MISSING YOU Contest Announcement!

To celebrate the July 11 release of Missing You at Changeling Press, I'm celebrating with a contest! The prize is a gorgous aquamarine and sterling silver pendent. (Chain not included) Two runners up will recieve a bar of yummy Wyld By Nature luxury soap. (http://www.wyldbynature.com/)

How to enter? Well, just go to my website, read the blurb for the story, and email me with Marina's real name. (first name will do)
I'll throw names into a hat and draw at random. The drawing will take place Sunday, July 13.

Again, go to my site, http://www.belindamcbride.com/ and email me with Marina's real name. My email addie is posted on the links/contact page. Or, you can post your answer here at the blog, but be sure to leave your name and email address!

Smoke on the water...

Yup, Shasta County is on fire, and not in a good way.
It started on the weekend, an electric storm crashed through the state, bringing fire, but no water. Fire in this area is an annual event, but this year, it came early, before we were braced for the onslaught.

Ironically, the firestorm brings an unusual beauty to the area; sunrise and sunset are not to be missed. In the late afternoon, the sun's rays turn to dazzling displays of color and light. The oranges and reds make our homes and yards glow with an otherworldly beauty.

Like any disaster, this one brings heros, in our area, we practically worship the firefighters. As we drive along the freeway, they come by in truckloads, and we wave at them, almost as though they are celebrities.

We see hotshots from Oregon and Washington, from reservations in Arizona, as well as from Southern California. These people are all ages, all races, men and women alike. There are even prison crews, and we cheer for them as well. Our newspaper has an area where we can post personal messages of gratitude to the firefighters. Their jobs are brutal and hard, filthy, painful and sometimes fatal.

At night, when we don't know what's happening out there, it's hard to sleep, we don't know if the knock will come on the door warning us to evacuate. There is a measure of comfort to be had knowing that the firefighters are out there doing thier job, doing what they can to keep us safe.

They are our heros.

Alpha bitches and Little Dragons

Sometimes a person enters your life who is so powerful they continue to shape your life long after they've gone. My friend Mo was like that. In the decade or so that she was my mentor she was clearly and undoubtedly my alpha bitch. I rarely rolled over for her, but that's only because my mellow exterior hides the heart of a majorly subborn woman. We laughed, we fought, and in her last hours, she gave me the opportunity to ease the pain of her body and the concerns of her mind.

Rose Lee from Little Dragon was based off Mo. She was tiny, tough and absurdly feminine. For a time, Mo was a police officer in Oakland, CA. Her career came to a tragic end when she responded to a domestic violence call; the suspect took her by surprise. He picked her up and threw her into a wall. She sustained nerve damage to her arm and was unable to continue with the force. When cancer took hold of her body, it woke up that injured shoulder and caused excruciating pain.

So Mo, Little Dragon is for you. If you were around today, I still wouldn't let you roll me, but you'd know you'd know who was really was the boss, wouldn't you?

Little Dragon is due for an August release with Changeling Press.