Stories on Highland warriors, men in kilts, heather and thistle, lochs and glens have intrigued me since I became an obsessive romance reader. I know I’m not alone in the love of anything Scottish. You can walk through any book store and look at the shelves to see how many men in kilts are on covers. What makes these heroes and heroines of the northern lands of Great Britain intriguing?

Last October my husband and I spent twenty-three days exploring the Highlands and I think I discovered some of the reasons why I love stories about Scottish heroes. The wild, rugged terrain itself could only produce heroes of such stature.

We always tried to stop for our noon meal in a small, out-of-the-way place to eat. One day when we were waiting for our food to be served, an older couple came into the restaurant and started talking to us. When the man mentioned off-hand that they had found a pile of rocks for some man named Rob Roy, I felt gobsmacked. “Rob Roy MacGregor?” I asked, my eyes bright with interest. He didn’t know, didn’t care, but I did. After securing directions, we headed on an adventure I will never forget.

We found a graveyard at a church in a small community named Balquhidder. Indeed, we’d found the MacGregor gravesite in the cemetery at the Parish Church. From where I stood reading the markings, my imagination went wild. I gazed at the surrounding mountains imagining Rob Roy and his band of men running down their grassy slopes, swords drawn, defending their lands. Bagpipes played in my head. I wanted to spend the rest of the day absorbing the ambiance of their time in history.

Luckily for us we picked the right year to visit in the fall. The hillsides appeared on fire with the different colors of red, gold, orange, brown and green mixed together. Tartans were chosen to blend in with the surrounding colors of the region where the clans lived. I’d read in many of the stories how the Scots would wrap themselves in their kilts and blend so well that their enemies would go past them without detection.

The mists over the lochs gave them an eerie look. A most prized photo was taken from my favorite castle, Eilean Donan. (Eilean meaning island). As you can probably guess, castles sparked my rather over-active imagination into overdrive. Can you fathom how many people had walked those same stone steps, shot arrows through the slits cut into the rock walls, and rode their horses over the drawbridge - the visions in my mind were endless.

The hours we spent at the battlefield of Culloden were chilling. I kept thinking that this place reminded me of our Gettysburg. The ghosts of the soldiers who died there still linger. I don’t think anyone can walk away from the site without having been touched by the enormity of the tragedy that happened that day in 1746. It pointed out to us how proud these men were and the roots they set for all the heroes we like to read about.

Now that I’ve tread on the lands where these heroes were created, my reading experiences are vivid and enchanting to me. I miss Scotland and find comfort in reading every story I can get my hands on to revive the great experiences we had. I am reading one right now that has mentioned a part of Scotland where we traveled and it has only enhanced my enjoyment of the novel.

Do you find that when you read stories set in places where you’ve visited, that your senses bring alive the smells, the sounds, and tastes of the land?

This is being written in the evening of July 22 while we in South Texas, near Brownsville, await the arrival of Hurricane Dolly. We’re not worried about it. We may not even lose power for long. My family rode out Beulah in ’67 and I rode out Allen in ’80 with my husband’s family. This is a CAT 1, maybe, just maybe, a loose CAT 2. But if one more person says Hello, Dolly, I’m going to hunt them down and hurt them. They all act like it’s an original thought. Morons.

I asked my husband yesterday if he was going to board up the windows. He looked at me in total disbelief, “Why? It’s just a CAT 1.” Seriously, we have winds down here in the spring that blow at or near tropical storm gales with gusts (frequently sustained) in the CAT 1 category. This past spring the Lion that roars in March didn’t leave until nearly May. It was very irritating to have that much wind 24/7 for weeks on end. Not only was it hard to sleep, that much wind made my skin crawl.

Plus during 4th of July weekend, this area got over 10 inches of rain. That’s about the same amount of rain they’re projecting for Dolly.

