Saturday, September 12, 2009

It’s News Day!

News

Linda Warren’s TEXAS HEIR (September, 2008) won The Bookbuyers Best Award in the short contemporary category and was chosen the "Top Pick" by Sue Grimshaw of Borders Groups, Inc.

The release of Leigh Duncan’s debut American Romance—THE OFFICER'S GIRL—has moved from June to April, 2010!

Lisa Ruff has sold her fourth book to American Romance and it’s set for release late in 2010. It's the third book about the Berzani clan who live, love and sail on the Chesapeake Bay. BABY ON BOARD (1/2009) told Patrick's story and AN UNEXPECTED FATHER (4/2010) tells brother Ian's. This book is little sister Anna's tale of how she gets tangled up with Evan, her big brother's best friend. Things get pretty steamy between them with surprising results.

Michele Dunaway is having a very good day job month. The yearbook she advises received All American honors from the National Scholastic Press Association, and the article Michele co-wrote with a friend is being published in the fall issue of Communication: Journalism Education Today. But best of all, Michele learned she is one of four Journalism Education Association Medal of Merit recipients and that she will be honored in Washington, DC, at the national convention in November.

Reviews

Rebecca Winters’ current release, THE RANGER'S SECRET (September 2009), received a 4-l/2 star Top Pick review from Romantic Times magazine! This book follows THE CHIEF RANGER (June 2009), which was also a top pick.

Mark Your Calendar

September 8: Four wonderful new reads from Harlequin American Romance will be in stores tomorrow. This month’s covers are posted in the sidebar.

September 10: An interview with debut author C.C. Coburn

September 28: An interview with author Rebecca Winters

To find out more about American Romance’s September releases, please visit eHarleqin.com.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Houshold Cleaning Tips

Household Tip

To keep a tissue box high and dry on a bathroom counter, insert four push pins into the bottom to serve as legs. Re-use them each time you bring out a new box.

Jacqueline Diamond
www.jacquelinediamond.com
Next book: Doctor Daddy, HAR, September

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*The Easiest Microwave Cleaner Ever*

**Stick a bowl of water into your microwave for five minutes. Remove. Wipe interior with a soft cloth or paper towel.

It’s super easy, doesn’t cost a thing, and it really works!

Laura Bradford
www.laurabradford.cm

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Author Interview--C.C. Coburn

Please Welcome C.C. Coburn--a new Author to the Harlequin American Line. Her first book, Colorado Christmas will hit store shelves November 2009.

How did you make your first sale?

I pitched to Paula Eykelhof at a Romance Writers of Australia conference in 2006.

Tell us a little about your family and where you're from.

I have 3 kids, 3 cats, 1 husband and a yellow Lab. I live most of the year on Australia’s sun-drenched Gold Coast. But I spend about 5 months a year in Colorado, partly researching my books, and partly escaping from my children.
But I miss my Lab when I’m in the States.

Tell us about your book.

Colorado Christmas is set in a small, but quirky Rocky mountain township. It features an uptight lady judge, a naughty pig, a lovesick dog, a kid who wants a dad, an Aztec red Cadillac series 62 complete with tail fins of extra-ordinary proportions, Christmas trees, a lot of snow and a hero to die for.

If you could be lazy for an entire day what would you do?

Read, of course. The paradox of being a writer is, not having enough time to read.
However, If I could be lazy for a whole day with an unlimited budget, then I’d probably have a 3 hour massage and facial, followed by lunch at the Sheraton Mirage, followed by another 3 hour massage, after which I’d be chauffeur driven home, ‘cos I sure as heck wouldn’t be in any state to drive!

What is your strangest habit?

I bite my fingernails, but I’m completing a 12 point program to cure me. However, I don’t consider nail-biting all that strange. Doesn’t everyone do it?

What is one thing scientists should invent?

Long life light bulbs that really are long life. That’s the biggest con of the new millennium IMHO.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I can’t remember. All I ever do is write.
What I’d like to have more time to do is travel. I love driving my poor husband crazy planning trips to exotic places – or even mundane ones. Fortunately he’s very tolerant.

What is your writing routine?

As I work til late at night, I don’t get up till around 8 or 9am. I watch morning tv, catch up on the news or a recorded program from the night before, and then open my computer around 10am. I then procrastinate answering emails. However, if I’m really into a story I can’t wait to get back to it. When it’s flowing, I can write about 1500 words an hour. I don’t set specific targets for a day. Mostly I write late at night because the house is quiet and no-one’s going to come in demanding what’s for dinner, where their jeans are, where they left their uni books, keys, wallet, brain…

If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?

Peace and quiet. That’s my standard answer when the kids ask me what I want for my birthday or Mother’s Day. So far, I haven’t achieved it. Or were you wanting me to answer something more altruistic (and equally unachievable)—like World Peace?

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The revisions. Writing is fun, creating characters and settings is so… creative. Having to actually get organized, be disciplined, is anathema to my Sagittarian nature.

What inspired you to write your first published book?

I’d been skiing in Colorado a few times and just loved the small town we stayed in. I thought: I should set a book here. Now, what will it be about?

How long have you been writing?

About 20 years. I started writing when my doctor told me to put my feet up for six weeks after I broke my foot. I was about 25 months pregnant at the time (seriously, have you ever had a baby? It takes forever). So I started working on an action/adventure story that had been playing around in my mind for years. Six weeks later, I’d completed a 100,000 word manuscript, had a new baby and a thirst to write more.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

An architect. Unfortunately I’m completely stupid when it comes to Maths and Physics, so that put the kybosh on that.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I’m not sure, what did other people say? I want to be more interesting than them.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’m not even sure I considered myself a writer when I got The Call. It became real around the time I saw my book listed on Amazon.

What's your favorite dessert?

