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Thoughts from bestselling, award-winning romance author Heidi Betts (and her alter-ego, Mistress Heidi) on her Works-in-Progress and the many links in the chain that keeps her shackled to her desk until each new project is polished and complete.

touching the paranormal with Marilyn Brant

Since I’m such a huge Jane Austen fan (and since Pride and Prejudice has always been my favorite novel), I’m frequently asked about my impressions of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. As I said in my interview last week, I tried really hard to like it, but it just didn’t work for me. I’m not much of a lover of the undead, the whole eating-brains thing totally weirds me out, and the gimmicky aspect to the book took away from what I most cherished about the Austen’s work: the insightfulness of the characters. Too much time was spent on the (in my opinion) ridiculousness of the zombie-killing plot.

But, just because “ultraviolent zombie mayhem” didn’t do it for me, it doesn’t mean I’m not a big fan of the paranormal in literature—after all, I’ve got Austen herself taking on the role of a ghost in my debut, ACCORDING TO JANE! I don’t know how many of you have ever wondered what it might be like to have someone you considered incredibly wise and clever whisper in your ear and guide you through a situation where you felt unsure of yourself…  Most of adolescence was a kind of interpersonal minefield for me—there were endless friend dramas, high-school clique hierarchies, mystifying family members and boys who may have been aliens (I still haven’t ruled that out) for all I understood them.  Plus, although I have an awesome younger brother, I never had an older sister, or even any older cousins, to give me advice as a teen.  If I could have chosen anyone to fill that role, it would’ve been Jane. The problem, of course, was that she’d been dead for a couple hundred years…  Getting to write this book gave me a chance to resurrect her–LOL!

ACCORDING TO JANE was the first book I wrote with a paranormal element, but it won’t be the last. It’s certainly a genre I’ve enjoyed as a reader (Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key was my favorite novel in 3rd grade, and I’ve loved everything from Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic to J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series in the years since.) I’ve adored stories where the characters are somehow transported back in time (Time and Again by Jack Finney is at the top of that list for me, as is Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife) and stories where there are magical objects (as in Katherine Neville’s The Eight) or special powers (like The Gift of Magic by Lois Duncan or the Teresa Medeiros novel Touch of Enchantment) involved in creating the tale.

I know Heidi has written books with a hint of magic in them (an enchanted spinning wheel, anyone? *g*) and may even be planning some other fun paranormals in the upcoming months/years (can’t wait to get my hands on those!), but in the meantime, I’m open to suggestions for what to read next in the paranormal realm. I’ve got a few Sherrilyn Kenyon’s on tap (I really enjoyed Fantasy Lover and want to read more of hers), and there are some fun-sounding books that are Austen-themed and have a time-traveling element to them…

But I’d love to hear what YOUR favorite things are in a paranormal. Specific authors you enjoy. Types of paranormal stories that tend to capture your interest. Those involving magical creatures/beings, perhaps? Mystical objects? Nifty powers? Special worlds? And what do you wish you would’ve come across in a paranormal (or would have liked to have seen more often) that you haven’t encountered?

I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on great paranormal stories, but I’m also open to answering questions about anything else that you may want to know (within reason…I still need to have some secrets )–fire away!

Thanks so much to Heidi and all of you Dungeon visitors for having me here throughout October! Hope you all have a wonderful Halloween!

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Thank you so much, Marilyn! What a great topic for Halloween Week!  I’m sure you get a lively discussion from my Darlings on this topic, too…they’re all kinds of rabid about paranormal.

Remember, everyone, that Marilyn will be drawing a winner after today’s visit for an ACCORDING TO JANE t-shirt, a Victoria’s Secret Big Caramapple lip gloss, & a four-pack (20 flavors) of Tea Treasures tea packets.  Only one winner (U.S. residents only, please) for all these neat items, but a name will be drawn from all of the comments left during Marilyn’s visits this month.

And as always, you can visit MarilynBrant.com any time to learn more about Marilyn & her books!

