First, thanks to everyone for all the compliments on my new website. It’s so funny how so many of you loved the blue and said it was your favorite color–I am NOT a big fan of blue–except when it’s turquoise. I find it very soothing, like all of you pointed out–like a bright Florida sky or the Caribbean Ocean. I definitely wanted the site to have that beachy vibe without being literal and I’m so glad my amazing designer, Crocodesigns, got it right in one!
Now…winners!
For a copy of NEW ORLEANS NIGHTS, including INSATIABLE, which is what my manga book was based on, is…
#22 Tiffany (email starts with smithr…)
The winner from Friday, who will receive a $20 gift card to Amazon.com is…
#87 Carolyn A (email starts with pccau…)
And finally, the winner from yesterday’s ONE THING guest blog for a backlist book from Larissa Ione is…
#13 Colleen (email starts with greensham…)
Please email me ( julie leto at gmail dot com) and I’ll make sure you get your prizes!
Now, for the funny…well, it’s not really a “funny” funny…but a story that cracked me up anyway…especially since one of the books I gave away this week is set in New Orleans…
Part of rebuilding New Orleans caused residents often to be challenged with the task of tracing home titles back potentially hundreds of years.. With a community rich with history stretching back over two centuries, houses have been passed along through generations of family, sometimes making it quite difficult to establish ownership. Here’s a great letter an attorney wrote to the FHA on behalf of a client:
(You have to love this lawyer…….. )
A New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client. He was told the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory title to a parcel of property being offered as collateral. The title to the property dated back to 1803, which took the lawyer three months to track down. After sending the information to the FHA, he received the following reply.
(Actual reply from FHA):
“Upon review of your letter adjoining your client’s loan application, we note that the request is supported by an Abstract of Title. While we compliment the able manner in which you have prepared and presented the application, we must point out that you have only cleared title to the proposed collateral property back to 1803. Before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary to clear the title back to its origin.”
Annoyed, the lawyer responded as follows:
(Actual response):
“Your letter regarding title in Case No.189156 has been received. I note that you wish to have title extended further than the 206 years covered by the present application.
I was unaware that any educated person in this country, particularly those working in the property area, would not know that Louisiana was purchased by the United States from France, in 1803 the year of origin identified in our application. For the edification of uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to the land prior to U.S. ownership was obtained from France, which had acquired it by Right of Conquest from Spain. The land came into the possession of Spain by Right of Discovery made in the year 1492 by a sea captain named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the Spanish monarch, Queen Isabella.
The good Queen Isabella, being a pious woman and almost as careful about titles as the FHA, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope before she sold her jewels to finance Columbus’s expedition…Now the Pope, as I’m sure you may know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God, it is commonly accepted, created this world. Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that God also made that part of the world called Louisiana . God, therefore, would be the owner of origin and His origins date back to before the beginning of time, the world as we know it, and the FHA. I hope you find God’s original claim to be satisfactory. Now, may we have our loan?”
The loan was immediately approved.
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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Congrats to all the winners!!
Somehow, I’d missed your new website announcement, so I’m off to check it out now. I’m getting ready to re-do mine next week and well…it sounds like I’m sort of going for the same look you have. I want a beach scene (I already have the photo picked out) with shades of blue.
Last time I wanted blues but got purplish. It took a little bit to get my brain adjusted to what I got, from what I was expecting, but I loved it and left it as it was. Glad you love yours!
Have a great Sunday everyone!
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that loan story is sooo funny.
congrats to the winners.
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Congrat winners!
What a spitfire–that lawyer. Very quick witted as well.
Very funny, thanks for sharing. :)
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Congrats to all the winners!
I love the loan story. So very funny!
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Congratulations to the winners!
And hmm… must re-read the “Sunday Funny” – but part of that was in my property book.
Definitely one of my favorite quotes from a casebook ever!
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:X Upon a re-read, while funny, I think the original content has been changed. Am so tempted to further research this now…
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Enjoy your Sunday!
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Congrats to all of the winners :) I survived this weekend…whoot!
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Congratulations to all the winners. I hope you enjoy your prizes. Loved the funny today. Let them go ask God if he has ownership. Great job on this lawyers part. Can they really argue his point? LOL!!! I hope everyone is having a great sunday, even if it is dark, rainy and gloomy. Blech!!! I want my sunshine back. Summer is still here, right?
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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Congrats to the winners.
I had to LOL on this one, but once I stopped laughing, my first thought was “Trust a lawyer to come up with that response”