First, I will announce our fabulous winner for the innaugural SHaQ Attack Week….and the prize goes to…Karen G! All of you rocked MY vote by being way too good at this scavenger thing. I will conspire with my roomies at the writers retreat this weekend (and don’t you know that redhead is a sneaky one!) and we’ll see what I can come up with for Monday! Ha! We’ll see how well you do then!

Edited to add…the answer! LOL The story that featured the daughter of a former president was…Close Quarters (in the Yours 2 Keep anthology from Bantam), the Bonus Answer was Veronica Rourke.

Survivor MAC…

Now…does anyone still think Cirie isn’t playing the hell out of this game? Come on now, she totally masterminded Courtney’s ouster last night. Awesome play. I am a bit worried that she’s alienating votes on the jury, but she has to get rid of her own one way or the other…and if she plays the way her teammates want her to play, the best she can do is fourth. Maybe third. Girl is playing for first, y’all.

It was a good episode. Loved her catching the fish. It scares me to think that Shane actually has a REAL BlackBerry at home. What does he do again? Wonder what drives him to his knees in tears next week? It could be something to do with his son…or peanut butter. Hard call.

And was it me, or was it weird how they handed out the car this time? Almost off hand. And it didn’t seem to be a topic back at camp. I’m assuming the rest of the tribe knows he got a vehicle after they left, but I thought a bigger deal would be made out of it, since it seems it would only paint an even bigger target on Terry’s oh-so-privileged back. Just me? Maybe. There might not be a bigger target than the one already there.

But, back to Cirie. I love it that Shane and Terry think they’re running things in their respective alliances…and here comes Cirie, wanting what she wants and finding a way to make it happen. And if they can convince Shane it wasn’t their fault? Awesome. Of course, when they boot his behind, he might get a tad suspicious, but it will keep him in line until then anyway.

So….enjoy your weekend, BB’s! I will report back on the all the Harpers Ferry doins’ upon my return. Perhaps with pictures…if I am organized enough.

Tags: Writing by Donna
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So, somehow the results show got dropped from my TiFaux programing and I came home to no Idol Results show. (I did get Amazing Race though - yay!)

I went online and read a rundown of the results show, so I know who went home. Bye, Kellie! And she talked through her singout time? Hunh. I read that she handled her exit really well. Which is good. She was entertaining (when she wasn’t singing) but I think it was totally the right decision.

I admit I’m really surprised America got it right since she was never in the bottom three. I figured she had a really strong voting block to have pulled that off that long and probably had another week in her. So maybe voters judge on performance after all. Whoda thunk it? Or the number of contestants is finally narrow enough they can’t afford to vote her in at the expense of another favorite. So I guess last week was her bye week.

And it looks like this week is possibly going to be Paris’s bye week. Also not a surprise. Having Kat in the top two was, but I guess Simon’s flaming rebuke last night encouraged voters to step up. And Simon apologized to Kat? Interesting. I also understand Taylor looked a bit miffed he wasn’t top two. Well, if that’s true, then Taylor? You need to sing better from the very beginning of the song. Closing it out won’t cut it at this stage. I like you, man, but you’ve been off more than on lately.

So…could I possibly get my Eliot/Chris final two after all? Hard to say…can Kat survive to pull off the final two upset?

Did they announce what’s next up? I didn’t see that anywhere.

On to Amazing Race MAC…

Fran and Berry go from first to worst. I applaud Fran for doing the prison roadblock. Not sure if Barry doing it would have made the difference, but I thought it was great that they seemed to split up the tasks so both of them fully participated. The leg looked grueling, with all the bicycle riding, dragging stuff through sand, then running or paddling through tunnels…all on jet lagged fatigue. I suspect Yolanda and Ray were a bit further ahead than editing showed, but applause for Fran and Barry hanging in. (And for helping out BJ and Tyler. You’re nicer grandparent types than you want to let on. )

So we’re back to the Frats in the lead and MoJo second again. Killer fatigue is setting in. Was glad to see the hippies hang tight for another leg. And I love how they manage to truly get something special out of each country they visit. The Bedouin pick up was priceless. Was I the only one who laughed at Ray’s less than loving look when Phil asked them on the mat if they’d rediscovered the passion? Yo needs to lighten up (and what was with the “reduce the internal chatter clutter” or whatever she said.) I think Ray would appreciate it if she’d just speak straight. I know what she’s saying, don’t get me wrong, but she kind of needs to get over it and let it go. Like, two legs ago. I’d be kind of done with her attitude, too. (Or, as Yolanda would say, her analytical, dispassionate discourse regarding their relationship.)

I think I’ve been watching too much Ryan. I feel kind of crankypants myself tonight.

I’m chalking it up to an unevenly paced leg. I know flying 9000 miles is going to end up with bunching and time lags, not to mention killer jet lag. (Which the teams rarely refer to. I guess they just race and rest based on the tasks regardless of what the clock says, but it’s got to take a toll.)

Oh, for anyone interested in a peek behind the scenes at the production end, go to www.cbs.com and read Phil’s blog. I was exhausted just reading about how hard they have to race to beat the teams and get things filmed. I had no idea how tight their time table is. Crazy! And they don’t even get a shot at the million!

Next week looks like killer fatigue sets in for good. We’re down to four teams and so you know it’s going to be a non-elimination if there are three NEL’s total in the race. I’m not as keen on MoJo or the Frats, though they are both good racers. And I will say this for Eric and Jeremy. Tools they may be, of the highest caliber, but they don’t bicker, fight, or even really get down or discouraged much. Granted, they are usually in the lead, but they race really well to get that edge. I wish I liked them more. And you know it’s bad when guys with bodies that nice do nothing for me, even on a prurient level.

Reminder…the SHaQ Attack winner will be announced Friday morning. Still time to play to win! See Monday’s blog post for all the info.

Tags: Writing by Donna
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So, Ryan Crankypants is looking tailored again this evening. I’m digging the pink shirt. No, really. Looks good matched with the dark suit and baby blue tie.

So, AI responds to all the complaints that people can’t get through to vote by giving each contestant two phone lines for people to call tonight. Boy am I glad I don’t have a number anywhere close to one of these!

