or trios. So we stopped at our local Pet Supplies Plus to see if they had any potential new friends for him.

They had three darling babies there, and two were boys. Since we didn’t want two to turn into two dozen a few months down the road, that was a must. But we don’t yet have names for them.

Sandy’s name is actually Sandslash, after the Pokemon. His former cagemate was also named after a Pokemon. We’ve had gerbils named after snacks (our original two were Ho-ho and Twinkie), and drinks (like KC [Kahlua and Cream] and Bailey). But none of those are a requirement.

The lilac one (silver-gray) is a wheel fanatic. They’ve been here about four hours, and he hasn’t stopped running on the wheel since. He’s jumpy and squirmy – not unusual for gerbils, especially young ones.

The other is called a spotted Siamese. He’s mostly uninterested in the wheel (it usually seems to work that way). But even after this short a time, he’s warming up to us. The last couple of times I’ve gone to check on them, he’s practically climbed into my hand. He’s relatively calm, and will sit still to be petted. Sandy (gold one in the background, above) is the same way – he’s the calmest, most mellow gerbil we’ve ever had. And like Sandy, this new baby purrs. Yes, gerbils purr! You can’t hear them, but you it feels like they’re shivering, yet they’re relaxed, and aren’t trying to get away.

Yet even now that we’re getting to know them, my daughter and I aren’t sure what to name them. So please comment with your ideas!

Luckily, I don’t have the same problem with characters in my books. They usually freely give me their names. (Don’t be too jealous – that’s the only thing they give up that easily!) One of my goals this week was to work through How to Think Sideways, Lesson 5. I not only did that, but whipped through Lesson Six (which was just reading, no worksheets) and started on Lesson 7, where we started defining characters. Names? No problem.

Here’s the rest of my goals results:

Complete Lesson 5 of How to Think Sideways – Done!
Develop Book Info sheet for Hangar 18: Legacy and follow up with other beta readers – Book Info done, forgot to send the emails.
Write guest blog I promised, and email the written one to the blogger – Emailed the one, didn’t get to the other
Three interval workouts and two shorter workouts – Got three intervals and two short workouts
Track exercise and consumption – Did well until yesterday. Lots going on, at least that’s my story!

Overall goal progress:

Release Time’s Fugitive, in both ebook and print – Done!
Complete Holly Lisle’s How to Write a Series workshop – Done!
How to Think Sideways workshop – complete through Lesson 8 (1-4 done previously)
Release Hangar 18: Legacy – OR – release Times Two (Time’s Enemy/Time’s Fugitive box set) as an ebook – Cover design for Hangar 18 done! Also got some great feedback from first beta reader – thank you, Carey!
Bonus: Both of the above – on hold until other goals accomplished

For this week:

Complete Lesson 7 of How to Think Sideways
Follow up with beta readers for Hangar 18
Write two guest blogs I promised – the one from last week, and a new request
Three interval workouts and two shorter workouts
Track exercise and consumption

Do you have any ideas for names for our new babies? Please comment and let me know! How are you doing in this round of ROW80 – or if you’re not a writer, or not doing the ROW, for this spring? Let me know that, too, even if you have no name ideas!

Favorite Things and Quirks

Last week, my IRL friend Stacy McKitrick mentioned this as one of her favorite blogs, and offered us the Kreativ Blogger Award. Yay for Making the Mundane Magical! And thanks, Stacy, for the blog luv!

To accept the award, all I have to do is list ten things about myself. I’ve already mentioned how much I luuuuuv Mountain Dew, so I’ll skip that. Oh, and Camaros, too. So here are some more favorites, plus a couple of Sheldon Cooper tendencies of mine.

Favorite beer: Shock Top
Favorite place for Camaro information: Camaro 5 forums
Favorite pizza: Marion’s
Favorite band discovered after high school: Front Line Assembly
Favorite WWE wrestler: Evan Bourne
Favorite color: red
Favorite breakfast cereal: Frosted Mini-wheats with Fruit in the Middle
I don’t do many chores every day, but I must make my bed, even if it’s right before I get into it.
…and, the covers must all be pulled up evenly
I can’t stand trash in my car.

I’m not going to pass the award on, since most of the people I’d pass it to have already received it. But anyone who reads this blog is deserving, so go ahead and consider yourself awarded if you like!

What are some of your favorites? Do you have any Sheldon Cooper tendencies? Do you allow trash in your car? 😀

My Town Monday: Hangar 18, and Cover Sneak Peek

Before Area 51, there was Hangar 18.

Yes, there was a small airfield in the Groom Lake vicinity that was used during WWII as a test and training facility, but Area 51 as a super-secret research and development facility didn’t really exist until the 1950s.

The Roswell incident, in which according to legend, an alien spacecraft crashed, happened on July 8, 1947. (It was later pretty much accepted that what really crashed to earth was cold-war intel equipment or a weather balloon, but go with me here…) Also according to legend, U.S. military personnel recovered the wrecked spacecraft and several alien bodies from the site, which was closed to the public for a good while after the crash.

The National Museum of the USAF. Part of Area B is in the background.

The military shipped the bodies and wreckage were shipped to the then-Army Air Corps’ Foreign Technology Division, located at Wright Field, a few miles east of Dayton, Ohio, which would later become Area B of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Supposedly, the spacecraft was stored in Hangar 18. The bodies were placed into cryogenic storage, for later research.

Of course, few who work on base today admit to believing any of this. But it’s fun to think about, and a few years ago, The History Channel did a wonderful documentary on the legends and the conspiracy theories that abound. The show was pretty convincing, and the book they based much of their material on (Exempt from Disclosure by Robert M. Collins) was even more so.

Interestingly enough, (but not surprisingly) there is no Hangar 18 at WPAFB, nor has there ever been, at least that I could find. There is a Building 18 complex, which houses the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsions Directorate – folks who would be most interested in the alien spacecraft, had there been one.

I don’t really believe there were alien bodies and spacecraft bought to WPAFB, and chances are, what really crashed to earth near Roswell was indeed some kind of surveillance equipment – highly classified, so of course the military personnel would not have been able to confirm or deny its existence, or any details about it.

But the legends made me think: what if it was real? What if alien bodies were shipped back here? And what if they weren’t dead, but alive, in a suspended state? And what if one were to awaken, decades later? That’s the premise behind my upcoming science fiction romance, Hangar 18: Legacy. What’s even cooler is that, according to Exempt from Disclosure, the aliens did indeed have significant psychic abilities, which was one of the key elements of my novel even before I’d researched it.

Want to know more? Check out Exempt from Disclosure, or watch this 20-minute video from the The Internet Archive. And for an entertaining take on the legends, give Hangar 18: Legacy a read when it comes out this summer. To be notified of its release, sign up for my newsletter, with the form on the right (visit www.jenpowell.com, if you’re reading this in a feed reader). Here’s the scoop:

U.S. Air Force research psychologist Adam Keller is an empath, accustomed to sensing the thoughts and emotions of others. Because of his gift, he keeps people at a distance. When a disembodied presence full of anger and fear invades his mind and demands rescue, dark thoughts of death threaten to overwhelm Adam. Then he meets a woman whose attraction to him quiets the voice. All he has to do to keep his sanity is risk his heart and experience the emotions he’s long denied himself.

Lisa Stark wants nothing more than to finish the subliminal messaging software she’s worked on for over a year. When someone wants it badly enough to kill for it, Adam senses Lisa’s in danger and comes to her rescue. Lisa fights her feelings for the sexy officer with an uncanny ability to guess what she’s thinking, but their attraction to each other grows, and not only because Lisa’s the only one who can warm Adam’s chilled body and soul. When he discovers the source of his mental invasion is an extraterrestrial thought dead for decades, Adam realizes that Lisa’s software is the key to releasing the being – if he can gain her trust and keep her alive long enough to finish it.

I’d love to hear from you! Do you think there might be some truth to the stories of alien beings and spacecraft recovered from Roswell? Do you think there might still be information that the U.S. government is hiding? Please comment, and let me know what you think!

ROW80: New Beginnings

Last night, I drove my daughter and her boyfriend to prom. To prom. I can’t believe it! It seems so cliche to say, but it really does seem like only yesterday she was six pounds, thirteen ounces, in my arms. And now she’s sixteen, and going to prom.

