An Ode to My Church

Well, howdy there, folks! I wasn't going to post today, but here I am! LOL.




Let me tell you about a certain special place. When I first visited my current locale, I was unimpressed until I saw this:








Holy sh*t! I know, not appropriate language considering it's a church, but still! I fell in love with this building the INSTANT I saw it. We live right next door. And when I say right next door, I mean that I am staring at the stained glass windows as I'm washing the dishes. Oh! How freakin' fantabulous this historic landmark is! And yes, it is an official historic landmark!



I love this old church and I'm not sure why. I just do. You can imagine just how badly I wet my pants when I learned it's FOR SALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






Oh yeah! This baby is on the market, and has been for some time. So, good old crafty me just happened to schedule a visit with the realtor when my mom & step-father were visiting us. Gee, what a coinicidence! Amazing, huh? ;)




Anyhoo, we were all enthralled by the inside. It is just breath-taking. For such an old building, it's in amazing shape. The work that it does need is a lot, but the resto is minimal. What it really needs is a decent bathroom, the kitchen needs work and the sanctuary needs to be refurbished. It can stay mainly original, which is this history nerd's dream!






I fantasize about this church daily. I want to restore it for history's sake. I want to turn one of the rooms in it into an office/study for me for inspiration. Tell me, does it get any better than that? Ahhh, sweet inspiration! This building lets my imagination run wild!



Here are the issues: there is no cert of occupancy, which means that no one will mortage this baby out. That's a problem. The current owner is also in a bad situation which is causing her to ask for the money up-front. That is also a problem. The latest hinderance is that she upped the price! What the hell?! This church has been on the market for over a year (I think it's actually been more like 2 years or so). There have been some lookie-lous and then crazy people like me. BUT, because there's no c of o, NO ONE can buy it. ARGH! I would do ANYTHING to own this building, but there's no real way to negotiate around these issues. Damn it! :(



Now, I know it's beyond ironic that I, a non-christian, openly GLBT gal wants to own a CHURCH. I'm twisted that way. ;) Seriously, it's more about the history than anything with this building. It was built in 1885 and is the highest point in the town. It's beautiful. It's historic. It's inspiring. And it's just plain cool. How many people do you know own churches? Yeah, I thought so. ;)



So, dear blog readers, if you care to donote to the "Lauren is insane and wants to buy a church" fund, you are MORE than welcome to! LOL.



I've been heavily considering calling the historical society and seeing if I could work something out with them. Certain "issues" have hindered me from calling them this week, but I may seriously do it. Even if I don't own it, but I am somehow a part of the historic restoration on this beauty, I'll be extremely happy. :)



So, here are some more pictures of my dream: :)






This is the kitchen. It's the first room when you walk in. It's chock full of REALLY cute appliances from the '50's! I don't know if they're functional or not. If they are, I'd love to keep 'em 'cause they have SO much character! :)











The kitchen opens out into this. This picture does it no justice. There is a beautiful original wood floor. There are a few original pews remaining too! It's a nice open space. I thought this would be a really cool room to have old pictures and a full history of the building and such. It's open enough for people to look at said pictures, artifacts, info, etc and it's on the first floor which is uber convenient.












These are just two of the gorgeous stained glass windows in the church. The greatest part is that there is very little work that needs to be done on the windows! They are in immaculate condition! :)









There are lots of doors, interesting and hidden rooms, and closets all over the place! It's really interesting, and in an odd way, it's a lot of fun! :)









This is from the main sanctuary looking up to the choir/mezzanine (strange choice of words, I know. It was the first thing that came to mind). What you don't see is the reverse image. Looking down from this balcony onto the main sanctuary is one of the most breath-taking images I have ever seen! It is simply stunning!








This is the back of the church. The fire escape is a newer addition (built after 1900). There is ZERO property to the church. The property line is basically the parimeter of the church itself, but it's still REALLY cool! :)





So there you have it. My sick, sweet secret obssession. Think of it what you will, but damn this is a cool church! :)

I'm Late

Good morning, world. Sorry it's been forever and a day since I've posted or done anything noticeable on this here world wide web. I've known that three year olds and home improvements are time consuming. This week, they were even moreso. For that, I apologize.



