Sandra's Blog

Confusion

2012-01-30T01:40:00.000-05:00

CONFUSION:Mother nature is as confused as I normally am. Its still January and the daffodils are trying to bloom.

FRIGHT: We watched the Ides of March last night. Even though its fiction if half the machinations represented in the movie are to be believed, the political beast is pretty darn scary.

~*~
Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Jennifer Shirk
Julia Barrett

Valentine's Contest Coming Soon

2012-01-29T03:30:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it's almost the end of January? February is right around the corner which means its almost Valentine's Day. Here's an upcoming contest.

Sweet Blog Award

2012-01-28T06:37:00.002-05:00

Susanne Knight nominated me for the Irresistibly Sweet Blogger Award. Doesn't that picture kick start your sweet tooth? Thanks, Susanne. Susanne writes romance with a twist. She has published thirty books to date. She's an Eppie winner, seven-time Eppie finalist and two time Dream Realm finalist. Susanne writes in a variety of genres. Want to know more? You can finder her at http://romancewritingwithatwist.blogspot.com.

Now....I'm to nominate ten bloggers and tell you seven unknown things about myself. Hmm, what haven't I already told you?
Anyway, here's my nominees:
Sherry Silver: http://sherryink.blogspot.com//
Mona Risk: http://monarisk.blogspot.com/
Sherry Gloag: http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.com/
Hywela Lyn: http://www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com/
Robin Lee Courtright: http://rhobinlee.wordpress.com/
Hippie Chicks http://hippiechicks68.blogspot.com/
Beth Trissel: http://bethtrissel.wordpress.com/
Jennifer Shirk: http://jennifershirk.blogspot.com
Jeanette Marie: http://www.jmariebooks.com/blog?

* * *

1. My son got me the first three seasons of Remington Steele for my birthday
2. I have an eighteen year old cat
3. My favorite ice cream is Chocolate Turtle
4. I've been taking kickboxing lessons for a year
5. My favorite group is Celtic Thunder
6. My favorite pizza is pineapple, green pepper and onion
7. My favorite brand of chocolate is Fannie May

On The Rim of Love Book Tour

2012-01-27T03:52:00.001-05:00

With us today is Marie Astor. She’s going to give ski tips to beginner.

Welcome, Marie.

HI Sandra, thank you for inviting me to your blog to talk about my contemporary romance novel, On the Rim of Love.

So, what are my beginning ski tips? I could go on for pages talking about how to learn to make the perfect turn, but I would rather start with the most important part, which is confidence. When it comes to skiing learning is never finished – there will always be tougher terrain that you have not yet tried or unexpected snow conditions that you have not yet experienced. But if you have confidence in yourself as a skier, you will be able to face any of the curveballs that the mountain will throw at you.

Now, by confidence I do not mean cockiness – in fact, being confident means being able to assess your skills and being able to say: ‘no, I’m not skilled enough to ski this slope yet, but I’m going to learn’, or ‘I’m happy at the level where I’m – that’s just too much of a snow pie for me.’ I have been skiing for seven years – the first day I stood on skies and stared down a bunny slope was one of the scariest days of my life, but it was also one of the most exciting ones. Today I ski blues and an occasional black, and while there is some terrain that I will never dare to try – it is simply too difficult for me, I have to say that gaining the confidence to ski has given me greater confidence in myself as a person.

In On the Rim of Love Maggie starts to question her relationship with her fiancé, Jeffrey, when she meets a charismatic big-mountain skier, Taylor. Maggie is a fairly good skier, but she has never tried off-piste skiing and is both excited and scared to experience it. While Jeffrey thinks that open mountain terrain is no place for a girl, Taylor believes otherwise and offers Maggie to guide her through the intimidating off-piste territory. As Maggie learns to navigate what she thought was impossible terrain, she gains confidence in other aspects of her life and finds the courage to follow her heart. I hope that you’ll join Maggie and Taylor on their journey.

Blurb:

Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking, successful Jeffrey Preston for two years. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage a week after Maggie’s college graduation, she is no longer sure if she wants to marry a workaholic TV producer.
Her doubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia, Maggie meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier who is the complete opposite of Jeffrey. It does not take Maggie long to realize that she has fallen in love with Taylor and she decides to break off her engagement with Jeffrey. But just when she thinks she has found the love of her life, an ill-fated misunderstanding tears Maggie and Taylor apart.
A week later, Maggie is told that Taylor has died in a tragic ski accident; yet, her heart refuses to believe in Taylor’s death. When Maggie returns to Taylor’s native town, she learns that Taylor is indeed alive, but has been seriously injured. Resolved to bring her lover back to life Maggie stands by Taylor’s side, convincing him to embrace life again.

Excerpt:
The bulletin board was filled with countless notices and announcements, but the one that drew Maggie’s attention was a picture of a skier flying down an endless expanse of snow. Taylor Denton having another great day on the mountain, said the caption next to the picture. Maggie stared at the photo, as though she were frozen still. The skier in the photo was wearing helmet and goggles, but the same confident grin shone on his face, the same golden ponytail flew down his shoulders, and the same neon jacket covered his back.
Now, she had a name to connect with the face, and, suddenly, Maggie realized the true reason why she had been so nervous about coming to the Owl Lodge.
“I’m Taylor, Taylor Denton.” The younger man stepped forward without waiting for Jeffrey’s introduction.
I already know that, Maggie thought. For a moment, she was rendered speechless as her gaze remained glued to the dazzling green of Taylor’s eyes: there was something in his open, fearless gaze that unnerved her. “Very nice to meet you, Taylor,” Maggie struggled to keep her voice leveled as she shook Taylor’s hand – his hand was warm, and his grip had just the right amount of pressure. He held her hand in his for a moment longer than necessary, or it might have been just her imagination, but the electrifying sensation she felt at the touch of Taylor’s hand filled her with guilt anyway: her fiancé was standing right there, and she had no business having these kinds of thoughts about some daredevil skier she had just met.

About the author:
Marie Astor is a die-hard romantic who wholeheartedly believes in true love, which is why she writes in the contemporary romance genre.
Marie is the author of contemporary romance novels, On the Rim of Love, Lucky Charm, and a short story collection, A Chance Encounter and Other Stories.
In addition to being a writer, Marie is an avid hiker, an excellent swimmer, a good skier, and a capable badminton player. Currently, Marie is working on her next novel - stay tuned for details!
If you would like to receive updates about book releases and events, please visit Marie’s website at: www.marieastor.com or visit Marie at her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorwrites. Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Rim-Love-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005TOWI7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320616758&sr=8-1
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-the-rim-of-love-marie-astor/1107065056?ean=2940013215627&itm=1&usri=on2bthe2brim2bof2blove

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/marieastor

Giveaway:
Marie will be awarding a custom made jewelry set (necklace and earrings) to one randomly chosen commenter

Tour dates:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/11/virtual-book-tour-on-rim-of-love-by.html

The Raspy, Blues Singing Burmese

2012-01-26T02:41:00.001-05:00

Its Cats' Day at Night Writers. I'm posting on The Raspy, Blues Singing Burmese. If you're owned by a cat or you're an animal person, please stop by and say 'hey'. I'd love to visit with you.

Gel Nails

2012-01-25T04:41:00.002-05:00

I've always had stubby nails. The poor things have never understood the word grow.
On the rare occasions that I've gotten manicures they've chipped within a couple of days. Between the chips and the breakage, it just wasn't incentive to wear polish or frequent nail salons.
Then I was introduced to gels. I've tried it and I like it.
For those that aren't familiar with it, basically gel is a hard polish that lasts for two to three weeks and doesn't chip. My goal is to stretch the two to three weeks into four. To this end, I get clear polish instead of color. I just can't justify getting my nails done more than once a month. I'm currently at two weeks-four days and counting.
My nails have finally started to grow. Its weird to actually have them clicking against a keyboard.
The verdict is still out in many peoples' mind on how safe gel nails are. Why?
For one thing, gel requires drying under a UV lamp.
There can also be health concerns if salons use cheap gel products that aren't stringently controlled for quality and the manufacturer uses dangerous chemicals.
Or if the salon mixes gels and acrylics.
Some salons pass off fake gel manicures as the real thing. If you've had a gel manicure it will be clear and shiny not cloudy.
Your skin should never be cut or abraded during the process so chemicals can't seep into it.
The bottom line: If you are thinking of trying gel go to a reputable salon.
Have you gotten gel nails? If so has the experience been a positive or negative one? If not, would you get them?

My Favorite Movie Quotes

2012-01-24T02:59:00.003-05:00

Periodically you'll hear a movie quote that 'catches'. Here are a few of my favorites:

'You don't have to wear a patch on your arm to have honor'~*~A Few Good Men

'Here's looking at you kid.'~*~ Casablanca

'We'll always have Paris' ~*~ Casablanca

'I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship' ~*~ Casablanca

'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.' ~*~ Gone With The Wind

'Go ahead, make my day'~*~ Sudden Impact

'You talkin to me'~*~ Taxi Driver

'Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore' ~*~ Wizard of Oz

'You're going to need a bigger boat' ~*~ Jaws

'Houston we've got a problem' ~*~ Apollo 13

'There's no crying in baseball' ~*~A League of Their Own

'I'm going to fight for you till your heart stops beating'~Eclipse

What about you? What are your favorites?

*Amarinda's: 'Conan does anything hurt you? '
'Only pain.' ~*~ Conan the Barbarian

Sky

2012-01-23T05:40:00.002-05:00

Isn't the sky gorgeous? I was letting the dog out at daybreak the other day, saw the beautiful reds and blues and thought, "Oh, wow!" I ran upstairs, got my camera then went outside in my jammies and house slippers and started snapping before the colors disappeared.

The winners of the Do You Know Jeanette Marie post are:
Finkiegirl13
and
ame1184
Thanks for entering.

Who'd A Thought?

2012-01-22T05:16:00.001-05:00

Of all the things I have to iron, I never expected it to be my wrist wraps (for kickboxing). Due to the sweat factor--oops in the writing world women don't sweat they perspire--anyway I digress. Due to the whatever factor, I wash my wrist wraps every week. I used to just throw them in the machine till they started getting caught in the agitator. Now I throw them in a travel pillowcase along with my ankle wraps. Yes my feet sweat, err perspire, too. Unfortunately, when I pull them out of the dryer the wraps are balled into an unholy mess. So I now have to iron them. To use an Amarandaism, its downright pukeable.

Upcoming Valentine's Event

2012-01-21T04:44:00.001-05:00

Congrats to April. Thanks for entering.

Congrats to Amber, Vamped Chik, on winning Allison Brennan's LOVE ME TO DEATH.

Baby Boomer Quiz

2012-01-20T04:23:00.000-05:00

I've posted this before, but its fun. If you have time give it ago.

BABY BOOMER GAME

MEMORY TEST!
(Have a paper and pencil handy to record your answers. Your mind isn't as sharp as it once was!)
(Who says???) (It's just gotten older, that's all.)

This is NOT a pushover test. It's a Baby Boomer era test!

There are 20 questions. Average score is 12.

This one will be difficult for the younger set. (DUDE!)

Have fun, and no peeking!

Good luck, youngsters,

1. What builds strong bodies 12 ways?
A. Flintstones vitamins
B. The Buttmaster
C. Spaghetti
D. Wonder Bread
E. Orange Juice
F. Milk
G. Cod Liver Oil

2. Before he was Muhammed Ali, he was...
A. Sugar Ray Robinson
B. Roy Orbison
C. Gene Autry
D. Rudolph Valentino
E. Fabian
F. Mickey Mantle
G. Cassius Clay

3. Pogo, the comic strip character said, 'We have met the enemy and...
A. It's you
B. He is us
C. It's the Grinch
D. He wasn't home
E. He's really me and you
F. We quit
G. He surrendered

4. Good night, David...
A. Good night, Chet
B. Sleep well
C. Good night, Irene
D. Good night, Gracie
E. See you later, alligator
F. Until tomorrow
G. Good night, Steve

5. You'll wonder where the yellow went...
A. When you use Tide
B. When you lose your crayons
C. When you clean your tub
D. If you paint the room blue
E. If you buy a soft water tank
F. When you use Lady Clairol
G. When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent

6. Before he was the Skipper's Little Buddy, Bob Denver was Dobie's friend...
A. Stuart Whitman
B Randolph Scott
C. Steve Reeves
D. Maynard G. Krebs
E. Corky B. Dork
F. Dave the Whale
G. Zippy Zo

7. Liar, liar...
A. You're a liar
B. Your nose is growing
C. Pants on fire
D. Join the choir
E. Jump up higher
F. On the wire
G. I'm telling Mom

8. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Superman fights never ending battle for truth, justice and...
A. Wheaties
B. Lois Lane
C. TV rating
D. World peace
E. Red tights
F. The American way
G. News headlines

9. Hey kids! What time is it?
A. It's time for Yogi Bear
B. It's time to do your homework
C. It's Howdy Doody Time
D. It's time for Romper Room
E. It's bedtime
F. The Mighty Mouse Hour
G. Scooby Doo Time

10. Lions and tigers and bears...
A. Yikes
B. Oh, no
C. Gee whiz
D. I'm scared
E. Oh my
F. Help! Help!
G. Let's run

11. Bob Dylan advised us never to trust anyone...
A. Over 40
B. Wearing a uniform
C. Carrying a briefcase
D. Over 30
E. You don't know
F. Who says, 'Trust me'
G. Who eats tofu

12. NFL quarterback who appeared in a television commercial wearing women's stockings...
A. Troy Aikman
B. Kenny Stabler
C. Joe Namath
D. Roger Staubach
E. Joe Montana
F. Steve Young
G. John Elway

13. Brylcream...
A. Smear it on
B. You'll smell great
C. Tame that cowlick
D. Grease ball heaven
E. It's a dream
F. We're your team
G. A little dab'll do ya

14. I found my thrill...
A. In Blueberry muffins
B. With my man, Bill
C. Down at the mill
D. Over the window sill
E. With thyme and dill
F. Too late to enjoy
G. On Blueberry Hill

15. Before Robin Williams, Peter Pan was played by...
A. Clark Gable
B. Mary Martin
C. Doris Day
D. Errol Flynn
E. Sally Fields
F. Jim Carrey
G. Jay Leno

16. Name the Beatles...
A. John, Steve, George, Ringo
B. John, Paul, George, Roscoe
C. John, Paul, Stacey, Ringo
D. Jay, Paul, George, Ringo
E. Lewis, Peter, George, Ringo
F. Jason, Betty, Skipper, Hazel
G. John, Paul, George, Ringo

17. I wonder, wonder, who…
A. Who ate the leftovers?
B. Who did the laundry?
C. Was it you?
D. Who wrote the book of love?
E. Who I am?
F. Passed the test?
G. Knocked on the door?

