Seeing the world afresh

My recent project, in the minuscule amount of spare time
between writing my latest Harlequin American medical romance and teaching
writing, has been reissuing my Regencies, mysteries and older romantic comedies
in digital editions. This has been a learning experience, fraught with errors.
But while I did figure I’d learn a lot, I never imagined I’d be seeing the
world in a new light.

Here’s how this latest twist came about: I was delighted
when one of my friends, Golden Heart-winning author Debra Holland (who has
self-published her wonderful sweet historical Wild Montana Sky), read my
Regency A Lady of Letters and posted a five-star review on Amazon, which
helps readers find the book. But while I appreciated her enthusiasm for the
story, I was bummed to learn that the scanned text contained annoying hyphens that
didn’t show up in my Word documents.

She wasn’t crazy about my homemade cover, either.

I figured out how to un-hide the hyphens, which I’ve learned
sometimes result when copy is scanned from printed text. After deleting them
and re-posting all my Regencies on Amazon (for the Kindle ereader) and Barnes
and Noble (for Nook), I decided to cope with my covers. Wiser folk suggested
hiring designers at $50-$75 a cover, which is certainly reasonable. But I’m stubborn, and besides, that’s a
lot of money, since I’ll be posting at least 20 books and maybe more before I’m
done.

So I gathered my courage and decided to tackle a truly scary
(to me) computer program: Photoshop Elements 9.

Right now, I’m about a third of the way through the book
that describes how to use it. While I haven’t actually begun to work on my
covers, something strange has happened.

Although it’s possible to buy stock images online, I started
seeing things around me in a different way. I grow a lot of flowers—roses,
lilies, and so on. I’ve begun taking photographs of flowers and thinking about
how they’ll look on covers. At my mother-in-law’s historic home, I noticed
fascinating details of windows and antiques. In my head, I began figuring how I
might use these, too.

Did I mention how much more I appreciate morning light? Or
how aware I’ve become of shapes, angles and composition?

Stay tuned. One of these days I’ll make and post an actual
cover to share with you!

Or run screaming into the hills. But if I do, I’ll
take my camera.

You're gonna make it after all

Back in the early '70s I was like a lot of young women—single, self-sufficient, working nine-to-five, and enjoying everything a big city has to offer. And I loved my job as an advertising copywriter. I was living the life of my television heroine, Mary Richards.

I loved the Mary Tyler Moore Show! It seemed each of my co-workers reflected a character on the show...and of course I was Mary!

I had a great apartment, although not quite as cool as Mary's attic apartment at 119 North Weatherly Avenue in Minneapolis (a fictional address). Anyone remember the apartment number?

And then of course there was the famous hat-toss, which is still, all these years later, my favorite television moment.

I recently had my own Mary Tyler Moore moment...and was really, really sorry I didn't have a hat with me!

Then again, sometimes it's better to let the perfect metaphor be just that, especially when it's now cast in bronze.

Do you have a favorite fictional heroine? I love to hear about her!

Until next time,
Lee
THE CHRISTMAS SECRET (November 2011)
www.LeeMcKenzie.com

Happy-Ever-After Advice

What do you do if your hero and heroine need some good ol' fashioned relationship advice? Since I write a lot of cowboy books I turn to my favorite source for cowfolk advice. Thought it would be fun to share some snippets from...

Just One Fool Thing after Another
A Cowfolks' Guide to Romance by Gladiola Montana and Texas Bix Bender.



Attention without intention is flirtation.
To bring somebody into your life, take a step into theirs.
The ranch is work from sun to sun, but loves work is never done.
If your mind's set to ride a buckin' bronc, you'd better be prepared for the bruises.
When you fall into somebody's arms, you're fallin' into their hands as well.
A heart that ain't been broke thinks it's okay to go round breakin' others.
There's no cure for lovesickness, and nobody really wants one.

A man can build a house but it takes a woman to make it a home.


If you wanta stay single look for a perfect mate.
It may be more romantic to be the first love, but it's better to be the last.
When a woman makes up her mind you can always be sure she's gonna do exactly what she says—or not.
Women flirt to be appreciated; men mean it.

A woman wanted by men but disliked by women is nothin' but trouble.


The only time a woman can change a man is when he's a baby.


Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight it out.


When you're pickin' flowers everybody gets along. When it's time to muck the stalls is when you find out how true your love is.

Stolen kisses require an accomplice.


When you can't keep anything from 'em, you love 'em.

Big problems will pull you together. It's the little things that tear you apart.


Your turn! Share some of the advice friends or family have given you on personal relationships and marriage—was it good advice or poppycock?


