How lucky can you get!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all the Irishmen—and the honorary Irishmen—who celebrate the holiday!

Every year when this date rolls around, I'm happy my once-a-month blog post here falls on the 17th because it allows me to share with y'all on St. Patrick's Day.

In past years, I've talked about food, luck, corned beef and cabbage, my Harlequin American Romance featuring an Irish heroine (Kerry Anne MacBride and the rest of her wild and crazy clan in Family Matters), and...well...more food.

Food and writing are pretty much my favorite topics.  J

March 17th allows me to toss in my thoughts about luck, too.

I am lucky...to celebrate a holiday that carries on the traditions of my family.  To share part of this fabulous day with you.  And to have a career I love.

I can't tell you being an author is the most fun job I've ever had, because it involves a lot of work, sweat, and tears. 

The work stems from trying to bring the ideas in my head to life on the page and not lose anything along the way.

 

The sweat comes from waiting to see how my editor reacts to those ideas.  J 

And the tears—oh, the tears! They're the best part of the job. 

Sad tears when I learn what has happened to my characters in the past and when things go wrong in their lives now.  Frustrated tears when the hardheaded hero and heroine can't see beyond their conflict to realize they belong together.  Uncontrollable tears when one or the other of them—or a character who plays an important role in their lives—gets hit with a heartbreaking dose of reality.  And the best tears of all, the ones that flow when the hero and heroine have finally reached their happy-ever-after.

No wonder I say I'm so lucky!

And as if that's not wonderful enough, I must add that I'm married to my all-time favorite hero, which means I'm also lucky in love.  J

How about you?  Irish or honorary Irish, what makes you a lucky person today?

All my best to you,   

Barbara

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Barbara White Daille

Latest release: Honorable Rancher

http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille

https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille

'Tis the season to be jolly...

Let me tell you, I'm living that phrase from the well-loved Christmas carol!

Although life has thrown many different opportunities—and, not to mention, a good number of curves—my way, the one constant since I was a little girl has been the knowledge that I wanted to be a writer.

I started scribbling stories well before I knew my ABCs—and I'll bet you can just imagine the trouble that gave my parents when I asked them to read my efforts.  LOL

After I learned how to use the alphabet to make spelling words, I knew the only thing better than being a writer would be becoming an author so I could share my stories with people outside my elementary school.  That wish came true a few years ago, and with two more books out this year and the recent sale of another Flagman's Folly story, I feel as though Santa came early to my house!  This explains why I'm so happy this holiday season.  J 

Along with the above, I have a lot to be thankful for, including the fact you've taken time out of your extra-busy schedule to stop by and read this post. 

I hope you'll also take a minute, maybe by sitting down with a glass of eggnog or a cup of tea and a cookie or two, to stop and think about what made your year wonderful.  And please share that with us!

To you and yours, I wish happy holidays and a happy, healthy, safe, and prosperous year ahead.

All my best, always,

Barbara

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Barbara White Daille

http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille
https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille

The latest Flagman's Folly books:

The Rodeo Man's Daughter

Honorable Rancher

Holiday Cheer...or Not

This begins the season of holiday parties, and you know all the good things they include.  I'll steer away from the dangerous topics of casseroles and desserts and chocolate—although really, those are some of my favorite subjects for discussion at any time of the year!

Instead, let's talk about gifts. 

Not the kind you love to give.  The kind you love to give away.  You know, in those grab bags and games you play where everyone receives a gift from an anonymous giver.

One year I participated in a "Silly Santa" grab bag and received a pair of fuzzy animal slippers.  Envision this:  they were purple, with red eyes and long black claws, and—I'm not kidding—from front to back, they were two feet long.

Let's just say I found them...

Umm...

Spectacular! 

The slippers received a lot of attention at that particular Christmas party.  And you'd better believe they went right into the very next grab bag I could find.  (grin)  The winner absolutely loved them and wore them the rest of the night. 

Obviously, one person's "umm...spectacular" is another person's favorite gift.

To be fair, these games—and gifts—aren't all bad.  I'll admit I've been lucky, too.  At another party, I received a pair of holiday earrings that I still wear during the Christmas season every year.

Got any grab-bag stories, either for the best or worst gift ever?

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who will celebrate it later this week!

All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille

http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille
https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille

August 2012

Too tired to think of a title...

Oops.  I was offline for a few days and set my blog to automatically post on my date.  But I guess I hit the wrong button.  I must be more tired than I thought!  LOL  

Anyway, here's the post....

Lately, when it comes to rest and relaxation, I've had none.

Insomnia has hit.

Not a gentle tap nudging me away from the threshold of dreamland, but a fifty-pound anvil dropped from a great height and making sure I don't spend more than three straight hours in bed between nine p.m. and six a.m.  And usually, not more than two hours.

As a result, I'm snatching pockets of time during the day whenever possible to squeeze in a nap, but let me tell you, the pockets aren't very deep and neither is my sleep.

This deprivation has been going on for so long, my days and nights are getting mixed up.  Just like a baby.  And I'm EXHAUSTED!  Wah!

The list of remedies so far has included:  warm milk, warm baths, chamomile tea, crackers (carbs), sweets (sugar), and cheese (protein).  So far, my weight's gone up but my snooze time has not. 

Now, normally, this isn't something I'd complain about in public...  But it can't hurt to tell you, can it?  Maybe you've got the perfect cure to help me get some zzz's?

If so, pleazzzzzzzze share!

All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

August 2012

Barbara White Daille

http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille
https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille

HONORABLE MEN

I love it when my blog date falls on Father's Day because it gives me an opportunity to honor my dad as well as yours.

Happy Father's Day to all the important men in your life!

Today, I'd like to talk about two men in my life. One's real. The other's fictional, but so real to me I feel as though he's stepped off the page and stolen my heart.

First, my dad.

Along with the wonderful traits of being a good husband and father and family provider, he had a few quirks. One of them was being the eternal fixer-upper.

From a couple of pieces of plywood and a few two-by-fours, he could make a set of bookshelves that doubled as a room divider. From a snarl of old twine, he could crochet a sack to keep his extra cash safe when he went off on a road trip on his motorcycle. He could transform a pile of chicken bones and a handful of herbs into the best soup you've ever tasted.

But my dad could never take a set of directions or a recipe and follow along step-by-step. Oh, no—he had to do things his way.

So does the hero of my August Harlequin American, HONORABLE RANCHER.

Ben Sawyer's way is to offer a hand in friendship, to be there when folks need him, to live up to everyone's expectations. To be the boy next door to the woman he's always loved from afar. The widow of his best friend.

Until...

Until he realizes he can't live his life following along step-by-step.

Until, like my dad, he decides to throw away the directions and do things his way.

This decision changes his life and that of the woman he loves...and just about everyone else's in the small town of Flagman's Folly!

Hmm...

I think it has suddenly hit me why I love and respect and look up to Ben Sawyer.

And why I dedicated HONORABLE RANCHER to my dad.

~~~

On this special day, I hope you'll take a moment to honor the special men in your life—and to leave a comment or share a story about one of them here.

 All my best to you,


Barbara


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Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille
https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille