ANSWERS TO MUSIC & LYRICS QUIZ #1

Did you know the answers to yesterday's Music & Lyrics Quiz? I posted them below. I think I'm on such a music kick right now because my wonderful husband bought me an i-pod last month and I take it everywhere with me! I really don't know how I got along without it.

The answers are:

1) "....I'd stare a lifetime in your eyes...." SKID ROW--"I REMEMBER YOU"

2) "....Life is a journey, not a destination....." AEROSMITH-"AMAZING"

3) "...I'm not like this. I'm really kind of shy, but I get this feeling whenever you walk by. I don't want to doubt you, I want to make you high...." BOSTON-"LET ME TAKE YOU HOME TONIGHT"

4) "...You make me weak, I want to die. Just when you said we'd try....." JOURNEY-"LOVIN' TOUCHIN' SQUEEZIN'

5) "....You put the magic in me. I feel the magic when we do what we do...." BILLY SQUIRE-"MY KINDA LOVER"

Now to me, these were straight love songs. But after posting yesterday, I thought it would be fun to do songs that dealt with the sensual and breakups. There are a lot of interesting lyrics out there. Who knows? It might even trigger another novel idea!! I love it when that happens.

MUSIC AND LYRICS QUIZ #1

When you write, do certain music lyrics spark any ideas? I was driving to work tonight and heard a lyric in one of my favorite songs. I thought, what would happen if..... In fact, that is how the opening scene to my current wip, DATING 9-1-1 came to me.

But as I thought about it more, there were several phrases in songs that really strike a chord in me. Some just make me melt. Some are so prolific and deep and make me think. Here's what I decided to do. I took some of my favorite phrases from songs and wanted to know if anyone out there can name that tune. There are five lyrics listed below.

Test your music knowledge!

1) "....I'd stare a lifetime in your eyes...."

2) "....Life is a journey, not a destination....."

3) "...I'm not like this. I'm really kind of shy, but I get this feeling whenever you walk by. I don't want to doubt you, I want to make you high...."

4) "...You make me weak, I want to die. Just when you said we'd try....."

5) "....You put the magic in me. I feel the magic when we do what we do...."

OK! There is the first five. Tomorrow, I'll post the answers and you can see how you did! If you need a hint, the kind of music I enjoy is listed on my profile on my MYSPACE page at:

http://myspace.com/kathleengail789

GOOD LUCK!

HEART DISEASE AND WOMEN

After I went to bed last night, my mind started spinning. I would be remiss if I didn't let all the women out there what signs to look out for when they are experiencing a heart attack. Just keep in mind that some people have NO SYMPTOMS at all. Those are called "Silent MI's". MI is short for myocardial infarction or in plain English, a heart attack.

It is important to note, that the symptoms you experience as a woman, could be different from men. Here is a generalized list of symptoms men and women may experience when suffering a heart attack:
1) Obviously, chest pain is the first. People describe this to me as a pressure; an achiness; squeezing of the chest; or tightness. The feeling may come and go or last several minutes.

2) Anxiety. I see this often in the ICU. A patient of mine will try and crawl out of bed and leave. They have no real reason why they need to "get the heck out of here", just this sense of impending doom that settles over them.


3) Sweating. Your skin will be moist, cold, and clammy. It will be different than when you sweat from physical activity.

4) Stomach pain. This is a huge one! People may feel like they are having a severe case of heartburn, when instead, it is your heart trying to tell you it is under duress. So, if you take your usual antacid remedy and don't feel any relief, have it checked out immediately.

5) Nausea and vomiting. This is self explanatory. You may feel sick to your stomach and just can't hold anything down. But this symptom is very vague because it can be related to almost any medical problem.

6) Upper body pain. You may experience pain or numbness that radiates from your jaw/arms/shoulders.

7) Lightheadedness. You may experience a sensation like dizziness or feel like passing out.

8) Shortness of breath. Your breath may come in short pants and you may experience a sensation like you just can't get enough oxygen in your lungs. Sometimes, this will occur before your chest pain or other symptoms are apparent.

OK. So, there is a list of eight signs and symptoms for both men and women. Of the ones listed above, the symptoms most common for women are #1, #4, #5, #6, #8. But we can add one more that men don't usually experience--unexplained fatigue.