We’ll probably lose power for awhile, but it’s not going to be bad. Now if it were August or September when the Gulf has had a chance to heat up, we’d be worried. With Dolly, my major worry is will my two small dogs use the piddle pads during the storm or will they hold it until they have bladder infections. They always get up at 6:30 AM for their morning potty run. This morning when I let them out, I saw the Sailor’s Warning sky. You know: Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor take warning. Really awesome colors of hot pink and neon orange.

We’re ready for the hurricane. When the power goes out, I have the AlphaSmart for writing. I’ve baked my comfort food of chocolate chip cookies and bought my Nacho Doritoes and Diet Coke. In the vein of clean panties in case of an accident, I got my nails done. If the house goes, you can identify my body by my tats and my fresh manicure.

I also have a stack of books to read while the wind blows and the rain comes down, or sideways, depending on the wind force.

Specifically I’m starting with Robin D. Owens‘ Heart Mate and going completely through her Celta series, including the newest Heart Fate.

Way back when I worked at Waldenbooks, I bought Heart Mate because the cover caught my eye (black & white cat sitting beside the hero), then read the blurb and the first few pages. At the Romance Writers of America Conference in Denver in 2002, I was on pins and needles and was one of the many cheering when she won the 2002 RITA™ for Best Paranormal.

I love Robin’s self-confident characters and her world building is fabulous. We’ve been exchanging emails for years and chatted at various RWA© conferences. She even gave me a quote for my Falling Star Wish. I’ve been bugging her for four years for the story she wrote in her upcoming September release, Heart Fate. When I was in Denver for my husband’s family reunion, I asked her if she’d like to meet me and Lizzie T. Leaf for coffee. Robin surprised me with an ARC of Heart Fate.

In September, Robin D. Owens will be here to talk about Heart Fate and the rest of her Celta series she writes for Berkley Jove and possibly touch on the Lladrana Summoning series she writes for Luna.

So, what do you stock for comfort food when the weather socks you in? What books do you like to read so you can ignore the weather battling your living space?

I’ve got a pdf of my Less Than Perfect Family, plus two copies of Beth Andrews’ debut release Not Without Her Family to add to three people’s comfort reads. Depending on whether or not we lose power and/or cell phone service (we have a Sprint broadband card for internet), I’ll be here to play with you. If I don’t make it, I’ll chose the three winners when I get back.

In the meantime, keep us in your thoughts and prayers and PLAY NICE. Or at least practice the 13th Commandment: “Thou shalt not get caught!”

Have a burning fashion question? Some naughtiness you need defined? Looking for help with a sassy, sexy relationship issue? Tawny Weber’s naughty alter-ego, Ms. Behavin’ has launched her own Q&A - check it out at http://blog.tawnyweber.com/2008/07/22/ask-ms-behavin/.

Emily Gee’s RITA finaling novel for Best First Book and Best Novel With Strong Romantic Elements, Thief With No Shadow, is a dark fantasy which tells the story of Melke, a wraith who lives in an imaginary world where the ordinary and the extraordinary co-exist, where tall fire-breathing salamanders live alongside men and magic runs in certain bloodlines.

Emily herself lives and works in New Zealand, which (if you’re like me!) is a fantasy unto itself!  Emily joins us today to talk about how a writing workshop changed her entire outlook on writing, and was the genesis for taking her writing to a whole new level. 

___________________ 

Thank you for the invitation to be a guest on this blog. I’m delighted to be here!

Thief With No Shadow is my first published novel, and it’s also the first to benefit from a workshop I did with Donald Maass at a Romance Writers of New Zealand conference several years ago. Thief was the germ of an idea before the workshop—sunshiny and mild and quite pallid. After the workshop it was a very different beast: dark and twisted and full of hard choice for my characters. It sat is my head for a few more months, getting darker, and in summer I started putting it on paper, working in the vineyard from dawn until noon, and sitting at my desk all afternoon and evening.

