And They're Off! by Megan

The first Saturday of May is a day my family anticipates. Eagerly. For those of you not already with me, it's the Running of the Roses, the first jewel in the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby.
I grew up going to horse races. After moving to the St. Louis area, my parents attended their first horse race and became fans. They didn't have family here to babysit us, so we got to attend. (Back in those days, grade school kids rarely had homework.) My older siblings sometimes stayed home with us younger ones, but a lot of time, it was off to the races!
I loved rooting for the horse my parents bet on, watching all the horses run, and the rush to ticket window to make a last minute bet or collect our winnings. We always went down once during the night to watch the horses get saddled. It was thrilling to see a horse change into a racehorse.
My mom changed jobs and became friends with a woman whose boyfriend owned and trained racehorses, and going became even more fun. We didn't have insider information, but we had someone to root for. We heard stories about some of the race people, and we had an insight into the workings behind the scenes, which always makes an event more interesting.
One time when the boyfriend's horse won, my parents and sister were photographed with him and the horse in the winner's circle. I always joke that I was there but they wouldn't let me in the picture, but honestly, I don't know where I was. I cherish that picture for the memories of those years.
Today, I'll be watching the race on the TV. It's on against my beloved Cardinals baseball, so I might be doing some switching of channels, but when they load the horses into the gate, I'll be riveted. Okay, I admit, I have no idea who's running, but by race time, I'll have my favorite--based on color, body size and muscles, and how spirited it appears. Sometimes I have a sentimental favorite based on the story behind the horse (the owner's or jockey's life or the struggles with health the horse has been through or whatever), but I'll also know who I think will win.
If you want real guidance, call my mom. She knows the names of the horses running, their track records so far, the reputation of their stable and owners, etc. LOL She's been watching the horse racing channel and reading the sports page. Thursday before my booksigning, she told me who the winner should be. You can bet I'll call her right after the race.
For all those happy memories and others, I want to take this opportunity to say Happy Mother's Day to my mom. I extend that wish to all the moms reading this as well.
What particular event did your family take part in that shaped you? Share with us as we all put on our pretty Spring hats and get ready to sing "My Old Kentucky Home."

Megan Kelly
The Marriage Solution, May 2011
www.megankellybooks.com

APRIL WINNER!!

CONGRATULATIONS Juliet Burns! You’re the April winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Marin Thomas, Megan Kelly and Leigh Duncan through their Web sites.

To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Simple and painless. And FREE BOOKS.

So check back often and be sure to leave a comment. Good luck!

The birds and the bees

Several times a week, I receive emails encouraging me, as an
author, to use the Internet to stir up some buzz for my books. I do have a
website – www.jacquelinediamond.com -- but publicists, fellow authors and even
Harlequin encourage me to expand to Facebook and other social media sites.

To get that buzz, I should also use Twitter, they tell me.
Maybe if, like some celebrities, I frequently got arrested or chased by
paparazzi, I’d have interesting, short stuff to tweet, laced with expressions
like OMG and lots of !!! exclamation points. But I prefer to pour my creative
energy into my characters.

Also, buzz and twitter mean something else to me this time
of year as I plant my vegetable garden. I’m also putting in Easter lilies and
miniature roses received as gifts.

While I’m outdoors, digging away in the soil, I listen to
the buzz of bees, the twittering of birds and the rather intimidating Foom! of
rapid wing beats that I feared at first indicated an invasion of giant beetles.
Then one day I followed the sound to the tiny hovering figure of a hummingbird.

Ever since I discovered that these jewel-like creatures nest
in my flowering bushes, I’ve become fiercely protective. A gardener recently
proposed some heavy pruning and I practically threw my body in front of the
bushes, crying, Save the hummers!

I love writng my Safe Harbor Medical miniseries about the
human version of the birds and the bees -- a fertility program and the romantic
entanglements of the staff. But as for twitter and buzz, let’s face it: I’m
most at home with the garden variety.

Simple Things That Make Me Smile

In a world where we're often busy, stressed and tired, it's good to remember to take a step back and think about simple things that make us smile. So here's a list to get us started. You all add to it, and I bet we're all smiling a lot today.

1. The bunnies that live in our neighborhood. I've seen them in our yard and our next door neighbor's. I love bunnies, and so they never fail to make me smile.

2. The squirrels that chase each other across our roof and through the trees and yard. They're so cute.

3. The fact that Dairy Queen's mini Blizzards are on sale for a $1.99 this month. :)

4. LOLCats at ICanHazCheeseburger


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

5. My favorite YouTube videos, including this new favorite that I can't seem to stop watching.

Happy Easter...

...to all of our wonderful American Romance readers!

However you spend the day, whether you’re at home or away, whether you’re with family and friends or on your own, I hope you have a happy and peace-filled day.

Easter and springtime are all about new beginnings, so I want to share this delightful vignette with you.

I captured this scene from the White Rock Bald Eagle Nest web cam, where two eaglets were welcomed into the world this week—the first on Wednesday and the second on Good Friday.

Those who know me well know I’m a bit of a nature nerd, and White Rock is now one of five bald eagle web cams conveniently iconed on my desktop.

Yes, I’m hooked. But can you blame me?

For me, family dinners are all-important, and this is one beautiful family dinner.

While I’m on the subject of feeding families, I thought I’d share my absolute favorite and super-easy recipe for make-ahead, oven-baked French toast.

And it's seriously easy!

You make it the night before, put it in the fridge, then pre-heat the oven the next morning, pop it in...and half an hour later brunch is served!

Lee’s Oven-Baked French Toast

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
8 one-inch-thick slices French bread
4 eggs
1/2 cup light cream (10%)
1/2 cup milk
1/ 4 cup orange juice


Spread the melted butter in a 9" by 13" baking pan. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle half the mixture in the pan. Arrange the bread slices in the pan. You might have to squish them a bit, but make sure they don’t overlap.


Beat the eggs, then add the cream, milk and orange juice. Slowly and carefully pour this mixture over the bread, being sure the bread is evenly coated.


Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.


The next morning, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, remove the plastic wrap from the pan, and bake the French toast for about 25 minutes. Delicious when served with maple syrup and fruit compote.

By the time you read this, it will be too late to make this for Easter brunch, but it’s also great for Mother’s Day brunch or any other day brunch you can think of.

I hope you enjoy it!

Until next time,
Lee
The Christmas Secret (Nov. '11)
http://www.leemckenzie.com/

Yoga and Me

The title is a bit misleading.  Why?  Yoga and I aren't getting along as well as I'd imagined we might.  Actually, I like yoga.  Unfortunately, my body doesn't. 

It's obvious I should have tried this ten years ago.  Or maybe fifteen years ago.  Or maybe when I was fifteen.  Sometime back in the day when I could do a backbend from standing might have worked well.  I haven't tried that for a while.  In fact, the last time I did, I walked funny for several days.  Now I walk funny once a week after yoga class, once I'm able to get up from the yoga mat, that is.

You're probably asking why I even wanted to take a yoga class.  The truth is that I was hoping it would help give me more flexibility.  After all, I spend much of my time sitting in front of a computer and need a little exercise.  (I have not jumped on the treadmill that my youngest daughter and I finally put together a couple of weeks ago...after buying it two years ago.)  'Start out slow and easy' was my mantra.  I've discovered that I'm having to work my way up to slow and easy.

The 10-week class is a little more than half over, and I'm asking myself just how important being able to bend at will is.  Maybe meditation would be a better idea? 

