Cowboy Up!

This is a very exciting day--y'all should head on over to the Harlequin American continuity blog where we're celebrating the First Family of Rodeo, the Codys. http://firstfamilyofrodeo.blogspot.com/ Our terrific American writers are going to talk about the cowboy!

Yep, as much as I'm a small town girl from the Midwest (or maybe because I am), I love the American cowboy. I grew up watching reruns of John Wayne, Gary Cooper and all the other heroes and villians clothed in chaps and riding the range.

Put Jimmy Stewart in a cowboy hat, give him a horse to ride (his favorite "actor" horse was named Pie), and our entire perception of him changes. He's no longer saving the Bailey Building & Loan or talking to Harvey. He's saving the ranch and upholding justice.

So, is it the clothes that make the man? Not at all. Did anyone believe John Travolta was a cowboy, Urban or otherwise, just because he had the boots and hat? Not me. I want my cowboy honorable, dependable, loyal. I want him tough and yet ready to have a good time, preferably loving the heroine.

The cowboy is bone-deep American. Yum.

I'll be back next month after our RWA conference in Orlando, but right now, it's cowboy time! See y'all over there.

Megan Kelly

www.megankellybooks.com

Coming Soon!

One-Day Only Media Blitz Contest!

On July 16th Marin Thomas will be blogging about book two in The Codys: First Family of Rodeo—Dexter: Honorable Cowboy--RT Top Pick for July! Help spread the word by mentioning the book and posting a link to the blog on all your favorite social media sites--Facebook, MySpace, Twitter. The more places you link to and mention Dexter: Honorable Cowboy the more chances you have to win an autographed copy of the book and some "cowboy stuff".

Earn additional chances to win if you refer a friend and they in turn post a link to their favorite social media websites. Be sure to return to http://www.harauthors.blogspot.com/ and tell where you're spreading the word in the comment section of the blog so Marin can keep a tally of your activity.

Marin will post the winners' names in the comment section of the blog on July 17th--be sure to return to see if you're one of the lucky winners!

July Recipes

Happy Independence Day! I hope you have a safe and fun holiday. Last night we watched some beautiful, dramatic and impressive fireworks over Lake Holbrook in Mineola, TX. These were set off from individuals' docks along the lake but rivaled professional displays. Tonight there will be a community fireworks event that we hope to attend, depending on the ongoing showers we've had the last few days.

If you happen to fix too many baked potatoes or corn on the cob on your grill or in your oven, here are some recipes to use up some of the excess. We cooked out last night and invited our new lake neighbors, Mike and Carol, to eat with us. They just fixed up an eyesore of a house into an HGTV or DIY Network worthy renovation. We prepared more food than we could eat, of course, so I'm going to make the baked potato salad in the next day or two. Enjoy!


Baked Potato Salad I
Submitted By: Tom (to AllRecipes.com)
*****
· Prep Time: 25 Minutes
· Cook Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
· Ready In: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
· Yields: 12 servings
"Is this a baked potato salad or a cheese and potato casserole? Try this recipe and decide for yourself."

INGREDIENTS:
· 8 medium potatoes, sliced
· 1/2 pound sliced bacon
· 1 pound processed American cheese, sliced
· 1/2 onion, chopped
· 1 cup mayonnaise
· salt and pepper to taste
· 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Put sliced potatoes into a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
At the same time, place bacon in a large deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly browned. Remove to paper towels to drain.
In a large bowl, stir together the potatoes, cheese, onion, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Crumble bacon over the top, and sprinkle with olives.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, until golden brown.


Corn Pudding II
Submitted By: Heather (to AllRecipes.com)
*****
Yields: 7 servings
"Use a food processor or blender for quick and easy preparation. Originally submitted to ThanksgivingRecipe.com."

INGREDIENTS:
· 1 (10 ounce) package frozen white corn (or equivalent of fresh or roasted corn)
· 6 eggs
· 3 1/2 cups milk
· 1/2 cup butter, melted
· 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1 cup white sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a blender or food processor blend the eggs very well. Add in the flour and sugar and blend well. Add the milk and blend slightly. Finally mix in the corn by hand. Stir in the melted butter and pour the mixture into a large casserole dish.
Bake for about 45 minutes. When the pudding is done the center should be solid and the top should have a nice golden brown color. Let rest for approximately 15 minutes then serve warm.

Monthly Contest Winner

Congratulations to June!

June is the winner of our *June* drawing. To claim your prizes please contact Rebecca Winters and Tanya Michaels through their websites.

We're always giving away books here at the blog. Your name is entered into a drawing each time you post a comment on our blog throughout the month.

In additon to our monthly book giveaway mark your calendars for July 16th when Marin Thomas will blog about the second book in The Codys: First Family of Rodeo. Marin will be giving away autographed copies of Dexter: Honorable Cowboy as well as some fun cowboy "stuff" so be sure to stop by on July 16th for our next One Day Only Media Blitz Contest!

Wedding Bliss

So, how many weddings did you attend in June?

I went to three, but I only got to eat the food at one of them. Guess which:

1) A nurse and a neonatologist, who postponed their wedding plans after a disagreement over whether to have children, walked down the aisle at last. They had joyously resolved their differences after babysitting triplets.

2) Despite a flood and a heat wave, a wedding planner brought off her own ceremony to perfection. Two darling children escorted her to the altar, where her handsome groom – a widower she met on-line – couldn’t wait to make her his bride.

3) A hospital attorney happily exchanged vows with the surrogate mother to his baby daughter. At the reception, his brother and best man, a police officer who relishes bachelorhood, met a woman who just might change his mind.

Which of these romantic scenarios is real – hence the food – and which are scenes from my upcoming books?

The flood might give you a clue, especially if you happen to know that I’m from Nashville. Yep, that’s No. 2. Although some guests had to relocate from the flooded-out Opryland Hotel to another inn and a heat wave drove the reception indoors, my brother, Paul, and his beautiful new wife, Myrna, had a flawless wedding at the Temple in Nashville.

Myrna’s young grandsons walked her down the aisle. And yes, she really is a wedding planner at For All Occasions in the Washington, D.C. area. Judging by her own wedding and reception, I’d hire her in a minute (but my husband of 31 years might balk).

The nurse and the neonatologist made an appearance in the first book of my Safe Harbor Medical miniseries from Harlequin American, The Would-Be Mommy, last February. They finally tie the knot in book number three, December’s The Holiday Triplets.

In between, hospital attorney Tony Franco and his surrogate, Kate Evans, get their own romance in August’s His Hired Baby. Then, next February, at their wedding in Officer Daddy, Tony’s brother Leo strikes sparks with obstetrician Nora Kendall.

There’s nothing like a love story with a happy ending!