FIVE SPurs for Marrying Mattie at Love Western Romance

One of the most venerable review sites of all, Love Western Romance, has awarded Marrying Mattie FIVE Spurs! I am over the moon!

"This book is a sweeping tale with a plot that kept me glued to the edge of my seat. More than once I imagined how this story would plan out on the big screen...the author treats the reader with a great deal of respect, tearing you with little snippets of information...but leaving you to try to figure out the whu's and how's along the way in this wonderful tale."

To check out the whole review, please visit this wonderful site! Love Western Romance rocks!

Hero performed by Michael Israel in New York

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...)

Spicy and Sweet...at The Romance Studio

Hop on over to The Romance Studio for a peek at my latest releases, and see if "spicy" and "sweet" conflict with each other..or make it work like Sweet and Sour Chicken.

Hope you enjoy Marrying Mattie, available now at The Wild Rose Press and Amazon...Kindle version, too. Sign my guestbook at my website to enter a name draw for a signed copy.

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/

Five-Star Review at The Romance Studio!

Praise the Lord! Hearts Crossing Ranch has received a five-star review at The Romance Studio!
I still find myself drawn to the ranch and the wagon-train vacation even though they're fictional...but so much so that hubby and I are off on a similar adventure this summer...a real one...around the Tetons.

I can't wait to get inspiration from God's incredible nature, from the close family members sharing the experience with us, and from the wranglers who'll lead us.

In the meantime, Hooper Martin's story is in the works!

Something nice...

A four and a half star review from Novel Editions--yee haw, and thank you, God!

This was truly a book that forced the characters to dig deep within themselves and to confront the things that may have shaken their walk with the Lord. Both Kenn and Christy were raised to be a child of great faith. However, in both of their lives one event --Kenn's guilt over "letting down" his brother Bragg, and Christy's unexpected loss of her father-- seemed to have them turning their backs on God.


Ms. Hanson's ability to paint a picture and tell a compelling story kept me interested until the last page. I also loved her clever references to things that relevant to everyday of an average person's life -Michael Phelps, a horse named Joe Montana, etc.
My biggest hope is that Ms.Hanson will continue to tell the Martin Family story by using the other Martin siblings in future books!

Check out my 4/12-star review for Hearts Crossing Ranch at Novel Editions.

Novel Editions a book review site featuring reviews of books rated G or PG.

A Small Request....please, God?

Cancer is a strange cell.
You can go along for years in remission
and then one day it pops its head up again.
If you ever have it you will never be free of it.
Pray for the day there will be a permanent cure.

A SMALL REQUEST...

Dear God,
I pray that You will guide someone to find a cure for cancer. Amen

In memory of my twin brother Mike and our dear friend Karen who have been
struck down by cancer and to my hubby and family still living with the specter of testicular cancer...

A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle.
If you're reading this, please Keep This Candle Going

Redeeming Daisy and Faithful Danger

I'm excited that the first round edits for Redeeming Daisy are in the can. Editors simply make one's writing better...noticing a word order or sentence structure that a second set of eyes knows can be slightly improved. Redeeming Daisy is the second story set at Hearts Crossing Ranch and features Pike Martin, large animal vet and brother to Kenn.

I'm grateful for such a talented editor, Nicola Martinez, who has a nose for the details...or is it eyes LOL? As well as one who calls Redeeming Daisy a "lovely story." Sigh.

I'll keep you informed as to the progress. I've also submitted to her TV Guide-like blurbies about what happens to the entire Martin clan!
Right now, though, I'm finishing up what I call March 9 Prompt, aka Faithful Danger. White Rose Publishing selected random details and posted them on March 9 to see what kind of story a writer can come up with in 10,000-20,000 words.

The SITUATION:
Two puppies, a woman in hiding, a mysterious man, and a pair of pink polka dot pumps.

The PHRASE:

“Dead guys don’t usually show up for breakfast,” she said, staring at the very-much-alive man who stood in front of the pastry counter.

I'm in the closing stretch of Faithful Danger...I'll let you know how it turns out. Yeah, my mysterious man is a cowboy turned private investigator. And our heroine falls for him spur, lariat and Stetson even though she's in hiding in a small Central California ranch town from very bad Soprano-esque people...

Happy Fourth of July...God Bless the USA!

God Bless America,


Land that I love.

Stand beside her, and guide her

Thru the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

To the oceans, white with foam

God bless America...my home sweet home!

Eric Pettis: 5 Scoreless Innings

Don't think Eric would mind me spreading the word. He's the nephew of very good friends of ours and just got drafted by the Williamsport PA CrossCutters. In his first game--Father's Day, no less, the Cutters extended their extended their record in the all-time SawBuck Series to 27-24.

Starting pitcher Eric Pettis pitched five scoreless innings surrendering only four hits, striking out three and walking none.

Yay, Eric! Hope to see you in action someday soon!. Congratulations!

It's been a good week all around...with Redeeming Daisy getting contracted b White Rose Publishing. Which reminds me: I got work to do.

Redeeming Daisy...

Wow, today I got the contract for Redeeming Daisy, the second Martin story of the clan at Hearts Crossing Ranch, available now at White Rose Publishing. I'd thought to go with another title using Heart or Cross or some variant thereof, but after a brainstorm, my terrific editor Nicola Martinez came up with the present title.

