National Boss's Day

According to Wikipedia…

Patricia Bays Haroski registered "National Boss's Day" with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1958. She was working as a secretary for State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Illinois at the time and chose October 16 because she forgot that the birthday of her boss, who was her father, was actually on the 16th. Four years later in 1962, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner backed Haroski's registration and officially proclaimed the day.

National Boss's Day has become an international celebration in recent years and now is observed in countries such as Australia and South Africa.

Hallmark did not offer a Boss's Day card for sale until 1979. It increased the size of its National Boss Day line by 90 percent in 2007 by creating collections of new and innovative cards.

Fun "Boss" Quotes from http://www.coolnsmart.com/boss_day_quotes/

"If you think your boss is stupid, remember: you wouldn’t have a job if he was any smarter."

"The person who knows HOW will always have a job. The person who knows WHY will always be his boss."

"Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties.
By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day."

"There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else."

I'm raising a glass of cyber champagne to toast our wonderful "Boss's" at Harlequin American Romance--Many thanks for the time, care and commitment you put into making our books the very best they can be. Happy Boss's Day!

Marin

A Cowboy Christmas (Dec 09)

www.marinthomas.com

The Joy and Wonder of Childhood

As long as I can remember we’ve made an annual jaunt to Galveston Island. My parents took me every summer when I was a child, and we took our boys, and now our grandkids. It’s a family tradition. After this hectic summer, moving, selling two houses along with work and family – I desperately needed my feet in warm sand and salt water. So when we finally sold the second house, my husband and I decided to go see how Galveston was rebuilding after Hurricane Ike struck the Texas coast last year.

There are undoubtedly prettier beaches and fancier resorts, but Galveston Island has character. You can stroll along the Historic Strand with its old shops and horse drawn carriages. You can ride a Duck boat or visit Moody Gardens and the aquarium. We love to ride the ferry across to Bolivar peninsula and back. And no trip is complete without the mandatory souvenir expedition to Murdoch’s, the souvenir shop that extends out over the water.

Today the beach houses on Port Bolivar are almost all damaged or gone entirely. Murdoch’s is rebuilt, but not yet open for souvenir shoppers. But restaurants and hotels are booming and the volcano at The Rainforest Café erupts on schedule. It’s not quite there yet, but Galveston is bouncing back.

When I was a child and we neared the causeway over to the island, I’d be so excited I thought my heart would jump out of my chest. I’d sit on my feet in an effort to be taller so I could see the water a split second sooner. And at the first glimpse of the bay, I got absolutely giggly. My parents always drove the boulevard lined with old mansions to get to the gulf. I can’t explain how long that short drive seemed for a little girl who had her swimsuit on beneath her shorts, or that feeling when we finally turned onto Seawall Boulevard with the gulf rolling in and rows of colorful umbrellas on one side and hotels and restaurants on the other. Even when it was over 100, we’d crank the windows down so we could hear the surf and smell the salty air.

Maybe these days, I don’t experience that innocent joy and wonder of childhood, but there’s still that little thrill.

Does anyone else have special childhood memories to share? Those experiences that you just couldn’t wait for, like Christmas morning?

A Peek into my Doomed Life . . .

Why is it that the more behind you already are, the more things exponentially go wrong? (This pic is of our dog, Daisy. This morning, we look like twins--only I have more dried up spaghetti in my hair!! LOL!!)

I started off the day in great shape. Harvested my Tomatoes on Facebook's highly addictive Farmville game, took a nice, hot shower, and then sat down to call Johanna, my fab editor. The day before, I'd started my AAs(Author Alterations--the last author step in the editing process!!) only to find they'd vanished. Not yet in full panic--even though they're due Friday, I calmly wrote Johanna a message asking her to resend.

This morning, not seeing a note from her, made me look around my computer some more, thinking they might be lost. Sure enough, I found them in an obscure download file I hadn't even known I have. Great, so I'm back on track and don't even have to bother Johanna, right? Ha! I go to open the file, and nothing happens. Strike One.

Son #2 comes running in, demanding to use the computer. Since I'm thinking Johanna must be working out of her office, I dial Toronto, calling for the fab Miz Laura Barth. She knows how to fix anything!

Son #2 is now doing an impatient hop. "This is serious," he says. "I have to do something for school."

Oh--well in that case, I'm thinking, let me stop all action and get the heck out of YOUR chair!! I gave him my patented "If You Don't Leave This Second I'm Taking Your Car Keys" glare.

He scurried off to the scary, dark portions of the house otherwise known as the kids' rooms.

Oh--as for my BFF Laura Barth? I got voice mail. Strike Two.

If you've ever had the chance to call Harlequin's Toronto offices, the receptionists are AMAZING. Unflappable, speaking in ethereal voices that instantly let you know everything's under control. So after pressing zero to wind my way back to one of these angels, I ask for anyone in the office who might know anything about Harlequin American.

She says, "Hmm . . . I could connect you with Johanna Raisanen."

Nope, she's working at home.

"Laura Barth?"

Nope. Straight to voice mail.

"Kathleen Scheibling?"

Yahtzee!! She connects me to Kathleen's line and my new savior picked up on the second ring, knew just what to do and I had my AAs printing within a few minutes. Have I mentioned how awesome the Harlequin crew is??!! They rock!!

Okay, so I'm printing, printing, wondering if I have time to check on my coffee cakes at Yo-Ville--another highly addictive Facebook game when the printer stops. If any of you have ever seen Total Recall, there's a scene where the fans are shut off, leaving the Martian Mutants to a certain death. Well, this is kinda the same feeling I had at this point. Strike Three.

