"WHAT IF?" TURNED OUT WELL

In Print or E-book

EPIC 2011 Finalist, NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES includes six novellas, one of which is mine. The five other authors and I are friends and decided to put together an anthology on a "what if we did this?" basis. Working together was fun! Not only were we able to contract the anthology with The Wild Rose Press, but we've had wonderful reviews from the result. We were #6 in the 2009 Preditors and Editors Top Ten poll last year and received a 4. rating from Romantic Times. This was the only thing I've written set in Georgia or in the Civil War time period--I prefer Texas in the years from 1870-1895. To my pleasant surprise, NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES came together rather well (in my opinion, which might be more than a little biased LOL). Over the next few weeks, I'll slip in interviews with each of the authors and ask each to share some information about her novella. First up is my long time friend, Jeanmarie Hamilton.

Jeanmarie Hamilton

Jeanmarie enjoys family and friends, oil painting, fossils -- which reminds me of her story that was inspired by a "dinosaur beach" -- and dinosaur tracks. She said, "A thirty-inch long dinosaur footprint touching your toes can change your life!" Texas is her home as it was to some of her ancestors -- men who were farmers, ranchers, judges, lawmen -- women who would rather be outside riding their horses than inside cooking, who learned to speak the language of the Lipan Apache, stopped hangings, and raised children. Jeanmarie loves writing stories set in the Southwest about heros and heroines, the problems they overcome, their fears and triumphs and the forever love they can't deny.


Caroline: Welcome, Jeanmarie. How did you come up with that idea for ARE YOU GOING TO THE DANCE? for the anthology?

Alsatian dress Castroville
women settlers wore

Jeanmarie: When we authors decided to write an anthology, I was interested in writing a story about my Texas ancestors' experiences. I didn't want to write about them exactly, so I used their actual history for inspiration. The town of Castroville, Texas (known as Little Alsace) voted to have a local militia unit to protect their town rather than send men to fight in the Confederate army. My great great grandfather wanted to keep the states together. He'd come to Texas from Holland in the early 1840s and it was important to him and many other farmers in that area of Texas to keep all the states together. His son became a member of the local militia.

Comanche family. Comanches were
known as Lords of the Plains

Another family story involved my great great grandmother saving the life of a Comanche brave who had been wounded and hadn't been found. The scene of how she discovered the Indian at night and removed the bullet and cared for him is actually part of my great great grandmother's story. Inspired by the militia and her experience, I developed the characters, Lexie and Clay, for "ARE YOU GOING TO THE DANCE?"

Caroline: Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you write full time?


Jeanmarie: I write all the time. I'm either writing a story, editing, or working on promotion for my stories. I start around 9 in the morning and stop when my husband arrives home from work around 5 or 6 pm. I take off on the weekends when he's home all day, unless I'm in a hurry to finish a project at an editor's request.

Caroline: I know you love setting books in Texas, as I do. Are you drawn to the Civil War era?


Jeanmarie: Although my story, ARE YOU GOING TO THE DANCE? takes place immediately the Civil War, I haven't previously written stories influenced by the Civil War. I would rather write stories about how the war influenced my characters' lives following the war and how they picked up their lives once again.

Caroline: What are the other works you have out?



Jeanmarie: I have a few out. MOONLIGHT DESPERADO published by Siren BookStrand is a werewolf western historical romance that takes place in central Texas after the Civil War. This story was inspired by an incident which involved raiders who robbed my great great grandmother in Castroville. Of course I changed it as well as the characters and added werewolves for some fun. Werewolves are strong over-the-top characters and I enjoy reading and writing about them.

SEDUCTION was my debut book out in 2009. It's a western historical romance with a little touch of pygmalion flavor. PURE HEAVEN, out with Red Rose Publishing, is a short novella, an erotic werewolf western historical romance I wrote under the name Jenette DuPris. It has received some great reviews as well, and it's part of a multi-author series titled Legends of Loving Texas.

Caroline: What do you have in the works for the future?


Jeanmarie: I just contracted another erotic werewolf story, GUARDIAN OF HER HEART, with Siren Bookstrand. This one is a contemporary story and also a novella. It is scheduled for release in March, 2011. Meanwhile, I'm working on an erotic western historical novel about a Texas Ranger and a strong-willed rancher's daughter.

Caroline: Would you give us a blurb from ARE YOU GOING TO THE DANCE?

Jeanmarie: Strong-willed Lexie Perreau must protect her lifelong friends, the Lipan Apache from being wrongly arrested for a deadly raid. Clay has led the local militia in times of war and peace and kept his community safe. But someone has just been killed by raiders. Now he must find the killer and agrees with the men in town that he must catch the Apache raiders responsible.


But beautiful and courageous Lexie challenges him at every turn, endangering her own life and possibly the trust and respect of the one man who holds her heart.


Caroline: How about an excerpt:


Jeanmarie: Certainly.


"Mind if I cut in?" Clay smiled at her.