Books and Babies

Before you read my post below, feel free to let your gaze linger on the man to the right.

This is Sam. Hot, isn’t he? ;)

I won’t go into details, but trust me, he has just experienced a life-changing event and is still reeling from it. You couldn’t tell by looking at him, though, could you? Anyway, on to my regularly schedule blog post...

~~~~~

I’m due in two weeks!

No, I don’t have a deadline two weeks from now. As if that’s what you were thinking! ;)

And, no, I’m not expecting a baby.

Or am I?

All right, I may not be the first person in the universe to compare publishing a book to having a baby. But the truth of the matter is, A RANCHER’S PRIDE, my fourth Harlequin American Romance, will be hitting bookstores shelves soon (and is already available online), and it’s not much of a stretch to say I feel as though I’m welcoming a child into the world.

After all...

~~~Warning! Pun Alert~~~

...I conceived the idea for this story, carried it with me for months, labored over the manuscript, and am eagerly awaiting its delivery. And I know, once it makes its first appearance in the world, I’m going to feel extremely happy and proud.

Baby or not, it seems like—and is to me—a very special event.

I’m sure many authors know the feeling and many mothers do, too.

Speaking of mothers... My next post here at the blog will be past the date to wish you all a Happy Mother’s Day, so let me do that in advance.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

To get us ready for the upcoming holiday, I’d love to hear about your best, most touching, or funniest Mother’s Day memory ever—whether you play the starring role or the honor belongs to another mother you know.

Please share!

All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/

News Series Launches

He's Nothing But Eight Seconds Of Heartache...

The day Hallie Sutton dreaded has finally come. Drew Rawlins has found out the secret she’s been keeping--and he’s spitting mad! But the rodeo is Drew’s whole world and Hallie needs a full-time dad for their boy. Still, how can she deny the injured bronc rider the chance to get to know his son? All Drew wants is to carve out a place in his son’s life. Sorting out his feelings for Hallie isn’t as simple. The emotion simmering between them is just as strong—so’s the red-hot desire that got them into trouble five years ago. Winning the world championship is still number-one on Drew’s list. But he figures he can have it all. The title and the chance to prove he’s the man Hallie and Nick need.


I'm thrilled that the first book in my all-new series Rodeo Rebels, hits store shelves this month! Writing Dexter: Honorable Cowboy (July 2010) exposed me to the rodeo plotline, which I fell in love with. While living in Texas I attended several rodeos--small, local ones and larger ones like the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo—that was an amazing experience. There's something so romantic and sigh-worthy about cowboys who live to tame wild broncs and crazed bulls and the women who live to tame those cowboys. Of course real-life rodeo isn’t always glamorous and doesn’t always end with a win. But hey, we're writing romances so we're allowed to romanticize the rodeo plotline.

The first two books in the series, Rodeo Daddy (April 2011) and The Bull Rider's Secret (July 2011) take place in Texas while the third "untitled" book (Dec 2011) is set in New Mexico and Las Vegas. Following these three books is another group of Rodeo Rebel stories set in Arizona with plots revolving around ladies bull riding—yes there are a few women crazy enough to jump on the back of bulls.

To help kick off my Rodeo Rebels series, I've written a *FREE* online read at www.eharlequin.com called The Bull Rider's Surrender. Join the discussion after each chapter and your name will automatically be entered into a drawing for an autographed copy of Rodeo Daddy when the final chapter has been posted at the end of April.


You'll find a sneak-peek inside Rodeo Daddy at www.marinthomas.com and while you're visiting my website if you need advice on anything try out the new Magic Eight Ball at the bottom of my Home Page.



Happy reading!


www.marinthomas.com

Death and Taxes

Okay, I give, I don’t really want to talk about death, but it is Tax Day here in the USA. Well officially this year it’s April 18, but still. Maybe you can't avoid taxes, but some people do turn it into a game of sorts.

Are you one of those people who love to get back a large refund? Or like my prior boss, do you prefer to pay Uncle Sam each April? His game, and a valid one, was that he saw no sense in letting the government have use of his money all year. He wasn’t going to turn loose of a single red cent until the last minute. While most people I know tend to prefer a large refund. They use it like a savings account and rely on that large chunk of change each year to pay off bills. Me, I like to break even, preferably get $100 or so refund. In theory I agree with my boss, but when it comes down to writing that check, I find it irksome. After paying in all year, I do want Uncle Sam to pay me just that once.

My uncle is a CPA and talks about how some clients present their information in January, organized and ready to be worked. Others wait until the day before the deadline and lug in a grocery sack full of slips of paper and receipts. I believe he mentioned that this later group pays significantly more. Just sayin'...

I had another friend who regardless as to whether he had to pay or not, always trekked to the post office downtown each April 15 to have his return postmarked just before midnight. This was a social gathering. The same folks meet each year, all mailing their returns at the absolute last minute. I remember a newscaster interviewing them. Everyone was shaking hands and laughing. It was like a party.

That got me thinking. With the trend toward filing electronically, it’s the passing of an important era in US history. Kids growing up now will roll their eyes and laugh when we tell stories of trekking to the post office on April 15 to mail paper forms just like I giggled at my grandmother talking about party lines in her small town.

And what will these last minute people do without the annual social encounter with their fellow last minute friends? Maybe they will create a social network like Facebook to stay in touch since they will no longer be meeting up at the downtown post office. Do they now have their return ready to file and press the button at 11:59PM? Ha!

How about you? Do you file early or are you one of the ones we see on the news shaking hands and laughing with their friends at midnight on April 15? Do you like a large return or prefer to keep your money as long as possible and pay at the last minute? Organized spreadsheet or a grocery bag filing system?

I know, this appears to have nothing to do with writing, but it actually does. It's a character study. Ok, that may be a stretch, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I’m an accountant. Humor me.

Cover Art

Cover art.

So much rides on those two little words.

Readers tell us time and time again that they literally do judge a book by its cover.

I know I do. It’s the cover that draws me to pick up a book by an author I might not already know. If the picture or artwork on the front intrigues me, I flip it over and read the summary on the back. And if that “grabs” me, then and only then, will I take a peak inside where I might read the first line, the first paragraph, the first page. (And if I get to the end of the first page, you can bet that book is going into my basket.)

So, as an author, I get pretty anxious about the cover art. I try extra hard to paint detailed word pictures when I fill out the questionnaire for the Art Department. I talk with my editor about what I’d like—and what I wouldn’t like—to see on the cover. And then, I wait. Fingers crossed. Toes curled. Until the day I receive an email that says the cover of my book is ready. That’s when I squeeze my eyes tight, say a little prayer, and click on the attachment.

And squeal for joy!!!!

Because Harlequin’s Art Department is amazing. Because they absolutely nailed the cover of my June release, The Daddy Catch, with a gorgeous setting, the perfect hero and a little boy with a melt-your-heart smile. Because my editor, Laura Barth, suggested there should be fly fishing vests. And because she writes the best, most wonderful blurbs for the back of the book.

I create the story, but it really takes a village to shape my words into a book. I’m so glad that Harlequin is my village.

The Bull Rider's Surrender

Happy Monday!

Since today is an OPEN day on the blog I wanted to pop in and remind our readers that Chapter 6 of The Bull Rider's Surrender has been posted at www.eharlequin.com

I hope you'll stop by my *FREE* weekly read and join the discussion. I want to know your thoughts about how Olivia's father appears determined to keep her from having a relationship with Cullen.

