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My Plate is Full

5/31/2015

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My Plate is Full—Living with a Diabetic

I love to exercise. Okay, I may be stretching the truth a tad. I love how I feel after I exercise. I’ve done the Tough Mudder. Twice. I’ve run the Rugged Maniac and a handful of other obstacle races over the past few years. My husband and I are faithful to the p90x routines and encourage our three children to play in sports throughout the year. Granted, it makes for a crazy, hectic, life, but we’re a healthy family.

I’m a girl who loves, loves, loves to cook and always adds my own little healthy flair to a recipe (the kids have finally discovered that the homemade mac and cheese is actually butternut squash and chicken stock…barely any cheese or milk in the gooey deliciousness). I have an insane sweet tooth but use applesauce, coconut oil, whole wheat flour, flax seed and other ingredients to compensate my weakness.

So on July 28, 2008 when my then seven year-old was rushed to the emergency room after her routine physical and diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, I was like…what?

“Her blood sugar is over 700,” the nurse said.

“Oh, is that bad?” I asked. I knew nothing about the disease, but from that day on our family’s life had changed. No, we didn’t need to alter our eating habits—Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are COMPLETELY different. One way to piss off a mother of a T1D is to ask if her child is allowed to have a cookie. Ugh. Our life became a whirlwind of carb counting, middle of the night blood sugar testing, constant email and phone calls with school, pharmacy trips, reorganizing the fridge to make room for the vials of insulin. The two younger siblings learned about carb counting and quickly grew accustomed to needles and shots.

It’s been seven years of ups and downs—literally and figuratively. My daughter still doesn’t like the world to know about her disease as she feels it weakens her. I want her to know it actually makes her stronger. Her close group of friends who know about her diabetes are in awe that she can prick her own finger and change her pump without a nurse (or medical team) to help her. It was only two months into her diagnosis that she started doing her own shots and wouldn’t let me help. Her fingertips are dotted, scarred and calloused and she’s only fourteen. She must always wear her pump the size of a flip-phone on her belly or arm or she’ll die. We must count every carb—apple or cupcake. It makes no difference. Insulin needs to be delivered. We’re constantly nagging her, reminding her, reprimanding her for not testing her blood sugar as often, or giving herself the insulin when needed.

Type 1 Diabetes is a lifestyle changer. And it can happen to anyone. But I am grateful that it’s just diabetes. Seven years ago when I paced the halls of the Barbara Bush wing at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, I was reminded how fortunate I was to have a child who could walk out of the hospital in a few days. There were other children who were going through radiation, chemotherapy, saying good-bye to their parents forever.

I’m thankful my child is active and healthy, despite her diagnosis. Granted, her perspective is very different than mine, but as an adult, I can appreciate what we do have, and try not to dwell on what we don’t. But my heart breaks every time I drop her off at a friend’s house. I allot time to meet with the parents and explain diabetes, give them a list of emergency numbers, a cheat sheet to monitoring my child’s health, and then I text my daughter every few hours reminding her to cover her popcorn and chips and snacks she’s having with her friends. I’m the nagging mother. My daughter’s life depends on it.

We all need our outlets. I’m a romance writer. I write to escape the craziness of my regular day job, the hectic life of being a mom to three active kids, and to create romantic heroes (my husband is awesome and loyal and reliable…but he ain’t no romantic!). In my second book False Hope, the heroine is diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I wrote this book shortly after my daughter was diagnosed. I thought about writing a women’s fiction novel about a mother whose daughter struggles with the disease and started that novel, but it became too personal. Instead, I incorporated diabetes into my contemporary romance series. Emma Fulton leads a healthy, active lifestyle but faces many obstacles in her life and her new diagnosis is only a small part. Just one more thing to add to her already full plate.

What I love about Emma is that the disease doesn’t own her. It is a part of her, one she may try to forget about, but it follows her around and weaves its way into her life. We can’t escape from our problems, but need to learn how to face them, live with them, or change them.

Eating well-balanced meals, drinking lots of water, and exercising are all important and can help maintain a healthy life, but there are no guarantees. Live life to the fullest and brace all life as to offer.

And read. Read to learn, to escape, to dream.


