Time to Read--Merrillee Whren

Before I became a published author, I was a reader. I read different kinds of books--classics, mysteries, thrillers and non-fiction, but when I discovered romances, I knew I had found my favorite reads because they always have a happy ending. I don't have as much time to read anymore because the time I used to spend reading is used for writing. My to-be-read pile is so huge that I'm afraid I will never find the bottom of it.

So when do I have time to read? This week. I'm looking forward to the next couple of days. One of our daughters is coming for a visit, and we will climb over the sand dune in the photo below, put our chairs on the sand close to the water's edge and read.



You might find us looking something like this, although we will probably have an umbrella to shade us from the sun. If we get too involved in our books, the umbrella will keep us from getting a sunburn.



What is your favorite place to read?

K.Z.

Pat Davids here,

I'd like you to meet the newest member of my family. K.Z. This pound puppy arrived at my home a few weeks ago and boy has my life changed.

For one thing, no shoes can be kicked off when you get home. They must be put away because the toe or strap will instantly become a puppy chew toy. Not good.

You must be prepared to race to the back door on a moment's notice, day or night, and throw it open before a puddle can form on the carpet. I'm getting faster.

Occasionally, you can expect a pile of puppy poo in the den even if the dog has been outside for two hours. Sometimes, when K.Z. is playing hard she forgets to do her business until she comes in. You need eyes in the back of your head to spot K.Z's long tail heading toward her favorite spot behind the coffee table.

When K.Z. joins you in bed, expect to sleep on a very small strip of the mattress. No amount of pushing or shoving can move a sleeping pup from her beauty rest. She's almost 40 pounds of beauty and I expect she will grow bigger. Much bigger.

Thank goodness she almost has me trained. At least she fetches her own ball.

Tell me about your pet. Has your pound pup or kitten managed to train you?

Janet Tronstad - Cyber Friends

Janet Tronstad here. I have some wonderful friends on Goodreads in the Love Inspired Historical discussion group and one of them, Melody, took a picture for me when she was at a wedding recently. It's a sign that says The Gardens at Dry Creek. I couldn't have been more delighted as I have over 20 books in that series now. I thought to myself that taking that picture is something a friend would do -- and then I realized how easy it is to become friends with people I have never met. On Goodreads particularly I have talked with these cyber friends about so many things. We've shared dreams, problems with aging parents, school problems, work problems, boyfriend issues -- everything really. Frankly, I've always thought of myself as more of an in-person friend so it kind of surprises me that I feel this bond. But then I realized that maybe because we're readers, it is easier for us to become friends through the written word (whether it's letters, emails, or posts in discussioon groups). I know many of you have cyber friends in the Love Inspired community so I'm going to ask where you like to hang out? There's this blog, eHarlequin, Goodreads -- where do you find your circle of LI friends?

Why do I do this?

Kim Watters here. Today I'm wordless. Absolutely, positivey wordless. Normally ideas spring forth quickly when I write a blog post. Not so today. Could it be that I'm struggling with my manuscript that's due at the end of the month? Yes. Could it be I'm overwhelmed by parenting right now with the start of school? Yes. Could it be that since I've returned from vacation, I'm really far behind on my day job that pays the bills? Yes to that, too.

So as I sit here struggling, I ask myself: Why do I do this? Why do I write and stress out each time a deadline looms? Why don't I chuck it all and just be a mom and an accountant because let's face it. I make a lot more money as a bean counter.

I have to remind myself that I'm a writer, too. And a writer writes. Like a mother mothers. Like an accountant accounts. (okay that didn't really make much sense.)

No worries though. I'll get through this like I always do. I'll quit whining and get back to the task at hand of finishing my contracted book because writing is a part of me. Who I am. My ministry. God gave me talent to put words to paper. He won't let me fail. I just have to kick it up a notch and sleep after I drop the envelope in the mail. Thanks for letting me whine. The other wine will be when I finish. :) Blessings.

What it Takes to Write by Marta Perry

I often meet people who never wrote a thing before starting a novel, something that I find bemusing. How do you go from writing a grocery list to writing a 300 or 400 page manuscript?

I began my career in fiction writing in a very small way, writing 3 or 4-page stories for church school take-home papers. Since I didn’t have anyone to tell me I was doing it the wrong way, I simply analyzed as many published stories as I could find to figure out what made them tick, and then tried to write my own.

The first story I wrote, called, I believe, “Kathy’s Bedtime,” was rejected its first time out. I figured I’d give it another try, so sent it out once more. It came back again, but this time the editor had taken the trouble to scribble at the bottom of the printed rejection slip, “Nice story.” Bless that anonymous editor. That response made me brave enough to try again, and that time it sold, to Story Friends magazine for the magnificent sum of $16. I took my husband out to dinner with the proceeds and told him I was a writer.

I’m telling you this not because I think it’s a remarkable story, but to show that writing careers, especially fiction careers, begin in all sorts of ways, some of them very small. If I had been discouraged by that first rejection slip, or if I had decided that the struggle wasn’t worth it for $16, I wouldn’t have reached the point of having published over 300 short stories and 43 novels.

I’ve known, over the past 30 years, so many very talented writers—some much more talented than I—who couldn’t keep going through the rejections, the slow pay, the no pay, the magazines that fold before your story comes out, the book lines that die inexplicably. If you ask me what the major ingredients are in success as a fiction writer, I’d have to say persistence and desire. Without those, writers don’t succeed, no matter how talented.

Cataloguing my books!

Camy here! Thanks to my friend Dream, who’s also the eHosty at the Love Inspired forum boards, I found a cataloguing program for all my books. I used to use an Excel file, but I wanted something a bit more robust which would also have a matching iPhone app so I can take a copy of my catalog with me on my phone, and that way if I’m at a store and I don’t know if I already have a particular title, I can look it up really quick.

She actually gave me several programs to look at, and I eventually decided on Booxter, because it works on a Mac and the other programs I looked at didn’t quite do it for me. One was made mostly for music, so the item descriptions were stuff like “label” for publisher and “artist” for author’s name, which confused me!

Booxter is neat because you input the book’s ISBN number (I’ve been using Goodreads to help me with that) and Booxter searches Amazon and the Library of Congress and the British Library databases for the ISBN. Then it automatically fills in all the fields for you, like title, author, publisher, etc. It will even bring up a thumbnail of the book cover sometimes. I can fill in the other fields as I want. I can put location--where the book is on my shelves, which are numbered so that I can find a book easily--and also notes if I read the book and anything I wanted to comment on. It’s so awesome!!!

