Juniper's Sexiest Men Alive

The lucky editors of People Magazine have spoken, and the official Sexiest Man Alive in 2011 is my longtime friend Bradley Cooper.

I'm happy for Bradley. It's a nice consolation prize after I dumped him to marry my husband.

(Don't believe a word I say here.)

But seriously, I really can't argue with their choice. He's a hottie, no question about it. Talented, smart, French-speaking, charming. But I thought I'd add some other guys into the mix here. And I get to pick my own categories (sorry, People Magazine).

SEXIEST GUILTY PLEASURE GUY

These are the guys I think are hot even though I probably shouldn't. I mean, The Rock? Seriously? But seriously, have you the physique on him?

I put Taylor Lautner in the same category. He is way too young for me to be lusting over. But looking can't do any harm, right?







 In a complete change of pace, let's address the SEXIEST GEEK ALIVE category. I'm a sucker for a cute geek and this guy just does it for me. Meet our winner, Ira Glass, of This American Life.

Now for the I WILL NEVER FIND YOU SEXY AGAIN category. Yep, it's sad but true. Jesse, the bad boy appeal only goes so far. You've crossed a line.












And Mel, I'll just have to remember you from back in the day.

I wanted to include Mickey Rourke in this category but I just don't have the heart to hunt down a picture of him.

Let's move on to a happier category: Juniper's personal HALL OF FAME, the men I will always adore and fantasize about. This is a long list and I could probably spend all day and a long, sweaty night remembering more names. But I'll stick with two. Johnny Depp, you gorgeous, soulful dreamboat. And Daniel Craig, dynamite packed inside muscle and skin. You both do it for me and you always will. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

So there you have it, Juniper's Sexiest Men Alive. Any other nominees? Feel free to share your picks!

Babies and Books.

I'm not one of those authors who'll tell you my books are my babies. They're not. My babies, when they were babies, actually needed to be cared for and protected. My books, once they're in the hands of readers, shouldn't need coddling. Which is not to say I'm a fan of cruel reviews--I'm not. But authors should be able to put on their big-girl panties and not take offense at every little hint of criticism and reviewers need to be able to put on their "I'm-an-adult" hats and not show off how frightfully smart they are at the expense of someone else's feelings. We should all be able to unite over our mutual love of books and just get along...but that's a topic for another post.

What I want to talk about today, is not how books are like babies, but how babies are like books. Hear me out a minute. 'Cause I've given this a lot of thought and it actually makes sense.

First off, there's that new book smell...and yes, for the purposes of this blog post we're talking about physical books. If you've got virtual babies, that's all well and good, but you're on your own with that.

Next, like babies, books are all about the same size and shape. Some are thinner than others, some a bit more thick. But, by and large, none of them weigh so much that you can't sit comfortably and hold one for hours at a time. Which is a damn good thing, when you think about it!

When you first bring your new book or your new baby home, you don't really know what to expect from it. Oh, sure, you have a basic idea, but specifically? Not so much. Will this one be so exciting it will keep you up nights; or will it let you get some sleep? Will it have an internal rhythm you can count on and an attention span that's measurable in more than micro-seconds, or will it restless and high-strung and jump around from one mood to the next? Outward appearances might give you a clue about its temperament, and knowing the genealogy (author and publisher) can also help but, ultimately, you won't know for sure until you're in the middle of it.

Some books are sweet, some more adventurous and some leave you wanting to throw them against the wall. Okay...not like babies so much, more like teenagers maybe. And, no, I'm not advocating you treat either like that in reality; I'm just saying you  might want to. There will be chapters you'll wish you could re-visit for eternity and chapters you hurry through and never want to see again. There maybe be tears or laughter, or a good deal of both. This new book and/or baby might break your heart, or it (or he/she/they) might be the greatest love story ever told.

And, in case you can't tell, my baby's off on another trip right now. My nest is empty and I'm feeling nostalgic.  Guess I'd better go and find a good book to read.

Guest Blogger Nina Pierce - How Forgiving Are You?

It seems authors are looking for that breakout story. The “different” that will make them stand out among all the books shouting for readers’ attention these days.

