Agitation Doesn't Help but Venting Will

October 21, 2009

To say I’m perturbed is a gross understatement. I’m enraged. It takes a lot to anger me but I’m furious and want someone, somewhere, to hear my gripes.

I don’t complain. I seldom have a reason.

There are exceptions.

Some of you may know about cluster headaches. They’re painful and when they strike, nothing can make a person wish for death any faster, and yes, there are times these suckers are excruciating enough that I do in fact, wish for a life-break. I love my life so I’d want to return at some point, of course. However, when these headaches hit, I have to admit, I’d like to vanish, just whoosh! Disappear for a bit until the pain goes away.

Since I usually see my doctor for check-ups and that’s about it, one would think I could earn a called-in prescription especially after I calmly explained, “Hey, I’m dying here. Watch the obituaries, in a few days, you’ll see my name and my cause of death will be listed as cluster headaches, left untreated.” Hysterics may have worked better.

I’m not kidding.

Now, you may wonder, why doesn’t she go to the doctor? Well, my friends, the answer is quite simple.

My doctor, who is excellent by the way, is booked up.

If I decide to head over to the so-called professional night clinic, I won’t be able to get a prescription for my headache there because I’ll be at the after-hours facility, not visiting my family physician. It’s rare when they dispense pain medication.

Keep in mind here. I’m not asking for narcotics. I want something for a cluster headache proven to give relief. At this point, if there isn’t anything, a sledge hammer might work.

My rant today is directed at our overall health care system. Quality health care in the U.S. is hard to come by, especially in rural areas. Patients are avoided like the plague. Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I called and described symptoms from Black Death? Maybe I could explain I have reason to believe it’s no longer lying dormant. Perhaps then, they’ll work me in.

After considering the hell I’ve gone through over the last few weeks—and yes, cluster headaches can last several weeks—I’ve thought about why our health care declined and seemingly continues its freefall.

If anyone drops by this blog and cares to comment, I’d love to hear your take on the subject. Don’t get me wrong. There are fabulous doctors and nurses in this world but perhaps there’s a shortage, or large family practice operations limit their doctors on how many patients they can see per day. What’s your opinion?

We could blame our government or insurance companies but I'm not sure if state officials and CEOs should carry all the responsibility, especially where medication needs are concerned. The reason I can’t obtain one simple prescription is because guidelines are in place at various medical facilities to prevent, or limit, called-in medications. Those who have abused prescription drugs have made it difficult on the rest of us who in fact, need them from time to time.

That’s my opinion. I’m sticking to it. Why else is it impossible to have Zomig called in without first seeing a physician who already knows everything there is to know about your medical history?

Can you think of a solution? I actually have one at the moment. Yank those pain pills off the market altogether.

If someone suffering cluster headaches or any other legitimate pain can’t find pain relief when they need it most, then there’s little reason to manufacture pain medications.

Adding insult to injury, my physician is booked solid. Maybe I should do what those who put us in this mess in the first place would do. I’ll drive through the hood with a sign on my windshield: Looking for Immitrex or Zomig…Anything to Help a Cluster Headache. The other option is to run down to the hardware store and check out those sledgehammers.

Destiny

P.S. I promised an author friend I’d blog about small press and the money they pay/don’t pay but I’ll wait and put some thought into the subject before I go on another rant. Right now, I’m fortunate. Most of my publishers pay and pay on time, but not all of my publishers are small press so maybe I’m not seeing the bigger—or smaller—picture.

Anyway, I’ll report on this soon. If you have information you’d like to contribute, please send it to destinyblaine@yahoo.com. Anything you supply on the subject will be posted as confidential information. Stay tuned.

Lying Eyes: Two Lips Reviewers Choice and a Recommended Read

Lying Eyes: Two Lips Reviewers Choice and a Recommended Read

I’m often surprised at what sells in today’s market. One minute, we read about vampires with psychological problems and the need to see a shape-shifting shrink. Then, next thing readers find are mummies on the move and everyone wants a little bump and bang in an Egyptian crypt. Hey, I’m one of those readers too.