"Yeah, I do mind." Al looked plainly disgruntled.


"Too bad." Clay pushed Al back, slipping between him and Lexie, taking control.


As Clay's gentle hand swept around her waist, and his other hand took hers, she breathed a sigh of relief. Relaxing in his embrace, she smiled at him as he swept her into a turn, following the music. "I didn't know if you'd make it," she admitted.


"Sorry, I was late. I wouldn't miss the dance knowing you'd be here."


At his words, Lexie looked up at his eyes. His warm gaze sent heat and that disconcerting ache streaming through her to settle low in her stomach. Oh Lord. She hoped no one noticed how he affected her. He easily led her around the room, turning her in time to the waltz until she was almost dizzy. When the music stopped, he released her from his hold and escorted her to the refreshment table.


They drank glasses of punch and afterward shared a breathtaking polka. As the dance ended and people clapped and whooped, Lexie noticed Clay's attention was drawn to the entry. She turned to see what he looked at and saw with disappointment that one of the younger militiamen stood inside the doorway gesturing for Clay to follow him.


"Looks like I'm needed for something. Hate to leave so early, but I'd better check this out." Clay turned to leave.


"No. I'll go with you." Obviously, there was trouble. What kind of danger did he face? She hurried after him as he made his way through the crowd and out the door to the road.

Caroline: Is there any other news you’d like to share? Any links?

Jeanmarie: I'm thrilled to say that the anthology, NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES, which includes "ARE YOU GOING TO THE DANCE?" is a finalist in the 2011 EPIC contest. Look for an ad for the anthology, NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES, in the January 2011 issue of RT Book Reviews. I'd love it if readers would like to sign up for my newsletter. Anyone interested can find the link on my web site at http://www.JeanmarieHamilton.com


The anthology set around the Civil War is available in both print and e-book format and is available at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ and also on Amazon for Kindle, and most other online book sources.


Jeanmarie, thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

MY FUNNIEST GIFT--AND I DON'T MEAN HA HA FUNNY!

As we near the gift giving season, the gals at the Mojito Literary Society (my kind of people) thought it would be fun for some of us to join them in relating the story of the funniest--as in not quite appropriate--gift we'd received from our spouse or significant other. Even though it's the wrong season, I'll tell you about the Mother's Day gift my sweet Hero gave me during my first pregnancy.

My husband and I had been told I could not conceive, so we were completely overjoyed when the OG-GYN told me I was pregnant. I already knew. I swear I was sick from the second of conception. Talk about morning sickness! I bordered on toxemia, so I was just plain sick the entire time, but I won't bore you with all the yukky details. On Mother's Day, my Hero told me he would plan a wonderful surprise day for me since as a mom-to-be I qualified for Mother's Day honors.

I'm an indoorsy kind of person. You know, the nerd who reads all the time or writes in a secluded corner as opposed to playing sports or camping. My idea of roughing it is staying at a three star motel. My Hero is pretty much the same except for fishing. He loves fishing! His mom loved picnics and fishing. So what did he do? You guessed it. He thought all women loved picnics. We went to Lake Tawakoni east if Dallas.

Lake Tawakoni

Here I was with swollen feet and hands and looking like a beached whale, and he took me out in the heat, with insects, on a picnic to a lake about an hour from our home at that time. I was trapped. He'd planned so completely, I couldn't tell him I was miserable. At least I hope I concealed my discomfort and dislike of the whole idea. Well, I enjoyed the drive there and back in our air-conditioned car. During the afternoon--which lasted at least 72 hours--he was so solicitous and caring. I was a woman who wished she were home! You have to understand that my Hero is extremely considerate and loving. Unless you're a person so mean you kick puppies, you just can't be bitchy when confronted with Hero's attitude. Well, at least not too bitchy.

That's my story of my funniest gift. What's yours?

You can see the stories of others at the link below.

November Is National Family Literacy Month

November is National Family Literacy Month. Obviously literacy is important to you or you wouldn’t be reading this. LOL Celebrate by volunteering to help someone learn to read—whether encouraging an adult or tutoring a child. Give yourself a break and curl up with a good book. If you don’t have one handy, please let me recommend mine! at www.thewildrosepress.com/caroline-clemmons-m-638.html. Blatant self-promotion, but I feel compelled. If I don't push my books off on you, who will?



My First Book--Isn't it Sweet?

 Can you remember the first book you read? The first one I read alone—not counting the newspaper comics my dad used as incentive to teach me to read—was a small Golden Book of PRAYERS FOR CHILDREN. At the time, my mom wasn’t a reader (although she became an avid reader later in life), so she didn’t buy books for me. Occasionally she’d let me buy a comic book.  Why comic books and not real books? The fact the comic books were cheap made all the difference for my frugal mom. Could that woman ever pinch a penny until Abe Lincoln begged for mercy!

