IT'S HERE!! And Happy Birthday to meeeeeee!!! :) BEFORE AND EVER SINCE is now available! I get lots of questions asking me what it's about. Basically, the main character, Emily Lockwood has alot on her plate. She is successful in her own right, with a solid real estate career, but has a headstrong daughter, a mother who marches to her own drummer, and an ex-husband who needs sex therapy. Enter into this picture a house with an agenda, and the return of her first love, rocking a tool belt and a paintbrush and dark eyes full of secrets, and Emily just flat out has things to get ... Read More
Life Lesson #4 from savvy Emily Lockwood
One more day! BEFORE AND EVER SINCE is almost here! Check out Life Lesson #4 from Emily in BEFORE AND EVER SINCE... #4 - PAINT IS HOT. ...an excerpt from the book... I went out through the garage, where Ben was leaned over a five gallon bucket of paint, stirring it with a flat piece of wood. Next to him on a makeshift table, were two other small cans of paint with little wooden stir sticks poking out. “Why do you do that?” I asked. “What?” he responded, not looking up. “Bait him like that,” I said, picking my way carefully around the random tools and pieces of ... Read More
Life Lesson #3 from BEFORE AND EVER SINCE…
Are you enjoying the lessons? :) Let's see what Emily has to teach us today. Emily Life Lesson #3… Assuming your ex has gotten smarter in your absence is a fail. “So, what’s up?” I asked after a pause. “I don’t know if Cass has done anything with that paperwork, if that’s what you’re wondering.” He shook his head minimally, still looking at the pictures, and the little warning bells went off in my head. Kevin was nothing, if not opinionated and in your face. For him to come to my house and then not come look me in the eye—told me it wasn’t going to be his normal ... Read More
Emily’s 2nd Lesson for you from BEFORE AND EVER SINCE
Okay, so what did you think of yesterday's lesson? Ever had that happen to you? Lord knows I have. And what did you think of our first Hot Tool Guy? :) Suddenly have a project that needs fixing? LOL Now to hear from BEFORE AND EVER SINCE's Emily on Lesson number 2... Emily Life Lesson #2… The most likely time to be found is when you’re trying to hide. “Where are you?” Cassidy asked. “The grocery store.” “Again? Didn’t you just go there?” I cursed my bad lying. “Oh, I forgot a few things.” I pushed my cart faster, wanting to get done and get home. “So, anyway, ... Read More
Emily’s #1 Lesson Learned in BEFORE AND EVER SINCE
Today, we see the very first Life Lesson from Emily in BEFORE AND EVER SINCE! This is the first of five great life lessons you'll learn from Emily's experiences in BEFORE AND EVER SINCE, with a great excerpt to back it up... :) You see, Emily Lockwood has alot on her plate. She is successful in her own right, with a solid real estate career, but has a headstrong daughter, a mother who marches to her own drummer, and an ex-husband who needs sex therapy. Enter into this picture a house with an agenda, and the return of her first love, rocking a tool belt and a paintbrush and dark eyes ... Read More
5 Days of Life Lessons via BEFORE AND EVER SINCE…
Thus starts the pre-launch week of craziness! :) And five very important life lessons via Emily Lockwood of BEFORE AND EVER SINCE... Below are all five lessons you'll learn between now and March 14th, and each one will come with its own very pertinent exclusive excerpt from the book. Sit back and enjoy! And follow me on Facebook to get the daily "Hot Tool Guy of the Day", courtesy of sexy carpenter Ben from BEFORE AND EVER SINCE. Those will be worth the wait. ...just because. :) EMILY LOCKWOOD'S LIFE LESSONS... #1 Never assume it’s safe to drop by Mom’s ... Read More
A Month Of Memories: Day 3 The Tree
In my month of memories, today is about the Tree...as in with a capital T. I tried to find a picture that really looked like our tree, but I couldn't. I think this one is close though. It's been a while. Besides all that, the point is that we had a fake tree because of my brother's allergies, and we had the kind that came in limbs marked in what looked like colored fingernail polish. You matched the colors with corresponding paint marks in the holes. It was my job to organize all the limbs and get it together as far as I could reach. My mom kept that tree for probably 30 years. It ... Read More
Day 2: The Anticipation… :)
I'm talking about my memories this month, sharing a Month of Memories since December is so full of so many traditions. Today is Day 2, and my memory today is of helping mom drag all the decorations from the upstairs storage closet, giddy with anticipation as each box was opened. She probably hated that part. It was, after all, quite the task. The storage closet was a bear to get things in and out of, and then once you did wrangle a giant cardboard box out, you had the curved stairway to contend with. But I couldn't wait. I can still remember what that closet always smelled like. To ... Read More
A Month of Memories…