There are a million things I could blog about today, but I won't. I can't, actually. Most of it's personal, and this is mainly a writing/lit blog. Though what I could write about is interesting, funny, sad, comedic, and tragic, it's for my brain only. Don't dispair, readers. My brain is a pretty freaky place as it is, so it's best that it's kept under wraps! LOL. :)





Today, I'm going the simple route. I'm tired and slightly overwhelmed, so simplicity suits me best today.




First off, if you haven't already checked it, PLEASE check out Monday's interview with the one and only Chelle Cordero. I love her - she's an awesome friend and an incredible writer! I've learned much from her over the past few years. So please check it out & support my home girl! :)




Going along those lines, the incomparable Smoky Trudeau will be here MARCH 4th for an interview as well. Smoky is just plain incredible. She is multi-published. She has taught and lectured across the country. Plus, she's a sweetheart! :) So, we will have the honor of her presence here next week. PLEASE stop by for that one as well. I know you'll like it! :)





Third, since I've been so preoccupied, I decided today to extend the Grand Prize contest until NEXT FRIDAY. One week just doesn't seem to be enough, so I'm giving y'all some more time! ;)



For your own PERSONALLY autographed copy of Unbreakable Hostage, go check out he coloring page of the cover at the VHP Yahoo Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VHP_Readers_Club/

Go to the VHP Time Out Coloring Pages Folder, find the Unbreakable Hostage cover and have at it! :) Send in as many submissionas as you want! :) The only rule is that NO PHOTOSHOPPED IMAGES WILL BE ALLOWED! Scan or up-load your pictures and e-mail them to me at leharvey77@gmail.com by Friday, March 5.

ALL ENTRIES WILL BE FEATURED ON LEHARVEY.COM, FACEBOOK AND MYSPACE! :)





Lastly, I'm starting to book events for the fall season (book fest season for those of you who don't know). If you know of any good local events, please feel free to drop me a line! If Imperfect does come out in June, I'll have 3 books to sign and sell for YOU. I'd love to meet ya and hear your input! Don't be shy! :) Just comment here or you can ALWAYS e-mail me at leharvey77@gmail.com I don't bite, I promise! :)




So, that's it for today. Simple blog from a simple gal! LOL. I do have some topics I want to tackle in the very near future, but with schedules constantly changing, it's hard to know when we'll be able to discuss them. I will soon, though. I promise. Until then, happy reading!! :)

Author Spotlight: Chelle Cordero

Hello everyone! Today, I am excited and honored to welcome multi-published author, and all around good gal, Chelle Cordero! :)



Welcome, Chelle! I've seen other blog hosts offer you virtual coffee, cookies, etc. Here are some virtual store bought cookies. Even in the virtual world, I'm still inept in the kitchen! :)



Yummy cookies – just let me finish chewing…






First off, I seriously want to thank you for being here. You're an increedible author. I'm not just saying that. I'll admit that I am a picky reader. With what little time I have to read, I really need a book to sweep me off my feet from the get-go, and that is one of the things I love about your books. Your reader is instantly swept into the story. Can you tell us a little about how you're able to immerse your readers right off the bat?





The last time you visited an amusement park, while you may have had some excited anticipation while you were waiting on line to get in, it was when you actually were inside and on the rides, that you really started to enjoy. Basically that is what I try to do with my stories – you’re not waiting to get inside – you are already there and on the roller coaster or in the fun house. I try to drop my readers into the middle of the action.





When I read Forgotten and Within the Law, one of the things that I thought was so interesting was the tie between them. I hope I'm not giving away too much! :) Did you have that planned or did those two just happen to end up sharing that connection?




LOL, I really hadn’t planned that at all – honest. Forgotten’s story brewed in my head and that was my focus. But while I was writing Forgotten I created Tom, the heroine’s older cousin, and I totally fell in love with the guy. I use a form of “method acting” when I create my characters and since Tom was important in Forgotten both to his cousin and eventually as a friend to the hero, I developed a full character “dossier” on him.

When I finished Forgotten it seemed that Tom just stayed with me. He had had a tragedy in his life and while he didn’t immerse himself in pity, he was a real cool guy, I wanted to see him have some happiness in the love department. His tragedy, the loss of a childhood sweetheart, made him who he was and he was very supportive to Caitlyn and Brandon in Forgotten. I just had to write Tom’s story.




