For K, I posted Kissing in the rain. It was brought to my attention that I forgot one of the best kissing in the rain movie scenes. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. Thank you Rhonda Griffith.
So for M, you got it, Movies and how they take us to places we can never get to go in real life.
I mean really? When was the last time you stopped in the middle of a ship battle in the pouring rain to share a passionate kiss?
So wrong on so many levels, but that is the beauty of fiction. We get to experience all of the grand ideas without dealing with reality. Enjoy
Our second day in New York and the weather has been a pleasant surprise, cool and sunny. After a day at the museums (picture to come later), we headed to Times Square. Have to say, I felt as if we had fallen into the land of the unknown giants.
Everything is louder, faster, and taller. The rain started as we waited for our night tour to start. So we ran to the Hershey Store.
More chocolate than one person can handle at the Time Square Hershey Store in New York
Than the M&M store.
Hanging out in the M&M Store, waiting for our tour to start.Times Square from the M&M Store
As the rain came down, some people left. Being from Texas we always love the rain. I do have to say it was not cold, so that made it easier to handle.
Time Square New York, – view from the M&M storeTime Square New York- the rain had startedThe storm is rolling into the city.
Even with my dead phone and camera – we had a great time dancing in the rain New York Style.
If you know me at all you know how much I admire Hugh Jackman.
Hugh Jackman on a motorcycle, what more could a girl want?
Sigh…What was I saying? Oh, yes. A couple of my friends are dedicated to Chris Hemsworth, so they were doing Thorsday every Thursday.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor – in the rain.
I thought that was clever of them and it got me to thinking about my little crush on Hugh.
So I started Hughday. Fun, right?
Sometimes we need just a little bit of inspiration.
As a romance writer I have to research the perfect image for my heroes. Yes, it is a tough job, looking for just that right male for your next story. The face that will spark the inner conflict that will drive your plot and keep your readers turning pages. It is serous business…it is.
Well, Sunday night Mathew McConaughey, Texas Son with the smoothest voice, won Best Actor.
Texas Son Mathew McConaughey enjoying the surf.
Now I’m on the hunt for the right word…Matthewday? uh….McConauday? …maybe Matthew McConaughey Monday? or just Alright, alright alright…Monday. That’s a mouth full.
What do you think? Matthew’s day might end up being a temporary one…I mean he IS up against Hughday, Thorsday and Freday. Freday? you ask…For those of you new, I picked the perfect day to honor my real life perfect hero. Fred Navarro – Freday – perfect, right?
My hero
So Please let me know what you think about McConauday? Maybe you have something better? Some in my house think this post was just an excuse to play with these pictures. Really?
In the sky I see my smallness and my greatness. The knowledge that the world spins, seasons come and go and each day will have a new beginning and an end comforts me in it routine. Great things will happen and I will celebrate; bad things will happen and I will survive. The mysteries of life are in God’s hands and I’m just to do the best I can.
My father loved and savored the daily events of a sunrise and sunset. I’ve been known to make my family stop so I can take a picture and for a moment think of the permanent change that is our life. Add your favorite sky picture you have taken.
Here are a few of my pictures along with a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
THE HOUSE OF CLOUDS. 1841
I would build a cloudy house
For my thoughts to live in,
Castroville Texas, the reflection of the sunset over the football game.
When for earth too fancy-loose,
And too low for heaven.
Sunset in Texas Hill Country
I sleep, and talk my dream aloud,
I build it fair to see—
Boerne Texas Sunset – by Wade Beard
I build it on the moonlit cloud,
To which I looked with thee.
Sunset over New Orleans off the Mississippi River
Cloud-walls of the morning’s grey,
Faced with amber column,
Sunset over Texas Hill Country on the road to Leakey Texas from Bandrea Texas
Crowned with crimson cupola
From a sunset solemn—
Sunset on the road to Leakey Texas
For casements, from the valley fetch
May-mists glimmering,—
Early morning back road in Boerne Texas taken by Brandi Quinn
With a sunbeam hid in each,
And a smell of spring.
Sunset from my driveway in Texas Hill Country
Build the entrance high and proud,
Darkening and eke brightening,
Sun rise in Galveston Texas.
Of a riven thunder-cloud
Veinëd with the lightning.
Sun rise ans storms in Galveston
Use one with an iris-stain
For the door within,
Turning to a sound like rain
As we enter in.
Sunset over Hondo Texas
For the fair hall reached thereby
Walled with cloudy whiteness, Take the blue place in the sky,
Wind-worked into brightness—
Sunset Port Aransas
Whence corridores and long degrees
Of cloud-stairs wind away—
Sunset over Castroville during at a high school football game.
Till children wish upon their knees,
They walkëd where they pray.
Early evening over Boerne Texas Main Street. during Dickens On Main
Be my chamber tapestried
With the showers of summer,
From my driveway as I arrive home – Texas Hill Country
Close and silent, glorified
When the sunbeams come there—
Sudden harpers, harping on
Every drop as such,—
Early evening over Boerne Texas Main Street. during Dickens On Main
Drawing colours like a tune,
Measured to the touch.