My dad read the newspaper and any book he could get his hands on, but didn’t buy them or use the library. I have no idea why, but he borrowed them from my half-siblings. He loved to read and encouraged me to learn at an early age. Probably he tired of me nagging him to read me the funny papers and comic books. At the time, I thought Bugs Bunny was the funniest thing on earth. What can I saw? A sophisticated kid I was not!

What was the first book you chose to read from a library or bookstore? Can you remember the first book you purchased on your own? I do. My first library book was a Nancy Drew mystery, although I don't remember which one. The first book I purchased with my allowance was LITLE WOMEN. Those books resurrect fond memories for me.

A favorite book
of our daughters

My husband and I also share fond memories of reading to our daughters, even long after they could read themselves. It was a cozy bedtime ritual whose memory I wouldn’t trade for any amount of money. They’re both avid readers now and were good students in school. One has a PhD and the other her Masters, so reading paid off for them. But reading pays off for anyone! Even if you don't get to finish school for some reason, reading brings pleasure forever. The ability to read is necessary to excel in any field, even math. If you don’t read well, you can’t even pass the personnel application test—now always given on a computer—necessary to get a job. I realize I'm preaching to the choir, but if you don’t read to your children or grandchildren, do yourself and them a lasting favor and start right away.

November is also NaNoWriMo. Due to family crises, guests, a party we've planned, holiday plans, etc. I'm not participating in the writing challenge this year. It's a great thing, though, and many of my friends are involved. Writing without letting your internal editor slow the process is tough for people like me, so NaNoWriMo is good practice in letting the words flow unchecked. As my heroine Nora Roberts reportedly said, "I can edit crap; I can't edit a blank page."


My newsletter avatar

 Big news for me is that the 15th is my first ever Mostly Monthly Newsletter. If you missed out on this month, sign up on this blog's sidebar beneath my photo and get in on future emails. It's painless. Honest. And it includes an exclusive FREE (always my favorite price for anything!) short story, recipe, news, and miscellaneous odds and ends as whimsy dictates.

Hooray! I finished the final edits for my next release, HOME SWEET TEXAS HOME. This novel is quite a departure for my writing. Instead of sensual, it’s sweet, which means that there is no consummated sex. The book includes lots of sexual tension between the heroine, Courtney Madison, and hero, Derek Corrigan, though. Plus, it’s set in West Texas near where I grew up and part of it even takes place in Lubbock. Courtney has a teenaged brother for whom she’s guardian since their mom’s death. Derek has two young kids, eight and five, and is a widower. Oh, you see where this is going, don’t you? Maybe. Maybe not. I'm not saying. Soon I’ll get the release date, but I’m sure it will be 2011.

No cover yet

I also signed the contract for a novella titled SAVE YOUR HEART FOR ME. I love this little story. I began it years ago, then decided to change the name of the heroine and her mom to that of my aunt and my mom. When my mom died three-and-a-half years ago, I put the story away. One week last month, I dug it out of my computer’s hard drive and finished it. It’s a western historical set in—no surprise—Texas in 1885.

Thanks for stopping by!

RECIPE TO MAKE YOU THANKFUL!

Fall has arrived and Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Where did summer go? Never mind, I much prefer the cool, crisp days we now enjoy.

Since holidays mean cooking for some and eating for most of us, I thought I’d share a favorite recipe. Whenever I’ve prepared this, people take seconds and many ask for the recipe. It’s not original with me, but from a friend who now lives in San Angelo, Betty Beadle.

     SPINACH ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE


Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 25 to 30 minutes.
Serves: 8


2 pkgs. 10 oz. Frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can 13 ¾ oz. Artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ cup heavy cream
1/8 tspn. Salt
1/8 tspn. Pepper
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese [she uses block cheese she grates]
1 package 8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees


Combine spinach, artichoke hearts, cream, salt, pepper, and 1/3 cup parmesan cheese in a bowl with mixer on medium. Beat until fluffy.


In separate bowl on low mixer speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy and gradually add milk until blended and smooth.


Spoon spinach mixture into greased 8x8 glass baking dish or into 1 ½ qt. casserole dish. Pour cream cheese mixture evenly over spinach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup parmesan cheese. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until edges and top are golden.


Doesn't that make your mouth water? I'm drooling on the keyboard here. But then, I've had the good fortune to taste Betty's casserole.

Bailey helping me write

I'm busily writing the EXCLUSIVE FREE read to go into my November newsletter. If you haven't signed up, please do. One lucky subscriber will receive a $10.00 Amazon gift certificate this month. The form is on the sidebar at the right just under my photo.
Each newsletter will include an EXCLUSIVE FREE read, a recipe, news, and miscellaneous whimsical information.

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WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?



My Dad

 My dad was a stickler for proper speech. He said, and I believe rightfully so, that people judge you by your speech. If you’ve lived in one area most of your life, you can spot a newcomer not only by the sound of his or her voice, but also by the phrases and words used. In Texas, which is where I grew up and currently live, we have a lot of, um, I’ll say unusual phrases and words.

