Happy New Year

I'd like to wish everyone who reads this all the best for the new year 2018.

Here in Belgium, due to the very bad weather, lots of fireworks displays have been cancelled, but I suppose there will be enough of them in other places.

We won't be doing a lot of partying, as we are leaving for London to spend to rest of the week there. London is always fun!

Enjoying the Chrismas holidays

Christmas has gone for another year. Now it's heading off to New Year's Eve.

We're staying at the coast for the time being. The coast is always great, in every season. Now it's cold and windy, with bouts of rain. However, there is always a chance to be outdoors. The rain never lasts for hours. So we make walks, enjoy goodies (after all, it's a holiday), do what we like... Especially for my sister a holidays is much needed.She has such a strenuous job and need to kick off every now and then.

We celebrated Christmas Eve at home (it was also my sister's birthday) but we went out dining in the bistro next door. Btw, it's nice to have a good restaurant so close by! Christine and Evie, the two ladies who own the restaurant, always take very good care of their guests. We had a lovely meal and our afternoon went by in a great way.

We won't be able to do anything with New Year's Eve, as we are going to London the following day. So no big celebration or party! I need my rest nowadays.

So, how do you spend the holidays?

Merry Christmas

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone who reads this blog a Merry Christmas. Make it a happy time, with lots of love, family joy ... good food and lots of presents!

Start of the Christmas holidays

It's going to be a very busy day at Brussels Airport today. They expect a load of passengers. The exams are done, most pupils got their marks and so everyone can leave for a trip. Most of these people travel to sunnier places, like Dubai or Sharm-El-Sheikh. For me, that's not done. Ok, I like sun, but in winter I'd choose a place where you can find some snow. Last winter we went to Budapest, and it was snowing as we arrived - the rest of the days were sunny, though, with a cold edge.

This time, we are first going to spend some time at our flat at the coast. We'll celebrate Christmas there. My sister likes to cook, so we can expect something special on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Then we'll head home on the 30th, to be able to do more shopping for New Year's Eve. In Dendermonde, the shops close on most Sundays and holidays. At the coast, this is different. There the supermarket is always open on Sunday.

After New Year, we're going to spend the rest of the week in our favorite place abroad, namely London. We've got tickets for a musical (Kinky Boots) and a ballet (Cinderella at Sadlers' Wells). Always great to be there, and there'll be sales when you go shopping. I still need some things for our upcoming trip to the Emirates.

I'm still on half a dosis of my daily poison, so I may expect to enjoy the holidays to the full extent.

In the Heat of the Tropics

Please welcome author Christina Elliott today, who's doing a virtual book tour for her publication In the Heat of the Tropics.  Christina will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during this tour. Please use this link to place your comment: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f2532

So, what's the book about?

Blurb

Amid a sweltering Miami summer, a serial killer is haunting the city. Reporter Ingrid Sorenson is assigned the story and her primary source is brusque detective Rick Gonzalez. The pair clash, but sparks of passion ignite. They risk their jobs to give in to their desire, but mistrust of each other’s career motives wedges them apart. Then Ingrid gets a tip that leads her into the killer’s lair. She and Rick must choose between saving themselves or rescuing their love.

Excerpt

As Ingrid opened the door, Rick thrust a bouquet of white roses at her. “To make up for being out of touch,” he said.

She was touched by his thoughtfulness. “You didn’t have to do that, but thanks. They’re lovely. I’ll put them in a vase.” They entered and she disappeared into the kitchen.

“It was either flowers or chocolate,” he called as she disappeared into the kitchen. She filled a glass vase with water and set the roses in them. 

“Good choice. I love chocolate, but I try to stay away from it,” she said, exiting the kitchen to place the vase in the center of the dining table.

“I figured. Chocolate can be a double-edged sword, but you can’t really go wrong with roses.”

“White’s an elegant color, too.”

“You’re an elegant lady.”

“You know all the lines.”

“I wish it was as simple as knowing lines.” 

“It’s not, is it?” She gave him a bemused smile.

“You got that right. So how am I doing so far?”

“Mmmm.” Folding her arms, she tilted her head and squinted her eyes in a mock-study of him. “B-plus.”

“What? I thought I deserved at least an A-minus.”

