Good things!

They say good things come in threes, and that’s certainly true for me this month!

I’ve just received the cover for my third Harlequin American Romance, FAMILY MATTERS. Isn’t it fabulous?

And in celebration of the book’s October, 2010 publication date, I’m doing three things:

* revamping my website: http://barbarawhitedaille.com

* starting a blog: http://barbarawhitedaille.com/blog

* giving away a copy of one of my backlist titles to one lucky reader of my blog post here

This is the deal:

The drawing is a special opportunity for visitors to my Harlequin American Romance blog post for today. If you’re reading this post on July 17th, that would include you. ;-)

In order to have your name entered in the drawing, please leave a comment here at the Harlequin American Romance blog by midnight Blogger time on July 17th. Also, please visit my website at http://barbarawhitedaille.com by midnight Blogger time on July 17th.

Take a look at the excerpts for my first two books, THE SHERIFF'S SON and COURT ME, COWBOY. Send me an e-mail from my website, letting me know which book you would prefer IF your name is drawn—and why.

And, of course, feel free to take a look around my website and blog while you’re there. ;-)

One lucky winner’s name will be drawn and the name announced here at the blog on the Open date of July 20th.

Remember, this drawing is based on comments dated July 17th only.

And please remember to BOTH comment here at the Harlequin American Romance blog AND send an e-mail from my website in order to have your name entered into the drawing.

Thanks a bunch, and good luck!


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

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

Media Blitz Contest Today!

Today only we're running a one-day Media Blitz Contest to promote The Codys: First Family of Rodeo miniseries by Harlequin American Romance.

CONTEST RULES

Read this blog, then spread the word! Mention Dexter: Honorable Cowboy (July 2010) and The Codys: First Family of Rodeo miniseries on all your favorite social media sites--Facebook, MySpace, Twitter. The more places you link http://www.harauthors.blogspot.com/

to and help promote Dexter: Honorable Cowboy the more chances you have to win an autographed copy of the book and one of the cowboy items featured in the photo above.

Earn additional chances to win if you refer a friend and they in turn post a link to their favorite social media websites. Be sure to return to http://www.harauthors.blogspot.com/ and tell us where you're spreading the word in the comment section of the blog—we'll keep a tally of your activity, then post the winners' names in the comment section of the blog--check the blog on July 17th to see if you're one of the lucky winners!

The Special Bond Twins Share

Facts about Twins

• Fraternal twins result when two different eggs are fertilized by two different sperm.
• Fraternal twins are more common than identical twins and account for about 2/3 of twin pregnancies.
• Even after they are born, it is sometimes difficult to know whether twins are identical or fraternal.
• Fraternal twins make up approximately 75% of the twin population and can be boy/boy, girl/girl, or boy/girl sets.
• Fraternal twins share up to 50% of their genes, and are no more alike or different than any two siblings would be.
• Africa sees the highest incidence of fraternal twins; Asia, the lowest.
• The actor Ashton Kutcher has a fraternal twin brother named Michael

Before writing Dexter: Honorable Cowboy I Googled fraternal twins and came across lots of interesting information. The one thing that struck me was research claiming that although fraternal twins don't share an identical genetic code, they do share a special bond. When I got to thinking about it, I realized that as fraternal twins mature they experience many things in life at the exact same emotional and physical point of their development. However, that doesn't mean the outcome of the experience is the same for each twin.

Dexter-- serious, dependable, hard-working, honorable.
Dusty-- fun, playful, teasing, charismatic and the better-looking twin.

Both brothers once had a crush on the same girl--Josie Charles—but Dusty's charismatic ways and good looks won the girl and Dexter suffered silently in the background as he watched his brother and Josie date throughout high school. Eventually Dusty and Josie broke up and moved on, but that experience remained with Dexter all his life. The special bond between Dexter and Dusty is tested when Josie Charles returns to Markton, WY. After all these years, Dexter discovers his feelings for Josie haven't changed, but before he gets excited about a "second-chance" at love, he learns Dusty is the father of Josie's young son.

It is that "special bond" between twin brothers that Dexter struggles with throughout the book. He wants to support Dusty and encourages him to do the right thing and marry Josie and be a father to their son, but at the same time he believes he's the better candidate for husband and father. Once again Dusty stands in the way of what Dexter wants, which creates stress and tension between the two brothers. But it is the special bond they share that in the end allows both brothers to do what's best for Josie and her son.

