I love white roses. We have some growing in our yard...actually we have many different roses in our yard, but white is my favorite. Classy, romantic, mysterious, even. So it isn't all that shocking that they made a couple of cameo appearances in my upcoming debut THE REASON IS YOU. I needed a flower, and they were kind enough to show their...um...faces. I do love other flowers as well... lilies, for instance. Orchids, most definitely. Gladiolas, when they aren't falling over when I'm trying to mow. What is your ... Read More
It’s Another Shameless Saturday!!
Today's Shameless Saturday spotlights a wonderful friend of mine, Kathryn Magendie! *yay! claps!* Kat is also the author of the "Graces" trilogy (Tender Graces, Secret Graces, and (soon to be) Family Graces), but today she is sharing her standalone novel, SWEETIE. SWEETIE by Kathryn Magendie Southern / Appalachian fiction Amazon / B&N Now, because we all adore FREE, you can be next!! All you have to do is click that button to the right to follow the blog. And by doing that, you will qualify to SHAMELESSLY PLUG YOUR BOOK. I am offering anyone with a desire to ... Read More
One Liners!!
A quickie for ya... For you writers... What is the first line of your latest book or wip? Does it hook? I'll share the first line of BEFORE AND EVER SINCE (second book): There is a distinct moment when you know that your day has gone down the toilet. Okay, I showed you mine, you show me yours! :) ... Read More
Do You Dream??
It's a hit or miss question, and I thought I'd throw it out there for a Sunday because my daughter and I talk about this all the time. She swears she doesn't dream, or at least doesn't remember them. I happen to know she does because she talks/walks/has crazy conversations in her sleep and if that isn't the product of a dream then I'm a little worried. :-) I've told her that she's just dreaming in a deeper state, instead of the rest of us who dream in the beginning of sleep or right before we wake up. I, for one, must do alot of going to sleep and waking up, because I dream ... Read More
It’s Another Shameless Saturday!!
It's raining and thundering those slow rolls today where I live. A perfect day to stay in and READ! So here's one for you. Today's Shameless Saturday spotlights Zenobia Renquist. (Don't you just love that name?) And hold on to your socks people, because the cover is sizzling. (And not rated PG, in case you need to look over your shoulder for kiddos) Caveat Emptor 6: Determined Lover by Zenobia Renquist Erotic Paranormal Romance Changeling Press Now, because we all adore FREE, you can be next!! All you have to do is click that button to the right ... Read More
TGIF in pictures!
It's been a crazy week! My teenage daughter finally got her license, which was a little late in coming mostly because I was a little late in being ready for that. :) I paid off my car... Which would mean a raise, except for the fact that aforesaid daughter needed a vehicle. Therefore she got my newly paid off car. The one still in pristine condition and is probably shaking in fear that my daughter is behind the wheel. So then I needed something to drive... and I got this... Let me just say...it's RED. Enough said. And then my darling daughter made her appointment to talk to a ... Read More
It’s Another Shameless Saturday!!
Today's Shameless Saturday spotlights Ashlyn Chase, Jean C. Gordon, and Ann Lethbridge! Three very different authors with three very different books, and we celebrate them all! All bragging is equal on Shameless Saturday. :-) First up... IMMORTALLY YOURS by Ashlyn Chase Erotic Romance Novella Ellora's Cave SMALL TOWN SWEETHEARTS by Jean C. Gordon Inspirational Romance Amazon / B&N / Harlequin LADY ROSABELLA'S RUSE by Ann ... Read More
Shameless Saturday!! …featuring…
The first authors up for Shameless Saturday's free promo, are Patti Delagrange, Sharon Owen, and Christy Hayes! First up... MOON OVER ALCATRAZ by Patricia Yager Delagrange Womens Fiction w/Romantic Elements Amazon / Musa THICKER THAN WATER by Sharon K. Owen Amazon / B & N THE SWEETHEART HOAX by Christy Hayes Romance Amazon / B & N / Smashwords / Kobo / Apple Now, because we all adore FREE, you can be next!! All you have ... Read More
Simple is as simple does…
Today it is about the simple things in life. We all get crazy and sometimes lose sight of what's really important or some little slice of life that might bring us the peace we're chasing. I'm talking about the simple things over at Women Unplugged today, and what I did last weekend that's embarrassingly basic and yet was sooooo fabulous! Come pull up a chair and take a breath. Looking forward to it. ... Read More
Shameless Saturday…it’s FREE!!