Turned out to be a simple jam. Whew. I'm printing, printing, looking at my friend Michelle's AWESOME U2 pics when the printer stops again--only this time in a happy way. "I'm done," it says. I'm thinking, wow, that was fast. But what did I expect seeing how it had only printed half of the book? Strike Four!

I troubleshoot. I unplug and replug. I stand on my head. I brush all of the cat hair off of the top. Still nothing. As a last resort, I pressed a link for HP's online help site. After sifting through dozens of irrelevant articles, I find the topic I need for when the printer doesn't print. Their suggestion? Turn it on and off, then see if it works. Duh. Feeling like an idiot, yes it did work, and my AAs are happily sitting beside me.

Moral to this insanely long story? I should've eaten chocolate before attempting anything!!! Have a great, strike-free Wednesday!!! Oh--and if you want to waste time with me, join me for cyber-chocolate over on Facebook!!

Embarrassing Moments

Embarrassing moments - I'm sure that most of you have been there and done that. Your face gets red, your hands are sweat and you'd really, really like to be somewhere else. Remember the Southwest Airlines' "Do you want to get away" commercials? Yep, that's what it's like. But there are different degrees of embarrassing moments - all the way from a "giggle with your sister/best friend/hubby" to "Ohmigod, just shoot me now." I came up with this topic because I recently had one of those "giggle" moments.

Last week I went to the mall to get my hair cut, and on the way in and out I had to walk through Nordstrom's (notice the words "had to"). And since I was already in Nordstrom's I decided to check out the shoes. For you folks who aren't familiar with the tony department store I'll set the stage. Think a smidge below Neimann's and Sak's but add a guy in a tux playing a grand piano. It's not exactly your run of the mill big box store. As for the clerks - let's just say they could go straight from work to high tea without going home to change.

The concierge summoned a sale's associate who insisted on measuring my foot. I've been wearing shoes for a long time, but hey, if that made her day I was fair game. She was having a hard time deciding on the number - was it an 8 or an 8 1/2 - so she turned over the shoe I'd taken off (supposedly looking for a number) and right there like a neon sign was a Marshall's tag with $29.99 written in 36 point font. I'm surprised they didn't give me the boot (pun intended) right there and then.

Here's an "Ohmigod" moment from my teen years. It was a Saturday afternoon and I was babysitting my bratty brother. I was bored out of my mind so I decided to do a spa day. My hair was rolled in orange juice cans (for you folks without curly hair that's a hair straightening technique). I had cotton balls between my toes and for the piece de resistance I had applied some goopy red face mask that cracked when it dried. Cute, huh? Everything was copasetic, that is until I heard my brother at the front door. Guess what? It wasn't my bro. In fact, standing at the door was a boy that I'd had a crush on forever. One look at me and he was in his car and outta there so fast he fishtailed down the road. Nope, he never asked me out. I wonder why?

And here's another family story that should give you the chuckles. To say my father-in-law was eccentric is an understatement of mammoth proportions. In retrospect this story is funny, but it wasn't at all amusing to my husband who was in junior high at the time - you know what it's like to be thirteen. The family car overheated so his dad pullled into the a gas station. They way my husband tells it, the attendant (and yeah, a long time ago there were people who actually pumped your gas) disappeared under the hood and then came around to the driver's side window and uttered these fateful words, "Hey man, did you know you have coffee perkin' out of that radiator?" Seems my pop-in-law heard that coffee grounds could be used to clean a radiator. Oh, boy!

So now that you know our secrets hop in and tell us your story. But keep in mind that someday you might see it in a book.

BTW - Top Gun Dad comes out this week.

Ann DeFee
Top Gun Dad, HAR, October 2009
Hill Country Hero, HAR, February 2010

The Ten-Minute Pick Up

The Ten-Minute Pick Up

There's nothing that starts out the day worse than to wake up to a house in disarray. It seems to put the whole day into catch-up mode. To solve this, try this time-saving small tip.

Each evening, before calling it a day, spend 10 minutes picking up and straightening the major rooms in the house. Don't make this a major clean-up time, and don't worry about the bedrooms---except maybe your own. Simply look over the areas for items out of place, straighten the cushions, put the day's newspaper where it belongs, and wake up the next morning to a tidy home and a smile on your face.

Anyone care to share their secret quick pick-up tip?

Roxann Delaney
http://roxanndelaney.com

Meditation, Schmediatation!

by C.C. Coburn

Ever tried meditating? I’ve never been successful as I can’t seem to turn off my brain. It’s constantly running on overdrive about things I have to do, buy for dinner, appointments, functions, dates.

Of course I could probably clear most of this out of my mind if I kept a diary. Tried that, kept losing it!

I’ve tried self-meditation as recommended by dozens of women’s magazines and failed. I’ve even tried meditation CDs. In the end, the constant bonging of a metal gong - meant to slow my rapidly beating heart - had me so annoyed that my blood pressure must’ve shot through the roof. I ended up pulling out the earbuds and almost throwing the CD player at the wall in frustration.

I’d even heard of people who claimed they meditated in the car while driving to work. Which made me thankful that, a) I didn’t live anywhere near them and, b) I work from home, so was unlikely to be run over by them on their way to work.

So when my daughter was having difficulty relaxing before exams and asked me to attend a meditation class with her recently, I wasn’t exactly leaping at the opportunity for a mother-daughter-bonding-in-the-lotus-position session.

However, I decided: This was the time to put all my previous failures in this area aside and really work at meditating successfully.

We arrived just as the class was starting. As we crept up the stairs to the meditation room, they creaked noisily. We turned and started to flee, but a man in a sarong beckoned us, indicating with strange hand gestures we should take the only two spare mats in the room.

