Talking w/ Anna del C. Dye

http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Silent-Warrior-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B001KVZOV8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354147241&sr=1-1&keywords=anna+del+c.+dye

What inspired you to start writing?
More than anything it was my husband who got me started, after many promptings... this time he said, "DO IT!" when I finished telling him the story of "The Elf and the Princess."

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Tolkien characters... they are awesome. There are so many and so much to tell about them that the master didn't... I just have to help him. :) That is why my series is called The Elf Series. I love elfs.

Do you have a favorite character? If so, why is he/she your favorite?
I do, too many in some of my books. Mostly because they are in many ways living my life experiences. This makes them very close to my heart.

For example:

Adren lost everything when her kingdom was destroyed and her only hope was the young elf and his race.

I left my country and everything there to start a new life by the side of a wonderful young man. I know what is to be with strangers, their culture and to have not only to trust them, but become one of them. This has taught me to trust and depend on this handsome young man, which in turn has made my love for him, as deep as Adren's.

That is awesome. I know I draw on my personal experiences in my writting as well. What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
--Never give up!!! I echo that.
--Join a writer's chapter close to you right now, and learn from them. Ditto.
--Start sending small stories and articles to magazines, both on line and traditional. Also to newspapers, even if they are from a University or whatever.
(Keep all the copies of any publication in a file/folder.) I didn't do this but I can see how it could prove invaluable. My next guest has done just that and her new release is proof of the value of this advice.
--Join critic groups and let them help you with ideas to make your work better. Don't let anyone change your work... I said to MAKE it better. This can be a tough one. Listen to the suggestions, take what works for you and thank the critiquers that took the time to voice their opinion even if you don't agree. This will also help you develop a thick skin when it comes to the loud individual telling you your work is crap. It isn't crap, it may need a little fine tuning, but remember that you can't satisfy all the readers all the time.
--Start blogging with the name you will use as an author so people get familiar with it. This will help you sell more books when your book is published. (Two blogs a week, but not too long--up to 15 lines.) Okay, I could have used this advice last year...
--Start promoting your book at least nine months before is published. Wise counsel, that means once the contract is signed with a publisher, or when you schedule your e-book self pub, begin. Don't wait.

You once told me that English is your second language. What sort of challenges did you meet in trying to write your books, if any?
Not many really. I write and my editor has to figure what I am trying to say. (If I can't figure how a word goes in English, I put it in Spanish...he speaks Spanish very well.) We have a lot of fun when we edit the books which we always do together.
So I just write and he adds the "ed" or takes them out when I put them in and so on. It works beautifully because he is awesome and knows me so well.

You are lucky to have an editor like this and luck he is a he. My prefered editor had to bow out just recently do to the arrival of a precious little one. I can't blame her. Who would you say is your targeted audience?
Teens and the young at heart.

What would you say is the most challenging part about being an author?
Spending hours promoting my book when I would like to be writing another.

Promoting can take hours out of any day. If you could give your book to only one person, who would it be and why?
A teenager in trouble...
In the hope that he/she could discover the power they have deep inside to change and become better. I want them to see that nothing is impossible if we put our minds to it.

A note from me: Don't give your book or e-book to everyone that wants one. If you do, you won't see any royalties...

You can find all Anna's books at her website, http://www.annadelc.com
and at Amazon http://ning.it/TtStY5

Thanks so much for the chance to visit your blog,

French Christmas and cats

Thank you, Shaunna, for having me on your blog to kick off the holiday season. It’s my favorite time of the year. You can find out more about me and my books on my website at: http://www.vijayaschartz.com You can find my paperbacks and eBooks on AMAZON – B&N – ARe – and all the major retailers, including the Apple Store.

I was born and raised in France, where the holidays are even bigger than in the US (at least the way I remember them). The traditions are different, and so is the food. The French do not celebrate Thanksgiving, so they have turkey for Christmas, and they stuff it with chestnuts (boiled then sautéed in butter with caramelized onions). The first time I tasted sweet potatoes (that was in India and the French still don’t know what they taste like), I thought they were chunks of chestnuts. The taste is very similar.

Raw oysters and seafood are also a big part of the French holiday menu. And the traditional dessert is the Christmas log, which my mother used to make herself with chocolate or coffee butter cream. Yum. Lots of calories.

I remember with fondness the holidays of my late teens and early twenties, no school, parties every night from Christmas Eve to the New Year. Of course it helped that my birthday fell right between the two holidays.

We did not take down the tree or the nativity scene until January 6, the twelfth day of Christmas, when we celebrated the arrival of the wise men, the Magi, that we called kings. There is even a special “galette des rois” stuffed with almond paste for that particular day. Whoever finds the hard bean (or ceramic bit) hidden in the galette becomes king or queen for a day. And he/she chooses a consort by dropping the hard bean into the chosen’s glass while they aren’t looking. The king and queen wear golden paper crowns (provided by the bakery with the galette). And not just the children wear the crown all day. Adults join in the fun, too.

And all that time, I wished I had a cat. I had an uncanny obsession with cats, and several times brought strays home on my way from school. Unfortunately, my father wouldn’t hear of keeping animals. In his view, animals belonged in a farm, not in an apartment, period.

Now that I do have cats, however, and since I’m a writer, I include cats in my novels. As you can tell from my covers, cats, big and small, take an important part in most of my stories. My new release coming out today in paperback (the eBook has been out for a while) is RED LEOPARD, Book Two in the Chronicles of Kassouk series. The feline in this story, Rascal, won an award for the best animal character in a book for 2010.

Book One, White Tiger is already in paperback, the other books in the series, already in eBook format, will follow in paperback in 2013, with the prequel coming last. Book Three, Black Jaguar, is scheduled for February 1st.