If you experience any of the symptoms above and are at risk for a heart attack, call 9-1-1 or have a friend or family member drive you to the emergency room. Your best chance of survival and decreasing the damage done to your heart is receiving treatment within 90 minutes of the onset of your symptoms! YES!!! 90 MINUTES!! Get yourself checked out. Don't dismiss it as nothing. YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT!

SHOCKING NEWS!! BUT SHOULD IT BE?

Another late post. I apologize for the lateness of the hour, but hey, I'm here now! I received an email today from an online friend of mine. She has a friend who is 47 years old and had suffered a mild heart attack. Needless to say, my friend was shocked. But should she have been?

I don't know anything about the woman. The only thing my friend had said was that the woman had been the person everyone went to when they needed something done. This tells me this was one busy lady.

But what were the factors that put her at risk? Let's examine a few below:

Does she smoke?

Is she overweight?

Does she do a sedintary type of job?

Does she have a family history of heart disease?

Was her cholesterol high?

Is she stressed?

These are just a few of the risk factors that face women. And actually, women in general are at a higher risk than men right now for heart disease. I'll touch on more about heart disease when my book is closer to it's launch date. My hero, Dr. Stone Lassiter is a heart surgeon, so I wanted to go over heart disease in deeper depth here on my blog.

If you're a woman and have any of the risk factors above, be sure and check with your doctor to see how you can decrease your risk of heart attack. Or, check out the American Heart Association's website for further information.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

When people learn I have a husband, four kids, work about 48-60 hours per week as a registered nurse; and on top of that just received a contract from The Wild Rose Press for my first book, they often ask: "Where do you get your motivation?"

This question surprises me. Even as a child, if I wanted something, I went after it. I wanted to be published in romance fiction. So I went after my dream. After I'd written my first book in complete ignorance and received several rejections, I started doing some research. What had I done wrong? How can I make this better? That first book is still on my shelf, but I knew I could do better.

Keep your dream alive. Do whatever it takes to make it happen. Because, ultimately YOU are the only person who can make your dreams come true. No editor was going to knock on my front door to look for me. I had to do my homework. I read a lot on what novels were selling, which agents and publishing houses would be interested in what I write, about passive versus active voice, three dimensional characters, and became involved with a couple of different critique groups.

Writing is WORK!!! Hard WORK! You pour yourself into each page you type. Some days, you may only write a paragraph. Others, ten or twenty pages. But it is your willingness to write and put yourself out there by submitting your work which is key.

Use whatever works! My positive affirmation is, "OPTIMISM IS LIFE CHANGING!!" This has certainly been true for me. I kept myself motivated by my belief that I'd someday be published. I continue to write, working on my next novel. I have an idea for a sequel to my fireman book, and plotted a feminine spy series in the January Plotting Boot Camp Class I recently took. I WANT to succeed and continue to be successful!

How about you? What keeps you motivated?

DIABETES MONDAY~FACT #4

I'm running late with my post today! Sorry, but my husband dragged me out of the house and we didn't get home until late. Then with dinner, homework, and checking emails, I've been way behind.

I wanted to share what diabetic neuropathy is with all of you. As you may already know, nerves run throughout our entire body. When your sugars are not properly controlled, damage to those nerves occurs. This causes severe pain. The pain may be localized to one area of your body, or you may have it more wide spread.

Unfortunately, there is no pain pill for nerve pain. There are some drugs on the market that can help ease the discomfort, but it is sort of hit and miss. Neurontin comes to mind. It is an analgesic adjunct (fancy name for something used in combination with other drugs to treat pain). But, as with most prescription drugs, there are side effects such as confusion, drowsiness, dizziness.

Very depressing, huh? What can you do to help raise money for a cure? One thing you can do is go to http://www.brendanovak.com/. She is having an online auction to help raise money for diabetes research during the entire month of May.

Below I've posted some pictures of postage stamps that I happened to run across while helping my daughter with her homework. Enjoy!

WHAT DO YOUR CHARACTERS LOOK LIKE?

Do you have this character spinning around in your head? How do you get him or her down on paper? Characterization worksheets help, but I'm a visual learner. I need to have that reminder of what this person looks like. I know a lot of authors will make collages of their wips, complete with pictures of their H/H. I save mine to my desk top or my myspace page.