Everyone was lying down, breathing rhythmically. I thought: I can do this. I can breathe. The easy breathing session was soon replaced by deeper breathing. An older man nearby had some sort of nasal disorder and sounded like a bugle. Someone else started snoring loudly. Not relaxing!

We moved into chanting something that sounded like, “Om, romm, gomma gong.”
It was okay while we were murmuring it, but then it got louder and louder. I was starting to feel distinctly uneasy, feeling as though I was imprisoned in some 60’s Hare Krishna ashram. Everyone lay silently, chanting,Om, romm, gomma gong,” together like automatons. I just felt silly.

The chanting died down and we were urged to concentrate on our breathing again, thinking about our organs as we breathed in and out. This seemed easy and quite relaxing thinking about our pink lungs giving us “lifebreath” and our hearts faithfully pumping, our livers doing whatever livers do. Organs all present and accounted for and even better – happy and relaxed!

Until we moved down to our bowels. Urged to think of our “lifefood” making its happy way through our bodies, someone noisily passed wind.
I wanted to get up and run. I glanced around the room but it was as if everyone else was in a trance and hadn’t noticed this transgression in taste and public behavior. Soon the bowel references had several members making trips to the bathroom, located in the same room. They stepped over me in their haste to use the facilities and then none of them bothered to close the door after using it. Assailed by the sound of flushing toilets and unwanted smells, I had to interrupt my meditation efforts to close the door after them. Not relaxing!

Finally, bowels emptied, the room settled down again. We were urged to assume various positions, none of which I seemed to be able to manage and all the while my mind kept racing with the thought of how many more useful and productive ways I could be spending my time. We tried a breathing technique with fingers and thumbs that totally confused me. The effort of co-ordinating my breathing with my digits wasn’t relaxing.

When sarong-wearing Zen master put on a CD with the sound of a bonging drum, my blood pressure spiked.

There was also this irritating beeping sound in the background. I wondered how anyone was able to relax with all the distractions and noise.
Finally, I realised the beeping was the alarm on my cell phone reminding me I had a dentist’s appointment. I leapt to my feet and ran for my phone accompanied by the death stares of my fellow meditators.

I felt like telling them that a beeping phone was far less distracting than toilets flushing and people flatulating and honking like trumpets, but decided that it was just best to grab my towel and my daughter and run down those creaky stairs to freedom thinking: That’s a whole hour of my life I’ll never get back!

I’m sorry, but I just don’t “get” meditating. I’d far rather take that time to curl up with a good book. How about you?

C.C.

Have you had your flu shot?

I told my husband the other day that he needed to get a flu shot. I had a doctor’s appointment and was getting mine then. I reminded him that there was a drugstore not far from our house, no appointment, no wait, just walk in, sign papers, pay and get one. So he agreed to go.

Over an hour later he came back furious. What was supposed to take minutes took forty-five. There were so many people getting shots that there was a line. He filled out his papers while he waited and when it was his turn he handed them to the girl. She keyed something into the computer. A woman came up and asked a question about the form she was filling out. The girl helped her and then came back to my husband. She looked at the computer and then at him.

“Mr. Warren, have you had your flu shot?” she asks.

“No, I’m waiting,” he replies.

“I mean before today.”

I can see him frowning about now. “I wouldn’t be here if I had.”

“Our computer says you’ve already received a shot.”

“Your computer is wrong.”

“I’ll have to get the pharmacist to sort this out,” she tells him. “Please have a seat and he’ll be with you shortly.”

He takes a seat and waits, and waits. Thirty minutes later he’s still waiting.
My husband has no patience and I was surprised he sat that long. He gets up and tells the girl he’s leaving.

Looking a little confused, she says she’s sorry. She forgot about him, and she’d get the pharmacist right away. He comes, looks at my husband's paperwork and then at the computer. He stares at the girl and says, “You put it in twice. Look at the dates and times, they’re thirty seconds apart.”

The girl again apologizes, but the hubby gets his shot and leaves as fast as he can. Took him the rest of the day to de-tress. But he got his shot!

Last Tuesday I went to my doctor’s appointment and planned to get my shot. She didn’t have any. She was shorted on her order, and I was told to go to the drugstores or supermarkets. They all had a good supply. I didn’t understand this. Doctors can’t get them, but drugstores and supermarkets can. Boggles my mind.

But I bit the bullet and went to the same store my husband had (it was only fair). The line was long and people were complaining. Several had come from doctor’s appointments like me. I waited it out to get a shot. When it was my turn, the nurse rubbed my upper arm with alcohol and said, “It’ll just be a little sting.”

I’m not squeamish, but I looked down and saw the nurse was wearing cowboy boots under her tan slacks and white smock. They were brown with red tops. I was so startled by the sight I didn’t even feel the sting. I’d never seen a nurse wear boots on the job.

Only in Texas, I thought, and I have to put this in a book.

Now we’ve both had our shots, and stories to tell. If you want to get my husband going just ask about his flu shot.

Have you had yours? Or plan to?

Linda
www.lindawarren.net
Madison’s Children – SuperRomance Oct ‘09

Author News Day!

News

Michele Dunaway has been tapped to write The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Vampires. The book should hit shelves July 2010.

Trish Milburn’s first novel, A Firefighter in the Family (Septebmer, 2009) was a Maggie Award of Excellence finalist.

Laura Marie Altom’s "Snowbound with her Ex” will appear in Snowbound Together along with stories by Lindsay McKenna, Cara Summers and Anne Stuart. The book will be released in the UK by Mills & Boon on December 18, 2009.