Has anyone ever experienced a family member interferring with their life life? And if they did, what did you do about it?

Happy Reading!
Marin
www.marinthomas.com
Rodeo Daddy *Rodeo Rebels* April 2011
The Bull Rider's Secret *Rodeo Rebels* July 2011

AN UPDATE ON GOOFY THE GOOSE

Spring has certainly arrived in Texas. Everything has turned green in the last two weeks. Trees are budding out, wildflowers are blooming and the temperature is much warmer, which is a relief from the brutal winter we had.

Saturday was beautiful with a nice eighty five degrees. It was so nice my husband decided to put on his bathing suit and wash his dirty, muddy truck. Goofy the goose entertained him all the while squawking with his smoker’s quack. The wild geese haven’t returned to the lake so Goofy is still a nuisance, but a lovable one. It was the kind of day to be outside, but I wasn’t. I have a deadline that keeps me tied to my computer. I was stuck on a scene so I went outside and I had to take these pictures. After a break, I was ready to write again. I find I’d rather write in yucky weather, especially when it’s raining. I like to read when it’s raining too. When it’s pretty, I’m tempted to go outside—too tempted.

How’s the weather in your area? Writing, reading or fun weather? Hope Old Man Winter has gone to sleep.

Linda

http://www.lindawarren.net/

Aug '11 - The Texans Secret

Welcome Spring

Spring? I'm sure y'all are thinking I'm a little late here. Supposedly Spring came to North America several weeks ago. According to the calendar, the vernal equinox was March 20th. According to my nature-watching friend, Spring arrived with the first robin in her yard in early March, while another claims Spring popped up with the first purple crocus.

But for me, Spring officially arrived on March 31st with the first pitch of the Cardinals baseball season. aahhh The smell of the grass, the sun on the field, the thud of the ball hitting leather gloves, and the crack of the bat. Those signal the end of winter to me.

I even played hooky from doing my line edits (shhh) to go to the game yesterday. But don't tell Johanna, okay?

I've been tempted many times to write a baseball book, or two, or several. :) One of our American authors put one out a few years ago, so I know the editors wouldn't automatically turn down the idea.

I'd love to combine two of my favorite things, a love story and baseball. So I'm wondering... Do you readers like books with baseball players as heroes? Would they be interesting or would you see "baseball" and feel reluctant to read it, or maybe even downright uninterested because of the setting?

Thanks for the feedback. Play Ball!!

Megan

Megan Kelly The Marriage Solution, May 2011

www.megankellybooks.com

.

April Recipe - an Easy Favorite

I love a good, tasty, easy recipe I can make in a hurry. I also like a recipe I can make without turning on the oven, but in this case, I'll make an exception. There's nothing to compare with cheese melting and potato chips toasting on top of a bubbly casserole. My friend Kara Lennox (http://www.karalennox.com/) spent the weekend with me in Texas after attending the "Dreamin' in Dallas" conference. Kara wrote numerous books for Harlequin American and moved to California over a year ago. She now writes for Harlequin Superromance. We took a drive to the lake with another writer friend, Rebecca Russell, and then it was time to come home and fix some dinner. Sunday night I made Paula Deen's Hot Chicken Salad, a delicious casserole type dish that is a snap to mix together and bakes in only 20 minutes. I usually have all the ingredients I need in my refrigerator and on my shelves. I'd like to give you my version of the dish, since I modified it for (1) a single can of chuck white chicken, and (2) eating for two and maybe a little left over.

Victoria Chancellor's Version of

Paula Deen's Hot Chicken Salad

1 - 10 oz. can of chuck white chicken, drained
3/4 c. diced celery
1/2 c. sliced or slivered almonds
2 T minced onion or 2 t dried minced onion
3/4 c. reduced fat mayonnaise
2 t. lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 c. (more or less) crushed potato chips (I use Baked Ruffles.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the first seven ingredients. Spoon into a 2 quart (approximately) casserole OR into three small individual casserole dishes. Sprinkle cheese, then potato chips, on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese melts and potato chips are toasty. The hot chicken salad will remain a little crunchy from the celery and almonds. Note: You can also make this with panko bread crumbs rather than potato chips if you prefer.

Enjoy!

MARCH WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Shawntelle Madison! You’re the March winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Pam Stone and Barbara White Daille through their Web sites. To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Simple and painless. And FREE BOOKS. So check back often and be sure to leave a comment. Good luck!

Help! Something ate my computer

Why is it that writers are so rarely tech-savvy? With a few exceptions, writers of my acquaintance muddle along trying to figure out why their toolbars keep disappearing and how to design a simple email flyer that doesn’t resemble a child’s attempt. Actually, most children these days do a better job.

So please forgive me for forgetting to post my blog last month. I have a good excuse: my computer died.

I loved that computer. It was old (1999, I think). It was outdated (anyone ever heard of Windows ME, which stands for Millennium?). Microsoft, Flash and Adobe refused to support it any more.

I couldn’t shop on Amazon, because my computer froze. My project of reissuing out-of-print books, including my half-dozen Regency romances, on Kindle depended entirely on the good graces of my not-quite-as-decrepit laptop.

Yet I worked happily along on Word 2000 and Windows ME, writing my Safe Harbor Medical miniseries for Harlequin American. Coming next: Falling for the Nanny in June 2011, followed by The Surgeon’s Surprise Twins in October.

And then, splat. The thing refused to boot up. A sector on the techno-blah-blah had failed. A virus? Old age? Or possibly a household curse – my husband’s laptop went kablooey a few days later, although for different reasons (overheating). The only saving graces were 1) I back up my data, so I didn’t lose anything important and 2) my laptop still functioned.

Anyway, there we stood in Fry’s Electronics, with a scary assortment of screens blinking at us. Thank goodness my husband wasn’t intimidated, because I felt like Audrey Hepburn in Wait Until Dark. I can report that we bought a computer and a monitor and brought them home. I immediately went back to work on my laptop and left them to blink at me from across my office.

That was a month ago. Since then, we’ve gradually configured the new computer. I have no idea what Word 2010 is all about, because the geeks moved everything around. My husband managed to copy my programs from the laptop onto the new computer using something called Parallels, so now I have Word 2000 installed. The only problem is that it copied over the files for Word Starter 2010 (don’t ask what that is), which has disappeared. And my pictures migrated to an entirely different program, as did my email. For all I know, they're wandering around the neighborhood, frightening the pigeons.

I’m still working on my laptop. I swear, I’ll move to the new computer before my next post, a month from now.

But don't count on it.

When The Shopping Gene is MIA

I have a confession to make. One that might get me thrown out of the girl camp once and for all...

I don't like to shop. At all.

I suspect there are several reasons for this, but regardless of which thing threw me over the edge, I don't see returning anytime soon.

That said, my 16-year-old loves to shop. Loves. It. So, that's why, when I found myself needing something special for an event coming up next week, I decided to take her. She's got a great sense of style and she likes being there--two plusses in my book.

So, Friday night we went shopping. We looked in all the major chains as well as all the smaller mall shops, too. She found two cute tops and a pair of ankle boots at Forever 21, and I bought some eye stuff I needed at the Clinique counter. But a dress or pantsuit for my event? Nope.

I looked, I truly did. I even tried some stuff on. But, in the end, I walked out with nothing. Nada. Anyone else have this same affliction? Any known cures?

~Laura

For the Love of Storms

For some reason, I'm a day off this week. Thus, I didn't remember that today was my blog day until just now. But what's going on outside at the moment gave me the perfect topic -- storms.

As long as people are not injured and property not destroyed, I love thunderstorms. I like the rumble of the thunder, the sound of the rain on the roof, and witnessing the awesome power of nature. Man has been able to harness a lot of things, but weather will always be a force beyond us. We might harness wind and water, but there's no stopping a thunderstorm as it barrels its way through.

When I was growing up, we lived in a house that had a tin roof. That made the rain a lot louder, sometimes so loud it was difficult to talk and be heard. I used to love sitting on the front porch and listening to the rain on that roof and smelling the fresh air that accompanied a storm. Still, one of my favorite smells is a forest after a rain.

I have another confession -- though I know they are dangerous, I am fascinated by tornadoes. Now, if I were ever to see a funnel cloud in person, I might quickly lose that fascination. I've on occasion made the interior bathroom ready for diving in should a tornado drop down on my house, and still I'm fascinated. Again, it's that awesome power of nature thing. I'm intrigued by the people who are storm chasers, the ones who willingly put themselves in harm's way. Same goes for the people who fly the hurricane hunter planes. I'm not made of that stern of stuff, but it's so interesting to me that some people are. If I let myself, I could spend a lot of time watching those weather chaser shows on The Weather Channel.

What about you? Do you enjoy storms? Ever been in a tornado? Fascinated by weather chasers?

It's an...egg?

It must be spring! The Hornby Island bald eagles are back with some happy news. Mom laid an egg the night before last, the happy parents are now taking turns incubating the egg, and web cam watchers all over the world are eagerly awaiting the hatch, and keeping fingers crossed for a second egg.

When you visit the web cam site, be sure scroll down and check the Egg Timer for the approximate hatch time.

The Hornby Eagles also have a Facebook page where you'll find photos and updates.

Happy eagle watching!

Until next time,
Lee
http://www.leemckenzie.com/

It Must Be Spring

Today marks the first day of Spring Break for the schools here.  For us, that means a practice run of what summer will be like.  Five grandkids ranging in age from nineteen months to eight years will be taking up all-day residence in my small house for six days.  I'm praying it doesn't rain.  Let me rephrase that.  I'm praying it doesn't snow.  (I need to cover all possibilites.)

In Kansas, any kind of weather is a possiblity. We can go from balmy seventy degrees one week, to snow and ice the next, and then back to thunderstorms and hail.  And once the first tornado watch is announced, we know it's time to keep an eye to the sky, along with an ear for the warning sirens.

Every Monday at noon, except when the weather is cloudy and might appear threatening to some, the tornado sirens are tested.  We know it. We're quite accustomed to it.  But when the sirens go off in the middle of the afternoon on a Thursday (last week), it's time to check outside.  That's what I did, only to discover a beautiful blue sky with nary a cloud.  The TV was running the warning message, but when I checked the radar online, the entire center of the country was cloudless.  I posted on Facebook, of course.  What else?  Someone answered that it was some special weather day and the sirens were a test.  Obviously this was my punishment for not watching or listening to local news.

From east to west and north to south, we've all dealt with some really bad weather this winter, so let's all hope Mother Nature sends us a kinder and gentler spring and summer.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here I am with my usual shout-out for this great day of the year.

I’m a good part Irish, so I got a big kick out of writing about a crazy Irish family in my most recent Harlequin American Romance (FAMILY MATTERS, October 2010).

And today, I’m honoring tradition by eating corned beef and cabbage and soda bread. I also made a point of following “the wearin’ of the green”—from clothing to jewelry, including a favorite shamrock pin that once belonged to my grandmother.

Traditions help make any holiday even more special, I think. Don't you?

And whether you’re Irish or honorary Irish, you’re allowed to celebrate today. (smile)

Have you got any traditions of your own?

In any case, once again, let me wish you a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Wedding Folklore

Before we talk weddings, I want to invite all the followers of our American Romance Blog to join me and other E-Harlequin readers for my *Free* weekly online read, The Bull Rider's Surrender. One chapter a week will be posted at E-Harlequin beginning Monday March 7th. I'll be giving away copies of my books so please join the discussions following each chapter. Hope to see you there! Now,on to weddings...

My niece recently became engaged and March of next year she'll be walking down the aisle. Watching her go through the process of shopping for a wedding gown, picking her bridesmaids and planning the details of her wedding brings back fond memories of my wedding planning days. For those who are superstitious I thought it would be fun to share a little folklore about weddings. Some of these I'd never heard of before I married and after reading them I believe it was a good thing! I was married on a Friday in the month of May and did not have a sixpence in my shoe. And I know for a fact I fell asleep first on our wedding day because hubby is a night-owl and I come from a long line of farmers…early to be—early to rise.

WEDDING DAY
Certain days of the week, and certain months of the year are better than others for a wedding.
Monday for health,
Tuesday for wealth,
Wednesday best of all,
Thursday for losses,
Friday for crosses,
Saturday for no luck at all

Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind & true,
When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate.
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know.
Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden & for Man.
Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day.
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go.
Those who in July do wed, must labour for their daily bred.
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see
Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine.
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.


FOR A LUCKY BRIDE


Something old,
Something new,
Something borrowed,
Something blue,
And a lucky sixpence
In her shoe.

Married in White, you have chosen right
Married in Grey, you will go far away,
Married in Black, you will wish yourself back,
Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead,
Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in Blue, you will always be true,
Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl,
Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow,
Married in Brown, you will live in the town,
Married in Pink, you spirit will sink.

OTHER BELIEFS
If the groom drops the wedding band during the ceremony, the marriage is doomed.
The new bride must enter her home by the main door, and must not trip or fall - hence the custom of carrying the bride over the threshold.
The spouse who goes to sleep first on the wedding day will be the first to die.

Weddinng Cake


If a single woman sleeps with a piece of wedding cake under her pillow, she will dream of her future husband.

Anyone care to share a superstition they followed on their wedding day?

Marin Thomas
The Bull Rider's Surrender March E-HQ Weekly Read
Roughneck Cowboy Feb 2011
Rodeo daddy April 2011
The Bull Rider's Secret July 2011

One Of Those Times

I'm going to follow right along with Laura's post. Boy can I relate.

I don’t know about everyone else, but my life goes along pretty calm for awhile, then when one thing happens, ten more follow. This is one of those times. I started a new position first of the year with a new group where we’re all trying to figure out how to do business. Long hours is an understatement.

Both my 84 year old mom and my 80 year old mother-in-law have had some health issues recently and in addition I’ve had a minor health concern crop up myself. Health problems are worrisome enough under any circumstances, but my husband and I have planned to take both moms on an Alaskan cruise this summer, so we’re a little concerned about the sizeable investment we’ve made. But, my mother-in-law told her doctor last week that whatever treatment he has planned that he should know that she's going to Alaska this summer.

My son and daughter-in-law are trying to buy a new house, which has also put a little stress on me, who seems to have become their personal financial advisor. You see, they need to buy the new one and move out of the old one before they can get it ready and on the market. This involves juggling finances, ,and changing the boys schools before the school year is out.

My almost twelve year old pomeranean has bad teeth, but the last time we had them cleaned they pulled half of them and now the others are going bad. Long story short, I’m spoon feeding him. This, my young granddaughter finds highly amusing. “Grammy, this is not how you’re supposed to feed dogs,” she says as she scoops another tiny bite of soft dog food for him to lick out of his spoon.

