Vampires are scary. That's a fact. Especially hangry ones. But there are many things out there just as scary as we are--for instance poisonous snakes. Over five million people a year are bitten by venomous snakes that result in approximately 100,000 deaths. I won't even get into the amputations. Body parts can discolor, bloat--you get the picture. 

​Snakes on the Scary List
Vipers are a nasty bunch. Many varieties are found in India, but the U.S. has snakes in the viper family including rattlesnakes, copperheads, and the cottomouth. A viper's highly toxic venom can result in kidney failure, followed by death. Speaking of which, death adders in Australia have earned their name. Let's not forget the King Cobra and its impressive fangs. A single bite can kill an elephant. The spitting cobra isn't as toxic--but just ewww. The Black Mamba is super fast, although not as fast as a vampire. You can read more about snakes at TreeHugger.com and TravelEarth.com. 

Scary without Poison
There are sooo many scary bugs out there. Of course, the Black Widow spider is poisonous but doesn't look very scary. Any cockroach is scary and gross--especially the hissing cockroach and giant burrowing cockroach. Can you imagine a cockroach that's as heavy as a golf ball? Beetles can be pretty scary, too. The Goliath Beetle looks like it has a crab's claw for a face. It's the strongest creature on Earth for its size. Luckily these guys only reach about four inches long. However, the Titan Beetle can reach six inches long and snap pencils in half with its jaws. How would you like one of those in your house? To read more about these scary bugs go to CBC Kids.

Humans--Yeah You Make the List
Humans are an unpredictable bunch--that's what's scary. If you meet a Grizzly in the forest, you can be pretty sure he doesn't want to sit down for tea. Notice I didn't use a wolf. They get a horrible rap--fairy tales have done them wrong. Don't get me started. Wolves have the common sense to steer clear of humans. To find out more about wolves and check out the "wolf cam" visit nywolf.org. Okay, I'm off my soapbox--back to humans. Recently, I read an article where a guy was pulled over for grand theft auto and had body parts in the stolen car. Guess he didn't want to dirty his car. At least, he didn't have body parts in his luggage like another guy. Insert eye roll. Anyway, to get a good dose of weird and scary things, check out the iScary podcast. Find out about freaky friends and scary hookups. You have to hear it to believe it. 

Now that I've given you a lot of things to read about and get scared over, there's one more to add: Reno Red: Coming Up Roses. Yes, book 2 is out! You can meet my boyfriends in this one and learn the big secrets the humans were hiding from me. Of course, I was hiding a couple from them, too. If you have any comments, I'd love to hear them. Just remember I'm super fast and have fangs.

As you may know, if you read previous blogs or my book Reno Red : Reckless, my puppy Reckless is a rescue. She almost became a snack for the fampires, but I don't want to spoil the story if you haven't read it yet.

Reckless met some new rescue friends pictured above. She had a blast hiking and playing chase with Pepper, a blue heeler, Fireball, a chiweenie (chihuahua/dachshund), Mocha, a chihuahua/terrier, and Maverick, a red heeler. The one thing Reckless has in common with all these beautiful dogs is that they are rescues, too.  

We hiked at Red Canyon in UT near Bryce Canyon. It is a beautiful place and dog friendly. Bryce Canyon, UT, is amazing as well, but Reckless was only allowed on the one dog-friendly trail, The Rim Trail. It goes around the rim of the canyon for about 11 miles, and there are plenty of spectacular views.

We're back home, and I'm putting the finishing touches on my book cover for my new book, Reno Red: Coming Up Roses. It should be available before the end of July, so if you haven't read book 1, get busy!
 

I haven’t posted for a while because I’ve been busy. Life with my rambunctious puppy, Reckless, keeps me on my toes, because—there’s always something to clean up. Seriously, she’s the best, and I love our time together. We visited Valley of Fire in Nevada above. I’ve also been writing.

Reno Red Book 2 (no title yet) is completed and in the polishing stage, so if you haven’t read Reno Red: Reckless (book 1), you better get a copy. The eBook version is as cheap as buying a pack of gum, cheaper than a soda, and contains no sugar, artificial flavor, or preservatives. It contains no caffeine but will stimulate your brain. My books are short because that's how I like books.

In my new book, I divulge my love interests—and I finally find out what my bestie Chanel does for a living. Of course, I have to deal with some villains, too.

There’s a relatively new song out about redheads that I think is spot on. The song “Redhead” is sung by Caylee Hammack and featuring Reba McEntire. Click this “link” to listen.

I’m going to end with the opening page from book 2. 

     “Life is strange. Death is stranger. In the last two hundred years, I’ve avoided friendships and serious relationships because I need to move around. In the last few weeks, that has changed. I’ve made a bunch of friends by adopting my puppy Reckless and meeting the spectre group. None of them care that I’m undead. In fact, the spectres are kind of glad I am. Since their business is to hunt monsters, they offered me a consultant position. I can help them track monsters because technically, I am one.
    This consultant job allows me to use my vampire talents to help mankind instead of destroying it—finally, my long-searched for greater purpose. I want to prove to the spectres, who I call the Church people, that they can continue to trust me and that having me as an ally isn’t a mistake.
     Apparently, there isn’t a short supply of work. Yesterday, the Church people and I busted a ring of sickos that were turning humans into fake vampires or “fampires,” and just an hour ago, the group leader Harry called for an emergency meeting.”

With the beautiful fall weather approaching, I will able to take Reckless on more outdoor excursions; however, this time around, I went solo. I headed out to Moab, UT, which is in the southeastern part of the state. Moab has red everywhere, and it's beautiful. These pictures are from Arches National Park.

Arches National Park has amazing natural arch rock formations, and they're red, too! This one is called Delicate Arch. There are a bunch of arches, and they all have names.