I hope you'll pick up a copy of Dexter: Honorable Cowboy and see how Dex and Dusty settle their differences—then let me know if you think the right man won the girl!

P.S. Be sure to return in August for another one-day only Media Blitz Contest when Cathy McDavid blogs about Dusty: Wild Cowboy (Book 3 in The Codys: First Family of Rodeo miniseries. If you missed the first book Walker: The Rodeo Legend (June 2010) by Rebecca Winters, you can still order the book through online retailers. You can also keep up on the Codys at http://www.firstfamilyofrodeo.blogspot.com/

where the miniseries authors post a new blog about cowboys every Wednesday.

See you at next rodeo!
Marin

Good morning! I need help--more than usual!! LOL!!

Two of my kiddos are headed to college in under a month. My twins turn eighteen in a few days. How is this possible??!! I'm grateful that they're healthy and smart and funny and pretty, but I'm also sad that they'll no longer be lounging on the couch or making a mess in the kitchen. Even worse--who's going to clean the cat box??!!

Anyway, I'm trapped in a funk. How have some of you survived this transition period?

In other news . . . The annual Romance Writers of America conference is swiftly approaching. This year it's being held in Orlando. I fear this will be a VERY bad thing when it comes to focusing on honing my writing skills by attending workshops. BFF Margaret Daley isn't helping with her talk of how much fun we'll have!! Meanwhile, my other roomie, BFF Winnie Griggs, has declared she's spending the week holed up in our room, writing. This makes me feel even more guilty!! LOL!!

Have I mentioned I have NOTHING to wear? For those of you who have never attended one of these conferences, there's a fascinating mix of folks. Some wear jeans and a T-shirt. Others are decked out in full-on business attire complete with jewels!! I strive for somewhere in the middle. Alas, since I also strive for donuts, my wardrobe is limited. I've been on the treadmill, running like a fat hamster, but my fave stuff still won't fit. Hmm . . . wonder if I could start a new trend by wearing PJs all week?

All kidding aside, I can't wait to get hugs from friends I rarely get to see!!! Not only other writers, but editors and my agent. The week's highlight is always the Friday night Harlequin party. This year, it's being held at the Orlando Waldorf Astoria!!! There's always dancing and crazy-decadent food and decor. I LOVE these parties!!! But have I mentioned I still have nothing to wear? ;-)

GIRLFRIENDS

I know, strange subject to blog about on a writer’s blog. However, it’s what’s on my mind this month. I’ve been blessed with many friends, but they don’t all touch my life in the same way.

I remember a friend I met in college telling me that some friends are a part of your entire life while others come into your life for a specific reason. During the loss of my father and her divorce, which neither one were even on our radar when we met, we talked nightly. I’m not sure we’d have made it through without the support. I still consider her a great friend, but now we only talk a couple times a year, just to make sure the other is okay. Not a lot to say these days.

I had three really close friends from elementary school all the way through high school. One of those wonderful women I see regularly. Our kids are friends and now our grandkids. I can’t imagine my life without her being a huge part of it. Yet the other two women, I talk to on rare occasion and exchange Christmas and birthday cards.

Neighbors – How many great people have we lived close to in our lives? Yet there is only one who I still see. Take vacations with. Keep close to my heart.

Work friends are especially interesting. I’ve met so many wonderful people and friends there. But most of them seem to fade away after one or the other of us changes jobs or companies. One woman and I shared an office for two years and went to lunch together almost daily. Great lady, yet I don’t even know where she is these days. While another friend left the company and moved to California and still drove all the way back to Texas to surprise me at my very first book signing. If she and I don’t talk weekly, we at least email. Out of the hundreds of people I’ve worked with, why did the two of us click?

Writing friends – Wow! What do I say? I’ve met so many fabulous and helpful people in the field. Yet the two women I critique with have become so tight that we don’t know how to act if we aren’t all three online every evening. Sure we love to talk about writing, but we’ve also become important people in each other’s personal lives. I hope to remain friends with a lot of my writing buddies, but these two particularly I’ll be very surprised if we ever lose touch. When I sold my first book, I called these ladies before my family.

I’m sure most everyone has had similar relationships. What makes some friendships last, while others fade away? Do you have a special girlfriend story to share?

Media Blitz Contest this Friday!

Counting down the days until Friday July 16th--our second One Day Only Media Blitz Contest to promote The Codys: First Family of Rodeo miniseries!

