Lady Scribes

Idol Time - Again

2012-02-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

Yep, itis that time of year – American Idol has begun. I used to watch the weeks leading up to “Hollywood Week” to see whowould make it through and get that Golden Ticket. But this year, I didn’t. Part of it was because I got behind. Irecorded them all but by the time I would get through them it would be wellinto the season and they would probably be down to five contestants, if Imanaged to catch up. I loved watchingthe tears of joy, whooping and hollering and excitement whenever Randy Jackson,Jennifer Lopez or Steven Tyler announced someone was “Going to Hollywood”. I assumed it was the same feeling a romanceauthor gets when the call comes that they have finaled in the GoldenHeart. One step closer to a dream. Hollywood is that one step closer for thesesingers. It doesn’t mean they will win,but their chances of being noticed by the record industry just increased. Which is the same for Golden Heartfinalists. Once your name is on thatlist, people who could offer a leg up in your career begin to take notice.

Anotherreason I wasn’t compelled to watch the audition weeks was I don't like seeingdisappointment. Some of these singersput their heart and soul on the line when they step before the three judges andbelt out their song of choice. In pastyears, some have been humiliating. I don’t know about this year, I didn’twatch. Most authors have gone throughthe disappointment of getting a letter in the mail or e-mail that basicallysays “You are not good enough.” Oh, itmay be couched in kind terms, and even encouragement. Still, there is no offer of representation orpublication and despite what words were used in the rejection; an authortranslates it into “you are not good enough.” This is hard enough to take inthe privacy of your own home. For theidol contestants, it must be tenfold. Imagine your rejection letter being readon the nightly news for tens of thousands of people to hear. Or worse, CNN, so the entire world can knowyou are not good enough.

Ofcourse, the decision on whether and artist continues or not is the decision oftwo out of three people, and these three do not always agree. Heck, I am sure several armchair Idol judges(which I will admit, I tend to be), don’t always agree. There were times I wondered why a person wassent through and why another wasn’t. Nodifferent than an armchair quarterback during a game, yelling at the screen. I don’t yell. However, there was that oneseason, when a young man was kept on the show longer than he should have been (in my opinion, of course) andbetter talent voted off and my favorite of the bunch did not win. Oh well, I am sure my opinion would matter ifI owned a record label / recording studio. That was also the first year I picked up the phone and voted.

For anauthor, the decision on being put through also comes down to a handful ofpeople. Just because Agent A wasn’tinterested, or Judge B scored you low, doesn’t mean you are lackinganything. It is one opinion. Just getting in front of the judges is ahurdle. For Idol, they all start in theslush pile. Look at how many people show up to auditions. There is no possible way they will all get toperform before the three judges. Instead, they sing before other individuals whomake the decision on whether the singer is good enough to continue on. Just like assistants at an agency or publisherread through manuscripts and query letters. I wonder how many gems have been turned awayby these other judges that may have been loved by the three who carry thepower? It is a slush pile, luck of thedraw and being in the right place at the right time and meeting the rightperson.

So, ifyou are still waiting to get your Golden Ticket, don’t let a rejection letterdeter you and don’t read it as “You are not good enough” even though it seemsto be screaming those exact words back at you. It is one opinion in a sea ofthousands. Take a day to curl up on thecouch, beverage of choice in one hand, box of chocolates beside you and watchIdol. At least when someone goes home,you know exactly how they feel.

Remember, tomorrow is another day and youwill find that person who loves your voice and wants you, just like it happenedto my critique partner, Lily George. Shedid not give in or give up and last week she debuted with her Love InspiredInspiration Regency Romance, Captain ofHer Heart. Everyone who leaves a comment, with an email address, telling usabout their own Idol moments will be entered into a drawing for a signed copyof Captain of Her Heart.

An Interview with Aunt Katherine Crossley

2012-02-10T00:00:00.001-06:00

Originally, I had intended to interview the heroine and hero of Captain of Her Heart—Harriet Brookes nee Handley, and Captain John Brookes. However, the newlyweds recently departed Tansley Village for London so that Harriet could meet with her publisher. Fortunately for me, Mrs. Katherine Crossley—John's aged aunt--invited me to her flat in Bath for a good chin-wag, as she calls it.

As I sank onto the settee in Mrs. Crossley's well-appointed library, with a fire crackling in the grate and a cup of steaming Darjeeling in hand, I was bemused by this extraordinary woman. Her rings cast rainbows of light around the room, and she gave every indication of being in command though wrapped from head to toe in a fur rug. "Well then, out with it," she asserted briskly, reaching forward for her cup of tea. "I am sure your readers don't have all day, my dear."

Lily George (hastily clearing her throat): Yes, Mrs. Crossley—

Katherine Crossley: Call me Aunt Katherine, my dear. Everyone does. I am not sure what I should do if you called me Mrs. So and So.

LG: Very well then, Aunt Katherine—

KC: And I rather take exception to you referring to me as John's aged aunt. You are only as old as you feel, you know. And at heart, I am still a young woman.

LG (blushing): My apologies, Aunt Katherine.

KC: Think nothing of it my dear, think nothing of it. Now, I suppose your readers want to know more about Harriet and John?

LG: Yes, Aunt Katherine. As much as you care to share.

KC: Well, Harriet Handley is the daughter of Sir Hugh Handley. He died bankrupt, leaving his widow and two daughters penniless. His family refused to help them, and so they left the ancestral home for a poky little cottage in Tansley. But Harriet—wise, resourceful Harriet—knew she must find a way to get them all out of poverty. And so she decided to follow her girlhood dream of becoming an authoress. (She sighs and clasps her hands together.) I admire her courage. When I was a young lady, all one could do was marry well.

LG: That is rather remarkable, Aunt Katherine. Her own sister, Sophie, has been groomed from girlhood for a great match.

KC (waves her hands languidly): Well, Sophie's a great beauty. She was engaged to John before the war. But of the two, John ended up with the right sister.

LG: Why so, Aunt Katherine?

KC: Well, John was a captain in the army and suffered terribly during Waterloo. He lost his leg, you know. He turned to drink to ease his troubles—but his frustration only increased when he returned home and Sophie spurned him. Fortunately, Harriet saw what an amazing man he is and when her sister threw him over, Harriet gained his love and respect.

LG: What makes Captain Brookes an amazing man?

KC (smiling softly, stirring her tea): My John is a brilliant tactician. It's what served him so well on the peninsula. Men trusted him with their lives. He just lost his way, that's all. And Harriet's steadfast nature and strength of character turned him on the right course.

LG: Didn't you have a hand in bringing Harriet and John together? It seems he inherited the gift of strategy from you, Aunt Katherine.

KC (smiling broadly): Oh, tut. I only meddle to set things right. I can't bear to see matters amiss when one word or gesture would make life so much better.

LG: Aunt Katherine, I will of course flog the book, Captain of Her Heart, during our interview. But I have a feeling that my readers would look forward to the chance to speak directly to you. If you have time, would you consider responding to any questions or comments they leave in the blog?

KC: Of course, I shall be delighted.

Well, there it is. Aunt Katherine will be on hand all day to offer advice and answer your questions. At the end of the day, she will draw two lucky winners to receive a signed copy of Captain of Her Heart. So, let's gabble—ask Aunt Katherine anything!

Guest blog with Peggy Henderson

2012-02-09T00:01:00.002-06:00

Thank you, Lady Scribes, for having me here today. My name is Peggy Henderson, and I make no bones about it that I am a complete newcomer to the big world of book publishing. I am thrilled to be given this opportunity to introduce myself.

I’ve been an avid reader of romance novels since my early 20’s. I love a good love story, and since I’m a history buff of the old west as well, I am naturally drawn to historical romance of the 1800’s American west. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would write a novel, much less publish it someday. Since I have no great insights into writing at this point, and come to places like this for learning, I thought I’d share my journey to publishing my first book.

My journey to writing began four years ago in 2009, on a return trip from an annual family vacation to Yellowstone National Park. Interstate 15 though Utah can be a long stretch of highway, and it was during those long hours on the road that my mind drifted, and I conceived the idea that turned into my first novel, Yellowstone Heart Song.

Over the next few months, the story and characters took shape, and wouldn’t let me go. Another year went by, and another long drive home. After all the camping gear was packed away and the laundry finished, I sat down and wrote my first sentence. I had no intention of letting anyone read the story, much less publish it someday. Another year went by, and I tweaked and adjusted, and I finally decided I wanted some feedback. So I entered a contest. My scores were decent, but not enough to final. I tweaked some more, based on the judges’ comments, and entered the San Diego RWA Chapter’s Spring into Romance Contest in 2011.

My jaw dropped when I received the email that my story was a finalist! One judge commented I should get a critique partner. Hmm…not sure if her comment was a polite way of telling me I had major work to do, or what, but I took her advice. And I’m so glad I did. I found a wonderful critique partner online, and besides learning immensely from her – she’s never sugar-coated any of her comments - we’ve formed a personal friendship as well.

She nudged and prodded that I should publish the story. I balked and balked. She asked what I would write next. What? I hadn’t thought about another story, but I sat down, and began to write. And six weeks later, I had a first draft of Yellowstone Redemption finished.

By the time I began writing book four, my crit partner not-so-politely told me again that I needed to get the first one published. I finally relented, and decided to give it a try, but wanted to go the independent route, not through a publisher. My critique partner was getting quite discouraged with her own experiences with her small press publisher, so much so that she no longer wanted to write.

So here I am today. I published Yellowstone Heart Song at the beginning of January, with no expectations whatsoever. For me personally, it has been a big success. This week I published Book 2 in the series, and hope to get Book 3 and 4 out later this year. From there, who knows….. I still take the advice I gave my crit partner. I write for my own enjoyment, what I would like to read myself.

You can find out more about me and my stories here: http://peggylhenderson.blogspot.com

Here is a short description of Yellowstone Heart Song:

Nurse and avid backpacker Aimee Donovan is offered the opportunity of a lifetime. She encounters a patient who tells her he can send her two hundred years into the past to spend three months in the rugged Yellowstone wilderness at the dawn of the mountain man era. The only requirement: she cannot tell anyone that she’s from the future.

How did a white woman suddenly appear in the remote Rocky Mountain wilderness? Trapper Daniel Osborne’s first instinct is to protect this mysterious and unconventional woman from the harsh realities of his mountains. While he fights his growing attraction to her, he is left frustrated by her lies and secrecy.

Daniel shows Aimee a side of Yellowstone she’s never experienced. She is torn between her feelings for him, and exposing a secret that will destroy everything he holds as truth. As her three months come to an end, she is faced with a dilemma: return to her own time, or stay with the man who opened her eyes to a whole new world. When the decision is made for her, both their lives will be changed forever.

Excerpt from Yellowstone Heart Song:

Daniel emerged from the river, and Aimee swallowed hard. Her eyes roamed over his glistening wet body as he advanced. His feral virility stunned her. Several large jagged scars on his chest stood out against his olive skin. She wondered why she hadn’t noticed them the day before. Her gaze traveled lower, and she sighed involuntarily in relief. He wasn’t completely nude. He wore a breechcloth, but it didn’t leave much to the imagination as to what it covered, and only served to accentuate his flat, rippled stomach and muscular thighs. The smoldering look he gave her as he kept advancing sent her a few steps backwards, and the smile on her face faded.

Oh God! Is he really this angry because I threw some mud at him?

In one lightning fast predatory move, Daniel grabbed her up and flung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and turned back to the water.

“What are you doing? Put me down!” Aimee shrieked. Her fists pounded his hard back, her feet kicking uselessly in the air. He waded into the water a few feet, and unceremoniously threw her into the river. Before she hit the water, her thought was one of disbelief that he carried the game this far. It seemed so uncharacteristic of him.

“You slimeball,” she yelled as her head emerged from the water. She was actually pleasantly surprised at this new, playful side of him.

“How dare you!” she squealed in mock anger. Daniel dove into the river after her and came up inches from her face. She splashed water at him to ward him off. Daniel’s hands shot up and encircled her wrists.

Flashing a devilish grin, he asked, “What is a slimeball?”

She couldn’t keep up her false anger any more. “A slippery snake,” she laughed. “Like you, who preys on helpless women.”

Daniel’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought you said you weren’t helpless.”

“You’re right, I’m not helpless,” she confirmed, flapping like a fish to try and free herself from his iron grip. Daniel released her wrists, but snaked his arms around her waist and reeled her in close to him, while the slow current carried them downriver. She braced her palms against his chest, and a jolt of electricity seared up her arms at the contact with his warm skin.

“I thought you told me not to go in the river again.” Her voice was slightly breathless. Daniel’s expression changed. His eyes darkened and any hint of a smile faded. Intense desire registered in his dark eyes. Her heart rate accelerated, and she struggled to breathe. This game, she realized, was taking a turn in a very dangerous direction.

“Don’t go in the river unless I’m here to fish you out.” Daniel’s voice was low and husky. His hand came out of the water and wiped a strand of hair away from her face. His deep brown eyes fixed on hers. His fingers lingered, caressing her cheek. Aimee’s stomach tightened, and she groaned inwardly at the pure pleasure of that simple touch. His thumb traced along her cheek, and he cradled her face in his hand, his fingers raking through her hair.

Slowly, he lowered his face to hers. She swallowed nervously. Her thoughts earlier might have strayed in this direction, but this is not right, she reasoned. I can’t get involved with him. I’m not going to be here for long. It would do no good to give in to this temptation.

Available at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Yellowstone-Heart-Song-Romance-ebook/dp/B006SS09A4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326665047&sr=8-1

My Love Affair with spandex.

2012-02-08T09:35:00.001-06:00

I’m a clothes girl. Apparently I always have been. According to my mother, by the age of three I insisted on dressing myself in designer outfits that I had personally chosen, and I would only where dresses. In middle school, I remember being the envy of all my friends because I would go to Houston, Texas every summer and shop for my school clothes for the coming school year with my stepmother. I’m from a small Alabama town so designer clothes from Texas were impressive to us small town girls. I remember one particular canary yellow dress, strapless and stretchy that I worshipped. I’m laughing just thinking about it now. I had absolutely no cleavage and my nickname was string-bean.

In high school, I thought what you wore was everything, and I wore the best. I was thrilled when I was on the Homecoming ballot for best dressed, and oh so put out, when my mother told me loudly and clearly in the middle of a crowded boutique that “No, I couldn’t get that outrageously expensive outfit for Homecoming because I was not a Rockefeller.” I didn’t get it, though. Not yet.

In college I continued my adoration of clothes. I’d buy a new pair of designer jeans but a used textbook. My closets were packed to the rafters well into my late twenties with enough clothes to dress a village, and then one day something happened. I had a child and then another. My body, thanks to luck and gym time, didn’t really change too much, but the way I looked at clothes did.

Before when I would see women in their spandex gym pants in stores, or restaurants, or even dropping their kids off at school, I would shake my head and feel sorry for them. Didn’t they care about their appearance? Didn’t they know how to pick good clothes and take the time to put them on?

I swore I would never where spandex anywhere but inside of a gym. Has anyone told you never say never? I hope you listened to that advice because I learned first hand that when you say “I never this or I never that” you have about a 99.9 % chance of doing exactly what you said you wouldn’t.

Nowadays, I spend my time shuffling my children from school to sports to social engagements. I have to eek out time to write and go to the gym daily. I never wear anything but spandex from 6:30 in the morning to usually 8:30 at night because I’m always dressed in the hopes of getting in a workout. When I do manage to shower before nighttime and change into jeans or shorts, it always makes me laugh to see someone I know and have them comment about why I’m so dressed up.

Somewhere along the way, I traded in my love affair for expensive clothes for a love affair with life and staying healthy. I’m now that woman in stores, restaurant and schools dropping off their kids, and I bet there’s some young immaculately dressed girl shaking her head at poor, little old me. She’ll learn someday that clothes do not make the woman, the woman makes the clothes!

I still love nice clothes, but I rarely buy them because I simply don’t have much spare time. However, I have discovered a great little workout line called Lululemon. If I’m going to be wearing spandex around day and night, I might as well where the best!

I also realized I’m setting a great example for my kids. They know mommy puts her health first because I work out. I hope someday they do the same.

I’m not the only one that puts health first. I have a good friend who is an amazing runner, and she and some other girls found themselves in sweaty t-shirts all the time because, though they may have time for a ten mile run, they may not always be able to get an immediate shower afterwards. They started a company called The Sweaty Moms Running Club. You can read their amazing story at sweatythenewhot.com. Their t-shirts sport the line What Have You Done Today? Their idea is to find your own personal Everest and challenge yourself.

So now you have my story of how I went from Calvin Klein to spandex and am happier for it. What are you doing in your life that you swore you never would?

Have a great day!

Julie Johnstone, The Marchioness of Mayhem

Two commenters will win a signed copy of Samantha Grace's "Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel" as Naughty and Nice Week continues. Please remember your email address so we can contact you if you win. (US and Canada addresses only)

Love at First Sight

2012-02-07T01:06:00.000-06:00

There are moments in your life when you see something you like, love, and decide that you just have to have the thing you see.Falling in love can be like that. It’s happened to me before; the hot clerk at my first job, watching Chris Hemsworth in THOR, holding my boys in my arms just seconds after they were born. And I can never forget the moment my husband sat beside me for the first time ever. We were just ten at the time. LOL

But there is another man in my life now. A very demanding fellow actually. If it wasn’t for his habit of literally falling at my feet, frequently on them, I might not love Morpheus as much as I do.

All right, who am I kidding? It was love at first sight when I saw this big boy chillin’ behind bars at the local RSPCA. Can you imagine every giving up this beautiful boy?He’s quiet, housetrained (although he likes to get up onto tables out of any drafts which annoys everyone in the house), he doesn’t claw furniture or scratch up the kids. It amazed me then, and especially now, that someone actually gave such a sweet cat away.

I knew the moment I saw him that I’d take him back to my place. He was four when we found him, and in that age bracket where he had only a short stint on the kitty counter before they made a serious decision about his life expectancy. Not everyone likes cats, however, as evidenced by what a mean neighbor of mine did to him last year (see below). Couldn’t find out who, unfortunately. I remember looking out the kitchen window and then turning to my son to check: "The cat IS pink isn't he?" Thankfully it eventually washed/wore off. Doesn’t he look unhappy and un-pretty in pink?

In Australia, the RSPCA is working for a world in which no animal fit to be re-homed (adopted) is put to sleep. I’m pretty glad to have done my part. Adopted mature pets can make your life so much richer. Morpheus has been a constant surprise; I never know when he’s going to trip me up, or fall on my feet.

Naughty and Nice Week continues. Today two commenters will win signed copies of Lily George's book "Captain of Her Heart" and Samantha Grace's "Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel." Please indicate in your comment if you wish to be entered into Lily's draw only, Samantha's only, or if you would like a chance to win either book.

A Night at the Ball...

2012-02-05T23:59:00.001-06:00

Several years ago, when we were dirt poor and had no money to travel, I used to watch Samantha Brown's Passport to Europe almost constantly. The Travel Channel would play reruns every day, and I would diligently sit in front of the TV and soak up all the culture I could through the screen.

I'll never forget the night I watched her Vienna episode, though. She got to attend the Viennese Opera Ball…a real ball!! There were debutantes there, dressed in white, and they all danced a choreographed waltz with cadets. Then everyone would dance -- waltzes, polkas, you name it! I wanted to go to it so badly I could hardly stand it.

And then…one of my very close friends was hired as one of the opera singers a few years ago in the New York City Viennese Opera Ball. *gasp* But still, it was $1,000 a ticket, and she sadly had no power at the time.

But this year…well, my friend found a way for my husband and I to go. She enlisted me to adapt the libretto of the Mozart opera The Impressario, and hired Eric to play the title role. Finally! I got to go to a real ball! And it was every bit as magical as I hoped it would be.

Tails and floor-length ball gowns are the required attire. Dignitaries and celebrities were in attendance (including the reigning Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA!). The orchestra played many a waltz, as well as some modern tunes just for fun. The debutantes and their beaux were presented to the dignitaries and danced a beautiful waltz (click here to view on YouTube) At 11pm, the singers took to the stage to perform The Impressario (click here to view the finale on YouTube -- my hubby is the dapper one in the top hat out front :))

At midnight, every single guest took their place on the dance floor for the midnight quadrille. The dance master taught it very quickly and then had us dance it over and over, getting faster and faster every time. My feet were trampled on many times in the process, but I didn't much care -- I was having way too much fun :)

The after parties started well after midnight and introduced us to even more food and more dancing! By 2am, our legs were no longer willing to hold us up, so we retired to our room upstairs at the Waldorf=Astoria.

Please enjoy the photos below that show just little snippets of our evening at the Viennese Opera Ball…

All dressed and ready to go!

One of the many beautiful salons in the Waldorf=Astoria

The corridors of the Waldorf=Astoria make you feel as if you've taken a step back in time

The reception area

Miss USA, Miss Universe and Miss Teen USA make their grand entrance

My friend riding in on a horse-drawn carriage for the opera performance

The dignitaries

Our table in our private box

Our view of the dance floor

The ballet dancers

The debutante waltz

Happy Endings :)

Have you ever been to a ball? I'd love to hear about it if you have! Thanks for visiting!