Booxter isn’t without it’s glitches. I found out that when you input a book’s ISBN number, and Booxter pulls the information from the web, it will input the price the book is selling for on Amazon or any other bookstore which sells books through Amazon. Many of my books were out of print, and the used prices for some of them was WAY high, like in the billions of dollars!

I found out that it’s because many online bookstores have a program that scans the web for the same book being sold by another online bookstore, and the program automatically increases a book’s price a little higher than the next highest price available. If you have two bookstores with the same program, the two programs play price leapfrog and the price of the book skyrockets to insane amounts.

The problem is that Booxter automatically adds up how much your collection is worth. I had a few books in the billions of dollar range, and it overloaded Booxter’s price summary, causing the program to not save my catalog even when I hit Save. I would input books and try to save it, but the next time I opened the catalog, the books had disapepared. I finally figured out it was the astronomical prices and when I deleted the prices, Booxter was able to save my catalog fine.

I have to admit my complete geeky side because I love cataloguing my books! I think I should have been a librarian. I love making sure the series line is inputted correctly and that I have the series number down. I have been inputting how much I paid for a book (for each book, there are two fields--how much the book is selling for online, and how much I paid for it). I also input any name in the copyright that’s different than the name on the cover, which enabled me to find the pseudonyms of some old Regency authors. Cool!

Booxter has also enabled me to input all my ebooks, which were not completely catalogued on my old Excel file. The only problem is that Booxter searches Amazon and the Library of Congress, but they don’t necessarily have the (non-Kindle) ebook ISBN in their databases. I have been using Goodreads to find alternate ISBN numbers for the same book to input into Booxter so the program can find my books in the databases and fill out the fields for me, and then I will usually change the ISBN later to reflect the actual ISBN of the ebook I own. (Yes, I know I am anal.)

Sometimes I will use the Kindle ASIN number for Booxter because the program almost always will be able to pull up the book information from a Kindle ASIN. Actually, since I’ve been searching on Amazon so much lately, that’s how I found out that my January Love Inspired Suspense, Stalker in the Shadows, is not available for pre-order! There’s no picture yet, but at least it’s available for people to buy. (Go and order your copy today! :)

So how do you catalog your books?

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is the fourth book in her Sushi series, Weddings and Wasabi. She is a staff worker for her church youth group, and leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders frivolous things like knitting, running, dogs, and Asiana. Visit her website to sign up for her quarterly newsletter.

Click here to find out how you can join my Street Team—it’s free and there’s lots of chances to win prizes!

Arthur C. Clark Said:

Pamela Tracy here, running a bit late, and enjoying every minute. I've been following Arthur's advice ever since my mother purchased my first Golden book. I've figured it out. If I read a book a day, and live to be 107, I won't make it through my TBR pile.

Just in case you need a book to add to your pile, consider my August release. Once Upon a Cowboy. I got the idea during a sermon on the Prodigal son.

Trust - Carolyne Aarsen

Everyone says that trust is an important part of any relationship. Usually, in the stories I write, it's the point where the hero or heroine finally dares to trust the other that a huge shift occurs in the relationship. Barriers are broken down and secrets are laid bare and the one person becomes vulnerable to the other. In my own, ongoing relationship with my husband, trust is integral. I trust him with my deepest secrets and fears. He does the same with me. But in spite of being married for many, many years, there are times that I still have to learn to trust him for different things.

We went on a hike this summer in the mountains and after hiking up and up for about four hours came to, what I thought, was an impassable creek - a raging, boiling mass of water tumbling over rocks down the mountain for hundreds of feet. One slip and I would have gone down, down, down. That was the point of the hike where I stopped. I'm afraid of heights and not real impressed with water so I was done. Finished. My husband and son had their eyes on the next hill that they wanted to check out. I said go ahead. But they wanted me along because they didn't know how long they would be gone. Besides, the blood we saw on the trail meant there was probably a grizzly somewhere in the vicinity. I was adamant. So were they.

Then my husband crossed the creek and came back. "I can carry you," he said. That sounded even worse than braving the creek myself. We argued back and forth a bit. Then he laid it out. "Don't you trust me?" That was a kicker. I looked at him, then at the creek and said, with great reluctance, "Okay." And I got on his back, closed my eyes and began praying while he began walking. (this has often been our deal - he works, I pray). And next thing I knew we were on the other side.

Even after all the years we've been married, I'm still learning to trust him and he's still showing me I can.

Whew!

The wedding is over. You see, my daughter got married this past Sat. in our backyard, and everything was perfect. But as the happy couple climbed into their car to leave, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the memory of bringing her home from the hospital. tiny, wrapped up against the cold winter winds, and her seat covered with a blanket.
Now she is a woman, starting the next phase of her life and moving on.
And now I'm going to cry again.
Have any of you been a parent at a wedding? What are your strongest emotions?

My Visit to the Vatican

Hi, this is Margaret Daley. One of the places I saw when I went to Rome recently was the Vatican--along with hundreds of other people. It was hot and crowded but absolutely beautiful. St. Peter's Basilica was huge, impressive and gave me the chills when I thought of all the history that took place in the Vatican. There were other places I went to in Rome--the Colosseum, the Treva Fountain, the Arch outside the Colosseum, and the Ciircus Maximus where the chariot races took place.

The picture at the top is of the long center aisle at St. Peter's. The bottom photo is of the Michelangelo Pieta. I couldn't believe how beautiful the statue was. It has to be behind glass because someone tried to destroy it a few years ago. What a shame.