Reviews

C.C. Coburn’s debut novel, Colorado Christmas (November 2009), received 4-1/2 star top pick from Romantic Times Magzine.

Mark Your Calendar

October 13: Four wonderful new reads from Harlequin American Romance will be in stores. This month’s covers are posted in the sidebar. To find out more about American Romance’s October releases, please visit eHarlequin.com.

Fall harvest

We have two pear trees in our yard, and every September-October they give us tons of pears. In the past I’ve made pear butter, spicy pear chutney, canned pears, pear pies (I freeze them) and pear pie filling. (Lots of work!!!) I’ve also given away bags full to friends and the local food bank.

Last year I got tired of all that canning and switched to freezer vanilla pear jam. Which takes a fraction of the time and effort and tastes delicious! This stuff is so tasty, I made two batches this year. Also pies. But that’s it! The rest we’re eating and sharing with friends. Oh, and I took a bag to Treehouse, the foster care agency where I so volunteer tutoring one afternoon a week. The kids loved them!

(If anyone wants the recipe for pear pie, which is to die for, email ann@annroth.net and I’ll send it to you.)

I’m curious–Do you grow fall crops in your yard? If so, what do you grow and what do you do with more produce than you can handle?


Until next time, and happy harvests,
Ann
www.annroth.net

Recipe of the month

Meg Lacey’s Easy Apple Pie

I worked on a TV show called "The Cleaning Sisters" for USA network featuring two off the wall WA. women who emphasized easy approaches. I.E. To make the home smell like you have been canning jam or jelly all way, dump a can of grape juice into a sauce pan, leave the lid off and simmer all day. Let the aroma drift through the house. Then take the label off a jar of jam, put a fancy cover on it and serve with biscuits at dinner or for company.

You get the idea... So I did my own variation.

Steps:
Go to the grocery store freezer section, choose your favorite type of frozen pie. (I like Mountain Top)

Carefully place it in the bag to transport home. (Don't dump any other groceries on top of it or throw it into the back seat)

Read directions before cooking. (Very very important)

Preheat oven.

Slide Pie onto baking sheet and place carefully in the oven.

Light apple candles to add to the ambience.

Remove Pie from oven at appropriate time. (Don't forget to set the timer, or leave it beeping away for an hour as browning disaster awaits.)

This is the trick part. If you are really motivated you can attempt to remove the pie and place it in your own pie dish, but if your family has caught on to you, then stick the entire pie, pan and all into a dish.

Serve warm or cold.

Remind family that even though you didn't make it from scratch, thus saving everyone from disaster, that you appreciate them and love them very much. (What can they say after that?!)

Homecoming

Do you remember your high school’s homecoming week? To be honest, I really don’t. I remember girls would get giant mum corsages, complete with red and white ribbons and little plastic footballs and helmets hanging from them. There was a dance in our gym. I was on our high school’s drill team (in Houston, Texas, y’all), so we were always getting ready for the big half-time show. Every once in a while my parents would ask me how things were going. That’s about it.

To put it simply, my experiences pale in comparison to what’s been going on around here. My daughter’s a high school junior and preparations for Saturday’s dance have been 1) all-consuming, 2) expensive 3) full of drama and…(we really can’t stress this too much) 4) all-consuming. Every time my husband tries to get involved or offer an opinion, he messes things up, so I’ve had to pretty much ask him to be the Silent Participant. He’s allowed to smile, offer compliments, and pay for things.

The drama all started when she almost broke up with her boyfriend. Well, she did, for twenty-four hours. As soon as she did, she was asked to the dance by boyfriend’s best friend (!) with roses in the middle of Algebra. (no, that never, ever happened to me either…but wouldn’t it have been cool?) My daughter took the roses, said yes to the friend, and then dealt with the aftermath. Almost-Ex got jealous, begged her to take him back.

Now, she’s going to the dance with one boy, and leaving with boyfriend. Everyone seems just fine with this arrangement. Except, maybe, me…who’s going to the pre-homecoming dinner party to take pictures of my daughter with the boy who’s only Date Number 1.

After all this got figured out. (and boy, did y’all get the short version), the shopping began. New dress, new shoes. Search for the perfect purse. Yesterday was nail appointment day. Her hair appointment is this afternoon. Flowers have been ordered. I volunteered to make dessert for the 30 kids who are having dinner together at another’s house. She’ll do the dinner and the dance and the slumber party with all the girls.

And then, on Sunday, it will all be over. She works at an orchard, so she’ll go back to her regular job at the apple house selling Honey Crisp apples. My husband and I will look at each other and be so relieved...and then will most likely be sad.

Only one more homecoming after this…and then it will be all over. Done.

We know this because although these last two weeks have been crazy, another homecoming has been on all our minds. Late Wednesday night, our son will come home for five days for his fall break. He’s been in Alabama and we’ve missed him terribly.

Our son’s homecoming will involve a big hug and lots of cooking, I imagine. His goals for the week include sleeping, seeing the weiner dog, and eating pot roast. Maybe a round of golf. As long as he's here, it sounds like heaven.

So here’s to high school traditions and college homecomings.
And to having friends to tell about it all…

I know I’m not the only one who’s gone through all this. Anyone have a good homecoming story to share? About a kid? About you? I’d love to commiserate.

Shelley
www.shelleygalloway.com

SEPTEMBER WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS NICOLERKO! You’re the September winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Laura Marie Altom and Lisa Childs through their Web sites.