On July 16th I'll be blogging about Dexter: Honorable Cowboy--RT Top Pick for July! For those who've read the first book in the series, Walker: The Rodeo Legend, then you know Dexter is a fraternal twin. I'll be blogging about how Dexter's relationship with his brother Dusty is tested as Dexter struggles with that special bond the brothers share.

Help spread the word by mentioning the book and posting a link to this blog on all your favorite social media sites--Facebook, MySpace, Twitter. The more places you link to and mention Dexter: Honorable Cowboy and The Codys: First Family of Rodeo the more chances you have to win an autographed copy of the book and some "cowboy stuff" pictured above.

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

I'll keep a tally of your activity and post the winners' names in the comment section of the blog on July 17th--be sure to check if you're one of the lucky winners!

For those readers who are reading this miniseries, we'd love to know what you think about The Codys: First Family of Rodeo!

Marin * www.marinthomas.com *

Fun on the 4th of July!

Okay, so I know it’s the 10th, but six days ago I had a blast!

Recently, I interviewed the Battalion Chief at our local fire department in Colorado, for the 4th book in The O’Malley Men series about firefighter brother, Adam O’Malley.
“Rosie” as all the guys know him, invited me to come down to the station house before the parade started so I could get photos of the firefighters all dressed up in their dress uniforms, their pipe band, assorted support vehicles etc.
Just before they set off, he asked if I’d like to join the families of the firefighters in the march. Would I? You bet!
It was amazing being part of a July 4th parade, to see it from a different perspective from the spectators (as I’d done in the past).
The Fire Department always leads out the parade in Breckenridge and it was incredibly exciting to be sandwiched between the firefighters in front and the engines, ladder truck and other support vehicles behind.
Walking along, I had a couple of friends call out to me from the crowds lining Main Street – no doubt very surprised to see me there. But not nearly as surprised as my husband whose eyes popped out like saucers as I went by. “What are you doing there?” he called.
I shrugged and said, “Hey, they asked me!” I waved the American flag and continued on down Main Street, feeling a little surreal and incredibly privileged to be an Aussie marching in a 4th of July parade.
Unfortunately my camera conked out just as the parade started, but photographer Ken Papaleo captured some great shots for his website. There’s even one of me with Battalion Chief Rosenberger in the station house before the parade started.
http://xmarkstheshot.blogspot.com/

Until next time,
CC

Cowboy Up!

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

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

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

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

The cowboy is bone-deep American. Yum.

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

Megan Kelly

www.megankellybooks.com

Coming Soon!

One-Day Only Media Blitz Contest!

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

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

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

July Recipes

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

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


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

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


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

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

Monthly Contest Winner

Congratulations to June!

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

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

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

Wedding Bliss

So, how many weddings did you attend in June?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Unexpected Spark

As always happens with an upcoming release, I find myself looking forward to July, when A MOM FOR CALLIE--my second book with Harlequin American--officially makes its way into "the wild." Like all other books before it (whether mystery or romance), there's a story behind the story...the thing that said, "turn me into a story."

Virtually all of my mystery novels have come from an interesting tidbit on the radio (love those ten second stories), a tidbit that lodges in my brain and begins twisting and turning until I have the mental outline of a story. My romance novels, however, have come to me in a very different way.

KAYLA'S DADDY, my January Harlequin American, came from a lost letter (which, in all fairness, was sparked from a radio story). MIRACLE BABY, my first-ever holiday book scheduled to release in November, came from a very special ornament my agent sent me for Christmas two years ago. And, A MOM FOR CALLIE, came from a stone bridge.

A bridge?

That's right. A bridge. More specifically, a beautifuly stone bridge in Central Park. You see, a few years ago, I was going through some rough stuff in life. I'd been diagnosed with M.S. two years earlier, my marriage of seventeen years was over, and life was anything but picture-perfect.

Then, one day, while working at Borders (one of the five part-time jobs I held in order to preserve my time with my daughters before and after school), I came across a calendar showcasing various New York landmarks. I studied each page as I flipped from month to month until I came to the winter scene of this particular bridge. The second I saw it, I knew I had to go there. A month later, on my birthday, I traveled from my then home in the midwest to New York. I saw a show, shopped, ate, and saw my bridge up close and personal. And on the way out of the park that day, I purchased a framed picture of that very bridge from a street vendor.