The fun news is that even with everything going on in my ‘other’ life, my book, Second Chance Dad, hit the shelves this month. That’s kicked off a speaking engagement, numerous blogs, two book signings, and a mini-conference. As fun as all that is though, it has consumed every last minute of spare time.

Oh, and don't forget daylight savings time that stole one of the few hours I have to sleep. Talk about bad timing.

But as I stress over all the things in my life, I am so thankfull. Watching the news and reading the stories about Japan, I send up a prayer for those poor people and count my blessings every one.

The Perfect Deadline Storm

On any given day, this is the scene I face while attempting to write!!

Oh my!! The holiday season has had nothing on my crazy winter, only instead of being consumed with baking cookies and shopping, I've had blizzards and bronchitus and kid drama and a concussion and kid drama and more bronchitus and you guessed it--kid drama!! Argh!! LOL!!

In the midst of all of this, I've been chipping away at the fourth book of my Buckhorn Ranch series and Natalie and Wyatt's story is due today!! Double Argh!! The more books I write, the more I've come to realize that for me, anyway, my creativity is linked to so much more than I'd like it to be. I've read many articles written by those elusive New York Times Bestselling Author creatures and most all of them say their writing life is kept quite seperate from their personal life. That's great in theory, but how does one make such a thing work?

Casa Altom is modern and open--meaning the only doors are on bedrooms and baths. There's no such thing as finding a nice, quiet place to call my own. But I thought all of your kids left for college, you ask? Why yes, they supposedly did. But they discovered dorm food isn't all they'd dreamt it would be, so they're in and out at random times to feed. Then, they plop down on the sofa and turn on a show I undoubtedly would love to watch. Or, they wax on about whatever love or school issues they have going on.

If the kids are gone, Hubby strolls in. He might have his guitar. Or a fun work story. Or commentary about the weather, or how much we need to go to the gym, or what sounds good for dinner.

Lord knows, I adore my family!! They are my world. But I also have this writing world going on that seriously interferes with their need to access Mom.

What's the moral of all of this? Nothing, really, other than the realization that unless I move to a deserted island, I may not ever be able to seperate my personal and professional lives. But then again, would I really want to?

Japan's tragedy has reminded me how blessed I am to even have so many petty issues to whine about. So at the moment, I might not be a NYT besetselling author, but I am a happy, loved author, and for today that's exactly what I need!!

Where Did You Come From?

In Florida, spring is in the air. At our house, we’ve turned the heat off and the air on. Tiny leaves have poked through the soil in my freshly planted garden, and I have my fingers crossed that they’re cucumbers and not weeds. Daylight Savings starts tonight (don’t forget to move your clocks forward). And leaves are forming on the Chinese Ting that grows outside my office window.

So, with all this new life bursting on the scene, is it any wonder that I’ve been asking, “Where did you come from?” No, this isn’t a lecture on the birds and the bees. It’s a question about the heroes and the heroines in the stories we write.

Where do they come from?

For me, every new book starts with the characters. And because I write romance, I usually “see” the hero or the heroine first. I’ll be going about my business—shopping, cleaning, cooking, whatever—and one of them will pop into my head. Sometimes, they wave and keep on going. There’s a woman in an orange grove who’s been doing that lately. But she doesn’t stop, so I wave back and let her go, knowing her story isn’t quite ready to be told yet. When it’s time, she’ll come back and stay a while. She’ll start talking or she’ll do something that catches my attention.

That’s how it was with heroine in The Daddy Catch, my second book for Harlequin American Romance. Before I even started working on the book, I caught a mental glimpse of a feisty fly fisher landing a redfish in the Indian River. At the time, I was knee deep in edits for my first book (The Officer’s Girl, April 2010), so I just gave her a nod and went back to work. She didn’t leave, though. She hung around. She’d pop in at the oddest moments. Each time she did, I got to know her better. I learned that her name was Jessica Cofer, that she was a widow and had a little boy. She owned a fly fishing shop in nearby Merritt Island, and was passionate about preserving a slice of undeveloped riverside for future generations.

All well and good, but what’s a romance without a hero?

Dan Hamilton took his own sweet time making himself known. But one day, as I watched Jessica land another big red, I noticed this tall, dark-haired man in a business suit leaning against a palm tree on the bluff overlooking the river. Right away, I knew my hero had arrived on the scene. Of course, Dan didn’t think he needed a woman in his life. He was a thoracic surgeon, and he pretty much thought he had it all. In fact, he’d just received the sign that he’d “arrived” when a tightly knit cadre asked him to join them in building an exclusive cosmetic surgical center.

Clearly, Dan needed convincing. That’s where my job came in. The result was The Daddy Catch, my second book for Harlequin American Romance, one that I hope you’ll enjoy. The Daddy Catch will be available in June.

Louella Returns!

I've been having a lot of trouble getting on and completing Book #4 of my O'Malley Men series. I wrote the first half of this book in a week while staying at a spa hotel in Boulder, Colorado. I was loving the story, had some ideas on how it would end (I'm a panster). But then life got in the way, ie. I had to leave the spa. :-(
It went onto the back burner while I did edits and rewrites for Book#3, my latest release, Colorado Cowboy. But Luke's story was published in January and now I've run out of excuses for not finishing his firefighter brother, Adam's story. Since it's about a firefighter falling in love with a suspected arsonist, the subject matter was lending itself to another serious tale. Both The Sheriff and the Baby and Colorado Cowboy were rather serious tales and what I really wanted to write was another romantic comedy - to return to the fun days of watching Will the ski bum romancing the town judge in Colorado Christmas.
The inspiration on how I could bring back the romantic comedy elements to my writing was provided by a little English pig called Cinders, who apparently is afraid of mud!
Yes, this little piggie suffers from mysophobia - a fear of dirt. While her siblings revelled in the muck, poor Cinders stood shaking in her trotters. The farmers who owned Cinders just happened to have some miniature plastic bootie pen and pencil holders. They slipped them onto Cinders and now she happily plays in the mud. Apparently she loves them so much, she trots over to the farmer every morning to have them slipped on! (she's named Cinders after Cinderella btw) :-)
I thought at the time this was such a heart-warming story, and then I remembered Louella, the world's naughtiest pig in Colorado Christmas.
I'd had such positive feedback about Louella and she'd provided so many light-hearted moments in my debut novel that I thought: What if Louella made a comeback in Adam's story? What if Louella had a fear of snow and needed rubber booties (fur lined of course!) in order to get around town, and stick her snout into everyone's business?
Since Louella's return to the page, I've been happy as a pig in mud! (okay, sorry, very bad joke)
But seriously, she's helped everyone lighten up and inspired me to write what I hope is shaping up to be my best story yet.
If you'd like to win a copy of my latest novel, Colorado Cowboy about Luke, the oldest O'Malley, who runs the family ranch, tell me what makes you laugh when reading a book, watching tv or whatever. I'll choose the most inspiring.

Meantime, I'm making the most of
summer downunder.
Till next time!
CC

A WEIRD KIND OF STORY

Goose or dog?

This is not a problem many people have. If you do, please let me know.

We live on a lake in central Texas and when we moved here fourteen years ago there were a lot of geese, tame and wild, and ducks. Then they started disappearing. Our neighbor said a bobcat was getting them at night. That was one hungry bobcat. He got all but one tame goose. I think he was old and tough and not vey appetizing.

Luckily, most of the wild geese were able to fly away, except for two that were injured. So now that just leaves three geese on the lake and we’ve noticed they don’t socialize. The wild geese stay to themselves and the tame one is alone.