World reknowned classical artist,Andrea Bocelli, and 14 time Grammy winning music producer David Foster work with the Idol wannabes to help them find their inner balladeer. Okay, David Foster comes out right off as the official bad ass of all music and this man does not want his time wasted. I’m not so sure putting him with an American Idol production was a great idea. Sure, it can’t hurt to hear straight up just how badly you’re going to suck in the real world by someone who absolutely knows whereof he speaks, but the man doesn’t seem to have any sense of fun, or the camp that makes this show what it is. Lighten up, DAVE!

That said if the contestants had ANY airs whatsoever about being an insta-star, they were certainly brought right back down to the terra firma within seconds of meeting this guy. Maybe a few feet under the terra firma. Bocelli’s voice is intimidating as hell, and he gets all mystical about greatness and who might claim it…but Foster is like your worst nightmare high school teacher and he’s gunning to expel your ass.

First up, Kat who, to my mind, foolishly goes with a Whitney Houston standard, I Have Nothing. Foster has worked with and written for Houston — including writing THIS SONG — and while Kat is a good singer, Whitney sort of inhabits a planet all her own. And she’s an amazing one-of-a-kind singer, too. (Yeah, I know, but it was too easy. Forgive me.) Still Whitney, Celine, Xtina…these are the people you do not want to get up there and play around with when it’s down to five heads on the chopping block.

But I could be wrong. Let’s find out what David thinks… Okay, so he thinks she has a great voice and a great future and she ends up doing an impromptu duet with Andrea, who loves her. All of which makes me officially wrong. But, to be honest, I wasn’t liking how it sounded. That’s just me. But then, it’s my blog. We’ll see how it sounds live….

Wearing a yellow gown and hair all waterfall curly…the song sounds, well, like Kat trying to do Whitney. It’s not blowing me away. She has a good voice, don’t get me wrong, but it’s…..well, it’s Kat. I thought she was far more spectacular last week. This one is too shouty and growly for me. No goose bumpy moments. (And this might totally be me, but while I think it’s sweet her dad cries when she sings, week in and week out, it’s kind of creeping me out. Just me, again? Okay.)

Judges? Randy totally agrees with me for the exact same reasons I had. I’m feeling slightly mollified now. Paula…compliments her dress, then tells her not to oversing, which is exactly what she was doing with all the growly shouting, so Paula is once again lucid in the early goings on…I’m expecting Simon to jump all over her…and he doesn’t let me down. Will be interesting to see how this plays out as the evening progresses, but being first up and getting royally panned…and deservedly so…might not bode well for Short Attention Span Voters.

Wow, and Ryan gives her, what I think, anyway, was an unintended slam. He says something to the affect that anyone with their sound turned off would be voting for her (because she’s rocking the dress — about which, sorry, I’m not a fan. Not all that flattering to her figure, that color, or what looks like VPL.) I’m hoping he meant the whole “sound turned off” was to keep from hearing the judges negative comments…and not from hearing her sing. Ouch, Ry Ry! Maybe he needs to go back to the jeans, blazer, and funky t-shirts. Suits make him Mr Uptight Crankypants.

Next up? Eliot. Rocking a nice pin striped suit with a handsome blue tie - except it’s huge and needs to be knotted more neatly. I don’t care if he’s making a tie statement. It doesn’t look good. But he does. Hair is good, beard’s looking good… But the tie….no. Let Ryan pick your tie next time. He rocks the tie thing.

So…Eliot is singing a Donny Hathaway standard, A Song For You. On the surface, a great choice. And he’s close to this music and this song, as it was the first song he sang to get into American Idol. He’s a big fan of the music, and one of Hathaway’s daughters is one of his back up singers. No pressure, indeed.

Let’s see what David and Andrea have to say… David cautions that singing a song made popular by such a stylized singer as Donny is dangerous. (And yet he applauded Kat doing Whitney? What, because you wrote the song, Dave? Come on! Millions more people know Whitney than Donny…and you give Eliot grief?) So David just jerks his chain right and left the entire time until Eliot is thoroughly confused on what David is trying to do with the song. And I do appreciate that he’s trying to boost Eliot up to a more superstar level of performance, but you can’t change up too much without risking just screwing them up entirely. In the end, to the camera, David praises him. I hope he told Eliot that, too - since he’s known to get a bit nervous and over think things. Will be interesting to see where this goes…

Right off, he’s sounding very goose-bumpy. So yay, David. Eliot, this is your night, man. If Simon says he didn’t bring it tonight, then there is no bringing it for Simon where Eliot is concerned. This is his highlight reel performance right here. Not over sung, just put out there beautifully and honestly. For the first time all season, I’d download a song. It was that good.

Judges? Randy thinks they over-rearranged the song (not me) but says he pulled it off. Eliot has brought Paula to tears (or she’s just already off her meds after one singer), and Simon says it was a vocal master class. Man, am I channeling him or what? No, I don’t want to know what that says about me, except I’m definitely nicer. And by that I mean, I may think it, but I don’t say it. Well, except here.

Ryan actually makes nice and smiles while teasing the judges, and it’s commercial time. Lisa Tucker gets a guest spot on The O.C.? WTG, Lisa!

Next up? Kellie. Oh, dear lord, what will Foster do to this poor girl? Through the fingers covering my eyes, I watch.. Kellie is on the Ryan’s Interview Stool of Introspection with her hair looking different, but I kind of think it works. It shouldn’t though. Don’t try this at home. He asks if she’s dedicating the song to anyone…and she thanks him for reminding her she has no boyfriend. She is singing Unchained Melody and talks about the movie Ghost…and tells Ryan she doesn’t have anybody to play pottery with. So, yes, the cuteness continues unabated as only Kellie can cute it.

What Does David Say…she wants to do the Leann Rimes version…and as she sings, David just looks stunned (not in a good way, I’m thinking) and Andrea smiles to himself, as he does, and who knows what he’s thinking. But he claims he thinks she’s sweet like her voice, so this is proof that the genetic thing is waaaaaay deep. David even falls a little bit under her spell. So maybe he wouldn’t kick a puppy after all. He wants her to do the Righteous Brothers falsetto note at the end and she has no idea if she has a falsetto range. Guess we’re gonna find out. She does. Who knew? Ace?? Are you there? Maybe he’s her Ghost pottery boy. David quizzes Andrea on how he knows so much about the contestants, seeing as he’s blind, and he just nails it again, blowing David’s mind. (Of course, guessing Kellie’s a blond might not be exactly psychic….)