THE CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK:

In this futuristic series, set on an alien planet where a human spaceship crashed centuries ago, a small human community, having lost its technology, struggles to survive, battling the domination of a more advanced galactic race. Each book is a separate love story, as well as an action adventure, so you do not need to read the books in the right order, but if you are like me, you’ll want to start at the beginning.

RED LEOPARD
Chronicles of Kassouk Book Two
by Vijaya Schartz
From Desert Breeze Publishing
In paperback Dec. 1st at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

In charge of the fortress of Kassouk in the King's absence, what is Terek to do when a Goddian spacecraft lands in his medieval backyard, and the striking woman leading the galactic party insists on colonization?

Galya, the Goddian Princess commanding the geological vessel, is bent on finding a crystal with unusual hyper conductor properties. And the futile resistance of the local population isn’t going to stop her. Not even that defiant tribal chief nicknamed Red Leopard, like the infernal feline that follows him everywhere.

Terek and his band of swordsmen and felines must defend their people’s freedom, no matter the cost. But with this unexpected arrival, an old prophecy surfaces, taking new meaning and carrying a new threat... When political intrigues, greed, murder and betrayal tip the scales, who can Galya really trust? Her fellow Goddians? the Mutants bred to serve her race? or her primitive Human enemy?

"...action packed, fast paced story... I can't wait to read the next book in the
Chronicles of Kassouk series." 5 angels - Fallen Angel Reviews

"This book was so good. I was completely lost in the world Vijaya created and loving every second of it." - 5 stars - Goodreads.com

“Packed with action and adventure. Galya ... a tough warrior... a sweetness about her that makes her easy to like... I loved how Rascal was Terek's faithful companion and defender throughout nearly the entire story... I really liked Red Leopard." - The Hope Chest Reviews

Enter a comment for a chance to win a paperback copy of RED LEOPARD.

Good luck.

Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Talking with Author DeAnn Huff

Personal with DeAnn Huff:


If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I’m a sun addict. I love being warm. I even love that feeling in the middle of the summer when you come from a frigid air conditioned building and get into that solar oven on wheels. The warmth unthaws you and toasts you, and I love it—until I start to sweat. So if I could live anywhere, it would have to be warm. Hawaii. Caribbean. Arizona.
So, you're saying you don't dream of moving to Dracula's castle but just visit as in the pic?
Why move?

What hidden talent do you possess outside of writing ... something you do for fun, but are good at?
My husband and I are Carpenters … No, silly, not a singing duo. We build custom, hardwood doors. But we can’t build on “Rainy Days and Mondays” because the humidity’s too high. We love working together. I tell him, “I Can’t Smile Without You,” and I “Long To Be Close To You.” We’ve build over 50 doors together, but “We’ve Only Just Begun.”

Questions about your writing:
Why did you begin writing?
My oldest daughter came home from a weeknight Relief Society class determined to start on her “Bucket List.” She’d decided that she wanted to write a book someday. So she called me for ideas. I laughed because I loved to write, but I thought I had no imagination; I’d never been able to come up with story ideas. Well, after a half hour on the phone brainstorming plots, she had ideas for a book she wanted to write … and so did I. But she had a baby, and I didn’t—so I won. Five months later, my first novel, Master of Emotion, was finished.

When is your next book due out, and what’s it about?
My next book, Dictator of Disaster, is still a few months away from completion. Dictator of Disaster is Book 3 in the Master of Emotion series (following Supreme Chancellor of Stupidity—Book 2.) Each book in the series tells the story of a group of sensory enhanced teenagers from a different male character’s point of view. Here’s the two sentence summary of Dictator of Disaster: Touch can be a sensitive tool or a lethal weapon. JONAS, a sensory enhanced kid with anger issues, tries to save his kidnapped sister by himself, rather than relying on the twins and the others like them.

About Your latest book:
How did you come up with your premise for Once Upon a Tour?
What do kind of thank you gift do you give a mother who takes you on an all-expense-paid tour of Eastern Europe? You write a novel for her, of course. My LDS Romance, Once Upon a Tour, mirrors the locations in Eastern Europe that I toured in May, 2010 with my mom. Romania … Hungary … Austria … Czech Republic … Germany … Lichtenstein … Switzerland. So I finally have some stamps in my passport. Maybe now she’ll take me with her to Spain.

For those who are not familiar with this story, would you please give us the blurb?
Creepy castles, exotic sights, and flirty foreign men—it’s no wonder ALINA, a starry-eyed Mormon girl, is in love for the third time in three weeks. When a guided tour of Eastern Europe repeatedly reveals her naïve choices, she must decide whether her love is real or only imagined.

Alina knows that she sees the world through fairy tale-colored glasses—after all, she writes sappy romances and collects old fairy tales. But why stifle her overactive imagination when there’s romance all around? With every new castle, Alina envisions herself in historical romances where she’s chased by delicious vampires, roguish robbers, and conspiring counts—right into the arms of intrepid heroes. But in her short stories, as well as her real life, her romances don’t end well.

Once Upon a Tour follows Alina as she first meets DANIEL, a cute Swiss frequent-flyer, and then ALEX, an amorous Romanian tour guide, who pursues her around his country, romancing her at every step. Trying to watch out for her, the young, over-protective tour company owner, ERIC, keeps getting in the way – irritating her, annoying her, but finally rescuing her.

Luckily, God has a plan for her; only He knows which romance that began Once Upon a Tour will finally survive.

I wasn't sure which one of these guys I wanted her to end up with, but you made the right choice in the end. Are there any fun tid-bits about this story you can share with us?
Margie, the minor character in the novel who loves romance novels, is patterned after my mom. She always wants the kissing scenes to be good.