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

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

Tuning In

It’s my blogging day, and here are a couple of less-than-thrilling possible topics that flitted through my brain:

· How I’ve avoided running for any sort of office since a humiliating defeat in high school for president of the drama club. I lost even though I’d founded the drama club, it was our very first meeting, and the guy who got elected never called another meeting.

· How I nevertheless decided to serve on the board of my local RWA chapter, and only I’m going to miss the first meeting, so I hope they'll all bear with me.

· How I’ve battled pests in my garden all summer and am on the verge of throwing in the trowel (pun intended) because of white grubs. Any tips?

However, instead, I’m going to talk about something brilliant and intellectual. That is, the new TV season.

If you’re like most of my friends, you a) don’t own a TV set, b) are too busy serving on the school board, homeowners’ board or PTA board to watch TV, or c) are too busy out battling grubs.

That leaves just a few of us. So gather round…

Each fall, my husband and I sample numerous new series, but quickly drop most. However, we’re thrilled when we find one we like. So far, the biggest winner among the new series, for us, is “Flash Forward.” I also like “The Good Wife.” Anyone else enjoy those?

Not crazy about “Mercy,” “Vampire Diaries” (sorry, vampire lovers) or “Eastwick.” Re the latter, I’m a huge Paul Gross fan but I’m not keen on watching him channel Jack Nicholson, plus I also find the premise unpleasant. Basically, as far as I can tell, it’s “Let’s go sell our souls to the devil and have a rousing good time!”

Aside from wonky premises, what turns me off in a series? Biggest bugaboo: generic writing. An obvious opening scene that could have come from any of dozens of movies immediately raises my hackles. So do stereotypical characters and predictable plotlines.

I know there are people who think all romance novels are predictable because there’s always a happy ending. Well, the same is true of murder mysteries, right? It’s a given that the hero/heroine will solve the crime and prevail over the bad guy. The trick is making it all seem fresh.

So here’s to good writing, wherever you find it. And I hope, for you, that includes us hardworking scribblers at Harlequin American.

Cowboy Birthday Party

WESTERN-THEMED BIRTHDAY PARTY

When it comes to kids' birthday partiesit's a struggle sometimes to come up with a fun theme that's affordable. Check out the party idea below found on the The Thomas Ranch website. The Thomas Ranch was founded in Bisbee Arizona in 1902 by Edward E. Thomas. The ranch is located in the South-Eastern section of ARIZONA, in Cochise County, most known for the city of Tombstone. The Thomas Ranch website http://www.thethomasranch.com/thomas_ranch_104.htm

Invitations
For the Do-It-Yourselfers, search and find the Template you want to use, insert information and print. It’s that simple.Sample Layout of Invitations:

Wanted Posters: This is one way to customize your party. Insert your Childs picture and add your custom text. Mail or hand these out. Placing these inside a Straw Western Cowboy Hat and telling them to wear them to the party is one great way to have a special and unique invitation.

Bandanas: What is more Western than the Bandana? Writing directly on the bandana with permanent marker (for those of you who have great hand writing, or have your child write it) is a great Western Based Invitation. Ensure that the kids know to wear this around there neck as an entrance pass to the party. (using tracing paper to ensure all of these turn out the same is a simple way to help elevates ruining some of the Bandanas).

Stock Paper: Stock Paper is in every store around the Country. It is a simple and cheap way to go if you are not talented with a computer. All you have to do is open your word processor and type up a standard invitational greeting and print. Ensure that you test your print on a blank piece of paper, prior to printing on the stock paper. Store away the remaining papers that you don’t use for use later down the road.

Sample Invitational Text Layouts

#1 Howdy Partner! We’all will be needed all of You’ins to be joining us to help celebrate Outlaw (your Childs name)’s __th Birthday. Y’all get ready for the best Rootin-Tootin best time of your life. Come on down to the _Your Last Name Ranch at (add your address).

“So saddle up your Horse and mosey on down to the Barn Party. Give us a Holler at (enter your phone number).

See Y’all there! (date and time)

#2 Yee Haw! The best danged Shindig in town is about to happen. Y’all is invited too. Mosey on down to (your Childs name)’s __th Birthday Party. We will be throwin’ this at Your Last Name Ranch at (add your address).Have your Sheriff give our Sheriff a Holler at (enter your phone number).

#3 Wanted: Y’all to come on down to the fastest, bestest, western hoedown ever. Sheriff (your Childs name)’s __th Birthday Party. Yee Haw! Time for the shoot out is at (enter date and time of party). Give us a shout at (enter your phone number).

It is a simple process, just sit down and think of western based words when you think of a Cowboy and jot down your own “Hankering” words.

Decorations
Red and White Bandana Tablecloth (you can use any design you want, red and white or blue and white are the most popular). Use Bandanas for place mats.Cut outs of Cowboys, Cowgirls, Horses, Cows, Barns, and ECT. Placing Hay Bales in the backyard and around the house is one easy way to accent the party. Cowboy Hat Center-Piece filled with Candy. Cowboy Boot Cups. Placing Pieces of wood around the house would also create the Old West feeling. Build a Real Old West Town (cut-outs) out of Cardboard. Saloon, Jail, Hotel, Ranch Store are all perfect examples.

Guest Arrivals
Welcoming your guests are one of the biggest and easiest steps that happen during the party. Have someone greet your guest wearing all black and a black Top Hat, have them measure your guest for a coffin.

Favors / Give-A-Ways
Tiny Mint Candies wrapped in a Western Print:
Western Straw Hats:
Bandanas
Deputy Badges:
Toy Give a ways--Gold Coins, Gum or Chocolate, Gold Nugget Gum Bags, Cowboy Ranch Brand Tattoos.

