Marrying Mattie: treat yourself!

Marrying Mattie, avail. print, digi and Kindle...

Mattie and Call's love story steams up the pages. Yeah, I know. I'm concentrating on Christian romance now (Please visit Hearts Crossing Ranch...)  but the folks in Paradise, Nebraska circa 1880 need love too.

I hope you enjoy your trip back in time!

(Marrying Molly and Marrying Marguerite are in the works...)

Marrying Mattie is here, here, HERE

Jumping the gun a bit, my second book in the Paradise Brides series, Marrying Mattie,  is already available at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/   Yee-haw!

All along, I've thought the Big Day was August 27...but while I was up in the Tetons on a wagon-train trip (more details to follow...or you can check out http://heartscrossingranch.blogspot.com/ ) my dream came true. Sincere thanks to my editor Helen Andrew for making it all happen.

The hero, schoolmaster Call Hackett, makes an important appearance in my current release, Marrying Minda, when he woos mail-order bride Minda during her troubled marriage. But her reluctant hubby, hottie cowboy Brix  Haynes mans up and falls hard for his woman. So I reckoned Call deserved a love story all his own.

My free short story His Christmas Angel introduces him --now a self-described horse "doctor"--to Minda's sister, Mattie, and this new longer book shows their road to a marriage interrupted by her rich, evil ex-husband.

I hope you enjoy getting to know the folks of Paradise, Nebraska, their toils and tribulations, their triumphs and loves.

Don't be a stranger at http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com/

The Eagle Has Landed!

Please join me at Petticoats and Pistols today and learn about a very special couple.

They’re American bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) about to become parents. On February 26, they laid their first egg at Pelican Harbor on Santa Cruz Island, off California’s coast not far from my homestead. Egg #2 came about on March 3. The parents have mated for life and will come back to this nest year after year.

These birds represent the first generation of naturally raised bald eagles in the Channel Islands in 50 years. The last “wild” bald eagle was seen on Santa Cruz in 1949 and wiped out due to DDT.

I've posted the link to Eagle-Cam. You can witness them incubating their eggs, and by the end of the month, bear witness to their hatchlings! The link is posted at Petticoats.

It's beyond inspiring...and Eagle-cam has folks, especially schoolkids, excited all over the world!

Come join us!

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.

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!

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!

Tanya Writes About...Petticoats and Orange Slices

When it rains, it pours! I'm featured at two blogs today and would love for you to stop by. Comment and mention my blogspot to be included in a name-draw for an e-copy of Marrying Minda.

At Petticoats, I am all about my daughter's upcoming wedding. Stop by and see what a flock of birds has to do with a wedding, besides being a potential air-strike hazard.

And my "newbie" advice at Orange County Chapter RWA just might be helpful.

www.petticoatsandpistols.com

http://occsliceoforange.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there!!!

Tanya Writes About Going Slightly Nuts

Yes, nuts. I realized I hadn't blogged for a while and figured I might as well blather about my past few days:

The wedding invitations for our daughter are ALMOST ready to go. A couple of mistakes on the inner envelopes via the calligrapher. But enough to make me Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

Then...I thought Conan O'Brien was totally insipid. What's all the hoopla about? A brand new studio? Give me a break. I know I'm old, but if that ranting is really today's humor, dude...kill me now. Give me Leno and Headlines any day.

Hurry, ten o'clock p.m. September!!

Jay's great. He emcee'd the firefighter cancer fundraiser last fall. He rocked. The turnout was great, and I played the cancer card when some young guy out-bid me for a Speed Racer set. I eventually won out and brought it home for the grandbaby, already a car nut.

Enough on that. My promo blog for Marrying Minda is featured today at Petticoats and Pistols. It's a "behind the book" thing about why I chose Nebraska for the setting.

I think today's pictures explain that pretty well.

Oh, and my masochism is settling in nicely: I bought FOUR more rose bushes today at Home Depot. We had lunch at BJ's first...the margherita flatbread pizza is delish, and at Facebook you can download $5 coupons.