Like everything, the boundary of what is acceptable and what isn’t is being challenged. Werewolves, vampires, angels, demons and even zombies are competing in the paranormal world, sometimes to the detriment of the human species. Serial killers and stalkers are being chased in crime novels with the gore and horror factors bordering on blood baths. And in the world of romance, it seems every combination of human relationship is available and love is not always found in the bedroom.

But I wonder … how much will readers accept before they throw the book against the wall?

Is a flesh-eating heroine acceptable? How about a serial killer looking for redemption? A cheating partner who wants to be forgiven? Are these characters “redeemable”? And how far would you read before you decide you can’t take it anymore?

I ask, because my newest romantic suspense release, “Cheat Her With Charm” has a hero who at first glance appears to be cheating on his fiancée. As a matter of fact, through most of the story, the reader is left to wonder what he is doing obsessing over another woman and why he is doing it. I fussed and futtered over this premise, not really sure if readers would accept that the hero is truly head-over-heels in love with the heroine. And if he was, why would he cheat? Would they actually make it to the end and discover all the truths?

So what do you think? At what point is a character not worth your time? How much leeway are you willing to give a hero/ine before you decide not to finish a book? One commenter to this post will be chosen at random to receive an e-book of “Blind Her With Bliss”, the first book in this romantic suspense series.

BLURB:

He’s got a secret past. She has dreams for their future. Together they have a problem that may just kill them both…

Floral designer, MEGHAN TILLING, has been in love with her fiancé since college. With her business, his promotion and a family illness, she’s finding the demands on her time are keeping them apart. PETER MADDOCK loves his fiancée with a fierceness that claws at his soul, but finding answers to his past becomes an obsession he can’t ignore. When bizarre accidents threaten Meghan’s life, he wonders if his secrets have finally caught up with him. Can they both discover the truth without paying the ultimate price …their lives?

EXCERPT:

The disgust mixing with his second scotch churned unpleasantly in Peter’s gut. He’d discussed his options with the hostess nearly fifteen minutes ago, and he was quickly losing both his patience and his nerve.

He was beginning to doubt this trip was worth risking what he’d found with Meghan and her family. But once the questions had formed, Peter had been unable to squelch the curiosity that had begun two months ago when Meghan’s father John had suffered another heart attack.

He’d stood on the fringes watching the three Tilling sisters and their mom huddled together in the ICU. The support the close-knit family had offered one another had been tender and inspiring. Rather than feel part of the Tilling clan, the experience had punctuated Peter’s isolation and lack of roots.

Meghan and her family had no idea what it was like to walk the earth knowing there was no one who shared your DNA. Regardless of how wonderful his foster families had been while he was growing up, they were ephemeral—a temporary place to find a warm bed and three squares a day. They weren’t family.

Long before his engagement to Meghan last Christmas, the Tillings considered him one of their own. The first weekend he’d gone home with her his junior year in college, eight years ago, Alice Tilling had wrapped him in a fierce hug. After he’d passed muster with Julie and Deirdre they too had treated him like a sibling. Even John, the warm-hearted patriarch of the family shared Peter’s love of the Red Sox, Stanley Cup playoffs and fishing.

Peter desperately wanted the Tillings to be enough and satisfy the hungry longing swelling inside.

But they weren’t.

And though he loved his fiancée with a fierceness that clawed at his soul, lately even her love couldn’t fill the growing chasm in his heart. He wanted it to. God, how he’d tried to ignore the gnawing in his gut. The cold emptiness that was sated only when Meghan was in his arms.

When he made love to her, it was with a desperate hunger to brand her on his soul and make her part of him. But the satisfaction lasted only as long as they were tangled in the sheets. Inevitably the bitter loneliness punched through his contentment, spreading like a cancer, chilling him to the very marrow of his bones.

That’s when he’d thought Meghan couldn’t be everything to him and he’d gone searching.

A search that had landed him in the honeymoon suite of a swanky Boston hotel.

As the minutes ticked by, Peter was beginning to realize he’d put too much time and energy into this trip. He didn’t need another woman in his life. Meghan and her family were enough. He slammed his glass down on the table beside him and stood.

“Are you leaving?” Taya hurried to his side.

“I actually just stopped in for a drink,” Peter said, absently shoving the bandana back into his pocket.

“But I’ve come to escort you to see Crystal.”