49 Responses to “touching the paranormal with Marilyn Brant”

  1. Grace says:

    Welcome back Marilyn!

    I love a good paranomal, especially if it’s somehow tied into a realm of something I enjoy a lot like mytholgy.

    I really love Kenyon’s Hunter series, regardless of whether it’s weres, hunters or her oneroi dream hunters. That Greek mytholgy tie in just gets me!

    Ditto on Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld books. The connection of their curse to Pandora’s box and the idea that the warriors each house one of the demons is a blast.

    Relative to vampires, while I’ve read the BDBs, I find Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed series much more interesting and the characters more intriguing. The fact that they are written in English and not Ward’s kind of odd vernacular is a plus. Sometimes I read her and all I get is “rap/product placement/True?” and it doesn’t work for me.

    I *love* Christine Feehan’s work for the most part. Her Drake Sisters books reminded me very much of a Practical Magi/?Charmed marriage. My literary crush is on her Ghostwalkers, who I find absolutely delicious and the idea of military men with psychic ability being experimented on is just close enough to something that might have been considered behind closed doors just works for me.

  2. Maisey Yates says:

    Will I lose all my friends if I confess that, generally speaking, I’m not much for paranormals?

    Yes? Well, I’ve already said it, so it’s too late. :-(

    I did, however, like Twilight, so it may just be a case of me needing to break out of my contemporary category comfort zone. I ballyhooed Historicals long and loud thanks to the bodice-riptastic Fabio laden covers of my grandma’s romance novels, and then discovered I love Historicals. Though my Historicals are a no Fabio zone…

    Got any suggestions of Paranormals for me to help me see the light?

  3. barb says:

    Morning Marilyn, Glad to have you back with us. Have you ever had any experiences where you felt like someone else was in the room with you or you knew what was going to happen before it did? Must say I am not a Paranormal fan either Maisey. The Lords of the Underworld look interesting not sure I would get into reading them. I enjoy everyone talking about them and may pick one up to see what all the fuss is about.

  4. Heidi and everyone, thanks for the welcome back!

    Grace~I’ve read a couple of others by Gena S. but not the series you mentioned–I’ll have to look into it! I have heard endless praise for Christine Feehan and have no excuse but lack of time for not reading her yet. Both of the book series you suggested are ones I think I’d really enjoy–I’m so glad you told me about them so I know which to start with!! (*jotting down Drake Sisters and Ghostwalkers…*)

    Hi Maisey! I’m a lighter paranormal girl myself, so I tend to enjoy most the books that have only an element or two of the paranormal in an otherwise normal world or those that have a lot of humor in them. (I mentioned many of my faves in my post.) In general, I’m not hugely into the vampire thing, but I did really like Erin McCarthy’s Sucker Bet (vampires in Vegas). Mary Janice Davidson’s Undead series is also humorous. (And I’ll probably get pelted with hard Halloween candy for admitting this, but I haven’t yet read Twilight…I know, I know…so the fact that you liked that one means there’s probably a world of literature emerging along similar lines now. Maybe Alyson Noel’s Evermore series would be of interest??)

    Barb~thank you! I can’t say that I’ve had a direct paranormal experience like feeling as though someone was in the room with me…but I did feel the presence of someone close to me that had died. That’s a fairly common thing, I think. I have also felt a few times that I knew what was going to happen before it did. I tend to believe, in my case anyway, that this was more a function of being tuned in to nonverbal communication than because of any psychic ability, but I think we can all improve our awareness. So, perhaps, people who are really good at predicting the future are simply better able to collect information from their surroundings that the rest of us are oblivious to. Interesting to think about!

  5. Heidi says:

    Welcome back, Marilyn, we are thrilled to have you in The Dungeon again today. The only down side—you’ll be leaving us soon. Whaaaaa!

    Great question! I am a total sucker for all things paranormal & horror. The whole undead, brain-eating thing? I am so there!!! Dawn of the Dead, The Hills Have Eyes, The Cave, Deep Blue Sea…I love, love, love them.

