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Archive for Rebecca Zanetti

Hot-blooded Vampires and Halloween

By Rebecca Zanetti · Comments (2)
Thursday, November 1st, 2012
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Hi all!  Halloween was just the other night…where I live, it was a perfect, spooky, rather warm night to go trick-or-treating.  I love the Fall – when the leaves drop, the moon somehow gets closer, and something howls late at night.  It’s the perfect time of year to write about vampires and shifters.  In my Dark Protector series, the vampires are hot-blooded.  Very hot-blooded.  The newest book released on November 1st.  Provoked features Kane Kayrs, a smart, scientific, logical vampire…and Amber Freebird, a fun, easy-going, pacifist.  The two have nothing in common…or do they?  :)   Here’s a quick excerpt for you:

Kane peered down at her. “Amber?”

“Yes?”

“If you’re going to attack with whatever’s in your right hand, could you hurry it up? We need to get going.”

She started, her gaze slashing up to him. “How did you know?”

He shrugged. “What kind of a knife do you have?”

Her cheeks pinkened, and she drew her hand forward. “I have a pen.”

A blue ballpoint pen. He blinked twice, his gaze on the harmless tool.

Maybe it was the ridiculousness of the pen. Maybe it was the woman’s courage in planning to use it on him. Or maybe it was the sheepish half-smile she gave.

Either way, his heart rolled over.

Warmth flushed through him, so hot, so fast, his ears rang. His mind blanked. For the first time in centuries, his brain shut off. The woman was crazy. Stepping in, he grasped her chin, tilting her head back.

Her eyes widened, and then her gaze lowered to his lips. A soft sound of surprise emerged with her breath.

He dove in, allowing the animal within to awaken. For the first time in three centuries, there was no thought. All instinct ruled as his mouth took hers…no finesse, no calculation, just pure, raw need. He shoved her against the truck, his other hand clutching her hip as he went deeper.

Honeysuckle exploded along his taste buds as his tongue swept inside her mouth. Not gentle, not persuasive, just taking. Claiming.

And it wasn’t enough. Not even close to enough.

Pressing into her, body to body, heat to heat, something clicked. Beyond his brain, beyond his body…somewhere deeper.

Finally, he found home.

I hope you had a wonderful Halloween…and that your Fall season treats you well!

 

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Even Vampires have Siblings…

By Rebecca Zanetti · Comments (11)
Friday, August 3rd, 2012
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I received very fun news the other day that Claimed is a finalist in the Maggies!  The winner will be announced at the Moonlight and Magnolias conference in October. Yes, I’m very excited.

Claimed was a fun book for me because both the hero and heroine are the oldest in their families.  Dage actually is the king, and he has four younger, very different, brothers to handle.  Emma only has one sister, but I’m pretty sure that Cara has kept her busy.

I have two younger sisters, and we’re pretty typical.  I’m the oldest, type A, kind of bossy one.  My middle sister is the peace maker, the easy going one…until she gets stubborn.  Then she’s the most stubborn person on the planet.

Our youngest sister is the rebel, the free spirit, the one who figures life will do what it should.  She’s all of five feet tall, and once she chased two men in a van across town because they cut her off at an intersection.  I’m truly not sure what she would’ve done had she caught them.

So, to celebrate being a finalist, I thought I’d post a quick blurb from Claimed that shows Dage’s family loyalties.  It’s an early scene where Dage and Emma first kiss and roll around a bit in a cave after fleeing the dangerous Kurjans (bad vampires) all day.  Enjoy!

Dage growled low, hands going to her waist to tug her to the ground.  Emma opened her senses to him.  His heartbeat echoed throughout her own head, and then…he stilled.

  His head lifted and he scented the air.  Slamming his metallic eyes shut, he swore.  He grabbed her shirt and yanked it up her arms, holding tight to the front.

“What is it?”  Her stomach dropped in fear.  “Did the Kurjans find us?”

“Worse.”  Dage shifted her to the side and stood, lending a hand to help her up.

Two men crowded the entrance to the cave—the men from her dreams.  “Your brothers?”

