Serious Stuff: Everything's Coming up Roses

Well, my twenty one rose bushes have been pruned within an inch of their lives, so it looks pretty bare around the homestead...but they're already sprouting new growth. And I love the cliche I used for the title.

Because all my hubby's tests came back clear, clean, negative. Whatever the word is: he's hale, hearty and cancer-free!

Ding dong, the ugly thing is dead!

Praise God!

Don't Forget to Floss...Lucy Hobbs Taylor, the first female dentist

Howdy! Please mosey on over to Wildflower Junction at Petticoats and Pistols today and learn about the first female dentist...her determination, what she enduered in terms of descrimination and success! Known as "the woman who pulls teeth", she actually served mostly women and children. Does that mean the males in town were wusses?

Well, you can take a peek at some old-style dental tools. (Yikes!) And decide for yourself.

See you there!

Follow the (yellow) brick road...in San Juan Capistrano

Okay, so it's not exactly yellow. This beautiful brick walkway is kind of a journey of the heart...at the Forster Mansion in SJC, California, where our daughter married a wonderful young man. Dang, how can it be six months ago already? I love journey metaphors...when you start out some place and end up just where you want to be. Of course there are hills and valleys along the way, some times steep and wide and divisive, but somehow, it all works out. I like to think it's because God Himself is in charge.

I am a believer, but it is hard to trust sometimes. We're waiting on routine but nervewracking medical tests this week, people are suffering now in Chile, a lovely honor student down south has gone missing...and I still miss my twin brother and my doggies. But the sun is shining, both my kids are happily married. My little grandson is the latest love of my my life and I'm sure my hubby is fine. Statistics are on our side. We just had a wonderful beach-house weekend with friends that I'll tell you about some other time.

And I just got my cover for the Christmas anthology, Lawmen and Outlaws! I'll tell more about it later on, but there's a sneak peek to the right. I sure hope you'll hunker down with a copy of Christmas for Ransom next autumn!

Nonetheless, the JURY SUMMONS breathing down my neck is making me both twirly and angry. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Delia's Honey Spinach Salad

Delia, this one's definitely on my TBE (to be eaten) list. I am a spinach junkie and lemon addict. Thanks for spending time with me this week!

Honey Spinach Salad

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/3 cup of honey
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Light sprinkle of red wine vinegar (optional)

Salad
3/4 pound of fresh spinach
3-4 boiled eggs, sliced
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
5-6 slices bacon, fried crisp

Sprinkle salt in a saucepan; add garlic. Mash garlic and salt to a paste using the back of a spoon. Add honey, olive oil, and lemon juice and warm over low heat.

Remove stems from spinach; wash leaves and pat dry. Combine spinach, eggs, oranges, almonds and bacon in a large bowl; toss well. Pour honey mixture over salad, tossing to coat. Serve.

Note from Delia: This is a personal kind of thing, but I usually serve the dressing on the side. Allowing each guest to dress his/her own salad prevents it from wilting under the warm honey mixture. If you prefer to serve the salad ready to eat, add the honey dressing immediately before serving.

ENJOY!

Meet Delia Latham, CAPA nominee!

Here's a tidbit about DELIA LATHAM, who's joining me at The Write Stuff today. She's is a born-and-bred California gal, recently transplanted to Oklahoma where she lives with her husband Johnny. She’s a Christian wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend—but above all, she treasures her role as child of the King and heir to the throne of God. Delia enjoys big, loud, happy family gatherings. When she’s not writing, she loves to play piano and sing, read, enjoy nature’s beauty, and design marketing products for authors. Her inspirational novel, Goldeneyes, was released in March 2008, and was nominated for The Romance Studio’s CAPA awards; Yesterday’s Promise is pending release through White Rose Publishing.

Congrats on the CAPA nom, Delia. When did you first know you were meant to be a writer?

My third-grade teacher assigned the entire class a one-page essay on the topic, “What I was Like as a Baby” She offered prizes—one for the best girl’s essay, and one for the best boy’s. I won the girl’s prize. That’s when I discovered that I loved to write. I just never stopped.

Describe your first sale. How many manuscripts had you completed when this happened?

My first experience was not a good one. I submitted to an online publisher someone recommended, and the manuscript was accepted within a week. That should have told me something, but I was too “green” to know it. I won’t go into all the details. Suffice to say, I was on my own as far as promoting that book. To give the publisher credit, they did everything they said they would do in their contract, I just didn’t know enough to understand that it wasn’t much. They were basically a glorified printing company. That was the first full manuscript I ever completed.

My second publisher was Vintage Romance Publishing. They published Goldeneyes—a historical fiction—and the entire experience was different from start to finish. I consider that my first real experience with a legitimate publisher, and I will be forever grateful for Dawn Carrington’s guidance during that process.

Is there a genre you haven’t written in yet that you want to aspire to? (I know this is a dreadfully awkward sentence LOL.)

I would love to write a suspense chiller. I’m accustomed to writing “sweet” romances, and the suspense genre—especially crossing over into “chiller” territory—seems like worlds away from that. Still, maybe someday.

Any advice for up and coming authors? Any advice you wish you’d ignored along the way?

Write, write, write. I think the most important piece of advice I ever received was to find a space—whether it’s an entire room, a closet, or simply a corner in an existing room—and make it yours. Go to that place every day, preferably at the same time every day, and WRITE. Sooner than you realize, it becomes a habit that’s hard to break.

