WELCOME, BARBARA!









PARTY
TIME
AGAIN!




Grab something wicked to drink and dig into the New Book Release Day cake. I've been saving it.

I’d like to thank Mary for asking me to guest blog here today to celebrate the release of FAMILY MATTERS. My third book from Harlequin American Romance officially hit bookstore shelves and online bookstores last week!

My Virtual Book Tour has been a blast so far, with a number of guest blog stops, some interviews, and even a Book Release Party.

For the Pink Fuzzies, Mary and I thought it would be fun to shake things up a bit and share a quick excerpt from FAMILY MATTERS.

First, a bit about the book:

FAMILY MATTERS is the story of a hardheaded attorney and an equally stubborn teacher who meet in a heated battle over a local amusement park.

Kerry MacBride comes from a large family of Irish eccentrics. She escaped her tiny hometown as soon as she could. Though she is now an art teacher in an inner-city Chicago high school, Kerry is still the family's answer to any emergency.

The latest fiasco: her outrageous Uncle Bren has persuaded everyone in her grandmother's retirement community to invest in restoring an abandoned amusement park.

Matt Lawrence, the lawyer son of one of the residents, is committed to fighting for the underdog in any situation. He’ll do whatever it takes to save everyone’s finances—even if he's forced to send Kerry's conniving uncle to jail.

In the middle of all this uproar, the last thing Kerry and Matt want is to find themselves attracted to each other.

But you know how these things go.... ;-)

Throw some daredevil siblings, an offbeat grandmother, a couple of determined matchmakers, and a runaway teenager into the mix, and things get downright crazy.

Now, the excerpt. I hope you enjoy it!

Please feel free to leave comments and questions. I’ll be back later today to respond.

~~~~~~~

The room looked as if a twister had swept through it.

Twice.

Boxes and bags and unidentifiable objects balanced on the edges of the pool tables, leaned up against the walls, and littered almost every inch of floor space.

On the far side of the room, Uncle Bren stood behind one of the pool tables.

Taking hold of Kerry’s shoulders, Matt gently moved her aside. The warmth of his hands seeped through the fabric of her worn T-shirt. Distracted by the momentary pleasure, she didn’t realize he planned to cross the room until it was too late.

By the time she kicked into gear, he had his hands braced on the pool table, giving the impression of a hunter who had cornered his prey. From the look of wide-eyed panic on her uncle’s face, he agreed.

“What is all this, MacBride?” Matt asked, his voice gentle.

Gentle and Matt made a dangerous combination.

Kerry rushed to join them.

Uncle Bren frowned, as if seeing everything around him for the first time. “Supplies. For the park.”

“Do you have receipts for all this?” Matt asked. “Did you get the okay from your investors before you spent their money?”

Uncle Bren stepped back a half-pace. “They’re fine with whatever I do.”

“No matter how ineptly you do it?”

“Matt, really!” Kerry moved past him and focused on Uncle Bren. “Where are you planning to store all these packages?”

He shrugged.

“You haven’t even thought that far in advance, have you?” Matt demanded. Shaking his head, he turned to Kerry. “I rest my case. This guy couldn’t carry off a bake sale if they were giving the goods away.”

“Hold on, lad—“

“I’m not your lad,” Matt snarled.

Kerry winced but stood her ground. Maybe once they got the shouting over with, they’d have everything out of their systems.

False hope, and she knew it. If she didn’t keep them away from each other, Matt would be the one going to jail.

For murder.

~~~~~~~

About Barbara

Originally from the East Coast, award-winning author Barbara White Daille now lives with her husband in the warm, sunny Southwest, where they love the dry heat and have taken up square dancing.

From the time she was a toddler, Barbara found herself fascinated by those things her mom called "books." Once she learned the words between the covers held the magic of storytelling, she wanted to see her words in print so she could weave that spell for others.

Barbara hopes you will enjoy reading her stories and will find your own storytelling magic in them!

You can find Barbara online at her website: www.barbarawhitedaille.com and at her blog: www.barbarawhitedaile.com/blog. She’s also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille and Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille.

Stop by and visit her any time!

These cures are recorded in Shenandoah Voices by late Shenandoah Valley historian and author John Heatwole.  I knew John and much admired him.  He's left a wealth of information behind in his books.

For a sprained ankle take catnip, sprinkle salt on it and bind it to the ankle. ‘Mullin tea’ was also used for sprained ankles.  The leaves of the mullin plant were boiled in vinegar and water and the ankle was bathed in it while it was still warm. ~

Turpentine was also rubbed on a sprain.  You never covered it or it would burn.~

Catnip tea was made for children with the colic.~
Queen Anne’s Lace made into a tea is said to relieve backache.~

Sage and honey tea is a good brew to give to someone with pneumonia.~

Drinking tea made from aromatic sage is said to keep a woman’s hair from turning gray prematurely.~

Lobelia tea was used by Thomsonian herb doctor Gabe Heatwole as a purge.  Lobelia is an annual or perennial plant of the bellflower family.~

Goldenseal and Comfort Root (*Pinelands Hibiscus or Cut-leaf Hibiscus) teas are good for an upset stomach.~

If you have kidney problems, swamp root tea can be used for relief.~
Greasy mustard plaster was used on the sufferer’s chest for a deep cold.

