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Monday, March 26, 2007

All About Eve - Vicki Lewis Thompson


Anyone who’s been to my website at vickilewisthompson.com knows about Eve, the black cat I adopted from the Humane Society two years ago. In fact, if you have any cute pet pictures lying around, I’d love for you to enter them in Eve’s Second Annual Pet Photo Contest. For every entry I’m donating a dollar to animal rescue. But hurry, because the contest ends March 31st!
If you have animals, then you know life is never dull where they’re concerned, and sometimes it’s downright scary. Eve put me through it several weeks ago when she developed an abscess on her cheek. Yes, that’s about as icky as it sounds.

Of course I felt all guilty, thinking I’d allowed her to get into something that caused the abscess. This is the cat who goes outside on a leash because if I let her run loose, the roaming coyotes will eat her. Yes, they parade right through the front yard in broad daylight. And they’re beautiful – wild and sleek and ready to gobble up any cats and small dogs left to their own devices.

So out I go every morning with Eve sporting her red harness and leash, and it’s true that I let her roll in the dirt. I mean, c’mon. Cats love that, and she’s such a good sport about the harness and leash that I can’t deny her a little dirt bath. However, I think that might have been where she rubbed something into her cheek that caused the abscess. Or not. Abscesses are mysterious things and could be caused by lots of things that are Not My Fault. I hope. I’m a kitty mom and guilt seems to go with the territory.

Dealing with the abscess was not fun. She had to have a drain tube installed. Has anybody else had that particular pleasure? And then came the funnel-shaped collar. I tried to convince Eve she looked like Queen Elizabeth wearing a starched ruff, but she wasn’t buying it. Hated the collar.

I’m happy to report she’s fine now. The drain’s gone, the collar’s gone, and her fur is growing back. She’s primping a lot because I told her she has a prominent role in my next book called OVERHEXED. It comes out in October just in time for Halloween, and yep, it’s a paranormal. The black cat in the book is called Sabrina instead of Eve. I thought that might save Eve from being mobbed by the paparazzi. But it’s her, right down to her whiskers.

She gives me lots of material, but maybe you have some cat stories you’d like to share. Or dog stories. I’m adding an Irish Wolfhound to the second book in the series. So let’s talk!

Friday, March 23, 2007

Cruisin' Down the River with Sandra


OK, we didn't cruise down the river. We cruised down the Caribbean. In February, my husband and I took our son, daughter-in-law and our two little grandchildren on a cruise from New York harbor to several wonderful islands in the Caribbean.

How exciting it was to sail by the Statue of Liberty! I've been to the Statue, even climbed all the way to her crown in the days when that was possible, but seeing her from the deck of a huge ship as we sailed out to sea was amazing.

And our trip was wonderful! We all had a great time, sightseeing, relaxing, playing, eating (and eating and eating and eating...)

I've posted a couple of videos at my website. Some photos, too, there and at my blog. I'll be adding more photos and videos but I though it would be fun to share some here right now, with you.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

MOTHER'S DAY

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Primroses and violets were the traditional gift, along with a simnel cake, from girls in "service" who were allowed home to visit their mother's on the fourth Sunday in Lent -- known as Mothering Sunday; the day in the UK that we still celebrate as Mother's Day.
These primroses are flowering now in my garden and I'm posting them here with my love.

Have a lovely day!

Liz

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Happy St Patrick's Day





Hello. I just had to stop by to wish everyone near and far a very Happy St Patrick's Day. And I thought I would share with you a couple of my favourite Irish Blessings ...





May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields,

And, until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.



And another that was one of my mother's favourites ...


May there always be work for your hands to do,

May your purse always hold a coin or two,

May the sun always shine on your window pane,

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain,

May the hand of a friend always be near you,

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.



I have Irish ancestry on both my mother's and father's sides of the family and have enjoyed many happy visits to various parts of Ireland in year's past. The welcome is always warm, the people amazing, the scenery spectacular, and on each visit I have left a little more of my heart there.


May all the blessings be with you all, wherever you may be, and whether you have a drop of the Irish in you or not!


All best wishes,
Margaret

A Doctor Worth Waiting For
HMB Medical Romance
OUT NOW!

Friday, March 16, 2007

I'm traveling

I'll confess, I long for the day my dh and I can travel. Well, we do take annual trips to Disney World for the kids, and he maintains that walking through the countries in Epcot counts, but I disagree. I want to really go see the world. And in a few years, when our youngest heads off to college, that's just what we're going to do. But for now, I have two ways of exploring the world, Epcot, and with the fact my books go overseas. In April, last summer's Here With Me, will be released in Italy. I can imagine a reader, sitting in a cafe, with a glass of red wine and some chees, reading about...Erie, PA.