A private room? In reality, it was what he wanted. Though he’d gotten used to the idea of meeting the woman in this place surrounded by people, a more quiet setting without so many prying eyes might work better. Raking his fingers through his hair, he released some of his nervous energy on a heavy breath that puffed his cheeks. He needed to rein in his conflicting emotions. He’d come this far, backing out now would accomplish nothing.

Peter forced his lips into a smile and stared down into dark eyes outlined provocatively in black. “Why didn’t she come to me herself?”

Taya’s delicate brows furrowed. “It doesn’t work that way.” She pointed to several people being escorted out of the main room. “Crystal is a little busy tying up some loose ends at the moment.” He rolled his eyes at her joke and the petite woman’s smile faded as she cleared her throat. “Yes, well, as you can see, her other guests are already making their way to her.”

“Where is she exactly?”

“In the viewing room, of course.”

Even with his limited knowledge of strip joints, Peter knew this would cost him a lot of money. “How much?”

Again her brows furrowed. “Crystal offers her guests a sample viewing. If you choose something more that will be negotiated.”

The bands of guilt around his chest relaxed. At least he wouldn’t be alone when he first met the woman. He extended his hand in an invitation for Taya to lead the way.

She turned, guiding him through the maze of chairs and couches toward the other side of the room. He kept his eyes focused on the swirling pattern of the rug, not so much because it caught his attention, but to keep him from making eye contact with the other patrons.

He’d jumped so many hurdles to get here and this whole fiasco had taken on a life of its own, but he didn’t need to know that others watched him. Peter’s need to meet Crystal outweighed any compunction he had to retreat from his embarrassment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BUY Link for Kindle Lovers: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064EES0Y

BUY Link for Nook Lovers: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Cheat-Her-With-Charm/Nina-Pierce/e/2940013576834

Award-winning romance author, Nina Pierce, grew up in a house full of readers. So becoming enamored with books was only natural. She discovered romance stories in her early teens, falling hopelessly in love with knights in shining armor and the damsels who saved them.

Eventually, reading about alpha males and the journey to find their happy-ever-after endings wasn’t enough. She needed to pen her own stories of fated loves and soul mates. Nina’s discovered the passionate side of romance with her sexy stories. For her, it’s all about the sweet scent of seduction mixed with the heartwarming aroma of romance.

Nina resides in southern New England with her high school sweetheart and soul mate of twenty-seven years, their three grown children and several very spoiled cats who consider her “staff”.

You can keep up with her latest releases on her website http://www.NinaPierce.com and blog, http://www.NinaPierce.com/blog. Or follow her on facebook http://www.facebook.com/author.nina.pierce

Anniversary Contest Winners

Thanks so much to everyone who entered our contest and popped by to help us celebrate our anniversary. And thanks to the ever efficient Random.org for it's hand in choosing our winners.

Contemporary Prize Pack Winner - Drea

Erotic Prize Pack Winner - Eva

Paranormal Prize Pack Winner - Suzi

Amazon GC Winner - Kim B (send your email addy to Sydney)

Drum roll please...

Grand Prize Winner is - Ashley

Book winners can contact ninenaughtynovelists@gmail.com with their preferred download format and we'll take care of the rest.

Productivity in Reverse

When my old laptop died, I rejoiced, researched, and replaced it. The excitement lasted all of five minutes, until I realized I had to start from scratch. Loading programs, setting up my desktop, arranging my files (but thank god for DropBox!), and syncing my browsers.

In that time, my productivity dropped off because the barrier to writing, or tweeting, or blogging was that much bigger.

But I learned some valuable lessons in distraction-proofing your computer--and lessons in making a computer transition easier.

1. If a shortcut isn't in the toolbar of your browser, and you need to manually type in the URL, it's harder to go to that site--just hard enough that you may not wander off to Facebook or Twitter while doing research. I'd suggest having one browser JUST for writing (look at Opera, for example) and another for all other activities. Make the writing browser as distraction-free as possible.

2. Same goes for auto-saving your passwords. If you do like to have them autosaved, I'd recommend installing LastPass. It's a secure password keeper that autofills your username and password for every site you've saved. The cool thing here is that you can set the browser extension to have you log in each time you open a new window. It's one more barrier from distraction.

3. Pinning distracting shortcuts (Tweetdeck, etc) to your desktop toolbar is a bad idea. Same goes for having shortcuts there at all. If the only shortcut you have is to your writing program, and you have to take those extra steps to get to, say, solitaire or social networking, it'll give you a chance to pause and think before heading away from your writing.