18. I'm strong to the finish...
A. Cause I eats my broccoli
B. Cause I eats me spinach
C. Cause I lift weights
D. Cause I'm the hero
E. And don't you forget it
F. Cause Olive Oyl loves me
G. To outlast Bluto

19. When it's least expected, you're elected, you're the star today…
A. Smile, you're on Candid Camera
B. Smile, you're on Star Search
C. Smile, you won the lottery
D. Smile, we're watching you
E. Smile, the world sees you
F. Smile, you're a hit
G. Smile, you're on TV

20. What do M & M's do?
A. Make your tummy happy!
B. Melt in your mouth, not in your pocket
C. Make you fat
D. Melt your heart
E. Make you popular
F. Melt in your mouth, not in your hand
G. Come in colors

Below are the right answers:
1. D - Wonder Bread
2. G - Cassius Clay
3. B - He Is us
4. A - Good night, Chet
5. G - When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
6. D - Maynard G. Krebs
7. C - Pants on fire
8. F - The American Way
9. C - It's Howdy Doody Time
10. E - Oh my
11. D - Over 30
12. C - Joe Namath
13. G - A little dab'll do ya
14. G - On Blueberry Hill
15. B - Mary Martin
16. G - John, Paul, George, Ringo
17. D - Who wrote the book of Love
18. B - Cause I eats me spinach
19. A - Smile, you're on Candid Camera
20. F - Melt in your mouth not in your hand

I got 19. Okay I've taken it before so it doesn't really count.

Want to share your score?

Do You Know Jeanette Marie?

2012-01-19T03:26:00.009-05:00

With us today is Jeanette Marie. If you haven't heard of her yet I'm confident you soon will. Jeanette is an aspiring author who holds down a fascinating day job.
Here's Jeanette's post:
~*~
I’m currently an assistant for New York Times best-selling author Alyson Noёl, which means I get to help one of the nicest and coolest authors on the planet with administrative tasks and PR outreach, which can include everything from selecting SWAG items to scheduling interviews with reporters.

Over the past few years working with Alyson, I’ve learned a lot about the publishing industry. Perhaps the greatest thing I’ve learned from Alyson is perseverance. Her personal road to publication is truly amazing (she worked on her first book for more than 15 years before it got published).

I’m an aspiring author myself and, as I’m sure most writers can attest, the publication process can feel a lot like playing the lottery--

Step 1 - Write awesome book.
Step 2 - Query awesome agents.
Step 3 - Cross your fingers and hope you have the winning ticket.

Your email is then crashed by a flurry of requests for your book and you skyrocket to #1 on the NYT bestseller list.

Okay, so it only happens like that in the Hollywood movie version.

There’s no doubt that the publishing industry is challenging, and building a career as a successful author takes a lot more than winning a golden ticket. When I was a teenager, my dad always told me no one was going to knock on my door and offer me a job. If you want a job, go out and get it. If it doesn’t exist, create it.

So if “author” is the career you want, go for it. And don’t let anybody stop you.

Read. Write. Revise. Repeat.

Don’t stop revising that book and sending out query letters until someone says yes to you.

If aspiring authors gave up and took “no” for an answer, we wouldn’t have…

Life without Harry Potter would be pretty boring, wouldn’t it?

If every writer who received a rejection gave up, the shelves at your local bookstore would look a little plain and empty right now. That’s what’s so great about this business—it’s a marketplace of ideas. And there’s always room on the shelf for another great idea.

Alyson Noel has been kind enough to offer one of her books as a giveaway. For a chance to win one of her books just leave a comment and your email addie.

Kiss of Death Romantic Suspense Rocks Book Tour

2012-01-18T01:59:00.004-05:00

Romantic Suspense: When You’re Looking for More

The tension, suspense and passion in romantic suspense all wrapped up in one book keeps me reading and writing. Give me a dark, sexy story with alpha males and kick-ass women who weave their way through death and fear only to emerge stronger because of, and on occasion in spite of, their love for each other. These novels are fast paced, rollercoaster rides that can leave the reader breathless and looking for more.

Jerrie Alexander is one of the many talented authors who belong to the Romance Writers of America’s Kiss of Death chapter. At Kiss of Death we believe that every great romance should include suspense. Whether a spy thriller in Regency times, a paranormal romance with a revenge-seeking zombie, or a traditional serial killer after the heroine, romance relies on suspense, leading the reader through the trials of the heroine and hero to see if they will get their happily ever after ending. If you can call your writing suspenseful, then the Kiss of Death has something for you! Find out more and join at http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org and follow us on Twitter at @RWAKissofDeath. Also, check out the Kiss of Death’s Recipes To Die For cookbook featuring recipes from our members.

Jerrie writes alpha males and kick-ass women with a hint of humor. They weave their way through death and fear to emerge stronger because of, and on occasion in spite of, their love for each other. Find out more about Jerrie and her upcoming release, The Green Eyed Doll, at http://jerriealexander.com and follow her on Twitter at @JerrieAlexander.

Love Me To Death

By Allison Brennan

“Grabbing the reader by the throat from almost the first page, this pulse-ratcheting romantic suspense from Brennan (Original Sin) delivers intense action, multifaceted characters, and a truly creepy bad guy. FBI hopeful Lucy Kincaid is trying to heal from a brutal attack six years earlier. She volunteers at a program dedicated to luring and rearresting repeat sex offenders via the Internet, but then discovers a horrifying connection between her work and the execution-style murders of the parolees. PI Sean Rogan, a friend of Lucy's brothers, becomes focused on protecting her at any cost, and their mutual passion flares. As Lucy draws closer to the truth, effective red herrings litter the way and throw her deeper into confusion. Also confusing are a too large cast and intricate backstory from the previous related titles, the only things marring this fast-paced, engrossing read.” - Publisher’s Weekly

For an opportunity to win a copy of Love Me To Death, leave a comment and mention one of your favorite things about romantic suspense and your email addie. The winner will be randomly drawn. (Sorry, U.S. residents only)

Birthday

2012-01-17T01:20:00.001-05:00

www.birthday-clip-art.com

Today is my birthday or as the hh says Orbit Day as the sun has orbited around the earth 365 days since the last bday. And since the earth's orbit around the sun is slightly elliptical no two birthdays are necessarily the same:)
So to celebrate my Orbit Day I'm giving away some downloads. If you would like a download of either Akasha, Makita or Power Stones just send an email to sandracox1@gmail.com, put birthday in the header and the name of the download you'd like.
Enjoy the day.

Faith

2012-01-16T01:39:00.003-05:00

Faith is the bird that feels the light when the world is still dark.~*~Rabindranath Tagore

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be giveaway days.
Tues: Either Akasha, Makita or Power Stones
Wed: The Kiss of Death Chapter will be giving away a copy of Love Me to Death by Allison Brennan
Thur: Jeanette Harvey will be giving away an Alyson Noel book

Sherry Gloag

2012-01-15T04:47:00.000-05:00

With us today is fellow Night Writer and friend, Sherry Gloag. Welcome Sherry, tell us about your current project.

This is not so straight forward to answer as it could be, LOL. In strict accordance with your question, my current WIP is a Regency story I began back in2008/9. This has been something of a ‘love/hate relationship. As with most of my stories, the heroine turned up first demanding her day of glory. All went well until chapter eleven when it stuck. I plodded on writing a load of rubbish, all of which was later dumped.

About a year later I took another look at the crits from the fabulous group I belong to and decided to have another go at it. It didn’t take much persuasion to change allegiance to another, new heroine, who wanted her story told so once more I ditched this Regency.

That story, Duty Calls, was published early in 2011 by Black Opal Books. Then I was asked to contribute to a Valentine’s anthology and The Wrong Target was published in late January 2011 by eTreasures.

Two published short stories later and I began again, only to be foiled by my computer going ‘awol’. Nine weeks later, after a great deal of hassle I was the proud possessor of a new PC.

In the meantime, while having access to a back-up laptop, and hugely influenced by the British royal wedding I began my current release, From Now Until Forever, published by Astraea Press in December 2011.

So now, unexpectedly I have just finished a follow-on story about the hero’s, Liam’s, brother, Henri, and am waiting to hear whether it will be accepted.

So, to return to your original question! I am back working on my Regency, and it is absolutely flowing, I can hardly keep up with the characters and their demands. J

A lesson, if ever there was one, never, and I do mean *never* throw away a WIP however lousy you think it is. Months, years later it may just come together like my Regency, which now has a working title of No Job For a Woman.

Whew. You've got a lot of irons in the fire. Tell us about your blogs.

I have a regular blog-spot at Nightwriters where I offer a bi-monthly blog about meditation.

I participate in three weekly blogs,

Sweet Saturday Samples ( http://sweetsatsample.wordpress.com/ )

Six Sentence Sunday ( http://www.sixsunday.com/ )

And Tuesday Tales ( http://tuesdaytales1.blogspot.com/ )

I also have my own blog, The Heart of Romance ( http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.com/ ) where I post the odd blog, but which, so far, has been used mainly to promote fellow writers.

Do you blog every day?

No. One of my goals this year is to expand my blog presence online and hope to do more guest blogs if I can.

What do you do to promote your books?

Panic, is the short answer!

Seriously, I have the theory, I have the will and have put much of the theory into action, but am still missing that all important ‘something’. I am fortunate, in as much my books receive generous reviews and I would love for those to transform into mega sales, LOL. I mean who wouldn’t!

Do you transform people you know into characters in your book?

Oh boy! Don’t let my characters hear this question!

If I do it is not intentional. My characters usually turn up, if not ‘fully formed’ certainly with a will of their own that ensures they develop and grow with the progress of the story. I have often gone back the following day and read over what I wrote previously and wonder just where did those words, phrases and comments come from, because to my knowledge they don’t come from friends, and they certainly don’t echo my speech and thought patterns. J

If you were marooned on an island, what would you prefer to have with you:

Your current wip, chocolate or your favorite pizza?

Without a doubt my current WIP. Chocolate wouldn’t last above a minute , the pizza is gone once you’ve eaten it, but I can read and re-read my wip as often as I want, and probably create spinoffs in my head, or on paper, (if I’m allowed to have pen and paper too.)

Where can someone go to buy your books?

1 - From Now Until Forever

http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662245&mode=product&product=7105194

http://www.amazon.com/From-Now-Until-Forever-ebook/dp/B006GYAV44/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322854797&sr=1-1-spell

http://www.amazon.co.uk/From-Now-Until-Forever-ebook/dp/B006GYAV44/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322854884&sr=8-1-spell

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sherry-gloag-from-now-until-forever?keyword=sherry+gloag+from+now+until+forever&store=book

nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sherry-gloag-from-now-until-forever?keyword=sherry+gloag+from+now+until+forever&store=ebook

2 – Duty Calls

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-dutycalls-513942-149.html

http://tinyurl.com/5vujr53

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?ean=2940012108609

http://tinyurl.com/6zts6hg

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004NBZL10

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NBZL10

3 – The Wrong Target

eTreasures

http://store-67a3d.mybigcommerce.com/categories/Cupid-Gone-Wild/ = http://tinyurl.com/6dyen5a

http://store-67a3d.mybigcommerce.com/products/The-Wrong-Target-by-Sherry-Gloag.html == http://tinyurl.com/6k489dk

Amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wrong-Target-Cupid-Gone-Wild/dp/B004LLIIPS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1296564250&sr=8-1-spell = http://tinyurl.com/6kkoscq

Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+wrong+target+sherry+gloag =

http://tinyurl.com/49auwtm

Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Cupid-Gone-Wild-Anthology-ebook/dp/B004LLIYO8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&s=books&qid=1296567237&sr=8-6 =

http://tinyurl.com/4jx7vrg

and other online outlets

4 – The Brat

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/sherry-gloag-m-862.html

http://www.amazon.com/Brat-Sherry-Gloag/dp/1601548257

http://www.amazon.com/The-Brat-ebook/dp/B0044XV850/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288260544&sr=1-1-catcorr

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+brat+sherry+gloag

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/the-brat-sherry-gloag?store=ebook

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thebrat-471885-149.html

to mention a few!! LOL

You can also find links to my published and free short stories on my web site.

*****

Author Bio:

Multi-published author, Sherry Gloag is a transplanted Scot now living in the beautiful coastal countryside of Norfolk, England. She considers the surrounding countryside as an extension of her own garden, to which she escapes when she needs "thinking time" and solitude to work out the plots for her next novel. While out walking she enjoys talking to her characters, as long as no other walkers are close by.

Apart from writing, Sherry enjoys gardening, walking, reading and cheerfully admits her books tend to take over most of the shelf and floor space in her workroom-cum-office. She also finds crystal craft work therapeutic.

Author Web: http://sherrygloag.com

Author Blog: http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.com/

Nightwriters: http://www.sevennightwriters.blogspot.com/

Blurb: for From Now Until Forever:

For Prince Liam, families meant bad news, unwanted commitments, and the loss of his personal freedom. Love spawned white picket fences, slippers at the hearth with a wife and kids making demands, so why did those images disappear when he met Melanie Babcot?