Glynna Kaye: Keeping Cool . . . In Canyon Springs, Arizona

Cool in Arizona? But it’s summer, isn’t it?. Temperatures reaching 115-- or higher. Cactus. Heat shimmering off the highways. Bleached bones baking in the desert sun.
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That may be true for parts of Arizona, but while the majority of you are roasting across the country, there’s a portion of the state many don’t know exists! It’s a high-elevation, pine-studded world where daytime highs hover in the low-mid 80’s and overnight temps ranges from the low 40’s to the low 60’s. It’s a a world where summertime warmth can rapidly transform to an autumn-ish 50’s or 60’s when an afternoon cold front moves in, often heralding a monsoon downpour. As hard as it may be to believe, many people in this region don’t even have air-conditioning in their houses!
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No doubt about it, summer in the high country of Arizona is hard to beat!
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It’s in that part of the state that my fictional Canyon Springs is set--home to three books, with a fourth debuting in March 2012! A rugged mountain haven for elk, deer, bears, mountain lions and towering ponderosa pines, it’s also a retreat for people seeking relief from the worst summer can deliver. It’s a region catering to campers, bikers, hikers, trail riders and fishermen. And amazingly, in the “off season” it’s a winter wonderland! Yes. in Arizona!
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At HOME IN HIS HEART (August 2011)
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Finding Her Way Home... As soon as she got married, Sandi Bradshaw wanted nothing more than to move out of Canyon Springs, Arizona. Then everything changed when her military husband was killed. Now, establishing a veteran's memorial in his honor has brought Sandi and her daughter face-to-face with the man who'd once stood in the way of her marriage.
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Sergeant Bryce Harding has a lot to prove to this hometown crowd--and the very stubborn Sandi. But can they embrace the possibility that God might be giving them both a second chance at love?
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If you’re looking for a “cool” romantic escape for a hot summer day, “At Home In His Heart” may be what you’re looking for! Pour yourself a glass of icy lemonade or sweet tea, pull up a lawn chair under a shade tree—and settle down for a visit to Canyon Springs!
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Then if you’d like to make a return trip to this little mountain community, check out the story of Sandi’s friend Meg and her ex-Navy corpsman hero in my award-winning “Dreaming of Home” (Love Inspired October 2009). And the story of their friend Kara and her rodeo cowboy hero in “Second Chance Courtship” (February 2011).
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Glynna Kaye

Gail Gaymer Martin's newest release - A FAMILY OF THEIR OWN

Hello from Gail Gaymer Martin.  When I write a series, I find it a challenge, especially when it’s one with a touchy story line. I never know how readers will accept it and so I wait until the letters and reviews come in. The first book in the Dreams Come True series proved a blessing. With 4 stars from Romantic Times, the reader mail, reviews and comments about A Dad Of His Own on Amazon touched my heart.

Similar to Make A Wish Foundation, each story in the Dreams Come True series involves a child dealing with a serious illness, but romance has a happy ending, so you can count on not being disappointed. Writing the series meant spending hours and hours learning about various illnesses that affect children as well as adults. Besides the Internet, I spoke with people who’ve had experiences with these illnesses either with a family member, friend or acquaintance. Searching online, I also found journals of children struggling with these diseases, and I found great courage and hopeful outcomes for many of them. That made my job easier as I worked to give the stories depth but also lighthearted moments that my readers could enjoy. Though the three book series is linked with overlapping characters, each story is complete.

I was thrilled with another 4 stars from Romantic Times for the second book in the series, A Family Of Their Own. A September release, this book will be in stores around August 26. If you’d like to read Kelsey and Lucy’s story, you’ll want to pick up one fast since the books are only in stores for 1 month although they’re available longer through the publisher and always available from the Internet bookstores. Here’s a little about the novel.

FOUR MAKES A FAMILY
With her daughter's health back on track, Kelsey Rhodes counts her blessings. But life is still not easy for the sweet single mom. She craves companionship, yet finds it difficult to trust anyone. Ross Salburg seems like the perfect match for her. The handsome single dad also struggles to keep his daughter healthy. Can Kelsey convince Ross to take a leap of faith and meld their two families into one?

Reader comments:
I just finished your latest book A Family of Their Own. I love how the 2 adults each have a special needs child. I love reading your Love Inspired romance novels. Signed Joan from Ohio

I can tell you did much research before writing this story; it shows throughout the pages. I’ve learned so much from this book. Thank you once again, Gail, for giving your readers another endearing and fulfilling book to read and enjoy. Signed Patsy from Texas


If you’d like to pre-order, click here: A FAMILY OF THEIR OWN

How do you beat the heat? Lenora Worth

The temperature is supposed to hit 106 today. I live in the South, so I'm used to hot weather. But this summer has been brutal. There are many ways to stay out of the sun when it gets this hot. I wondered what everyone out there is doing to keep cool.

Personally, I'm staying inside a lot. We do have a pool, so it's nice to get wet but even the pool water is warm these days. And the sun is really bright on the white decking around the pool. So I get a kick out sitting in my comfy chair by the bay window and watching the birds take turns in their own little bird bath. The red birds are so pretty. The bluejays get in and wallow around then shake their feathers in glee. We had a blue heron visit earlier this year, but she was too big for the bird bath! The squirrels practically stand on their heads to get water from the pool. We even have night vistors-the occasional possum, racoon or armadillo strolls through to get a drink and maybe catch a few tasty treats. Sometimes, I imagine them having a little party out there late in the wee hours. Floating around on my float, tossing a beach ball back and forth, tall glasses of bright drinks in their paws. I can't blame them for wanting to stay cool.

Let's hope this hot spell breaks soon and we all get a nice rain to refresh us. In the meantime, I'll stick to reading good books, doing my work by the window and enjoying the blessed air conditioning. So what are you doing this summer to beat the heat?

The Art of Writing Continuities

Hi, all. Charlotte Carter here.

The key to writing a continuity series is communication and keeping close track of the details.

In the course of my 20 years of writing fiction, I’ve authored several author-created continuities and connected books. They’re fun to write and readers enjoy revisiting characters they’ve come to love. Keeping track of the details is almost easy; only occasionally does a character change eye color from one book to another. Oops!

In the past few years - in addition to writing for Love Inspired - I’ve been writing continuity series for Guideposts Books, most of them cozy mysteries.

These continuities are BIG. Some run as long as 30 individual, related books.

The recent Hope Haven Hospital series had a guide (or bible - note lower case) 55-pages long. The guide includes information about the characters - height, eye color, occupation, what kind of car they drive, etc. This series has a cast, almost literally, of thousands, all of whom have spouses, children and relatives a’plenty. Worse, for each book three months pass. They’re getting older, retiring, graduating, marrying, having babies. (Envision author with crossed eyes.)

To add to the complexity, Guideposts series have multiple authors, typically six, and more if the series continues for several years. This is where COMMUNICATION comes in. Nowadays, that’s usually via a Yahoo group.