Now on to tips for improving the transition to a new computer:

1. If you use Google Chrome as a browser, there's a function that allows you to sync the browser between computers you use. This is also helpful when you write from a laptop and a desktop. You choose what to import across devices, but it can load your bookmarks, preferences, saved passwords, etc. This is much easier than trying to rebuild your bookmarks bar, and all it takes is setting it up and logging in through your Google credentials. Firefox has a similar option, but theirs relies on a long passcode, and of late I've had trouble getting my devices to sync--but it's worked like a charm in the past.

2. Keep all your files in a cloud-based program like Dropbox. It will not only add a layer of protection, but you won't need to transfer your files to a new computer.

3. Same goes for note-taking. I love Evernote and Springpad for keeping my story notes (and my life!) organized. They're cloud-based, so you can log in to each program from any browser, and your notes will be there. Evernote also has a desktop program, which I like.

Ok, your turn--how do you improve productivity or make the computer transition easier?

Celebrating the release of Hotblooded & a GIVEAWAY!

Have you ever done something spontaneous and really regretted it? Or have you done something crazy and later felt it was the best move you could have made?

I’m not a super spontaneous person by nature. Mostly because I over-think stuff. I go through all the what-ifs and usually talk myself out of anything that isn’t rational and well-planned.

But, (you knew there was a but right?) there was this one time…
(a lot of really great stories start this way :))

There was this guy (of course it’s about a guy) and we’d been friends for a long time. A LONG time… six years actually. And it had never crossed into “that” territory. But there was always this vibe between us. So one night, after we’d gone to play together (no, I don’t remember which one), we were in the car in the parking lot of my apartment complex and I got up the nerve to kiss him. I didn’t think about it, I didn’t second-guess it, I just did it.
When I pulled back I said, “I think we should be more than friends.” He blinked, a bit stunned, and said “Me, too.”

Seven months later we were engaged.

That spontaenous kiss was eighteen years ago.

Yeah, maybe I should be spontaneous more often.

In my new release, Hotblooded, my heroine also acts spontaneously but it’s within minutes of meeting the hero. And almost immediately she’s sure it was a Really Bad Idea. But, by the end of the book, I think she changes her mind :). See what I mean…

She opened her mouth to tell him that she didn’t have a boss, thank you very much, when a brilliant realization struck. He didn’t know who she was. He thought she was— Well, she wasn’t really sure, but it didn’t matter.

She stared at the big hand holding ice against her knee.

He didn’t know who she was. He was a complete stranger. Not from here.

And she wanted to kiss him.

It was a thought completely contrary to what she was used to allowing herself to think. It wasn’t that she never had crazy, it’s-a-really-bad-idea-but-wouldn’t-it-be-great thoughts and impulses. But she was very good at resisting them. She’d had years of practice.

At the moment, however, it was very, very tempting to give in to it and worry about the consequences later.

It had been so long since she’d been spontaneous. So long since she’d had a chance to be. And it would be a long time before she had another chance. That fact reared its ugly head almost daily as she manned the clinic that her late husband had stuck her with in the last place on earth she wanted to be.

The moments were rare when she could crank up the music, put on her comfy clothes and let go. She always did so at the risk of someone finding out and disapproving.

But this guy was a salesman, passing through, on to the next town and the next potential sale by dinnertime. No one would know if she kissed him. Sure, he might talk about it to his buddies at the gym tomorrow or the next day, but no one in Honey Creek would know.

It gave her a little adrenaline rush just thinking about it.

She could French kiss the big, good-looking stranger right here in the clinic, right at the front desk

. Just imagining the shocked look on the faces of people in town made her want to do it. She knew the rebellious streak she’d inherited from her mother was some of her trouble here in Honey Creek, but just like telling a dieter they had to avoid cheesecake at all costs, the more forbidden it was, the more tempting she found it.

Just to test the waters, Brooke put her hands behind her on the seat of the chair and leaned back slightly, keeping her elbows straight.

“My boss won’t be back for a while,” she said. And it was true. The level-headed, do-the-right-thing Brooke she’d turned into over the past few years seemed to have stepped out for the time being.