On the other hand, I certainly wish I’d ignored the advice to visit that online publisher that printed my first book. I guess all I can advise along those lines is to thoroughly research any publisher you don’t recognize, before you sign a contract.

Do you have a critique partner or group? If so, tell us about it.

I have a wonderful critique partner. Sally Laity lives in California and I live in Oklahoma, but I can’t imagine getting through an entire manuscript without her valuable input. I also have a “reader” who goes through my manuscripts and advises me on flow and readability, typos, etc. If something slows her down, chances are it will slow other readers down as well. I cherish Saundra Randolph’s advice.

Tell us about your upcoming release!

Yesterday’s Promise will be released March 12, 2010, through White Rose Publishing. Here’s the back cover text:
A whirlwind romance amidst the natural splendor of Yosemite National Park. A spur-of-the-moment wedding at the foot of Bridalveil Fall. A young bride who awakens the morning after to find her new husband gone with the mountain wind.

Songbird Hannah Johns supports the child born of that ill-fated union by singing in a dinner lounge. Her dream of someday owning the elite establishment and turning it into a venue more suited to her Christian values is shattered when an unexpected transaction places it in the hands of Brock Ellis, the handsome biker who abandoned her in their honeymoon suite.

Ensuing sparks fly high, revealing buried secrets and forgotten pasts. Seeking to find peace with her painful past, Hannah returns to Yosemite, only to have Brock show up hard on her heels. Back where it all began, she finds herself in danger of losing her heart yet again to the man who shattered it the first time around.

And here’s a little excerpt:

Fury washed over her in a sudden, unexpected wave. She emitted an icy little bark of laughter and shook her head. "Do you? I can't believe you, of all people, can get that look on your face because I have a son without the benefit of a husband. At least I'm there for my son, and I will be as long as God allows me to walk this earth. I would never, under any circumstances—never abandon someone I love. Never.
"It's right there." She pointed a trembling finger at Lissy's house and fumbled for the handle as Brock swung the car to the curb. By the time he brought the vehicle to a full stop, she had the door open and one foot outside the car. Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"Hannah, I-" Brock's bewildered expression almost passed for convincing. "I'm sorry, really. I didn't mean-"

"Lissy will take us home." She ignored his apology, then slammed the car door and marched up the sidewalk, head high, back ramrod stiff.

Davey flew out the door to meet her, his dark curls bouncing. "Mommy! Mommy, I missed-ed you!"

Hannah picked him up, hugging him to her. "Hey, big guy! I missed-ed you too." She rarely encouraged his mispronunciation of words, but at the moment she wanted Davey to stay little for a very long time.

""Who's that man, Mommy?" One arm around Hannah's neck, her son pointed to the car where Brock sat watching them. "Huh? Who's that?"

"Nobody, Davey." She set the small boy on his feet. Taking his hand, she led him to Lissy's door. Behind her, she heard the BMW pull away, but she refused to look back.
Only your daddy, sweet boy. He's only your daddy.

Any future releases in the works?

I have a manuscript off to Steeple Hill right now. Of course I’m anxiously waiting to find out if they like it.  It’s called Karissa’s Dream and is the first in a collection of three books that center around a Christian dating agency.

What are you working on next?

The second book in the trilogy I mentioned above. This one has a working title of Kylie’s Kiss.

How can readers and fans get in touch with you?

Website: www.delialatham.net
Blog: www.themelodywithin.blogspot.com
Interviews & Reviews: www.my-book-bag.blogspot.com
Design: www.deliadesigns.webs.com

Delia, I'm so glad to have you here, and I look forward to your Weekend Recipe. Everybody out there, make sure you come back for that treat! And I am more than likely going to be a customer of those lovely bookmarks of yours!

Hope to see you hanging out at The Write Stuff in future, Delia!

Ah, Central Park

New York, New York...

I always wondered what all the hoopla is about. Why so many books and movies and TV shows are set there. Until I went. OMG. What a fantastic place to visit. I can barely imagine how it is to actually live there.

Thing is, I don't think New Yorkers take any of it for granted!

We celebrated my hubby's life in NYC...after the battle with T.C. Planning the trip gave us hope, something to aspire to, when he got his life back. We plan on going back in 2011. I'll already be there for the RWA National Convention. He'll join me at the end.

Right now...I'll relive those memories and play the slide show in my head as we wait on the next round of follow-up blood work and CT scan. Routine but scary as hell. Oh, my personal hero's fine. Grabbing life close, hitting the links often as he can and hanging out with his little grandson. Life can't get any better than it is.

It's just that...after that ugly thing came to live with us, there's always something there to remind us...

Keep him in your prayers. Thanks.

Weekend Recipe: Maverick Mac and Cheese

I must confess right off this recipe has nothing to do with the Maverick Saloon. I just couldn’t resist using this picture of a great little place full of history in Santa Ynez, California, a tiny super-Western town once part of a historic stage coach route, now surrounded by ranchland, California live oaks, vineyards and olive groves.

The saloon itself hosts country singers every weekend, and visitors tack dollar bills on the ceiling. Sure hope the place never burns down. There’s a fortune up thar.