I devour everything from Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series to Pauline Ash and Emilie Loring’s romances of yesteryear. We’re so lucky to live in an age where the oldies but goodies are easily found online and off. Full of choices, a reader can find what they’re in the mood for with one click of the mouse.

As a writer, I’m often surprised. What I think will sell well, doesn’t always bring in the numbers. Sometimes, I write something I feel will do very well to sell five hundred copies and then the book blows me away with more than five hundred copies sold within the first week. Yes, those are the times when I pop a cork and celebrate in grand style. The nice surprises and the unexpected, that’s what I love about this business.

Lying Eyes, a contemporary M/F romance, is one of those books I thought would outperform the Winning Virgin series and pretty much everything I sent out to my publishers under any pseudonym. What I discovered is mediocre sales. Don’t get me wrong. Any sale, one or five thousand of them, always earns appreciation.
However, I’m promoting this book aggressively now. Lying Eyes is one of my best and covers a topic I know as well as anyone—gambling and poker. I’ve spent as many hours in a casino as I’ve probably spent behind a computer monitor so this book is near and dear to my heart. I think you’ll enjoy this contemporary erotic romance novel too.

Earning a Reviewer’s Choice and Recommended Read, Reviewer Lila wrote, “Lying Eyes by Destiny Blaine is about a world where the slightest movement can tip off your opponent. Max is about to take the biggest bet of his life because he’s looking at Audra to give him a full house, and he’s not talking poker.

"Max Reynolds, poker champ, ladies man, devastatingly handsome, was captivated the first time he met rookie poker player Audra Alexander. Audra is young, beautiful and has a comeback to his every line. He didn’t figure he would see her much in the poker circuit after that first meeting, her being female and all. Imagine his surprise two years later when they are competing for millions in Las Vegas, but Audra and Max both have pasts that are less than a perfect hand. Can they move forward to discover a future worth having together, or leave it all behind in Las Vegas?

"I was captivated with Max and Audra from page one, not to mention the cover is really hot. Blaine introduces you to poker playing, set in Sin City itself, for The World Series of Poker. I admit, I don’t know much about poker but I had no trouble with this story. It really felt like I was there at the table, the descriptions were that vivid. I actually felt like I could imagine the feel of the table. I found myself laughing with the characters at some of the word play that went on. I think it’s a great author that can pull you into a story with descriptions that vivid. At one point, Audra asks Max “How the hell did you end up at my table?” and Max says, “I know people,” she counters back “Lucky me.” They banter like this all through the story. I really liked that Max was all out there and honest with Audra, it was refreshing to see a man really go after what he wanted. Lying Eyes is a great story, one that I intend on reading again. Destiny Blaine did a superb job, and I highly recommend the story.”

When you’re in the mood for a contemporary romance, I hope you’ll pick up your copy of Lying Eyes. The novel is now in print at Amazon and an e-copy can be purchased through Siren-BookStrand, ARE, or Fictionwise. An excerpt follows below.
Hugs and love,
Destiny Blaine
www.destinyblaine.com

Audra immediately felt transparent when she saw him, especially since he’d become the object of her poker obsessions and a few fantasies, too. A spark of nervous energy inspired a few hairs to stand up on the back of her neck. Just feeling his warm palm in hers, even if it was only for a moment, did things to a woman that should’ve disqualified her from the tournament.

Soon after she took her seat, Audra posted the big blind and waited. She planned on folding her cards once she saw them but no one raised the bet so she stayed in the hand. The dealer dealt the first three community cards and after she saw the flop, Audra knew she owned the hand. She felt it in her gut or at least she thought so, and she’d played enough cards to earn rest assurance, to an extent.

She felt fairly confident until the man seated at the opposite end of the table decided to talk her right out of a comfort zone. Naturally, he would.

“You gonna call me, baby?” Max tossed in his chips with a raise around the same time he let go of the question. The man with the notorious reputation emerged and he didn’t waste time doing it.

