Travel Agents Speak Out on Elected Officials

A DC airport ticket agent offers some examples of why our country is in trouble! 1. I had a New Hampshire Congresswoman (Carol Shea-Porter) ask for an aisle seat so that her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window. (On an airplane!) 2. I got a call from a Kansas Congressman's (Moore) staffer (Howard Bauleke), who wanted to go to Capetown.I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information, and then he interrupted me with, ''I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Capetown is in Massachusetts .'' Without trying to make him look stupid, I calmly explained, ''Cape Cod is in Massachusetts , Capetown is in Africa '' his response -- click. 3. A senior Vermont Congressman (Bernie Sanders) called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando. He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried t o explain that's not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state.He replied, 'don't lie to me, I looked on the map and Florida is a very thin state!'' (OMG) 4. I got a call from a lawmaker's wife (Landra Reid) who asked, ''Is it possible to see England from Canada ?''I said, ''No.''She said, ''But they look so close on the map.'' (OMG, again!) 5. An aide for a cabinet member(Janet Napolitano) once called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas . I pulled up the reservation and noticed he had only a 1-hour layover in Dallas . When I asked him why he wanted to rent a car, he said, ''I heard Dallas was a big airport, and we will need a car to drive between gates to save time.'' (Aghhhh) 6. An Illinois Congresswoman (Jan Schakowsky) called last week. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:30 a.m., and got to Chicago at 8:33 a.m.I explained that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois , but she couldn't understand the concept of time zones. Finally, I told her the plane went fast, and she bought that. 7. A New York lawmaker, (Jerrold Nadler) called and asked, ''Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage belongs to whom?'' I said, 'No, why do you ask?'He replied, ''Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said (FAT), and I'm overweight. I think that's very rude!''After putting him on hold for a minute, while I looked into it. (I was dying laughing). I came back and explained the city code for Fresno , Ca. is (FAT- Fresno Air Terminal), and the airline was just putting a destination tag on his luggage. 8. A Senator John Kerry aide (Lindsay Ross) called to inquire about a trip package to Hawaii . After going over all the cost info, she asked, ''Would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train to Hawaii ?'' 9. I just got off the phone with a freshman Congressman, Bobby Bright (D) from Ala who asked, ''How do I know which plane to get on?''I asked him what exactly he meant, to which he replied, ''I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these planes have numbers on them.'' 10. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) called and said, ''I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola , Florida . Do I have to get on one of those little computer planes?'' I asked if she meant fly to Pensacola , FL on a commuter plane. She said, ''Yeah, whatever, smarty!'' 11. Mary Landrieu (D) La. Senator called and had a question about the documents she needed in order to fly to China . After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded her that she needed a visa. 'Oh, no I don't. I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those.''I double checked and sure enough, her stay required a visa. When I told her this she said, ''Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express!'' 12. A New Jersey Congressman (John Adler) called to make reservations, ''I want to go from Chicago to Rhino, New York .'' I was at a loss for words. Finally, I said, ''Are you sure that's the nameof the town?'''Yes, what flights do you have?'' replied the man. After some searching, I came back with, ''I'm sorry, sir, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a rhino anywhere." ''The man retorted, ''Oh, don't be silly! Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!''So I scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, ''You don't mean Buffalo , do you?''The reply? ''Whatever! I knew it was a big animal.'' YES, THEY WALK AMONG US, ARE IN POLITICS, AND THEY CONTINUE TO BREED.

From Diary to Publication

Okay, you can throw some things away especially if they get smelly; but I’m thinking about all those journals and diaries you kept as a kid. Come on, I’m sure there are a few people out there who still have a locked diary containing an entry of that first kiss. Perhaps, many of you keep a journal currently. Hello, I'm Judith McGuinness, I'm a romance author and I keep a journal. I started keeping a diary way back in third grade. Yes, I still have it too. As I grew older, my mom could not understand the time I spent writing in the marble notebook that I kept hidden under my pillow. If I had a dime for every time she said, “Why are you wasting your time …” I’d be rich. Anyways, I continued to write. I would write poetry, short stories, paste pictures or other’s works I found inspiring into my notebooks. I’d even write down the lyrics of songs. Some ideas were written on paper bags or napkins and I would later rewrite it. I also enjoyed writing love stories. In high school, my friends would ask me to write a little romantic tale of them with their latest squeeze. Funny, it got to the point where even guys were coming up to me and asking me to write down their exploits. (Maybe that’s how I learned to write erotica?) In 1989, my darling hubby (boyfriend at the time) happened upon me writing one day while we were vacationing in Italy. As he read my interpretation of the past few days, including the steamy midnight activities, I expected him to start laughing at any moment; I never took him to be the mushy, romantic type of man. He didn’t. In fact, he thought it was rather good. “Not Jane Austen, but a real page-turner,” I think were his exact words. Inspired by this review, I began writing more and more short stories. As each new idea popped into my head, I jotted the thought onto paper. There were times, over the next ten years, when I had four or five stories in various stages of completion. I would write them in longhand on the train on the way to work, on planes when my work took me far from home. Eventually, they were painstakingly transcribed onto my computer. Then, in 2005, I was on disability for an extended period. I spent a lot of time reading my stories, adding to them, reworking some of the plots. As I worked on one, a character who had been near and dear to my heart for many years, I began to wonder if it could be published. Having a book published had always been a dream of mine, but none of my stories had ever been complete enough. Perhaps it was time to complete one. By 2006, I had the 122,283-word manuscript for the story of my favorite character, “Macy”. At the end of writing this slightly paranormal romance, I knew that some of the secondary characters deserved to have his own story; thus the birth of a miniseries. iUniverse Publishing offered me a contract in 2007 and Macy was released later that year. Before the Applause is scheduled for release in 2010, and If I Should Love Again in 2012. My advice to you … never throw a diary or journal away; you just never know where it might take you. Now for a little treat. Leave a comment and I will send you the complete short story that has been running on my website.