Some years ago, I got this recipe from my friend Nancy, a Nebraska native. I’m worshipped by my family when I serve it and am adored on our cul-de-sac whenever I bring it to block parties. Someday I think I’ll kick things up a notch and use pepperjack cheese. As they say on Top Chef: Enjoy!

You need:

1 pound elbow macaconi

8 tablespoons (one stick) plus 1 tablespoon (one pat) butter or margarine

1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese (or 1/2 cup mild, 1/2 cup Muenster)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar (or 1/2 cup sharp, 1/2 cup Jack)

2 cups half-and-half ( I use fat-free version. Why, I dunno, considering all the cheese.)

1 cup (8 oz) Velveeta, cut into cubes

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper. (I’m a pepper junkie so I use WAY more than 1/8 teaspoon.)

Optional: 1/2 cup bread crumbs sauteed in butter to scatter over the top before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter or PAM a deep 2 1/2 quart casserole.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook macaroni until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain well and return to pot.

In small saucepan, melt 8 ounces of the butter and stir into the mac. In a large bowl mix the shredded cheeses. To the mac, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheeses, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs.

Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to the casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheeses and dot with one tablespoon of butter. Add optional bread crumbs which I highly recommend.

Bake until bubbly around the edges, maybe 35 minutes. Serves about 6.

Win a copy of Marrying Minda...and meet The First Mailman of the Old West!

Current read: Tate, McKittricks of Texas, by Linda Lael Miller

Why not stop by the all-western romance site Petticoats and Pistols today and blog with me? You might win a copy of my current release, Marrying Minda.

To celebrate my good news at selling my FIRST contemmporary as well as FIRST inspirational Western novella, I'm going to draw a name from all who comment at Petticoats today. It might be you.

(I'll be posting here details on the above-mentioned up and coming novella as soon as they're finalized. I'm absolutely on Cloud Nine!)

Hope to see you at Petticoats...you'll meet Snowshoe John A. Thompson, pictured in the vintage picture above: The first mailman of the Old West!

Santa Ynez, California...now and then

Just finished: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane; disturbing but awesome plot twists! I'm eager to see the movie. Grade: B+

I took this picture myself while I walked in a Livestrong fundraiser in this beautiful valley where Lance Armstrong has trained, near Ronald Reagan's ranch. It evokes such Western passion in me that my fantastic niece Kelley is using this pic and Photo shopping other elements so I can update my website with a new look.

It's not just the Western feel of the place that gets to me. It's where my brave and healthy hubby rides a half-century (about 32 miles) through the hills, raising funds to fight cancer. He did his first ride only 5 months into remission. I was and am so proud of him.

Just as the bikers and hikers do their thing raising money for this great cause, I can easily imagine the cowpokes and stagecoaches of yesteryear traversing the roadways. It's still rural and ranchy enough around here to make such imaginings easy.

Santa Ynez is so dear to family...our son-in-law took our daughter there to propose! He and she are right by my hero's side during the ride. (Or...maybe just a BIT ahead of him LOL, being younger and fitter.)

Anyway, it's a beautiful place to be.

Weekend Recipe: Deborah Schneider's Favorite Wintertime Drink

I'm thrilled to have had Deborah Schneider spend these last few days at my blogspot. When I suggested she contribute to Weekend Recipe, her directions for making a Hot Toddy came promptly. It's not only her favorite cold-weather beverage, but it's also important to her sleepless heroine in Promise Me.

When hero Sam and heroine Amanda first meet in the kitchen of the hotel, she admits she can't sleep and Sam offers to fix her a Hot Toddy.

Here's an excerpt:

Swallowing her apprehension, she tossed her braid over one shoulder and crossed the small kitchen to take a chair at the table. She settled her candle next to the oil lamp and gave him an inviting smile.

"A hot toddy sounds perfectly wonderful. Are you sure it won't be too much
trouble?"

The man leaned forward. The corners of his lovely mouth lifted slightly. "It
would be my pleasure to assist an angel to bed."

She warmed from her cheeks down to her bosom. She had never in her life done
anything as brash as this. What would Father Mikelson say? She didn't want to
think about the penance she'd do when she confessed. Flirting wasn't the same as adultery, was it? Could she be an adulteress if her husband was dead?

Good Lord, why was she eve thinking about such a thing?

Now, here's the recipe for a Hot Toddy

Ingredients:
• 2 oz Applejack (or you can use Apple Brandy)
• 1 tsp honey
• hot apple cider
• cinnamon stick for garnish
• 2-3 whole cloves for garnish

Preparation:
1. Coat the bottom of a cup with honey
2. Add the Applejack/Brandy
3. Fill cup with hot apple cider
4. Stir well
5. Garnish with cinnamon stick and cloves

Yummy! Enjoy!

Welcome, Deborah Schneider: Writing the Love Scene AND Valentine's Day Contest!

I’m thrilled to welcome Deborah today to The Write Stuff. She’s not only a talented romance author but also the 2009 Romance Writers of America Librarian of the Year! She and I have had many similar pit stops on our writers journey, but many joys too, including having the same terrific editor for our current releases. I’m so glad she can spend a few days at my blog.

Please follow her blog tour for her recent four-spur release, Promise Me at www.debschneider.com Each time you make a comment, you're entered in a
contest to win a free copy of Promise Me, chocolate, a $10 Starbucks card.

Wow. A fantastic Western romance, chocolate and a hot cuppa coffee. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Hi Deborah!