I liked Margie. those ladies remeinded me of myself around my older children. Do you have a link where we can access the book discussion questions?
Not yet, but here’s a question for you: In the novel, Alina justifies her poor choices by saying, “Alex will be gone tomorrow. I’ll never see him again.” What excuses have you made to justify a bad decision?

The easy answer is one that I made as an adult more than once -- We'll be moving soon so it won't matter. Problem is, the children picked up on that sort of answer a little too well. It's tough to correct your mistake in the second generation. Let's change the subject. How did you decide on the setting?
Traveling through Europe, every castle was straight out of a romance novel. I couldn’t help but make up stories about the places and people I saw.

Is there a message in Once Upon a Tour you want readers to grasp... I mean other than the awesome castles?
I love teenagers, but too often I see them walking the line between safe and sorry, thinking that they’ll never get pushed over and fall. In reality, the only safe place is far away from the line.

I think you read a few chapters from my old journal. I walked that line and fell into the fire getting burned in the process. Not good.
What is the purchase link?
It’s easy to find through my website www.dogdenhuff.com , or go straight to
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=d+ogden+huff, or
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/164325

Can you tell us what review of your story meant the most to you and why.
Penny Freeman, editor-in-chief of Xchyler Publishing, said this:

“All of the above illustrates why I truly enjoy reading Ms. Huff. Her only overtly LDS work, Once Upon A Tour is, hands down, my favorite of the three I have read. The premise is a simple one—Mormon girl strikes out on her own in search of romance and finds herself in way above her head in a secular, instant-gratification world—but Ms. Huff manages to employ her fresh approach and insightful characters to flesh out the tale and make it her own.
“She peppers her story with what feels like firsthand experience in touring Eastern Europe—Romania, Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland—and manages to make her locales integral to the plot. She also intersperses Alina's fanciful prose in the story, which serves well when the character's little stories and overactive imagination get her into plenty of trouble. When life begins to reflect art, Alina struggles to differentiate the two.”

Penny’s insights meant the most to me because she didn’t just pat my back. In other parts of her review she also made me think about whether or not I’d crossed some lines of my own. I made a few changes to my manuscript after her review.

Time Out for Writers

ANWA

Writers Conference

Conference Includes:

•

36 Classes – Beginners, emerging, and professional writers of all genres and platforms

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Workshops – Query and pitch workshops on Thursday night

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Protagonist Ball – Come dressed as your favorite protagonist to mingle, network and have fun with faculty and

other attendees

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•

All-Star Breakfast – The fi rst 25 to register early and book their hotel room receives the opportunity to share

a special breakfast with the faculty

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Bookstore – Sell your books and/or purchase others’ at our onsite bookstore􀀑

Faculty

- Nationally recognized presenters including NY Times best selling authors, agents, editors and pubpublliisshheerrss

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iillll tteeaacchh tthhee ccllaasssseess..

Pitch Sessions

- Pitch your manuscript to national editors and publishers.

Contests

– Beginning of Book (BOB) Contest: First 500 words of your manuscript.

AZ Educator Licensing

– “Time Out for Writers” now offers Professional Development hours

for AZ Educator Licensing! Receive up to 17 Professional Development hours that can be applied toward the

renewal of your Arizona Educator’s License!

February 21-23, 2013

Mesa Hilton

To Register or for More Information

Visit Our Website at:

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Presents the 21st Annual

Contact, for more information or questions:

McKenna Gardner, Communications Chair communications@anwa-lds.com (602) 697-5022Open to the Public!

Interview with Tasarla Romaney

Tell us first, where were you born? In a small town in Michigan, my daughter was born in the same hospital but it closed a year after her birth.

Sounds cold this time of year. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? In a hut on a beach in the tropics. I always tell my husband and kids, I hear the sand calling me.

Ah ha From a cold climate but not cold at heart! What hidden talent do you possess outside of writing... something you do for fun, but are good at? Cooking – I'm not sure how hidden it is – I'm fairly sure the size of my hips gives it away. And the fact I feature food in all my books.

Okay, I grabbing a book just to get a glimpse into your kitchen. What’s your favorite color? Blue – from the faintest to the deepest royal

So glancing at a blue sky would make you happy. Maybe I should rethink my favorite color...What music groups/artists blast from your CD player while you write? Celtic Woman

Nice. What are you most passionate about, other than writing? Children's rights – I work as a school advocate for students who are emotional impaired.

I'm sure that it demanding at times, emotionally if not physically. Name some of your most favorite things. M&M's, candles, and fuzzy blankets

I can relate to those things, I'm trying a soy based candle right now...not so fragrant. What or who inspires you to write? The voices in my head, diet coke, and M&M's

Those darn voices...Why did you begin writing? Shortly after the birth of my daughter but a comment by a member in my family who I respected greatly crushed me so I put it on the back burner into about five years ago.

Family... they have no idea how we respect them or how much they affect our lives and our choices. I have experienced a similiar setback.
I started writing again initially just to prove one or two family members wrong and found it rather rewarding. What do you find most rewarding about writing? To create a world totally separate from reality and making it believable.

When is your next book due out, and what’s it about? The Hollow King – the first book in The Night of the Gryphon series - is coming out in print in January 2013. It's a fantasy quest involving five people, all from different backgrounds and with different motives. Its good versus evil and find out what is thought to be evil isn't always so.

How did you come up with your premise for The Night of the Gryphon series? I love to read to fantasy so that was the first step. And through my work I've learn things aren't always as they appear.

For those who are not familiar with this story, would you please give us the blurb?

Thought by most to be a simple child's chant…

A king of no kingdom

Who walks among the living yet is void of all but breathe

He will be known as the Hollow King and will yield the Spector.