Tomorrow is Zumba with my neighbors. I feel like Mrs. McClusky of Desperate Housewives hanging out with them, trying to get that Latin work-out rhythm, but they think I'm cool. Fuego...(that's one of the dance moves. Oh, I'm sooooooo very bad at it.)

The grandbaby was here last weekend, always the best part of any time. Oh, and today is his daddy's birthday, my wonderful, wonderful son upon whom the sun rises and sets. Oh we so lucked out with him.

That's it for now. As you see, blogging isn't exactly my thing. Other than Petticoats.

Tanya Writes About Marrying Minda at Amazon already

Yee haw!

Although the official release date at The Wild Rose Press is June 5, Marrying Minda is already available at Amazon.com. Be still my heart.

Now comes the time of roiling emotions: terror and elation. Wish me luck.

Here's a sneak preview: Mail-order bride Minda Becker arrives in Paradise, Nebraska and eagerly marries the handsome man who meets her stagecoach. His wedding kiss melts her toes. Too bad he's the wrong bridegroom. Cowboy Brixton Haynes can't deny he'd like a wedding night with the eastern beauty, but the last thing he needs is to be saddled with a wife and the three children his brother left behind. First chance he gets, he'll be back point riding along the Goodnight. But leaving Minda proves to be much harder than he expected.

In my opinion, Brixton Haynes is a total hottie

Excerpt:

Night fell soft and silent, and the snuffles of Norman Dale’s livestock comforted Brixton with memories of the trail. Lord, he couldn’t wait to get back.
Habit had him walk quiet as he could from the barn to the house. Even the tiniest noise sparked stampedes on the trail, so his footsteps were cautious wherever he went.

At the back porch, he set down Minda’s valises and paused to peek in the back window. Her lush curves swayed beneath the simple dress as she readied the children for bed, and he couldn’t fill his vision fast enough. The memory of her soft sweet cheek brushed his fingertips once more, and his heart raced and his groin throbbed. It was the heartbeat he didn’t like; a man desiring a beautiful woman was just what a man did. But a galloping heart might mean a man felt something deep inside.

Even worse, night after night alone on the trail, he’d keep seeing her shining hair sweep across Ned’s shoulders while she kissed the top of the lad’s head. So he pulled out his flask and drank deeper. It was too much like having a family of his own, something he swore he never needed. Suddenly he missed his brother more than he’d missed anything.

Until this minute, he had never felt shy about coming through this door without a knock. His wife’s current disposition gave him pause, but he had goods to deliver and damn, the kids just might like one of his good-night songs. His tongue clicked. Truth to tell, his bride would think him nothing but a rowdy bridegroom wanting a tumble between the sheets. Already she’d tried to disgrace him by letting a room at the boardinghouse just for herself.

Another long hard swig consoled his throat as it emptied his flask. Damn woman.

Don't forget to join me at Petticoats and Pistols (it's a fabulous place to visit every day but my next blog is June 3)...and visit my website. I'm getting some Minda contests ready to go with chances to win a copy.

Whew. Enjoy.

Tanya Writes About Hanging Trees

Oh, things pile up so in my little corner of the world. Last week saw us four days away from home with wedding plans for our daughter (the first fitting, sigh), an Angel baseball game, and family birthdays...all of which was great fun but put me behinder than ever.

I've got a cool blog going on Wednesday, May 20, at Petticoats and Pistols...on hangin' trees. Finaling in the Hearts Through the Ages Contest with Outlaw Bride, a wip about a horse thief heroine who saves herself from such a tree, inspired some research, and Professor Ken Gonzales-Day of Scripps College kindly lent me some pictures to post. Here's one of them.



To see more, and to find out about these famous, not-so-famous, and infamous trees, stop by Petticoats. It's a great place to hang out with other Western aficionados.

Hope to see you there.