Hi, Tanya! Working for a huge library system and being a romance author can sometimes be a balancing act. It’s wonderful to work with people who love books, and I get a lot of respect from those readers who enjoy a romantic romp.
But, there are also those who raise their eyebrows and say, “you write that kind of book?”

Yup! I sure do, the kind where two adults meet, (sometimes in a cute or funny way), they’re attracted to each other, they become a couple and eventually, they make love.
Just like in real life. Because sexuality is a part of being a grown up in a relationship and pretty much expected between two consenting adults when that relationship reaches a certain stage.

Some people wait until they’re married, which was what happened to Sinclair and Jefferson in my first book, Beneath a Silver Moon. But sometime, the circumstances, the relationship and the couple themselves dictate that they will make love before being married.

And that’s fine too, because it’s the story and characters that provide the impetus for scenes of all kinds. It can’t be rushed and despite what many critics of romance might think, I don’t know any publisher that dictates what page the first love scene will appear by.

As an author, in the initial draft of the book I’m telling myself the story first. I do work from an outline, but those are plot points, things that have to happen in order for the story to move along. What I can’t outline are the character reactions, the dialogue and the way the relationship unfolds.

For me, that’s the fun of the first draft – chipping away at it until I’ve found the story. And when my characters finally “do the deed” you can bet that they’ve had a lot of fun working up to it. After all, who doesn’t like a little slap and tickle?

Stay tuned for Deborah’s Weekend Recipe feature starting Friday. Please make sure you get a copy of Promise Me soon at The Wild Rose Press.

And please remember to leave a welcome comment today to enter her Valentine's Day Contest!

Weekend Recipe: Oral Sex chili

The fam holds it every Super Bowl Sunday. The chili cook-off. And the prize is a well-seasoned bronze pot that the winner is expected to take with him (or her!) everywhere they vacation.

Yes, indeedy. The most enviable award in cooking is up for grabs on Sunday. It's already been to Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium, the island of Kauai...Disneyland. Even our daughter's wedding.

Here's my recipe from last year. Hot, spicy and wet...so I named it Oral Sex.

Here goes:

2 1/2 pounds of cooked, chopped chicken. (I cooked mine with garlic and onions.)

32 oz. chicken broth (I used fat-free, low sodium)

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 15-ounce can pinto beans with jalapenos, gently rinsed to retain more jalapeno flavor

1 1/2 7-ounce cans Herdez salsa

1 cup nopalitos, drained (these are green cactus leaves and very yummy)

1 4-oz can diced green chilis

1 tblsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. red chili flakes

Combine everything BUT THE CHICKEN in a big pot. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, then add chicken and heat through.

Sprinkle with cilantro before serving. Serves about 6.

Research: The Morgan Horse

Just finished: Daniel's Bride, by Linda Lael Miller, A++++

Howdy ya'll! Join me today at Petticoats and Pistols, the wonderful all-western romance site, for some factotems on America's first and original breed of light horse. You've seen police officers mounted on Morgans, and cowboys riding the range on 'em.

"Justin Morgan" was born to breed...and became the foundation sire of this wonderful horse. Read about his pre-potency. What?

See you there!

Snow in late May...Lake Tahoe, the big water

Two years yesterday the nightmare started. As my hubby was wheeled into surgery (a right inguinal orchiectomy), the urologist told me the tests had confirmed the tumor was malignant.

My daughter and I held each other, sobbing, in a waiting room where some other woman yelled about everyday nonsense to her friend. I was angry that her husband’s operation was some minor thing with his ear, so minor she could whine, loudly, about jewelry and leftovers. And toss her empty Starbuck's cup toward a wastebasket and miss.

Well, the three months of treatment that followed (3 x BEP) still make me shudder. While the diagnosis was terrifying, I have to admit the prognosis always was hopeful. But chemo itself can kill, and there were mornings I woke up and was positive he wasn’t breathing. After a collapse at a CT-Scan, I saw him flat on the ground, his arm wearing the yellow Livestrong bracelet flung unnaturally across the tile. It was like my eyes were in someone else's head. I can't explain it any other way. I was sure he had died…and how would I find the words to call our kids?

In all the horror was the hope. We took a “live like you were dying” Tim McGraw approach and planned some trips several months ahead, when he would be well.

One of those places was Lake Tahoe. It was late spring, 90 degrees in Placerville down the mountain, snowing three days later at Echo Summit. Dang, he wore his warm knit hat over that bald head on a good day! Snow was a no-brainer.

But it was here, in God’s country, that the two of finally talked about it, about the darkness and the terror. About him getting to watch our grandbaby grow up. About him giving his daughter away at her wedding someday.

I didn’t have to be strong anymore.

And we let the healing begin.

“I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords,” said Mark Twain upon his first sight of the “big water” on a summer day in 1863.

Weekend Recipe: Tanya's Trail Mix...just add merlot

Current read: Daniel's Bride, by Linda Lael Miller

On a cruise some years back, I traded in my California blush wine sensibilities for the regal richness of merlot. This classic, the backbone of some of France's finest Bordeaux, has risen to fame also due to California's Napa and Sonoma valleys where the grape performs wonderfully. Merlot is the third-best selling varietal wine in the U.S., so I'm not alone in my love for flavors of black cherry and oak with a hint of chocolate.