Marin Thomas
The Bull Rider's Secret July 2011
A Rodeo Man's Promise (Dec 2011)
Arizona Cowboy (Feb 2012)
www.marinthomas.com

North to Alaska

Okay, so I'm a little bummed about not going to New York this year for National. I must admit though that Alaska was worth the sacrifice. My hubby and I took our moms on a week long cruise through the inside passage to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan and finally Victoria BC.

The weather cooperated beautifully. Scenery was amazing. Although I missed the black bear that some folks saw, we did see plenty of whales in Glacier Bay, a mountain goat and two babies on the train ride out of Skagway, plus an upclose and personal with an eagle in Ketchikan.

Probably the highlight for me though was that hubby joined the spa the first day out and we were able to relax and take in much of the scenery at sea from the whirlpool or sitting in the loungers, just watching Alaska pass by. Being a warm water sort of gal, that one thing helped make Alaska more my type trip.

We ended the adventure in Butchart Gardens in Victoria the last evening and all I can say is that I wish we'd had more than three hours to wander through and take in the array of color and landscaping. Awesome.


For those of you like me who are sweltering here in the south, maybe the pics will give you a moment's relief. For everyone headed to New York at the end of the month, wishing you a wonderful time. Will miss you.

Anybody else out there have any trips planned this year?

Mean Lady in Green Shorts!!/Contest

Please help find my missing book!!  This is what it looks like!!

Good morning!! Hope your summer is off to a way cooler start than ours here in Oklahoma!! One summer ritual I've had for a good ten years--probably more, but I'm too old to count--is my annual trek to the Romance Writers of America conference. This year, we're back in Manhattan, which means extra pressure to look polished and professional, rather than like I-haven't-left-the-house-in-three-days-and-dribbled-Spaghettios-down-the-front-of-my-shirt!!!

As part of the last push to prepare for my trip, I've been going to the gym--a lot!! I think my butt's a little smaller, but other than that, I haven't seen a whole lot of results. Anyway, yesterday was a half treadmill/half weight day, so Hannah and I schlepped from the movie-treadmill room to the ladies weight area.

In the ladies only area was a woman wearing annoying green shorts. They were bright, ill-fitting and kinda ugly considering how gorgeous she was!! If I had her body, you'd better believe I'd be wearing something seriously hot all the time!! (See what kinds of crazy ramblings fly through my head while on those horrible weight lifting machines??)

I'd just finished strengthening and toning my luscious thighs when the woman sneezed. As I would with any human--usually my dogs, too--I told her, "Bless you." Not only did she not reply, but she gave me a squinty little glare!!!! What was that about?? Was she an atheist? Or just generally not in the mood to be blessed?

Literally, a minute or two later she left, and we never saw her again. So now, I'm asking you--am I wrong in blessing folks when they sneeze? I appreciate every blessing I can get, and assumed everyone felt the same!! Comments? Other blessing experiences?  Grrr. 

In happier news, I supposedly have a book out this month called, A Cowgirl's Secret. That said, I have yet to see it here in Tulsa, because all of the May releases are still on the shelves. If you've seen my sweet story anywhere--Poughkeepsie, Mongolia, Detroit--please let me know!! First person to tell me where they found their copy wins their choice of any two books on my backlist, plus a romance-themed charm bracelet!!  (Amazon doesn't count!!  LOL!!!) 

The First Day of School

Oh, that first day your little one goes to school. You hold their hand, tell them everything will be okay and secretly cross your fingers, praying that you’re right. Your mind runs a million miles an hour. Have you done everything to get them ready to solo in the big, wide world? Do they know their manners? Are they wearing the right clothes? Will the other kids like them? Finally, the time arrives. You see them off. Tears gather, and you’re not sure who cries the most—them or you.

Release day for THE DADDY CATCH, my second book for Harlequin American, was earlier this week. Its launch felt an awful lot like the first day I sent my little one off to school.

By the time this book appeared on store shelves, I’d lived with the story for several years. I nurtured Jess, a fly fishing guide, from a vague image of blonde hair and sun-drenched skin into a fully-fledged single mom, a widow who wants to preserve a piece of old Florida as a legacy for her little boy. Dan burst onto the page fully-formed, but we still went through a few rough patches until he learned that Jess’s love was worth more than the acceptance of his peers. There were edits, lots of edits. They made the book stronger, better. The Art Department dressed it in a beautiful cover. And the day finally arrived when the book was out there, on its own.