Jerrica, Her Grace of Grammar

In celebration of the Lady Scribes' very own debutantes, inspirational regency romance author, Lily George, and regency historical romance author, Samantha Grace, we are hosting Naughty and Nice Week. Everyone who leaves a comment with an email address today will be entered into a drawing for a signed copy of Lily George's book, Captain of Her Heart.

Febutante Samantha Grace

2012-02-04T16:00:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the final episode of The Nearly Wed Game. This hour is brought to you by Samantha Grace, author of an exciting new regency romance series. Her debut book, Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel, was named as one of Publishers Weekly’s Top 10 Romances for Spring. Available February 7th wherever books are sold.

And now here’s our host Beaaauuu Brummell!

“Hello, London!” The very dashing Beau glides across stage to greet a couple waiting with arms linked. “Let’s meet our contestants, shall we? A month ago Lord Andrew Forest was more likely to be found in the gaming hells than London ballrooms. He claimed he wasn’t made for love, not from the heart anyway, yet here he is on the brink of becoming leg-shackled to feisty heiress and tree-climbing aficionado, Miss Lana Hillary. The couple has travelled all the way from Northumberland to join us today. Miss Hillary. My lord. I pray your journey was pleasant.”

“Quite pleasurable, thank you,” Lord Andrew says.

Miss Hillary fusses with her skirts, avoiding eye contact. “I haven’t any complaints.”

Lord Andrew flashes a dimpled grin. “They never do.”

“Perhaps we could discuss this later. In private.” She smiles politely at Beau. “Pardon my curiosity, sir, but what is the purpose of this call?”

“I will pose a question to you, Miss Hillary, and you must predict Lord Andrew’s answer. Then at the end of our show, we will open the floor to readers so they may ask anything they wish. Shall we begin? My lord, if you will please retire to the green room.”

Miss Hillary brushes a lock of red hair behind her ear. “Any questions readers wish? Why, that sounds…delightful.”

“I hope the green parlor is stocked with brandy,” Lord Andrew grumbles as he walks away.

Beau’s gaze follows Lord Andrew off stage. “Not that door. That’s my dressing room.”

“Aha, wine! That will do.”

“I must insist you halt, sir. Lord Andrew? Damnation!” Beau dashes off stage while Miss Hillary giggles. “Lord Andrew, bring that back at once!”

WE’RE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES AT THIS TIME. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

Lord Andrew has rejoined Miss Hillary and Beau on stage when we return.

Beau glares at Lord Andrew. “Shall we hear what the lady had to say about you, my lord?”

“This should be interesting. One never knows what delightful thoughts are bouncing around in that charming head. Although one often finds out quick enough.”

“It’s rumored you’re an expert on horseflesh,” Beau says.

“Among other things," Lord Andrew says and winks at Miss Hillary.

Beau clears his throat. “There are those rumors as well, but perhaps we should stick to the question.”

“It’s your soiree, chap. Ask away.”

“Twas my bottle of wine, too,” Beau grumbles before consulting a piece of foolscap. “If you were a horse, what breed would you be?”

Lord Andrew whispers to Miss Hillary. “You didn’t say a gelding, did you?”

“Heavens, no! Even I know a gelding isn’t a breed.”

The worry-line between his brows disappears. “A Thoroughbred then. And Miss Hillary is an Arabian. She’s graceful, intelligent, uncharacteristically brave, and the best of companions.”

“What a lovely sentiment, Drew.” She blushes and holds up the card with her answer.

Lord Andrew bursts into laughter. “A unicorn?”

“What’s wrong with a unicorn? They’re unique.”

Beau frowns. “I’m afraid the judges don’t allow for fictional creatures.”

Lord Andrew puts his arm around Miss Hillary and ignores their host. “You know, the green parlor boasts very comfortable furnishings.”

“Oh? I would like to see it.”

“Then you may retire to the parlor now, Miss Hillary,” Beau says. “It’s time to ask Lord Andrew—”

The couple wanders toward the stage exit.

“Wait! I didn’t ask Lord Andrew about the last devious thing he did.”

“He enlisted his younger sister’s help to get close to me,” Miss Hillary calls over her shoulder.

“Most recently I diverted the attentions of your unwanted suitor, my sweet.”

“You did? How did you accomplish that feat?”

“It was easy. Allow me to share the details over a glass of wine.”

Their voices fade as they leave the stage.

Beau extracts a handkerchief from his jacket and blots his forehead. “It appears our guests have pressing matters requiring attention. Perhaps they’ll return later. Anyone leaving a comment or question for our couple will be entered into the drawings for Ms. Grace’s book, as well the grand prize drawing for a...”

Looks at foolscap again.

“What is a blasted Kindle? Could someone please summon the couple back? Wait a minute! That’s my wine.” Drops the foolscap and storms off stage.

Announcer: Beau? Is anyone there? [loud sigh] My apologies ladies and gentlemen. It appears Lord Andrew and Miss Hillary prefer to avoid inquiries, but if you would like to pose a question anyway, we’ll try to urge them back onstage.

One lucky commenter will win a copy of MISS HILLARY SCHOOLS A SCOUNDREL. And all U.S. commenters will be eligible to win a free Kindle! YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK A QUESTION TO ENTER, BUT WE NEED YOUR NAME.

Leave comments on all six blogs for more chances to win. The contest ends at midnight CST Sunday, February 5th. Winners will be announced Monday evening.

You can learn more about Samantha's bachelors at www.samanthagraceauthor.com.

Febutante Manda Collins

2012-02-04T14:30:00.001-06:00

ANNOUNCER: ‘ello, ‘ello! And welcome to another episode of “The Nearly Wed Game”! Where Romancelandia’s most captivating couples show just how well they know one another. And here’s our host, the dandiest dandy of them all—Beau Brummell!

BEAU [glowers at the announcer through quizzing glass]: Now, shall we greet our next contestants? He’s a decorated war hero recently ascended to a Dukedom! And she’s one of England’s most renowned linguistic scholars! Give a warm ‘hello’ to the hero and heroine of HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE, Lucas Dalton, Duke of Winterson and Miss Cecily Hurston!

BEAU: Let’s begin. I shall pose a question to each of you, and you are to answer how you believe your partner will respond. Please step away into the soundproof booth, your grace.

LUCAS: I shall go, Brummell, but if anything happens to Cecily while I am gone I will hold you responsible. Someone is trying to kill her, you know.

[CECILY rolls her eyes and shoos him away.]

BEAU: Now, Miss Hurston, if you please. [Looks down and reads the card. Turns red.] I cannot ask her this! It’s unseemly.

ANNOUNCER: Ask the question, Brummell, or your precious snuffbox collection is headed for the nearest pawnbroker.

BEAU: Dash it! That’s blackmail!

ANNOUNCER: Indeed it is. So if you wish to save your boxes, do as I say.

BEAU: All right. All right. Calm down. Apologies in advance for the indelicacy of my question, Miss Hurston, but what is the most unusual place where you have….ehem…

CECILY: Yes, Mr. Brummell? I vow I am on the edge of my seat!

BEAU: Oh, blast it, where is the most unusual place that you and the duke have…um…had…that is to say, engaged in…[he makes a gesture with his hand]

CECILY [eyes growing large]: Oh! Oh, I see. [Takes pencil and writes.]

[LUCAS comes back in and takes the seat next to Cecily.]

BEAU: So, your grace, how do you think your betrothed answered the following question? ‘What is the most unusual place where you and your lady have engaged in…’

LUCAS: Brummell, if you value your life you will not finish that sentence.

CECILY: It’s not his fault, darling. He is being blackmailed by that horrid announcer and I think we really ought to investigate. I’ll tell Juliet and Madeline all about it this evening and we will make a plan.

LUCAS [groans]: You need another mystery to solve like you need instruction in Latin. [To Brummell] You are lucky I have no wish to have Cecily embroiled in another scandal, Brummell. I believe her answer to that question would be “in the same room with a mummy.”

CECILY [beams, turning over her card which reads “in a room with a mummy”]: We are an excellent match, are we not?

LUCAS: I’ll never think of artifacts in the same way again.

[Cecily is hurried out of the room]

BEAU[looks nervously at LUCAS]: Your g…g…g…grace, which one of you was the first to confess your affection for the other?

LUCAS: Don’t be such a ninny, Brummell. I won’t call you out, much though you deserve it. If you’re being blackmailed then I have no desire to get involved with the business. I have enough to worry about. [He writes hastily on his paper. CECILY is called back into the room.]

BEAU: Miss Hurston, how do you suppose your betrothed guessed you would answer the following question: Which one of you was the first to confess your affection for the other?

CECILY: Oh, that’s an easy one! It was Lucas, of course. You see, I had a rather nasty break-up with a fiancée earlier in my youth that led me to…

LUCAS: You don’t have to tell them the entire tale, darling. Besides you know how I hate to hear you talk of that bast…gentleman.

CECILY: Of course! I am sorry. I just hate to think of all those years I wasted on…him when I could have been looking forward to you.

[She throws her arms around his neck and they embrace passionately]

BEAU: Your grace! Miss Hurston! Please! That is to say…! [Shrugs, goes to pick up Lucas’s paper which has fallen by the wayside. He holds it out to the crowd and reads] It says ‘me’ so the Duke of Winterson and Miss Cecily Hurston have answered both questions correctly! Since they are otherwise engaged, I bid you adieu and encourage you to read their story in HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE, available in stores now!

Audience, what are some of your favorites ‘firsts’ for your favorite couples?

One lucky commenter will win a copy of HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE. And all U.S. commenters will be eligible to win a free Kindle!

Be sure to check in throughout the day to meet all of the Febutantes and for more chances to win autographed books and a Kindle. Just leave a comment to have your name entered into the drawing. Leave comments on all six blogs for more chances to win. The contest ends at midnight CST Sunday, February 5th. Winners will be announced Monday evening.

Learn more about Manda at http://www.mandacollins.com/.

Febutante Kristen Callihan

2012-02-04T13:00:00.001-06:00

Beau: Welcome to another episode of the Nearly Wed Game! I am your host—

Archer to Miranda: We aren’t ‘nearly wed.’ We are wed! Permanently.

Miranda: Yes, I know. Shhh.

Beau: [Looking censoriously] I am your host Beau Brummell--

Archer to Miranda: Why are we here again?

Miranda: Oh, stop. You know very well why. [Blushes] Because I lost that bet with Daisy and Poppy.

Archer: [Chuckling] You mean the one where they bet that you couldn’t –

Miranda: Hush! Now you’re just being vexing!

Archer: [Chuckles some more but affects an innocent tone] I have no idea what you mean.

Miranda: [Trying to hold back a smile] Beast.

Beau: Ahem! As I was saying, today we have Lord Benjamin Archer, Barron Archer of Umberslade and his extremely lovely—

Archer: Eyes up and forward, Brummell.

Beau: -- ah… wife, Lady Miranda Archer. Lord and Lady Archer, despite a number of rather unfortunate rumors surrounding…[Catching Archer’s glare] Never mind… But I really I must ask, Lord Archer, why do you wear that mask?

Archer: [Narrowing eyes] I find wearing a Carnival mask a much better opening to introduction than, ‘How do you do?’ [Inclines head graciously.] One must strive to be noticed these days, hmm?

Beau: [Befuddled] Er… Yes, I see…

Archer: Now, I must ask you. Do you talk to all of your guests this way, or only the ones you want to induce to murder?

Beau: [Pales] M-murder?

Miranda: I think he simply likes to annoy the men, Archer. There were quite a few disgruntled gentlemen in the anteroom, if you remember?

Archer: I remember. I wish I were in there with them now. [Leans in close to Miranda] Though he is quite fun to needle, is he not?

[Miranda suppresses a smile.] Yes, he is rather. But behave.

Archer: Only if you will.

Miranda: Of course I will! [Grins as she gets up from her seat] But I’m not the one stuck on stage. Ta, my dear!

Archer: Wait, what? Miranda! [Rises to follow as she walks away. Calls out after her] You’ll pay for this later, you know.

[Miranda grins over her shoulder.] Thoroughly one hopes!

[Archer clears his throat and sits back down.] All right then, Brummell, out with your questions. [Looks toward the door with longing, and his voice turns gravelly.] Be quick about it. I’ve a revenge to act out.

Beau: Yes, well then, have you shown your wife what lies beneath your mask?

[Archer stares at host. Awkward silence ensues in which Beau begins to squirm]

Archer: Next question.

Beau: Right… Uhm…. Is it true that you…No that one won’t do… All right, here is a good one. Lord Archer if your wife could change anything about herself, what would it be?

Archer: Other than not losing that bet? [Shakes head] I know what she would change, but I won’t say because I wouldn’t want her any other way.

[Miranda sticks her head through the doorway] Oh, Archer! I wouldn’t change a thing about you either, love.

Beau: You eavesdropped! That’s against the rules, madam!

Archer: [Rising] Not a surprise. She does it all the time. [Walks toward his waiting wife.] You ought to have a man guarding the door if that is what you are worried about.

Beau: Where are you going?

Archer: Revenge, remember? [Scoops Miranda up and holds her close] As promised, I intend to be most through.

Miranda: [Nuzzling in close] You always are good to your word.

Archer: Absolutely.

[Beau smiling nervously to the audience.] Well then audience, if you have any questions for Lord of Lady Archer, I’ll be happy to send them directly along. I assure you, they will answer in due course. I think…

One lucky commenter will win a copy of FIRELIGHT. And all U.S. participants will be eligible to win a free Kindle! YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK A QUESTION TO ENTER, BUT WE NEED YOUR NAME.

Febutante Jillian Stone

2012-02-04T11:30:00.001-06:00

Nearly Wed host, Beau Brummell, bounds on stage in all his tonsorial splendor. “The next contestants are brought to you by Jillian Stone, debut author of An Affair with Mr. Kennedy. The handsome couple on the cover of this edgy Victorian romance...” Beau primps a few curls. “...currently occupy neighboring flats in Belgravia, London. He’s the stoic, brilliant Scotland Yard detective Mr. Zeno “Zak” Kennedy, thwarter of deadly bomb plots against Victorian London. And she’s the lovely young widow, Cassandra St. Cloud, Impressionist painter and free-thinker who enjoys trying Mr. Kennedy with all manner of shocking behaviors.”
Beau nods a bow. “Mrs. St. Cloud?”

“I prefer Cassandra or Cassie.” Her gaze slides to the imposing man beside her. “It took a rescue in a rainstorm to get Zak to use the familiar.”

Zak raises a brow. “I was wheedled into it––along with those charm lessons.”

Cassie laughs. “My coaxing worked, didn’t it? Besides, I discovered you could be quite charming when you made the effort, Zak.”

“Shall we begin, then?” Hand on his hip, elbow out, Beau turns to Detective Kennedy. “Which aspect of your anatomy did Cassie say first caught her eye?”

Zak stares hard at Beau Brummell. “I might have expected a sordid question from an entertainment venue where couples are encouraged to reveal inappropriate and intimate things about one another––”

Cassie interjects, “Zak, darling, try making light of the situation.”

“All right then.” Shoulders back, he straightens. “Cassie was likely captivated by my mind, though I believe she would endeavor to shock me with something more––”

“Like this?” Cassie turns over her card which reads: HIS BUM. Studying the frown on his face she snorts a laugh. “Did we not ride together the first morning we met? I remember very well, you posted the fast trot and your coat tails flew up, and...” She smiles at him. “I could hardly take my eyes off you.”

Beau flashes a smile. “So much for brilliant deductions––shall we push on? What behavior of yours, Cassie, would Zak say is the most shocking?

Cassie draws her bottom lip under pearly white uppers. “Give me a moment¬¬.”

Zak checks his pocket watch. “Take your time, dear, there are so many––”

She brightens. “My latest is bicycle riding in bloomers. But, I believe Zak would say my occasional puff on a cigar...”

Zak turns over the card with the words: HER FRENCH TATTOO

Cassie’s eyes grow wide and her mouth drops open. “You didn’t.”

Zak grins. “Come, come, Cassie. You are such a wonderfully shocking fiancée––might I share those colorful cursive words?”

Cassie squirms a little. “Well, as long as you don’t reveal where it’s located...”

Zak chuckles. “La douleur passe, la beauté reste––The pain passes but the beauty remains.

“All right then––we stand at nil and naught.” Beau tallies up the score.

“Nil and naught? Some kind of archaic cipher...” Zak muses.

Cassie pulls Zak close and nuzzles. “Shall we do a bit of...decoding, darling?”

Beau leaps in front of the kissing couple. “Leave a comment or question for Zak or Cassie and be entered into the drawings for Jillian Stone’s An Affair with Mr. Kennedy as well the grand prize drawing for a Kindle...and please do so quickly before these two––” Beau sneaks a peek behind his back and returns, eyes bulging. “Next contestants, please!”

One lucky commenter will win a copy of AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY. And all U.S. commenters will be eligible to win a free Kindle! YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK A QUESTION TO ENTER, BUT WE NEED YOUR NAME.

You can learn more about Jillian's Gentlemen of Scotland Yard at http://www.jillianstone.com/.

Febutante Heather Snow

2012-02-04T10:00:00.001-06:00

"Hello, and welcome back to the next segment of The Nearly-Wed game. I'm your host, Beau Brummell, and I thank you for staying with us into the next hour. Now, in case you missed last episode, I'm sorry to say that, while certainly quite entertaining, Miss Sinclair and Major Prestwood scored no points. Let us see, shall we, if our next couple isn't a little more simpatico...” His voice trails off. “Oh, my..."

Brummell's face loses a shade of color. He turns his head to look at the stage director and whispers, a little too loudly, "Is the name of this couple's story truly SWEET ENEMY?" The director frantically nods and waves his arms in a 'go-on, man!' gesture.

Liliana Claremont smiles. "Really, Mr. Brummell, there's no need to fret. Geoffrey and I aren't enemies any longer, are we?"

Geoffrey Wentworth, Earl of Stratford, chucks his affianced gently under the chin. "Far from it, love."

Brummell's brows dip into a disbelieving vee, but he gamely goes on. "Yes, well. May I introduce Miss Claremont, a brilliant lady chemist who--" Narrows his eyes at the paper he's reading from, then glances up at Liliana. "I say! Did you truly go undercover as a husband-hunter at the earl's house party?"

Liliana's cheeks pinken, but she maintains her straightforward gaze. "Why, yes. I traded in my beakers for ball gowns, but only to uncover whether Geoffrey's family had something to do with the murder of my father," she says, quite reasonably.

Brummell's eyes widen. "And did they?"

Geoffrey chuckles. "Now, Brummell. You don't really expect us to give away the entire story, do you?"

Beau clears his throat. "No, no, of course not." One perfectly trimmed eyebrow wings high. "But you're certain you're no longer enemies?"

Both Geoffrey and Liliana smile. "Quite sure," she answers for them both.

"Well, if you were watching from back stage, you understand how the game works. My lord, would you mind removing to the green parlor so I might ask Miss Claremont a question?"

Geoffrey gives a sharp nod before brushing a kiss on Liliana's temple. Then he straightens, turning on his heel in such a way that speaks of his years of military training and strides for the exit. Liliana's eyes follow him--

"Miss Claremont--"

She jumps, snapping her attention back to the host. "Yes."

"Miss Claremont, if Stratford were to pick out a bouquet of flowers for you, what would he choose?"

A secret smile flits over Liliana's face and she drops her eyes to her vellum, hastily scribbling an answer.

Moments later, Geoffrey re-enters and Brummell poses the question to him.

A grin of masculine arrogance curves Stratford's lips. "Globe Thistle," he says confidently.

Liliana smiles an answering grin and flips her vellum. "Just so."

Brummell frowns. "But...isn't that a weed?"

Both Geoffrey and Liliana turn frowns upon him. "It's prickly," Liliana admits.

"But passionately purple," Geoffrey says. The two lovers look at each other a long moment, and it becomes clear to the entire audience that there is some private significance in Geoffrey's choice. "Besides, it's the precise color of Liliana's eyes."

"I...see," Brummell says, though he doesn't. "Yes, well, well done, you. You win the points. Now, Miss Claremont, if you please?"

Liliana leaves the room.

"My Lord, what would Miss Claremont say was the most romantic gesture you ever made towards her?"

Geoffrey debates a moment, then writes his answer. Liliana returns to the room and listens attentively to the question.

"Oh, my," she says, chewing her bottom lip with pearl white teeth. "I'm not certain. It could be the time he took me to the bog at the west side of his property and waded in to help me collect specimens...or, the fact that gave me a piece of expensive chemical glassware instead of a ring when he asked me to marry him...or, oh! I know. When he gave me his folly to use as my own private laboratory." She nods, but Geoffrey slowly shakes his head, his cobalt eyes turning rather heated. "No?"