That trip was the start of a lot of changes in my life. Good changes. And, right or wrong, I see that bridge as the catalyst for many of them. Which is why that framed picture hangs on my bedroom wall still today.

Betsy Anderson's story (the heroine in A MOM FOR CALLIE) is, of course, different. The bridge she's propelled to visit is in a small town in Illinois rather than New York's Central Park. She is a writer, too, but she has very different things going on in her life. But, like me, that bookstore calendar will change her life in ways she never saw possible.

So tell me, has a picture or a movie ever propelled you to do something you might not have done otherwise?

~Laura

Writer In Residence

My friends, Mary and Barbara, decided to ask their book club to read my April book, An Unexpected Father. They also wanted me to speak at their monthly meeting. I was intrigued—and flattered—by the idea, and a date was set.

Afterward, I had an attack of “oh, what have I done.” This group tends towards the literary. Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence was their last read. How the heck was I going to stack up against him? So, I was a little nervous when I walked into Barbara’s apartment. There were about a dozen people there, apparently a bigger crowd than usual. Gulp! When it was time to start, I was pointed to a chair at one end of the room and the questions began.

From there, the evening went effortlessly. What struck me most was how interested they all were in the process of writing. We talked about the book and the characters, but more about how it got written, how all books get written. I realized that, if D.H. Lawrence had been sitting where I was, they would probably have asked him the same questions.

• Where do you get your ideas? Literally everywhere. From the newspaper, from the internet, from the bus driver, from the grocery-store clerk, from you.

• How long does it take to write a book? It depends on the length of the manuscript, but around five months for An Unexpected Father. I’m a slow writer compared to others I know, but what matters to me is how I feel about the results at the end of each day. If I’m happy with what I’ve written, even though it was only 500 words, then it was a good day.

• How much time do you spend writing each day? In the best of all worlds, six to seven hours. Of course, there are the distractions of life like laundry and cooking and exercise. I confess that I’m easily tempted away from the keyboard by the offer of coffee and a pastry, too.

• Who are your favorite authors? It’s a long list. I’m a voracious reader across all genres: Jane Austen, Mary Renault, Larry McMurtry, Robin McKinley, Dorothy Garlock, T.A. Pratt, David Lodge and soooo many others.

These were just a few of the questions the book club asked. I had nothing to fear and had a great time. I should have known: talking to people who love books is always a joy.

What questions would you ask me, if you could? Or D.H. Lawrence? Or any of the authors of the books on your bedside table?

Let's Hear It For Theme Parks

From my house on Florida’s east coast, it’s an easy one-hour drive to any one of four major theme parks. Imagine, non-stop fun practically guaranteed for the (admittedly hefty) price of an admission ticket. Unfortunately years, if not decades, pass between my visits to Orlando’s tourist mecca. Which is a shame, really. Because the parks are a lot of fun.

This summer, thanks to a story idea about a couple who disagree when she plans a theme park expansion that threatens his livelihood, I’ve been making the rounds of the theme parks. And since there’s no better way to view magic, I took some kids along. Believe me, it didn’t take much effort to “bribe” a precocious eight- and six-year-old to join in the fun.

It’s amazing how kids see things.

Stifling heat? Sweltering humidity? I don’t think they even noticed.

90-minute lines for popular rides? Did you know kids can play “I spy” for over an hour? Again and again? Plus, all memory of the time spent in line was instantly erased by a three-minute roller coaster ride or a train ride or a seat in a spinning teacup.

Crowds shuffling along, elbow-to-elbow, through a new exhibit? The 8-year-old kept asking if I felt the MAGIC of the town. The 6-year-old wanted to solve the mystery of snow on the rooftops in the middle of summer.

And an ice cream cone in the afternoon instantly picked up flagging spirits. My flagging spirits, that is. The kids were still going strong.

All-in-all, we had a blast. And I gathered a lot of info for the new book. Including one piece of information critical to surviving a visit to any of Florida’s theme parks in the summer—bring a hand-held, battery-operated water mister.

I Love San Francisco!

Every time I wear my I "heart" SF T-shirt, I'm surprised by how many comments I get.

"I love San Francisco, too!"

"I really want to go to San Francisco someday."

"What does SF stand for?"


I'm wearing my I "heart" SF T-shirt a lot these days because every time someone comments on it, it's an opportunity for me to hand them a bookmark and tell them about my next Harlequin American Romance, FIREFIGHTER DADDY (July 2010), which is set in San Francisco.