He glanced up, and she was gratified to see that his eyes didn’t immediately make it past her breasts, which were thrust forward against the soft cotton of her tank top. And, in the spirit of really letting go, she wasn’t wearing a bra.

She watched him swallow hard and noticed that the hand on her knee seemed to have forgotten its job as the ice pack slipped to one side.

This was exactly the kind of thing she usually worked so hard to avoid. She’d inherited her mama’s looks, body and love of men. She could only assume that her self-control came from her father.

She’d never met any of the three men that could have supplied the other half of her DNA, but Brooke sure as hell hadn’t gotten any modesty or sense of appropriateness from Dixie. Still, it did do a woman’s ego some good to have a man—especially one like Jack Silver, who no doubt had women clamoring and strutting for his attention all the time—give her some good old fashioned lookin’-good-honey attention.

“My knee is feeling a lot better. You have the touch,” she said, her voice a little throaty without even trying. Flirting and teasing were natural for her—another Donovan trait. It was resisting it that had always been the challenge.

His eyes found her face and he gave her a half grin. “So I’ve been told.”

Oh, I just bet you have, she thought, as a little tingle in her stomach responded to that cocky grin.

“Are you married?” she asked. If he’d been around as many blocks as she was guessing, he’d know where that question came from.

He definitely didn’t react as if the question was odd. “Nope.” His hand remembered her knee then, but he let the ice pack slip to the floor and let his palm begin warming the skin as he kneaded the joint gently.

She didn’t ask about a girlfriend. She wasn’t planning on keeping him, after all, or even compromising him too much. It was just a little kissing. But she most definitely drew the line at married men, no matter how they made her knee feel.

Her skin was quickly regaining its ability to sense heat.

She pulled her foot from where it rested on his thigh, sitting forward on the chair seat.

He seemed reluctant to stop touching her and his hand slid down and around to the back of her calf where it began a slow, seductive stroking up and down.

“Gay?” she asked. Not that she cared. She was going to kiss him anyway. He just might not enjoy it as much as she would.

He laughed and stroked his fingers into the dip behind her bent knee, pressing gently and making heat zing through her.

“No.”

She leaned forward until her elbows rested on her knees and her face was less than an inch from his. “You do this kind of thing a lot?” she whispered.

His eyes dropped to her lips and she felt anticipation and awareness shimmy through her. He knew exactly what kind of thing she was talking about.

His breath was hot on her mouth as he whispered back, “Does it really matter?”

Then he kissed her.

Now tell me about a time you were spontaneous—for better or worse—and get entered to win a copy of the book! I’ll draw from all comments on Saturday! (Be sure to include your e-mail address!!)

Hotblooded is out now! You can find it in all e-formats at Samhain Publishing, Amazon, and all other major retailers!

Happy Anniversary!

So it's been two years since we first joined together as Nine Naughty Novelists, and we have a few memories to share. Happy anniversary to all Nine Naughty Novelists!

Juniper Bell

I’ll never forget the day I got The Call. Actually it was an email from PG Forte telling me one of the Nine Naughty Novelists was leaving and offering me … ME! … the position. I jumped up and down out babbling with excitement, which was a problem because my husband and I were in the middle of pouring concrete at the time and he had no idea what I was talking about. I didn’t hesitate a moment, just fired off a, “YES YES YES, count me in!!!” The next email contained a barrage of information including some crazy stuff about a Zillionaire Vampire Cowboy, but I tuned that out because I figured they must be nuts and would forget about that project soon enough. I’m so glad I got that part wrong!

My second memory is from shortly before I left for Hawaii to get married. I got a cryptic email from Kelly telling me to check the blog. When I did, I nearly cried. They were throwing me a virtual wedding shower, complete with a male stripper, naughty gifts and advice about married life. I loved it so much! In case you missed it, here it is. It gives you an idea of just how special the Naughties are. Not only are they talented, but they’re wonderful human beings and I’m so grateful to know them.

Meg Benjamin

My favorite memory of all was our first brainstorming session for The Zillionaire Vampire Cowboy’s Secret Werewolf Babies. Everybody was throwing out these outrageous suggestions, and I was laughing so hard it was actually hard to type. Which leads to a second favorite memory: the day we posted the first chapter. None of us knew whether anyone would want to read a totally nutzoid parody mashup, but they did! It was so exciting to see the comments as people read the story and enjoyed it.

