You Say It’s February?

I’m muddled up in writer time again. Is it really the first of February?

I ask not because our cool, rainy Southern California winter has finally yielded to an unseasonable dose of sunshine with temperatures nearing 80, but because I tend to get confused between real time, writing time (in the book I’m currently working on) and current-release-book time.

In an unusual confluence of circumstances, these seem to be more or less the same. I’m not sure when that last happened. Here’s what I mean:

Item one: It really is the first of February (I think).

Item two: I have a February release, Officer Daddy. It’s the latest entry in my Safe Harbor Medical series within the Harlequin American line.

Item three: Officer Daddy actually starts in February. It doesn’t stay there, because it involves an unplanned pregnancy as well as a bit of a mystery, and I have to follow my obstetrician heroine, Nora, through her early months of gestation. It ends in April.

Item four: I’m currently writing another book in the series that also starts in February. It’s not the book that follows Officer Daddy – that’s Falling for the Nanny, due out in June – or the one after that, tentatively entitled The Surgeon’s Surprise Twins and due in October. It’s the book after that. By this time, Nora has happily given birth and is on maternity leave from Safe Harbor.

So while I’m fairly sure that this month is February, I’m still trying to straighten out which February.

On top of all that, I’m re-editing one of my Regency romances from many years ago so I can make digital copies available to Kindle and Nook readers. A Lady of Letters will be the fourth Regency I’ve posted – of six that I sold – and it takes place in early March. Well, that’s almost February.
Whew.

Wherever you are, I hope your weather’s bright and cheery for Valentine’s Day. Because as we romantic souls know, that’s what’s really important about this month.

JANUARY WINNER!!

CONGRATULATIONS Estella! You’re the January winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Lee McKenzie and Cathy McDavid 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!

Top 10 Things that Get Me Through January

It has been a long, dark, dreary, cold, snowy month, much more so than usual for my little slice of the South. As I write this, we're under yet another winter storm warning with a predicted 2-4 inches of snow on the way. Sigh. But the end is in sight. There's something about changing the calendar over to February that makes me happy. January is my least favorite month, and this one has been a stinker. And even if it's still cold and wintry in February, in my mind I'm thinking, "Spring is just around the corner!"

But I've managed to get through January fairly well considering I'd much rather be in South Florida where they never see snow. Here's are my coping mechanisms, in no particular order:

1. Exercise! I have some ambitious weight-loss and fitness goals for this year, so I'm exercising regularly. Side benefits including improving my mood and keeping me warm. :)

2. New TV shows -- There are returning favorites (White Collar, V, Supernatural) and new programs (Off the Map, Fairly Legal).

3. Reading RITA entries. I have eight to judge, and I read them while I'm on the treadmill or snuggled under the covers at night. The first one I read was really good, and this second one is also really good so far. I love getting off to a good start.

4. Re-watching the Harry Potter movies and re-reading the Harry Potter books. Yes, in preparation for the movie series finale this summer.

5. Work. I cranked through a first draft of an American manuscript this month and have also done some freelance work. Keeping busy makes January fly.

6. Couponing. My sister is a whiz at getting deals at the grocery. That, combined with a fascination about the extreme couponers (you know, those people who can get a cart full of food for like $1.50) has me learning more about saving on our grocery bill. I still have a lot to learn, but I learn a little more each day.

7. Connecting with friends and readers through Facebook and Twitter. When I sign on to either, I always find something interesting.

8. Planning for a trip to Texas in March. I have to go to Austin for the RWA board meeting, so I'm tacking on a trip to see a good friend in San Antonio and a research trip through the Hill Country for the trilogy I'm working on for American.

9. Daydreaming about someday being able to live in a Florida beach community. I simply adore the idea of being able to go walking on the beach and listening to the waves every day.

10. Curling up on the couch with the hubby to watch football or movies.

Are you a fan of winter, or do you slog through it on your way to spring? What gets you through the winter months?

My Progress Box

Shortly after I quit my day job to write full time, several of us would-be authors started holding weekly get-togethers where we’d look over each other’s work and bemoan the state of our yet-to-be-discovered talent. These meetings usually involved plenty of wine along with our whine, but—amazingly—I almost always walked away with at least one piece of useful information. One night, in particular, the take-away was an invaluable hint for keeping track of my writing progress: Use the printer.