The Warrior Queen with compassion will fuel the Hope

The one who walks on two legs but has the soul of an animal will guide the Spector’s magic.

Together they will use the Spector of Hope to rid the land of evil.


Until creatures most thought to be make-believe start to hunt at night… Freed by Ovezara, a sorceresses of what seems to be unlimited power.

Queen Taraly's dying father's command is to visit Grandmother June and learn what must be done to stop them.

King Crenshaw has lost his kingdom to Ovezara and vows to have revenge.

Sancha returns from a hunting trip to find his father's body torn to shreds by an evil so dark people refuse to acknowledge it.

The three unite to find the fabled Spector of Hope. As their quest starts to unfold, they realize that the line between good and evil is often blurred. What they believed to be good is twisted. Can they locate the Spector of Hope in time to restore good and save all from the evil Ovezara unleashes?

Interesting... Are there any fun tid-bits about this story you can share with us? I have a creature that is a cross between a bear and shark.

That is an interesting picture. How did you decide on the setting? I created the world entirely. I took favorite places I've visited or wish to visit and added a sprinkle of make-believe.

Oh, that explains the creature. Thanks for coming by today.

What is the purchase link? It's available in e-book format now (actually all three books are available) at Amazon and Desert Breeze Publishing - http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-153/Tasarla-Romaney-The-Hollow/Detail.bok

Sizzling Kiss from Shadowed Dreams by Tina Pinson

 Matthew laughed again. "Woman... What am I going to do with you?" She shrugged. He looked at her closely, pulled the pant leg down, slowly caressing her ankle, and gently lowered her foot. Then he stood up slowly, giving her the most peculiar grin as he rose to tower over her. She shivered when she saw the fierceness that shadowed his blue eyes.


"Rebekah." It was a whispered groan as he bent toward her. Her eyes widened as he hauled her up against his hard chest, and kissed the breath out of her.

She pulled back, gasping for air. His lips sought hers again. She met him in return. The feel of his pliant lips against her was intoxicating. Fire slid to her belly. He kissed her eyes, her ears, her neck. My, how she liked it. She liked it too much and shouldn't.

"Matthew, I..." He covered her mouth with his own again, and sent her emotions soaring before she could speak. Her mind warring with the heart drumming in her chest, she lifted her hands, and ran her fingers through his ebony hair. His muscles contracted when she touched his neck. A tremor surged through her fingers and along her arms. She wanted the man, but he deserved far better. Didn't he?

The fiery warmth seeped further into her body no matter how she fought it. The feelings were present again. Feelings she longed for, but had no right to feel. Fear rose in her. She shook from the iciness of it. Her hands fell from the embrace.

===========
Books from Tina E. Pinson--
Touched By Mercy, In the Manor of the Ghost, When Shadows Fall, Shadowed Dreams
Twitter @Tina_Pinson
http://tinapinson.com
http://tinapinson.blogspot.com

Envisioning Stephenia

Stephenia McGee wrote her first story from a first-grade spelling list. Many more have followed, but A Legacy of Lies is her first novel. She is a member of the Christian Writer's Guild and continues to work with other writers to hone her craft.


Can't you just see six-year-old Stephenia writing a whole story with her first grade vocabulary? How darling is that?

In addition to writing, Stephenia also enjoys painting and working with horses. She has a bachelor's degree from Mississippi State University in animal science and has worked and trained for several equestrian farms. She is the Chairman at Spirit Horse Ministries, and continues to use these skills in the youth programs.

Another imagination exercise for all of us -- Stephenia in her boots and hat...paint brush in one hand, reins in the other... okay go back and imazgine one image of her at a time. Now add a few troubled youth hanging on to her guidance as she teaches them about the horses they are astride.
I feel a novel brewing in the back of my mind...

She is a lifetime member of the AQHA and a member of the Fort Rosalie chapter of the DAR.

Stephenia is married to her best friend and greatest blessing, Jason, and they currently live in Mississippi with their two sons.

Now a loving family of four to picture in your minds.
Thank you Stephenia for sharing this exercise and your biography.

A Legacy of Lies By:Stephenia McGee

Here’s a great recipe for chewy chocolate chip cookies that one of my characters makes in A Legacy of Lies.


Montana Chocolate Chip Cookies



Description:

Soft and chewy, these sweet, triple chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate treat! Great for curling up on the couch with a glass of milk and a good book!

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 12 oz pack semisweet chocolate chips

1 12 oz pack milk chocolate chips

1 12 oz pack white chocolate chips

Preparation

Step One:

Preheat oven to 350*F. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Combine the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer set on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time; stir in vanilla.

Step Two:

Gradually add the flour mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Step Three:

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about two inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten the dough slightly with the back of a fork. Bake the cookies until golden brown, about fifteen minutes. Transfer to wire cookie racks to cool completely. Makes five dozen.



Presentation Suggestions:

Serve warm with a glass of milk or top with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce!

Excerpt:

The two women sat at the humble kitchen table and Glenda placed a plate of fresh chocolate-chip cookies between them. Sarah gratefully took a bite from one. She closed her eyes and savored the delectable sweetness. "These are great!"

Pride lit Glenda's features. "Thank you. They're my grandmother's secret recipe."

Sarah shoved the rest of the cookie in her mouth. She chewed slowly and stewed in her nervousness. She didn't have the slightest clue how to get started. Fortunately, Glenda broke the awkward silence.

"So, tell me about your trip."

Sarah swallowed and took a sip from her lemonade. "Well, it was quite an adventure. I really enjoyed the scenery and riding Sassy. She's a great horse." She paused to clear her throat.

"I almost had a pretty bad accident because I did something stupid." She forced a laugh. "But everything turned out okay."