Now, doesn't that word catch your attention? We all love FREE!! Okay, there's one tiny cost...you have to click that button up there to follow me. I mean, really? Is it really a cost? Because by following my blog, you will qualify to SHAMELESSLY PLUG YOUR BOOK. That's right. Shameless Saturday has been revamped. I am offering anyone with a desire to promote their book here, to do so in the comments below. Brag, brag, brag!!! But that's not all. You really get a 2-Saturday deal out of it, because I will then contact you during the week for you to send me your cover and links to ... Read More
Gonna be a crazy ride!!
Having finally finished the manuscript for Book Two...which has been named BEFORE AND EVER SINCE... I've found myself in this weird place. It's like being in line for the roller coaster, looking up at it, and knowing all hell is about to break loose. LOL. Promo and pimpage for THE REASON IS YOU is about to start. I've already set up some things, but there's a ways to go. I'm now waiting to hear my editor's thoughts on BEFORE to see just how much mangling I'm going to have to hunker down for. I wrote REASON in a year and a half, with no pressure. I wrote BEFORE in four months, under ... Read More
“Wordisms” at Women Unplugged!
I'm over at Women Unplugged today, with a funny take on how we mangle words. Come tell us your "Wordisms"!! ... Read More
When you think of “Texas”…
What do you envision? I had to laugh today. It wasn't new, I've pretty much heard it my whole life, but when I told someone out of state online that I write stories set in small southern towns, usually Texas.... the response was a familiar one. "Oh I love Texas stories, love the cowboy flavor." Ummmmm...no. I've lived in Texas most of my 44 years (shhhh), and I can honestly say that any "cowboys" I might have seen dressed up on purpose to look that way. My brother sometimes wears boots, but that's because regular shoes tend to hurt him. We don't ride horses, rope cattle (is that ... Read More
Blog Tour scheduled for April! Woot!
Yay!! I have a blog tour booked with Goddess Fish Promotions in April. Yeah, I know, it still sounds like light years away, but just so you know it's only 86 days. Yep. I'll share more about this when the time gets closer, but just wanted to let y'all know. Also got a response back from Joyce Lamb's about a review and Q&A on her USA Today HEA blog, so it's beginning! It's starting to get a little crazy, and a little real, and I think I need some more coffee. LOL! On the home front, my old lady dog just came in from the rain and jumped in the chair with me. Oh, the joy. She ... Read More
Keep it real…
It's 2012. Can you believe it? And no, I don't believe that we're all going to disappear in December just because the Mayans predicted it. My theory is that they had to stop somewhere, and it could have just as easily been 2020 or 2018. So, that being said, I'm counting on a full year of productivity and life and the chaos that is my world. Last time I posted about goals for the year, but I think that's too big. Back in the RWAWF group I'm in, the PRO liaison is accounting for monthly goals instead. Yanno...baby steps. I think that's so much easier to visualize and reach. We can have ... Read More
A peek at my calendar says….
Have you noticed? 2012 is sneaking up on us, just a couple of days away. So in the spirit of starting anew, I thought I'd share my goals for the new year. 1) Finish Book 2 in first few weeks of January. Really, this isn't a goal so much as a requirement, since it's due just weeks afterward, but still...I like to see it there so I'll feel all good when I check it off. 2) Order promo materials for REASON in first week of January and figure out what I'm doing for local advertising. Tomorrow I'll talk about just how outside my box that is. *shiver* 3) Write 20 guest ... Read More
Real or Fake?