If I’m writing book #3 in the series, the author of book #1 has just completed her book. I need to know if that author has described Jane’s house or the church Jane attends. While she can and often does share that information with me and the other authors, the editor hasn’t yet approved the descriptions or maybe Jane’s odd habit of chewing gum. That tidbit of information has not yet been added to the guide.

YIKES!

I write merrily on my way, a wad of gum in Jane’s mouth. By the time my book is in the editor’s hands, she tells me in rewrites that Jane no longer chews gum.

SAY WHAT? I’ve used Jane’s gum to stick an important clue to the bottom of Jane’s shoe. Now I have to go through the entire manuscript ridding Jane of her favorite mint-flavored gum plus find a clever way for Jane to discover the critical clue that used to be stuck to her shoe. (Ah, the next door neighbor kid chews gum, drops a piece in a critical spot and voilá! Jane finds the clue. Whew....)

So, you may ask, what are the Pros and Cons of writing a continuity of this sort?

First, the flat rate paid is comparable to the earn out for most category romances. Once you’re on the team, the work is steady as long as the series continues. It’s also a creative challenge to take someone else’s characters, locale and storyline and make it your own. Unlike stand-alone books, the publisher does all the promotion, which allows the author to concentrate on what she does best – write. I really like that. I also enjoy getting to know some really talented authors.

The most obvious con is that many authors want to write THEIR story, not someone else’s. Deadlines are tight. If an author doesn’t write fast or procrastinates, she’ll be in trouble down the line.

I should also mention, in the case of Guideposts Books, the publisher invites experienced authors to participate in a series and there is often an audition chapter required.

In my case, I get the best of both worlds – the steady and interesting challenge of writing books in a complicated series and the fun of writing my own stories for Love Inspired, sometimes even connected books such as Big Sky Reunion (4/2011) and Big Sky Family (11/2011).

What is it about reading a series or connected books that appeals to you?

Happy reading......

Char......

www.CharlotteCarter.com

Smells of summer with Janet Tronstad

Janet Tronstad here. I just finished writing a new book called 'Lilac Wedding for Dry Creek' and I have been smelling lilacs in my head ever since. When I was growing up, my mother had a row of lilacs on our family farm in Montana -- they are still there in fact, taller and greener than ever. Lilacs aren't my favorite flower in terms of looks, but there is nothing like sitting outside on a sumemr evening and smelling the lilacs.

My lilac book (that's what I'm calling it) talks about the struggles families have to forgive each other (and themselves) when bad things happen. My family has some of those wounds (and yours probably does, too). The combination of that emotion and the imagined fragrance of the lilacs made this book satisfying to write. Through it all, I realized lilac is my favorite flower fragrance. Since it's summer, there are lots of flowers around that have scents. Roses are a contender, too. What's your favorite scent? And is it your favorite because it reminds you of other times (like lilacs always remind me of my Montana home)?

Goodbye Borders

I don’t remember the first time I entered a Borders. Seemed to me, my feet led me into bookstores every time I entered a mall. Bookstores in busy malls made sense. I’d go there when I needed something – say a new shirt or perhaps a movie fix – and a trip to the bookstore was inevitable. “I’ll just walk through a bit,” I’d think to myself. Right! Three or four books later, I’d leave the store. Sometimes I went to the mall just to hit the bookstore. Three or four books later – but no new shirt or movie fix – I’d leave the store.
I was in a mall bookstore that I discovered LaVeryl Spencer. I told the clerk, “I want a historical with a teacher heroine.” It took her all of two seconds to scoot to the book Years, which I've now read three times.

Ten Things You Need to Know About Borders.

1. Borders originated from two brothers who, in 1971, opened their first store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They soon opened more stores and their success came because they tried to make their stores offering fit the needs of the community. (Cool! Makes me think of the Poison Pen mystery bookstore here in Scottsdale, Arizona.)
2. In 1992, Kmart got ahold of Borders. They’d purchased Waldenbooks in 1984 and now they tried to merge the two. (I’m always a little sad when a mom and pop store goes the way of big box.)
3. In 2001, Borders teamed up with Amazon.com as a web-based delivery service. (Sounds like a good idea to me.)
4. 2003: Borders peak year with 1,249 stores (including Waldens).
5. In 2006, Borders was making money. (Some of it from me!)
6. In 2007, Borders ended its alliance with Amazon.com. (Hmmm.)
7. In 2007, Borders lost money.
· What? We need to sell on the Internet!
· What? People can find DVDs someplace else for less!
· What? Rent is how high!
· What? Who says we have much inventory!
· What? Whose coffee is this, really!
8 Did you notice how of the five bullet points above, only the first one had to do with actually putting a book in the hand of a consumer. (That would be me, a book lover and book reader)
9. In 2009, Former CEO George L. Jones received a severance package of $2.09 million. (I’ve tried doing the math. I haven’t made that yet, in my lifetime, and no, I’m not telling you how long I’ve been employed.)
10. 2011. Borders closes.
My research came from the following sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borders_Groupwikipedia.org/wiki/Borders_Group
http://www.quora.com/Borders-Books/Why-is-Barnes-and-Noble-performing-well-as-a-business-while-Borders-has-filed-for-bankruptcy
http://www2.wjbf.com/news/2011/jul/19/3/borders-seeks-approval-liquidate-close-stores-ar-2159491//19/3/borders-seeks-approval-liquidate-close-stores-ar-2159491/

Pamela Tracy's book Once Upon a Cowboy is available now - but, unfortunately, not at Borders.

Summer Travel

This is Merrillee, and I'm going to piggy back on Debby's previous post. It's an American tradition to have a summer vacation, whether you just go to Grandma and Grandpa's house as I did when I was a child or go cross county as I have done this summer. I've made three trips--Tucson, AZ; New York City and Spokane, WA. Each place has something of interest for me. Tucson has my granddaughter.



I was in New York City for RWA, and there are lots of fun sights to see there.






Two of my brothers live in Spokane. Since I live in Florida, you can see why we don't have a chance to visit each other often. I had a high school class reunion this year, so I took the opportunity to visit my brothers and their families and take in the class reunion.


Some former classmates.



My brothers and nephews and niece and Shadow.

In addition, I had to share what I saw in the front yard of a house that we drive by on the way to my brother's neighborhood.



Space creatures and dinosaurs are quite a combination.

Have you taken a summer vacation? Share your adventures with us.

The Big Apple and RWA 2011!