I didn't post all this week...still crazy from the holiday, and so much going on personally and at work. So I thought I'd pop in on this bright and beautiful Saturday morning, the very first day of December. There were alot of GRATITUDE posts floating around Facebook in November, everyone posting days of what they were thankful for. November was all about thankfulness, as it should be. We should stop and take notice of our blessings...we tend to spend way too much time complaining about what we lack. So November was a great time to take stock and see things right side up. December, to ... Read More
Thanksgiving traditions…
I'm dishing about Thanksgiving dishes and what kinds of traditions we have over at Women Unplugged today...click here to view that post and join in the conversation. What traditions do you have? I'm also at Tina's Book Reviews today on the last leg of my virtual blog tour. Come by and enter to win some great prizes, including an e-basket of books from me! Have a great holiday! ... Read More
Aunt Bernie’s Spicy Crackers! from BEFORE AND EVER SINCE
In the spirit of book-y love and snack addiction, I wanted to round out this week with the recipe for the spicy crackers Aunt Bernie makes in BEFORE AND EVER SINCE. :) Cassidy loves them, Emily loves them, even health crazy Holly loves them. So here you are--your very own recipe to make them yourself. EASY peasy and sooooo good. Enjoy! TEXAS FIRE CRACKERS (served by Aunt Bernie… good as appetizer or with gumbo…) 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp black pepper 3 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 2/3 cup vegetable or olive oil 2 1-oz pkgs Ranch ... Read More
My squee moments…
I mentioned that I was signing at the John Cooper School Signature Author Series last Friday... Did I mention that I was going to meet Kathryn Stockett? Well I did! I mean, not like hey we're bff's and dishing about lotion scents and recipes, but I did get my picture taken with her and Tate Taylor, who did the movie version of THE HELP. Yeah, I was excited. AND if you didn't see me squeeing all over Facebook, I had a childhood fangirl moment with the oldest Hardy Boy, when he was there with two other authors as the cover artist. He does photography now. AND he gushed over my cover. ... Read More
Today’s just a Friday… :)
What? No life lesson? No hot guys? What's with that? :) Well, Emily told us all she's going to, now it's up to readers to soak up the whole story. And the hot guys? Reading about Ben will take care of that for you. :) What I can give you is the link for where I am visiting today on my virtual tour. I'll being interviewed at Romantic Book Affairs today, with a giveaway of swag, and a tour-wide e-basket giveaway of each of my books. Worth stopping in to say hello!! Physically, as in the real world I walk around in, today kicks off a three day event frenzy. Yep...pretty much ... Read More
Hot Tool Guy of the Day #9
And last but not least... ... Read More
Life Lesson #8 from savvy Emily Lockwood
BEFORE AND EVER SINCE is now available! I get lots of questions asking me what it's about. Basically, the main character, Emily Lockwood has alot on her plate. She is successful in her own right, with a solid real estate career, but has a headstrong daughter, a mother who marches to her own drummer, and an ex-husband who needs sex therapy. Enter into this picture a house with an agenda, and the return of her first love, rocking a tool belt and a paintbrush and dark eyes full of secrets, and Emily just flat out has things to get through and get over. I call them the “Emily Lockwood Life ... Read More
Hot Tool Guy of the Day #8
This one's so sweet... ... Read More
Hot Tool Guy of the Day #7
In honor of release day, this is my inspiration for Ben. He holds no tools. He's resting. :) ... Read More
Hot Tool Guy of the Day #6
Inspiration to us all... build me something! ... Read More
Life Lesson #5 from savvy Emily Lockwood
BEFORE AND EVER SINCE, my second full length novel with Berkley, is almost here! I get lots of questions asking me what it's about. Basically, the main character, Emily Lockwood has alot on her plate. She is successful in her own right, with a solid real estate career, but has a headstrong daughter, a mother who marches to her own drummer, and an ex-husband who needs sex therapy. Enter into this picture a house with an agenda, and the return of her first love, rocking a tool belt and a paintbrush and dark eyes full of secrets, and Emily just flat out has things to get through and get ... Read More
We interrupt the regularly scheduled program…
Taking a break from Emily's Life Lessons and Hot Tool Guys today.... :) I know, I know, but it's Saturday and I think a little time away from sexy men and snarky moments will be good for us. Right? Besides, then we can truly appreciate them again when Monday rolls around. Today, I thought I'd pay homage to Friday nights. What? Friday nights? What on earth does that mean?? Well, I live in Texas, and this time of year is about football. High school football. As in the real life Friday Night Lights. Some people might think that was just a movie. Or a TV series. But let me assure ... Read More