As luck would have it, Audra became the center of attention. She swallowed hard. She hated to be taunted at the tables but knew how to deal with Reynolds. Even though the man she first met in Tunica didn’t remotely resemble the tough-talking poker player staring back at her now, she’d watched him play. She was ready for him because deep down she knew she needed to prepare for moments like these and men like Max.

“If I decide to call you, you’ll know it,” she fired back while trying to maintain some level of composure. Just hearing the word ‘baby’ shook her a bit but it didn’t rattle her enough to avoid a feisty comeback. Maybe it was because she anticipated words exchanged or maybe it was possible to sit there and imagine him in his underwear, an old trick she used back in high school whenever she stood in front of crowds. No, she didn’t think stripping him down to boxers worked, absolutely not. If she let her mind move too fast then she’d picture him at bare bones and her hours there would be limited. She tried to focus and just breathe. Most of the time the concept worked, she had nearly twenty-four years to serve as proof.

A player’s player, Max wasn’t just a dominant force at the poker table, he gained the respect of a true card playing powerhouse. From what Audra had heard, his skills reached far beyond the casino floor too, and one thing seemed certain, he earned quite the reputation with the opposite sex. In fact, his notoriety for being a ladies man proved legendary. A point she found hard to ignore after she began following his career.

Crossing his arms, he leaned back in his chair. “I’m right here waiting for you when you do,” he continued to tease her. Midnight blue eyes pierced through her with fierce intensity. Some would say they were as cold as the icy waters he often represented, but Audra saw something else beneath them, too. Thank goodness for Ray-Bans. She made a mental note to remember them on a daily basis now, right along with her iPod. If she covered her eyes and ears, then ignoring Reynolds wouldn’t present much of a problem.

“Waiting on a woman,” her voice hitched and the words spilled out like a song, “I imagine it’s something you’ll never tire of, kind sir.” She tilted her sunglasses down on the bridge of her tiny nose and tried to find a seductive smile—one just for him. She hoped it worked.

The men around the table appreciated the war of words. Snickers were followed by a couple of sound effects, not to mention outright laughter. The man seated on her immediate left slowly rippled his chips. Already, he irked her. It was a decision she reached in record time right after she sat down. His careful gaze, creepy really, made her very uncomfortable. Soon after she’d joined the table, the young man tried to profile her as she removed her chips from the rack.

Most of the time, profiling wouldn’t bother her. Players always tried to sum up the competition, but today wasn’t a day like any other, which is why she tilted the rack over. She even took her time to fumble around before gathering the fallen chips. Max chuckled on cue when it happened. He realized it was deliberate. The profiler didn’t have the brains to understand. He took her for a novice; a dumb brunette who had the audacity to show up at his table with boobs.

New Titles on the Way and Domination Plantation Hits the Best Seller Lists

I’m excited to announce Domination Plantation released recently from Aspen Mountain Press. An ARE Western Best Seller and a recent top 25 Best Selling title at Fictionwise, if you enjoy western romances, make sure you take a look at this hot new romance e-book.

Available now from Aspen Mountain Press
Blurb:

Jules and Brogan Evans aren't in any position to help out with their brother's daughter, but they won't turn away family when one of their own is in need. Besides, it's just for one month. They can manage anything and anyone for thirty days. That is, until their eighteen year-old niece shows up with match-making ideas on her mind and the perfect candidate at her side.

Serena doesn't understand why her uncles are upset. Most men love Jenna. What's not to love? She's nineteen, beautiful, sexy, and as much fun as Serena. They're going to have a blast and if Serena's uncles will turn their heads long enough…they may even find a man or two.

And there's the true problem.

Jules and Brogan run a ranch, a successful plantation by day and the city's favorite hang out spot by night. They're known around town for the parties they throw but when their niece and her friend show up, all good things come to a temporary halt. When Serena returns home to sit by her mother's bedside, the Evans brothers discover Jenna has little interest in leaving.

Excerpt:

"You could've said no," Jules told him for the fifteenth time.

Brogan was sick of hearing his mouth flap. He grabbed a bale of hay and slung it more at Jules than the wagon and thanks to his tantrum, he missed both. Brogan swatted his palms together briskly, and then shook his head.