Glenda raised her eyebrows. "What happened?"

Sarah recounted her encounter with the bull and how she'd been able to finally save the calf with Jim's help. Glenda watched her closely as she spoke. Sarah felt like the woman was looking right through her. Her heart beat furiously.

"Wow," Glenda replied when Sarah had finished stumbling over her story. "Seems like you did have quite an adventure."

"Yeah." Sarah lowered her eyes and willed the blood to stop burning in her cheeks. Then, gathering her courage, she decided to dive in head first. "Mrs. Wilson? I, well... let's see? Where to start?" Sarah said mostly to herself.

Glenda waited patiently for her to continue.

"Well, I'm afraid, first of all, Clark may have stronger feelings about us than I do." Sarah chewed on her lower lip and didn't meet Glenda's gaze.

"The thought did cross my mind."

Sarah cringed. Not the response she'd expected. Was she that transparent? "He's such a wonderful guy. He really is, and I really like him and respect him a lot. But, well, out on the trail I had some time to do some serious thinking, and I just don't think we are meant to be."

Her ears were burning now and she fixed her gaze on a blue and yellow placemat. Glenda didn't make a sound, but Sarah couldn't stop her momentum now.

"Clark wanted me to come here and meet you and Ronnie, and for us to spend more quality time together. We were hoping to deepen our relationship. Now, I just don't think that's a possibility." She drew a deep breath, and then ventured to look up.

Glenda picked up a cookie and chewed it slowly. They both sipped their cool, sweet lemonade for a few moments in silence. Sarah squirmed on the wooden chair.

Just when Sarah thought she couldn't take the tension any longer, Glenda said, "Y'know you should really talk to Clark about this. That would be the most appropriate thing to do." Her voice was calm, though her tone was corrective.

Sarah sighed, nodding. "Yes, and that's really what I want to do, but I'm afraid it's not going to be an option."



A Life Built on a Legacy – A Legacy Built on Lies

Sarah Sanders was always the reasonable sort, until she kissed a cowboy against her better judgment. Feeling strangely drawn to this mysterious ranch hand with a dark past, she finds herself swept up in an adventure that will force her to question everything she believes.

Jim Anderson’s cowboy gig is going pretty well. Except for one thing – he thinks he's going insane. Night terrors, hallucinations, and now a girl he has no business falling for. It’s better to keep his distance. But when Sarah is nearly killed, he will risk it all to save her.

When tragedy brings him back to the home he tried to escape, Jim will have to face the truth behind his strange circumstances and hope that Sarah will believe him. Digging up the answers to questions long buried, does he have the strength to face the dark family secrets that threaten to destroy them both?

Now Available at:

Desert Breeze Publishing http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-273/A-Legacy-of-Lies/Detail.bok

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A-Legacy-of-Lies-ebook/dp/B007K1LS58/ref=la_B007P5NISY_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352752217&sr=1-1

ChristianBook.com: http://www.christianbook.com/a-legacy-of-lies-ebook/stephenia-mcgee/9781612521497/pd/28979EB?product_redirect=1&Ntt=28979EB&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Giving Thanks

Giving thanks for all the family and friends that are a part of my life, both the living and those who have passed on. It is a shame that the day only comes around once a year. Everyday I am thankful for the influences you have in my life, the good and the well, not so good.
Giving thanks for the freedom I enjoy and those that have made it possible, those who continue to do so as well.
To all of you that make my life better...Thank you! And...Happy Thanksgiving!

Legally Wed by Patty Froese

Blurb:

When Rich McConaughey comes back to town, divorce papers in hand, he’s in for more than he bargained for. Lisa Young, the woman he was married to for six months, hasn’t changed a bit. His mother has though… she’s gone from matronly to meow, and his father has taken off with the secretary. Does anything last anymore?

Lisa Young feels chained to the hardware store her family has run for generations. How can she tell her father that she hates the family business? When Rich walks back into her store asking her to finalize a divorce she thought was behind her, she thinks that the answer is to sign on the dotted line and move on. Except, Rich isn’t making it so easy… and God has other plans.

For better or for worse, when you’re legally wed, things can get complicated.


Bio:

Patty Froese lives in central Canada where the winters are long and cold--giving her excellent excuse to stay in and write without guilt. She's a tea drinker, a novel writer, an adoring wife and mom, and she's pretty sure she's a British person born in a shivering, Canadian body. She loves rain, royalty, pretty knick knacks and three square meals a day. No dieting here!

If you'd like to find her online, come by her blog: http://pattyfroese.com. She's also on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pattyfroese, and whenever someone gives her a new like or follows her blog, she sighs in delight.

Legally Wed is her ninth novel to be released. Get it here http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-371/Legally-Wed-Patty-Froese/Detail.bok

Coming soon to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Giving Thanks for the Perfect Package

When I got married, I had all sorts of beautiful ideas of what marriage would be like. I came from a family of "good gifters." We'd shop for weeks and weeks until we found the perfect gift for each other. My brother bought me a gorgeous little silver jewelry box one year. I bought him an engraved cigar holder. My parents would give each other thoughtful gifts of jewelry or rare books... Gifts were an important part of our family culture.


My husband was a different kind of guy.

Our first anniversary, I bought my husband a stainless steel business card holder and engraved it with the words "More Than Anything," my answer to him when he asked how much I loved him. Super. Wife. Seriously, it was a gift that I was SURE would be passed on to our grandchildren with the romantic story. My husband opened the package and looked at it in confusion.

"What is it?"

"A business card holder. Look at the inscription..."

"But I don't have business cards."

"I know. You could use it to hold credit cards, maybe." I went on to explain the potential significance, but he still didn't seem to get it. I thought it might grow on him.