Hot Tool Guy of the Day #5
Working man of the day... Not sure how much work he's doing, but that stretch looks good! ... Read More
Hot Tool Guy of the Day #4
Today's hot tool man... Is there really explanation needed? Whew! ... Read More
The 3rd Thing You’ll Learn from reading BEFORE AND EVER SINCE…
No tour stop today, so let's get straight to the business of what Emily has to tell us. :) The 3rd Lesson in BEFORE AND EVER SINCE... Emily Life Lesson #3… Never say you’re never going to do something, like going out for girls night in a powder blue Winnebago. It guarantees you will. I wasn’t going to ride in Big Blue. Aunt Bernie, Holly, Cassidy, myself and my mother were dressed to go out, looking good, feeling good, and I wasn’t about to ruin that by piling in a giant trailer. Aunt Bernie was the one who’d brought it up, pointing out that we all had smallish cars and five ... Read More
Hot Tool Guy of the Day #3
For your viewing pleasure... ... Read More
Hot Tool Guy of the Day #2
Today's working man... I don't recall anyone working on anything I've ever had built...looking like this. But hey, one can hope. :) ... Read More
Hot Tool Guy of the Day #1
BEFORE AND EVER SINCE has a hot tool man...Ben. In his honor, we kick off "Hot Tool Guy of the Day" For your first treat... You'd be okay with this guy working around your house, right? I think I'd suffer through it. ... Read More
It’s A Party!!
Have you heard? There's gonna be a party!! You are cordially invited to a Virtual Launch Party for BEFORE AND EVER SINCE! On November 6th, from 10am to 5pm CST, join me on Facebook to celebrate the release of my second full length novel, BEFORE AND EVER SINCE. This is the story of Emily. She has a big secret she's held close to her for two decades. But between the love of her life coming back to town, and her mother's house having an agenda, that secret is about to see the light of day. At the party, I’ll be handing out party favors every hour, such as free books from authors ... Read More
Hold on, it’s gonna be a crazy week!! :)
This next week is going to be a whirlwind... :) I remember this from the past Spring, when THE REASON IS YOU was about to launch. The week before is a blur of blog posts and tours and giveaways and never-ending anxiety. LOL. Well, that's about to start again. When JUST ONE DAY released recently, (my e-novella) I didn't have time for anxiety.... It was so fast and spur of the moment, I didn't get a chance to obsess over its entry into the world. Hmmm, that may be the way to go. :) Now... BEFORE AND EVER SINCE is about to step out there. Just 11 days away. *nail chewing and pacing ... Read More
Countdown: Two Weeks!
That's right. Just two weeks from today, on Nov 6th, BEFORE AND EVER SINCE will be officially out in the world. It will be floating around cyberspace in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, The Book Depository, and any other online book sites, and nestled in all its paper glory on the shelves next to THE REASON IS YOU. And if I'm really lucky, it will be placed on the New Releases table as well. If you've preordered it, it will come singing (I believe it, so it's so) to your house that day, or download right into your Nook or Kindle, waiting for you to open it. :) And there are ... Read More
JUST ONE DAY on Kindle!!
It's everywhere, now! My e-novella, JUST ONE DAY, is finally available anywhere you download ebooks. It hit #4 on the Barnes & Noble Nook Books list, let's see if we can give it some Amazon love as well. :) Please spread the word about this powerful little story that packs a punch for just $2.99. Twenty four hours to say yes....but to whom? She has nothing but time . . . Twenty-four hours. That’s how long Andie Fremont has to say yes—or no. At forty-four with a daughter in college, she’s no young kitten with starry-eyed ideas of what love is. Still, when the man who is everything ... Read More
If you could only…
Short and sweet, but something to get you thinking today.... If you could choose one day in your life to go back and revisit...what would it be? Any day...at any point in your life... And push yourself. We all have the easy picks. Children's births, obviously. Try to think outside the box. And would you change anything, or just want to watch again? Share! ... Read More
Let the lunacy commence!
I've been very lax of late on my blogging, and I apologize. Deep, scraping bow kind of apologize. Everything is about to explode in my world--in a good way--but explosions nonetheless. But first I want to put a shout out for my Off The Beaten Path blog feature tomorrow! This month I have RWA-WF chapter's very own Pam Morsi! SO excited, and you will love her wit and charm. She's giving away a signed copy of her latest book THE LOVESICK CURE to a random commenter, so be sure to come play with us!! JUST ONE DAY, my first time writing a novella, started with Nook First last week, which runs ... Read More
JUST ONE DAY out this week!!