Geoffrey slowly walks over to Liliana and flips his paper over, for her eyes only. Her pixie-like face quickly turns nearly as red as the glints of copper in her chestnut hair. "Geoffrey Alisdair Wentworth," she says sternly. "I'm quite certain this particular show is rated PG-13."

Beau tries to peak over Geoffrey's shoulder. The earl doesn't spare him a glance, having eyes only for Liliana, though he does crumple the vellum in his fist before the host can see the answer. "We forfeit this round, Brummell," Geoffrey says and takes Liliana by the hand. They hastily exit the stage, that secret smile they share pasted on both of their faces.

Brummell adjusts his cravat. "Well, there you have it. Please stay tuned for the next segment of our show after this short break... Now, if you have any questions for Miss Claremont or the Earl of Stratford, please do speak up. I'm certain...well," he cuts his eyes to where Geoffrey and Liliana were last seen, "I mean I expect they shall return to answer them at some point."

As the lights fade, Brummell can be heard grousing to the director. "Such behavior! This is the last time I agree to host a show with a bunch of love birds as contestants, I can tell you that."

One lucky commenter will win a copy of SWEET ENEMY. And all U.S. participants will be eligible to win a free Kindle! YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK A QUESTION TO ENTER, BUT WE NEED YOUR NAME.

Be sure to check in throughout the day to meet all of the Febutantes and for more chances to win autographed books and a Kindle. Just leave a comment to have your name entered into the drawing. Leave comments on all six blogs for more chances to win. The contest ends at midnight CST Sunday, February 5th. Winners will be announced Monday evening.

Please visit Heather at www.HeatherSnowBooks.com, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Febutante Anna Randol

2012-02-04T08:00:00.008-06:00

Hello, and welcome to the first episode of “The Nearly Wed Game”! An exciting new game show where heroes and heroines find out how well they truly know each other. Let’s meet our host, the man with a fascination with fashion, the connoisseur of cravats—Beau Brummell!!!

Beau: (adjusts his jacket) Thank you. Thank you. Now let’s meet today’s guests. These lovebirds may have had the farthest to come, but they’re always home when they’re with each other! Let’s welcome the colorful couple from A SECRET IN HER KISS! Miss Mari Sinclair is a beautiful British spy in the heart of the Ottoman Empire who’s been blackmailed into completing one final mission. Major Bennett Prestwood is a battle-weary soldier fresh from the fields of Waterloo who’s been sent to make sure she complies even if it costs her life.

Beau: Now let’s get down to business. I’ll be posing questions to each of the couples, and you are to answer how you believe your partner will respond. We’ll see you soon, Major.

Beau: (clears throat) Major Prestwood, that is your cue to exit the stage.

(Bennett crosses his arms and refuses to move.)

Beau: Major?

Bennett: Someone is trying to kill Mari. I’m not going anywhere.

Mari: I’ve managed to survive thus far on my own. And I doubt anyone is about to attack me in front of an audience. Go.

Beau: Major, we have a general back stage who can order you leave.

(Bennett hesitates, but finally goes).

Beau: So Mari, pick up you paper and answer this question: If your hero was going to dispatch with a villain, how would he do so?

(Mari thinks and then writes. Beau calls Major Prestwood back in.)

Beau: So, Major Prestwood, how do you think Mari would have answered this question. If your hero was going to dispatch with a villain, how would he choose to do so?

Bennett: (Glowers) With my rifle. I’m a major in the 95th after all. A crack shot.

Beau: Let’s see? Miss Sinclair?

Mari: (Frowns holding up paper) I said with a dagger. You carry one in your boot. That’s how you took out the thief in my room.

Bennett: Because I didn’t have a rifle at that moment.

Mari: Don’t glare at me. You were the one who hurried me out of your room so quickly.

Beau: (Raising his eyebrow) Moving on for Miss Sinclair’s question.

(Mari dodges as Bennett tries to keep her by his side.)

Beau: If Miss Sinclair had an afternoon free, how would she occupy her time?

(Bennett writes and Mari is called back into the room and told the question.)

Beau: Your answer, Miss Sinclair?

Miss Sinclair: Reading Bennett’s poetry. It’s gut-wrenching and passionate. It details both the horrors of war and the triumphs.

Major Prestwood: (Flushes and clears his throat several times) You read my poetry?

Miss Sinclair: (Boldly meets his eye) You left it in the dirt.

Major Prestwood: I thought—It’s all a bunch of nonsense anyway… Isn’t it?

Beau: (clears throat) Your answer, Major?

Major Prestwood: (shakes his head as if clearing it) Drawing. She’s incredible. I’ve watched her draw line by line and I still don’t understand how she manages to capture the essence of her subjest so perfectly.

(Mari’s mouth drops open in an unladylike fashion)

Beau: Well, it looks like these two sweethearts have a little further to go until they reach their happily ever after. But don’t worry, audience, you can find out if they succeed in A SECRET IN HER KISS available now!

Audience, do you have any questions for Mari and Bennett? One lucky commenter will win a copy of A SECRET IN HER KISS. And all U.S. commenters will be eligible to win a free Kindle! YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK A QUESTION TO ENTER, BUT WE NEED YOUR NAME.

You can visit Anna at www.anarandol.com.

Welcome to the Febutante Ball!!!

2012-02-04T07:55:00.000-06:00

Lady Scribes is very happy to host the 2012 Febutante Ball!

Today’s event is the perfect opportunity to explore several new historical romance authors with debut books hitting shelves this month. Perhaps you’ll even discover a new love or two. Maybe even six!

Be sure to check in throughout the day to meet the Febutantes and for chances to win autographed books and a Kindle. Just leave a comment to have your name entered into the drawing. Leave comments on all six blogs for more chances to win. The contest ends at midnight CST Sunday, February 5th. Winners will be announced Monday evening.

Please welcome Febutantes Anna Randol, Heather Snow, Jillian Stone, Kristen Callihan, Manda Collins, & Samantha Grace.

Guest Blogger Anna Randol

2012-02-03T00:01:00.000-06:00

The Lady Scribes are happy to welcome Anna Randol, debut author of A Secret in Her Kiss. Anna lives with her family in Southern California. She writes sultry, adventurous Regency romances for Avon. Her debut novel, A Secret In Her Kiss, is set in Constantinople and earned a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, who called it a “...masterful debut…[that] spins a tale replete with mystery, espionage, and memorable romance.” When she’s not plotting fun, sexy storylines, Anna’s usually eating dark chocolate, having wild dance parties with her kids in the living room, or remodeling her house one ill-planned project at a time. She loves hearing from readers at her website http://www.annarandol.com/ or on Twitter at @AnnaRandol!

Hero or Zero: A Quick Reference for Heroines

We all know how it is—by Chapter One you’re already engaged to a man. But with all the things a romance heroine has to juggle (spy work, raising siblings, lost treasures) it’s hard for a woman to know if she’s found her true love. To simplify things and save time, I’ve compiled a simple quiz.

1. Is the man in your life:
A. Selected by your overbearing father, or a lecher old enough to be your father?
B. A childhood friend, pleasant, dull but safe?
C. Dark, tortured, and misunderstood?

2. A stable boy spooks your man’s horse. Does he:
A. Beat the lad with a riding crop?
B. Get flustered and out of sorts?
C. Offer the malnourished lad a position on his own staff?

3. When it comes to a discussion of marriage, your man:
A. Insists upon it immediately and is willing to use force to see it happen.
B. Content to do his duty but not interested in anything more romantic.
C. Shies away from it because he knows it is too important to take lightly.

4. When your man sees you riding astride in the park, he:
A. Goes straight to your father with threats.
B. Worries what his mother will say if word gets out, but swears he won’t be the one to tell her.
C. Berates you for your lack of groom but then challenges you to a race.

5. Describe his kiss.
A. Like two fat slugs sliding over your skin.
B. Brief, chaste.
C. Sweet mercy, my head's spinning too much to expound on it.

If your answers are mostly ‘A’s:
This man is not your hero. In fact, he is most likely the villain. If there are any suspicious deaths in the recent past, I would look closely at this fellow.

If your answers are mostly ‘B’s:
This man is also not your hero. He is most likely the placeholder until the real hero comes along. You may break his heart when you leave him, but he will understand and want you to be happy. There is also the strong possibility that he’s just fallen in love with one of your best friends but doesn’t have the heart to tell you.

If your answers are mostly ‘C’s:
This is your hero! Despite what society thinks of him, he truly has a sensitive, caring heart. He just needs the right woman to come along and see it. If you’re concerned about his reckless ways, fear not. He’ll change them after meeting you. Also, there is a good chance it was all a ruse to cover his career as a spy.

A rare beauty, raised in the exotic heart of the Ottoman Empire, Mari Sinclair knows it’s time to end her career as a British spy when she narrowly avoids a brush with death. Unfortunately her employers think otherwise—and they are not above using blackmail to keep Mari in the Game.

Saddled with a handsome, duty-obsessed “minder” to ensure that she completes—and survives—one last mission, Mari is incensed…for her guardian, Major Bennett Prestwood, is simply too dedicated, too unbending, and too disarmingly attractive. But in the face of dark secrets and deadly treacheries, as the true peril to Mari is slowly revealed, loyal soldier Bennett realizes that, to save and win this extraordinary woman, he will have to do the unthinkable and break the rules—rules that passion and desire have suddenly, irrevocably changed.

One lucky reader will win a copy of Anna's amazing book. Leave your name and email address in the comments section to be entered into the drawing.

The Word I've Always Avoided Using About Myself

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

I'm fat.

There. I said it. It's out there, and I can't take it back unless I do something to change it.

When I was a kid, I was "chubby" or I told people I hadn't lost my baby fat. As a teenager, I was "fluffy," or I think that was the term we tended to use at the time. As a twenty-something, I tended to go with "curvy" as the term of choice. When my thirties hit, I started to use terms more like "overweight" or "plus-size."

But none of those really get to the heart of the matter. They're words that I used to make myself feel better about myself, when I didn't really feel all that good about myself. They were supposed to make it less painful to face the truth, I guess, but they really just glossed over the truth.

Because the truth is I'm fat. Obese works, as well. Neither of those are terms that seek to hide the facts.

In other areas of my life, I've never been shy to call a spade a spade. If something needs to change, I either change it myself, or I point it out to someone who can make the change. I'm not one to bite my tongue. But for some reason, in this area of my life, I've never been willing or able to face the facts, to admit to the truth. One thing I've learned in life, though, is that until we come face to face with reality, we'll never change.

So I'm facing the truth today. I'm fat. I'm obese. I'm not just curvy or fluffy or plus-sized. I'm the writer who sits behind the computer screen all day, drowning myself with coffee and eating all sorts of things that are bad for me, until one day I get on an airplane and almost can't fasten the seat belt because I'm too fat. I'm the aunt who can't run after a kite with my nephew because I'm too fat and out of shape, so I have to be sure someone else is with us who can run with him, or who can't take him on rides at the amusement park because I don't fit. I'm the diner at the restaurant who insists on a table and not a booth, because I never know if I'll be able to fit between the table and the bench.

But that doesn't mean that's how I have to stay.

I recently decided to lose weight, and I joined Weight Watchers. I think I'm going to join a gym, too, because if I spend the money on it I'm far more likely to use it and actually work out.

I don't think I want to change the statement at the beginning of this blog post to "I'm skinny" or anything like that. I don't think I'll ever be skinny. But I do want to be able to someday, in the not too distant future, say "I'm healthy." That'd be nice.

Are there any words you've avoided using about yourself that maybe you should start using? Are you willing to make a change and get healthy with me?

If the Ship is a Rockin'

2012-02-01T00:01:00.002-06:00

My family and I returned from our first big trip last week. Two days at Disney World and then three days on the Weezer Cruise, sponsored by Carnival Cruise Line. For those who might not know, Weezer is a rock band that has been around for 20 years.
(My husband’s stepbrother thought it was a cruise for people with asthma. LOL)

If you’ve never been on a concert cruise, it’s noisy. But the Weezer fans were surprisingly courteous, and I didn’t hear much of anything after midnight. Except for a two brief outburst from the guy next door. The second night at sea I was ripped from a deep sleep by a male voice wailing, “I don’t want to die alone.” I debated climbing from bed to make sure he wasn’t standing on the balcony railing preparing to jump, but then I thought he wouldn’t be alone if I went out there. It just seemed less risky to go back to sleep.

The next morning I mentioned the incident to my husband, and he told me it was the anthem of single people. I haven’t been single for a while, but it seems like I would have remembered that song. The last night at sea the same guy woke me up again. “I don’t care if she gets friendly with a different guy every night,” he said. “Good for her. Good for her.” (Edited for G rating)

I don’t know if it was the social worker or romance author in me that wanted to give him a hug, but the sadness in his voice broke my heart. I was reminded of how tough it can be to be single when you really want to fall in love and get married. Meeting potential partners who want the same thing seems especially hard.

Maybe the English had it right. Regency romances often make use of the marriage mart in London as a meeting place for the hero and heroine. Social events during the Season provided opportunities for eligible gentlemen and young ladies to mingle for the purpose of making a match. Granted, love wasn’t necessarily factored into the arrangement. Couples married to improve their status, to increase the family funds, or to build political alliances. But at least they had a place to go where they knew people were looking for the same thing.

So, here’s an idea, Disney Cruise Line. Why don’t you have a cruise just for people looking for a happily ever after?

And here’s a question for readers: How did your parents or grandparents meet?

**Leave a comment with your email address to be entered into a drawing for an autographed copy of my debut book Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel. (The story just happens to open in a London ballroom.)

What Happens In Vegas...

2012-01-31T00:00:00.006-06:00

What do an Elvis Impersonator,

Gold Lame` is hawt!

A mysterious bruise,

Totally *not* from falling luggage

Bonus: Perky voices sang lovely songs in Japanese.

And light up bridal bouquet have in common?

WEDDING IN VEGAS, BABY!!

Not mine, of course! I've been happily married to Hot Builder for twelve years, and the one time we went to Las Vegas, well...

She's almost eight now.

Now I'm not going to spill all the deets on what happened when I flew out there to celebrate my sister's wedding--I might not be let back in for breaking The Cardinal Rule of Las Vegas: What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas. And there might also be some other incentive to keep mum.

What my sister threatened to do to me if I revealed all.

However, I will share how a little bit of Vegas magic transformed a soldier into a princess bride:

Action Figure not sold in stores

Isn't she lovely?

My sister and her fiance were given the three sacred rules that all marriages must uphold by Elvis:

They have to love each other's hound dogs--even if they're cryin' all the time. Invest in earplugs; got it!
Never leave blue suede shoes out in the rain. Obviously, Elvis doesn't know my sister wears combat boots.
They can never go to bed without giving each other some hunka,hunka burning love. Ouch!

The almost newlyweds eagerly agreed and were pronounced husband and wife as Elvis serenaded (and celebrated) their love with a song.

The Carters

Have you ever been to Vegas? And if you have, spill the details. I promise I won't tell anyone!

What Horrid Novel Would Jane Recommend?

2012-01-28T18:13:00.005-06:00

As readers, we often research beforepurchasing a novel. Some of us readreviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Goodreads, and sometimes take note when a friend posts on Facebook/Twitter “I just finished reading (fill in the blank), and it was wonderful.” That is how an author and/or book gains a following.

But, social networking, as we knowit today, did not exist during the Regency period. There were reviews in the various papers, I suppose. I have heard there were, but have not had the opportunity to actually read such a review. One could also ask for a recommendation at a lending library as well, or fall back on the most common and reliable source – a friend.

And, if one wants a recommendation for what to read if one were living during the Regency period, one could start with Jane Austen. It is very simple actually. Very few readers and authors of Regency have not read Austen or at least seen the movies. What better way to delve into the world than through the works written at the time. But, Austen wasn’t the only author, though it may seem that way at times.

So, if you are a Regency author, and your heroine wants to read a novel, where do you go? Of course, this could be Googled and such “what novels were popular in1810” or whatever you are looking for. I didn't feel like doing that so I turned to a favorite, NorthangerAbbey, as an example of what Jane may or may not have read, and thus, what my current heroine may be reading.

Regardless of whether Jane Austen read these books at all, a short list was provided, and one my own heroine could rely upon for recommendation. And, it also shows, some things do not change. When looking for that perfect novel, turn to a friend:

“. . . But, my dearest Catherine,what have you been doing with yourself all this morning? Have you gone on withUdolpho?”

“Yes, I have been reading it ever since I woke; and I am got to the black veil.”

The book referenced would be The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe. It was actually published in 1794. I have this book, but have not read it yet. Though I am a bit interested in this black veil reference.

The reading suggestions do notstop with Udolpho.

“Dear creature, how much I am obliged to you; and when you have finished Udolpho,we will read The Italian together; and I have made out a list of ten or twelve more of the same kind for you.”

“Have you, indeed? How glad I am!What are they all?”

“I will read you their names direct;here they are in my pocket-book. Castle of Wolfenbach, Clermont, MysteriousWarnings, Necromancer of the Black Forest, Midnight Bell, Orphan of the Rhine,and Horrid Mysteries. Those will last use some time.”

“Yes; pretty well; but are they all horrid? Are you sure they are all horrid?”

Excerpts taken from Chapter 6 of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.

As an author this gives me two reference points. One, the books specifically named, and second, horrid novels were apparently the passion, or at least they were for a few young ladies.

I’ve read one horrid novel, A Sicilian Romance, by Ann Radcliff, published anonymously in 1790. Once I got used to the tempo, phrasing, etc., I became engrossed.

I suppose my heroine could read the books recommended to Catherine Moreland, but it feels a bit like cheating to me. So, I did my own research into Horrid novels and in less than a day, I had a list of 44 published between 1764 and 1820. Surely there are few in there that my heroine would enjoy. And luckily this author lives in the day of the Kindle so I’ve been able to obtain a few.

On the immediate list for my heroine are The Monk; a romance, by Matthew Gregory Lewis, The Ghost-Seer by Friedrich Schiller, and The Castle of Otranto,by Horace Walpole.. And in reading them, no doubt I will be transported in to an old Abbey or Castle; meet a Monk or a Nun, or both; encounter a Ghost; travel down dark, hidden passages; be faced with a fainting heroine; and someone is sure to have gone missing, fled, kidnapped and possibly even murdered. Those are just a few of the ingredients that make up the Horrid Novel.

Dearest creature, what horrid novels would you recommend and are they all horrid?

Ava, this is Houston. Are you there?

2012-01-27T01:00:00.005-06:00

Sometimes I am a space cadet, and not in a good way. I mean, I don’t work for NASA, nor have they ever asked me to travel to outer space for my country. No, no. I am a space cadet in the Where-am-I-going?…What-was-I-doing-again?…or…Who-am-I-today?…kind of way. Not the best thing to say about one’s self, but in addition to being a space cadet, I’m truthful to a fault, and I’m also a pragmatist. So there you are.

I don’t know about you, but I lose everything. I mean EVERYTHING. My keys. My bank card. My phone.

That’s right…

MY PHONE!

I did *that* this week. Monday, to be exact. And losing my iPhone really means losing all of my contacts, my email, Twitter, and Facebook accounts… Needless to say I get the shakes when I can’t put my hand on my phone. (Which you would think would make me keep up with it better. But… Well, you saw the first paragraph about me being a space cadet, right…?) Everything I have is in my phone. I don’t remember anyone’s numbers, and it’s a good thing I don’t usually have to because… see paragraph one again.

Strangely enough, I can tell you every last detail about every character I’ve ever written. Not sure what that means, but I didn’t want everyone to get the impression that I’m a complete dingbat. Just about things happening in the real world in real time.

Anyway, I retraced my steps, figured out where I’d had my cell phone last and that was… the post office. Really?! The post office?! Where a million people come and go every day? That’s where I left my phone? Uh, yeah, it was. And, of course, by the time I realized I didn’t have my phone, the post office was closed for the day.

Yeah, the shakes set in. But not as bad as I had expected. Whether or not my phone was still at the post office, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it until Tuesday morning at 9am when I found out for sure. I was rather calm, actually. I went back over conversations I’ve had with various friends recently about people being inherently good or evil. I have friends in both camps, and I’m… Well, I *am* a pragmatist. I don’t think people are either inherently good or evil. I think some people are good and some people are evil. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt, until I’m proven wrong – but that’s the subject for a whole other blog.

I figured my phone would either be at the post office or it wouldn’t. It would all depend on who found it and what sort of person that person was. And no amount of worrying on my part was going to change the situation one way or the other. Whatever had happened had already happened, and I just had to wait until the next morning to find out which way it went.

I am happy to report that some honest soul turned my phone in and I had it back in my hot little hands at 9am the next morning. And so I would like to send out a big “Thank you” to the nameless person who discovered my phone. I would also like to say that I will no longer be a space cadet and I’ll keep up with my possessions better, but I *am* honest and I know myself too well to make that kind of statement, even though I would love for it to be true.