    Until recently, however, I hadn’t been very much into paranormal in my reading. Or rather, I wasn’t reading much of what’s out there right now. I think I felt overwhelmed because there’s *soooo much* paranormal on the shelves at the moment. (And, yes, I say this as a gal who recently jumped on the bandwagon to write them herself. *snork*)

    But when it comes to paranormal romance, I’ll read just about anything. Vamps, werewolves, psychics, zombies…light & funny or scary & gory. One of my faves is Laurell K. Hamilton, both her “Anita Blake” & “Meredith Gentry” series. Not really romance there, but I love them all the same.

  6. Pamela Cayne says:

    Hi, Marilyn! Another fabulous post–thanks!

    For paranormals, I’m really up for anything, though I do have to admit quite a fondness for The Mummy. Action, adventure, a sizzling romance–is there anything it doesn’t have?

    And I do admit to having the next Merry Gentry marked on the calendar. I do adore that series…

  7. Heidi says:

    When does the new LKH/MG book come out? And what’s the title, do you know? I’m still ga-ga over Frost, so I haven’t been paying much attention.

    I’m totally on board with Gena’s Lord of the Underworld…& have just climbed aboard Ward’s BDB. Still a lot of authors/series I haven’t tried…Lara Adrian is one, Jacquie Frank another. Like I said there are so many, I can’t keep up or keep track!!!

    For the record, tho, I also love contemps or historicals that have just a touch of paranormal… Like the spinning wheel in my “Chicks with Sticks” trilogy or Marilyn’s ghost of Jane. I purposely set up my little hint of enchantment so that it *could* be real or could be imagined…& leave it up to the reader to decide. I think that sort of thing is fun.

  8. Heidi says:

    Oooh, new emoticons! Do you see them, too, or is it just me?

    I know we were pushing it on getting them up before Hallowen, but better late than never. And don’t worry; there are a lot there now, but we’ll be trimming them down to just the new set soon. It’s a WIP (work in progress) for WIPs.

  9. Jennifer E says:

    Has any books brought you tears? My girlfriend cries often when reading a book. Me, not so much, but I bald like a baby in the Little Mermaid. I am so pathetic.

  10. Hollie says:

    Hi…not much into paranormals myself..but have been known to read just about anything by my favorite authors! and have for the most part enjoyed them!I do believe in ghosts and premonitions..having someone stand beside me and as i turn to talk to them…no ones there! then again..maybe its the lack of sanity..LOLOL snork! Love the emoticons!!

  11. Heidi says:

    Jennifer~ I don’t know about Marilyn or the rest of the Darlings, but plenty of books have made me cry. I don’t go looking for them; tearjerkers are not my thing. But sometimes you think you’re reading just a regular, old romance when something tear-jerky pops up. LOL A couple that jump immediately to mind are Annie’s Song by Catherine Anderson & Forever in His Arms by Penelope Neri. A few of SEP’s have made me cry, Annie’s Wild Ride by Alina Adams…apparently anything with “Annie” in the title. And, yes, Annie the movie gives me the sniffles, too.

    Hollie~ I tend to read by author, too. It wouldn’t bother me a bit if SEP did a way-out paranormal or LKH did a sexy little straightlaced contemp. (I don’t expect it, mind you, but it wouldn’t bother me.) And look at authors like Lori Foster who do both well. For me, it’s the story. I’ll try anything, but I’ve gotta like it enough to keep coming back.

  12. Jane says:

    Hi Marilyn,
    Thanks for hanging out with us again. I love Heather Graham’s ghost stories. I love psychic stories and seeing how the skeptical hero or heroine eventually realizes the existence of paranormal creatures.

  13. Laura J. says:

    I love this one!! and this one most definitely this one!!!

