Denise's Den

A great day!!

2012-01-10T08:00:00.002-07:00

Short and sweet. Don't forget there are two great things happening today:

1. It's Pitch Day at Sweeter Romantic Notions. For more information go to my blog post here or go to the SRN Yahoo Group. I'm sending lots of good vibes to everyone pitching. Good luck!

2. It's Release Day for The Scarred Heir. If you haven't checked it out yet, do so. Once again, here's the blurb:

Double trouble—with a twist.

Two months. Just two more months and Sarah Standish will be twenty-one and free to come out of hiding. Not long ago she was on the brink of marrying the man of her dreams—until she discovered his complicity with her uncle’s plan to gain control of her missing father’s substantial fortune.

A wounded man appears at the inn where she lives under an assumed name, and she’s shocked to discover it’s her would-be groom. He seems to have no memory of her, yet her traitorous heart remembers.

Max Dayton awakens from a fevered dream to find a vengeful angel hovering over him. When he realizes she’s mistaken him for his twin brother, his protective instincts kick in. There must be some reason his brother assumed Max’s identity…and some connection to this dazzling beauty and the father she insists is not dead.

In a quest to untangle the twisted trail of lies that threw them together, Sarah and Max journey to London, where the mystery grows darker and deeper. And the fragile beginnings of love are threatened by a secret someone would kill to keep.

Product Warnings: Contains a war hero, runaway bride, jealous twin, greedy uncle, and a good reason to check names before proceeding. At least the dog knows who is who.

Buy it here
Samhain Publishing
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook

Happy New Year

2012-01-03T20:48:00.004-07:00

I hope everyone weathered the holidays well and is looking forward to the year ahead. I know I am, and not just because I have three books coming out this year.

I look forward to every year. For me, each year is a new beginning that brings a wealth of new opportunities and challenges. There are new things to do, to see, to learn, to experience, and to enjoy. There will be new people to meet and get to know. There will be new places to discover and new ways to grow in my faith. I look forward to every single one.

And while I anticipate each new thing with the eagerness of a child, I am old enough to know that I won't like everything that comes my way. There may be new people to meet and get to know, but there will also be loss and tearful goodbyes as people pass away. That's life. I won't like it, but I will survive it.

Are you looking forward to taking in the panoply of experiences life has to offer? I hope so. I firmly believe that each of us is on this Earth to make a difference in the lives of those around us. We meet so many people and touch so many lives throughout our own that it is almost impossible to know who we've made an impression (good or bad) on. The beauty of enjoying life is knowing that your enthusiasm will shine through. For me it's knowing that God's love comes through in my every action.

You may never know whose life you will affect for the better, but does it really matter?

Happy Dancing. . .Again!

2011-12-19T09:14:00.002-07:00

It's time for another bout of happy dancing. I have signed a contract to publish Family Scandals. For those of you who might not remember (it's been ages), the hero in Family Scandals is the brother of the hero in The Duke. I had many fan letters asking for "Edward's story" and now, it's finally going to see the light of day.

Now that the wedding is over, I am trying to concentrate on Christmas. I know! I know! It's only a week away, but this has been a trying year - starting in July with my surgery. Life just never got back on track after that. Parts of my scalp are still numb from that surgery, which is an odd feeling - especially when I comb my hair.

Regardless of the ups and downs of life, however, Christmas will be here on Sunday. For that, I wish each and every one who reads this a

Blessed Christmas

and

A Happy and Prosperous

New Year!

Announcing - A Cover!!

2011-11-26T21:05:00.004-07:00

The cover for The Scarred Heir has arrived! So, now there's a face to go with the title.

And, I also got the first round edits for The Scarred Heart today. Need to start working on those immediately. So much to do, so little time. *sigh*

January will be here before you know it. But first - I still have a wedding to finish planning.

Pitch your book!!

2011-11-14T19:08:00.002-07:00

On January 10th, Sweeter Romantic Notions will be holding a Pitch Day. What, you ask, is a Pitch Day? Well, my friend, it is an opportunity for you to pitch that great manuscript you've finished to an editor from a publishing house. It is an excellent opportunity to bypass the slush pile.

All you have to do is join SRN's group and be online on January 10th. The rules for the day are in the Files section, so don't forget to read them carefully. Then polish up that manuscript and pitch.

What is SRN? This is taken from its frontpage: The mission of this group is to give a platform, home and voice to authors and readers, for those who read or write sweet (Love Inspired, Wild Rose Press) to mainstream sensual (Berkley, Samhain, Tease) level stories in traditional romance and other genres.

While we have nothing against erotica--some of our authors also write erotica--SRN was created as a place to promote the sweeter end of the spectrum. So, if you have a manuscript that meets the guidelines, come and join in the fun!

News

2011-11-07T09:45:00.003-07:00

Well, it seems like I haven't been out here in months, but it's actually been only a few weeks. Not much going on in my world, but things will start ramping up soon as I begin promoting my new release as we get closer to January. Did I ever mention how much I dislike blowing my own horn? *sigh*

So, today is a friend's birthday, so I want to give a shout out to Lyn Cash, aka Cash Cole, aka Bobbie Cole, aka Sunny. Happy Birthday my friend and I hope there are many, many more in your future!

I'm still waiting on a cover for The Scarred Heir, due out in January, but in the meantime, you can go to Samhain's site and read an excerpt - actually it's the entire first chapter. I'm sorry they didn't put up the Prologue, but I'll get that up on my website soon. Until then, just click on the Coming Soon logo in the top left of this blog and go check it out.

So, life is about to get hectic with less than a month to go until my daughter's wedding. We are excited, but there's still a lot of work to be done. This weekend the final decision on the last bridesmaid was made. Yeah, we are cutting things a bit close but, unfortunately, that's the way we tend to work.

That's all the information fit to print for now, so I hope your week goes great.

Until next time. . .

Featuring Meg Allison

2011-10-10T10:22:00.006-07:00

Today, I'd like to introduce Meg Allison. A few (million) years ago, she and I both wrote for By Grace Publishing. When it shut its doors, we were left with the rights back to our books, but unsure what to do with them.

Meg, unlike me, has decided to take the reins and re-release hers. First up, Second Chances, a newly revised and re-edited version of Learning to Live. If you like sweet romances with hunky heroes and down to earth heroines, or small-town romance where "everyone knows your name" then the Pop's Girls Series is for you.

Don't forget to let her know if you like it. There are two more out there in the series. Maybe we can convince them to re-release theirs, too.

But, don't take my word for it. Check out the excerpt below then hop on over to your outlet of choice and buy it today.

Second Chances
©2011 Meg Allison
A Blue Plate Special – Pops’ Girls novel
(Originally published as: Learning to Live; story has been edited and revised.)
Cost: $1.99 USD

Blurb:
Katie Marie Morrison hides behind a flirtatious mask as she serves burgers and peach cobbler at Pops' Dinner. Her bright smile and sarcastic wit hides the devastating knowledge she was just a one-night-stand for the one man she ever loved.

Jeff McAlester, her only lover, returns home for good. But timing is everything and it's Katie who's now ready to leave. Despite their rekindled love, she doesn't want to stay. Can Jeff, the man with bluer-than-blue eyes and highly-charged kisses, help Katie learn to live a little ... the old fashioned way with a white picket fence and Happily Ever After?

CHAPTER ONE

The high-pitched trill of the alarm clock jerked Katie Morrison from her dream. Such a good dream, too, with a leading man that gave handsome a whole new definition.
Eyes squeezed shut, she could still see his dark hair and sparkling blue eyes. She fancied she could even remember the deep, sexy voice that would melt butter at twenty paces.
If only such a man were real. But even if he did exist, he wouldn’t be in Glen Meadow … and he wouldn’t give Katie a second glance. Been there, done that, had the Old Maids Don’t Do It tee-shirt as proof, thanks to a friend’s gag gift on her thirtieth birthday. Little did they know how close it was to the truth.
With a groan, Katie pulled the pillow over her head to drown out the bell as it wound down. Just one more minute and he would have kissed her—a searing curl-your-toes kind of kiss. But it never got to that point before the alarm went off.
No matter how hard she tried to go back to sleep, the dream wouldn’t return. It never did. With a sigh, she tossed the pillow on the floor and swung her legs out from beneath the covers.

Bio:
I’m a wife, mom to five amazing kids, and a hopeful romantic. Life is never as exciting as my stories, but I like it that way. A former reporter for a large daily newspaper, I find writing fiction helps me maintain a somewhat healthy level of sanity … except when there’s a deadline.

Buy links:
Kindle
Nook
Smashwords

Website

Long Weekend

2011-10-02T21:14:00.004-07:00

How do you make two days feel like four? Easy - just pack four days worth of stuff into those two days. That's what I did this weekend - and I should know better, but this only happens five times in three months, so I think I'll survive. In the meantime, I get to Sunday evening wondering what in the world happened to my weekend. So, here's a short rundown on it.

Saturday was a football game for the local University. My youth group, as a fundraiser, man a parking lot near the game. We take money for people to park and put out signs when the lot is full. Sounds easy, right? Well, it is sort of easy, but it starts with getting up at 0-dark-thirty to go put signs out to block off the lot. Once we get there to open the lot and start parking, it's four hours on your feet. And, this Saturday it was during the heat of the day. By the time we were done at the lot, we were all tired. But, we weren't through. Then we adjourned to the church and counted money, then divided it up between all the groups. In the middle of all that, I ordered pizza for my parking crew and went to get it. By the time I got home I'd been gone for 6 1/2 hours! All I was good for was showering and falling into bed.

Sunday is always a long day. Starting with Sunday School/Church in the morning. I usually get home by 1 pm. Today I got home around 1:30. Then I have to eat something, review the lesson for youth group, then be back by 4 pm. Youth group runs from 4-5:30, maybe 6:00. Then I get to come home and catch up on everything else that didn't get done that weekend. And get ready for work the next day.

It may not read like it was four days - but it sure felt like it.

Next weekend, I will get some rest. Oh, wait. There's another football game next Saturday!

Denise

I'm back. . .sort of

2011-09-22T15:54:00.004-07:00

I'm back to work (actually have been for a little while, but it's been going slow), so i thought it would be a good time to get back out here and let you know how it went.

The answer is. . .good, actually great! There were no surprises, and the doctor found exactly what he expected to find and dealt with it easily. Very good.

My recovery went pretty well - actually I'm still recovering. I've been told that general anesthesia takes months to get out of your system, so that explains why I'm so tired still after a full day at work. It hasn't been conducive to writing - or reading. By the time I get home, I'm so tired that it's all I can do to take a short walk, have dinner, then vegetate until it's bedtime.

I do have some good news, though. My editor liked The Scarred Heart. We have already discussed some changes that will be made during edits, but a contract will be forthcoming. So, now, I suppose I have to write the third book. If only my characters would talk to me.

Not much more to talk about, so I will sign off here. My goal is to post at least once a week. If I start slow, maybe I'll be able to keep up.

Offline

2011-07-21T20:41:00.003-07:00

My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 7:30 so I will be going offline.

I sent The Scarred Heart off to my editor last night, so I hope to come back online to good news.

Denise

Release date for The Scarred Heir

2011-07-09T07:41:00.004-07:00

We are working on covers and polishing up the blurb right now. But, the release date is Jan 10, 2012. My birthday is the day before, so I will consider it a birthday present.

As soon as I get a cover, I will post it here, so stay tuned!!

Even my pending surgery hasn't dampened the excitement!

Until later. . .

News

2011-06-13T06:03:00.004-07:00

I haven't been out here in ages, but there has been very little to report and I've never been good at small talk. So, I don't post unless I have something to say. So, today, I have two things to say. I have good news and bad news.

The bad news first. . .

In July I will be having surgery to drain an arachnoid cyst in my head. According to my doctor, I get to spend three days in the hospital and another 3-6 weeks at home recovering. I am hoping that I won't be completely out of commission during that 3-6 week period so I can do some writing and editing. But, since I don't post here on a regular basis, I thought I should at least let you know there is an actual reason for my silence rather than "nothing to say" this time.

And now for the GOOD news!!!!!

I now have a new editor at Samhain and she has contracted The Scarred Heir! I know many of you are waiting (patiently) for Edward's story and I'm about halfway through its re-write, but in the meantime, as soon as I get a publication date for Max and Sarah, I'll let you know. If you don't remember this one, here is the blurb for it:

Sarah Standish thought she found the man of her dreams–until she discovered he was in league with her uncle to steal her inheritance. Now he’s back–only he’s not the same man and seems to have no memory of the humiliation she dealt him before a packed church two years before. Can she trust her heart that tells her his interest is genuine this time?

Max Dayton has returned to England after a three-year self-imposed exile in France. He’s not looking for a woman, but Sarah’s animosity intrigues him. He’s certain he’s never met her before, yet she draws him to her every time she comes near. When he discovers that it’s his twin brother she abhors, his protective instincts kick in–whether she likes it or not.

As the two of them team up to solve the mystery of her missing father, a three-year-old murder, and why Max’s brother feels the need to impersonate him, all bets are off when it comes to the attraction between them. But, Max’s brother has a secret he’s willing to kill to keep–even if the next victim is his own brother.

As soon as the synopsis is finished (sigh), I will be sending my editor The Scarred Heart. Keep your fingers crossed. I'm a slow writer during the best of times, but I'm so bad at writing synopses that it may take me until Christmas to get it done.

Why? and other musings

2011-04-12T13:40:00.005-07:00

A big question. I suppose that right now I'm in that stage of why bother? Why don't I just get on with my life and not bother about writing?

Easier said than done. I have stories in my head and I'm frantically trying to get them down before I forget, but then again, perhaps they are forgettable. Take Expectations, for instance. I know where the story is going. I have the beginning down already - and have the end in my head. What I'm struggling with is the middle. And I don't want it to sag. I know most of the plot points, the turning points, the black moment, etc., but for some reason I'm having trouble pulling the middle together enough to get to the end. *Sigh*

On a lighter note, I'm headed out to meet up with some writer friends this weekend. We are having a mini-retreat at one of the ladies' homes. There will only be seven of us and I'm looking forward to just goofing off and having some fun - something I don't do enough of at home. This person also lives near the cemetery where my Mom and Grandfather are buried, so I will take a little time off for somber reflection and take flowers for each.