Are you like me? Do you lose things constantly? And what do you lose most? (Mine are my keys. I have to have several copies at various places so I can always get to where I need to be.) Or do you always know where everything is all the time? If so – do you have any tips for the rest of us? ... Nice tips that is. Don't tell me to get my head out of the clouds, because that's probably not going to happen.

Guest Interview with Paty Jager!

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

I'd like to take a moment to introduce one of my favorite western author Paty Jager, whom I've been a fan of for years. She writes the Wild West and makes it real. Her characters leap off the page and right into your living room as if they were right there with you. And the best part of her stories is she isn't afraid to break the rules and write uncommon plots and uncommon characters. I love that and I hope you will, too. So c'mon ladies and give a big "Scribe's" welcome to one of my favorite authors, Paty Jager!

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Thank you Lady Scribes for having me here today.

What genre(s) do you write?

I’ve published historical and contemporary westerns and historical paranormal. I’m currently writing a contemporary action/adventure and mystery series.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a plantser. I plot a little and then fly by the seat of my pants. I start with an idea or character and stew and brew the story and/or character in my head a while. Then I start researching and writing bios on the characters and gathering information that will help with plot. Once I’ve determined the opening scene, a turning point or two and know the black moment, I start writing. I don’t make an outline or synopsis before I start writing, I just write keeping in mind the turning points and the ending.

Why do you think people should choose your books over another author?

I can’t tell you why to choose my book over someone else’s book. I can only tell you my books entertain with a smidgeon of humor, intriguing characters, and fast paced prose. And I like to have information in the book that might be enlightening whether it’s historical in nature or about a cause or lifestyle.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?

If they put my book down and feel they’ve been entertained, perhaps moved(not all my books are written to move the reader) and enlightened, I’ve done my job.

Is there a message in your novels that you want readers to grasp?

I tend to like to write about injustice and people finding justice or at least coming out better in the end than when the story started.

How long have you been a writer?

That depends on what you mean by a writer. I’ve written stories all my life but it wasn’t until the 80’s when I became a freelance human interest writer for the local paper that I became a “paid” writer. As for fiction, I started writing a mystery novel five years before I joined RWA(Romance Writers of America) in 1998. I’m a wordsmith not a mathematician, so you’ll have to do the math. ;)

Please tell us 5 miscellaneous facts about yourself.

1) I’ve driven in a powder puff derby

2) I worked in a cosmetic department and a sandwich shop before I was married.

3) I’ve owned a horse all but five years of my life.

4) I hate skiing- snow or water.

5) In high school I wanted to join the Peace Corps.

Bio:

Wife, mother, grandmother, and the one who cleans pens and delivers the hay; award winning author Paty Jager and her husband currently ranch 350 acres when not dashing around visiting their children and grandchildren. She not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

She is a member of RWA, EPIC, WW, and COWG and has eleven books and a short story published. Her newest venture is self-publishing ebooks. Part of her learning curve for writing happened during the four and a half years she edited for an e-book publisher.

Her contemporary Western, Perfectly Good Nanny won the 2008 Eppie for Best Contemporary Romance and Spirit of the Mountain, a historical paranormal set among the Nez Perce, garnered 1^st place in the paranormal category of the Lories Best Published Book Contest.

You can learn more about her at her blog; www.patyjager.blogspot.com her website; http://www.patyjager.net or on Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/#!/paty.jager and twitter; @patyjag.

Logger in Petticoats – Fifth book in the Halsey Brothers Series

Hank Halsey believes he’s found the perfect logging crew—complete with cooks—until he discovers Kelda Neilson would rather swing an axe than flip eggs. As he sets out to prove women belong in the kitchen, he’s the one in danger of getting burned.

Strong and stubborn, Kelda Nielsen grew up falling trees, and resents any man who believes she’s not capable, until Hank. He treats her like a lady and has her questioning what that means.

As Kelda and Hank’s attraction builds, she hires a cook so she can sneak out and work in the woods. But will her deceit ruin her chance at love or will hardheaded Hank realize it’s more than his love that puts a sparkle in Kelda’s eye?

Excerpt for Logger in Petticoats

Kelda already stood by the door, a man’s black wool coat buttoned to her neck and a wool scarf wrapped around her head. Her flushed cheeks shone in the lantern light. Her gaze met his solid and unflappable.

“If Kelda isn’t back in here in fifteen minutes you can come looking for us.” Hank said to appease Karl as he pulled on his coat,

“I don’t know what you’re worrying about. No man is going to think of Kelda in the way you’re talking.” The door hadn’t fully closed when Dag’s voice cleared the threshold.

Kelda’s shoulders drooped proving she’d heard her brother’s comment. She walked around the corner of the cookhouse to a fallen log at the backside of the building. Hank wanted to catch up to her and wrap an arm around her shoulders. She was a fine woman. Any man would be dang lucky to have her for a wife. He stood in front of her as she sat on the log, her face pointed toward the men’s logging boots on her feet.

Hank crouched in front of Kelda, tipping her face up to read her emotions. “Your brother sees you only as his sister. You’re a woman any man would be lucky to marry.”

Tears glistened in her eyes. “I’m the size and body of a man. Men want a small delicate woman.” She wiped at the tears, and her hands clutched his. “Don’t make Far keep me out of the woods. It’s all I have to make me happy.”

Pleading in her eyes and voice sucker punched Hank. “Why would you want to work alongside men in the woods? Women belong in the home.”

“I don’t care to work inside. I love the outdoors and the labor of logging. Don’t keep me out of the woods. It’s the one thing I can do well.”

The strong grip of her fingers on his proved her strength. He had no doubt she was a skilled woodsman…woman. He pried her fingers from his hands and held them between his palms. “I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you in the woods. It isn’t proper for a woman to work like that. And what if you prove too weak to handle a job and someone else gets hurt?”

“Ooooo!” Her hands ripped from his grasp and rammed him in the chest. He started tipping backwards and grabbed the first thing in reach—Kelda’s arms.

He fell back into the snow dragging Kelda on top of him.

The surprise in her eyes quickly turned to interest as she gazed down into his face. Her body sprawled across Hank, pressing him into the snow. Even with the heavy clothing, her curves were evident as her relaxed body molded over his.

Hank pushed the scarf back from her face and stared into amazing eyes that glistened from the moonlight bouncing off the snow. Her gaze searched his. The rise and fall of her chest quickened. She licked her lips…

He held her head in his hands. Inch by inch, Hank drew her lips closer, wondering if the heat and passion he’d witnessed in her eyes would be in her kiss.

“Kelda!”

The male voice broke through the insanity of his actions. Hank rolled, rose to his feet, and pulled Kelda up with him.

Buy Links:

Kindle http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006YTKT2U

Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/123943

Nook http://tinyurl.com/7henkx3

The Most Important Line of Your Life

2012-01-25T08:37:00.001-06:00

The first line of a book is arguably the most important line. Most readers today give a novelist fewer than seven minutes to spark their interest. Most browsers in book stores and on the internet read the back cover /blurb of the book then read anywhere from the first page up to the first three pages. They rarely read beyond the first three pages to see if the book captures them, so if you have ever had the argument that your book really starts to get interesting on page ten, you better take up a new line of thinking. In today’s impatient world, the reader, agent, or editor may not spare you beyond that first line – so make it count. The reader wants to know immediately they will enjoy your book, and if the first sentence is dull or confusing what is that telling the reader?

Sol Stein, author of Stein On Writing suggest there are questions you can ask yourself about your own first sentence to see if it engages the reader’s curiosity.

Does it convey an interesting personality or an action that we want to know more about?
Can you make your first sentence more intriguing by introducing something unusual, something shocking perhaps, or something that will surprise the reader.

I think the most important thing Stein conveys that a writer should remember about first sentences is that, “Your entire story or novel may depend on that first sentence arresting the reader’s attention. A terrific sentence on page two won’t help if the reader NEVER gets there.”

Obviously, I’m a believer in the importance of first sentences. In fact, I blogged last year about first sentences that have stuck with me for many years from some of my favorite books. Would the novels have been some of my favorites if they had not started off with a bang? I venture to say no.

I’ve asked members of my critique group to share some of their favorite first sentences so I could quickly analyze them here, and see if the sentences stand up to the Stein test. The first sentence I’ll share is one of my all time favorites.

“There was a scream, and the loud roar of fire enveloping silken hangings, then a mounting crescendo of shouts of panic that spread and spread from one tent to another as the flames ran too, leaping from one silk standard to another, running up guy ropes and bursting through muslin doors.” Author – Phillippa Gregory – The Constant Princess

What can I say about this opening sentence besides the fact that it is fabulously visual, conveys something shocking, unusual and an action that we want to know more about. Who started this fire, where is this fire, what is the deadly outcome of this spreading fire?

“I’d never given much thought to how I would die – though I’d had reason enough in the last few months – but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.” Author Stephanie Myers – Twilight *Sentence contributed by Jerrica Knight-Cantania

Talk about introducing an unusual and shocking situation! How could you not read on? – And boy did we! Millions of us.

3. "In every life there is a turning point. Author - Julia Quinn – When He Was Wicked *Sentence contributed by Olivia Kelly

Every person has experienced a turning point, therefore they can relate to how momentous it can be. This relation makes people want to read on to see what this characters turning point is.

4. “The day I died started out bad and got worse in a hurry.” Author – Mary Janice Davidson – Unwed and Undead * Sentence contributed by Louisa Cornell

This sentence is funny and intriguing, a bonus! The reader has to read on to see how someone who is dead can think it could get any worse. The sentence introduces a shocking situation.

5. "Scarlet O'hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were." Author – Margaret Mitchell - Gone with the Wind

* Sentence contributed by Lauren Smith

Now this is an unusual situation and person being introduced. The reader wants to know what’s so special about Scarlet’s charm that has men overlooking her beauty.

6. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." Author – Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities * Sentence contributed by Marie Higgins.

This is an oldie but goodie. This sentence introduces a sweeping feeling of change and lets the reader know right from the start there is major upheaval going on. Humans thrive on problems, especially other peoples problems. Of course we will read on to see how the hope and despair, heaven and hell, and darkness and light play out.

I wish I had time to share all the wonderful sentences that my friend’s shared with me, but that would take up to much space, and I’m only allowed so much!

I’m about to embark on writing a new novel, and I’ve been playing with my own first sentence. I came up with three then asked myself which sentence lives up to the Stein test. Which one do you think I picked and why?

1. When it came to concealing her feelings, Lady Audrey Cringlewood was much like a chameleon matching the color of a leaf to outwit its enemies.

2. Lady Audrey Cringlewood had not driven the carriage that killed her father, but nevertheless, she was the reason he was dead.

3. "What I'm about to tell you," Lady Audrey Cringlewood's mother whispered, "must never be forgotten."

I’d love for you to tell my your favorite first sentence from a book near and dear to you and then tell me what it is you love about it.

Go make your first sentences shine!

Have a great day!

Julie Johnstone

The Marchioness of Mayhem

A few minutes with ... Jess Dee

2012-01-24T02:41:00.003-06:00

Today I am pleased to welcome Aussie author, Jess Dee, to the Lady Scribes Blog. Jess is a multi-published author of scorching hot erotic contemporary romance. She's an amazing storyteller and I'm so proud to have her with us today.

1. Jess, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your work?

I’m a wife and mother and friend. I have a mad dog I absolutely adore, and a house with a (distant) view of the ocean. I grew up in South Africa, but Sydney has been my home for the last nine years. I guess you’d describe me as your average girl next door. Except for one teeny, tiny little detail. The books I write are not the kind of books you’d expect the girl next door to write. ;)

2. What should new readers know before stepping into your world?

Hmmm, I guess a new reader should probably know that those books I write are in fact red-hot and steamy adult romances.Yep, I’m a romance author, but my stories are all no-holds-barred erotic. I write classic M/F erotic romance, not-so classic M/F/M ménage romance, and not-at-all classic M/M/F romance.

3. Describe your typical writing day

Ah, a typical day always begins with a mad scramble to get the kids to school on time (no easy feat, believe me), continues with a very large mug of tea and usually veers straight into procrastination time. Yep, that’s my time for sitting down at my computer and doing everything humanly possible to avoid working. Sometimes I’ll be lucky and the procrastination won’t last too long. Other times it can go on for days. But eventually I’ll find a rhythm and start writing. Usually around the time I’m really getting going and have just found a good pace…I’ll have to break it to fetch the kids and start the regular troop through afternoon extra-mural activities.

4. What is your writing space like? What tools, apps, or programs can't you live without?

In a word? My writing space is a mess. I wish I was one of those people who tidied up all the time and had neat piles and papers stacked away in appropriate places, but I’m not. The truth is, I’m just too busy procrastinating to find time to straighten out my office. However…the room isn’t so bad that I can’t find my Mac. It takes pride and joy in the centre of the desk. I would be lost without it. I don’t use any fancy apps. Just Word, the net and me. (Okay, and email, Facebook and Twitter too.)

5. What is the strangest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

Well, one time at Band camp…
;)

Nope, the strangest thing? Hmm, that would be when I was visiting Sexpo (Sex Expo) with a couple of erotic romance author friends, and we stopped at one of the stores and asked the vendor to explain how we could use some of his toys in a ménage setting. His expression was priceless – and he never really did stop stuttering long enough to give us an adequate answer. The fun bit was hypothetically working it out amongst ourselves while he stood there, gaping.

6. Describe your latest release for us

My next book releases on the 31st of Jan at Samhain Publishing. It’s called Hidden Fire, and releases as part of the Red Hot Weekend Anthology, along with books by Lexxie Couper and Delilah Devlin.Hidden Fire is the sequel to Winter Fire, and is a contemporary, erotic, M/F romance set in Brisbane. I love the blurb for this one.

Dirty desires, dark secrets…deepest love

Fire, Book 2

Well, this is an unexpected twist. Jenna Brooks is all set to spend the weekend wallowing in misery, repairing the cracks in the façade she’s maintained for twelve years. Instead she’s…tied to a chair. Kidnapped by her own twin brother and her so-called best friend.

It’s for her own good, they say. She’ll thank them later, they say. But when they reveal her partner in captivity, she shores up her emotional barriers. It’s Garreth Halt. The one man for whom she let her guard down. What a fool she was.

For one electrifying moment, Garreth had Jenna naked in his arms, on the edge of losing her legendary control. Could have kept her there forever, too, if he hadn’t felt honor-bound to tell her the truth. Before she’d heard the whole truth, though, she’d retreated behind the fortress around her heart.

Now they’re knee to knee, with no escape. While he’s irritated he let his alleged best friend get the drop on him, a small part of him is thrilled. With one final chance to show her his love is real, Garreth methodically, wickedly, sets out to dismantle her defenses.

One dirty word at a time.

Product WarningsGarreth may have charmed you in Winter Fire, but this time around, his blatantly sexy demands, even sexier actions and heartwarming love for his heroine are gonna make you fall head over heels.

7. What's next for Jess Dee?

I have some exciting projects coming up this year. In May, a book called Office Affair releasing. I’m busy working on edits for that story now. And in July, the second book in my Speed series, Colors Of Love, releases. It’s the sequel to See You In My Dreams. There are two other books on the cards, but it’s too early for me to be chatting about those yet. (Although I am dying to tell you about them!!!)

Thanks for visiting with us, Jess. If you’re interested in more information about Jess or her books, just click on these links:

Hidden Fire excerpt

Pre-order Hidden Fire: It’s available now for pre-order now at Samhain, at a 30% discount.

Jess’s website
Jess’s blog
Down Under Divas blog
International Heat blog
Jess on Twitter
Jess on Facebook

Confessions of a Pre-Teen Book Junkie

2012-01-21T10:12:00.010-06:00

When I was growing up, my mother bought a bookstore. It was a tiny little shop, appropriately called a nook, which was situated just off our town's historic square, with its Victorian courthouse and Belle Epoque mercantile buildings. Our building was neither historic nor particularly beautiful, but that was fine by me. All I cared about were the books inside.

My sister and I were avid readers, and this new source of material only whetted our appetites for more. During the long, lazy, scorching Texas summers, I would dust the shelves with one hand, while propping a new book open with the other. In those days, it was not unusual for me to devour two books a day. We could read all the stock we wanted, as long as we took care not to break the spines. I learned a special way of holding the book open one-handed, so that the book stayed in mint condition while I cannibalized the insides. To this day, I still hold books open in this manner--so while I am an avid reader, all my books remain straight and unbroken.

(Willowy size 6 figures and all.)

I was in junior high, and that meant I discovered Young Adult series fiction. The Babysitters' Club and the Sweet Valley Twins' ghostwriters could not write fast enough to keep up with my demand. I started Sweet Valley High but never got as into it--the characters' problems were way over my head. What would I do if rich boy Bruce Patman got fresh with me? I shuddered to think. Instead, I turned to the Anne of Green Gables series and could not get enough of LM Montgomery. I read every book, every anthology, every scrap of paper that crossed her desk. I spent dreamy hours planning my trip to Prince Edward Island, and even sent away for a travel guide. In those pre-Internet days, that meant a handwritten letter and a series of stamps, my friends.

(Sigh.)

But even LM Montgomery wasn't enough. My sister and I were fast depleting Mother's stock. So, when Grace Livingston Hill's books were reissued in the 1980s, we devoured them as well. I had one particular favorite, The Enchanted Barn, wherein a poor family moves out of their tenement flat into the country, fixing up an old barn so that it becomes a beautiful, cozy home. My sister never read this book and for several years insisted it didn't exist--"The Enchanted Barn" entered our vernacular as something vividly imagined but not real. "Must be an Enchanted Barn kind of thing," we'd say when, for example, we remembered a restaurant but not its name or location. Twenty years later, when Grace Livingston Hill's works were reissued yet again, I was able to track down a copy in a dusty thrift store, and waved it under my sister's nose in triumph.

(See--it really exists!)

As a history nerd even then, I turned instinctively to books by authors who long since passed. Then I discovered the Sunfire series. Each book followed a similar format--set in the past, usually during a momentous event in American history, the plucky heroine must decide between a wealthy suitor or a dashing but poor young man. Usually, she went for the poor guy. If I close my eyes, I can still see the covers--the heroine in the foreground, her name in blazing script across the top, and her suitors in the background, one on either side of our beautiful heroine. My favorite was Darcy, because her story was set during the devastating hurricane that hit Galveston in 1900--at last, a story about Texas that was elegant and refined, and not about stomping around in boots with the cattle!

(I bought this book from the store with my own money. That's how much I loved it.)

These series not only entertained and beguiled me during my youth; they also set the foundation for the kind of fiction I wanted to write when I grew up. When I decided to try my hand at writing fiction, my heart immediately chose historical romance. What about you? What did you read when you were a child? Were you an RL Stine nut? Or did you prefer the Saddle Club? 'Fess up!

In It To Win It, Dawg!

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, in the 1980s, I can only recall having watched four “reality” shows.

Sadly, we had no American Idol, but had to make do with The Gong Show (I freaking loved that gong) and Star Search (put me out of my misery). I got a kick out Totally Hidden Camera, which was pretty much the forerunner for Ashton Kutcher's show Punked.

And we all remember Cops.

*Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?*

But nowadays, it seems like you can’t turn on the TV without hitting a reality show every other channel. We’ve got ones about cupcakes and motorcycles, singing and sister wives, lonely millionaires and spoiled toddlers clawing for first place in beauty pageants. There are shows about fat people, hoarders, plastic surgeons, housewives and billionaire CEOs who go undercover at their own companies...and somehow don't have a heart attack at seeing how the company is really run.

Why are we so fascinated by other people’s lives? Do we love reality TV because it gives us a chance to live out our dreams through others, or because it’s horribly entertaining to watch people de-rail their own lives for fame and money? Have we become a nation of voyeurs or is it all in good fun?

I don’t watch much reality TV myself- not because I’m so morally superior, but because it tends to bore me, or like a horror movie, I spend most of the show covering my eyes and squealing “No, no! Oh, you are making a fool out of yourself!”...which my husband just adores.

I love American Idol, I love the singing and the back-stories, and now that Simon is gone, I love the FUN they all look like they are having. I even love Steven Tyler's creepy leering at the girls young enough to be his granddaughters. (A living lesson about staying away from drugs. That man's brain is scrambled like Saturday morning eggs.)

I hadn't seen the show until last season, but between JLo and Mr. Good-Lord-What-Did-He-Say?, I found myself sucked in almost immediately. I watched obsessively (Scotty lives the next town over, I HAD to.) and I even voted, for the first time ever. I cried when James Durbin broke down when singing, I laughed out loud when Jack Black and Casey Abrams did a funny, silly performance in the finale and I yelled "He's in to win it, dawg!" right along with Randy every week.

And I enjoyed every minute of it…well, okay, not the minutes that Jacob was singing, but all the OTHER minutes.

But other than AI, I can’t think of a single reality show that grabs me. Certainly, I don’t have any others on my DVR list.

What reality TV do YOU watch? What do you love about it and why should I add it to my growing list of DVRed shows that I barely have time to watch now?

If you don’t watch reality TV, why not? What turns you off about it? (And I’m not just talking about the Kardashians.)