It’s definitely been a short two years—I can’t even remember what it was like without being part of this group!

Kinsey Holley

1. I saw a thread somewhere - I think it was Romance Divas? Or maybe Samhain Cafe? - from someone gathering writers interested in starting a group blog. So I responded that I was interested - because I was so overwhelmed with the idea of blogging, and I had my first book coming out, and I was really scared and alone. So I sent an email to a stranger and said sure, I'll join your group blog. Whatever. And now look at us...


Ok, this isn't a second memory, but still...I've got an addendum to my will, listing all my IDs and passwords to sites that Hub will need to get to if I drop dead one day. And on that list are all the emails of the eight of you. Which is real different from what I expected when I responded to an email saying Sure, I'll join your group blog. Whatever.


Kelly Jamieson

For sure my favourite memories from the last two years are the brainstorming sessions we had for the serial stories. You can count that as two memories, even though there have been more than two sessions. I know the first one we had, my family thought I’d completely lost it, sitting in front of the computer laughing so hard I was crying. Of course when I tried to explain to them what was so funny, they didn’t get it at all, even further convincing them that Mom had finally gone right the edge. But these sessions were more than just funny. It was connecting with people on a level I rarely have before – people who were smart and talented and laughed at the same things I did. People who love romance and know the genre well enough to pull out all those tropes and clichés, but who don’t take themselves so seriously that they can’t poke a little affectionate fun at the genre. And I’m not just biased in saying this – check out the reviews on Amazon for The Zillionaire Vampire Cowboy’s Secret Werewolf Babies. We did more than just write a funny little parody of romance – nine of us put together a cohesive story that’ s not just funny but romantic and suspenseful and seamless.

Cheers ladies and happy anniversary! *raising glass of wine*

Erin Nicholas

One of the memories that always comes to me when I think of this group was

when Skylar and I were talking about how we wanted to find other members.

We decided to put the call out on the Samhain author loop and *hoped* two

or three people would want to join us. We were bowled over when we had

twelve answer that first call! Of course, after we really got to talking

about what we were going to do a few bowed out, but we were left with the

best of the best ;) (oh, and Kinsey's signature line had a quote from The

Librian and I knew she had to be in the group! :)) It amazes me over and

over how nine writers could find each other that way and end up with the

kind of chemistry and comaradarie that we have. What are the chances?

It's just proof that at some point in my youth or childhood, I must have

done something good. (Sound of Music, anyone?)

The other memory is when Juniper joined us. She just jumped right in,

getting into writing the Zillionaire Vampire Cowboy serial with us within

the first, what, two weeks of being part of the group? :) And she's been

the perfect fit in every way! I knew it as soon as I saw which picture

she chose for her "avatar" (or whatever we call those pictures with our

names along the side ;)).

I think it's safe to say that this group has far exceeded my expectations

and hopes! And I hope that these are the same 8 ladies I'm celebrating 10

years with! :)

Kate Davies

So many great memories! The first I remember is the email from Erin, telling me about the new venture. She was the only author I knew personally prior to the launch, but now I feel like all eight of the rest of the naughties are close friends. *mwah* to you all!

And my other memory to share is sneaking around behind Juniper's back to put the virtual wedding shower together. It was so much fun, and a perfect example of why I feel so lucky to be part of this group.

PG Forte

Really? I have to cut this down to two memories? That sounds a whole lot simpler than it is. Brainstorming the serial stories is one for sure, even though that's actually more like half-a-dozen memories. 


Ooh, and getting to be the one who emailed Juniper and asked her to join us, that was a good one too. 


Thanks for a fabulous two years ladies. Y'all are the best!

Sydney Somers

One of my favorite memories comes from plotting the serials. A zillionare vampire afraid of blood? A vampire hunter who hates the family business? I mean, Billybob Bobson? Where did we come up with this stuff? LOL I have never laughed as hard as I have when we've been throwing around ideas about how many boundaries we can push within our own genres. And then there are the disclaimers for these serials...

2011 has been a really tough year for me, and although I still haven't managed to get to some of the conferences that the others have and meet any of these outstanding women in person, every single one of them supported me in a way I'm not sure I'll be able to repay. Blogging with these eight amazingly talented authors is even better knowing they're also my very good friends. Thanks for an awesome two years ladies. Here's to many, many more!