I suspect I'm feeling a little maudlin this year because I am now the same age my mother was when she died. Some days I feel like mortality is hanging over my head and other days, I pull out my memories and smile. It has been 23 years and I still miss her.

On another solemn note, my daughter and I spent this past weekend cleaning out her bedroom. It will now become a guest room as she moves to another state where her boyfriend/fiancee has a job. It will be very strange knowing that she's off beginning a life of her own. I only hope we have provided her with the courage to follow her dreams. At the very least, we provided her with a good education and were able to send her off with no student loans. I have no real concerns, and she knows she still has a home to come back to if life takes a bad turn.

Her brother will miss her. They have been best buds forever, but I know they will stay in contact. When she went away to grad school, they spent hours on the phone either talking or texting. I only hope we can get him through school as well as we did her.

So, I'm still waiting, writing a little, and reflecting on life. Maybe it's just Lent.

Denise Patrick who?

2011-01-11T09:32:00.002-07:00

I have a confession to make. It's not earth-shattering, and you may have even figured it out by now. I'm not Denise Patrick. At least I wasn't born that way, nor did I marry someone with the last name Patrick. What I did was take my middle name and my husband's middle name and combine them when I was deciding on a pseudonym.

So, why today's confession? In the last two days I have received email for two other Denise Patricks. One of them uses her middle initial in her email address and promised to correct errant senders. The other was more problematic. It seems that Google allowed her to set up an email account using denisepatrick@gmail.com even though I already had a gmail account. Except for Google allowing her to clean out my account originally when she set hers up (I was able to change the password and get it back), there have only been a few bumps in the road.

Over the past few years, I have received email intended for one or the other, but after yesterdays two emails for another Denise Patrick, then another today - which was a receipt for a purchase - I decided to do something about it. Because her address was also on the receipt, a quick Google search turned up her phone number at her office and I made the call.

I'm certain she thought I was a strange person calling her. Her secretary definitely thought so. But, once I explained why, it all made sense. So, I think we have ironed it all out and I now have another email address to contact her at should I continue to receive mail for her.

As for news, there is little to report. My editor still has The Scarred Heir on her desk, and The Scarred Heart is still 'almost' finished. The reason I have not finished Heart is because back in October I entered Expectations in a contest to get some feedback. The Show Me The Spark! Contest by Heartland Romance Authors promised good feedback - and I did get great feedback and some good suggestions. More importantly, I won the Inspirational category and the final judge asked for the full manuscript! It was wonderful, but once I came down off my cloud, I realized I needed to finish it. So, the last chapter of Heart is on hold while I work furiously on Expectations - and also wait for my editor on Heir.

Wish me luck.

Off again

2010-11-27T20:35:00.007-07:00

Check out the sidebar. As you can see I'm just about finished with The Scarred Heart. I really tried to finish it before I left, but it wasn't to be. No problem. I'll finish it when I get back. There's not much more to do.

So, I'm off again to Germany for 10 days. Now that we've done this three years in a row, I'm beginning to call it our annual pilgrimage. This year we are taking the brother- and sister-in-law with us. Since they've never been, it will be fun to show someone else what we love about Germany at Christmas time.

I'll leave you with some pictures from last year's trip and will have more when I return.

Rothenburg o.d. Tauber

Aschaffenburg

Booths with goodies

Glühwein Stand

Thank a Veteran

2010-11-11T12:10:00.002-07:00

Don't forget to thank a Veteran today. I know that I'm thankful for all our servicemembers have done for this country. I also might be just a wee bit biased. Veterans in my family:
Grandfather
Father
Uncle
Brother
Husband
Father-in-law
Me

I'm proud to have served in uniform. Although neither my brother nor I ever served in a combat zone, everyone else on the list did.

Alive!!

2010-10-18T12:36:00.004-07:00

So, by now, you've probably decided that I've dropped off the face of the earth. Well, I haven't, but I have been busy. When I finish this post, I will be updating the numbers of my WIPs in the right column so you can see what I've been doing.

Work has been busy and, although I enjoy my time off, I also enjoy going back to work and the challenges I face there. Every day there is something new and interesting to learn. It's a good thing I don't write contemporaries, or I'd have so much fodder for stories, I'd never run dry.

In the mean time, youth group has started up, so my writing time is limited again. But, on the plus side, I have been writing. So, an update:

1. The Scarred Heir is complete and I'm going to send it to my editor at the end of this month - after some polishing.

2. The Scarred Heart is coming along nicely. I think I'm on the last chapter, but we'll see if I get all the loose ends tied up.

3. Family Scandals is taking more time to re-write, but I have a better vision of where it's going now, so my goal is to have it back to my editor by December.

4. Expectations, my Inspirational Regency, is moving along as well. I entered the first chapter in a contest to get some feedback and see if the final judge (an agent) likes it. It finalled, so I'm awaiting results. They are due out at the end of this month.

So, as you can see, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but I am buried in many of the things I enjoy doing. I will admit to being terrible about writing letters - which is how I consider my blog - a letter to readers about my life, but when there is something to report, I'll let you know.

Until the next time. . .

Back

2010-08-16T19:50:00.003-07:00

So, I'm back with only a little bit of good news.

I enjoyed Orlando thoroughly. I got to meet people that I'd known online, got to sign my newest book at the Literacy Event, and even got to explore Epcot.

The accommodations were great. Some people apparently had some problems, but I didn't. My room-mate was great, but we rarely saw each other. Pretty much the only time we were in the room together was when we were both sleep.

As for meeting up with my editor and brainstorming. We did that, too. I came away with some wonderful ideas, so I am in the process of re-writing entire chapters and revising others. I think the story will be better in the long run. I just wish it didn't take me so long to write.

And, as usual, I wish I was able to spend more time posting. But, I'm determined to have Edward's story back to my editor before the end of the year.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Leaving on a jet plane. . .

2010-07-25T21:05:00.003-07:00

So, tomorrow morning I fly out for Orlando and RWA Nationals. I'm excited as usual for the conference. I expect it will be a different experience and I am looking forward to it. This will be my third conference. At each one, I held a different "status" so my experiences were different.

2004 - Reno - This was my very first conference. Even though I'd attained PRO status only months before the conference, there is no doubt I was a complete "newbie." I knew nothing about RWA - I'd only joined months before. Because of a contest win of a critique by one of my favorite authors, I went hoping to meet her in person. She'd written at the bottom of my sub asking if I was going and suggesting we meet. Unfortunately, the meeting never happened. I was a little disappointed, but it didn't detract too much from meeting new friends and enjoying all the sights.

2008 - San Francisco - I came back from Reno energized to learn all I could about writing. I joined the local chapter and met some of the best people. I even met a local author who was a favorite author of mine. I had no idea she lived in my neck of the woods. In SF, I was a PRO and the conference experience was on a different level. I got myself a pitch appointment with an agent who represented both the genre's I write in. I have since decided it was a mistake. One of the rules I'd lived by since I first learned about pitching, and subbing, and trying to get an agent or editor's notice is that I would not pitch or sub anywhere with an unfinished manuscript. Well in 2007 and 2008, I did just that. In October of 2007, I won my chapter's Golden Pen award and the editor that judged the category asked for the full manuscript. The only problem was that it wasn't finished. Then I went off to RWA in SF and pitched another manuscript to an agent who asked for the first three chapters and a synopsis. That manuscript was also unfinished. So, now I had two requests and neither book was done. I felt like an idiot and promised myself never to do it again.

2010 - Orlando - So, this year I will be attending as a member of PAN. I'll let you know how it goes and whether it, too, turns into a very different experience. I'll bet it will - and I'm looking forward to it.

Update on Edward's story. My editor finally got back to me on it, but she rejected it. I will be meeting up with her in Orlando and find out if she thinks I can salvage it by tweaking some things. I have to admit that I sat down and read the first five chapters tonight and realized it was not that good. I'm glad she rejected it. Let's just hope that we can brainstorm some possibilities for an extensive re-write.

Better

2010-07-04T07:35:00.004-07:00

Well, I finally bit the bullet, so to speak, and completely wiped my hard drive this weekend and did a fresh install of Windows 7. Did you hear that sigh of relief? It worked and so far I have had NO problems. So, I guess I'll keep it after all.

Now that most of the stress in my life has been conquered, I am back to writing more. Not having to worry about whether something you want to do will crash your computer is a nice feeling. Sorry - got sidetracked.

Writing - I'm about halfway through my still unnamed WIP and my editor has promised me a verdict on Family Scandals soon. Another Chapter member has offered me one of the slots she signed up for to pitch at Nationals, but I haven't decided whether to take it. If I did, I would be pitching a still unfinished story and I just don't like doing that. If I can work on it a bit and make some progress, I might consider it. Of course, by the time I make up my mind, my Chapter person may have changed hers.

So, today is the 4th of July. Happy Birthday, America - and my nephew, Pat. It will be a quiet, relaxing day at home. After church, of course. Maybe I'll get some writing done.

It never hurts to be optimistic.

Windows 7 - Arrrgh!!

2010-06-13T15:11:00.004-07:00

So, I haven't been out here in ages. At least not since the beginning of the Spring Showers Promotion in May. But, I have an excuse (don't I always?). I've been fighting with my computer. Here's the saga:

Back in July of last year I had to buy a new computer. My old one just wasn't going to hold out until I could get one with Windows 7 loaded on it. I had been told all kinds of horror stories about Vista (my old one had XP on it) and also told (by someone who beta-tested Win7) that it was much, much better than Vista and people would love it because it had all the bugs worked out that Vista apparently had, and so on. So, I wanted to wait. No go.

So, I bought a new computer. It came with Vista and a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it released. I was prepared to hate Vista and wrestle with it, but, surprise!, it was easy to get used to and I had NO problems with it. So, when it came time to upgrade to Win7, I wasn't certain I wanted to. But, I got the CDs and put them in my desk. I put it off and put it off. Vista was working just fine, why should I change now?

Finally, I capitulated and followed the instructions down to the letter and loaded Windows 7. And, guess what? My computer has not worked properly since. I get error messages in programs that never gave me a bit of trouble before. It won't let me load new programs. Or it partially loads the programs then quits in the middle and tells me that it hasn't loaded anything (even though it has).

I have had specific trouble trying to load Word Perfect Office X5. I have WPO X3 on my machine. It worked just fine. Even after the upgrade, it worked fine - for about a month. Then it started throwing out random error messages. So, I decided maybe I needed to upgrade to X5 because maybe X3 wasn't compatible with Win7. No such luck. WPO X5 won't even install.

To top it all off, last night after wrestling with the computer all %*#& day, I gave up and tried to reload Win7 because the machine kept telling me that a file was missing that was on the Win7 CD. I couldn't find the file, so I thought maybe if I just reload it, it will reload that file too. I should have known better. Before I did that, I backed everything up, uninstalled WPO X3 and X5 (an hours long adventure editing it out of the registry since the machine insisted it wasn't loaded in the first place, so wouldn't let me uninstall it the usual way).

Finished re-loading Win7. Tried installing WPO X5. The machine said "No." OK, then I'll just reload X3 and deal with the X5 problem another day. Once again, not only "No." but "H*&^ NO!" and it froze the machine. So, since I use WP for writing, and I have to have it on my computer, I dug out an old copy of WPO12 and it loaded just fine.

If anyone else knows what's going on, I'd love to hear it. As it stands, I'm this >< close to taking the computer back to where I bought it and telling them to wipe it clean and reinstall Vista and they can take Win7 and. . .ok, I know it's not the store's fault, so I won't be quite so crude. But, if I take it off, I WILL NOT put it back on!

Rant over.

And, by the way, THE EARL came out June 1 in print!! I now have all three books in the series on my shelf and they look wonderful. Thank you to all my wonderful fans who have purchased them. :~D

Spring Showers Promotion during May

2010-05-03T08:17:00.003-07:00

So, the Samhain Spring Showers promotion is now in full swing with the posting of the first excerpts yesterday. If you haven't been to Coffee Time Romance lately, check out the news below and come on over.

Sunday May 2nd will bring new excerpts, from sweet inspirational romance to hot digging erotica, and more will be posted weekly (every Sunday) for four weeks. Winners for the prizes will be drawn the following Saturday at midnight EST.

What do you need to do in order to win these splenderifous prizes? It's so easy a four year old could do it. Hey, honey go get me a four year old...

Seriously "What do I have to do to enter the draw?" You say. Nothing could be plainer than pie. (Hmm, I need to work on those cliches.) To enter the draw you have to do the extremly difficult task of posting a comment on the excerpt-and that's it.

But wait! There's more!

For each excerpt you comment on you will receive one entry up to a maximum of one entry per excerpt. To make things even more wonderful, since we authors love you soooo much, each entry you get will carry over until the end of the promo on the 28th May. Meaning, you can accumulate simply tons of entries into the last and splenderifically fantasticus final draw, and we literally have tons of prizes for that last draw.

Basically, the more excerpts you comment on over the next four weeks, the more chances you have to win.

Can you win more than once? Yep, you bet your little cookies you can. We don't toss your cookies, uhm, entries just because you’ve won. And if you can't comment on an excerpt for one week (like if you've died and had to come back as a lost spirit to enter) don't worry. You won't receive an entry for that week's prizes but the excerpts remain up for the run of the contest. That way you can comment on past issues for a chance at any of the current weeks prizes.

Every participating author is giving away prizes. I will be giving away a $10 gift certificate to My Bookstore and More for each of my excerpts. So, what are you waiting for? Get over to the Coffee Time Forums and check out all the excerpts and make sure you get in on some prizes. You do have to join Coffee Time to post, but it's easy and FREE!!

My first excerpt is up here.

Hope to see you there!

Brand New. . .

2010-04-11T14:57:00.002-07:00

So, I finally bit the bullet and hired someone to build a website for me and the result is gorgeous! Makes me wonder why I took so long to do it.

So, if you have a minute, please go check out my new site and let me know what you think.

In the meantime, life has been a little dull lately. Not that I don't have things to do, but nothing really to talk about. I think it's time for me to start posting pics from some of my Germany trips.