We open with Kellie seated on the edge of the stage, starting in a very muted, slow section of the song, but then she stands to launch into the “oh myyyyy love” part, but the music pacing is really ponderous…and so is this version. She’s not murdering it, but she’s not doing it any favors either. I can’t imagine they’re going to be kind to her. She’s pulling a Taylor-snooze (like he does sometimes) with this one. Only, unlike Taylor, she doesn’t quite bring it at the end like he does….a semi rescue at best…but then back to the snooze before the close. Ah, Kellie…not your worst, that was last week, but not your best.

Judges? Randy said it wasn’t the right song for her, and Paula wasn’t happy either, and Simon said it was the never ending song…and he has a point. After her misfire last week….I think she might find her way to the bottom three. She is delightfully charming as only she can be, but at some point, the singing has to win out. And her singing isn’t winning out.

Ryan cuts Simon’s critique off and we go to commerical. Cranky, cranky, cranky.

Next up is Paris singing The Way We Were which should be a good choice for her even if it is Streisand. But maybe not. I am still tired of this song, and it’s been 30 years. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict David loves her. Let’s see… yep, both he and Andrea applaud her practice session. Not surprised. Andrea is absolutely taken with her.

Here we go….and she does a gorgeous, throaty, Gladys Knight-y rendition that is super and ultra goose bumpy. She looks good too - hair all flippy and a cute jacket and jeans ensemb. I’d rank her above Eliot (sorry, my man) as the best of the night so far. A little over sung at the end, but still the perfect showcase for her voice. I look at her tonight and for the first time, I can see her as this season’s American Idol winner.

Judges? Randy liked it, Paula thought she over sang a little and Simon thought it was a bit old fashioned for her…except that is exactly her niche and always has been, so whatever. Not channeling him as much at the moment. Actually channeling Paula, which alarms me. Still thought it was best so far. They could have been a little gushier.

Next up? Taylor singing Just Once by David Ingram which sounds like a good choice. He was really impressed with getting to meet Andrea and David and I think Taylor definitely gets the most out of his time with the weekly guests and absolutely appreciates every little bit of knowledge he can absorb. So what do they think of Taylor? I don’t think Andrea was all that impressed, but he was polite in his praise. David wasn’t as blown away by the voice as he was by the way Taylor pulls you in with his passion for singing, so he thinks this song will work for him because it’s a performance piece. He thinks Taylor has the most charisma of the group, which is that intangible star thing that you either have or don’t have.

I will say, now that we’ve come most of the way through the program, and especially seeing him work with Taylor, I think David comes off the way he does because he cares so much, very much like Taylor is about his music. So I’m coming to appreciate Mr. Foster’s crustiness a bit more. I think he’s pushing them perhaps a bit too far for something that will be shot out there once, to the universe, live…whereas if they were going into the studio, with time to tinker and make it just right, he’d get a lot more for what he’s trying to give. But brownie points for caring that much and trying so hard to give them as much of your knowledge as possible.

And here we go…. right off the bat, it’s not moving me. Taylor has this weird way of doing an almost karaoke thing at the start and then working his way into the song. I sure hope he does this time! Iwant to fast forward, not a good sign! He’s a bit flat, which isn’t helping. But he seems to be pushing it…by the time he hits the chorus he comes close to finding himself, but this….no, this is kind of painful and just off a hair. He does bring it a little bit in the end, but I really think it’s too little too late this time. With Chris still yet to go…well…if he knocks it out of the park, it will hurt Taylor I think. The crowd is digging it, but not me.

Judges? Randy is in the same ballpark as me (altho I don’t think it was a bad song choice, I just think he never hooked into it this time around) but he actually says karaoke! I’m psychic! Paula wasn’t into it, then she totally interrupts Simon and talks all over his review in a very unmedicated way. Simon says it’s a lounge act and he’s painfully right on target for tonight’s performance. He’s actually as kind about as he can be, because he could be harsher and still be within rights.

Commercials, then it’s Chris closing out the night (pimp spot to keep him out of the bottom three? Yep, I think so, too.) He’s singing Bryan Adams’ song Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman, which, again, I think he’d do well with. Of course, my track record speaks for itself tonight, so I’m not holding out much hope here.

A little softer for him, but still rock-ish. David and Andrea try to get Chris to sing from somewhere deeper than his throat and show him how Andrea recorded opera laying down (literally) which blew Chris’s (and my) mind with how powerful he still was. But put Chris on his back on the carpet and somehow this huge powerful voice comes out, so though he felt totally awkward doing it, I think it might pay off. David says he has to deliver the performance of his life…and not from his throat. I’m not sure he’s optimistic about this, but he does agree Chris has the potential.

Here we go….so we get Chris on stage, flanked by two guitarists doing the unplugged thing (further underscoring my pimp spot theory), dressed in a suit, but more casually than the others…and he jumps right in with the emotion…and a back up singer really blending in well with him. I’m liking it… Okay, so Paris moves on down one space. Chris, I’d download this one, too.

Judges? Randy loved it. Paula seriously needs to have her prescription refilled, stat. Simon Says he rocked it out.

My ranking tonight, first to last? Chris, Paris/Eliot in a tie. Leaving Kat and Taylor/Kellie as my Bottom Three.

Concur? Disagree? What did you think? Not my favorite night, especially on the heels of last week, but hopefully tomorrow night they will announce that next week’s theme is something FUN.

Happy Hump Day everyone!

Tags: Writing by Donna
7 Comments »

For those of you who have been Blog Babes for a while, you’ll remember I adopted my sister’s cockatiel, Miss Lemon, a while back. I have a black-capped Caique parrot, named Zazu, who was both intrigued and somewhat insulted by her intrusion into his flock…but as you can see by the picture below, they’ve made friends and quite enjoy each other’s company…so I thought I’d share.

Okay, about this SHaQ Attack Monday thing….you guys have to at least PRETEND it’s a challenge, k? I spend all weekend thinking of ways to be evil, then you guys just Bam! Answer it. If you’re wondering, everyone who has sent an answer so far has gotten it right. Honestly. You people.

Seriously, I’m glad you’re enjoying the challenge (lame though they apparently are…) But be warned! I have ALL WEEK to think up the next one now. Heh, heh, heh…

So…tonight is American Idol and we’re down to, what, six left? I’m still not all that excited about Love Song Night (because, chances are, it’s not Love Shack, but Love is a Many Splendored Thing they’ll be singing, you know?) And I have all the admiration in the world for Mr Bocelli’s talent. But, I’m admittedly not all that jazzed about our special guest this week, either. Nothing against him, I’m just not an opera fan, not even “pop” opera. Sorry!