Such a simple idea, really. At the beginning of each book, I place an empty wire basket on one corner of my desk. And, at the end of every writing day, before I check my email one final time and start fixing dinner, I print out the pages I’ve written that day. I don’t read them, not necessarily. Instead, I pile them in the wire basket. And as I watch the pile grow, I remind myself that I’m moving forward.

By the end of the third chapter, the basket usually overflows, so I transfer the growing stack to an empty cardboard box. Which I leave in plain sight. On the days when my writing goes well, I rarely look at it. On the days when the writing feels more like slogging through quicksand (and believe me, we all have those days), the box serves as a reminder that I’m moving closer and closer to giving my characters the happily-ever-after moment they deserve.

I have to admit, as the writing progresses, the box gets messy. By the time the manuscript is finished, the carton is full. It overflows during revisions, and guests start questioning my housekeeping skills. Edits and polishing can require a second box. But at last the time comes when the final edits have been completed, the characters I love have fallen in love with each other, and it’s time to say good-bye.

Then, and only then, is it time to empty the box and prepare for the next story. And that’s what I did last week after turning in the final edits for my June release, The Daddy Catch. I emptied the box, bagged up the papers for recycling, and placed a new, empty basket on the corner of my desk. Soon, I'll start filling it with pages for my next Harlequin American Romance.

Inspiration

Authors are often asked where they get their ideas and inspirations, and every time I’m asked that question, I have to say there’s a different answer for every book. Jess Bennett, the heroine in The Wedding Bargain, appeared in Firefighter Daddy as Rory Borland’s best friend. As soon as I met her, I knew she needed a book of her own.

Jess barely ekes out a living at The Whiskey Sour, the bar she owns in San Francisco’s South of Market neighbourhood, so it didn’t seem likely that she would own a car. So I gave her a little red Vespa instead.

Jess had a bit of a rough upbringing, so she needed a hero who would sweep her off her feet and give her the fairy tale ending she truly deserved. Enter Michael Morgan, CEO of Morgan Estate Winery. I fell in love with him the moment he strolled onto the page. It took Jess a little longer. While on a winery tour of Napa Valley (gotta love research!) I fell in love with the Andretti Winery, and it became my inspiration for Michael’s family home.


And since every fairy tale ending could very well include a fairy tale wedding, Jess would have to have the perfect gown. It had to be timeless, elegant, and not too fussy. If she was going to get married, this was the dress.

I hope you have as much fun reading Jess and Michael's story as I had writing it! Happy reading!

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

How Long is a Series?

I've created two fictional Texas towns for my Harlequin American Romances: Ranger Springs, in the Hill Country (for information on the area see http://www.texashillcountry.com/), and Brody's Crossing, northwest of Fort Worth where West Texas begins. Each of them have their own geography, but more than that, they are inhabited by a steady cast of secondary characters who (hopefully) enrich the stories of the heroes and heroines. As I've mentioned in the past, some of these characters come from snippets of stories my Texas in-laws have told about growing up in the area southwest of Fort Worth. This is my father-in-law's homestead near Dennis, Texas on the Brazos River.

One of the frequent questions I get from readers is this: How many books will be in my Brody's Crossing series? The answer is . . . I have no idea! Perhaps my editor has an opinion on how long the series will continue, based on reader interest, but I'm not sure. (Authors don't get sales figures from our books for quite a while after they are released.) As long as I enjoy writing about these characters and don't run out of interesting plots that ring true for this particular town, I see no reason to end it. As soon as I have no more ideas, I'm sure I will move on to another spot, perhaps even (gasp!) another state.

In 2011 I'm very excited about the whole writing experience. I have finished the edits on both books, Suddenly Texan (May 2011) and The Texan and the Cowgirl (July 2011) and now I'm waiting impatiently to see the cover art. At the end of June the Romance Writers of America conference will be in New York City, a place I love. I've already reserved my hotel room; my husband and my daughter will have to "duke it out" to see which one of them is going with me, because they both love NYC.

