Excerpt from Chapter 4 of My Three Beaus
Copyright 2005 by Shelia M Goss

The Juggling Act

“Are you still upset at me?” Dana asked.

She sat across from me on the sofa eating buttered popcorn as I flipped stations. I had two hundred channels, but still couldn’t find anything to catch my interest.

“You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“Correction. My job is to tell you the truth.”

I pretended to be enthralled with a hair growing commercial for bald men. I wasn’t a man nor was I bald, so Dana ignored it and continued to talk.

“What you need to do is decide on which one of these men you want to be with and stop playing the field. You’re like a female version of my ex.”

I squinted up my nose and rolled my eyes. “Please. Your ex was a bow wow dog to the tenth power.”

“Exactly. He was afraid of commitment and so are you.”

“No, I’m not.” I knew she was telling the truth, but I wasn’t going to admit it to her or anyone else for that matter.

“I can understand why. I would be too after dealing with Antonio, but don’t let what Antonio did to you stop you from having a meaningful and loving monogamous relationship. All men aren’t him.”

Disgusted at the way my quiet evening at home was turning out, I began flipping stations again. “Dana, if you don’t have anything positive to say, please keep your trap shut.”

“Don’t get mad at me. You need to be mad at yourself. I told you that juggling all these men would come back to haunt you.”

“I don’t have a problem. YET,” I assured her. I continued to say, “I’ll let Tyler know that we’ll continue as is and if something else develops then fine, but for now, I’m satisfied with how things are.”

Dana either wasn’t comprehending what I was saying or just plain ignored me. “Remember this day when it all comes back to bite you on the rear.”

“Thanks for your support.” I rolled my eyes at her for the umpteenth time.

Her voice crackled as she said, “What happens if you get pregnant? You won’t even know who the daddy is.”

I held my hand up. “Hold up. First of all, even though it isn’t any of your business, best friend or not, but I’m not sleeping with all of them. Secondly, even if I was, it’s my prerogative and I’m grown enough to know how to protect myself.”

She got up and threw her empty popcorn bag in the trash. Instead of sitting back down, she picked up her purse and said, “I’m leaving. Otherwise, I won’t be held accountable for what else I want to say.”

Sensing an attitude, I responded, “Don’t stop talking on my account. Speak your mind missy.”

“I better not,” Dana said, with a frown on her face.

She left without even a hug. I got up and locked the door.

I mumbled, “Fine. That’s why you don’t have a man and I have three.”

Verbalizing it out loud really didn’t sound too good. It actually made me sound sluttish and I’m not. Like I told Dana, I might be dating three men, but I’m by no means sleeping with all of them. I’m not that type of girl.

This night didn’t end up good at all. My failure to commit has brought some tension between me and my best friend.

After soaking in the tub for what seemed like an hour, I thought about my conversation with Dana. I decided to give her a few days to calm down before calling her again. I refused to let her rain on my parade, because she hasn’t been dating. It’s not my fault she’s allowed her business to become her lover.

¶ 11:49 AM //

Meet Carmen, Rose's agent
oops sorry,
that's just a picture of me trying to get away from the papparazzi...here's
who I really envision for Carmen's role: Queen Latifah

Janice King........is Violet's best friend. She's more like a sister to her
than Rose. Jada Pinkett-Smith

Rose and Violet's Mother...Meet the woman who is responsible for how Rose
turned out-- Lynn Whitfield


Aunt Mae..........Rose and Violet's aunt. She has no problems telling
you like it is. She could care less that Rose is a movie star. To her,
she's still a spoiled brat who acts like she forgot where she came from. Can always count on her to keep it real. Jennifer Lewis

Audrey...........Rose and Violet's cousin and Aunt Mae's daughter...
need I say more...Regina King


Post your comments here. What do you think about these choices
for Rose and Violet's family and friends?

¶ 5:07 PM //

Tuesday is here.

Meet the men in Rose and Violet’s lives. Ask any of the men a question?

David....Blair Underwood
David is Rose’s Husband & Violet’s ex-husband…Sexy eyes and smile…milk-chocolate complexion. He’s a nice guy, but has mixed priorities sometimes. Lived out his fantasy of being with twins, but now regrets it.