But I will watch and give the American Idol Blow by Blow, Ryan by Paula by Simon by Randy Recap first thing tomorrow….because, well, because I’m faithful and dependable like that. I know. Group hug everyone!

Oh! And double group hug for all those “virtually” attending the book signing this weekend. It’s a really cool thing that Bruce does with every signing at Turn the Page (about 4 a year) so check out the website and get your autographed copies! (www.ttpbooks.com - or click the link in the right hand column!)

Enjoy your Tuesday everyone…and if you haven’t Rocked the Vote yet….whaddya waiting for? Come on, don’t let the overachievers get you down! See yesterday’s post for all the details.

Tags: Writing by Donna
7 Comments »

Good morning, Blog Babes! (Where is the voice of John Forsythe when you need it?)

Big doin’s this Friday, April 28th out in the lovely Civil War town of Boonsboro, Maryland. Pack the car, make the trek, you won’t be sorry you did.

Every spring my writers group, Washington Romance Writers has a writers retreat in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia held in the lovely Hilltop House, with stunning views of the Blue Ridge mountains and the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. It’s relaxing and rejuvenating and I look forward to it every year.

But before we kick off our retreat, we have a Mega Author Booksigning at Turn The Page Bookstore and Cafe in nearby Boonsboro, Maryland. Turn the Page is run by Bruce Wilder and his daughter-in-law Stacy, who both happen to be related to a certain redhead I know and love. You might have heard of her, Nora something or other. She’s written a few books.

This year we’re kicking off the signing at 11:30 and they claim we’ll be done by 2pm but it has run until at least 4pm the past few years. Hundreds of readers and fans will flock to the event, many having their own mini-annual reunions as well. So come and come early. Tickets are handed out in groups by letters (25 A’s, then 25 B’s, etc.) so you can head off and enjoy the town, grab a bite at Asaro’s (owned and run by Nora’s eldest, Dan) and make an absolute must pitstop at The Creamery for some of the best custard in the known world, then hike back around the corner when your letter group is called. It’s a pretty good system.

So, who, might you ask, will be signing this year? Besides me and The Redhead, you mean? Well…how about…Sabrina Jeffries, Mary Janice Davidson, Carly Phillips, Ruth Ryan Langan, Mary Blayney, Mary Kay McComas, Patricia McLinn, Diane Gaston/Diane Perkins, Karen Rose, Tracy Anne Warren, Heidi Betts, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, Gail Barrett, and Sally MacKenzie? You know, just to name a few. Okay, just to name them all. But anymore than that and we’d have to sign outside on the curb.

Come one, come all. I’d love to see you all there!

But see, here’s the really cool thing! If you can’t make it out to Boonsboro, Turn the Page sponsors an on-line “Virtual Booksigning!” This means if you hit their website and order any of the books being signed on Friday, Bruce and Stacy will make sure they are signed by the appropriate author before they’re mailed to you. Voila! (And no waiting in line….but no Creamery custard either. So it’s a trade off there.) The link for Turn The Page Bookstore is in the column to your right. Or go to www.ttpbooks.com and check it out!!

Okay….now for the second most important announcement this fine Monday Morning…

Friday Giveaway Scavenger Hunt Question of the Week! Wow, you know, this contest title thing is getting pretty unwieldy….maybe it needs it’s own MAC-like acronym. Except FGSHQW looks very Jabberwocky to me. How about we call it SHaQ (For Scavenger Hunt Question.) After all, it’s big, it’s bad, and it plays really good defense on the down low. Wait, wrong Shaq…. But! We can have our own SHaQ Attack, right?

So, I hereby christen today SHaQ Attack Monday! Your mission, Blog Babes, should you choose to accept it, (channeling Peter Graves now…) is to track down this vital piece of information: You see, I’ve been enjoying the final weeks of West Wing and am really sad that the series is coming to an end, especially after one of, I think, their strongest seasons yet. I have lived in the DC area my whole life and so the setting and storylines feel personal. And I got to thinking…you know, one of my stories featured the daughter of a former U.S. president.

Your mission? Name the story. Winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries and announced Friday morning. The prize? Your pick from my bookshelf. Is there a bonus question you ask? Of course there is! For some serious extra credit (since, to my knowledge, the answer to the extra credit question is surprisingly not on my website anywhere…) tell me her name, and you get your pick of a second book if you win. Send your answers to donna@donnakauffman.com with Rock My Vote! in the subject line.

Good luck and happy sleuthing!

Tags: Writing by Donna
10 Comments »

Wild applause for everyone who played scavenger hunt this week with me! Did I say…wild? Why yes…the book title you were seeking (in case you didn’t find it) was Wild Rain featuring three-legged alligator, Cleopatra. Wild Rain was a spin off from my third Loveswept, Black Satin. The answer was on the page for Wild Rain, in the first review beneath the back cover copy. Spin off information was on the book list page - the link to that is on the bookshelf page. You all rocked this one!

Our winner this week is the lovely and clever Robyn from Saskatchewan! Woo hoo!! And because you got both questions correct, you get the signed collector’s set. (These puppies have been out of print for over ten years! I know you feel special. )

Tune in Monday to see what new devious plans I have to test your mad scavenging skillz!

Now it’s MAC time!

First up, Amazing Phil and his Bathmat of Many Eliminations!

Five teams left…who will (or will not!) go home next?

This was one of the better legs in the race this season. It starts with a lot of bunching up as everyone is heading to the airport to fly from Greece to Oman. Another bunching in Oman at the biggest incense burners I’ve ever seen. Then it’s all raaaaace from then on and no one in the line is safe. Everybody gets their clue and heads out in their cars across the sand and stream.

I have to say that, for once, Eric and Jeremy deserved their lead spot when they come up on everyone balking at crossing the second stream and just plow ahead with no hesitation. (And Monica, please. No cutting in line? You all were sitting there too scared to cross. It’s a race. If they think they can do it, why sit and wait for you to jump?) And of course, as soon as they prove it can be done,the other teams all fall in behind. So at that point, I had no problem with them taking the lead - they deserved it. That is not to say I wasn’t totally thrilled later when, after boasting about what great racers they were because they always get better directions, on three separate occasions in this leg alone, they got screwed over for bad navigation. (Karman is so funny that way, being a bitch and all. Did I tell you about Karman? Eh, later.)

