I only write poetry about the things I am most passionate about. The things that are important enough to be embedded deeply into my core. And up until the last few months, I've been without the inspiration needed to write new poetry.

I recently married the man of my dreams. My best friend. My soul mate. And though it's not yet legally binding, it's a commitment and a promise that my heart accepts as true and everlasting.

"I, Misty, take you, Soon, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do us part."

Those words and this man have given me the inspiration and the passion I've been waiting for. The spark and desire to write poetry has returned full force. I'm filled with the need to express my love and devotion to the man who makes me happy beyond my wildest expectations.

Soon, you are my fairytale come to life. Thank you for sparking the flame that no one else could. Thank you for giving me the inspiration to write.

"You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything. You've got to be your own man, not a puppy on a string. Never compromise what's right and uphold your family name. You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything..."
- Aaron Tippin

I've been told one too many times that Christians are closed-minded people simply because we hold tight to our beliefs. But shouldn't we be respected for the fact that in today's society, we can make up our own minds instead of following the crowd because it's politically correct to do so?

Since when can't people disagree with the choices of others without being called closed minded or judgemental? Isn't that just the simple act of having an opinion? Society as a whole seems robotic, too eager to please. Too willing to slip into the ideas of the mainstream to avoid conflict, to be viewed as accepting. Too scared to stand up for what is right. And yes, there are some things in life that are that cut and dry, right vs. wrong.

Accepting every thing this world has to offer, every thing that comes along is easy. It's the weak route. And in doing so, you lose pieces of who you are.

I'm not implying that the world convert to Christianity, but come on, have a conviction or two. Think for yourself. Reclaim your individuality. Question life. Question choices. And if you choose not to, then at least back off of those who do.

...Their bodies were turned into each other as they laid on the bed.

"Well, I guess we should get some sleep." She rolled over and turned off the lamp. The minutes spent in the dark seemed to tick by at an impossibly slow rate. She wanted him. Her body yearned for his touch more than it longed for air. She laid there, dampening with each thought of all the things they could be doing when her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the presence of his warm lips upon her own.

The touch alone sparked her every nerve into a frenzied blaze. He kissed her, softly running his tongue around the rim of her mouth. Her hands embraced his face, his found the curve of her hips and pulled her closer.

Sliding between her lips, his tongue plunged deep inside. He tasted her for the first time. In that instant, his dick swelled to a size and hardness he'd never known. She pried away, but lingered close enough to still feel his breath upon her mouth as he panted in heat.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He guided her hand down his chest and her answer came in the form of a hardness begging to be released..."

...They spent the next moments slowly peeling clothes off one another, stopping long enough with each new removal to explore the treasure hidden underneath. Their clothes laid discarded across the room as felt his way over the rise of her breasts. Gently placing his fingers upon her knees, he easily slid her legs apart, making room for him to enter. He bent down to kiss her, but her hand stopped the landing. She held his face inches from her own, staring into his eyes. "I love you," she whispered...

...He kissed her and repeated into her ear, "I love you. I love you. I love you." Suddenly, her body jolted as if it had absorbed the impact from a mack truck. His entry was hard and fierce, but he slowly pulled back until only the tip lingered inside of her. Then inch by inch, he pushed back in. He continued slow and steady, driving her wild with desire...

...He quickly positioned himself back inside and began thrusting in a rapid and erratic motion. No time for slow and steady. His dick was searching. Looking for something deep inside of her. "Oh my God!" she screamed. He'd found it. The one thing she'd managed to keep hidden from all her other lovers. He started ramming her, with only the thought in mind to keep hitting that one spot. "I love you," he slurred through restricted breaths. "I want you to cum." She could only nod in acknowledgement. Moans and screams were spewing from her mouth in rapid succession. "Tell me when you're going to cum," he pleaded. "I want you to scream it."