    Okay welcome back Marilyn!! Being someone who doesn’t like the really scary suspenseful stuff, I stick to books like MJD’s Betsy the Vampire Queen books and Charlaine Harris’s Southern Vampires, (I *heart* Eric). Recently though I prefer reading something with matchmaking ghosts (loved Karen Kelley’s Double Dating with the Dead). And I like witches (at least the good kind) like Mindy Klasky’s Jane Madison books.

    So as long as they are funny and have zero to a tiny bit of suspense, I’m good for werewolves, fairy’s, vampires, genies, witches, ghosts, etc.

  14. Heidi~ooh! Laurell K. Hamilton has been on my TBR list for a long time! Thanks for reminding me!

    Pamela~yes, The Mummy! That was fun, wasn’t it? I’m still very intrigued by that contemporary paranormal you wrote and hope to see it on the shelves one day.

    Jennifer~you’re not alone! I cried during The Little Mermaid, too. Actually, almost anything Disney makes me sob at some point… Elizabeth Berg’s novels (women’s fiction, not paranormal) have a waterworks effect on me, esp. Never Change. Oh, and Mary Alice Monroe (writing under the name Mary Alice Kruesi) had a couple of light, whimsical paranormals that I love and that, also, were very touching: One Summer’s Night and Second Star to the Right.

    OMG, I LOVE these new emoticons!!! Hee! Just LOOK at this one:

    And this was my favorite thing to do as a kid:

    Wonderful, Heidi!!
    (Be back in a few minutes…

  15. Maisey Yates says:

    Oooh…good suggestions from all. :-) Thank you.

    Every romance makes me cry at the moment. But then, I am at a hormonal disadvantage and will be staying that way for a couple more months.

  16. Hollie~When Janet Evanovich added a slightly paranormal element to her Stephanie Plum series (it was in one or two of the “Between the Numbers” books), I really loved that. And I agree with Heidi that if SEP ever did anything paranormal, I’d be right there!

    Jane~thanks for the recommendation!! I’ve read Heather Graham, but never one of her ghost stories. I’ll check them out!

    Laura~that spider really cracks me up, too! Oh, and this is, unfortunately, what it’s been like in our house this week (my son has the flu…sigh), although nothing will stop my love of the dancing chick !!
    And, Laura, I’m jotting down all of your suggestions because I’m right there with you on the mild-suspense/high-humor meter. Double Dating with the Dead sounds hilarious!

    Okay, I don’t need an excuse to use more of these emoticons, do I?!
    This ghost is adorable:

    Hee! And the dancing werewolf–ahh! I think he’s groovin’ to some “Saturday Night Fever”! Can’t you just hear the Bee Gees???

  17. Raelena says:

    Oh, I LOVE paranormal reads. My favorite at the moment is Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. I’m really into paranormal romances mostly.

    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

  18. Laura J. says:

    Marilyn I also love Karen’s alien series they changed the name of some of them for mass market release and I can’t think of the names now. She has a warped sense of humor. It’s also a kind of He said, She said kind of story and I LOVE those (hmmm…I know someone else who wrote a really good He said, She said kind of book….now what was the name of that book? *g*)

  19. Laura J. says:

    Okay–I just re-read my post and it looks like I drunk posted. Really I haven’t had anything to drink. Yet.

    The Double Dating book is the He said/She said book. The alien books are bit a warped in a ha ha funny way and they are the ones they changed the name of for the mass market release.

    I hope that sounds better.

  20. Jane says:

    I just noticed the all the new emoticons. Yay. I’m gonna go crazy with them.

  21. Hollie says:

    well laura is saucy!! LOLOL
    oohhhhh a Pirate!! or is it a space cowboy..even tho there are no cows in space???
    jeesh these emoticons are addicting!!

  22. Laura J. says:

    not yet, but soon. verrrrryyy soooooonnnnn. Jose is calling for me from the fridge.

  23. Jennifer E says:

    Thanks guys, I don’t feel so pathetic any more. I guess the time of the month could be a factor too. LOL!!!