To avoid being burned by the mustard, this plaster was made with lard and spread on a cloth that could be laid on the sufferer’s chest without burning. ~ Another non-burning plaster was made with mustard, lard, and egg whites.~

A family in Singers Glen used a mustard and lard poultice for pneumonia.  When the patient’s chest started to turn red, it was removed. The patient was washed off thoroughly, and then a hot onion poultice was applied. ~


For a bad cold or pleurisy, they’d put lard on your chest with salt sprinkled on it of a night.~
A tea made a peppermint leaves will stop a stomachache.~

Pennyroyal tea was used to break a fever, for upset stomach and to treat the common cold. It is of the same family as mint and yields aromatic oil.~

During the Civil War, some Valley soldiers chewed slippery elm bark when in battle or on the march. It was said to relieve thirst and hunger.~


Miss Gray Pifer of Mt. Crawford said that ‘horehound grew down near the creek. Momma made a horehound syrup with brown sugar for coughs. ~

In Page County a woman said that her grandfather smoked a corncob pipe, and if a child in the family had an earache, he’d blow smoke in the ear as a cure.  She also said for spider bite, you should cut a piece from a new potato and hold it against the bite. Eventually the potato will turn black as it absorbs the poison. ~

****

I’m teaching an online class on Herbal Lore and the Historic Medicinal Uses of Herbs in October.  Registration runs through Oct. 2nd but if you really wanted to you could probably still get in and catch up at: http://heartsthroughhistory.com/herblore.html

 

*Pics are of our farm and the Shenandoah Valley 

The pumpkin patch pic is of a different farm

A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction.

A poet can survive everything but a misprint.

A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.

A true friend stabs you in the front.

A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament.

Ah, well, then I suppose I shall have to die beyond my means.
Oscar Wilde

Alas, I am dying beyond my means.
Oscar Wilde

Hi Everyone,
Lots and lots of great deals today:

brylanehome.com again has a great deal on a 5 piece travel kit for $6.99, a 65% savings.

If you're in the market for a free camera, Tiger direct via Ebay is offering a HPCB350 12 megapixel 3X optic zoom digital camera for $59.99 with free shipping.

Vistaprint.com is having an everything is free sale--just pay shipping. It's time to stock up on business cards, pens, banners, etc., which are fabulous promotional items for our writing career.

Walgreens.com is offering 25% off Halloween costumes with coupon code HALLOWEEN25.

Magazines are always a nice gift for yourself or someone else. Bestdeals magazine is offering Family Circle Magazine for $3.73 today only with coupon code PXCJ1010.

Happy shopping!

"I can't afford to save any more money."--favorite quote

Hi Everyone,
Lots of great deals today, and many of them are free!

The Popcorn factory is offering a free trio of their popcorn--cheese, carmel, and jalapeno. Yum!
Order online. Shipping adds $5.99.

HSN.com is offering $20.00 off of $20.00 for new customers. Coupon code is 319175. Shipping will add $4.95 to your order.

Walgreen's is offering a free purse book with coupon code forever.
Shipping adds $2.99.

I love CVS and hope you do, too. Scan your card when you walk in, because many coupons are showing $5.00 off of Halloween decor. There are lots of Halloween items less than $5.00, so snag something for free.

Not free, but brylanehome.com has an adorable Christmas hugs fleece throw, 50" x 60" for $16.99. Coupon code HERE will bring your total down to around $12.00.

Happy shopping!

"I can't afford to save any more money."--favorite quote

Hello everyone,
I have some great deals to post today:

For the man in your life, gandermountain.com has heavy athletic crew sweatshirts for $9.95 with free shipping. Several sizes and colors are available.

Sam's club is offering a $15.00 holiday membership fee for 15 weeks. Their regular membership is $40.00.

Anyone need a new TV? Woot.com has 1 deal per day. Today it's a refurbished Philips 47 Inch 1080 LCD HDTV for $549.99 and shipping adds $5.00.

Fall makes me want to curl up and read. Best deals magazines has a 1 year subscription to Good Housekeeping magazine for $5.00. Use coupon code FATWALLET16

Happy shopping!

"I can't afford to save any more money."--favorite quote

Last night Scarlet, Pam and Mama Mary painted Atlanta, Georgia red.


Actually, Moonlight and Magnolias is in
lovely Decatur, an older small town surrounded by Atlanta and its suburbs.

Every year Georgia Romance Writers puts on a conference called Moonlight and Magnolias. How much more appropriate could that be?

We invited some attendees to join us for supper at a small quaint Italian eatery called Zucca. The food was wonderful!

More about M&M later. Did I mention Michael Hauge and Allison Brennan? No?
Hmmm. Maye later,

Since my love scenes are caliente, I decided to dabble in erotica and wrote Hot Spanish Nights targeting the Destination Pleasure line of The Wilder Roses at The Wild Rose Press. I was very pleased that the editor liked the story (and fortunate since she is also a devotee of horses). She asked for rewrites, using the buzz words. At first, I found using the buzz words difficult, but then I got into it and now, when editing one of my fallen angel manuscripts yesterday, I struggled for a word that a buzz word would have fit perfectly! The story grew beyond the word length for Destination Pleasure and will be released as a miniature (novella).

For many happy years, I bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses. They are the most intelligent, beautiful and loving creatures in the world. My stallion was twice National Champion at Halter and many times champion under saddle. I could sing the praises of the Iberian horse for pages, and this story gave me an outlet to present them to a new audience. In Black Swan, my vampire story from The Wild Rose press, I used my car in a love scene. In Hot Spanish Nights, I used my own stallion Bonito as one of the heroes (the four-legged one). The socialite and the bullfighter--when a competitive man and a competitive woman meet, sparks fly.