Excited to officially announce my new e-novella JUST ONE DAY was chosen by Barnes & Noble for their Nook First program! This means that they will have it exclusively for thirty days, promoting it on their website. After that time is up, it will be available at all other ebook sites! The novella is available at Barnes & Noble for download ($2.99) starting today!!! So all you "Nook'ers" out there....you get first bite!! And for you and everyone else out there....here is an excerpt... Woot!! And then, of course...BEFORE AND EVER SINCE is almost here! Just 43 days away! Stay ... Read More
Off The Beaten Path – with Claire Cook!
Here we are again at Off The Beaten Path! A once-a-month opportunity to get to know a very special romance or women's fiction author, in a fun and hopefully interactive way. We all like to get to know our favorite authors a little better, and I want to make that fun for everyone. This month, I'm so excited to introduce the fabulous Claire Cook!! So pretty in pink!!! I fell madly in love with Claire's writing back in the day when Must Love Dogs first came out. I owned a little bookstore back then, and ran a small bookclub out of it. Must Love Dogs was one of our picks, and I was in ... Read More
Where’s The Beef?
Today I want to talk about meat. Yep. My daughter and I were talking about whether we, at this point in our lives, could become vegetarians. See, I've never been one that had to have meat with every meal. Don't gasp and throw your hands up, you carnivores out there. I do love a good steak here and there. I'm from the south so fried chicken is a staple. And a big juicy burger is one of my favorite foods. But before I met my now husband, my daughter and I lived on mostly pasta, veggies, and turkey, with the occasional chicken and ground beef. Very occasional. He and his son ... Read More
Why coffee is my BFF
I wasn't even going to post anything today...it being an official Be Lazy Day and all. It's not that at your house? Sorry about that! But anyway...I was flipping through my email and got the automatic feed from Jenny Hansen's blog about So Much Coffee, So Little Time and I just couldn't stand to not do something. She talks about her love for the brew...even posts pictures of her favorite mugs. I can't lie down on this. I have to join in the crazies. Coffee...I've decided...was Heaven sent. I mean, God put those wonderful little beans on bushes for a reason! Now, I guess you could ... Read More
Back To School…
This is a big year in our house. The last of our little birds has started her senior year. That pic up there is her first day of Kindergarten, and her first day of 12th grade. Click here to read the rest of this post at Women Unplugged... ... Read More
A Day in the Life…
Three times this week, I had the question posed to me asking how I have time to write with a full time job, so I thought I'd shed some light. It's no big deal, not shocking. I'm far from the only one that has to juggle a day job and whatever else our calling might be. But it is a little fun to lay it out, in a way. So here's my very not-exciting day in the life... 5:00am alarm goes off...I either stumble to the coffee pot or hit snooze. 5:09am alarm again if snooze...let's face it, I hit the snooze. NOW the coffeepot 5:15am shower 5:30am coffee...sit with my old lady ... Read More
Stealth mission needed…
I have to 'fess up. I love dogs and like cats, and am basically an animal lover in general. Rarely will I pass up a chance to pet something furry, and baby-anythings just do me in completely. My old lady dog, Ruby...proof of my love... However... I'll refrain from posting a picture of what has become the bain of my existence lately. :-) .... read more of this post at Women Unplugged. ... Read More
Drawing a Blank…
Ever have those moments when you have a blank screen or piece of paper in front of you, and absolutely no freaking idea what to say? Yeah, this is one of those. I struggled for two hours on what to post today. Put it on Twitter--"Please help me come up with a blog post, I'm drawing a blank!" I got a few ideas, but nothing that really worked for what I wanted to post. My son said I could blog about him, but I'll spare you the drama... :) I could post about my daughter, but take his drama and double it, and I wouldn't put that on you either. Well, except that she's joining the ... Read More
Off The Beaten Path – with Karen White!