I drove them their in our ’70 Bonneville convertible, which my husband bought and restored almost 20 years ago, and finished just in time for our wedding. Normally he would have had the honor of being the chauffeur, but he had to work. I’ve only driven it once or twice, and that was before our daughter was born. Like writing new material when you haven’t for a long time, it was scary at first, but by the time I pulled out of our street, no worries!

Isn't she lovely? Oh, the car, too...

Both driving that car, and sending my daughter off to her junior prom, were new beginnings of sorts – which brings me to this week’s ROW80 check-in.

I’ve finished the How to Write a Series workshop, one of my primary goals. I’ve also completed the print publication of Time’s Fugitive, another of my major goals. So now it’s time to move on to my other goals, one of which is planning my next book. I’m going to jump back into Holly Lisle’s How to Think Sideways workshop with this one, so I’m going to modify the goal to reflect that. But it’s really the same – still about planning the book.

Here’s the rest of the skinny:

Upload Time’s Fugitive print book to Lightning Source – Done! Proof received and approved, and coming to an e-retailer near you!
Complete Lesson 4 of How to Write a Series (which will finish the workshop) – Done!
Cover for Hangar 18: Legacy – Done! Cover reveal coming soon!
Write two guest blogs I’ve promised people – got one of them done, still need to email it to the blogger
Three interval workouts and two shorter workouts – still not there, but better – 3 intervals, 1 short workout done
Track exercise and consumption – still only about halfway there
BONUS: Develop list of things I can tweet about my books – No
BONUS: Write content for author newsletter – No

Overall goal progress:

Release Time’s Fugitive, in both ebook and print – Done!
Complete Holly Lisle’s How to Write a Series workshop – Done!
How to Think Sideways workshop – complete through Lesson 8 (1-4 done previously)
Release Hangar 18: Legacy – OR – release Times Two (Time’s Enemy/Time’s Fugitive box set) as an ebook – Cover design for Hangar 18 done! Also got some great feedback from first beta reader – thank you, Carey!
Bonus: Both of the above – on hold until other goals accomplished

For this week:

Complete Lesson 5 of How to Think Sideways
Develop Book Info sheet for Hangar 18: Legacy and follow up with other beta readers
Write guest blog I promised, and email the written one to the blogger
Three interval workouts and two shorter workouts
Track exercise and consumption
BONUS: Develop list of things I can tweet about my books
BONUS: Write content for author newsletter

I’d love to hear from you! Have you started anything new this week? How are you doing in this round of ROW80 – or if you’re not a writer, or not doing the ROW, for this spring?

Dear Barnes and Noble…

For the past couple of days, it seems everyone involved with epublishing has been talking about Microsoft, and their purchase of $300 worth of stock in B&N’s new Nook spin-off company. It will undoubtedly provide Nook with some much-needed leverage to compete against Amazon and Apple, and hopefully provide them with some real competition.

But what does it mean for us readers? All we can do is speculate, but right now, my guess is…

Not. Much.

And it mostly comes down to one area which for me & B&N, has been a big, fat, FAIL: customer service.

First, let’s be clear on one thing – I’m talking online, not the stores. The people I’ve dealt with in the stores have been great – super-supportive of us Nook authors, listening to us, trying to find ways to encourage customers to buy our books in the stores. But I do most of my shopping online, and that’s where the breakdown occurred.

You see, last fall, someone tried to buy a bunch of stuff at HHGregg with my Discover card number. Discover Card knew it wasn’t me, denied the charge, and called me. I confirmed that it wasn’t me, and the Discover Card rep said I’d get a new card in the mail in a few days. (Barnes & Noble.com, are you listening? You can learn something from the folks at Discover Card.)

So, no problems there.

Until I went to buy some ebooks and my default credit card – yup, Discover – was denied, because I’d forgotten to update it.

Amazon sent me a polite email informing me that the charge had been denied, and suggesting that I update my payment method, and re-place the order. Which I did.

When I tried to order from Barnes & Noble, they emailed me too – informing me that my credit card was denied, my account was locked and I’d have to call customer service to get it unlocked.

