Your Horoscope fortune cookie -

8/31 - 9/6 SHARP WEEK FOR DECISIONS, LESS SHARP FOR CHARISMA. SMARTS ON MONDAY TAKE AN EMOTIONAL TURN ON THURSDAY, WITH FRIDAY’S FULL MOON ADDING DRAMA. THE WEEKEND REQUIRES DETERMINATION AND PERSISTENCE.

Deja Vu Lover
Vintage Rose Romance
by Phoebe Matthews

I'm blogging at Paranormal Romantics today!

What's your favorite genre? Stop by to chat and let us know what you think!

Contest ALERT --- Only a few days left to enter

CONTEST ALERT!!! CONTEST ALERT!!!!

Don't forget to enter the contests coming to an end on August 31st. You may just be the winner of a really great prize:

Win a Victorian Bath Set from my blog. Just read the Click to Give post to learn how.

On my website during the month of August, I'll give away an RWA National book basket......some of those many freebie books available to one and all at National. And I'll throw in a book bag...not sure which one, but one will be included in the prize. Just sign my guest book to be eligible for the drawing. The link can be found at the bottom my Home Page. More details can be found on my Contest page.

Win a $50 Amazon Gift Certificate by leaving a writing tip at THE ROSES OF HOUSTON BLOG. Share Your Writing Tips By Aug. 31st

So, don't put it off any longer.....stop by and leave your comments today for your chance to win!

Anna Kathryn
WHERE TUMBLEWEEDS HANG THEIR HATS
http://www.aklanier.com/

Win a Copy of Confederate Rose!

Enter my month long contest for the chance to win a copy of my upcoming Civil War romance, coming from The Wild Rose Press, Confederate Rose.

Disguised as a man to serve with her husband as a soldier in the Confederate Army, Irish immigrant, Katie Rose O'Reilly, vows to remain in the ranks and seek revenge on Yankees after her husband is killed at Sharpsburg. As she's transporting mail from Richmond back to camp, a stranger startles her, causing her to fall and almost drown in a swollen stream.

Southerner Alexander Hart, a Yankee spy, saves Katie from drowning, then nurses her through a resulting fever. He must keep his identity secret from the beautiful Rebel soldier even as he finds himself falling in love with her.

Katie falls in love with the caring gentlemen stranger, only to later discover he's the enemy. Heartbroken, she turns him in to the Confederates, but then questions her goals and beliefs. Is it possible to put aside her quest for revenge to save the man she loves?

Excerpt:

"What? Are you telling me you were kissing him?" His blood heated at the thought of her moving on to another man.

"I was tryin' to escape."

"By kissing him?"

"Aye." Anger flashed in her eyes. "And it was working until you came along and hit the poor lad."

He grasped her forearm and pulled her from the guardhouse. They couldn't stay here debating. "Come on, we've got to get out of camp. I fear I've compromised my cover."

"But what about Nate?" she protested. "You may have killed him."

Sighing, Alex knelt and felt for a pulse. The lad's breathing was regular, his pulse steady. "Reckon he'll be out for awhile, but aside from a nasty headache and some bruising, he should be all right." He rose and glanced into the guardhouse. "They’ll reckon you clobbered him when he came for your dinner plate." He caught her worried gaze. "Now, let’s skedaddle."

She nodded, but eyed him again. "Why are you dressed as a priest?"

"It's a disguise. I'm ministering to the Rebel soldiers." His eyes roved to the white vee of her bosom. "Button your shirt before we go. We don’t want to attract any more attention."

Click onto my website for information on how you can win a copy of Confederate Rose, coming September 25th from The Wild Rose Press.

Your new fortune cookie -

8/24 - 30 NOT FEELING TOO SURE OF YOURSELF THIS WEEK? YOU MAY BE THINKING MORE CLEARLY THAN YOU THINK! LOOK AT BOTH SIDES OF MONDAY’S PROBLEM, WORK AT STAYING CALM. WEDNESDAY FRIENDS HELP. WEEKEND OFFERS STABILITY.

A free read short story titled Horoscope in Catsup is available HERE on the Short Story page.

Deja Vu Lover
A Vintage Rose novel
by Phoebe Matthews

Erin's Rebel is a Reviewers Top Pick at Night Owl Romance!!

Reviewer Melinda says, "Susan Macatee did a great job in showing the full details about the Civil War and lovers reuniting. This is definitely a book worth reading for it brings the war into real focus. Betrayal and a romance that spans all time are brought to life."

See the full review here www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=4249

Blurb:

Philadelphia newspaper reporter, Erin Branigan, is engaged to marry an up-and-coming lawyer, but dreams of a man from the change those plans and start her on a journey beyond time. After a car accident, Erin wakes to find herself living in the 1860s in a Confederate army camp.