In the past few years I haven't scheduled any booksignings, but I'm looking forward to having one (at least) at the Wal-Mart near our weekend house in Mineola, TX (http://www.mineola.com/.) They carry Harlequin American Romances and since I spend so much time (and money) there when I'm in East Texas, I just know they'll want to schedule an event! Because I mention Graham, TX (http://visitgrahamtexas.com/ ) so much in my Brody's Crossing series, I may see if I can go there for a booksigning. In nearby Weatherford, there is a very supportive independent bookstore and radio program that may be interested. I see several fun events in my future!

Perhaps I'm keeping myself busy and excited because I'm having one of those "milestone" birthdays next month. "A rolling stone gathers no moss" is the old saying that seems most appropriate to me at the moment.

I hope you feel equally excited about your prospects in this new year. Our careers and personal lives are often uncertain, but having something exciting to anticipate is very important as we move forward. Best wishes for a great start to 2011.

Happy New Year!

Here I am, wishing you all a happy new year, and the first month of that year is already more than half over. Hard to believe, isn’t it? I hope you had wonderful holidays and that your 2011 has gotten off to a great start.

This is the time of year I, along with most of the population, like to make resolutions.

You know what the number-one goal is, don’t you? Of course, you do. Say it with me:

“LOSE WEIGHT!”

I’d recently attended a workshop where the speaker announced how many people actually follow through on the resolutions they set for a new year. The answer:

Two percent.

That’s right.

Two.

And I’m proud to say I can’t be counted among them.

Last year, I went for the weight-loss goal, among others. In 2010, I lost almost two pounds. :-) That’s not so wonderful, is it? But it’s much better than going in the opposite direction!

Fortunately, I made more progress with my writing goals.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a blog on goal setting (http://bit.ly/f4F8k4). It must have been even more of a challenge than I'd planned, as many readers stopped by the blog that day but only a couple of them left comments. Either everyone was recovering from Christmas and getting ready for New Year’s Eve or else the idea I’d presented was more than people wanted to take on.

Or maybe the problem was that the post involved homework. :-)

Whether or not those people who read the blog entry have found time to do the homework, I hope they’ve taken a look at their goals. I have, and it’s been worth it. Among my aims for this year, I’ve vowed to lose weight—of course!—and to do a heck of a lot of writing.

As of yesterday, I’m down 1.3 pounds. That’s well on the way to beating last year’s goals already. But I’m taking the weight loss a week at a time.

As for the writing, I’m working on that every day.

How about you? Have you set any goals for yourself this year? If so, how are you doing with them?

All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

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

Calendars

Calendars help people manage their personal schedules, time and activities. They also remind us of friends' and family members' birthdays. Each New Year I look forward to buying a kitchen calendar. I have a huge, boring utilitarian calendar on my office desk—serves as a blotter, coaster, and keyboard pad. The calendar I keep in my kitchen is the one that "Inspires" me. When I say "Inspire" I'm not referring to inspirational quotes or words of wisdom. I'm referring to "Visual Inspiration". Pictures that serve as the inspiration for my next Harlequin American Hero. When I saw the hero on the cover for my February release, Roughneck Cowboy, my first thought was that the guy should be on a calendar!

Below are examples of the types of "Inspirational Calendars" that have been found in Marin Thomas's kitchen through the years.

Firefighter Calendar


Cowboy Hunk Calendars

Hockey Heroes Calendar

Movie Star Calendars




What type of Calendar inspires you the most?

Marin Thomas
Roughneck Cowboy *Men of the West* Feb 2011
The Bull Rider's Surrender *E-HQ Weekly Read* March 2011
Rodeo Daddy *Rodeo Rebels* April 2011
The Bull Rider's Secret *Rodeo Rebels* July 2011
Riley's Story (w.t.) *Rodeo Rebels* Dec 2011www.marinthomas.com

Spring, where are you???

(Daughter boating in the backyard. Spring, where are you???)

Maybe it's the winter doldrums of beige Oklahoma consuming me with wanderlust, or maybe just the post-holidays blahs. Either way, I've fallen in love all over again not with a hunky Navy Seal, but a TV show called International House Hunters. My favorite episode features a couple and their small child relocating to Dubai. Something about the concept of living in a chrome and glass high-rise with a resort-style pool at my disposal sounds irresistibly decadent. Even better, the husband's company funded it all!!

Don't get me wrong, we have a great house, but the recent addition to our family of a squirrel having taken up residence in the kitchen, combined with a plumbing leak, combined with carpets needing to be cleaned has made me long for that old promise Calgon bath beads used to make about "taking me away"!! LOL!!