I'm excited to announce a new feature here at the blog. A once-a-month opportunity to get to know a very special romance or women's fiction author, in a fun and hopefully interactive way. We all like to get to know our favorite authors a little better, and I want to make that fun for everyone. And who better to kick this off with a bang, than the fabulous Karen White!! I had the honor of meeting Karen in person at the RWA National Conference in California a couple of weeks ago, and it was one of the great highlights of the week for me. I found out that we both have teenagers destined to ... Read More
Up and Coming…”Off The Beaten Path”
I'm excited to announce a new feature here at the blog. A once-a-month showcase of a very special romance or women's fiction author, but not in your normal run of the mill Q&A. When I did a blog tour, I got many of the same questions over and over, and quickly tired of talking about myself...lol. I want to make this a fun experience both for the readers and for the author. It's called "Off The Beaten Path", and will be fun posts or a different kind of interview. Something to help us get to know our favorite authors, outside just talking about their books, their writing process, what ... Read More
TGIF! Best posts of the week
It's Friday!!!! And that means it's time to share the best of the blogisphere for this week. I've been recooperating from the chaos of RWA National Conference, and getting used to working the day job again...lol... so I haven't had much time to surf. But here were a few worthy stops to check out. Both will make you think about what's important in life. Taking note of the little things in life, over at It's Only A Novel. A very poignant post! A word about balls and balancing life...by Jenny Hansen. Curious? LOL...go see. Enjoy, my friends!!! ... Read More
Where I’m From…
This was an exercise from last year, and while I'm not a huge proponent of recycling, this one has been on my mind lately. My parents old house across the street from me is for sale, and they've cut down the big swing tree in the backyard. The one with the chains that grew into the tree. It's all in pieces at the street, and I've stared at them for the past two days. This is an amazing thing to do for yourself, and the template is at the bottom for you to give it a shot. Here's a little piece of me. Where I’m From… I am from Coca-Cola and orange soda straight from the bottle, and ... Read More
TGIF! Best posts of the week
It's Friday!!!! And that means it's time to share the best of the blogisphere for this week. Here were some of my favorite stops. How Book Publicity is like Ziplining at Writer Unboxed. Great article from Sparks PR Agency publicist Crystal Patriarche comparing her family vacation to what she sees and experiences for a living. The 3 most important things to remember about any conference... by Carina editor Angela James. With RWA coming up in just days, this is priceless!! Author, Roni Loren's new cover reveal of FALL INTO YOU due out in January!! This cover is so hot, and check out ... Read More
Naming grandparents…
My daughter and I got to talking this week about what her kids will call me and my husband. Now--just for the record--she's seventeen and this is all just for curiosity's sake. LOL. We aren't worrying our little heads about this anytime soon. But it made for a fun conversation. My grandparents growing up were Paw Paw and Nanny on one side, and Maw Maw on the other (never knew that grandfather). My parents were Nana and Paw Paw for their grandchildren, but I don't remember if the "Nana" was intentional, or if the first grandchild named her. My daughter's father is from the Midwest, and ... Read More
Best links of the week…It’s Friday!!
HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!! And if you didn't realize that....sorry for ruining your day. lol Time to show off some of the best links I visited this week. Enjoy! Jenny Hansen's blog Cowbell, with a fun exercise on defining yourself with 10 words A site with Free Online Crossword Puzzles....because my daughter and I are geeks Gem State Writers post about the love of Sweet Tea James R. Preston's post at Writers In the Storm on "When Is It Done" & he is really funny so it's worth checking it out! That's it for today!!! Have a great one, and don't let that "13" thing fool ... Read More
“I see alot of lawwwwbreakers out therrrrrrre…”
Today, I want to talk about the magic... The magic that is MAGIC MIKE. And by that, I don't mean to gush on that this is the best movie of all time or anything crazy like that. If broken down to plot, storyline, acting, dialogue, it was a solid movie with some awkward acting in places, but it was good. That wasn't the magic. :-) The magic lies in there FINALLY being an eye-candy movie for women. Face it, many many movies have the T&A for guys, that we have gotten so accustomed to, we sit through it not even thinking twice about it. We probably haven't had anything to get excited ... Read More
Linky Love: Best posts of the week
Sorry I've been awol for a couple of crazy weeks, but I'm back now. And it being Friday, I'm fortunate to be able to ease into it with some linky love. Some of my favorite posts from this past week: Tawna Fenske's hilarious post on setting writing goals Roni Loren's release of MELT INTO YOU Jennifer Daiker's post on 5 random things Kristen Lamb's post on trolling the trollosphere...aka Internet Crazy People Amy Sue Nathan's interview with HER SISTER'S SHADOW author, Katharine Britton Click and enjoy! See you back on Monday.... I promise! ... Read More
Bringing it home…
Favorite childhood memory...something that brings you home instantly... That's today's question. What does that for you? It can be more than one thing. For me, it's big storms, the kind that knocks the lights out. Our lights would go out easily, breakers would blow, and Mom would get out the storm candles (bowls and coffee cans with homemade candles in them) and the hurricane lantern, and then we'd go sit on the front porch and watch it blow sideways down the street. Also, food tends to do it for me. Certain things. What's yours? ... 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. {