Now comes the delicious "work" involved in a new release: composing blurbs, taglines, gathering reviews and comments about previous books to add as teasers to the frontispiece. So exciting! Esp. tossing out ideas for covers. (Nicola is a master artist as well. Boy, did I get lucky!)

I hope you'll stay tuned. I'll get the blurb posted as soon as...I think of it LOL.

Don't forget to visit my blog dedicated to the folks at Hearts Crossing Ranch  And a chance to win!

Happy Father's Day

The fathers in my life have totally rocked.

My own precious dad died in a tragic car accident when my son, his first grandchild, was four months old. I'll never forget seeing both spectrums of life--birth and death--so close together, but his influence and love made me the woman I am. I'm married to my own personal hero who successfully fought wildfires for his career and successfully fought cancer two years ago and gave me the two greatest children ever.

My son is now a daddy himself, and his little boy is the latest love of my life. And my brother-in-law Tim, who stood by my side during those terrible testicular cancer days has given me two amazing nieces.

God bless you, all, everyone!

SPECIAL EDITION: Hearts Crossing Ranch RELEASE DAY

Yeah, things have been a tad nutso. But HCR is here, here, HERE!

And featured today at White Rose Publishing.

The cover design is to-die-for, my editor Nicola Martinez absolutely the best. I thank her again for taking this chance with me--my first contemporary and my first inspirational. I hope you enjoy Christy and Kenn's journey of faith and path to love.

Visit my Hearts Crossing Ranch blog once in a while for summer contests going on. I'm trying to get things updated at my website....wish days were 25 hours long. Yesterday I had the great pleasure of being invited to The Romance Studio June release party, and my "behind the book" blog at Petticoats and Pistols last Wednesday was a ton of fun.

The Write Stuff: Win a copy of Hearts Crossing Ranch

Join me at Petticoatsandpistols
today, Wednesday, June 2, and The Romance Studio tomorrow, Thursday, June 3...

I'll be drawing some winners for copies of Hearts Crossing Ranch.

Yee-haw. See you there!

P.s. Please visit Hearts Crossing Ranch and leave a comment once in a while...summer contests going on!

I AM POEM--Georgie, always in our hearts

Georgie left us all too soon. When you see a homeless person with a dog at his/her side, don't be stingy. Last November, this beautiful young man helped out such a pair, rescuing them from some abusive teens...paying for a hotel room so the homeless guy had a shower and a bed, giving the guy the last twenty-dollar bill in his pocket.

His generous heart has touched so many others. Hearts that broke into a million pieces when the Lord called Georgie home just after New Years.


"I Am Poem"

by: George Anthony

1991-2010


I am a football player in pain
I wonder if war is the answer
...I hear the struggling people
I see pain in the heart of America
I want peace between others
I am a football player in pain

I pretend that I am the best
I feel emotion in my heart
I cry when being a different color matters
I am a football player in pain

I understand everything doesn't come easy
I say be a leader not a follower
I dream of too many things
I try with all my heart
I am a football player in pain

Silver Spur Ranch: Yee-haw. I've love to go again...

Just got this e-mail from the Silver Spur. If you're still finalizing plans for Memorial Day Weekend, give the ranch a whirl. One of the funnest times I've ever had!

"Hey everyone,

There are still a few rooms available THIS weekend for Memorial Day. We are offering ALL our subscribers a last minute 15% discount on adults rates.....that is 3 times the Lifetime Discount!!

There are LOTS of fun activities planned on and off the ranch. In town there is a parade down Main Street you won't want to miss with lots of entertainment and venders, Mansfield Park has rodeos going on 3 full days, the weather is great and the river is open for tubing and all the Saloons have great music going on!!

On the ranch we will be doing a Scavenger Hunt on horseback.....prizes to the winners!! Evening rides after supper will be available and you wont want to miss out on our Star Gazing after dark down by the campfire area.....see incredible views of the Universe!! You might even want to try your hand at Karaoke!! And of course we will serving root beer floats and the pool is OPEN!!

Be sure to mention "Memorial Special" when making reservations!! Your friends and family are welcome to this same discount!

Your Friends at the Silver Spur"

Weekend Recipe GAME: Texas Tantalizers

I'm still in Texas mode. Here's a Texas Chili GAME to help you pass your time...while you imagine just what the last photograph suggests!

Ooh-la-la.

Saddle up and Write: Bandera, Texas

Howdy! I sure hope you'll scoot on over to Petticoats and Pistols today, the all-Western romance site, where I'm blogging about my experiences as a cowgirl at the Silver Spur Ranch in Bandera, Texas. Hey, I found out I'm not too fat and old to learn to ride a horse...or too dumb shoot a gun! The "Saddle up and Write" retreat sponsored by my publisher The Wild Rose Press totally rocked from beginning to end...

...and those days as a Texan will live forever in my heart and memory.

Sigh.

Glen Ivy Mudbath...what a way to spend a Saturday with my posse

Yowza. Who'd ever thunk it, a playdate in the mud at our age. Well, it happened, it was weird and cool at the same time. Mostly it was some good old-fashioned girl bonding.

Daughters, sister, friends, cousins.

Oh, and I can't forget the massage! Good time, good people.

Good memory!