1 day post fat removal

Hi everyone,

I made it through my lypectomy. Wasn't so sure about that when I woke up in recovery. I was on the table for 4 hours and came to feeling like a magician had sawed me in half with a dull blade. But here I am...home and "relatively comfortable" as long as I don't try to sit, stand, or lie down--and forget about bending over! I'm wrapped up like a burrito from just under my boobs to above the knees.

Funny surprise...I knew they might put in a drain, but drains have changed since I went to nursing school in the early 80's. I expected to see the wide wick. Instead I saw two dangling 3 inch oval plastic sacs with a thin plastic tubing trickling blood into them. I had to ask if I had the right operation! LOL.

Okay, that's all for today. I still need to take it easy. That means hubby gets to do the housework for a while. (grin)

Ash

Big week!

Good morning all,

It's only 6 a.m. and already I have a list of things to do as long as my 8 hour day and then some.

I'm having surgery on Thursday. Nothing major or earth shattering. In fact, it's elective. I'm getting Liposuction. I didn't know if I'd share it publicly or not, but as many of you know by now, I have no pride. LOL.

Seriously though... I have reached the stage of feeling a little "deformed" because of certain fat deposits. It's been affecting my self-esteem for quite a while and even though my wonderful husband says it doesn't bother him, it bothers ME. I avoid letting him see me in my birthday suit, and I won't wear a bathing suit in public. In short, I feel like crap about my body.

So, never one to settle, I decided to do something about it. For those who preach caution, don't worry. I did my homework, researched the various doctors in my area and found someone board certified with loads of experience in exactly what I'm having done. I went to a seminar she gave and looked at a whole album full of before and after pictures with her. She remembered each patient and what she did for them. I was impressed.

So, I go in first thing Thursday morning. It will be done in a full service hospital, and I should be home that afternoon or evening. I've decided to share my journey with you over the next few weeks (or months, depending on recovery time.)
I hope you'll support my decision, and if not...just know that I think I'm going to feel better about myself and improve my quality of life in the long run.

Ash

Excerpt time!

First scene from my latest release, Oh My God

What happens when a Greek God has amnesia--especially Dionysus, the biggest bad boy of Mount Olympus?

The Greek God of wine, women, and party, falls off a balcony and lands on his head during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Now he has amnesia and has to rely on witnesses to tell him about his life. All he knows is that they call him ‘Big D,’ and he’s a party animal who drinks too much and ought to give up alcohol for Lent.

Mandy and Brandy flashed Dionysus right before he fell and feel partially responsible for his amnesia. They’re nice enough to take him to an AA meeting, and then back to their homes until he recovers his memory. Fortunately, they’re not too nice to be naughty. They all agree that replacing a bad habit with a healthy one is the key to sobriety, and what could be healthier than sex? Will he come between friends before they know who he is? Will Zeus separate all of them, forever?



Chapter One

“Hello, everyone. I can’t remember my name, but I think I’m an alcoholic.”

The room fell silent. A few titters began in the back, then the chuckles spread and before I knew it, the whole room was guffawing.

“You came to the right place, Mister!” yelled a listener from the back of the room.

I felt my cheeks heating. They must be turning red. Well, fine, at least they’d match my eyes.

The gorgeous young women who’d taken me to this AA meeting slapped their luscious thighs and laughed out loud with the rest of them. If it wasn’t for their sex appeal, I’d have stood up and walked out. How humiliating!

I pictured their creamy skin under their jeans. The brunette with big brown eyes would have a bikini tan. The other, an auburn redhead with long, spiral curls, would probably be a sunscreen wearer, but I loved fair complexions, too. In fact, I enjoyed pretty much everything about women. It’s odd how I knew that about myself but little else since the amnesia.

I elbowed the pretty brunette on my right. “Hey, I came here to get help and everybody’s laughing at me.”

The young woman, Brandy she said her name was, patted me on the knee and said with a southern drawl, “It’s all right, honey. We understand. We’re laughin’ with you.”

“But I’m not laughing.”

“Well you should, darlin’. When you’re feelin’ better, you’ll be tellin’ your story to the world, and you’ll be laughin’ too.”

The meeting resumed but with my hangover, I couldn’t concentrate on what the speakers said. Yet, despite my pounding headache and roiling stomach, I could concentrate on Brandy and Mandy’s thighs.

I sensed a passionate nature in both of the women.

Mandy, the redhead, seemed like the quiet type. Like a swan though, she had all kinds of energy underneath the surface.

Brandy liked to touch. I loved touchers. Every chance she got she put a hand on my arm or my leg. Now if I can just get her to zero in on the space between them. My jeans grew tighter as I imagined it.