Want to win a Lady Scribes book of your choice? Caption these photos from The Next Iron Chef, America's Next Top Model and The Bachelor, and I’ll randomly draw a winner from the comments! Have fun…

Floating Away

2012-01-19T00:01:00.000-06:00

I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone who knows much about me to hear that I've been a wee bit stressed lately. The holidays are always a rough time of the year for me, and this year was exceptionally difficult with several family illnesses and the like.

To add insult to injury however, I have...well...an injury. A hilariously pathetic injury, to be sure, but there you have it.

You see, my entire life, I've had this really bad habit of sleeping on my stomach, with my arm stretched out above me and under my pillow, not to mention under my head. I can't tell you how many times I have awoken in the morning with pain in my shoulder because the weight of my head had kept my arm in a bad position for hours on end.

That happened a little over a month ago, only worse than normal. I figured I'd slept on it really poorly all night, and after a day or two the achy soreness would go away and I'd be back to normal.

I was wrong.

The pain didn't go away, and in fact it kept getting worse. On top of it all, even though my arm and shoulder hurt like the blazes, I couldn't prevent myself from sleeping in that really bad, not good position. I'd fall asleep one way, and wake up with that same, hurting arm stretched out beneath me, throbbing and screaming for relief.

Well, after a few weeks of this happening, I finally decided I'd better go to the doctor, because it didn't seem like I had just slept on it funny any more.

Guess what? I've torn my rotator cuff. From sleeping wrong. Seriously.

Like I said. Pathetic. Hilarious, perhaps, but pathetic nonetheless.

Anyway, to help rehabilitate the injury I've been getting regular massages since I discovered the problem. Yay for massage! They feel great. They're helping with the rest of the stress, too.

I've also bought some wedge-shaped pillows to put under my legs and my head, to keep me sleeping on my back at night so that I don't do more damage than I've already done. They're helping. It's all helping.

But there are still some days where I wake up and I'm in pain and I can't concentrate and oh my gravy it hurts, and there's no massage on the schedule. I had one of those days recently, and it happened on a day when I'd just recently seen someone tweet about a place in the area where they'd gone "floating."

Now, I'm as skeptical as they come, so I didn't know what this meant, but I did a little research. Because, owie of all owies, I hurt and I needed to do SOMETHING. Anything. I didn't care, I just wanted it to stop hurting.

After a little research, I decided to give this floating thing a try. I made an appointment and I went...and it was the best thing ever. Seriously.

They have these tanks filled with an epsom salt solution that is heated to the temperature of your skin. There's so much epsom salt in the water that it is impossible to keep your body from floating. Once you get in and put your legs out, you float. Period. Anyway, you go in and start floating, and within minutes you can't even feel where the water is touching your skin any more, and you relax and stop thinking...and it is the most peaceful thing I have ever experienced in my life.

I spent an hour in my floatation tank, and thought about nothing at all. No stress. No worries. No pain. The epsom salt soak helped to pull the soreness out of my shoulder and arm.

When I left, I still felt like I was floating for a few hours. But even better, my pain was diminished for several days...and I was able to start working again.

I can't say I've ever experienced anything like it before in my life--something so relaxing and refreshing and stress-free. I'm sure I'll be doing it again.

When you get stressed, what is your favorite way to unwind? How do you find a place where you can clear your mind?

Are You Living Passionately?

2012-01-18T00:00:00.001-06:00

Did you see the recent articles about the woman in the UK who loves Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre so much that she goes about in her everyday life dressed as her? In long skirts and a soft chignon she broadcasts her admiration for her favorite author and the resourceful character she created.

I saw the article, and it began to show up in links on social media, along with titters and exclamations of shock and amusement.

About the same time, I caught the premier of a new show on TLC. Called Geek Love, it profiled the lives of a few attendees at NYC ComicCon, emphasizing their loneliness and often awkward social skills along with their love of sci-fi, fantasy and comic book lore. It followed as they did a round of speed dating with other attendees. I saw a smaller reaction to this show online, but the premise seemed designed to elicit a sense of condescension, or even superiority.

Screw that, I say.

No, I've never dressed as Jane Austen or been to a sci-fi fan convention. (Yet!) But I send a big, fat huzzah to the people out there who summon the courage to embrace their passions. I don't see a Geek. I see someone who has conquered shyness, maybe even feelings of displacement, and embraced the passions in their hearts. Put it out there on display. And has taken steps to seek out others who share their interests.

I might be alone, but I find this courageous and incredibly interesting.

I know people who live solid, ordinary, everyday lives. Some are happy. Some worry a lot about what others think or say about them. Some can't understand why-when they've done everything they should--they still feel restless or unfulfilled. I'm impatient with them. I don't want to talk to them at parties, meet for coffee or invite them into my home. I like people with passion. And I don't just mean sci-fi enthusiasts. Give me a conversation with a civil-war re-enactor or an avid hunter or a weekend motocross rider. Do you love history? Art? Books? Are you a quilter, a traveler, an amateur theater buff ? Come sit by me. I want to hear about your pirate alter ego, and share in your enthusiasm and joy.

I may be biased, as I took my chance when it came, left a mainstream career behind and followed my love of history, books and romance. I'm married to a guy who loves his job and enjoys multiple hobbies, mother to kids who have followed their interests into unusual and exciting places.

And I think we should all live passionately. We should listen to Luke Wilson in The Family Stone and fly our freak flags proudly. In this season of reflection and resolution, find what speaks to your soul, embrace it, find others who share it--and then come sit down and tell me all about it. :-)

A big Thank You to the Lady Scribes--who have clearly followed their passions and found each other. I'm thrilled to become a part of your community. Now--what about you, our friends and readers? What are your interests? Are you flying your freak flag? Share your passion and I'll randomly choose a commenter to win a copy of the UK edition of Regency Rebels.

Filling the Bucket

2012-01-17T00:01:00.001-06:00

Slacker that I am, I am just now getting around to putting together a real website, as opposed to just my personal blog. Yeah, I know—I should have done this when my book hit Amazon for pre-order. I may have to legally change my name to Erin Procrastinator Knightley. Anyway, I was brainstorming today, trying to come up with interesting things to include, and decided to add “Erin’s Bucket List” to the “About Me” tab.

It sounded like a great idea, until I sat down and tried to put one together. Number One I already knew: Visit all seven continents. So far I have been to North America (duh), Europe (England, France, Italy), and Asia (Russia), but I’ve always dreamed of seeing Antarctica (I’m a bit strange like that, but I do have that science background), Australia (Hi Heather!) and South America sounds interesting when it comes to some historical sights. Africa is last one my list, but perhaps a day trip to Morocco can be arranged so I can say I’ve been.

The next on the list was to learn French or Italian to the point that I can navigate one of their respective cities without the aid of a dictionary. I have pulled up Rosetta Stone on my computer countless times, but each time couldn’t quite hit the purchase button. It’s so expensive, and seems so daunting! Still, its going on the bucket list, so I’ve got to do it now.

After those two, I kind of blanked on what else to aspire to. Interesting, no? Well, I never realized that so many of my lifelong goals were travel oriented. When it came to personal goals, well, I wanted to write a novel, so that one was checked off the list. I wanted to do a triathlon, and I did that a few years ago. I wanted to meet Colin Firth and, well . . .

So, clearly I need to come up with more life goals! I want to live a full, exciting, memorable life, and I’m a firm believer in the power of setting goals. After another brainstorm session, I added ‘Learn to Fly’ and “Learn to Ski” to the list, followed quickly by “Get over my deathly fear of hurtling down a mountain side with skis strapped to my feet.” It seemed prudent to swapped the order of those last two.

Next is to touch a volcano, change someone’s life for the better, and become semi-famous. Since my singing voice sucks and I can’t act my way out of a paper bag, I’m really hoping this writing thing works out for me so I can achieve that last one ;) Oh, and to make it a more measureable goal, lets quantify it with the following wording: “Become semi-famous and be recognized by an unrelated fan.”

So what else . . . I am waaaaay too attached to living to try skydiving, but I’d LOVE to do the indoor skydiving adventures. I’d also like to try rock climbing someday, and learn to pole dance (what? For fitness). And, silly as it sounds, it would be so much fun to do a 40’s pin-up style photo shoot.

Other things I want to do… to win a major award (I’d totally be happy with the leg lamp from A Christmas Story), participate in a flash mob (a cool one, not a lame one), grow a vegetable garden (I try every year, and have yet to succeed at this one!), ride in a dog sled (preferably beside Paul Walker, but alone is fine too), see my first opera at the Sydney Opera House (two birds with one stone!), and walk the Great Wall of China.

All right then – I’d say that’s a pretty good list! Now tell me, what is on your bucket list?

Here are some fun things that I can already cross off my list:
• Swimming with sharks
• Scuba diving on a shipwreck
• Zip-lining in a cave
• Write a novel :)
• Complete a triathlon
• Experience 24 hours without the sun setting
• Meeting my favorite authors
• Finalist for a major award (Golden Heart!)
• Given Christmas bonus to family in need
• Mingle with A-listers at swanky Hollywood party
• Live in a lake house
• Visit the Kremlin in Moscow
• Dine in the Eiffel Tower
• Tour the Roman Baths in England
• Stand among ancient ruins in Rome
• Promenade on Rotten Row in Hyde Park

They Made Us Sigh

2012-01-16T03:10:00.000-06:00

Themessage posted to our critique group started out being called “Call meStupid”. I think the question hadsomething to do with the historical accuracy of a word. I could go back and check, but it isn’timportant. As with most messages withinour critique group, the topic morphed into an entirely different subject untilLouisa Cornell posted this within her comment.

“CaryGrant!! (For those of you youngsters in the group he was the EPITOME of thesuave sexy hero onscreen!)”

Towhich my response was

“Gary Grant (followed by the love-struckemoticon)”.

See,I told you our subjects morphed because really, what does Cary Grant have to dowith the historical accuracy of anything? Well, my comment or Louisa’s was followed by the names of actors whocaught the attention, and heart, of my critique partners at one time oranother, and apparently held it for some time since none of the actors are intheir prime any longer, if even alive.

We’veall fallen in love at one point with a character and/or actor on screen. What was it about that specific person? So, I posed the question to the group askingthe who, the why and have you ever modeled one of your own heroes after him?

JulieJohnstone - I haven't modeled any of my heroes after old actors, but I do solove Cary Grant. I love Indecent and I love Philadelphia Story.

JerricaKnight-Catania - For me, it's a toss up between Clark Gable and Howard Keel. Igrew up on Gone with the Wind and movie-musicals, mostly from the 1950s.

SuzieGrant - For me, and I think it goes for all my heroes, they're loosely basedoff Clark Gable and James Dean. Two of Hollywood's bad boys. It was that"look" that they had where they would tilt their face down and stareup. Be still my heart. I've loved and watched every film by them both but thetwo that stand out the most are of course, Gone with the Wind and Rebel Withouta Cause. Most of my heroes have the dark hair but I think what draws me themost to these two men are the "bad boy" persona. There is nothingquite like taming a bad boy.

EllaQuinn - Jim Hutton was a hunk. When I firstmet my husband I thought he looked just like him.

OliviaKelly - I had a MASSIVE crush on James Dean in high school. I papered my wallswith posters and pictures, even hung up a JD t-shirt. Loved him madly.... :)

SarahBaker- I have a boyfriend in every era, but for me the one who will alwaystrump every other man is Charles Farrell. Now he is too obscure nowadays formost people to know (he was an actor from the 1920s and 1930s) but I did takeenough note about him to write an entire book about him! His biography, infact. :)

AvaStone - Oh, wow. There really are so many to choosefrom. In fact, you recently asked me if the hero in my current project wasbased after Clark Gable. He's not. LOL. Don't get me wrong, I do love ClarkGable, how could you not? BUT my favorite swoon-inducing actor has been andalways will be Paul Newman. He was such an amazing dramatic actor, with theface and eyes of a tarnished angel. I think the first old movie I saw him inwas Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Elizabeth Taylor. WOW! As the broken down,self-loathing ex-jock, I could NOT take my eyes of Newman. His skills teamedwith Tennessee William's dialogue... Well, I don't think that magic has everbeen duplicated.

Forme, it will always be Cary Grant. I amnot sure when I fell in love with Cary, but he has yet to be replaced in myheart. Like Louisa said, he was Suave and Sexy, but he also had great comedictiming. A few of my favorites (becauseit is so hard to limit them a short list) are: An Affair to Remember, Charade, His Girl Friday, To Catch a Thief, My Favorite Wife, TheBishop’s Wife, That Touch of Mink. Idon’t think I have ever consciously written a hero after Cary Grant.

Yourturn. Who is your favorite actor fromdays gone by? What was it about him thatmade him, as Ava put it, swoon-inducing?

Reading Resolution 2012

2012-01-12T00:01:00.004-06:00

I am a member of several reading groups on goodreads and one of the moderators for the Historical Romance group asked its members to come up with their Reading Resolutions for 2012 and post them. We’re supposed to update on that thread throughout the rest of the year so that we can see our progress. I thought this was such a brilliant idea. We have diet resolutions, writing resolutions, family resolutions and so many more. Why not have reading resolutions while we’re at it?

In my humble opinion this promotes reading and education and because of that I’ve introduced it to my kids. While my oldest boys just rolled their eyes at me, my youngest is delighted to read with mommy. I’m hoping to instill a healthy reading habit in him and hope that out of the three he’ll love reading as much as I do. My other two boys like to read to an extent but they have to be in a reading mood, which doesn’t come as often as I’d like, honestly.

So with that said I’m introducing my New Year’s Reading Resolutions for 2012 and hope that maybe some of you will play along.

1. My first resolution is to read in two new genres I’ve never read in before. I’ve always believed reading outside of your chosen genre can teach a writer or anyone something new. You never know you may find a new genre you love. I’ve chosen the Young Adult and horror genre for this year. Perhaps later this year I’ll report back in and let you know how it goes.

2. My second Reading Resolution is to read at least one book a month just for pleasure. All too often I’ll crit or beta read for someone because they’ve asked or I need to catch up on my crits for the group because I am behind. Well, I’ve decided that I need to rediscover the joy of reading again, not because I have a quota to meet, but because I love it. It’s been far too long since I’ve picked up a book just because. I think last year I maybe read a half a dozen books that weren’t required of me. I need to increase that because it’s time I take a little more time for myself. And reading is a joy of mine but somehow over the years of trying to become an author I’ve forgotten that.

3. My final Reading Resolution is to read to my four-year-old at least four to five nights a week. Somehow over the craziness of our lives we’ve strayed from that and I think he’s getting behind. I want him to be more than prepared to go into Kindergarten when the time comes. But that’s the least of it, I’m really hoping to inspire his imagination and a love of books. In my mind there’s nothing quite like the escape of a good book. I’d love to be able to pass on that love to at least one of my children.

So here’s to a wonderful reading year and some time spent doing things for myself. I’ve already started on parts of my reading challenge. I picked up two new books this week, sat down yesterday morning with a cup of double Mocha cappuccino and snuggled up with a blanket on the sofa. Oh what a wonderful way to pass the afternoon. It was the best time I’ve had in months. I’m looking forward to a lazy weekend with my husband and children, as well as some time to myself with a good book. What about you? Have you thought of a Reading Resolution and what is it? Btw, I picked up The Last Viking by Sandra Hill and Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen. What about you? What are you reading right now?

Letting Go and Saying Goodbye

2012-01-11T08:53:00.000-06:00

I feel like 2011 was a year of sad goodbyes and letting go. I said goodbye to a wonderful man who died of cancer, and I said goodbye to an exceptional lady who died suddenly of a brain aneurism. I came to terms with the fact that a long time friend was no longer a friend, and I let go of the obsession to help two different people who refuse to be helped. Though, truth be told, I still hold out hope that both of those people will see the neon sign flashing in front of them that says: Danger Stupid, Quit Engaging In Self-Destructive Behavior.

Today, I find myself saying goodbye and letting go again. This time I’m saying goodbye to an era in my life. My youngest child’s registration for pre-school is going on today, and guess who isn’t standing in line. You guessed it – me! I’ve been registering my kids for mother’s day out and pre-school for the last eight years of my life, but today I’ll be having coffee with girlfriends instead of standing in the long line to make sure my child has a spot at mother’s day out.

I thought I would be really excited for this time to come. I mean, I have spent the last eight years of my life with basically only two personal hours a day, if I’m lucky! So why do I feel a little bit sad? Stupidity? Selfishness? I feel as if this is the first step in a lot of years of learning to let go of my children, and this seems like the hardest goodbye yet.

My youngest son is only five, but I swear he talks regularly about who he will marry someday. I’m envisioning him now standing at the end of the aisle of a church, and me blubbering as I let him go and start a life with some other woman who hopefully will adore him as much as I do.

So why is letting go, even if it’s just a bit, so hard? I think perhaps it’s because, though we love to complain about the restrains on our time, or at least I do, we get used to the routine and even comfortable in it.

My goal now is to enjoy the new adventures to come for my kids and myself and focus on the things I have been dying to accomplish, and just might have a bit more time to do so when my youngest starts kindergarten in August.

I will actually have several solid hours to write without having to skip things such as working out, the grocery store or cleaning my house. I am going to start taking tennis lessons because I have always wanted to learn to play tennis, but have never had the time. Maybe I’ll learn to paint or play piano. These are two things I have always wanted to learn to do. Or maybe I’ll find my days are just as busy as they were before both my boys were in school full time. I’ve had several friends tell me this is the case.

Have you had to say goodbye to a friend, a loved one or a period in your life? How did you cope? Did you learn something new you had always wanted to do? I’d love to hear from you.

Have a great day!

Julie Johnstone, The Marchioness of Mayhem

Bring on the New Year

2012-01-10T04:25:00.001-06:00

2012 is hot!! Hot as in it’s the Aussie summer right now and I’m sweltering. The Christmas tree is down and packed away. Christmas bloating from too much rich food as eased and I’m desperately looking forward to the day my kids go back to school [19 days and counting].

The New Year started quietly for us. We sat, drank and pondered the past and what our future might hold. We did our share of ambitious dreaming, one of which was to have a livelier next New Year. The others were more personal.

In 2012 I will ...

. . . read more. My to-be-read pile is out of control. I enjoy falling into other writers worlds but I haven’t managed to do that on a regular basis. My goal is 52 stories for 2012 -- roughly one each week. I’m up to three.

. . . reclaim the menu. My hubby and I have different cooking styles and this past year he has done most of the cooking. Can you believe I actually miss cooking, AND shopping for the groceries to make them with (he’d taken on that chore too). I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder. I’ve missed cooking quiches, pasta, and most especially desserts that my kids love.

. . . write smarter. Almost a year ago I moved my working space down to the first floor. My thoughts were it was cooler in summer and allowed me to interact with the family more often when they were home. What I hadn’t factored into my thinking was how much I liked my privacy, space to pin inspiration and maps up on the walls. So, I’ve moved back upstairs to my pokey little corner of the spare bedroom. What do you think?

. . . move more. Since I write full time, it keeps me still most of the day but thanks to ‘reclaiming the menu’ and ‘writing smarter’ I’ve actually increased the amount of steps I take in my day. Coffee is downstairs, conversation is downstairs, and when I return upstairs to work I’m jogging up the staircase. Shopping is a trip into town, and I park at a distance from the shopping center entrance. I’m hoping that these little changes, coupled with the Zumba class I’m taking, will see me in better shape for that livelier next New Year celebration.

. . . take better care of myself. Like a lot of women, I put my family and friends first and get around to doing what I want when there is free time. But no more. This year I will run away from home more often, get my hair done, manicures and pedi’s when the mood hits me. I will remember that I do deserve little treats when I’ve been good or very naughty (in writing terms of course). Lets face it. If I don’t look after me no one else will.

I think my New Years Resolutions are achievable. I know I’m loving the revamped writing space. Perhaps I might even exceed my goals this year. What about yours? Were they realistic?

Brag About Your Kid(s) Day!

2012-01-08T23:59:00.001-06:00

Okay, I'm just going to come right out and say it…my kid rocks! Yes, I know…everyone feels that way about their own kid(s) at some point or another, but seriously, my kid is totally the best! :)

My little girl turned two on Christmas Day (which makes her doubly special ;)) And ever since her birthday, I've been amazed by just how awesome she's becoming. Okay, okay, I'll stop saying that she's just "awesome" and get down to some details…

Number One: She sings Ring Around the Rosie. Okay, sure, lots of kids sing Ring Around the Rosie, but no one does it like Bella. She bounds around and around in giant, spasmodic circles (spasmodic being the key word here), shouting at the top of her lungs, "ROOOOOSIE, ROOOOOOOSIE, ROOOOOOSIE, ROOOOOOOSIE." If that's not cute, I'm not sure what is…even if she is singing about the Black Plague (which she's actually not, but our nanny got reprimanded on the playground for teaching Bella such a horrible song. *eye roll* Mind your own beeswax, lady!)