I let DH talk me into going again this year, even after I said last year that we needed to take a year off. So, instead, he talked his brother and sister-in-law into going, and I couldn't let his SIL go with them alone. Really! (That's my story and I'm sticking to it! *grin*) Actually, I think having someone to show around will be fun. And, having another woman along who might want to do some shopping is my idea of fun.

Embarrassed

2010-04-05T09:39:00.004-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. It's always a little crazy at church on Easter Sunday, but it's wonderful to see the children dressed in all their new finery. Of course, I'm partial to the little girls (maybe because I remember how much I loved having a new Easter dress as a child).

So, why is the title of this post 'Embarrassed'? Because, I've lost something and can't seem to find it anywhere. Last Friday, a reader contacted me through my website to ask me about signed bookplates. I don't normally do them (have never tried), so I thought I'd look around and see if I could possibly create some. Well, I decided it wasn't something I could do in a timely manner, so this morning I went out to find the reader's email to respond and I can't find it anywhere. It's not in my email (I was pretty sure I hadn't deleted it), it's not in my trash, it's not anywhere. Frustrating.

I always make the effort to respond to everyone who contacts me, but this person won't get a response. So, I'm embarrassed. Hopefully, she'll try and contact me again. Otherwise, she'll just think I ignored her. Oh, well. In the meantime, it will drive me crazy wondering what happened to that email.

Have you ever lost something that you absolutely know you have, but cannot find it? That's the way I feel with this email.

Ready to hit. . .Send - with questions

2010-03-23T09:36:00.004-07:00

It's been a while. My super busy time at work is finally over and I can concentrate on writing again in the evenings instead of just falling into bed when I get home from work. So, I'm about ready to send out the manuscript that was requested over a year ago. I usually don't hesitate to send stuff out, but for some reason, this particular one is making me nervous. I wish I knew why.

But, it's time to hit send. So, this afternoon, once I'm certain I have everything together, off it will go.

I have made an interesting discovery recently. I never really gave much thought to becoming a member of PAN (Published Author Network) of RWA, but after someone casually asked me at my last chapter meeting, I came home and began adding up royalties. And, guess what? I'm less than $50 away from that magical number. So, now the questions have started.

Do I really want to become a member of PAN? I'm comfortable as a PRO. I've never felt as if I know anything about writing. The people that I know of who are members of PAN seem to just know so much more than I ever expect to know or learn. It's a humbling - and a little bit scary - possibility.

What do you think?

Blog hop

2010-02-23T11:22:00.003-07:00

Hop on over to Tina Gayle's blog for an excerpt from The Earl. And while you're there, bookmark it because she will have excerpts all throughout this month - up til Easter - a different author everyday. You're sure to find something you'll love in the potpourri she's got lined up.

Spam

2010-02-06T17:50:00.003-07:00

I've had to do something I dislike. Haven't we all? you say. I suppose so. But one of the things I have never liked is having to fill in a word verification box or whatever it's called when I comment on blogs, etc. So, I've never had one on my own.

Unfortunately, in the last two weeks, I have had to delete more spam from my blog than I have ever encountered. At least once a day for the past two weeks, "Anonymous" has posted something totally irrelevant on my blog. Not only that, it must be a bot because there is no rhyme or reason to the posts that are commented on. Since I get notified whenever anyone leaves a comment, I can go find it easily enough. But, when the comments are on posts that are two years old - and older - then it's time for me to do something. Even though I'm sure very few people will ever go back and read those posts, my sense of order just won't allow me to let those posts stay. So, I go out and delete them, but it's a waste of my time to do so. It also seems a waste of someone's time to comment on a blog post over two years old - but I'm sure there's a reason somewhere for why. They'll just have to find some other place to post their diatribe from now on.

So, I've joined the rest of the blogging world and enabled comment moderation. For those that occasionally come out and post, I'm sorry. And for those who like to leave Anonymous irrelevant posts, all I can say is "Pbbbbbbbbbtttttttt!"

Done!

2010-01-25T10:43:00.003-07:00

So, the synopsis is done and in the hands of my crit group. Maybe it's just me, but it doesn't seem quite complete. I think I left out a few things, but as I read it, I don't know what. Maybe my crit group will figure it out.

It's overcast here today, but not snowing. I suppose there's a bright side to everything. You just have to find it. *grin*

So, this past weekend I made some overdue bibs for one of the new babies in my congregation. I needed to get them done before this week started. For some reason, I never want to get started working on bibs, but once I do, I don't want to stop. I can't be alone in this, but I often wonder why it is. Maybe it's just my nasty procrastination habit kicking in. At any rate, they were really nice once I finished them - especially the two I made from two new patterns I bought. I should have taken a picture, but didn't think of it. Sorry.

Sunday was a relaxing day. With the synopsis finished, I opened my newest WIP to work on, but found my Muse had taken the day off. Maybe later this week I'll be able to start up again. So, instead I picked up A Highlander's Destiny by Melissa Mayhue. If you haven't read any of her Daughters of the Glen series, you're missing out. I ended up just letting the Youth Group play games last night so I could read. Then, I had to make myself put it down and go to bed and, worst of all, I had to make myself leave it at home today. I know that if I'd brought it to work, I would be reading it instead of working. I have NO willpower when I'm reading a book that I'm really into. So, I WILL finish it tonight. Next up: A Highlander's Homecoming.

I hope everyone else is having a good day and will have a great week.

Tuesday

2010-01-19T08:57:00.005-07:00

Well, it's snowing - AGAIN!! When I woke up this morning the hubby said, "It's raining out, so it shouldn't be too bad driving." WRONG!! By the time I was ready to leave for work, went out into the garage, hit the button for the garage door - it opened on Winter Wonderland. Of course, I had to go back inside and let the hubby know he was WRONG!! He came out to stand in the doorway. "CRAP!!" was his only comment.

In acknowledgment to Mother Nature, however, she can't seem to make up her mind today. Six blocks from home it wasn't snowing at all. Another six blocks later it was raining. And, shortly before I arrived at my workplace, it was snowing again. As I look out my window - it is still snowing but the snow is melting as it hits the roads, leaving them just wet.

So, I'm knee deep in writing a synopsis for The Scarred Heir. Have I told you I hate writing synopses? I'm sure I have. It's the bane of my writing life. I love writing the book - and can even write a decent back cover blurb. But the synopsis and I have this stereotypical love-hate relationship that I can't break through. *sigh* At any rate, I will get this synopsis done and ready for subbing by the end of this week, because starting next week all bets are off when it comes to free time until mid-March.

Once I get it done, and hone the blurb a little more, I'll post the blurb for comment. Until then, have a great Tuesday and I hope it's warm where you are.

Guest Blog by Diane Craver

2010-01-14T21:10:00.007-07:00

Today my guest is Diane Craver, author of Marrying Mallory. Don't forget to check out the blurb and excerpt at the end. And now. . .

Why I Wrote Marrying Mallory

After reading many romances, I decided it was important to have a character with a physical defect, such as a large nose. Of course, not all heroines in romances are flawless beauties, but usually the main female characters have smaller noses. I decided that Mallory would not have a perfect nose. After her marriage ended, she would then decide it was time to do something for herself.

Mallory is a realistic character because I used my personal feelings in writing what she desired. I got into her mind completely because I know what it's like not to have a cute, small nose.

In 2005, my high school daughter and I went to see a plastic surgeon. We both wanted to have rhinoplasty surgery. Just like in my book, Marrying Mallory, the doctor did computer imaging of our noses. I loved the pictures showing how my nose would look shorter after surgery. He also added what my profile would look like with a chin implant, which definitely was an improvement. The doctor also showed us how he would narrow my daughter's wide nose. A year later, after much thought and prayer, I decided to go ahead and pay for my daughter to have nose surgery before she left for college. I knew it would immensely help her self-esteem. Of course, I wanted surgery, too, but decided the expense was too much for both of us to have it done. Geez, I was hoping the surgeon would give us a two for one price. I don't regret it at all, because my daughter was so much happier about her appearance after surgery.

My large nose hasn't kept me from enjoying life. I've been happily married for thirty-four years to the same great guy and we've been blessed with six children. But I'll admit if I had extra money to spend on my appearance, I'd still love to have rhinoplasty.

For Readers: Is there anything you would like to change about your appearance? Have you considered plastic surgery?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marrying Mallory
Now available from Desert Breeze Publishing

Blurb:

Is Mallory Harrington jinxed because her name means luckless? Things have gone wrong for Mallory since she was a small child. All she ever wanted was to have a complete family and live happily ever after. It appears she has it all when she marries Toby Harrington and they have a son. Unfortunately, their marriage ends when Toby has an affair with his law partner. After their divorce, Mallory feels guilt that she couldn't forgive Toby for his affair. As a Christian, she should be able to forgive him for his sin.

Mallory decides to do something for herself, and get a surgical procedure that she's always wanted. What she doesn't expect is her instant attraction to her surgeon.

Sometimes faith is about accepting what can’t be changed and grabbing what God offers her. Life must go on.

Excerpt:

Her luck was about to change. Mallory Harrington could feel it in her bones. In the past, she’d felt cursed at times. Too many things had gone wrong in her thirty-two years of life. It’d started when her father left. He never even said good-bye, but at age five she knew he wasn’t coming back. He hated living in Findlay, Ohio. They couldn’t go with him because her mother refused to leave Grandma.

As a seventh grader, Mallory climbed a tree to get a football for the little neighbor boy. After dislodging it from a high limb, she tossed the ball to him. Mallory started her long climb down, but slipped before reaching the ground. A barbed wire fence ripped her cheek during the fall. The jagged opening required thirty stitches.

Then she was robbed of being valedictorian because a few weeks ahead of graduation, another student’s grades were a little higher. She’d counted on receiving a full academic scholarship to college.

When she married Toby Harrington, she finally felt blessed. Doubly blessed when she gave birth to their son, Joshua. But her happiness ended the night Toby asked for a divorce.

All she ever wanted was to have a complete family and live happily ever after. Was she jinxed? The name Mallory meant luckless. If her mother had realized the meaning of her name, would it have made a difference? Would she still have named her Mallory?

Don’t be silly. My name didn’t cause my marriage to end. I’ll get what I want in my life. I’ve already accomplished the first challenge. I can’t wait to share my good news with Elizabeth and Heather. She prayed, Thank you, Lord, for my friends, Elizabeth Wright and Heather Richards. They are a constant in my life, just like You.

She glanced at her kitchen clock to see if it was time to meet them and felt a surge of excitement because she saw it was. She couldn’t wait to share her important news. Five-year-old Josh was at Toby’s so she was free to go to dinner with her friends. She was glad they’d decided on the Olive Garden restaurant which was within minutes of her house.

Before leaving, she grabbed the paper by the computer. She stared for a minute at the attractive man with black hair. I’m glad I printed his bio and photo to show Heather and Elizabeth. As Mallory held the paper for a minute, she realized that this man would change her life…if she went ahead with the plan. After folding and shoving it in her purse, she headed out, anxious to leave to give her incredible news in person.

Visit Diane on the Web.

Last Day!

2010-01-14T08:56:00.002-07:00

Today is your last day to get Gypsy Legacy: The Marquis FREE for Kindle. If you have a Kindle or have downloaded the Kindle application for PC or iPhone, get yourself online and get it TODAY. Tomorrow will be too late.

Click on the cover and go and get yours now. Tomorrow it will be back to full price.

Yesterday

2010-01-10T16:11:00.003-07:00

So, I didn't get out here yesterday because I was celebrating another year on this planet. It was a pretty good year and having most of my family around me made it even better. I'm missing the child in grad school, but life does go on and she did call me yesterday. We had a wonderfully long talk. Birthdays that fall on weekends are the best - you don't have to get up unless you actually WANT to. Those are the best kind of days. Unfortunately, I had to get up yesterday and actually get dressed because I had errands to run.

In other news, The Marquis is getting nice reviews and I'm glad so many of you have read it and are looking forward to Edward's story. I hope to have news about it before long.

On another front, as you know I also write Inspirational Romances, too, but the publisher for them has closed their doors, so I have them back. I'm trying to decide what to do with them because I have an idea for a third one that would tie into the first two, but it's still all in my head. One of these days - after I finish all the historicals I'm in the middle of.

A friend and fellow author, Diane Craver, will be appearing here soon to talk about her recently released Inspirational romance, Marrying Mallory. I hope you will enjoy her appearance and check out her book. It's on my to-buy list, so I will be getting it soon.

I'm almost through editing The Scarred Heir and hope it will be sitting in an editor's inbox before the end of the month (and, therefore, off my desk).

It's been very cold here lately, but not nearly as cold as the midwest has been. We are hovering in the 20s and 30s, but friends in Texas aren't used to temperatures like that and so are complaining bitterly (pun intended) about the cold. Wherever you are, I hope you are weathering this winter well.

So, I'm off to church to spend the next 2 1/2 hours with teenagers. I love leading the Youth Group, but some days I do wish I could spend more time writing. It seems that weekends don't give you enough time these days. Maybe we should all have three day weekends.

Kindle Freebie Link

2010-01-01T11:27:00.001-07:00

It's live: Gypsy Legacy: The Marquis

Happy New Year

Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T00:18:00.003-07:00

I didn't make it out here to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, but since I'm still up, I thought I would at least post on the first day of the year. At the rate I post, that might mean that the next one may roll around sometime in mid-February.

Regardless, I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season - whatever you celebrate. December was a bit of a roller coaster for me because I was "on vacation" so much. First there was the trip to Germany. I returned to work on December 14th. A week and a half later it was Christmas Eve and I was off again and I didn't return to work until yesterday, December 31. So, all in all, in December I worked a total of 9 days! Gee, I could get used to a schedule like that.

Unfortunately, it won't happen any time soon. Starting Monday it's back to 40 hour weeks. *Sigh*

I did get some writing accomplished. Not as much as I wanted, but more than I thought I would. So, there are trade-offs. At any rate, I hope to get out here more often this year (how many times have you heard that one?).

I do have some good news - I finally sent off Edward's story to my editor at Samhain. She's busy these days so I don't expect to hear anything for at least a month, but at least it's not still waiting for me to edit it. I'm still working through the other manuscript that was requested over a year ago, but it should be ready to go, soon, too.

