Viva Las Vegas

Last week my husband had a business conference to attend in Las Vegas, and I went along for the ride.  And it was fun!  Plus, I actually got some research and writing done.

We saw three shows while we were there: Piff, The Magic Dragon, which I wanted to see because I had viewed him on America's Got Talent--plus Piff, the dragon-magician, had a little dog named Mr. Piffles who was somewhat in the show.  Mr. Piffles is a small and very quiet Chihuahua and I hope he enjoys what he does, although he's mostly carried around and hugged and not much else.

Next, we saw Carrot Top, and I enjoyed the show despite Carrot Top's potty mouth and risqué act.  Or maybe partly because of them.  He did a lot of prop humor--grabbing props and finding ways to make jokes out of them.  He made fun of a lot of different people, which somehow was enjoyable.  Plus, Carrot Top is getting a little older than he was when he started out, so his bright red carrot top has faded somewhat--and I, a former brighter-haired redhead, can identify a bit with that.

Finally--and best of all--we saw Terry Fator, the most fantastic ventriloquist.  I'd seen him on America's Got Talent, too, many years ago and actually saw and enjoyed his live Vegas show a few years back--and he's gotten even better!  He has a much larger and talented background group, he sings sometimes on his own and not as one of his puppets, and his ventriloquist voice ranges from lowest bass to fine tenor to high, female soprano.  And no, he still doesn't move his lips.  Great show!

Then, during the day, I visited several fun venues--the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay and the Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat at the MGM Grand among them.   And, delightfully for my writing and some research, I participated in CSI: The Experience at the MGM Grand and got everything correct in my test at the end.  I also visited the Mob Museum and learned not only about gangsters of old but also organized crime of today--which may be very helpful in writing research.

And speaking of writing--yes, I had a day in which I mostly did edits and wrote a bit on my small laptop computer, which I'm not adept at but it all went well.

So, yes, I'm home now and back to writing, but I'm delighted that I went!

And by the way, I'm also delighted to say that my first book to be published this year, Second Chance Soldier, is currently available.  It's the first in my new K-9 Ranch Rescue miniseries for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and it's all about dog training, mystery solving and, yes, romance!