SONGS OF SUMMER BLOGHOP

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Welcome to the Songs of Summer bloghop, hosted by the Armchair Squid, Cygnus and Suze.  On Friday, July 11, 2014, please join us by posting 5 of your favorite summer songs and sharing some memories about them.  Maybe between us, we can build the perfect soundtrack to accompany us over the next few months.  If possible, include links so we can hear these gems.  And, if you're in the southern hemisphere, join us to dance those winter blues away!

I think the music of summer was especially important to me when I was a teenager. Music provided a connection with the world, gave me solace when I was lonely, and became the background music when I sang into my little tape recorder. Those lyrics were poetry and parties and, sometimes, pandemonium (according to my parents).

A lot of my songs of summer are associated with summer loves: the boys I dated, the ones who got away, the ones from whom I ran.

Here's my summer soundtrack:



5. Seals and Crofts made me dream of a future with someone I loved.







4. It's not summer without The Beach Boys.





3. The theme from the movie Jaws reminds me of my most hilarious date ever.





2. I've seen America in concert five times. I talked to Dewey and Gerry and got their autographs, but never saw Dan. He left the group relatively early and passed away a few years ago. How do I choose a song of theirs? They all make me think of summer. I guess I have to go with the song that has my name.





1. RFK Stadium. Fourth of July. Linda was still alive. I think it was 1989. I was young enough to think I'd be married for the rest of my life. I didn't know something better awaited me, but this one night was magic.





Here's a bonus song of last summer with Middle Child. I finally figured out how to put the video on my blog. Sorry I don't know how to make it wider.






I hope you enjoyed my choices. If you'd like to join the bloghop, just hop on over to The Armchair Squid to sign up. Willy Dunne Wooters, I wish I had a summer love song for you. I guess I sing my love to you when I play my piano.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

P.S. I suppose you want to know about the most hilarious date ever. I've told this story before, but many of you weren't following me when I posted about it, or you've probably forgotten it.

Jaws was the blockbuster movie of the summer. I went to see it with Mike, who was oh! so hot. We made out until the movie started. I could hear the adolescent boys seated behind us moaning and groaning about how they had to sit behind the lovers. Then the movie began and we were mesmerized, much too busy to kiss. The moment that the shark suddenly rose from the water and moved toward the boat was terrifying––so terrifying that Mike fell out of his seat. I saw him from the corner of my eye, looking up at me. Had I seen? I had, but I didn't let him know. I stared at the screen because I didn't want him to be embarrassed.

I have no idea what happened to Mike. It wasn't until many years after our date that I revealed Mike fell out of his seat during Jaws.

MOVIE WEEKEND: FRUITVALE STATION

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

The events portrayed in Fruitvale Station (2013, Rated R, Available On DVD) took place in The Hurricane's part of the country, the lovely place we call The Bay Area in California. The Hurricane loves it there, but she did not go to see Fruitvale Station with her friends. She thought it would upset her too much, and after watching the DVD, I understand her feelings. It's an intense, emotional movie.

The movie purportedly tells the story of the last day in the life of a young man named Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) on December 31st, 2008. Oscar's life isn't going too well. He's 22 years old and not long out of prison. He knows he needs to be a better father to his four-year-old daughter and a better man for his girlfriend, the child's mother Sophina (Melonie Diaz).

On New Year's Eve, Oscar and Sophina plan on driving into San Francisco so they can enjoy the city's celebration. Oscar's mother, Wanda (Octavia Spencer, Academy Award winning actress for her role as Minnie in The Help), begs Oscar to take the BART into the city. She's sure he'll be safer on the BART.

Sadly, controversial events occur at the Fruitvale BART station, and Oscar never returns home. I hate to tell you more than that because I don't want to ruin the movie for you.

Michael B. Jordan is excellent, giving an understated yet moving performance as Oscar. Octavia Spencer absolutely glows, whether she's happy or grieving. What a beautiful actress she is.

Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station debuted at The Sundance Film Festival, where it won The Grand Jury Prize "for its skillful realization, its devastating emotional impact and its moral and social urgency." The movie went on to win multiple awards from film festivals all over the world.

Quite simply, it's beautifully made. It's not a blockbuster, over-the-top movie. It's simple and moving. We gradually get to know Oscar better so we can see him as more than a news headline.