And, lastly, do you have a Kindle? Or do you have a Kindle App on your iPhone, or your computer? If you do, I have a deal for you. Starting today (and for the next two weeks) my first Gypsy Legacy book, The Marquis, will be FREE!! As part of the Kindle freebie program, the Kindle version of the book will be free until January 14. Of course, I just checked and it's not marked down just yet, so as soon as it is, I'll post the link. If you haven't gotten your copy yet, here's your chance.

Happy Reading!

I'm Back!

2009-12-12T16:55:00.003-07:00

I'm back. I'm rested. I'm ready to write. . .more. But first, I have to straighten out my email account. It seems that Google allowed someone else to create an account using my name and, in the process, wiped out my mailbox. I hope they can restore it - otherwise, I've lost a lot of valuable emails. *Sigh*

So, I've spent the last 10 days in Germany, touring Christkindlmarkts (Christmas Markets) and having a blast. I took a notebook with me, but wrote very little. Stay tuned, I'll be posting some pictures soon - I hope.

In the meantime, I've put up a word counter for my newest project. It still doesn't have a title, but I'm working my way through it. As you can see, I've been a busy girl - let's hope the enthusiasm keeps pace for now.

In the meantime, I'll be finishing the polishing I'm doing for The Scarred Heir so I can finally get it off to the editor who requested it - over a year ago.

Well, I'm off to do some research on panic/anxiety attacks. I think that will be my heroine's "disability" in my newest story. I'll let you know how it works out.

I've been neglectful

2009-11-17T11:12:00.003-07:00

I'm afraid my poor blog doesn't know whether to think it's an ugly stepchild or just a poor lost soul. It's been much too long since I've been out here, but, as usual I haven't found anything to say. Some days I wonder why I even have a blog.

So, today, I'm out here to send you away. I discovered a new (to me) website recently called Single Titles. Since I'm still in a fog from getting over my cold, I'll just post their blurb here. Check them out - I have to confess that when I first found it, I spent waaaaaaay too much time wandering the site and adding to my TBB list.

SingleTitles.com has a whole new look. They have hundreds of book reviews, interviews, and lots of great excerpts. Plus, they’re now featuring thrillers and mysteries. Check ‘em out at http://www.singletitles.com. And, they are reader and author friendly.

Conference Wrap-up

2009-10-13T11:29:00.006-07:00

So, where do I start?

How about if I take out my frustration on the airline that changed a reservation at the last minute and didn't bother to tell anyone? I still feel bad about it, but Christine Witthohn seemed to take it in stride and, even though she missed an entire day of the conference, still managed to have a great time. Her workshop on maximizing your chances with an agent was filled with little golden nuggets of information. My favorite one: Do Your Homework!! It's nice to think you might want an agent, but make sure the agent you decide you want represents the kind of stuff you write.

Rachel Gibson was wonderful. I missed her keynote speech, but heard that it was great. Now is the time I should get on my soapbox about recording speeches. I would loved to have heard hers.

Amanda Bergeron from Avon talked about queries. What an education. I learned that some things I've done in the past have been right, but others. . .well, let's just say I won't be doing them again!

And then there was Kelly Mortimer. With energy and flair, she taught us about editing. Her editing guide should be used by everyone. I know I'll be referring to it again and again.

And those weren't the only guests I learned from.

I learn something new every time I listen to RaeAnne Thayne. She is a fount of information and advice.

I'm running out of superlatives to describe all the great presenters, but I don't want to leave out Nicole Jordan, Lynn Kurland, Elizabeth Lane, and Melissa Mayhue (whose workshop I missed as well).

In addition, the accommodations and meals were wonderful. Park City is a beautiful little town in the mountains and The Lodges at Deer Valley provided the perfect setting. I even sold all but two of my books at the booksigning.

So, now what? Well, I'm home and polishing "The Scarred Heir" to send off, working on some other projects as well, and "thinking through" a new book. I'm beginning to work though the background, goals, and motivation of my hero and heroine. We'll see how far I can get this week. I'm jumping the gun a bit when it comes to starting to write, but this is the best time to do it - when the excitement is there.

Wish me luck. I'll put a counter in the sidebar once I start writing.

Hodge Podge

2009-10-05T20:09:00.004-07:00

I've been neglecting my blog lately. It's been a hectic time at work and church and I just haven't had anything to say. Do you ever get that way? So, what do I have to say today? Not much. Maybe next Monday I'll be out here to tell you all about this weekend's conference. I'm looking forward to getting away for a weekend with other writers. I WILL have fun!

In the meantime, I do have some good news. I finally finished "The Scarred Heir." If you don't remember it, I don't blame you. It was at the same conference I'm going to this weekend that the first 20 pages of the manuscript won my chapter's coveted Golden Pen award - last year. The editor who was the final judge asked for the full - but it wasn't finished. So, now almost a year later, it's finally finished. I wonder if she still wants to see it.

So, my next project is to finish "Expectations." I've been working on it on and off and finally have fleshed out more of the plot, but the writing is going slow because I keep second-guessing myself on whether the dialogue is believable.

And, to round out this hodge podge of information, "Family Scandals," the book that follows "The Earl" is currently being edited to send to my editor. Even though it is not part of the Gypsy Legacy Series, it is still an important addition to the series. In it you get to find out what happens to Brand's brother, Edward. I hope to get it to my editor by the end of this month. Considering my track record, don't hold your breath!

Reviews

2009-09-04T07:51:00.006-07:00

I'm pretty sure I said this before, but I'm always surprised at what reviewers pick up on in a book - as well as what they either don't understand or don't figure out. On the other hand, most of the time, I tend to agree with reviews. Celia Yeary, on her blog this week, talked about what reviewers look for when reading a book for review. It was very interesting and worth a second or third read through.

So, I got two reviews this week. One for a book no longer available, and the other for my newest release. Although one was much better than the other, both were very interesting and fairly close to accurate.

The first one came in on Monday. It was for my newest release, Gypsy Legacy: The Earl. Reading it, I could hear the reviewer's frustration because she hadn't read either of the earlier books. Having tried to look at the book objectively, I understand. As an author, I struggle with what background information is necessary to repeat in each book and what information is merely extra and unnecessary. Obviously, some of the background information I chose to cut from this book during edits was necessary for someone unfamiliar with the previous two books. So, it received 3 angels from Fallen Angel Reviews with the following comment:

The Earl is a historical romance set in a deep, developed world. It is the third book of the Gypsy Legacy Series and cannot be read as a standalone. Having not read the first two books, I was lost.

On the other hand she did like my heroine and acknowledged that the plot had interesting and unique twists to it. I'll take it. Read the entire review.

The second review I received last night in my email. It is for Strikes Don't Matter, my second Inspirational novella, which is no longer available. The reviewer at The Romance Studio gave it 5 hearts and this wonderful commentary:

Denise Patrick does a fine job building this tale of a journey towards greater faith through a love that takes chances. Gina is a good woman who practices her faith more than she gives herself credit for. Other people like her friends and family see that. She just can't see it in herself. . .Gina's parents and brother aren't afraid to let their faith show in their everyday lives, even in crisis. Adam's grandparents are a hoot with their repertoire of give and take towards one another when they're obviously very much in love.

Of course, I agree with every word, but what struck me is that she saw Gina as she is - complex, and with a faith that Gina, herself, couldn't see, but others around her could. She also saw through the good-natured bickering of Adam's grandparents to the love beneath. Not everyone sees that in older couples, so I salute her for her insight. Read the entire review. And, if you would like your own copy of Strikes Don't Matter, I have a few paperback copies left. You can contact me either through my website or at the address in the bottom right corner of this blog.

Empty Nest No More

2009-09-01T07:52:00.003-07:00

So Kid#2 waited too late to sign up for a dorm room and didn't get back into the dorms this year. Not surprising. Mr. Procrastination never assumes things won't work out. He's too much like his mother in this respect.

It's a good thing to be able to "roll with the punches" and not hyperventilate when things don't work out, but a little anxiety over some things might actually spur a person to get some things done. Not this kid. If it doesn't work out - oh well - I can live at home. Well, he can. We've always said so, so I suppose his laissez-faire attitude is understandable. As Mom, however, I find it irritating because I look at what might happen down the road if he doesn't plan things out now. And, in typical "Mom" fashion, I wonder how in the world he'll survive when Mom and Dad aren't here any longer.

But - and this is a big "but" - I was a lot like him when I was his age, too. And I survived just fine. Well enough to marry, have a family, hold down a job, keep my faith, and become an author. So, maybe I should stuff the "worrier" part of me back into the closet and let my laissez-faire side out more often where he's concerned.

And I was just getting used to being an empty nester. *sigh*

Change

2009-08-22T07:21:00.004-07:00

It's inevitable. At least that's what I hear. I hate it, anyway.

I had to buy a new computer. Now, I love new gadgets. I'm the "gadget person" in my house. My hubby just doesn't have the patience to deal with them. Case in point - I bought him a Kindle for his birthday. He liked it for about three days, then something didn't happen the way he expected and it was suddenly defective and he was going to send it back. I asked him what happened - something didn't download. Went back and checked and, you guessed it, user error! So, we corrected what he'd done wrong and he kept it for another two weeks. Then, it seems the battery was draining too fast. Now, this is a legitimate problem, but instead of returning it for a replacement, he didn't want to bother with it - so it went back for a refund. *sigh* Now, of course, that means he didn't get a birthday present. (Not that he cares, but I do.)

So, my computer starts having issues. Just for the record, I had taken it to the shop in July and they gave it a clean bill of health. It's old, though, so I knew it was just a matter of time. So, I'd decided I would buy a new computer around Christmas - so I could get the new Windows 7 instead of Vista. No luck. The computer started freezing up on me and not booting up. I did a System Restore, scanned the disk for errors and fixed everything, did a registry scan and fix. No luck. So, off we went to buy a new computer.

Now, I don't need a big powerful computer, so I wasn't looking for the newest and biggest thing out there. In the end I got this one. I didn't need a new monitor. My old machine only had 40G hard drive with 2G of RAM, was over five years old, and I hadn't even half-filled the hard drive. I still have to go through the hassle of taking off all the crapware that came on it (you know, all the free trials that try to hook you into buying the full version once you've gotten used to using it), but that's a minor hassle. And I uninstall them without even opening them. No temptation. Goodbye Microsoft Office (I use WordPerfect Office). Goodbye HP Games (King.com is addicting enough.) Goodbye Norton (I prefer AVG).

The best thing about it all? I have an online back up service for my files (Carbonite.com) and they are being restored as I am writing this blog. So, I lost NOTHING!!!! Thank you, Angela James.

The only major hassle I had was installing my wireless adapter. The CD apparently didn't have drivers my computer could install. Thankfully, I had another computer that I could access the Internet on and download the updated ones. It only took me 3 freaking hours to find the right one!!!!

I suspect I would have been suspicious if EVERYTHING went smoothly.

Excerpts, excerpts, and more excerpts

2009-08-19T13:47:00.002-07:00

Last Tuesday, my third (and last) Gypsy Legacy book was released by Samhain Publishing. So, for your reading enjoyment, I thought I'd create a list of all the places I've posted excerpts from the book.

These are listed in the order they come in the book.

My website - entire Prologue and 1st chapter
Coffee Time Forum
Samhain Cafe (Yahoo group) #1
Sweeter Romantic Notions (Yahoo group)
Samhain Cafe #3
Samhain Cafe #2

Enjoy!!!

Tomorrow is release day!! Excerpt

2009-08-10T08:39:00.006-07:00

To paraphrase a song from "Annie."

The Earl'll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!

So, tomorrow you will be able to pick up your copy of The Earl. And, since my promo skills are sadly lacking, I'm going to just leave you with an excerpt today. Enjoy!

Jon stepped out of his coach and looked up at Number Nineteen Park Court. It looked like most of the other houses along the street, its three-story brick-fronted facade plain and unadorned. The brass knocker on the door shone, signaling the owner was in residence.
He gave his coachman instructions for when to return, then dismissed him and climbed the steps. The door opened as he reached the top step, revealing Smithers, his grandmother’s butler.
“Good day, my lord.”
“Morning, Smithers.” He handed his hat and cane to the man. “Is my grandmother receiving?”
“In the green parlor, my lord.” Jon headed toward the back of the house and the room in question.
He could hear voices as he approached the door, which sat slightly ajar, and slowed his steps. He had hoped she would be alone. It was the reason he had come in the morning. He frowned. Now what? Then the voices drifted out, and he relaxed.
“So, now what do you plan to do?” he heard his grandmother say.
“I don’t know,” was the reply and he recognized Amanda’s voice immediately. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Seems to me you’re burning your bridges a bit too fast.”
“I know, but I really couldn’t have married him.”
“If you’ll recall, I told that you before.”
“I know, I know. Oh well, that’s over with now, and I can concentrate on more important things.”
“Such as?”
“The school, of course.”
His grandmother made a tsking sound. “You should not allow the school to consume you.”
“I try not to, but they need so much. The new Board is horrible. We need to do something about them. We don’t need the grants, so we ought to be able to teach what we feel is necessary. And Mr. Cooper is an idiot. Somehow we must get out from under the thumb of the Board.”
Jon decided he’d eavesdropped enough and knocked on the open door, entering the room at his grandmother’s invitation.
“Well, it’s about time!” she exclaimed upon seeing him. “You’ve been back for days, and this is the first time I’ve laid eyes on you.”
Jon gave her his warmest smile. “I’m afraid my secretary and solicitor are born slave drivers.”
Amanda jumped to her feet as he approached, her eyes wide. It took him a moment to recognize the emotion he read there before she looked down, and he wondered what she felt guilty about.
The dowager Countess of Wynton sat in a large overstuffed chair that dwarfed her small frame. Jon was surprised by how much she had aged in the last three years and was reminded she might not have been here at all when he returned. Having lived into her seventies, he knew her health was not the best and she rarely left her home. Yet even as he looked down into eyes which mirrored his own, he could see they were still sharp and alert, although her previously blond hair was now completely white.
He bent to brush a wrinkled cheek with his lips. “How are you, madam?”
“Much better now that you’re here,” she replied. “Sit.” Then turning to Amanda, “You too. Sit.”
Jon grinned at Amanda’s sudden nervousness. “Lady Amanda.” He inclined his head in her direction as she resumed her seat beside his grandmother’s chair.
He made himself comfortable on an overstuffed sofa and allowed his eyes to feast on the sight of her. The pink of her gown gave her skin a rosy hue and emphasized her eyes. Blue as a summer sky, he thought, and wondered when he’d become a romantic. Her hair was pulled up into a soft knot, a lone curl having escaped to trail across her shoulder, but nothing could disguise its lush brightness. He was reminded of the sun, and suddenly Nona’s words came back to him.
When you tire of blue skies and sunshine abroad, you will return to find them at home. Felicia had been right. Nona had given him a description. But it didn’t fit. Hadn’t Amanda told him just two nights ago she’d only seen a panther in a book? Even his broad hinting about figurines hadn’t elicited anything more than a polite response. Perhaps he was just being fanciful, looking for something which wasn’t there.
His grandmother commanded his attention.
“Stop gawking and pay attention!” she snapped. “Amanda and I need your help.”
“Of course,” he replied smoothly to cover his inattention. “How can I be of assistance?”
“You can help her find a decent headmaster or mistress for the school. Someone who doesn’t think girls are idiots. And talk to Shaftesbury.”
“Headmaster?” He blinked. “School?” He looked from one to the other. “What school?”
“The one in Southwark,” his grandmother replied. “It’s a school for girls—mostly orphans, but some merchants and tradesmen send their daughters there as well.”
For the next hour and a half, Jon was introduced to Amanda’s charity work. He was not pleased to discover she went into Southwark alone nearly every day to teach. Nor was he happy to learn she had to deal with an ignorant headmaster, put in place by a Board that felt learning was wasted on girls.