To view the trailer and read an excerpt, please visit my blog at: http://biancaswanblog.wordpress.com/

Blurb:
Southern vixen Erica DeLongpre journeys to Spain to find the horse of her dreams, never expecting to find a man capable of stirring her sexual awareness. Damián Xeres, a renowned bullfighter is deliciously skilled on a horse--and in bed. But a woman from Damian's past rattles Erica's confidence and threatens the very essence of her trip. With Lucia waiting for the slightest chink in her armor, Erica can't help wonder what lies ahead in those Hot Spanish Nights.

Please return to The Pink Fuzzy Slippers on October 29 for my Release Day Party. There’ll be fun, virtual chocolate strawberries, baked brie, champagne and lots of prizes—all served with a little eye candy!!

PS. I have the talented Angela Anderson to thank for my stunning cover. Let’s hear it for Angela.

Halloween weekend: http:www.thewildrosepress.com

THE REVIEWS ARE COMING IN...

Sinbad’s Last Voyage…

When a naïve Navajo hires a human-hating Felidan to find her fugitive-from-justice husband, it’s clash of cultures, personalities plus a massive dose of mutual attraction…

“… if you're looking for a romance that's not another of the cookie-cutter offerings out there, this is a great place to start.” http://www.nightsandweekends.com/articles/08/NW0800278.php

“…Definitely a 5 Djinn keeper.” http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=5427

“…one of the scant few books I will definitely read again...and again... (5 kisses)” http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5418&Itemid=36

Sinbad’s Wife:

“Ms. Sweeney always creates stories that are thrown miles outside the box, and Sinbad’s Wife is no exception.” Margaret Marr
http://www.nightsandweekends.com/articles/09/NW0900127.php 3/23/09

“…is just as gripping and exhilarating as its predecessor.” (4 kisses) http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5435&Itemid=36
Sinbad’s Pride:

“…the dramatic sh'en Singh family dynamics…in this book makes for a truly wonderful read.” (4.5 kisses)
http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5443&Itemid=36

In a way, I guess they've said it all...

I never really intended to write a series when I started Sinbad’s Last Voyage. It just happened. I was just going to tell a love story set in the future, a single-shot, stand-alone novel—of a sexy, strutting half-breed smuggler who hated Terrans and the Earthwoman who made him forget that. There would be strife, of course, because she was married and he was trying his best to keep from falling in love with her. There would be adventure as they tracked her fugitive husband across the galaxy through various dens of iniquity where she is shocked and he’s amused by that shock, but it would be definitely end Happily Ever After.

So much for that idea...

As usual with things having to do with Sinbad sh’en Singh, it didn’t turn out that way. (After all, this is a book written by Toni V. Sweeney so it had to have a Toni V. Sweeney ending…so make that it ends Mostly Happily Ever After.)

Studying it now, after three novels in the series and more to come, I realize what I really wrote is simply one gigantic soap opera set in the far, far future on a planet far, far away…and the introduction to this sudsy space saga might go something like this:

Welcome once again, dear reader, to the Adventures of Sinbad…the stories which ask the question: can a halfbreed human-hating smuggler find happiness with a very human adopted Navajo in spite of threats from the United Terran Federation and many of his nefarious criminal cohorts? Therein lies the question, to misquote ol’ Will Shakespeare, who wrote some mighty epics but whose comedies were more than soap opera-like if one chooses to look at them close enough. So why don’t we give the Adventures a once-over and see if they really do qualify to sell soap to the intergalactic masses?

The story of Sinbad and Andi is a lesson in the course of True Love running every which but smoothly. At the end of Sinbad 1: Sinbad’s Last Voyage, in between searching for Andi’s husband, fighting off old enemies, and becoming a father, Sinbad learns he’s dying of a disease contracted while he was a prisoner in the Toxic Zone, the Federation’s deadliest prison. He agrees to spend his last few months with Andi whom he now admits he loves.




Gulp! Sniffle!

Well, I couldn’t just leave it there. No sir! I had to get Sin and Andi married, and save my hero to fight another day. So, along came Sinbad 2: Sinbad’s Wife, in which, among other things, Sin struggles to convince Andi to make an honest man of him, he discovers he has a 15-year-old son, then promptly collapses into a coma brought on by his terminal disease. Piling it on even thicker (after all this is a space opera), there is only one doctor who can save Sin and he blackmails Andi into becoming his mistress before he’ll perform the surgery. Andi finds this totally ironic since Sinbad tried the same ploy before he would agree to find her first husband. That time she refused; this time, she agrees after much soul-searching, and the surgery goes without a hitch. While Sin is recovering but still in a coma, Andi is subsequently kidnapped by her former husband, a power-mad Serapian general named Tran, who makes her into a sex slave. She’s rescued by Sinbad who kills Tran in a duel-to-the-death, but not before Andi has given birth to Tran’s second son. Sin, a sucker for infants and his wife’s tears, accepts the baby, they go into a clinch…roll credits…


Whew! Are you still with me? Is this getting pretty sudsy and soapy so far? Did you see the kitchen sink peeping out from behind that last paragraph? Could I stop after that? Nosirree. So, let’s continue:

Sinbad 3: Sinbad’s Pride: You can’t keep a good smuggler down! He tried the Straight-and-Narrow but it just didn’t work. Sin’s been pardoned by the Federation, he’s a law-abiding citizen (much to his dismay) and he’s back on his home planet, being re-instated as his grandfather’s heir and about to inherit one-third of the planet Felida. Having now reached the age of thirty-one and considered a mature adult (though Andi sometimes denies that), Sin is bored and looking for some trouble to get into. He finds it in the Peace Treaty Felida signed after being defeated by the United Terran Federation. In it there’s a loophole no one, not even the Federation realizes is there, a clause preventing prosecution of any Pride member for any future crime against the Federation.