“Yes.”

Her mind spun.  A hollowness echoed throughout her body that may never be filled. “How is that worse?”  She took his hand, holding her shirt together with trembling fingers. 

“Because I can’t kill them,” Dage said grimly, pulling her forward.  He nodded at the green eyed brother in the lead.  “It’s nice to know you followed orders and went to secure the facilities as needed.”  He shifted his focus to the copper eyed brother.  “One word Jase, and I’ll rip out your jugular.”

Jase wisely kept silent, though the twinkle in those eyes laughed hard enough to make sound. 

The first man threw caution to the wind.  “Hi Emma.  I’m Conn.”  He clapped Dage on the back.  “We couldn’t let the king miss the ball, now could we?” 

Ball?  What ball?

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Celebrating Hunted with a Giveaway

By Rebecca Zanetti · Comments (38)
Friday, June 1st, 2012
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UPDATE:  Congrats to Whitney for winning!

Let’s have some fun and give away a copy of Hunted.  I’ll draw a name Sunday.

Spring is here!  Hunted had a great week this week, and I’d like to share.  First, Hunted was named the May Book of the Month at Grave Tells.  This is a huge honor, and I’m very humbled by it.  Also, in the same month, the book won second place for “Reader’s Choice.”  Very exciting.

Then, my sister’s mother-in-law called her and said that Hunted is noted in Woman’s World Magazine.  Right next to a picture of Kristen Stewart in her new movie.  This was unexpected and so very exciting!  Yes, I bought a couple of copies and even scanned in the page to show here.

Other than that, things have been pretty normal for the beginning of spring.  Though  my husband was asked at the bank the other day if my books represent our sex life.  He’s not a shy guy, but it took him aback a little bit.  (Of course, I laughed my head off when he told me later).  And apparently, he gets asked stuff like that a lot.  With a wink, wink…and a nudge, nudge, of course.

Nobody asks me those questions.

In fact, I’m a small town girl …and nobody looks at me differently now that the sensual Brava books are out.  However, they do look at my husband differently.  Isn’t that interesting?  It could be because he’s a six-foot-five Italian…and many of my heroes are over six feet tall with dark hair and eyes.  Hmmmm.

But it’s not like anybody has ever asked him if he’s a vampire.  (BTW, he isn’t.) 

So, my week has been full of fun and humor.  I hope yours has as well.  How about we have a giveaway for one copy of Hunted to a randomly chosen commenter here?  I’ll choose at the end of the weekend.  Feel free to just comment on anything.  If you’d like a prompt:  How was your week?

 

TO PURCHASE HUNTED

 

 

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Hunted is out in the Wild!

By Rebecca Zanetti · Comments (3)
Friday, May 4th, 2012
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Hi all!  Somehow the internet ate my blog post about paranormal heroes, so I’ll find that and post next time.  For now, let me tell you about Book 3 in the Dark Protector Series.  Hunted officially released this Tuesday on May 1st and is available in both print and e-book formats.  Hunted is about a vampire soldier (Connlan Kayrs) and a tough witch (Moira Dunne) who accidentally mated about a century ago.   Here’s a new excerpt involving Conn, Moira, and Moira’s cousin, Kell.:

Stretched out on his back, Conn took a deep breath, dropping his head to the floor.  His entire body ached as if put through a cement mixer.  “Moira.”  He needed to make sure she hadn’t bruised her head.  She trembled against him, her breath coming in shallow gasps.  Anger simmered beneath his skin.  His mate was terrified.

Then she lifted her head.  He’d misjudged her.  Pure, raw fury lit her expression.  Shoving against his chest, she leapt to her feet.  “Son of a bitch.”  Shaking hands pushed back rioting curls as she rounded on her cousin.  “Some sort of pull, out of nowhere.  Out of the air.”  She stalked over to the bar and back, her gaze on the glass littering the floor, thoughts scattering across her face as she turned toward her cousin.  “Finally, an explanation.  This is how, Kell.”