Tanya Writes About Ten Reasons You Know You're a Writer (Thank you, Kate Bridges)

Here's something purely delish from my cyber-pal and soon-to-be-met-in-the-flesh, Western romance author Kate Bridges, who posted this on my current internet addition, Petticoats and Pistols. www.petticoatsandpistols.com

I just couldn't resist passing it along.


You Know You’re a Writer When…

by Kate Bridges
www.katebridges.com

Have you ever tried to explain to your friends or significant other the headache of yet another revision, or dilemma of three main characters whose names all start with F? Getting through the daily writing grind takes energy, hard work and a sense of humor. You know you’re cursed—blessed—to be a lifelong writer if the following signs apply to you…

10) You’re breathless at the sight of your thesaurus.

9) Even brochures in the doctor’s office are interesting research to you now. “How to Manage Bunions.”

8 ) You love or hate movies on a whole new level.

7) Your partner wants to give you an extra special birthday present. You get the choice of a romantic dinner and night out on the town, or to upgrade the hard drive on your computer. You choose the hard drive and a sandwich.

6) Those painful childhood memories are suddenly very valuable. You wish you had more painful memories to draw upon.

5) You spend more time deciding on the names of your characters than you did on your own children.

4) You look forward to once-a-week grocery shopping for the social interaction.

3) When you enter the home of a new acquaintance, you feel strangely suspicious if there are no books in sight.

2) You enjoy starting hypothetical arguments with your partner—the ‘what if’ scenarios. “If I died tomorrow, how soon would you begin dating someone new?”

1) You’re thrilled to discover the word ‘infection’ was in use in 1875?

If you're reading this (Sounds like one of my favorite Tim McGraw songs...), go visit Kate and congratulate her!

More soon...

Tanya Writes About her Friend, award-winning author Charlene Sands

Well, today I've got to tell you about another hero of mine. Make that heroine. Charlene Sands, best-selling author at both Harlequin Historical and Silhouette Desire.

In the former, she writes yummy romances about Western heroes of days-gone-bye...sexy ranchers, delicious bounty hunters and killer sheriffs. And her contemp heroes for Desire are always cowboys. Even as they don the modern guise of oilman or mogul, they've wearing their Stetsons and are no stranger to horseback in addition to their sportscars.

Charlene has been an inspiration to me both as author and as friend. A while back, after years of reading romance novels, I aspired to write one. But the publishing world was such an unknown, vast universe. When I found that the national foundation Romance Writers of America had a local chapter, I figured I ought to join...

But that first meeting was a tough one for me. First off, the location is a good two hours from home, and I'm not that confident of a driver. Then there was the aspect of walking into a convention room filled with hundreds of strangers. (That chapter is one of the country's biggest, most active, and most influential.)

But my hero badgered me until one day, I made it there, swallowed my nerves...and met Charlene. Adoring her is not hard; she's friendly and charming and made me feel at ease right away.

Better yet, we found out we don't live all that far apart! Friendship was easy. Our hubbies get along. And when she offered to help critique my work, well, I couldn't resist.

So it is with pleasure that I send along some news from Charlene's latest newsletter.
I hope you'll visit her website and tell her I sent you there! And don't forget to enter her "Summer and Sands" contest.

Her new Desire Mini-Series launches in August with Five-Star Cowboy. The book is already getting a warm reception --and excellent reviews.

Here's just a few quick snippets of reviews:

4 1/2 Stars **** Romantic Times Book Reviews

Five-Star Cowboy has a surprise coming when Julia strikes a purely professional tone, especially after finding out that he sabotaged one of her potential account to get her out there.Trent is delightfully clueless and Julia is tough enough to teach him a lesson in Charlene Sands' terrific and steamy romance.


Charlene Sands does a good job of making these characters a bit hard-headed so that their relationship has even a bit more oomph. FIVE-STAR COWBOY is a spicy and enjoyable romance. Julia and Trent make you believe in happily-ever-after.