If you've stopped by my myspace lately, you will see the guy above. I'm at: myspace.com/kathleengail789 This is exactly how I envision Fireman Jett Avery, complete with his dark hair mussed and the fire raging in the background.

But what about my heroine, ER nurse Roxanne Carter? From the beginning when the opening scene of Dating 911 kept me sleep deprived until I finally typed it out on my computer, I saw actress Meagan Fox. She is the nurse in my story.

To read an unedited excerpt, you can go to my myspace page and read chapter one of Dating 911.

How about you? What do you do to keep focused on your characters?

BE SMART....THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DUMB QUESTION!!

Most people are familiar with the saying, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DUMB QUESTION. If not, you're hearing it now. Let me tell you all why asking questions is important.

When you or your family member come into the hospital because of an illness, you need to be informed. Even if you've been a patient for countless times, things change every day. As a nurse, it is my job to be your advocate. I try to give an overview of the plan for my shift, but working in ICU, sometimes a patients condition changes dramatically. When they crash or are whisked off for emergent surgery, family members are undersandably distraught. It is very easy to forget important information the health team has given you.

Patients and families get told so much information, they are overwhelmed by everything. They forget what questions they wanted to ask me or the doctor handling their case. I encourage them to write things down just because there is so much to remember.

Communication is key to a great relationship between yourselves and your doctors and nurses. If you are not sure about something ask me. I often hear, "Oh, I didn't want to bother you." You are NOT bothering me! I'm am here for you. I can't relieve your pain or let the doctor know the pain medication I've given isn't working, if you don't inform me of how you are doing. And most important, don't tell me you're "fine" when you aren't. Every little change can be important. Even if you think it isn't.

Years ago I had a patient admitted with chest pain. He was in his forties and on a nitroglycerin drip through his IV to relieve his pain and keep his blood pressure down. Because of his strong family history of heart disease, several members in his family had undergone heart attacks; some requiring open heart surgery. Every time I came into his room to assess him, he told me he was okay and denied having chest pain. I actually weaned off his nitro drip because he denied pain.

I gave report in the morning to the day shift nurse and when I came back to work the next night, I learned he'd been whisked off for emergent open heart surgery. I was shocked! I asked the day nurse what had changed. He'd been so stable. She'd told me that during one of her assessments, he'd confessed to having had a "mild twinge all night long". He compared it to having a "twig sitting on his chest", but because his family members had told him when they'd had their heart attacks the pain had been like a train running over their chests, he didn't think he was experiencing the same thing. Had I known, I would have informed the doctor immediately and not have turned off the medication that was supposed to help him.

Another important thing to know. Don't let me come into your room and tell you to take a medication just because I give you a pill. Ask me what the pill is for. What effect will it have on your body and why you need to take it. I'll be happy to tell you all you need to know. I want you to be comfortable with the care you receive while you're in the hospital.

I hope to meet you in at Starbucks or Barnes and Noble. But if we happen to meet in my hospital talk to me and let me know how you are. I'll do my best to make your stay as pleasant as possible.

WRITER'S BLOCK? HUH?

The other day I was in my favorite store, Barnes and Noble. I checked the shelves for my favorite authors and saw all the new books out. I snatched up a couple to stick in my TBR pile and thought, "I wonder how they continue to come up with all these great ideas?" Have they suffered from writers block during their long careers?

What is Writer's Block? Is it an inability to write? Or is something blocking the flow of an author's creativity? Like a virus. As a relatively new writer I haven't experienced this, yet. I often wonder what will happen if I do get blockitis.

What does a person do to combat the problem? How do you get the words flowing into a nice cohesive wave? It wouldn't be like having a headache and popping a tylenol, waiting for the pain to subside.

Kind of scary, really when you think about it. If you love writing and couldn't get a story out, what would you do? Power down your computer? Wait the virus out?

If any of you have any tips, feel free to comment. Who knows, your words of wisdom may help another in need!



Don't forget to go to www.BrendaNovak.com to see the list of donated items for her auction coming this May!

NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN A DAY

As women, we wear many hats trying to juggle our careers with family. When you add author into the mix, the challenge rises ten fold. Yes, I'm talking trying to find time to write, network, promote....The list is never ending!

