Get the Popcorn Ready

for the Heroes marathon! I love this show!!!! Although, I have to admit I haven't watched it consistently, because it airs opposite (you guessed it) Monday Night Football. In fact, I've missed many good shows this season for a whole host of reasons (Law & Order, CI; Dr. Who; CSI), but always knew in the back of my mind I could catch them in reruns. However, thanks to the Sci-Fi channel, tonight, I'll get to see all the episodes of Heroes I missed. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the first episode, so I have lots of questions. I'm sure once I get to see them tonight, I'll form some theories of my own about their powers - whether they're natural or genetically manipulated, Claire's dad, Syler, etc.

Jessie

Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for. My faith, my family, my friends, my co-workers, my health, my readers who make the whole writing journey worthwhile, and the writers whose work I enjoy.

There's so much love and support surrounding me, I feel totally awed. I may have some disappointments in my life, like the Colts losing, but I'm thankful to be able to watch them play. I may get totally stressed at work sometimes, but I'm grateful to have a job. I may be a little overweight, but I'm thankful I have food, and I'm very thankful the cyst removed earlier this year wasn't cancerous.

I'm thankful my father and my sister are still with us after fighting their own battles with cancer.

I'm thankful for my mother, and the grace, hope, and steadfast faith she's shown in the midst of her own pain.

I'm thankful for my son and what a wonderful young man he's grown into. I'm thankful for my lovely daughter-in-law who's strong and courageous and can find laughter and joy through adversity. I'm thankful for my grandkids and the life they bring to the party.

And, I'm thankful for my husband whose love, support, and understanding make my life complete. Love you Honey!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and lots to be thankful for.

Jessie

More on The End

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I knew I had read Born in Death too fast, so I re-read it over the weekend. And I did miss something; not on the plot of this particular case, or anything to do with Mavis's baby, but in the whole of the series. There was absolutely no mention of the infamous candy thief in this book. In fact, Eve spent very little time at the precinct or in her office.

She's hidden her stash of real chocolate in almost every conceivable location in her small office, and in the last 5 or so books or so, someone has managed to find it. However, it's not even mentioned in this book. I found it very disappointing. Her ongoing battle with the vending machines provides some comical moments, but there's no mystery there. We've all lost money in them, but the candy thief has managed to outwit Eve Dallas at every turn, and I look forward to the moment she discovers her candy has been purloined.

Jessie

Crying in My Coffee

If you've been in a few chats with me, you probably know I'm a football addict. I've got the NFL channel, and I watch it constantly. However, tonight, I'm crying in my peppermint coffee. (Normally, it's cinnamon hazelnut, but with the holidays, I switch to peppermint.) The Colts lost their first game today. I really didn't expect them to go 17-0, but I also didn't expect them to lose this early. It breaks my heart, and in more ways than just the loss of a game. It brings back memories of an old friend, Joni, who is a Dallas Cowboys fan through and through. I kept thinking through the game that Joni was probably smiling, laughing, and whooping it up at her team's domination over the unbeaten Colts. I haven't seen her in years. Unfortunately, our lives went separate ways, and through a marriage, a divorce, another marriage, some job changes, and life in general, we gradually lost touch. It's days like these, when I think of how much fun we'd had doing the simple things, like watching football games (even if we rooted for opposing teams) that I miss my old friends the most. I hope she enjoyed the game.

Now, trying to decide whether to root for the Chargers or the Broncos....

Jessie

The End

Do you read the last few pages of books first? My sister does and it drives me nuts. What's the point of reading the book when you know how it ends?

Now, it could be argued that in a romance the reader always knows how it's going to end -- happily ever after, with the hero and heroine declaring their love and overcoming the final hurdle. However, most of the romances I read have some sort of mystery to them, and most books I read outside of the romance genre definitely have mystery/suspense in them. To me, reading the last few pages and learning the answer to the puzzle would take away my enjoyment of the story.

Although, I was very tempted to do just that this past week. I purchased Born in Death, by JD Robb the day it came out and started reading immediately. Now, normally, I figure out who the bad guys/gals are pretty early in the books, but it's still a great feeling when I get to the unveiling part and my guess turns out to be correct. However, there are some red herrings in Born, and I couldn't read fast enough to see if I was right or wrong. I fell into the trap of "I want to know, and I want to know now!" So, you guessed it, I went to the end. And what did I discover? The sex of Mavis's baby. I took that as a sign and went back to reading the way it's supposed to be done -- start to finish.

But, what if I'm tempted again? I hope I'll be strong enough to resist temptation.

Jessie