Party Games
Branding the Kid, using Temporary Tattoos
Brand the Steer.
Pin the tail on the Horse.
Rope the Steer.
Make your own vest.
Showdown at High Noon. This uses squirt guns.
Snake in my Boots.

Food and Drinks
When you think about the Old West B*B*Q always comes to mind. So we will focus our attention there. You will have a Western B*B*Q for this Western Based Children’s Cowboy Party.

Appetizers
Salsa and Chips
Bean Dip and Chips
Beef Jerky
Deviled Eggs

Main Course
Beef RibsB
arbeque Pulled Beef Sandwiches
Steak (for those who can afford it)
Hot Dogs and Hamburgers (make sure you have B*B*Q sauce on them)
Chili Dogs (hotdogs with chili on them, makes a messss but it great fun and memories)
Grilled Vegetables
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Corn Bread

Drinks
Sarsaparilla – Sioux City Sarsaparilla is the best our family has found.
Root beer
Lemonade
Kool-Aid

Desserts
Cake (in the shape of a Sheriffs Badge, Horse Head, Western Theme)
Fruit Cobbler with Ice Cream on top adds a special Old West flair to it. (Apple is the most traditional of fruit cobblers, but you can serve whatever the fruit that is in season, add Vanilla Ice Cream on top)
Moo Cream (nothing more than Ice Cream)

Care to share a birthday-party theme that was a big hit at your house?

Special Days

While I consider every day a gift, there are some that simply stand out more than others, leaving you with vivid memories of virtually every moment.

Sunday was one of those days for me.

My youngest daughter turned eleven and we spent the first half of the day in New York City. We rode the subway to the American Girl Place where we had breakfast (complete with conversation starters) and shopped. The smile on her face was one I won't soon forget.

When we were done there, we rode the subway uptown two stops to 59th street. We took a very short cab ride to FAO Schwartz where we got to design our own Barbie (hair color, clothes, etc.). When my daughter was done designing her just the way she wanted her, the doll came out as part of a fashion show (lights, cameras, the whole kitten kaboodle). Then it was back outside where we opted for a hot pretzel (from a street vendor) in lieu of the cab ride and walked (in the mist) back to the subway station and, eventually, the car.

It was a good birthday, for her and for me. Because not only did she get a few neat presents but we made a memory--one that will last forever. Sure, the things we remember from that day may be a bit different (different people/different perspectives), but there's little doubt it was a birthday she'll never forget.

For me, I'll remember the look on her face as we rode the subway to the restaurant/shop and then again while in the taxi when she had no idea what part 2 was going to be. I'll remember the way her face lit up when her dessert at the AG Place came with a candle. I'll remember walking beside Central Park sharing a pretzel under an umbrella. I'll remember the way we squeezed hands on the subway platform--three from me for "I Love You," and four from her for "I Love You, Too."

So how about you? What's a recent day that will stick in your mind for years to come? And what will you remember most?

Author Interview--Rebecca Winters

Please welcome long-time Harlequin Author, Rebecca Winters. We're thrilled that Rebecca has recently joined the American Romance line!

How long have you been published?
With Harlequin, 20 years.

What advice for new writers?
For new Harlequin writers, read the line you love until it gets deep in your psyche.

What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
Strong emotion, flesh and blood characterization, excellent story telling.

What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?
Raw eel in a bar in Barcelona, Spain

What comes first: the plot or the characters?
That all depends. Stories have come to me both ways.

When you looked in the mirror this morning, what was the first thing you thought?
Time indeed marches on.

Describe your writing space.
The end of my bedroom. From my desk I look out a front and a side window. Both give me a glorious view of the brilliant blue sky and the Oquirrh Mountains. Directly in front of my front window is a beautiful park surrounded on all sides by adorable new houses that look like they belong in Whoville. Above my desk is a large, gorgeous framed tapestry my mother made in fine needlepoint of Romeo and Juliet done in deep blues and reds. I can’t work in clutter. My desk has the equipment, a phone book and lotion. You’ll usually see my favorite Coke Zero Cherry drink, my cell phone, a little lamp and a beautiful vase with no flowers in it (alas).

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?
We all suffer from it. I often call my dear friend Bonnie K. Winn, a renown romance writer, and we go through the ‘what ifs.’ That usually unlocks my brain enough to move on.

What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Anything by Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, Taylor Caldwell, Anja Seton, James Michner, James Hilton. As for Harlequin writers, three stand out, but don’t forget I started reading Harlequins in the 70’s. Violet Winspear, Anne Mather and Margaret Way.

What are you reading now?
The last novel in the Twilight Series.

Do you re-read your books once they're in print?
Sure. Once in a while I get in a mood and think, hey-- I’ll read one of mine! Some of my favorites I read every year.

What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
I’m up at five a.m. and write all day (with breaks in between to tend grandchildren, shop, chat with family and friends on the phone, go on trips.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
This year at the Harlequin party during the RWA Conference in Washington D.C., I’m receiving an award for having written 100 books. It makes me croak just thinking about it. In the Harlequin Romance series I guess I have to say BRIDE OF MY HEART or CLAIMING HIS BABY. In the Harlequin Superromance series it would be STRANGERS WHEN WE MEET. In the Harlequin American series, I would have to say THE CHIEF RANGER.

Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say?
I get a few e-mails every week. They mostly tell me they like my romances because they are emotional and uplifting.

Tell us about your family and where you live.
I have four children and five grandchildren. I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, the land of mountains, blue skies and the greatest snow on earth.

Are you working on anything at the present you'd like to share?
A rodeo story for American. I’m now addicted to watching bullriding!