Well! When someone who hates the Fed as much as Sin does finds a document like that—even though they’ve given him amnesty in exchange for killing Tran (who was a threat to everyone and not just Andi) and posthumously pardoned his father—you know something big is going down. And it does. With the aid of the other Pride Chiefs, Sin decides to turn Felida into the biggest smuggling planet in the galaxy…and thumb his nose at the Fed at the same time. Of course, there are immediate complications, such as the fact that the Pride Chiefs want an affiliation with the operation through marriage, and send their nubile daughters to Sin as concubines. Sin tries to explain to Andi they mean nothing. It’s all politics. Andi doesn’t see it that way. There’s trouble brewing in the bedroom tonight. And for many nights to come. If the world’s sexiest cat-man doesn’t watch it, he’s going to be sleeping on the sofa until he’s an octagenerian!

In the meantime, Sin’s son Adam and Andi’s son Cash are leaving adolescence and becoming men in every sense of the word. Joining Sinbad in his smuggling operation, they begin cutting a wide swath through the females of Felida, and then—as Fate will have it, they meet the two women neither can have and both want…their father’s concubines…

Sinbad’s Pride is a play on words. On Felida, a Pride is made up of various clans loyal to one chief. Sinbad is the heir to the largest Pride. He also has plenty of pride in the usual sense of the word, and whether he’s confronting the lawyers of the Federation, an incensed wife, or an adulterous child, he has to decide when to let that pride go and when to balance revenge with mercy. No matter what happens, however, one thing is certain: Sinbad loves Andi and he’ll do anything to keep that love. It’s also a story about family, and how a man who has lost everything must now try to keep together the family he’s suddenly blessed with in the face of crises which can blast them apart. How Sin works it out makes up the majority of that story. It’s an erotic, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic adventure. I think readers will enjoy them all.

The Sinbad books are available at Double Dragon Publications, http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/search.php and also http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Toni+V+Sweeney&x=12&y=22

Trans-Atlantic Loving sails in today! Red Bird's Song thrilled this week also!

It's here! It's here! Time to celebrate! Congrats to all our bloggers this month on their releases! Now, it's party time! We're having a party! Today is the day for the release of Trans-Atlantic Loving! Everyone grab a cup of tea or glass or ice orange tea and I'll cut the cake! Monday Rachel Brimble joined us from England to tell us about her new release. Today we're celebrating her release and those of the other Class of 85 books. We also have members of The Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers blog who have releases this month, so we're celebrating their success as well. Come on everyone, it's party time!

The Serious Moonlight

Lonely Road To You

Getting It Right

Fairy Tales Can Come True

Corvette Confessions

Bonded For Life

Party Time! Party Time! Party Time
Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers would like you to join us in honoring the release of this month’s stories of the Reunion of Class of ’85!

     Shannon maneuvered her beat-up Jetta into a parking spot behind the five-star restaurant and turned off the ignition. For a moment she just sat there, wondering if she was doing the right thing.

     “What’s wrong?” her younger sister asked.
     As she glanced down into Katie’s bright eyes, a surge of love flooded Shannon, so strong it warmed her insides and pushed away her fears. The edges of her mouth lifted into a smile. She brushed a hand back over Katie’s braids. “This is an important business meeting. You know that, don’t you?”
     “Yeah. You don’t have to keep reminding me.” Katie huffed out the words. “I’m a big girl now. I’ll be okay”
     “I know you’re a seven year old grown up. And I’m proud of you. But this is our chance for a better future. We need this job.”
     “Stop worrying, sis.” She opened her hand, revealing the jacks and tiny rubber ball. “I’ll stay at the car and play Jack Rocks.” She grinned, trying to reassure.
     She’d been her sister’s only family since their parents had died in a house fire before Katie’s third birthday. “Sorry the babysitter couldn’t make it. She was ah-sick.”
     “You mean drunk,” Katie corrected.
     Guilt rushed Shannon. They lived in a roach infested boardinghouse patronized by prostitutes and drug users. Somehow she had to get Katie away from such an environment. She was a smart and compassion child who deserved the best in life.
     Shannon smoothed a clammy palm over the skirt of her new business suit. She’d spent too much money on it, but she needed the polished look of a sophisticated woman. She looked younger than her twenty-two years. “If I get the job, we’ll move to a better neighborhood.” Blinking away tears, she reached over and squeezed her sister’s hand.
     “You’ll get it. You’ll the best artist in San Diego.” Katie took a sip of apple juice.
     “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” She waved at the older woman walking their way. Lucy was a homeless woman who sometimes slept behind the restaurant. Shannon had given her food and loose change and Lucy looked out for them. Over the past two years they’d become close friend.
     After gathering her portfolio off the back seat, Shannon exited the car. “Thanks for sitting with Katie while I’m inside. I should be back in an hour.”
     Lucy cupped Shannon’s cheek. “You just get that job, gal. Katie and I’ll be fine. Now go on.”
     Shannon hesitated. She stood, nibbling on her bottom lip. Was she doing the right thing?

____________________

Did Shannon make the right decision when she left her sister in the hands of a homeless woman?

I believe she did. Fate doesn’t always land us in ideal environments. Sometimes we have to make the best of a bad situation. Regardless of your thoughts about Shannon's dilemma, one thing is true for all of us. We make decisions based on our life experiences. Someone who grows up with a silver spoon in his or her mouth might say, "I'd never do that."  Someone struggling to make ends meet in the inner city might say, "I'm doing this to make a better life for my child."  And then there's the rest of us that fall in between those two cultures.

