MUSINGS TO INSPIRE US!

Don't you enjoy when someone can inspire you with only a few words? I've permission to reprint a post by my good friend Geri Foster from the "4 Writers, For Readers" blog. Geri is the most energetic and organized person ever! And creative? As a writer she comes up with complex plots that amaze everyone and then she peoples the stories with strong, believable characters. Today, she's sharing some magic with us, sprinkling a little fairy dust on us so to speak. Here's her post:

                    WITHIN US

Those who know me know I love quotes. I have them everywhere. My house, my car, my desk, my office... You give me an empty space and I’ll nail up a quote.

I particularly like to read Ralph Waldo Emerson. One of my favorites is: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within us out into the world, miracles happen.”

Yeah, that’s on my desk!


As a writer I think Emerson is talking to the creative spark inside us that creates every word we put on paper. Writers are such magical creatures we don’t even know our own powers. Writers pull more stuff out of the ‘blue’ than any other profession. We put together other worlds, people, towns, tragedies and love stronger than anything else on earth. The amazing thing is, people reading our books believe they are real. We transport the reader into another world.

And we do it without acknowledging where it all comes from. All of us have sat in the dark and typed away on our computers; creating God only knows what, until it’s done. There are times I have no idea where I’m going with a story, but something within me does. Something guides me to the end of that raw chapter, and often ignites an idea for the next chapter.

To some, it’s simply their muse. It shows up and words get written on the page. Ideas materialize out of nowhere. All is well, and the muse gets all the credit, for we are mere mortals. Nothing of genius comes from us.


It does according to Emerson. It’s all within us right now and has been since the very beginning. There is more within us than we can ever imagine. The stories are unlimited and they get better and better as we go along. We overcome great adversity, we learn things we never knew. We push to the absolute limits of our imagination to come up with a plot others will believe.


We’re writers, so we’re mystical.

I leave you with this quote by Orison Sweet Marden: “There are powers inside of you, which, if you could discover and use, would make of you anything you ever dreamed or imagined you’d become.”

Write On!

Geri Foster

If you were one of the entrants in the Wild Roses Valentine Blog Tour each Wednesday of February and are dying to learn who won, here are the winners.

Rebecca B. won Week Four's gift certificates.

Maria Y. won the Grand Prize of gift certificates plus a Bath and Body Works set.

Congratulations to the winners! Please keep reading!

WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT SPRING? ASK AMY CORWIN

Author and pet lover
Amy Corwin

Please welcome Amy Corwin. Amy is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America and has been writing seriously for the last ten years while managing a career as an enterprise systems administrator in the computer industry. She writes Regencies, historicals, mysteries, and contemporary paranormals. To be truthful, most of her books include a bit of murder and mayhem since she discovered that killing off at least one character is a highly effective way to make the remaining ones toe the plot line. Now, here's Amy to tell you about her spring TBR.


         SPRING READING

One of Amy's dog amid
daffodils this past week

Hard to believe that spring is right around the corner. Yesterday, it was 79 degrees here and when we took the dogs for their walk, we saw the first daffodils blooming! I adore daffodils and plan to pick a huge bunch today when we go for our “constitutional”.


Despite the early signs of spring, I’ve got an increasingly large pile of books to read. My Kindle makes it so easy to buy new books on a whim, especially with so many at “bargain basement” prices. And for my husband’s birthday, I got him a Kindle, too, so no more whining, “I don’t have anything to read!”


        What’s on my TBR pile?

THE MOST UNSUITAB LE WIFE by Caroline Clemmons


I couldn’t resist this book, I mean at $3.99 it’s a real “steal” not to mention that I like Caroline’s writing and there’s even a bit of a mystery involved as Pearl Parker tries to protect her family and winds up falling in love.

SALEM'S LOT by Stephen King


Believe it or not, I never read this. But I remembered the movie and wanted to read it. I like King’s ability to show you what’s in a character’s head, so I’m really looking forward to this spooky story.

A TRAIL OF INK by Mel Starr


I love these medieval murder mysteries featuring Hugh de Singleton. They are so evocative of that period in history and I really like Hugh. This is the third book in the series and I enjoyed the first two, so I can’t wait to get started with this third one, especially since I’m hoping the lovelorn Hugh will finally find his soulmate while he’s searching for the murderer.


