I live alone.
And yes, I pretty much LOVE living alone.
So you can imagine my surprise when, as I was sitting here on my couch editing some work a few moments ago, I felt someone combing my hair.

A quick, panicky look over my shoulder assured me all was well.
Believe it or not—and I SWEAR it’s true—my cat was combing my hair.
No, I am NOT making it up. He’d perched behind me on top of the couch (and I never pay attention to them getting up there), and was calmly, smoothly, raking his claws through my hair.

I’ve posted this pic before, but that’s Raphael, aka Boo, aka Boo-Bear, etc., etc., on the left.
A strong, stout fellow, he was born stone deaf, and has a heart of gold. Loves everyone.
And apparently, he’s a born stylist.
I’m thinking about trying a chignon.

Not too shabby for a lady living alone, eh??
And he doesn’t even expect me to cook or do his laundry.

With a tip ‘o the hat to Paperback Writer…

I remember being thrilled (once the panic subsided) with her great idea for an E-book Challenge. It gave me an excuse to do what I’d wanted to for some time—post a couple of free reads here (and on the Chica’s site). Not just for promotional purposes, but to give something back to the readers who visit the sites.

In case anybody’s wondering if such an idea is worth it, I’ll refer you to the Scooper Speaks blogsite:

…I think the free e-book feature is one of the best things authors are doing lately. I like getting to preview the authors style before investing in their books. (Not to mention how great it is to get a good quick read.)

‘Nuff said.

As a result of being tagged by Ms. Cece Stuart (since I’d never do this on my own because I’m a pretty boring person):

Contemporary, Historical, or Paranormal?
Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical, in that order.

Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback?
MM Paperback or Trade. I have to really love something to come off the money for a Hardback.

Heyer or Austen?
Austen.

Amazon or Brick and Mortar?
I love a real bookstore. I can spend hours and hours there, much like a really good library. But I find myself using Amazon more lately. No problem finding what I want there.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Borders, but only because there’s no B&N close to where I live.

Woodiwiss or Lindsay?
Haven’t read Woodiwiss, so it’s Lindsay.

First romance novel you ever remember reading?
Depends on your definition of romance.
I read Wuthering Heights at a very young age, but I’m not sure that would qualify by current definitions. I suppose, then, it would have to be Jane Eyre. (yup, loved the Bronte sisters).

Alphabetize by author Alphabetize by title or random?
More by genre, I suppose. I have a lot of books on a lot of different subjects. Love books!

Keep, Throw Away or Sell?
Keep. Although I have given some away.
Throwing a book away is an atrocity in my eyes. Had to do it once when my mom’s basement flooded, and it actually made me weep.
Must confess, though—last year I tossed a contemporary erotica. I simply refused to have it in my house, and didn’t want to unleash it upon the world to give the genre an even worse reputation…

Read with dustjacket or remove it?
With dustjacket, carefully preserved.

Sookie Stackhouse or Anita Blake?
Haven’t read either.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
When tired. That’s what bookmarks are for!

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
It was a dark and stormy night. DEFINITELY. Any night. Any time. All night.

Crusie or SEP?
Toss-up.

Buy or Borrow?
There are lots of small libraries here, but the only large one is a good 20-mile drive. And I don’t like to borrow them from friends, since I like to take my time. So it’s buy.

Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation or Browse?
All of the above will get me to look—but I still need to peruse them myself before I buy.

Tidy ending or Cliffhanger?
Whichever suits the mood and momentum of the book.

Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading?
Nighttime.

Series or standalone?
Standalone with romance, although there have been exceptions. But I do like a good mystery series.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Hard for me to say what other people have or have not heard of…
But one I know for sure is called, “Looking for Mr. Pinky.”

I’ve been tagged.

Cece did it to me.
To paraphrase Michael Corleone, “I will visit her soon.”

I promise to do the meme this weekend.
Meanwhile, free-for-all at the Chica’s site.

Many years ago, I joined in a past-life regression during a meditation class.
There’s no need to get into specifics here. Suffice to say the lives I ‘remembered’ included being an embittered pottery-maker, the beautiful child-bride of a rough-hewn warlord, and the wife of a traveling merchant, mother to wayyyy too many children.

I was, of course, a little disappointed. I’d hoped that at the very least, I had been heir to some massive, extant fortune or hidden treasure that I could still claim.

Now I’m curious. Whatever your religious beliefs, or whether you believe in reincarnation or not…

If you had a past life, what or who would you imagine you might’ve been?

People say it’s all in how you look at things.

Writers are blessed. We can look at them any way we see fit.

I’m half-full of it at the CHICA’S site today.
Swing by if you can!

The kittles and I baked cookies this weekend.

Years ago, I baked quite a bit. Used to be pretty good at it.
However, my ever-expanding arse brought a halt to that practice.

About a month ago, one of my nieces requested her favorite cookies. Toll House. And since monies were low for Christmas gifts, I was glad to oblige.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get them done for Christmas, nor for New Years. But I got ‘em out this weekend. And since I couldn’t get them done for the holidays, I shipped them for another occasion both sad and worth celebrating.

To my niece:

Toll cookies, because you’ve definitely paid your dues.

Congratulations on the divorce, baby girl.
May you find the happiness you’ve always deserved.