Lance....Sean "Diddy" Combs
Lance King…Janice’s brother, superstar music producer, Rose’s lover, handsome, dresses a little flashy, ladies man, but loves only one woman—Rose.

Marcus.............Boris Kodjoe
Marcus Jameson…Pro-Basketball Player…undercover player… appears to be sincere, but underneath is a dog.

Terrence...........Morris Chestnut
Terrence…Pro-Basketball Player, Marcus’s best friend…he’s handsome…down to earth, not a ladies man…loves to be around his family and friends…hides his shyness by being “too talkative.”

Post your comments here. What do you think about these choices for the men in Rose and Violet's life?

¶ 2:33 AM //

Let's have some fun this week. Here's a small character breakdown of the twins. If you have read Roses are thorns, Violets are true, please chime in and tell us what you think of Rose and Violet. Do you agree with the character description?

If you had the opportunity to ask a character a question, what would you ask? Ask Rose and Violet. The responses will be shown here also. So Click on the comment button and let's have some fun.



Can you see Halle Berry playing this dual role?
Rose Purdue…Strikingly beautiful, glamorous, a DIVA, with sparkling light brown eyes, wears the latest fashions, hair is “superglam”…She’s very conceited and self-centered. She loves her family and feels that no ones understands her. She has to be the center of attention or she feels worthless.

Can you see Vivica Fox playing this dual role?
Violet Purdue…Rose’s twin sister, pretty, but more subtle, prefers to wear something simple, like a good pair of jeans, usually wears hair in a ponytail…distinctive mole on face...She was taught to be the caregiver, so she tries to “take care of everyone else’s needs” and sometimes forgets to take care of herself. As she gets older, she finally breaks out of her shyness and learns how to deal with her sister and other manipulative people.

Rose and Violet are waiting for your questions.

¶ 2:26 AM //

This week, starting on Monday, I will introduce you to the main characters of Roses are Thorns, Violets are True.

To learn about the main characters of My Invisible Husband, please visit the MIH blog @ http://myinvisiblehusband.blogspot.com all this week as well.

I would like for it to be interactive. If you've read the book, please indicate your thoughts of the character for the day by clicking on the comment section.

Thanks
Shelia M Goss
Essence Bestselling author of My Invisible Husband, Roses are thorns, and My Three Beaus

¶ 8:07 AM //

My Invisible Husband
Cast Hopefuls


Nicolette Montana…….Sanaa Lathan
Byron Matthews………..Taye Diggs or Jason George
Charlotte……………….Nia Long or Jada Pinkett-Smith
Fredrick………..………Mike Epps
Joyce…………………….Sherri Shephard
Tara…………………..….Gabrielle Union
Mya………………………Golden Brooks
Gerald……………………LL Cool J
April………………………Tamala Jones
Jerry………………………Duane Martin
Janice………………………Tisha Campbell
Pam………………………Queen Latifah
Louis…………………….. Cress Williams
Adrienne…………………Vanessa Williams
Edward………………….. Eric LaSalle
Kenneth Capers…………..Sean Maguire
Ethel, Nikki’s mom……… Janet Hubert-Whitten
Napoleon, Nikki’s dad……James Avery
Belle, Byron’s mom………Lynn Whitfield
Frank, Byron’s dad……….Clifton Powell

¶ 12:25 AM //

Roses Are Thorns (Violets Are True)
Cast Hopefuls



Rose & Violet.....Halle Berry (dual role) or Vivica Fox (dual role)

David..............Blair Underwood

Lance King........Shemar Moore

Carmen............Mo’nique or Queen Latifah

Marcus.............Boris Kodjoe

Terrence...........Morris Chestnut

Janice King........Sanaa Lathan, or Jada Pinkett-Smith

Mother of Twins...Lynn Whitfield

Father of Twins...Clifton Powell

Aunt Mae..........Jennifer Lewis

Carlton............Steve Harvey or Anthony Anderson

Trey Dash..........Bill Bellamy

Pierre.............Terrence Howard

Audrey.............Regina King

¶ 12:15 PM //

Here's the final excerpt for the week from the Essence bestselling novel My Invisible Husband.