Fruitvale Station earns The Janie Junebug Highest Seal of Approval.

I won't wish you happy viewing because this movie isn't happy. Instead, I wish you informed and thoughtful viewing. I didn't know about Oscar Grant until I saw Fruitvale Station. Watching it led me to research what happened to Grant, and I hope you'll do the same.

Spoiler Alert: After I wish you infinities of love, I'm going to scroll down, down, and down so I can provide you with a piece of information you might not want to read until after you see the movie.

Fruitvale Station is not for children. You can probably watch it with older teens, but if you do, I urge you to sit down at the computer with your child so you can learn more about the real Oscar Grant.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug






















Spoiler Alert: The sequence at Fruitvale Station was filmed on the exact spot where Oscar Grant was shot. The bullet hole was still in the floor.

BULLY FOR YOU: LINDA RECALLS PHYSICAL BULLYING OF HER DAUGHTER

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Our BULLY FOR YOU guest postess today is Linda of PRACTICAL PARSIMONY. True to her blog's title, Linda regularly presents ways to save money. Today she shares with us the physical bullying her daughter experienced in her dance class and in school.

When my daughter was five, she took tap and ballet along with about eight other little girls. She complained about another little girl kicking her. I asked what were they doing. My daughter said they were all lined up, holding the bar, listening to the tap/ballet instructor. Well, they had on tap shoes. She said one girl behind her kept kicking her in the back of her ankle every day. I suggested she get in line in a different place. She said she did, but the girl would come and get behind her. L had bruises all the time from weeks of kicking. My daughter tried to solve the problem by moving and telling her to stop. She did not retaliate by kicking or yelling.

I suppose I sound like a annoying mother right now, but my daughter L was beautiful. She was the prettiest girl in the room and this annoying little kicker was a mousy sort. I can only assumed she fixated on something she was not to make L's life miserable. People on streets and restaurants mistake my L for Mariah Carey now that my daughter is grown. So, I am not the only person who sees something pretty there.

The next time tap class was held, I went inside to watch. I stayed out of sight and watched the interaction before the kicking. Okay, I watched through a crack in door that was partially open. I wanted to see if my daughter and this little girl were equally guilty before I complained. My daughter was not teasing the other girl, did nothing to instigate the kicking. As a matter of fact, my daughter was basically ignoring her and everyone else as they all listened to the teacher, all but the kicker. The kicker did look at the dance instructor but still kicked my daughter. My daughter could not turn and complain because the dance instructor had told them to face him and listen as they held the bar.

The mother of the kicker was sitting in her car, waiting for the class to end. I went to her and related what L told me and what I observed. She asked very defensively what my daughter did to her daughter. I told her she had better take care of her child's behavior!  After the class, I went to the tap teacher, an elderly man. He said he had never seen anything my daughter described, practically calling her a liar. I told him I had just observed the kicking and suggested he make a general announcement, then speak to the kicker. That ended the bullying.

THEN, my daughter was in the same public school classroom with the kicker in the second grade. UGH! She never bothered L until the winter. L came home soaked every day. She said the kicker accidentally spilled her carton of milk on L's chest, back, or hair every day. I told L to stay away from her. She said that she had tried sitting in a difference place during the milk break.

This time I called the principal. He said I should try to be understanding because the child's father had died suddenly the year before. I knew this and told him I was sympathetic but that my child should not have to be soaked in milk if the kicker needed therapy. I also related the kicking incident that occurred after father died. Since I called him shortly after 8 o'clock, I told him to solve the problem before break time because she had instructions to call me if she got wet again. If the problem was not solved/stopped that day, I was going to the school board and insist she spend time in therapy and be removed from my daughter's classroom since L was her target. I suggested maybe that more drastic efforts should be made to stop her.

L came home dry that day. I commented on it and asked how she managed to avoid the kicker/spiller. She was all smiles and said the principal came in during break and sat in one of their little chairs and visited. The kicker/spiller approached him, faked a trip and extended her milk carton to soak him. He reached out and grabbed the carton. I and L were vindicated because he saw what happened and surely realized it was a fake trip. So, my daughter was not a liar!