And here's something that indeed tastes great on its own, but chased down by a fine merlot is ooh-la-la.

Tanya's Trail Mix

1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries.

Pretty simple. Just mix together in a bowl, pour yourself a glass of merlot, and enjoy.

ENJOY!

Fun Stuff: The Best Singles Ad Ever

Current read: Daniel's Bride, Linda Lael Miller (it's terrific but I have been head-over-heels in edits for my next two books...)

This ad is reported to have been listed in the Atlanta Journal.

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Call (800) 765-4321 and ask for Daisy, I'll be waiting...

A Poem: Symphony in D Minor

Every month or so, my friend Nancy and I attend a symphony concert. We have season tickets and make it a true girls-day out with lunch and shopping. Last Sunday, the "Ooh La La..." French tribute featured Mathieu and Franck, with a breathtaking encore by pianist Alain Lefevre that he composed to honor his wife, saying it was because of her he is the pianist he is. Sigh.

And Santa Barbara's poet laureate came on stage to read his lovely poem. It was a glorious day of perfect winter weather, California-style, with blue sky and crisp air and snowy mountains ringing the coastal plain...our favorite eggplant quesadillas, and fabulous finds at our favorite boutique.

All in all, a day to remember. I don't think Mr. Starkey would mind a bit, my sharing his poem with you.

Symphony in D Minor

There is no sadness that cannot be softened by music.
At night, alone before the fireplace, shadows flickering

their insistent Nothing will save you, the pizzicato
strings suggest otherwise. Though the whole

complex apparatus of living tip over in a tangle
of gears and wire, the bass clarinet's regal

molto crescendo recommends an alternative
to silent brooding and a tumbler of single malt

Scotch. Even the English horn, that doleful
instrument, reminds us that the dutiful

sun will eventually pierce the fog-laden morning.
Happiness nearly always comes without warning:

we suddenly recall the bucket of dahlias
somewhere in the house-vermillion and fuchsia

and shocking pink-the dog wags her tail.
Success is mere abstraction, and failure

needn't harm us. What we seek is what will last,
as long as we heed the tempo: fast, but not too fast.

~David Starkey
Santa Barbara Poet Laureate
January 2010

(Mr. Starkey has published several books of poetry and more than 400 poems in
literary journals around the world. He directs the Creative Writing Program at Santa
Barbara City College and currently serves as Santa Barbara's third Poet Laureate, with a term running from 2009-2011.)

Cruisin'...tasting the grape in Ensenada

Current read: Daniel's Bride, by Linda Lael Miller

Such a fun time, four days at sea with my gal-pals. No worries, no cares, good wine and too much food. We took a shore tour of the wine country outside Ensenada, Mexico and found a little piece of Tuscany...mild weather, olive groves and vineyards.

I came home to four days of plunging rain, a weekend with my grandbaby, and a plethora of final edits. Yay! This all means I have books coming up and friends and family who love me.

What could be better than that?

Weekend Recipe: Crunchy Romaine Toss

CRUNCHY ROMAINE TOSS (and some non edible sunflowers to brighten your day!

Mix together: (Use a cup with lid and shake)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Brown:
1 package Ramen noodles (discard seasoning packet or use some other way)
in 2 TBLS butter

Add the above to salad just before tossing:
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 small bunch Romaine lettuce, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Hint: Smash the noodles with a hammer inside the package before browning. Enjoy!

Marrying Mattie...and mammatus clouds

Current read: Daniel's Bride, by Linda Lael Miller

My pal Nancy is a Nebraska native who often fills my head with family lore or local color. When she described "boob clouds" during a summer visit to her homeland, I knew I had to include such a weather phenomena somewhere in a romance.

And so I did. In the upcoming Marrying Mattie, undulating clouds make an appearance in a tornado scene...when Mattie and Call take shelter in an abandoned shack. Aw, ya'll know what happens next. Sigh.

(No. They don't end up in Kansas.)

Thought you might like to see some. I think they are most aptly named...

Finding Serenity...in New Hampshire

Current read: Daniel's Bride, by Linda Lael Miller.
Just finished: The Vampire Diaries/The Struggle, by L.J. Smith, A

Here I am at Serenity Falls at Castle of the Clouds, eccentric bazillionaire Thomas Plant's summer estate built around 1914 above Lake Winnepasaukee on an ancient volcanic caldera. You get a 270 degree view of lake and mountains.

Not long after our dream trip to New England in 2007, I needed all the serenity I could get. Two years ago this very day my hubby's battle against testicular cancer began.

I still get shivers.

I often used pictures and memories from those lovely days on the East Coast to ease my mind during his harrowing ordeal.

Praise to our dear and generous Lord. My sweetheart is 21 months cancer free!

Weekend Recipe: My Aunt Grace's Killer Banana Bread

Current read: The Vampire Diaries/The Struggle, by L.J. Smith
This past Christmas, as gifts for our neighbors, I baked up batches of this delish bread in loaf pans I got at the dollar store, then wrapped it up in sparkly plaid dish towels also from said store. You can make boy bread (with nuts) if you want.

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 medium mashed bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda

Cream shortening and sugar and add eggs, and cream together well. Sift flour and soda together. Fold flour and bananas into mixture. (Optional: add 1/4 cup nuts.)

Bake in greased loaf pan 1 hour at 325 degrees F.