Did you ever eat paste or Elmer's glue when you were a kid?
Who didn’t eat both?

What did you do career-wise before becoming an author?
I taught French in secondary school.

How has the American Romance line changed since you first began writing for it?
I can’t tell you that yet. I’m only working on my third book for the line now.

What helps inspire you when you write? Do you have any ‘rituals’ (like music, candles, a favorite scent) that helps you find your writing zone?
I often burn my lilac scented candle. I use music a lot. Mostly classical piano concertos of Grief, Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Tchaikowsky, Beethoven, Schumann. I also love flamenco, Gypsy Kings, Luis Miguel, Andre Rocelli. I love opera; Carmen, Aida, Tosca, Madame Butterfly. Any music that pierces or squeezes your heart.

What do you want to know about the future?
I don’t. I can only handle my day to day life. I’d probably have a heart attack to know more.

Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? If so, which do you prefer?
Absolutely. I prefer Coke. Pepsi taste like medicine.

Have you ever made a crank phone call?
When I was in grade school my older sister used to make me do crank calls and say, “Hey, have you got any pop in the bottle? If you do, let him out!”

Who's you're personal hero--past or present?
If we’re talking romantic, it’s Errol Flynn hands down on the movie screen. The scene with Marion in Robinhood, when he climbs on her balcony window and accuses her of loving him-- Then he professes his love for her, and there’s something about the way he says it and the way he looks at her that thrilled me as a child, as a teenager and as a grown woman. It gets to me every single time. It’s that emotion I try to put in my writing.

What is your dream car?
The Porsche 911.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
South of France.

If you were locked in a closet for one hour who would you want in there with you?
Errol Flynn as he looked in Robinhood, the Sea Hawk or Captain Blood.

If you were stranded on a deserted Island what kind of hero would you want with you--A Cowboy, a Viking Warrior, a CEO, a Forensics investigator, a Chef or an Accountant…and why?
A cowboy. He’s eternal. A man of the earth who knows how to live and survive in any century. My next Harlequin Romance is going to be a cowboy story.

Rebecca
http://www.cleanromances.com/

Déjà vu

Last Friday I moved my sailboat into a small marina in Annapolis, Maryland. It’s one of a dozen or more marinas that crowd the shores of Back Creek. When you step off the docks, you are in the Eastport neighborhood—known locally as the Maritime Republic of Eastport. A less-touristy area than Annapolis proper, Eastport has none of the bustle that accompanies the capitol of a state. If you didn’t know the State House was just a short walk across the Spa Creek bridge, you’d never guess it. The streets are lined with small charming houses. Trees arch out to form a canopy of green overhead. From around every corner you catch a glimpse of water and, of course, boats.

Walking out of the marina parking lot to look around, you find the Leeward coffee shop two blocks to the east. About a half-block west is Davis’s Tavern, a former mercantile store in the 1930’s, converted to a local watering hole. Really, this is about as perfect as it gets for a writer: libations for either end of the day all within walking distance.

The evening after we tied up, we decided to go see what was happening at the tavern, see what the locals do for fun after the long work-week. To our surprise, Davis’s was crowded. Outside, people stood in clusters under the green awnings or sat at the tables. Inside, the barstools were full. We took a table nearby and overheard several lies . . . I mean sea stories being told. Most of the patrons had houses nearby, or boats at the marinas across the street, or both. It was a happy, convivial atmosphere that made you want to stay and mingle.

That’s when my first attack of déjà vu hit: I had been there before. No, I don’t mean that I had ever been in Davis’s Tavern. Before that evening, I didn’t even know it existed. But there was a feel to the place that was very familiar, except I couldn’t figure out the connection. The next morning, writing away on my latest book, I realize that Davis’s shared some striking resemblances to the bar I had created for my characters. My bar—The Laughing Gull—is in an old, historic building on the waterfront. You can see boats from its windows. The vibe I get from the bar I created is a lot like the real one: warm, welcoming and boisterous.

A few days later we stopped into the tavern again. It wasn’t so busy on a weeknight, so we pulled up a stool. As I was sipping my wine, a man walked up to the bar next to me, smiled and ordered a drink. He had a thick accent that sounded Italian. After the bartender served him, he took his beer outside to a table. Through the windows, I could see him sit down with several other older men who all seemed to be talking at once and having a great time. Forgetting my manners, I started to stare. He looked very like my image of Antonio Berzani, patriarch of the Berzani clan and father to my hero, Ian. Did he have an Italian accent? Yes. Did he talk with his hands? Yes. Was he tall, have silver hair and dark eyes with a twinkle lurking in their depths? Yes, yes, yes.

Whoa.

Did one of my characters just come to life? And was he in a bar that came out of my imagination? The universe isn’t supposed to work that way, but what if this is one of those mysterious anomalies? What I love most of all about this “déjà vu” experience (I’m sure there’s a better psychological term for experiencing something you imagined beforehand) is that it shows I’ve successfully translated my experiences on the Chesapeake Bay extracted from a myriad of small communities—Chestertown, Deltaville, Oxford, Easton—into a “real” fictional place, somewhere my characters really would live, laugh and love.

So far, none of my other characters has made an appearance at Davis’s or around the neighborhood, but I’m not giving up. Any day, I expect to see Kate and Patrick with their baby, strolling along Chester Avenue, or Ian lugging his tool box into a boatyard, or Mimi strumming her guitar and singing at a local hangout. I believe that there’s a thin spot in the fabric of the universe somewhere around here and through it, my stories are entering this reality.

How cool would that be?