Ok, I have to admit Final Sin was quite the branch out for you, so to speak. It REALLY creeped out my partner! LOL. She shuddered through the whole book! LOL. Tell me, where did you get the idea for that story, especially since it's so different for you?






Final Sin creeped me out too especially while I was researching some gruesome aspects. The opening scene in the book was inspired by a true-life crime story that happened near where I live. While the crime was not the same, the basic setting of a cabin in the woods was. As I said, I live near this site and I’ve often driven along the road – it filled me with such an unbelievable case of the shakes whenever I would see the mailbox number and the driveway leading to the scene.

Would you believe though that by taking that setting and “making it my own” by using it in my story actually put me in control? That setting was really the springboard into the story. As far as my two main characters, I just can’t avoid matchmaking and a good hot love story… and what better way to keep folks on the edge of their seats than to put the lovers into peril?

Between research and what I know about Emergency Medical Services and police procedures the rest of the story just kinda’ grew.






Who would you consider to be your most influential writers and why?


As far as influence in my career, that has to be the late poet Daisy Aldan. Ms Aldan was my high school creative writing teacher – I was so very fortunate to have known her. She was phenomenally encouraging and helped us find and nurture our voices. One of the things she detested was conformity and she instilled in her students a need to be and sound like individuals. Unfortunately Daisy Aldan passed away in 2001, but I would have loved the opportunity for her to read my novels.

In modern days I enjoy reading popular novelists – some of my faves include Dean Koontz, Jonathan Kellerman, Faye Kellerman, Danielle Steele and Patricia Cornwell. Lately I adore reading books by people I know, especially those by other VHP authors – I love to see everyone’s styles and reading the stories and seeing the methods they use actually tells me a lot about the people who wrote them.


Getting back to your stories, one of the phenomenal things that you do is that you not only draw from your own experience (i.e., you paramedic work), but you also research other careers for your characters (such as computers & technology). Do you enjoy learning about new jobs/careers? Where do you go to find your information? As a reader, I love the fact that your characters come from all walks of life. As a writer, is that something you enjoy? I'd love to hear your take on it! :)






I take a lot of pride in the fact that I am a full-time writer and while novels are only a portion of that, I spend hours a day six days a week at my computer doing research, conducting interviews (both by phone and email, although sometimes in person) and writing pieces for various magazines and newspapers. Research is a huge part of my life.

I’m an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) which is actually less training than a Paramedic (my daughter is a Paramedic) but I’ve been doing this (as a volunteer) for nearly 25 years so I have seen a lot of calls and a lot of treatments. As I said, my daughter is a career Paramedic and my son is a career EMT – my husband is also a vollie EMT; I get to draw on a lot of their experiences as well.

I always joke that “I’ve lived a lot of lives” because I’ve gotten to do a lot of things. Aside from the medical emergency services, I also was an Auxiliary Police Officer in NYC, I worked my way through college as an undercover retail fraud investigator, went to school for (and did some work in the field) drama and theatre, and was raised by a Latin machismo dad who had 2 daughters and encouraged us that we could do whatever we wanted despite gender (he wanted a son and wouldn’t be denied, lol, he wanted to do traditional father-son stuff). I also gleaned experiences from the people around me, family, friends and even guys I dated. I think I might have been born a sponge.


Ok, here comes the GOOD stuff! ;) Could you give us a brief synopsis of each book and a short quote from each as well? I KNOW how good your books are, I'd like our readers to get a taste of just how exciting and interesting your stories really are! :)



Here are the synopses for all 8, but only quotes from the last 4

COMMON BOND, TANGLED HEARTS

Layne Gillette’s world is turned upside down when a man she has never met shows up to lay claim as the father of her 6-year old son. When Layne’s abusive “ex-husband” shows up, they are torn apart by danger, kidnapping and lies.

“"You and I need to talk. I'd really like to do this calmly." Justin knew she wasn't going to react very well. She was being too overprotective without knowing the reason for his visit. Once she found out…
"What do you and I have to talk about? There’s nothing for us to talk about." She wasn't letting her guard down for anything. And if he thought he could just come in here and shove her around, he'd soon learn differently.
"Layne…" He tried to reach out for her, she sidestepped him. "We need to talk about… our son." He saw her look of shock. "We need to talk about Dennis."
She slowly turned her head to look at a photograph of Dennis that was sitting on the top of her television set and made the comparison to the man standing in front of her.
Suddenly she screamed at him and began to beat at his chest with her clenched fists. "Get out! Get out of here! Get the hell out of my home!"”