Melanie Babcot fought hard to escape the horrors of her youth and vowed to remain single and free, so when paid to protect Prince Liam from insurgents why did her personal pledge fly out the window?

EXCERPT:
Liam Fitzwilliam Gasquet stared in amazement at the blooming patch of red milliseconds before the pain exploded in his arm. Some trigger-happy idiot had fired in his direction. Indignation didn’t have time to take root before another bullet kicked the dust at his feet.
Not ‘trigger-happy’.
Intentional.
The rebels had found the fourth and youngest son of Jean-Phillipe Gasquet, ruler of the tiny kingdom adjacent to the Swiss border. When had they discovered his whereabouts?
With a reluctant sigh, he faced the truth of it. They hadn’t ‘found’ him at all. They’d followed him.

Maturity

2012-01-14T02:17:00.001-05:00

Myfreewallpapers.net

A mature person is one who does not think in absolutes, who is able to be objective when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and all things, who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life.~*~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I blush to admit that at times it's tough for me to be objective when my passions are involved. And if I'm upset with someone it's also hard to think in terms of their good side. What about you? Do you remain objective when you are involved emotionally? And when you're angry, do you still see what's on that individual's plus side of the ledger?

Pitch

2012-01-13T01:02:00.000-05:00

Robin Weaver, Muse It Up bud, invited me to pitch at the Carolina Romance Writer's group last weekend where they were hosting Quinlan Lee from Adams Literary, a boutique literary agency for children and YA's books.
Even though, I've been published awhile now, I've never pitched. I decided to give it a go.
Before the pitches, Ms. Lee spoke about the business. She was dynamic ,informative and had a professional, easy-going manner. Her one request: that no one stick manuscripts under the bathroom install when she's inside:) Apparently this has happened before:)
She gave us a look at what goes on inside the higher echelons in the publishing world. One of the things she pointed out which surprised me was, the agency (at least the one she works for) doesn't always look at the highest offered contract but considers long term. Considering, those contracts are their bread and butter I was impressed. Though I came away feeling like it's easier to get in a size O dress than get a contract from a New York publishing company.
After the program we had lunch and then it was time for the dreaded pitches. Robin decided to do her pitch publicly to give the other members that had never pitched an idea what to expect. Better her than me. I'd rather eat meat, and I've been a vegetarian for nearly fifteen years, than give a public pitch.
After that it was my turn. Being the great orator that I am, I read mine. Even though, I'd chatted with Quinlan over lunch and found her to be an easy to talk to, fun individual, my heart was thumping like a drum while I read it. She didn't care that much for my pitch but liked the concept of my manuscript. And here's the thing. She did everything she could to point out, in a positive manner, what she felt I could do to improve my pitches.
Overall it was a positive experience. I liked Quinlan Lee and I have no doubts she's a wonderful agent for her authors.
The only fault I found with her...she hadn't read one of my favorite books:)
~*~
Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Julia Barrett

The Fall of Rain Blog Barrage

2012-01-12T02:38:00.000-05:00

Blurb:

Leif Dæganssen, an archeologist from Norway, is determined to trace back his Scandinavian roots as far as the Dark Ages and find proof of their existence on the Emerald Isle. After several years of living off the west coast of Ireland, he finally uncovers an ancient artifact—an intricately decorated chest with pagan carvings—buried beneath the very porch of his coastal cottage. Knowing it only confirms the presence of a glorified Norse-influenced settlement on Inis Mór, he’s determined to establish a link between himself and those who once inhabited the rugged isle.
For as long as she can remember, Lorraine O’Connor has had dreams of a Norse warrior kissing her. And even though she’s never fully understood the reason for her vivid subconscious imagination, she welcomes the meaningless and wanton pleasure of being in a Viking’s protective embrace—until the day she meets that brazen Northman on an impulsive vacation trip to Ireland.
Though blindsided by the relevance of her dreams and the strange familiarity of the man within them, Lorraine can’t help but feel a deep-seated intimacy toward Leif. And the more she gets to know him, the more she’s convinced they’ve shared a life together in a time long forgotten.
Are the clues to their ancestral past hidden within the contents of the chest or buried deep within their hearts?

Excerpt:
Leif laughed inwardly as he heard the lock engage. Lorraine was definitely an odd sort of female, with all her outlandish outbursts and peculiar reactions, but no less interesting. She had this way about her that made him pay close attention, made him want to pay close attention, else he might miss something. No woman had ever been able to do that to him.
He was not a man easily beguiled. ‘Exceedingly picky’ were Kristoff’s words on many occasions when they could’ve had a few choice opportunities with several of the women who entered Tí Joe Mac’s Pub in Kilronan. But he always found a way to stay clear of them. Either their hair was too short, their fingers too long, or they were excessively giggly over anyone who spoke Gaelic to them. No matter how beautiful they were to the eye, Leif always managed to find some flaw, an imperfection he couldn’t get passed.
The only imperfection Lorraine possessed, if he could call it that, was being unreadable. Even then, he couldn’t rightfully hold it against her. He was glad that she left him guessing, left him wondering what she’d say or do next. Every time he spoke to her, he had no idea what would come out of her mouth.
And what a pretty mouth it was.
Her lips were a delicate shade of rose and looked just as supple as the petals from which its color derived. He imagined they felt as soft and delicate in a kiss, and longed to taste them, to press his lips against her and savor every blessed moment of it while watching her eyes close in automatic response.
Oh, those eyes…
Their exquisite brilliance utterly entranced him. He couldn’t look away no matter how hard he tried. They shone as bright and vivid as the intrinsic color of an emerald, with flecks of lighter green pigments fissuring throughout.
Though he’d stared at them as if they were rare jewels tucked within the hilt of a Viking warrior’s ceremonially-bent sword, uncovered from a sacred burial site, he couldn’t help but feel he was gazing into something he’d known and seen before. Words could not describe what he felt, except that his longing was innate—as if her eyes and all its wonders had been engraved on him from years past.
Again, he laughed inwardly, reminding himself that his entire week had fallen into the epitome of the absurd. Between finding the carved chest of treasured antiquities buried beneath his porch to having a gorgeous woman bathe in his home, he could hardly believe his bizarre stroke of luck.
He quickly left the hallway and entered the kitchen, flipping the nearly burned fish in the pan. The unrelenting vision of her slick wet body clung to him like a wet blanket, drenched with his own lustful musings of what she’d feel like if he dared to touch her. At least, he was glad to know he was still a red-blooded man. As many times as Kristoff had ridiculed him for his lack of interest, tonight he didn’t have to ponder his gender. It was as plain as the nose on his face, and stuck out a bit further than he cared to admit.
Reaching down, he shifted himself, trying to award his erection some more room in his jeans, while cursing it all the same. “Now is not the time.”
“Not the time for what? Dinner?”
Leif turned at the sound of Lorraine’s voice, not expecting anyone to be behind him, and almost knocked the pan off the stove. He caught it by the handle, fortunately, steadying it before it slid off the edge.
“I take it you’re not used to a woman in your home,” she stated discernibly.
Heaving a sigh, he smiled. “How was your shower?”
“Exhilarating.”
I’m sure it was. “Good.” He rallied his best casual voice and turned back to the fish, still simmering on the stove. As he resumed cooking, he secretly regarded the way the small swell of her breasts put curves in his oversized T-shirt that her raincoat had once hidden. Though her dainty figure had been virtually swallowed up by his cotton drawstring sweats, he knew somewhere beneath all that fabric was an enticing set of feminine curves.
“Since my clothes were still damp, I hung them over the shower rod to dry,” she confessed. “I hope that’s all right.”
His grip tightened on the handle. The image of a lace-lined bra and delicate panties, hanging in his bathroom flashed in his mind and he could do little about the smile teasing the corners of his lips. Without facing her, he shrugged his shoulders, pretending he hardly cared and changed the subject. “I hope you’re hungry,” he replied, fisting a quartered lemon above the pan-seared cod and dousing it with lemon juice. “I’ve made enough for the whole village it seems.”
He thought he heard a slight chuckle, regretting that he’d probably missed the first opportunity to see her smile. But he kept to his mission of transferring the food to the two plates sitting on the adjacent counter. That little feat required more of his attention given he wasn’t much of a practiced chef.
“It smells delicious.”
Adding the final touches to the plate with a few island flowers he’d picked days ago—only because he heard from the more experienced chefs in Dublin’s pricey restaurants that presentation was everything—and a slice of soda bread on top, he turned around and caught her looking at him. Her eyes, however, did not meet his until they jumped up from a lower direction.
She cleared her voice and looked away, feigning that she had ever been looking at his arse. Leif was not a stupid man, nor did things often get passed him, but for her sake, he acted as if he were none the wiser.
“Please. Have a seat.”
She did as he suggested, wringing her hands in the extra T-shirt cloth at her waist.
She’s still nervous.
For that reason, he sat in the seat directly across from her instead of next to her where they could share the same corner of the table. Disappointed as he was, he refused to show it, keeping a keen eye on her facial expressions and body posture. At the present, she sat stiff-backed in the chair, her eyes fixed on the bounty of food he placed in front of her.
A quick grin teased her lips when she saw the white and yellow daisy garnishing the corner of her plate. She never said a word in regards to his makeshift embellishment, but the smile that hung about thereafter was enough for him.
She didn’t waste any time taking her first bite, closing her eyes as she pulled the fork from her mouth. Her shoulders melted and a slight hum reverberated from her lips.
“Does that mean it’s good?”
“Are you kidding?” she asked, her eyes nervously diverting from his the moment they met. “This is the best pan-seared fish I’ve ever had.”
He shook his head, forking his first bite. “Now I’m convinced you have a concussion.”
“I’m serious. I’ve never had fish like this before. Most times it’s fried to a crisp or bland as hell.”
“Well, I don’t know much about Kentucky, but I believe they’re known for their horses, not herbs.” He took another generous bite and waited. “That wasn’t funny?”
She mildly smiled and stuffed a piece of bread in her mouth. “You make a better cook than a comedian.”
“Ah, look at that. Give the small town Kentucky girl a hot shower and some food and she’s as good as new.”
Another smile. That one he was sure to catch.
“I don’t know about all that,” she replied uncertainly.
“Well, you’re gaining a bit of confidence. It’s good to know you’re less fearful of me.”
Her hand froze, her fork stuck in another cut of fish. “I don’t fear you, Leif. I just don’t know you.”
He set his utensil down and crossed his arms, eager to finally delve into a meaningful discussion. “What is it you’d like to know?”
I shied from his intrusive eyes, feeling the heat of his stare setting me ablaze.
He leaned in. “I know you are avoiding me because you feel ‘tis right. ‘Tis moral. ‘Tis safer. But you needn’t fear me.”
I took a deep breath. “I fear you not, Dægan. I simply know not enough about you.”
His face recoiled slightly as if my choice of words had stunned him. He released me and crossed his arms in front of him. “What would you like to know?”
“Rain?”
Leif’s voice caught her off guard and she looked around, confused, the name Dægan echoing in her ears. She blinked, staring at the man across from her, his face illustrating as much bewilderment as her own.
“You all right?” he asked, reaching for her hand.
Instantly, she pulled away, trying to gather her wits. It seemed she’d hear Leif’s words in the same minute she’d hear the exact same thing from a man by the name of Dægan.
What the hell was wrong with her? Why did she keep seeing things that weren’t really there or hear conversations from an unknown past, which were so akin to what she was talking about now?
“You blacked out for a moment,” he explained.
“I did?” The question came out of her mouth even though she knew she had gone somewhere else, somewhere that seemed like memories. It was as if she were having personal recollections of long ago, which involved her and a Norse warrior in some uncanny fashion.
“Yeah, you did. I asked you what you wanted to know about me, and suddenly, your eyes glazed over. You stared straight forward, but focused on nothing. Are you sure you’re all right? Perhaps we need to wake up the good doc.”
She fidgeted in her chair. The thought of a doctor looking her over and determining she was categorically crazy was not in her vacation plans. She tried to go back to her normal routine of eating, forking another bite of fish to prove to him, if not herself, he was overreacting. “Really, I’m fine. You shouldn’t worry. I just need to finish eating and get some rest. I’ve had a long day.”
Again, he didn’t look convinced. But what else could she say? She was as lost as he was when it came to her “blacking out” and no amount of pondering it could procure a logical explanation.
For the rest of the meal, they both lost their tongues for small talk and the only sound heard was the casual clinking of silverware on their plates. It was just as well, since neither seemed to know what to say anyway. Despite the great food and warm hospitality Leif had provided her, Lorraine wanted nothing more than to be alone. To lie down with her thoughts and hopefully be exhausted enough to sleep.
She prayed for sleep. Sleep without dreams. Somehow, as she glanced over at Leif looking at her in the most concerned way, she didn’t think she’d get her wish.

Buy Links:
Amazon print: http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Rain-Emerald-Isle-Trilogy/dp/1937389553/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322576302&sr=1-1
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Rain-Emerald-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B006HM9QZA/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323032349&sr=1-2
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fall-of-rain-renee-vincent/1107867696?ean=2940013440005&itm=1&usri=renee+vincent
Turquoise Morning Press: https://www.createspace.com/3729821
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thefallofrain-651760-140.html
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/110678
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/the-fall-of-rain

About The Author:
I am an author with a passionate interest in Irish and Norse history. I live in the rolling hills of Kentucky with my husband and two children on a beautiful secluded farm of horses and hay fields.
When I am not writing, I love to spend my time on the back of a horse, whether with my family or with my friends. There is nothing like feeling the sunlight on your face, the wind in your hair, and the power of the animal beneath you as you enjoy the beautiful scenery. Seeing the world from a saddle is, by far, the best view and the best therapy for a heavy heart or a troubled mind. My therapist's name, or my horse's, rather, is "Statues Suddenly Lucky", a full-blooded Tennessee Walker, and of course, he goes by the name of Lucky for short.
I am a sucker for a good cup of coffee (lots of cream and sugar...and whipped cream if I can get my hands on it), great conversation, and a lilting Irish accent. I love to read and I can't resist watching great epic historical movies.