My daughter was instructed not to be mean to this girl but to just ignore her from now on. I thought any friendship that could occur might just be seen as weakness from this kicker/spiller and that she would be even more devious in her bullying efforts in the future.

This bullying was always physical, never verbal. My daughter was very sociable and the other little girl was not. Make of that what you will. As the mother, I was in agony at the fact my little girl was kicked and soaked, mostly in cold weather.

Every year, I chose my child's teacher. After that year, I reminded the secretary of the physical acts of aggression towards my child and made sure the bully would not be in my daughter's class because the kicking was an overt act that could not be called an accident and left bruises that did not soon fade. So, the bully moved to an overt, still non-verbal "accident" to torture and control my child every day of the school week for weeks. I worried what the little bully might think up next when she learned to be covert and maybe more verbal in her attacks.

Thank you so much for writing this post, Linda. I'm glad the principal acted. The kicking must have been painful for your daughter, and getting soaked with milk would have been uncomfortable. I'm sure it caused a lot of worry for you, along with the extra work of washing her hair and clothes. It's so sad that "the kicker" fixated on your daughter.

I encourage you all to check out Linda's blog and to leave her some bloggy love in the comments.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

MOVIE WEEKEND: MOVIE, MOVIE, MOVIE, AND MOVIE, AND MAYBE ANOTHER MOVIE

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Please forgive my absence. My tummy has been quite unhappy, but I believe I have recovered enough so you won't catch whatever I had. Just don't get too close to your screen while reading this post.

Since it's a holiday weekend, I'm going to name some movies I've seen on Netflix Screaming of late. These movies are also available on DVD. Instead of giving you a full review of each movie, I'll give you a brief synopsis, and then award X number of pickles to the movie. If you've been hanging around here long enough, you'll know that pickles disgust me. Thus, if a movie has zero pickles, then it's a super-great movie. If a movie has pickles, then watch out. The more pickles, the worse the movie.

And I really don't wanna hear about how many movies I watch.

BRAVE MISS WORLD (2013) This documentary is about Linor Abargil of Israel who was raped a few weeks before being crowned Miss World. She goes after the guy and says that women who are raped shouldn't need to hide their faces when they go to court because they didn't do anything wrong. ***Pickles

JFK: THE SMOKING GUN (2013) This documentary is another dumb re-hash of conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy. I don't remember much about it. I won't give it as many pickles as it probably deserves because I confess I did not watch the entire movie, which is very unusual for me. ****************************************************Pickles

DEAR MR. WATTERSON (2013) This documentary (Yeah, I know I watch a lot of documentaries; so does Favorite Young Man -- you wanna make something of it? He's probably taller than you are, better looking, and smarter [description of FYM's superiority does not apply to Middle Child or The Hurricane]) is about how many people still love the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, and also about artist Bill Watterson's refusal to become a public persona and turn Calvin and Hobbes into a multi-million dollar marketing machine. So those car stickers of Calvin peeing on things? You know I hate those, right? Those are not authorized.   Pickles  Just in case you're confused, no asterisks can be seen before the word "Pickles" because I liked this movie so much that I don't associate it with pickles in any way, shape or form.

 DEREK Season Two (2012) British TV series created by Ricky Gervais, who plays Derek, a sweet-natured guy who is maybe on the slow side, but is very quick when it comes to caring about other human beings. He works in a nursing home. I'm up to episode three. I watched the first season and really liked it, too. **Pickles

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK Season Two (2014) What can be better than women in prison? Willy Dunne Wooters and I loved the first season, and we loved the second season even more, especially the last six episodes. Pickles

AN UNREAL DREAM: THE MICHAEL MORTON STORY (2013) This documentary is about a man named Michael Morton, duh, who was convicted of killing his young wife in front of their son, when he was a toddler. I won't tell you how many years he was in prison before The Innocence Project became involved. Barry Scheck, I love you.  Pickles

BOMB GIRLS (2012) I like this Canadian series about women, and a few men, who work in a munitions plant during World War II. I've watched five out of 18 episodes. ****Pickles