By Debby Giusti

This time three weeks ago, I was touring New York City and getting ready for the opening of the Romance Writers of America National Convention. Writing conferences are always fun. I learn so much from the workshops as well as chatting with industry professionals outside the regularly scheduled programs. The best part, of course, is seeing old friends!

One of the highlights of my trip to New York was visiting the Love Inspired Office located in the Woolworth Building, along with Love Inspired Historical author Janet Dean. Commissioned in 1910 by five and dime mogul Frank W. Woolworth, the 57-floor skyscraper--one of the oldest in the city--is a National Historic Landmark and sits across from Park Place and City Hall, not far from the Brooklyn Bridge. The lobby, shaped in the form of a cross, has a vaulted ceiling with inlaid mosaics that reminded me more of a gilded ballroom than an office building.

Entering the narrow wooden elevator that was state-of-the-art in its day, Janet and I headed to the 10th floor where Executive Editor Joan Marlow Golan (photo above: Debby, Joan, Janet) gave us a warm welcome. Senior Editor Tina James (below center) showed us around the suite as she explained the steps our manuscripts take from submission to publication. My hat's off to the entire Love Inspired team and the fantastic books they publish. Seeing their small offices and the piles of manuscripts waiting for review made me appreciate them even more!

To learn more about my time in NYC, visit http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/ tomorrow, July 20. I'll be giving away a copy of THE OFFICER'S SECRET, the first book in my Military Investigations series, and THE OFFICER'S SECRET T-shirt, featuring my Prayer for Our Military. Size XL, it's perfect for a pool cover-up or nightshirt.

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

http://www.debbygiusti.com/

Family Tree by Leann Harris

My daughter is doing our family tree. I was the keeper of 'the books'. My father's aunt had done his side of the family and my mother's brother did hers. I got the information, but with young children, I didn't know anything with it but put it in the closet.

My husband's sister did extensive work on his family. Several years ago, my daughter got interested and took up the mantel. She even had us drive to Mississippi to continue her search. Apparently, my husband had a relative who suddenly appeared in Texas around the time of the Civil War. You know, we haven't been able to track that scoundrel down to where he came from. There are lots of stories about where the man came from--maybe Georgia or Tennessee. And the boundaries of the states have changed, names are spelled however the census worker wrote them down.

I sense a skeleton in the family tree and so far our relative has kept his secret.

The lesson of that is if you don't want to know what your relatives did, don't go looking.

Meet Kate Michaels and Brock Gentry

Sandra Robbins here. In my last post I told you about Dangerous Reunion, my new release from Love Inspired Suspense. As I wrote the book, I came to know the characters in the book like good friends. I understood them and wanted their lives to be filled with happiness. Of course on the way to a happy ending, there had to be a few bumps in the road.

Kate Michaels has lived on Ocracoke Island all her life except for the four years she was away at college. When her mother died in the summer after Kate’s graduation from college, Kate knew she had been left with a big responsibility. In addition to her grief-stricken father, Kate also had two sisters who were four and sixteen at the time of her mother’s death. Even though Kate was to be married in the fall, she felt a responsibility to take care of her family.

Her fiancé Brock Gentry had also graduated from college and wanted to follow his dream of working on a police force in a big city. He couldn’t see himself living on a tiny island twenty-five miles off the coast of North Carolina. When Brock and Kate couldn’t arrive at a solution, Brock called off their engagement and left a heartbroken Kate on Ocracoke.

When Dangerous Reunion opens, six years have passed, and Kate is the chief deputy on Ocracoke for the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office, a position that her father held until his death three years ago. Kate is happy with her job and living with her sisters who are now ten and twenty-two.

Then Brock arrives. Never having put any faith in God, he’s a haunted man who is reeling from a case in which an innocent man was executed. With his life falling apart he’s come back to Ocracoke in hopes he can gain forgiveness from Kate and soothe his battered soul. He remembers the words of Kate’s mother the last time they sat on the beach together—We can’t go through life without God. Someday you’re going to think your life is falling apart. Think of me sitting on this beautiful beach God created and come back to Ocracoke. God is everywhere here, Brock. All you have to do is look for Him, and you’ll find the peace you need.

As Brock begins the task of earning Kate’s forgiveness, he discovers the truth of her mother’s words and comes to a new-found faith in God. Together Brock and Kate learn the freedom that comes from forgiving and the peace that God’s love can deliver in the most dangerous situations.

Dangerous Reunion is in stores now. If you missed the trailer, you can see it here.

To learn more about my books and me, go to my website

Death and Taxes

Kim Watters here. Today I wanted to talk about death and taxes. Yes. That’s right.


“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

Thanks, Benjamin Franklin. True today as it was two centuries ago.

So how does this relate to writing? Interesting question. Well, sit back and grab a cup of coffee see if you can agree with me.

My daughter’s robo dwarf hamster died. Tragic, I know, but not completely unexpected for the two year old hamster. I knew by how Twister was acting a few days before that something wasn’t quite right and had tried as best I could to prepare my daughter. So on that fateful day when I went to feed Twister, I knew the inevitable had happened. Now I had to tell my daughter.

I cried as I held her trembling body, but this is a fact of life. We are born, live and die. I hate to tell you folks it’s inevitable. Some of us just hang around a bit longer than others and some species are just blessed with longer life spans. Between my two children, we’ve gone through 4 hamsters already; each one receiving a proper burial befitting their family status.

I think she recovered quicker than I did and is already talking about her next ‘best friend’. This time we adopted a cat. Two actually. Of course my son’s still alive and kicking hamster is throwing fits about that. Hmmmm. I wonder why?

Anyway, I must admit I kind of feel like a death has occurred when I finish a manuscript. I’ve spent so much time with the characters that once I’ve finished their story and have to say goodbye, it feels so final. I know it’s coming and I can only prolong it for so long. Deadlines, you know? But each time I type ‘The End’ a part of me has died; the relationship ended. The funeral takes place as I ship the package off to my editor. As authors, how do you feel? For you readers, what do you feel when you finish a book?

The other certainty in life is taxes. While that part isn’t quite so traumatic, it does leave my checkbook lighter. Because we’re considered self-employed, writers have to pay their own taxes, and Uncle Sam really likes it when we send in quarterly estimates to avoid penalties and interest come tax day.

So there you have it. Death and taxes from this writer’s perspective. Anyone else care to elaborate?