“There’s always room for improvement.”

“Whoa, she’s tough, ladies and gentlemen.”

She laughed. “So, you ate pizza already.”

“I was starving and believe me, you don’t want to be around me when I’m hungry, but we can get you something to eat.”

“So you can do surveillance on me as I chow down?”

“You’re a feast for my eyes.”

Ingrid groaned. “Let’s get going before your lines make me lose my appetite.” She grabbed her purse.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” He held open the front door for her. “I know a great empanada place in Coconut Grove. We could get a couple of them and go eat by the marina at a picnic table,” Rick said as he drove. “We can even sit side-by-side so I don’t have you under surveillance.”

“I love empanadas,” Ingrid said. “Definitely one of the best things I’ve discovered in Miami.”

“So am I up to an A-minus now?”

She laughed, suddenly feeling carefree and totally in the moment. “Yes, I’ll give you an A-minus for that.”

I did a little interview with Christina, and here's what she answered:

a) How did you prepare for this novel?
In the Heat of the Tropics grew out of my stint as a newspaper reporter in Miami. The protagonist, Ingrid, is the reporter. Since I lived in Miami, I chose to set the book there as it’s a sexy setting. Cops and reporters are always clashing on big stories—the reporters want information, the police don’t want to give it. Also, reporters and police have a common goal—the truth. So there’s a natural tension, as well as a commonality, that I saw I could use as the basis for a good romance. Plus, of course, many cops are alpha males, who make  good hero characters.
b) Do you have a background in law/police?
As a reporter, I covered cops, crime and courts a lot during my career. I’ve also dated two cops (!) and took a citizens police course that was offered by my local police department. I highly recommend those courses as a good way to gain insight into police and policing. Many jurisdictions offer them and they’re free! So with all that, I had a good leg up on the police stuff. I looked up online a few things I didn’t know or posted queries on writers’ groups. 
c) How do you deal with criticism, albeit justified?
It always stings, but I don’t overreact. I remind myself that it’s only one person’s opinion. If more than one reader makes the same criticism, then that element bears looking at. I wait for a while to let the sting cool off then I go back and look at what they’re saying with an objective eye to see what I can learn for the future. After all, you don’t get better by everyone patting you on the back. You have to know where you can improve to improve.
d) Is this a first novel, or have you written others?
This is my first romantic suspense novel written as Christina Elliott. As Christina Hoag, I’ve had two other novels published: Girl on the Brink, a YA story about a girl who gets involved with the wrong guy. It’s about dating violence and was named to Suspense magazine’s Best of 2016 YA list. My other is a gritty crime novel, Skin of Tattoos, about a gang member who wants to get out of the gang life, but finds it much harder than he anticipates for a number of reasons. He gets drawn in deeper with some pretty bad consequences. That one was a finalist for the 2017 Silver Falchion Award for suspense.
e) What do you like to read yourself?
I read a lot of different stuff, but I’d say I love well written fiction that incorporates crime and romance. Those two elements make for good, emotionally intense drama. I was an English major, so I also love reading classics and literary fiction and exploring international authors and settings. I think writers have to read widely and a lot. 


Author bio and links

Christina Elliott is a former Miami newspaper reporter and editor. She now writes spicy romantic suspense novels from Los Angeles, where she’s glad to report there are far fewer bad-hair days but sadly far less Cuban coffee. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America.

Website: http://www.christinaelliottauthor.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ChristinaHoag
Facebook: https://facebook.com/ChristinaHoagAuthor
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/759330
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/in-the-heat-of-the-tropics
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-heat-of-the-tropics-christina-elliott/1127471542

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077GZPBQW/

Why not try a folly once in while?

Nowadays, I take life as it comes. I enjoy each day given to me and hope there'll be many more. And one important thing is never to give up hope.

So it's good to make plans - even impromptu ones. 2018 is getting pretty busy with all the things we're going to do. We're lucky that money isn't an issue. My sister still works and has a decent monthl income, while I enjoy a pension as civil servant. No kids, mortgage paid, so why do we need to save (too) much?

Like I said, this allows to give in to a folly every now and then. I remember 2011 when all of a sudden we could get tickets (250 £ a piece) for the 25th Anniversary of Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Plus two nights at a hotel.... But it was so worth all the money! It's one of those memories we both cherish, as we were also blessed with truly beautiful warm weather for this occasion.

