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
Off the Beaten Path with Pamela Morsi!
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 have the fabulous Pamela Morsi here!! Pam and I were separated at birth—I’ve decided this. We both love to write about small towns, we have a similar writing style in my opinion (or maybe wishful thinking), and we both have the most unappealing brutal writing process EVER. And I ... 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
Winner of SEA CHANGE!
I interrupt this normally quiet non-blogging Thursday to announce that the winner of Karen White's signed copy of SEA CHANGE from yesterday's interview, is: Lorrie Thomson! *throws confetti!* Congrats Lorrie! Karen will be in touch with you! Enjoy! ... 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
Distractions…or…My Typical Morning…
Tick...tick...tick... I hear that sound too much lately, mostly in my own head. The sound of time sliding by one tick at a time, while anxiety and too many shinies take precedence. It's early morning...early early morning. I have 45 minutes before I have to get ready for work, so I want to be productive and start the day with some wordage. I pull up my current manuscript in progress, and stare at the last sentence. Yanno...that same one I stared at the night before. It didn't change. Gremlins didn't park themselves all cozy on my couch, pull the blanket up that the old lady dog ... 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
A day late…and a dinner date
Missed my normal post date yesterday...sorry about that! Yanno...life and all that. So I was at Tracie Banister's blog this morning, reading her interview with Sophia Knightly, who has a new book coming out, GRILL ME BABY. It sounds really good! Click on the link above to read the interview! Also, one of the questions asked, is one that I'm stealing today. Well, stealing and modifying. :-) ~~~ If you could have dinner with three famous people...living or dead...writer or actor or whatever kind of celebrity... who would you choose?? and why?? ~~~ I'll comment with mine ... Read More
Random Song Invasion: Purple People Eater
Okay, here's the thing. I wake up most mornings with random songs in my head for no reasons that I can explain. My alarm clock does not sing songs to me, it beeps most annoyingly, so it's not that. I don't have the radio going at night, so there are no subliminal tunes working their way in. There is no explanation for the songs I wake up with. In fact, I really need to start keeping a journal. Maybe they mean something. Hmmm... in any case, a couple of days ago, I woke up with a weirder one than usual. Now, if you are my age of forty----something---- you should know this one. In fact, ... Read More
Friday Linky Love… Leanne Shirtliffe, Ironic Mom…and WANA
Well, I was all set to link up to the new social media sensation WANATribe, and then Leanne Shirtliffe beat me to it. :) And in all honesty, she did a better job, so I'm just linking to hers. Go check this out and enjoy! It's a great idea. ... Read More
From a War Zone to beauty…
We recently underwent a remodel at our house. Eeek, you say? Yeah, I say that too. We do alot of that, and because my husband is a carpenter superstar...we do it ourselves. We've done the bathroom, our bedroom, our daughter's new bedroom after my son moved out, and last year...the kitchen and dining area. That one was a major overhaul, because we gutted it, floors, walls, and ceiling. A sixty year old house has "things"... Read the rest of the story at Women Unplugged here... ... Read More
Cover reveal of Stacey Kennedy’s MYSTICALLY BOUND!