Number Two: At the ripe age of two years and one day, she fell in love. No, I'm not kidding. It's already begun. Am I happy about it? Well, let me just say that it was with a boy 11 years her senior, with dark skin, whose name is Jacob. Did I mention my daughter's name is Bella? My husband kept muttering under his breath, "If he imprinted on her, so help me…" #Twilight

But really, all kidding aside, Bella was infatuated with this kid at first sight. If he was around, she had to be near him, holding his hand or in his arms. If he wasn't around, she was talking about him -- "Jay-cub? Jay-cub?" Poor Jacob. He was such a good sport, considering all he really wanted to be doing was playing video games with my nephew :)

3) She knows how to b*tch slap. That's right. And no, I didn't teach her that. The kind of skill this kid has can't be taught. Yes, I know I shouldn't make light of her hitting, but please, let me set the scene….

A quiet Sunday morning, the three of us lazing about in bed. Cartoons on quietly in the background while the kitty purrs at my feet. Bella and I are having fun giggle time while Eric tries to catch a few more moments of sleep. And then…Bella, with the cutest smile you've ever seen, reaches out, and before I can stop her, b*tch slaps my husband. It echoes throughout the room as I stare dumbfounded at Eric, waiting to see what he's going to do. Finally, he grabs the pillow, buries his face in it, and starts laughing uncontrollably. Every time I open my mouth to reprimand Bella for hitting, I burst out laughing myself. That's right…bring on the Parents of the Year awards! The plaque should read: For their inability to keep a straight face when their daughter b*tch slapped her father.

Okay, enough about me and my little princess…it's your turn now. Brag away. Tell me your favorite stories about your kids, whether they be human or furry. What makes them special?

-Jerrica, Her Grace of Grammar

Guest Blogger: Sidney Bristol

2012-01-06T00:00:00.001-06:00

Hello! I’m very excited about being here with the Lady Scribes today. It’s a little surreal to be sitting on this side of the fence. I remember subscribing and reading this blog when I first started wearing my Serious Writing Tiara. Yes, there really is a tiara. It’s blue and sparkly, and I really do wear it sometimes when I write. So, roping in my wayward attention span, I have to say it’s very exciting to be here today.

Since this marks the beginning of my career as a Real Author, why don’t I take you back to where it all began?

Like my heroine in Flirting with Rescue, I was a rodeo brat growing up. My parents traveled all over the country going from rodeo to rodeo. My father was a world champion calf roper and team roper. My mom was a trick rider and roman rider. It’s a very different kind of life experience for a kid, one I wouldn’t trade for all the social knowledge I missed out on during those years.

Eventually my family did stop traveling and I entered public school. Besides being a huge culture shock, I had no idea what was cool, what wasn’t and what not to do. I was more than a little awkward, and very out of touch with reality. I made one friend early on; my closest, life-long friend Zibby. Zibby is the reason I started writing.

You see, Zibby wrote first. While some kids were trying to be king of the mountain, or practicing their cheerleading skills or playing flag football, she told me the really cool kids were writers. Now, if she told me that as a joke, or was being serious, I don’t remember, but I started to write. Writing became part of my daily routine. I even had a parent-teacher conference because I wrote too much in math class.

Fast forward a decade and some change, I’m writing again, and all because of Zibby’s peer pressure. I’d quit playing roller derby, wasn’t doing much with my life and there was Zibby, reminding me of this thing called NaNoWriMo. My first NaNo was a train wreck as far as the novel went, but I had the writing bug – bad. Have you ever picked up a hobby or an activity and wondered how you’ve lived without it? That was me! That’s still me!

I’m a fan of beginnings. The first chapter of a book. The initiation to something new. The start of a new year. And now, my debut book. I wouldn’t be here without the encouragement I’ve received along the way, and a good dose of peer pressure.

2012 stretches out in front of us. If you’re sitting at my desk, it’s even hosted by half-naked firemen, courtesy of the Houston Firefighter calendar. It's inspiration! Honest! This year is new and exciting. It’s a chance to tackle another book, do something new and make more memories.

Today I’m going to be giving away a $10 gift card to the winner’s choice of Ellora’s Cave, Barnes and Noble or Amazon. To enter, tell me a new activity, event or goal you want to tackle in 2012. The winner will be chosen at random.

For me, I want to go on a bike ride with my mom. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, until I tell you my mom’s one of the top ranked Ultimate Cyclists in her age division. She rides well over 15,000 kilometers in a year, several hundred miles in a month with an average of twelve hours a ride. That’s a daunting event! But, if my over 50 mother can do it, so can I.

---

It can never be said that Sidney Bristol has had a ‘normal’ life. She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and belly dancing.

Her debut book, Flirting with Rescue, will be out from Ellora’s Cave in January of 2012.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Recipe for Sanity

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000-06:00

Life has been a little hectic to start the new year for me. My uncle is receiving hospice care, and my Granddaddy is in the hospital for already the second time of the new year, and I've been out of town with my parents trying to help out with things.

One way I've helped? I brought my crock pot. Grandmother has never been one to let other people cook at her house, and she always insists on making a meal. But with spending so much time at the hospital, she hasn't really been able to do much of that. So, for once, she let me do the cooking. It wasn't easy to convince her to allow it, but somehow I did.

What did I make? Well, today we're having a ham, potato, and kale soup.

Dice up about 2 1/2 pounds of potatoes, some leftover ham from the holidays, and an onion. Mince a couple of cloves of garlic and chop a bunch of kale. Put it all in the crock pot with a few cups of chicken stock, a little salt and pepper, and oregano (1 tsp if dried, 1-2 tbsp if fresh). Cook it on low for about four hours, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream or half and half and stir before serving.

Not sure what is on the menu for tomorrow yet. I'll decide later. :)

Do you have any super easy crock pot recipes for sanity during times like these to share? I might be in need of a recipe.

I Did IT!

2012-01-04T00:01:00.004-06:00

I finally did it! After years of trying…

I figured out how to infiltrate the Good Ol’ Boys Club.
LOL. Don’t you just love this winter hat? I never know what’s going to come in the mail.

But I was fully convinced after the BeerMos arrived along with this hat, my husband has too much time on his hands at work.

Or in this case, a TeaMo.

Why a BeerMo? I say, why not? Let's face it... Who doesn't want a nice, full stache for the next big office party?

But all joking aside, January is the perfect time to reflect on what we’ve achieved over the last year.

I used to approach New Year’s Resolutions by creating goals to address the areas in my life where I felt I was lacking.
1. I’ll spend my money wisely.
2. I’ll lose weight.
3. I’ll exercise more.
4. I’ll stop eating fast food.

The biggest problems with these resolutions are they can’t really be measured, and they don’t allow any room to be human. Besides, looking at my perceived flaws was a downer, and it was even more depressing when I broke one of my resolutions.

It wasn’t until I started working for my current employer that I began to look at things differently. Part of our evaluation and raise process involves a self-evaluation which begins with listing all the things we accomplished over the last year. Were we involved in a task force to improve communication? Did we complete all of our continuing education? Did we take on additional responsibilities? I always find I have trouble remembering what I did at first, but once I start reflecting on the year, many things come back to me. It’s a great feeling reading over the list of things I did well or new challenges I took on.

After reviewing our accomplishments, we are asked to look at what goals we have for the coming year. This seems like such a better system, because it helps me to be specific about what I want to do with my year, and it puts me in a better frame of mind.

Here are just a few things I feel went well this year:
* I met all of my deadlines for my publisher.
* I joined Goodreads and learned a little more about it.
* I met some really great people on Twitter and Facebook.
* I attended RWA in New York.
* I wrote a short story that I love for a Christmas anthology.
* We had all of the kids’ school supplies two weeks before school started.
* We had black pants ready for our son’s orchestra concert. (No running out same day to buy a pair.)
* I saved up all year for Christmas presents, so it wasn’t a financial strain.
* I baked Christmas cookies with my daughter.
* I took time off from writing to spend quality time with my family during the holidays.
* I bought a planner three weeks before the New Year, which I need for work. I use my iPhone for family stuff.
* Everyone in the family has been vaccinated against the flu.
* I regularly attend pilates reformer classes and my shoulder pain is gone!!!
* Skyped with my high school girlfriends and reconnected with them.

These may seem like small things, but they have made my life easier and/or more enjoyable over the last year. And it’s because of these small accomplishments that I’m feeling more confident about 2012 and the bigger challenges that lay ahead. I wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.

Hugs!
Samantha, Lady Whimsy

What are your thoughts on New Year’s Resolutions? What are some things that went well for you this year?

Interview and Giveaway with NYT Best Selling Author Carly Phillips

2012-01-03T00:00:00.003-06:00

Happy 2012!!!!

Today is my day to blog and it just so happens to coincide with the day that Carly's latest Serendipity Series novel, DESTINY, releases. So I invited the Contemporary Romance Writer Extraordinaire to come by Lady Scribes so we could share in the celebration.

7 Lucky Questions with Carly:

Marquita Valentine: I read an interview where you said that you couldn't write a Paranormal Romance due to the massive world building involved, but I have to respectfully disagree! You've done just that with the town of Serendipity. Is there a certain town that it was the modeled after?

Carly Phillips: Well thank you! But you have no idea how hard it is for me to keep things straight. Even when I keep a notebook, and I always do, I get ages wrong, hair color, eye color ... if I can't do the basics, how can I build a world of people new to me and to everyone else LOL! Serendipity is in my head, it's every town I've been in or passed through that left a mark on me!

MV: How's life treating you as a redhead?

CP: LOL. Still trying to decide. One part of me knows its more flattering with my coloring. Another part of me just likes blonde hair. But all's good. The family likes it!

MV: ~~Who told you about my family~~ How in the heck did you come up with two people with the same half-sibling BUT NOT RELATED falling in love?

CP: Hah! Very good question! They found each other. Honestly. :) Nothing more complicated than that. Until I had to write them and explain it in case people hadn't read Serendipity ... LOL!

MV: What are Kelly and Nash's biggest strengths as individuals and as a couple?

CP: Kelly's biggest strength personally IS her strength - she raised her sister and had the courage to do what was best for her. Nash's biggest strength as an individual is his loyalty to those he cares about. There is nothing he wouldn't do for the people he loves, no matter how misguided his way of looking at things is. Together their biggest strength is how they understand each other - what I loved about writing these two characters was how they instinctively knew what the other one needed and gave it without question or reservation. I thought they were made for each other!

MV: Is staying totally pop-culturey, yo ;) while remaining timeless difficult to do as a Contemporary Romance Writer?

CP: Sometimes I have to ask on Twitter if a reference I use is too old for people to recognize. Other than that, I have two teenage daughters so for right now, pop culture is easy to keep on top of. I'm kind of into that so it helps the writing.

MV: Which scene did you love writing the most in Destiny (besides their Happily Ever After)?

CP: The scene that stands out most in my mind is the one where Kelly’s mom shows up. Her anger and how the brothers protect her (and Tess) and calm her down, even as Nash is slowly realizing his life is falling apart … that stuck with me. And I remember loving Kelly's emotions and reactions as I wrote it!

MV: As a savvy veteran (this does NOT imply age) of the publishing industry, how important is it for a debut author to be accessible to her fans via Social Media?

CP: I want to say very important - for a number of reasons. First, you aren't going to get publishers throwing a ton of money to make your name recognizable. The best way to do that is to befriend other authors and bloggers - in a GENUINE way, not in a read my book kind of way. Nothing is more irritating than someone who spends all their time on Twitter saying read my book. The reading part should come naturally if what you write appeals to the people you are talking to on various social networks. One new author who did this well is Jessica Scott - I "met" her on Twitter long before her first book came out and then we met in person at RWA and next thing I know, I'm reading her book and tweeting about it. Word of mouth is the best way to sell a book. It's old fashioned except for one thing - the new way of communicating is much faster - and so of course word spreads quickly!! Facebook is like a second website these days. Authors are able to make them have more than just text appeal and info goes out quicker than on a website. That said, nothing replaces an author's website as a means of communication.

Thanks Carly for a great interview, and for letting us celebrate DESTINY's release with you!

New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips tossed away her legal briefs and a career as an attorney to become a stay at home mom. Within the year, she turned her love of reading into an obsession with writing. Over 25 published novels later, Carly writes sexy contemporary romances, striking a balance between entertainment and emotion, and giving her readers the compelling story they have come to expect and enjoy.

Carly is a New York Times bestseller, USA Today Bestseller and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller. The triple play earned her a spot on Romance Writers of America’s coveted Honor Roll. In 2002, Carly’s novel, The Bachelor, became Kelly Ripa’s “Reading with Ripa” pick on Live with Regis and Kelly, making it the first romance ever chosen on a nationally televised bookclub.

Carly received her undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and is a graduate of Boston University School of Law (J.D.). To date, Carly has over twenty-five novels to her credit, all available wherever books are sold.

When not writing or playing online, Carly loves to read, to knit, and to spend time with her family. She lives in Purchase, New York with her husband, two daughters and two soft-coated wheaten terriers who act like their third and fourth children.

Around the web you can find Carly at:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/carlyphillips
Facebook: www.facebook.com/carlyphillipsfanpage
Blog: http://www.plotmonkeys.com/

Which format do you prefer to read Carly's amazing novels in--print or e-book? One lucky commentor will win a copy of DESTINY (in his/her preferred format).

Thanks for stopping by!

New Year Traditions

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

With the start of the new year a number of people make vows (a/k/a resolutions) of dieting, exercising, spending more time with the family . . .this list could go on and on and on. I am not going to blog about that.

This is about New Year's Day traditions. For me, it is dinner at mom's house. We have had the same meal for as long as I can remember and nobody better change it. And, now that I am older, I understand the reason for this specific meal.

You see, we always have lasagna. This may sound like an odd choice, especially since there isn't a drop of Italian blood on either side of the family, but that is what we eat the first day of every year. She made the pan up every December 31st and put it in the refrigerator to keep. Then, she would put on a beautiful dress she bought for the special night and my father would put on a suit (a very rare occurrence for this iron worker) and the two would go out to their favorite restaurant. They would enjoy a nice meal and dance the night away. I couldn't wait to grow up and put on a pretty dress and go out and celebrate New Year's Eve.

The next afternoon, the lasagna would go in the oven. I used to think it was so she wasn't stuck in the kitchen cooking while there were parades and football to watch. No, my mother wasn't hung over and I don't think I have ever seen her even tipsy. But, it was always a late night and she wanted to sleep in and have a lazy day. Now the making of the meal has fallen to me and I appreciate this tradition all the more. We made the pans up for the family and headed to mom's to pop them in the oven. After all, I do make the best lasagna in the family (though my sister likes to disagree) and I don't want to spend the first day of the year in the kitchen either.

The second tradition, and one far more important, the eating of cabbage. We usually make a slaw, but regardless of how it is prepared, we had to have a least one bite of cabbage New Years Day for wealth and prosperity. My kids hated cabbage and also insisted it didn't work. When I pointed out that they did have a roof over their head, clothing on their back and food in their belly, it was working. I am not about to chance it this late in life by not eating cabbage because I like how things are going for me. And really, how hard is it to make cole slaw? Buy a bag of already shredded cabbage and carrots, mix in cole slaw dressing (you can buy it with the other salad dressings) add some celery seed, stick the bowl in the fridge to chill and at dinner time - you have cole slaw. I don't even bother with buying the premade because you never know what you are getting. Sometimes it is too sweet and sometimes too tangy.

Do you have a New Year's Day tradition? Is there a food you must eat for prosperity? Or, is there a food you eat for other reason?

For the record, my resolution for the new year is to get my house clutter free, organized and keep it that way. I should diet, change eating habits and exercise, and all that, but I am only kidding myself if I thought that would actually happen ;).

Happy New Year, Everyone

Amy De Trempe
Duchess of Decency

3 Ways to Combat the Winter Blahs

2011-12-30T01:00:00.002-06:00

As the holidays wind to a close, it's difficult not to feel depressed as you put away the decorations. After a sparkling, light-filled December, January is bleak and grey, isn't it? In Texas, where I live, January is the one month out of the year that we can expect to see snow. But the rest of the month is usually just bitterly cold and dreary, with more sleet than snow. And add to that any kind of seasonal affective disorder, or cold, or flu, or any other ailment you might have, and it just gets worse.

But the post-holiday season doesn't have to be a stellar letdown. In fact, there are easy steps you can take that can ensure that January remains, if not as sparkly as December, at least not a complete wash. You need to move quickly, though, and take decisive steps--otherwise, it's too easy to fall victim to the short days, grey weather, and chill in the air.
Your missions, should you choose to accept them, are as follows:

Step 1: ABC--Always Be Completing

As soon as I turn in one project to my agent to rep, she asks me what I am working on next. And this is a smart way to look at life. Don't tie your identity or wellbeing to one month of the year, one season, one holiday, or even one manuscript. Instead, as the holidays wind down, look for projects to start in January. Your New Year's Resolution might be your next big thing, so get excited about it.

Step Two: Get Out of Dodge

Too much of the holidays are consumed by travel. And sometimes this travel isn't the most enjoyable, if you're dealing with a lot of traffic or family guilt or both. So step back and plan an outing that just satisfies your soul. Don't worry if you can't afford to book a cruise. Some of my best outings have been spontaneous road trips my husband and I plan. We just get out the map; look at all the destinations within an hour's drive, and go. Our most recent trip put us in downtown Decatur, Texas where I ate the most amazing grilled cheese sandwich, and we found a brand new thrift store to scour. Fun doesn't have to be expensive, and travel doesn't have to take you far.

Step Three: Get Help If You Need It

There's no shame in getting help if you are genuinely suffering from depression. This time of year can be extremely difficult on even the heartiest souls. So if depression really is threatening to overwhelm you, talk about it. Your physician or counselor, or even a trusted friend can help you gain perspective on a situation. And if need be, your physician can help by starting you on a mild antidepressant. I've seen both holistic practitioners and traditional physicians for various ailments, and both have helped me combat stress and depression through supplements and even medication if the need arose.

Right now, I am combating the winter blahs by finishing a current work in progress and beginning edits on another one. What steps will you take to make your January a little brighter?

Swiss Cheese recipe for first drafts

2011-12-29T08:30:00.005-06:00

So the truth is my w.i.p usually flows really well... right up until I hit the first love scene and then I falter. Every time. I’ll struggle with this for weeks because I feel like this is the part of the story that counts and it should be perfect.

But it doesn’t have to be perfect on the first draft.

Swiss cheese doesn’t fall apart, despite its many holes! I read this on a blog post last night and ding – I got it. You can find that blog post here! Lots of great information on that site and Thank you to Write to Done for helping me grasp this concept. http://writetodone.com/2009/06/23/first-draft-secrets-four-simple-steps/

I’m struggling over the first draft of my sixth story and I finally “get” it. Swiss cheese is more complicated to make than many of the other cheese recipes. A newly formed cheese must cure for four months to a year before it’s ready to be eaten. So remember that while you’re crafting your first draft. Once it’s completed you must let it cure for a while before it’s ready to be sent out to the world. This is only the first stage of the creative process. The second stage of the writing process is the editing, and this is the stage you should spend more time on.

It usually takes me about four to six months to finish a story. This year my new year’s resolution will be to finish a first draft in two to three months. I want to be quicker on the first draft so I can spend more time on the edits. Because if you think about it, the editing is the yummy frosting, the delicious toppings and you should take more time polishing your masterpiece than creating it.

Your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s taken me a long time to realize this. The famous Nora Roberts saying “You can’t edit a blank page” is true. But you can edit crap. Tell the story. Period. Don’t worry about showing versus telling, world building, or any other rules for that matter. Just tell the story. Get it all out and then you can go back later to make it shine.

Set daily goals and write. It doesn’t matter if its crap. Just write.

I think one of the key elements to writing a first draft is marking your holes as you go. That way it’ll take less time to spot them later in the editing stage. If you need to research something put in a little * or a ? or even an ____. It’ll help you remember where you need to come back and fill in the spaces, expand on an idea, or even research on a subject.

Using the highlighter is extremely helpful with this as well. Utilize all your tools at hand and don’t be afraid to make up some rules as you go. I remember when I first started writing I was so afraid to deviate from my original set plan that I almost stalled out to a complete stop. I did as a matter of fact quit writing for about five years. And then when I picked it back up again, I swore I would make my own rules, edit the rules I have already learned to fit my style and don’t be afraid to deviate from my initial plans. If you stall out on chapter six don’t be afraid to pick up at chapter nine where all the action is if that’s what your muse is telling you to write. You can always go back in to fill in the blanks.

More than likely, if you’ve participated in Nanowrimo this year and haven’t finished that particular manuscript but are so close, then I imagine the words are starting to stutter to a halt. So this is a great time to come to terms with the fact that this is a first draft. When it gets hard, don’t worry about whether it’s right or good, just get it done.

Swiss cheese doesn’t fall apart, despite its many holes. I love this phrase and I hope it’s given you the light bulb moment it gave to me. This post has just a hint of the info you need for the Swiss cheese recipe for writing. Read the entire original post to get all the goodies from it. It was a great help to me and I hope it will be for you.