Enjoy!

News and Notes...

I have been busy, and I love it. A major excitement happened in November when I was selected to contribute to the 2010 Christmas Anthology, Lawmen and Outlaws. It was terrific fun writing a Christmas romance during the holidays.

We've just done the first-round edits and I admit, I enjoy re-reading it. "Canyon Jack" Ransom is such a bad boy. And Eliza Willows, no rule-followin' female herself, tames him just fine in Christmas for Ransom. I'll be posting an excerpt soon.

Even with all that excitement going on, I had heartbreaking news that my incredible editor is leaving the profession to concentrate on her own writing career. I wish her well but will miss her terribly. We're still together while we finish Marrying Mattie, but that's almost in the can. Sigh.

For a pre-quel to Marrying Mattie, why not download my 2008 Christmas story, His Christmas Angel, " This short story introduced Mattie and shows how she met the love of her life. It's free! You see now how they get together. Later, the longer novel will show you just what calamities keep them apart. Come on! It's free!

Flutter by...Pismo Beach

Current read: The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle, by L.J. Smith
Just finished: The Twilight Before Christmas, by Christine Feehan, B

Today in our garden, a monarch butterfly flitted around so quick I couldn't get much of a look. I wasn't at all surprised. Hundreds of Lepidoptera just like him/her, which can't survive in harsh weather, migrate to the California coast during the late fall, and "overwinter" in the gentler climes.

At a park near my home, a barranca filled with silvery green eucalyptus wears dim, homely brown clusters of closed-up butterflies all night. They actually look like clumps of dead leaves. Until the morning temperature gets to about 55 degrees. Then the beauties warm up, wake up, and party on.

I saw thousands of my butterfly's relatives recently at their main stomping ground, the Pismo Beach eucalyptus groves. The trees offer shelter from wind and provide foliage that's easy for the butterflies to grasp. And when the morning warms up, it's kinda like big orange snowflakes.

A piece of heaven on earth for a brief space of time.

It's 70 degrees at my homestead....

Current read: Twilight before Christmas, Christine Feehan
Just finished: Vampire Diaries: The Awakening, LJ. Smith, A

Here's an ode to all my Nebraska friends, freezing and buried in the white stuff...thank you, Mary Conneally.

It's winter in Nebraska
And the gentle breezes blow
Seventy miles an hour
At thirty-five below.

Oh, how I love Nebraska
When the snow's up to your butt
You take a breath of winter
And your nose gets frozen shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Nebraska
I'm frozen to the ground!

Author Unknown

A Wild West Christmas...twelve days long

Currently reading: The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith
Just finished: When Christmas Comes by Debbie Macomber A++++

Merry Christmas!

What? That's like, five days ago.

But did you know Christmas has long been celebrated for twelve days afterward, until the Feast of the Magi, or Epiphany, on January 6? I'm so happy the Hallmark Channel is still showing Christmas flicks this week and our cable system's "Sounds of the Season" is still belting out carols full force. So much better than the Los Angeles station that started playing Christmas music mid-November, non-stop, 24/7...only to cease cold turkey at 12:01 a.m. December 26. Grrrrrrrrrrrr. And all the marathons of White Christmas, Christmas Vacation, Home Alone and A Christmas Story stopped then too.

In fact, if you want the true meaning of the Twelve Days (it is NOT those twelve gimmicky shopping days beforehand), get on over to my recent blog at Petticoats and Pistols to learn the secret, sacred symbolism behind all the French hens and those maids a'milking.

That blogging day, I asked readers to help me re-write the classic Christmas carol, and here's what we composed: (No symbolism; we just had fun.)

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...a roadrunner in a pinon pine tree.

...Two blue jays squawking,
...Three crows cawing,
...Four calves a-bawling,
...Five jangling spurs,
...Six cowgirls roping,
...Seven tumbleweeds a'tumbling,
...Eight pioneers a camping,
...Nine broncos bucking,
...Ten cowboys singing,
...Eleven roosters crowing,

And I just couldn't decide on the last one. Take your pick. They're all great.

Twelve stallions leaping
Twelve Texans twanging
Twelve riders riding
Twelve fillies rhyming
Twelve coyotes howling.

Point is. It's still Christmas!

A Very Merry Christmas, and God Bless Us All, Everyone

Just finished: The Forgetful Bride, by Debbie Macomber, C-


It's that time of year when...I'm running out of time. But I love it! Bought out the dollar stores yesterday with stocking stuffers...have the cul-de-sac party on Saturday for which I make my famous mac and cheese. Best of all, Hubby's gift arrived by FedEx at a time when I could actually keep it a secret

There's shopping, baking for the neighbors, and tons of wrapping ahead all the while I'm finishing my next-year's holiday novella, Christmas for Ransom, and finishing the edits for Marrying Mattie. BTW, Marrying Minda could be the answer to your question about what to get for that special person. Available both print and e-form at The Wild Rose Press

And my short story His Christmas Angel (the prequel to next year's Marrying Mattie) is a FREE download at Wild Rose! Doesn't get much better than free!

Hope you enjoy the hottie cowboy. Off to pen the Christmas letter now, and no, it's not one of those obnoxious braggy ones. Just a quick sentence about each one of us.

Once again, God bless you all, every one.

P.s. The George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol is far and away the very best.