Nikki’s trip to Las Vegas was filled with gambling and shows. In addition to enjoying Las Vegas, she rented a car and drove to Los Angeles to do more sight seeing. She tried to relax on her plane trip back to Dallas, but the man sitting next to her annoyed her by constantly pecking on his keyboard. He noticed her irritation and offered to let her borrow his headphones so that he wouldn’t be as distracting, but she declined. “No thank you.”

“Are you sure? I have to finish this report, or I won’t meet my deadline. I do apologize for the inconvenience.”

Nikki took a good look at her traveling companion. She noticed his captivating eyes, and although he wasn’t smiling, she could see the dimples in his cheeks. For once, she was at a loss for words. When he caught her staring at him, she felt a little embarrassed, but snapped back with a catchy excuse. “Excuse me for staring, but you look familiar.”

He smiled and assumed she was flirting. He didn’t mind at all. He’d lost his concentration. The moment she sat down next to him her alluring fragrance captivated him. The red blouse she wore accented the two things he admired most on a woman, pretty eyes and ample breasts.

“I’m Byron Matthews and you are?” he asked while extending his hand.

“Nicolette Montana, but my friends call me Nikki for short.”

They shook hands and in unison they said, “Nice to meet you.”

They both felt a jolt of electricity and since neither knew how to respond to it, they remained silent. Byron went back to pecking on his laptop and Nikki pretended to be reading a magazine. The stewardess walked by with the drink cart and offered each passenger drinks. Byron appeared to be engulfed in his work, so Nikki tapped him on the arm. “The stewardess wants to know if you want something to drink.”

He looked up. “I’m sorry. Yes, a cup of coffee would be nice.”

They continued the rest of the flight in silence. Both tried to ignore the feeling of being in such close proximity to one another. The stewardess’ voice blared over the loudspeakers instructing the passengers to turn off all electronic items. As Byron attempted to put away his laptop, he’d forgotten he sat his almost empty cup on the floor. He accidentally splashed the remains on Nikki’s shoes. He looked up to apologize, but nothing came out of his mouth. Nikki jumped in her seat and blurted out, “Excuse you.”

“I’m so sorry. I forgot that I had put it there.”

“I just got these shoes and now they’re ruined.” She frowned.

He pulled out his business card and wrote something on the back before handing it to her. “My home number is on the back. I’ll buy you another pair, regardless of the cost.”

Although she knew she should be upset that he’d ruined a hundred and twenty dollar pair of shoes she received as a birthday gift; one look into his apologetic eyes almost made her melt in her seat.

“Okay,” she smiled and said. “Trust me. I’ll be calling you. Let me give you my information too.”

He wrote down her information as she recited it to him. “Again Nikki, I’m so sorry.”

“Apology accepted, but it is Ms. Montana to you,” she teased.

To buy your copy of this Essence Bestseller, click on the book cover on the right hand side of the page or go directly to www.amazon.com.

¶ 7:27 AM //

Today's excerpt comes from the Essence bestselling novel My Invisible Husband.

REMEMBER THE GAME CHARADES? Well, Nikki Montana has taken the game a step further.

Excerpt from Chapter One




“Congratulations Nikki on your wedding.”

“Thank you,” Nikki Montana said as she looked up into the eyes of her co-worker, Kenneth Capers.

“When will we get to meet the lucky groom?” Kenneth asked as he ate the last piece of cake on his plate.

Her eyes darted downwards as she repeated to him the response she had rehearsed and given everyone all day. “As soon as his schedule allows, I’ll bring him up here for everyone to meet.”

Nikki thanked everyone for coming to the wedding shower her manager insisted the department throw for her. Deep down inside she felt guilty about accepting the gifts her co-workers so thoughtfully picked out. She glanced at her watch and knew her plane for Las Vegas would be leaving in less than twenty-four hours and when she returned to work a week later, she would be a married woman.

Some of her co-workers helped carry her gifts to her car and congratulated her once more. It was a beautiful spring day and under normal circumstances she would have driven with the top down on her convertible candy apple red BMW. As she stopped at a red light, the passenger in a midnight-blue SUV attempted to flirt with her, but she ignored his advances. As she sped away, she heard him yell obscenities. She blurted, “That’s why I didn’t acknowledge your existence.”

