Ever heard the phrase “I’m having a bad hair day?” Of course you have. And we all know exactly what it means! But if you happen to have the supernatural gift of prehensile hair (the ability to manipulate, quickly grow, and attack with your hair), that phrase can take on a whole new meaning. Personally I’d rather not have a coiffeur that might kill my husband if he mentions my mane needs a trim, but there’s a few even worse gifts out there in the paranormal world a girl might find herself saddled with. Here’s the top ten, in no particular order: 1. Bone Consumption Aside from the sheer gross factor, I can’t think of a single instance where this power might come in handy. A variation on the traditional vampire, a bone eater gets her power from eating the marrow and skeleton of others. About as unsexy as a supernatural power gets. 2. Self-Detonation This one is self-explanatory. The ability to let loose an explosion from the body, and put yourself back together again. Ouch. Also, I worry if there is an accompanying smell. (It can’t be pleasant.) 3. Prehensile Tongue Like the aforementioned prehensile hair, a prehensile tongue…

My wardrobe doesn’t get a lot of attention. Being a writer barely requires me to wear clothes at all, much less nice ones, but I have fun dressing my characters. An item of clothing or an accessory can speak volumes about the person wearing it. My friend C, on the other hand, is very fashionable. Her enthusiasm reaches a pinnacle when it comes to purses. She’s the proud owner of a number of “statement handbags.”  I borrowed one a while back for a special occasion. What follows is a rundown of the statement I made. The occasion was my birthday. It was a milestone, and my sweet, romantic, long-suffering husband planned a special evening. His instructions consisted of, “Wear something pretty. We’ll be gone all night.” Woo-hoo! I bought a wrap dress, splurged on new underwear, and borrowed C’s Gucci purse. I’d been having back pain and I didn’t want to risk a flare up that night, so I tossed my prescription painkillers in the purse. On our way out the door I stopped to get the mail. I received cards (with checks!) from my mom, my in-laws, and my aunt. Three personal checks into the borrowed Gucci. Boom. Boom….

Because I like to analyze and title just about everything (neurotic reader/writer that I am), I’ve analyzed and labeled each of the various, yummy types of men that make us swoon, giggle, and want to leap through the page, punch out the heroine, and take her place. As an alpha-loving girl, you’ll find my favorite leading men tend to lean toward the aggressive type. Sorry, beta girls. Still, I think there’s a book boyfriend out there for everyone. Let’s take a look at a few archetypes, shall we? MR. SNARK Devastatingly handsome, smoldering smile, and sarcastic with a bite—all of which makes you want to slap him or kiss him. Probably both, in that order. Why does he intrigue us so much? Well, hell, just look at that smirk! And you never know what’s really going on behind those scintillating looks (but we can pretty much guess). *gasp* *Examples: Edward Rochester in Charlotte Bronte’s JANE EYRE; Dorian the Fairy King in Richelle Mead’s DARK SWAN series PRINCE CHARMING Golden good looks with sparkling eyes and a smile that makes you melt into a pile of goo. This guy is exactly what his title suggests—all charm and sparkling wit. Though he…