We never say “Forgetaboutit” unless we’ve been around someone from the Northeast—or watched one of the movies like “Mickey Blue Eyes” that use the phrase. Texas is part of the Southwest but also part of the South. We don’t use the F or S word as freely as those in some parts of the country—at least the people with whom I socialize don’t use them.

Friend

Texas, or tejas, is the Native American word (borrowed from the Spanish) for friendly, as in the now disappeared Tejas Indians. Guess it doesn't pay to be too friendly to Anglos if you have all that nice land. Like most Southerners, we Texans value smiles and good manners. Oh, we may stab you in the back, but we will do so graciously and with a polite smile. Note: You've been warned.

I digress. This weekend, I was reminded of some of our unusual words by another author critiquing my work. I’ll share that one and others with you now.

Helping my plate – taking a serving of food and placing it on my plate.


Fixin’ to – I will in a minute.


Fixin’ to get ready to start – I’m not feeling peppy, but I’ll get it done as soon as I can force myself out of this chair.

Bless Your Heart!


Bless your heart – usually means you are simply too stupid to live and I feel so sorry for you.

Bless you – means the literal bless your heart


Nothing but a barbed wire fence between here and the North Pole – that north wind is freezing me


Gonna – going to


Gotta – I have to


Hafta – same as gotta

Lookee yonder. That
fella's come a fur piece

Fur piece – a long way


Yonder – not a long way, you can probably see it from here

Those are only a few of our peculiar colloquialisms. For true western slang, see Marin Thomas’ post at http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/2010/10/cowboy-slang.html


By the way, my November newsletter will be sent out on November 15th. One lucky subscriber will receive a $10.00 Amazon gift certificate. Others will receive a newsletter containing a FREE read, recipe, news, and miscellaneous information. The sign up form is at the right on my sidebar just under my photo.

Thanks for stopping by!

BOBBYE TERRY'S DUAL PERSONALITY!

Bobbye Terry and
Daryn Cross

She has a dual personality, but she's not bipolar. Like many authors she has two names. Please welcome my friend, Bobbye Terry, who writes mysteries under her name, and all her new fantasies as Daryn Cross. Bobbye is an eclectic and very talented writer who is multi-published on her own as Bobbye Terry, as Daryn Cross, and with a cowriter.

Caroline: Readers love to get to know authors. Please tell us about growing up. Siblings? Locale? Were you the shy kid or the tomboy? Share anything that lets readers get to know the real you. Pets? Spouse?


Bobbye: My dad was a college professor and we moved a lot so he could keep going back to school for another degree. He had to teach in between to pay for more years of education. I think all the moves taught me how to make friends easily. My sister is fourteen years younger than I am, so I grew up essentially as an only-child. My upbringing wasn’t remarkable, wonderfully normal, and I was a studious kid. In high school, I planned to be a chemist, and won all sorts of science awards. Then I went to college, and decided that was not for me. I double-majored in Religion and Sociology with the equivalent of a minor in Psychology (my college didn’t recognize minors). I had one dog growing up, a collie named Bootsie, and have had three precious Labs during the years of my marriage. Number three is alive and well, three years old and a full-grown puppy. I am married to a cantankerous yet loveable Vietnam Vet with the heart of a hippie. Thus, we live in the country.

Caroline:  I’m married to a cantakerous but lovable aerospace electrical engineer with the heart of a hermit and that’s why we live in the country. LOL Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?


Bobbye: I have very eclectic tastes. I grew up reading a lot of sci-fi. Now I primarily read romance and fantasy but also love nonfiction. Authors: Caroline Clemmons (of course!) Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Lori Wilde, Christie Craig, Nalini Singh, Annette McCleave (a relative newcomer, but, oh so good), Linnea Sinclair. There are so many, how do I name them all?

Caroline: Thank you for including me in your list! How many books do you read a month? What are you reading now?

From Crescent Moon Press

Bobbye: I used to read at least two to three a week. Now, I’m fortunate to read one a week. I’m all about Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard (BICHOK).

Caroline: Writing does interfere with our reading, doesn't it? When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge? Hobbies?


Bobbye: I read or spend time outside with a little meditation. I also like to fish, though I refuse to take my own fish off the hook. That’s what husbands are for.

Caroline: I love riding in the boat, but hate fishing. Would you like to share any guilty pleasures that feed our muse?


Bobbye: Red wine, dark chocolate and old romance movies. And then there are massages…

Caroline: Massages...Sigh...Wait, where was I? Oh, yes, back to our interview. Share some unusual things readers may not know about you.


Bobbye: I used to play competitive amateur tennis and won a few awards, mostly in team tennis. I have a CTM in Toastmasters and love to speak in public (Very unusual, so I’m told). I interned in a state psychiatric hospital which gave me a lot of insight into the human psyche, also often discovering the relatives of the patients were far more unstable.

Caroline: No wonder your characters are so fleshed out. How long have you been writing?


Bobbye: Seriously for fifteen years though I’ve written pieces since I was in high school.

Caroline: Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?