And now we did it again. Chris read somewhere that American singer Michael Bolton (whom met unexpectedly met in Venice last year) comes to the UK for a series of special performances. As ones of these dates falls into a school holiday, we are able to attend. Spent all yesterday afternoon booking train tickets (Eurostar to London, Virgin to Liverpool), finding a hotel, buying VIP tickets to the event. Gives us the opportunity to talk to Michael for a while, and ask if he now has time to buy us a pint...

Do you ever give in to follies?

The warmest week

In three days' time, StuBru (one of our national radio stations) will organize De Warmste Week (Flemish for: the warmest week). It is traditionally the week before Christmas.

During this week, funds will be raised for all kind of good causes and the money will be donated to these organisations during a big live show on TV.

It's a wonderful gesture, I think. Most organisations don't get government support, like the organisation that fights cancer. They all depend on the goodwill of people like you and me. It is thanks to the moneys they collected in the course of years, that doctors now have more means to conquer this ugly illness. Would I've had cancer ten years ago, my chances would have been nihil. Now, thanks to the money collected, a whole ranch of medicines have been brought to market. These pills can reduce the size of tumors, even make them disappear. Doctors think that in 10 years' time cancer will only be a chronical disease. I hope to live that long.

Our (little) support comes in the form of a monthly donation. We used to support another good cause, but now think the fight against cancer is more important. We also plan to leave our inheritance to this organisation. This way we can do something back for all the chances I've been given.

Gradually getting into the Christmas spirit

Since Monday last, the radio station has been airing christmas songs galore. That's already something to put you into the right mindset for Christmas. I love classics as 'Last Christmas' by George Michael.

Our house is already fully decorated. We like to put up decorations according to the season. It brings life into the old house, I find. Ever if we have the opportunity, we buy little things abroad that are nice for one season or other. Like we have reindeer from Alaska, and strings of fishes from the south of France.

The Christmas stall we put up was already there when I was born, nearly 62 years ago. We still have it (and it's in relatively good shape), only the big star has gone missing. We now have a little one.

Another reason why I look forward to the coming holidays is that I feel fine once more. Since my last check-up on Thursday last week, the doctor halved my dosis of my daily 'poison'. I also got a prescription for a pill that helps against nausea. Now I take such a pill half an hour before I take my 'poison' pill of 400 mg and .... I feel fine. I can eat with taste once more, have more energy, no more pain anywhere in my body. I hope it can remain this way.

So, how do you feel about Christmas?

Why it pays to have two freezers

Our weather is just terrible, and continues to be so. Yesterday, it was full chaos. Brussels Airport had to cancel almost their flights, as they could only use one runway. People had to spend the night at the airport.

On the roads, not so much difference. Traffic got stuck for hours at an end. For a relatively short distance, you had to reckon with a ride of 2-3 hours, as many trucks got stuck on bridges or such.

I tried to clear a path on the pavement, but after ten minutes you couldn't see it anymore.

Conclusion: if you don't have to go outside, remain in! Luckily we had done some shopping on Saturday, when it was cold but dry. And we do have two freezers, in which can be found many things. My sister loves home baking, so we always have some cake or buns in the freezer. Just like soup. Onion soup, leek soup, tomato soup, ... All in portions of one person.

Today is also a day you'd better not leave you home because the pavements are slippery because not everybody cleans them up (even when there are fines). So we live from what we find in our freezers. For today there's a big pot of premade spaghetti sauce and I always have a pasta enough. Tomorrow we can have an omelet for lunch, with bread we just have to unfreeze.

And hopefully tomorrow will be somewhat better!

Let it snow, let it snow...

Yesterday, it snowed all morning and well into the afternoon. It was the first time this year the snow remained for a while. This morning, we woke up once more to heavy snowfall. It's still going on right this minute, and I won't be able to clear a path (I tried to, but you don't see it anymore).

We usually don't get this kind of snow. Most of the time, when it snows, it's just for a short while and the snow disappears before you know it.

