Unclaimed Bride

Release day!

The paperback version of Unclaimed Bride was released today! The ebook version will be released on November 1st.

Running from the past…she bumps into her future!Mail-order bride Constance Jennings steps off the stage in Cottonwood, Wyoming, and waits for her husband-to-be. But he never shows up, and instead several other men are vying to take his place!
Single father Ellis Clayton must be the only man in town not looking for a bride. But his young daughter's habit of rescuing wounded critters means he ends up offering Constance a temporary shelter.
Having a woman around the house again is all too easy—especially seeing her bond with his daughter—but Ellis can't seem to let go of the past. Problem is, neither can Constance. And hers is about to catch up with her….
 
If you have a chance, stop over at Paty Jager's blog tomorrow. I'll be giving away an autographed copy of the book. 

KIDS!

If you have a child, I’m 99% sure you’ve experienced that blush of public embarrassment by something they’ve done. Some are worse than others. I have stories that go back thirty years, and have recently learned they aren’t over. How those kids of ours can embarrass us. 

Last week I had a day of running around to do, including volunteering at the local library. When I left the house, my youngest (who is now in his mid-twenties, but still loves to ‘get’ his mother) was all smiles as I drove out of the driveway. First clue. I should have known. Instead, I thought, he’s in a good mood today. I went through the bank, spent several hours at the library, then drove twenty some miles to pick up my granddaughter from her school. She was hungry so we drove through McDonalds, and then went to the store to pick up Papa’s birthday present. That was the first time I walked around the back side of my car. 

Isabelle had already gotten out on her side and she met me at the trunk, where I was standing, shaking my head, thinking of all the places I’d been.

“What’s that?” she asked. 

“Your Uncle Cody,” I answered, already dialing his number as I popped trunk to dispose of the sign.

He answered laughing.

I said, “Student driver?”

He laughed harder.

I haven’t paid him back yet, but I will. I’m brainstorming. 

Speaking of which, that is what I’m doing for my next story. Brainstorming. Writing down little bits and pieces of scenes and the characters coming to life in my head. I’m also putting the finishing touches on the UNDONE due to Harlequin by Oct. 15^th.  In this one, Garret McCoy places a bet he can get Rory Boyle onto the dance floor, and discovers he’s in for more than he bargained for when she finally says yes. 

The e-book version of All a Cowboy Wants for Christmas will be released on Monday, and I want to say thank you so very much to all of you who have pre-ordered it, and/or purchased the paperback version.  I so appreciate your support and love your emails! 

Next up will be Unclaimed Bride in mid-October and November 1^st and followed by A Solider for Christmas the end of November. 

Be good, be kind, and if you have a practical joke you think would be a fitting response to my Student Driver incident, shoot me an email!

Princesses!

Our middle son’s family went to Disney World this past week. They had the most wonderful time, as we could tell from the text messages, phone calls, and photos! They made it to all the theme parks, had princesses make overs, attended the Not So Scary Halloween Party, had breakfast, lunch, and dinner with every character imaginable, and ride on enough rides I got dizzy just listening to them! My son and daughter-in-law now need a vacation! They also met my niece from Missouri and her family there, so it that made the trip even more special. 

One the home front, I sent off my ‘Cowboy and Baby’ manuscript four days before it’s deadline. YEAH! It was a very fun story to write and I do believe I fell a touch in love with Carter. He’s such a fabulous hero, and Molly is his true soul mate. Now I’m working on the story due by October 15^th. Hero Garret makes a bet he can get heroine Rory on the dance floor. I’m already having a great time with these two!

All A Cowboy Wants forChristmas will be released this week! Very exciting. And I received my author copies of Unclaimed Bride. They are beautiful. As I’ve said before, cover artists amaze me!

I decided it was time to get rid of the carpet in my living room. With dogs, not to mention, people traffic in the living room, I didn’t want the work of hardwood floors, but do like the look, so I went with the vinyl version, and must say I already love it. While the ‘rug bug’ man was here, I decided to go ahead and do the bathroom, too. That should be completed by Tuesday.  It’s been a lot of work, moving everything out and back in, and it kept me off the computer since Friday. I’ll be playing catch up this week!

Make it a great week, you’ll be glad you did!

Remember

I remember exactly where I was, what I was doing that morning, and once again I'm humbled by all those who protect and serve.

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.   

County Fair

Last weekend we spent time at the county fair both Saturday and Sunday. It’s one of those events that evokes childhood memories, and of course creates many more. We had the granddaughter’s over every evening this week, which was also memorable. 

I had my writer’s group meeting yesterday and once again feel regenerated. We had a lovely discussion on POV as well as several other topics. Upon my return home I received this four cup review from Coffee Time Reviews for Sing to Me, Cowboy.  

Currently, I’m doing the final read through of my internet dating story and will be sending it off to my editor this week. I was also informed my gold mine story set in Colorado will be titled Inheriting a Bride and will be released in March of 2013! 

Next out will be the re-release of Sheriff McBride the end of August. 

This coming weekend we will be celebrating our granddaughter’s second birthday. Papa and I went shopping yesterday. One of the things we bought her is a little doll that blows kisses and laughs. It’s motion activated and is adorable. It was in the backseat and the sun shining through the window was enough to set her off and she laughed all the way home, which in turn had Papa and me giggling.

Enjoy your last few days of July, and embrace August as you flip the page of the calendar.