So, what do you think?

Until later,
Pamela Varnado

We have a Trans-Atlantic treat today on the Fuzzies. A visit from across the pond by Class of '85 author, Rachel Brimble. I've arranged to ply her with questions about her writing and I'm anxious to read her responses.

Everyone please join me in giving a great big fuzzy welcome to Rachael.

1) How many books have you published?

I have had four novels and one novella published so far although I do have another novel due for release in January 2011. I write across the sub-genres of romance so I have two romantic suspense, one romantic comedy, and one historical published in novel-length, and my novella is the main reason for me being here today - it is Transatlantic Loving and part of the Class of ’85 series from The Wild Rose Press, yay!

2) How do you write with kids and deadlines?

With difficulty! 2010 was a great year for me with two novels and novella being released but I know 2011 is unlikely to be so productive. As well as having two kids to deal with, I have started working part-time this year when I was lucky enough to be at home full-time last year. My output has hugely decreased and my promotion has kind of gone through the roof! I wonder sometimes if I’ve got the balance right…

3) What are you writing now?

I am a quarter the way through the first draft of my second historical, and I totally love it! I am madly in love with my hero who is a good-hearted ‘artful dodger’ type living in Victorian Bath, England – I promise you, ladies…he’s irresistible.
I’m estimating this novel to fall at about 80,000 words and hope to have it done by Christmas. It would be great to land a home for it in the New Year!

4) Why do you write?

Because I have to! It’s a compulsion, a passion. I am cranky if I don’t, my family tell me to go away and find my laptop when they’ve had enough of my moods, LOL!

5) How do you get over writer’s block?

I have honestly never had it. I have LOADS of characters and story ideas rambling around in my head as well as two novels partially written and shelved, and a file on my Mac with notes to four more. I have enough work to do for the next five years at least! The problem is actually finding the time to get the stories written.
Having said that, it doesn’t mean I don’t have days when writing 500 words is like pulling 500 teeth out of my mouth!

6) Who is your favorite author to read? Favorite book?

OK, I have three favorites so I’ll list them all:

Nora Roberts for romance – love all her work but favorites are Montana Sky & Northern Lights (bearing in mind I am not even a third way through her backlist!)

Jodi Picoult – Drama – Plain Truth & My Sister’s Keeper

Philippa Gregory – Historical – The entire Tudor series

7) What’s next for you?

As I mentioned earlier, my next novel is due for release in January 2011 from Lyrical Press and it’s called Getting It Right This Time. It’s a contemporary romance about a mother’s protective love and second chances at happiness. It is my first book with this publisher and I have loved working with them so can’t wait to see the finished product!

OK, so that’s me interviewed, I really enjoyed it and would love to leave you with an excerpt from my offering to The Class of ’85 series – Transatlantic Loving, enjoy!

“Hi there, Madonna. What can I get you?”
Lisa turned, tipped her head back. And took a breath. Holy mother of==
His eyes were the color of the fields at the back of her house in high summer==emerald, dotted with hints of lime. Once her heart kicked back into place, she smiled. “A white wine would be great.”
“Coming right up. And your friend?”
Lisa stared at him. “My . . . ?”
Courtney nudged her in the ribs. “Friend. Me. Remember?”
Lisa snapped her head round to find Courtney staring back at her with eyes alive with mischief. “Did something or someone distract you from remembering I am here?” Smiling, she turned back to the hunk of burning love behind the bar. “I’ll have a glass of white wine too, please.”
His smile revealed perfect teeth except for the slight turn of one that Lisa had the sudden urge to lick. She pulled her shoulders back so fast they clicked in indignation. What the hell was she thinking? Since when did she want to lick men’s teeth? Clearing her throat, she focused on what Courtney was saying.
“So, you’re still here. What’s that all about? Scared to leave Summerville High and go out into the big bad world?”
The bar tender's smile stretched to a grin as he topped off their glasses before holding them out. “I teach here now. Physical Education. But before that, I spent five years in the UK. Biddestone to be exact.”
When Courtney turned, drinks in hand, the mischief in her eyes darkened to almost manic proportions as she wiggled her eyebrows and shoved a glass into Lisa’s newly clammy palm. “Well, now. The man lived right around the corner from you.”
Smile frozen in place, she glared at Courtney, certain she likely looked like Madonna high on LSD rather than the sex-bomb she’d being aiming for when she’d left the house. She took a sip of her wine and met his eyes once more. Phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal.
www.rachelbrimble.com

It was a dark and stormy day.

Or at least by the time we left Bryan, Texas and the MessinaHof Winery. Our car club zipped along the curvy (for Texas) roads from Houston to Bryan, 90-mile trip, yesterday to have lunch and a wine tasting at the winery.

There were long straight-aways on the road and at one time I got to push my little roadster, Z3PO, to 100 mph. He has a lot of get-up-and-go, and I had a great time downshifting on the curves. We went through real horse country, and my co-pilot Beda and I found it difficult to maintain the pace when we wanted to look at the paints, palominos and greys dotting the stretches of green fields. There was one particularly gorgeous farm that I would have loved to own. The house was made of stone, as was the barn, and the fences were pristine white, but I know what it takes to maintain a place like that. I bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses for thirteen years.