That is the question!! I grew up with artificial trees because my brother had allergies, and the second I moved out (okay maybe not the very second...since it was July) I started getting real Christmas trees. I love a real tree. Love the smell and the feel of them. Love that it's different every year. My daughter started naming them each year. Then I remarried into a "Artificial Tree Family". *insert dramatic music here* This was difficult for me. He had very strong feelings about his tree, that he spent hours wiring up with lights...himself...so that he didn't have to do ... Read More
On the 12th day of Bookmas!!…
...Agent Jessica F. gives to you... The twelfth and last Bookmas Clue!! Yay!! Today being the last day of the contest, I'm adding to the celebration with a little Christmas gift for you. Before you leave here to go give your answer at the BookEnds blog, click at the top to FOLLOW my blog, and leave a comment here for a chance to win an $15 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card (your choice)! Winner will be announced Saturday morning right back here. Now...on to the clue... After Jessica F.'s very first day of interviewing for a job in publishing, she was floating on the buzz of ... Read More
On the 11th day of Bookmas…
...Agent Jessica A. gives to you... The eleventh Bookmas Clue!! We're almost there!! Don't forget to check in here tomorrow! Friday is the 12th and last day of the contest, and I will be having a little contest of my own for a Barnes & Noble or Amazon gift card! Now...on to the clue... Name one or both of the magazines Jessica A. interned with in college. ** "I'm walkin' on sunshine....yeahhhh....** :) Go to BookEnds to see Jessica A.'s complete puzzle description and leave your answer, and use my clue above and those of the other authors listed on the BookEnds post to solve ... Read More
On the 10th day of Bookmas…
...Agent Lauren gives to you... The lovely tenth Bookmas Clue!! What modernist literature author does Lauren particularly dislike reading? ** Insert howl here ** Go to BookEnds to see Lauren's complete puzzle description and leave your answer, and use my clue above and those of the other authors listed on the BookEnds post to solve it! First one to comment (on the BookEnds site) correctly, wins prizes for this day! You can also follow some clues and leads at the hashtag #bookmas Good luck! And happy hunting!! ... Read More
On the 9th day of Bookmas…
...Agent Kim gives to you... The awesome ninth Bookmas Clue!! Are you enjoying the game? Just to let you know, on Friday, which is the 12th and last day of the contest, I will be having a little contest of my own for a prize. Definitely come back in here on that day!! Now...on to the clue... What three authors has Kim chosen to read more than once? ** The first letter of each of these authors' last names spells WAS ** Go to BookEnds to see Kim's complete puzzle description and leave your answer, and use my clue above and those of the other authors listed on the BookEnds post to solve ... Read More
On the 8th day of Bookmas…
...Agent Jessica F. gives to you... The awesome eighth Bookmas Clue!! While Jessica F. was traveling to New Zealand this past summer, what two books by the same author did she catch up on? ** This author holds a special place in my heart, as she was the one Jessica recommended to me, in a conversation that indirectly led to query/partial/full...and her being my rockstar agent! ** Go to BookEnds to see Jessica's complete puzzle description and leave your answer, and use my clue above and those of the other authors listed on the BookEnds post to solve it! First one to comment (on the ... Read More
On the 7th day of Bookmas…
...Agent Lauren gives to you... The lovely seventh Bookmas Clue!! What 3 books are Lauren's picks for her Christmas vacation reads? ** Answers are scrambled! ** 1. RALOPTRIGHTEEAM 2. GRINSUCCHITHET 3. 261321 Go to BookEnds to see Lauren's complete puzzle description and leave your answer, and use my clue above and those of the other authors listed on the BookEnds post to solve it! First one to comment (on the BookEnds site) correctly, wins prizes for this day! You can also follow some clues and leads at the hashtag #bookmas Good luck! And happy hunting!! ... Read More
On the 6th day of Bookmas…
...Agent Kim gives to you... The lovely sixth Bookmas Clue!! What works were Kim's wall art excerpted from and who were their authors? ** To be or not to be...that is the question.** Go to BookEnds to see Kim's complete puzzle description and leave your answer, and use my clue above and those of the other authors listed on the BookEnds post to solve it! First one to comment (on the BookEnds site) correctly, wins prizes for this day! You can also follow some clues and leads at the hashtag #bookmas Good luck! And happy hunting!! ... Read More
On the 5th day of Bookmas…