Until then here’s a Swiss Cheese Dip recipe for you to try! It's great for parties! (And this coming from the Lady Scribe who hates, hates, hates to cook. So I know if I can do it, anyone can LOL.)

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese softened

1 cup mayo (not miracle whip)

2 8 oz pkgs shredded swiss cheese

chopped green onion

cooked bacon cut into pieces

Directions

Mix cream cheese, mayo and swiss cheese. Add onions, spread in casserole dish, sprinkle with cut up bacon. Bake at 325 for 30 mins

Olivia Kelly ~ Lady Loquacious ~ asks: Do These Parachute Pants Make My Butt Look Big?

2011-12-28T01:00:00.003-06:00

Fashion!

What does it mean to you? When you realize that your favorite jeans have holes in them, are too small or too big (you evil witch!) or are acid washed, and it’s time for a new pair, are you thrilled to go shopping? Or does the idea of crossing the mall threshold make you break out in a sweat and want to hide in the closet with a box of chocolates and a Julia Quinn novel?

That’s just me? Oh.

Well, as you might guess, I’m not big on shopping. I used to be. I used to live at the mall every weekend with my girlfriends. I think it’s actually a required part of the American Teenage Girl Rite of Passage. (Shopping, gossip and finding a musician or movie star to crush on make up the 98.6 percent of a teenage girl’s time. The other 1.4 percent of the time is complaining there’s nothing to do.)

Partly, I think I hate shopping now because I’m still carrying around extra weight from the baby. (He’s six.) Mostly, though, I think it’s because I seem to fall prey to the Looks Fantastic in the Dressing Room Syndrome—you know the one. It’s when you try an outfit on, maybe something out of your comfort zone, and between the fun-house mirrors and the anorexic, gum-snapping rabid sales lady, you wind up buying parachute pants. For example, I mean. Not that I have ever worn parachute pants.

Erm.

Anyway…LFDRS seems to strike when I least expect it. Sometimes I can even wear a shirt or dress, or haircut, for weeks before catching a glimpse of myself in the hall mirror and shrieking “Good Lord, why didn’t you tell me?!” Apparently, I need a personal shopper/dresser—like a movie star.

(Please don’t tell me you think they all actually manage to look like that just “running out to pick up a coffee” or “hanging out at the beach”? That would be very, very depressing. For me, I

mean. I’m sure it’s lovely for them.)

A personal shopper! Why do I always think of these things after the holidays?

I think my personal Fashion Lows include:

*A poodle perm (it was the 90s)
*Hip-hop paint-splashed, one strap overalls (it was the 90s)
*Pairing a “skort” with knee high boots (it was the…oh, wait. That was last week).

My Fashion Highs include:

*My Junior Prom dress; fire engine red and sequined, with spaghetti straps. It was one long column, with a slit up the side. I’m still not sure how I made it out of the house that night.
*My new brown corduroy jacket from Kohl’s; cute, casual, form fitting and warm.

Umm. I’m thinking.

Well, that might be it.

How about you? What are your Fashion Highs and Lows?

Did you perm your hair or fluff your bangs? Have you ever owned a jacket inspired by Michael Jackson’s Thriller phase? Did you wear bellbottoms, fringe vests, shoulder pads, Doc Maarten’s or that fake turtle-neck thingy that goes under your sweater? (And do you happen to know anyone who has a personal shopper they would like to loan me?)

Not Sexy. Not even a little bit.

Oh dear, it’s the Poster Girl of 80s Fashion Perfection.

Gosh, I wasn’t expecting all this—I just need some milk and toilet paper. Did you see my Gucci headscarf?

~ Olivia

Happy Holidays

2011-12-18T22:01:00.005-06:00

The Lady Scribes would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas.

We are taking the week off to spend time with our friends and families, but look forward to visiting with you again December 26th. May your holiday be filled with joy, love, and laughter.

Truest Blessings

2011-12-16T10:18:00.002-06:00

I’m going to be a little selfish and hijack the blog for a day to give thanks to a few important people in my life. Tis the season to be thankful and after the year I’ve had, there are so many people in which to thank.

You see a year ago my husband was laid off at this job and while this hasn’t been the worst thing I’ve ever experienced — it was darn close. We were one paycheck away from being kicked out onto the streets. We struggled just to pay gas in order for me to go to my barely-above-minimum-wage-job and I have three children in which to take care of. The oldest two teen boys live with their dad one week and then come to my house for the next week. I ended up having to stretch those weeks into two because I had to do most of the traveling and couldn’t afford to go see my own kids part of the time. It was horrible, very lonely, I missed those little devils like crazy, and there were times when I got a little down. Yes, the person who always determines that you keep putting one foot in front of the other and never get depressed because life is never that bad got a little down. I admitted it.

And yet, we persevered. Somehow and not without help either. But I have much to be thankful for this year now that the hubby has a brand new job and we’ve moved into a new apartment. I still don’t get to see my kids as often as I’d like, but I’ll get them all summer long this year. So I’m content to see them on the weekends for now. After all, my oldest is nineteen and the second boy is fifteen, they’re almost grown. So I want to take a moment to thank my oldest boys for sacrificing their time with me so that I could get on my feet again. They truly are troopers and you know I know they love me no matter what happens.

I also need to thank my parents for being there with unconditional love and support, pulling me out of more financial woes than I care to admit this year. And Jake, you’ll always be my real hero. Christi, you'll always have a special place in my heart and the Lebo's crew, thanks for six years of good times. Thank you to my former boss, Leah. And she knows how special she is to me.

Ava Stone has been my mentor and friend for almost three years now. This year she was my guiding angel in this crazy industry called publishing. She did the most unexpected thing when I stayed at her house for our writer’s retreat weekend. She knows what she did and I will be forever grateful to her. I only hope one day to return such a favor. I hope she knows how much it means to me and how much I’ve come to care for her. Ava, you truly are a standard onto yourself and you don’t even know it. You’re a blessing, a wonderful mother, a truly compassionate person, and someone I look up to. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for just being you.

Thank you to Princess Jerrica and her knightly husband for a wonderful job offer in a desperate time of my life. No wonder you're both so blessed in life and love, your giving spirit to others is something we should all aspire to. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My crit partners have been invaluable to me this year and they have been there every time I needed to vent my frustrations, whether it’s been about writing or my life. I cannot thank you enough for the time you take out of your day to listen to me rant. And I know I’m not the easiest person to like either but I have to say they do more than tolerate me, and for that I’m grateful. So thanks to Samantha, Heather, Erin, Amy, Mindy, Tammy, and Julie. And to the new folks who just joined this year, all I can say is you’ve joined the greatest crit group there is. You simply won’t find a better, more classy, stand-up group of writers on the net. They truly are one of my truest blessings. Thanks ladies. PS. Thanks to Erin for offering to pay for the seminar when I came up to the writer’s retreat. The offer was genuinely appreciated and I love that you’re such a giving person. Thank you.

Marie Higgins who has been a long time crit partner for going on fifteen years. That's a long time to support someone, lol. I hope it's many, many more.

A special thanks to Heather Boyd and Mindy Moore. Heather designed all of my beautiful covers for me and although, she didn’t ask for anything in return. I felt I should pay a little but even so, it was nowhere near what it was worth. But what gave it so much meaning was that it was done in friendship and although, we’ve bumped heads before, you’ve become someone special to me. I look up to you and I hope you know how much it means to me that you don’t ask for anything in return. I tip my hat to you, Heather from across the waters and wish you a very Merry Christmas. And Mindy Moore my editor who’s birthday gift to me last year was a free edit, may your every wish come true. You’ve struggled for a while as I have and are so deserving of every bit of success you’ve had thus far. Merry Christmas, ladies.

I have to take a moment and thank Maggie’O for being my very first fan lol. She’s waiting patiently on this next installment and I love her for that. Colleen for being a wonderful friend and fan, for reading every book and cheering me on. Sandi, my favorite pirate wench who is dying to read my pirate story but we just can’t figure out how to load into onto her Kobo. She’s patiently waiting on it to show up on the Kobo site. Thanks for your patience. And to all the rest of my few fans, there aren’t many in number but they sure are sweet. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I always believed the best part about writing was creating a great story. I’ve since learned that sharing that story with someone else and receiving an email or a comment that I was able to take them away from life for a second. That truly is one of my truest blessings. It warms my heart to know that by the end of a story I’ve given someone else the warm and fuzzy feelings I’ve gotten so many times after reading a great romance. We have the greatest genre as well as the greatest community — despite some of the uproar going on lately about the industry — I still believe this is the greatest reading community there is.

I think the biggest lesson I have learned this year is the truest blessings don’t come with a price tag. They’re there with you, every day. May we never forget how important it is to tell them “I love you.”

Happy reading everyone, and may you have a wonderfully, blessed holiday season as I have. Take a moment and say your thanks to the important people in your life. I’d love to know who influenced you this year.

A Danby Regency Christmas Summons Prize Extravaganza

2011-12-15T01:00:00.001-06:00

Tonight the authors of the REGENCY CHRISTMAS SUMMONS COLLECTION will be chatting live at http://hrcg.chatango.com/ from 8:00p - 10:00p Eastern time.

Presented by: Lilia Birney, Christi Caldwell, Phyllis Campbell, Jane Charles, Aileen Fish, Catherine Gayle, Samantha Grace, Suzie Grant, Julie Johnstone, Olivia Kelly, Jerrica Knight-Catania, and Ava Stone, in honor of the release of our Regency Christmas Anthology, consisting of A Summons from Yorkshire, A Summons from the Duke, A Summons from the Castle, and A Summons from His Grace.

A Summons From Yorkshire
Regency Christmas Summons Collection 1

In AVA STONE’s The Counterfeit Christmas Summons, Lady Emma Whitton has decided its time to take her future in her own hands. She has been in love with Viscount Heathfield since she was in leading strings. Unfortunately, it's been almost that long since she's laid eyes on her brother's old friend and vice versa. Tired of waiting for him to remember her, Emma pens a holiday invitation (in her brother's hand) to Heathfield and waits as patiently as she is able for her one true love to arrive. * Heath isn't quite certain what to make of the very strange summons he received, but his curiosity is most definitely piqued. He heads north to Danby Castle, only to find that his very orderly life is about to be turned upside down.

~ * ~

In AILEEN FISH’s The Viscount’s Sweet Temptation, Lady Harriet Thornhill knows the summons from her grandfather means he’s decided whom she must marry. Determined that she’d only marry a man of her choosing, she stows away in her friend’s father’s carriage, only to find herself alone with young Archibald Napier,Viscount Morley. * Morley’s plans for a quiet Christmas vanish when he discovers the sweet young lady hiding under the blankets in his carriage. As she claims an acquaintance with his sister, he feels duty-bound to see her safely back to her family.* A broken carriage wheel leaves them stranded, and Harriet’s reputation is at stake. Morley’s not ready to take a wife, until he’s told he wouldn’t be a suitable husband for her. With memories of her sweet, tempting kiss filling his thoughts, he prepares to fight for the hand of the woman he believes he could love.

~ * ~

JULIE JOHNSTONE’s Gift of Seduction - The day Andrew Whitton, Earl of Hardwick chooses his fortune over the woman he loves, Drew discovers that money makes for a cold bed partner. Now, no matter how far he runs, the memory of his betrayal haunts him, and there’s not enough liquor to dull the past or diminish his disgust. * Charlotte Milne trusted in happily ever after until her knight turned out to be wearing rusty armor. Drew, the scoundrel, seduced her, though she very much enjoyed the seduction by the man she’s loved since childhood. Left scandalously ruined, Char flees her home intent upon forgetting Drew and proving her worth. * Separated by disloyalty and pain, each struggle to bury the memories of the other until a mandatory summons from the Duke of Danby sets them on a path of collision to Danby Castle. With the tides of irrevocable change rising, Drew must find a way to show Char that even the most selfish of rakes can be redeemed by love before the woman of his heart becomes the wife of another.

A Summons From the Duke
Regency Christmas Summons Collection 2

In JERRICA KNIGHT-CATANIA’s Loving Mister Lockwell, Lady Isabel Whitton has no use for people other than her twin sister -- she much prefers the company of her books. So when she discovers that all her cousins from near and far have been summoned to her home, Danby Castle, for Christmas, she isn't pleased. To make matters even worse, the deplorable Mister Lockwell has come uninvited. * Damien Lockwell, 3rd son of the Earl of Totterdown, has invited himself to Yorkshire for Christmas. Spending the holiday with the Whittons seems far preferable to watching his father drink himself into a stupor. And Lady Isabel proves to be just the kind of entertainment he was looking for -- she's smart as a whip and quite the most unique creature he's ever met -- not to mention she despises him, which is the most thrilling part of all for a man like Damien.

~ * ~

In LILIA BIRNEY’s A Second Chance For Christmas, Philip Whitton has been summoned back home by his grandfather after a wastrel existence in Italy, studying music and trying to forget his first love. Emily Barlow, nee Ware, is picking up the pieces of her shattered existence following her husband's death. Thrown together by chance on the road back home to Danby, Emily and Philip rekindle the flames of their old passion. Will the fire burn itself out like it did before, or are they ready to follow their hearts and live out the truth of their love?

~ * ~

In SAMANTHA GRACE’s Twice Upon a Time - since her father’s untimely death, Felicity Halliday has relied on the medical knowledge learned at his side to treat London’s most disreputable in order to support her family. Life has been hard, but everything changes the night she is snatched from an alley behind a theatre and tossed into a nobleman’s carriage. * It has been less than a fortnight since Julian Beckford returned to London after a sojourn in India, and he’s already up to his top-boots in one of his cousin’s mad schemes. When his foolish cousin decides to engage an actress to play his wife over the holidays at Danby Castle, Julian becomes an unwilling party to the lady’s abduction. Along their journey to Yorkshire, Julian makes a stunning discovery about his cousin's pretend wife....and finds it’s possible to love Twice Upon a Time.

A Summons From the Castle
Regency Christmas Summons Collection 3

In CATHERINE GAYLE’s An Unintended Journey, Abby Goddard’s life is going along just swimmingly, apart from the disappearance of her life’s love—Wesley Cavendish, a man well above her station. Just before Christmas, Grandmama dies after revealing the identity of Abby’s grandfather. The Duke of Danby, no less. Now the entire family will travel to Yorkshire to confront Danby, hoping to gain a dowry for Abby. But then Wesley reemerges, sparking a hope Abby thought long destroyed. * Shall the prodigal son’s sole inheritance be an unsightly gash? Wesley Cavendish aspires to the political realm, despite his father’s near-murderous opposition…not to mention his opposition to Abby Goddard. But since Father died, will the new Earl of Fordingham rescind Father’s disgraceful allegations? Fordingham thwarts Wesley at every turn, threatening marriage to a prominent Tory family—which precludes Abby—to put an end to Wesley’s Whig involvement…unless Wesley can find a loophole.

~ * ~

In SUZIE GRANT’s A Caribbean Jewel for Christmas, blackmailed by a British Naval Commander, Captain Randall Whitton, a smuggler with a penchant for gold is rescued by Jewel Derington, a feisty plantation owner and the very woman who betrayed him in the jungles of Barbados. Escaping danger has never been so thrilling. Together they are drawn into a political game of winner takes all from which only his grandfather, the Duke of Danby, can rescue them.   * Fascinated by the glitter of his Caribbean Jewel, Randall's lust for gold soon fades. His quest to tame this fiery treasure catapults them both into an adventure where the stakes are higher and the prize greater than either of them have ever dared dream.

~ * ~

In CHRISTI CALDWELL’s Winning a Lady’s Heart, for Lady Alexandra being the source of a cold, calculated wager is bad enough....but when it is waged by Nathaniel Michael Winters, 5th Earl of Pembroke, the man she's in love with, it results in a broken heart, the scandal of the season, and a summons from her grandfather--the Duke of Danby. To escape Society's gossip, she hurries to her meeting with the duke , determined to put memories of the earl far behind. Except the duke has other plans for Alexandra....plans which include the 5th Earl of Pembroke!

A Summons From His Grace
Regency Christmas Summons Collection 4

In JANE CHARLES’s Compromised for Christmas, Miss Elizabeth Whitton craved excitement and adventure. Unwilling to endure one boring Season after another, she convinces her uncle in the Home Office to let her work for him. * John Phillip Trent has been spying for the Home Office in the stables of Tuileries as Jean Pierre Bouvier for more than two years, his only English contact – Lisette Renard a servant girl inside the palace. * When a summons from the Duke of Danby slips through the proper channels, both Elizabeth and John’s covers are compromised. To escape the palace and France with their lives, they’ll have to depend on each other and the miracle of Christmas.

~ * ~

In OLIVIA KELLY’s It Could Only Be You, Harry Connelly has crossed an ocean and pushed his half-healed, battle weary body to its limits to confront the man who stole the life he should have had; his grandfather, the Duke of Danby. Wounded, Harry collapses in a small village’s church, and is nursed back to health by the vicar's beautiful daughter, Lily Beaumont. A man haunted by the demons of war, he should know better than to become involved with such an innocent but he cannot stay away from her. Harry's forced to make a decision. He can wield his decades old anger and bitterness against his grandfather, to compel him to acknowledge the damage he caused, and demand that the duke make monetary amends. Or he can turn his back on the past, and create a future with the woman he is beginning to think he cannot live without.

~ * ~

In PHYLLIS CAMPBELL’s Becoming a Lady, Dorothy Paxton is not pleased when a handsome Englishman walks into her inn and announces he's taking her back to England to reunite with the grandfather who turned his back on her years ago. Her escort, Calvin Seton, bribes her by paying her brother's doctor's bills, and soon she's on the ship sailing for London. Little by little, Calvin's charm softens her heart. While her lady's companion teaches her to become a lady, Dorothy is secretly wishing Mr. Seton would do some teaching of his own...in his bedroom. Yet she must control her desires or she's no better than her mother who succumbed to a nobleman, only to have him leave her. Dorothy will not repeat history. Or will she?

December 1812 ~ the powerful Duke of Danby has summoned all of his wayward grandchildren home for the holidays. If you could summon anyone home for this holiday season who would it be? OR where would you like to be summoned?

Comment below with your email address for an entry in the Prize Extravaganza drawing held tonight during the live chat.

Prizes include:

1 $79 Kindle from Amazon

•1 of 3 $50 gift cards (2 from Amazon, 1 from Barnes and Noble)

•1 of 3 $25 gift cards (2 from Amazon, 1 from Barnes and Noble)

•1 complete set of Catherine Gayle's LORD ROTHEBYS INFLUENCE series

•1 complete set of Ava Stone's SCANDALOUS series

•1 of 2 copies of Jerrica Knight-Catania's THE ROBBER BRIDE

•1 copy of Suzie Grant's FOR THE SAKE OF SIN

•1 copy of Suzie Grant's THE DEVILS DAUGHTER

•1 copy of Suzie Grant's WRONG KIND OF PARADISE

•1 complete set of Jane Charles's ONCE UPON A TIME trilogy

•1 copy of Jane Charles's TO WALK IN THE SUN

•1 copy of Aileen Fish's THE MISTLETOE MISHAP

•1 copy of Aileen Fishs THE CHRISTMAS DRAGON SCHEME

•1 copy of Phyllis Campbell's SPANISH EYES

•1 copy of Phyllis Campbell's QUEEN OF HEARTS

The Meaning of a Gift.

2011-12-14T08:27:00.000-06:00

At Christmas I think it is especially important to remember the true meaning of a gift. I know you probably think you already know what a gift is, but do you really? Ask yourself this: if you woke up Christmas morning and there was nothing under the Christmas tree for you but a lump of coal would you be disappointed, sad or angry?

I bet many of you would be angry. As a society, we have come to expect Christmas gifts. Is this the true meaning of a gift, one that we expect because we think we deserve it? I think not. A gift is something given just because someone thought of you. It is unexpected and when received, no matter what it is, it is appreciated.

Because in my own life, I see that I sometimes forget the true meaning of a gift, I have really been contemplating this lately as I buy gifts for Christmas. Recently, I heard a speaker who really drove home some points for me that I would like to share with you.

Here are five red flags that you have misplaced the true meaning of a gift:

1. You make a gift list on Amazon and get irritated when someone buys you something other than what’s on your list. How dare they! Really? How dare YOU! A gift is not something you pick out and say, buy me this. A TRUE gift is something someone else has taken the time to think of, found, and given to you especially because they think you will appreciate it.

2. You buy someone a gift simply because they bought you one. Yes, that’s polite, but that is not the true spirit of gift giving. Tit for tat is not what it’s about. Christmas should not be like a game of Risk. You bought me a gift, so I need to buy you one or my ship is sunk. If someone unexpected bought you a gift be appreciative, but don’t feel you must rush out and buy them a gift just because they bought you one.

3. You judge a person by the amount they spent on you. Naughty-naughty. Be glad there is someone in this world who simply thought of you and be grateful and thankful for that.