A CHAUNCE OF RICHES

Ben Johnson was hired as a bodyguard for a rich widow and her kid, but he never expected to be working for the woman who had abandoned him just when he had needed her the most. Damn it all, he still wanted her. Samantha Chaunce never thought she would have to explain why she married the rich man instead of Ben. Or that her husband had been murdered...and Ben was the prime suspect.

“He chuckled softly and cynically. “Well, now I know why you left.” He wasn’t smiling.
“What do you mean?” Her hand froze in mid air.
“I never realized how much money meant to you.” He couldn’t help it. He would always be bitter. “When I heard that you got married and left for Europe, I thought it was because you thought I could never be a whole man again. But I thought you would have at least waited to see. Now I understand, he probably flashed some bills in your face. That was all that it took, wasn’t it?” Ben was failing dismally at ignoring the stinging pain he felt around his heart.”



HOSTAGE HEART

Life was hard after the hurricanes swept through, destroying her parents' home and livelihood... An errand for her boss - a chance encounter with a crew of bank robbers - a kind man who tried to help her ... a man who isn't all he seems...no, he is so much more.

““Finally, you’re awake.” He walked over to her and pulled the tape from her mouth. It stung. “Why the hell you couldn’t just lie there and mind your business? What’s your name?” He stood over her. Her porcelain skin was in stark contrast with her dark hair and even darker eyes.
She looked at him in fear. “Deanna. Deanna Blair.”
“Well Miss Deanna Blair,” he mocked her southern accent. “You really screwed us. Kidnapping is a federal crime. We never planned to take any real hostages.” He shook his head as he looked at her. He realized he could easily stare at her for hours. There was no way he wanted this kind of complication in his life. The last thing he wanted was to be attracted to her, to be distracted from the things he had to do.
“I thought you were in trouble.” He looked even taller and broader from this angle. “I thought you needed help.”
He exhaled loudly. “Crimes happen every day in New York and no one ever wants to get involved. And then Miss Goody-Two-Shoes has to come along. Damn!” Now he felt responsible for her.”



FINAL SIN

Deputy Sherriff Commander Jake Carson has his hands full... investigation of a brutal multiple homicide, a troubled son and a vindictive ex-wife. He meets young, free-spirited paramedic Julie Jennings. When Julie becomes the subject of an obsession, it puts both of them in danger...

“He entered the autopsy suite passing the heavy wooden sign next to the door. It said, “HIC LOCUS EST UBI MORS GAUDET SUCCURRERE VITAE”.
Once before when Jake had been here, he had asked for a translation of the Latin words and was told, “This is the place where death rejoices to teach those who live.” He was anxious to learn and he hoped Holly would be anxious to teach. He had high hopes that they could learn something, anything that would lead them to the murderer. Two men were waiting for him as he donned a surgical gown and protective eyewear.
Holly’s body was already lying on the shiny, aluminum dissection table. The table, a little more than waist high, was edged with an aluminum channel to allow blood and fluids to drain away from the body. The room was uncluttered and glaringly bright. It was a stark reminder of the lifelessness of the cadavers stored in the drawers along the wall. Soft music played from a radio on the counter in contrast to the harsh reality of the body lying motionless on the sterile looking table. Jake was always impressed with the clean up after an autopsy, the table always looked totally fresh and unused in time for the next patient. And there was always a next patient to fill the spot. That supply never seemed to end.”




COURAGE OF THE HEART

Courage of the Heart shows us that sometimes love is the only cure for the very deepest of emotional wounds. The story of the two lovers takes a series of unexpected and fast paced turns where lives, sanity and love are put in jeopardy. Their commitment to one another results in a spirit that binds them together and helps them to overcome physical and emotional dangers.




WITHIN THE LAW

Tom gave up on ever falling in love again the day that he buried his high school sweetheart and fiancé. He started a career in law enforcement just so that he could find her murderer and rapist. Just when he is about to see justice done, he meets Alli Davis-the defense attorney for the murdering rapist who took his love from him.




FORGOTTEN

Forgotten is an unforgettable romance about two people who meet by chance, love by choice and are torn apart by intrigue. Their romance survives a foreign threat to national security, kidnapping, personal tragedy and a murder attempt.




BARTLETT'S RULE

Bartlett's Rule shares the story of Lon and Paige's love affair; a romance filled with hardship, emotion, danger and triumph. Falling in love was never the challenge; being there for each other, knowing just what to say and making it work is the real test. Paige and Lon are real; they are human, they cry and they laugh. Paige has to learn to trust. Lon has to learn to be patient.





If our readers were to know one specific thing about you, what would you like them to know?

I am so grateful to them for inviting me into their lives for the brief while it takes to read my stories. I love writing and I am in love with love.




Last but not least, could you please tell us (a) where people can find your books, and (b) where they can find you (websites, etc.).



You can find my books online at Amazon (http://bit.ly/db70Hk), Barnes & Noble and other online retailers for print copies – the occasional Barnes & Noble carries them on the shelf as well (just ask!), as does the Arts Alliance in Haverstraw NY and other indie booksellers.

My web-site is

http://ChelleCordero.com

and I have an author blog at
http://ChelleCordero.blogspot.com

My publisher also has a page for each author, mine is http://bit.ly/aXYsPG

Chelle is a VERY buys lady! You can keep up with all of her appearances from her blog, her website, and the VHP Yahoo Reading Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VHP_Readers_Club/

Thank you so much for joining us today, Chelle! It was great having you here!! :)

In case you all missed it from Friday, the GRAND PRIZE contest for Unbreakable Hostage is going until Friday, 2/26. Send in your submissions! :)


For your own PERSONALLY autographed copy of Unbreakable Hostage, go check out he coloring page of the cover at the VHP Yahoo Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VHP_Readers_Club/

Go to the VHP Time Out Coloring Pages Folder, find the Unbreakable Hostage cover and have at it! :) Send in as many submissionas as you want! :) The only rule is that NO PHOTOSHOPPED IMAGES WILL BE ALLOWED! Scan or up-load your pictures and e-mail them to me at leharvey77@gmail.com by Friday, Feb. 26.

ALL ENTRIES WILL BE FEATURED ON LEHARVEY.COM, FACEBOOK AND MYSPACE! :)


Many thanks again to the FABULOUS Chelle Cordero! :)

Happy reading, all! :)

Congratulations to all of our winners from yesterday! We had a blast, and it was great seeing everyone there! :)





Don't forget, the GRAND PRIZE contest goes until Friday, 2/26! In case you missed it, there is a coloring page of the cover of Unbreakable Hostage. You can get it from the VHP Reader's Group Time Out Coloring Pages Folder. Print it out and color away! The only rule is: NO photoshop! Send in as many copies as you want! :) There is no limit to the number of entries. The Grand Prize winner will receive a personalized autographed print copy of Unbreakable Hostage!




Please e-mail your pictures to leharvey77@gmail.com by 2/26



The coolest part is that ALL entries will be featured on FB & leharvey.com under fan art! So, send in your submissions! :)






On Monday, the one and only Ms. fabulosity herself, Chelle Cordero will be a guest featured author on my blog! :) Have a great weekend!

Happy reading and coloring! :)

Come join the fun today!!!!

It's officially started! :) Come join the fun at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VHP_Readers_Club

Only 2 days left!

Good morning! Please pardon me this morning as the menagerie worked diligently to be sure I did not get solid sleep last night! LOL.



It is official. I finalized all the details for Friday's shindig. It was a lot of hard work (MUCH harder than I had originally anticipated). But I'm glad it's done. I'm really excited with everything that will be going on & I think we'll have a blast. The games are fun and simple (we're here to celebrate, not work!). Plus, my inner nerd LOVES the contest for the GRAND PRIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's just great! :)




Since I'm tired and have a few busy days ahead of me, I'm just going to remind you all of Friday's event. I really want to see you all there! The great part is, since VHP is based in Washington & I have so many ties to Vegas & L.A., the party & contests will still be going after I go to bed! :) So please don't think you're gonna be late. Unless you log in on Sunday. Then you'll have missed everything! ;)



So anyhoo, here are all the details. Enjoy! See y'all on Friday! :)



Come chat with author L. E. Harvey. Play games & win great prizes! Come join us in great conversations as we discuss and celebrate the official print & e-book releases of Unbreakable Hostage! February 19 - ALL day! See you there! :)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VHP_Readers_Club

Ask the Author

Good morning!





Today is Ask the Author day, but first, I want to give you the latest breaking news! :)






First off, THIS FRIDAY 2/19/2010 - ALL DAY - The VHP Readers Group will be hosting an event to celebrate the PRINT release of Unbreakable Hostage. Yours truly will be on-line all day. There will be great conversations, games, give aways and more!!! I would love to see you all there! :)






Secondly, the one and only fabulous, multi-published author and all around good gal, Chelle Cordero will be here NEXT Monday, 2/22! Holy crap, folks! She has so many incredible books out. I am HONORED to host her here as my first author interview! :) PLEASE don't miss that one! Chelle rocks! :)








Ok, now on to Ask the Author!






Q: Where do you get the inspiration for your story lines?


A: That's a good one. Sometimes they simply come to me, as was the case in Unbreakable Hostage. In other cases, the story wrote itself (very much the case in the stories in Loving Her).





Q: Your books are very deep, dark and rather depressing. Why is that?


A: That's a damn good question! LOL. I ask myself that constantly! LOL. I'm really not sure. The ironic thing is that I am a loon in real life! I'm always singing, dancing, making stupid faces, etc. I genuinely enjoy life and am very optimistic. My guess is that my writing helps my brain deal with the dark issues that lay in the recesses of my mind! LOL.





Q: What would you say is the one key thing for new authors to remember?


A: Persistence. Simple, really. Any and every author has to have some serious determination and persistence. You're going to get rejection letters. It happens. It's the nature of the industry. Don't let it get you down. As long as you persevere and keep working, you will eventually reach that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! ;)





Ok, this last question was actually one that I hesitated to post, but I decided that since I offered to answer any & all questions, it was only fair that I answer it. The wording has been changed so as not to offend anyone.




Q: You are an open member of the GLBT community. Why do you think it is that so many actors, artists, musicians, etc. are gay? Do you think there is a correlation between homosexuality and creativity?


A: This is a sensitive subject in that it could easily stereotype people. Anyone who knows me knows that my beliefs are the antithesis of stereotyping. Do I think there's a correlation? Honestly, no. Yes, there are countless actors, musicians & other celebrities who are openly gay. But it just seems so much more prominent there because those folks are in the public eye. Look at Meredith Baxter's partner. She's a contractor. Members of the GLBT community come from all walks of life, all ethnicities, all income and status levels, etc. Just look at the gals in Loving Her. One of the blatant points in Loving Her is the fact that it's not about being a certain color, religion, personality, etc. First and foremost, we are ALL human beings. What we do for a living has no bearing on our sexual orientation. Does your job define your race or religion? No. Same here. I think it's a really interesting question, but I think we all need to be careful of stereotyping people simply based on what we see in the media.





Alrighty folks, that's it for today. Hope you enjoyed it! :) Stay tuned for more coolness! :) And don't forget to keep sending in those questions!! :)



Happy reading! :)

Don't forget!

Good morning, y'all! :)





Today's blog is nothing more than a glorified memo. :)





PLEASE do not forget that Ask the Author is coming up ON MONDAY!!!!!!






Submit your questions to me here,

on Myspace,

on Facebook

or via e-mail at leharvey77@gmail.com




Ask me anything! :)





Thanks so much! I'm really looking forward to your questions!


Hope you like my answers! ;)




Happy reading, all!

Segregation

Good morning, readers! I'm getting political today as I have been SO focused on writing & promo stuff that I think about blogging on anything of a literary nature, I might just vomit! LOL. :)




Last night, we watched American Idol. This is my first time watching the show. The Mrs. loves it, and it's a rarity that our eyes are open past 8 pm. So, we watched.






During the show, there was a commercial for a cruise line (would I get in trouble if I said which one?). Anyway, it was obviously aimed at valentine's getaways. That's great! If we had the money, we'd love to go on a cruise (especially for V-day). All the commercial showed were straight couples. That's ok, I get it. Kinda.






See, for anyone NOT in the GLBT community, we have our own cruise lines & travel companies. Olivia used to be the big name for lesbian cruises. It's since changed, but I forget who the big dog is now. It's nice being able to vacation where you're safe being out. There's comraderie there. There's also a HUGE separation.




Do any of you remember a few years ago, a high school in NYC opened and it was for homosexual students only? Kind of cool in that the kids are safe, uber uncool because it just separated us further from the rest of the American society.







We're not in with the mainstream, folks! They have their world, we have ours. Just as segregation was fought in the mid-late 20th century, so are we fighting a new kind of segregation now.








Ironically, my partner pointed out that Ellen is probably the most famous lesbian in Hollywood today & she is on one of the most popular shows today. She's right, and we're both pleased as punch!
We want to see "our people" integrated in with the outside world. Why? BECAUSE WE'RE ALL HUMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!










It's refreshing to see someone who was openly fought for gay rights be in the mainstream. Now, if only we all could.








You don't have to be prejudiced to see the great divide of our generation. It's there. And I know that once our segregation is over, a new crowd will be forced to fight this same battle. What I don't know is why. Ignorance is not always bliss, folks. Ignorance keeps you in fear. It causes you to be separated from innumerable people - perhaps even your own family!







For my writing, my books are listed under lesbian fiction or just regular fiction. Why must there be a divide? Why must my creations be placed in different categories. The themes are all the same: struggle, adversity, love, dedication, family. Every single character in Loving Her, Unbreakable Hostage and Imperfect struggle with those issues. So what if the person they love is the same gender or not? How is it that the mainstream media gets to determine who, where and how my books are seen and not me?






Some of you may be aware of Amazon's "glitches" that put books like mine in a PORNOGRAPHY category! Excuse me? Ok, I can see you didn't hear me. EXCUSE ME?!







What the hell? If you've read Loving Her, you know it's ANYTHING but pornographic! Shit, Unbreakable Hostage has steamier scenes than Loving Her!



What the f*ck?! Do you know WHY my book was deemed pornographic? Because it was about women loving women. That's right folks. It has nothing to do with the fact that there aren't any racy scenes in Loving Her. It has nothing to do with the violence and tribulations my characters suffer. Nope. Just because a group of women share one commanity: lesbianism.





But here's my question. If a mother loves her daughter (in a nonsexual way, folks), would their story be deemed as pornographic? There may not be any sex, but it's still two women who love each other. Wait, what was that? Oh they're straight. They're better than me. Ok, gotchya.







Insert infinite curses in multiple languages here.
This is pure, unadulterated bullshit, folks. I know I'm not supposed to curse, but come on! READ my work before you decide it should be shunned because of its content.






We have a new form of segregation going on in our society, guys. Seriously. I don't have the same rights as my heterosexual counterparts. My books don't even have the same rights as my heterosexual counterparts!





We need to end this division. It's time we stopped labeling people and just accepted them as other human beings. I am not different from you. I am a person. I go through the same trials as you do and then some. Segregation was ruled "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" in 1954. The same still holds true today. Schools, libraries, the media. We need equality in all of them. No one is better than me because they are straight, nor am I better than anyone else because I am bi. We just are. Let's start living together like REAL human beings, ok?

Headline News!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good morning, world! Today is news day! :)








First off, a MAJOR congrats to the Saints for that incredible comeback in the Super Bowl last night. As you all know, I am a die-hard Eagles fan. Since Katrina, I've wanted to see the Saints do well. They deserved to win & last night's game was a good one! ;)






Moving on...


The 15th is fast approaching! What does that mean to you? Simple, really. Ask the Author day is the 15th of every month! So, post questions to me here, on Facebook, Myspace or just e-mail 'em to me at leharvey77@gmail.com Questions and answers will be posted here, on Facebook and Myspace. Ask ANYTHING. I want to hear from you, so please don't hold back! :)






Lastly, but possibly most importantly, Vanilla Heart Publishing and I will be hosting a release party on Friday, Feb. 19 for the print version release of Unbreakable Hostage. There will be games, GREAT prizes & some fun conversations with yours truly! :) Please stop on by the VHP Yahoo Reader's Group that day! I'd love to see you there (plus, don't you want to win cool stuff? Yeah, that's what I thought).





Alrighty, y'all. I'm off. Busy Monday today! Hope you all have a WONDERFUL day & don't forget to mark your calendars! :)