Here Comes 2014

The fast and furious pre and post Christmas days are now but memories, wonderful memories, as we now focus on the coming of the New Year. I sincerely hope your celebrations were, and continue to be, fantastic. 

Our fun times continued through the weekend. After going to see Frozen on Friday—an amazing movie with utterly spectacular music—all three girls spent the night. I’m questioning what I was thinking when I purchased the futon for the playroom. Snuggling to watch a movie is one thing, sleeping all night with three little girls is a completely different thing. However, come morning, after stretching out the kinks, I realized these days are few and precious. Time goes so fast there soon will be a day when the three of them will want to sleep alone, sharing secrets and giggles without grandma, so until then I’ll cherish the moments, stiff muscles and all. 

Getting back into a writing routine is a must for me now. I’ve started the next roaring twenties story, however, I’ve also started the story that came on strong while we were in Wyoming last fall. Those characters have been very impatient so I had to start getting things ‘down on paper.’ I like working on two stories at the same time. When one comes to a fork in the road that needs a bit of pondering, I can work on the second one. 

Mid January is when Harlequin will put up the free read, The Stolen Kiss, and The Major’s Wife, will be released in February. Next up will be Never Tempt a Lawman, release date to be determined.

Enjoy your final days of 2013! It was a year to remember, as they all are.

Ten More Days

Until Christmas! I’m happy to say I’m ready. Just one more grocery shopping trip for the big meal. I had a wonderful surprise today. These flowers were delivered from a fan I have yet to meet in person, but will soon, I hope. That was just so sweet and very precious of her!

As always life has been busy around here. We celebrated our granddaughter’s 7^th birthday (her birthday is the 23^rd so her mommy and daddy make sure we celebrate a couple weeks ahead so it doesn’t get lost in the holidays, which we all appreciate!) last weekend, and she had a gymnastics meet the next day. Lots of fun! A friend had told me about a blooming flower birthday candle, so I ordered one for the big day and it was a great hit! (I got it at http://www.partyswizzle.com/MusicalCandle.html)

This weekend we renewed our conceal and carry permits. It is always so informative. I’d take the class every year instead of every five if I could, laws change so often. We also had our youngest granddaughter over for the day while her parents went to the football game. The Vikings won! (Must have been good luck for them to be at the game.) Granddaughter and I made cookies, several batches with more frosting and sprinkles than needed, which is all the more fun.

Writing has been very productive, too. Snowbound with the Sheriff was released December 1st!

The free read that Harlequin will be offering in January has been officially titled The Stolen Kiss. This short story connects with The Major's Wife which will be released February 1st. AND I finished another roaring 20’s story and sent it off to my editor. I really wanted it done before the holidays so it wasn’t ‘hanging over my head’. I of course have another one well in the works, but have plenty of time so there’s no pressure. That was my one Christmas wish for myself.

For you and others, my wish is that your wishes come true, and that you have happiness and love in your hearts now and all year long.

Christmas blessings to one and all.

Thanksgiving and Beyond

Where ever you are, however you celebrated, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The kind that fills your heart with peace and joy over all your blessings. We ate too much, laughed hard, and thanked the Lord above for blessing us so, and then came home for an evening of quiet time. A blessing too. 

To those of you braving the stores today, I hope you were successful! I crossed that off my bucket list years ago—not that it was ever on my list, but because others wanted me to join them, I participated. Now I can sit back and listen to the almost frightful tales of others, and be thankful that I don’t have to be a part of all that.

However, we will soon be out the door. Hubby is best man in a wedding tomorrow and today is the rehearsal with a dinner following. A fun time will be had, I’m sure of it. 

I’m wrapping up the ending of my story. At the point where I can’t type as fast as the story appears in my mind. It may sound silly, but characters have known to surprise me, and these two, Ty Bradshaw, a federal prohibition agent, and Norma Rose Nightingale, a bootlegger’s daughter, have given me more than one, ‘REALLY?’ moment.  

Stay warm. Stay happy. And keep smiling!

It's a Wonderful Life

Yes, I love that movie, always have. And I’d like to share how that movie touched my family’s life. 

First, I’ll start with this little guy. Our grandson born on July 31^st of this year. I do believe he’s utterly adorable, as are his two older sisters. And I’d like to tell you how they all started…

Several years ago I was the Central Minnesota Division Director for the March of Dimes. One of the fundraising events I was in charge of was held in November and that year the committee decided we would use the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” as the theme for the event. We transformed the entire event center, with the help of many local stores, into Bedford Falls. To put the event ‘over the top’ we hired Karolyn Grimes, she stared as Zuzu in the movie, to be the emcee. She is a terrific lady and did a wonderful job, and the event was marvelously successful.

So…To pull off the event which had many aspects including live and silent auctions and raffles, I needed the help of many volunteers and contacted the local college to recruit several. I also recruited my family, which wasn’t anything new. All three of my boys had helped out at many, many fundraisers over the years, and even the ones no longer living at home still stepped in when I called for help. (They truly are good people.)

My middle son was in charge of a particular raffle, and asked me to find ‘cute’ girls to work him and the friend he’d recruited to help out. Before the event started, I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, but happened to notice a group of college students arrive. I directed them to where the volunteers had to check in, but specifically told two of them to tell the volunteer check-in person that I already had jobs for them, and that I’d meet back up with them in a few minutes. Of which I did, and escorted those two girls to where my son and his friend were getting ready. 

My parents were also at that event and at one point during the evening asked me who the adorable girl helping my son was. My mother claimed both my son and the girl had stars in their eyes when they looked at each other. That was proven later in the evening when my son put his arm around me and whispered, “Oh, mom, you so know where it’s at.”

And here we are, years later, and those two, my son and that adorable college student—now working on her PHD and teaching for two colleges online while raising three of my grandchildren—still look at each other with stars in their eyes. 

Papa teases that I hand-picked our daughter-in-law and couldn’t have done a better job. I can’t take all the credit, but I do believe “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

I wish you all a wonderful thanksgiving, full of family, friends, and love.

New Contract

It’s almost Thanksgiving, and I haven’t posted since before Halloween. Sorry about that, but I had to prioritize and dedicate every spare writing moment to a new contract—a free read for Harlequin. The opportunity was very exciting, even with the quick turnaround timeline. The story will be released on Harlequin’s website, one chapter a day, for twenty days in January-February. I had a wonderful time creating a story closely related to The Major’s Wife, which will be released in February.  

WILL THE TRUTH SET THEM FREE?  

Major Seth Parker knows his wife, and the woman standing before him isn't her. The manipulative vixen who tricked his hand in marriage could never possess such innocence—nor get his heart racing like this! 

Millie St. Clair has traveled halfway across the country to pull off one of the greatest deceptions ever. But with everything at stake it soon becomes clear that the hardest part might be walking away from the Major when it's all over….

We had a fun Halloween with all of the grandchildren. Even Bear, the granddog, went trick or treating dressed as Bat Dog.  And last weekend we had a family gathering for my brother’s surprise birthday party.

There was also the Bootlegger’s Ball last weekend! Here we are, having a wonderful time! I will have to return to the history center to actually ‘see’ the exhibit. There just wasn’t time with everything else they offered for attendees to do that evening.

My focus is now set on completing my second roaring twenties story, and getting ready for Thanksgiving of course.

Be happy. Be thankful. It’s all good.