...She tried to hold it back. With every ounce of her draining strength, she fought it. But this was it, she couldn't hold it any longer. "I'm going to cum," she screamed into the dark. He sped up his thrusts just as they both exploded. Their breathless moans and screams echoing throughout the house. He came deep inside of her and remained inside even after he'd released all that he could. He stared down at her as they both dripped with sweat and fought for their next breaths. Then he saw it. Her eyes began to water. Her body was trembling. The tiniest tear drop cascaded from her eye. He caught the tear as it began its descent down her cheek. Softly, he took her face into his strong hands...

Today is Memorial Day. The day of remembrance. In my lifetime I have lost a lot of people who are very dear to me. And today I will think of those people and count myself lucky for the difference each made in their own special way in my life and to who I am.

Those I'm dearly missing:

Grandpa Randall, the best grandpa that I could have ever asked for. I will always be your "muffin," and no one will ever make chocolate chip cookies like you!

Pauline, who was no blood relation to me, but always treated me as her own grand daughter.

Frances, the grandmother I never got a chance to know.

Olivia, who lived only to the age of eleven but in that short time affected the lives of so many. I have the greatest memories with you.

Bart White, a classmate and a friend since the age of six.

Johnathan Hammond, a friend that I miss very much.

Nevada and Grandpa Lair, two people I wish I would have been closer to.

Justin, my brother's best friend that was taken from this world at such a young age.

One day we will meet again in Heaven and what an incredible day that will be.

I hate working in an environment that is so dependent upon computers, though it doesn't appear as though there are many fields in existence today that don't require a lot of computer assistance.

After spending three hours today with nothing more to do than watch the work load pile up after a melt down in the computer system, I decided that I'm now on the outs with technology as a whole.

Granted, it introduced me to the greatest person I've ever known, but I still find myself longing for the days before computers and the Internet.

I remember when I started in pharmacy nine years ago. We had the three computers we still have today, but we also had a typewriter for backup purposes. It was reliable...and I can appreciate reliable. Especially when lots of sick people are staring me down, waiting for me to hurry and fill their prescription.

When we were furnished with another computer, the typewriter was removed. The thought was that we had no need for it. That was stupid. If that typewriter had been around today, we could have kept on working instead of falling several hours behind.

I do believe that outside of electricity, typewriters are my favorite invention. They are fantastic and I can't wait to own one. What a perfect contraption for a writer to use when telling a story. I really, really want one.

The past couple of weeks have been quite chaotic with the pharmacy evaluation looming just ahead. Not that anything major would happen were we to fail the test, but the desire to always succeed is deeply embedded in me.

I don't like settling for anything less than perfection, or as close as I can get to it. I don't accept failure well. Just don't have the stomach for it. So with today being the day of the evaluation, I felt overwhelmingly nauseated with anxiety and fear.

As far as pharmacy is concerned, I've always felt a lot of pressure to be the best. To stand out. To excel where others don't or can't. I feel like a lot of people rely on me, so I'm always under pressure. I can't be anything less than perfect because if I am, I'll disappoint myself and the people I'm around. It's a heavy burden that I've placed on myself.

But this story ends happily.

After being evaluated for an hour and a half, I received the news that we had indeed passed. Barely, mind you. We needed at least a ninety and we received a ninety-one. But who cares! It's still a passing score! And I am so relieved! And because we passed our evaluation, our company is rewarding us with a free lunch whenever we choose to collect. A very good ending to a very nauseating day.

In our last efforts to accumulate money before the Relay event on June 16th, we hosted a huge sale in the parking lot of Kroger. A 5 a.m. start with a 2:30 p.m. finish. And lots of sitting in the sun during the hours between. And I have the sunburn to account for each of those hours. But it's a sunburn I'll gladly bear for this is quite the worthy cause.

Stressful as it was and as sore as I now am, in the end we raised a nice chunk of money and had a lot of fun too. With two weeks left before the night of the event, my team is now focused on preparations for our camp site theme and deciding which games we will be hosting that night.

I'm excited that the event is almost here. We've been fundraising for months and as fun as it has been, I'm completely exhausted from it all. Leading a team of 15 people is an undertaking I didn't realize would be so hard. There have been lots of laughter, tears, smiles and frustration. Quite the seesaw of emotion.