At one point, we had left part of our caravan of 9 cars (there were 50 in the group) behind and stopped in a quaint little town to wait for them. The assembly of fine motor cars was divided into groups of 8-9 with a lead driver and a tail gunner, bringing up the rear.
When we resumed, one of our members almost backed into me. I swerved, glad that zippy Z is so agile, because I just got him back from an accident that occurred on evil Friday the Thirteenth. I started to wonder if he was wearing a sign that read “hit me.” Then I was told that one of my headlights wasn’t working. Great. Back to the shop on Monday. The body shop disassembled the car. It is their duty to put all his parts back correctly.

We arrived at the winery. The restaurant was quite elegant with stained glass window of vines and grapes and atmospheric lighting but…they must have known we were a rowdy crowd and we were seated in a large room at the back of the restaurant. The food was excellent and the wine good. I had an appetizer of calamari, the main course seared tuna with a spicy red-pepper sauce with a rather nice Riesling. Dessert was Tiramisu (yummy!)

Dark clouds had begun to shadow the sky. Beda and I decided to skip the tour and tasting in the interest of time—and being caught in a thunderstorm with one headlight. So we raced the storm back to Houston and outran it by a couple of hours.

It was a spectacular day out, but made me really miss the country and the wildflowers and the horses. I’m something I never thought I’d be, a city dweller, but I came home and worked on rewrites of my next erotic novella from The Wild Rose Press, working title Eden, but I think I’m going to rename it Do Angels Dream?

Speaking of writing—I have a release date for my (writing as Bianca Swan) erotic novella Hot Spanish Nights from The Wild Rose Press. October 29, Halloween weekend! And it’s not a paranormal romance as most of my work is. Below is the blurb for Hot Spanish Nights:

Southern vixen Erica DeLongpre journeys to Spain to find the horse of her dreams, never expecting to find a man capable of stirring her sexual awareness. Damián Xérès, a renowned bullfighter is deliciously skilled on a horse—and in bed. But a woman from Damian's past rattles Erica's confidence and threatens the very essence of her trip. With Lucia waiting for the slightest chink in her armor, Erica can't help wonder what lies ahead in those Hot Spanish Nights.

(Photo is Z3PO in the NC mountains)

First, let me apologize to our guest! I read the calendar wrong and thought she would visit tomorrow. Luckily, I found her sitting patiently outside the door waiting to visit with us!

Today we welcome Silver James who comes to tell us about her wonderful class of '85 story. Everyone please welcome Silver. G'morning, everyone. It's a real pleasure to be here at Pink Fuzzy Slippers. *shows feet encased in Killer Bunny slippers* The joy of being a writer is I can get up, pour my coffee *holds up 20 oz. thermal mug* and go to work in my jammies. Some days I wish I wore really sexy peignoir sets with feathered trim and those matching high-heeled slippers like the movie stars wore back in the forties and fifties. But I'm all about being comfortable. Get some coffee or whatever your drink of choice, have a seat, and let's visit. As Scarlet mentioned, I'm Silver James. I normally write paranormal so when the characters of FAIRY TALES CAN COME TRUE sat down in my office, I was shocked! Not a paranormal element anywhere. Who knew I could write contemporary? *laugh* Obviously, Kathy Cottrell, the editor of the Class of '85 Reunion Series, since she bought FAIRY TALES.

Did I mention that I talk to the imaginary people who live in my head? Driving down the street. Sitting in my office. Walking my dogs. I don't talk to them “in” my head—I talk to them out loud. Much to the amusement of my family. I still remember two little friends who came to play with The Only when she was small. After they peeked into my office, they asked her who I was talking to. “Oh,” she replied quite matter-of-factly. “Those are the people who live in her head.” Imagine my surprise when I ended up sitting alone at the next PTA meeting. I had to explain I was a writer and I often “wrote” dialogue by speaking it out loud. I didn't mention that I changed my voice to match the character. *looks shifty eyed*

I'm lucky in that I have a dedicated “writer's cave” where I can hole up, with my two Newfoundland dogs and the lolcat who rules us all underfoot or on keyboard. Luckily, the back door is nearby, though getting up to let them in and out is the only exercise I get some days. Luckily, The Only is in college now and housetrained. (She can feed herself and do laundry when she runs out of underwear—though I did buy her a month's worth so that would be a problem around deadlines.)

So, you want to know about my writing process? A character will appear, pull up an imaginary chair, and start talking to me. I'll visit off and on, asking a lot of “what if?” questions and eventually, the first character introduces me to others and the story evolves.

Wait a minute!!! What am I, chopped liver?

I knew Iffy would show up sooner or later. Allow me to introduce my Muse. Iffy, meet the ladies of the Pink Fuzzy Slippers and readers. Iffy is in charge of writer's block, procrastination, and interviewing characters once their book is released. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, *glares at Iffy* the story starts to flow and I can sit at the computer to record it. FAIRY TALES was lots of fun to write, thanks to Toby, who is the assistant to my heroine, Alex. I love Deke, the hero, too. Here's the blurb just to tease y'all:

Going home for her 25th class reunion isn't on Alex London's radar until her assistant pulls out the fairy godmother card. News correspondent, Deke Carpenter would rather cover the nearest war than attend the reunion--yet deep down he hopes to encounter the girl who got away, Dorothy Reagan, now well-known fashion photographer, Alex London.
Alex, on the other hand, has hopes of seeing the boy she carried a torch for all these years--basketball player Marty Keegan.
In one whirlwind weekend, surrounded by the ghosts of high school past, Alex and Deke discover each other and the unwritten rule of fairy godmothers everywhere: Fairy Tales Can Come True
You can check out an excerpt http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href="target=_new">HERE(and even order it. :D ) I'm ready to drink coffee and visit. What are y'all reading? Do you have a Book Boyfriend™? Dish the details! Just don't forget I'm wearing my writer's tee shirt. You know the one that says, OH, THIS IS SO GOING INTO MY NEXT NOVEL!