Fortunately, the early reviews of THE DADDY CATCH have been great. Romantic Times gave it 4 stars, calling it “a charming romance with a solid plot.” It was voted Book of the Week at Long and Short Reviews. Dear Author listed it as a “Recommended Read” for June.

Like a mom on the first day of school, I’m relieved my little one is off to a good start. And tomorrow, I’ve been asked to talk a little more about THE DADDY CATCH on the Harlequin blog (www.harlequinblog.com). Join me there, won’t you?

IT'S SUMMER!!!

IT’S SUMMER

And wow is it summer! We had 100 degrees here yesterday and today it’s supposed to be higher. That’s just too much heat for June or anytime of the year. Crazy weather all over the country. My heart and prayers go out to the people of Joplin, Missouri and the Mississippi flood victims.

But on a lighter note, vegetable gardens are coming in with fresh veggies due to being watered religiously because we’ve had very little rain. We went to my brothers on Sunday and raided his large garden. No, really, we were invited. We brought home tomatoes, potatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers and squash. There’s nothing like eating a home-grown tomato fresh from the vine (washed, of course). Can’t wait for the green beans, peas and corn to be ready.

When I was growing up, my mother always had a garden and I really miss the fresh veggies. She was part Polish and made dishes that I haven’t seen since. With tomatoes, she’d slice them and sprinkle sugar on top. It was like a dessert. Delicious. And cucumbers she’d also slice, add salt and let them sit for a minute and then add mayonnaise, a little vinegar and pepper. Then mix. You have to really like cucumbers to like this dish. She’d also slice squash, lengthwise, salt and let sit. When they were wet and limber, she’d dip them in cornmeal and fry. Absolutely delicious. Not very healthy, though. But it’s fresh squash and summertime so I’ll indulge—a little.

Do you like fresh vegetables? If you have any recipes, please share.

Chillin’ at 102 degrees here in Texas.
Linda
The Texan’s Secret – Aug ‘11

America's Greatest Asset by Megan

As most of you know, I live in St. Louis, in the heart of the country. Ah, the Midwest. While too many people view it as "flyover country," our area truly has some wonders. The Gateway Arch. The St. Louis Zoo (still free!). The St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. lol

We also have mighty unpredictable weather. On New Year's Eve, a tornado struck. Yes, I said New Year's Eve. While we expect and are pretty much used to storms during our tornado seasons, that one took us all by surprise. Trust me, a power outage in the winter is not fun.

Storms continued to plague us throughout the spring. Tornadoes, rain, hail, rain, floods, and more tornadoes. The fun doesn't seem to stop. I'm sure you've heard of the tragedy across the state in Joplin, MO. It's hit every news source.

I thought my favorite Joplin story of recovery would be the circus elephant helping with cleanup. See, instead of leaving town after the storm cancelled the show, the Picadilly Circus stayed~~and helped out. You can watch the video on YouTube; the story was carried on the major network news shows.

Which brings me to the title of this post. The greatest asset in America. No, not elephants, lol. People. While we sometimes worry about the youth of today (it's our turn, since we are the youth our parents worried about, right?), and we shake our heads at government officials and CEOs, and we grit our teeth at identity theft stories, especially against our senior citizens, I have to argue that our people are our greatest asset.

All the national news stations carried the story of this circus staying behind and helping out. Sure, the elephant made it a cute and unique video. But I won't believe the national networks would have carried the story if they didn't think people would watch. People watch because they care. It's why a small town dentist loaded up his truck and went to Joplin. It's why people hit the special code on their cell phones to donate money to the Red Cross. It's why lemonade stands are set up, bake sales organized and blood drives well-attended.

Today is a special sale day. When you buy at a certain major book-writing resource site and its 19 sister companies, the proceeds go to Flood Relief along the Mississippi Delta. Visit them. Buy lemonade from the kid down the street or a brownie at the bake sale. Those in the flood areas or devastated by tornadoes are going to need our help for a long time. I believe in the goodness of American people. I know we'll come through.

Oh, and my favorite news story coming out of Joplin? A high school athlete whose family could no longer live in their home found the strength to compete in the state championship. Even though her family couldn't come watch her. Even though her school had been destroyed. Even though her coach couldn't accompany her because she's a first-responder. So who went with her? A coach from a nearby town stepped up. That's what Americans do. The girl tied her all-time personal best record. Because that's what Americans do~~our personal best. Her event is the pole vault. I know it's corny of me, but I could almost see the caption as she cleared the bar: Joplin Rises Again.

She didn't take first place. But she won that day.

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

MAY WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Linda s! You’re the May winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Megan Kelly and Barbara White Daille through their Web sites.

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