Health kick vs. kicking old habits

My husband has always been the steak lover in the family. Recently he’s switched to chicken and turkey. Then, last week, he suggested we watch a documentary on Netflix about how a vegan diet can apparently reverse and prevent all sorts of serious ailments such as heart disease and cancer.

The show, Forks Over Knives, even advocates swearing off dairy. Kind of a scary notion for folks entering the osteoporosis years.

Now we’re discussing what to do. The kids are grown, so we don’t have to deal with their tastes and preferences. But can a meat-loving guy really learn to love lentils and sprouts?

As for me, I’d be happy to eat mostly plant-based foods. I don’t promise to swear off eggs, cheese and seafood, or the occasional Chinese dish involving chicken or beef. Still, I’m a longtime fan of soups (not my husband’s favorites), beans, etc. Plus Swiss chard grows like crazy in my garden, even in winter, and it’s easy to fix like spinach. Note: I live in Southern California, so winter lows stay above freezing.

What do you think? Have you tried a vegan diet? Any suggestions?

Back to books! March means the release of The Baby Jackpot, which is number 10 in the Safe Harbor Medical miniseries. Each book stands alone, so if you’re new to the series, you can still enjoy it.

I’ve also revised and updated my offbeat time-travel romance One Husband Too Many. For the month of March only, it’s sale-priced at 99 cents on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.

FEBRUARY WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Coyote Quilts! You’re the February winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Amanda Renee and Laura Marie Altom through their Websites.

To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Simple and painless. And FREE BOOKS.

Safety Net

Funny how things pop into one's head sometimes. While watching "American Idol" last week, an interesting problem had me waxing philosophical. My characters are always making choices that can change their lives, so this is pretty fascinating to me. I still haven't come up with a satisfying answer, so I'll turn it over to you.

Here's the setup. Ten women sing, five go home, and the outcome is decided during that show by the judges. (This is before the pubic voting started.) One of the contestants sang something very dear to her, but not, shall we say, in her wheelhouse. It was a risk. The song meant a lot to her personally, which meant she had passion and she did okay, but the judges couldn't envision her on a big venue stage someday with that kind of song.

Her response was something along the lines of (and I'm wildly paraphrasing here): "I took a chance; if I go home, I know I gave it my all." Okay, maybe that wasn't so wild. The judges are always saying things like, "step out of your comfort zone" and "that song was a safe choice but next week we'd like to see you do something different." Then they turn around and say, "dude, that wasn't the right song for you, dog." (I'm not quoting Keith Urban, in case you aren't sure.)

What if she'd said, "I took a chance; if I go home, I have a nice job waiting?" Doesn't that change how you feel about her song choice? Maybe how you feel about her entire performance?

Which got me thinking. Is it better in life to have a safety net, a Plan B?

Yes, says my conservative self.  Plan B lets you take risks with Plan A. For example, if a circus aerialist swings, somersaults, but then misses that next bar and falls, she will still land in the net. Otherwise she might not reach for that higher bar or do that extra somersault or take that risk. It's smart to be safe. It's smart to plan ahead. What idiot does an extra somersault in mid-air without a net?

No way do you want a Plan B, says my inner risk-taker. Having Plan B means you don't give it your all while attempting Plan A. You always wonder if you felt safe during A (complacent?) because having a Plan B means you can't fail either way. So you don't risk, don't sing the harder song on Idol, don't put your all into it because it's okay if you fail since you have Plan B. Your effort is divided. Or you do risk, but it's not as crucial to win. Your competitive edge is blunted.

See my problem? Let's say the show is called Sing For Your Supper and winning the judges' approval means that woman (now my heroine) could eat that night. And she's starving, having spent all her money getting to Vegas. She's been sleeping in her car for three weeks. Unable to afford dinner, she drank water and ate some fries off her friend's plate. Two days ago.

Wouldn't she be crazy not to sing the safe song and ensure her spot for one more week--and her dinner finally that night? Or should she give it her all, trying to stay in the competition (and eat) by outshining everyone with this song that means the world to her?

Delivery Day

It's delivery day, the day I send my newest baby, my pride and joy, my current manuscript for out to meet the world.  As with the birth of a child, there's a flurry of last-minute activity.  A final read-through of the story, the careful administration of a few finishing touches, followed by huge sigh of relief that, yes, everything came together the way I imagined it would.  Then, one final push to get the manuscript out the door.

Of course, as with a birth, that's only the start.  There'll be revisions and several rounds of edits, dedications and letters to write before my baby slips into a beautiful new jacket (cover art).  But all that is down the road.

