Winter Adventures And Story Ideas



Hi from Gail Gaymer Martin at http://www.gailmartin.com/

What is more inspiring than a setting like this? Although we know the Lord surrounds us each day, the grandeur of His natural beauty is awe-inspiring.

I've wanted to winter in a place that would offer adventure and rest, and Sedona, Arizona is one of those perfect settings.

Usually a computer potato--never a couch potato since I'm always writing and I use a mouse--I find myself walking daily and hiking up the sloops of the red rocks when I have the courage and energy. A hiking stick helps, and I've enjoyed seeing the views from higher up. 

We've had the frightening thrill of running into wild animals on our journeys, and my husband had the good sense to bring along his camera.  Our first encounter was a bobcat who looked up at us while he lounged in the shade and then decided his nap was more important than lunch.  We were grateful.

Our next adventure was running into a javelina who was not with the usual herd or pack but was alone.  We were grateful because they are wild and can be dangerous. Though the javelina looks like he'd be from the pig family, he is a peckery and if you look closely you'll see he has hair.

We've seen mountain lion tracks but that's one adventure I'll pass up.  I'm still longing to see a roadrunner. 

The setting, hiking, and wild animals has naturally stirred my creative juices and I can feel a novel budding in my mind. I've been here before but never for more than a week, so this extended trip---away from Michigan's winter---is both inspiring and exciting.  One of these days (more likely years), I hope to offer a series or a novel set in this magnificent location.

This is not all fun either. I'm working on a novel to come out months from now which I've titled Waiting for You. It will be the first book in a new series. So for now from our deck with a view of castle rock and bell rock, think of me, and if you enjoy my novels, look for the next LI, A Dream of His Own (the last in the Dreams Come True series) that will be in stores at the end of May through June. If you wondered who is the donor for this wonderful foundation, you may just learn the secret in the last novel.  :  )

Valentine's Day? Already?

Hi all, Charlotte Carter here.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still vacuuming up tinsel and pine needles.

In stores, Christmas decorations were shoved out one door and Valentine’s hearts were brought in the other, leaving only a brief window to celebrate New Year’s Day. Time is simply flying by too fast.

Still, I am a romance writer. Valentine’s Day represents the forever kind of love. So I hark back to yesteryear (Chuck and I have been married a long time!) when my husband and I were dating. He brought me flowers and took me out to a nice dinner. Perfect and romantic.

By the time our second Valentine’s Day rolled around, we were married and living in Anchorage, Alaska. (I knew I’d found a good one and did not hesitated to say ‘I do.’) On Valentine’s Day I gave him a card; he gave me . . . nothing!

Say what? Sheepishly, he admitted he thought Valentine’s Day was for couples who were dating. I quietly (but firmly) disabused him of that notion. Romance does not stop when you get married.

Fortunately, Chuck is a quick learner; he hasn’t missed a Valentine’s Day since. (And I’ve learned how to drop hints and reminders that are as subtle as a giant asteroid landing in our front yard.)

So I’m expecting a romantic card and flowers this Valentine’s Day. Rather than going out to dinner, which we do regularly anyway, I’ll cook a nice dinner at home and we’ll leave the crush of couples waiting in restaurants for tables to the dating crowd.

What’s your favorite memory of Valentine’s Day? How do you celebrate now?

Books that leave you smiling - by Charlotte Carter

Big Sky Family, Love Inspired, available now

Montana Love Letter, Love Inspired, 10/2012

www.CharlotteCarter.com

Happy Holidays!

My greetings are perhaps a bit  early, but I won't be on the schedule again until after the holidays are over, so I just didn't want to miss a chance to wish everyone all the best, and to extend my thanks to all of the readers who visit this blog.  You're the best!  :)

I had a Thanksgiving themed book out last month (The Loner's Thanksgiving Wish) and have a book out this month as well--Duty To Protect,  which is a Love Inspired Suspense set during a very snowy winter in Colorado and Montana.  Brrrrrr!  I'm glad it was Emma and not me,  trapped in a frigid horse trailer crossing Nebraska!

Early forecasts for the Upper Midwest indicated that we were going to have an unusually cold and snowy winter,  just as I wrote in the book, but so far we're still having lovely forty degree days (far nicer than thirty below!) and have had just a single whisper of snowflakes one day.   But even though the weather is still lovely, I've got our Christmas decorations up and now need to start baking. How about you--are you set for the holidays?