I have a ton more, but those are the top three that I intend to read next, and now on to my good news…


       Springing Amy’s Good News!

Hear Ye!

I just got a letter from my editor at The Wild Rose Press indicating they are interested in my second paranormal romance! We’re discussing titles right now, so I don’t actually have the title. But it features a secondary character, Quicksilver, from my first paranormal novel, VAMPIRE PROTECTOR. Her story is very edgy with a lot of action and romance, so I’m hoping fans of paranormal romances will like it.


Five Star/Gale acquired my contemporary mystery, WHACKED!, and it’s already been through most of the editing process. It should be coming out in mid-2012, and I’m dying to get the cover. This mystery is a humorous, cozy mystery set in my own “backyard” in coastal North Carolina. I had a blast writing it—I actually wrote it during National Novel Writing Month three years ago, so it’s been a thrilling ride so far.


Available NOW!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OR1GQ2/
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/43387



Finally, I have a new historical mystery, THE VITAL PRINCIPLE, out now! That’s right—you can buy this now at Amazon Kindle and Smashwords.

In THE VITAL PRINCIPLE, Knighton Gaunt is hired by Lord Crowley to prove that a spiritualist, Prudence Barnard, is a fraud. But right after a séance, Lord Crowley is murdered and the blame falls on Pru as the “outsider” in the close-knit group of guests. Knighton’s not too sure she is innocent, but he’s willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and begins an investigation that leads him through a maze of twisted motives and tension in Regency England.


That’s it for now, and I really want to thank Caroline for having me!


Thank you!
Amy Corwin


Website: http://www.amycorwin.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/amycorwin
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AmyCorwinAuthor
Blog: http://amycorwin.blogspot.com/

Buy Amy's current books from The Wild Rose Press athttp://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=369&zenid=dab19b776292a78a5624c831be13830d

Buy Amy's books at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Amy+Corwin and

GREAT

NEWS!








Amy's latest release, THE VITAL PRINCIPLE, is available at
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OR1GQ2/ and
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/43387 for the bargain price of only 99 cents. How can you resist? I couldn't.

Amy, thanks so much for being a guest today. THE VITAL PRINCIPLE is loaded onto my Kindle and I look forward to reading it later today.

Thanks also for graciously mentioning THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE from my backslist, which is now available in e-book from http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/37683 and from
Amazon Kindle at
http://www.amazon.com/MOST-UNSUITABLE-WIFE-Kincaids-ebook/dp/B004OR1VOO/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1298555622&sr=1-7


Thank you, readers, for stopping by!

DEVELOPING UNIQUE CHARACTERS

Please welcome guest blogger Amie Louellen to our Roses Valentine Tour, Week Four.

Author Amie Louellen

Amie loves nothing more than a good book. Except for her family…and maybe homemade tacos…and shoes. But reading and writing are definitely high on the list. When she's not creating quirky characters and happy endings she enjoys going to little league baseball games and boy scout meetings. Born and bred in Mississippi, Amie is a transplanted Southern Belle who now lives in Oklahoma with her deputy husband, their genius son, a spoiled cat, and one very hyper beagle.
 
  DEVELOPING UNIQUE CHARACTERS

Ogres have layers

“Ogres are like onions…” Shrek told donkey. “…They have layers.”

And so do the most interesting characters.


But I have to tell you—all characters are interesting. The big burly biker, the blue haired, bingo playing granny, the metro/gay male BFF. They add reality to the story because we’ve seen these people. We know this granny, this friend, this biker.

But it’s the layers, the parts underneath, that make them truly unique. For instance, the big burly biker collects Beanie Babies or is afraid of spiders. The blue haired granny has a black belt in karate or drag races on the weekends. And the gay BFF is bouncer at a night club and has more tattoos than natural skin. These traits make them interesting because they’re unexpected. {Disclaimer—I write funny (please, God, let it be as funny as I think it is) and whimsical romance. Because of this, my characters cannot be too serious or take things too seriously. Even themselves. But a more…ahem, serious writer might choose more… ahem, serious traits to add depth to their characters.}

Adrenoline
junkie granny

In BRODIE'S BRIDE, my upcoming June release from TWRP, Brodie’s grandmother is an adventure junkie. Well into her seventies, she loves to sky dive, go white water rafting, and generally make Brodie worry over her non-grandmotherly activities. (Clever, huh? How I got my promo in here so smoothly.)