Announcing the cover reveal for my friend and fellow BookEnds author, Stacey Kennedy's MYSTICALLY BOUND COMING FALL 2012 Tess Jennings' life is in chaos. Not only has her ghost lover, Kipp McGowen, crossed into the Netherworld, but she’s the newest member of a secret society. And they want her to start work immediately. Upon arriving at the Temple in New Orleans, she is presented with an offer she cannot refuse. The Grand Master has been murdered and Tess must solve the crime by locating his ghost. The reward—a magical spell to save Kipp. But as Tess dives deeper into the case, the more ... Read More
Adding to your To-Read pile…
Yesterday I threw a question out to the webby world, asking for book recommendations. The best stories that people had read recently, that they would recommend to others. And since we all have nothing to read right now... (cough cough...) Yeah, I know. My Nook, alone has 20-something new books in it, waiting for me. But you never know where that next gem will come from, so here you go. There is quite the mix here, which is how it should be...we all come from different places and love different types of stories. THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak (teen historical fiction) THE SOLDIER'S ... Read More
Friday Linky Love…Brenda Novak’s Diabetes Online Auction
This week's Friday link up is for a great cause. Yes, it also highlights my giveaway, but all proceeds for these donations go to the fight against Diabetes. I'm talking about an author who goes above and beyond every year to help find a cure. This is the Brenda Novak For The Cure of Diabetes Online Auction. It runs each year for the month of May... and May 31 is coming up next week, so go check it out. There are SO many things to look at. She's a bestselling author, so yes, a large category is authors giving away books, but there is also jewelry, crafts, novelty items, people giving ... Read More
A trip that changed you…
I’m not a big traveler. I mean, I’d like to be, I’d like to be toodling around in a giant Winnebago or flying off to exotic locales like ones I read about. But my very blue collar world doesn’t include scenarios like that. I’ve only really been on a few big trips in my life. A big vacation when I was in the fourth grade brought me to the Grand Canyon and all up the West Coast. I’ve been scuba diving in Grand Cayman and Cozumel and Honduras. I’ve been to London. I’ve been skiing in Taos, NM. All of those things were in my twenties. And I went to Vegas for my honeymoon. That about ... Read More
The Tease… :-)
I'm at Fresh Fiction today, talking about something that all women love... :-) besides chocolate and a foot massage... The tease! The push and pull of the romance, the foreplay, the dance of almost touches. The tease. Go over and talk with us, and comment for a chance to win a signed copy of THE REASON IS YOU! And the timing is awesome, because at 9am Central time today, Fresh Fiction is being featured on Good Morning Texas right after Good Morning America! Woot! Go!! ... Read More
Friday Linky Love… What Women Write…
Today's link up is with some Texas girls that are near and dear to me. The girls of What Women Write! Go see what they have to say today! And have a great weekend! ... Read More
Dear Reader…
Dear Reader, Remember the movie “Hope Floats” with Sandra Bullock? That was me. Well, except for the cheating husband outing himself on a talk show. But coming home, a single mom, starting over in a small town that remembers the high school version of you—that was me. And somehow, it’s the stories that draw on those things—starting over, dealing with a past, reinventing yourself—those are the ones that suck me in like no other. I’m a sucker for a story about returning home to face your past, and even more so if there’s an old love still knocking around, waiting to reignite sparks. ... Read More
Friday Linky Love ~~ with Author, Jody Hedlund
Today's link-up is with a phenomenal author who also spends a gi-normous amount of time helping other authors. If you aren't already following her blog, following her on Twitter, and liking her on Facebook, go do all of those things now. She's a one-woman plethora of information. And I just used plethora in a sentence...so I'm feeling kinda proud. :-) Oh, who am I talking about? Sorry... I'm talking about Jody Hedlund. Otherwise known as Superwoman. Her latest book THE DOCTOR'S LADY is out now... So show Jody some love and follow her, like her, subscribe to her, and buy her book! ... Read More
Unconditional Love…
I'm over at Women Unplugged today with a post about our furry family members, and honoring the passing of a very special one...my best friend's dog, Roxie. Come share your pet stories! ... Read More
It takes a village…or just some really cool people…
WANT TO HELP ME? It takes a village! LOL! No, I don't need you to raise my kids. :-) Just maybe raise a little awareness of a certain book... You can help a debut author breathe a little easier and spread the word! The best way for an unknown book to become known is by word of mouth. So share the news with your friends, family, that chatty chick at work... Facebook it, Tweet it, blog it, put a review on Amazon or Barnes and Noble... and know you have my undying gratitude. I'll even send you chocolate. :) And if you want me to do a video chat on your blog telling ... Read More
Friday Linky Love