On the flip side, the couple who moved from Canada to Hungary didn't seem nearly as content. (At least I think it was Hungary.) They ended up with a half-constructed shell they're unable to get a construction loan on in order to complete. Now stuck indefinitely in a cramped apartment, I'm thinking their adventure didn't turn out so grand.

This is what keeps me running to good books or movies as opposed to actual real estate agents when I'm looking to get away. Knowing our luck, Hubby and I would end up with a house wackier than the one we already have!! Can't you just imagine . . . We take off for somewhere crazy-exotic like say, Cairo, only to find our oasis infested with cobras and reeking of camel poo??!!

Ugh. Guess I'll keep trying to catch our squirrel, call a plumber and pray for Spring!!

How about you? Craving a winter escape?

Keep Those Cards and Letters Rolling In!

A lovely email from a fan arrived recently and got me thinking about how much a kind word or compliment can make a difference to your day.

During the long 20 years it took to achieve publication, I imagined all sorts of things happening, but not once did I think about fan mail. These cheerful missives have the knack of arriving just when I need a boost, whether because I’ve had a lousy day, or worse still, I’ve been staring at my computer screen, reading my latest manuscript and wondering why on Earth I imagined I could write.

I’m consumed by the certain knowledge that I’ve wasted 20 years of my life working towards a career that crashes and burns before I’ve even completed my first series for Harlequin American about the magnificent O’Malley Men.

And then into my inbox pops an email from someone saying they’re delighted to have discovered me, or professing to love my stories, my quirky characters, thanking me for tackling a topic that’s dear to their hearts, or having them sitting on their seats at the climax and wanting to know when my next story is coming out.

Wow! Heady stuff and so welcome and appreciated that I reply immediately to thank them. These letters are lifesavers that I treasure. I’ve decided to frame the best ones (which come to think of it, is all of them!) and mount them on my study wall to gaze at when I’m feeling down or doubting myself.

I’m sure other authors get a similar buzz from receiving fan mail. I’ll bet the senders have no idea what a difference they make in our daily lives.

So thank you every last wonderful person who has taken the time to write or email an author and tell us you love our stories. You may love what we write, but we love what you write just as much!

I’m giving away a copy of my latest in the O’Malley Men series, “Colorado Cowboy” to a commenter who tells me what makes their day.

Till next time!

CC

Games People Play by Megan

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a good end to 2010 with many fun times and happy memories with family and friends.
As I get older, I'm more perplexed by what to do for entertainment at parties and get-togethers. Granted, we're a story-telling family on both sides, and my friends are interesting people I love to listen to. But it's always nice to have a backup activity.
I was the youngest, and therefore the least experienced, the least savvy/conniving, the least intelligent. But I grew up loving games, even though I rarely won. I played Solitaire when I couldn't get my siblings on board. We loved Monopoly (until someone actually read the rules--no money on Free Parking! what's with that?) and sometimes I could get my sibs involved in a game of Rummy. If we left the house, we went bowling, but my brothers were involved with baseball and football, so it was sometimes hard to corral everyone.
The computer has opened up waaaaay too many games (web sudoku anyone?) and I've had to cut myself off from some on FaceBook. But my dear daughter drew me into playing Family Feud so she could win points when I didn't do well. Makes me laugh, but I have to admit, she's earning us more points than I could alone. We sometimes make time for Scrabble together; I love Farmville; and sometimes I'll drop over to Wheel of Fortune or Word Drop. Sometimes WordSearch, but I'm not a fan of timers. I used to have Boggle on an older computer, but I wouldn't let myself put it on my writing laptop.
So I'm on the hunt for something fun for adults to play. I've enjoyed a few games of Apples to Apples, but I'm looking to branch out. Trivia Pursuit used to be a favorite, but I haven't played in years and I hear there's a new version/set of questions. Anyone know about it?
Anyone have a game they enjoy? A cherished family game that has held up through the years?
Cheers,
Megan Kelly
www.megankellybooks.com

Favorite Recipes for January

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Did you have time to read any good books when you weren't shopping, cleaning, entertaining, and cooking? I hope you had some time for yourself during this busy time.