I found that I enjoyed writing dark, so I applied it to my next fantasy, The Laurentine Spy (Solaris, 2009). A version of Spy already existed, but like the original Thief it was pallid and full of easy options for my characters. Not so after I rewrote it. The characters have a lot of challenges to face now, poor creatures!

Donald Maass’ workshop made me realise how much I enjoy writing dark stories. I like to think I would have got there by myself—eventually—but he certainly sped things along! Have any of you taken one of Donald Maass’ workshops? Did you find that your writing changed afterwards? Did it get darker, stronger? Or did you perhaps have an entirely different experience to me?

I hope to meet some of you at the RWA conference in San Francisco. I’m looking forward to it tremendously—and to meeting my fellow Best First Book finalists!

Emily

Keli Gwyn (2008 GH Inspirational finalist) is interviewing Carla today at http://keligwyn.wordpress.com. Please drop by and say hello. Carla will be giving away this month’s Love Inspired Historicals to several fortunate posters and answering questions about winning the Golden Heart, her writer’s journey and receiving ‘the call’.

Normally, I like to do a short introduction for our guest authors, but Isabel’s bio pretty much speaks for itself.  Her sharp wit and clever sense of humor always amuses me to no end!  Let’s have a rousing Writers At Play welcome for Isabel Sharpe! 

Isabel Sharpe was not born pen in hand like so many of her fellow authors.  After she quit work in 1994 to stay home with her first-born son and nearly went out of her mind, she started writing.  Yes, she was the clichéd bored housewife writing romance, but it was either that cliché or seduce the mailman, and her mailman was unattractive.  After more than twenty novels for Harlequin, and the exciting new direction of women-focused stories for Avon/HarperCollins, Isabel admits her new mailman is gorgeous, but she’s still happy with her choice.
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Back to Camp

I know there are women who meet the love of their lives young, date for years, marry and remain blissfully happy.  I’m not one of those. I’ve had break-ups galore. Short relationships, boom, long relationships, kapow, and in 2002, a marriage. Thud.

Did my entire world collapse? Nah. Did it hurt. Oh yeah. Would I have taken advantage of a retreat where I could be nurtured body and soul and given plenty of opportunities for physical and emotional relief from the pain? Sign me up! So for my second Avon release, AS GOOD AS IT GOT, I invented Camp Kinsonu, a cross between a therapy session, spa and summer camp, where “suddenly single” women can be pampered and challenged and supported.

The setting was a no-brainer. Since I was four months old, I’ve been going to my family’s summer house on the coast of Maine. If you’ve never been there, you must. The air is practically edible, so light and clean you feel the difference in your lungs. If I could wear that scent as a perfume I would. The natural beauty is simple but spectacular. And the pace of life—well granted I’m always there on vacation, but even so, our cabin is without electricity and we’re forced to slow down, talk to each other, play games, read, do jigsaw puzzles, spend time staring at the stars—in short, a richer quality of life, one I’m so glad to be able to give my kids a glimpse of, and what I wanted for my poor damaged heroines.

To this camp I sent three very different women who’d lost the men in their lives in three very different ways. Cynical, independent Ann is struggling to cope after her husband killed himself to avoid facing the financial ruin he caused; naive optimist Cindy is biding time, certain her serial-cheating husband will again come back to her; withdrawn, troubled Martha is forced to examine her choices after her married lover has a debilitating stroke.

Sound like a laugh riot? I paint with a light touch. There are plenty of comic moments, along with the suffering. Kind of like in life!

Tell me about a place that has supported and nurtured you. I’ll pick my favorite and send the winner a copy of my first release from Avon, WOMEN ON THE EDGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKTHROUGH.

Cheers,
Isabel

Life has really gotten in the way lately. Between wisdom teeth removal (my oldest) and ingrown toenail removal (complete with pictures posted on the internet, just to annoy the daughter. ) - I’ve had a hard time coming up with an interesting topic. Not to mention the fact that I have a unique talent for procrastination.