They glared at one another for a few more turns of tossing hay. Jules threw one bale and Brogan moved another.

"Tell you what. I'll call him right now. Tell him to turn around and head straight back to Birmingham. You're right. We don't want two little women moving into our world and ruining our party."

"Uh-huh," Jules moaned.

"How about I tell him to give Fiona a kiss on each cheek for us? Maybe he'll tell her how sorry we are that we couldn't keep the kid because we had women to screw and pussies to tap this summer. What about it, Jules? Sounds like a good enough excuse, doesn't it?"

"Shit, man," Jules gritted his teeth. "What I mean is I don't see why Serena had to bring a friend along. It doesn't make sense. If her momma is dying, why doesn't she stay with us for the summer and let us spoil her? Why bring a gal pal too? I don't need two teenagers looking for trouble around here. If they start prowling around this town on a search for some, they'll surely find plenty. With our reputations and this place here, every boy in his late teens will be looking our way. We're askin' for trouble's all."

Heath said the gal with Serena has no where else to go. She's been staying with them. Serena and this kid go everywhere together." Brogan nodded toward the driveway. "Speaking of which, they're here."

Jules jumped off the large wagon, pulled his fingers away from his work gloves and tossed them aside. He swiped the sweat from his thick brow with a tented hand closed over his forehead. Trying to block the sun didn't work. It only made it more difficult to see the sleek SUV moving toward them. The automobile looked like a black giant inching closer and closer. Maybe they should have taken it as a sign, a real warning.

Brogan felt an odd feeling, a true sense of dread wash over him all at one time. He shook off the sensation and decided it was the heat. As if he saw the whole thing in slow motion, he glanced over at Jules and saw his eyes widen about the time Serena and her father closed their doors simultaneously.

The back door opened and the first thing Brogan saw was a pair of long, slender legs. Golden curls bounced lightly on shapely, bare shoulders as a woman—maybe the most beautiful he'd ever seen—stepped away from the car.

"Shit," Jules said. "That's no kid, Brogan."

"Maybe it's Fiona," he fired back. "It's been two years since we've seen her."

"Fiona never had boobs…or curves."

"Maybe she grew five inches, lost fifty pounds along with twenty years in there too. Heaven help us if that's Serena's friend."

"Uncle Jules! Uncle Brogan!" Serena waved wildly. "Hurry up. I want you to meet Jenna!"

The men stared at one another. Brogan felt his upper jaw twitch and Jules lost his color. They glared at their little niece like she wasn't just the culprit in planned mischief but she was also the red-haired, freckled-face, favored child of the devil himself.

"Damn it to hell," Brogan said before he reminded Jules, "I seem to recall Heath saying the friend staying with us was, in fact, named Jenna."

"Sweet mercenary," Jules whispered.

Both men started down the hillside and Brogan warned. "Not a word. Heath is counting on us. If he can stand to be around her, we can too. Maybe she has a quirk or two."

"It's not a visible one, if she even possesses a flaw. Besides, you're forgetting Heath is a saint compared to us. Remember, Daddy always said he belonged to the milkman."

"Preacherman is more like it," Brogan muttered under his breath. "But I still remember a time when Heath liked the same things we do. He always liked his women young and willing to train."

"He's married for crying out loud!" Jules walked ahead of him. "And I don't think he's capable of thinking straight if he brought that to us!"

"He may have a ring on his finger, but he ain't blind!"

Jules chuckled. "Remember that old adage. They say love is capable of all sorts of things. Heath must have full blinders on. No man in his right mind would drop that girl off here."

Maybe there was the problem. Why, sure, it explained everything. Heath just wasn't in his right mind.

Click on the book image for more information. Domination Plantation is available at ARE, Fictionwise, and most favored 3rd party retail outlets.

What’s Up Next?
Coming in December to Whispers Publishing


Home of the Unspoken trilogy, Whispers Publishing will release their Christmas Around the World collection beginning mid-December. Watch their website for more details.

Other titles are nearing completion. Hopefully, I’ll have news to share in the coming weeks.

Love and hugs,
Destiny Blaine