If you'd like to read more, check out my Website (entire first chapter is posted) or my Coffee Time Forum (a different excerpt is posted there).

To Purchase Gypsy Legacy: The Earl, go to Samhain Publishing or My Bookstore and More.

Go somewhere else today

2009-08-03T11:09:00.003-07:00

So, today, I don't have anything savvy or erudite to say, so I'm sending you off to others who do - most of the time.

Check out Kate Rothwell's blog. She's having a contest and giving away books - is there a better reason to go? Oh, and she's funny, too.

After you enter her contest, hop over to Bronwyn Parry's blog and read all about her exciting fall - including a new release, Dark Country. After the great reviews of As Darkness Falls, this one is not to be missed.

And, don't miss entering the contest on Wendy Roberts' blog. She's giving away a bag of books - perfect Summer reading material.

And, if you're really looking for something of mine to read, check out my Coffee Time Forum (link on the right sidebar). There's an excerpt from The Earl up in that thread. It's hard to believe it will be out in a week!

Until next time. . .

Too busy. . .

2009-07-27T12:23:00.005-07:00

I thought Summer was supposed to be the 'slow' time of the year. Remember that song by Nat King Cole?

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
You'll wish that summer could always be here

Well, 'lazy and hazy' didn't arrive this year, but 'crazy' showed up in full force. So, here we are at the end of July and I'm still trying to figure out where June went. They say that if you really want something done, give it to a busy person, but I'm here to tell you that whoever "they" are were never this busy. I've got enough to do right now, thank you. And, of course, I got absolutely NOTHING done this weekend with two birthdays, church, and a baseball game all thrown in there.

I'm already planning Fall Youth events, looking at promotion for my next release, trying to finish up some manuscripts, pulling together my Chapter newsletter for August, finishing up judging entries for our chapter contest, and looking forward to the chapter conference in October. Are you tired yet? I am and I've barely started it all.

So, if I disappear for another week or two, you'll know what happened.

Promotion

2009-07-20T07:46:00.004-07:00

I read a blog last week about all the hats that a writer needs to wear to be more than a book on a shelf in a bookstore (if you're lucky) these days. Of all the hats the person mentioned - no, I don't remember them all - the one I don't wear very well is the "promotion" one. It just doesn't fit well, so I tend not to put it on. But, then something happens, like a new release and I have to dig it out of the closet and balance it on my head for a while. It's a terrible fit.

Regardless, I have to just buckle down and do it. So, this week I will be looking for opportunities for ad space, trying to blog more and read more blogs, becoming more active on my loops, etc. It's a terrible way to do something, but, like many people who tend to put off doing something they don't want to do, I kept putting it off until now there's almost no time left to start any buzz.

On the other hand, I tend to do what I might prefer to see when it comes to promoting yourself. I admit it, I hate it when I see the same promo posts on loops and blogs for the same book for three months before it releases. By the time the book is actually available, I'm already sick of it and have no interest in buying it. Indeed, by the time the book is ready for release, I've probably already stopped reading the promo posts, and have gotten into the habit of skipping over the author's posts if they are labeled "Promo".

So, what's an author to do? It seems to me you're d***ed if your do and d***ed if you don't when it comes to promoting your book and luring potential buyers into checking it out. I don't know what the answer is, but I do know what I do and don't like - and those are the things I don't like to do. No wonder the "Promotion" hat doesn't fit.

So, a friend featured me on her blog last week. If you want to know a little more about next month's release, The Earl, check out Laura Hamby's blog. That may be all there is for another week or two.

Happy Birthday!

2009-07-13T08:45:00.002-07:00

Today my baby is 20! How did that happen?

Like many mothers, I suppose I remember him as that toddler who had more energy than the sun and seemed to be everywhere at once. So, in honor of my baby boy, here's my version of "I remember. . ."

I remember the funny things - like the two year old who announced in church one Sunday that something was "impossible." What he said had nothing to do with church, but it garnered attention because of the size of the word and the size of the kid who said it. And there are the pictures of him: in the dishwasher, positioning a small chair near the sink and climbing up on the back of it to reach the faucet, "cleaning" the toilet at 18 months (cleaning is relative here - he had the brush and it was in the toilet and he was moving it around with all his might), and riding his first bike with training wheels at three (at breakneck speed down an uneven sidewalk).

I remember the sobering things. Being "kicked out" of two different daycares (he just had too much energy and was stubborn to boot), the kindergarten teacher who really "got" him and showed him that school and learning could be fun, but retired after his kindergarten year and was killed in a car accident a few years later; the first grade teacher who also retired after his first grade year; and the second grade teacher who "didn't get" him at all and caused us to remove him from school and homeschool him for the next four years.

I remember the heart-stopping things. The time I just happened to notice the back of a blood-soaked shirt on a two year old who wasn't crying, and couldn't tell me how he managed to hit his head and end up requiring three stitches; the one year old who had no fear, whether it was heights, stairs, or a swimming pool; and the one day old who nearly inched his way off a hospital bed while the doctor watched.

I remember the heart-warming things. The cuddler, who loved to crawl into bed with me and snuggle in the mornings; the five month old who took out two Christmas trees - with a big smile and could open the refrigerator from his walker ("No, I don't need any eggs right now."); and the four year old who went to a Halloween party as Thomas the Tank Engine (my sister made a cardboard cutout for him to wear over his overalls) and let an entranced two year old stranger wear the costume for most of the night.

So, to my amazing baby boy, I say Happy Birthday!! I love you and wish you all the best.

Mom

The Blurb. . .

2009-07-03T12:22:00.002-07:00

So, I've only been back for a couple of days and it has taken me this long to get into my blog to post the blurb - enjoy!

Gypsy Legacy, Book 3

A panther. A prince. A promise. Can destiny tie the knot?

During a magical childhood summer, a gypsy woman gave Lady Amanda Cookeson a black panther statuette, promising that the man who came to claim it would also claim her heart. Amanda believes the Earl of Wynton is the prince she has awaited. Yet his reluctance to declare them anything more than friends leaves her wondering if she waited in vain.

If he wasn’t the last of his line, Jon Kenton, Earl of Wynton, wouldn’t marry at all. Since leaving his inheritance to the Crown is out of the question, however, he is compelled to search for the statuette his great-grandmother promised him. His quest leaves him empty handed—and secretly relieved. Finding the statuette would mean embracing the gypsy roots he has long denied.

Amanda is perfect countess material: lovely, admirable and—he thinks—statueless. Their passion is unquenchable…until the gypsy magic Jon thought he’d buried nearly destroys his future with Amanda.

Houston. . .we have a cover!

2009-06-14T20:16:00.003-07:00

So, today I got final approval on the cover for The Earl. What do you think? I hope the blurb will be approved soon.

For those of you who have read the other books in this series, the article that is supposed to lead Jon to his destiny is a panther statuette made of black onyx.

Freising, Germany

2009-05-08T22:00:00.004-07:00

I'll be away for the next ten days or so on vacation in Germany, so I thought to leave you with a re-run of a previous post on one of our favorite smaller city in Germany. Freising sits outside of Munich and is the perfect place to spend the night before flying out of Munich's airport. Enjoy, and I'll see everyone in a couple of weeks.
-------------------------------------------------------
Freising is a city situated near two hills. Back in the Middle Ages, Freising was an important city as the seat of a bishopric and a major religious center. St. Corbinian settled at a shrine in Freising around 724. On the city's coat of arms is a saddled bear. This stems from the story of St. Corbinian in which it was said that while traveling a bear attacked and killed his packhorse. Corbinian is said to have told the bear that since he'd killed the horse, he would have to take its place. All over the city there are adorable statutes of bears painted in a variety of ways. It received city rights under Emperor Otto III in 996, but with the founding of nearby Munich in 1150, it gradually lost its economic power. Today it is a quaint city that is best known for the Abbey and church on one hill and the oldest brewery in the world situated on the other. Enjoy some pictures of this picturesque town.

Worship on Wednesday

2009-05-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

The following is a devotional from Words of Hope. I read it about a week ago and just loved its message, so I'm passing it on.

Philippians 3:1-16

No Confidence in the Flesh

¹Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

²Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. ³For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— ⁴though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

⁷But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. ¹⁰I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing on Toward the Goal

¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (NIV)

Joy from Having a Personal Relationship of Faith in Jesus Christ

Paul's testimony sounds different from the "gutter to Christ" stories we have often heard. Paul came to Christ as a high moral achiever. He was an Olympic gold medal winner in personal righteousness, a Mother Teresa or Albert Schweitzer of morality. Yet he regarded his trophies of self-righteousness as so much garbage compared to the glory of knowing Christ Jesus.

We work hard to accumulate credentials: degrees, honors, professional recognition, status, wealth. But when the Christ of the cross turns his gaze toward us the only thing we can cry is, "Lord, remember me when you enter your kingdom." As the gospel song has it, "Nothing in my hands I bring; only to thy cross I cling; wash me Savior or I die."

If God wanted to save us by adding up our achievements he would have sent a bookkeeper. Instead he sent a Savior. Laws, rules, regulations, rituals: they all have their value and place. But at the end of the day and the end of life they all fade away, while our relationship with Christ, by faith, shines as bright as the morning sun.

Prayer: Dear God, fill me and help me value the simple joy that comes from knowing Christ my Lord.

Slacking off

2009-05-03T20:58:00.003-07:00

Well, I got so busy last week that I slacked off my posting schedule. It wasn't that I forgot, I remembered, but usually not until it was so late and I was so tired that I just couldn't come up with anything to write.

This week probably won't be much better. As for last week's goals - how did I do? Well, I didn't finish my WIP. I'm still in the middle of Chapter 12 and I know I have at least two more chapters to go. We'll see what this week brings, but I'm pretty sure I won't get it done. But, I won't be for lack of trying.

I still have to finish off my friend's grandbaby's bibs and get them sent off before I leave for Germany on Saturday. I'm looking forward to the trip, but there's just so much to do before then.

I'll try to post on Saturday whether I got it all done.

Traveling Tuesday - Salzburg, Austria

2009-04-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

This city on the Salzach River in Austria is famous for two things: Mozart and The Sound of Music. Never mind the beautiful fortress that sits on the hill. Or the churches in the city. And a plethora of other beautiful places. If you didn't come to Salzburg to follow Mozart or see where The Sound of Music was filmed - why did you come? That's probably what we should have asked ourselves since that wasn't the reason we'd come. I have nothing against Mozart, and The Sound of Music is one of my top five all time favorite movies, but that's not why I visit Salzburg.

For me, it's the fortress. It has an impressive history and museum. The Hohensalzburg was begun in 1077, about 300 years after Salzburg was elevated to an archbishopric. It is the largest and best preserved fortress in Europe. As you walk up to the fortress, it is easy to see how it has remained intact. Even the fortress in Wurzburg, impressive as it is, is easier to get to.
As you walk up the steep path to get to it, you pass a number of places actually carved into the rock. It's easy to see these dwellings as being the homes of lookouts, who could warn the archbishop before anyone could get up there.

Enjoy these pictures of the walk up to the fortress, some of the views inside it, and of the city from its walls.

The little arched entry way (below) leads into the main courtyard. It is in one of the oldest parts of the fortress, near the place where they have excavated the footings and some of the walls of the very first church to be built on this particular mountain.

The linden tree has been growing in the large courtyard for hundreds of years, but I could find nothing that would tell me exactly how long. I think it is safe to say it wasn't growing there when the fortress was built, but might have been planted not long after it was finished.

And finally, a view of Salzburg from the walls of the fortress. Note how many steeples you can see. Salzburg, as the seat of an archbishopric for many years, has many churches.

Great Weekend

2009-04-27T06:00:00.001-07:00

So, even though I had a lot to do this weekend, it was a great one. Friday night I went to a dinner in honor of a local pastor who had been with his congregation for 35 years! Talk about longevity. The church I attend has been through three pastors in the last 18 years, and we are now looking for our fourth. It would be nice to have such stability.

On Saturday, my son and I went up to camp for a workday. He ended up helping to lay a floor in one of the cabins while I helped out in the main lodge washing walls and windows. We were there for about 5 hours, then headed home. Once home, I finished the embroidery projects I was working on for the dinner and auction on Sunday. And, I remembered to take some pictures, so here they are. The sets sparked a bidding war - especially the angels. And, while I love those angels, I'm actually partial to the fruit set.

I also created some with birds on them that we sold as singles. (below) They went fast, too. All in all it was a good day. But, I'm going to take a break from sewing for a bit and finish my current WIP. With everything else going on, I haven't worked on it in a few days, so it needs some attention.

I also learned that, due to some shifting in publication schedules, The Earl won't be out until August. So, I guess I'll have to change the banner now.