Interesting characters come out of the people we see everyday. I just watched a show—an entire one hour documentary, mind you—about the oldest bank robber. He was in his eighties when he started robbing banks. Let me just say, you can’t make this stuff up! J L Rountree once had everything. He lost it in the oil crash, then decided the only thing left to do was rob banks. He looked like my Popaw. Same black-framed glasses, same high-waisted pants, same cantankerous disposition.



J. L. Rountree's mug shot--
You can't make up this stuff!

 One time when Rountree was arrested (and, yes, he was arrested more than once and still continued his crime spree), he reprimanded the officer for pointing a gun at him. Rountree said, with incredulous disgust tainting his Texas drawl, “I have never, ever owned a pistol.” Here’s a man who just robbed a bank. Walked in and handed the teller an envelope with “Robbery” printed on it in big red letters, and he’s offended because the police officer thinks he might be armed? I’m still shaking my head over that one. And with a smile on my face. It seems that bank robbers—like onions and ogres—have layers too, and that’s a layer even I didn’t see coming.


Addendum—The quote “Truth is stranger than fiction.” came to mind as I started this blog. Of course, I wanted to include it. So I went online to find out who said it. I found that Mark Twain said, “Truth is more of a stranger than fiction.” But that doesn’t mean the same thing at all. So where did that quote come from? I don’t know. Still everyone agrees that truth can “out strange” anything in the human imagination. But there are limitations. Mark Twain did say, “Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities, truth isn’t.”

Amie, thanks for a great post, which reminded me of one of my favorite writerly quotes. When asked the difference between fiction and life, Tom Clancy remarked, "That's easy. Fiction has to make sense."

 Amie has a blurb for us from BRODIE'S BRIDE:

Available in June from
The Wild Rose Press

Waking up next to a beautiful golden-haired stranger isn’t the worst thing that has ever happened to Brodie Harper, but staying in a fake marriage in order to gain a new construction contract could very well be.


Savanna Morgan just wanted a way out of an engagement to a man she didn’t love. Marrying Brodie seemed liked the perfect answer at the time. Less perfect the next morning when she finds herself disowned by her father and flat broke. Now she must make it through the weekend. Monday they can get it all annulled and forget it ever happened.

The real problem may be keeping their hands off each other until then.


And now the excerpt from BRODIE'S BRIDE:

“Married,” the official supplied with a happy nod.

For the first time since the blonde had screamed and set off the pounding in his head, Brodie noticed the band that circled the fourth finger of his left hand. Married. Images of a scarlet chapel and gold rings flitted through his mind. Lost in the fog of straight shots of tequila, the whole ordeal seemed liked a dream. But if what the man said was true...


Holy heaven. The last time Brodie had gotten drunk had been the day his grandfather died. Then, he’d only acquired a tattoo, but this time... Married? And to a hooker? A gorgeous hooker. An expensive hooker by the depleted state of his wallet, but a hooker none-the-less.


“Where’s my dress?”


Brodie half-turned as his hooker-bride stumped down the stairs, her naked glory covered by the rumpled satin sheet. One red, high-rise pump was missing.


“I wouldn’t know,” he replied, his headache tripling.


“You took it off. You find it.” She punched him hard in the chest with one red lacquered fingernail.


“You want it. You find it,” he countered.


“That dress was an Armani. And you—”


Brodie leaned away from the blonde and closer to the man behind the counter. “Are you sure we’re married?”


“Quite certain.”


“Married?” she squeaked.


“One hundred percent sure?” Brodie added.


“It was a lovely ceremony.”


“Married?”


Damn, Brodie thought. He was too nice of a guy, but he couldn’t stand the panic he heard in her voice. He faced her and took her left hand in his own, turning them both so she could see their identical rings. “Seems we tied the knot last night, sunshine.”

Amie, what an intriguing excerpt--it does sound funny and lots of fun. I can't wait to read this book! Readers, if you wish to learn more about Amie, here are her contacts:
Author email amielouellen@gmail.com

amie louellen--author FaceBook
www.amielouellen.com
http://amielouellen.wordpress.com/
www.twitter.com/AmieLouellen

Another winner!

