FUN STATE FACTS

Welcome, thanks for visiting! Here's something a little different. State facts you might not know. Did you know...

Pennsylvania
1. In 1909 the first baseball stadium was built in Pittburgh.
2. Drake Well Museum in Titusville is on the site where Edwin L. Drake drilled the world's first oil well in 1859 and launched the modern petroleum industry. 
 3.  Pennsylvania is the only original colony not bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. 

 4. Kennett Square is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World. 
 5. Indiana County is the Christmas Tree capital of the world. 

Georgia
1. In Gainesville, the Chicken Capital of the World it is illegal to eat chicken with a fork. 
 2. Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River. 
 3. Coca-Cola was invented in May 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. The name "Coca-Cola" was suggested by Dr. Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Robinson. He penned the name Coca-Cola in the flowing script that is famous today. Coca-Cola was first sold at a soda fountain in Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta by Willis Venable. 
 4. Providence Canyon State Park, near Lumpkin, is known as the Little Grand Canyon of Georgia. 
 5. The annual Masters Golf Tournament is played at the Augusta National in Augusta every first week of April. 

New Jersey
1. Picturesque Cape May holds the distinction of being the oldest seashore resort in the United States and one of the most unique. 
 2. North Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area in the world with seven major shopping malls in a 25 sq. mile radius. 
 3.  The first Indian reservation was in New Jersey. 

 4. The first baseball game was played in Hoboken. 
 5. The first Drive-In Movie theatre was opened in Camden. 
Which fact surprised you most? Please leave a comment, I love feedback. Thanks for coming.
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LOVE LOST & FOUND!! NEW CONTEMPORARY MILITARY RELEASE!

MY NEWEST RELEASE, A MILITARY ROMANCE, WRITTEN WITH BEN TANNER.
 A bit about the book:

 What do a Marine who received a “Dear John” letter and a journalist who dumped her cheating fiancé have in common? Nothing, outside of being heartbroken over lost love. But when they accidentally end up next to each other jetting to a Caribbean paradise, they do share one thing: mutual attraction. Friendship between Tara Mason and Sergeant Mick Peterson grows quickly through a few dates on St. Thomas. An argument coupled with a blunder strand them on a small deserted Caribbean island.

In the midst of nothing but sand and water, possible starvation leading to death, old wounds heal. While working together to survive, Mick and Tara fall in love. Love found in their own private Eden is soon challenged in life-threatening ways when they return to the mainland. Long separations, danger and loneliness test their devotion. Is the love they’ve found strong enough to withstand what life throws at them?    

Short Excerpt 

Tara is moved away from a harrassing man on the plane to St. Thomas. She ends up next to Sergeant Mick Peterson.

                                      *   *   *   *   *   *

“I’m Mick. Don’t worry about me, I’m going to sleep,” he said, before rolling on his side and closing his eyes.

Mick slept for fifteen minutes, but woke up again. Damn conditioning. I wanted to sleep. Now that he was awake he glanced at Tara, who was engrossed in her book, checking her out. Slim—not skinny, beautiful auburn hair…to her shoulders, perfect breasts, cute nose with a few freckles—pretty. As she turned the pages, he noticed the white mark on her finger from a ring, but no ring. Something she was reading must have struck her as funny because a grin lit up her face. Wow.

Tara glanced at him out of the corner of her eye then her gaze met his.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to stare. Can’t sleep. You’re…uh…well…um, really pretty. Please forgive me, don’t be scared, which—after what happened I’m sure you are. Go back to your book, I won’t bother you.” Color crept into his cheeks.

Buy Link 

Secret Cravings Publishing

Meet Tara Mason - LOVE, LOST & FOUND - PART 3

Tara has confronted her fiance about his cheating and thrown his engagement ring in his face. She left the hotel in tears and jumped in a cab to go home:

In the taxi, Tara broke down and sobbed. The driver tossed a box of tissues in the back and shot  a sympathetic look at her in his rearview mirror

“He ain’t worth it, honey,” the driver said.

“You can say that again.” She plucked two tissues from the box and blew her nose.

She whipped out her cell phone, took a breath to steady her voice and dialed.

“Mom, stop the plans. The wedding is off. As of now, that’s when. I’m all right, Mom…I know you never liked him. Now I agree. I’m sorry about your deposit and…and…all this,” she said, tears streaming down her face.

“Don’t come, Mom. I need to be alone. Yeah. I know. Thanks, Mom. I love you, too.”

She hung up the phone and watched the big buildings pass by as the taxi took her up Park Avenue to 79^th Street, where it made a left turn to ride through the park to the West Side. 

Music from the radio filled the car. Then she heard it…”Kokomo” by The Beach Boys. Key Largo…Montego Bay…beautiful, romantic beaches. Making love with Paul in the moonlight. Her heart was heavy with disappointment. The image of their honeymoon resort flashed in front of her eyes, luring her, mocking her. She’d lose an amazing, sexy two weeks there, along with everything else. It was almost too much to bear.

The song continued…the lyrics taunting her. She never wanted to get away from it all so much in her life. An idea leapt into her brain. The car pulled up in front of the brownstone where she lived. She paid the driver and flew up the stairs into her building. She turned on her computer, singing “Kokomo” as she stripped off her business clothes. Standing in her lacy bra and panties by the window watching the sun peek out from behind a dark cloud, she picked up her cell phone and called her boss.

“Remember the letter of resignation I gave you, Al? Can you rip it up? Seems I’m not going to work for Paul after all.”

“Don’t know if I can give your exact job back, Tara, but we’ll find something for you.”

“Hey, I’ll take city desk, if I have to.”

“You’ve always got a job here, sweetheart.”

“Thanks, Al,” she said, tearing up, “just one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“The honeymoon time you were giving me?”

“Cancel it?”

“Not exactly. I want to take it now, instead of three months from now.”

“Now?”

“Yup.”

“I suppose you’ll explain all this to me when you get back.”

“How did you guess? What would I do without you?”

“Somebody has to take care of you…”

“Love you. See you in two weeks.”

She found “Kokomo” on her iTunes account and played it…putting it on repeat. She needed to keep hearing the words. Tara started to dance, shaking her hips and singing along. Sitting down at the computer, she logged in and located her honeymoon travel plans. An evil smile curled her lips. Paul left the arrangements to her but used his credit card. Hah! She exchanged the two plane tickets for one first class ticket and a luxury suite accommodation at the resort.

“Suck it, Paul, you owe me. Departure, tomorrow…” she said aloud to no one, as “Kokomo” continued to play on her computer.

After she clicked on “Save changes”, she got up and pulled out her suitcase.  Still singing, she examined the sexy “honeymoon” lingerie and nighties in her drawer. Light blue with lace, sheer pink, black…all selected to go perfectly with her auburn hair and green eyes. Screw it! She grabbed them all and put them in the suitcase.

You never know…

 COMING OUT SEPTEMBER 25

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