Captain Will Montgomery, the man of her dreams, is now a flesh and blood Rebel soldier who sets her soul aflame. But the Irish beauty holds a secret he needs to unravel before he can place his trust in her.

Can she correct a mistake made long ago that caused his death and denied her the love she was meant to have? Or is she doomed to live out her life with nothing but regret?

Excerpt:

"Ma'am," someone called, startling her. "I'm mighty pleased to see you're up."

She turned in the direction of the deep voice. Am I dreaming? She licked her dry lips as she stared into the dark eyes that had haunted her dreams.

"Ma'am? You look a might peaked."

As he moved closer, her knees turned to jelly. Strong, hard-muscled arms embraced her, offering support. Her head spun. She lifted a hand to stop the motion and encountered wool, a double row of metal buttons and a rock-hard chest. The enticing aroma of sandalwood mixed with a musky, masculine scent, plus a tinge of wood smoke invaded her senses. Had she hit her head harder than she'd thought?

She gazed at his lightly tanned face. Firm lips tilted upward slightly at the corners surrounded by a thin chocolate-colored mustache curving into a neatly-trimmed beard covering only his chin. Thick, dark hair brushed his collar and curled from beneath a broad-brimmed black hat. Her pulse raced as she leaned against his long, solid frame. Night after night in her dreams she'd run her hands through those curls.

"How can you be here?" she murmured.

"Pardon me, ma'am?"

"I don't understand." She tried to wrench from his grasp, but he gathered her close, lifting her into his arms. "What are you doing?"

"Taking you back where you belong?" He carried her back to the tent entrance where Doc peered out.

Erin's Rebel available at The Wild Rose Press. Read opening chapters here www.susanmacatee.com/erinsrebel.html

Organizing Tips & Tricks

Today I'm blogging at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way
http://warawriters.blogspot.com/2009/08/organizing-tips-and-tricks.html

I hope you'll come visit and share a tip or two or three. (grin)

And if you're in Wichita, Kansas tomorrow, I'm having my first booksigning at Waldenbooks, Towne West, beginning at noon. I'd love to see you!

The Clergy Affair

Hi all! Jennifer Johnson here to share with you an excerpt from my latest release, The Clergy Affair.

Here goes!

When Sam entered the car, his knees seemed to be under his chin. Deborah leaned over and reached under his legs to find the bar to move the seat back. It was a mistake.
Her arm grazed his thigh; her hand gripped his hand which was also on the seat bar. Immediately, Deborah snatched hers back and plastered herself to the driver’s side door.
“I’m…I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I was trying to…”
“It’s all right.” Sam moved the seat as far as it would go. “I hope you don’t mind me moving the seat back.”
Mind? Did she mind? Did he mind her trying to grab him in the tiny recesses of her car? Her arm zinged with the body contact. What was wrong with her?
Deborah took five deep breaths, willing herself to calm down as she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. She headed toward the restaurant
where the reception was being held, aware of Sam sitting next to her. She had never noticed before how small this car was. That’s what happens when you cram a six foot guy in it.
Crowded.
Was he married?
Of course, he was married.
Deborah stole a quick glance at him. They were probably about the same
age. Why wouldn’t he be married? Everybody was married by age 38. Everybody but me.
What did it matter anyway? She liked her life: unmarried small town minister content with life AS IS. You hear that, heart? Stop the annoying
Talledega 500 Speedway rhythm. I like my life just like it is.

Sandra Kay's Musings: THEY JUST DON'T GET IT!

Sandra Kay's Musings: THEY JUST DON'T GET IT!

Someone To Trust

Excerpt:

Lee turned toward her. “Megan?”
She had not turned the lights on, but the moon was shining brightly enough that she could read the confusion on his face.
She knew what she should do but she didn’t 5have the courage. Maybe she could wait. Sleep on it and maybe an answer would come to her. She couldn’t bear to let him go. Not now, not when she’d just found him. She looked up at his handsome face etched with lines of concern as he waited for her to 10 answer him. He was such a gentle, caring man. He was her gentle giant.
Without thought, Megan wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest.
“I’m okay,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest. “I’m just tired.” That wasn’t untrue. She was tired and scared. And, she completely disliked Felicia. She supposed she should pray about that. Later.
As if reading her thoughts, Lee offered gently, “Look, I’m really sorry about Felicia. She can be…well…she can really be something else. I had no idea—”
“It’s okay—really. I shouldn’t have let it get to me and I shouldn’t have responded the way I did. I can’t picture you with someone like that.”