I've spent the last five days with my family and haven't worked on my WIP. They have been going through major mommy/wife withdrawal. Now it is time to get back into the mode. I have the rest of my book plotted out, now I just have to find the time between work and home to write.

This was a MAJOR accomplishment for a pantser like me. I owe that to the wonderful women who taught the Rose's Plotters Bootcamp. If you haven't checked this course out, I give it a major high five. It is put on by the gals over at ROSE'S COLORED GLASSES. Here is the link: http://www.rosescoloredglasses.com/ The instructors went above and beyond to give personal feedback on every lesson submitted. I would definitely take this course again. They also offer other courses any of you writers might be interested in taking.

OK, back to my Monday duties which was the whole point I'm trying to make. Yesterday, my family dragged me off to the first day of Spring Training. I'm talking BASEBALL here. The Chicago Cubs have arrived in sunny Arizona. So, it was really hard for me to spend a beautiful day watching a bunch of men warm up and practice baseball! LOL. Of course, it was purely research. As an author, it is necessary to study body types and mannerisms. *g*


We even received a few autographs. One of my favorites is Ron Santo. I know I've mentioned him before. He no longer plays, but is the radio announcer for the Cubbies, now. He also suffers from diabetes (and those of you following my blog have to know about Brenda Novak's auction for diabetes research, and if you don't go to www.brendanovak.com) and has lost both his legs to the disease. But what an amazing man! He took time with the kids signing autographs.



I posted a few pics for you all to enjoy! Including a nice one of me and the family! Yes, I did have my i-pod on. Mom needs some space--especially after five days!

CHECK OUT THESE VALENTINE TITLES BY THE WILD ROSE PRESS

Today is a day for lovers, young and old, to celebrate love. As a writer of romance, developing a love between two people is an integral part of my books. There are a lot of themes for love--A love lost. A secret love. A jaded love. There is nothing more fun than to put two characters in a situation you wouldn't want to be in and see how they work themselves out of it.

What are you reading right now? I just finished a HOT read by author Brit Blaise called CAVE CREEK COWBOYS KAMA. I highly recommend it. Currently, I'm in the middle of ECHOS OF TORMENT by Kevin Helmold. It is about a current obsession of mine--FIREMEN--Well, one in particular. LOL. I'm enjoying the book. Kevin has graciously agreed to be on my blog for an interview when I'm finished with it.

BELOW are some new titles out for Valentines Day I can recommend to put you in the mood for LOVE. You can check them out at www.thewildrosepress.com/



HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!

THOSE LITTLE STINKERS!

OK! I took my youngest son with me shopping (well, he hopped in the car and invited himself a long. What's a mom to do?) to get my husband his present for Valentine's Day + our wedding anniversary is Friday.

What does the stinker do? He blabs at the dinner table! AARGGH! So much for the element of surprise. The rest of the kids laugh. I'm aghast, and my husband is quite pleased with himself.

I need a vacation!

But seriously. Here are the top ten gift ideas for men for Valentines Day this year according to ASKMEN.COM are:

10) Magazines
9) DVD's
8) A Bar Set
7) Champagne and Truffles (I like this one!)
6) Grooming Products
5) Cologne
4) Gift Accessories (they gave examples such as a wallet, hats, gloves...)
3) Handheld Organizer
2) Intimate Bedroom Gifts
1) A Classy Watch

My husband received a new Chocolate Cell Phone and a large box of candy. I guess I flunked this top ten! *g*

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Recently, my daughter told me something that really made me pause. She said, "Optimism is life-changing." The phrase really made me stop and think. I've always considered myself an optimist, trying to look for the good in others, myself, and in the things going on around me.

But life-changing?

ABSOLUTELY!! Why? Because of the power of positive thinking. I'm a firm believer in if you believe something bad will happen--it does. If you believe something great will happen--it will!

I've set aside some writing goals. With hard work, lots of planning, and the support of my family, I will achieve those goals, too. I'm going to continue to wrap myself in my optimism and BELIEVE!

What do you believe? Are you an optimist? Are you ready to change your life?

DIABETES MONDAY~FACT #2

Did you know that if you are a diabetic and become sick you should still take your diabetic medication?

Lately, we have had a special on patients being admitted into our ICU with a condition called Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). This is when blood sugar levels are dangerously high. I'm talking a blood sugar of greater than 400. One patient came in with blood sugars of greater than 1000.

