NEWS AND OLD NEWS



Belated Happy Chinese New Year!

 Belated Happy Chinese New Year and welcome to the year of the Rabbit! Althought February 2 is the official Chinese celebration, the date varies in other Asian countires.



The Movie

 Also belated Ground Hog Day! Did you rewatch “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray to celebrate the occasion? Love that movie? Don't we all wish we could redo some things until we get them right? I certainly do. Maybe that's the appeal of the movie. 

Now we have those out of the way. Whew, those items are old news and illustrate I’m way behind.




Available March 10
from The Wild Rose Press

 But here’s something for which I’m early. I’m happy to announce that my historical novella, SAVE YOUR HEART FOR ME, will be released on March 10 by The Wild Rose Press. Don’t you think the cover is whimsical but beautiful? Don't the warm colours cheer you in this weather? The heroine helps her mother operate a boarding house. Once again, the setting is Texas, no surprise there.

Here’s the blurb:


After fleeing an abusive husband six years ago, Beth Jeffers wants nothing more than to protect her son Davey and to help her mother operate a boarding house. The women in her family have had no luck with men, and she has no intention of letting any man influence her son. Not even Matt Petrov, no matter how much her lonely heart urges otherwise.

Federal Marshall Matt Petrov, also known as Lone Wolf Peters, fell in love with Beth the first time he saw her. Then she was another man’s wife, so he kept his longing a secret he’s saved his love for her for six horrific years. Now, the lovely widow and he have crossed paths again. This time, he intends to risk all for a chance at happiness. First he must rescue his distant kinsman from an assassin’s clutches. Will Matt succeed before his kin is killed? And will his secrets shatter the love he and Beth share?

Here’s an excerpt:

The tall younger woman kept her head lowered and all he saw was her shapely backside while she tugged at the corner of her navy skirt caught under one leg of the safe.


“Let me.” He tilted the safe to free the fabric, then pushed the unwieldy block of metal into place.


“Oh, finally.” She shook out her skirt and bent to brush at the stain marring the hem. “Thank you—“ When she straightened and looked up at him, she fell silent and paled as if she’d seen a ghost.


Hell, he figured she had. A phantom from her past.


“Beth? Beth Jeffers?” Matt tried to mask the sensations raised by seeing her again—surprise, longing, heartache—but doubted he succeeded.


She, on the other hand, quickly recovered her composure and turned up her nose as if she’d smelled a skunk. “What are you doing here?”


“Honestly, Beth, I’m surprised at you.” Her mother looked from one to the other. “You two know each other?”


Beth pushed a stray golden curl from her face and raised her chin. “We met long ago.”


She wore her blonde hair in a bun, but wisps escaped to frame her face. Time had been good to her. The years had rounded her a bit in the right places and softened her—except for her ice-cold blue eyes.


She gave Matt a measuring glare and balled her fists at her hips as if challenging him. “Whatever you want, you won’t find it here.”


Matt wanted to say something sharp to make her think he cared nothing for what she thought, but his mind went blank. Danged if she wasn’t prettier than when he’d known her six years ago, especially without bruises marring her ivory skin from her sonofabitch late husband’s fist.

Here in North Central Texas we are experiencing record winter temperatures and days of school closings. Nothing to compare to folks in the North and East, true, but we don't have snow plows, snow shovels, honkin' big furnaces, or tire chains. In addition, most school districts have contracts with power companies that when the temperature dips below a certain number, school is called off to free up that fuel for homes. Here are a couple of photos Hero took in our snow and ice.

No, our house isn't on a hill. LOL Just as Hero snapped the photo, our dog Webster tugged on the leash.

Our black Shih Tzu Webster loves taking Hero for a walk. Unlike Hero, Webster loves playing in the snow and sniffing every animal trail. Of course, Webster comes equipped with a fur coat.

Thanks for stopping by. Please come back now, ya hear?

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!

Baby, it's cold outside!

Brrrr! Winter is here! No snow, but cold wind to rosy your cheeks and chase you indoors. What do you do on cold winter days?

By Jodi Thomas

My favorite thing to do on a cold day is curl up with a good book. In fact, that's what I did yesterday. A luxurious, self-indulgent day sitting in my favorite chair, covered with my favorite throw, and reading a favorite author's new book. What could be better on a cold day?  I read Jodi Thomas’ SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, which I received as a stocking gift from Santa. This book continues the Harmony series on which I am so hooked. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series. 

By Cindy Sample

On my Kindle, I had just finished DYING FOR A DATE by Cindy Sample (recommended by my friend Bobbye Terry). This is a well-written cozy mystery with plenty of humor and a good puzzle. I didn't know who the killer was until way near the end. Fooling other writers is hard because we know the rules, but Cindy Sample pulled it off and offered an entertaining read as well.

This brings me to my Monday Musings topic. WILL E-BOOKS REPLACE BOOKS IN PRINT? In my opinion, it will not occur in our lifetime. Maybe. Probably. Certainly I hope not!



I love my new Kindle, but . . .

 E-books are ecologically sound, and an e-reader can hold dozens, even hundreds, of books on one small device. Electronic books are less expensive to produce, and are much faster through the editing and publishing process. The drawback to them is that they are so easy to publish, some that are not up to publishing quality reach the market. These badly written books create a poor reputation for all electronic publishing. My publisher, The Wild Rose Press, has wonderful editors who take their jobs seriously. I’ve started books from other sources, though, that I simply could not finish. They aren’t true wall bangers, since I’m not throwing my Kindle against the wall, but they are quickly deleted from my files.

Curl up with a good book

For those of us old enough to have grown up reading a print book, nothing replaces the feel of a book in our hands. I love thumbing through a research book. This usually leads to locating interesting material for a book down the line. In fact, I simply love books. Our home is filled with bookshelves filled with fiction and non-fiction books. Are these print books going the same way as the dinosaur? Will our heirs sell them as rare collections or will they go to a land fill?



Thing of the past?

 I hate to think of future libraries as a building filled with only computers! One exclusive private school in Dallas has replaced the library with 48 computers. The only books are in a tiny room labeled Antique Library. Shudder!  What a sad commentary on the future of libraries.

I limit my Kindle reading to those books I plan to read only once. Yes, I do reread many of my favorite books. Those authors whose books I plan to save, I buy in print. Makes sense to me, and I hope it does for other readers as well.  Perhaps both print and e-books will continue to be companion media for the future.

Pick your form of reading material, but please keep reading! Authors need more than royalties. We need to know that readers are enjoying our books. While I would write if no one but my family read my books, my goal is to bring escapism, hope, and pleasure to many, many readers through my writing.

Please return on Wednesday for an interview with Sybil Baker.