A Day at the Bookstore

As I wander through the bookstore, I see many different types of readers. Everyone is unique, but they do fall into categories. Below is a brief description of some of the people I've seen.

• Seekers – those looking for a specific book. These include students of all kinds and those who heard about a book (TV, radio, magazine, friend) and want THAT book.
• Grazers – those who love bookstores but don’t really ever plan to buy a book. They wander the aisles and just gaze at the shelves and displays, occasionally picking up a book to read the cover and then go back to wandering.
• Browsers – those who don’t need a specific book, but are content to roam through the aisles of the genre or topic they are looking through, i.e. sci-fi, romance, self-help.
• Campers – those who come into the book store, set up shop and stay there. This includes students who think the book store is their personal library, the homeless, those who set up their drinks, food and laptops and don’t move all day.
• Clueless – those with little to no specific information about the book they are looking for and frazzle the nerves of the clerks. "I don't remember the name of the book or the author, but I think the cover is red. Do you have that one?"
• Independents – those shoppers who would rather use a computer terminal than talk to a bookseller.

When I go into a bookstore, I try to be as prepared as possible, armed with as much information about the book or books I am looking for. If I am just browsing, I do my best to stay out of the way of the other buyers and booksellers. I step around those randomly sitting in the middle of an aisle, the ones snoring in the wooden chairs, and try not to squeal too loudly when I see a new book on the shelf by one of my favorite authors.

How about you? Do you see yourself in the categories above? Do you think there are other types of buyers? Leave a comment and let me know!

Come Rain or Come Shine

In a burst of energy, I’ve been doing a lot of writing this past week due to the incessant rain and gloominess in this part of the country. Waking this morning to yet another grey day, I sat at the computer with my cup of tea and turned my attention to writing the next chapter of my new book. As the words appeared on the screen, it occurred to me that the weather was becoming a part of the story. Many scenes in the last fifty pages have been as dark and dreary as the scene outside my window. Curious, I looked back on some pages written in fairer days and found them definitely more upbeat and cheerful. How much of our surroundings do we as writers put in our work? It’s a well known fact that Mary Shelley penned her famous Frankenstein story during a particularly cold and dreary summer in Geneva, weather conditions that are obvious in every page. For us contemporary writers, what do we bring to our work from our daily lives? When we have an argument with a spouse, do the characters in the story quarrel as well? Do we choose to keep them part of the story or re-work them into something different? I can’t say for certain how much of me and my family I’ve brought to my characters in the past, no doubt more than I think; but I’ll be looking a bit more closely at it in the future.

While riding on the train this morning, I counted three women of varying ages completely engrossed in reading “Twilight”, and it occurred to me that the villain of novels past has become the hero. Not so long ago (I refuse to date myself here), vampires were loathsome creatures we cowered at the sight of, pirates were swarthy brigands, and the hero was always the guy in the white hat who vanquished said vampires and pirates. When did the lines blur? Did I miss the news flash announcing that the hero could now be the bad guy? That he could be more than a little rough around the edges and not be one-hundred percent squeaky clean. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a villain who looks like Johnny Depp, Robert Pattison, or even Hugh Jackman. You might think that I am complaining, but au contraire! For years (again, I refuse to date myself) I have endured mockery for rooting for the sidekick who never got the girl even when he really deserved to, for the tragic figure of the misunderstood ruffian. Now, I can finally hold my head up and say to all who laughed at me – I told you so!

What's in a Sign?

What can I say? It's corny, but I thought it would be a great way to introduce myself. If you were born between June 22 and July 21, your astrological sign is Cancer Your element: Water Your ruling planets: The Moon Symbol: The Crab Your stone: Moonstone Life Pursuit: Constant reassurance and intimacy Vibration: Moody Cancer's Secret Desire: To feel safe (emotionally, spiritually, romantically and financially) Those born under the sign of Cancer, ruled by the mysterious Moon, are one of the zodiac's enigmas. It is fair to say that most Cancers are a bundle of contradictions. Compassionate and caring with friends, family and lovers, yet they can cut to the bone with their jealous remarks and ever-changing moods. Endearingly eccentric on one hand, and on the other, insecure about how others see them. Like their astrological symbol - the Crab - Cancers can appear hard and insensitive on the outside. However, for those of us who know and love a "Moon Child", we understand that deep below lies a softness and sensitivity that makes them so very special. Just as the Moon goes through many changes as it moves from its new to full phases, Cancers too go through many new and full phases of experience. Life doesn't stand still for this sign, even if they remain in one place, because they live so much in their internal oceans of emotions. Their link with the Moon often makes it impossible for them to operate on an even keel from day to day. Up and down like the proverbial yo-yo, most Cancerians feel one way one minute, then sometimes totally different the next. But this characteristic is part of their charm. Love and romance matter more than anything else to this sign (but this occasionally shares first place with having lots of money in the bank). No other sign romances better, equally though, no sign takes it so badly when romance turns sour either. But with their changeable natures Cancerians are fascinating, mysterious, stimulating and extremely alluring. This sign is one of the most magic of all and once their magic has reached you, they are the most beguiling companions. After all, isn't the Moon the most talked about and romantic galactic identity? What better sign for a romance writer to be born under!