I'll Be your Huckleberry...

Current read: Home for the Holidays, by Debbie Macomber

One of the greatest books of all time, Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was published on this date in 1885 in Canada and England. It wasn't released for two months in the United States and has been in trouble ever since.

Ernest Hemingway declared it the "one book" from which "all modern American literature" came. Too true. Heretofore, all great works by American authors had bitten off from European counterparts. But this one, crammed full of local color, written in the regional dialogue of the time (which makes it the bane of students), showcasing a true if nasty art of American culture (slavery), set on a river like none other in the world, is indeed the first and the best. Contemporary critics and scholars have treated it as one of the greatest American works of art.
Why is in trouble? Well, mostly the whiners are people who haven't read it. They don't like some of the common terms of the time--which are not used as derogatory in the book. (Besides, why do females get to be called bitches and ho's and nobody seems to sense a way double standard?)

Here's to you, Samuel Langhorne Clemens!

Always in My Heart...

Two years ago today my twin brother died. Cancer, ravenous, irrevocable, incurable. We got the dreaded news of his diagnosis on Mothers Day weekend, in a phone call at 8:30 p.m.--the time he always called, with a joke, news of his two daughters, plans for a get-together. All the stuff of real life. We never expected a death sentence.

But I believe in miracles and prayed for one. A transplant. Some magic experimental drugs. Which, truth to tell, there was one of the latter. (The former was impossible.) But the drug so compromised Mike's quality of life he said, no thanks, after several months of poison and misery.

In those last months, we danced together at niece Katie's wedding, myself in tears. The Beatles' "In My Life." There's nobody who compares to you, I wept into his shoulder.

I love your family like my own, Tonna. That was his special name for me. My son used it until he was about five, never calling me mommy.

With our spouses and closest friends, we did manage one last trip to Palm Springs, one of our favorite places, in July. Oh, the memories! Now, knowing what chemo does to the human body, I can only applaud Mike for his courage in accompanying us. I know now he was in hell much of the time.

Oh, I miss him every day. Every major event of my life, he was at my side. In some way, he still is. I know he was looking down and laughing with joy at Christi's wedding last August. That he sent me his love during those harrowing months of my hubby's chemo. But when the phone rings in the evening, my heart stops, and I wish things were different.

Because that was Mike's time, not some stupid "Unknown" junker that shows up on Caller ID.

I gave a talk at his graveside, and I managed laughter instead of tears. My hubby got up to speak, but just couldn't, awash in emotions. Our best man. Godfather to our son, an incredible uncle, father, husband...one month later, we got the horrific diagnosis of cancer ourselves.

In my life, Mike, there's nobody who compares to you.

Love always....

A blessed Thanksgiving to you and yours!

I'm a bird lover and a bird watcher, but there are two nasty territorial crows hanging around trying to scare off Rocket J., the darling squirrel who lives in one of our trees. So I need a scarecrow!

But I need little else. This is the time of giving thanks, and so I do. For my hubby in general, for his full health in particular. For two great kids who picked spouses who complete our family.

For the grandbaby who has totally stolen my heart.

For friends and neighbors who fill our days, and the Lord who sustains us.

For the memories of our sweet Labradors who left us all too soon.

For the loving and loved relatives who will join us on Thursday. They complete us too.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Ps. The Tim McGraw concert totally rocked. I'll blog about it in depth soon at Petticoats and Pistols. Wait for it!

Live Like You Were Dying....

I haven't had that great of a start to today. I just found out my terrific editor is leaving the profession to concentrate on her own writing career. I can understand. As meticulous and gifted as she is with editing, it's got to take its toll on her creativity...and her time. We've still got one project we're working on together, and I know she's passing me on to good hands but...

....I'm broken hearted. As I told her, I can't decide if I want to cry or throw up.

To help me feel a bit better, though, I'm heading out in a bit for a Tim McGraw concert with my dear buddy Charlene Sands. I figure this is our sixth concert hunting him down LOL. He's not only a hottie, but the author of much of my life around here:

Live Like You Were Dying became one of our anthems during and since testicular cancer. My Little Girl is the beautiful, tear-jerking song our own little girl picked for her daddy-daughter dance at her wedding three months ago.

And My Old Friend brings to our heart and mind our own dearest friend, my twin brother Mike, who passed away two years ago come Christmas.

I fear I'll be plenty tearful during the concert, don't you?

Friday the Thirteenth...at Petticoats and Pistols

While you're here, why not click again and visit my take on cowboy boot lore and superstition over at the all-western site, Petticoats and Pistols! If you're wearing cowboy boots today, make sure they're old ones. New ones bring bad luck today!

And while you're there at Petticoats, don't forget to enter our Cowboy Under The Christmas Tree contest.

Before you go, got any superstitions to post for today?

Give a Vet a Hug Today...and every day...

A blessed day to those who serve and protect us. I myself am the wife, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, great-niece and great-great-great-granddaughter of U.S. veterans.

Daddy served as a translator/radioman in the Aleutian Islands in WWII. Hubby medic-ed in Germany. My great-uncle Albert died in The Great War. His remains didn't return home for three years, in time for my uncle/godfather to be named after him.

My great-great-great grampa marched with Tecumseh Sherman to the sea. Family lore says he got sidelined with illness before the burning of Atlanta. All right by me.