BIO:
With a rampant imagination aided and abetted by a Muse who runs with scissors, Silver James loves to share the stories created in that vast comic void pretending to be her mind. Over the course of her lifetime, she's been a military officer's wife, mother, state appellate court marshal, airport rescue firefighter and forensic fire photographer, crime analyst, technical crime scene investigator, and writer. Retired from the “real world” now, she lives in Oklahoma and spends her days at the computer with her two Newfoundland dogs, the cat who rules them all, and myriad characters all clamoring for attention. To find out more about Silver, visit her at http://www.silverjames.com/

Today my talented friend Donna Dalton is sharing with us about her new western romance Her Rodeo Man.  Congrats on this exciting release. Tell us all about it, Donna.

Hello all, and thanks to Beth Trissel for hosting me on The Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers. I’m a fellow member of the Virginia Romance Writers with Beth, and like her, my first love is writing and reading historical romance. However, just for fun, I dabbled in the contemporary genre and now have a western novella that released with The Wild Rose Press on Sept 22, 2010.

The hero of my story HER RODEO MAN is not the conventional cocky, bull riding cowboy, but a wily bullfighter, a rodeo clown with fast feet to go along with all that wit and charm. I remember my first  PBR (Pro Bull Riders) event. It was held at the Richmond Coliseum. Wanting a good view of the action, my husband and I purchased prime seats just three rows away from the sand covered arena.

Bad decision.

The first bull came out of the chute, hopping and bucking and trying to shake off that denim-wearing flea on his back. His momentum carried him across the arena. He slowed just as he reached our section of the grandstands and began to spin. Snot flew from his nose. One long string of goo smacked into me. 

My shirt got an instant decoration – ribbon de slime.  Ewww. Needless to say, I never saw whether that bull rider finished his ride or not.

I cleaned up as best I could and focused back on the bull riding, determined not to let a little snot ruin my  fun. I wasn’t disappointed. The riders demonstrated their well-honed athleticism, clinging to the backs of those bucking bulls like deer ticks on a hound.

But it was the bullfighters who held my attention. Once dislodged, the riders high-tailed it to the safety of the rails. It was the colorful bullfighters charging into danger that had me glued to my seat. One ran straight at a thousand pounds of  beef, rapped the animal on his honker, and took off running. What? Are you nuts? Of course the maddened bull took off after his taunter. The bullfighter stayed just a few steps ahead of the horned freight train, zig-zagging and doing quick-footed reversals. It was a fascinating ballet of man vs animal. Despite being slimed, I thoroughly enjoyed my evening and felt compelled to write about the brave men who play with bulls for a living.

Here’s a blurb for HER RODEO MAN:

Rose McAllister needs a place to hide, somewhere her abusive ex-boyfriend can’t find her. A nursing position at the trauma center in a tiny rodeo town seems the perfect solution. Until she meets Bass Newcomb. The rodeo clown’s wit and charm quickly threatens her plan to remain secluded.

A third generation bullfighter, Bass Newcomb refuses to let anything come between him and his beloved profession—especially an undiagnosed ailment he is trying desperately to keep hidden from those around him. So when a pretty new nurse treats him at the trauma center, he decides to get close enough to make sure she doesn’t accidentally mention his illness to the wrong person. He’s not ready to hang up his rodeo sneakers just yet. But what starts out as a game of cat and mouse soon turns into a battle of hearts as Bass finds himself becoming her rodeo man.

  

To learn more about HER RODEO MAN or any of my other books, visit my website at www.donnadalton.net or go to my publisher’s website at www.thewildrosepress.com.

Happy Reading!

  

I always get this compelling urge at the change of seasons to grab a pencil and pad and head outdoors to record the details of the passing season before forgotten and to capture the transformation occurring. No other equinox creates a stronger desire in me than summer to autumn.

Maybe it’s because my creative writing professor, whose class I took in the fall semester, gave my class an assignment doing just that. She instilled in me the importance of using sensory perception in my writing—all five senses.

In the task, after we wrote down all the visual details that popped at us, we were instructed to take notes blindly. Yes, with our eyes closed. It is amazing how our other senses become much more acute when one or two are shut down. Sounds that escape you everyday become apparent. Words to describe the things you touch will go beyond soft, hard, cold or hot. You’ll find the sunshine and the breeze has a taste. Odors are the most powerful in bringing lost memories to the forefront of your mind. You can use them to divulge a bit of character’s back story.

After we wrote all we could using the other four senses, we had to open our eyes and rewrite the visual using different terms. The world really does look different the second time around.

I’ve heard a great novelist uses all five senses on every page. I’ve yet to find any of my favorite authors doing so, but I do see they do at every opportunity. They make the world they’re building and the characters they’re drawing so real by using subtle meticulous details.

So, today, on the first full-day of autumn, join me. Grab your pad and pencil and head outside. Capture the world around you and then review the pages you’re working on and see where you’ve missed the opportunity to flesh out your world and characters. Come back and tell me something new you experienced.

We have the pleasure of welcoming Keena Kincaid to the Pink Fuzzies today.

Good morning. I’m thrilled to be here at the Pink Fuzzy Slippers blog, and am wearing my fuzzy slippers all day in honor of my visit. I like a two-way conversation, so after I answer Melba Moon’s questions, I’m going to turn the tables and ask y’all some questions of my own.