She drove the rest of the way home listening to one of her favorite Dallas radio stations. The Drive at Five radio mix always calmed her nerves during rush hour traffic.

When she pulled into her driveway, she spotted a familiar car. She was hoping to avoid her best friend until at least after her return trip from Vegas, but luck wasn’t on her side. They hugged and greeted each other without speaking a word.

Charlotte didn’t say anything until they were behind closed doors. “How could you plan on sneaking to Vegas without a word? I had to find out from your sister that you were leaving in the morning.”

Nikki knew she wouldn’t be able to keep her secret for long and really needed someone to confide in. “If you give me a minute to get settled, I’ll explain everything.”

Charlotte crossed her arms and with an attitude responded, “You’d better, because we’ve been friends far too long for me to hear about this from someone else. This really hurts. I thought we were close, but I guess I was wrong.”

“Calm down. I’ll explain it all in a minute,” Nikki announced, trying to calm her friend down.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You definitely have some explaining to do, missy.”

“Make yourself at home, I’ll be right back,” Nikki said as she headed towards her bedroom.

When she returned, Charlotte was in the kitchen making herself a turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich.

Nikki remained quiet as she took a seat on one of the wooden barstools. She and Charlotte had been friends and inseparable since first grade. Although they had siblings, they were more like sisters. They were both five feet eight and wore their hair in a short style Halle Berry made famous years ago. Although both were attractive, Nikki’s breasts were larger and her sparkling hazel eyes usually captivated most men. Charlotte on the other hand, was well proportioned and had legs to put Tina Turner to shame. When it came to dealing with issues and especially men, they were complete opposites.

Nikki cleared her throat before telling Charlotte the reason behind her failure to mention her Vegas trip. “I know what I’m about to tell you might sound crazy, but please hear me out before you interrupt.”

Charlotte took a bite of her sandwich and after swallowing said, “Sure.” She continued to eat while listening to Nikki.

“I’m going to Las Vegas because everyone thinks the ring I’m wearing is an engagement ring.”

“Okay, I know that much.”

“And they think I’m going to Vegas to marry my fiancé.”

Charlotte almost choked. “What in the world? What fiancé? How could you keep something like this from me? Who is he? Do I know him?”

Nikki waited for Charlotte to stop blurting out a million and one questions. “Are you through, so I can finish?”

Charlotte took a sip of her drink. “Go ahead,” she said as she looked at Nikki in amazement.

“The key word is everyone ‘thinks.’ I got tired of everyone asking me about my personal life. Asking me when I was going to settle down. I was watching this movie and this idea hit me.”

“Uh huh,” Charlotte said as she stared at her in disbelief.

“If everyone thinks that I’m married maybe they’ll stop asking me about my love life. Then I can go on with my life. I won’t have to worry about being thirty-four and unmarried. And I sure won’t have to listen to the countless questions about why, when, etcetera.”

Charlotte put her drink down and pushed her plate away. “So you’re telling me you’ve planned a fake wedding and everyone, including your family, thinks you’re going to Las Vegas to get married.”

“Yes.”

“Girl, are you crazy? How in the world do you think you’re going to pull it off? You do have to come back. When you come back, what are you’re going to tell everyone?”

“Actually, I’ve told everyone he travels a lot and when he’s in town, we only have time for each other.”

“You’ve been setting this up for awhile. I thought you bought the ring to ward off men you didn’t want to talk to. I never thought you would do something this stupid.”

Nikki defended herself. “I don’t think it’s stupid. Besides, I was due for a vacation and this will keep people out of my business, especially the people at the office. Now maybe my director will stop flirting with me every chance he gets.”

Charlotte shook her head and said, “I can see you telling those busybodies at work, but did you have to lie to your own family?”

“You know my family. They’re just as bad as my co-workers. You know for yourself that they’re always asking me when I’m going to settle down. I’m sick and tired of being made to feel like something is wrong with me because I’m not married,” Nikki said, in frustration.

“I hear you, but still. This is going to back fire and then what?”

“This will bide me some time. I can always tell them it didn’t work out and I got a quick divorce.”

“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything.”