We had ham for Christmas dinner and I still have some left over. Tonight I'm making something very simple that will use most of the ham I have left. It is appropriately called "End of the Line Ham Casserole" from Dottie18 and received four stars on allrecipes.com. Since it's cool during the day and cold at night here in Texas, this will be good to warm us up.

1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cup milk
black pepper to taste
2 potatoes, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 cups cooked ham, diced
2 T grated parmesan (or other favorite) cheese
(Note: I may add some shredded cheddar just because we love cheese!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an 8 x 8 (greased or sprayed) casserole dish, combine soup, milk and pepper. Layer potato slices, onion slices and ham on top. Cover and bake one hour. Remove cover and sprinkle with parmesan or other grated cheese. Bake uncovered another 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.



If I have any more ham left, I'm thinking of making this classic Pasta Carbonara dish with shredded or thinly sliced ham instead of bacon. I love Pasta Carbonara in restaurants and even the Lean Cuisine meal! I usually fix a Caesar salad (I love Ken's Lite Creamy Caesar dressing) and have a very light dessert with something this hearty.

1 lb dry linguine
8 oz bacon (substitute ham) diced
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 large egg yolks
1 cup (4 ounces) grated parmesan, plus more for garnishing
3/4 t black pepper

Cook linguine according to package directions, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water. In a large skillet over medium high heat, fry the bacon (or saute ham) until crisp. Transfer to paper towel lined plate. Spoon off and discard all but 2 T of the bacon drippings. (Note: If you use ham, you probably won't have many drippings, but cooking the onion in the skillet will deglaze the pan.) Return skillet to medium heat, add the onion, and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Working quickly, returned the drained pasta to the pot along with the pasta water, bacon, and onion. Place the pot over low heat and cook, tossing frequently, until heated through. Removed from heat and quickly add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring after each addition. Add the parmesan cheese and pepper and stir until sauce thickens slightly. Divide among bowls. Top with additional parmesan.


I hope these two dishes will inspire you to use up all your leftovers and stay warm with a full tummy! Happy eating, happy reading, and most of all, Happy New Year! Please come visit my author page on Facebook and "Like" me there. Thanks.

Wishing Y'all Lots of 'Bests'

So, there I was, half-walking-half-running on the treadmill this morning, thinking about food, when I got to thinking about my relatives’ coffee cake.

We hosted my husband’s family this Christmas, and in the midst of cooking and baking and shopping, we ate my sister-in-law’s mother-in-law’s coffee cake. Mardy’s MIL had sent it to her for Christmas; so of course, she brought it with her to our house. Mardy’s kids proclaimed it the ‘Best Coffee Cake in the World’. I had to admit it was really pretty good. But the best? Between you and me, I wasn't so sure.

Of course, I think the reason it was so tasty to my niece and nephew had far less to do with the ingredients and far more to do with the love and memories it drummed up. Most foods are like that, I suppose. I can hardly look at a pork chop without gagging. (bad experience with pork while pregnant!) But I absolutely love steak.

Steak dinner was my family’s Sunday dinner growing up. For me, it’s still my favorite meal. It has to have essential ingredients, of course: New York Strip, Baked potato, Pillsbury Crescent rolls, and green salad with Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing. That’s it. Every birthday and Mother’s Day, that’s what I ask for, and I’m always so happy to dig into my ‘best’ dinner.

Tonight, we’re having Beef Stroganoff, in honor of it being my son’s last night here before he goes back to college. That’s his favorite dinner, which is actually kind of a surprise, because I wouldn’t say I make it all that well. My daughter would tell you her ‘best’ dinner is chicken pie. My husband? Grilled hamburgers. (That was his family's Sunday meal)

I have to tell you-last week, when my relatives were here, we ate every last crumb of that coffee cake. Actually, by the time my relatives left I was thinking that it had to be one of the best coffee cakes, ever. Of course, I have to guess that that has to do far more with the fun times we had and less to do with the cake.

But, all things considered, I hope next Christmas, Mardy brings it again.

What about you? Anyone have a favorite food or dinner…just because it brings you happy memories?

This year, I hope all of you have plenty of meals that are the ‘best’, and that you have time to enjoy each one. After all, you can always get on that treadmill…

Shelley Galloway

DECEMBER WINNER!!

CONGRATULATIONS Winter Peck! You’re the December winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Laura Marie Altom and Linda Warren 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!