When my husband works in the yard or on his boat, the tame goose follows him around like a dog. I guess he’s lonely. As soon as my husband goes outside, the goose comes waddling and he has this annoying quack, kind of like a smoker’s quack. The more you talk to him, the louder he gets.

The goose has now figured out that when my husband disappears, he goes into the house. So the goose waddles to the patio and looks through the French doors trying to find him, quacking that annoying quack.

We named him Goofy. And Goofy doesn’t know if he’s a dog or a goose. In the mornings, as soon as we turn on the kitchen light, here comes Goofy, quacking, quacking, wanting someone to come out and play. We’ve even started closing the blinds so Goofy can’t see us. It didn't work. He’s still there quacking.

We’re hoping when spring comes and the wild geese return that Goofy will have company and stay on the water. Poor lonely Goofy.

Does anyone want a goose? He’s real friendly.

I’m thinking of putting Goofy in my next book. Do you think I can make it believable?

Linda
www.lindawarren.net

Her Christmas Hero – AR ‘10
Coming in August The Hardin Boys series.

Anniversary Celebration

This month marks the fourth year since I got THE CALL, the most exciting day of a writer's life. When someone (in this case, Kathleen Scheibling, senior editor at Harlequin American Romance) says they want to publish your first book, it's the realization of all the dreams you've imagined and the payoff for all the hard work you've done. It's validation. And I missed it. Sort of.

Can you imagine? Not that the offer would have been withdrawn, you understand. But to have the editor finally, Finally, FINALLY call with an offer and not answer the phone? Okay, here's what happened.

The date is also my mother-in-law's birthday. It was a Thursday. (Are you understanding how important this day became, that I know the day of the week?) So I had to clean house, cook a meal, bake and decorate a cake, etc. You know the drill. My kids were at school, husband at work, and I was...writing. You can imagine how glad I am now that I wasn't sleeping, shopping, or reading. That I was writing makes a better story. Phew.

I was in my office in the basement of the house. Outside my office door, a load of clothes was washing and another drying. I was also printing pages. Lots of noise. I never heard the phone ring.

I had an eye on the clock, and when it became the last minute (since I'm a deadline girl, lol), I saved my work in progress, closed the computer down, went upstairs, and did some cleaning. At some point in tidying the house, I had to take something to the room where the answering machine was and I noticed it blinking. I distinctly remember thinking I'd listen to it later; it was probably a sales call. But I do have kids, and although no school nurse had called my cell phone which I had with me while I was writing, it was possible it could be an emergency. So I hit Play.

Kathleen Scheibling had left a message.

Kathleen Scheibling. Senior editor. Who had my manuscript.
This is a weak-at-the-knees moment. Now, I was cautious. I'd received a call from an editor before, Brenda Chin, who bless her heart, directly after introducing herself said, "This isn't the call you're hoping for," enabling me to draw breath and listen. She, of course, meant it wasn't THE CALL.

Therefore, I tried not to get my hopes up this time. It was a little after noon here in the Midwest. I ran and found my copy of notes from the RWA PRO network on what to do when you get THE CALL. I skimmed it, took a deep breath and dialed Canada.

I got Kathleen's voice mail.

Jeez louise. Talk about roller coaster emotions! So I left a message that I was returning her call. Then I called my husband and told him I was waiting for the editor to call back, it probably didn't mean anything, not to get his hopes up, it was no big deal, and I was going back to cleaning and cooking and... (all of this in one breath, I'm sure). And while I'm reassuring him and hearing his excitement for me, the house phone rang. Caller ID read Harlequin Enterpr.

My husband wished me luck. I think I said goodbye before I closed the cell phone. Maybe. Kathleen explained the office was closing for the day due to a huge snowstorm and she almost didn't check messages, but she wasn't sure the office would be open on Friday. That's how intense the storm was.

And I'm thinking: I would have worried myself into anemia by Monday. (Okay, I don't know if it's possible to actually do that. But waiting would have made me a basket case.) Anyway, Kathleen offered for the book, I was so light-headed I had to sit down, and we talked details for a few minutes. We came to terms easily since I'd been studying up on this for a long, long time and knew what to expect from a contract, and that was that. I was a contracted author! Woo hoo!! I called my husband. I called my critique partner. And I went back to cleaning the house. Because as magical as it is to sell a book, the cleaning fairies didn't automatically appear to relieve me of mundane chores so I can write.

But my husband came home with a cake.

Megan Kelly
The Marriage Solution, May 2011
Stand-In Mom, Sept 2011
www.megankellybooks.com

Recipes Delayed

Due to a death in my family, the monthly recipes post will be delayed. Thanks for your understanding.

Victoria

http://www.facebook.com/#!/note.php?note_id=10150090262477411

Prom Season

There are some things really memorable about high school. Friends, sports, teachers…football games. Prom.

Did you go to your high school prom? I went my senior year but not my junior year. I wasn’t asked. Come to think of it, I didn’t get asked to a single homecoming dance either. When I was in high school-you went to those things with a date. No date? No dance. End of story. Nowadays, lots of kids go in groups. No pressure. It’s better that way, I think.

Anyway, yesterday marked a big ‘Mom’ event for me. I took my daughter prom dress shopping. For the last time. This May will mark the fourth year in a row that PROM has been on the calendar at our house. For the first two years, it was all about my son. Prom preparations involved renting a tuxedo and helping him pay for the dinner and the limo his group went around the city in.

Now, it wasn't completely without drama. There were ‘prom try-outs’ (as my husband and I privately called them). This involved him asking various girls over to our house. He’d hang out with them. Watch a movie. Our son was concerned about the amount of time he’d have to spend in the date’s company-between pictures and dinner and prom and after prom and after prom breakfast…it could be twelve hours. He never wanted to take an annoying girl.

But other than that, Prom was a piece of cake for his dad and me. He asked a girl. Took her. Had fun. Came home. End of story.

I should have known it was too easy.

Last year marked year one of Prom with my daughter. And with my daughter came girl drama. First, she had a boyfriend (no prom tryouts there!) but no dress. Then, of course, two weeks before the big dance, she had a dress and shoes and hair appointments...but no boyfriend. Just tears.

After that came Plan B. She was going with a group of girls, which involved numerous discussions about transportation and restaurants. Then the boys came back. She had multiple invitations….finally chose one….and then there were more plans (Plan C) to iron out.

In the end, somehow my husband and I ended up hosting an after prom breakfast. Which meant at 3:00 am, 40 kids arrived at our house. Tired and hungry. And loud.

So, obviously it’s with more than a little trepidation as we prepare for this year’s Prom. Right now? Things seem good. Date? Check. Dress? Check. Someone else volunteering to host middle of the night breakfast? Yes!

All that’s great. What’s not is that Prom is six weeks away. Anything can happen during that time, and I’m sure it will.

Next year we won’t be doing the Prom season two-step. Our daughter will be off to college. Like my son, chances are she’ll have far more fun and interesting things to plan for than a high school dance.

But for now? It’s all about my senior. Because one thing is certain: One day, years from now, she'll be sitting around with friends and remembering Prom preparations. She’ll probably laugh…and wonder why it had all seemed like such a very big deal. Until she has kids of her own.

Anyone want to share a prom story with me? Either yours or one of your kids? I sure hope I’m not the only person to be besieged with prom drama…

Shelley Galloway

FEBRUARY WINNER!!

CONGRATULATIONS Savannah Rose! You’re the February winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Marin Thomas and Jacqueline Diamond through their Web sites.