Links:
Website: http://www.reneevincent.com
Blog: http://www.pasttheprint.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/reneevincentauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ReneeVincent
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3005290.Renee_Vincent
Deep In The Heart Romance: http://www.deepintheheartromance.com/

Publisher:
Turquoise Morning Press http://www.turquoisemorningpress.com/

Organizations:
Romance Writers of America http://www.rwanational.org/
Kentucky Romance Writers http://www.kentuckyromancewriters.com/
Ohio Valley Romance Writers http://www.ovrwa.com/
Celtic Hearts Romance Writers: http://www.celtichearts.org/
Hearts Through History: http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/

Reviews:

Ræliksen
*Winner of two categories by Love Romances Café
“Best Book Cover 2010”
“Best Historical 2010”

“This book and author earn my highest recommendations and I feel privileged to have read one of the best. It is a must read for any lover of historical romance or even lovers of romance in general.”~ 5 Stars TOP PICK ~ Night Owl Reviews

“…this story is realistic, historically accurate and unforgettable; a story you will remember long after the last page is read.”
~ 5 Blue Ribbons! ~

Blog schedule: http://cblspromotions.blogspot.com/2012/01/blog-barrage-fall-of-rain-book-three-of.html.

Stories To Enjoy

2012-01-11T04:01:00.000-05:00

Back with us today is Tom Mach to talk about his short story collection:

This unique collection of sixteen short stories written by prize-winner Tom Mach includes stories such as "Real Characters," which is about a writer who gets his wish--that his characters come alive.... "Breakfast, Over Easy" makes you wonder about loyalty in the face of temptation.... "When Kansas Women Were Not Free" takes you to a time when women were less free than former males slaves.... "Son" make you think differently about compassion. One novelist describes STORIES TO ENJOY as "memorable and intriguing, with O. Henry twists that are sure to surprise and entertain."

Those Characters in My Short Story Collection—Are They Misbehaving?

In my novels I find that my characters frequently want to deviate from what I had originally planned for them. For example, in my novel An Innocent Murdered, Detective Matt Gunnison has more heart than I imagined. In one scene, he’s crying over the death of a little girl.

It’s a little different with the characters in my short stories. That’s probably because they normally perform in only one scene and I don’t give them enough latitude to shift into diverse directions. However, there are some exceptions. For example, in “The Crossword Puzzle Murders,” a story in Stories To Enjoy, Detective Agatha Pulaski cares more deeply about Pete, her wayward brother, than I initially imagined her to be, as depicted in this scene:

Aggie wished people knew how sensitive her brother was to criticism, especially from women in authority. She assumed this stemmed from the fact that they had a stepmother who was the CEO of an investment firm and who always let Pete know that he wouldn’t amount to anything in life. Maybe that’s why he was more comfortable solving a Rubik’s Cube or completing a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle in record time.

Robin was inconsiderate about a coworker of hers named Sara in my story “The Lead Bird”, which also appeared in Stories To Enjoy. This surprised me because she appeared to be quite concerned about the welfare of birds. First, Robin callously asks her boss whether Sara is still on vacation, feeling that, because Sara is the owner’s niece, she’s been given a longer vacation than she’s entitled to receive. Later, when Sara shows up for work, Robin’s anger rises to the surface….

Sara widened her smile. “I hear you moderated a focus group for Synthia Labs yesterday. I wish I could have been there, but I was so tired I went to bed early.”

Robin arched a sarcastic eyebrow. “I suppose you’re tired after enjoying a three-week vacation. You must be absolutely exhausted.”

I personally think it’s a good sign for a writer when a character wants to take off on her own. That means a character has become a three-dimensional, living and breathing person. But the writer’s job is to either rein her in so she stays true to the plot or to let her go into another direction—realizing, of course, that you will have to change your plot accordingly. It’s a tough decision every writer must face.

Bio:

Tom Mach wrote two successful historical novels, Sissy! and All Parts Together, both of which have won rave reviews and were listed among the 150 best Kansas books in 2011.Sissy! won the J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award while All Parts Together was a viable entrant for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Award. He also wrote a collection of short stories entitled Stories To Enjoy which received positive reviews. Tom’s other novels include: An Innocent Murdered, Advent, and Homer the Roamer.

His poetry collection, The Uni Verse, won the Nelson Poetry Book Award. In addition to several awards for his poetry, Writer’s Digest awarded him ninth place in a field of 3,000 entrants. His website is: www.TomMach.com He also has a popular blog for writers of both prose and verse at http://tommach.tumblr.com

Tom can be found at:

http://twitter.com/kansasauthor

http://www.facebook.com/kansasauthor

http://www.linkedin.com/in/tommach

http://tommach.tumblr.com

Tom will be giving away a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter.

Rallying Cry

2012-01-10T05:47:00.001-05:00

No taxation without representation~*~Rallying cry of the American Revolution

Hmm. It seems middle-class is still getting the brunt of taxation without the representation.

Acting Childish

2012-01-09T05:35:00.001-05:00

Graphics Fairy

Acting childishly seems to come naturally, but acting like an adult, no matter how old we are, just doesn't come easy to us ~*~ Lily Tomlin

2012

2012-01-08T06:17:00.000-05:00

This video was shared by friends and is one of the most amazing I've ever seen. Hope you enjoy.

The Priest and The Peaches

2012-01-07T04:25:00.001-05:00

With me today is Larry Peterson to talk about his new book The Priest and The Peaches. Welcome, Larry, tell us about your current project.

I have started writing the sequel to “The Priest and The Peaches”. This will take place during summer vacation when the younger boys go to stay with friend’s of Father Sullivan’s who live in rural New Jersey. We venture into the paranormal with this story. No vampires or zombies or anything like that. It will be more about good vs evil. It is a work in progress and has a long way to go.

What will I as a reader like best about your hero?

Teddy, 18, even though frightened of his circumstances and all of the unknowns he must confront, plods forward doing his best for his family. It’s not always “pretty”. I think you have to admire him for that.

How will women identify with your heroine?

I’m not sure. Joanie was only 13 when her mom died. She was surrounded by an all male household and was thrust into the unintended position as ‘woman of the house’. I would imagine that women might feel sorry for her, secretly admire her and never want to be put in her position.

Is your muse currently sitting on your shoulder or is she illusive?

My muse is a scatter-brain. I wish I could slow him down sometimes and make him focus more. I think he has ADD.

Who is your favorite author?

I always go back to Hemingway because of his “The Old Man & The Sea”. A simple read but powerful in that you can feel the love and respect between the old man, Santiago, and the boy, Manolin and even the sadness in Santiago’s heart when he knew he must kill the great fish. Beautifully done.

What books of yours are currently for sale and where can a reader buy them?

My children’s book, “Slippery Willie’s Stupid, Ugly Shoes” is available in hardback and all of the e-apps. www.slipperywillie.blogspot.com and “The Priest and The Peaches” is available in all the e-apps. http://www.thepriestandthepeaches.com You can also go to www.tribute-books.com for both of them.

Where you can find Larry:

Larry Peterson's blog:
http://www.ThePriestandthePeaches.com

Larry Peterson's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/larrytpbx

Larry Peterson's Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/slipperywillie

Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com

Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176

Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks

The Priest and the Peaches Book Summary

Historical fiction novel set in the Bronx in the mid-1960s

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Larry Peterson's Bio:

Larry Peterson was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. A former Metal Lather/Reinforcing Iron-worker, he left that business after coming down with MS. He, his wife and three kids moved to Florida 30 years ago. Larry began doing freelance newspaper commentary after graduating from Tampa College in 1984.

His first children's picture book, Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes was published in 2011. In 2012, his full length novel, The Priest and the Peaches was released and he is presently working on the sequel.

He also has a blog (http://www.ThePriestandthePeaches.com) where he posts weekly commentary. He lives in Pinellas Park, Florida and his kids and six grandchildren all live within three miles of each other.

eBook
ISBN: 978-0-9837418-4-8
ISBN: 978-1-4658-6327-0
Pages: 285
Release: January 1, 2012

Kindle buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006P0EYI8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006P0EYI8

Nook buy link
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fthe-priest-and-the-peaches-larry-peterson%252F1108051518%253Fean%253D2940013858190%2526itm%253D1%2526usri%253Dthe%252Bpriest%252Band%252Bthe%252Bpeaches

iBookstore buy link (coming soon)

Smashwords buy link
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/116166?ref=tributebooks

PDF buy link
https://www.payloadz.com/go/sip?id=1538819

Murphy In The Paw-Paw Patch

2012-01-06T03:31:00.000-05:00

Friend and fellow-author Ruth Hartman has just published her first children's book. For those of you with young ones, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews, this sounds like a winner to me. Here's where you can purchase it:

http://www.amazon.com/Murphy-Paw-Paw-Patch-Ruth-Hartman/dp/1935817205/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322682840&sr=1-1

http://www.turquoisemorningpressbookstore.com/collections/childrens/products/murphy-in-the-paw-paw-patch

And here's what the story's about:

Murphy the cat is different. And he doesn’t like it! All the other cats have paw pads. But he was born without them. Will Murphy’s journey to find some at the Paw-Paw Patch fulfill his dream?

~*~

I love cats. They’ve always been a huge part of my life. There’s one sitting on my lap as I type this, in fact. And the way he’s curled in a perfect ball with his paw covering his face, he’s not going anywhere for a while. So that means, neither am I.

Way back when, I took a course on writing children’s books from the Institute of Children’s Literature. “Murphy in the Paw-Paw Patch”, in an earlier form, was what I wrote for one of my assignments. It’s gone through lots of changes over the years and was submitted to countless publishers. No takers.

But Turquoise Morning Press, a publisher of several of my romances, had started a children’s book section. Murphy found a home with them earlier this year. From the time I took that course, I always wanted to write a children’s book. And it had to be about a cat. It had to! There’s never been a time in my life when I haven’t had at least one of the little furballs hanging around, and I hope there never will be.

I’d always heard the term paw-paw patch, although I’ve never seen one. One day, though, I decided it would be funny if the paw-paw patch had something to do with paws. Animals paws. Cat paws. Yep. My story was born.

Murphy the cat was born without pads on his paws. He sees all of the other cats running, skipping and doing cartwheels. But he can’t do those things. It hurts his feet since he’s padless. He takes a journey to a place called the paw-paw patch. His adventure leads him not only to his dream, but he makes a friend, Oliver the owl along the way.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading this story to your children, as much as I enjoyed writing and illustrating it.

When Its Going Well

2012-01-05T00:58:00.000-05:00

If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.~*~Steven Wright

Your Duck Is Dead

2012-01-04T00:21:00.001-05:00

You may have already seen this, but I think its funny. So if you've already read it, ignore it, if not give it a shot. You'll either laugh or groan at my taste in jokes:)

Your Duck is Dead--

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon.
As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head and sadly said,
"I'm sorry, your duck, Quackers, has passed away."

The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. Your duck is dead," replied the vet..

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.

The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said,
"I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."

The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman..

The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill.
"$150!" she cried, "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"

The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now $150."

Invasion of the Birds

2012-01-03T01:31:00.002-05:00

We have this happen about once a year when the birds are migrating. There are hundreds of them and they completely surround the property flocking in the trees. The noise they make is deafening. I always feel like I'm a cast member for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. This year I got some pics.
Beware....they may be on their way to your house next.
~*~

My lovely daughter is flying in tonight. Be safe Ms. M.
~*~
Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Julia Barrett
Molly Daniels

Pleasant Surprise

2012-01-02T05:39:00.001-05:00

MINDER, my next release is with Muse It Up Publishing. I haven't gotten through the entire process but so far, I'm impressed with this new company. They keep their financials transparent and are author and reader friendly. Over the holidays they sent out an email to all their authors asking them to pick out a book from Muse that they'd like to read and they'd send them a free download. I thought that was pretty nice. I've never worked with a publishing company before that's offered that. It may not seem like a big deal but when you sent out several hundred downloads for free it adds up. My pick? Crewkin by good bud, Rhobin Courtright.
~*~
Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Julia Barrett

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T04:16:00.000-05:00

Wishing you all the best in 2012

Special Thanks To

2011-12-31T03:37:00.001-05:00

good mate, Amarinda Jones. What a special surprise. Thank you.
I met Amarinda in 2007 when we were first published by Elloras Cave. She offered me words of advice then, bosses me now when she feels its appropriate:), has guided me through the intricacies of the publishing world and even gave my blogs face lifts when they needed it. Thanks, Amarinda, for the surprise. Loved it.

And to Hywela Lyn. We met while I was virtual touring and found out we share a love of horses.
How thoughtful of you, Hywela. Thanks so much.

It's always special to get something from across the water.