Last week's winner of $30.00 was Ann C. Congratulations, Ann! Your prizes of $15 each from two of our parrticipating authors should have reached you by now. Enjoy choosing books from The Wild Rose Press catalog. Thanks for your comment.

 

And now for the other part of today's tour. We hope you'll stop by each blog site and read the post and leave a comment. Each comment will be entered into the drawing. So, stop by and leave a comment on each blog to maximize your chances to win.

Blog Tour Schedule for Wednesday, February 23rd:

Meet author AJ Nuest at http://amielouellen.wordpress.com/


Meet author Lynne Roberts at http://authorjenniferjakes.blogspot.com/

Meet paranormal romance author Maeve Greyson at http://www.ajbooks.blogspot.com/


Meet author Amy Corwin at http://lynneroberts.blogspot.com/


Meet contemporary and paranormal romance author Jill James at http://maevegreyson.blogspot.com/


Meet romantic suspense author Kat Duncan at http://amycorwin.blogspot.com


Meet contemporary YA an adult romance author Linda Kage at www.jilljameswrites.com


Meet paranormal, and historical romance author Caroline Clemmons at http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout Please don't leave me sitting there alone!


Meet historical and paranormal romance writer Lilly Gayle at http://lindakage.blogspot.com/


Meet erotic western historical author Jennifer Jakes at www.lillygayleromance.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by!

READ A GOOD BOOK LATELY?

What are you reading? What’s your favorite genre? If you enjoy romantic suspense, you'll love MURDER IN PLAIN SIGHT by Marta Perry from Harlequin HQN.



Available Now!

In MURDER IN PLAIN SIGHT, Marta continues her books revolving around the Amish, or “plain” people. Her main characters are NOT Amish, but the reader is thrust into the world of the plain people.

Jessica Langdon is struggling and doesn’t fit into or enjoy the high profile Philadelphia law firm where she’s the bottom woman on the office totem pole. In fact, she's afraid her pompous boss will soon fire her. She’s surprised when she’s sent into a rural area with strict orders to arrange a quick plea bargain and hurry back to the office.

When she arrives, she learns the defendant is Thomas Esch, a frightened young Amish man accused of a brutal murder. Unfortunately, Thomas can’t remember what happened and is willing to accept responsibility for the crime. When she digs into events, Jessica believes in Thomas’ innocence and determines to see he has the fair trial everyone deserves. Winning his freedom won’t be easy. Jessica faces threats from her boss, the community, her father, and an unknown villain. Without an understanding of Amish culture, Jessica must rely on Trey Morgan and his ties to the Amish community.

Trey Morgan is determined to protect his mother, Geneva, from the press and wants the Philadelphia lawyer gone. Geneva hired the lawyer and insists Thomas is not guilty. To minimize publicity, Trey helps Jessica, but he is disgusted at the wasted time. That is, until threats against Jessica force Trey to question his beliefs. Together they work to discover the truth about the murder and free Thomas. Solving the mystery forces Jessica and Trey to battle their separate pasts. Can they overcome their differences to build a future together?

MURDER IN PLAIN SIGHT is a favorite of the books I’ve read recently. Marta Perry keeps readers turning pages to learn what will happen next in her fast-paced novel. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance and mystery. MURDER IN PLAIN SIGHT is the first of a trilogy. VANISH IN PLAIN SIGHT will be released in June. Marta is currently working on the third book, JUDGMENT IN PLAIN SIGHT. For more about her books or Marta, check her blog at http://booksbymartaperry.blogspot.com/ and her website at http://www.martaperry.com/

I’ve long been fascinated by Amish culture. No, I’m not thinking of converting, thank you. I’m very happy with the church to which I belong, but I admire many things about the Amish. They have strong family values, take care of their own, and are hard-working. They gave us Amana gas refrigerators and build fine furniture. Their language is a German dialect, hence the term Pennsylvania Dutch or Pennsylvania German. In my opinion, the confusion in terms is because the German word for German is Deutsch,which eventually became pronounced Dutch by those not familiar with the language.

I’m afraid I would balk against the strict Amish religious constraints and soon would be shunned. However, with my weird hair, I’d love to be in a society where all women wear those little caps. No more bad hair days!