...Agent Jessica A. gives to you... The lovely fifth Bookmas Clue!! What was the first book Jessica A. found for Harlequin Historical? And the first book she found for Love Inspired? ** first answer is a color but it's not. second answer could be a woman or an emotion ** Go to BookEnds to see Jessica A.'s complete puzzle description and leave your answer, and use my clue above and those of the other authors listed on the BookEnds post to solve it! First one to comment (on the BookEnds site) correctly, wins prizes for this day! You can also follow some clues and leads at the hashtag ... Read More
On the 4th day of Bookmas…
...Agent Lauren gives to you... The lovely fourth Bookmas Clue!! At what two companies did Lauren complete her internships? ** One we love... the other--think of XFactor ** Go to BookEnds to see Lauren's complete puzzle description and leave your answer, and use my clue above and those of the other authors listed on the BookEnds post to solve it! First one to comment (on the BookEnds site) correctly, wins prizes for this day! You can also follow some clues and leads at the hashtag #bookmas Good luck! And happy hunting!! ... Read More
On the 3rd day of Bookmas…
...Kim L. gives to you... The lovely third Bookmas Clue!! What piece did Kim have to memorize in her 10th grade English class and who wrote it? And what author did Kim do her 11th grade presentation on and what's the title of that author's most famous work? ** four part answer... BCOWBREAKYJ (scrambled) / author initials LC, then CAREEBC (scrambled) / author is French** Go to BookEnds for more on Kim's description and to leave your answer, and use my clue above and those of the other authors listed on the BookEnds post to solve it! First one to comment (on the BookEnds site) ... Read More
On the 2nd day of Bookmas…
...Jessica A. gives to you... The lovely second Bookmas Clue!! What was the first romance Jessica Alvarez ever read? ** The title has three words, and the first word means "balance". ** Go to BookEnds to leave your answer, and see more on Jessica's story. Use my clue above and those of the other authors listed on the BookEnds post to solve it! First one to comment (on the BookEnds site) correctly, wins prizes for this day! You can also follow some clues and leads at the hashtag #bookmas Good luck! And happy hunting!! ... Read More
On the 1st Day of Bookmas…
...Jessica F. gives to you... The very first Bookmas Clue!! ** I would love to live there...especially where it is dark. ** Go to BookEnds to see the Dec 1 puzzle, and use my clue above and those of the other authors listed on the BookEnds post to solve it! First one to comment (on the BookEnds site) correctly, wins prizes for that day! You can also follow some clues and leads at the hashtag #bookmas Good luck! And happy hunting!! ... Read More
Fun book giveaway contest at BookEnds!
Well, I'm officially back from hiatus...and I'd love to say I completed book two...but no. I am, however, on a better momentum with it, so I have hopes to finish by the end of the year. That sounds better than the end of this next month, which is the same thing. Today I want to announce a fun game/contest my agent Jessica Faust is putting on over at the BookEnds blog. She did this last year as well, for any of you who might have participated then. It is a spin on the Twelve Days of Christmas, called "The Twelve Days of Bookmas Giveaway" and involves a daily question posted by one of the ... Read More
Happy Turkey Day!!
Popping in to wish you all a very blessed Thanksgiving Day!! So....while we all celebrate this holiday in different ways....some with turkey, some with gumbo, some with lasagna... (my table does NOT look like the above, by the way...) the basic idea is the same. To reflect on the year, and the blessings you've been given. For me... there are the things I'm always thankful for. My family, my amazing supportive and loving husband, my kids who almost aren't kids anymore. They are 21 and just short of 17. My old lady dog, Ruby. The 21 cockatiels in our backyard aviary that are enjoying a ... Read More
Going under till Turkey Day! Slap me if you see me!
If I go a little awol for the next month, just letting you know that I'm going deep into the bat cave to get back on track. :-) I'm a bit behind on hitting my deadline for book two...there have been a couple of derailments knocking me off course, and so I'm unplugging. (gasp!) I will still do my every other Wednesday post over at Women Unplugged, our group blog, because that's not a big time pull. But I'm not planning to blog here till Thanksgiving. That's my goal. By Thanksgiving, I want to be hot on the heels of completion. Oh dear Lord, please hear that. I won't lie...I will ... Read More
Not the normal girl…
I have a very close friend who loves to go to the grocery store. She loves to cook, and therefore browses the store with love, looking for that next culinary adventure. I have more than a few friends like that, actually. I do love to eat, and I do love amazing food. But it doesn't come from me. I dig out a post it note with absolute disgust when the fridge gets pathetically skinny, knowing that I need to go to that place with the carts and the aisles and the endless cans and packages. I go out of guilt, because you can only stop for Sonic and Dairy Queen so many times before your family ... Read More
Paying It Forward!