Conn stretched to his feet.  “How what, Moira?”  Fury began to bubble anew through his veins.  He was a soldier and more than adapt at squashing his emotions.  But the heat ripping along his muscles hinted he might not be able to contain his temper today.

She whirled around.  “Oh, ah…nothing.”

He saw red.  Two strides had her biceps in his hands as he lifted her; two more had her ass slapping the bar.  Surprise lit her face and she stilled.  He leaned in, allowing every ounce of pissed off power to show on his face.  “How what?”

The surprise waned and she flared to life.  Temper flashed bright green in those eyes, sparks danced on her skin.  “Manhandle me again, Kayrs, and you’ll end up on all fours baying at the moon.”  She tried to find leverage with her legs, but his hips kept them immobile on either side of his.

Oh, he’d made a mistake.  No way in hell should he have allowed her a century.  “Let’s go pack your bags, Moira.  We’re heading home.”  The sooner he got her safely ensconced at headquarters, the sooner he could hunt for whoever was trying to take her.

She took a deep breath, making an obvious effort to keep from screaming.  Color washed her porcelain skin a blazing pink.  Perfect teeth clenched as she pushed sound out.  “I am home.”

“No.  Home just became an underground fortress guarded at every turn.”

Kell cleared his throat.  “Ah, as much as I’d like leave you to vampire foreplay, we need to get going.”

I hope you enjoyed the excerpt!

TO PURCHASE HUNTED

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Where Did March Go? Win a Copy of Fated or Claimed!

By Rebecca Zanetti · Comments (72)
Friday, April 6th, 2012
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Random.org  chose Kyle Code as the winner.  Congrats!

Hi all!  Happy Friday!  First, I’d like to remind everyone that Hunted releases this month on April 24th.  Hunted is the third book in the Dark Protector series and features Connlan Kayrs, the ultimate vampire soldier, and Moira Dunne, a wicked-hot witch from Ireland.  The two mated a century ago (after a wild, crazy night), and Conn gave Moira one hundred years to train as a witch and learn her powers.  Time is up, and Conn heads across the ocean to bring his witch home.  She, ah, doesn’t quite fall in line.

I’ve been working hard writing the fifth book in the Dark Protector Series.  This book features Kane Kayrs, the smartest and most logical vampire on the planet, and his possible mate, a free-spirited eco-friendly human woman who has no idea the power she holds to fight demons.  She’s a pacifist, for goodness sakes.  :)

During the last month, I’ve spent time writing in several airports and different cities across the USA.  First, twenty of us gals ventured to Las Vegas to celebrate our friend’s 40th birthday.  Now, you take twenty moms and give them a weekend away from work, baseketball games, and laundry?  Yes.  We spent time at a hospital, time at several pools that weren’t with our hotel, and time in those underground rooms where a casino takes a troublemaker.  I truly don’t know how many times I said, “I’m not licensed to practice law in Nevada.  Behave.”  A few of us also gambled…and we attended the Thunder Down Under show.  Very interesting.

After Nevada, I headed across the country to New Orleans.  I absolutely love that city.  The FF&P conference was held there, and I gave a workshop about craft blunders.  I also went on a ghost/vampire tour of the city that was beyond cool.  And creepy.  I had so many ideas spinning through my head for stories afterwards!  But I did get a chance to write while soaking up the energy of the city.  In fact, there are a couple scenes in Hunted set in New Orleans!  What’s funny is that I turned that book in a year ago.

Then my entire family (husband and kids, parents, sisters and their families) headed for Maui for spring break.  There were fifteen of us, and we had a ball.  I wrote at the pool, I wrote at the beach, and I tried very unsuccessfully to write on a boat while whale watching.  Don’t write on a boat while whale watching if you have the slightest inclination to get sea sick.  Watch the whales.  I quickly set the computer aside and watched whales, feeling just fine by the end of the trip.  Isn’t the picture nice?

So, now I’m gearing up to promote Hunted.

To celebrate the release of Hunted on April 24th of this month, how about we do a giveaway of either Fated or Claimed (the first two books in the series)?  Just leave a comment for a chance to win – I’ll leave the contest open through the weekend.  Have you been on any fun vacations lately?  If not, where would you like to go?