So the first test is hunting for the scroll inside one of three watch towers, or hoisting a camel into the back of a small pick up truck. I was so happy when the Frats decided to do the camel just because I wanted to see at least one team do this. In the end, three teams did, and it was pretty funny. It was even more hilarious when the Frats got hopelessly lost delivering said camel. Oh yeah, you guys are great navigators!

So now the team order is completely topsy turvy and this is great. They all head off into the desert and bunch up again at another “dig up the gnome” kind of task that, every season, kicks one teams ass just for having the bad luck to not dig in the right pile (hole, hay bale, whatever.) This time around that team was BJ and Tyler.

Coming out of that task, it’s time to head to the pitstop. MoJo has a tough time finding the pitstop and, believe it or not, FrankenBarry come in first! They ran a great leg and absolutely deserved the placement. (Plus, Joeseph was getting a bit of killer fatigue and being a jerk, so I was glad it was the oldsters over them, this go around.) MoJo comes in second (and is pissy about it.) Ray and Yolanda drag in, in third, after bickering for a couple of days, though I have to say, Yolanda? Lighten up, man. Maybe we didn’t see all of it, but considering the conditions and fatigue, nothing Ray was doing seemed to warrant your snippiness. I’d have flipped you the bird, too. Get over yourself already and give the man a break. Now nothing he does is right and you just keep picking… I thought he did a pretty good job keeping his cool, all things considered.

Eric and Jeremy take a “short cut” to the pit stop that gets them so hopelessly lost I really thought they had a shot of coming in last, but BJ took even longer finding the right food pit in the desert, so they are in fourth. Still, humbling enough for ya, Mr Excellent Navigators? But this leaves the hippies in last place and I KNEW it finally had to be an NEL leg….and, SHEW! I was right. They started last and ended last, but they’re still in it. (Oh, and the bus trip where they pretended to be with all the teams who’ve already departed? I thought that was pretty funny. Especially BJ’s dead on impersonation of Lake.)

Next week? Australia!!!

On to Survivor…

Tonight we finally get our medical emergency. Boy, how could you not feel bad for Bruce? Considering how badly his entire lower digestive tract ended up being impacted, it really is amazing he lasted as long as he did.

So…they all head out to reward challenge, playing for a helicoptor ride and massages at a spa. It’s the ‘ol answer questions about your teammates, then guess how everybody else voted game. Pretty much if it was a negative question, the answer was always Courtney. That couldn’t have been any fun for her. But worse was stupid Terry grousing about how Casaya was all against him all the time. Gee Terry, YA THINK? Like, did he honestly expect them to turn on each other before him? Why would they do that? But he takes it so freaking personally, which is stupid. It wouldn’t have mattered who was sitting there, if they were La Mina, they were getting their ropes chopped. And if he’d been in their place, he’d have played it exactly the same way - because you kind of have to, Terry. You don’t piss off your own team until you absolutely have to. So I was way tired of him about five minutes into the show and perfectly happy with them sending him to exile (which also made him a whinypants and please….again, like they were going to send one of their own when you already told everybody you had the damn idol? Get over yourself and play the game solo like you have to since you refused to save anyone on your own damn tribe. Idiot.)

Terry rant over, back to the crowd. Cirie ends up winning and, after sending Terry off to sulk some more on Exile Island, she picks Aras and Danielle to go with her, which completely blows Shane’s mind as he assumed she’d pick him. Now, she had a promise to Aras, so cool. But even I was surprised she picked Danielle, but, you know, I was glad she did. Shane needed to get over himself, too. And I thought it was hilarious how he picked on Courtney the entire time about taking things so personally when he was wigging out the whole time about not being picked.

So while Terry is exiled and the other three are getting mud massages, Bruce finally is forced to call for medical help and is medivaced out in the middle of the night, with the help of Courtney and Shane. (And did anyone else think it was funny that Aras, D, and Cirie all agreed Courtney had the hots for Shane? Really? Hunh.)

Once they are all reunited and everyone is being pissy and weird, Jeff shows up with Terry in tow and explains that Bruce will not be returning to the game except, hopefully, as a jury member, so there will be no immunity and no tribal council. Which is fine by me, except I’d have liked to see Probst knock Terry down a few pegs the minute he began to whine about being picked on by the Casaya tribe. But that can wait for next week. It’s still 5 to 1 and he still has the damn idol, so really, shut up Terry.

Also funny? That next to Courtney, when asked to name the person who just never shuts up? Terry. Not a surprise to me. So they all want him to shut up, too. Ha.

Next week? More inter tribal fun for all! Six players left…who goes home next? Not Terry, with his idol of immunity, so one of the big five…. Will it be Aras? Danielle? Courtney? Or, heaven forbid, my favorite, Cirie? We’ll see….

Have a great weekend everybody…see you Monday!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Very bizarre Bottom Three last night on American Idol. Whoda thunk Chris and Paris would be there? (You’re welcome, Eliot!) But a perfectly correct Bottom One. Was anyone was surprised it was Ace? But this proves my theory that we have absolutely no attention span whatsover. You sing early in the night you’re doomed. I even said I was worried for Chris. I think everyone (me included) leapt to the defense of later singers and forgot to support the Chris’ and Paris’ of the group. I’m still apologizing to Mandisa. Good-bye, Ace - it was your turn, tonight. Thanks for handling weeks of Simon Scorn so gracefully. Enjoy the tour this summer and the throngs of squealing girls, cuz they’re gonna love you!

Next week, the worlds greatest love songs and my sister’s favorite guy, Andrea Bocelli. Maybe I’ll make her do the play by play. Can’t say I’m a fan, but I do appreciate how talented he is. Given how well the kids did with the standards this week, it would seem, on the surface, that most of them should do well next week, too. But dear god, I hope after that we go back to some rockin’ tunes, y’all. Two weeks of ballads will be quite enough, me thinks.

So…no Amazing Phil & His Bathmat of Many Eliminations MAC this morning as I’ve yet to watch my tape (what are my chances I can make it to tonight without hearing who was eliminated…or not? I’m on media blackout until tonight.) But I promise a MAC filled blog tomorrow with a double header of Amazing Race and Survivor!

AND! I’ll announce the winner of this week’s Friday Giveaway Scavanger Hunt! You all were awesome this week. I have no idea what I’ll come up with for next week. Should be an interesting weekend.

Tags: Writing by Donna
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I had fun doing this last week (and the notes and emails seem to indicate some of you guys did, too) so thought I’d do it again this week….

