Out of Her Dreams by Fran Lee

Out of Her Dreams by Fran Lee (2010) is now on my list of favorite romance novels, and I plan to work my way through more of Lee's books soon.

Novelist Sam Hastings bases Chance Davis, the male lead in her series of romance novels, on a man she sees only in her dreams. Imagine her surprise when pro wrestler David Chance, alerted by a fan who sent a copy of one of Sam's books for him to sign, comes to an author event to discover why her character looks--and even thinks--just the way he does.

Throw in instant combustion between Sam and David, a lot of miscommunication and mistrust, a bevy of wrestling and book fans who love a good romance, and a little blackmail to create one hot, funny, sweet romance.

My overall personal rating of Out of Her Dreams is an A-.

Happy Valentine's Day!

"Women marry men hoping they will change. Men marry women hoping they will not. So each is inevitably disappointed." ~~Albert Einstein

"The only time a woman really succeeds in changing a man is when he's a baby." ~~Natalie Wood

"Men are from Earth. Women are from Earth. Deal with it." ~~George Carlin

"Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of withering, of tarnishing." ~~Anais Nin

"I don't wish to be everything to everyone, but I would like to be something to someone." ~~Javan

"Whatever souls are made of, his and mine are the same." ~~Emily Bronte

"The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." ~~Joseph Addison

"In real love, you want the other person's good. In romantic love, you want the other person." ~~Margaret C. Anderson

"We never know the love of our parents for us till we have become parents." ~~Henry Ward Beecher

"If it is your time, love will track you down like a cruise missile." ~~Lynda Barry

"Getting divorced just because you don't love a man is almost as silly as getting married just because you do." ~~Zsa Zsa Gabor

"A dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you more than he loves himself." ~~Josh Billings

"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love." ~~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight." ~~Kahlil Gibran

This and That

While Herb, Maya, and I went to a late lunch yesterday in celebration of Valentine's Day, Allie, aka the world's most food-oriented dog, discovered the bag of valentines Maya had ready to take to school today for the class party tomorrow. Since the bag contained Hershey's Kisses, Allie managed to destroy all of the valentines while inhaling every bit of candy. Sigh. I think I was more upset about Maya having to redo her valentines last night than she was, fortunately.

The Walking Dead returned for the second half of this season last night with an episode titled Nebraska. I thought that was pretty cool up to the line about people going to Nebraska during the zombie apocalypse because of the "low population and a lot of guns." Ugh. Stereotypes, anyone? Okay, the low population part is true. . . . Also, I wouldn't recommend coming to the Midwest or anywhere else with snow and ice for part of the year during a true end times situation because how are you going to stay warm?

How was your weekend?

Photos--February 4 & 5, 2012

At least Maya enjoys the winter wonderland we're currently experiencing. I'm still grumbling a little that there was no mail pick-up and delivery at our house on Saturday. I'm not a fan of snow and ice!

"Maya dumped snow on me. What are you planning to do about this?"

Who knew that Rottweilers make the best pillows?

Muffin in the "bed" Maya made for her.

Love, InshAllah edited by Nura Maznavi & Ayesha Mattu

Edited by Nura Maznavi and Ayesha Mattu, Love InshAllah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women (2012) is about so much more than love and faith.

Really, more than anything, this collection of personal narratives drives home the diversity and individuality found in the American Muslim community. This is exactly my kind of book because I enjoy learning about other people, especially on an individual level, and other cultures.

My favorite entries include Asiila Imani's Three, about polygyny, and Safiyyah Levine's From Shalom to Saalam, about being born to a Jewish father and Catholic mother before exploring other options and eventually choosing Islam.

You can learn more about the contributors, including some fantastic "teasers" at the book's site here.

My overall personal rating of Love, InshAllah is an A.

This and That

I added a page to this blog to record my outgoing mail efforts for The Month of Letters challenge. Items are listed on the dates on which they get mailed.

I'm glad to see that so many of you are participating in the challenge, too! Happy mailing, everyone.

Total geekiness excitement--I get a free iPad as part of a grant related to using iPads in medical libraries. Yes, I may even have done a little happy dance when I heard the news.

What's new with you?

The Month of Letters Challenge

February marks author and blogger Mary Robinette Kowal's The Month of Letters Challenge.

Basically, send something in the mail to someone every mailing day in February, for a total of 24 items mailed. (U.S. total mailing days, as Sundays and Presidents' Day are non-mail days.) Also, write back to everyone who writes to you.

Learn more at the FAQ page here.

I'm planning to participate. Are you?