20 FEET FROM STARDOM (2013) This film about backup singers won the 2014 Academy Award for Best Documentary.  Pickles

BROADWAY IDIOT (2013) This documentary is about turning Green Day's album American Idiot into a stage production, which ended up on Broadway. Before going to Broadway, it premiered in Berkeley, where The Hurricane saw it and met Billy Joe Armstrong's mom and Billie Joe Armstrong's son. She loved the show and said the set was amazing. I love Green Day. I love American Idiot. I love this film.  Pickles

ROBOT & FRANK (2012) Frank (Frank Langella) has increasing memory problems as he ages. His son gives him a robot to take care of him. WDW and I thought this movie sucked big time. ********************************************************************Pickles

COMPLIANCE (2012) This weird movie is based on a true story, which makes it even more disturbing. It has to do with a fast food restaurant and an employee who is questioned about a theft by the manager. ***********************************************Pickles

IT'S A DISASTER (2012) Willy Dunne Wooters and I think this movie is hilarious in its own quirky way. Four couples are in a house for their regular get-together when they learn the world has become toxic and they can't go outside. How are they going to spend their time together? What about the people who are late for the party?  Pickles

THE FAT BOY CHRONICLES (2010) I'm having a hard time remembering much about this movie other than the fact WDW and I hated it. It's about a kid who is overweight and decides to get in shape. It seemed as if it had been made to show to Sunday School classes, so you might actually want to let your kids watch it while you take a nap. ************************************************************************************************************************************Pickles

If this post doesn't give you any ideas about stuff to watch this weekend, then I cannot help you. That's all there is to it. The decision to let your kids watch something––or not––is yours.

I want to make sure you all noticed that a whole big bunch of people begged Target to create a policy against open carry and Target pretty much said "Eff off," but the day after I said I AM BOYCOTTING TARGET, then they asked their shoppers to please leave their guns at home. My head is so big I'm surprised I can get it through the door. And I do not have delusions of grandiosity.

Well, all righty then.

Fishducky sent me the following:

Of course it's a painting of Willy Dunne Wooters. Don't be ridicurous, as Franklin says.

Our BULLY FOR YOU guest postess on Monday will be Linda of PRACTICAL PARSIMONY.

I haven't forgotten that I need to tell you the story about the refrigerator, and I have an award to accept from Shecky Shady. 

All in good time.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

WELL DONE, OPPOSITION TO OPEN CARRY IN TARGET

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

I am so pleased to report that I have received an update on Target's refusal to have a policy against open carry. The update states:

Everytown: VICTORY! Target has asked all customers to leave guns at home. Big win for gun sense. Call TARGET to thank them: dial 1-888-885-3167.

I tried to call Target to say thank you, but a recording said they are so busy to please call back another time unless it's an emergency. So I'll call again later.

I haven't forgotten that their "team member" laughed at me, but I can forgive. It shouldn't take me more than a day or two to get over it.

If this post makes no sense to you, then you might want to read yesterday's post HERE.

SI. SE PUEDE.

I thank you for your loving and supportive comments. I'm quite relieved because now people who don't want to see guns can shop at Target without being exposed to them, and now I can shop at Target. The boys' kibble is less expensive at Target.

I also want to make it clear that, as far as I know, open carry is not a problem here in Jacksonville, Florida. I have never seen a gun in the Target where I shop. I participated in the effort against open carry in Target out of love and sympathy for the people in other states who couldn't shop without seeing guns on display.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

GUNS ARE NOT A JOKE; I AM NOT A JOKE

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Vebbie, a.k.a. Nicki Elson, I apologize to you for publishing another post so quickly after presenting your BULLY FOR YOU post HERE. After I publish a BULLY FOR YOU post on Monday, then I don't write another post until Thursday. I want the guest posts to receive as much attention as possible, so please don't stop reading Nicki's post. However, Vebbie, I think you'll understand why I feel I must write a post today.

Willy Dunne Wooters told me about recent news stories concerning gun owners who go to stores and restaurants that have a policy against the open carrying of guns. They stand outside to display their weapons. I've also been receiving emails about Target's refusal to have a policy against open carry. Why do Target shoppers need to display their guns?

Displaying guns, for absolutely no reason other than to say "Look at me; I can have a gun anywhere I want" is an extreme form of bullying. Many people, including me, are frightened by guns.