  24. Maisey Yates says:

    Hehe…I like my progress meter. Maybe I should write some words so it can move…

  25. Heidi says:

    Well, *I* haven’t had anything to drink today either (yet *snicker*) & I understood your first post perfectly, Laura. So what does that say about us, exactly?

    Jennifer~ PMS or no, I think sometimes things just strike us as sad. One day we could hear/read something & it wouldn’t phase us, another it could have us sobbing. Dr. Phil got me today. It was about the son of a suspected serial killer who felt guilt over his father’s actions. Wasn’t supposed to be sad, but he got choked up & next thing ya know, I’m wrist-deep in a box of tissues.

    I will say that I stay away from anything that I think will intentionally make me cry. You know, Oprah books or emotional women’s fiction & such. Sorry, but I want to be *entertained* by my entertainment material, not gut-wrenched.

  26. Heidi says:

    Glad you’re all enjoying the new emoticons, btw. Sorry it took so long to get them up, but the other “big changes” here in The Dungeon put us a little behind on that sort of thing. No doubt we’ll make full use of them thru the holidays, tho, right? And I’ll try to be more spot-on about getting the Xmas ones up. (Oh, look, I’m British now. ) Not that Brits are I just like that one.

    And this one

    And this one

    And this one

    And, well, all of them…

    You’ll notice, too, please, that I brought back an old favorite: I was afraid you’d me if I didn’t.

    And I’m planning to use this one to lure new Darlings into The Dungeon: Think it will work?

  27. Laura J. says:

    Heidi is drunk reading?!?

    I have read some really good books that made me cry, but generally I don’t like them. I want to laugh. There’s enough scary stuff and heartache in this world already, plus there have been many studies that say laughing is very good for you!

  28. Maisey Yates says:

    After you’re all drunk you should see this.

    http://www.sb-tb.com

    Which goes with this:

    http://www.accidentaldong.com/

    Is it on topic? Well, it almost seems paranormal to me…And when you’re drunk you won’t care.

  29. Heidi says:

    And I have what I think is a fun question before Marilyn leaves us… (Marilyn, this is for you to answer, too!)

    Since she’s all about Jane Austen & Pride & Prejudice, I want to know what you guys consider your “pride” & “prejudice.” (And we’re going for fun, here. If you’re a closet—or not so closet —KKK member, please keep that to yourself. )

    My pride would be…well, I probably have more than one, which makes me worry about that whole “pride goeth before a fall thing,” but I’m proud of the books I’ve written…mostly proud that I’ve managed to write more than one, cuz lemme tell ya, chickies, this job is HARD. I’m also proud that I’ve taken in so many needy, homeless critters. I wish I could do more, but I do try to do what I can & that makes me proud to be a Cat Lady, I guess.

    My prejudices include people who can eat anything they want (& as much as they want) & never gain a pound…authors who write faster than I do…authors who come up with way cooler ideas & concepts than I do (yes, it’s true, I admit; I have great green jealousy for folks like Gena Showalter, LKH, J.R. Ward… )…& people who can *read* faster than I am. I’m such a freaking slooooow reader when there are so many great books out there I am desperate to gobble up, it just gets annoying.

    So there you have it. How do I stand up against Jane?

  30. Heidi says:

    I am NOT drunk reading, Laura! Stop spreading rumors about daily booze intake.

    And I don’t mind books that move me to tears while reading, but I don’t like ones that you know are going to be tearjerkers. Does that make sense? Like Love Story with an ending where you *know* somebody’s gonna croak or those Dave Peltzer ones with horrific cases of child abuse. But if I’m reading an otherwise normal story & something makes me cry, I don’t end up hating the book or tossing it across the room.

  31. Maisey Yates says:

    Well, closet KKK members would be a prejudice of mine. I have a perfectly gorgeous dark skinned husband who I’m quite proud of. :-)

    Also proud of my kids, who are gorgeous and brilliant (they get it from me) and proud that I’ve managed to pursue writing with smallies hanging off of me at all hours.

    Also prejudiced against zombies.