I'm looking forward to the night of the event but I'm also excited about the day after the event...when I can get back to focusing more on myself again. Just relaxing and reading.

The Candy Heart You Should Give Is:

To: Soon

From: Misty

What Candy Heart Should You Give?

Stephen King's book, ON WRITING, is a fantastic reference book for writers. The best I've found. Who better to take publishing advice from than someone who has successfully sold his imagination and ideas and turned himself into a household name. And of all the people on this earth, he's number two on my "must meet" list, second only to my husband.

Excerpts from ON WRITING :

"The adverb is NOT your friend."

"To write adverbs is human, to write he said or she said is divine"

"Language does not always have to wear a tie and lace up shoes. The object of fiction isn't grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story...to make him/her forget, whenever possible, that he/she is reading a story at all. The single sentence paragraph more closely resembles talk than writing, and that's good. Writing is seduction. Good talk is part of seduction."

"You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you."

"Read GRAPES OF WRATH. It's an excellent read." *Best advice in the book*

"Plot is, I think, the good writers last resort and the dullards first choice. The story which results from it is apt to feel artificial and labored."

"FORMULA: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft - 10%"

"Someone once wrote that all novels are really letters aimed at one person. I think that every novelist has a single ideal reader: that at various points during the composition of a story, the writer is thinking "I wonder what he/she will think when he/she reads this part?"

ON WRITING is a must have for all aspiring writers.

Saturday, June 16th, marked the end of my most challenging endeavor to-date. When asked to be team captain of a Relay For Life team, I never imagined it'd turn out to be one of the hardest roles I've ever played.

It was a lot of work, a lot of worrying, a lot of complaining, but in the end our community raised over 30,000 dollars for cancer research. That fact alone made the past four months of fundraising worth all the hardships we endured.

We chose THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES as our campsite theme for the night of the event. Our grounds were made complete with a furnished shack, clothesline, rocking chairs, hay bales and an outhouse. Judging for the best campsite began at 8 with the announcement of a winner at midnight....and yes, we won! It was very exciting to walk up on stage and accept a plaque to recognize all the hard work we put into making our campsite over the top. I'm very proud of the collective imagination of my team.

And now with the stress of Relay behind me, I'm stepping down as team captain for next year and I'm looking to spread my time between other worth causes. There are so many organizations out there that need support, so I encourage you to find one of your own.

It's a lot of work, but well worth it in the end.

Pedestal of perfection
The standard of your perch
Assured of soul completion
Now surrendering the search

Standing still as darkness falls
Amid the thunder's roar
Your open arms, a thought away
My soul has been restored

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Flowers may have a short life span, but they pack an incredible punch to the heart when they're delivered by surprise. Eight hours in a room of estrogen enhanced envy as the smell from such a beautiful boutique lingered for the nose to savor.

Lillies, of all colors, are the perfect addition to any arrangement. Stargazers, the ultimate topper. Boutiques of variety are preferred as it brings such a mixture of color, shape and smell.

Flowers...nature's way to say, "I'm thinking about you."

It has finally happened. After weeks of waiting for a response, I found out Friday that I was picked to be a character in the upcoming Steve Alten book, MEG: Hell's Aquarium! Mere words could not begin to express how excited and happy I am.

Steve Alten is one of my favorite authors and the MEG series is the best series I've read by far. So to be picked as a character in the fourth installment of this series is an honor indeed. And an even greater honor is potentially in store as I wait to see if my character will be used as nutrition for the fascinating Megalodon simply known as Meg. I want to be eaten!