So…if you’re not an American Idol fan, we’ll see you back here bright and early tomorrow! You can now use your free time to find the answer to this week’s Friday Giveaway Scavanger Hunt question. See Monday’s blog post for details.

And off we go….

Tonight is American Songbook night, which isn’t nearly as exciting as Rod Stewart night, which is what I and a good chunk of America thought it was going to be. But we do get Rod helping out the contestants as they choose and figure out what standard they will be singing.

Ryan is sporting another argyle patterned tie…which I like. I am in the minority on this, and, as I don’t wear ties or hang out with Ryan, I don’t care. I like that he’s into dressing up this season, so I will admire from afar and enjoy. Neener neener. Ryan is also scruffy and seems to be in his continued bad mood and I, for one, would like him to get over it. Simon is enough ugly snark for one program. Besides, Ryan’s snark is better served cute than cranky.

Judges get introduced. Randy is a dawg, Paula is looped (or not, hard to tell really) and Simon grins his way through the boos. He’s richer than Croesus, and usually right on target about who goes home, so what does he care. Ryan tells us the contestants are going to sing classy and elegant standards from yesteryear (by which he means songs the contestants have totally never heard of before given they’d never even heard of Manilow or Queen…except, I’m guessing here, maybe for Paris, who might have been raised with this kind of music. Early edge to Paris.)

Sigh…Hot Legs and Do You Think I’m Sexy….and we’re getting crooning. Deep sigh of disappointment. Now, brownie points galore to Rod’s stylist and plastic surgeon, because of all the guys I thought would age well, he’s down there around the bottom. Above Keith Richards, but not far above. So color me pleasantly shocked to see him looking rather smashing. Maybe it’s the new baby and, cough, um, youthful fiancee. Kenny Rogers might want to give Rod a ring for some phone numbers…(for the surgeon people, the surgeon.)

Idols are singing “You’re in My Heart, You’re in My Soul” as Rod and Penny come in with incredibly adorable baby Alastair. Serious cuteness factor there. Must take after mum. Rod looks to be having an absolute blast with the Idols and gives them serious props for attacking the material at such tender ages, as he claims it would have been well beyond him at that time in his life. (Thank goodness…because think of all the music we’d have lost.)

Ryan swears Rod will be on stage tomorrow night to sing live. Yeah, yeah, we’ll believe that when we see it. (Oh! Juicy gossip aside…Brian May from Queen has his own blog on www.brianmay.com called Brian’s Soapbox where he discusses in greater length the very unfair edit he thinks he and the Idols got on last week’s show. Check it out - straight from the source.)

First up? Chris Daughtry is going to sing It’s a Wonderful World and tells Rod that this is “a bit of a departure for me” in what is probably the understatement of the century. Louis Armstrong is even rolling his eyes. Not liking the breathy quality of the practice…let’s hope it’s better live. And that Rod, he’s a huggy person, isn’t he? Who’da thunk? Then he praises Chris and very affectionately slams Ozzy Osbourne and I officially love Rod.

Guy seated on stage, guitar in lap….Chris enters stage right wearing some kind of bizarre rocker dude Stray Cats ensemble, but the makeup lady backed way the hell off, earning my undying gratitude, so I’m okay with this. Song begins, not so breathy, shows off that he does have a good voice…ultimately nice to see another side of him, but kinda boring (he’s no Extreme doing Hole Hearted or anything) and going first I’m a teensy bit afraid he’ll be forgotten by the end of the night. Good for him there are only 6 other performers left. But, all in all, a pretty decent run through. Judges? Randy applauds. Paula’s cleavage momentarily blinds me, but she’s, well, Paula. And Simon was clapping at the end of the song, so I think he’s going to get the good edit tonight. Simon takes full credit for Chris changing his style so he can remind America (and cranky Ryan) that he does, in fact, give constructive criticism, so of course he applauds the performance because he sort of can’t not, now, you know?

Commercials…the one Coke commercial I don’t get tired of, but come on, I write romance. So gimme a break already. But that is some kiss, isn’t it?

MI3 commercial and, see, I dunno…I’m going all political here but whereas I’d normally totally be lining up to see this movie, my Tom Cruise love has completely waned. And, just like when the flick Mr and Mrs Smith came out, I can’t get into the movie because the actors stay celebrities to me while up on the screen and I’m distracted by that. And not in a good way, Mr. Pitt.

Ahem. Back to Idol…next up? Paris who, in her sleeked back pony tail, tailored suit and pumps looks like she’s getting ready to audition for Working Girl: The Sequel, but whatever. I was hoping for something more Billie Holidayish. But, as suspected, she is supremely comfortable with the genre.

She tackles Billie’s Foolish Things and her mom listens on as she rehearses with Rod, who brilliantly picks up on the fact that maybe Paris has a bit of a jazz background. Ya think? She’s channeling Billie all over the place and her mother weeps and Rod applauds and everybody is just having a really good time. Slam dunk for Paris.

Live performance…Paris stands behind the microphone in her sleek, elegant suit looking way older than 17 years and totally nails this song to the wall three sound stages down. I know it’s not necessarily memorable to the audience at large as it’s not a song a lot of people will know, but simply gorgeous and exquisitely done. Makes me really sad Mandisa isn’t here tonight. Judges? Drool all over her, as well they should. Outstanding performance. I hope America gives it up for her, this week anyway.

Commercials…which I FF through to save you all from further commentary. Ooh ooh!! I take it back!! I stop short and SQUEE!!! So You Think You Can Dance is coming back and soon!! May!! I’m saved. There will be dancing!

Ahem, now back to your regularly scheduled songbook…

Next up? Taylor Hicks who, before watching a second of footage, I am going to predict does well with this genre. In fact, with Bucky gone, I’m thinking that while it might not be a smash bang memorable night, everyone might fare reasonably well. (I know, I know, there’s Kellie, but even she might find something to sink her teeth into. She did Bohemian Rhapsody last week y’all, so I’m giving her a bye this week just based on that.)

Now, back to Taylor, who sits next to Ryan on stools and there is that weird wrong font size thing happening again. Like it’s a split screen or something. Ryan mentions that they parodied Taylor on Saturday Night Live last weekend (which I missed but understand was pretty funny) and Taylor is totally flattered by it, which is exactly the right reaction. Smooch to Taylor.

