Busy Day

Here’s our little Halloween treat!


We had a wonderful Halloween, trick or treating with the granddaughters and visiting the haunted house. I left out treats on the table on the patio for any treaters that showed up while we were gone, and knowing the neighbor dog would be expecting her treats, I also set out a bowl for her. Low and behold, when we returned home, the candy dish was still full, but the dog dish, t-bones and all, was gone. Ava (the neighbor dog) took the entire dish back home with her. She is a hoot, and we love having her visit us daily.

Today has been busy, besides the day job, I am part of my library’s local artist event. The opening reception was from 3-8PM today. The event will run all week. Lots of fun and neat art on display!

AND…Her Midnight Cowboy was released by HQN today! Here is a short excerpt from the book:

They were through the doorway, and he kept moving, forcing her down the hall. “Yes, you.” His nose bumped hers. “You will not parade yourself about half dressed. Not in front of me or anyone else.”

She grabbed the end post of the large staircase, stopping both of them. “Not even my father tells m—”

“Nor will you ride the hills by yourself, or run to town on a whim.” He laid a hand on the stair railing, curling his fingers around the polished wood for support. No longer whispering, he said, “I have ten thousand head of cattle to see to, I don’t need any trouble from you.”

Huffing, she asked, “Trouble from me?”

“Yes.” He nodded at the second floor. “Now hightail your little butt upstairs and get dressed.”

Her eyes widened. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Oh, yes, I can.” He took a step back and pointed upstairs. “Go, now.”
Angel’s chin dropped. “I don’t—”

The sting of his palm connecting with her backside stopped her outburst. It had been action without thought. Being responsible for her virtue was more than he bargained for. “Go before I drag you up those stairs and dress you myself.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Try me.” he challenged.

The stare down lasted a few minutes before she gave in and stomped up the stairs. Stopping on about the fifth one, she turned around and glared at him. “You’ll rue this day, Mr. McGuire.”

His eyes locked on the way her breasts rose and fell. “I already do, Angel girl. I already do.”


Finally, today, I was one of several historical authors participating in the Historical Extravaganza November Book Brew with the Coffee Crew at Coffee Times Romance Coffee Thoughts Blog, here and here.

There are lots of great prizes over there, so if you have a chance, stop by and leave a comment or two!

That’s about it for me on this first day of November 2010.

October is slipping away...

First, I’d like to say thank you to all the wonderful blog readers, fans, friends, and family for the precious birthday wishes you emailed, mailed, texted, phoned, posted on facebook, etc. etc. Each one was surprise and I sincerely thank you for thinking of me yesterday. I received some very special gifts from my family. They are so thoughtful (the Favre jersey is awesome!).

My gift to myself was my new Miche purse. I love this thing! I did buy the longer straps than the ones in this picture, I’m a shoulder strap person…and the other two shells I ordered are being shipped out tomorrow. I’m so anxious for them to arrive! A camo one for hunting season, and a snowflake one for the holidays.

Okay, enough about my purse fetish and on to writing…the count down to release dates is on!

Guardian Bride, the Quinter Brides book 4 will be released on Oct. 29th by The Wild Rose Press.
Blurb: Snake Quinter believes he dodged a bullet when he refused to wed the girl Ma was set on hitching him to. Then he wakes up. Not only had he been shot—twice, he and Summer Austin are definitely married.
For over ten years Summer Austin had known her life was tied to the Quinter family—her guardian angel said so. She was willing to do whatever it took to keep her siblings safe, but what would Snake and his family do when they discovered she, a half-breed, was responsible for their father’s death?


Then, on Nov. 1st, Harlequin, Mills and Boon will release Her Midnight Cowboy!
Blurb: Eastern Wyoming, 1884
In Angel Clayton's opinion, men don't get any finer than hired hand Rowdy McGuire. The very thought of him makes her ache with need—and the sight of his golden, glistening skin only makes it worse. She knows he feels their bodies' magical, intense pull towards one another, even if the honorable cowboy refuses to admit that a drifter and a ranch owner's daughter could ever be together.
But Angel is determined to get what she wants—and she wants Rowdy!

The end of October is also the time my writer’s group goes on a retreat. We are headed up to a resort in the Brainerd Lakes area this weekend, and I’m looking forward to spending the days with the awesome ladies in my RWA Chapter. Food, fun, and days of talking about romance writing—it just doesn’t get better. Oh, and we do fit in a few training sessions and some writing time.

Be good to yourself, that’s what allows you to be good to others!

All because two people fell in love...

Here’s an updated picture of the granddaughters. They are such sweet little treasures, and we feel so blessed to have them in our lives.

DH and I took the six hour drive up north last weekend, and spent some time living in the woods, and getting stuck in the mud. It was a fun time, and the getaway provided a much needed break.

On the writing side, Her Midnight Cowboy is due out November first! (And the e-book version of Guardian Bride, the Quinter Brides Book 4 will be released Oct. 29th.) Right now I’m working on the edits of another UNDONE.

I started working on another time travel, (I’m a fan of those), but found my left brain fighting with my right brain as I worked on it. The right brain is the creative one, it lets the words flow from my fingertips, but the editor mode of the left brain kept jumping in, slowing my progression. The left brain also kept pointing out scenes that need more research. I thought writing up north where I don’t have any internet would stifle the left brain a bit, but it didn’t, so after a bit more research, I’ll be ready to work on the book some more. Have you ever taken one of those left brain/right brain tests? Here’s one if you want to try it. There are several of them on line, and depending on the day, I get different results. I’ve also taken a ‘brain gym’ class, and often use the exercises before sitting down to write.

Okay, enough rambling, I’m off to my edits, and hope you have a great week!