Nikki stood up and walked towards the door. “I sure did. Now help me get my wedding presents out of the car.”

Charlotte laughed. “Girl, all I can say is, you’re something else.”

¶ 12:17 PM //

Today's excerpt comes from chapter two of Roses are thorns, Violets are true.


Excerpt from Chapter Two





ROSE

Where is the mail? The magazine told me I should get my complimentary copy
today. I haven’t talked to Violet since the magazine called me about doing their
Sisters In Hollywood interview. I was hoping Violet would have called to let
me know how things went on her end. But oh no, she couldn’t do that. I’m glad
she decided to do the interview though. Maybe this will help ease the tension
between us.

I really do love my sister, but she’s just too… what’s the word, “Ms Goody
two-shoes.” If I admitted it to myself, I might be a little jealous of her. It seems
she’s so much smarter than I am. She has the nerve to question why I do
what I do. If I didn’t, I would just disappear into the background. I can’t
have that. I think I’m good at competing for and getting good acting roles,
because I had to compete for our parent’s attention.

I do regret the last thing that I did to her, but I just couldn’t help it. No one
told David to be so sexy and wealthy. I always wondered what he saw in my
boring sister. I’m the adventurous one, and she is the boring bookworm. I felt
like he needed a woman with a little passion. I didn’t mean for it to get to the
point of marriage; but when she divorced him, I couldn’t let another woman
get a hold of him. Besides, I also had to show my mom that I really did love
him. But, I sort of went about it the wrong way; I faked a pregnancy. When
he found out, he was livid. I asked him why he was staying in the marriage,
if he didn’t love me. He had the nerve to tell me that he felt like our marriage
was his sentence for breaking my sister’s heart. I probably should divorce him,
but I can’t come away looking like a failure.

Rose noticed the magazine and threw the rest of the mail on the kitchen counter.
She smiled as she admired the cover of her and Violet during happier times.
Instead of sitting at the table with David, she was too excited to sit, so she stood
as she thumbed through the magazine to find the article. Her smile began to fade
when she noticed the title to the section about her and Violet - Roses are Thorns.
Her blood pressure escalated the more and more she read. She took a sip of water
and almost choked when she read the part about how she slept with David.

Oh my, I can’t believe Violet told them all of this. How could she violate our
family secrets? How could she do this to me? I thought she would just keep to
the facts, but she didn’t have to tell them details. If she didn’t have anything
nice to say, she should have just declined the interview.

In the past, we have had our issues, but she’s always had my back in public.
What in the world has gotten into my sister? Doesn’t she know the public is
fickle and they only need one piece of dirt to turn on you? Now I have to figure
out a way to recover from the backlash this is sure to cause. She better hope
this doesn’t cause me to lose out on this movie deal I’m negotiating or she will
have hell to pay.

She threw the magazine on the counter feeling disgusted. “David! David! Can you
believe the trash Violet said about me in this article?”

David eyes shot up from reading the paper with a look of disgust on his face. “Rose,
what did you expect?”

Rose stood with her hands on her hip and a frown on her face. “You always take up
for her. I should have known you wouldn’t understand. Your perfect little Violet
mentions your name in her interview. Now what do you think of that?”

David’s eyes shot back down to the newspaper. He didn’t look up as he responded,
“Whatever Violet said is more than likely the truth. I accept it, and so should you.”

Rose couldn’t stand it. “Can you try to show sympathy for me once in your life?”

David put the paper down and stood face to face with Rose. “I have all the sympathy
in the world, but for Violet.” He walked around Rose and out the door.

Rose yelled, “David! Don’t walk away from me. You always do this. Why do you even
stay?”

David didn’t come back. Rose sat down at the kitchen table feeling empty. She picked
up the article again and began to fume over what Violet had revealed. Instead of facing
the truth and consequences of her previous actions, she decided to lash out at her sister.
She picked up the phone and dialed her number. Violet’s answering machine picked up
on the third ring. “Violet. I know you’re there. Pick up the phone. Okay. Now you want
to play the disappearing game. Well, I got the little article you did. If my reputation
is ruined because of what you said, you will have hell to pay. How could you do this to
me?”