So… I thought maybe it would be fun to share all those wonderful things we find to do to procrastinate and while we’re at it, maybe somebody can offer advice on how to end the madness… or at least turn it around a little bit.

So what do I do when I’m in procrastination mode? My top 5:

1) Play World of Warcraft. (Hi, my name is tammy and I am a MMORPG addict)

2) Watch Tv and Movies. (Yes, they can be inspiring and very often are watched in the name of research, but ahem… they are also a big time sucker)

3) Browse the internet. (Ebay.. email.. E everything!! It’s all there at the press of a button. Wouldn’t it be nice if everything was that way?)

4) Sleep (Yes, we all need it… but sometimes it’s one of the things that we have to lose a little bit of if we really want that dream to come true. I give it up for World of Warcraft after all, so why do I cringe at the idea of giving some up for writing time?)

5) Housework (Ok.. so I very rarely procrastinate with housework. That’s when I know things are really getting dangerous. If I choose plugging in the vacuum over plotting.)

So, what about you? Do you have any time suckers you fall victim to over and over again? Or maybe you have the sure-fire cure for the procrastination addict?

It’s been another great week on the playground, complete with two RITA finalists for Best First Book of 2007, a talk about balance in your life from one of our playpals, and a wild and wacky all day, all night slumber party, full of prizes, with(out) cover model and Mr. Romance contestant Chris Howell (more on that later… that topic deserves its own post, and there’s a contest involved!  Keep reading when you get to the end of today’s Fiesta Friday!)

RITA Finalist Jamie Carie talked about learning her craft as she wrote her inspirational romance, Snow Angel in The Three Act Writing Method.

RITA Finalist Helen Brenna told us about her writing journey and how her Harlequin Superromance, Treasure, came to be. She gave us a unique perspective on the value of having fun as a writer, which is a concept we here at Writers At Play are heartily in favor of!

Mona Risk pointed out the value of living a balanced life and offered ways we could accomplish it, then was kind enough to give away copies of her books to two lucky commenters! Cherie J has won a free copy of TO LOVE A HERO, and Dina has won a free copy of FRENCH PERIL! Cherie and Dina, please email Mona at monariskzi@cs.com to claim your prizes! (p.s. to Cherie and Dina - I messed up Mona’s email earlier, but I fixed it. You should be able to email her now.)

On Wednesday, Janice Lynn was wonderful enough to host a 24 hour party for cover model and Mr. Romance Contestant Christopher Howell, and generous enough to give away a ton of prizes! Unfortunately, Chris himself seemed unable to attend, leading to a frenzy of speculation from worried playpals about what in the world could’ve happened to him! Was he buried in the sandbox? Tied up in the treehouse? Stashed beneath the slide? In true Writers At Play fashion, commenters were invited to post their own theories, and we’re going to have a vote on the funniest, most creative explanation in our “Where’s The Cover Model?” contest, immediately following this Fiesta Friday post! But for now, we’ve got some goodies to giveaway!

Rebekah won a free Kathleen Long/Janice Lynn book bag!
Crystal B. won a beautiful Playground Pillow!
Jacey won a signed copy of JANE MILLIONAIRE!
Patti won a signed copy of THE DOCTOR’S PREGNANCY BOMBSHELL!
Colleen won an autographed photo of Christopher Howell!
Ellie won her choice of JANE MILLIONAIRE, THE DOCTOR’S PREGNANCY BOMBSHELL, THE HEART SURGEON’S SECRET SON, THE DOCTOR’S MEANT-TO-BE MARRIAGE, or a Kathleen Long/Janice Lynn bookbag!

Rebekah, Crystal, Jacey, Pattie, Colleen and Ellie, please email Janice to claim your prizes!

Jana Mercy was on hand to give away some prizes, as well!

Layla and Lora won free downloads of HER LAST FLING! Ladies, please email Jana to get your download instructions!