In the spirit of linky-love today, I'd like to direct your attention to my "Links" page. Over there is a long list of wonderful places I'd love to visit every day but there isn't enough of me or hours to go around. I do make a point of picking five random ones each day to visit and comment on, and I highly recommend them all! Go check out the page, and if you feel so moved, pick five of your own to visit! And to further the spirit... leave me a comment below with a new link of your favorite blog to visit. Because...yanno...even though I already have too many places to go, I'm always ... Read More
What’s Your Creative Process?
I mentioned a couple of days ago how my writing process works when all the stars line up in a perfect world. Because--that's what we all have, right? :-) Being a character-driven writer, I don't come up with the story first and then fill in with characters. I let the characters find me, and the story will come. I should have known my latest attempt was all back-ass-wards when I spent most of a day on name databases looking for the perfect name for my mc. That should have been the first clue! Because yesterday, as I sat on my front porch bench at home, staring across the street at my ... Read More
Revisions, dreams, and potato chips
Finished editor revisions this weekend...YAY!!!! HAPPY DANCE! Well...maybe it's too soon for the happy dance. I finished them, I sent them, with a note that I took out all 543 "glances" and 88 "eyerolls'. Ok, that's an exaggeration, but truly, once I did a search on those, it was scary. Editor Extraordinaire (EE) thought so too, as she pointed out many of them (hence, my curiosity to search). But as I was saying, the revisions may be sent, but until EE does the sign of the cross on them, they aren't final. And I'm playing with a new character the last few days. From a distance...she ... Read More
What would you do?
In the course of my day so far today, at work at my day job and worrying about editor revisions for book one and new ideas for book two and the workout program we have to do tonight and whether my daughter is keeping up with her homework and whether we have milk and what we need to do before the parade I just found out is this weekend since my daughter didn't inform me... (stopping to inhale.....) I've come to realize something important. I need to be rich. I mean, not the filthy stinking buy-diamond-encrusted-dog-bowls kind of rich, but the kind of rich that warrants the ... Read More
Random and rewriting and Cheers!
Oh the craziness today. And pardon the ADHD randomness, but I'm pinging everywhere. Do you feel it? It's raining down on me...okay not REALLY raining down on me...although it was supposed to because Tropical Depression 35...(13?...33?...one of those "3" numbers) was headed our way. Now it's going more north, which is good for us, not good for Louisiana, but I would like a band or two of the wet stuff to stray off our way. My grass is dead. Not that it is gone...it's dead but the weeds are still green. They are like alligators and cockroaches. They never die out. I have to hit the road ... Read More
The Back-To-School Train
The Back To School train. Yeah.... Depending upon your perspective on those words, they can make you breathe a sigh of relief or pull your hair out. I know some fortunate people who don't work outside the home, that do that "sighing" thing. They are tickled to death to have the house to themselves again, free of chaos and noise. I'm not one of those people. I work full time, write every other possible moment, do laundry/cooking/cleaning (ok not so much) during those same moments. So back to school time is a nightmare for me. Summer is the one time I DON'T have to worry about ... Read More
Are You Ready for some Football??
I have to give kudos to Tracy Solheim over at Women Unplugged today. She brought up a great post. Friday night football. For those not in the South, you may not be familiar with this phenomenon. It's a crazed but controlled and expected type of chaos that has an entire town donning the team colors and trotting enmass to stadiums from Texas to Georgia. You don't have a choice really. I think it's in the embryotic fluid before we are born. You just know. My particular hometown is in Texas…where football ranks right up there with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. And I’m talking ... Read More
Award winning author of sassy, sexy love stories. Texas girl. Wife of Superman. Frequently speak of coffee, dogs, TV shows & men with sexy eyes. {