Mandy wagged her top leg continuously, and I could barely keep my eyes off her shapely ankle, graced by a rhinestone anklet. The afternoon light refracted sparkles from it as if fairy dust were being sprinkled all around our legs and feet. Her t-shirt spoke volumes in glitzy rhinestones too. They spelled out ‘Half Naughty Half Nice. Which half do you want?’ over her ample breasts. I wanted both halves in my mouth, thank you.

You’ve gotta love New Orleans. Short skirts, brilliant colours, and lots of glitz were the preferred attire in the French Quarter, especially at Carnival time. That must have been why I was here. Somehow, I just knew I never missed a good party.

Had I lived here for years? Maybe I was just a tourist. Why oh why hadn’t I had some kind of ID on me when I fell off that balcony and onto my head last night at Mardi Gras?

The girls, Brandy and Mandy, said I had been leaning over the balcony trying to throw them some beads when they’d flashed their tits at me. They said I must have been pretty drunk because I’d almost fallen off the balcony when a flat-chested girl flashed, but the two of them showing their voluptuous gifts in unison must have been too much. I’d tumbled over the wrought iron railing and landed, bam, right on my head.

Fortunately, for me, they’d felt guilty and driven me to the hospital when I’d come to. They’d stayed until the emergency room had kicked me out, then they’d brought me here.

I couldn’t wait until the meeting ended. I wanted to take the two of them to a private place to make out. Who was I kidding? I wanted to screw them silly. Maybe Armstrong Park… Now how did I remember the name of a park in New Orleans, but I couldn’t come up with my own name? Oh, man, I needed a drink.

Shit. Today was Ash Wednesday. Nine out of every ten people in the meeting hall had soot on their foreheads. The girls wanted to give up liquor for Lent. They said they did it every year and thought it would be a good idea if I did, too. Maybe they were right.

Maybe I was a Catholic. Everyone else seemed to be. And since I didn’t know about the other bad habits I had, I’d have to give up alcohol, although I sensed I may have lots of bad habits.

Oh, thank Zeus. The meeting was almost over. We just needed to stand in a circle and hold hands. I could do that.

Mandy’s hands were warm and dry. Brandy’s were hot and sweaty, and she’d been flirting with me. Oh, yeah, she was ready to roll. Suddenly, everyone began to recite the Lord’s Prayer.

“Our Father, who art on Mount Olymp…” Hey, they had a different version. Oh, well, I’d just listen to theirs and maybe next time I could fake it…

I vow...

To blog at least three times a week from now on.

It seems possible. Daunting, but possible. I look at my life and say, "How can I possibly come up with something to talk about that often? I'm a boring person!"
LOL. Friends have told me I'm wrong about that. So, I promise to try harder from now on.

Now, what I need from you are your ideas! What would make this a blog one you'd like to visit? Do you need witty reparte? I can be witty. Do you want an account of my journey as a writer? I can share my journey. Do you want to know what I wear to bed at night? No question is too personal. I'll even tell you if I've cheated on my diet each day if you like. LOL.

So, let me know what floats your boat. Pictures? Funny stories? The untold truth?
Or something different each day so you never know what to expect?

I can't wait to get you're input! And to thank you, anyone who wants some bookmarks and or postcards from me...just email me after leaving your comment. ash@ashlynchase.com is my email addy.

Thanks so much!!!

Ash

Writing with a partner

My writing partner and I were back-up speakers for today's RWA meeting. Since the original speaker is coming, we're off the hook. However, since loads of people have asked us about writing together, I thought I'd share a bit of what I would have said.

If you're think about writing with a partner:
First of all, you really have to know the person's voice and writing style will mesh with yours. (Just now I made a typo and wrote 'mess' instead of mesh.) LOL. Yeah, if you don't mesh, prepare to have the whole process mesh with your head and get you all meshed up. (Sorry, I love funny typos.)

But seriously now...how do Dalton and I do it? First of all we have different strengths and utilize those. She has a better handle on a guy's POV (having lived with 5 of them!) I guess my strength is speed.

I'm a linear writer and she's what's called a puzzler. I lay down the road in a fast and dirty rough first draft, then she comes along after me, fills in the plot holes and smoothes everything over. We're quite the construction crew! LOL.

If I get stuck, I can call on her for help. If she sees an opportunity I missed in the first run-through, she'll expand on it. If I second guess something, I can hand it off to her and she can give it a fresh look.

For me, it's like having a critique partner who doesn't slow you down. The manuscript just gets magically better while I'm off bulldozing our the way to the end.

We've written two stories this way so far.
The first one, Love Cuffs, was unique. We employed the two main characters each giving their own first person points of view on the same story. Dalton wrote the hero's point of view, and of course she did it much better than I could have!