Whew.  And now, just when you thought the fun was over, it’s time for the “Where’s The Cover Model?” contest!  ;-)  The winner will received a Writers At Play t-shirt, signed by all the writers who will be in San Francisco at the end of the month to attend the Romance Writers of America conference.  Keep reading, and let the voting begin!

Okay girls, I think we’ve proven once and for all that while men are lovely to have around, we can have plenty of fun without them!  :-)  Thanks so much to everyone who played with us during our cover model interview with Christopher Howell - we’re still not quite sure what happened to him, but we’ve got plenty of theories!

Since we had over 200 posts that day, we’ve decided to make it easy on everyone by listing the theories one by one, and then taking a vote on the most creative answer to “Where’s the cover model?”.  (I have to tell you, I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in a long time!).  The winner will receive a fabulous Writers At Play t-shirt, (click on the link to see a picture, it’s adorable!) signed by all the playground writers who will be attending the Romance Writers of America in San Francisco later this month.

Without further ado, here are your choices of “Where’s The Cover Model?”.  Leave a comment with your choice # or name, and we’ll choose a winner based on most votes.

Choice #1 Jennifer Y:  Janice brought him to the playground where everything seemed great at first and calm and he was just settling in to teeter totter with Janice and wait for people to start showing up. Suddenly, from nowhere, Terri swung by on the tireswing and swooped him up mumbling something about stars and a bottle of wine (even though it was early in the day).

They disappeared for a bit and then he returned only to have Leslie, Mona, Carla, and few other WAP practically attack the poor fellow as they fought over whose turn it was…something about a kissing booth.

While they argued and shoved and broke the playground rule to share and get along, Christoper managed to disappear again (without saying a word) when Tawny grabbed my…er… the jumprope and asked to see his “sword.” Blushing, the poor guy was dragged behind the treehouse.

Tawny reappeared without Christopher (the Captain Jack comments drew her here) and disappeared again (this time with Captain Jack).

Throughout the day various playmates and playbuddies made comments leading me to believe the poor fellow was being passed around while they figured out what type of kisses they enjoyed (I saw a lot of rumpled clothing and messy hair). They kept his mouth and fingers so busy, he was unable to type and respond to us (have fun with that one, Jana).

Jana appeared late in the day claiming to be hard at work and that was her reason for being late, but I think she was keeping tabs on Christopher making sure he didn’t get overkissed before it was her turn.

Somehow, poor innocent me *adjusts halo* lost out on her turn because she was being a patient observer (and searching for the missing jumprope…got an eyeful when I peaked behind the treehouse, I tell ya).

Now, poor Christopher, is probably off resting and using that extra-strength chapstick on his poor lips.

Choice #2 Allie Sandifer: My idea is he got kidnapped by a rabid yet fascinating romance reader who plotted out her own HEA with him in the star role.

Choice #4 Janice: It was Pat. In the Sandbox. With the wrench. No, wait! I meant with the lead pipe. Uhm, that’s still not right. Okay, let me start over. It was Pat, in the sandbox, with the sword. Yep, that is my final answer!

Choice #5 Jana Mercy:  Perhaps it was Dina. In the tire swing. With a flashlight. OR Maybe when Tammy read that Chris was a UPS man she went out and ordered a special package and Chris had to go deliver. Maybe women all across the world have been ordering packages all day and UPS has been overwhelmed by the demand and poor Chris is having to pull overtime.

Choice #6 Covered In Chapstick: I admit it. It was me. In the Lily Pond. With a rock.

Choice #7 Kimmy L: My guess is that Chris had an unexpected guest and is probaly doing the wild thing about now. OR I think he delivered a package to one of you girls and you offered him a drink that was spiked and now you have hidden him.

Choice #8 Jill: My theory is that Christopher Howell fell into the Lily pond and the giant fish ate him.

Choice #9 Jacey: I think Jennifer Y did Chris in the treehouse with the jumprope. Was that supposed to say “it” instead of “Chris”?