This morning I received an email asking me to call Target headquarters and do the following:

Call Target and Ask for Gun Sense Policies

Can you take a minute to call Target's corporate headquarters and ask them to adopt in-store gun sense policies?

Enter your information on the right to be connected to Target's corporate headquarters. When you're connected, tell the representative the following things:

1. Tell them to urge Target's leadership to adopt common-sense policies that will keep people from openly carrying guns in Target stores.
2. Let them know that keeping guns out of their stores will make all shoppers safer, and that you're committed to seeing change on this issue.

Together, we're fighting for common-sense gun safety policies. Thanks for taking action.

I used the following link to place a call to Target headquarters:

http://act.everytown.org/call/TargetCall/

Entering my name and phone number and using this link caused my phone to ring, and I was connected with Target's headquarters. I waited about two minutes before I was connected to a "customer service" representative. I told him my name and where I live. I said that I'm opposed to people openly carrying guns in Target and that if the corporation doesn't develop a policy against open carry, then I will stop shopping at Target (one of my favorite places to shop in spite of their problems with allowing credit card information to be stolen). Then I said that I would tell all my followers on my blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter that I am unhappy with Target's lack of a policy against open carry.

The representative laughed at me.

Yes. He laughed at me.

I am accustomed to people laughing when I make a joke. I am not accustomed to people laughing at me when I am serious––laughing at me in derision. 

After laughing, he said he would pass on my opinion to the corporate policy makers.

I told him that I would also inform all my friends that he had laughed at me. Then I hung up.

I am the most upset that I have been in a long, long time. People do not laugh at a serious Jane Goltz. Even if I had accidentally said something amusing, it would have been inappropriate to laugh at me.

I'm not asking anyone else to call Target or stop shopping at Target. I'm merely making the information available. 

The next time I need to shop for groceries, I shall go to Publix. But when I go in the store, my first visit will be to the customer service desk to ask if they have a policy on open carry. If they allow open carry, then I'll keep looking for another grocery store until I find one that has a policy against open carry.

In happier news, the BULLY FOR YOU guest post by Tom Anderson (a.k.a. Shady Del Knight of Shady Dell Music & Memories) has moved into the #10 spot on my all-time list of Top Ten posts. I'm grateful to all of you who are joining in this discourse about bullies and how to handle them. You can read Tom's post HERE.

I feel bullied by Target's representative, so I'm handling it by biting back (telling him what I thought and that I won't shop at Target anymore) and by telling someone (all of you). Unfortunately, this is a situation that I cannot ignore, hoping it will go away.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

BULLY FOR YOU: NICKI ELSON SHARES VERY DEEP THOUGHTS

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Our BULLY FOR YOU guest postess today is Nick Elson, who blogs at Nicki Elson's Not-So-Deep Thoughts. When Nicki read some of the other guest posts, she became concerned because other guests said that "try ignoring the bully" doesn't work. I told her that I thought her post was fine, and I still think so. Ignoring the bully is the first thing I'd do. Occasionally, it works. Some bullies back down more easily than others. If the bully won't give up, then we need to move onto something else, and Nicki recognizes that.

And now, Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell, here's the talented author Nicki Elson:

I’m the mother of two teenaged children, so the topic of bullying has been prominent on my radar. Not because my kids have been bullied or are bullies, but because the schools around here have assembly after assembly on the issue. But here’s the thing—assemblies don’t stop bullying.

The group lectures & video watching may have some small positive impact, I don’t know, but what I’ve personally witnessed is my kids coming home either feeling like they’ve just been yelled at for something they didn’t do or worse, they suddenly start interpreting every incident of teasing or snide comment as bullying. To me, a mass approach to the issue just doesn’t make sense. I think the teachers and staff know exactly who the bullies are, so I wish they’d take those kids aside, look them in the eye and tell them, “We know what you’re doing. Knock it off.” Bullies often turn to wimps when they know someone with authority is on to them.

But the risk of the look-’em-in-the-eye approach is that the troublemakers’ parents firmly believe that their little poopsies would never ever do anything wrong, so they’ll get all over that school’s arse, and yadda, yadda, yadda. And so the school treats everyone equally by pulling the students into impotent mass assemblies, and the bullying goes on…

And it’s not just kids who bully. I come across adult bullies all the time. Since bullying is a fact of life, my opinion is that we need to focus less on helping kids to define themselves as victims and more on teaching them how to deal with the inevitable bullies. I loved Janie’s bullying post about the Hurricane—that little girl handled the situation she was in and prevailed by growing into a kickass adult.