The hero in the this book is a widower with a little girl who loves to ride the cable cars.

These days the cable cars are among the city's biggest tourist attraction, but there was a time when they were also an important means of transportation.

This film was shot c.1905 from the front of a cable car traveling east along Market Street toward the Embarcadero (the clock tower in the distance).



Do you suppose there were any traffic rules in those days? Everyone seems to walk, ride and drive wherever they please!

Cable cars no longer run along Market Street, but you can still take a cable car from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf, up and down those crazy steep hills, and I think it's wonderful that the city has preserved that part of its history. Just one of the reasons why I "heart" SF!

Happy reading!

Until next time,
Lee
Firefighter Daddy
The Writer Side of Life

My August release, DUSTY: WILD COWBOY, is quickly turning into one of the most exciting books of my writing career. Not only do I get to participate in Harlequin American's first ever continuity, THE CODY'S: FIRST FAMILY OF RODEO, I just found out yesterday that I received my first ever 4.5 Stars Top Pick review from Romantic Times Book Club. This has been a dream of mine for years, and I'm so happy to have finally achieved it. Hope you don't mind if I share the review with you.


DUSTY: WILD COWBOY
by Cathy McDavid
Genre: Harlequin American Romance, Current Series Imprints, Series

Rating ★★★★ ½ Top Pick!

DUSTY: WILD COWBOY (4.5) by Cathy McDavid: Dusty Cody ran on the wild side until he found out he was a dad. Since then his life has changed and never more so than when Maryanne Devonshire enters his life. A PR rep for an eco-company, Maryanne is vacationing with her father when she and Dusty meet, but the wild cowboy and the relationship-wary Maryanne will have to trust each other to move the relationship forward. Dusty and Maryanne are wonderful, and by turns charming and stubborn. The rest of Dusty’s family is as rowdy as ever.

Reviewed By: Pat Cooper

Thanks for letting me gush and carry on a bit. I'm still doing the happy dance even after a full day.

Oh! Don't forget about THE CODY: FIRST FAMILY OF RODEO media blitz contest we're running again, starting July 16th. I know it's a little early, but mark your calendars, and be sure to check back here before the 16th for more details. Remember, the more places you link the post, the more chances you'll have to win! You can earn additional chances to win if you refer a friend and they in turn post a ling to their favorite social media websites and blogs.

Whoo, hoo!

Warmest wishes, my friends.

Cathy McDavid

Father's Day

Since yesterday was Father's Day, I thought I'd share some photos from our visit with my husband's 92 year old father at his home in Denton, Texas. He's one of the people responsible for me writing about small towns and the people who live there. He and my late mother-in-law told wonderful stories of growing up in Texas, southwest of Fort Worth. He lived in an area near Dennis, TX, on the Brazos River. He called it the "Big Valley," which is the equivalent of bottom land for those of us more familiar with large rivers. The house he grew up in is still there, in the photo on the left.

My mother-in-law spent the first 17 years of her life in Lingleville, TX, which is near Stephenville. She grew up on a smaller farm with much poorer soil, less water and more rocks. It was a tough life which she escaped though education, attending college where she met my father-in-law. Many of the stories he's told us through the years centered around people they stayed with and knew, distant relatives and friends of friends who helped out.

Yesterday we had a great visit, heard a few more stories (and some of them the second or third or tenth time,) and watched our grandchildren play in his spacious home. We treasure these visits and I always take lots of photos because I want the girls to remember their great-grandfather, whom they call "Dad." I doubt that they will remember the stories, but I have plans to record them on my Flip video and store them for the future. After all, Dad probably only has 10 or 20 good years left! Happy belated Father's Day to all the dads and to everyone who no longer has their dad to visit and listen to and get advice from, I hope you hold on to the all the good memories forever. Perhaps when the girls are older (like 25 or so!) I'll suggest they read my books for the essence of the stories from their great-grandparents and so many other Texans I've met in the past 39 years.

And a special memory of my dad, Art Chancellor, on one of our trips to the Smoky Mountains. I miss you, Daddy.

Summertime Fun

My four grandkids, ages 2-8, and I have begun a sort of tradition this summer. I'm not sure how long it will last, but so far it's been interesting.