I'd like to share the best recipe I've ever found for cut-out cookies, one especially great for when you're baking with small kids.  As much as you work with it, reforming the odd bits and pieces into a ball and rolling it out again, it still stays nice to work with.   I've used this since the early 1980's.  Once, while reaching for the nutmeg, I knocked a container of chili powder into the bowl, the lid came off and the entire container emptied over the cookie dough.  I removed what I could, then added ample cocoa powder to cover the taste--and everyone still loved them.  Now, this is one very forgiving recipe!  :)

Super Easy Roll-out Cookies    --The Rustands

 

1 cup shortening           1 ½  tsp cream of tartar

1 ½ cups sugar              1 tsp soda

2 eggs                           ½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla                  4 cups flour

2 Tbsp milk                       

optional: 1 tsp cinnamon  and/or  1 tsp nutmeg

 

You can drop these on a  cookie sheet and flatten with a fork, or use for cut-out cookies.  We like to double the recipe, and roll them out  quite thin.  350 degrees, 8-10 minutes.  My favorites are the ones liberally decorated with cinnamon red hots candy!

Roxanne Rustand

www.roxannerustand.com

Pat Davids on Romancing the Cowboy

A man alone on horseback on the wide, wind-swept plains as dawn is breaking in the east.

A cowboy.

This simple word conjures up feelings of strength, independence, romance...everything a hero should be, and often is, inside the covers of our books. Who doesn't love a guy who loves his horse? Who drives a beat up pick-up? Who wears those sexy chaps?

What is it about cowboys that makes us go, ahhh! Is it the horse? Is it the clothes? What makes a cowboy such a wonderful hero? I'm all ears. Tell me what you think?

Who is your favorite cowboy on the big screen or the little one? For me...John Wayne.

What's your favorite cowboy story? Love Inspired has a lot to pick from. We love cowboys.

I've given you some pictures of modern day cowboys to enjoy while you think. The man in the first picture is my brother Bob. Yup, my brother is a cowboy, and single.

These pictures were taken by my sister-in-law, Theresa, on this year's round-up out in the Flint Hills where my family has pastured cattle for four generations. I have some great memories of riding in the roundup as a kid. I come by my love of cowboys naturally.

Tell me why you love a cowboy hero as much as I do.

February Is For Romance

Merrillee here. February is a time for romance, and what says romance better than a wedding? These are photos of my daughters when they got married on the beach near our home. Our daughters didn't get married in February, but my husband and I did. We were married on Valentine's Day. We have no digital photography from that day, but here is a recent photo taken at the wedding of one of our daughter's friends.



We will celebrate our thirty-fourth wedding anniversary on Valentines' Day.

In my February Love Inspired book, HOMETOWN PROMISE, my hero and heroine have their first date at a Valentine's banquet.



Do you have any fond memories about Valentines' Day?

Backlists and Ebooks...

I just love it when I hear from readers. Truly. Every time I get an email I'm all giddy that someone has read one of my books.

Since my next release is Her Only Protector, I've been thrilled to hear from the bookclub readers who've already read the book and couldn't wait to email me to tell me how they liked it. I'm also surprised at how many people are still picking up a copy of Cradle of Secrets and writing me to tell me they enjoyed the book. They're always thrilled to know they won't have to wait long for the sequel. Just a few weeks and Her Only Protector will be hitting the bookstore shelves.

Which brings me to the backlists and ebooks subject line of my post. As many readers know, Steeple Hill books are available in paperback for just one month on the bookstore shelves. If you happen to find a great author or a series you love mid-way through the series, it's hard to go back and find those first books unless you can get them at a used bookstore. But not anymore.

All Steeple Hill books are available on EBOOK! So it doesn't matter if you miss a couple of books from a great author. You can always go back and purchase an ebook to download to either the Kindle or some other software platform. These ebooks can be read on your computer, a PDA or ebook reader.

I have to be honest with you. I love the feel of a paperback book in my hands, love to turn the pages and look at the cover. But I also love the idea of being able to load a ton of books on one device and store it there. I have a friend who just emailed me to tell me she won a Kindle in a contest. I must admit that I'm green with envy. But alas I can't justify purchasing another device to read ebooks since I already have one. I still have my old Rocket Ebook Reader that I purchased 10 years ago! While not as light and easy to use as the Kindle and certain not able to hold as many books, the Rocket is a great little device to load 8-10 books on as well as my own manuscripts for editing and final read throughs.

My point (and yes, I do have one) is that I love that technology has given us choices. I no longer have to hunt down a book I missed when it was on the shelf. I can buy an ebook from a new favorite author. And I no longer have to choose which books to bring with me on a trip because I can't fit them all in my suitcase on one device. I can bring enough books to last me an entire vacation! (I love reading while I'm camping. And the Rocket is great for night reading since I don't have to hold a flashlight and a book at the same time!)

I'd love to know your thoughts on ebooks and ebook devices. And if you're one of the lucky readers who has a Kindle, let me know what you think. I have a feeling, despite the fact that I still love my Rocket, that the Kindle may go on my Christmas List.

Until next time, many blessings! Lisa Mondello

Be sure to visit the CRAFTIE LADIES of SUSPENSE at http://www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/