To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Simple and painless. And FREE BOOKS.

So check back often and be sure to leave a comment. Good luck!

What a Difference a Month Makes

Last month, I looked out my office window and blogged about what I saw -- dark, dreary, cold weather and more snow than we usually have here in the South. What a difference a month makes. Today it's sunny, going to be about 60 degrees, and my daffodils are on the verge of blooming. I don't think there's anything that says spring to me more than bright yellow daffodils. We even just had our first spring-like storms a couple of nights ago -- tons of rain, lightning, thunder and wind. In parts of the city, the tornado sirens were wailing. Okay, so I could do without the tornadoes, but it's just another sign that spring is fast approaching.

This time of year (as opposed to January), I feel good, like anything is possible. My mood is great and I'm concentrating on lots of positive things:

1. My exercise/eating -- I've lost 7 pounds so far in February. That's because I've been tracking my calories and exercising a couple of hours a day. It is a thrill to get on the scale in the mornings and see the number go down. And that positive feeling propels me to keep doing what I'm doing.

2. I've dug out the genealogy records I haven't looked at in a decade and started working on them again. Yes, watching Who Do You Think You Are? partially inspired this, but I'm hoping I can eventually find out where my family came from when they came to America. I know my maternal line's history, but my paternal one is a mystery to me.

3. I'm headed to the Hill Country of Texas soon to do some on-site research for the trilogy I'm currently writing for American. I've been there before, but I wasn't in "writer mode", if you know what I mean. Now I'll be taking tons of photos and picking up every tourist brochure and local newspaper I can find. Plus, OMG, it's going to be in the 80s in Texas. I'll get a taste of not only spring but summer!

4. We had a new driveway and walkway put in over the winter, so now it's time for new landscaping. I can't wait to see what it looks like after Jason the lawn guy gets finished. I need to do before and after photos.

5. Even though both of my grandmothers were good seamstresses, they both died before I was old enough to be much interested in sewing. So I missed the opportunity to learn from them, and consequently I can't do much more than put a button back on my hubby's shirts. So I think I'm going to take a sewing class in April at the local Jo-Ann Fabric. I like to do cosplay at Dragon*Con each year, and it would be awesome to someday be able to make my own costumes, not to mention, you know, regular clothes. :) Maybe even a fabulous dress for the RITA ceremony at RWA National.

6. I used to cross-stitch before I got really serious about writing, and I have a half-finished project I'd like to finish, not to mention several cool patterns I haven't used yet. So after I meet my next deadline at the end of March, I think I'll pull out the cross-stitch stuff and get back into that again.

Does spring rejuvenate you? What new things would you like to try this year? What things haven't you done in a long time that you'd like to start again?

A Different Kind of Launch Day

Usually, when we talk about launches on this website, we're talking about our newest Harlequin American releases. Today, though, let's talk about a different kind of launch.

That’s a NASA photo of the shuttle Discovery sitting on the launch pad at Cape Kennedy. As I’m writing this, it’s lift-off day on Florida’s Space Coast. The shuttle Discovery is set to blast off on its final trip to the International Space Station a little before five pm. And that means tourists and visitors have thronged Brevard County. Titusville, especially, has taken on a carnival-like atmosphere.

There’s not a hotel to be had—for love or money—between New Smyrna and Palm Bay. Campers, tents and motor homes line the shore along the rivers. They crowd the parking lots at the beaches. Restaurants are jam-packed, and souvenir stands have popped up on every street corner.

Any rocket launch is an awe-inspiring sight, and a shuttle launch is extraordinarily spectacular. The thunder of a thousand freight trains fills the air. The ground literally shakes as more than two million pounds of rocket fuel provides nearly seven million pounds of thrust to get the big bird off the ground. Flames spew from the huge engines, creating a fiery trajectory that can be seen from as far away as Orlando.

But if you still have a shuttle launch on your Bucket List, you’ll want to book your travel plans soon. Discovery will be moth-balled when it returns from this flight. Endeavor makes its final trip to the Space Station in April. And after Atlantis lifts off in June, that’s it. Now that our space program is headed in a new direction, who knows when—or if—there’ll ever be another manned flight.

Pictures of Discovery on the launch pad and at lift-off courtesy of the National Air and Space Administration. View these and additional photos at www.nasa.gov


Discovery at Lift-off on 2/24/11

Oscar Night

Where will I be on Sunday evening? In front of the television watching the Academy Awards! Even though I haven't yet seen any of this year's nominees—no, not even The King’s Speech—I love Oscar night! The red carpet, the MCs (I adore Anne Hathaway), the entertainment, the acceptance speeches...I can't wait!

I'm not one of those people who goes all out for Oscar Night, but I'll still be doing some extra-special snacks for the occasion. Here's one of my favorites.

Baked Brie
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
8 ounces brie cheese

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Lightely saute the garlic and tomatoes. Stir in the basil and parsley and continue cooking unitl the parsley is wilted. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook for another minute or so, till evaporated. Put the brie in an ovenproof dish, heap the tomato mixture on top and bake in a 350-degree oven for ten minutes. Serve with crackers or a baguette. Enjoy!

Happy Oscar Night!

Until next time,
Lee
The Wedding Bargain (January 2011)
http://www.leemckenzie.com/

A Very Melancholy Birthday

Today is my 60th birthday, which under any conditions is a mixed blessing. On the bright side, I'm still around, alive and kicking despite my own "best" efforts and a family history of early heart attacks, and I get even more senior discounts for movies and restaurants.

On the other side, I'm 60.

I was going to post lots of photos from my birthday dinner and party last Saturday night, but we had to cancel the momentous occasion. My beloved father-in-law, whom I've mentioned several times as I've written about where I learned about small Texas towns, is dying. He is almost 93 years old and he's tired. His body is worn out and he's ready to be reunited with is wife of more than 60 years who passed away in 2005.

We understand that it is time and he wants to go to sleep and not wake up, but it's never easy to say goodbye. He's the family patriarch. When he spoke, we all listened. He enjoyed life so much, especially after retirement when he and Sudie, as we called my mother-in-law, went dining and dancing. They traveled to every state except Alaska, putting lots of miles on their big Cadillac sedan which was like a rolling living room.

No matter what happens this week, I know that Dad's stories and words of wisdom will be with me always. Thank you for allowing me to share this with you. I want to thank you in advance for your thoughts and prayers as I may not be able to comment in a timely manner. I know you'll understand. Please, tell your loved ones how much they mean to you because even after 60 or 92 years, life seems short and at times, unbearably fragile.

A Sentimental Journey

A strange thing happened to me the other day.  I was hoping to take a short nap while my youngest granddaughter was taking hers, but while I was lying there, I thought of my high school band and vocal music director.  I don't know why his name sneaked into my mind, but instead of napping, I went to the computer and searched his name on Facebook.  I really didn't expect to find anything.  Instead, I discovered he's still in the town in Oklahoma where he settled two schools after he left us back in 1967.  And that town is having a celebration this weekend in honor of him and the community-type band--jazz band--he's put together. To say I was surprised I found him is an understatement.  He was a very special to person to many of us, and from reading the Facebook "Event" comments, we aren't the only ones who think so.