Choice #10 RobynL: In Chris’s interview we were told he can really dance. I think the reason he is late is because last night while out dancing up a storm an agent for The Chippendales saw him. They knew right then and there that he was destined to be a part of their group and so today he had to go and audition. I bet he got a part or position in the group.

Choice #11: Cassie: My theory on why the cover model didn’t show today is that Christopher Howell isn’t a real person, but instead the fictional hero in Jana Mercy’s next book, UNDERGROUND PACKAGES, where a sex-starved UPS man goes around preying upon unsuspecting, playful women who liked to be kissed on their neck.

Choice #12: Fairy Tales ‘R Us: Christopher didn’t show up because he became mesmerized by his own reflection in the lily pond, and while he was sitting there, a white unicorn came along and offered him a ride! Wearing only one cowboy boot, he leapt upon the unicorn’s back and looked frantically around for a camera, not wanting to miss a magical photo opportunity. The unicorn, however, was actually a troll in disguise, who cackled wickedly and jumped down a hole beneath the bridge that spanned the pond that housed the koi that made the ripples beneath the water that Chris built.

Choice #13 Terri Garey: Wait, wait! I found the source of the problem! It seems that Gerry Butler found out that Marlene was manning the kissing booth, and he did NOT like it! He’s been guarding the entrance to the playground all this time to keep the other hunks away!

OR Maybe Jana Mercy kidnapped him, and she and Layla and Tammy all got into a mudwrestling contest - to the victor goes the spoils!! Or the spoiled. One or the other.

Choice #14 Cheryl S.: I’m thinking that while Chris was making his UPS rounds, he was so preoccupied with all this kissing talk that he missed a step, hit his head on the railing and now has amnesia. Once Chris regained consciousness, the lucky woman to whom he just delivered two boxes of books from Amazon.com had persuaded him that he’s her boyfriend and she proceeds to use the setting of the romance novel she’s currently reading as Chris’s life story, casting him as the hero and herself in the heroine’s role.

And while Choice #15 is not really a theory, Anita Mae deserves a special mention for her clever limerick:
“There once was a man named Chris
Whom every girl wanted to kiss
But right on the day
We wanted him to play
He dared to give The Playground a miss!”

Okay ladies, you vote (and no, you can’t vote for yourself!) To be fair, you really shouldn’t vote for Janice, Jana or Terri either, but I didn’t want to leave out those fun theories!

Who gets the Writers At Play t-shirt?  Let the voting begin!

Janice: Tell us about a typical day in the life of Christopher Howell.

Christopher: Humm….Let me think. Most of my days have somewhat of a plan to them, but I usually go with the flow of things. I use this method to keep my stress levels down, which leaves that fun loving guy that everyone likes to be around. This method isn’t for everyone, due to the fact that sometimes things build up….most of the time things build up, but it works for me. I tend to believe that you shouldn’t force things or they tend to have bad results. If something doesn’t seem right, odds are it isn’t. I try to get to the gym, go to work the days I have work, try to become famous, and school if I have it.

Janice: What were you like when you were a kid? What were your favorite games/past times? Were you naughty or nice? What was your favorite thing to do on the playground as a child? (swing, slide, see-saw, monkey-bars, sandbox, etc.) (since we’re on the writers playground)

Christopher: I was always out doors with my three brothers. So, I was a wild child…but in a good way. Always out and about exploring the world! I played so many games that it’s hard to name them all. Anything you could think of we did it the safe way and every unsafe way! On the play ground as a child, I would either chase the women, hang out with my friends, play sports, or I would get lost in my own little world. I usually hung out with who ever I made friends with. I was always big on having friends.

Janice: Was being a model something you always wanted to do? How did you come to that realization?