  32. Laura J. says:

    Okay–I get it shhhhhh !! j/k. I’ve actually managed to quiet Jose for a bit, but if the kids don’t give me a minute of peace and quiet (and by kids that includes the husband kid) then Jose and I are gonna throw a party.

    For pride: my kids. I have to say for the most part (see above) they are really great kids. I really can’t imagine my life without them.

    Also–having a job a really, really like. I don’t get paid much, but I have an awesome boss and I work with some very adorable and cute kids who never fail to make me smile.

    For prejudice: Prejudice. I really dislike it when people are discriminated against because someone sees them as being “different”. It happens way too much in my opinion and I’m the kind of person who likes you because of what’s inside, not how you look, who you worship, etc on the outside.

    And bad drivers.

    As for sad books–I am so with you Heidi. Will not pick up certain books if I know someone will die. Lonely Bones, Nicholas Sparks books, Jodi Piccoli books…not my thing. They must have a HAPPY ENDING!!! MUST!

  33. Laura J. says:

    That should be Lovely Bones. Someone told me it was a great story but very sad. I sad, No Thanks.

  34. Hollie says:

    my pride is my Kids too…the best part of me!! and my crafting! which includes baking. nothing better for me to take something and create something someone else likes!!
    My prejudice is people who get away with things that arent right or just or legal! I hate that!! why doesnt it count for them if it does for me?? (not even sure if that is a prejudice)
    and i cant stand sad books,or movies..i want to be entertained..not brought down…real life is hard enough as it is..why read/watch something that will just lay in my mind and make me feel worse about life??
    Now for FUN!

  35. Laura J. says:

    OMG Maisey–it’s like hidden Mickey’s only for adults!!!!!!!

  36. I step away for a few hours to go to the grocery store and make dinner…and I come back to this and this and a whole lot of this

    So, it must be…Happy Hour at Heidi’s!!!!

    Raelena~thanks for telling me your fave! I’m going to have to read this series by Gena…

    Laura~you did not sound drunk at all, but it was sweet of you to clarify. Thanks for the suggestions!

    Maisey~oh, my! That “accidental dong” site… Hee!!

    Jane and Hollie~thanks for joining me in the Emoticon Party Event!! Heidi, you were GREAT to get these–SO fun!

    About the “pride” and “prejudice” questions:
    I’m right with you, Heidi, on the prejudice against people who can eat anything they want and not gain a pound. (In my case, this is also known as “great envy” and “one of my deepest fantasies”–LOL!)
    And, like Laura, Maisey and Hollie, my greatest pride is in my child. He’s just got so much heart and spirit. Even when he’s sick and cranky, there are few people in the world I can spend hours just talking to like I can with him.

    Laura~I read the Lovely Bones–it took me a long time to work up the courage to do it because I knew what it was about and I was just…very resistent to reading it. It *was* an incredibly well-told story, but I considered it more haunting than enjoyable. It’s not a book I would encourage *everybody* to read and there are parts of it I wish I could banish from my memory.

    Enough with the sad stuff. More fun emoticons!!
    I haven’t used this one yet:

    Or this one:

  37. Grace says:

    Oh my, you’d all hate my little girl. She eats twice what her older brother does and is a freaking pixie! She’s been under the weather for a couple days but a typical breakfast for her is 3 waffles and a banana washed down with milk. She’s good for 3 cheeseburgers @ McDonald’s along with apple slices and a chocolate milk, then a parfait for dessert. Tonight for dinner–again, under the weather and off her feed–she had 2 bowls of home made chicken noodle soup, a grilled cheese sandwich and half of a second one, some celery and carrots with dip, an apple and a cupcake for dessert.

    I just know Reagan is going to be one of those women her girlfriends all hate because she’ll eat a whole cheesecake and lose a pound!

    As far as crying goes, a book that killed me was Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah. Toward the end I was crying so hard I literally couldn’t keep reading because I couldn’t see the pages through my tears. I’m not sure somebody who isn’t a parent would necessarily have that kind of reaction to the story.