Your new fortune cookie -

8/17 - 8/24 SAME OLD GROUCHY MONDAY, BUT CONFIDENCE BUILDS ON TUESDAY AND BY THURSDAY THINGS START GETTING ORGANIZED, AND HIGH TIME. FRIDAY THE WHOLE MOOD CHANGES. WEEKEND GOES KINDER AND OH YEAH, ROMANTIC, TOO.
For a new short story about the fortuneteller, check out this week’s Wildfire newsletter and at the end of the page you will find Horoscope in Catsup.

Deja Vu Lover, Vintage Rose
Phoebe Matthews

Embracing my Writer's Block

I am going to get myself a piece of wood. It'll be a three dimensional piece of wood, and it will be cube-shaped. I will make sure the edges are sanded down so as not to give me splinters, and I will stain it and wax it and polish it, and it will sit there on my desk for me to see every day. In short, I will love this piece of wood. For this little piece of timber, this perfect cube, will be my writer's block.

It won't be something to be disdained and thrown away, but it will be something I will nurture. I will care for it, I will look after it, and I will always have it by my side.

I could put it away in a drawer, sure. That would mean pretending it isn't there, but the reality is - it is there. Even if I put it away, I will know it's still with me. But you know what? That doesn't matter. The fact that I could put it away if I want to is really what matters. The thing is, I keep on working because my writer's block is real, solid and tangible, and I have to live with it. But while somedays it's as big as a house, other days it's just a weeny wee writer's block, and it's quite manageable. So things aren't that bad, are they?

And if I can keep going with the nine-hundred words a day, four or five days a week that I've been managing recently, then my writer's block isn't so bad.

You know what? I might put a little light inside it. That way, when it's sitting on my desk, being all block-like, I will see the tiny little glow in its very centre - the one that never goes out - and I'll be reminded that the same tiny little glow is there inside me, too. Always.

And it never, ever goes out.

Maya Angelou said "You can't use up creativity. Creative thinking builds on itself and increases the creativity of the thinker... You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." That's good enough for me.

Jane Richardson writes contemporary romance with the tag 'strength...intelligence...passion...stories worth telling.' She has two publications with The Wild Rose Press, the novel A Different Kind of Honesty and a short story Perfect Strangers. A version of this article originally appeared at her own blog, Home Thoughts From A Broad.

Long and Short of The Clergy Affair!

This is Jennifer Johnson, and I'm in the author spotlight this week at The Long and Short of It. Each day they post a different essay by me. You can comment on the essay for a chance to win a print copy of my new book The Clergy Affair.

If you click on the title of this post above (Long and Short of The Clergy Affair!), it will take you to the Author Spotlight at The Long and Short of It.

Here's the blurb:

Reverend Deborah Reynolds wasn't expecting to fall for-or over-Sam Perry, one of the groomsmen at the wedding she was officiating. But when Sam answered her door early the next morning and greeted the biggest gossip in town, Deborah found herself in hot water with her congregation. She never imagined soon after she would be flying cross country with Sam and broadening her horizons by visiting a nudist beach, learning the paths of ants, and falling in love. But there were still her life and vocation at home to consider. Ministers don't believe in Prince Charming, don't wear brightly-colored lipstick, and certainly don't steal kisses in the church pantry! Can Sam Perry convince the Reverend that even a woman of the cloth can have happily ever after?

Come on by The Long and Short of it today and tomorrow. You can register each day for a chance to win the book.

And if you've ever sniffed crayons, come by my blog and tell me what your favorite Crayola color is.
http:jennfrancesca.blogspot.com/

Great review for Going with Gravity!

by Cate Masters
I was so excited this morning to find a great review for Going with Gravity from Long and Short Romance Reviews!
Here's how Xeranthemum summed up her review:
"If you are looking for a romance story which can make you believe that love is real, that it can sneak up on you when you least expect it and thrill to its force as a powerful whirlwind for change, then you are going enjoy reading Going with Gravity."
Wow, thanks, Xeranthemum!
Here's the blurb for Going with Gravity:
Publicist Allison Morris plans her own life – what’s left of it – around the life of her boss Michelle McCarter, the ex-wife of a famous rock star. When Michelle needs emergency public relations patchwork in Hawaii pronto, Allison arranges a flight to the dream destination. At the airport, she meets Wes Hamilton, a six-foot-three sun-bleached blond whose blue eyes and dazzling smile rekindle her fizzled-out sizzle. A world-renowned surfer, Wes captivates her with his charm and wit, though his easy fame and on-the-edge lifestyle are the polar opposite of her own. When their jet loses its fuselage in mid-air, she takes advantage of what she thinks are her last minutes alive with Wes. The plane lands safely. Wes takes care of her when her carefully constructed life begins to unravel. When Michelle accuses Allison of using Wes to gain fame for herself, Allison’s world falls apart in an explosive confrontation. Wes is waiting with open arms when she has nowhere else to go, but can Allison learn to stop planning and go with gravity?