Country Mouse in the Big City

Wow, was last week ever amazing! Romance Writers of America's annual conference is always an exciting time, but the conference in New York City last week topped them all, in my opinion. New York lived up to its reputation for being the brightest, glitziest, busiest, and loudest city in the country.

Not that I haven't been to the city before--and many other cities as well. But from the moment the shuttle bus rounded the corner and Broadway spread out ahead of us, I was hooked. I happened to ride into the city from the airport with a family of German tourists who were on their first holiday in the US, and their reaction of awe and amazement just made my even better.

The conference was held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, and it was busy, busy, busy, with the publishing companies who have their homes in the city eager to show their authors a good time and scout the many unpublished writers for the next talent.

For me, the best part was the chance to see all the writing buddies I see only once a year at the national conference. Squeals punctuated the air in the lobby, and hugs were the order of the day. If you haven't heard two thousand excited women all talking at the same time, you might still have your hearing intact!

The Booksigning for Literacy topped all expectations, as authors and fans jammed the ballroom, raising over $47,000 in two hours for literacy programs. But I must confess, by the time I'd signed books and then gone out to dinner with one of my editors, I was more than ready to crash. I'm far more used to hearing the call of birds than the wail of sirens!

After four days, lots of meeting and greeting, workshops, lunches with editors, booksignings, brainstorming, bull sessions, and a couple of glitzy parties, I was ready to come home. This country mouse had had her fill of excitement--until next year, of course!

Goodreads

Camy here! I have to confess that although I have been a member of Goodreads for a couple years, I never really used it much until recently. And I love it!

I’ve found a couple Christian fiction groups that are really active and very fun. There are two Love Inspired Goodreads groups:

Love Inspired Books
Love Inspired Historicals

And I also found a Nook lovers group that gives great advice on technical support, info on the new devices, etc. I also belong to groups run by my favorite authors, but I don’t always read those unless there’s an announcement of a new book or something.

And then I took the plunge and started my own group! Check it out:
Q&A with Camy Tang

Please join my group! (Yes, I’m begging!) And feel free to start a new discussion thread or anything like that.

I also love that Goodreads lists so many books, including their different editions AND if they belong to a series or not. And some of them have the character names listed, too! That’s so awesome! (I told this to my husband and he just stared at me blankly. I guess a database of book covers, blurbs, series, and character names is only neat to fiction readers. Sigh.)

I had the .jpgs of covers that weren’t on the book listings, so I was able to edit the book listings and add the covers and sometimes the back cover blurbs, too. I love that readers can do that!

Are you on Goodreads? Friend me: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/291940.Camy_Tang

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is her humorous contemporary romance novel, Single Sashimi, and her romantic suspense, Formula for Danger. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders dogs, knitting and spinning wool, running, Asiana, and other frivolous things. Sign up for her newsletter for giveways!

Click here to find out how you can join my Street Team—it’s free and there’s lots of chances to win prizes!

Oh Brother!

Hello, Susan Sleeman here. Happy 4th of July to all the Love Inspired readers. Today I want to talk about brothers. I have one, only one, so I’ve often wondered about the dynamics between brothers, and I wanted to explore how they would interact with each other as adults. So I penned a romantic suspense miniseries about the Morgan brothers for Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin’s inspirational line. As those of you who are parents know, no sibling in a family is exactly like the others so I made sure the brothers were very different from each other and their approach to life was different as well.

In the first book, High-Stakes Inheritance that released in September of 2010, I featured Ryan Morgan, the youngest brother, the helper, and nurturer in the family and the only one who doesn’t carry a gun. He’s a counselor who runs a wilderness-counseling program for wayward teens, and of course, he can’t help but fall in love with his opposite, a strong-willed, opinionated woman.

In Behind the Badge releasing this month, I feature Russ Morgan the local police chief who’s opinionated, powerful, and closed off, keeping his feelings to himself. He often comes across as brusque and harsh, but inside beats a heart filled with softness. I paired him up with a rookie deputy who understands the rigors of Russ’s job and can look beyond the tough-guy exterior and see the hurting man behind the badge.

The final book, The Christmas Witness, will release in December and features the third brother, Reid Morgan. He believes in honor above all else and sees himself as a knight in shining armor, needing to protect those who he feels are weak or are the underdogs. I paired him with a woman who has been hurt many times and is unwilling to accept help for fear of being hurt even more. Reid is the perfect man for her as he won’t back down when she gets all prickly, but he’ll stand by her side no matter what.

The men are all different but they’re all the same in that they embody the heroic tendencies that I love to see in a romantic suspense book—brave, courageous, determined, dedicated, and persevering even in the face of death. What more could a woman in peril ask for?

So tell me, what do you like to see in a hero!

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a best-selling author of inspirational romantic suspense and mystery novels. She grew up in a small Wisconsin town where she spent her summers reading Nancy Drew and developing a love of mystery and suspense books. Today, she channels this enthusiasm into writing romantic suspense and mystery novels and hosting the popular internet website TheSuspenseZone.com. Susan currently lives in Florida, but has had the pleasure of living in nine states. Her husband is a church music director and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law and an adorable grandson. To learn more about Susan visit her Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/SusanSleemanBooks , website http://www.susansleeman.com or follow her on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/susansleeman

Pushing on

Carolyne Aarsen

I've recently taken up running. I never thought I'd enjoy it as much as I do. What I like the most about it is I can put on my running shoes, step out the door and go at it. I don't need any special equipment, though I have to confess when I saw the fun shirts at The Running Room I decided I 'needed' some of those to go with my new running shoes. Running has opened up whole new wardrobe options!

But it has also given me a good analogy for my writing. What I love the most about running is having done it. Just like what I love the most about writing, is having done it. I feel great when I come into the house after a run - all rejuvenated and healthy - but there are times when I'm running that part of my mind is saying "That's good enough, you've done enough for now, just walk. Besides, you're tired. You need a rest. Tomorrow you can run a bit more." And then I think, really? Am I really that tired? Couldn't I go just a little further NOW? So I go on a bit more and pretty soon here comes that pernicious voice. "That's far enough now. Just stop. You're knees are getting sore and you're running out of breath. You're not a marathon runner and besides, you're not even going that fast." And back and forth it goes. Sometimes I give in, but mostly I realize that I can carry on my knees are not that sore and who cares how fast I'm going besides the Nike app on the iPhone.

