Slacking off...

Nope, that’s not why I’m a bit late on the weekly blog. Just been busy. Wedding company stayed most of last week, which was very fun. My oldest brother is a real hoot, and I always love spending time with him and his wife. I’m still pushing hard to meet the Sept. 15^th deadline, I received the galley for Inheriting a Bride (will be released in March), and I had a request for a full manuscript, so that meant a quick read through to make sure it was ready to go. Excuses, I know, but it all good and fun, and kept me from updating my blog. 

Sheriff McBride was re-released today from the Wild Rose Press! Yippee. As I’ve mentioned before, this story was originally part of the Lawmen and Outlaws anthology.  And Saturday, What a Cowboy Wants, will be released from Harlequin in their Undone line. 

Today was also my oldest granddaughter’s first day of Kindergarten! It was so exciting!

One last thing, I just have to share this picture from the wedding. It’s just so adorable!

Wedding Fun!

Here are the two flower girls and one of the bridesmaids.   Adorable!

Weddings are such fabulous affairs, aren’t they? My niece made a gorgeous bride, her new husband was utterly handsome, and the entire event was perfect. Of course there were a few hiccups, but all weddings need those. The white and blue sand for the sand ceremony was forgotten at the hotel, but we were on a golf course, so I sent my son to the sand trap with two plastic cups. (Don’t worry, he raked away his foot prints).  It worked, and then there was that moment when the bride’s father, my youngest brother, became a bit choked up during his father-of-the-bride speech, and my oldest brother stepped in for support. No one will ever forget it. I guarantee it! 

The wedding is over, and the bride and groom off on their honeymoon, but out of town family will be here for a few more days, so there is still more fun to be had. We will all attend my granddaughter’s gymnastics tomorrow night. She is overly thrilled!

Needless to say, not a lot of writing has happened the past few days, nor will it for the next couple, but I’ll make it up. I am fully committed to this September 15^th deadline. The contracts are all signed and mailed back. As are the ones for the Japanese ebook and comic book adaptations for Mail Order Husband.

 

I received print copies of All a Cowboy Wants for Christmas last week! A day doesn’t go by when I don’t miss my mother, but when I opened that box, I wished she was here with all my heart. She read Harlequin romances her entire life. 

I’m off now to spend a little bit of time in the Dakota Territory with my Pinkerton agent and merchant before my bed calls. Have a wonderful week!

Corn on the cob, anyone?

Don’t you just love the wonderful foods of summer? With everything going on this year, we didn’t put in a garden, the time just got away from us. But we are blessed with some of the best neighbors in the world who share their bounty with us. 

The new book is coming along fabulously well, even with all the birthday parties and weddings filling up our weekends. I just wrote Chapter Seven. (The words not the chapter. LOL.) I am hoping to make it to the mid-way point on the word count before company shows up on Thursday for my niece’s wedding this weekend. In this story, Carter Buchanan is a Pinkerton agent who may have just came upon his hardest case ever. His actual assignment is to catch a train robber, but he’s a bit sidetracked at the moment by the unwed and pregnant Molly Thorson. 

We attended a friend’s birthday party this weekend that included skeet and target shooting. I shot my .22 rifle that Papa put a new scope on this spring, and it handles like a dream. It is one that I won at the Wild Turkey Federation banquet.  

With the wedding right around the corner, I’m getting my hair cut tomorrow. Fingers crossed that I’ll like it. I’m a wash and go type of person, so I’ve asked her to once again keep that in mind. I’ve also written the ‘reading’ that I’ll be reading at the wedding ceremony. I’m working on memorizing it, because I know I’ll get too teary-eyed to actually read it. 

That’s all for now. Life is good, let’s keep it that way.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake

Isn’t it adorable? Our daughter-in-law made it for our granddaughter’s birthday party yesterday.  If you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, you’d love this cake! It tasted just like one, except a bit sweeter maybe. There was also a large chocolate cake, complete with candles, so party goers had their choice. (I had one of each—small ones—I had to try this one!)

Our granddaughter loved the baby dolls we bought her, and the stroller. She plunked one of the babies in it and made Papa take several walks up and down the block, her pushing the stroller, him following. 

Next weekend is our neighbor’s birthday. It’s a huge pot luck party that includes several rounds of skeet shooting and we all look forward to it all summer.  Oh, and speaking of neighbors, my other neighbor brought over some of her amazing dill pickles. They are so delicious! 

On the writing side—Here’s the cover art for Unclaimed Bride. Lovely.

Monday brought me some fabulous news. Harlequin offered me two contracts of three books each. One is for three Undones to be released in 2013 and one for three full length Harlequin Historicals. The first of those will be released in July, which means I need to have it turned in to my editor by mid-September.  A challenge for sure, but my wonderful editor brainstormed with me until we came up with a wonderful synopsis and then I hit the keyboard. I already love this story. It’s set in 1884. He’s a Pinkerton agent looking for train robbers. She owns a mercantile in the Dakota Territory, and is unwed and pregnant—which no one knows about. Yet.

If you have a chance, stop over at www.cowboykisses.blogspot.com this week, I’m interviewing two more authors from the Honky Tonk Hearts series. 

Smile, and spend some time simply enjoying the wonderful summer we’ve been blessed with this year.