Tiger is gone

This is Tiger on the right, Tia sleeping on top of him. My fav pix of them. We got Tiger first, before Frank and I married. We bought Tia a year later, after we got married.

I believe they're together again now, playing in dog heaven. Surely there is a heaven for dogs, because they bring us so much loyalty and love.

I went to RT for two days, had a great time, came home yesterday. DH had to go to work. Tiger was having breathing problems, then he had other problems.

When DH got home, I told him it was time. The poor dog was uncomfortable, couldn't walk and it was just time.

We took him in today to our great, great vet, a man who loves animals as much as we do. DH and I just sobbed out in the parking lot, holding Tiger for the last time.

This is the worst part of having pets, having to make that dreadful decision, yet knowing it is right for them because you don't want to see them suffer.

Last night I dreamed of Tia, I still miss her so much, even though she's been gone since '06. I dreamed she came to me, happy and wagging her tail like she used to. She looked at me as if to say, "What's wrong?"

I just looked at her, and said, "Are you happy where you are now?"

And she wagged her tail as if to say "Yes."

Maybe all dogs do go to Heaven. But man, it surely sucks when they leave us, even though you know it's for the best.

Right now, I just can't stop crying. I look around and remember Tiger in "his" chair, Tiger hiding under the bed, his favorite spot, Tiger everywhere. :-(

Birthday contest!

Today's my birthday!

Two of the best gifts: After Tuesday's scare with Tiger, he's doing OK. He's a real little fighter.

The second one? I made my goal of losing 15 pounds by my birthday! YAY!

So to celebrate my birthday, because I like giving stuff away, I'm giving away a copy of my first book, THE FALCON AND THE DOVE. It's an historical paranormal set in Egypt.

Here's the blurb:

In the 18th Dynasty of Egypt, there was born a love that can never be broken—that of a young queen and a great warrior. And while the warrior's duty to combat the infidel was strict, and though his beloved was the wife of Pharaoh, the two would be separated only by death. But then only for a time. Elizabeth Summers comes to the dig in 1892. English archaeologists have made huge advances, and Egypt's fantastic history is being laid bare. And while Elizabeth doesn't know whether she is the reincarnation of an ancient queen, she realizes that in the arms of a great sheikh she has found her destiny.

Here's a link to an excerpt and reviews.

All you need to do to enter is just leave a comment. I'll draw the winner one week from today.

Tomorrow I'm off to the Romantic Times convention, bright and early. Driving up there and going to listen to Fergie on the way, blowing all the elderly drivers out of the water as I crank up the volume. Heh!

Teeter totter

Warning: This post may be a little tough to read if you're an animal lover. If you want to read a more uplifting post, visit The Chatelaines, where I blogged on time saving tips for busy writers.

Tiger had a really bad night last night. And I was telling DH maybe it's time to take him to the vet and do what we must; put him down.

DH said no, no, let's wait and see. Things did get better.

But I can see that Tiger is getting worse. He barely walks now. He eats fine, and does all the other normal functions. He's hanging in there, but I can tell he doesn't have long.

Cancer sucks so much. Tiger will be the third dog we'll have lost to cancer.

I really really did not want to have to think about this, or face it this week. My birthday is in two days, then I'm supposed to head off to RT. My life these days is on a teeter totter. I don't know what will happen from one day to the next. That's how it is when you have a very ill member of your family.

Tiger IS a family member.

I keep hoping and praying Tiger will hang in there for another week at least, but if the time comes when we have to make that sad, sad trip to the vet to give our little buddy the peace he'll need, then I'll just have to do it.

This is the sucky part of owning a pet. They're part of your family, and sayiing goodbye is so heartbreaking.

Vote for Mr. Romance!

Leah from Dorchester posted a blog on the cover models competing for the title of Mr. Romance next weekend, their photos and a chance for you to vote!

Click here.

Pssst. vote for Jimi, he's portraying Nigel from The Lady and the Libertine in the contest. He's a really sweet guy.

There are good people in this world

Next time you get discouraged because of all the bad news, read this story about a Michigan man who won $10,000 in Keno and gave it all away to charity.

Like the 90-year-old priest in LA who gave out $15,000 to the homeless on Skid Row and the anonymous donor who gave away $45 million to various universities, there are a lot of good people in the world.

What I'm wearing to RT next week...

This is my ensemble I bought to wear next week. The flamingo I already had.

Don't worry there will be a matching flamingo shirt as well!

Ok, now I really MUST get to work.

RT next week, vroom, vroom

Busy week. Finished edits on IMMORTAL WOLF, mailed those out, now doing revisions for UNWRAPPED, the vampire novella in Holiday with a Vampire III coming out by Nocturne this December.

AND... got some cool news this week. I sold another story to Nocturne! Woot! They asked me to write a serial for their free online read program. It will be out in October, same month as IMMORTAL WOLF.

Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to write...

Took time out this morning to get my hair done, and did some shopping. Hey it's my birthday next week, so I figure I deserved a little shopping! Lots of bargains out there! I bought some shirts, flip-flops (addicted to flip flops) and this gorgeous handbag that was 50 percent off. Electric blue.

I'm going totally casual next week for RT.

I'll be arriving at the 2009 Romantic Times Convention in Orlando on Friday am, and then doing Club RT, hopefully, as I requested an early check-in. Thursday is my birthday and DH and I are taking the day off to tour Fort Lauderdale and have fun.

Speaking of RT, this photo is of Jimi Gaskin, who portrayed Thomas from THE SCORPION AND THE SEDUCER in last year's cover model contest.

This year, Jimi will be portraying Nigel, Thomas' twin, from my new Dorchester release, THE LADY AND THE LIBERTINE, in the contest! How cool is that?

So RT for me next week is fairly low key. The only event I'm doing is the Book Fair and I may even be sporting a flamingo shirt for that and flip-flops.

Another chance to win MIDNIGHT CRAVINGS

The Midnight Cravings authors are over at Romance B(u)y the Book today, and giving away a copy.

Here's the link.

Good luck!

And since today is Hump Day, here's a hump day hunk. This is how I envisioned Baylor in Broken Souls to look. Sexy, ready to spring into action to protect Katia.

Happy Hump day!

Midnight Cravings winner for my contest!

Hi, I'm Dolce, Bonnie's Shih Tzu. I was busy hunting beneath the patio table for bits of dessert that may have dropped down, but I took the time out to choose a winner for Bonnie's Midnight Cravings contest.

The winner is...

RachieG! Rachie2004. Congratulations! You win a copy of MIDNIGHT CRAVINGS AND Enemy Lover.

And because Bonnie likes giving away stuff, she decided to select a second winner to win a copy of Enemy Lover.

The winner of Enemy Lover is...

Nightdweller 20!

Congratulations to both of you. Please email Bonnie at bonnievanak @ aol.com (no spaces) with your snail mail addies so she can send out your prizes.

Thank you everyone for entering, and have a great week!

Happy Easter!

Dolce celebrates Easter by capturing the Easter rabbit and deciding to gnaw on him.

While Tiger decides to nap, as usual. He's holding his own, and sleeps a lot now.

After dinner, Dolce watches the run of the three truck Shay and assorted log cars.

Stay tuned for later, when I announce the winner of the Midnight Cravings contest!

Midnight Cravings contest, leave a comment!

It's CONTEST TIME! All week the authors in the MIDNIGHT CRAVINGS anthology will be blogging and giving away stuff!

April 6 - Michele Hauf

April 7 - Bonnie Vanak (Yup, that's me!)

April 8 - Karen Whiddon

April 9 - Lori Devoti

April 10 - Anna Leonard

April 11 - Vivi Anna

Stop by our blogs all week, to see what's going on! My contest starts April 7 and on Sunday, April 12, all of us will draw a total of one winner from each blog. So you have six chances to win!

All you have to do is comment on that post, and you'll be included in each author's drawing. We're all giving away a copy of MIDNIGHT CRAVINGS, and I'm tossing in an autographed copy of ENEMY LOVER (Damian and Jamie's story) as well.

Good luck!

Observations

A quick note for anyone who's emailed me... sorry I haven't gotten back to you. After that last blog post I did here, I found myself in the emergency room. Nine hours and a slew of tests.

It's been one of those weeks.

They still don't know what's wrong with me, though I'm feeling better now. I'm trying to take it easy.

Which means I've just been concentrating on the day job and the big project due on Monday and not much else. No energy left for anything else.

It really isn't fun having your health interrupted the day your book comes out.

But on a more interesting note, I got to study the ER. For nine hours. It was a fascinating study, especially after compared to the hospital I'd visited in Haiti two weeks ago. One of the tests I had was a CAT scan. They make you drink icky fluid with iodine in it and then take "slices" of your body.

A CAT scan is something hospitals in Haiti don't have. I think there may be one, or even two, in the whole country.

I don't ever take medical care for granted anymore, not since I started traveling to Third World countries.

On a brighter note, Tiger is holding his own with the cancer. I have a great dog food recipe I make each week and he loves it. Dolce is his usual "letmeplaywithtoyohboychasethetoyfunfunfunchase
chaseigottapeenow" self. I'm so glad he's in our lives.

I think tomorrow is my turn to blog over at Lori Devoti's blog, where she's doing a full moon of werewolves. Click here to access Lori's blog.
Be sure to stop by and leave a comment! She's giving away about $100 worth of books. Wow!

I tell you, having an Egyptian historical out at the same time you have a werewolf short story release can get pretty confusing. If my Khamsin warriors get hairy and start howling, don't blame me...

Til later! I'm going to go feed the Dolce and then watch TV on the couch.