Taylor and Rod totally hit it off to no one’s surprise as he practices You Send Me and they sing together with remarkably similar range. Entertaining. Then I totally fall even more in love with Rod when he very constructively criticizes Simon’s advice to Taylor…saying exactly what I think is right. For Taylor. Rod knows of what he speaks, even when he’s bleeped.

So Taylor comes out and totally smooths the song into being utterly plain and boring. I am SO disappointed. Taylor, Taylor, Taylor….loosen up man!! It’s like he just seizes up and goes for hitting the notes, keeping the melody, and taking all the Taylor out the equation. Granted, no one wants to do Sam Cooke, but—ooh!! Wait a minute! So finally, near the end, he starts to bring it. Enough? Why yes, yes, I think it is. He totally closes it out. Now THAT is what I’m talkin’ bout Willis!

Judges? Randy takes all the credit this time, Paula…why bother, and Simon is enjoying himself immensely tonight (and totally agreeing with me, I might add), which is good, if only to keep Ryan from snarking on him further. It’s not as funny as it used to be since Ryan got all cranky pants about it.

Eliot and Kellie up next! (Cute prom date, indeed…)

Commericals, but do I say anything? No. I FF like a good little recapper….(besides, what can possibly top SYTYCD coming back next month, huh?? I’m quitting while I’m ahead.)

We’re back, and it’s Eliot up first… (I’m counting Idols in my head and realize that after these two, that leaves Kat, who should nail this…and Ace. Please tell me he’s not the closer. Not tonight, when things are going so well…) Anyway, Eliot is totally thrilled to be hanging with Rod. Along with Paris, I think this should be his night, if he can conquer his live-onstage nerves. He did SO much better on the results night sing out last week…I hope he gets that performance tonight. He’s singing It Had To Be You and Rod applauds, literally. We find out Eliot’s mom was a professional singer who made her living off of these songs…so he really is Paris.

Here we go….And he’s looking really great. Bringing the smile and the personality right from the start. Yay. This is his night. I could do without the back up singers, tho. Minnie Mouse called and she wants her voice back. But Eliot is Right On It tonight. Sigh! And at the end he brings it much like Taylor did, within the silky confines of this song…so hopefully Simon won’t call him a wedding singer because I don’t want him in the bottom three.

Judges? Randy is all over it. Paula really needs to stop squeezing her boobs together with her elbows for fear of “an incident” which would leave me traumatized (what IS that fabric on her dress tonight anyway? Just…no.) Simon slams him for not bringing enough personality, which is the one thing I thought Eliot did bring tonight, and I fear in a very big way this seals his bottom three doom. Thanks Simon. Now we pray that Ace is, well, Ace, and then Eliot won’t go home this week. And of course, Ryan jumps ALL over it. And…I don’t care. Be cute or be quiet, Ry Ry.

Now, this should be fun, if nothing else, because you know Rod loves the ladies and he will just enjoy the hell out of Kellie because, the genetic thing, remember? He teases her right from the start, she actually gets it after a beat, everybody is charmed, and off we go… He says a lot about her personality, little about her singing, and, no one is surprised by this. Nice to see him being, well, nice, but then we love him, so of course he is. She is singing Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered which she does quite nicely with, then leaves Rod with an opening the size of the Grand Canyon to make the double entendre, but he manages, somehow, to remain a gentleman. Not that she’d have gotten it one way or the other anyway. But still. Say it with me now…Oh Kellie!

And we sing… Kellie is in a knock out red dress made out of what looks like the same fabric as Paris’s suit. Her hair is down and simply styled and she chooses to stand behind the microphone as disco ball lights dot the stage, and sing. She does that weird thing where she rolls her R’s, but she does a very nice job with this. Very Patsy Cline tonight. A few off notes as the song continues, which is a shame, because she was going along well. Simon was seen hanging his head on a few off notes, so brace yourself, I predict it’s going to be a bumpy review. Deserved this time, I’m afraid.

Judges? Kellie heard herself that she was off in the second half, so that will help her, I think, with viewers. But, still… a shame, because she could have had that one. Randy gives her props for trying, Paula gives her props for her shoes, and she braces herself for Simon, who is pretty straightforward and not as brutal as he could have been, for him. She apologizes, and you can’t not like that, and even Simon looks like he wishes he could have been kinder. Give it up for the Pickle. She’ll live another week. Eliot, my man? I’m worried about you now!

Ace, live up to yourself, and please let me down! Please! Save Eliot! (I just had an ET moment. Eliot…go home. No!!)

Commercials…but first, Ace is up next and his hair, his hair! It’s slicked back and he’s…he’s wearing a suit. And a tie. And looks…good. Be right back. (Donna dashes to cell phone, starts voting madly for Eliot.)

Okay, Ace and Rod hang out, and Ace is singing a song even I, Older Than Dirt Donna, doesn’t recognize . But neither does my mom, who I am IMing with through this whole thing, so there’s that. He’s singing That’s All and I have no idea if he’s doing a good job with it, but he doesn’t sound bad. At all. And given the rounding criticism he’s received for weeks now, it’s no wonder he was really nervous and seeking Rod’s approval. Which he gets, in spades. Rod loves him and the song. And possibly with good reason.

Be right back. I need to go vote a few more times for Eliot.

So…here we go…not sure I’m a fan of the hair, he’s got it in a Samurai do, y’all. But in every other way he looks good. And, yes, sounds good, too. Not ground breaking, but better than your standard Ace by a mile. So this makes the bottom three interesting…but for now, I’m thinking Ace and Eliot will still be there, because while he’s singing well tonight, it’s just good. Not earth shaking. Won’t be enough to get him out of the hole he’s dug…and that last note? Not good.

Judges? Randy gives him props. Paula garbles. Simon is kind and Ace almost cries. And I feel for him, because for all we all pick on him, he’s taken a lot of abuse (whether or not deservedly, it’s still got to be very tough) and handled it very very well. So I felt good to see him truly happy and relieved that he finally got something nice said about his performance.

More voting for Eliot during commericals….

And, possibly very deservedly, though I was hoping for a Paris closer originally, Kat takes us home tonight.

Kat meets Rod and he duets with her, which has to be a thrill for her. He loves her voice and her, and she eventually decides to sing Someone To Watch Over Me to resounding praise from him.

And we sing…she sits on the edge of the stage, dressed simply in a black pant suit, hair pulled back…and does a very nice, smokey job with the opening. This genre is tailor made for her and she actually gives me a little goose bumpy moment. She stands to finish up and keeps the pace going…and knocks that puppy out. Simply stunning, as is she. One of her best, I think, if not her very best. Nice closer.