Christopher: I never even thought of being a model. I was picked on and teased when I was really young by my brothers and everyone else. So, I began to perfect myself. I would try and be the best in every way possible! One day….it just all paid off! I started to realize that I was that sexy guy that every girl wanted. I don’t know if it was because I stopped paying attention to the women and started hanging out with my guy friends and focusing on myself. Focusing on obtaining personal goals helped me to build self confidence in things that I did through out life. I realized that the right can-do attitude can take you a long way in today’s society.

Janice: How do you handle women staring at you all the time?
Christopher: I look at them and give a smile along with a wave I don’t mind it. If something in life grabs my interest, I take in as much as I want. I check out people all the time for all kinds of reasons, so it could mean anything when someone is lost while glancing my direction. If I ever have that unsure look on my face…like unsure what your looking at…feel free to give me a wink with that stare

Janice: Okay, so Christopher is going to have lots of women winking at him in Orlando.

Janice: Do you have a favorite photo of yourself? Why is it your favorite photo?
Christopher: I don’t have a favorite photo. Some look better than others from time to time, but each remind me of a moment in time in which I was living my life. Just a memory for later to reflect upon.

Janice: What do you like to read?
Christopher: Hahhah read…o .. humm .. your being serious Well, I don’t tend to read too much. I’m always on the run and I like to relax by sleeping on my down time, or hang with the guys. I could ask the guys if we could start a reading group, but I like my looks jk… reading is cool.

Janice~Perhaps we’ll recruit you for reading time later…over for group reading time over in the playground treehouse…

Janice: What’s your favorite place to visit?
Christopher: My bed.

Janice: You know Christopher, I’m pretty sure there were a few playmates who had dirty thoughts at that answer. I, of course, knew you meant to sleep.

Janice: What do you do in your down time to relax? (How do you play?)
Christopher: I play Dirty! I put on my tennies and streak through the house! But, that’s only from time to time. Mostly, just eat lots of yummy peaches, cherries, bananas, and ever other kind of FOOD in general.

Janice: Do you cook? What’s your favorite meal to make?
Christopher: I can cook up a storm. I don’t have just one favorite because I’m a total fattie deep down underneath…!

Janice: If you could be the hero of a romance novel, what would the setting be? Would you be a pirate? A highlander? A cowboy? A billionaire businessman? A doctor? A sci-fi save-the-world futuristic super-dude?
Christopher: Good question. I would be sitting by a mystical pond covered in lilies with pink blooms coming out of the middle. A perfect reflection of myself would be reflecting of the water’s edge with myself sitting on a large rock next to the water’s edge. The pond and I would be located in the deep end of a mystical forest with gentile creatures that roam within it. The sky would be a baby blue with fluffy white clouds scattered here and there. A few cat tails would be scattered along the edge of the pond. Ripples would come and go in the water from time to time caused by giant coy like fish with fins and tails five times as big with a sparkling water color to them. With the tree tops coming together but not too thick making it so you could see partially through the forest……..I could go on and on…but I’ll leave the rest up to your imaginations

Janice: What’s something romantic you’d like that special lady in your life to do for you?
Christopher: Have my baby

Janice: Do you have a special lady in your life? If not, are you currently holding auditions for that role? *grin*
Christopher: YES! but don’t tell hahah jk I’m not married yet, but I’m sure she’ll be the one.

Janice~very cool, Christopher! We love a good romance!!!!!!!!!

Janice: If you could play the role of a Star Wars character, who would you be? Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Boba Fett, or Darth Vader? Why?

Christopher: I would be myself, because I like who I am….:-D totally avoided the question! I would be Han Solo, he’s good throughout the movie, somewhat sexy, and he gets the girl

Janice: What’s your all time favorite movie?
Christopher: Too many to name. I love movies! Well, I love good movies

Janice: What do your friends and family say about your modeling career?
Christopher: “Whatever makes you happy.”