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The Russian Vampire Gets Tempted

By Rebecca Zanetti · Comments (2)
Friday, March 2nd, 2012
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Hi All!  I’m in New Orleans at the FF&P conference right now.  This is my first time in the Big Easy, and so far, I love it!  (Even though my hair has just gone crazy from the humidity.  Remember that Friends episode with Monica in Hawaii?  Yeah, that’s me right now.)  Also, it’s snowing big time at home, and yet it’s nice and sunny here.  Don’t worry, I haven’t given my family a hard time about the nice weather…not at all.  :)   Tonight we’re going on a vampire/ghost tour, and I can’t wait.  Then on Saturday, I’m giving a workshop at 8:30am about 10 craft blunders…and there’s a book signing on Sunday at 9:00am at the New Orleans Marriott.  I hope to see you there!

And…guess what?  Tempted releases this month!  It’ll be available via download on March 27th.  Even if you don’t have an e-reader, you can download the novella to your computer and read it.  So, here’s an excerpt:

Tempted by Rebecca ZanettiBiting back a sigh, Max stalked over uneven concrete and deep puddles. Maneuvering around to the rear of the paint-chipped building, he found his prey.

Two long legs led up to a heart-shaped ass trying to wiggle out a window.  He let her drop to the ground, waiting until she turned around.

“Please don’t run.”  His boots were made for kicking down doors, not running.

Sarah yelped, pressing back against the worn shingles, hand to her chest.

It was the worst self-defense move he’d ever seen.  “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Eyes the color of deep chocolate widened.  Dark circles marred the smooth skin over her delicate features.  Running had taken a toll.  Sandy-blond hair framed her classic face.  She stood much taller than Cara and Emma, the new mates of his friends and the only human females he’d been near in over a century.

This woman, the one he hunted, she stood tall with legs long enough to give him pause.  Yet, even at about five foot eleven, she was several inches shorter than him.

Something sizzled along his spine.  His body reacted to the gentle vibrations cascading off the woman.  Instinct honed his focus on her.  Special.  He should’ve known by his obsession with her picture.  The woman was a potential vampire mate.  Enhanced.  Maybe an empath?

He waited as she settled her stance.  Then went for a knee shot.

It was the worse side kick he’d ever seen.  Her worn tennis shoe bounced off his knee, causing no more hurt than a breeze.  She stumbled, and he reached out to steady her.  His hand easily wrapped around her bicep.  “Where the hell did you learn to fight?”

“The internet,” she gasped, trying to jerk away.

That explained it.  “The knee shot was a good move. You just didn’t aim the kick right.”  He was a big guy.  If she dropped him, she’d be able to run.

“Should I try again?”  Fire lit her eyes while a small smile flirted with her pink lips.

The humor caught him off guard.  He matched her smile.  “You’ll just hurt your foot.”

Let me know if you get the chance to read Tempted and what you think about Max’s story.  If you’re in New Orleans, definitely drop by the book signing on Sunday to say hi.  Have a wonderful weekend!

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Win an ARC, Happy Valentine’s Month!

By Rebecca Zanetti · Comments (33)
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
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UPDATE:  Congrats to Bon for winning the ARC!

Hello all!  This is my first Brava post for 2012.  Not because I accidentally missed my January spot (which, let’s face it, was entirely possible), but because some stupid hacker took our site down for a couple weeks in January.  How, I have no clue.  I could no more hack an internet site than beat Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. The Rock) in an arm wrestling contest.

I have to ask…why don’t these internet gurus use their genius for good rather than…annoyance.  Notice I didn’t say evil.  They’re not evil.  They’re just dumb@$#%s.  (I’m pretty sure I can’t swear on the Brava blog).

Anyway, I digress.   HAPPY NEW YEAR!  And since it’s now February, Happy Valentine’s Month!

