Art imitates Life. . . sort of

When I was a kid, I used to doodle this scruffy little black dog in the margins of my papers. I don't know where she came from. We never had small dogs when I was growing up, though a few Labs and a German shepherd crossed my path. But once this little black dog flowed out my pen, she kept popping up, decorating my notebooks and class notes with her melancholy face.

Fastforward many years. I'm grown with a DH and kids of my own. My parents have just lost a dog. I thought I could ease their sorrow by picking up a new one at the pound and housetraining it for them. (I'm a firm believer in rescued pets.)

"Yes," the lady at the shelter said. "We have one small dog, but she's been pining so I don't know if she's adoptable. We may have to put her down."

When I came into view of her cage, the little dog that had been unresponsive leaped up and pawed the air like a stallion. The dog seemed to know me and the shelter worker was astonished. "I've never seen her act like that," she said.

"It's my little black dog!" I said disbelievingly, remembering my doodles of her. The resemblance was as uncanny as her immediate joyful response to me. "I have to take her."

Susie and I formed an instant bond and needless to say, she did not go live with my parents. Instead, she became my almost constant companion. She was always ready to go wherever I went. Susie logged so many miles flying under the seat in front of me I wished I could get her a frequent flyer number.

I never forgot that sense of immediate connection when I first saw her. I knew her. I'd been drawing her for years.

So, since nothing is ever wasted on a writer, I decided to use that experience in STROKE OF GENIUS. My hero Crispin has been plagued by a recurring dream of a woman he's never met, so to exorcise this 'ghost' he sketches a nude portrait of her. Imagine his surprise when he meets her in the flesh. If you'd like to try an excerpt, click here.

Have you ever had a sense of instant recognition for someone whom you haven't met before?

Waiting for the Prize Patrol . . .

What would you do if the Prize Patrol rolled up to your house today and made you an instant millionaire? Com' on, I can't be the only one who's thought about it!

After they revived me (I have a history of fainting spells!) and I finally believed it was real, I'd start a mini-spending spree. First, we'd pay off the mortgage. Whew! That's a load off.

Then, we'd give a cash gift to my DH's siblings (he has 7!) and my sisters (3). We'd set aside a goodly chunk for each of our kids in a trust. And a gift to our church. Then I'd take my parents to Hawaii, after the DH and I returned from a World Cruise. (And with my winnings, we'd be able to travel in a deluxe balcony suite instead of the interior broom closet we might have to settle for otherwise!)

But the sweetest thing about instant riches is that I'd be able to retire my DH early and we could spend our days playing together however we liked. Of course, I'd still want to write and he'd have to pick up a hobby or two (A man with a private pilot's license and a good seat on a horse should have no problem figuring that out.) He's made it possible for me to chase my dream right now by allowing me to write full-time. I'd love to be able to return the favor and give him the opportunity to follow his.

Ah yes, la dolce vita!

But, my practical side raises its pointy little head, what if the prize patrol doesn't come?

Well, the goals are still out there. I'd just have to figure a different way to reach them. We're whacking away at the mortgage every month. We give our siblings the gift of our love and support. Our kids are both working and that's a valuable thing. Too much given to us can take away our will to do for ourselves. We already give to our church. We might have to put off the trip to Hawaii with my parents, but we did take them to Disney World ten years ago after Mom finished her chemo and radiation treatments for breast cancer (she's still doing great!). And as for the World Cruise, there's always the broom closet option. . . Hey! Circumnavigation is still once around the globe however you manage it!

That leaves retiring my DH early . . .

Short of my books hitting the NYTimes list multiple times, I'm drawing a blank. But, the point of retiring him early is spending more time with him. So, I can do that now. It means turning off the computer in the evenings, planning fun things to do together on weekends and giving him more of my attention when he is home.

So if the Prize Patrol doesn't come roaring by today, I'll still be ok. There are ways to work on making my dreams happen that aren't dependent on a windfall. But, just in case, I'd better go freshen up my lipstick . . .

Ok, it's your turn. What guilty pleasure would you indulge if the Prize Patrol came to your house?