Bobbye: I always write in my office which is part of a spare bedroom looking outside a window over the open fields of the country. I don’t usually play music, which is odd, because I used to have either a T.V. or stereo on when I was in college. Times change. My writing is done totally on laptop, and I have a mobile modem, so I could move if I wanted to.

Caroline: Your books are very complex. Are you a plotter or a panzer?


Bobbye: I’m a hybrid, but a higher percentage would have to go to panzer. I prefer character profiles and major plot points only. Then I fly and usually put in all my story twists to ramp up the tension as I go.

Caroline: Some people are calling that a plotzer. Do you use real events or persons in your stories?

From iUniverse

Bobbye: Not usually, though I use pieces of real events to craft mine. Exceptions would be CRAIG LEGACY where Linda and I set the story against the backdrop of the Civil War and the one I’m plotting now that would send my hero and heroine to late 1963 America just after the assassination of President Kennedy.

Caroline: Do you research before you begin a new project, or as you go along?


Bobbye: Oh, heavens yes. Readers are amazingly perceptive and sometimes a bit OCD. I don’t want my facts to be wrong. Once, a reader wrote Linda Campbell (my co-writer for my current book using the pen name, L.J. DeLeon) and me and told us that one of our scenes was wrong because there wasn’t a full moon on that day in 1864. Won’t do that again. IT’S MAGIC didn’t require a lot of  research because it takes place primarily in Richmond, Virginia were I lived for fifteen years. However I did research the make of Tom’s car and also the snake he purchases. Some books/series take a lot longer, such as the series premise I just dreamed up. It’s already taken two full days of research, and I’m not even writing it until two books from now.

Caroline: You are so correct about readers catching the tiniest error. Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you set goals? Do you write daily?


Bobbye: I normally start around eight in the morning and usually write throughout the day until at least six at night, though I have written well into the night hours. Writing anywhere from fifteen hundred to five thousand words in a day, I try to at least average eighteen hundred. I do edit as I go—can’t stop with just getting it on paper. There are some days I just can’t write, but thankfully they’re few and far between. Belonging to one particular group where I report my numbers daily helps keep me honest, and I also participate on regular scrimmages and boot camps on Savvy Authors. Those are not for the weak of heart, but I get a lot done.

Caroline: I know you’re not working outside the home right now. Will you remain a full-time writer? 


Bobbye: Right now I’m laid off from my job so I’m writing fulltime; however, I need a job if I want to eat much longer. Now, if three of my books go for big bucks to a major publisher…

Caroline: Fingers crossed for you! I believe you'll make your goal. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?


Bobbye: Pleasure, escapism, a smile. Even my books that have thriller scenes also contain a huge amount of humor, so I hope I make readers laugh.

Caroline: What advice would you give to pre-published authors?


Bobbye: First, I would strongly suggest they not call themselves pre-published unless they have a contract and are awaiting publication of their first fiction title. I know many use it loosely these days, but, in my opinion, our trade is one that is learned through the old journeyman model. That should be honored by the newcomer and the old timer as well. Each needs to share what they have. You apprentice when you first begin to learn your craft and how to construct a rudimentary novel, then actually write it, gaining PRO status (for those who are not familiar with the vernacular, that’s a Romance Writers of America designation for romance writers requiring certain standards, including a finished book). Then once, you are contracted you’re pre-published and have made journeyman. Once published several times, you may gain master craftsman status. Now, I’ll get off my soap-box.

Further, I suggest you take advantage of all opportunities to learn from writers who have been working at their craft for many years. They have knowledge you don’t, and even if you consider their skills to be inferior to yours, realize what you don’t know and be humble. Their history alone can help open doors for you.

Finally, never verbally accept a contract or sign one without seeking assistance. If the publishing house is a large one, for crying out loud, send out that information to a handful of agents and see if one won’t represent you.

Caroline: Very good advice. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?

Bobbye: Gee, let’s see…I like to dance and can do a great shag and jitterbug (no flips, please). For those who haven’t the foggiest what a shag is, it’s similar to the jitterbug and was very prominent in the Carolinas during the original beach music craze. Once I mentioned the shag to my hairdresser and she thought I was talking about a haircut. I’m also an amateur photographer and have formerly won a best in category and best in show for the same shot. Due to my day jobs over the years, I can interpret federal and state legislation and regulation extremely well, especially in healthcare.

Texas sunrise photo by Bobbye

Caroline: I’m glad you mentioned your photography. I love the sunrise and the moon photos you gave me. Tell us about your latest release.


Bobbye: IT’S MAGIC is a romantic fantasy. Santa Claus, operating under his real name, Maxwell Magic, works off-season. Each year, he pairs two lonely people in a love-match that will last forever. Magic has an assistant who intervenes from time-to-time to make sure the two have every opportunity to fall deeply in love.