Merry Christmas Oh Oh Oh

2011-12-30T02:11:00.002-05:00

Christmas this year started with a bang and ended on the same note.
The 23rd I wrapped gifts, the 24th we put up the tree. My son arrived the 22nd and had no idea where to leave his gifts since there was no tree to put them under.
After posting recipes for a month, I decided to make some of the recipes for brunch Christmas morning. I planned on serving scrambled eggs with cheese, French waffles with peach topping, chocolate iced Cinnabuns and cheesy potato casserole.
Brunch was scheduled for 10:00. At 8:45 I took leisurely stock of my ingredients. It was at this point, I realized I didn't have any celery soup for the casserole. Did I stay calm, cool and collected? Of course, not. I immediately went into panic mode. I raced into the bathroom where my husband was just stepping into the shower and yelled, "You've got to go get some celery soup."
"Can I take my shower first?" he asks. Silly man.
"No!" I yelled even louder, then decided it would be quicker if I went myself, so I jumped in my Pony and like Santa's reindeer flew from closed store to closed store. At last, I found a can at a convenience store, only to discover it was outdated. By now its 9:15. The casserole takes 45 minutes to heat in the oven. I admit defeat and race home. I throw the casserole together, minus the soup. The hubby calls my son and bro and tells them not to come till 10:30. After baking the casserole for 20 minutes I decided to fry it like hash browns. At this point, I'm figuring out brunch isn't going to be a disaster and start relaxing.
The fam arrives, we eat and get down to the business of opening gifts.
Many years ago, my husband started the tradition of making everyone wear elf hats while we open our gifts. My son complains they're starting to smell like mildew. He has a point. I wore mine one year and after seeing what it did to my hair refused to wear it again. So to offset my refusal to wear the Christmas cap, the hubby got me a Christmas necklace that lights up. That I found acceptable.
We had a lovely morning and afternoon. Opened gifts, then played board games.
By late afternoon, I began to notice a twinge in my shoulder blade, but just thought it was my bra rubbing. By bedtime, I had a sinking feeling I was having muscle spasms. By the middle of the night there was no doubt. Have you ever had them? They remind me of water torture and/or child birth contractions, though not as intense. You just tense up waiting for the next one. After eighteen hours of spasms, I had the hubby take me to urgent care, where I got a shot (which didn't do any good) and scripts. I went home, took my meds and fell into a drug induced sleep. I lost two days, but returned to the living, minus spasms, just in time to discover the washing machine stuck on the fill cycle and flooded the basement.
It was a Merry Christmas at the Cox household, Oh Oh Oh.

Christmas Road Trip

2011-12-29T01:06:00.001-05:00

Greetings, how is everyone? Did you have a wondrous Christmas?
The week before Christmas we headed for Southern Illinois and stayed in Metropolis, Superman's hometown. Unfortunately, other than statues there were no Superman sitings.
We stayed at Harrah's, where I lost ten dollars to the slot machines and ate at the buffet, courtesy of my aunt and uncle. Have you ever ate at Harrah's? OMG. They have huge buffets. All the meats and fish carnivores could want and plenty of veggies and salads for vegetarians. And all kinds of of desserts for those of us cursed with a sweet tooth. For some reason, this past summer I developed a craving for ice cream, which I indulged while we were there. The waiters scoop your ice cream and you do your own toppings. I swear they used eight oz ladles for the toppings. So I had some creamy vanilla ice cream with my hot fudge, which I managed to get halfway through before getting slightly sick.
This was the first time all the sibs have been together for a number of years. My bro from central IL told me he couldn't take off work to hook up with us, but called several times 'from work' while we were traveling. So imagine my surprise when I arrived at my aunt and uncle's to see him and his significant other setting on their couch. He'd been calling from his car:)
I've attached some pics that include some of the fam, Sandy my aunt and uncle's wonderful rescue dog, and a pic of the Smokies, and of course, that man of steel--Superman. I can't help wondering what he'd think of America today with his motto of 'Truth, Justice, and the American Way.'

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T21:09:00.002-05:00

www.myfreewallpapers.net

Merry Christmas and the Very Best of Holidays.

Holiday Recipe #18 Cream Cheese Ball

2011-12-22T01:04:00.001-05:00

1 large package cream cheese
Roll into ball, place on platter
Top with Hot Pepper Jelly
Circle with Crackers

Holiday Recipe #17 Holiday Punch

2011-12-21T18:11:00.000-05:00

1/2 gallon raspberry sherbert
1 2 litter of 7 up
Place scoops of ice cream into bowl and pour 7 up over it.

Holiday Recipe #16 French Waffles and Birthday Wishes

2011-12-20T00:44:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:
Eggs
Frozen Waffles
Can of peaches
Cornstarch
Cinnamon
Vanilla

Beat your french toast mix as usual (2 eggs and 2/3 c milk should make approximately six servings)
Add a touch of cinnamon
Add tsp vanilla.
Dip frozen waffles in the mix and fry as you would french toast.
Pour can of peaches into saucepan and heat.
Add approx a Tbsp and a half of cornstarch
Add a dash of cinnamon
Stir about a minute
Serve waffles topped with peaches.

*~*

Happy Birthday, Wilma.

Out of Time

2011-12-19T11:20:00.001-05:00

graphicsfairy.blogspot.com

We're headed for Southern Illinois for a few days. Have I cleaned my house? Heck no. Am I writing? Uh, no. Have I wrapped gifts? Nope. Am I Packed? No. Have we put up the tree? No. Though, here I claim extenuating circumstances. I don't want to leave the cats unsupervised with the tree. A friend of mine will come in twice a day to check on them and feed them, but you pet owners out there know the kind of trouble they can get into meantime. So we'll be decorating the tree the 23rd. We have NEVER waited this long to put one up. I am so behind.(wringing hands and moaning). But we'll survive. In the meantime, y'all enjoy the festivities and the season. And for those of you traveling, be safe.
Anybody else in the same leaky boat I am?

~*~
Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Julia Barrett
Shelley Munro

Imajin Books Giveaway

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

From IMAJIN BOOKS comes...

25 Days of Christmas Giveaways

December 1-25, 2011

This Christmas, great things come in fours at Imajin Books! So we have four ways for booklovers to celebrate the Christmas season: an eBook Sale, eBook Giveaways, Basket o' Books Draw, and a Grand Prize Draw for the all-new Kindle Fire ereader.

1. eBook Sale - all our ebooks will be priced between $0.99 and $2.99.

The sale is on from December 1st to January 7th. To purchase ebooks from Smashwords (multiple file formats including ePub, PDF & more), visit our Winter Events page to view the special coupon codes to buy ebooks at our sale prices. Or buy from Amazon.com where the list prices have been changed to sale prices.

2. eBook Giveaways - 4 ebooks (winners' choice from our titles) will be given away daily.

Rules: To enter, leave a comment and your email address on our Winter Events post in our Contests & Events section. Comments without email addresses will not qualify. You can enter every day; 1 ebook per winner per day. You may format your email address like: myemailaddress (at) emailprovider.com (or similar) if you'd like to; as long as we can read it, you'll be entered. No exchanges, no cash value. Ebook prizes will be awarded daily.

3. Basket o' Books Draw - paperback collection of winner's choice of 4 books

Rules: To enter, leave a comment and your email address on our Winter Events post in our Contests & Events section. Comments without email addresses will not qualify. You may format your email address like: myemailaddress (at) emailprovider.com (or similar) if you'd like to; as long as we can read it, you'll be entered. No exchanges, no cash value. 1 entry per person. This draw will take place between December 25 and December 31. Winner will be announced on our website.

4. Grand Prize Draw for a Kindle Fire ereader - 1 winner

Rules: You will get one entry for any of the following:

1. Review any of our books from December 1-December 24th, 2011 on Amazon.com or Smashwords.com and email us a link to your review. 1 entry per book title reviewed.

2. Tweet any of the following messages (1 entry per post per day; max. 3 entries/day):

Check out @imajinbooks 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways for prizes & win a #Kindle Fire http://imajinbooks.com

eBooks $2.99 or less - @imajinbooks 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways - prizes & win a Kindle Fire http://imajinbooks.com

25 Days of Christmas Giveaways @imajinbooks - eBook SALE, prizes & win a Kindle Fire http://imajinbooks.com

3. Post an announcement on your Facebook page to help us spread the news and email us with the link to your FB page (1 entry per post per day; max. 3 entries per day):

Enter the 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways for prizes & chance to win a #Kindle Fire http://imajinbooks.com

Ebooks $2.99 or less - 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways - prizes & chance to win a Kindle Fire http://imajinbooks.com

Want to win a Kindle Fire ereader? Check out the 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways at http://www.imajinbooks.com

4. Buy any of our ebooks or paperbacks between December 1-25th and forward us your receipt by email; receive 10 entries per title purchased.

When emailing us during this contest, please put "25 DAYS" in the subject line. Include your name and pertinent contest info.

Entries must be received by December 25th, midnight MT. Open to anyone 18+, anywhere. Void where prohibited. No cash value, no substitutions, no exchanges.

Basket o' Books and Kindle prize will be awarded by January 7, 2012. All prizes must be claimed by January 30, 2012 or they will be void.

Holiday Recipe #15: Turtle Brownies

2011-12-17T06:25:00.000-05:00

Turtle Brownies

1/4 c melted margarine
1/3 c evaporated milk
1 bx German chocolate cake mix
14 oz package caramels
1/3 c evaporated milk
3/4 c chopped pecans
3/4 c semisweet chocolate chips
Melt margarine and allow to cool before combining with the first 1/3 cup of evaporated milk and cake mix. Mix well. Place 1/2 the batter in an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake 5 to 7 minutes at 350.
Melt caramels and second 1/3 cup of milk in sauce pan. Blend well. Set aside. Sprinkle pecans and chocolate chips over cake batter.
Drizzle caramel mixture over top
Spread remaining cake batter over top
Bake 15 - 20 minutes at 350

Holiday Recipe # 14 Garden Vegetable Salad

2011-12-16T06:03:00.000-05:00

graphicsfairy.blogspot

Garden Vegetable Salad

1/4 head cauliflower florettes
1/4 cup sliced carrots
1/4 head broccoli florettes
1 cup sliced squash
1/4 red sliced onion
6 to 8 cherry tomatoes
2/3 cup Italian Dressing
Wash and drain vegetables
Separate the onion into rings
Mix ingredients--except tomatoes and onions--with dressing, marinate overnight Drain excessive dressing
* Garnish with tomatoes and onion slices

Her One Knight Prince

2011-12-15T04:38:00.000-05:00

Her One-Night Prince

by Rebecca J. Clark

BLURB:

Her One-Night Prince is a Cinderella story about a woman’s dream to be something she’s not for just one night at her class reunion.

As all fairy tales go, however, happy endings don’t come easily.

Shy and sheltered Lydia St. Clair is uncomfortable around men, so she advertises for a gay man to be her date and revamp her style. Mitch Gannon answers Lydia’s ad and he’s perfect for the job--he’s handsome and, even more important, he’s charming.

Unbeknownst to Lydia, Mitch is straight and answered the ad as the unwitting victim of a practical joke. Before he can reveal the truth, Lydia is convinced he’s her fairy godmother, ready to transform her into the belle of the ball. And Mitch, prince that he is, doesn’t have the heart to set her straight.

EXCERPT:

With a firm hand against her upper back, Mitch propelled Lydia out of the bar and out the door. She peered back through the windows and could just make out that waitress standing behind the bar and staring out at them.

“She’s beautiful,” she said, turning back to Mitch. Something about that woman signaled a déjà vu of sorts in her mind, but she couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

“Who? Edwina?” He glanced into the pub. “Yeah, she is.”

Edwina’s showstopping figure and stunning looks caused Lydia to self-consciously smooth back her boring, pulled-tight-into-a-bun-as-usual hair. She couldn’t imagine a woman like Edwina ever advertising in the gay personals. She couldn’t imagine Edwina making a boob of herself by assuming Mitch worked at a gay bar.

With the heel of her palm, she bonked herself in the side of the head a few times. “Just shoot me, will you?”

Mitch pulled her hand away from her head. “You’re too hard on yourself, Lydia.”

For a moment she zeroed in on the feeling of his large, warm hand holding hers. It felt good, like it belonged there, which was a crazy thought. Reality returned, and she pulled her hand from his grasp.

“What in the world was I thinking?” she asked. Her skin burned from embarrassment, or the heat of summer, or his touch…or all the above.

“It’s understandable you’d assume I worked at a gay bar. I mean, you think I…er…”

She waved her hand back and forth. “No, no. That was just plain stupidity. What I meant was, I had this grand notion of you helping me out and transforming me into the belle of the ball. You know, Queer Eye my style or something.” She wrapped her arms around herself despite the warm air and strode down the alley. If a sinkhole opened up in front of her, she’d gladly fall into it.

He jogged up beside her as they reached the sidewalk. “I don’t know about the clothing and hair stuff,” he said, “but I could certainly give you advice on men.” He cleared his throat and coughed. “I mean, since I’m a, ah, man.”

“That’s okay. It was a dumb idea. Besides, I don’t want advice on men. It would be pointless.” She pulled black-framed sunglasses from her purse and exchanged them for her regular glasses to block the blinding glare off the sidewalk.

Mitch didn’t respond right away, so she knew he silently agreed with her. Finally, he asked, “Why would it be pointless?”

She had about a million reasons. “It just would be.”

BUY LINKS:

Bookstrand - http://www.bookstrand.com/her-one-night-prince

Amazon - http://tinyurl.com/6u2sec4

Barnes & Noble - http://tinyurl.com/7m8y8wz

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rebecca Clark has wanted to write romance novels since she read her first Harlequin Romance at age 11. When she’s not writing, she works as a personal fitness trainer and group exercise instructor, where she teaches Pilates, Turbokick®, Zumba®, and yoga. She makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of 24 years, two kids, a German Shepherd beast who thinks he’s a lap dog, two cats, two rats and a gecko. In her not-so-abundant free time, Rebecca enjoys reading, watching Criminal Minds reruns on TV, and doing absolutely nothing.

http://rebeccajclark.com

http://rebeccajclark.blogspot.com

http://shywriters.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/#!/rebeccajclark.author

Twitter @rebeccajclark

Holiday Recipe #13 Butterscotch Rolls, Grand Opening at BTS

2011-12-14T05:01:00.004-05:00

graphicsfairly.blogspot.com

Butterscotch Rolls

3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c margarine
2 tbsp water
24 frozen yeast rolls
Walnuts optional
Whip margarine.
Blend in sugar and water.
Spread in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
Place rolls on top of mixture. Let raise until rolls have doubled in size (at least 3 hrs)
Bake 10-12 minutes at 350.
Turn upside down on serving plate.
Serve immediately.