Sooooo, here is my stab at a three-step approach to dealing with bullies. But please note, the first two steps are for dealing with low- to mid-grade bullies—the ones who are fairly harmless and mostly sting with words. Those dealing with high-grade bullies—the ones who don’t relent and threaten or follow through with physical violence—should go directing to stage three.

First: Ignore them.

Bullies want a reaction. It’s what feeds their need to feel superior. It’s their way of knowing they have impact on this world. So don’t give it to them. Walk away if you can. Click off your Facebook or whatever. Don’t read the nasty things they say. If forced to sit in the same room with the bully, tune them out, as hard as that may be. They might persist for a while, but eventually many will give up.

In Junior High, cute Jimmy used to break my pencils. Every day he’d ask to borrow one, and then he’d snap it in two and laugh with his friends. He’d apologize the next day and promise he wouldn’t do it again, and then he’d do it again. I decided Jimmy wasn’t cute anymore. I stopped giving him my pencils, but his desk was directly behind me, and all through class he’d whisper nasty things to me. I didn’t turn around, I didn’t give him any reaction, and eventually he either stopped or I was able to successfully tune him out, I don’t remember which, but after that class ended, he never bothered me again.

Second: Bite back.

If you’re stuck with a bully who doesn’t relent, it’s time to bite back. I’m not suggesting you throw punches or do anything that will escalate the problem, but find some way to let the bullies know you won’t be messed with. Sometimes it’s as easy as calling them out on their behavior. Stay perfectly composed and become their psychotherapist by asking, “Does putting me down make you feel better about yourself?” or “What do you hope to accomplish by saying/doing that?” Maybe you’ll cause them to actually reevaluate their behavior, but even if you don’t, you just might stun them into a few moments of silence, long enough to walk away.  This sort of thing works all the time on a low-grade bully I have to regularly deal with, and I daresay I’ve nearly driven the bully right out of him.  

Several months ago I had to bite back at a coworker who’d become aggressive with her dislike of me doing my job without catering to her obsessive need for control of every little thing. First I laughed when she told me straight to my face (while flanked by two of “her people”) that I have a lot of nerve—full disclosure: that was a happy accident. Totally thought she was joking. I mean, who talks like that?—and then I started cc:ing the big boss on my communications with her. She backed right down and doesn’t mess with me anymore.

Third: Tell Someone

If either the threat of or actual physical violence is involved, or if the first and second approaches to stop the bully haven’t worked, tell someone about it. Actually, tell someone about it even before it comes to that point. In my example above, it was pulling in the big boss that got the bully wannabe off my case. If you’re a student, parents seem like a good first stop, but I realize not every relationship makes this a good option, so think about what adults you’re comfortable with. Who will have your best interests in mind? Even if this person isn’t someone who can directly intervene, they can make a wonderful coach for dealing with the situation.

My daughter used to work at a bakery/coffee shop that’s owned by a psycho who makes himself feel like a man by intimidating teenaged girls. When his bullying tactics weighed heavily on my daughter’s nerves, I was a safe place for her to vent and a sounding board for her ideas about how to deal with his volatility. He eventually crossed a line, and I’m so happy that she understood that it was his problem, not hers, and she had the confidence to quit and walk away from the bully. If she’d kept all of her anxiety to herself, I’m not sure she’d have been able to keep such a healthy perspective.

I realize my three-step approach is fairly simplistic and limited to my minor experiences with bullying, but maybe it’s a start. It’s also only one side of the equation. “How to Not Be a Bully” is a whole ‘nother post…who’s gonna write it?  

THE END :)

--

Nicki Elson
Author
www.nickielson.com

Please be sure to leave Nicki some bloggy love in the comments, and consider visiting her blog and reading her books. Three Daves has a great eighties college vibe, and Divine Temptation is quite sexy without an embarrassment factor (it's not too graphic). Nicki will have another book coming out before long, and I look forward to it.

Thank you, Nicki!


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug