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Madeline Baker/Amanda Ashley

I love this Video
MY NAME IS AMERICA

Vampires……..just the name conjures the image of a tall, dark figure in a long black cape, someone mysterious and deadly, sensuous and compelling. Think of Frank Langella as Dracula – in my opinion, the epitome of a vampire. He’s sexy, polite, suave, and charming, at least on the outside.

Then there is my current favorite vampire, Damon Salvatore, as portrayed by Ian Somerhalder.
Damon doesn’t wear a black cape, though he usually wears black. Damon is first and foremost the kind of vampire that romance writers love to write about – a tortured hero – a man turned against his will, hard on the outside, a bit of a cream puff on the inside. He has the most beautiful, expressive eyes I’ve ever seen.

I’ve been fascinated with vampires ever since I read Interview with a Vampire. Whether portrayed as good guys or bad guys or something in between, there’s no getting away from the fact that vampires are one of the most intriguing paranormal creatures in literature today. Myths and legends abound: They can turn into mist. They can change shape. They are almost indestructible. They can hypnotize you, and read your mind. They are able to move faster than the human eye can follow. They can control animals and the weather. They have the strength of 20 men. They are almost always Alpha males who know what they want and how to get it. The list goes on and on.

These days, it’s hard to find the ugly scary vampires of years ago, no doubt due to the number of romance writers who have taken Nosferatu and changed him into a sympathetic hero. Think of Mick St. John from Moonlight, Edward Cullen from Twilight, Angel from Buffy. Strong on the outside, hungry for love on the inside, just waiting for the right woman to come along.

How can you not love them?

SOME OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS
In no particular order

Patricia Briggs
Charlaine Harris
Maggie Shayne
Stephanie Meyer
Rachel Lee
Jim Butcher
Ronda Thompson
Chris Feehan
Lisa G. Brown
Patricia Simpson
Michelle Rowen
Kay Hooper
C. S. Harris

Dad's Brownies

A father of some teenage children had the family rule that they could not attend PG-13 or R rated movies. His three teens wanted to see a particular popular movie that was playing at local theaters. It was rated PG-13. The teens interviewed friends and even some members of their family's church to find out what was offensive in the movie. The teens made a list of
pros and cons about the movie to use to convince their dad that they should be allowed to see it.

The con's were that it contained ONLY 3 swear words, the ONLY violence was a building exploding (and you see that on TV all the time they said), and you actually did not "see" the couple in the movie having sex - it was just implied sex, off camera. The pros were that it was a popular movie - a blockbuster. Everyone was seeing it. If the teens saw the movie then they would not feel left out when their friends discussed it. The movie contained a good story and plot. It had some great adventure and suspense in it. There were some fantastic special effects in this movie. The movie's stars were some of the most talented actors in Hollywood. It would be nominated for several awards. Many of the members of their Christian church had even seen the movie and said it wasn't "very bad". Therefore, since there were more pros than cons the teens said they were asking their father to reconsider his position on just this ONE movie and let them have permission to go see it.

The father looked at the list and thought for a few minutes. He said he could tell his children had spent some time and thought on this request. He asked if he could have a day to think about before making his decision. The teens were thrilled thinking; "Now we've got him! Our argument is too good! Dad can't turn us down!" So, they happily agreed to let him have a day to think about their request.

The next evening the father called in his three teenagers, who were smiling smugly, into the living room. There on the coffee table he had a plate of brownies. The teens were puzzled. The father told his children he had thought about their request and had decided that if they would eat a brownie
then he would let them go to the movie. But just like the movie, the brownies had pros and cons.

The pros were that they were made with the finest chocolate and other good
ingredients. They had the added special effect of yummy walnuts in them. The
brownies were moist and fresh with wonderful chocolate frosting on top. He
had made these fantastic brownies using an award-winning recipe. And best of
all, the brownies had been made lovingly by the hand of their own father.

The brownies only had one con. He had included a little bit of a special ingredient. The brownies also contained just a little bit of dog poop. But he had mixed the dough well - they probably would not even be able to taste the dog poop and he had baked it at 350 degrees so any bacteria or germs from the dog poop had probably been destroyed.

Therefore, if any of his children could stand to eat the brownies which included just a "little bit of crap" and not be effected by it, then he knew they would also be able to see the movie with "just a little bit of smut" and not be effected.

Of course, none of the teens would eat the brownies and the smug smiles had
left their faces. Only Dad was smiling smugly as they left the room. Now
when his teenagers ask permission to do something he is opposed to, the
father just asks, "Would you like me to whip up a batch of my special brownies?"