Bring a shadow green and still
From the chesnut forest—
On the Mississippi heading into New Orleans
Bring a purple from the hill
When the heat is sorest,—
Texas Hill Country Sunset from my driveway
Spread them out from wall to wall,
Carpet-wove around; And thereupon the foot shall fall
In light instead of sound.
Sun rise, from my balcony in Galveston Texas –
Bring a grey cloud from the east
Where the lark was singing—
Clouds and storms trying to block the sun as it climbs into the sky over Galveston, Texas
Something of the song at least
Lost not in the bringing,—
Slow rise over Galveston, Texas
And that shall be a morning chair
For poet-dreams,—when with them
No verse constraint—the floating air
Their only, lovely rhythm.
Te sun rising as I leave for work – leaving the Texas Hill Country and heading to San Antonio
Bring the red cloud from the sun—
While he sinketh, catch it,—
Bring it for a couch, with one
Side-long star to watch it—
Fit for a poet’s finest thought,
At curfew time, to lean;
Peaceful morning on my balcony in Galveston Texas
When things invisible are brought
More near him than the seen. Poet’s thought, not poet’s sigh!—
Alas! they come together!
Cloudy walls divide and fly
As if in April weather.
Castroville Texas, the reflection of the sunset over the football game.
Hall, corridore, and column proud—
My chamber fair to see—
All pass—except that moonlit cloud
To which I looked with thee.
Night on the porch as the moon slips across the sky
Let them!– Wipe such visionings
From the fancy’s cartel;
Love secures some frailest things,
Dowered with his immortal.
Suns, moons may darken—heaven be bowed,—
But here unchanged shall be,
Walking into Jackson Square late at night.
Here in my soul—that moonlit cloud,
To which I looked with thee.
I have always loved getting boxes from the UPS man. Today was extra special, he brought me a box of my book, Lone Star Holiday, by Jolene Navarro. Heartwarming Inspirational Romance. Love Inspired.
Yes that is all on the cover, along with my hero, Cowboy Pastor John Levi and his daughter Celeste decorating a Christmas tree. Well here’s a picture.
Harlequin sent me a box full of my books today.
I was so excited when the UPS man delivered them I told him what was in the box. He said his wife loved reading those so I asked him if he wanted one for her. He seemed excited too.
After he left I realized I had my first book signing on the front steps of my house and no picture.
Here is a snippet from the story:
“Are you lost?”
His deep Texas drawl washed over her. Lorrie Ann shook her head and searched for words. “No, but I’m sure that depends on who you ask.” Raising her gaze, she flashed her best smile. In California it had never failed her.
Instead, he glanced off into the pasture, at the cows. “Is that your car up ahead?”
She sighed. Apparently, Texas cowboys were a completely different breed from the men she had been working with in Los Angeles.
“Yeah, I ran out of gas.”
“Anyone I can call for you?”
“No, no really as soon as I get my phone I’m good.”
He turned that devastating smile back on her. “How your phone ended up in a cow pasture is bound to be an interesting story.” He held his hand out to her, the fence still between them. “I’m John Levi.”
Lorrie Ann smiled back at him, a genuine smile this time. It felt good. The past couple years anything real had been hard to find.
The book will be in stores October, but you can pre-order on Amazon or Barns & Noble to get a copy in September. I’m setting up book signing now, so stay tuned. If you follow my blog you’ll get the lasted updates. I’m not very good at keeping a secret, so will also so up on my author page on facebook too.
I’m so excited to share with you the beautiful cover of my first book, Lone Star Holiday. Cowboy/Pastor John Levi and his daughter Celeste are real! Haha. You can even pre-order on Amazon and get to know them better on September 17. The official release date is October 1. I can’t believe this is really happening – I’m such a dork.
I write love stories. Therefore, Valentine’s Day should be like my National Holiday, right? Wrong. It is the one and only day I will go to a war movie. Twenty-seven years ago, I had my first Valentine’s Day date with the man that would become my life mate. I wanted to see Say Anything.
but he wanted to see Platoon.
I was young and giddy with love so as any girl would do I agreed to see his movie.
I hate war movies and avoid them at all cost, but I have to say Platoon was one of the best movies I had ever seen.
Hey, I grew up on Pretty in Pink and Breakfast Club. I do love my happy endings and war movies by their very nature do not have happy endings.
That compromise began a tradition. It would become our anti-Valentine war movie date. Over the years, we went on to see Good Morning Vietnam, Glory and Saving Private Ryan to name a few.
It helped that Glory starred Mr. Denzel Washington,
but I digress.
These are all movies that I would never had bought a ticket to see, but worth every dime. There is a great deal to learn about human nature in a well done war movie. There are images that stay planted in my mind, such as floating body parts. Does it make me a better person to get out of my comfort zone and leave my safe world of happy ever after? Maybe.
I have to tell you, it is not always easy to find a war movie during February. This year we lucked out with Zero Dark Thirty.
Can’t wait. She says with a lopsided grin and one eyebrow raised. It has worked for us for Twenty-seven years now, so I’m not messing with a good thing.
Do you have a traditional Valentine tradition or Anti-Valentine tradition?
While we’re talking about it let me know if you have seen any good war movie lately. (Good War –is that an oxymoron?) Do you have a favorite war movie?
Jolene Navarro 