New goals for next week? Finish the next chapter of the WIP. I'm headed to Germany in two weeks and my original goal was to have the first draft finished before I went. I'm still hoping to have it done by then, but anything can happen between now and then and with me - it usually does.

Stay tuned.

Free-for-all Friday

2009-04-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

Once again, not much is happening in my life. Nothing worth writing about anyway.

I took today off work. I just needed some "me" time - and time to finish embroidering some towels for the dinner and auction fundraiser this Sunday at church. I have to admit that sometimes I wonder why I continue to contribute since I don't necessarily agree that the group the fundraising is for needs to go on a trip EVERY Summer. On the other hand, I like to support the different groups and causes in the church because I like helping people - period. So, I'll be embroidering two complete sets of kitchen towels (7), and a bunch of singles that will be sold separately. I'll post pictures on Monday if I remember to take them.

Changing tracks, I've been experimenting with creating banners. I finally found a place on the web that makes it easy to create them. It's called bannersketch.com. Check them out. They are easy - and free. Below is the most recent banner I created - and it took me less than an hour. What do you think?

Thoughtful Thursday - Reviews

2009-04-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have often wondered if book reviews really help sales. I know that I, and many others, love it when a review comes out on one of my books. Especially if that review is a good one. But, and this is the million dollar question, does it help sales? Because, after all, many authors would like to make a living on their writing. So the question is a valid one, I think.

It can't hurt, you might say. Maybe. I guess it all depends on the review/reviewer. I've heard it said that getting a bad review on some sites can make your sales soar because everyone wants to see what's so bad about it. On the other hand, I suspect there are people out there who do rely on reviews - especially when faced with an unknown author. And, face it, there are so many authors that we are all looking for a way to stick out in the crowd.

Well, I don't know if a bad review will help my sales, but I do know one thing. A good review can make my day/week/month. For me, it tells me that at least one person liked my writing. Whether that one person can influence the rest of the reading world remains to be seen, but for me, it was worth every minute I put into the book to have someone like it enough to give it a good rating.

So, why am I thinking about reviews lately? Because the June issue of Romantic Times is up on their website and there's a review of The Duke in it. And guess what? It's a GREAT one! 4½ stars. I've been smiling ever since I discovered it two days ago. This is what Ms. Brown had to say about The Duke:

Patrick's second entry in her Gypsy Legacy series is delightful. Her consummate storytelling runs the gamut with gripping plotlines, nonstop action and multifaceted characters. There's a wonderful love story and a conspiracy guaranteed to keep readers on their toes.

So, what do you think? Would that make you at least take a second (or third) look?

Wednesday Worship

2009-04-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

Today is Earth Day. Today is a day to remember that we are here to take care of God's creation. In Genesis when He created the Earth and all that is in it, He also gave man dominion over it all. That doesn't mean that we can just do what we want with it, however. Even a ruler is responsible for the well-being of his people. So should we be responsible for the well-being of the earth and the people that live on it.

When I was growing up in the 60s and 70s, conservationists were known as "tree huggers." This was not always a complimentary nickname, either. And, though I would never have considered myself one, I have always felt some responsibility to leave as small a footprint as possible wherever I have been. I think God expects that of us as well. We need to remember that we will not be the last generation to inhabit this Earth, so we must leave it for our children, our children's children, and so on. If we don't pay attention to it now, there will be very little left for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.

There are many ways to be good "rulers" of the earth. Recycling is an easy and simple one. If it is available in your area, recycling is a good way to begin. Using less energy is also good. Solar energy is abundant in some parts of the world and not so in others.

God has created a wonderful and beautiful world for us, but we cannot continue to take it for granted. On this Earth Day 2009, let us remember that leaving this world a better place than it was when we entered it is an admirable goal - then strive toward it.

Tuesday Tease

2009-04-21T08:25:00.002-07:00

So, today, I didn't have any place new to go, so I thought I'd tease you instead.

I've got news, but I can't post it yet. It was a great moment for me to learn and I'm still smiling over it. Unfortunately, it's not "public" yet, so I can't tell. But, as soon as it is, I will be out here to post it - even if it's on the weekend. So, stay tuned.

Oh, and my cover is ready for approval. I hope that means this week. I'll post it as soon as I get it released.

Marvelous Monday

2009-04-20T06:00:00.001-07:00

It was a great weekend. Not that I didn't have moments when I was thinking of tearing my hair out, but it was an otherwise AWESOME weekend. Why? Because yesterday was Youth Sunday at church and the Youth Group did a fabulous job! The kid who wrote and delivered the Sermon had the congregation alternately laughing and in tears. It was a blessed day!!

I'm also proud of myself for finishing the next chapter on Scarred. Altogether, I have added almost 1,000 words to my WIP since last week. For some that might not be much - for me that is a great accomplishment.

I was also able to finish the bibs for my friend's grandchild. After all the frustration of last weekend with breaking thread, I figured out it was the thread that was the problem. Changed the thread - and problem solved. Don't you wish all problems were solved that easily? I know I do.

So, I've finally gotten back and started posting in my forum on Coffee Time Romance, so click on the link in the sidebar and go check it out. I've posted the "working blurb" for The Scarred Heir out there in my Works in Progress thread.

So, now it's off to the salt mines. I love writing. I love seeing my book in print. But, I also love having the ability to write and all the comforts it takes to be able to write - so I work a day job. Thankfully, it's a job I love. See you tomorrow.

Free-for-all Friday

2009-04-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

I don't have much to say today. It's been a roller coaster of a week and I've got a lot to do before Sunday rolls around. I've been making steady progress on my current WIP, so at least this week hasn't been a total loss.

I hope sometime next week to have a cover for my next release. Gypsy Legacy: The Earl will be a July release, following the print release of my second Gypsy Legacy book, The Duke, in June. My editor and I have been going back and forth with the cover artist for the past couple of days, so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll have an approved cover sometime next week.

I'm also waiting for the approval of my blurb. When that happens, I'll post it here first. Stay tuned - and have a great weekend.

Thoughtful Thursday - The Shack

2009-04-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

I told you I'd let you know when I finished The Shack. I finished it last weekend. Overall it was an okay read. While I don't agree with much of the theology in the book, I think I kept expecting there to be more to the story. I also don't don't know who the audience for the book was supposed to be. I do know, it wasn't me. I didn't actively dislike it, but I would not recommend it to any of my friends.

There were some unique parts to the story, and some instances that made me stop and ponder for a bit, but overall, it left me pretty cold. I didn't appreciate the attempt to make it sound like a true story, but even so, I grieved with the characters for the loss of their child. As a parent, it would be my worst nightmare come true.

As a reader and writer of fiction, I prefer a happy ending and, if there's not a happy ending, at least some type of closure. The hurried ending that attempted to tie up all the loose threads in this one just didn't do it for me. If you're looking for a new idea of what the Trinity might be like, you can try this one on for size, but you should read it for what it is - a story.

Worship on Wednesday

2009-04-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

With Easter being last Sunday, I want to remind you that. . .

Our God is an AWESOME GOD!!

Traveling Tuesday - Grand Canyon

2009-04-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a number of years since I visited the Grand Canyon, but I have never forgotten the beauty and ruggedness of it. Since I can't find my own pictures - and they wouldn't be near as good as the quality of cameras has improved drastically since then - I found a Park Service site where all the pictures are in the public domain. Even though it said I didn't need to provide a link back, I'm doing so because there are so many beautiful pictures, that there was no way I could put them all on my blog, so go and check them out. Maybe this year is the year you can go out and experience the Grand Canyon for yourself.

Progress

2009-04-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I made some progress this week on my goals from last week. I added over 1,000 words to my current WIP. Unfortunately, that's still not an entire chapter. I seem to be working in starts and fits lately. I definitely plan to do better this week. My plan is to write "The End" before I head to Germany on May 9.

As for the other project - the bibs for my friend's new grandchild. Well, I got all but the last one embroidered, then my machine kept breaking the thread. So, I will see if I can figure out what's wrong and finish the last one this week. Then I discovered I didn't have all the colors of ribbing I needed to finish the neck openings. So, here are pictures of the finished towels - by next week I hope to get the necks done so I can mail them before I head to Germany, too.

This first picture is of all of them. I took them with my phone, so I don't know how well they will show up. The "I love mommy" one is a close-up of one of the patterns, as is the special one I made for my friend. I should have taken a close up of the one with the keys on it. That's the yellow towel and that pattern is one of my favorites. I make it with varying colors for every baby I make bibs for.

Have a great Monday!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T06:00:00.002-07:00

GospelGifs.com

Waiting

2009-04-11T09:13:00.002-07:00

Waiting

Good Friday

2009-04-10T06:00:00.004-07:00

Courtesy of Christian Graphics

Reading

2009-04-09T07:24:00.003-07:00

Reading is a great pleasure for me. I have read since I was a small child and my mother taught me. I was reading long before I entered school, which frustrated my teachers to no end. You see, I started school back in the days when children who walked into Kindergarten knew nothing. Nowadays, the teacher would just give me something a little more difficult to read, but not back then. Unfortunately, it turned me into a problem child. But, I digress.

I don't usually read whatever everyone else is reading. I have not read any of the Harry Potter books (although I have seen the movies) and I have not read any of The Twilight series (and haven't seen the movie, either). I haven't read any of the Oprah Book Club books. Why? Because I like to read for pleasure - and reading something designed to make me think is sometimes beyond me when I finally get a chance to settle down with a book. I read to escape.

So, why am I currently reading "The Shack"? Because we are about to do a 4-week Sunday School class on it - and because I read the back cover blurb and it sounded interesting. Well, I'm about halfway through it and, guess what? I don't like it. I haven't put my finger on what it is about it that is rubbing me the wrong way, but I'm having difficulty making myself finish it. But, finish it I will - if only to figure out why I'm having such trouble with it.

So, stay tuned. I'll try to finish it by next week and see if I can figure it out.

Holy Week

2009-04-08T06:00:00.001-07:00

The picture above is of the Kappele. It sits across a ravine from the Marienberg Fortress in Wurzburg, Germany. Built by Balthasar Neumann from 1747-1750, it contains beautiful frescoes by Matthias Gunter. It is very picturesque. So what has it to do with Holy Week, besides being a Pilgrimage Church?

You can't see it in the picture, but a very steep, shady path winds its way up the hillside to it, consisting of 352 steps. Along that path are full-size sculptures of the Stations of the Cross. Now, I'm not Catholic, but as you walk up to the chapel and pause to view these beautiful works that chronicle Christ's journey from Gethsemane through his trial and finally the long walk to Golgotha to be crucified, I don't think you cannot be touched by the beauty of the work and the faith and reverence that went into creating them.

I looked everywhere to see if I could find pictures of all of the stations (because, of course, I didn't take any when I was there many years ago), but I only found this one. The next time I go, I will remember to take pictures of each one.

This week, I hope everyone will reflect on the blessings of Easter. On the life and death of Jesus, and the hope it brings to a dying world. If you are one of those people who only darken the door of a church for weddings and funerals, get out of your rut and go this Sunday. Go, and soak up God's love and peace.

And remember that Christ died for all of us - not just a chosen few.

Die Wieskirche

2009-04-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

In the Alps of Southern Germany, outside the small town of Steingaden sits what is probably Germany's most beautiful chapel -- The Church in the Meadow (Wies=meadow, Kirche=church). It's official name is The Pilgrimage Church of the Scourged Savior, named after the small statue which had been set up as an icon on the side of a road, which is said to have wept real tears. When the story spread, pilgrims came from far and wide to witness the miracle and to be cured of their ailments. The local bishop realized quickly that a space needed to be built where the pilgrims could worship and pray, so the church was commissioned.

Built from 1745 to 1754 by Dominikus Zimmermann, it is decorated inside in the elaborate rococo style. Despite it's exterior being very plain and unassuming, the interior is a feast for the eyes. I visited it a very long time ago - I was probably about 10 - but have never forgotten its beauty. Below are some postcard pictures I still have. I scanned them so the quality isn't great.

For more information and pictures, check out the Wieskirche website, the Wikipedia entry, and another site I found with more pictures. Enjoy these beautiful pictures and I hope you will get a chance to go there someday, too.

Last week's goals. . .

2009-04-06T14:03:00.002-07:00

were (1) complete a new chapter in my WIP, (2) embroider some towels as a housewarming gift for a friend's son and DIL, and (3) embroider some towels to make baby bibs for another friend's new grandchild. So, how did I do?

(1) I didn't quite get a completely new chapter written, but I got about 2/3 of one done.
(2) Done and delivered!!
(3) I made a start but didn't finish them.

So, I guess I'll have to set the same goals again this week for #1 and #3. Check back next week to see how I did.

Life is. . .

2009-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

what it is and way too busy. At least for me it is.

Whenever I start to think I have a handle on my life, something happens to remind me that I only think I have some control over what happens each day. Oh, I know I can control whether I get up in the morning and head off to work, what I have for lunch, what work I get done, etc. But, I've discovered that I make too many assumptions and sooner or later something will not happen the way I expect it will. Yesterday was a prime example.

To be honest, I'd forgotten I was in charge of Sunday School that morning. It was inter-generational Sunday School and I knew what I was supposed to do. And, I knew my props were all at the church. I even brought a replacement for at least one that I knew was getting old. Imagine my surprise when I got to church and discovered that what had been there two weeks ago had vanished! Suddenly, I was without all my props to do my lesson.

To make a long story short, I did the lesson without the props. It wasn't as good, but it was just as meaningful. I think everyone enjoyed it, and I still managed to get in my "moral of the story" piece. I just wish I hadn't had to go into panic mode to get it accomplished.

Unfortunately, there are times when I'm so busy that "panic mode" is the only mode I can operate in. One of these days, I'll get organized. Until then, I'll be thanking God every time I avert a disaster like yesterday could have been.

Not enough time - reading

2009-04-03T06:00:00.001-07:00

There are not enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do. I suppose that means I need to cut some things, but will I? Probably not. I'm a pantster when it comes to writing, so when I'm working out a scene in my head, I can sew or embroider, or do a myriad other things I like to do. The one thing I can't do is read. If I read something close to what I write while trying to work out a scene in my head, I start thinking like the author I just read instead of myself. Not good.