Blurb:


Can true love exist between a man who believes a woman is capable of sticking a shive in his heart while making love and a woman who is convinced men think with only one head? Maxwell Magic, an eccentric mysterious matchmaker swears it can and he’s the man to provide the stimulus to make it happen. Kasey Bell, feminist writer, and Guy McLane, radio’s famous chauvinistic psychiatrist, are his targets. Even with carefully executed plans, the road to true love is strewn with mishaps, mirth and money-hungry nighttime talk show hosts. Will Kasey and Guy risk their reputations by exposing secrets buried beneath layers of shame and self-doubt for a desperately needed big money pay-off? Or, will they claim what has evaded them their entire lives—a love that lasts forever?

Excerpt, PG Rating:


As Kasey followed the stagehand, Guy grimaced. Damn. Why’d she have to have sea-green eyes and be a natural, sun-streaked blonde? He was a sucker for natural blondes, and she appeared to be one. Unlike his ex, Helen, he suspected Kasey Bell’s blonde hair wasn’t found just on her head.


His gaze took in her tight ass and long legs. God, what legs Some men were turned-on by big breasts. Others by asses. Not him. He was a leg man through and through.


And Kasey had the best set he’d seen in years.


Her dress clung in all the right places and was designed to make a man forget his own name. Not that it had a chance with him.


Guy studied her the way a connoisseur would a fine wine. Vintage seventy-three. He took another long, slow perusal and shook his head. He was wrong. The body on this Cabernet Sauvignon came from a perfect year. More likely a seventy-eight or if he were lucky, a classic seventy-five.


He grinned as she smoothed the sides of her dress while continuing to cross the stage on her perfectly toned legs.


Definitely still corked. She hadn’t had a chance to breathe, yet. He inhaled sharply. There was no mistaking a good mellow grape when he saw one. And when squeezed just right, the grape was memorable. One to be savored, never gulped.


No question about it, Ms. Kasey Bell was premium sipping quality. First, he’d give her time to breathe. Then he’d taste her, a little at a time, a gentle swirl over the tongue, a teasing of the taste buds.


As he continued to examine her, Guy swallowed hard. From the way her dress moved and the lack of lines, she wore a thong and thigh-high hose. Her derriere was the perfect size for his hands to cup each cheek as he pulled her flush against him. He could feel her long legs wrapping around him. And then there were her delicate ankles. They were so slim his fingers could circle them.


The whole package was enough to bring a grown man to his knees. Especially one like him who’d been alone for last three years. God, help him. Because if He didn’t, Guy knew there was no way he’d maintain his cool while seated next to her on stage.


“Dr. McLane?”


Guy snapped to attention. Standing before him were two lanky young men. “Yes.”


“I’m Josh Bell. This is my younger brother Jacob.”


Guy thrust out his hand and greeted each boy. “I understand you want to take some photos.”


“Yes, sir,” Josh answered.


“You’re our hero.”


Jacob frowned at Josh’s sharp jab to his ribs and Guy laughed. “What does your mother think of that?” He grinned as the two boys looked at each other, shrugged, then turned back to him.


“She hates it,” they said together.


“Dr. McLane, you’ve got two minutes.”


“Thanks, Al.” He turned to the boys. “We’d better get those photos taken.”


Guy started to move, then grimaced, again. Damn. He hadn’t reacted to a female this rapidly since adolescence. Back then, much to his embarrassment, all it’d taken was a slight breeze to get a reaction out of him. And at thirty-eight, the last thing he wanted was to look like a coat rack in some kids’ photos. “Both of you stand here,” he said, positioning the boys in front of him.


As Al Mack took more than a dozen photos, Guy wondered what it was about Kasey Bell that rang his chimes. They’d never met, yet he’d swear he’d seen her before.


Ah, well, he’d remember eventually. He never forgot a pair of legs, especially ones as spectacular as Kasey’s.

Full Moon by Bobbye Terry

Caroline: What a great excerpt. Where can readers find your books?


Bobbye: They can buy them though the usual avenues including Amazon and Barnes & Noble online.

Caroline: How can readers learn more about you?


Bobbye: They can take their pick of locations.
Websites at http://www.daryncross.com/, http://www.crossanddeleon.com/, http://www.terrycampbell.com/
Blogs at http://www.daryncross.blogspot.com/, http://www.bobbyeterry.blogspot.com/ (the last one being my suspense novel blog).

Thanks so much for being with us today, Bobbye. Best of luck in the future.

Author Joyce Henderson On How To CAPTURE AN EAGLE!

Joyce Henderson

Joyce: Thank you for having me, Caroline.

Caroline: Tell readers about your life growing up and now.

Joyce: That's a loooong story. I was born in Texas and my mother hauled me out a window to escape her bad marriage when I was three, and took me to Southern California. Had to be spring or summer when I was three because I was enrolled in kindergarten the September I was four, turned five on December 28th. I have an aunt who was "such" a good girl. I was "Denise" the Menace. She and I would be twins if we had the same mother (mother and grandma pregnant @ same time). I'm actually 20 minutes older than she.