    Another book that tore my heart out to an extent that when a friend asked what I was reading, I broke down trying to give her a synopsis of the story was Cry No More by Linda Howard. Again, reading it as a parent may be a different experience than somebody who isn’t one.

    And just because I can….

  38. Grace says:

    Forgot to mention that I am most proud of my children, who are the reason my heart beats. I wasn’t supposed to get pregnant, and on the odd chance I did I wasn’t supposed to be able to carry to anything remotely near term so I like to think they are extra special and meant for special things.

    Something that bugs the crap out of me are people who people who are politically ambivalent and can’t be bothered to vote. Worse, people who have no clue about who their reps are, what the issues are, but can be swayed by a tee shirt slogan or soundbite make me want to stab them.

  39. Maisey Yates says:

    See, my very best friend in all the world is a toothpick who eats like a horse, so I’ve come to terms with women like that. She’s about 5′6 and is down to 114 after having her second child…and wants to gain some weight but she can’t. Boohoo. Oops, that sounded bitter…

    I on the other hand am looking more like a whale every day. 25lbs gained and two and half months left in this pregnancy! YIKES!

    LOL…hidden Mickey’s, the more fun adult version. Yep, that’s what it is. ;-)

    Books that make me cry? The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers, Redeeming Love by the same. Oh…such bawling. But at least they have HEAs.

  40. Grace says:

    I feel your pain, Maisey. I am 5′1 and at my thinnest was still a size 10 because I am built like Mary Lou Retton was. Solid and square versus twiggy like the other gymnasts!

    My BFF of 25 years is 5′10 and weighs 120 pounds soaking wet. She eats crap all day and lots of it and considers getting off the couch for more chips and Slim Jims a workout. When she was preggers I would call her on days I knew she had a doctor appointment….when she’d pick up the phone I didn’t even say hello, just “HOW MUCH?” She gained 70 pounds that pregnancy and I was delighted because I am a bad person and a worse friend. That said, the annoying beyotch was back in her pre-preggo jeans 17 days after giving birth.

    I hate her. LOL

  41. Maisey Yates says:

    Haha…mine gained that much, Hollie. She’s down to 114 again though…At least I’m taller than she is…

  42. Maisey~I’m 5′2″ and gained more weight than I’d ever want to admit online when I was pregnant! I was like a baby Orca. Heidi does not have a whale emoticon, so I’ll settle for this: So, trust me, 25lbs. is nothin’… Congrats on the new baby, btw! That’s always really exciting.

    Grace~reading what you wrote about your kids and how they’re extra special made me almost teary… I’m so glad you have them in your life.

    And, now, just because:
    Hee!!

  43. Maisey Yates says:

    25 lbs is somethin when you have 12 wks till your due date… (hahaha)

    But thank you! I appreciate it, and yes, very exciting. We have two boys and this is our little girl.

    Grace- so glad you have your little ones.

  44. Heidi says:

    Well, thanks to Marilyn & all her talk of zombies, I had a terrible dream last night that I was not doing such a great job of escaping from them.

    Ironically, the night before I’d actually watched The Hills Have Eyes just before bed & never dreamt I was being attached by mutant hillbillies…but I’m still going to blame Marilyn for last night’s nightmare.

  45. LOL, Heidi! I’m sorry if my visit was in any way to blame (although I’m gonna claim total innocence on this one )!

    Thanks, again, for having me here at The Dungeon–I had a blast visiting you all!!


    (Just because I haven’t used this one yet…

  46. Beverly G says:

    For me i Love all things dark and campy and on the paranormal side im all for sences and readings and ghost stories i fully believe in the other realm i agree i love when stories tie in with mytholgy and such but im not picky i gotta have a supernaturla fix all the time

  47. Beverly G says:

    Heidi next time when u dream of zombies dream of twinkies and wallah instant fear begone

  48. Beverly G says:

    least it works for me lol if that doesntw ork think of puppies or kittens

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