If you have a moment, check out this link. It's a feel good story.
I think you'll enjoy it:)

http://www.deadliestcatchfan.com/forum/topic/show?id=2677162%3ATopic%3A133702

~*~
Grand opening is the fifteenth. Lots of free prizes.

http://booktrailershowcase.com

Forgetful Jones and Holiday Recipe #12

2011-12-13T06:31:00.002-05:00

www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com

Remember Forgetful Jones on Sesame Street? I pulled a Forgetful at work.
Every year at this time, we donate to a charity of choice. We bring in canned goods or other necessary items. Donation boxes are set up in the different buildings culminating at the Christmas luncheon.
On the morning of the luncheon, I went looking for the bin in my building to put my donation in so I wouldn't have to worry about forgetting it. I was told by a friend, they'd already been picked up and taken to the building where the Christmas lunch was being held. She also mentioned she'd forgotten to get anything to donate.
I'd picked up two items so I gave her one to put in the donation box. I set the other on the edge of my desk, so I wouldn't forget to take it to the luncheon.
Of course, when I got to the luncheon, I realized it was still setting on the corner of my desk. While I did a mental groan that I'd forgotten, my main reaction was relief that I'd given one of the items to my friend to donate. At least something I'd picked up would make it to the bin.
When I saw her later that afternoon, I told her how happy I was she'd taken the other item to put in the donation bin because I'd forgotten mine.
She grimaced and said--yup you guessed it--"I forgot it."
~*~
Molded Strawberry Gelatin Salad
10 oz frozen strawberries
3 oz package strawberry gelatin
1 c hot water
7/8 c juice or cold water
Let berries partially thaw then drain. Save juice
Dissolve gelatin in hot water
Add juice or cold water, stir, then let it thicken slightly
Add drained strawberries
Pour into mold
Refrigerate

I Almost Saw It....And Holiday Recipe #11

2011-12-12T01:57:00.001-05:00

I didn't see the lunar eclipse Saturday morning. I blush to admit I didn't even realize there was going to be one. But what I did see was the most amazing sight. It was about ten p.m. Friday night and we were coming home from several concentrated hours of Christmas shopping. When I got out of the car, I looked at the moon, then looked again.
It was hazy but full. The night sky was ringed around it in a perfect dark circle and around the circle was an edging of opalescence mist. It was wondrous. Did anyone else see it?

~*~

Hawaiian Ambrosia
1 c seedless grapes
1 c pineapple chunks
1 c mandarin oranges
1 c miniature marshmallows
1 c coconut
1 c sour cream
Drain all fruit, then combine
Add coconut, marshmallows and sour cream
Mix and let set at least 1 hr in refrigerator
~*~

Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Julia Barrett
Shelley Munro

Holiday Recipe #10 Hello Dolly Bars

2011-12-11T05:03:00.000-05:00

www,bestfreewallpapers.info

Hello Dolly Bars

1/4 c margarine
1 c graham cracker crumbs
1 1/3 c coconut
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips (or 6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips and 6 oz butterscotch chips)
1 c chopped pecans or chopped walnuts
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Melt margarine in a 9 x 13 pan
Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs in pan and press lightly
Add coconut, chips, and nuts in layers
Drizzle milk over entire contents in pan
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

~*~

I'm blogging today on The Mysterious Mau at Night Writers.

Farsighted Blog Tour

2011-12-10T05:43:00.000-05:00

BLURB:

Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still "see" things others can't. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider.

Alex Kosmitoras's life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he's blind. Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival--an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to "see" the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future.

EXCERPT:

“Did Dad tell you? A new tenant moved into the old pharmacy next door.”

“Really?” I ask, not letting on I already know. If I feign ignorance, Mom’ll divulge all the details. “What is it?”

“It’s a psychic shop,” Her voice crackles with excitement like a fire that’s just beginning to burn. “The All-Seeing Miss Teak. Isn’t that cute? Miss Teak, Mystic. Ha, I wonder if that’s her real name.”

I laugh. “That is funny. Never had a psychic in town before. What’s she like?”

“Oh, she’s very friendly. Why don’t you go over and say ‘hi.’ I’m sure she’d like to meet you.”

“Okay, I think I will.” I’m incredibly intrigued, because first off, it’s a psychic shop—how weird is that?—and second, its presence made Dad super uncomfortable—also very cool. I waste no time heading next door to check out the scene.

As I step cautiously into the new shop, a recording of soft, instrumental music greets me. I can make out chimes and a string instrument I don’t recognize but for some reason reminds me of snake charmers. The smell of incense fills my nostrils, which explains the burning I detected earlier.

“Hello?” I call out into the otherwise quiet room.

Nobody answers. I walk in deeper, sweeping my cane out in front of me in a metronome fashion. This place is new to me, so I need to be especially careful while moving around.

Thump! Despite my precautions, I stub my toe on something hard, big, and made of wood. Just my luck to stub the same toe twice in one day. I reach down to press my fingers into my throbbing foot to alleviate some of the pain. Something teeters before rolling off of the chest and across the floor; the sound it makes indicates a curved path. Suddenly, the object stops. Somebody’s stopped it.

“Hello?” I call again.

“Hello,” a deep, feminine voice responds, placing more emphasis on the first syllable than the second.

“I- I’m sorry I knocked that thing over. I didn’t mean to…” I hope she’s not angry. Probably not a good idea to get on a psychic’s bad side.

“That wasn’t just a thing, it’s a crystal ball,” she says as she walks over, sending my blood pulsing through my veins. I sense her looking at me for a moment before she places the ball back on top of the chest.

“Can it see the future?” I ask, allowing my curiosity to outweigh my uneasiness.

“No.” After a pause lasting several beats, she continues. “But I can see the future sometimes when I look into it.”

“Oh, okay.” I tighten my hand around my cane and turn to leave. It may not be the most polite thing to do, but all of this hocus-pocus stuff is freaking me out more than I would’ve guessed.

The psychic lady speaks again, stopping me cold. “Don’t run away, Alex Kosmitoras.” She must’ve spoken to Mom earlier today. That must be how she knows my name.

“I’m not running away,” I say meekly. “I’m just going back over to Sweet Blossoms.”

“Don’t run away,” she repeats—this time she speaks louder and with more energy. “Don’t run away from your abilities. They are gifts.”

“What?” I ask in confusion. What abilities is she talking about?

“You already know. Watch. Listen. Be open to your gifts.”

I turn to face Miss Teak, but find she’s already gone, returning to wherever she was before I got there.

Is it safe to leave? I trail my fingers across the wooden box I ran into earlier; a thick coat of dust clings to the tips as I pull away. If this shop just opened, why is it already so dirty? I wipe my hands over my shirt to get the gritty substance off. Shivers rock my whole body. Something about this place is wrong, and I’m not sticking around to figure out what. Tapping my cane along the floor, I’m able to find the exit without knocking into anything else.

REVIEWS:

Alex Kosmitoras might not have a magic wand or vampiric strength and speed, but he is a totally swoon-worthy hero that any mom would be proud to let her daughter date. -- Melissa Luznicky Garrett, author of Turning Point

You don't have to be psychic to know that Farsighted is going to take the world by storm. Vampires are so last year. -- Kimberly Kinrade, author of Forbidden Mind

An epic battle of good versus evil that moves at breakneck speed to a stunning and totally unexpected conclusion. -- Terri Giuliano Long, author of In Leah's Wake

Is Alex blind? Yes. Bullied? Yes. A victim? Absolutely not! Emlyn Chand expertly tackles high school bullying, making Farsighted both an entertaining and an educational read. -- Kevin Carey-Infante, Author of Bani's Dilemma

There's nothing blurry about Farsighted. With keen insight, Emlyn Chand creates complex characters that pop off the page. -- Lauren Clark, author of Stay Tuned

Psychic or not, you'll never see the end for this one coming! Emlyn Chand is pioneering "the next big thing" for YA. -- Emily Reese, author of Second Death

*Winner of the Alternative Booker Award, 2011

*Winner of the WritersType First Chapter Competition, September 2011

BUY LINKS:

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Farsighted-Emlyn-Chand/dp/0983930805/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

B&N - www.barnesandnoble.com/w/farsighted-emlyn-chand/1106607652

Smashwords - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/91611

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publ icity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb.

Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

For a chance to win a download of Farsighted just leave a comment and your email addie.

Holiday Recipe #9 Chocolate Covered Pretzels

2011-12-09T06:28:00.000-05:00

www.myfreewallpapers.com

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Chocolate or White Bark
Pretzels
Wax Paper

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Drop in 4 to 6 pretzels at a time. Stir carefully to coat. Lift one pretzel at a time with a fork. Tap the side of the pan gently so that the excess chocolate falls off. Gently place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes.

Holiday Recipe #8

2011-12-08T05:55:00.000-05:00

Peanut Clusters

1 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 12 oz. bag of either peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips
12 oz peanuts
Melt in a double boiler, add peanuts, stir. Drop by spoon on wax paper.

An Innocent Murdered

2011-12-07T05:47:00.002-05:00

With us today is Tom Mach to talk about his new book an Innocent Murdred and his character, Detective Matt Gunnison's view on religion:

In my murder mystery entitled An Innocent Murdered, Detective Matt Gunnison in working on a case involving the murder of a Catholic priest named Father O’Fallon. Gunnison does not consider himself a religious man, although his father was a Methodist and his mother a Catholic. He treats the murder of O’Fallon as he would any other person and has no inclination one way or another concerning the identity of the victim as a Catholic priest. However, he believes—as does virtually everyone else—that the priest was a child molester, although the novel later uncovers facts that absolve the priest of any wrongdoing. He is comfortable about dating a former nun named Susan, although there is an episode in the novel where he becomes sympathetic to her situation. That occurs in the scene where Susan tells him she has never had sex with a man.

While Matt is not a churchgoer, he goes to an empty church (he didn’t care what denomination it was) after discovering the sickening truth about a young girl who had been strangled 25 years ago….

Once he arrived at the church, he headed for the last pew. God, I’m afraid I’m not much for prayer Matt thought. At first, he felt a strange sort of tranquility here. He wasn’t sure if it was the unearthly quiet of the church or the long shadows that the light cast through the narrow stained glass windows facing east. But soon different memories swirled in his head… how Billy, when he was four, wanted Matt to push him even higher on a playground swing. (“I want to break the record,” he said)…how the other first graders at school helped celebrate his sixth birthday by singing to him in class…how, when he was eight, he somehow got the basketball to fall into the net over the garage door from a distance of twenty feet (“No, Dad, it was skill, not luck.”)…how the shocking news came to him at the university, where he taught classes in criminal justice, that his parents and his son were killed when a semi failed to stop at a highway intersection and plowed head-on into the car.

Matt dropped to his knees, grabbed the edge of the seat with both hands, and bent his head.

Excerpt: (Violent)

Still facing the wall, the priest began to sob. “Can’t we talk about this?”

She slipped the Smith & Wesson into her pocket and removed a knife from her bag. “There’s nothing to talk about, you son of a bitch.”

He dropped his hands for a moment. “Please let me at least say a prayer.”

“Go ahead and beg for God’s mercy, you pervert!”

He made the sign of the cross with his crucifix. “Oh my God,” he muttered, “I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee.”

As she slashed his throat he made a high-pitched squeal. His body slumped to the floor. She plunged the knife into his abdomen. He made a gagging sound from his throat as if he were drowning in his own blood. She plunged the knife into him again. And again. And again.

Bio:

Book Blurb:

Father O'Fallon has been murdered, and police officer Jacinta Perez is arrested and charged. Detective Matt Gunnison, however, is not convinced and with the help of Susan, an ex-nun, he discovers a fascinating link between the priest's death and the death of a child 25 years ago. Will Matt be able to solve both murders? See video: http://t.co/H1siZOg

Contest alert: Tom will be giving away a $50 Amazon card to the person he feels leaves the best comment.

LINKS FOR VBT: AN INNOCENT MURDERED

http://www.tommach.com/

http://twitter.com/kansasauthor

http://www.facebook.com/kansasauthor

http://www.amazon.com/An-Innocent-Murdered

http://youtu.be/ndsPTht08EA

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/74459

Tour dates can be found at:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/10/virtual-book-tour-innocent-murdered.html.

Holiday Recipe #7: Chocolate Covered Ritz Crackers

2011-12-06T06:05:00.002-05:00

www.myfreewallpapers.net

White-Chocolate Covered Ritz Crackers

Spread peanut butter between two Ritz Crackers. Make desired number.
Melt white chocolate bark in double boiler.
Dip the sandwiched Ritz Crackers in the white-chocolate with tongs.
Place on waxed paper to cool.

Got a recipe you'd like to share with this blog? Put holiday recipe in the subject line and send to cast5away@yahoo.com

Seasons of Reading and Holiday Recipe #6

2011-12-05T02:50:00.001-05:00

I'm taking part in Seasons of Reading at DowntownYA today. If you'd like to win a download of Vampire Bay and/or a copy of Grounded for your local library (if outside the United States, the copy will be donated in your name to Iredell County Library) just stop by and leave a comment with your email addie.

~*~

Holiday Recipe #6: Banana Nut Bread
Cream together in large bowl:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter then add and mix:
3 large ripe mashed bananas
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
Add dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts
Bake at 350 for one hours. Makes two loaf pans.

Got a holiday recipe you'd like to post on this blog? Just put holiday recipe in the subject line and send to cast5away@yahoo.com

Holiday Recipe #5: Potato Casserole

2011-12-04T01:29:00.000-05:00

www.myfreewallpapers.net

Potato Casserole

Preheat oven to 375
1 32 oz package frozen hash brown potatoes
1 can celery soup
1 stick margarine or butter
8 oz. carton sour cream
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Let potatoes thaw a bit so they separate. Mix all ingredients together. Bake for 45 minutes then sprinkle cheese over the top.