4. You use gift giving as a way to make your children behave. I am so guilty of this, but I am really trying to stop this terrible habit. What are we teaching our children if we teach them that if they are good they will get a gift. No, no, no. Gifts are given out of pure love.

5. You don’t realize the best gift is one of time, understanding, love and friendship. Don’t think every gift must cost money. Give the gift of time. Call an old friend, your parents, or your grandparents.

Spend time you don’t think you have with your children, friends and family. You can do it. I spent two hours yesterday playing electronic Battleship with my two young children. It was a great gift of love and laughter that they gave to ME!

Happy Gift Giving!

Julie Johnstone, The Marchioness of Mayhem

7 tips to Survive an Aussie Christmas!

2011-12-13T05:24:00.000-06:00

1. Forget Snow, toss out the winter woolies
The closest I get to a white Christmas is watching Love Actually on DVD or listening to Bing Crosby crooning at my mum’s house. Bikinis and boardies are often the norm for kids on Christmas Day. And yes, I do feel silly singing Christmas carols sometimes. Those lyrics are just so wrong for us.

2. Forget roasting chestnuts on an open fire
Hey, total fire ban, man. Gotta act responsibly when you’re down under or face the wrath of the firemen and Santa when they come around with lollies for the kids. Not even a slab of beer as thanks for their hard work would get you out of a fine.

3. Did I mention it gets hot?
Historical Temps for December have ranged from 26.8C to 42.2C. That’s 82F to 108F. We rarely get to the cooler end of the scale - sometimes the nights don’t feel any cooler either. What you want on a Christmas day is a good stiff breeze, air conditioning, or some place to get really wet!

4. About the tree ...
As far as I can tell, we pretty much all use the fake Christmas tree on this side of the world. Eucalypts are the dominant tree and they just look odd with glittery balls attached. Mine comes out each 1st December then gets packed away by the end of the month. I honestly can’t remember seeing a real tree at Christmas.

5. Carols by Candlelight
Picnicing at night while listening to carols and watching the fireworks is an amazing experience over here. Mind you, if you have kids you are AMAZINGLY glad to get them back home again when it’s all over.

6. The Long Christmas Lunch or the Day of Frenzy
In my experience, there are two kinds of Christmas Day. The one where you’re on the road from dawn, after wrenching your sleepy/grumpy kids from bed, and don’t get home till dark. And the proper one where you are queen of all you survey, eat one meal that stretches forever and even get to have that much needed nana nap in the afternoon. Never mind that you’ve probably eaten too much. Thanks to point 3 (above), you’ve already sweated off the added pounds. LOL

7. ~~Drink, Drink, Drink~~ Drink Responsibly
Aussies are pretty good drinkers but you should know the risks of trying to keep up. There is always the chance of a booze bus (Random Breath Testing) around the next bend in the road to ensure you lose your drivers license.

For those of you staying in or braving the frenzy this Christmas season, enjoy yourself and take special care on the roads. Merry Christmas!

Heather Boyd - Lady Wicked

Top 5 Ways to Stay Sane During the Holidays

2011-12-12T05:55:00.006-06:00

The span of time between mid-November and about January 5th is the WORST time of year for me. Not that I don't love it -- I do. It's just that it can be such a stressful time, what with Thanksgiving, Black Friday, my anniversary, my birthday, my daughter's birthday (which also happens to be Christmas Day, so she has three parties in the month of December! That's her at her b'day party yesterday with a chocolate goatee!), Christmas Day, New Years and all the tons of traveling we have to do.

Now, I know I'm not the only one stressed out about all the stuff going on at this time of year. I'm sure there are some of you who get to stay home, cuddle by the fire with your loved ones and watch It's a Wonderful Life on TV while you exchange a few meaningful gifts over hot cocoa. But for the rest of us, it's go time!!

So for those of us who have no choice but to run around like chickens with our heads cut off, here are my stay-sane tips for the holidays...

1) Drink....lots of alcohol! If it weren't for the booze, I'd be ripping everyone's heads off. I know, I probably sound like an alcoholic, but I promise I'm not. And I am NOT suggesting you "tie one on" every night! But just a half glass of wine or a light beer at the end of the day can really help take the edge off. Or, if you're feeling more festive, try whipping up a Mexicocoa! Click on the pic to get the recipe...

2) Go to your Happy Place...in your mind, at least. Hubby and I are taking a few days to head to the Caribbean in January. I cannot WAIT. But since I have to, I try to go there in my mind when I'm feeling stressed and annoyed with holiday shoppers who seem to have lost any semblance of human decency. I close my eyes and picture myself swaying gently in a hammock under a palm tree, with a fruity cocktail in my hand (don't worry -- it's always after noon in my visions.)

3) Blow Sh*t Up...as our own Suzie Grant would say. Not for real, silly! For pretend! Find a video game, whether for your XBox, iPhone...whatever...that will let you take your frustrations out on zombies rather than on real people. Or even just a fun game that let's you escape into another world for a bit. I, personally, have gotten hooked on Holiday Town for my iPhone/iPad.

4) Buy Presents...for yourself! I'm really big on rewarding myself for a job well done, and if I get through a trip to the mall without tackling some crazy biatch to the ground, well, I think I deserve a prize, don't you?? Nothing big. It can be as small as a gourmet candy bar (Dylan's candy bars are amazing!), a tube of lip gloss, a yummy smoothie or a pair of fuzzy socks :) Whatever you're feeling in the moment, go for it! You'll feel much better, I promise!

5) Screw It! Seriously. Sometimes, you just have to blow off the 130th holiday party and choose to stay home. There's nothing more important than your health -- both mental and physical -- so stop worrying about who you might be disappointing and just take a night off, for goodness sake! The world won't end because you missed it.

Whatever you do, have a safe and wonderful holiday season! Oh, and don't forget to leave your own tips for surviving the holidays! Leave a comment and be entered to win a prize in the Christmas Summons Prize Extravaganza!!

-Jerrica, Her Grace of Grammar

Interview with author Callie Hutton

2011-12-09T06:00:00.010-06:00

Please help me welcome a wonderful author Callie Hutton!

Callie’s been making up stories in her head since elementary school, and writing since she learned to type in high school.
She loves falling in love, did it herself, and now enjoys writing about it. And yes, she falls in love with all her heroes.

Although she’s lived in several states, Oklahoma is where she’s hung her hat for the last several years, but she originally hails from New Jersey. An Okie-Jersey girl. And proud of it.

Her hubby supports all her ventures, truly being the wind beneath her wings. They have three children, with two still at home. And they’re happy their two dogs allow them to share their home.

What genre(s) do you write? I write Historical Romance, primarily. I have a contemporary novella coming out with TWRP in 2012.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Both. I do a character sketch, and a brief outline of the book before I start. But I don’t follow it exactly, and change as I go along. By the middle of the book, I have a pretty good idea how the rest of it will go, although that can always change.

Why do you think people should choose your books over another author? Because I write the type of story that is both funny and serious in parts. When I re-read my manuscripts, I find myself laughing and crying even though I wrote it.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories? I hope they take away a good feeling with them. I love a book or movie that makes me smile at the end, and say “Aww.” I hope readers will react that way to mine.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? I tend to write about strong women who want a man who loves them for themselves. As I said in one of my books, he loves her because of her peculiarities, not in spite of them. My heroes don’t always recognize that in the beginning, but by the end…they know.

How long have you been a writer? Since I could hold a pencil. I made up stories in my head since I was a child. It was how I lulled myself to sleep. Some nights I was anxious to go to bed so I could continue my story. Even now I’ll make up stories about people when I’m in a crowd. Although I’ve had articles published over the years, it wasn’t until last summer that I decided to write a book.

Please tell us 5 miscellaneous facts about yourself.

· I once interviewed Peter Lawford for a magazine.

· I was an ‘extra’ in a Bette Midler movie.

· My first published story was in a magazine from Scotland.

· I’ve lived in seven states.

· I read over 200 books a year.

Please leave a comment with your email to win a digital copy of Callie's new book!

You can find Callie at www.calliehutton.com, or on facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Callie-Hutton/206166449404454

A Wife by Christmas

High School Principal Max Colbert needs to get rid of that pesky History teacher, Ellie Henderson. Getting her married off is the perfect solution, except everyone he introduces her to doesn’t seem right.

In 1906 Guthrie, Oklahoma, History teacher, Ellie Henderson, has been a thorn in High School Principal Max Colbert’s side ever since he took over three months ago. When she’s not flying by his office, late for her class, with books and papers jumbled in her arms, she’s attending Suffragettes meetings against his orders.

Because of her family connections, he can’t fire her, but he can certainly find someone to marry her, and keep her busy in the kitchen. And far away from his school. Max soon finds that what seemed like a good idea can turn into disaster when Miss Ellie Henderson is involved. The woman is a master at getting into trouble.

With the Christmas season in full swing, he has many opportunities to introduce her to prospective husbands. However, the uncomfortable feeling is growing that no one is worthy of the minx…

Excerpt:

Max Colbert glared at the woman perched on the edge of the chair across from him. History teacher Ellie Henderson had been a thorn in his side the size of the Oklahoma sky ever since he’d been appointed principal of Logan County High School three months ago.

She sat there, humming. Humming! His gut twisted and he clenched his jaw. Drat the woman for being so unconcerned while he fumed. It was important to get his emotions under control, needed his years of experience to kick in. He took a deep breath and leaned forward. “Miss Henderson, your unapproved activities have gone too far. I am going to have to fire you.”

Ellie’s right eyebrow rose, meeting him glare for glare. “No. You can’t.”

“Yes I can, and I am.” Blood rushed to his face.

She stood and placed both palms on his desk, and leaned in. “I will tell my Uncle Jesse.”

Max pushed his chair back and got to his feet. He moved close enough to see the light dusting of freckles across her nose. “It won’t make any difference.”

“It will if you plan to be Territorial Superintendent of Schools.” They were now almost nose-to-nose.

Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. “I will get that job on my own merit.”

“Not without Senator Jesse Cochran’s endorsement.” Her hazel eyes narrowed.

His jaw tightened, his mouth working as if to say something. Then like a rag doll, he collapsed into his seat and leaned back, eyes closed. “Miss Henderson, you are a pebble in my shoe.”

“And you, Mr. Colbert, are a horse’s behind.”

He opened one eye. She again sat primly on the edge of her seat, adjusting her skirts. The two red dots on her cheeks the only indication of her anger.

“You may leave now,” he said through gritted teeth.

Ellie bowed her head slightly. “As you wish.” She stood, smoothed back the hair always loose from her bun. With head held high, she sailed from the room, closing the door softly. Her skirt stuck in the door. She re-opened it, yanked the skirt, and banged the door shut.

Max winced at the sound. His left eye twitched.

Make it Work

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

Tim Gunn's onto something, you know?

If you don't watch Project Runway, what's wrong with you? Oops, I meant to say: if you don't watch Project Runway, Tim Gunn is the aspiring fashion designers' mentor. He delivers them their challenges, tells them the constraints they'll be working within ("You have $10 and 1.25 hours for this challenge of designing an avant garde showpiece."), and comes in during their work time to talk things through with them, giving his honest take on what is working and what isn't working. And, inevitably, at some point during every episode he'll say, "Make it work."

It's a simply phrase, a simple concept, but a difficult thing to put into action. Still, whenever I get frustrated with whatever project where I've bitten off more than I think I can chew, or when I write myself into a corner that I can't see the way out of, or when I am too easily distracted by things in my current writing venue to concentrate--any time any of those things happen, I hear Tim's voice in my head saying, "Make it work."

I used to just let those frustrations get the best of me. I'd set the writing project aside and say I couldn't fix it. I'd go for weeks or months without writing, because I was "stuck." I'd tell myself that my idea was too big, too bold, something that another writer was capable of but not me.

That's not really the best way of handling these things, though. Or so I've found.

You see, just because the idea is something unfamiliar and not one I've tackled before, that doesn't mean I can't do it, and do it well, and make it work within the niche I've carved for myself even if, on the surface, it doesn't seem like a good fit. It just means I've got to get creative and make it work.

Just because I've written myself into a corner doesn't mean I can't figure out a better solution, if I sit down (maybe with a trusted CP or two) and talk it through. And it doesn't even mean that I have to immediately toss 20+ pages of hard work. It just means that I've got to buckle down, put my nose to the grindstone as my Grandpa always used to tell me, and make it work.

Just because there are distractions where I'm currently working doesn't mean I can't change locations and find somewhere new to work. Too many things going on at home? Try Starbucks. Too expensive/loud/crowded/etc. at Starbucks? Try the local library. Too quiet/stuffy/stale at the library? Try the park/mall/a friend's house while they're at work if they'll give you a key. The key is to recognize what the problem is before it becomes too much of a problem, and then make it work.

Why am I writing about this right now? I've been in a funk, and trying to convince myself that the problem is one of those things listed above, or one of countless other excuses for not getting my writing done. In reality, though, I've just got to make it work.

Thank you, Tim Gunn.

Gifts That Keep Giving

2011-12-07T07:00:00.002-06:00

This year my husband and I told our children we wouldn’t be having an extravagant Christmas. Not that we ever have really extravagant Christmases, but I always find myself wondering as the time draws closer if the kids have enough to open. I know it’s a ridiculous thought, and all I need to do is stand at the threshold of their bedrooms to realize they have an overabundance of “enough”. Yet, that gnawing feeling returns every year. Do they have enough?

When I think back to Christmases when I was a child, I remember opening many presents Christmas morning. It was always exciting. I can, however, only name a handful of things I received: a bicycle with a basket and streamers on the handles, a Barbie Dream House, and later, a ten speed bike. My favorite was the Dream House.

My son was just informing me yesterday Barbie is bad for young girls’ body images, because it is physically impossible to be built like a Barbie. Thank goodness, because an inability to bend your elbows and forever walking barefoot on your tippy-toes must get pretty uncomfortable. (I can’t be the only one who lost one of Barbie’s shoes within the first 10 minutes of bringing her home.) But tossing political correctness out the window for the moment—Oh, wait! I already did that—the Barbie Dream House was awesome.

I created my first love stories in that three storied building that was as tall as I was. Let’s just say it saw a lot of smooching, on the cheek, that is. Oooh, and love in an elevator. Again, very innocent expressions of affection. Of course most of the stories involved a love triangle. How could it not with only one guy? Barbie was the heroine, Ken was the hero, and Marie Osmond was the villainess. I’m sorry, Marie. I absolutely adore you, but your doll only had one dress. It was lovely, and secretly Barbie envied that sparkly, purple ensemble that didn’t fit her freakishly unnatural figure, but if you wear the same clothes all the time, people are going to start talking.

In my early stories, Barbie, Francie, PJ, Malibu Barbie and an assortment of other Barbies I can’t remember never wanted to include Marie. At first, it seemed to be a result of Marie being mean to them, but eventually, the truth became apparent. Barbie and her blonde minions were acting like rabid pack animals. (Speaking of blonde minions... Did anyone else ever think Skipper was a result of an indiscretion in Barbie's younger years? Sister, my foot! Why did she live with Barbie? I never heard anything about their parents.) I saw their behavior as deplorable, and I wanted to cry on Marie’s behalf. I consoled Marie and promised I wouldn’t allow the mean girls to treat her badly again. In a later story, she’s the one that got the guy.

The Barbie Dream House wasn’t the real gift my parents gave me. It was simply the tool to manifest just two of the gifts that have stayed with me a lifetime: creativity and compassion.

The other day I remembered a true a story from when I was five years old. I loved to be outside in our large yard. It was filled with irises and lovely hiding spots created by bushes and trees. In my imagination, it was my pasture. I rode my horse, her mane flowing, my hair blowing in the wind, in search of magical treasures and fairies. I had the best time galloping across the grass, slapping my hands against my thighs to create the sound of horse’s hooves.

One day a little girl who came to visit her grandmother regularly came over to play horses with me. Her grandmother’s house was behind ours and shared a fence. We laughed and reveled in the joy of being young, energetic, and dreamy. It was a great day. But the next time I invited her over to play, she said something my five year old brain never forgot. “My grandma said I can play, but I can’t be running around flapping my arms like a chicken.” I was so hurt by this soured woman who probably never knew an ounce of joy her entire existence.

Later, I went to my mom and cautiously brought up what the lady had said. I was looking to her to see if it was okay to have an imagination. Was it okay to dream and live in the moment? She didn’t disappointment me. Instead she gave me one of the greatest gifts in life. Not only did she give me permission to indulge my creative side, she taught me that I didn’t have to allow other people’s beliefs or opinions to limit me. Now I look back and feel very sorry for my friend. I hope she had other people in her life that encouraged her like I did.

This memory made me wonder if my worries about whether my kids have enough at Christmas is really concern about if they will get all the things they really need for a full life. Will they know how to love well, work hard, and laugh even harder? Will they see the good in others? Will they recognize the value of friendship, loyalty, and compromise? At the end of the day, will they feel like enough?

Honestly, I think the answers are all yes. We have amazingly bright children with hearts of gold, which I think my husband and I can only take partial credit for. Our children are surrounded by loving family devoted to giving them the true gifts in life and in turn, our children have become gifts that keeps giving.

What gifts of a lifetime did you receive as a child? If you're a parent, what gifts do you hope to give your own child?

Tis the Season For Ugly Sweaters!

2011-12-06T06:35:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I received this little gem in my in-box from one of my favorite restaurant (no need to bring finger foods):

Close fascimile (always wanted to use that description)

Would I go? Of course! Hot Builder as my date? Check! Fugalicious Sweater? Uh...hm...er...Not exactly.

I had no idea where I'd get such a thing. So, I scoured the internet for hours, looking for just the right inspiration. Those faint of heart, stylish or perpetually queasy of stomach, I would advise you to quit reading. Right. Now.

This is a seriously hawt look.

Snoop Dogg just lost some doggy years.

For the love of God don't look below Colin Firth's shoulders.

What is he doing for her to make *that* face?

Apparently, Ugly Christmas Sweaters are a Big Deal, because there are websites dedicated for such an occasion. Here are a sampling:

These guys claim to have the largest selection of Ugly Christmas Sweaters
Sweaters are sorted into three categories: ugly, really ugly and butt ugly.
They're drinking more than just hot chocolate and eggnog at the North Pole.

Here's what Hot Builder picked to wear:

Understated but festive

As for me, I settled on this:

I'm a nonconformist.

What's the craziest, tackiest or just plain ugliest Christmas Sweater you've ever seen or *gasp* worn? Thanks for stopping by!

Christie's

2011-12-05T02:00:00.002-06:00

What do you do when your hero is a lord and just inherited estates, art, jewels (more possessions than anyone could everneed), along with debt up to his beaver top hat? His grandfather and father both believed that possessions “made the lord”so to speak. This left my hero with the need to either marry an heiress (something he would prefer not to do) or sell off possessions. I decided to have him sell. But, how and to whom? Thus, my research began.

I love being surprised by history. I know history shouldn’t be surprising since it is the past and it isn’t like being surprised when something happens in the moment like walking into a dark room and the lights suddenly go on as people shout “happy birthday”. This surprise came with the history of Christie’s. I knew Christie’s auction house had been around for a very long time. I just didn’t realize that their first sale was on this date in 1766. There is some information that sales were made prior to this date, but from the literature I have read December 5, 1766 is listed as the 1^st sale.

“James Christie holds a sale from his Great Rooms in Pall Mall, his first permanent auction rooms, on 5 December. The sale includes 2 chamber pots, a pair of sheets, 2 pillowcases and 4 irons.” http://www.christies.com

My guess, had he limited himself to such sales, Christie’s would not be what it is today. I do wonder though, who would buy a chamberpot at an auction? Had someone famous used it?

Their website does report the following on their history page for 1778, however:

"James Christie values Sir RobertWalpole’s collection of pictures on behalf of his grandson George Walpole, 3rd Earl, and negotiates their sale from Houghton for £40,000 to the Empress ofRussia, Catherine the Great." http://www.christies.com

So, in two years he went from chamberpots and sheets to pictures (which I have decided translates to “art” - though I could be wrong), and one of the things Christie’s is known for today.

Did you know they became known for their international art trade after the French Revolution. The following sale reportedin their history for 1795:

The five-day sale of the contents of the studio of Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A.. realizes £25,000. Following the execution in 1793 of Madame du Barry, mistress of Louis XVI, her jewels are sold by James Christie for £8,791,4s 9d.http://www.christies.com

In 1823, the location of Christie’s moved to the current location, 8 King Street, St. James’s. I have been planning for a trip to London in the near future and I think this will be one stop added to my itinerary.

As we all know, Christie’s has grown far, far beyond great rooms on Pall Mall, to having auction houses all across the globe. I wonder if James Christie had any idea what his business would become the day he auctioned off chamberpots and sheets. Regardless, I am glad he did, because my hero is off to Pall Mall to unload some art to save him from a marriage to an heiress. I may even have him sell a few chamberpots just for fun.

Have you ever been surprised by history?

Jane Charles
Countess of Content