The answering machine clicked off, but Rose called right back. “I don’t appreciate your answering machine hanging up on me either. You need to get with the program and get
voice mail, like the rest of us. Call me as soon as you get this message.” Rose slammed
the phone down.

“How in the world could she do this to me! She knows how hard I’ve worked to
maintain my image. She has me over here stressing. I need a massage or something. I
feel a migraine coming on.”

¶ 1:51 PM //

This week is excerpts week. If you're interested in women's fiction,
then this is the place to visit on a daily basis this week. Today's
excerpt comes from my first novel--Roses are thorns,
Violets are true.



Excerpt from Chapter One




VIOLET

“How much do I love me, let me count the ways? I love that song. I know it
sounds a little vain, but if you had to spend every day competing for your
own identity because of your sister, you wouldn’t say that. Are you writing
all of this down? Well, I hope when she reads this, she’s not too upset, but
knowing Rose she will swear I only did this interview to embarrass her.
Where do you want me to begin?

First let’s start with the name Rose. Rose is such a pretty name representing
a beautiful flower. Everyone sees Rose as not only this tall, beige beauty
with hypnotizing sparkling eyes, but also as a woman with a heart of gold.
Yes, Rose is physically attractive, but if you knew her true character, you
would see her thorns. I will share with you several incidents to back up
my statement.

Many would be surprised Rose and I have issues with one another, because
she makes us seem so perfect. When your magazine called to set up this
interview, I was hesitant on doing it, but then it dawned on me; it’s about
time the public got an inside look at the real Rose.

Anyway, back to what I was saying, our parents owned a landscaping company
and named us Rose and Violet for their favorite flowers. Our parents were
great parents, but growing up it seemed as if Rose was their favorite.
Fortunately before our dad died, him and I were able to make amends
concerning the special treatment Rose got.

While growing up, Rose always came across as the good twin, and I was
labeled the bad twin. She would do things and made sure I was to blame.
I remember when we were around sixteen years old; she stole my Mom’s
pearls, pearls that my grandmother gave her before she passed away. Rose
wore the pearls to school and instead of returning them to my mom’s jewelry
box, she casually brings up the subject of pearls over dinner one night. The
next day, my mom realized her pearls were missing; she searched the house
and guess where she found the missing pearls? Rose had hidden them under
my pillows. I tried to explain to my Mom that it was Rose who took them, but
she wouldn’t hear of it. I was grounded for two weeks. I missed my junior
prom because of Rose.

I can’t count the times in which I got punished for some of the pranks she pulled.
She would cheat on tests by trying to look on my paper, teachers would think
we were in cahoots together, and we both would be punished. She would
pretend to be me when she wanted to date more than one guy at a time, which
caused my boyfriend and I to break up a few times.”

The interviewer changed the cassette in her tape recorder when Violet stopped
to take a sip of lemonade. A hazy look flashed across Violet’s face as she
continued to tell her story.

“I was married for seven years. I remember the day I met David. I was on my
way up to a potential donor’s office. I worked at one of the community centers
here in Los Angeles and my job was to raise money for the center’s after school
programs. I was so nervous about meeting this client. While on the elevator,
I met this friendly guy. He stood over six feet tall with the sexiest grayest eyes
I had ever seen. He had a milk chocolate smooth complexion, which somehow
made me feen for a hersey bar. Even in a suit he had a body like a Nubian
knight. His smile brought me comfort as I waited for the elevator to stop on
the fifteenth floor. When I exited the elevator, to my surprise he was right
behind me. I was even more surprised that he was the man I was scheduled
to have my meeting with.

After we both laughed at the coincidence, he gladly signed over a nice check
for the community center. As he walked me out, he asked me if it would be
okay if he called me and I said yes of course. At the time, I thought he meant
call me at the center for business reasons. When he called me two days later,
he asked me out on a date.

We were inseparable. My parents loved him, and even Rose liked him and she
normally didn’t like any of the guys I dated. She would always find something
wrong with them.