Although there are many reasons DKA happens, the recent cause has been a belief that when a diabetic is sick (like with flu or cold) and they are not eating, they think they shouldn't take their insulin or oral diabetes medication.

Makes sense, right? But this is a completely false belief. In fact, when a diabetic is ill, it is even more important they take their diabetic meds. Why? Because the body requires more sugar at the cellular level in order to fight off the bug that has bitten them. If you don't take your insulin to drag those sugar molecules into the cells, that sugar just sits in the blood stream and doesn't do your body any good.

It is also a good idea to check your blood sugar levels when you are sick more often than you usually do. This way, you know exactly how your body is coping while you are sick.

As always, if you have questions or concerns about your medication while you are sick call your doctor's office and ASK!! There are no dumb questions. No one will think you are bothering the doctor. It is our job to be there for you. If it is after hours, you can certainly call a nurse hotline--any hospital has one and if not, call your local emergency room and ask questions.

TAKE CARE!

Kathleen

If you'd like to help raise money for diabetes research, join Romantic Suspense Author Brenda Novak in May for her fourth online auction for Diabetes. For more information, go to http://www.brendanovak.com/ to learn how you can donate items for the auction or see what has been donated so far. Who knows? Maybe there is a prize on auction for you!

DIDN'T YOU KNOW? THESE GUYS AREN'T JUST EYE CANDY!

Mike Sandulak, Division Chief with the Phoenix Fire Department Public Affairs Section, has been invaluable with my research for my manuscript Dating 911. Here are some things I've learned:

1)On any given day, there are approximately 400 firefighters on duty in Phoenix.

2)They have three shifts: A, B, and C, and work 24 hours on and 48 hours off.

3)Approximately 75% of the calls firemen respond to are medical calls. They also have Haz Mat
teams and Technical Rescue teams that carry specialized equipment as well as ARFF trucks at Sky Harbor Airport.

4)Firefighters have to handle seeing and dealing with tragedy everyday in their jobs and it can take its toll over time. It takes a special person with a great deal of physical and mental toughness to do this job. It is also a very rewarding profession as they help and make a difference in peoples lives every day. The Phoenix Fire Department takes care of its own just like the customers they serve, top notch.

5)They have there own Critical Incident Debriefing Team as well as Father Carl. They also have an excellent Employee Assistance Program. Firmen also take care of their own and are trained to see signs if a fellow Firefighter is having problems. Nothing is really mandatory including time off, but it is always offered if needed or requested.

6)The Phoenix Fire Department's motto is Survive, Prevent Harm, and Be Nice.


Next time you see a fireman tell him "Thanks!" for a job well done!

Now, on to other business. The winner of yesterday's anatomy quiz is Lynnette! Her guess was the closest--ten. There are ELEVEN erogenous zones on the female body. Congratulations! You receive the $5 Barnes and Noble gift card. I'll email you to get your address!!

FEBRUARY'S ANATOMY QUIZ--THE FEMALE EROGENOUS ZONES

Ok, question for all the the men out there. How many erogenous zones are there on a woman's body? One? Two? Ten? No, this is not a multiple choice question!

I won't leave it up to the men. Ladies, how well do you know your own bodies?

For all you romance writers out there. Do you know?

Leave your answer in the comment section for the chance to win. The person closest will receive a $5 gift card for Barnes & Noble.

To stimulate your cerebrum (the thinking part of your brain) I've listed a couple to get you started. Let's begin at the top, shall we?

1) The face and hair.

A gentle caress to your partner's face or running your fingers through her hair can be very intimate. For different types of stimulation, try nuzzling with your whiskers or your eyelashes on her cheek, neck, or hair.

2) Next, move down to her shoulders, arms, and hands.

A light touch or kneading pressure can create intimacy and start a slow seduction. Hold your gal's hand or give her a firm shoulder massage to work out any tension she may have from daily stressors.

3)Now to get a little more intimate. Heighten arousal by moving to mouth and lips, earlobes, behind the ear, neck and throat.

A lot of women enjoy french kissing more than intercourse. Spend time nibbling, stroking, licking these areas. Let your breath lightly fan her neck, but careful not to breathe so heavy you could be a crank caller on the other end of a phone!