This reminds me of my years in Germany, when winters were cold and snow fell abundantly. We went skiing and skating of the frozen lakes. That was great fun. Last week I was talking with someone (during a check-up at the hospital) who equally spent time in Soest. Lots of memories came back. It really was a good time and I enjoyed those years a lot. I remember I had so much fun there with my friends I barely came home (only when I didn't have any clean clothes left).

The shame of Brussels

Yesterday, it was decided that Brussels won't get any EC 2018 matches. A real shame. They just don't get the Eurostadium ready in time - well, the building hasn't even started.

This is a great problem in our country. I.m.o. it's because of all the different governments we have. Indeed, for such a small country we have various government: the federal, the regional ones (Flanders, Brussels and Wallony). And then you must know that we have a high debt...  Wouldn't it be easier if we just had ONE government, like in the old days? It would save a lot of money, that could be used to build more schools, improve the police force, get more public building done.

But no, they rather fight over who has the right to do something.

The Eurostadium isn't the only building project gone wrong. There is equally a big problem with Brussels Airport, where the Brussels regional government hands out fines for planes flying over their territory. Also in my home town of Dendermonde we have two projects that just aren't going to be. Ten years ago, it was decided the railway station and its environment needed a make-over. But protest from locals has prevented this. Up to now nothing has been done. The same with the new prison. The existing one has become too old, too small for the number of prisoners incarcerated there. So they wanted to build a new prison, completely up to modern standards, on a piece of land near the river and the railway line. Nobody lives there. But some farmers have been succesfully fighting this decision. I think they hope that when the plans are definitely burned, they can sell that ground as building lots (for lots of money).

I.m.o. public good should prevail over private interests. What do you think?

Thankful for little things

These last weeks, I've learned how precious the little things in life are. Always having been full of health, full of energy, I didn't think of being ill. I enjoyed my life to the full - good food, good wine, lots of trips abroad. Life was great.

But now I'm suffering from the effects of a chemo-treatment I've come to know how precious those things really are. Right now I feel thankful for being able to eat without being sick afterwards (mind, nothing to heavy on the stomach, light meals). I'm thankful for being able to walk to the town center - last week I was unable to stand on my feet as they hurt like hell.

Every day without major trouble is a good one nowadays. I just hope the treatment helps to reduce the metastasis in my body. The main tumor has been removed but a couple of small lumps remain. The medicine I take should be able to reduce the size of them, even can make them go away. But it's poison to the body. Just think of it: if it doesn't kill you, you might get better!

Tabula Rasa

Yesterday, we watched the last - and very surprising - episode of Tabula Rasa:  a Flemisch tv-series with Veerle Baetens in the leading role and of course a lot of other prime actors.

'Tabula Rasa' is about Mie D'Haeze, a married woman who suffers from amnesia since her car accident. Mie (short for Annemarie) can't remember anything - not even what happened just ago. And then someone goes missing and she's the only witness. The police place her in a mental institution in the hope the doctors there can make Mie better so she remembers where Thomas is.

Inside the institution, Mie gets visits from her mother and husband and she gets friendly with another patient, Vronsky. She also gets visits from the police and her psychiater, Dr. Mommaerts. She keeps a scrapbook in which she draws pictures of her dreams. Sometimes she gets mysterieus letters, warning her not to believe everything she sees or hears...

Bit by bit the viewer get more insight in what really happened. For instance, we learn that Mie's little girls - who plays around in the first episodes - in reality died in the car accident. And that she meets the man who is deemed responsible for that accident.

It was a rather special series, but both my sister and I loved it. And we never saw the end coming!

Kick-off of the 1000 Classics

Today my home town Dendermonde had the honor of being the one where Radio 2's lauch of 1000 Classics was to take place. The 1000 Classics are always aired during the first week of the Christmas holidays and everyone can vote for them. You just go to one of the happenings, or simply go online to make your top-three of favorites. The number that gets most votes will be nr 1. For a couple of years, that's been Queen's  Bohemian Rhapsody, which is also my all-time favorite.

The radio vans of Radio 2 were parked on the market square of Dendermonde, and if you voted, you got a free ticket for a special attraction. Santa's sleigh was being lifted high up in the air, and when inside you had a magnificent view over the town. The only minor thing was that it was rather foggy, next to being ice-cold. But you were treated to a warm soup or a glass of cava (good quality). That warmed the bones!