Janice: What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done career-wise thus far?
Christopher: Good question. I don’t know. I’ve done a lot of good stuff, so I’m excited about all of it! Woot go me! Cheer with me now! Go chris go chris! It would be great if people started chanting my name

Janice: Okay, ladies. Christopher wants us to chant his name during the RT competition in Orlando…

Janice: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Christopher: Came out of my mother! It was a wild experience! Besides that, a whole world of other stuff. That’s a book one day…or chris interview part II. Maybe I’ll build some hype with this first interview. I could update what I’ve been doing after so often with the good and bad…..and here I am rambling on now. Next Question Please!

Janice: Do you sing?
Christopher: YYYEEENnnnnnnno, nope. I try, but it comes out all crap like.

Janice: Do you dance?
Christopher: Like there’s no tomorrow….does this make me a dancing queen>>??

Janice: Okay, ladies, I have to comment here. If there had been an award for best dancer at RT, Christopher would have won absolutely no close runner up. The boy can dance & obviously has a great time doing so.

Janice: What was your high school job?
Christopher: Being broke and playing every sport possible. Mostly sounded like this…”Dad! Can I have $20 to go play and leave you and mom alone!”

Janice: Hmmm, I’m going to have to teach my kids to add that last part in. Right now it’s just, Mom, can I have $20 to go play?

Janice: For those of us who want to keep an eye on you, what upcoming events do you have planned?
Christopher: Becoming famous. I would look and let you in on a peep, but things get rebooked or junked up sometimes. Like I said, go with the flow. If something big happens, I’ll let y’all know…almost first.

Janice: Ohhhh, good answer. We’re going to hold you to that. We definitely want updates.

Janice: Will you be at the 2009 Romantic Times convention in Orlando?
Christopher: Yes, being sponsored next year to come back and play

(That’s Chris…from behind…just in case you were wondering…)

Janice:What’s your favorite food?
Chris: All… yes, give all your food to me

Janice: color?
Christopher: Blue

Janice: city?
Christopher: None, every city has its ups and downs. I try to look for all the ups!

Janice: place to be kissed?
Christopher: You could start up and work your way down, vice versa!

Janice: Oh baby! Another good answer.

Janice: extreme sport?
Christopher: All of them, just don’t let me die!

Janice: sport?
Christopher: None lately, I do miss these things. Having friends, playing with balls…..hey! What are u thinking?

Janice looks around innocently. “What? You think we have dirty minds on the playground? Not us….well, maybe Terri.

Janice: place to be photographed?
Christopher: Whatever your attracted to sexy lady grrrrr

Janice: cologne?
Christopher: Something smooth and sexy. Whatever will draw you in…again Grrrrrrr

Janice: favorite scent to smell on a woman?
Christopher: Clean

Janice: who was your hero when you were growing up? Who is now?
Christopher: My dad. Same.

Janice: Are you a walk on the beach holding hands or a candle-lit dinner kind of guy?
Christopher: I’m a whatever it’s going to take to have a good time kind of guy!…no stop thinking that. I mean, we’re going to have a crazy cool time no matter where we go or what we do!

Janice blinks innocently again. I have no idea what he’s referring to. Nope. Not me. Ask Lindsey. She might know.

Janice: Any guilty pleasures you’re willing to share?
Christopher: From time to time when I’m on the internet…….. I check my email, but don’t tell anyone.

Janice: Christopher, you are a bad, bad boy!

Janice: Any traits in women that you find particularly attractive?
Christopher: A beautiful smile does it for me….

There is a story behind this picture…and, yes, that woman in the picture is having a hot flash and that’s why her face is red…

Okay, ladies, so Christopher will be dropping by today, so let’s give him a wonderful playground welcome! And, since I put Christopher on the spot about where he likes to be kissed, I’m going to do the same to all of you! Fess up, playmates & pals! What does it for you? A light kiss on the lips? A nibble on the ear? A…well, you get the idea. We’ll be giving away prizes throughout the day to folks who leave comments!! You don’t have to kiss and tell to win. Just leave a comment to be entered. BUT I might be persuaded by a really, really good answer from time to time throughout the day…