I married 11 days out of high school, and 58 years later we are still living our adventure. I've worn many "business" hats during my life and began writing fiction @ age 49, when I asked myself the not-too-bright question, "How hard can it be?" It is by far the most difficult job I've ever had…and the most rewarding.


Caroline:  So when you write about true, lasting love, you speak from experience!  When and why did you begin writing?


Joyce: One of my "hats" was as a cosmetics consultant and manager in an international company. When I moved to Florida in 1983, I decided I didn't want to do that anymore. I really no longer cared about problem skin.


Caroline: What inspired you to write your first book?


Joyce: We had moved from Southern California to Central Florida for my husband's work, and I knew not a soul, so I haunted the library and discovered Shanna, by Kathleen Woodiwiss, and devoured all of Bertrice Small's work, as well. I was hooked, and asked myself that, what turned out to be life-change, question.


Caroline: Describe your perfect writing "habitat" (the place you do your best writing). How do you block out the rest of the world when you're writing? What do you do to get into the writing zone?


Joyce:  Mostly I write in my office, and my husband is directly behind me at his computer doing his job. When I write, when I read, I can block out the rest of the world. How? Beats me. I just do it. I'm not sure what getting into a zone is. Writing is a business. It's what I do. So I just plunk the derriere in the chair and work. Is all the prose I write golden? Nah. I do a lot of revision.


Caroline: My husband and I tried sharing an office, but now we're across the hall from one another. If you had to pick just one, which do you think is the most important in a good story: character, voice, or plot?


Joyce: While all are integral to a good story, I think character is most important for me. From character I hope the reader sees what kind of person I've created. What drives the emotions of that character and all the others I build to tell my story. Without emotion, stories fall flat. At least I think they do. It's not unheard of for me to start reading a book and after 50 pages or less close the cover or zap it from my Nook if the main characters are one dimensional, shallow emotion or none there.


Caroline: When is your next book due out, and what’s it about?


Joyce: I just turned in 2nd round edits for the first book in my Grandees trilogy, which is a bit of a departure from other books of mine. Heretofore, my work has been set in Central Texas, with a Comanche hero and a white heroine. My hero is a Mexican-American, a horseman. He's also part of the beginnings of the citrus and avocado agricultural orchard development in Southern California @ the Turn of the Century, 1898. Our ranch in North San Diego County was on a portion of an old land grant, Rancho Monserate. Imposed taxes once California became part of the U.S. left many cash-poor Mexicans without their heritage.


Caroline:  That sounds intriguing. Have you experienced writer’s block? And if so, how did you cure it?


Joyce: By writing. And brainstorming with my critique partners is an invaluable way to get my story on track.


Caroline: Yes, good critique partners are gold. What do you find most rewarding about writing?


Joyce: Exercising my imagination.


Caroline: How much of the book is realistic?


Joyce:  My settings are taken from my history, either where I've actually lived and worked or where my ancestors lived. There are many scenes in my stories that actually happened to someone in my family or something I witnessed. Or something I actually did, farming, learn how to care for horses, ride, etc.


Caroline: What is the hardest scene you have had to write (published or not)? Why?


Joyce: All scenes are important to my stories. That's what I see in my head when my story begins to unfold.


Caroline: Don't you love that movie in our heads? What is your favorite character you’ve written (published or not)?


Joyce:  I fall in love with every hero I write.


Caroline: What book are you reading now?


Joyce: I'm an eclectic reader. Presently I'm reading a Nora Roberts contemporary. I just finished a paranormal, vampires, story written by Lara Adrian.


Caroline: I'm an eclectic reader also. Do you see writing as a career?


Joyce:  You betcha!


Caroline: Who is your favourite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?


Joyce:  I admire many writers but I can't say I have one favourite. I thoroughly enjoy reading Lynnette Hallberg contemporaries. But I'm prejudiced. She's one of my critique partners.


Caroline: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? What do you want them to take away from your books?


Joyce: It is my hope that my readers will love my characters as much as I do. That they will live the moments of my characters' lives as I do when I write.


Caroline: Well said. What do you like to do when you're not writing?


Joyce: Read, and visit with friends.


Caroline: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?


Joyce: How difficult it is to create believable characters. In other words, get out of the way and allow the characters to experience everything. I think the reader can enjoy a story more if s/he can see, hear, touch, smell, feel scenes through the Point of View character.


Caroline: Yeah, it sounds so easy until you do it. How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?


Joyce:  Oh boy, I've written 15 or more, but not all are published, And not all "should be" published. I have some contemporaries that I may drag forth one day. As for my favorite, it's usually the one I'm writing at the moment. However, Promise the Moon, the one I'm presently working on…as I said, just returned 2nd round edits…is one I've wanted to see published forever! It's gone through many rewrites.


Caroline: What advice do you offer to new writers?