We married and were happily married up until that ill-fated day I decided to
play hooky from work. I had it all planned out. I would go home, take a nice
long bubble bath, cook David’s favorite dinner, chicken Alfredo, and put on
our favorite Nina Simone CD. I had no idea I was going to be the one surprised.
When I pulled up into our driveway, David’s car was home and he normally
worked until seven. I called out his name a few times. When he didn’t respond,
I ran up the stairs. As I got closer to our bedroom, I heard this strange sound,
sounds that reminded me of a screeching cat. When I opened the door, I got a
picture perfect view of him and Rose together wrapped around my favorite
burgundy satin sheets.”

The interviewer had a shocked look on her face.

“Don’t be shocked. I am used to her antics, because she’s always been
underhanded. I have to say out of all the things she’s done, that one hurt me
the most. Yes, how could you deliberately sleep with your sister’s husband?
She knew exactly what she was doing. She would stop by his office, posing as
me, and seduce him.

This went on a couple of times before David realized that it wasn’t me, but by
then, he had gotten too caught up in it and continued their little affair. When I
caught them together, I almost lost it, but something inside of me made me just
walk away. I haven’t laid eyes on either one of them since my divorce. I found
out they were getting married when sweet little Rose sent me an invitation to
the wedding. What nerve! She’s a bold one, that’s for sure!

It took me at least a year before I could hold a conversation with her on the
phone. The only reason why I communicate with her at all is because I
promised my mom. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be talking to her.

I really don’t have too many nice things to say about Ms. Thing. I guess this is
not what you expected for your Sisters In Hollywood issue. I’m sure Rose will
be surprised with this interview, but she’ll probably find a way to weasel her
way out of this story, she always bounces back.

To conclude our interview, I will say that I will probably always love Rose, but
I just can’t trust her. I don’t want her anywhere near me. My friend, Janice,
is more of a sister to me than my own twin.”

The interviewer for Noir Magazine turned off the tape recorder and her face
showed that she was utterly surprised with what Violet had revealed. Violet
could only think that she had opened her eyes to the real Rose Purdue. As
the interviewer prepared to leave, she turned around and asked Violet one
last question. “Do you think you’ll ever be able to forgive your sister?”

As she walked the interviewer to the door, Violet responded, “That’s a million
dollar question. Maybe one day, but not today.”

Am I my sister's keeper?
Reviewer: The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (see more about me) from
RAWSISTAZ Book Club
Being a part of a set of twins has got to be one the hardest situations for children
as they grow into adulthood. In ROSES ARE THORNS VIOLETS ARE
TRUE, Shelia Goss takes a very in-depth look at the lives of twins, Rose and
Violet. They are identical twins and that's where the similarities end. They are
as different as night and day. Rose is very self-centered, jealous and devious.
Violet, on the other hand, is sweet natured, attentive and cares very deeply for
others. Even as little children, Rose was allowed to cast Violet in an unpleasant
light using childish pranks that only twins can play. Violet, however, was always
expected to forgive Rose and move on. Their parents and Rose expected her to
always have her sister's back no matter the circumstances. As they grew into
adults it was easy to see that Rose coveted everything that Violet was and had.
But, there are some lines that sisters just don't cross. Once that line is crossed,
forgiveness becomes a little too hard to carry out.

In her debut novel, Ms. Goss weaves a fascinating tale that had me reading well
into the night. This was sibling rivalry at its worst. The ending was not what I
was expecting. Instead, I received a lesson in familial love and forgiveness. It
left me rooting for both sisters to find that elusive happiness they both craved
and a way back to each other. This was a great read and I recommend it
wholeheartedly.

Reviewed by Brenda M. Lisbon
of the RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

To order your copy, visit your favorite retail store or enjoy a
discount by purchasing online at AMAZON.COM or
BarnesandNoble.COM or www.sheliagoss.com.

¶ 12:34 AM //

I had an emotional weekend, but I'm glad it's over. I didn't know what to expect on Friday night or Saturday morning. It hurt to see "her" laying there looking peaceful as if she were sleeping. She was dressed in a beautiful yellow dress and matching yellow hat--looking prim and proper and at peace. I pray that she is at peace--that this old world is no longer in her memory but that she's having a grand old time on the otherside--enjoying the fruits her labor--being in the radiant presence of the one on High--knowing that peace is being in the presence of God.