OK. Now you have a start. Use your imagination and move further down a woman's body. What's next? Can you come up with the correct number of erogenous zones? Winner will be announced on Friday's blog. Also, we'll be checking out the Phoenix fire department! And if you've seen my myspace page lately, you'll be saying, "YOWZA", too!

MUSIC--YOURS OR THEIRS?

What kind of music do your hero and heroine (H/H) listen to? Is this trait something you think about when you're developing a character? And how important is music to deepening your character?

These questions woke me up yesterday and I couldn't go back to sleep. Which was a major bummer, let me tell you. Working the night shift at the hospital plays havoc with a person's system enough as it is, but that is a whole other post!

Music is important in my character developement. But I find myself imposing my musical tastes on my H/H and have to be very careful. They need to be their own individuals, right?

So, how about you? Do your H/H listen to the music they would listen to? Or, music you would listen to?

HUSBANDS!! YOU GOTTA LOVE 'EM!!

The other day when I received my cover for my book, I mentioned in passing to my husband that some of the authors on The Wild Rose Press loop had stated they had framed their book covers. Yesterday, he came home with a GIANT photograph he'd had made of my book cover-- A 20x30 sized framed photo!!!

Finding my voice, I said, "isn't that a little big?" And he replied, "Not for your first book." He went into the sports room, took down his framed picture of Sammy Sosa, and hung my book in all his glory in Sammy's place!! Go figure.

Here is the back cover blurb and excerpt from THE DOCTOR'S DECEPTION:

BACK COVER BLURB:
Heart surgeon Stone Lassiter has successfully transplanted beating hearts. It's his own that causes him the most agony. With a death bed promise to his fiancée, he’s driven to open a transplant center in her hometown and arrives at Deerborne County General Hospital. Single minded in his focus, he inadvertently alienates the nursing staff he needs to make his dream a success. He sets his stethoscope on intensive care nurse, Faith Daniels, to improve his image.

Nurse of the Year, Faith Daniels has passed every nursing exam, but when faced with the MCAT, she has severe test anxiety. Burned by her ex-husband, who used her to put him through law school, she has become focused on passing that darn exam and achieving her own dream to become a doctor.
Will Stone’s white lie jeopardize the love they find?

EXCERPT:
Faith opened the door and there he stood. She’d seen Dr. Lassiter in a suit and tie before. He didn’t always wear scrubs while in the unit. But she should’ve known after her traitorous reaction to him lately, that tonight would be different--more personal.
Her breath caught.

Okay, to be fair, she did want his body. She could admit that freely to herself.

His honey blonde hair was damp and curled slightly at his collar. From the wet look, he’d waited until the last minute to get ready. Nothing vain about this man. The dark dinner jacket he wore accentuated his powerful shoulders and broad chest. The white shirt set a sharp contrast to his tan skin. Her fingers itched to loosen the simple black silk tie and unbutton the top buttons of his shirt to get to what lay underneath.

“Hello, Faith.”

Slowly exhaling, she silently whistled and gazed into his eyes. Jeez, get a grip. Here she was undressing him before the evening had even begun. But, the heat radiating from the brown depths set off fire alarms in her brain.

Finally. Melted chocolate. Her gaze flew to his lips. How would he taste?

Try as she might, there was no shutting out reality. Her stomach quivered in tandem with her thoughts.

Oh, my.

“Hi, Dr. Lassiter,” she said, breathless.

This is not a date. This is not a date. This is not…

His lips curved.




THE DOCTOR'S DECEPTION is a future release from THE WILD ROSE PRESS!

DIABETES MONDAY DEFINING DIABETES

What is dibetes? The ADA (American Diabetic Association) defines diabetes as a disease in which the body can't control the amount of sugar in the blood, resulting in too much sugar floating in the blood stream.

The organ in the body that helps control our blood sugars, excreting insulin into the blood stream, is our pancreas. Insulin locks onto the sugar molecules and drags them from the blood stream and across our cell membrane where the sugar can be used for energy. A diabetic either doesn't make enough of his own insulin, or the insulin he does make can't perform its job for one reason or another.

When this happens, a doctor will prescribe insulin or an oral diabetic medication in the form of a pill to help keep blood sugar levels between 80-120.