So, I read the exact opposite of what I write. I read contemps. I've discovered that I'm not very good at contemps - maybe because I don't much like world building and the stuff I'd like to do can't be done in today's world. I like paranormals - to a point. I don't like much of what is labeled urban fantasy, or vampires, or shape-shifters. There's not much left after that except the occasional ghost or time travels.

I like Inspirationals, but I've discovered that I can't write the really heavy ones. I prefer the lighter inspirationals - the stuff you see very little of. It's too bad because not everyone wrestles so much with their faith that the rest of the world comes to a stop.

And, I'd love to blend my two favorite genres - Inspirationals and Regencies. I've read a couple set in that time period and, for the most part, they have been pretty good. Not good enough to go on my keeper shelf, but good enough for me to give away and recommend to someone else.

So, I haven't much to say, so I'll just stop here before you fall asleep over the keyboard.

Why did I start a blog, again?

Thoughtful Thursday

2009-04-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Thinking always gets me in trouble. Usually because I often think of something and start doing it before I've really thought it completely through. Once I'm into it, however, I don't want to stop - even if it looks much more complicated and involved than I thought it would be when I started.

That's what happened this weekend when I was working on my RWA Chapter newsletter. I suddenly remembered I was working on April's newsletter and that meant that it was going out on April Fool's Day. So, I decided that it would be fun to create a "joke" newsletter. Now, it was a great idea. It would have been a better idea a week ago - I would have had more time to put it together. Of course, I plowed right ahead and began creating it - on Saturday night - even though I knew I wouldn't have time to work on it on Sunday.

The upshot of it all is that I spent all day Monday working on it and the real newsletter. The "real" newsletter was a snap to put together. But I don't consider myself very funny and pranks are not my usual forte, so it was real work to put together a "joke" newsletter. At 2 am Tuesday, I made myself shut down the computer and go to bed, even though it wasn't finished. I was fighting with a graphic that I just had to have in the newsletter. Note to self: next time find another #$&! graphic!

In the end, I got it done and it was sent out first thing Wednesday morning. I only got a few comments on it - but those few comments made it worthwhile. It was funny and I loved it. Would I do it again? Maybe. But, if I did, I'd try to start at least a week ahead of time.

Worship on Wednesday

2009-04-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder why God sits back and lets us all go our own way. Other times, I think I understand that a Father has to let his children make choices - even when they are bad choices. I'm not speaking of anyone in particular, but I worry about our world and our nation. We have become a nation of entitled people. People who feel that nothing is their fault and that they are entitled, no , they deserve, happiness and whatever it takes to make them happy is OK.

Well, I'm just not so sure. During the World Wars, people made real sacrifices for this country. It was their country and their town that was affected by everything around them. Now, I still see a thread of patriotism, but too often I see (and hear) "What's in it for me?" Isn't "peace of mind" or the knowledge that you did something worthwhile a good enough answer?

God knows when we are trying our best, doing the best we can, or just going through the motions in the hope that the next day is better. Well, I've got news, Today is the day the Lord has made and we should rejoice and be glad in it.

When life starts to overwhelm us, there's really only one place to turn to and a little time spent on our knees pouring out our sorrows will provide a rich bounty of peace and contentment. The situation might not go away, but you'll have the assurance that God is with you. After your prayer session, it's time to get up and dance! That joyful noise we make to God not only is music to his ears, but lifts our spirit as well.

So, the next time life looks overwhelming. Remember - God is waiting. And he has the patience of a saint!

Nuremberg, Germany

2009-03-31T09:16:00.004-07:00

A favorite place from my late teen years. Although most of the places I frequented are gone (I worked in the Army Hospital there and it's been torn down), I still have fond memories of the year I spent there with my family. Someday, I may even dig out some of our old pictures, but today you'll have to be content with a few of the ones we took when we were there in 2007.

Below is the Heilig-Geist-Spital (Holy Ghost Hospital). It is no longer a hospital, but a very nice restaurant.

Nuremberg was an Imperial city during the Holy Roman Empire. Many Diets (similar to Congress or Parliament) were held in it's castle throughout the years. During WWII it was an important city to Hitler, so tt was also bombed extensively. After the war, it's castle had to be restored. Granted, it didn't suffer near as much damage as some other cities, but it did not come away unscathed.

The picture below was taken looking back down as we walked up to the castle. It is a very steep walk and gets steeper the closer you get to the castle itself. Note the green and white Police car.

Nuremberg is truly an Old World city at its center. The narrow, cobbled streets are picturesque, but murder on the foot. If you go, wear good walking shoes with excellent support. You will need it.

This picture was taken from near the top of the walkway up to the castle.

Did you note the low, half-timbered building built into the wall of the castle? I used to live in a small town that was famous for them. One of these days, when I find some pictures of that long-ago time (so long ago that my pictures are mostly black and white), I'll post them. In the meantime, below is another one with it's nice-looking shutters.

Monday. . .

2009-03-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

I had a good weekend. It was too short (aren't they all?), but it was a good one. Of course, I got only a few things accomplished that I wanted to get done, but that's normal for me. I almost always plan more things than I can possibly get done. I suppose it's one way to insure I'll never be bored.

Saturday was beautiful. Sunshine and temps in the 50s. A gorgeous day all around.
Sunday, on the other hand, was pretty - for a December day. Temps in the 30s and snow. And, since I complained about the return of Winter in Friday's post, I won't do it again today.

So, this week, my goals are: (1) to write another Chapter on my current WIP. I think it's time to put up one of those little meter thingys. I'll see what I can find. (2) Work on some embroidered towels for a friend's newlywed son and daughter-in-law; and (3) make some bibs for a friend's new baby. I'll get back to you next Monday and let you know whether I accomplished them. And, if I did, I'll try and post pictures.

It's Spring. . .I think

2009-03-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it is today. Yesterday and the day before, it looked like Winter had come back. I know Spring weather is unsettled, but I'm used to rain, wind, and blustery days. Not snow!

The flower bulbs we planted last fall were coming up just a week ago - when we had balmy weather in the 60s. Now the poor crocuses and violets are shivering in the cold. It snowed two nights ago and yesterday morning it was in the 20s. I don't know how warm it actually got yesterday, but at least the roads were clear by the time I left work. Actually, the sun was shining and there was very little snow to be seen anywhere. It was not, however, warm by any stretch of the imagination.

I don't even remember if Phil actually saw his shadow back in February or not. Frankly, I don't care. But, I do know it's been longer than 6 weeks, so even if he did, Winter should be gone by now. I don't feel the need to issue a written invitation, but if that's what it takes, just tell me where to send it.

You can come back in November. By then, I'll be looking forward to the cold. For now, however, I'm with the 5th Dimension - Let the Sun Shine!!

Responsibility

2009-03-26T06:00:00.001-07:00

A very big word -- for a very big person. Too bad there aren't many big people around these days. Today there is an excuse for everything. Unfortunately, it means no one is responsible for anything.

It occurs to me that we are allowing our children to be irresponsible. If they don't like what we serve for dinner, they go to the fridge and get something else. If they don't do their homework, well that's just how kids are. If they make promises and the break them, well we just can't expect that much of teenagers. And, when they are adults facing a judge for a crime--that's when they blame their upbringing for "making them do it."

Nothing is anyone's fault anymore. And, it's a shame.

Even companies get in on the act. If you have a car accident, heaven forbid that you should admit it was your fault and offer to pay for the damage to the other person's car. Your insurance company would drop you like a hot potato, or raise your rates so high that you'd drop them. It begs the question - why am I paying an insurance company to cover my little "oops" if, when I need an "oops" covered, they want me to say it wasn't my fault to keep them from paying? Isn't that what insurance is for? Apparently not to the company. From my perspective, having insurance is paying for something you pray you'll never need. Throwing good money to the wolves. (*steps off of soapbox*)

Are we really teaching our children responsibility these days, or are we allowing them to get away with anything and everything in the name of giving them freedom. Freedom doesn't come free, easy, or cheap. We need to stop selling our children short and teach them that some things in this world are their responsibility and it's time they stood up for it.

Eagles' Wings

2009-03-25T06:00:00.001-07:00

I've often wondered what it must feel like to fly. To soar high above the ground with only the wind beneath wings spread wide. Regardless of the fact that I'm pretty sure I'll never actually fly, I am sure of some things. I'm assured of God's promises. This passage from Isaiah 40 (from the NIV) is one of my favorites because of the comfort it provides.

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Powerful words. Powerful promises. We may not actually find ourselves flying, but God has given us the powerful imagery of feeling free. Soaring on eagles' wings. Finishing the race with vigor. God knows we can become tired and discouraged, but his promises remind us that he is ever present. He will not let us down.

Thank You, Lord, for your promises. Promises that you keep - even when we don't keep ours.

Millcreek Canyon

2009-03-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Millcreek Canyon is one of many small canyons around Salt Lake City. Here are some pictures taken on a walk up the canyon late last Summer. Enjoy the quiet, restful beauty.

Monday, Monday

2009-03-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mondays are not normally my favorite day. Like most people, getting up and heading off to my day job after a hectic weekend is not necessarily my favorite thing to do. And, not because I don't like my job. Actually, I love my job. But, my Sundays are full and by the time Sunday night rolls around I'm tired enough that I don't want to get up early on Monday morning.

Today, however, I'm savoring the experience of sleeping in. Having only gotten about 8 hours sleep total since Friday, I needed it. I have quite a few things to do today, but with a full night's sleep behind me, the day will go much smoother.

Reading and Writing

2009-03-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve been reading a lot lately. In between trying to finish my latest Regency, I’ve also been reading all of the new Love Inspired Historicals I can get my hands on. I’d love to write an Inspirational Historical, but. . .and here’s the problem. I haven’t liked many that I’ve read. I finish them because I want to know how the story ends and how the conflicts are resolved, but about 3/4 of the way through the book, I start skipping whole passages in an effort to get to the rest of the story. The most recent one I read. . .in the end I didn’t even like how the conflicts were resolved. So, why do I keep reading them?

Because I can learn even from something I don’t like. When I’m not invested in the story, I’m more likely to pay attention to the writing. I don’t feel bad dissecting it, analyzing the structure and style rather than the story. It also helps me to understand what it is about the book I don’t like. Sometimes, it’s not really the story I don’t like, but the writing style of the particular author. The story I finished today was the second one I’d read by this particular author. I’ve decided that as much as I’d like to know what happened to the rest of the family in the series, I won’t pick up any more of her books. It really wasn’t the story I didn’t like, it was the writing style.

Since I started writing, I've discovered that I'm impatient. Unfortunately, that doesn't translate into my own writing. Too often, my CP tells me that my middle is dragging just a bit and I need to pick up the pace. I have to shake my head when that happens, because I'm usually remembering that the reason I didn't like the last book I read was because the middle dragged. If I don't like it in someone else's book, I have to learn not to do it in my own.

I'm learning.

Thursday's Thoughts

2009-03-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

I miss Thursday Thirteens. It used to be one of the few days I looked forward to blogging. Of course, figuring out what to blog about that had thirteen things attached was difficult sometimes, but I loved the challenge.

Right now, I'm deep in the middle of my latest WIP, tentatively titled "The Scarred Heir". I've spent a major part of the last few days researching poisons and antidotes throughout history. So, in memory of Thursday Thirteens and because I can, here's a list of thirteen poisons used throughout the ages (in no particular order).

1. arsenic - odorless, tasteless and, until 1836, difficult to detect
2. wolfbane - pretty flower, but poisonous even to the touch
3. foxglove - I used this one in Gypsy Legacy: The Duke; another silent killer
4. cyanide - from the descriptions this causes a very painful death
5. hemlock - Socrates probably died completely alert as his body just shut down
6. belladona - in Victorian times, women put this in their eyes; many eventually went blind, but it also killed
7. toadstools - these cause the shutdown of your liver and kidneys, then eventually the rest of your body, too
8. mercury - to think doctors prescribed solutions with mercury in it in the 19th century
9. nightshade - there are two types of nightshade, pick the wrong one and you die painfully
10. digitalis - distilled from the foxglove plant, in the right dosage it can be helpful, but during the Regency and Victorian periods, it most often killed
11. chloroform - sickly sweet smelling liquid used to render people unconscious, but as with many discoveries, can also be used to kill
12. laudanum - anesthetic distilled from the opium plant; it was used for every ailment under the sun during the 19th century, but also used to kill
13. peach pits - I haven't found much on what happens except that if you crack open the pit of a peach and dig out the stuff inside, it is extremely toxic; death is very painful as the poison works its way through the digestive system

World Vision

2009-03-18T06:00:00.001-07:00

Have you heard of World Vision? They are a Christian humanitarian organization working to eradicate hunger in our world. Every year they sponsor the 30 Hour Famine - a worldwide youth event where teenagers go without food for 30 hours and raise money to help end hunger. This year our youth group will be "doing the Famine" for the eighth year. Each year we have grown in the number of kids participating. We started eight years ago with only four kids. This year, there will be twenty-two.

As we learn about different areas in the world that the funds we raise help, we are reminded that everyone is a child of God. That we are to see people through God's eyes, not our own. For that reason, I love this song by Brandon Heath. It reminds me to cut through my own biases and prejudices and try to see people the way God does. When we can do that - and doing the 30 Hour Famine helps the youth to make the effort - we will see that we are all God's children and heirs of his promises.

If you would like to help World Vision, you can visit my daughter's 30 Hour Famine pages on Facebook or MySpace to learn more. Even if you don't donate to her, find another group that participates and "join in". It's an experience you will never forget.

God Bless

Traveling Tuesday - Ireland

2009-03-17T06:00:00.002-07:00

I've never been to Ireland, but my hubby has. Long before we met and married, he took a vacation to the Emerald Isle. And, since today is St. Patrick's Day I thought I'd post some pictures from his trip. Since I wasn't there, I don't really have anything to say about them, so you can do your own imagining. I will tell you, though, that he's not a "tourist trap" type of traveler. He tends to love the countryside.

This is a stream near Killarney. If I was a writer of paranormals, this would make an excellent place for the entrance to either a fairy world or a world of trolls.

Also near Killarney. A much more peaceful place. I could imagine this place as a trysting place for my hero or heroine. Maybe even a nice spot for a little skinny dipping.