MEG: Hell's Aquarium Character Contest:
Erik Hollander's brilliant cover art will debut in September. I am now 408 pages into the novel and am CLOSING the contest. Here's the UPDATED character list (but NOT the final one):

Robert Nealis Jr., Robin Rosenfeld, James Vidal, Richard Hibpshman, Timon Singh, Tom Cubit, Nick Cato, Misty Walker, Nathan Lee Torbert, Ryan Wrightsman, Chessa Manion, Dave Lounsbury, Connor Booth, Peter Carlisle, Marcus Slabine, Jeffrey Hoch, David Shiffman, Rick Magers, Debbie Umel, Peter Grier, Dr. Antonio Gotto, Michael Selby, Joseph Park, Lana, Evan, and Max Wood, Ed Hendricks, Daniel Pernini, Adam Wooten, Miguel Franco, Michael Eason, Steve Akehurst, Karim Jivani, Earl Fischl, Brian Suits, Barbara Becker, Lillie Burris, Maxine Davis, Don Ruetenik, Jesse David Brown, Ted Badaut, Rafael Herrera, Dr. Brent Nichols, Christopher Baird, Carree Crossman, Magued Wadie Ramsis Haroun, Vicky Loehr, Patrick Duncan, Lain Edwards, Steven, Mary & Annie Moretti, Hugo Boutin, Kaylie Szeifert, Sean Dustman, Jason Montgomery, Jerry Bobo, Sara Toms, Frank Youngblood, Keith Auton, Kelli McCloud, Kayla Cicala, Virgil Carmen, Christopher Eckardt, Jessica Tompson, Ricardo, Sandra & Alekzandra Rosalez, Jonathan Stelzer, Fran Rizzuto, Jason Francis, Andy Murch.

Keep your fingers crossed...and pick up the book when it hits bookshelves next summer!

Thanks to the most wonderful man I've ever known, I am now addicted to the FABLES comic series. Wonderful tales to rival any and all novels I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I find myself finishing one and already craving the next addition. I'm at the very end of number 5 and will then lie in wait for the next batch to be placed inside my mailbox in the days to come. Had I known comics like this could exist, I would have entered this world a long time ago. Thank you Soon for sharing this with me and for exposing me to such a wonderful series.

• Futurama-o-rama
• Concrete 6-Strange Armor
• Y: The Last Man-Unmanned
• Invincible: Family Matters
• Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #12
• Betty #166
• Buffy: The Long Way Home, Part 1
• Buffy: The Long Way Home, Part 2
• Buffy: The Long Way Home, Part 3
• Buffy: The Long Way Home, Part 4
• Dork #11

• Fables: Legends in Exile
• Fables: Animal Farm
• Fables: Storybook Love
• Fables: The Mean Seasons
• Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers
• Fables: Homelands
• Fables: Arabian Nights (and Days)
• Strangers in Paradise Pocket Book 1
• Strangers in Paradise Pocket Book 2

• Hero Street #1
• Speak of the Devil #1
• Action Philosophers #4 World Domination Handbook
• Fell. #6
• Simpsons Comics #132
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre: About a Boy #1

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. A Painted House - John Grisham
3. Eragon - Christopher Paolini
4. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
5. Wicked - Gregory Maguire
6. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
7. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
8. The Pact - Jodi Picoult
9. The Loch - Steve Alten
10. White Oleander - Janet Fitch
11. The Icewind Dale Trilogy - R.A. Salvatore
12. Monster - Frank Peretti
13. This Present Darkness - Frank Peretti
14. Bride Most Begrudging - Deanne Gist
15. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd

1. Y: The Last Man
2. Fables
3. Four Women
4. The Walking Dead
5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
6. Fell
7. Strangers in Paradise
8. The Exterminators
9. Dark Tower
10. Pieces for Mom (single issue)

"I'm Van But Nut!"

In No Particular Order:

1. Be a saver, not a spender for the first time ever.
2. Develop a stronger tolerance to other people's personalities.
3. Find ways to desensitize, even on a small scale.
4. Build stronger trust with the people closest to me.
5. Spend more quality time with my pets and my family.
6. Gain a stronger faith and more intimate relationship with God.
7. Force the discipline needed to get a published article by the end of the year.
8. Read more, at least 50 books.
9. Cut out all sodas by January 15th.
10. Learn to cook at least 7 different meals.
11. Marry and start working on a family.