Fall TV

I'm a happy camper because the fall TV season is getting into full swing. Old favorites are coming back with new episodes, and I'm trying a few new series. I can remember when I was a kid and living in the country, we had three TV stations. So whenever the Fall TV Preview issue of TV Guide came out, it didn't take long to figure out what you were going to watch when. If two things happened to be on at the same time, you had to choose which one you'd watch and resign yourself to not seeing the other unless you could convince a friend to tape the other show for you on their VCR.

But now, thanks to the wonders of my TiVo, I can record two things at once on one TV and watch something else on the other TV. I only have to do this during the first hour of primetime on Thursday nights. TiVo also comes in handy if I'm traveling, as I will be next week to the Moonlight & Magnolias Conference in Atlanta, or when I'm on deadline and TV is a big no-no. Shows are so different now too. Instead of weekly episodic offerings, there seem to be more that have big arcs, ones where you have to pay attention to each episode or you miss something crucial. LOST kind of got this trend started in a big way, and one of the new programs I'm watching, FlashForward, is taking this concept and running with it. I'm already intrigued. For those who don't know, the premise is that everyone in the world passes out at the same time and all wake up 2 minutes and 17 seconds later. No one knows why. So we're going to be following not only the investigation, led by main character FBI Agent Mark Benford (played by Joseph Fiennes), but also how people deal with what happened when they passed out -- they all saw the future, specifically what they'd be doing on the same day six months in the future. Some liked what they saw, others not so much. And one guy thinks he'll be dead since he didn't see anything. Can you imagine how you'd react if this really happened? Also intriguing is the fact that video footage of a ballgame in Detroit shows that there is one guy, mysteriously dressed all in black, who is up walking around while everyone else is out cold. Hmmm...

Here's my viewing lineup:

Monday:
Heroes
Castle (love me some Nathan Fillion; I need to base a hero on him.)

Tuesday:
The Biggest Loser (to help inspire me to stay fit and healthy)
V (starts in November; a remake of the sci fi show/mini-series from when I was a kid)

Wednesday:
Glee

Thursday:
Bones (a good show to watch if you want to see sexual tension)
The Vampire Diaries (appeals to the YA write side of myself)
Fringe
Supernatural (my favorite show)

Friday:
Smallville
Dollhouse
Stargate Universe

Saturday:
Nada. This will be movie night. Remember when there actually used to be shows on Saturday night? I can remember watching The Love Boat and Fantasy Island when I was a kid.

Sunday:
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Hey, what's a week without Ty and the gang making me cry?)

See any of your favorites here? Trying anything new this season?

Small Town Quirks

I recently came across an interesting bit of trivia about Williams Lake, a small community in British Columbia. Since the late 1930s, townsfolk have celebrated Wrestling Day. No, not calf wrestling or mud wrestling. This was an official holiday that fell on January 2, the day after New Years.

Wrestling Day was started by two businessmen who noticed they weren’t getting any business that day—possibly due to cold winter weather or maybe because local residents were still recovering from the holidays—so they closed up shop and took an extra day off themselves. Besides, if Christmas could have Boxing Day, then surely News Years deserved a day, too.

The idea caught on. In 1942 the village council declared Wrestling Day an official holiday, and in 1959 a bylaw was passed, making if official.

For almost twenty years, local businesses remained closed that day but in 1976, the bylaw was struck down. Williams Lake had grown from a village to a town to a city, which meant more business and more businesses. And those businesses wanted to do business, even on Wrestling Day.

From my perspective—as someone who thinks there aren’t nearly enough holidays!—I think it’s unfortunate that Williams Lake no longer recognizes Wrestling Day as an official holiday, although I understand that some businesses do remain closed in honor of the old tradition.

What do you think? Should more communities have special holidays? Do you know of a town like Williams Lake that has its own quirky holiday?

Until next time,
Lee
The Writer Side of Life

Nice Digs Stephenie!

So, I was at the carwash the other day getting my old truck washed and I picked up this little newspaper called the North Scottsdale Times to read while I was waiting. I flipped through the pages, and this article caught my eye. It was called "The Valley's Most Expensive Recently Sold Homes". The first home featured sold for the tidy sum of $7,212,672.00. I don't know about you, but imagining that sum of money simply boggles my brain. I have the same mental trouble when I try envisioning how many light years it is from our galaxy to the next closest one. Even more incredible, the house is a modest 12,244 square feet and includes a game room, theater, two-bedroom guest house, outdoor kitchen and spa. Holy smokes!

As I read further in the article, I was stupefied to discover that the house was purchased by none other than Christiaan Meyer, the sole trustee of Marrowstone LLC, an Arizona Limited liability company. Christiaan Meyer, as in the husband of Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series. Okay, so Stephenie is obviously doing pretty well for herself, not that I doubted it. Do you think she paid cash for the house or has a mortgage? Yeah, maybe she put down, say, five hundred thousand dollars and financed the rest.

I studied the picture of the house, which is actually an estate – a HUGE estate – and I began to wonder how many full-time people it takes to keep the place up. Two maids, at least, a caretaker and a groundskeeper for sure. For fun, I Mapquested the house and was pleased to discover Stephenie lives only about nineteen miles from me. Why, she and I are practically neighbors.

While the carwash guys finished up with my slightly dented 2001 Ford 150 (what kind of vehicle do you think Stephenie drives?), I start fantasizing about being so successful as an author that I, too, could afford a home valued in the seven digits. One that I don't have to decorate with sale items from Ross and TJ Maxx. Next thing I knew, my brain started to do that shut-down thing again - like when I try picturing dinosaurs the length of a football field and living amongst them fifty million years ago.

Cathy Mc