The next day, my husband was trying to fix something in our new apartment, and we didn't yet own a hammer. I walked into the room to find my husband using my gift to him as a makeshift hammer, slamming it repeatedly into a nail! He honestly didn't think it would get damaged...

That day, I had a decision to make. I could drive myself nuts for the rest of my life trying to make him appreciate my great gifts, and take on the even harder task of teaching him how to BUY those great gifts, or I could just appreciate him for who he is.

He's sweet, kind, attentive and an incredibly hard worker. He puts me first. He pours time into our relationship. He takes pride in being there for me. He's brilliant. He's my perfect match--with or without a great gifting instinct.

Marriage isn't always "romance novel" material. It's the daily grind. It's the breakfasts, mid-morning chats on the phone, grocery shopping trips when both of you are wiped and cuddling up in bed together when the power goes out. Marriage isn't about the few monumental moments, it's about those many, many insignificant moments that don't seem important at the time, but meld together into a lifelong relationship. This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for my husband--the complete package.

In my novel, Legally Wed, we follow the stories of two marriages--one that was supposed to be over, and one that was supposed to be perfect. Marriage is never what you imagine...http://pattyfroese.com

More on Legally Wed tomorrow...

The Archer's Hollow with Peggy Urry

I grew up with books. Lots of books. My favorite summer day was Tuesday because that meant the bookmobile was coming to the town park for the day. I scrambled through my chores every morning so I could spend a large part of my day draped over an overstuffed pink chair, wrapping gum around my finger and pulling it like taffy, reading. Mostly it was mysteries, Nancy Drew, The Three Investigators, maybe a little Hardy Boys, then as I got older and realized boys actually did not have cooties, I added romance with my mysteries, anything by Victoria Holt, lots of Mary Stewart, that kind of stuff. But I explored other genres, too. Madeleine L'Engle became a favorite, and quite possibly my reason for loving fantasy. So when it came to writing, I combined my favorite genres and wrote a fantasy romance. I hope there is an element of suspense, as well.


The Archer's Hollow, a fantasy romance, is my debut novel. It's funny (not in a haha sort of way, mind you) that our stories are often referred to as our 'babies' and it's true, I love this story. It is set around 100 AD and involves two people who are thrown into unexpected circumstances and learn that against the odds, true love does exist.

From the 'back of the book': Nineteen-year-old Siri must keep a deathbed vow made to her mother. Escaping a village that's never been home and finding an unknown place are only the start. She naively triggers an ancient elven curse that will soon destroy what she loves most. Helped by a handsome master archer she faces a pivotal decision: forsake true love by continuing her quest or pursue true love dooming those around her.

Available on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/241945

and at Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-archers-hollow-peggy-urry/1113575566?ean=2940044976221

You can also find Peggy at http://peggyurry.blogspot.com/.  http://peggyurry.blogspot.com/2012/11/words.html

Giving Thanks

If you read yesterdays post you will not be surprised at what I share today.

I am grateful for some dear friends that I have met thus far in my writing career. In particular today I am thankful for Debra Parmley, and not just because we are both blonds. Debra has recently sent me one of her novels (in paperback), A Desperate Journey. I didn't ask for this gift, but it arrived yesterday and it caused a warm fuzzy all over to add to my smile. The book will be added to my dwindling TBR pile.

I am grateful for my children, some at home, some close to home and some more distant. All but one have entertained themselves with helping me learn to text on an older cell phone. Fatt fingers and tiny keys don't always make for clear messages!

I am grateful for the occasional rays of sunshine that dare to peak through the clouds and sometimes even the fog despite the fact that we should be seeing more rain this time of year. Oh yeah, which leads me to the thanks for the Vitamin D supplement and the full spectrum light that I spend most of my waking hours under. For those of you who occasionally deal with depression, I strongly recommend you find one and use it regularly.

I am grateful for my husband that reminds me to laugh at least once a day and the children that make me laugh (friends too!) even if it is the goofy program they are watching.

I am grateful for the ease of research for a WIP that a sibling or two provide me with. One in particular has spent hours roughing it in less than savory country as well as reading and studying dusty pages to share with me and on occasion answer questions. What would I do without you guys? Answer: write less believable scenes in novels.

And, I am grateful for the novel I am currently working on, even though it manages to prove painfully slow going at times. You'll be happy to know it doesn't read slow, just takes a bit of effort to get the details right.

I am thankful for...

A couple of friends and I were talking earlier this month about the things we are thankful for. (It is Thanksgiving around the corner before Christmas.)


The conversation turned to being thankful for trials with one's comment about being thankful that she and her immediate family live so far from family and lifelong friends now…

…because it allows her to grow and develop new friendships (okay, I'm paraphrasing.)

Another said she is thankful for the extra time she has (Really, I don't have extra time either, but she feels she does.)…

…because it helps her to be more creative and productive…

Wow, it's taken me a couple of days to come up with one I feel I can share here. My first response mirrored theirs with most of my family living many hours away and all. BUT…

I am thankful for the rain (we get a lot of that here)…

…because it pretty much keeps me homebound.

I am thankful that my car is not reliable at this time…

…because it keeps me homebound.

I am thankful for crummy health…

…because it keeps me homebound.

I am thankful for doctors that care for me…

…because their instructions keep me homebound.

Seeing a pattern here yet?

Okay, I am thankful for being homebound…

…because…sooner or later I run out of excuses and really get some quality writing done…(1000 words in my WIP today)

And hopefully this spring my publisher will smile at me and say, "I'm thankful that you were homebound…"

What are you thankful for?

Ever wonder if Romance Authors know what they are writing about?

Okay, you want to be an author and you've heard a dozen times that you need to write what you know. There are a lot of authors out there doing just that and you want to know why they are writing romance? Let's find out if they know what they are writing about. I woun't share the whole discussion, but here is how one about bits of marrage advise tht these romance writers shared.
These authors are from all over the world, from different parts of the country with differentreligios and non-religious backgrounds. What do these women have in common? Pull up a chair and listen (most of them are authors of your favorite romance novels!)


1. I was taught to never go to bed angry. The argument only festers.
2. Marriage is like a good job. If you want to keep it, you have to work at it.
3. Compromise is essential.
4. Never spend more than what you have. :-)
Jaclyn

Never take your mate for granted.

Barri Bryan
http://barribryan.com/

You've heard it said marriage should be a 50/50 deal. When in reality it's a 100/100/100 You, your spouse and God. That's how two become one a union cannot be made, IMHO, without love, prayer, patience, communication, consideration, compromise and forgiveness and laughter, (but not at the expense of each other)

Shadowed Dreams -- http://tinyurl.com/94vzlao
Tina Pinson

When you are frustrated or angry with your spouse or feeling like you don’t want to be married, think back to all of the things that made you fall in love with him/her. Love is a choice, sometimes we must choose to love when things are bad, but by remember why you fell in love in the first place, it often rekindles that spark. Also, ask God to renew you passion for your spouse each day

www.marcydyer.com/blog

The one piece of advice I'd give that I believe has helped me and Hubby reach year 19 is... remember you're friends and laugh together, a lot.

Oh, and hold hands whenever possible.
A.R. Norris
AmberNorris2000@yahoo.com

Avoiding an issue doesn't make it go away. If anything, avoiding an issue compounds it. You have to be open to each other, no matter what the other person has to say, even and especially if it's bad or worrisome.

This is for men especially... sometimes when we tell you something is bothering us, it's not because we want you to fix it. We just want you to listen, and in the talking, the solution can come on its own.
And remember, you chose this person to be with for life. There was a reason for that. :-)
My husband and I have been together 21 years this past August, married 20 1/2. :-)
http://www.GailDelaney.com

After 21 years of marriage (21 years on 14 NOV this year) I have this advice:

Don't sacrifice your precious time to clean up after him - you need sleep, too. Now I'm getting close to 6 hours sleep a day. :)
Be firm - tell him you're going to sleep so he'll: take the kids to school, pick up the kids from school and and take the kids to their after school activties.
Let the dishes pile up in the sink and get your sleep. He'll eventually get the hint when you run out of dishes and load them in the dishwasher.
Don't run yourself down to the point where you are missing sleep and get a migrine. It will only freak you - and him out. :)
No, seriously...
Communication is big. Even if you're on opposite schedules and opposite days off find ways to talk - even if it's just to send a text message saying "Hi - how are you doing."
Make "couple" time without the kids. It can be a challenge with our modern schedules, but it's so important to keeping a marriage happy.
Get your sleep so you're not a shrew. Let him get his sleep so he's not a grump.
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

When we hit a rocky spot, and you will too eventually, we sat across a small table, held hands and looked each other in the eye as we talked. It took more "talks" than we ever thought, but staring at each other was great. Sometimes we would wind up in bed. Other times we would laugh. Mostly it was serious communication, but we got through it. (He has really nice eyes. I had forgotten.
Jan Lane


Remember that out of all the gin joints, or places he or she hangs out, he chose you and believe it or not, you agreed to it. Treat him like it, your knight in shining armor, and tell him because we all need a bit of reaffirmation at times.
Shaunna Gonzales

Marriage advice?

After 45 years, I would agree with what has been written. Marriage is definitely a 100% give and take all the way around.
Tom and I share in the house keeping, the cooking, the dishes, the laundry, the groceries, you name it. It wasn’t always that way. But that’s what happens when you become best friends.
To me a husband and wife MUST become best friends, though it doesn’t happen overnight. We earn the trust of one another as the years progress.
Shirley

When my husband and I had our first argument, he insisted we not go to bed angry. My mother had always shut my father out of the bedroom. We said, "Daddy's in the dog house", and sometimes it lasted for weeks, but my husband was having none of that, and it worked for us. We always found a way to talk through any disagreement before kissing good night.

P.S. That goodnight kiss is important to. This has kept us together for over sixty years.
www.ToniNoelAuthor.com

Having worked with abused children and spouses and seen pretty much everything in over two decades of social work, I can say one thing for sure... Never marry a man who hates his mother. He will abuse you and possibly also the children. Men that hate their mothers turn on the women in their lives. It's pretty much a universal concept that without intervention does not change.

Michelle Sutton
For more about who asked the question and what she posted on her blog, visit http://pattyfroese.com/on Nov. 19th.

Talking with Ranee Clark, author of A Contemptible Affection

What do you find most rewarding about writing? I love to go back and read something I wrote and fall in love with it again. I love it when someone finds something I've written enjoyable. It makes me flutter.

I know the feeling or its close sibling, "Wow, I wrote that?" I notice your answers are in pink so um…What’s your favorite color? Pink! I love pink!

Yeah, I have a few too many dresses, scarves and tops in pink. I prefer absolute silence when I write, but what music groups/artists blast from your CD player while you write? It depends on the writing mood I'm in. Sometimes, if I'm really into one of my YA manuscripts, I'll pick a teen station on Pandora or Spotify and just let it ride. If I just need more background noise, I turn to my soundtracks station on Pandora. I don't think I've owned a CD or a CD player for several years. ;)

What or who inspires you to write? Pretty much everyone and everything. I can be sitting somewhere and see something and I say to myself -- what would happen if ...? And it takes off from there.  Once, while sitting and watching my kids play at a kiddie pool (and also mulling over some local events) the inspiration for a short story just hit me.