Mr. Rotter came to our high school at the beginning of my freshman year.  It was a small school of less than 200 students, but we had a larger band then than there is now.  And Mr. Rotter made us one of the best in the state.  Part of that had to do with the fact that he wasn't a whole lot older than we were.  As a band director he worked us hard.  He expected the best from us, and we gave it to him.  We won a I rating (the best) at a state-wide marching contest in the fall of his second year, his last at CHS.  He could play a mean saxophone, but he loved the trombone best.  Many of us still remember enjoying his rendition of Little Egypt on the piano...if we were lucky enough to talk him into doing it.

I won't be able to go to the celebration this weekend.  Life sometimes gets in the way of the things we'd really like to do.  But I'll be thinking of him and the students and adults who've been lucky enough to know him.  He's one of a kind.
 

Roughneck heroes

New release--Roughneck Cowboy *Men of the West* (Feb 2011) by Marin Thomas


Blood Is Thicker Than Oil

When his mom passed, roughneck Travis Cartwright thought he’d lost the only family he and his daughter Charlie had. That is until he discovers an estranged father and siblings living just a few hours away. They might be strangers, but they’re blood; and Travis needs to protect Charlie should tragedy strike at his dangerous job.

Dominick Cartwright offers his son more than peace of mind. He gives Travis a new job, a place to live, and a side project--to convince Dominick’s stubborn neighbor, Sara Sanders, to sell her ranch. Travis is confident he can smooth talk the plain-Jane teacher into selling quickly; but there’s more to Sara than meets the eye. Soon Travis loses sight of his mission…and his heart.

As their relationship grows, they uncover painful family secrets, and Dominick’s real motives. Then, the sparks fly!

Why a Roughneck for a contemporary romance hero?
These rough and tumble men have always fascinated me. These guys don't flinch when hot oil splatters their hard-hats or drips down the back of their necks. Their duties on the "rig" consist of pulling cables, chains and thongs around the platform for eight to twelve hours per shift. They work in terrible weather conditions on rigs in the middle of the ocean or rigs in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma. They're risk-takers by nature and genuinely fearless individuals. While researching material for my story I learned some fascinating facts about Oklahoma.



The setting for Roughneck Cowboy is outside Tulsa in the fictional town of Tulapoint, OK. The oil history of this state dates back to 1859 when oil seeps, known to Indians as "Medicine springs" were discovered in Indian Territory. The first unintentional oil find was made near Chelsea, OK in 1889 and it produced one half barrel per day. In 1897 The Nellie Johnstone #1, the first commercial well drilled in OK hit pay dirt in the Bartlesville Dewey Field in Washington County. Tulsa changed from a small frontier town to a boomtown.



The discovery of oil in 1901 at Red Fork, a small community southwest of Tulsa on the opposite side of the Arkansas River brought in wildcatters and investors. In 1901, an official survey was done and streets lay out and neighborhoods were established in Tulsa on the opposite side of the river from the drilling sites. In 1905 the Glenn pool oil field was discovered. The strike created such a large supply of oil Tulsans were forced to build storage tanks for the excess oil and later pipelines. Tulsa soon became a leader in the growing petroleum industry, resulting in many oil companies choosing Tulsa for their home base. In 1906 Oklahoma Natural gas Company was formed. In 1907 Oklahoma and the Indian territories became the State of Oklahoma. Also in 1907 Oklahoma becomes the largest oil producer, with Tulsa claiming the title of "Oil Capitol of the World." Below is a picture of an oil-producing well that sat out front of the Oklahoma City capitol building in 1939.



A second oil boom hit Oklahoma between the years of 1925-1930. The population rose over 72,000 and many of the new residents came from Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York. Wealthy oilmen Waite Phillips, William Kelly and J. Paul Getty built their mansions and modern headquarters in the state. Another community that flourished in Tulsa was greenwood. It was the largest and wealthiest of Oklahoma's African American communities and was known as "Black Wall Street." The neighborhood was a hotbed of jazz, and blues music in the 1920's. The area over 600 businesses and 36 square blocks with a population of 15,000 African Americans. "Black Wall Street" is now also sadly remembered as a "Black" mark in the state's history. On June 1, 1921 one of America's most affluent all-black communities was bombed from the air and burned to the ground by mobs of envious whites. It took fewer than 12 hours to destroy the model community. Over 3,000 African Americans died, over 600 businesses were lost: 21 churches, 21 restaurants, 30 grocery stores, 2 movie theaters, a hospital, a bank, a post office, libraries, schools, law offices, a half dozen private airplanes, and even a bus system.



Like a lot of western states, Oklahoma's history is filled with men and women who've risked their lives performing dangerous jobs in order to provide for their families. You'll find that pioneering spirit in Travis Cartwright, my hero for Roughneck Cowboy.

A Roughneck's Dream--Author Unknown

I was working in the oil fields one cold West Texas day,
And there on the rig floor a dying roughneck lay,
He said, "I am off to the Big Rig, the Big Rig I'm told
Where the crown is purest silver, and the kelly's made of gold
Where a diamond studded cat line hangs from a pearl gin pole,
And the the driller makes all the connections,
and you never come out of the hole.

I run a Wild West Trivia Contest each month in my author newsletter. Sign up for my newsletter at www.marinthomas.com and I'll e-mail you my February Wild West Trivia Question. If you answer the question correctly your name will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a copy of Roughneck Cowboy.

Happy reading!
Marin
www.marinthomas.com

KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS!

Given that I had so much fun writing the two kids in my March release, Second Chance Dad, I thought it might be fun to share a couple stories about raising my two boys. I’m happy to report that they are both now grown and still living thanks to my strong willpower in not killing them.

My youngest son, Justin, was about four when I was trying to teach him and his brother to pick up after themselves. I had held strong for an hour that they could not go out and play until the Legos were picked up. They were not happy.
Justin procrastinated for awhile then strolled into the kitchen where I was cooking and looked up at me with those big blue eyes and said, “You’re getting pretty old.”

I shook my head and said, “No, not really.” I was twenty-eight.

My sweet little blond-headed angel flashed those dimples and continued, “But you’re going to die pretty soon, right?”

In spite of the above story, my youngest son was the sweetest, most loving kid. His older brother on the other hand...When my oldest son, Jeremy, came out of the womb--and I’m not stretching the truth here--they laid that baby on my chest, he arched his five pound, premature little body, looked at me with that steely blue gaze and pretty much said, “I’m not sure who you are, but just so you know, I’m in charge.”

Jeremy was ADD and able to out-logic me by the time he was two. I was on a first name basis with his kindergarten teacher just trying to get him through school. After a particularly bad day, I was trying to talk to him about his unacceptable behavior. He asked how I knew what he’d done. Not wanting him to realize that his teacher was snitching on him, I answered, “A little birdie told me.”

A week later he finally learned to ride a bike. We lived in an extraordinarily kid friendly, small town neighborhood where all the moms watched out for the kids. Jeremy was out front riding his bike with very strict boundaries set that he could only ride as far as one house down each direction. There were kids everywhere as usual, but when I went outside after a few minutes to check on them, his little blue bike was in the middle of the street, but no Jeremy.

The other kids looked around and said he’d just been there. Needless to say, I was frantic. I felt like the worst mother ever. Myself, the other moms and a couple teens that were in the crowd started searching. He was shortly located a couple blocks over where he’d followed a friend he knew from school. He was only missing a few minutes, but all moms surely know the terror that went through my mind. When I got him home, I tried to explain how frantic I was and that he couldn’t just take off like that. Mommy didn’t know where he was and I was afraid.

He looked at me with those penetrating blue eyes and calmly asked, “So why didn’t you just ask that little bird?”

Any other cute kid stories out there?