Pavlova. It’s an Aussie invention and a hotly fought-over dessert item. Some to create the perfect pav. Others to demolish it as quickly as possible. It’s one of those win/win desserts in my opinion. This miraculous concoction only has 3 or 4 ingredients (plus whipped cream and fruit of your choice.) However, I’d advise adding a dessertspoon of white vinegar to the mix.

My other favorite is Sticky Date Pudding. Yummy with lots of caramel sauce and ice cream!

If you were stranded on an island for a month and could bring three things along what would they be?

My bed. A solar powered laptop with separate mouse and keyboard. And I’m tossing up between my husband and my Lab. My heart says my Lab. My head says my husband. Dogs can’t climb trees to fetch coconuts…

Why did you target the American Romance Line?

I love reading and writing heart-warming stories about real people who conquer their fears and conflicts through love. Plus, that’s where Paula Eykelhof told me I fit.

Do you have any talents readers might find interesting?

I can ski and scuba dive. I don’t have any talents of an intellectual nature, like play music by ear or anything. Sorry about that.

What were you doing at midnight last night?

Writing. What else?

Are you a cat or dog person?

I have 3 cats and a dog, so I’d offend the other animals if I chose. I love the independence of cats. If they want to be your friend, they will be. If they’re having a bad day and feel like taking it out on you, they will. Dogs love you unconditionally.

Describe your ideal dream date.

One that didn’t include my children.

If someone gave you a million dollars what would you do with the money?

Give each of my kids 200K so they’d move into their own places. Seriously! I love them to bits, but it’s time for them to leave the nest. I’d give 100K to an animal charity. 100K to research childhood illnesses and diseases. Like I said, I’m not good at Maths. Does that leave anything for me? If so, then I’d invest it in something that paid high interest (naturally with no risk) so I could use the money for other Good Deeds such as sponsoring some more children in Africa, and traveling.

BTW, I just realized that if someone gave me the money, I’d have to pay tax on it and then there wouldn’t be enough to get rid of…I mean, buy my kids places of their own. However, if I won it in a lottery, that would be heaps better, because in Australia, lottery wins aren’t taxed. So can we rephrase the question?

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Thanks for stopping by! For a chance to win a copy of Colorado Christmas, please leave a comment. I'll post the winner's name at the end of the day.

C.C.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Back to school!!!

As usual, I am running behind on posting my blog – but as a reward for your patience, I’ll pick a winner from the comments and send you an autographed set of The Citizens Police Academy series. The third book, ONCE A COP, is out this month!

This month I have an excuse for running behind – it’s that whole struggle of getting back into the routine of school mornings. YAY – the kids are back in school! Of course that somehow translates into homework for me – all those papers parents are supposed to thoroughly read and sign. My children know me so well that they just show me the line for my signature.

Yesterday was their first day back. Unlike the moms I envy who have those mimosa parties to celebrate the kids’ return to school, I celebrated by writing with no distractions. (Well, other than the cat and dog who were bored with no kids home.) Being able to focus only on my book was wonderful and reminded me how much I LOVE to write. Sometimes, when I’m juggling deadlines with demanding teenagers, I forget that writing is so much more than a job to me.

Sharing my stories with readers was a dream I’ve had since I was much younger than my girls are now. Even now, with my eighteenth book out this month, it’s hard to believe the dream I had for so long finally came true. So last night, as I rushed around the grocery store buying stuff for lunches (don’t ask what they took yesterday) I stopped in the book section and stared in awe at my book – with that gorgeous cover – on the shelves among all those other books.

And I realized that I’ve probably taught my kids a more valuable lesson than anything they’re going to learn in their classes this year. I’ve taught them to never give up on their dreams -- that they do come true!

Happy Reading & Writing!

Lisa

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Something to worry about...

Like Megan I was searching for something to blog about. All I had to do was look out my window. I live in Texas and we’re experiencing the worse drought in years. It hasn’t rained in months. The grass is brown, the ground cracked and trees are dying because of lack of water. Lakes, rivers and ponds are dangerously low. We live on a lake and I took this picture yesterday. Normally we can only see the tip of that old tree. That’s how low our lake is, but the turtles love to sun on it.

I can’t do anything about the weather, so I worry.
My family is in the ranching business and, oh, did I mention we need rain. My nephew couldn’t figure out why the protein blocks, salt and minerals he put out for the cattle weren’t lasting as long as they should. He took this picture and caught the culprits. Animals are hungry and eating anything they can find.
A flock of Canada geese arrive on our lake in the spring and stay through the summer. They leave in the fall, but they always return. Lately a bobcat has taken to making the geese his nightly meal. A neighbor shot at him (we’re out of the city limits) as he was dragging a tame goose away (they can’t fly). He missed and there’s just one tame goose left. Now the bobcat has started in on the Canada geese. They can fly so they’re not easy prey, unless he catches them sleeping, as he must have done with this goose. Her wing is broken and now she can’t fly. When the geese leave, she’ll be stuck here (I call it a she. I have no clue what it is and my husband can’t get close enough to even think of checking.). We keep a close eye on her, but at night she’s at the mercy of whatever is out there. Yes, I worry about the goose and make sure she has plenty of food. I check every morning to see if she’s still there. I’ll be very upset when she isn’t.



This past weekend my husband went out to west Texas with some of his friends to a hunting lease. He took this picture the next morning. They were sleeping twelve feet away. Who knew a rattlesnake could climb a wire fence. He’s hungry, too. But this one I won’t worry about.





I have to admit I’m a natural born worrier. I just can’t help it. How about you?

Linda
http://www.lindawarren.net/
Madison’s Children - Oct 2009 SuperRomance
P.S. – Does anyone know how to tell a male Canada goose from a female? (Beside the obvious)