Proof of an active mind on vacation! What was your favorite book growing up that inspired you to try your hand at writing? I'm not sure if they exactly inspired me, but I loved the Nancy Drew books and also the Babysitters Club Books. My first stories that I wrote in late elementary school and middle school were all little series sets, mysteries or whatnot, three to five pages long.

Have you experienced writer’s block? And if so, how did you cure it? Of course! I think that probably the best advice is to make yourself write or write through it, but I don't think that's a hard and fast rule. I think sometimes writers need to step away and do something else -- maybe that's go for a walk, listen to music, watch a movie, go shopping, eat ice cream, or maybe go to a different project. I tend to hop to different projects if I'm really blocked, but I do try to write through everything, then I'll go back and fix those scenes that I know needed help.

Good advice! I'll have to try that the next time I hit the wall. Is that when you turn to your other interests and talents? What hidden talent do you possess outside of writing... something you do for fun, but are good at? I love to scrapbook -- digitally. I've spent the last year or so learning what I can about PhotoShop and using it to create. I love the sort of mindlessness that goes into it. Whenever I need something to distract my fingers, but when my brain needs to be on something else, I scrapbook!

How did you come up with your premise for A CONTEMPTIBLE AFFECTION? I was inspired by a line in a Georgette Heyer novel. One of the heroes (the heroine didn't end up with him) said that he'd always intended to marry her. That line spun off into A CONTEMPTIBLE AFFECTION and inspired most of Lord Dersingham's character, but both he and Iris evolved over and over to create a different story than what I originally imagined.

For those who are not familiar with this story, would you please give us the blurb?
After being spurned by Lord Dersingham last season, Iris Colburne swears she'll never let him in again. But that is a lot harder than she imagined.

Are there any fun tid-bits about this story you can share with us? None of my beta readers ever liked Iris, and only through some editing could I make her likable in the end. But she's still one of my favorite characters.

How did you decide on the setting? When you're writing a regency, and you want to write a good one, London is sort of the default. 

What is the purchase link (and cost)? A CONTEMPTIBLE AFFECTION is available both at Amazon and on Smashwords for $0.99.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009UGKEQU
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/245847

It's also available in paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Contemptible-Affection-Regency-Novella/dp/148007411X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Can you tell us what review of your story meant the most to you and why? The very first "actual" review I got has meant a lot. The reader loved it and really connected with Iris as a character and got Iris' motivations. I loved it. It made my tummy flutter and I had to read it to my husband. I think that review could sustain me through any bad reviews!

Veteran's Day

Is it just me or do we have an ever increasing need to thank the men and women who defend our liberty and freedoms? Per chance it is my increasing age or possibly the freedoms that have caught my attention of recent.


On November 6th, we all over the United States have had the opportunity to cast our vote, to utter our opinion no matter how unobtrusive or quiet. It is my hope that we recognize the sacrifices of generations that have gone before that gave us this right and an appreciation for those that continue to give of their time, their abilities, and some even their lives, for us to enjoy such a right. Not all living on Mother Earth have this privilege.

On a more recent evening, after my family had retired and all was quiet, I gave my attention the sound of a rather large aircraft overhead. Whether coming in for a landing at the nearby passenger airport of the slightly more distant military airfield, I don't know. What caught my attention, and possibly because of what we had watched on TV, was the gentle peace that infused my soul knowing I appreciated that aircraft and many more like it rather than running for a safer location (bomb shelter, bunker, etc.) How many have lived and died fearing the sound of a plane overhead? Yes. I am thankful for the peace I and mine enjoy.

How appropriate that Veterans Day falls just days before Thanksgiving. I encourage one and all to include veterans, their lives, and their deaths, and for some - the normalcy of civilian life, in our Thanksgiving rituals this year and for years to come. To the men and women who have served, do now serve, or will someday serve, Thank you.

Does He Love me? Should I Say "Yes"?

How do you know he's the one?
Just a few tidbits to think about.

My Aunt Rose always said if you can't stand the thought of sharing a toothbrush with someone, don't marry that person.

Carolyn

===
My mom always told me that if you can't stand naked in front of that person, completely exposed in glaring light, and still be confident in his love for you, then you'd better not marry him.

Not your typical Christian advice... ;)
http://pattyfroese.com

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My sister's marriage advice to all her children: Don't marry someone you love because love isn't enough sometimes. Marry someone you absolutely cannot live without.

http://laurelhawkes.blogspot.com/

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"Don't marry a bum!"

Jenifer

===
Communication is key, even when you're upset or angry. Not every day is going to be nice and rosy. There will be fights and arguments. If you don't work things out, they'll just continue to grow, and you'll grow apart.

And don't forget why you fell in love in the first. Make sure, that no matter how busy you get, you still make time for each other.
Nicole Zoltack

===
Having worked with abused children and spouses and seen pretty much everything in over two decades of social work, I can say one thing for sure... Never marry a man who hates his mother. He will abuse you and possibly also the children. Men that hate their mothers turn on the women in their lives. It's pretty much a universal concept that without intervention does not change.

Michelle Sutton
===
"Watch a man with his mother and his sisters, if he has sisters. The way he treats them, is the way he will treat you."

Barri

===

Paraphrased from my sister: Divorce is not an option. If you can commit without an escape clause, maybe the answer is "Yes".

My turn...
Take the time to explore a "What if?" session.
The rules are simple. Be honest. Be candid. And any and all subjects are fair game. (Keep the sex talk for later, much later.) I promise you that you will know more than you did before --- and you might just change your mind!
Caution!!!!!
This is not an exercise to embark into lightly. You should be relatively sure he/she is the one.

Best wishes in your pending nuptials.