I’m gearing up to promote both Tempted and Hunted.  Tempted is an e-novella from the Dark Protector series featuring Max, a tough Russian bodyguard, and Sarah, an ex-teacher who just escaped from a mental institution.  Really, it could happen to any of us.  Please note that you don’t need an e-reader to get Tempted.  You can use “Kindle for PC,” which is a free program from Amazon – you just read on your computer.  I use it all the time.  (I also have a new Kindle Fire I’m loving!)  Tempted will be released on March 27th.

Hunted is book three in the series and features Connlan Kayrs, the ultimate soldier, and Moira Dunne, a tough witch from Ireland.  The two accidentally mated a hundred years ago, and Conn gave Moira time to train as a witch.  Time is up.  Hunted will be released on April 24th.

Both books are available for pre-order now.  Hint.  Hint.

So, I’d like to give away an ARC of Hunted to a commenter here on the Brava blog.  The contest is open internationally and will close late Sunday night.  (Today is Friday here).  Feel free to just say hi, or answer a question.  Could you hack an internet site?  Have you ever been hacked?  Why do you want a Hunted ARC?  Do you think you could beat the Rock in an arm wrestling contest?

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Claimed + Snow + Hot Army Guys = A GIVEAWAY!

By Rebecca Zanetti · Comments (76)
Friday, November 4th, 2011
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UPDATE:  Random.org went to work and the winners are:  Michelle Harlan and Lynn A. Reynolds.  Congrats!

CLAIMED has officially been released and is out in the wild.  I can’t tell you how much I’ve appreciated the emails sent to me about Dage and Emma’s story—as well as the nice reviews put up on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads.  To celebrate, I’d like to give away two books today—either Fated or Claimed—winner’s choice.  (So there will be two winners, and they each get to choose one book.)

Halloween has past, and I’ve been removing some decorations and putting up pumpkins.  Well, and I’ve been waiting for snow.  It was to have arrived last night, and it’s late.  The vampires in the Dark Protector series are warm blooded, so the snow doesn’t bother them much.  It doesn’t bother me much either.  I’m a firm believer in warm boots and hot chocolate—as well as reading indoors.

But, I have learned a very tough lesson in that I can’t read on the treadmill.  Not that a good book doesn’t occupy my mind.  But my feet are dangerous on their own. 

They need to be watched.

The truly frightening part of what I’m going to tell you is that it’s happened before.  I have fallen off a treadmill many times.  Yeah, I’m a klutz.  So I knew better.  When my sister had free passes to a gym in town and asked me to go with her, I should’ve said no.  I knew even as the words “sure, sounds fun,” fell out of my mouth, that I should say no.

But I didn’t say no.

I went to the gym, fully determined to run for at least thirty minutes as I’m trying REALLY hard to get back into shape.  So I jumped on the treadmill, stuck my earphones around my ears, and blasted cardio music.  Then I made the ultimate mistake.  I opened the book I’ve been dying to read.

All was well for about twenty minutes.  Then…my left shoe caught on the side edge.  I wobbled.  My toe turned inward.  I bent at the waist.  I reached for the wonderful book, and my hands slipped on the book rest.

I windmilled.

Then, like so many times before, I went kalunck, thunk, wack.  If you’ve never had a burn mark on your butt from falling on a still running treadmill, well then, consider yourself lucky.  The only, and I mean only, saving grace of this situation was that my sister jumped into action and yanked the safety cord of the treadmill.  Keep in mind that she was laughing so hard tears literally dropped onto my knee.

Also, just so you fully appreciate the story, I should add that there was a group of on-leave, very hot, army guys pumping iron to the side.  And yeah, they saw the whole thing.  One even winked.  WINKED!

So, as I sit here on my still smarting hiney, I hope I’ve brought a smile to your snowy day.  (Or sunny day, depending on where you are.)  Please leave a comment for a chance to win a book.  Have you ever fallen off a treadmill?  Or, do you have any fun winter plans?  Or even better, what do you imagine a hot-blooded vampire could do with a snow day?   :)

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October has Claimed Us…

By Rebecca Zanetti · Comments (5)
Friday, October 7th, 2011
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I’ve been a bit quiet lately on the web because…we’re back to school.  Not only are my kids back to school, but so am I.  We’re into a schedule, and frankly, it takes me some time to adjust.  I’m teaching full time at the college now, and as usual, I jumped in with both feet.