Got a holiday recipe you'd like to share with this blog? Just put recipe in the subject line and send it to: cast5away@yahoo.com
~*~
Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Julia Barrett
Shelley Munro

Giveaways on Night Owl and Holiday Recipe #4

2011-12-03T06:49:00.002-05:00

Night Owls is having a December book giveaway plus an opportunity to win a Kindle Fire. There are several books being given away including Boji Stones. Here's the contest link: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Pages/Contests.aspx
Each day you enter you get to choose the book you want to win and get another entry into the Kindle Fire contest.
~*~
Cranberry Salad
1 # chopped cranberries
2 large apples chopped
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/3 cup chopped nuts
1 small can pineapple-drained
1 3/4 cups sugar
Mix and let stand overnight. Next day fold in 1/2 pint of whipped cream.

Lizzy Stevens and Holiday Recipe #3

2011-12-02T01:17:00.002-05:00

With us today is Lizzy Stevens, here to tell us about her new Christmas Story. Welcome, Lizzy.
Thanks for having me on your blog today Sandra. I love the holidays.
Christmas is my favorite of them all. My husband and I love to drive our boys around looking at all the Christmas lights and I'm one of those people who can't wait to put my tree up. My tradition with my Christmas tree is to stand the tree up and plug in the lights and then get out a huge box of decorations and let my boys go wild LOL. They love to decorate. My boys are now 7 and11. I see the perfectly decorated trees in some houses and they are awesome of course but I like to make memories with my boys instead. So our tree has decorations with no rhyme or reason to the placement of them but in the end I think it's perfect.
Then we go about decorating up the rest of the house and of course we do a gingerbread house each year. Now that is a sight to see. We seem to have no crafting skills in our bones LOL and me and my boys end up with more frosting on us than our house has but that's ok. We always end up having extra candy too that just doesn't seem to fit on the house anywhere. It's funny how that happens LOL We can't let it waste so w have to eat it LOL.
Bio:
I am married with two wonderful boys. My family is my number one pride and joy. When I'm not spending time with them I enjoy writing. I have been writing for about five years and I am a Fictionwise and Amazon Best Selling author. I write whatever comes to mind. I don't really stick to one genre. I write woman's fiction, short stories, novellas, paranormal romance, mystery. I just enjoy to bring stories to life. The genre of that story doesn't really matter to me.
Blurb:
Samantha wasn’t expecting what she got for Christmas this year. Her doorbell rang and there sitting on her porch was a baby in a basket. This changes her life for the good. But then something happens. The baby’s father comes for his child. How can Samantha convince him that she is the best thing for the child? Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/A-Surprise-For-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00570IBZO/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321314213&sr=1-3

Where to find Lizzy
http://twitter.com/LizzyStevens123
http://www.lizzystevens.blogspot.com/
http://www.lizzystevens.com/
~*~
Holiday Recipe:
Lizzy's Christmas Yogurt Pie
Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
1 package of strawberry Jello
2 small containers of yogurt
1 container of coolwhip
1 graham cracker pie shell

How to prepare:
In a large bowl put 1/4 cup warm water. Mix jello in it. Add yogurt add coolwhip and mix together. When it's all mixed together put it into the graham cracker pie shell and refridgerate for at least an hour.

variations: Use any flavor yogurt or jello. For a completey sugar free pie that tastes great and you can't tell it's sugar free use sugar free jello and yogurt. I make the sugar free version every time I make it and my kids love it. They have no idea there isn't any sugar in it.

Blog Tour & Holiday Recipe #2

2011-12-01T07:35:00.001-05:00

~*~
Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2 cups crushed pretzels

3/4 cup melted butter

3 tablespoons sugar, plus 3/4 cup sugar

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping

2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry gelatin dessert mix

2 cups boiling water

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen strawberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the crust, mix the pretzels, butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press this mixture into a 9 by 13-inch pan and bake for 7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until well chilled.

In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, and allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pour over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until serving time.

Home Again and a Holiday Recipe

2011-11-30T06:10:00.002-05:00

I'm back home. Actually, we got back Saturday night.

There were nine of us that came from NC, PA, and MO. I thought our idea was so unique, spending Thanksgiving in the Smokies. UhHuh.There were thousands that had the same idea. And Black Friday starting Thursday night added to the congestition. But we still had all kinds of fun.

We had enough food to feed a small army. The apartments we stayed at were on opposite ends of the unit, so Thanksgiving morning was spent running food and utensils back and forth from one kitchen to another.

We did the traditional Thanksgiving evening at the movie theater. Three of us went to Breaking Dawn and the rest went to The Muppet Movie.

The next day, half did the tourist thing and the other half hung around the apartment. The apartment was very nice. Every morning I spent out on the balcony with a book and a cup of coffee.

The last night we played Imaginiff till after midnight. Have you ever played it? Its a hoot. My sister, the queen of games, introduced it to us. Saturday morning we headed home.

How did you spend your Thanksgiving?
~*~

Holiday recipe: Platte County Pie
2 large eggs
1/2 c flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c softened butter
1/2 c pecans
1 c semi sweet chips
1 deep pie shell
Beat eggs, add flour and sugar, butter, vanilla, nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell. Bake 1 hour at 325.

LADY IN WAITING, MIRROR MIRROR

2011-11-29T01:57:00.000-05:00

With me today is fellow MuseItUp author Penny Ehrenkranz. Not only is she going to tell us about her new releases but she's also sharing a recipe for Honey Mead.
Welcome, Penny!
Hi Sandra, thank you so much for hosting me today during my blog tour for my two releases from MuseItUp Publishing: Lady-in-Waiting and Mirror, Mirror. I want to tell your readers I am hosting a contest. Everyone who leaves a comment and contact information will be entered into a final drawing at the end of the tour. One person will receive a copy of Lady-in-Waiting and another will receive a copy of Mirror, Mirror.

Since both of these stories take place in the fifteen century, I’m promoting them together. Lady-in-Waiting is the tale of Mabriona, lady-in-waiting to her cousin, Princess Alana. Mabriona’s tale is one of deceit and lies. Lies which ultimately could cause her undoing. Mirror, Mirror takes Lindsey Baker on an unexpected journey to the fifteen century where she learns women aren’t treated quite as well as she would have hoped.

Since I’ve had both women sit down to eat meals, I’ve been curious about what types of foods were served. A great online resource is RenFaire, http://www.renfaire.com/Food/index.html. There is a listing of common foods as well as recipes. History tells us folks in the fifteen century ate much the same foods we do: roasted meats, vegetables, stews, soups, and breads. What might be different are the types of meats of which many were game animals such as venison and wild boar.

Since refrigeration wasn’t an option, the only way people could keep things cold were root cellars. Here crops such as potatoes, winter squashes, carrots, and beets were kept until they went bad. Pickling vegetables was a common practice as was drying, smoking and salting. Almost all households had a garden for fresh produce during the warmer months. Barley ale, honey mead, and weak beer were all common drinks as most water was unsanitary and not fit for drinking.

Lindsey and Mabriona both partake of honey mead. Here’s a recipe, courtesy of RenFair. Please note, I haven’t tried this recipe myself, so I have no idea how good it is.

Honey Mead

3 gallons of water

1 gallon of honey

Set water and honey over fire, cook just until honey melts.

Add: thyme, sweet marjoram, winter savoury, sweet bryer, and bay leaves.

Boil for one hour.

Let liquid sit for twenty-four hours in a wooden container.

Drain and strain the liquid into another vessel.

Add: ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, and cloves placed into a mesh bag and hung in the container.

Let this mixture sit for six months before serving.

Lady in Waiting released November 18th from MuseItUp.
Direct buy link: http://tinyurl.com/6u4keh5
Mirror, Mirror will release in December. The MuseItUp Bookstore buy link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2

TITLE: Lady-in-Waiting

Tag Line: Through a series of misunderstandings, Mabriona is forced to live a lie, but when the man she loves awakes from his coma, will she confess her deceit?
Blurb: Mabriona is cousin to the beautiful and spoiled Princess Alana. When Alana is forced to marry a man she despises, Mabriona is torn between her loyalty to her cousin and her attraction to the handsome Prince Blayne. Tragedy befalls the cousins on the way to Prince Blayne’s castle. Servants, believing Mabriona to be Alana, refuse to listen when she tries to explain. While she waits for Blayne to recover, Mabriona meets his equally handsome younger brother, Madoc, a bard. When Blayne awakes, will Mabriona choose life with a future king, will she be sent home in disgrace because of her inadvertent lies, or will Madoc win her love with his poetry?

EXCERPT:

“Today’s the day, Mabriona,” Princess Alana said as Mabriona entered the chambers. She wiped tears from her eyes with an embroidered linen. “Prince Blayne will be here, and soon I’ll be his wife. I think the worst part of being father’s daughter is marrying someone I’ve never even met.”

“You’ve always known your marriage would be arranged for the benefit of the kingdom, Princess, but I’m sure he’ll be very nice,” Mabriona replied as she opened the heavy drapes covering the windows. She looked at her cousin and sighed. She wanted to feel sorry for Alana, but they’d had this discussion so many times. Mabriona was tired of it. Alana had known from the time she was a child that she would not wed for love. Why can’t Alana just accept her fate? Outside the day was as wet as the one before and the one before that.

“Nice? Who wants nice? I want someone handsome and dashing. A knight in shining armor who will love me forever. I certainly don’t want someone like my father who will make me do everything I don’t want to do.”

TITLE: Mirror, Mirror

Tag Line: Lindsay Baker’s purchase of an antique mirror sends her back in time to salvage a love torn apart by class restrictions.
Blurb: Lindsay Baker is intrigued by everything about the middle ages, but when she purchases an antique mirror and a costume to attend a Renaissance Faire, she suddenly finds herself transported back in time. There she finds she’s been called by a witch to right a terrible wrong. Graham loves Prudence, but he can’t marry her because he’s landed gentry, and she is only the baker’s daughter. Before Lindsay can return to her own time, she must convince Graham to marry against his father’s wishes. Unfortunately, she also finds herself falling for the handsome gentleman. Can she find her way back to her own time, or will she be stuck in a time when women had no rights?

EXCERPT:

After Stefany left, Lindsey adjusted the water spigots on her tub. A few drops of bubble bath went into the water, and the soothing scent of lavender filled the moist, steamy air. While the tub filled, Lindsey tried on her Renaissance outfit for the upcoming Faire. She couldn’t believe her good luck at finding the perfect pieces. She tested the bath water to be sure it was the right temperature. Then she picked up her antique mirror to get a better view. Was this a scryer’s mirror at some point in time? It slipped from her wet hands into the bathtub.

“Nuts,” she mumbled as she leaned over the tub. She pulled one sleeve up on her blouse and fished around in the bubbles for the mirror. When she pulled the mirror from the water, spots appeared in front of her eyes, and she felt faint. While she watched her reflection in the old mirror, the background changed. She no longer saw the inside of her bathroom. She closed her eyes as the room around her went black.

Temporary buy link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2

Dating 911

2011-11-28T01:33:00.005-05:00

SEX & CALORIE BURN~ FACT OR FICTION?

Have you read the stats? Yes. It is a true fact!! According to health care professionals, just 30 minutes of sex can burn up to 85 calories. Doesn’t sound like much, but if you’re a hero/heroine in a romance who can do the unthinkable and pull off all nighters and what they hey—all day long sessions of hot steamy sex, it’s no wonder they’re in such great physical shape! Not to mention burning about 2500 calories a week by having sex alone! LOL.

But seriously, sex does have a lot of really great health benefits. A lot of which I bet you wouldn’t have even guessed at. Beside the minimal calorie burn, sex is great for relieving stress, can boost your immune system, reduce pain, and improve intimacy. I guess that is why my hero Firefighter Jett Avery, in my current release Dating 911 thought he could use sex as a remedy to help him control is PTSD.

What are some other benefits of having sex? Please leave a comment for your chance to win a free digital copy of my book, Dating 911. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you so much for having me here today!

Kathleen

BLURB:
Emergency room nurse, Roxanne Carter is a loser-magnet wishing she could enjoy her single life. Commiserating with girlfriends over butterscotch martinis creates the idea of The Dating Manifesto--a not so scientific research project which promises to point the way to dating success. While gathering data to find the most suitable single men available, she wades through a series of unsavory, stale dates, which literally places her back at ground zero. Just when she is ready to give up, sin personified in the form of sexy firefighter Jett Avery, arrives tainting all of her previous data.
A traumatic warehouse fire, in which firefighter Jett Avery's closest friend dies, has him suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Attempting to stave off the worst of his depression, he decides to use his brand of therapy...Sex. The remedy has lost luster until he encounters ER nurse Roxanne Carter.
The pursuit of Roxanne by Jett's twin brother, Doctor Cruz Avery, complicates her research and interferes with Jett's therapy. Does Roxanne choose the brother who by analysis is the perfect match? Or the broken, dark and irresistible one?

EXCERPT:

Roxanne started. Focused on the man with the microphone,she hadn’t seen Jett come into the bar. She twisted in her chair and tilted her head. Her gaze traveled up worn black jeans that accentuated powerful thighs. He wore another T-shirt. This one was white with bold red letters advertising,

“How Hot Do You Want It?”

The fabric stretched across his broad chest and molded every muscle. His jaw tightened. Stormy eyes glared down at her. Mouth suddenly dry, Roxanne grasped her soda and sipped. His nearness instigated a chain reaction deep within her body. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. She squeezed her quaking thighs together.

Okay. Remain calm.

“What does it look like?” She asked, proud her voice remained unruffled.

Jett slapped his palms on the table in front of her. She flinched. He leaned in, his face mere inches from hers. “This was not the deal.”

His hair was still damp from a recent shower. The short black strands were carelessly styled, like he’d just run his fingers through them. The strong scent of leather and spice reached her, warming her belly. She squelched the desire to jerk her chair back, giving herself breathing room, and held her ground. “If I recall,” she said coolly, “you blackmailed me into a date when I’d already had plans for the evening. The only way to earn my release was to invite you along. So, if you want your ‘date’, I’d get over and draw a number before they’re all gone.”