And you can view the trailer at www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9C0LCXFZww

Thanks,
Cate
www.catemasters.com
http://catemasters.blogspot.com
Follow me on Twitter!
Or sign up for my Facebook fan page

Free Book - Last Day to Win!!

If you haven't done so already, please stop by my website:

http://www.marymalcolm.com/

Diner Girl is now available to purchase, but you can win your copy just by reading the excerpt on my site! Click on the novels page, then the page for Diner Girl. Tell me what image is on Mark's boxer shorts and you will be entered for a chance to win a free copy of this book.

Time's a wasting, don't delay. This promotion ends at midnight tonight. It's so easy folks, just visit, read, then e-mail the answer to: mary@marymalcolm.com

I look forward to hearing from you!
Good luck!!

Mary

NEW RELEASE - CHASING SHADOWS!!

Hi fellow WRP friends,

CHASING SHADOWS, the sequel to my first novel, HIDDEN SHADOWS, has been released!! I'd appreciate if you all would take a look, and if you're interested, you can get a copy, or refer it to friends!! HIDDEN SHADOWS, released in Oct. 2008 debuted to great reviews, and CHASING SHADOWS is now gaining the same attention, with one reviewer saying, "Lauren Hope has done it again!"

I'm including a little peek at CHASING SHADOWS and the trailer. Heidi and Joseph's story is an interesting, intense one with a lot of suspense and a little love to spice things up. Enjoy, and I appreciate any support!!


Heidi Aston is as surprised as anyone when her husband, who’s been mysteriously gone for months, shows up in the delivery room—just as she’s giving birth to their baby. A baby he didn’t even know existed.

When newborn Lilly is brutally kidnapped days later, Heidi is given no choice but to join forces with her estranged husband, Joseph, in a wild and terrifying journey to find their baby. In time, Heidi learns that Joseph’s absence is not only mysterious, but suspicious as well. And to top it all off, they are dealing with one unorthodox kidnapper.

As two lost hearts and souls search for each other’s love again, and their newborn child, their journey will take all the courage they can muster for there to be any hope of reigniting their romance, or getting their four-day old infant back—alive.





You can also visit my website for more info.

Lauren Hope

Diner Girl is Available!!

Hi Everyone!!

This early release has me so excited that I can't wait to share this book with all of you. In Diner Girl, the first meeting between Jen and Mark is not exactly friendly and is actually quite chilly. Since this is August, and anything but chilly, I wanted to give you all a chance to read a little from their cool first encounter and win a free copy of this book.

If you go to my website: http://www.marymalcolm.com/ and click on the novel page, you will find a link for Diner Girl. In that you will find an excerpt from the first chapter. Read that excerpt and tell me what image is on Mark's boxer shorts. E-mail your answer to: mary@marymalcolm.com and a winner will be chosen from the correct answers. You have until Midnight on Wednesday August 12th to send in your answers.

Good luck!
Mary

The Captain's Lady Virtual Book Tour and First Review

My Virtual Book Tour for my debut novel, The Captain's Lady, begins August 16 - September 12. The first three tour stops :
August 16: Evie Alexis

August 17: Jaded Vixen

August 18: Katie Bug: Domestic Diva

Also good news. My first review is in:

The first chapter of The Captain’s Lady drops us in the Northern Arabian Gulf in 2004 with Abby Carlton. She’s obviously hot, thirsty, and in pain. But why? And what is it she’s so afraid of? Who’s coming? And just to make things more interesting - she’s pregnant.

But how in the world did this pregnant girl end up stranded on a dinghy in the middle of the ocean? You’d be hard pressed not to give into your curiosity and read on to answer these questions and more that are sure to be ignited by the vague first chapter of this love story. Lorhainne Eckhart does such an excellent job of baiting the hook, you’d be surprised to learn that The Captain’s Lady is her debut novel. Eckhart does an impressive job of character development and plot execution (with one particularly surprising twist of the sub-plot). And she has a knack for using a razor sharp descriptive voice that pulls the reader into the story. I felt like I was on the ship watching the story between the knight in shining armor character Eric and our damsel in distress Abby unfold.

I have never been a huge fan of romance novels, but Eckhart’s book has made a fan out of me. The tale is gripping, romantic, and vivid. The story reads like a modern-day fairy tale, and it will make you want to believe in fairy tales again, and send you to bed dreaming of your own knight in shining armor (if you can put it down to go to bed).