Tight control to maintain blood sugar in this range is important. Blood sugar that is too low or too high plays havoc on a person's cells and can cause a variety of medical problems related to diabetes.

Here are some symptoms of high blood sugar:

Increased thirst
Difficulty concentrating
Blurred vision
Frequent urination
Fatigue (weak, tired feeling)
Headaches

Unexplained weight loss

A person is at risk for Diabetes if they have any of the following:

Age greater than 45 years
Diabetes during a previous pregnancy
Excess body weight (especially around the waist)
Family history of diabetes
Given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
HDL cholesterol under 35
High blood levels of triglycerides, a type of fat molecule (250 mg/dL or more)
High blood pressure (greater than or equal to 140/90 mmHg)
Impaired glucose tolerance
Low activity level
Poor diet

Please, if you are at risk and have had any of the symptoms of diabetes, please see your doctor and be checked. All it takes is a simple blood draw.

If you would like to help raise money for diabetes research, learn how by going to http://www.brendanovak.com/ and donate an item for her online auction coming May, 2008. Or, just stop by to see how you can participate in the online auction and help author Brenda Novak raise more than last year!!! Every contribution no matter how big or how small helps!

Some facts taken from webMD for this post.

CAPA FINALIST AUTHOR jj KELLER

I'm pleased to spread the word. One of my critique partners on WRITESPOT, jj Keller, is a CAPA Finalist for her book, THE WATCHER. The Romance Studio will be announcing the fourth annual Cupid and Psyche Awards on Valentine's Day 2008!

What are the CAPA's? They are awards given by The Romance Studio for excellence in romantic and erotic fiction. Categories include inspirational, contemporary, fantasy, historical, mainstream, paranormal, romantic suspense, erotic contemporary, erotic fantasy, erotic historical, erotic novella, erotic paranormal, erotic anthology, BDSM, and the Ariana Overton Award for Best Cover Art or the Ari.

Between THE WATCHER and BELIEVE, jj Keller is getting rave reviews from Romance Junkies, Fallen Angels, and Just Erotic Reviews! Way to go, jj!!

THE WATCHER is the first book in a series sold to Cobblestone Press. Here's the blurb:

Jon has been a loving, attentive fiancé, but his angry outbursts of late have made her question their union. On a whim, she visits a fortune teller. She learns the voice she’s hearing is not her imagination, he’s real and he’s there to warn her of danger. Emily questions whether she should marry Jon. How can she truly love Jon when she’s captivated by a voice?

Netzach is Emily’s Watcher. He works with her guardian angel to keep her safe and at present, she’s in danger. Jon Hart isn’t the man he pretends to be. He is evil. Netzach can’t bear to see Emily marry such a man. This isn’t the first time these three souls have interacted. Centuries before, Netzach lost Emily to this vile man. Netzach can’t bear to watch his soul mate fall prey to him once again and he asks the Powers that be to save her.

The next novel is BELIEVE. Here is the blurb:

One member in every generation of Mikhail Romanasky’s family is always named Mikhail. Additionally, one member in every generation of receives the gift of future sight. This time around, Mikhail received the privilege of both and she is developing further gifts she wished she didn’t have. She’s having precognitive visions of children kidnapped by a man so evil, so vile it makes her skin crawl. Mikhail takes her information to the police to save a local child.

Detective Jensen Palmer couldn’t help suspecting that a gypsy who makes her living telling fortunes must be using him to further some confidence scheme. Mikhail knows that to save Jensen’s beloved five year old nephew, Jensen will have to learn to believe.

The last in the series is MELODY'S SONG, a future release. Here's a taste:

Melody Haney has an angelic singing voice, but denies the gift after her son dies. Out of obligation, when she is asked to sing to hospitalized children she agrees. Accused of stealing drugs from the oncology unit, she pushes away the one man who would stand by her.

Dr. Devon Siegal, pediatric oncologist, doesn’t believe in coincidences. Even when faced with evidence that could damn her, he continues to believe in Melody’s innocence. He has faith she will tell him everything and love will prevail.

What's next for jj? She just submitted THE TAROT CARD to The Wild Rose Press, and will be doing a series of guest blogging on TRS! For more information on jj Keller, you can go to http://www.jj-keller.com/ or check out her blog, jj's Spice and Humor at http://jjkeller.blogspot.com/