1: How do you come up with your ideas?
Most of the time, the ideas come to me as a vivid dream that refuses to fade upon waking. As soon as I write the scene down, it seems to grow and stretch until it becomes a full story. Once in a while, the characters simply take me hostage and refuse to let me go until I finish writing their story. After weeks without sleep, take-out food and someone standing over my shoulder telling me what to say (pretending he’s a muse not a kidnapper) I usually find I’ve written something unexpected but pretty darn good.

2: On average, how long does it take to write your books?
In the past, it’s taken about 18 months to finish a full-length historical, but I’m not working at the day job presently, and I’ve noticed the time has shortened considerably. LOL!
SOMETHING MORE, which is my first contemporary story (ever) is a novella and it took a little over two months to complete.

I should say, though, that Nick and Nora from SOMETHING MORE were two characters who pretty much kidnapped me, and then argued in front of me about who was going to get the opening line in their story. Neither listened to my protests that I write historicals. I wrote to get them to hush and discovered I like writing contemporaries. And I was thrilled when the story was accepted as part of the Class of ‘85 series.

3: How do you cope with rejection?
My rejection recovery regime:
· Long walk
· Full glass of wine (scotch if I'm really taking it hard)
· Chat with friends, who assure me of my brilliance
· Bubble bath
· Go back to work on the current WIP the next morning

4. What themes go through your books?
My theme, which runs through all my works whether contemporary or historical, is free will vs. fate. Does what we are determine what we will become? This plays out in choice and consequences. My characters make all the wrong choices and find themselves on the divide between gain and loss, happiness and heartbreak, with no easy way out.

5. What’s next for you?
I’m working on a second novella that features Andy Morgan, from SOMETHING MORE. Andy is a pretty easy-going guy despite a protective streak that runs deep into his bones. Trouble is, Jane Grey doesn’t believe she needs his protection even though it appears her past is about to catch up with her—with deadly consequences.

I'm also working on an historical story that I've dubbed the Yorkshire Gothic. It's not set in Yorkshire, but it's becoming more Gothic with each word. My hero lives under a curse and has vowed never to sire children, who would carry the curse into the next generation. When he must marry to protect his friend’s sister to keep her lands from falling to the enemy, he realizes he wants a full life. However, when he begins searching for a way to undo the curse, he uncovers a family secret that could strip him of everything—status, land and most of all, Matilda.

Now, some questions for you:
1. What is your rejection recovery regime?
2. If you could bring just one of your characters to life for the day, what is the first thing you’d show him/her?
3. If your character took you to his/her world. What would you miss most?

Hi Everyone,
More deals today!

Check out the Dave Ramsey website. If you purchase any item (I recommend the wallet) you’ll receive his book “More Than Enough” at no charge. Just add the code MORE at check-out, and the book will automatically be added to your order.

Remember the JC Penney $10.00 off $10.00 coupon from yesterday? JC Penney is offering free shipping on shoes, so peruse their website to find a super bargain with free shipping to your house.

I love Michael Korrs clothing. 6PM.com is offering up to 70% off Michael Kors---a fabulous deal for a fabulous designer.

Want to update your workout music? Podworkoutmusic.com has a free download from Subway and “The Biggest Loser”. Just sign up with your email.

Want more free music?
Click or copy and paste:
http://www.nullco.com/TSN/
for a free download of the Social Network, scheduled to be released September 28th.

Happy shopping!

“I can’t afford to save any more money.”—favorite quote

Hi everyone,
It’s Monday, and there are some great deals today.

First, for all you gardeners, on of the top perennials is 70% off, “Bearded Iris”, now $14.99—5 per package.
http://www.hollandbulbfarms.com/flower-bulb-sale.asp?ic=GRBG_5IRIS

Make the deal even better with $2.00 shipping. Use coupon code: SHIP2FB


Free night at the Theater.
These shows will be available at no charge beginning October 1st, but some shows might be available now.
Check out your area, and be sure to come back on October 1st.
http://www.freenightoftheater.net/shows/show_listings.cfm

The JC Penney online code for $10.00 off of $10.00 posted yesterday (GO4TEN) can be made even better if you shop for shoes, because all shoes ship for free. 

For the man in your life, Kohls.com is offering Men’s “Chap’s” shirts for $4.50, which is a 90% savings. Save an additional 15% off with code: NEW5789
This deal is going fast, and only sizes XL and XXL are available.

Happy shopping!

“I can’t afford to save any more money.”—favorite quote

Hello everyone:

Lots of great deals today, borrowed from several money-saving forums.

Tanga.com is offering Weight Watchers magazine subscription for $14.99. If you use coupon code WATCH, it will take $12.00 off the price, making the total $2.99.
Great deal on a 1 year subscription!
http://www.tanga.com/products/weight-watchers-magazine-subscription--14

JC Penney.com has a coupon code good for $10.00 off of $10.00
GO4TEN
You’ll still have to pay shipping. I’ve found that having JC Penney ship directly to my home is only a little more in shipping cost than shipping to the store.

TGI Fridays is offering a coupon for 50% off appetizers, valid through September 26th:
http://s.fatwallet.com/static/attachments/38101_screenshot2010_09_18at9_05_54pm.png

Still searching for the perfect Halloween costume?
Look no further than buycostumes.com
Use coupon code CLEAR25 for an additional 25% off of clearance and blowout costumes.

Happy shopping!

“I can’t afford to save any more money.”—favorite quote