Writing is exactly the same thing. I sit down at the computer, open up my file and shortly after I start working I have that same nagging voice badgering me. "You've done enough writing for the day. Take a break. Play Solitaire, Bejewelled, check Facebook, read your e-mail. Tomorrow you can write more." Sometimes I give in, sometimes I push on. And always, always, I feel better when I've pushed on. Always I'm happier when I get up from the computer, with whatever goals I've set for myself, accomplished.

Writing. Running. Both require ignoring this voice that wants me to fall short of what I know I can do. Both require pushing through the resistance. Both are hard to do. But both give me the same sense of satisfaction when I've done what I set out to do.

What about you? Do you have those same voices in your head that drag you away from thing that are hard - things that require pushing through resistance? What do you do about them?

Re-energizing a la barbara

By Barbara Phinney
As you read this blog, most of the authors who contribute here are now in New York City. The Romance Writers of America have their annual conference there this year, but sadly, this author wasn't able to go. I have two children in post secondary education, am finishing up a busy month of June, and our daughter is getting married in our backyard in less than 5 weeks. A trip away just wasn't doable.
But the main reason authors congregate at this conference is to re-energize. If you were a fly on the wall in any room there, you'd hear a lot of different conversations, some authors playing catch-up on each others' news, some talking contracts, and some just plain schmoozing.
Surprisingly, it's all re-energizing. Meeting like-minded people, some with more knowledge than you, some with less, all add to your 'filling up'.
But what about those of us left behind? Naturally, we need re-energizing, too. We can get it. We can share in snippets of conversation or tidbits of cool info through Facebook, Twitter, and those authors who can squeeze in a bit of time to post on loops.
For me, re-energizing also came this past weekend at our local church family camp. It poured rain, was cold enough to see your breath, the mosquitoes were the size of hummingbirds, but the messages provided were fabulous.
"Your Soul Care should be your 'sole care'." And in doing that, you gained discernment, and became a better family member. By doing what's best for your own soul, you instill that need in your children. I was thrilled to look down the row of chairs and see my own grown children listening to the talk on Nehemiah, and how he saw a broken people and told them to be brave, remember the Lord and He will fight for you.
I was re-energized. I spent time with friends and family, battled the mosquitoes, the rain, the thunder and lightning, even managed to edit some stories for Smashwords and came away knowing that when God is for us, who can stand against us?
The cabin question was: What is one way I can improve the health and spiritual well-being of my family?
So I ask you, what is one way you re-energize during the time off this summer?

Dangerous Reunion Releases

Hi, from Sandra Robbins. I'm so excited because my new Love Inspired Suspense Dangerous Reunion releases next week on July 5.

If you've read the last few blog posts I've made here, you know that three years ago I traveled to Ocracoke Island on vacation. This tiny speck of land is one of the barrier islands twenty-five miles off the coast of North Carolina and was the headquarters of Blackbeard the Pirate in the early 1700s. In fact he met his death just off shore in a bloody battle. A two-and-a-half-hour ferry ride is required to get to the island, but once there the magic of the island takes over.

I knew right away I wanted to write a book set on the island where sea oats wave in the breeze along the beaches that have been voted the most beautiful in the nation. Even while I was there I started plotting a story line. Much to my delight, however, the book I wrote turned into a three book series about the Micheals family who live on the island. Dangerous Reunion is the story of the eldest daughter Kate who is a deputy sheriff on the island.

Here's the back cover blurb:
A murderer on tiny, safe Ocracoke Island? Deputy Sheriff Kate Michaels doesn't want to believe it-until someone at the crime scene starts shooting at her. Then Nashville detective Brock Gentry shows up. Brock broke her heart years ago when he called off their engagement. Now, torn apart by a case, Brock seeks sanctuary on the island. Yet as the threats against Kate escalate-and Kate's sisters are targeted-she turns to the man she's never stopped loving. Even if their reunion is more dangerous than it ever was before.

The story is packed with suspense, but the main theme of the book is forgiveness. Mark 11:25 serves as a focal scripture for the story: And when ye pray, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Although Kate has always had a difficult time forgiving others, she comes to understand true happiness depends on following what Jesus said.

Watch the trailer.

The second book in the series, Shattered Identity, features Kate's long-lost brother Scott as he tries to solve a twenty-five year old mystery of the island. Fatal Disclosure, the third book, relates the adventures of Kate and Scott's sister Betsy as she assists a DEA agent to bring down a drug smuggling ring. Both of these release next year.

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July, and if you want an explosive read, I hope you'll choose Dangerous Reunion.

On Kindle - Gail Gaymer Martin's 2002 Award-winning Romantic Suspense: A LOVE FOR SAFEKEEPING

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

I love writing romantic suspense, and I should write me. Finding the time has been my nemisis, but one of these days I will again.

Before the LI Suspense line, I was able to write a couple of suspenses for the regular LI line and for Steeple Hill's single title. A LOVE FOR SAFEKEEPING was my first suspense novel, and I was thrilled when it received three national awards, including Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award and ACFW's Book of the Year (now called The Carol Award). 

The idea for this suspense was triggered by the old Dick and Jane Primers used from the 30s to the 70s to teach reading to elementary school students. The phrase See Jane Run is a line from the primer, and the Jane in this novel experience a cryptic note with that statement. But that wassn't the end, and she didn't know why. Imagine finding a note with: See Jane fall. See Jane bleed. See Jane die.


BACK COVER BLURB:

See Jane run?

If that's what Jane Conroy's stalker had in mind, he was going to be disappointed. The feisty schoolteacher was more angered than frightened by her shadowy adversary's pranks. Thanks to him, she reluctantly found herself under the watchful deep blue gaze of a handsome lawman bent on keeping her safe — and restoring her lost faith....

See Jane fall...
For Kyle Manning? The preacher's son and police officer figured that wasn't likely. After all, Jane made it clear that she didn't trust cops or religion — and that she could take care of herself. But Kyle wasn't just determined to guard her life...he was hoping to share it! --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

REVIEWS

4-1/2 Stars - Perhaps Gail Gaymer Martin's best. This story will keep you riveted. - Romantic Times

4-1/2 Plugs - A LOVE FOR SAFEKEEPING is a powerful blend of passion and suspense...one of the finest romantic suspense stories I have read. - Tracy Farnsworth, The Romance Reader Connection

4-1/2 Stars - Ms. Martin writes her faith. - Karen Larsen, Scribes World

GGM has found the balance of mystery and intrigue. This novel is hard to put aside once you begin to read it. Dale Van Tassel -www.thewordonromance. com

Click to purchase or view A LOVE FOR SAFEKEEPING:

In case you're curious about my second suspense, a single title, FINDING CHRISTMAS was optioned by producer Larry Levinson for a Hallmark TV Movie. Though the movie was never made, I was thrilled that they optioned the book and found it worth of a Hallmark movie.