Thoor Ballylee in County Galway. William Butler Yeats' summer home during the 1920s. It's an old Norman Keep. Just think of the inspiration a writer of historicals could garner from this place. I would love to explore it. *sigh* Maybe another time.

The next three pictures are just beautiful scenery. As you can see, Ireland comes by its nickname honestly. I'm not much of a country girl, but this scenery does make me wish I could see it in person.

I hope you enjoyed this small photographic tour of Ireland. I had a hard time picking out just a few pictures for today. Maybe someday, I'll go myself and take my own pictures.

Normalcy. . .sort of

2009-03-16T06:00:00.001-07:00

Well, life is sort of back to normal. My work schedule is back to normal hours and I should be able to get to the gym every day. I'm committed to working out and hopefully losing some weight this year. I don't have a particular goal. I just want my clothes to fit a little better.

The weather is looking up - I was in a short-sleeved t-shirt this weekend. It was very nice. Went out on Saturday and did some shopping. Bought the newest Nicole Jordan book and can't wait to dive into it. Probably this weekend when I'm hanging out with 20+ teenagers at the church for the weekend.

I have a lot of errands to run this week. My Youth group is doing the 30 Hour Famine this weekend. If you don't know what that is, go here. If you are interested in donating, check out my daughter's MySpace or Facebook pages. As for me, I have supplies to get in for the activities we will be doing, food to order for breaking our fast, a Bible Study to prepare, as well as just keeping the kids from exhausting themselves. It will be a fun, but tiring weekend. I'm taking next Monday off work.

I should also be starting on edits soon. And, I'm trying to finish up two different Regencies. One is further along than the other one, but I'd like to have both finished by the Summer. That's another "we'll see".

Zzzzzzzzzz. . . . . . .

2009-03-13T06:00:00.002-07:00

That's the sound of me fast asleep. I was at work until midnight last night, so today I'm sleeping in.

Which also means, I have absolutely nothing to say.

I might be back later. . .but don't count on it. Just come back on Monday for more ramblings.

Springy Thoughts

2009-03-12T06:00:00.001-07:00

It's almost Spring. That's what my calendar says, anyway. If I went by what I see outside my window, however, I'd say Winter has just arrived. It was in the 20s this morning and only warmed up into the 40s for the day. Yesterday it snowed again and more is forecast for the next few days. So, where's my Spring?

Despite my complaining, there are benefits to all of this. All the skiers are having a great time. The longer the slopes are open the better as far as they are concerned. The snowboarders, too. That's great for them. It's just not for me.

We are having a great water year. Snowpack in the mountains is at levels we haven't seen in a long time. It's looking like it will be a good water year without worrying about rationing. Maybe some of the reservoirs will begin to refill to higher levels. Goodness knows we could use it.

We will probably have a glorious Spring -- once it gets here. With all this water, lawns will be lush, flowers and trees will bud and bloom. Of course, if you suffer from hay fever, you'll be hiding out inside for the next few months. And, when Summer arrives there may be a bumper crop of skeeters, bringing with them West Nile Virus and other fun ailments.

Do you think that with the economy the way it is this year, that counties will rank mosquito abatement high on their list of things to fund? No? Me, neither. We might be on our own when it comes to fighting off the little biters. So, I guess I won't move to Florida this year - or any place else too near the coast.

So, where was I going with this? Nowhere - except to remind myself that Spring is on its way. It will be here. . .soon. I hope.

Wednesday Worship

2009-03-11T06:00:00.005-07:00

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Just in case you want to sing along, I've included the lyrics. Go ahead and belt it out!!

Oh, oh, oh, Here we go! Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh

I`m casting my cares aside
I`m leaving my past behind
I`m setting my heart and mind on You
Jesus

I`m reaching my hand to Yours
Believing there`s so much more
Knowing that all You have in store for me is good
Is good

Chorus:
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
And I won`t worry about tomorrow
I`m trusting in what You say
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh

I putting my fears aside
I`m leaving my doubts behind
I`m giving my hopes and dreams to You
Jesus

I`m reaching my hands to Yours
Believing there`s so much more
Knowing that all You have in store for me is good
Is good

Chorus

(Guitar interlude)

(2x`s)
I will stand upon Your truth.
(I will stand upon Your truth)
And all my days I`ll live for You
(And all my days I`ll live...)

Chorus:
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
And I won`t worry about tomorrow
I`m giving you my fears and sorrows
Where you lead me I will follow
I'm trusting in what you say
(2x`s)
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

2009-03-10T06:00:00.002-07:00

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is one of my favorite places to visit in Germany. We usually make the effort to visit it whenever we go. It is small and very old, its fortified walls being its primary attraction to visitors. On the left, you can see the main square. The large building with the flags is the Rathaus (City Hall). You can't really see it, but the other building has a clock above the row of windows that has two portals on either side. This building is the Ratstrinkstube (officials' drinking hall). The two portals open at certain times of the day to depict the re-enactment of the Meistertrunk of the Thirty Years War - when Mayor Nusch drank in one draught approximately a gallon of beer and saved the city from destruction.

The thick walls and fortified towers of the city are very picturesque from outside the walls, but when you walk around or through them, you realize that they were built for protection. During the Middle Ages, cities that were unprotected did not last long. During its heyday (in the 13th-14th centuries) it was one of the largest cities in the Holy Roman Empire -- with only approximately 19,000 people (about 5,000 inside the walls and another 14,000 outside).

The narrow cobblestone streets remind you that you are in a medieval town. Although there are now cars and even buses make their way through the streets, cobblestones take their toll on your feet. Wear comfortable shoes if you are planning to traipse around old cities in Europe. The small shops, bakeries, galleries, and museums will keep you busy exploring for days on end -- if you have that long.

Don't forget to explore the outlying areas around the city, too. This small enclave in the valley beyond the walls has a pretty little church. There are many such little spots in the road (I hesitate to call them villages when there are only two or three houses, but they make for beautiful pictures).

I will miss my annual stop in Rothenburg this year. We have decided to go explore the castles along the Rhine this year. Since I haven't had the chance to do that before, I'm looking forward to it.

My Kindle

2009-03-09T06:00:00.001-07:00

Last week I treated myself to a new look. Not for me - for my Kindle. Now, I know there are quite a few ebook readers out there, and some people swear by each one for different reasons. I will admit, though, that I bought my Kindle because it was the best deal going when I was looking - considering all it had to offer. And, now that I have it, I have fallen in love with it. So, when I found the Decal Girl site, I couldn't resist the urge to "dress it up" just a bit. The result is below.

Not only does the "skin" look gorgeous, but the accompanying screensaver is the icing on the cake and just looks great with it. And, it was easy to apply. I have to admit that I love the way the screensaver and the "skin" are continuous. I hope you can see how well the pattern continues off the screen and onto the Kindle. I'm enjoying its new look so well that I may start carrying it around without the case.

I can't wait until the same skin is available for my blackberry.

Curves ahead

2009-03-06T06:00:00.001-07:00

Life has a way of throwing you curves. I've discovered, however, that no matter how sharp the curve, there's usually a straightaway on the other side - time to step back and regroup. Just remember not to step back off a cliff.

My straightaway for yesterday? It was the sunset. It was beautiful. I wish I'd thought to take a picture. But, of course, I didn't so the moment is gone forever. Such is life. A series of gorgeous moments, beautiful sunsets, glorious sunrises, and more that we flit through.

I don't have much to say today as I move into the weekend, but I hope that you spend this weekend cherishing the miracle we call life. Hug your spouse or best friend. Laugh with your children - or your friend's children.

Enjoy the straightaway for now. There are more curves ahead.

Names

2009-03-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I got a birth announcement today. It was for a friend's first grandchild. Now, I've never given much thought to what people name their children. I just assume that people have their own reasons for naming their children what they do. One can only hope that the child doesn't end up scarred for life by the moniker you attach to them at birth. So, what made me think about this today? My friend's grandchild.

I suppose his names aren't any more unusual than many other names out there, but as I read the string of names, I wondered whether that child will ever grow into them. Or, will he shed as many of them as he can and just go by his initials when he grows up? I suppose it will all depend on his parents and their attachment to the names.

As I read the list, I wondered if the names had some significance. Is one a grandparent's name, a beloved uncle, or other ancestor? Perhaps one or two have a special meaning in another language - I don't have a clue as to how to pronounce at least one of the names. Whatever the reason for this child's names, I hope his parents will provide him with the story behind each one, for there surely must be one. And, if that's the case, he may, indeed, grow to view his name (and himself) as unique as the person he is.

Isn't that what every parent wants for their child?

Lent

2009-03-04T06:00:00.001-07:00

We are now one week into Lent - the Season of 40 days before Easter. This is a time of reflection and renewal during the church year. It is a time when we look inside ourselves and take stock of our lives and our relationship with Christ. Are we growing? Are we serving? Are we just surviving?

As we watch Spring unfold around us at this time of the year, it should remind us that Easter is about life and as we move toward Good Friday and Easter, we can embrace the gift God has given us.

Monday's Devotional on A Slice of Infinity was particularly apt so I'm going to steal a paragraph, but I encourage you to click on the link and read the entire post.

In part, Jill Carattini wrote: . . .I am grateful for the season of Lent. The time leading up to the promise of Easter and the hope of resurrection is something like the early signs of spring. Indications of new life spring forth all around us, each with the shocking call that we must prepare ourselves for what is coming, reflect on the place of hope via the road of suffering, and face the forces and temptations that come at us along the way. It is not always easy to prepare our hearts for the Cross of Christ, but the changing of seasons is upon us, and God beckons us forward. Henri Nouwen describes the tension eloquently: “The season of Lent, during which winter and spring struggle with each other for dominance, helps us in a special way to cry out for God’s mercy.” For forty contemplative days, the season of Lent calls us to the wakeful awareness that we are human, we are dust, and we are falling short, but that there is a story reaching beyond our lifetimes, our deaths, and our shortcomings, speaking new life where death stings and tears flow.

Are you ready to greet the new life Christ has for you? You still have 33 days to get ready.

Churches in Germany

2009-03-03T07:28:00.008-07:00

I love churches. Especially very old churches. Whenever I travel to Germany, I go into many places, but it's the churches I love the most - and not just because of my own faith. I think it's because I'm in awe of what people can do when they have a passion for something. In medieval and renaissance churches, I see the passion, the reverence, the bone-deep faith in God. I'm sure that not everyone who helped to build a church had such deep faith, but the detail and excitement for the finished product comes through regardless.

Many places in Germany were destroyed during WWII - among them churches. The amazing stained glass windows, the intricately detailed carvings, the flying buttresses, columns, etc. Many are lost for good, but those that remain are an inspiration and testament to the people who spent their life's blood creating such beautiful structures.

Some of the oldest places are the most beautiful in Europe. They are a living reminder of people whose spirit, determination, creativity, and inspiration pushed them to new heights in their times.

As a writer, I appreciate the legacy.

Life and death in the animal kingdom

2009-03-02T06:00:00.001-07:00

So, yesterday was a pretty good day. Church went well. I had 20 kids at Youth Group. Nice weather. Nice day all around - except for the dead deer.

Last Sunday as I was arriving at the church for Youth Group, there was a mule deer munching on the grass near the door. I don't know who was more startled - me or it, but as it bounded away, I remembered thinking I hope it didn't end up in the street and get hit by a car. Well, I don't know if it was the same deer or not, but today there was a dead mule deer on the other side of the fence at the end of the church parking lot.

Now, to give you some perspective. Our church backs up to a cemetery. And, there is a small herd of deer that live in the cemetery - probably because it's a nice oasis of green in the middle of a busy city. During the winter, you see them more because they forage for food slightly further afield, but I don't think I'd ever seen one on the church property before last week.

Because of where the dead one was today, I have to wonder what happened to it. It wasn't anywhere near the road, so if it was hit by a car, it lived long enough to make it to where it was this morning. Either that or someone moved it - which I doubt. Regardless, I hope animal control gets out and removes it tomorrow. I'm sure it's not something that the parents dropping their children off at the day care center will want their children to see.

Free-for-all Friday

2009-02-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

WHEEEEE!!!!!!

That's the sound of me sliding into the weekend, hands in the air, roller coaster style. It has been a long week and I've been working very long days, so I'm looking forward to hanging out with nothing to do for a while. Not that I can do it for the entire weekend, but even having more than an hour to myself with little to do is a little slice of heaven.

I hope everyone gets a chance to relax this weekend. Watch a little TV. Read. Spend time with your friends and family. Go for a long walk. Or just curl up on the couch and daydream. I plan to do a little of all of those in addition to writing and spending my Sunday at church.

See you on Monday.

Thoughtful Thursday

2009-02-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

I suspect that Thursdays will be a lot like Mondays with my thoughts dwelling on much the same things throughout the week. So, on this first Thoughtful Thursday, my thoughts turn toward the helpless among us - the children.

I know I shouldn't read too much news - either the paper form or on the Internet, because my attention is most often caught by those stories that involve children. And, the media being what it is, most often the news regarding children is not good. So, I read story after story about children being abused, murdered, abandoned, etc. It breaks my heart to read it and I wonder why people bother having children if they can't love them - or why more aren't put up for adoption.

I don't consider myself overly emotional, but a story about a child can reduce me to tears. I'd prefer the tears to be of joy, such as when I read about a child who has beaten the odds gone on to achieve, but too often they are of intense sorrow for the pain a child has suffered.

What about you? What are your thoughts on children today?

Worship on Wednesday

2009-02-25T06:00:00.002-07:00

Wednesdays will serve to remind us that God deserves our praise and worship EVERYDAY. So, on this Hump Day of the work week, I will try to bring you something uplifting. Since I love music and listening or singing along provides me with precious minutes of Worship throughout the day, often my offerings on Wednesday will feature music.

Today, I'm posting a YouTube video of the Newsboys hit, You Are My King. Listen to the words, then sing along. Remember, He is worthy of our praise all the time. The lyrics are below:

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing love, I know it’s true
It’s my joy to honor You
In all I do, to honor You

You are my King
You are my King
Jesus, You are my King
You are my King

It is fitting that my first Worship on Wednesday post takes place on Ash Wednesday. My prayer for you during the Lenten season is that you draw closer to God as we look toward the cross.