It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas....

The granddaughters spent the night on Friday and helped me wrap the presents that had piled up in the corner of my bedroom waiting for just such an event. We also watched Miracle on 34^th Street (the remade version, not the original, black and white just doesn’t hold their attention) while munching on a tray of homemade goodies. We’ll gather at one son’s house on Christmas Eve and another son’s house for Christmas Day and I’m looking forward to watching the girls tear into their gifts. The little one hidden amongst the presents in this picture wants a specific princess kitchen so badly she shivers when talking about it. (That present has been wrapped for some time and I sincerely hope ‘some assembly required’ doesn’t take hours!)

Today I will make a trip to the grocery store to purchase the times I need to create the dishes I will bring to both gatherings, and we have a lunch date with our oldest granddaughter. She turns six today and with the holidays so close, we’ve made a tradition of celebrating it early and going out to eat at the restaurant of her choice on her actually birthday.

One the writing side, all is going well. I had the unique opportunity to write a Christmas story during the Christmas season. It seems I’m usually writing about July in December and vise versa. HQN asked me to write a story for their 2013 Christmas anthology in November, and just this week I received the edits. I plan on completing them this coming week. Anna and Tanner’s story will be released next October. 

It’s hard not to think about all that’s going on around the world, and the tragedies right here in the United States. Please say a prayer, offer sympathy and empathy, but also take the time to reflect upon your blessings. All that you have and hold dear. That’s my Christmas wish for you.

Tea Party

Oldest granddaughter will turn six on the 23^rd of this month. Yes, a Christmas gift we treasure all year long. She had a princess tea party today where fourteen little girls had a glorious time, and each took home their very own china tea cup and saucer. (This picture was taken a few weeks ago by a photographer.) After her friends left, extended family arrived and we had a second birthday party. This weekend will also include her first gymnastic meet tomorrow. Life just gets busier and busier the older the granddaughters get, and more wonderful. 

Last weekend we put the tree up, with help from the granddaughters so the bottom is more heavily decorated than the top, and it looks absolutely perfect. I also spent a day preparing the Mustang for storage, and afterwards, I needed to give my winter car some TLC. She needed a good cleaning after sitting for so many months. I love driving the Mustang, but have to admit, the Grand Am has seats that are much more comfortable. She is also a bit easier on gas, and I’m extremely thankful for how my husband keeps her on the road for me. 

I received another cover this week! His Wild West Wife will be released in February from HQN UNDONE. I’m turning the corner toward THE END on my latest manuscript. The heroine is a mail order bride with six kids in tow, and hero is, well, he’s the wrong cowboy. 

The holidays are approaching fast, and I hope you are each finding the time to savor the season. Make memories, and create a new tradition for the next generation. They’ll appreciate it.

Cover Reveal

Ta Da!

Isn’t it gorgeous? I think so. Those cover art folks over at Harlequin are so talented! 

Inheriting a Bride will be released in March of 2013. Here’s the blurb: 

He'll get beneath every delicious layer of her disguises...

Kit Becker travels to Nevadaville prepared to use any pretense necessary to discover why she must share her inheritance, and with whom.  

Clay Hoffman knows a thing or two about money-grabbing females, so when he finds one posing as his new ward, he's determined to get beneath every delicious layer of her disguises. Discovering she's telling the truth, Clay is torn--he should be protecting her, not thinking about making her his bride! All he knows for sure is that he's inherited a whole heap of trouble!

It can be pre-ordered here. 

Our Thanksgiving was downright wonderful! And I sincerely hope yours was, too. We ate, played games, ate some more, watched football, ate some more, played in the snow falling outside, ate some more… You get the picture. 

Friday was just as awesome. No, I didn’t go shopping, (I did order a few things on line). I wrote all day and finished the rough draft of the story for Harlequin’s 2013 Christmas Anthology. Yippee. 

Lots will be going on in December. I’ll try to bop in here and keep you updated. Until then, enjoy the season. Only you can make it the best ever!

Cards Anyone?

Here is our youngest granddaughter attempting to teach our granddog (her uncle’s dog) how to play cards. She also tried to teach him how to change her doll’s diaper. He humored her graciously throughout the evening, and let out a large sigh of what I interrupted as relief when her mommy and daddy came to pick her up. 

The weather is turning colder here, and I’m preparing myself for winter, which includes putting my Mustang in storage. I’m also prepping for the holidays. Last weekend our middle granddaughter sang in church. She was the littlest peanut up there, but sang at the top of her lungs. So very adorable! And today I attended a Thanksgiving dinner with the kindergarten class at our oldest granddaughter’s school. It was a lovely meal, made extra special by the company I was with. We will host dinner at our house next Thursday and I’m looking forward to the day of fun and family.

Oh, and guess what? I’ve completed my Christmas shopping. How I do love on line shopping! First time ever, but with the schedule I’m maintaining right now, click and ship is a blessing for sure. Of course, knowing what each the granddaughters needed/wanted made the shopping a snap. 

Last week I was asked to write a story for next year’s Western anthology for Harlequin. Of course I said I’d love to, and I am loving it. I will have both stories done by their January deadline. (If I keep saying it, it has to come true, right?)

Next releases…A Soldier for Christmas will be released the end of this month. His Wild West Bride (an UNDONE) will be released Feb. 1, 2013. Inheriting a Bride will be released March 1, 2012 and The Cowboy Who Caught Her Eye will be released July 1, 2013 (these are both full length historicals). Those are the only dates I know of right now, but I’ll keep you posted. I must give out a heartfelt thanks as well. To all of you who have purchased Unclaimed Bride, thank you, thank you, thank you! You kept it #1 on the best selling list for Harlequin Historicals at Amazon for over three weeks! (A dear friend keeps track of those things and updates me regularly. Bless her heart!)

That’s all for now. Count your blessings and enjoy each one!

Happy Halloween!

 Our oldest granddaughter will be a little bandito for Halloween. This is a family tradition. My husband’s father wore this suit when he was three, my husband (and all of his siblings) wore it when they were three or so and all three of our sons wore it. Now it’s the next generation’s turn. 

Goodness a lot has happened since my last post, which is why I haven’t been on line much. 

Besides being knocked-down by a long lasting cold, we had a wonderful celebration for my birthday on the 18^th, a party at my niece’s house for her birthday, sleepovers with the granddaughters, a shopping trip where Papa bought me a lovely new winter coat (and himself a new tree stand), grandparents day at school, worked at my brother’s haunted house, and last weekend our children shocked us by throwing a surprise party for both Papa and I.  (His birthday was in September, and since we both hit the half-century mark, I guess the kids felt we needed a big bang.) We were totally surprised and had a wonderful time visiting with all the family and friends there.

The e-book version of Unclaimed Bride will be released on November 1^st, and thank you to all who have already purchased this book. Your support is greatly appreciated and I sincerely hope you enjoy the story! 

I’m currently working on Marie and Stafford’s story. Set in the Dakota Territory, she arrives prepared to marry a cowboy who has ‘inherited’ the six children she’s in charge of, however Stafford isn’t that cowboy.  Yes, I’m having fun with this one!

I hope you all have a spooktacular Halloween, and to all of you dealing with Sandy, you are in my thoughts and prayers. 

I must also send out a plea to please vote. 

That’s all for now. Be good, stay safe, and love life.