With all the fires currently raging, sunrises and sunsets have been very red. As pretty as they are, it is a sad reminder of the devastation happening. My un-beating heart goes out to all those affected by these fires, and I thank all those who are stepping up to help out those communities. 

And, of course, your favorite vampire is a redhead. I seriously don't know where the term "ginger" came from for redheads. The ginger spice is yellow. Wouldn't we be "cinnamons"?

Anyway, the writing of Reno Red book 2 is well underway. My ex-boyfriend is in this book, but that's all I'm going to say about him. All your favorite characters are back from book 1, too. Chanel finally finds the courage to ask me some "vampire" questions, so you'll get to find out the answers...that is, when it's published and if you get a copy.

Until next time, take care and stay safe. Remember, vampires are far down on the list of things you should worry about.

Reckless loves to play as any puppy does. She met a blue heeler (Australian Cattle Dog) friend named Pepper who is about a year older than she is. Pepper and Reckless zoom around after each other at the dog park...it's super cute! Here are a few pictures of Reckless and her buddy Pepper. By the way, Pepper was a rescue puppy, too. Adopt, don't shop!

It's not because I sunburn, sparkle, or disintegrate in sunshine, I just like the look of cowboy hats. Here's Reckless and me out for a hike.

Cowboy hats are a fun accessory. I have three of them to match my outfits...especially my flip-flops.

And, of course, going line dancing with Chanel, my best friend, is always a great occasion to wear a cowboy hat.
I know what you're thinking, vampires probably are stellar dancers because we move so fast. Well, not in my case. Yes, I move super fast, but I'm clumsy as heck.
If you haven't figured it out, I'm not the typical vampire, which means you haven't read my first book, Reno Red Reckless. What are you waiting for? Get busy! Book 2 is in the works.

I hit the road again to capture some wildlife photos. There is something very peaceful about watching animals is their native surroundings--free and unafraid. I can usually sneak up close enough to them since I don't carry a human odor to get good pictures.
By the way, if you haven't read Reno Red book 1, get busy. Reno Red book 2 is in the works!!! 

I decided to hit the road again and seek out another vacation spot. This time, signs of volcanic activity brewed almost everywhere I looked--mud bubbled in circular pits, two-hundred-degree water shot into the air with high velocity, relieving pressure beneath the Earth, steam seeped from cracks in the ground. Large land animals roamed through the mist—right past my truck!
This description may conjure up images of a prehistoric age when mammoths and T-rexs loomed about, but it’s actually Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Hot springs, geysers, waterfalls, and wildflowers are the backdrop from the largest land animals in America, bison, as well as elk, deer, pronghorn, wolves, coyotes, grizzly and black bears.
Yellowstone is known for Old Faithful geyser, but it doesn’t shoot water as high as some of the others. It gives dependable eruptions every 60-90 minutes 24/7. Other geysers may shoot water 300 feet in the air, but you never know when—the eruptions could be months or years apart. The hikes are spectacular, too.
Enough with the geology lesson. The park is amazing! I loved it! And another thing, some people camp and bring their dogs; however, many of the hot springs and geyser viewing does NOT allow dogs—for their safety. I left Reckless with Chanel while I was away. She chewed up one of Chanel’s flip-flops, but oh, well.
By the way, Reno Red 2 (no title yet) is in the works, so if you haven’t read my first book, get busy! Now, enjoy the pics from your favorite vampire.

You'd expect a vampire to vacation at an exceedingly hot and desolate place with points of interest named Deadman Pass, Funeral Peak, and Coffin Peak, and I did.  That place is Death Valley.

I didn't bring Reckless along this trip. Summer temps in Death Valley have topped a sweltering 134. It's no surprise how Devil's Golf Course got the name.

Some cool facts about Death Valley include:
Badwater Basin is the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below sea level. The water is very salty…not poisonous like you'd imagine.
It is home to Devil’s Hole pupfish, rare creatures only found there. Yes, fish in the desert.
A few volcanic craters are at this National Park, most notably Ubehebe Crater.
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Despite sounding like a bleak hellhole, beauty is everywhere if you take the time to look. That principle can be applied to more than Death Valley. Below are pictures of Zabriskie Point, Golden Canyon, and Artist's Palette.
​

Reckless and I made it through Thanksgiving without many mishaps. Harry and Rosemarie invited all the spectres over for Thanksgiving dinner. Caleb, Ursula, Reckless, and I attended, but Hunter and Chynna were out of town at a family reunion. 
Of all the minor mishaps, Reckless stole a turkey leg and two biscuits. Did I mention the food was on Ursula's plate? OOPS. haha.
Ursula was as sparkly as ever. Who knew you could actually find a glittery orange shirt? She was friendly to me, which made sitting next to her not as awkward. Still awkward. Especially after my puppy ate her meal...twice. I also found out something about Caleb's family that I hadn't heard before--but I'll tell you later. Supposedly it's spilled in book 2.
Speaking of books--of course--I am excited to tell you all that Reno Red Reckless is now available in paperback!!! It's super cheap, too. What a great stocking stuffer for CHEAP! Although I'd love everyone to read about my adventures, the book is recommended for 17+ because I have a potty mouth. I admit it. It didn't really kick in until the 1920s, but once it started, there was no turning back. I'm working on it though.
Hold on, I have to get my flip-flop out of Reckless' mouth.
I'm back. So, I've plugged my book. Now, I want to plug another book that will help people around the world get resources that they need, namely mosquito netting. Some proceeds of The Rabbit Hole, an anthology of weird stories, will go to the Against Malaria Foundation to buy netting. Get a book, cross a gift off your list, and help someone all at the same time.
​That's all for now. I have to go retrieve another flip-flop from Reckless. Have a great week!