Romance Junkies

Series books are so much fun to read when the author allows us to visit with past friends from other books. Charlene Sands did this in Five Star Cowboy to the benefit of the story. Trent had a lot of learn and Julia was just the one to teach him. Creative and capable, she was also the one to bring his hotel into five star status with her marketing ideas. Superb romance reading highlight Five Star Cowboy with its twist and turns. Charlene Sands continues to deliver satisfaction for her readers.

** ** ** ** **

The end of this month, I'll be joining Charlene at the annual national RWA convention in gorgeous San Francisco. She'll be autographing her books at the Literacy Book Signing where more than 400 romance authors convene to sign their books. All proceeds go to promote literacy in the U.S.!

And I'll be there rooting for her at the Bookseller's Best Award Ceremony. Charlene's a double finalist with Fortune's Vengeful Groom and Bodine's Bounty. Wish her luck!

As if that's not enough to keep a busy author breathless, Charlene's participating in a Harlequin Author Forum, and Saturday she'll be on a panel called Romancing the Internet and speaking about her blogging experiences on Petticoats and Pistols.

Since www.petticoatsandpistols.com is one of my favorite internet addictions, I'll be in the autience for sure!

Well, I've been so happy to introduce Charlene Sands to you. Don't be a stranger!

www.charlenesands.com
www.petticoatsandpistols.com

Tanya Writes About Male Depression

I thought I'd lighten up for a change and borrow this hilarity from my writer buddy Mary Connealy's post at www.petticoatsandpistols.com

For more fun, check out her books Petticoat Ranch and Calico Canyon and visit her at www.maryconnealy.com

Thanks, Mary. Congratulations on your new book, Calico Canyon!)


WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED:

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don’t have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
People never stare at your chest when you’re talking to them.
New shoes don’t cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about Tanks (Sherman? Tiger? T70?).
A five-day vacation only requires one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
Your underwear is $5.95 for a three-pack.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles on your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades even.
You only have to shave your face and neck (or head)
You can play with toys all your life.
Your belly usually hides your big hips.
One wallet and one pair of shoes - one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your leg looks.
You can “do” your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in just 25 minutes.

Tanya Writes About The Last Three Months

Thinking back over the last three months, I'm still amazed at my capacity for tears and fear, for faith and unbelief, for nightmares that took my breath away and dreams that always have happy endings.

I'm grateful to God for giving us the confidence in those dark days to plan four vacations over the next six months. For giving us friends, family and neighbors who are everything good and nothing like the morons in sitcoms.

I thank God every day for giving us hope and strength, medical science and savvy doctors, nurses so tender and loving my eyelashes get wet just thinking of them...and along with my gratitude, I pray for a chain of people with dreadful needs of their own just now, the same people who prayed for my wonderful hero.

Oh goodness. It's a gorgeous spring day going on outside and I need to pick up a few groceries. The best part: my hero wants to go along, get a Coffee Bean then walk around the harbor a bit! Oh, these small mercies. I will never take our boring life for granted. Sometimes the last three months seem like a blur, other times so clear I am not in my own head but watching on some un-reality TV big-screen somewhere.

Other times, it slow-motions down undurably in my mind and I remember the sobs and the screams. Yet now he is well. I don't understand why it happened at all, other than bad things happen to good people. I know it strengthened my faith--I am sooooooooooooooooo glad I had already started going to First Church...but other times my faith went into the blackest of holes. Whew.

Well, as normal life begins to cover us like molten butter over popcorn, I mention that Midnight Bride just got two great reviews in two days, so that was feel-good. Makes a total of six. Yowza. And another project is doing well in a fiction contest after getting perfect scores in another one. Well, that's good too.

If anybody's reading this, I'll be guest-blogging at a wonderful Western romance site, www.petticoatsandpistols.com next Thursday, May 1. There will be prizes. Hope to see you there.

And hey, thanks for the prayers.