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Meet Mason Tucker from False Hope

5/5/2015

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Character Sketch: Mason from False Hope by Marianne Rice @Mariannericeaut #RLFblog #romance

Introducing Mason Tucker

Name: Mason Tucker
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Birthplace: Newhall, New Hampshire
Profession: Computer Systems Engineer
Description: Mason’s lickable washboard abs are proof he doesn’t let the countless hours he spends behind his computer screen catch up to him. With his dark hair, chocolate eyes, and deep-set dimples that are only seen on those rare occasions when he smiles, Mason Tucker exemplifies male beauty. 

Who is the significant other in your character's life? 

Emma Fulton

Tell us about this character, please.

Emma is Mason’s opposite. She’s outgoing, confident and fights for what she wants…which happens to be Mason. After dislocating his shoulder in a rough game of flag football, Emma is laden with guilt and is determined to look after Mason’s physical well-being. Because, you know, he’s hot. He tries his hardest to keep his distance from her, and she tries even harder to keep them together. She’s stubborn to the core and will not let him slip away so easily.

If you could only hear this character's voice (but not see him) what characteristic would identify him? 

Mason only speaks when necessary so his words are short and to the point. His voice is deep and low, and he has a tendency to stutter when he’s around Emma.

What is your character's family like? 

Mason has two brothers who respect his need for privacy, but love to egg him on. Mason’s mom plays matchmaker quite a bit in this series, but she doesn’t get much of an opportunity to in this book. She pushed his older brother Connor and Meg together in False Start and does some meddling with Cole, Mason’s twin in the third book, False Impressions. Cole does some meddling of his own though, and gives Mason the kick in the pants he needs. 

His family is loving, accepting and are all outgoing and very social, while Mason is shy and reserved. He feels like he never fits in with his brothers. His oldest is a retired NFL player and his twin is Mr. Playboy of the town. 

Is he close to family? 

Yes. And he is extremely loyal to those he cares about.

Does this character see morality as black-and-white, or with shades of gray? 

Everything is black and white in Mason’s eyes. 

How do others perceive your character based upon looks, and is is this assumption accurate?

Because he shies away from social gatherings, Emma has never gotten to know him. While she’s best friends with Mason’s identical twin, she never felt the chemistry with him that she has with Mason. He’s incredibly fit but feels insecure next to his NFL brother and popular twin. He doesn’t speak much and Emma is constantly wondering what she’s said or done to piss him off.

Does your character care about what others assume about him?

Not one bit.

Can your hero keep a secret (why or why not)? 

Of course he can keep a secret. He’s the nonjudgmental type who doesn’t divulge information and only speaks when necessary. If he’s asked a question he’ll answer honestly, but not say any more than what was specifically asked. However, ironically, Emma turns to him because he is the only one who hadn’t kept a secret from her. 

What inner doubt causes your character the most difficulty? 

Mason doesn’t think he’ll ever be good enough for Emma. She is his polar opposite and thrives on idle chatter and social gatherings while Mason would rather work on his computer and be by himself. He knows she deserves someone who can make her laugh, but he can’t resist the pull. 

What is your hero's biggest personal flaw? 

Lack of communication. He doesn’t talk about his feelings and is afraid to open up. 


About Your Writer

Mason, to honor the person who chose to share your story, please answer the following questions.

Why do you think your writer chose to write about you? 

Thankfully Marianne appreciates the strong and silent type. I believe I’m semi-modeled after her husband. He seems a little rough around the edges and doesn’t say much, but he’s reliable and the most loyal person you’ll meet. Kinda like me.

What do you wish your writer had not told others about you? 

It isn’t until the end of the book that my mom tells Emma some of my childhood skeletons. I’d rather not share them here. It makes me feel weak and…never good enough. Definitely not issues a strong man would want to have. 

What other character from your book do you think your writer should write a book about, and why?

My cousin Paige hooks up with the detective in my book. She’s a minor character but I love her and think she deserves her own story. Of course my cocky identical twin gets his own book in June. Thankfully Marianne took him down a few pegs. It’s kinda nice to see my confident brother squirm.

Why do you think your writer loves to write? 

For the hot men. She was always checking out my abs or dimples or some crap like that. 

Is there anything you'd like to say to your writer? 

Thank you for giving me a chance. So many heroes have smooth lines (like my brothers) but it’s nice to have the quiet awkward ones get the girl as well. And thanks for making me so hot. I’m normally not vain, but hey, I’m still a guy.

Buy This Book

Publisher www.lsbooks.com

Amazon  http://amzn.to/1xKMggw

Barnes and Noble  http://bit.ly/1J21wqw

ARe  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-falsehope-1788590-149.html

Kobo http://bit.ly/1CngAcG

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