Veterans' Day started out in 1919, as Armistice Day, to honor the first anniversary of the end of "the war to end all wars." World War One. Ironic, isn't it? Less than 20 years later another one raged.

Truth to tell, have wars ever stopped?

In 1938, Armistice Day became a national holiday and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all veterans from all wars, living and dead. Today there are 23.2 million veterans. Let's give them their due. Let's tend those in need.

After all, all gave some. Some gave all.

Thanks, veterans, for keeping us safe and free.

Lawmen and Outlaws, Christmas-style

Just finished: Painted Desert by Nancy J. Farrier, grade B+

Sincere thanks to Melinda Elmore for visiting my blog this past week! Good work, Melinda. Keep it up!

I was thrilled last Thursday to learn I will be part of the 2010 Christmas "Lawmen and Outlaws" anthology from The Wild Rose Press! Right now you can read about four hottie Wild West heroes and the women who tame them in the current "Lawmen and Outlaws" anthology, written by four of my "Cactus Rose" colleagues.

In my upcoming Christmas for Ransom, horsethief "Canyon" Jack Ransom finds himself guilt ridden after snatching the horseflesh of a sweet old lady rancher who reminds him too damn much of his own gram-maw. The old gal raised him best she could and extracted two promises from him on her deathbed...promises he has yet to keep.

Throw in the old rancher's granddaughter, Eliza, a beautiful schoolteacher whom Jack hires to teach him to read, a snorting outlaw gang reluctant to let Jack reform himself, and a blazing shootout, and all you have left is Jack and Eliza getting snowbound...just in time for Christmas.

I'll keep you posted.

Meet Melinda Elmore!

"This book shows that true love knows no physical or spiritual bounds and that destiny will always prevail." -----Wells Mahkee Jr., Managing Editor, Navajo/Hopi Observer


I’d like to introduce you today to fellow historical romance author, Melinda Elmore, who sets her stories in the 19th century native American cultures. Melinda is a writer, a wife, and the mother of two. Native Dreams reveals the turbulent times of the 1800s and the hardships of Native Americans. Melinda is a freelance writer for the Navajo/Hopi Observer in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Here’s an excerpt from her latest release, Native Dreams.

Precious Hawk is viciously taken from her people
and forced to live in the white world, causing
inner turmoil. Many years later, Cloud Feather, a
perfect stranger, arrives to work on her
husband’s ranch. Experience the “awe” when Cloud
Feather rescues his beloved Precious Hawk, who
has come to him in many of his dreams. His heart
is to return Precious Hawk to her ancestral lands where she rightly belongs.

On the run, the daring couple nearly lose their
lives. Cloud Feather is gravely wounded. He is
taken to his village in hope that Red Wing, their
medicine man, can save his life. All the while,
Precious Hawk is with child, Cloud Feather’s child.

But Precious Hawk knows the evilness of John
Altan. Will he ever leave her alone? No, not until he is dead.

The Great Spirit joins their love, faith keeps
their minds hopeful, and their spiritual guides deliver guidance.


Melinda, I love your cover and the names of your H and H. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have lived in Arizona and Tennessee. I have discovered wealth is not measured in how much money you have but in how much love you share.
I have been happily married to my wonderful husband, Tom for 22 years. I have two remarkable children, Shaelee and Erik.

As a young child, I loved reading and writing. Many nights I would wrap up in a blanket, daydream, while I turned the exciting pages of a book. The books would take me to many places. I loved the idea of going from the normal world in which I lived, then instantly I would be taken to a place far away.
To my surprise, I started writing and creating my very own world. A place where I could go and lose myself with just a pen and paper.

I grew up with the fascination of the American Indian. My love for them grew by leaps and bounds as I read about them from my history book. I wanted to show, in my writings, of the proud people that the American Indians truly are. They show honor and respect for all living things. If I can capture just a small portion of that in my writings then that would be an added bonus for me.

Native American Romance and Native American mysteries is my passion. I hope to reveal in my books the uniqueness of the American Indian. I feel truly blessed to try and reveal how special the American Indians truly are.

The love of my family and the love for the American Indian have become focal points in my stories. I will do my best for both of them. I sincerely pray readers enjoy the characters that I bring to life on each turning page!!!!

I promise, Melinda, we’ll enjoy those characters you bring to life, and the native cultures you so honor. Thanks for visiting my blog. Hope you visit me again soon!

Dia de la Muertos...the grateful dead

Hello! Happy Day of the Dead!

More than three thousand years ago, natives of today's Mexico mocked death in rituals honoring their goddess Mictecacihuatl during the month of today's August. Spanish explorers deemed the rites pagan and sacrilegious...but changed the dates to coincide with the Christian All Saints and All Souls Days, November 1 and 2, when the Aztec practice refused to die out.

Today, the holiday honors loved ones who have died, celebrating their lives with joy, special foods, and displays of their favorite things, on altars called ofrenda. Marigolds are the traditional flower and are even eaten in certain recipes.

I hope you'll join me on Wednesday, my regular blogging day at the all-Western romance site, Petticoats and Pistols, for a bit longer explanation on this fascinating holiday. Today, skulls are still an important part of the tradition, and but not with the grim gore of Halloween. Calacas and catrinas are usually depicted laughing and dancing, and kids enjoy eating sugar candy skulls.

I'm thinking of my dear, departed dad right now, with love and joy.