“Is there a problem, Miss?” the emcee for the evening asked.

She smiled and Jett straightened.

“No, not at all. I was just telling this gentleman how the process works. He’s a virgin speed-dater.” She gave Jett what she hoped came across as a coy look.

His jaw tightened. A thunderstorm flashed in the depths of his eyes. Then with a blink, the tempest disappeared. His lips curved into a slow, sexy smile.

Her breath caught. What was he up to? Whatever his agenda, he ought to provide some great research material.
“Yeah. I better grab a number,” Jett said easily.
“I’ll be happy to show you how to get started. Come with
me,” the announcer said, and led the way to the registration table. Jett followed in his wake. Was it her imagination, or did he seem to have an extra swagger in his gait?

Eyes narrowed, Roxanne watched him. He mingled effortlessly with the other participants, smiling and talking with each of the men gathered on the sidelines. Her jaw dropped. Damn! How could he change from stormy to charming so effortlessly? She made a mental note to examine his character more in depth when they had their time together. Her earlier excitement returned. Maybe this wasn’t going to be a total bust after all…

BUY LINKS:Evernight Publishing - http://www.evernightpublishing.com/dating-911-by-kathleen-grieve/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A graduate of University of Nebraska Medical Center, Kathleen Grieve earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Science and Nursing in 1994. She has been a dedicated nurse for the past seventeen years, serving most of those years in intensive care. Always writing, Kathleen chose to pursue yet another career- that of a writer. An avid romance reader of all genres since age 13, she decided to try a hand at writing her own novel in the summer of 2006.
She draws a lot from the real-life medical drama she experiences as a RN for her novels. Writing romance is a creative outlet where she can effectively deal with the daily stress and sorrow, adding levity and humor to situations that provide a happily ever after when there isn't one.
To find out more about Kathleen Grieve and her books, you can stop by her blog, Keeping A Pulse On Life & Romance at: http://kathleengrieve.blogspot.com

Her website: www.kathleengrieve.com

Follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kathleen-GrieveAuthor/251669291518939
Follow her on Twitter: @KathleenGrieve
Link to blog party and giveaway:http://coffeebeanslovescenes.blogspot.com/2011/11/vbt-launch-party-end-of-tour-giveaway.html

In Bred Cat

2011-11-27T04:08:00.001-05:00

Heh Heh

An American Beauty

2011-11-26T04:37:00.000-05:00

I'm blogging today at Night Writers on American Bombays. If you have an opportunity or you're interested in these cats, I invite you to stop by.

Oscar the Blind Kitten With His First Toys

2011-11-25T06:18:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share this. This little guy is such an inspiration. He's a reminder that life can be as easy or as hard as we make it. If you haven't seen this vid and have a moment, take a gander.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T06:02:00.001-05:00

www.theholidayspot.com

to you and yours

Holiday In The Smokies

2011-11-23T05:32:00.001-05:00

We're heading for Tennessee, where the family is meeting for Thanksgiving. We're all pretty excited about it. Hope your holiday is filled with family, friends, peace, happiness, pumpkin pie and tofurkey:)

Blog Tour

2011-11-22T05:24:00.000-05:00

When To Edit

2011-11-21T01:32:00.001-05:00

www.myfreewallpapers.net

It's Manic Monday and I'm blogging at DowntownYA on When to Edit. If you have a moment, stop by and say hey.
The picture? Just a momentary escape from reality.

Dreamers

2011-11-20T06:08:00.002-05:00

myfreewallpapers.com

"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their mind, wake in the day to find it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible."~*~ T.E. Lawrence

~*~

Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Julia Barrett
Molly Daniels

Sexiest Man Alive Quiz

2011-11-19T05:53:00.001-05:00

www.myfreewallpapers.net

Okay, my sister passed this on to me with instructions, I pass it on to you. Its fun. If you have a moment, take the Sexiest Man Alive Quiz (link below) and report back. Let us know how you did. I blush to admit: I only got 7 out of 10. I'm betting Julia Barrett does better:)

http://www.stltoday.com/news/multimedia/the-sexiest-man-alive-quiz/html_bfb6a4c0-0ec4-11e1-961b-0019bb30f31a.html

~*~

So are you signing the boot the Kardashians off petition or are you a fan?

Baubles and Chocolate Chip Pizza

2011-11-18T04:06:00.001-05:00

Isn't this pretty? My lunch bud brought it back for me from France. Can you imagine, she broke our lunch date for an opportunity to vacation in France with her husband. Tsk, tsk.
Last Friday when we went out for lunch, we made the most amazing discovery....chocolate chip pizza. OMG. It's wondrous. If you haven't had it, give it a try. And while you're at it. Enjoy your Friday.

~*~
Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Julia Barrett

Truth and Fantasy

2011-11-17T04:35:00.002-05:00

myfreewallpapers.net

"Abandon the search for truth, settle for a good fantasy."

Where To Eat Out

2011-11-16T05:57:00.000-05:00

redhatterchat.com

A group of 15-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet for dinner.
Finally, they agreed to meet at the Dairy Queen next to the Oceanview
restaurant because they had only $6.00 among them and Jimmy Johnson, the
cute boy in Social Studies lived on that street.

10 years later, the group of 25-year-old girlfriends discussed where to
meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View
restaurant because the beer was cheap, the restaurant offered free
snacks, the band was good, there was no cover and there were lots of cute
guys.

10 years later, the group of 35-year-old girlfriends discussed where to
meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View
restaurant because the cosmos were good, it was right near the gym and,
if they went late enough, there wouldn't be too many whiny little kids.

10 years later, the group of 45-year-old girlfriends discussed where to
meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View
restaurant
because the martinis were big and the waiters had tight pants and nice buns.

10 years later, the group of 55-year-old girlfriends discussed where to
meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View
restaurant because the prices were reasonable, the wine list was good,
the restaurant
had windows that opened (in case of hot flashes), and fish is good for
cholesterol.

10 years later, the group of 65-year-old girlfriends discussed where to
meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View
restaurant because the lighting was good and the restaurant had an early
bird special.

10 years later, the group of 75-years-old girlfriends discussed where to
meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the

Ocean View restaurant because the food was not too spicy and the
restaurant was handicapped-accessible.

10 years later, the group of 85-years-old girlfriends discussed where to
meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View
restaurant because they had never been there before.

Happy B-Day

2011-11-15T02:58:00.001-05:00

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that people who have the most live the longest.

Today is the hh's birthday. We're going out to eat tonight, but waiting to celebrate till the family is all together at Thanksgiving. In the meantime, here's a bit of trivia on the birthday boy.
1. He's a Bear's fan.
2.A Diehard Cub's fan
3. Grew up in Illinois
4. Was told in high school he wasn't smart enough to go to college
5. Got his master's degree in his fifties and if it hadn't been for getting a B in one of his courses would have aced everything he took
6. Worked in a factory setting for over twenty years and for the past ten has taught Developmental English at a community college
7. Has five sibs, all of them girls
8. Lost his mom to cancer when he was in his twenties
9. Had a great father who lived into his nineties
10. Writes poetry
and
Loves his children
Happy Birthday, M.
~*~
Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Julia Barrett

Writing A Novel.....Where To Begin

2011-11-14T02:17:00.001-05:00

For those of you who are thinking about writing a novel but don't know quite where to start, I'm blogging today on Where To Begin at Downtown YA.

Deadman's Blood

2011-11-13T05:06:00.001-05:00

With us today is T. Lynn Tolles . Welcome Teresa. Please tell us about your current project.

Currently I am between projects. I spent the summer and fall marketing my books and doing a few blog tours. I have plans this winter to start on a new series about a witch and a hellhound pup she finds and raises. Needless to say they get into lots of trouble.

What will I as a reader like best about your heroes?

Well what I hope readers will like about my heroes and heroines is that they are strong loving people, but aren’t full of themselves. My vampires don’t sparkle but they also aren’t “rip ‘em-up, gothic hide-in-the-shadows” vampires either. They’re more like real people with an affliction that requires them to drink blood, but really they just want to live their lives like we all do. They’re just very REAL.

How will women identify with your heroines?

Probably the same way as above. The heroine in this series is a sweet woman who likes to help out whenever possible and loves her family and friends fiercely. She has a quirky sarcastic sense of humor, but she’s REAL and she doesn’t give up, even when some think she should and may even find this is a weakness.

Is your muse currently sitting on your shoulder or is she illusive?

I think writers tend to be a little schizophrenic in the sense that all my characters talk. Not necessarily to me but like a dream or a movie - the plot plays itself out, I am just the one who types into a form where others can read it. So to answer your question, my muses don’t actually sit on my shoulder, but they do speak to me and mostly in that time just before I fall asleep. I do my best writing at this time.

Who is your favorite author?

I’m not sure I have one favorite, but a montage of different ones depending on my mood. I grew up reading Anne Rice and Stephen King so to not mention them would be a crime. I love Jim Butcher, Ellen Schreiber, L.J. Smith and way too many others to list.

Where can we purchase your books?

Pretty much anywhere….

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, All Romance, CreateSpace, Lulus, etc….I get around (giggles)

Thanks for dropping by, Theresa. Good luck with your series
Contest: for an opportunity to win a free download of Deadman's Blood just leave a comment along with your email addie.

Be Who You Are

2011-11-12T09:47:00.004-05:00

myfreewallpapers.com

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those that matter don't mind."~*~ Dr. Seuss

Smart Kitties

2011-11-11T06:13:00.001-05:00

I'm showing a vid today at Night Writers on a cat caretaker who, inspired by Pepperberg's work with Alex the Parrot, has tapped into the cognitive powers of her once feral cats. Joan Kosby has taught her cats to identify some words, shapes and colors. If you're interested and have an opportunity pit stop by and see the Vid.

Glasses, Self Perception and Insurance

2011-11-10T06:16:00.002-05:00

I went for an eye exam and ordered new glasses last week. While I was looking at frames, the technician told me, the pair I was looking at worked because I had a small face. My mental response. I do?
Why is it, the perceptions we have of our self is usually different from the way others perceive us? I look in the mirror and I see an extra five pounds that no one else seems to see. Hmm...maybe they didn't just get new glasses or have that eye exam like I did:)

Another eye opener (no pun intended, well maybe just a small one) was the cost. If I hadn't had insurance I would have been cooked. As it was, with insurance picking up the majority of it, I was still left with a few hundred dollars to pay. I was stunned. I did get extras that weren't covered by insurance or only partially and they quickly added up, transition lenses, a coating to prevent glare, and yes my frames were past the minimum. But it begs the question, what do folks do that don't have insurance? Okay that was a rhetorical question, they don't go to a doctor because they can't afford it.
For whatever reason, socialism is a bad word in our country.
When it comes to healthcare, I'm a huge proponent of socialism. Why shouldn't every American have the luxury of going to a doctor when they're sick? Or need glasses? And why should it be a luxury? And the biggest question of all, will it ever change?

Still Obsessing On Mary Sue-isms

2011-11-09T07:10:00.001-05:00

graphicsfairy.blogspot.com

I'm fascinated with the Mary Sue thing: 'too perfect, a poorly developed character and lacking in realism.' So I decided to make a list of how the literary Mary Sue and I differ, at least as far as perfection. So to name a few:
1. I never think of clever comebacks till the wee-hours of the night
2. I obsess
3. I'm not a quick learner
4. Coordination isn't my strong suit
5. Without my glasses my vision is closer to 200 than 20
6. I'm not good at letting things go
7. Alas, I have thin hair
8. I don't do well before my morning cup of coffee or ten
9. I'm seldom on time unless its absolutely necessary
10. I have no sense of direction. If I say go right, it would be in your best interest to turn left.The GPS is right up there with chocolate as far as I'm concerned.
11. I have problems making decisions and when I do finally make them, usually change my mind

Okay what about you? What keeps you from being a MarySue or a Gary Stu?

Mary Sue-ish

2011-11-08T01:23:00.000-05:00

Have you heard this term before? I'd heard it mentioned in an ambiguous way but wasn't that familiar with what it exactly meant. When my editor said she was afraid my character might be too Mary Sue-ish, I decided to do some researching. In a nutshell, the character is too perfect to be believable and the reader won't be able to relate. Okay, got that.
One of the suggestions, she made was to drop the XS size. Got that too. Although in defense of all the XS's out there, all it means is that you've got a small frame and won't have to worry about sag as you age:) Its one of those things you bemoan while you're young but appreciate as you get older:)
Besides losing the XS shirts, I also gave her size nine shoes and a total lack of understanding when it comes to chemistry. A bit of a blonde? Not at all, she's smart, just doesn't get chemistry. Is this enough to take away any Mary Sue-ish stigma...we'll see.
I can almost hear good mate Amarinda Jones saying, 'Looks aren't what make a woman' and I agree with her one hundred percent. Who we are is not depend on our bra size or our looks. Whether we're a size two or a size eighteen, whether we like manicures or tattoos, we still belong to the sisterhood.
Okay wondered off topic a bit, back to Mary Sue-ish. If you write, what do you do to humanize your character?
As a reader what characteristics do you appreciate in your heroine?
~*~
Re:Barry Eisler. Last week I mentioned he'd turned down St. Martin's to publish with Amazon. Just for grins and giggles I went in and looked at the price for his new release The Detachment.
Kindle: $5.99
Paperback: 7.73
Pretty reasonable prices, hey?

Blogging at Downtown YA

2011-11-07T01:08:00.001-05:00

As you probably know, Manic Monday's are my DowntownYA Blog day. Today, I finally have an opportunity to interview a cat. If you're in the vicinity stop by and say hey.
Have a quick work-a-day.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2011-11-06T01:45:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Toni Sweeney for putting this together for the authors at CAB.

I'm Back...

2011-11-05T11:12:00.002-04:00

Greetings everyone. I'm back. First line edits are done. Had one little glitch, but I think I've worked through it.
Hope you've had a productive week and are having all kinds of fun this weekend.