Wives - suggesting that your husband read this book with you, would probably be futile. But all your girlfriends with even a romantic bone in their body will fall in love with it. If you’re looking for a book to escape to The Captain’s Lady is a must read, you’ll find yourself somewhere else completely distracted from your own problems every time you pick it up.
Dominique Rambert
Founder of Mommy Writers
www.FreelanceJournalist.webs.com

Lorhainne Eckhart

http://www.LorhainneEckhart.com/

The Captain's Lady - A Passionate Tale of Love during the Iraqi War

http://twitter.com/LEckhart

The week's fortune cookie -

8/10 - 8/16 FEISTY WEEK COMING UP, WITH SOME NEW PROBLEMS FOR STARTERS, PLUS A STUBBORN STREAK POPPING UP ON WEDNESDAY, AND OVER-REACTION ON FRIDAY. GONNA BE A LOT OF FOLKS BAILING OUT EARLY TO DASH FOR THE WEEKEND.
Check Phoebe's website for more of Claire's Predictions.

Deja Vu Lover
by Phoebe Matthews
Vintage Rose

SOMEONE TO TRUST available for pre-order

Elatedly celebrating! My inspirational romance from White Rose Publishing is now available for pre-order!

What a dream come true! I submitted my first romantic manuscript at the tender age of 13. Of course it was rejected. But the dream never went away. And now here are thirty years late and it's happening.

So don't give up! Keep on keeping on. Keep letting those characters out, and those stories unfolding. All things are possible!

Click here to order!

Day 5 stop!

Today's stop is with Arkansas Diamonds! Mary Ann Webber will talk about her story, No Decorum, and the bloody Red River Campaign.

Prizes! Mary Ann will give away to 1 lucky commenter: a $15(USD) TWRP gift certificate. Remember, everyone who leaves a comment on the day of the post for each of the six days will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Northern Roses and Southern Belles signed by all six authors.

Buy Northern Roses and Southern Belles in ebook and print!

Today's stop is with Keira and Love Romance Passion! Susan Macatee will talk about her story Angel of my Dreams and her family's involvement in Civil War reenactment.

Prizes! Susan will give away to 1 lucky commenter: A reproduction Victorian brooch, a scented hand fan and lavender bath bead. Remember, everyone who leaves a comment on the day of the post for each of the six days will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Northern Roses and Southern Belles signed by all six authors.

Buy Northern Roses and Southern Belles in ebook and print!

Your Vintage Rose fortune cookie -

8/3 - 8/9 LOTS OF GLAD-HANDING AND GOOD LUCK THIS WEEK, BUT NOT TOO MANY FIRM DECISIONS. WHAT GETS SETTLED ON MONDAY GETS RE-THOUGHT ON TUESDAY. AFTER WEDNESDAY STICK WITH WHAT YOU STARTED. THE WEEKEND? EMOTIONAL.

Visit http://phoebematthews.com for video, free chapter, more fun stuff!

6 Authors +6 Blogs=Mayhem and Madness!

Today starts the first day in the Scandalous Victorian's Civil War Anthology Tour! Everyone who leaves a comment on the day of the post for each of the six days will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Northern Roses and Southern Belles signed by all six authors, and each day the author will give away a prize to one poster.

6 Authors +6 Blogs=Mayhem and Madness! The Civil War as you've never read it: Northern Roses and Southern Belles now available.

Calendar:

Saturday August 1: Isabel Roman is at Night Owl Romance

Sunday August 2: Jeanmarie Hamilton is at Petticoats & Pistols

Monday August 3: Susan Macatee is at Love Romance Passion

Tuesday August 4: Caroline Clemmons is at Slip into Something Victorian

Wednesday August 5: Mary Ann Webber is at Arkansas Diamonds

Thursday August 6: Jennifer Ross is at Romantic Crush Junkies

This is definitely not your mother's Civil War romance!

Winner of pdf copy of Anthology!

Thanks for all the great comments on my blog, Susan Macatee Romance Writer, yesterday. It’s convinced me there is a market for Civil War romance despite what some publishers say.

And the winner of the pdf download of Northern Roses and Southern Belles is … Celia Yeary!

Congratulations! Contact me at susanmacatee@aol.com to claim your prize!

And for the chance to win even more prizes, including the grand prize of a print copy of the anthology signed by all six authors, follow our blog tour all this week!

Visit the first stop today at Night Owl Romance.

And you can follow the remainder of the tour by checking the schedule at Slip Into Something Victorian.

We hope you have a great time learning all about us and our stories and, hopefully, win a few prizes along the way.