Win a $100 gift card!

Love Inspired authors 

 Romance Writers of America charity booksigning

 June 28 in New York City.

We've come up with an idea to make this massive signing of more than 400 authors even more fun for our Love Inspired readers. Stop by any Love Inspired author's table and pick up a post card with full details. Basically, all you do is visit the table of any Love Inspired author. They're arranged in alphabetical order. At each one, pick up your free trading card and any other free goodies they have. (Buying a book is optional). When you're all done, visit the table of Lenora Worth, Missy Tippens or Janet Tronstad. Those ladies will count your cards. At evenings' end, the visitor with the most cards wins the $100 Amazon gift card!

Little Inspy Trading Cards are fun!

Not enough time--Lenora Worth

Wow, I'm late to my blog today because I was also scheduled for another blog (Superromance) today, too. Top that with--I just got home from Florida last night and I'm pedaling as fast as I can to catch up. Where does the time go? I have two days before I leave for RWA in New York. We're doing a road trip so we will leave either Thursday or Friday. And I take forever to pack. (I have to decide which shoes to take, of course!)I know I'll see a lot of the Love Inspired Ladies there and we will have fun at our annual Harlequin party.

In the meantime, I have things that must get done. I've always tried to stay focused and slightly organized but some days it seems I'm just spinning plates in the air. Do you ever get like that? Where you mind is whirling so fast your body can't keep up?

I have to wash clothes from one suitcase and pack conference clothes in the bigger suitcase. Right now, I'm starving so I'm off to lunch. Then it's back to work. What's your biggest challenge today?

Graduation Season

Congratulations graduates!

Hi All! Charlotte Carter here.

My husband and I recently journeyed to Northern California to celebrate the high school graduation of our oldest granddaughter Rachel and her cousin Josh. What an important milestone for those two young people and their 140 classmates. And Rachel, like me years ago, was really ready to move on to a new phase of her life.

During the ceremony I was struck by how many ‘graduations’ or ‘milestones’ the young people in the class of 2011 will experience in their lifetimes.

Hopefully, college graduation will be the next biggie. Then comes the first job out of school (and hopes for an economy that is thriving with opportunities).

Milestones to be celebrated keep on coming in both personal and professional lives – the first promotion and moving up the career ladder, engagement, wedding, the extraordinary birth of the first child (and all the subsequent children).

There seems to be no end to the days we mark as special in our memories: the first apartment, the first house, the first grandchild.

(For an author, the sale of the first book is a GIGANTIC milestone!)

Each of these steps involve a NEW BEGINNING, and maybe that’s what we ought to call them instead of a graduation or even a milestone.

So my heartfelt congratulations to Rachel and Josh for their high school graduation and my sincere wish that they will experience many exciting and wonderful NEW BEGINNINGS in the years to come.

Love, Grandma Char.....

What New Beginning do you remember most clearly? What New Beginning are you looking forward to in the near future?

Books that leave you smiling -
Big Sky Reunion, available now -
Big Sky Family, 11/2011 -
New Beginnings, Guideposts Books, 12/2011 -
www.CharlotteCarter.com

New website

If anyone has time to check out my new website, I would appreciate it at http://www.margaretdaley.com. The above picture is the background for my website--a far cry from the flamingoes I had on my old site. I would love your thoughts on the site. You can either email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com or sign the guestbook (if you do you are entered in a drawing for June for an autograph book) or you can leave a comment here. I write stories from heartwarming to heart pounding. Do you get that feeling when you visit my website? Is it easy to navigate? What do you like? What do you think needs tweaking?

Thanks for your help. Margaret

Better Than a Handshake

Pamela Tracy here, and I confess, "I am not shy." I basically like being with people, like meeting new people, and will talk to strangers.

Yet, sometimes I'm in the midst of a group and I'm thinking, "I wish I were somewhere else." Usually that means that no one is talking about my favorite topics. Yes, the Bible is one. My family is another. Also, right up at the top, you guessed it: books! Put me in a group of strangers, and let one of them say, "Did anyone read the latest [insert name of favorite LI author here] and now you've got my attention.

I will walk up to strangers who are reading and say, "What are you reading?" Most eagerly engage and we dish about favorites, not so favorites, and what we intend to read next. Yes, some let me know that all they want is to get back to their books. If that happens, I smile and head back to my own book.

So, here's a cute story. This past week I was at cub camp with my six-year-old. Cub camp is designed for little guys and they actually stay in a cabin and do all the 'camp' things, but Moms get to be in a nearby cabin just in case something happens. I had a blast. My job was to be there 'just in case,' but to know I was to be hands-off.

I spent most of my time reading (Totally cool because I was in the middle of nowhere amidst tall trees and a lake and great weather). One day I actually drove into town. I shopped and then decided to treat myself to lunch. I don't mind eating alone IF I HAVE A BOOK. , I didn't have one. No way could I sit in a restaurant all alone without a book.

I happened to be in a clothing store and mentioned my dilemma to the owner. She immediately lent me her book. We, you guessed it, promptly dished about our favorites, our not so favorites, and what we were going to read next.

I took her book to a restaurant, made it to page 40 (and that author now has a sale in her future because I'll buy the book) and then returned her book.

What a cool way to make a friend.

I took her business card (If you're ever in Prescott, AZ, be sure to go to Just Beadtween Us) and as thanks come this August, I'll be mailing her a copy of my next book.

A bull-riding injury has sent Joel McCreedy crashing—literally—into his tiny Iowa hometown. But the last thing the prodigal son wants is to stay. On top of a bruised head and ego, he has relationships to mend and a reputation to clear. And then there’s lovely Beth Armstrong, his nephews’ teacher, who’s willing to give them all lessons in family and forgiveness. But Joel isn’t the dutiful “family first” man Beth deserves. Or is he? Suddenly, instead of wrangling bulls he’s helping with homework. And instead of craving his next win, he’s determined to be Beth’s once-in-a-lifetime love.

Just think. If everyone was a bookworm, the whole world would be friends.