Today's quick link is for my friend and fellow BookEnds author, Melissa Cutler! Her first book, THE TROUBLE WITH COWBOYS, comes out in November!! Go check it out! Hot, right? :-) And she and I are both in the Brenda Novak Diabetes Auction this month, helping to raise money for the cure. Melissa is giving away an advanced reading copy of THE TROUBLE WITH COWBOYS, and I am giving away a goodie basket including a signed copy of THE REASON IS YOU and a $25 Amazon gift card. You can click on those links to be brought to our auction pages! Everyone have a fabulous Friday and an awesome ... Read More
Meeting with The Book Club Babes… :-)
First ever author event was Monday night, and I was nervous. I even knew most of the ladies attending, but still, I'd never had to be in the spotlight with them, and I was....NERVOUS. It's just my hometown, after all. This town has known me my whole life--I'm nobody special. Why on earth would they want to come see me. :-) But the Book Club Babes of Port Neches were so gracious and wonderful and such a hoot!!! What a wonderful experience, and what a creative host! There was banana pudding and sopapilla cheesecake, straight from the book. I got to sign books and even sign some of ... Read More
A church, a donkey, and a little girl…
That picture doesn't do justice to the spectacle that was real life. I drove the three hours there-three hours back trip to pick up my daughter yesterday. We do this every couple of months when she goes to her dad's. But today, I decided to take a different route home. Something to kick up the scenery a little bit. I told her when we made the exit, and yet she stayed focused on her phone and texting her friend. I told her to get out of her phone and experience the adventure with me, to which I got a raised eyebrow and a good amount of groaning before she just laughed at me and went with ... Read More
A much needed few days away…and linky love
Hello my peeps! I know you didn't hear from me this week...after the blog tour ended last Friday, I decided to take a few days off from blogging and focus on some other things. The tour was wonderful! But it did take its toll on my brain and my eyeballs, and I needed some non-blogging activity. LOL! In that same vein of thought, I've decided to set a more reasonable schedule and NOT feel like I need to be here posting every day, since that is counterproductive to that whole "writing books" thing. Therefore, unless something happens to beat me away from the computer, I will be here ... Read More
Shout it out!! :-)
Whew!! It was a whirlwind few weeks there during the blog tour, and I met some fantastic people and new readers. Now it's time to focus on getting the word out about THE REASON IS YOU so that my editor will be happy and want to sign me up for more books! LOL! It's also time to crack down on writing again, because with BEFORE AND EVER SINCE only seven months away from release, promo is about to start on it as well. Crazy, huh? :-) So please help me out if you can...spread the word...check your bookstores for REASON and if it's not there (probably shelved in Fiction), then ask them to ... Read More
It’s the Last Day… (cue music)
It's the last day of the Blog Tour, and the last chance to enter to win an Amazon or B&N gift card and some goodies. And for a last laugh and some fun and a fabulous way to go out, I'm at Long And Short Reviews today, fessing up to 10 things you'd never guess about me. Are you curious? Like maybe did I run naked through a park? Or jump out of a plane? Or climb into a rabbit hole? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>You'll have to come see! :-) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ... Read More
I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read…
And I do! But actually, that is the name of the site I'm visiting today. :-) I'm at I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read talking about what makes a good romance novel. If you have an opinion on that, and would like a chance to win some goodies, please come by!! ... Read More
Why is April 16th significant?
Have you read REASON yet? If so, you know what April 16th was.... But do you the rest of the little personal details meshed into the story? I'm at Writerspace today (starting at noon) talking about that and giving away a signed copy! Come comment for a chance to win! I'm also discussing the writing process as part of my blog tour at The Paranormal Romance Party ... Read More
Down the road…
Is there a trip you've taken that's changed your life? I am at Once Upon A Time today talking about one that changed mine. Come share your thoughts and enter to win prizes for the blog tour! ... Read More
Where does your inner reader live?
What is it like in the town where you live? Quiet? Buzzing busy? Quaint? Grassy? Concrete and efficient? Now, which of those settings draws you in as a reader? I'm at Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess talking about this. Come join in to win prizes! ... Read More
What are you doing today?
Good morning!! Today I'm chatting about books at Kindling the Fire...come chat with us and enter for a giveaway!! What are YOU doing today? ... Read More
Blog tour…and cover reveal of BEFORE AND EVER SINCE…
Today we are back on track with the Blog Tour, but today is a two-fold thing. First, I'll be over at Asian Cocoa's Secret Garden today talking about how Dani and Alex met in THE REASON IS YOU and my version of ghosts... :-) . Please come comment on the post to enter to win prizes! >>>>>>>>>Now...<<<<<<<<< I've been holding back on announcing anything on my second book, wanting to give REASON it's day in the sun, and it still has a long sunny road ahead. But it's now time to reveal the book that will sit next to it on the shelf, coming ... 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. {