Today fellow Etopian Ann Lange and I are trading blog spots!  She has a hot new book out–beware of the cover, once you see it you’ll want to jump in and spend the rest of the winter there.  Take it away, Anne!

Please talk to me.

I was wondering what to blog about when I got a text from my son who’s away at university.  My son isn’t a huge conversationalist, but I expect, as do most moms, that I deserve relatively intelligent responses to my quests for information, confirmation or assurance that all is well in his life while he’s out from under my watchful eye.

But what kind of response do I receive from my first born?  Here’s a few: yup, nope, alrighty, ya, sure , haha, and my absolute favourite (not) …. k.

Now, I’m quite certain he had ability to string a sentence together when he left home.  On the extremely rare occasion where he actually does it now, it will look something like this.

no problem and alrighty I hope it was 2 essays and I prepped them well and wrote them so I we’ll see depends on how hard he marks he emphasized quality and that’s not my strongest suit how ru

Apparently my kid never learned the basics of grammar or how to punctuate a sentence.  And ok, I tacked on that last question because one day I’m hoping he’ll actually text me first just to ask how I’m faring.  I will admit, I happened to see an email he prepared for a professor, and low and behold, he actually can write.  Phew.  I was worried I’d wasted the cost of a trip-around-the-world vacation on an education.

In all seriousness though, I sometimes wonder if technology today is helping or hurting our kids.  They’re on computers before they even start school. They rely on spell check, calculators, short forms and smiley face icons to complete their sentences. They can type faster with two thumbs than with all their fingers.   They talk to their friends via text messaging or through headsets attached to their X-box rather than picking up the phone.  And, sometimes the person they’re texting is actually sitting next to them. They communicate through social media or hand-held devices. Their dialogue is short and choppy. And they can’t do simple math in their head.  I actually remember standing in the check-out line one day and watched a young cashier struggle to make change from a $9.85 sale.  I gave her a $10 bill.

Thank God I can throw complete sentences together.  Check out my book Worth the Risk.  Below is the blurb, excerpt and the links to find my book and me. Hope you enjoy.  Thanks for having me Charley!  It’s been a blast…talk to you soon, k.

Worth the Risk by Anne Lange

Even the hottest sex might not be enough to ease the pain of the past…

Molly Simpson arrives at a beautiful provincial park, ready to spend the May Two-Four holiday camping with friends. This weekend is the highlight of her year—or it was, until Tanner Daivies showed up. Her high school crush is all grown up, sexy as sin, and he’s demanding answers—answers Molly isn’t sure she can give him. She had her reasons for leaving him all those years ago, but now, sex with Tanner is scorching, and when they’re together, it’s clear they were never meant to be apart. But the past doesn’t want to stay buried, and Molly isn’t sure reliving it is worth the risk…

Excerpt:

It was really him. Curiosity got the better of her, and she glanced back over her shoulder. Memories assaulted her as he removed his six-foot-plus frame from the car to stand in the center of the welcome circle. Her friends were all talking at him, their voices filled with excitement. Judging by his glazed expression, their reaction left him a little overwhelmed.

Ten years. She rubbed her chest, thinking back to the invisible ache that had bothered her earlier on the drive here. She’d struggled the entire two hours to keep her focus on the road and not on painful memories from her past.

She flexed her fingers. Maybe the cause of her earlier distress was the fact that this year served as a milestone. Ten years since graduation, ten years since she last saw Tanner, and ten years since…fuck. When did she start counting? Molly searched the area for possible escape routes.

Colleen’s gentle shake brought her back to the moment. “Brad texted me earlier and said he took the afternoon off. He also said he was bringing a surprise with him. He’s been dating somebody new. I just assumed—”

“Um…yeah. I wouldn’t have expected Brad’s surprise to be Tanner either. It…ah…caught me off guard. That’s—” Oh, crap. “I just need a few minutes.”

“You’ve got no color in your face. I’m sure it will be OK. Awkward, yes, but probably fine.”

Molly’s heart palpitated. Colleen’s mouth moved, but the buzz in her ears drowned out the words. She swallowed hard. Air, she needed air.

“Besides, the others won’t let him cause a scene. You’re the one we’ve stayed close to over the years, not him. Our allegiance is to you, honey.”

Molly swung her gaze to where her childhood friends had gathered around the car, effectively pinning Tanner against it. Sam and Olivia, a couple since they were in diapers, were married now, and both glowed like beacons.

Violet, a transplant from Toronto when her parents divorced, hovered close, waiting for her turn to say hi.

Brad and Tanner had been best friends through grade school and high school. Brad had been pissed when Tanner left town without a word to anyone. Looked as though he got over it.

Molly had never told anybody why she and Tanner broke up. She’d stressed over it at the time, deflecting comments from friends about him disappearing days before graduation. She hated the thought of being subjected to the pity she’d see on their faces if they knew the truth. Everybody just assumed the breakup had been his doing. She never corrected them, just implied she’d agreed with his decision.

Colleen’s words began to cut through the insistent noise. Molly nodded. “Thank you. That means more to me than you know.” Unshed tears burned her eyes. She opened her mouth and sucked in a shaky breath, but at least she had oxygen in her lungs now. “You’re right. It will be…fine.” She gulped. “Why don’t you go over and say hi?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m going to wait here for a few more minutes.” She began calculating the odds of sneaking past her friends and making a quick getaway before any of them noticed. She made a mental note to back her car in next time.

“OK.” Colleen gave her a final squeeze and walked over to join the others.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Molly closed her eyes, wishing for a paper bag. A really big one. She so did not need this in her life right now.

BIO:

Anne Lange grew up with a love of reading. In fact, if you take a close look, she’s got a book with her where ever she goes, and will usually sneak in at least a chapter or ten whenever she can spare a few minutes. She reads many genres of fiction, but prefers to write sexy romance with attractive men, strong females, and always a happily ever after.

While embarking on a career as a romance author, Anne juggles a full time job and a family. She grew up in Southern Ontario (Canada), but now makes her home in Eastern Ontario where she lives with her husband, three children, and Rocky, the bearded dragon.

Buy Worth the Risk here:
Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance Ebooks

Kobo

Find Anne here:

Web Page/Blog: http://authorannelange.com/

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnneLange

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Anne_Lange

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Anne_Lange

e-mail: anne_lange66@yahoo.ca

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/anne_lange

 

Check out my post on Anne’s blog here.