Yes, that's the other part I love about my books going overseas...the idea that I'm introducing Erie (well, at least most of my books are set in Erie) to other countries. I love my city...I'm pretty sure most readers have realized that already! LOL We've got Lake Erie on our doorstep, and the beautiful Presque Isle peninsula, jetting out into it, giving us a bay on one side for recreation, and wonderful beaches (with great sunsets...perfect for reading your favorite book) on the other. We have historic landmarks (I've dined at the Waterford Hotel...just like George Washington), and toured a house used in the underground railroad. I feel very fortunate I can introduce readers all over the world to my hometown.

What about you? What makes your hometown special? Something you'd like to share with readers?

Holly

www.HollyJacobs.com

Monday, March 12, 2007

Jane Porter's new home on the WWW!


Just wanted to draw your attention to a brand new fun place to visit on the web! Bestselling Harlequin and Warner 5 Spot author, Jane Porter has just recently launched a bulletin board on her website and would love to have you drop by to say hello when you have time. http://www.janeporter.com/board

Jane's got a special contest running to celebrate the launch and she'll be picking a winner every day until the 18th of March! Lots of cool goodies to win!

I know many of you are her friends so if you haven't already had a chance to check it out, please stop by Jane's website and say hello!

Lee

Sunday, March 11, 2007

When things go Good -- and Bad

Happy 1st week of Daylight Savings everyone!

Not sure how you feel about the early changeover, but I’m ambivalent. I like it and I hate it. I like having all those extra hours of sunlight, but I just hate getting up in the dark. It takes me weeks to get my body clock adjusted.

I’m sort of in the same boat with my newest Night Guardian series release from Silhouette Romantic Suspense…

SHADOW SURRENDER by Linda Conrad
March 2007
ISBN 978-0-373-27527-4

The Night Guardians are a Navajo Brotherhood. They keep watch in the night against the evil Skinwalkers!

In SHADOW SURRENDER, he’d dreamed about her…
Navajo medicine man Lucas Tso had a special gift—psychic powers, coupled with vivid dreams about a mysterious woman. But when he came face-to-face with her, he wasn’t prepared for the feelings that stirred within him. FBI agent Teal Benaly was investigating a murder on the reservation, and Lucas wanted to protect her from the evil shapeshifters that had declared war on the Navajo people. Dark forces tempted him to their side, and he’d need Teal’s help—and her love—to keep him alive.

You can read an excerpt here: http://www.lindaconrad.com/bookshelf/shadowsurrender.html
****************************
Now on the one hand, I love this book. The hero, Lucas Tso, is my first real Beta hero and I matched him up with a strong but vulnerable FBI agent heroine. And this story is the most paranormal of all the Night Guardians to date. That makes the book unique for me and I feel protective about it. I even wrote in my first childhood pet, a black cat named Snow. And…I don’t absolutely hate the cover this time. Okay, it really doesn’t say it all and it’s a funny shade of gray, but it’s not the worst I’ve had.

On the other hand, there’s the bad (you knew it was coming, right?) Somehow two printers’ errors found their way into the book. Not just little errors, mind you. But in two chapters the last few lines have been totally left out! How embarrassing!

You can read the missing lines on my website: http://www.lindaconrad.com/bookshelf/shadowsurrender.html#missing

I suppose I will learn to live with the printers errors. Just like I’ll soon adjust to Daylight Savings Time. Maybe Shadow Surrender will even turn out to be special all because of the errors. Who knows, years from now your copy may be worth thousands! (Don’t we wish)

Meanwhile, I’ve got a brand new graphics on my website and a brand new crossword puzzle for those of you who love them. I’m also running a contest for a chance to win autographed copies of the first five books in the Night Guardian series, along with a Barnes and Noble gift certificate in order to buy more books! Check it out here: http://www.lindaconrad.com/

Saturday, March 03, 2007

GREAT BOOK!

Hi, I'm Liz Fielding and for those of you who don't know me, I write Harlequin Romance. But I'm not here to talk about my books, I’m here to ask if you’ve all read Anne McAllister’s THE SANTORINI BRIDE.

I’ve just signed off on The Sheikh’s Unsuitable Bride, which was the toughest book I’ve written in a long time (it was just hard work, who knows why?) and as a treat, and to make the pain to away, I settled down with Anne’s book.

It was just perfect.

Martha and Theo are two incredibly stubborn characters. They’re independent. Strong-willed. She’s gorgeous in a domestic goddess kind of way. He’s trying to escape the fall-out from being named “the world’s sexiest sailor”. She won’t settle for less than love. He doesn’t believe in it. Oh, and there’s Ted, a scene-stealing French bulldog!

Gorgeous characters, fabulous story, wonderful book. But then it was written by Anne McAllister. I can’t wait for Spence and Sadie’s story...

What else? Oh, yes. I’ve got a competition on my webpage, so if you want the chance to win a copy of The Secret Life of Lady Gabriella (and I’m throwing in her duster as an extra!) a full month before you can buy it retail, check it out here