Because, today is delivery day.  Catch you later.

Attack of the Plumber

It's been quite a week at Casa Altom, but then when is it not?! LOL! Out of dozens of minor annoyances, my "favorite" had to be the plumber.

We've lived in our home for eight years--I think.  Math's kinda tricky this early!  Anyway, during those eight years this is only the second time our kitchen sink has been clogged.  The first time, Hubby fixed the sink, but the plumbing snake knocked a hole in another pipe, which then exploded.  Not a good day!

This time around, sweet Hubby and Son valiantly plunged and Mr. Plumber'd, as did Daughter and I, but no way was that sink clearing.  As luck would have it, the dishwasher was full, as was the sink.  We'd just been to the store, so the counters were cluttered with dirty dishes, plus sacks of vegis needing to be washed for our fun new diet.  Time to call in an expert.

Said expert was supposed to have arrived in the morning.  By mid-afternoon, he finally showed.  And by showed, I mean displayed a bountiful buffet of plumber's crack!!!!!  After getting him a pan to scoop water, then towels, then locking up Cocoa and Daisy--he didn't like them looking at him--he next needed to use our bathroom, then finally fixed the clog.

Cocoa--Plumber Attack Dog #1

Daisy--Plumber Attack Dog #2

I got out the checkbook, thrilled I was on the verge of finally getting my house back!  At this point, I'd've paid double just to get the guy GONE!  But noooo, he stayed an extra ten minutes to give me a lecture.  Here's how it went:

Plumber:  Ma'am, I'm assuming you had someone else doing dishes for you lately?

Me:  Um, no . . .

Plumber:  So then, it was you . . .

Me:  I guess?

Plumber:  Well, ma'am, I was pretty sure you wouldn't make this kind of error . . .

Me:  Okay?  (Did he find a kitten down the drain?!)   

Plumber:  Ma'am . . . (He hitches up his pants.) I'm sorry to tell you, but you can't be putting all that rice and onion down your drain--or anything.

Me:  I thought I was supposed to put stuff like that down the disposal?

Plumber:  No, ma'am.

Me:  Okay?

Plumber:  And, ma'am, I'm supposed to charge you double for having used Mr. Plumber, but I'm not gonna do that, 'cause you seem real nice.

Me:  Um, thank you?

Plumber:  Just don't do it again, ma'am.  You're gonna melt your pipes right out of your house.

Me.  Okay.  Good to know. 

When I finally handed him his check, I couldn't help thinking that was the best money we ever spent, because If I'd had to spend two more seconds with the guy, it wouldn't have been pretty . . .

At least in my rich fantasy life!  In the real world, at times, I'm far too polite--but working hard to change this habit when necessary!  LOL!!

Got any "fun" plumbing stories to share?

Happy Anniversary To Me!

Happy Anniversary To Me!

One year ago today, I received THE CALL from HARLEQUIN® AMERICAN ROMANCE® Senior Editor, Kathleen Scheibling—at 10:02 AM to be exact. My life changed instantly and it’s been a whirlwind year ever since.

My debut book, BETTING ON TEXAS released this month. HOME TO THE COWBOY releases in August and I am currently wrapping up LEGACY OF A LONE STAR, due on my editor’s desk Monday morning.

Many exciting projects are planned for the upcoming year. I'm going to take a few risks and see where they lead. In this industry, there’s no limit to your imagination. You can create small towns, big cities, new worlds—the pen is the most powerful tool in the world. Everything starts with a thought, and as authors, we turn those thoughts into realities.

I love my job. It’s a dream come true and I can’t say that enough. Every day I wake up saying, "I did it!" My wish for everyone over the next twelve months is to live your dreams. Let nothing hold you back from doing what you love. You have the power—it’s within all of us. Reach for it, grab it and do it! Make no apologies for those dreams, because I sure don’t.

Life is too short. I realized that almost two years ago when I lost a very dear friend to cancer. I vowed that day to do everything I could with whatever time I have on this earth.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME – Tomorrow I want to celebrate your anniversary—of anything you do—make today the first day. I have faith in you…have faith in yourself and as Walt Disney said—If you can dream it, you can do it.

So tell me...what we will celebrate of yours tomorrow? Don’t be shy, don’t be afraid—start simple with a one-day goal—start writing that movie script you've always wanted to write, sign up for the piano lessons you've always wanted to take—take that first step towards your dream and tomorrow we'll celebrate together.

Now go do it! :)

Peace, love and paws,

Amanda