Green farming

Amish were “green” before it was an ecological movement. Since they have no electricity or phones, they don’t have to worry about telemarketers or other calls interrupting dinner. They don’t believe in having their photos made, but people snap them anyway. If you saw the movie “Witness,” you know they have large barns and homes, and generally have large families. Living a “simple” life requires many hands.

Amish boys at a horse sale

There has been a surge of Amish romance novels now in print by Berkley, Love Inspired, Steeple Hill, and other presses. To me, the increased interest is due to the appeal of a simpler way of life compared to today’s hectic pace.

Not only the pace. The strong family and community connections are inviting compared to “friends” on Facebook or Twitter whom we’ve never met. The Amish connect face-to-face in a wholesome atmosphere.

I love modern conveniences!

Don't think I'm poking fun at us or at the Amish. I enjoy my computer and cell phone and Kindle, but I admire Amish determination to remain unaffected by the "Englisch" way of life. They are champions at co-existing without losing their values.

No bad hair days for these girls

When viewing them from the outside, one might forget their hard work planting, harvesting, caring for animals, and preserving food. The "simple" or "plain" life is really very complicated. But then, so are our "English" lives.To learn more about the Amish, you only need read Marta Perry’s books or read her blog consistently.

Leave a comment and tell me about a good book you’ve read recently

TELL ME HOW YOU MET YOUR LOVE . . .

<>

A. J. Nuest, Author

Don't you love hearing a happily-ever-after story that's true? Welcome to our guest author, A. J. Nuest. Here's her bio in her words: Born in northern Wisconsin as the middle child of three girls, I now call Northwest Indiana home, along with my loving husband, two beautiful children and several pets.

Contrary to the cliche "middle children are always ignored", I preferred a solitary lifestyle growing up, and would often disappear for hours with either a book or journal, happily content behind my closed bedroom door. I can't remember a time when I didn't write. Either poetry, song lyrics or a daily diary entry, jotting down my thoughts has always come naturally to me. Each year I found a blank book waiting beneath the Christmas tree, and after I left home for college, I bought them myself.

Early on I knew I would need to get bumped around a bit before starting a writing career. So I spent the years working as an Executive Assistant in several different fields, experiencing all the fun (and heartache) a single girl can have in the big city. Soon after, I met my husband, got married and started a family, moved to Indiana and together we started a business from our home.

My days are now filled with assisting my husband, and when time allows I write, once again happily content to be left alone with a book or journal - only now my journal is a Toshiba laptop. The rest of the time I'm busy gardening, cooking, fixing boo-boos, attending sporting events, tutoring, chauffeurring, cleaning, doing laundry, and snuggling.

Thanks for your bio, A. J. Take it away for the blog:

MEETING YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER

Couple and romantic sunset

When I was first given the subject title of this blog, I wasn’t sure from which perspective to write my post. Did the title mean I was supposed to tell everyone how I met my husband? Maybe I was supposed to become an investigative reporter, and research online dating companies like eHarmony and Match.com. Or did this title suggest I write a blog detailing the various introductions of my heroes and heroines, and the subsequent goal, motivation and conflict arising from said meet (or meet-cute if you’re from Hollywood).


I spent several days mulling over my choices, still unable to decide, when last Friday my family went on a shopping excursion and on the return trip my daughter asked from the back seat, “Mom, can you tell me how you and Daddy met again?”


My husband and I shared a private smile across the car, and I began the story of the night Lily’s father and I met.

From The Wild Rose Press
April 10, 2011

And then it hit me. No matter which perspective I chose for this blog post, the situations were exactly the same…because of one very important reason. However characters are introduced into our lives, be they in real or from a current WIP, that meeting will follow both of you throughout the rest of your story.


I could have easily told my daughter the plain facts about how my husband and I met. We went to the same nightclub to see the same band, were introduced by a mutual friend who knew us separately, spent the evening talking, and the next day my husband phoned and asked me out on our first date.

Couple in a
nightclub

But that’s not the story I told her. I added how the moment I first laid eyes on my husband, I knew we were destined to meet. Even though his back was facing me, something about the way he held his shoulders, the gait of his stride, how he raked his fingers through that thick sandy-brown hair immediately caught my attention. I offered her a detailed description of the black leather jacket he wore, the way his sea-green eyes sparkled every time they met mine across the room, and how the deep cleft in his chin nearly drove me mad.


