Funny Friday Bunny Style

My pet rabbit, Buttercup, has her own bedroom complete with a cardboard cottage. In the photo at the right, you can admire her remodeling efforts. Lovely picture window, isn't it?

She's also remodeled my carpet, but that's a sore subject at Chez Dreiling.

How I came to be a proud bunny slave is a bizarre tale (like most of my life). Five years ago, my daughter's high school boyfriend decided she needed a pet. When Amber kept begging me to let her have a rabbit, I made the classic parental mistake and said, "I'll think about it." Which Amber translated into "Yes!"

I had no idea what I was getting into when Buttercup came into our lives at 8 weeks of age. Suffice it to say, she got sick within two weeks. Very sick. So I found a vet. Not just any vet. An exotic vet. Yes, rabbits require specialized care. In addition to getting her well, I had to have her spayed, even though she had no boyfriends living with her. Why? Because female rabbits who are not spayed stand an 80% chance of developing cancer.

When I told my work colleagues what I'd spent at the vet, they concluded I was nuts. Buttercup became known as the $1000 rabbit.

Meanwhile, my daughter and the boyfriend had a parting of ways - and a custody battle over Buttercup. Needless to say, we, er, won.

About the time I thought I had Buttercup's care down to a science, she developed the rabbit equivalent of anorexia. Her wonderful vet tried to prepare me for the worst. I left the office, fearing she would die. Later that afternoon when I returned to the veterinary hospital, the gentle vet walked out with his thumb up. I broke down and cried.

I love our little fur kid even though she doesn't like to be held. That's because rabbits are prey animals and get scared easily. She's very fragile. We have to be careful when we do pick her up, so she doesn't jump suddenly and break her back. Every year, I have to take her in for dental work to file down sharp edges on her teeth - to prevent her from cutting her tongue. She uses a litter box just like a cat, but I have to use dust-free, pine-free litter to keep from damaging her lungs. Did I mention the 25 pound bags of hay? I'm a very good customer of the Oxbow Hay Company.

But every morning when it's time for her breakfast, she scampers around my feet for that one tablespoon of pellets and fresh hay. And every morning, I melt.

Because of the specialized care required for bunnies, they're not recommended for small children. If you'd like more information on house rabbit care, go to the House Rabbit Society: http://www.rabbit.org/

Here's a link to a great You Tube Video of Super Bunnies! http://tinyurl.com/2oompj

TGIF!
Vicky

Write What You Know

Writers are often told, write what you know. There is a lot of misconception about what this means. Granted, there are writers out there who use their professions to advantage in their novels. But the resulting story often involves suspense situations the writer never experienced. In other cases, authors write about professions, situations, and time periods they only know about from extensive research. I can't possibly know first-hand what it was like to be an aristocrat in Regency England. What I have done is research the period thoroughly with books and visits to period mansions and to museums. This, however, is not the most critical aspect of writing what you know.

In my opinion, writing what you know means writing about what matters to you. I don't mean in a biographical sense, but rather writing what you've learned as a result of life experience. For example, when I first conceived the idea of How to Court a Duke, I started with a question. What happens to a woman who makes a life-changing mistake at a very young age? Why did this matter to me? Because I made a huge mistake when I married at age nineteen. The repercussions from that decision had a big impact on my life. The novel, however, is not representative of the events in my life. Instead, the themes that emerged resulted from my own life experiences and what I learned as a result. The major themes of the book deal with betrayal and forgiveness. Did I knowingly include them? No. The process was entirely subconscious.

I've heard several published authors talk about recurring themes in their novels, themes they only recognize when the novel is finished. Theme is about what characters learn. Theme is connected to the character's internal conflicts, conflicts that must be resolved in order for the protagonist to find peace, happiness, or in the case of a romance novel, lasting love. In some novels such as literary fiction, the character may never resolve his/her issues, which in itself suggests theme. It's realistic if you consider people who make the same mistakes over and over again. You shake your head and think: They never learn.

In romance, there is a fairy tale quality in the happily ever after aspect, which is suggested at the book's end. This doesn't mean the novels are not complex. I think readers are smart enough to deduce that the characters they fall in love with would likely argue and have issues as life continues. The point is that the hero and heroine have conquered their past demons, which allow them to form a lasting relationship in a healthy manner.

I unknowingly began How to Court a Duke with the kernal of a theme. The question popped into my head, and in the writing of the book, I subconsciously uncovered themes that meant something to me personally. These themes have a universal resonance. Who has not suffered some form of betrayal? Who has not sought forgiveness or had to bestow it?

Tell me, what themes do you find in your novels?

Are We Too Connected?

First there was email. Then came IM, text messages, blogs, My Space, Facebook, and now the newest gadget - Twitter. All of a sudden, I kept seeing bloggers mention they found info on Twitter. I didn't want to be left behind, so I paid a visit. There I found messages such as: 10:30 AM - I'm at the pool.

OK, so I still don't get it, but I'm sure Twitter provides lots of value. After all, tons of people are tweeting. So I asked myself: Should I jump on this cyber bandwagon? Can I send messages such as: I'm at the computer - or - I'm eating Kashi Granola with Activia Yogurt.

Wow! I, too, could be a Twit.

Nevertheless, I have some reservations. That's because I'm cyber overloaded. The number of Yahoo Group loops, websites, and blogs I visit is increasing exponentially. Admittedly, I've learned a lot about the writing business from the Internet. Agent and editor blogs are filled with important info, not to mention entertaining Query Letters. And I certainly enjoy communicating with fellow writers. But today I realized I'd hit the all time rock-bottom when I started getting emails with birthday wishes and offers of friendship from the likes of Snickers, Elizabun Tailor, and Floppy.

No, it is not my birthday.


My pet rabbit has a profile on ... BunSpace. Today, Buttercup got dozens of 5th birthday wishes from all of her furkid cyber friends.

My name is Vicky, and I am a cyber addict.

I need a 12-step program for my internet addiction. Or at least a diet. Is there such a thing as Cyber Watchers? Do I need to log in my daily visits to blogs, websites, and yahoo group loops?

Tell me, how addicted are you?