Judges…Randy starts, but the crowd is still cheering and she can’t hear him - he repeats and praises her, and so does Paula…Simon tries to praise her if Paula would shut up (he’s being NICE here) he would, and eventually does. Well deserved praise.

All in all, this was by far their most solid night as a group. Nothing earth shattering, but consistent, solid, beautiful performances were an absolute pleasure to behold after the past few weeks. Loverly, loverly, night.

As for my Bottom Three? Tough, tough call. The easy route would be to say Ace and Eliot because they don’t seem to have the fan base yet and with the solid performances tonight, that line up might not shift a lot. A shame for Eliot. (I’m trying, Eliot, I’m trying!) As for who should take that third spot? Based on tonight, it should be Kellie, as she was really the only one with a rocky performance. But I think her Cute Quotient and humble attitude might be enough to keep her safe. Dunno. We’ll see. Kat has been there a few times, but she should escape it this week. Anybody’s guess then, on that third spot…

What are your predictions? Tonight should be veddy, veddy interesting… And with my new Rod Love, I’m even looking forward to him singing his standard tune. Though I’d still really really rather him crank out some good ol rock n roll.

Shew! If you made it this far, you are a Primo Blog Babe and I thank you for your kind, supremely indulgent attention.

PS - yes, I know you can’t vote during the show. My mom and I taped it last night and were watching later in the evening at the same time, right at the tail end of the voting window. Oh the pressure!

Happy Hump Day everybody!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Okay, you guys are getting WAY too good at this scavenger hunt thing! I thought it would at least take you, oh more than fifteen minutes anyway. So I’ll just have to be extra tricky next week. HA!

A round of ice cream is in order! The revised manuscript is done, printed, and gone and I am now back, happily playing with my Black Sheep guys, the Unholy Trinity of Donovan, Rafe, and Finn. Ah yes, there are days when it’s good to be the author. Really good.

So…over the weekend I treated myself to a matinee. I went to see Take The Lead with Antonio Banderas, where he plays a ballroom instructor who takes on teaching a bunch of misfit inner city kids to dance. It was touching, funny, sad, and triumphant, inspired by the story of Pierre Dulaine, the real man who began the Dancing Classrooms project in NYC. Definitely worth the price of admission. And helped give me a little ballroom fix now that Dancing with the Stars is over.

Tonight is American Idol featuring Rod Stewart. I had hoped, in vain it appears, that the kids would have his entire catalog to choose from, but when I looked on my TiFaux, it appears that it’s “American Songbook” night, which is what Rod has been doing recently. Covering the old standards. Which is apparently what the kids will focus on tonight. Yeah. I know. No chance to see Chris rock out with Maggie May. Or Ace swivel through Do You Think I’m Sexy. Which, come to think of it is probably a good thing. But I’d pay money to see Taylor do Hot Legs.

Actually, as I said in a reply to a note from yesterday, I’d pay the big dollars to see Kevin Covais since Do You Think I’m Sexy. Season highlight right there, y’all. Chicken Little, ye left us too soon, lad!

Ah well, another opportunity missed.

Oh!! And for all you Amazing Race fans, I have a Must Read Blog for you! If you watched the family edition last summer (I know, don’t remind me either - worst season ever!) there was one contestant who did capture the hearts of many. At least, she definitely caught mine. Do you remember cute little Clarissa Gaghan? The fierce little racer with a heart of gold? I think she’s like, nine or something now. It still wrenches me when I think about the day she was Philiminated. Sniff. Anyway - she’s doing a blog called Clarissa Explains It All over on www.tarflies.com a site set up by The Amazing Race fans who initially began congregating over on Television Without Pity(still one of the smartest, funniest, snarkiest recaps n’ message board places on the net.)

Anyway, Clarissa does a little blog after each episode with her own kid logic applied to each leg of the race. It is a total hoot. Haven’t laughed that much in ages. So check it out - the link is in the Cool Sites list in the right hand column of this page. (Or just go to the tarflies.com homepage and click on the link.) I would love nothing more than for this show to last long enough for Clarissa to race again, and finally get to go around the world for real.

Continued Good Luck with the Gator Contest this week. You all amaze me! (But in a really good way, of course.)

Tune in tomorrow morning for the Blow By Blow, Song By Song, Simon by Simon, Americal Idol MAC!

Tags: Writing by Donna
14 Comments »

So…let’s not talk about taxes and the IRS and how much I will owe them until I really am as old as dirt, k?

Let’s talk about something FUN! Like my new Friday Giveaway Scavenger Hunt Question! Just in case you didn’t get to hunt for eggs this weekend, I thought I’d give you something fun to hunt for today. With zero fat and no calories! Warning, it is a wee bit obscure. But that’s why you love me.

(Hey, I heard that!)

So, I just got the new Jennifer Crusie book in the mail - which she co wrote with Bob Mayer. Called Don’t Look Down it’s rather ground-breaking fiction, as Jenny wrote the heroine’s POV and Bob wrote the hero’s. I cannot wait to read this, but, alas, I am a final round judge in the RITA’s this year (Romance Writer’s of America’s highest honor, in case you’ve never heard of it. Our Oscar, as it were…) So I have a stack of books to read first, but this is next up when I’m officially done.

I heard about this book while reading an article on how Jenny and Bob came to write it, and in the article, they talk about how there is an alligator in the book who took on a life of her own (not to mention a few other lives as well) and has come to be a fan favorite.

I know you all are wondering how in the heck this has ANYthing to do with my contest this week. Well, as I’m reading the article, I’m thinking, “Hey, I once had an alligator as a character in a book, too!” A three-legged alligator, in fact. So, your mission, Blog Babe, should you choose to accept it, is tell me her name and what book she starred in. And a bonus book to you if you tell me which book this one was spun off of. (Ooooh, extra clue, extra clue!)

The answers can all be found on my website if you know where to look. The winner will receive one or both books (depending on if they got the bonus question correct.) Winner randomly selected from the correct answers and announced Friday morning.

Send your answers to donna@donnakauffman.com with “I Got The Gator!” in the subject line.

Good luck and happy hunting!

PS: If you want to double your pleasure, if not your fun, my homepage has been updated with new contest information posted. And I don’t even make you answer anything. Click the link in the right hand column and check it out!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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