Of course, it doesn’t hurt that this story is true, or how after nearly thirteen years of pretty much wedded bliss, I can count on one hand the number of days my husband and I have spent apart.


The thing that brought this post into focus is how my daughter asks to hear that same story over and over again because of the details. I bet I’ve told her hundreds of times how her father and I met, but she never tires of hearing it. The same holds true for any story. As an author, you will want your readers to come back again and again. Whether your hero and heroine are life-long friends who miraculously discover their mutual attraction for each other, arch enemies who can’t stand being in the same room, or two strangers who chance upon a clandestine meeting, it’s important the author creates a meeting strong enough to follow them through to the end of their story.


The night my husband and I met is just the beginning. And I’m in no hurry to reach the end of our story. But when it arrives, I hope to be surrounded by a gaggle of grandchildren (or maybe even great-grandchildren) telling the story of how their grandfather and I met.

What about you? What’s one great meeting you’ve been blessed to experience?

Contact Information for A.J. on the web:
Website: www.ajnuest.com
Blog: http://www.ajbooks.blogspot.com
Email: ajnuest@yahoo.com


JEZEBEL'S WISH Blurb:

Horses are
great therapy

Haunted by nightmares, tormented by guilt, Jezebel came to Redemption Ranch to escape the past—except now she's stuck in the middle of nowhere with no redemption in sight. When her mother pushes her into riding lessons with local veterinarian Matthias Saunders, Jezebel balks. Sure, the doctor is gorgeous, but he’s completely obnoxious and knows how to push every one of her buttons.

Only her deep connection with The Reverend, a gentle stallion who guards her darkest secrets, has her agreeing to spend any more time with Dr. Saunders. Caring for the stallion is the first bright spot in her life in months, and if being around the horse means she has to deal with Matthias Saunders, then so be it. Surely a city girl like her can handle one country vet—even one with disturbing blue eyes. Can't she?


JEZEBEL'S WISH Excerpt:


Jezzy stopped. “I thought I was having a riding lesson.”


“You are.” He nodded toward the empty paddock. “Go in.”


“Go in?” Jezzy propped a hand on her hip. “You sure you know what you’re doing? Because it was my understanding that an actual horse is needed for a riding lesson.”


“Don’t you think it would be wise at this juncture to leave the understanding up to the professionals?”


Jezzy rolled her eyes. “You’re making this way too easy. Professionals? Please. Don’t get me started.”


“Why not? Getting you started is exactly what I’m here for.”


Jezzy’s jaw dropped. She didn’t quite know how to interpret that remark.


He held out the rope. “Now go in. And take this lead line with you.” Steely blue determination glinted in his eyes. There was no way he was going to give in.


Jezzy snatched the lead line from his hand and stormed through the gate, then turned when he closed it behind her.


He put a foot on the bottom railing and rested against the gate, facing the horizon. “Take the chair to the center of the paddock and sit down.”


“And just exactly how is that supposed to teach me to ride?”


He cocked an eyebrow. “You want out of the deal?”


Jezzy’s fist clenched tight around the lead line. What she wanted was to march back to the fence and smack his face.

Thanks, A.J. JEZEBEL'S WISH is a book I won't miss!

Announcing . . .

Last week's Roses Valentine Blog Tour winner was Sherry C and her $25 in gift certificates have been sent. Sherry's prize was donated by Amie Louellen and Lilly Gayle. I'll bet Sherry is already spending those handy gift certificates!

Enter the Valentine Blog Tour

This Valentine Blog Tour is easy peasy. Simply leave a comment to be eligible to win this week's prize and also be entered for the grand prize at the end of the tour. See? Didn't I tell you it's easy? The more blogs you visit and leave a comment, the better your chances of winning. Prizes increase each week in February to a Grand Prize of over $50!

Other blogs to visit this week to be entered for the $30. prize include:
http://www.ajbooks.blogspot.com/
http://amielouellen.wordpress.com/
http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com (that's this one)
http://www.authorjenniferjakes.blogspot.com
www.jilljameswrites.com
http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout
www.lillygayleromance.blogspot.com
http://lindakage.blogspot.com/
http://lynneroberts.blogspot.com/
http://maevegreyson.blogspot.com/

Please return Friday, February 18th to talk with author Amy Corwin. Until then, thanks for stopping by.