Each morning about 9:30, we've taken off for a walk to the neighborhood park, where there's a merry-go-round that's off kilter, two sets of swings, three sets of climbing bars, and a tall slide. It's a large park and includes a backstop for baseball or even soccer and a cement basketball court with two basketball goals. It also has very little shade. After all, this is Kansas, which isn't known for an abundance of trees. Not out here on the prairie.

Wednesday, after the kids had played for a while, I noticed the sky in the southwest had become cloudy and very dark. Obviously it was time to head home. We were a block from home when huge drops of rain started falling, along with some tiny hail. We walked faster, and the rain fell faster. We made it to my yard and hurried to the porch, just as the sky opened up and thunder boomed, scaring not-yet 3-year-old Jaxon. I thought that would probably be the end of the trips to the park. I was wrong.

Going to the park was the first thing out of Jaxon's mouth on Thursday, so we made a return trip, but this time it was sunny, windy and humid, with no clouds, white or dark, in the sky. We took juice and colorful Fish crackers, and Jaxon finally mastered the slide, something he's been afraid of doing.

The trip to the park seems to help us start the day off better. They get to play off some of their morning energy, while I get some needed exercise, and we do it before it gets really hot. It will be interesting to see if they are the first to lose interest or if I'll be the one to call a halt when the temps reach double digits. Either way, I hope when they're older they'll remember the trips to the park and the fun they had. Making memories isn't nearly as hard as it sounds. Have you made any memories as summer has begun?

What a tangled Web we weave...

This is a good-news, bad-news post today.

The good news is that my next book for Harlequin American Romance, Family Matters, arrives in October, just a few short months away.

And though I’m eagerly anticipating that happy occasion, the bad news is, I’m planning to update my Web site to coincide with announcing the book’s arrival.

It should be fun, right? Helping a designer pick out photos and fonts. Setting up a background that suits both my style and that of my books. Giving readers a good look at my “home” on the Web and hoping it’s a place they’ll like to come back to visit often.

Well, trying to decide on all these elements of my virtual home is becoming about as complicated as choosing a real house!

After looking at approximately eighteen gazillion Web sites out there--one more beautiful than the next--I’m afraid my mind’s on overload.

So I’m asking for your opinions and advice.

What do you like to see on a Web site? What don’t you like to see? What are the elements that stick with you after you’ve surfed through those Internet homes? And what brings you back to some of them again and again?

Looking forward to your input on this!

All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

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

Gulf Oil Catastrophe

Over a year ago I was asked to put the book I'm currently revising on hold in order to write a couple of other projects for the line. Call it karma, fate or kismet but to make a long story short, I finished the book, received my revisions, then BAM! The Deepwater Horizon exploded and sunk in the Gulf of Mexico, tragically killing eleven workers.

What has this got to do with my book? The hero in Roughneck Cowboy is a roughneck –a deckhand on the Exxon Hoover Diana in the Gulf of Mexico. Even though the hero in my book, Travis Cartwright, quits his job on the ocean rig in order to work on his estranged father's oil rigs in Oklahoma, the topic is a sensitive one for many readers.

The sinking of BP's Deepwater Horizon and the resulting environmental chaos it's created in the Gulf is an emotional and volatile issue in our country right now. I'm certain many of our readers have loved ones employed by the oil industry or in businesses that supply products to the oil industry as well as readers whose family members are fisherman, shrimpers or own businesses along the Gulf coast. All have been affected by this recent disaster.

As I finish revisions on this book, I've gained a greater respect for the brave men and women who work on these oil rigs as well as a new understanding of the far-reaching consequences a disaster such as the Deepwater Horizon can have on our environment, nature and people's livelihoods—most likely for decades.

My thoughts and prayers are with those most affected by this latest tragedy as are my hopes and wishes that the lessons learned from this disaster are used to better protect oil industry employees, the environment and our neighbor's livelihoods in the future.


On a brighter note…Mark your calendars for July 16th. Our next One-Day-Only Media Blitz contest here at www.harauthors.blogspot.com I'll be blogging about Dexter: Honorable Cowboy, book 2 in the The Codys: First Family of Rodeo continuity. I'll be giving away copies of Dexter and a few cowboy goodies to several winners who use their social media sites to spread the word. Be sure to tell your friends about the contest! We want to see how many places we can promote The Codys: First Family of Rodeo!

Marin
RT Top Pick
Dexter:Honorable Cowboy July 2010
www.marinthomas.com