In Love Cuffs, I began with the heroine's story in my comedic voice. At the end of my chapter it was Dalton's turn...but how do you tell another person's take on the same events? Simple. We invented Chapter One and a half. Then Two and a half, and on and on until the epilogue. (You didn't think I'd let the hero have the last word did you?) LOL

Our second book was written in third person and we both worked on the whole manuscript. This time, Dalton not only improved the hero, but she gave him a unique Italian syntax and researched bits of the language we could use which would be easily understood from context. We just finished edits and received our release date. YAY! It's called Strokes and won't be available until Aug of 2010, so I'll remind you later.

Honestly, we'll probably have more books written together in the future because we both benefit from the partnership. Dalton might not have as many books with her wonderful voice to offer if I didn't "speed her up" and mine might not be as rich or even finished since sometimes I hit a wall and just toss a book to the side of the road. But if I let her come by later and knock down that wall, I'm very glad I did.

I have two books going now. One has hit a wall, and even though I know exactly where it's going, I need her to bring the excavator and dig me a pass through what looks like a mountain right now. The other one, I'm slogging through by myself.

If anyone thought writing was easy, let me be the one to tell you, it's not! But finding the right writing partner can make it a little easier.

Thanks, Dalton! I know you've sung my praises in other blogs. It's about time I returned the favor. You're awesome!

Ash

Talk about branding!

All the publicists and editors will tell you that you have to create your "brand."

Did I take that one step too far by getting my logo tatooed on my chest?

LOL. Um, maybe. But be that as it may, I have a wonderful time creating promos and little things for readers to remember me by. When I had a logo created for me, I went a little "Logo loco." I created an on-line store with dozens of products bearing my logo.

And today, I just learned that if you see the design you want on a mug, but you want it on a t-shirt, they'll put it on a t-shirt for you! So, for your procrastinating pleasure, here's my store window. Browse to your heart's content.

http://www.cafepress.com/ashlynchase

And if you'd like me to upload one of my gorgeous bookcovers onto a product for you, just say the word, I'll be happy to!

What they mean when they talk about your brand is your "style." Some way for your readers to recognize you and something to make you stand apart from the competition.
Burberry has that signature check pattern. Authors have their "voice."

Most of my readers know my "thing" is hot comedy. I always have at least one character who gives voice to all the absurdities a civilized person might think but is too polite to say. It's very freeing. Recently, my editor said that the character I picked to be that voice was "kind of a jerk." I laughed and said, "Yup." Then I thought about how I wrote it and said, "Hey! LOL.

Oh well. I guess I can be a bit of an Ash at times.

Fundraisers

I'm sorry I've neglected thos blog...but not really. I left up Lara's story for a long time purposely. If you haven't read it, please go to the entry below this one.
Now, in order to post something new (which ever blogger must do) here's my take on fundraising.

Fundraisers
How authors help

Romance authors are some of the most generous people on the planet. Not only do they offer their knowledge, time and even money to fellow authors, but they reach beyond their own local friends and help people they’ve never even met.

Brenda Novak is one notable example. She started an auction to benefit Diabetes research—a cause close to her heart. This little auction has taken off over the last few years and is now a huge event. Everyone in the industry offers whatever gifts they have that others might want to bid on. An agent might offer a critique. Even a busy editor might offer to read the first chapter or two. And authors donate all kinds of things! Baskets filled with bath goodies, gift bags filled with books, percentages of their royalties, and even their writing talent when asked.

I’m one of eleven authors participating in a fundraiser to help a family who lost their nineteen year-old daughter in a fire. The hospital bills for two weeks in the ICU and then a funeral were astronomical. Please see Giggles by Gabby, release date 9/15. It’s in the Lara series. http://www.jasminejade.com/s-282-lara.aspx

I also just sent off a check to the National Arbor Day Foundation, which I do on a regular basis from my print book royalties. They use the money to plant trees in areas that need reforestation, as well as to educate our young people about the importance of trees to our planet. They clean the air, help stabilize the earth, and are important in building and, of course, paper.

And many authors donate to other causes that have special meaning to them. A group of authors I’ve belonged to for a few years donate money to Heifer International. It’s an organization that provides the means to make a living with animals to hungry families.

And how many of us have been to events like romance conventions or conferences where profits from their huge book signings go to the foundations for literacy. Since 1991, RWA (Romance Writers of America) has donated more than $600,000 to literacy charities. The authors receive no royalties for these donated books.

Most of the time, the beneficiaries will never know who they are. But that’s not why romance authors give. Most of us are very fortunate. I consider myself very lucky to be able to spend my spare time doing what I love. I’m certain many authors feel the same way.

And just because I must also pay the bills, here’s the only release of my three this month that will earn me any royalties. My novella Oh My God is a modern day erotic comedy about the Greek God Dionysus in New Orleans. http://www.total-e-bound.com/ For a look at all of my available books, go here: www.ashlynchase.com
Please support the arts! Without you buying our books, we’d have nothing to give away.


Yesterday, my dear friend Dalton's book in the Lara series was released. Check out Stray Lovers. Anyone who loves pets and hot romance will enjoy it.

Ash