Joyce: Learn your craft and something about the business of writing. Don't ever forget fiction writing is a business. Work. Work hard. If you seek help from published authors, accept constructive criticism. I entered contests and took the advice from judges. Judges like Leigh Greenwood, Alicia Rasley, Marilyn Campbell, and many others who remained anonymous. I.E: Promise the Moon was once judged by three judges in a contest. Two of the three told me to axe the first two and a half pages. Their suggestions came within a sentence or two of the same spot to actually start the story. Hey! Two out of three? You can bet your sweet-bippy I took that advice!


Caroline: Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers?


Joyce: If you are a reader, I hope you will enjoy my stories. I hope you will tell me what you like about them. There's nothing an author enjoys more than to hear from a reader. My email address is on my web site: http://www.joycehendersonauthor.com/ Just buzz over and drop me a note.

If you are a writer, find people to help you and be sure to return the favour. I'm fortunate to have two critique partners I've worked with for a donkey's age; one published, one working to be published. Both are priceless. Both offer honest critiques. This is a tough business. Write and submit, write and submit. It took 20 years to see my first publication but I persevered. You'll never fail unless you give up.


Caroline: Please tell us about your latest release.

From The Wild Rose Press

Joyce: Two years in an Eastern boarding school haven't tamed Mariah Kelly. She returns home to Texas as tempestuous as ever, still clinging to a forbidden desire for her brother's best friend. But the insufferably rude man doesn't know she cares for him, and she's not about to tell him.

Silver Eagle has longed for Mariah half his life, but if her father knew, he'd banish the young brave from working at the Broken Spur. Mariah can never know he yearns to possess her as his own.

When Silver Eagle is faced with possible prison for a crime he didn't commit, can he and Mariah find true love in a society that believes a union between a white woman and an Indian man can never be?

Or will Mariah risk all to have her heart's desire and…CAPTURE AN EAGLE.


Caroline: Thank you so much for sharing with us today. Best of luck with CAPTURE AN EAGLE!
Joyce: Thanks for having me.

Caroline: Please check Joyce Henderson's website at http://www.joycehendersonauthor.com/. Buy CAPTURE AN EAGLE at www.thewildrosepress.com/joyce-henderson-m-750.html  

Please welcome Joyce Henderson to the blog.

All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Dia de los Muertos, Samhain

What do All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Dia de Los Muertos, and Samhain have in common? Each is a celebration of the dead.

I’m Protestant, but I love the first three celebrations because they are about respect for those who’ve gone before us. How could anyone who loves history and family history as much as I do fail to feel that way? Different Christian traditions define, remember, and respond to the departed in different ways. All Souls' Day is celebrated the first Sunday in November in the church to which I belong. In the morning church service, a candle is lighted for each person of the congregation who has died during the past year as that person’s name is read aloud. Following immediately, a minister offers a prayer of remembrance.


All Saints

 According to Wikipedia, All Saints' Day (in the Roman Catholic Church officially the Solemnity of All Saints and also called All Hallows or Hallowmas), often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated in honor of all the saints, both known and unknown. In Western Christianity the celebration is on November 1st. In Eastern Christianity, the observance is on the first Sunday after Pentecost. In many countries, All Saints Day is a federal holiday. 



"Day of the Dead" by
William Bougereau

All Souls' Day commemorates the faithful departed. In Western Christianity, this day is observed principally in the Catholic Church, although some churches of the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches also celebrate it. The Eastern Orthodox churches observe several All Souls' Days during the year. When they died, the souls had not yet attained full sanctification and moral perfection, a requirement for entrance into Heaven. This sanctification is carried out posthumously in Purgatory.

Catrinas

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a holiday celebrated by many in Mexico and by some Mexican Americans living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 2 in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. Due to occurring shortly after Halloween, the Day of the Dead is sometimes thought to be a similar holiday, although the two actually have little in common. The Day of the Dead is a time of celebration, where partying and eating is common.

Scholars trace the origins of the modern holiday to indigenous observances dating back thousands of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl. In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, there are festivals and parades, and, at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.

End Of The Harvest

Samhain ( /ˈsɑːwɪn/, /ˈsaʊ.ɪn/, or /ˈsaʊn/) is a Gaelic festival held on October 31–November 1. The Irish name Samhain is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end". A harvest festival with ancient roots in Celtic polytheism, it was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and continued to be celebrated in late medieval times. Due to its date it became associated with the Christian festival All Saints Day, and greatly influenced modern celebration of Halloween. Samhain marked the end of the harvest, the end of the lighter half of the year and beginning of the darker half. It was traditionally celebrated over the course of several days. Many scholars believe that it was the beginning of the Celtic year. It has some elements of a festival of the dead.

Witch at Samhain

Because so many plants and animals were dying, the Gaels believed that the border between this world and the otherworld became thin on Samhain. This it allowed the dead to reach back through the veil that separated them from the living. Bonfires played a large part in the festivities. People and their livestock would often walk between two bonfires as a cleansing ritual, and the bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames. The Gaelic custom of wearing costumes and masks, was an attempt to copy the spirits or placate them.  I've no idea why Samhain became a time linked to Wicca, but I suppose (personal opinion only) it was linked because of Wicca's ties to nature.