But October is here!  That means that we’re in a schedule, life is smooth, and the nights are about to get longer.  Right?!?  I almost have myself convinced.  This is good because hey, it’s time for the goblins, vampires, and demons to show up. 

It’s also time to start talking about CLAIMED.  Dage and Emma’s story will be released on November 1st, and I can’t wait.  As the vampire king, Dage is quite the Alpha hero,  and only an equally intelligent, driven, and spirited woman could be his mate.  Emma Paulsen is brilliant and hard-working—totally focused on curing the vampire virus that ends up threatening her sister.  While Dage may be an over-the-top Alpha, his mate is more than a match for him.

Here’s a very quick excerpt from CLAIMED:

Emma glanced to his side and fought to keep her mouth from hanging open.  Dage stood in the doorway dressed in a black tux—all powerful male animal.  The sharp angles of his face enhanced those amazing eyes.  Even in the civilized garb, something not quite tame emanated from him.

His gaze swept her head to toe.  “You’re wearing my colors, love.”  He stalked forward and leaned down to brush her cheek with a kiss.  “Soon you’ll be wearing me,” he whispered for her ears only.

Desire blasted into her even as she stepped back.  She liked things organized, nicely lined up in test tubes.  There was nothing nice about Dage, and she sure as hell couldn’t predict him.  And any outcome she’d envisioned ended with the king destroyed.  Because of her.  She shook her head.  “No.”  Damn but that sounded breathy and unsure.

His eyes hardened but he didn’t get a chance to respond because Janie threw herself into his arms.  “Uncle Dage.  Do you like my dress?”

An astonishing change came over the king.  His face softened, his eyes glowed as he caught the little girl and stood her on a cherry wood end table.  “You’re beautiful, Janie.”  His smile crinkled the corners of his mouth.

“Like a princess?”  The little girl breathed.

Dage held her tiny hand with a delicate touch Emma would have to be blind to miss.  “You are a princess, sweetheart.”

The smile bursting across her niece’s face reached Emma’s heart.  An odd relief eased her mind.  Janie’s safety wasn’t only on her shoulders anymore.  Dage and Talen were more than equipped to keep the little girl safe should the worst happen.  In case she failed to find a way to cheat death. 

So, thanks for dropping by today.  I have to ask: are you ready for October?  In my little part of the world, it means darker nights, colder days, and a hint of winter in the air.  What does it mean to you?

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Goodbye, Summer…

By Rebecca Zanetti · Comments (7)
Friday, September 2nd, 2011
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Well, it’s September.  Summer is over.  I thought maybe a couple of pictures would best show how I spent my summer.  First, there was writing.  Many hours spent writing Tempted, which is a novella in the Dark Protectors Series to be released in e-format next April.  Tempted is about Max.  He’s little Janie’s bodyguard and it was so much fun to discover more about him.  The guy is Russian and has a great sense of humor.  Here’s the cover for Tempted.  Hot, right?

Besides writing, there was some lake time.  Okay.  I may have brought my laptop along.  But have you ever written by the lake?  It’s awesome.  And when you get a night that’s quiet and dark…with the full moon just rising over the nearest trees…yeah.  Serious writing time.

I went to New York for the RWA conference and signed books at the Kensington book signing.  It was wonderful!  I also spent many hours at sporting events.  Kid’s softball tournaments, lacrosse tournaments, and three-on-three basketball tournaments.  And of course, we went camping.  Though, well, we don’t exactly rough it.  There are campers with A/C, movie nights and flat screen tv’s.  One of our friends is even a gourmet cook.  So yeah, we eat better up camping than at home.

Summer was wonderful and went too quickly.  

But nights are getting longer and darker…Fall is here. 

Time for the creatures to come out of hiding. 

Goodbye, Summer. 

See you next year.

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