WTF???

OK, I get that they don’t want to take a bad credit card, no problem there. But really? LOCK my account??? And they expect me to CALL to get it unlocked, just so I can switch out my credit card and SPEND MONEY??? Just do a quick search on that one to see what B&N’s customer service is like – stories of hour+ hold times abound.

I admit I didn’t even try to call. Did I mention I’m not fond of talking on the phone? And if I wanted to, you know, talk to someone, I might have just, oh I don’t know, gone to a STORE? And the big question: Why bother calling at all when a couple clicks will take me to AMAZON?

So that’s my story. How about one of my friends’? She started out with a Nook reader, and loved it – for about three months. Then it stopped holding a charge. Could she take it back to the store? NO! Granted, this was probably because she’d bought it at Best Buy, not B&N, but still… so she shipped it back. And waited for a replacement. And waited. And waited. Finally, her new, refurbished Nook came a month later.

Which she again loved. Until it, too, stopped holding a battery charge.

To make a long story short, she ended up going through this twice more. When she was on her fourth Nook, she finally said screw it and bought a Kindle 3, which she’s been enjoying without problems for over a year.

So do I think that the Microsoft infusion will cure these ills? I’d love it if they did, because really, competitions is good for everyone (well, at least for the consumers). If B&N stepped up their game, it would keep Amazon better as well, and the readers would continue to have choices, something I’m definitely in favor of. Of course, I’d be even more in favor of a universal ebook format (like that’s going to happen anytime soon). But failing that, choices are good. But my skepticism meter’s pegged out. I’ve used Windows computers since 1997. Customer service? If I have problems with Windows, I go look it up on a web forum. So hopefully if nothing else, the Microsoft partnership will spawn a bunch of those, where we can get self-serve support.

Because I really like that Nook Touch with Glow Light (with expandable memory!). But until the support situation improves, I’ll keep reading Kindle books on my Android phone. 😀

What do you think? I’d love to hear from you! Do you think Microsoft’s buy-in to the Nook will make things better for the customer? Do you have any other crystal ball revelations? Please share!

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

No, it’s not Cheers, although for some of us, it is indeed a bar. My husband owned a bar like that for over ten years.

But in this case, I’m talking about a place, or a group of people, where we feel like we belong. Some people can find this almost anywhere. But for misfits like me, it’s unusual and special.

I can find that in my RWA chapter, now that I’ve been part of it for over ten years. And this, I think, is what makes writing groups something special, far beyond the learning craft and business that goes on there: we’re with people who understand us. Who don’t give us weird looks when we say a character started talking to us the other day. Who understand when we don’t want to stay out late partying, because it cuts into the writing.

I have another group like that too, and it took even less time than the writing groups. These are people I can talk about cars with to my heart’s content, and their eyes don’t glaze over. We understand one’s excitement when a small change made to our car makes it sound just a little different. We nod knowingly when one of us describes our Christmas wish list that’s half car swag (or more). We compare notes on the best cleaning products, waxes, and little cosmetic extras we can get for our cars to make them more “ours,” and compliments on our four-wheeled babies are always abundant.

The past Saturday was what’s become an annual event among my local Camaro friends: Mod Day. We gather at one friend’s huge pole barn that’s outfitted with heat (unfortunately needed yesterday), a lift, all kinds of power equipment, and best of all, friends to help each other with small projects or maintenance work.

Of course there is a lot of socializing – in fact that’s all some of us do. Many of us have other things in common – several of the Camaro friends work in the IT field like me, for example. But the talk always comes back to the cars sooner or later.

Another fun thing about spending the day with my Camaro friends is it gives me an excuse to put cool Camaro pictures on my blog!

A really cool surprise awaited me when I arrived at the garage this year. One of my friends had bought a paperback copy of Time’s Enemy and brought it there for me to sign! I’m not sure if he was aware, but yes, there is a Camaro in Time’s Enemy. (It’s also in Time’s Fugitive. 🙂 )

I’d love to hear from you! Did you do anything exciting this weekend? Do you have a special group of friends who just “get” you? Please share!

Jennette Marie Powell

Life and Love in Four Dimensions