Every time I see the color yellow it will be a reminder of her--the ray of sunshine that she possessed by being in her presence. Her words were subtle--kindness was always at the core.

¶ 12:24 AM //

Every now and then I come across a "Thought for Today" that I like to share with the world. This one is one them.

THREE THINGS

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
Time
Words
Opportunity

Three things in life that may never be lost -
Peace
Hope
Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable -
Love
Self-confidence
Friends

Three things in life that are never certain -
Dreams
Success
Fortune

Three things that make a man/woman -
Hard work
Sincerity
Commitment

Three things in life that can destroy a man/woman -
Alcohol
Pride
Anger

Three things that are truly constant -
Father
Son
Holy Ghost
--author unknown to me

¶ 11:17 PM //

A - Age: late 30s (now you don't think I would actually tell you the exact number did you? smile)
B - Best Friend: They know who they are (didn't name you hear, just in case I left someone out by accident or on purpose)
C - Choice of Meat: Beef
D - Dream Date: hmm...let me think on this one...I better not say, just in case someone's reading this blog and he's not my dream date.
E - Exciting Adventure: taking a cruise on the Nile River and visiting the pyramids in Egypt
F - Favorite Food: chicken fetticine alfredo, bar b que, steak
G - Greatest Accomplishment: Ask me this in about a year (smile)
H - Happiest Day of Your Life: Every day because every day is a blessing
I - Interests: Writing, Reading, Travelling, Surfing the Net, Chatting with Friends (online/offline)
J - Joke: Couldn't tell a joke, even if you gave me the punch line.
K - Kool-Aid: Any variation of RED
L - Love: A few weeks ago, I would have said, I'll never fall in love again. Now, I know that falling in love again is possible.
M - Most Valued possession: duh...my computer
N - Name: no, my mom did not spell my name wrong...it's s-h-e-l-i-a...not the other way.
O - Outfit You Love: lime green floral dress with ruffles that I get compliments on every time I wear it...and I have to admit, I do look good in it (and I must, because I don't normally come out and say I look good in something...I know, I need to get over my complex problem).
P - Pizza Toppings: pepporoni and sausage
Q - Question Asked To You the Most: It's a tie: When are you getting married or Why you don't have any kids?
R - Radio Station: XM Radio
S - Sport: Basketball...will watch Football if I'm with a guy I really REALLY like
T - Television Show: Monday nights--all shows on UPN, CSI-MIAMI/LAS VEGAS, Eve, Loves Inc, Everybody Hates Chris
U - Umbrella in the rain?: Now you know I can't get the hair wet.
V - Video: The Color Purple, Fridays, The Best Man, Two Can Play that Game, etc
W - Winter: Love it if I can be cuddled up with some sexy guy
X - X-rays recently?: that's a little too personal...but NO.
Y - Year Born: okay, this goes back to the letter "A"...if I told you the year, you would do the math...so let's just say it was in the 1900's
Z - Zodiac Sign: Virgo--and you know this.

¶ 1:35 AM //

You Asked, I Answered
Reporting Live from Behind the Pen
From the Author that Brings You "Stories with a Twist"

To find out what the questions were and the answers, visit my other blog @
http://myinvisiblehusband.blogspot.com/2005/10/you-asked-i-answered.html

¶ 12:27 PM //

When I got the word that my grandmother had passed this pass weekend, I was numb. She was 92 years old and people say, "well she lived a blessed life" or "well, she lived a long life;" it still doesn't make her passing easy.

The realization that my Daddy's mom is no longer here didn't hit me until yesterday while sitting in church, listening to the choir sing, "I shall wear a crown...when it's all over..." The lyrics to the song basically describe how it'll be when you reach the Pearlie gates of Heaven and knowing that my Grandma Carrie is no longer here but in Heaven is reasons to rejoice, but the human side of me is also saddened because she's not here in the physical.

I titled this post "Baby Girl" because that was her nickname. I never called her that, but I observed people around her age or older say that when addressing her.

Never thought tears could make you feel better, but when I cried, it's like the pain I was refusing to acknowledge by being numb, seemed to seep through my body. My legs became wobbly that I had to hold on to something to walk.

Death is inevitable. I pray that she is now in eternal peace.

¶ 6:31 AM //