I'm hoping to find some time to write this winter break. But I'm not sure there will be time until this summer and possibly not until I retire. With RPP I'm trying to get a little bit ahead of the game so I won't feel so pressured as swim season picks up and finally come to a close in the middle of February. My faeries in the St. Patty's day anthology are waiting to play again as I read other people stories, hunt for comma mistakes and delete over used words. This can be frustrating and rewarding. I love it when I send a story to reviewers and it comes back with great comments and high reviews. Even though a story will never appeal to everyone, I have begun to appreciate other genres and I feel as if I am growing as a writer. I would also love to get back to the third story in my set of 12, A Marriage of Inconvenience. So you ask when will The Wager be published? I haven't heard. I alos haven't seen the new cover. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

I will be writing on my other blog tomorrow. Oh, I'm looking forward to the Oregon State game tonight. Go Beavs!!!

What makes people visit a blog? I am a member of serveral online loops. Sometimes I check on the blogs and the promos but I rarely leave a comment. How should someone aspiring to entice bloggers to read your blog and leave a comment? Do contests work? Does it help to have other authors become part of your blog? I'm really not too sure. I've studied a few and can never really decide what would be the best way to get people to particiate on my blog. I love to have readers leave comments. It is fun to have them turn up on my email and I always race to my blog to see what has been said. However, most of the time they are my friends and while I love that my fellow friends and authors leave comments I would truly like to hear from more people. And then, how does one know if they are successful of if the blog led to a sale of a book? Is all this just extra work?

Any one out there with comments? I'd love to hear from you.

So what if I am counting down. One day left. The first semester is almost over. I love all my classes except one. I guess that is pretty good. Better than in the past. So why talk about work? Probably because I just want to write. My creative outlets have been stifled. I have stories chasing around in my brain and no place to put them. How crazy is that?

Christmas is almost upon us. I'm looking forward to my family around the christmas tree and I am missing my husband's mother and father. I miss the Christmas' in Bend and all of his family. We are all spread so far apart now days that we hardly ever see them. I will be baking cinamon rolls for christmas morning and Ashley's and Arlo's favorite fruit salad. There is so much to enjoy.

And I hope I will have the time to work on my St. Patty's day anthology. My characters are going crazy.

There are just two days left untill winter break. Boy am I ready to have a few days to write and read. I've stretched myself too thin this year and will welcome a little rest and relaxation. I wish I could get away to the coast for a couple of days but I don't think that will happen. I am looking forward to spending a few days with Anaheim. It is wonderful to have a grandchild. She is a joy. Of course I don't have to get up in the middle of the night with her. We will be wedding shopping during the break. That will be lots of fun but coordinating the family to shop with Jenee will be challenging.

Still just two more days. Woo hoo!

Meet Author: Patricia Masingill, AKA Anne Patrick

What or who inspired you to start writing?
I've always had an over-active imagination, especially as a kid, and would often find myself in some kind of trouble. So my mother, probably as a way to keep me out of trouble, suggested I write these ideas down and turn them into make believe adventures instead of real life ones. It worked most of the time :o)
How did you come up with ideas for your books?
My writing muse comes at me from many different directions. Newspaper articles, conversations with friends, while driving, or walking the dog, and several have developed from a dream. Here's an example. Recently I was having lunch with friends and one of them was talking about the disappearance of some guy in a nearby state. Almost immediately I slipped into my zone. Then I hear one of my friends laughing and look over and she's handing me a pen and napkin. "Better write it down before you forget it," she says. It's scary how well they know me sometimes!
What expertise did you bring to your writing?
Lots of research and observation of people in their everyday lives. Plus I’ve had a variety of jobs over the years which helps.
What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?
My faith in God is one of the driving forces behind my passion to write. I not only want to entertain and thrill my readers, I want to share my faith through the written words.
As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
To keep spinning the stories and to someday land on the NYT bestseller list. Hey, when I dream, I dream BIG!
If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?
That's a tough one because I put my characters through so much I'm not sure I'd want to trade places with any of them. If I had to choose though, I would pick Maggie O'Brien. She's the high spirited widow in my upcoming Inspirational Romance, Reservation for Two. I hope I'm that sassy and adventurous when I'm in my sixties.
Do you belong to a critique group?
If so how does this help or hinder your writing? I live a small town, so no. I have worked with an experienced editor/author who works with several well-known authors, and she has taught me a lot about the craft. Just as important, she has inspired me to keep at it when at times I was tempted to give up.
When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?
My mother was the first to encourage me to submit my work in the late eighties. I would from time to time, but would get easily discouraged by the rejections. Then in 2007 I really got serious about my writing, jumped in head first you might say, hooked up with a very talented editor/author and just kept at it.
What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)
Don't take rejection personally. There are many reasons a publisher will pass on your work, because you haven’t any talent usually isn't one of them. Keep at it and don't give up!
Do you outline your books or just start writing?
I begin with an idea and will make a brief outline of how I would like the story to play out. Once I've created my characters, though, and given them a voice, they inevitably take over and I just hang on for dear life. It's like riding a rollercoaster blindfolded and I love it!
Do you have any hobbies and does the knowledge you've gained from these carryover into your characters or the plot of your books?
Hiking, fishing, camping, and I love to travel out of the country. Oh, and I also like to play video games. I'm a big Tomb Raider fan!
Do you have an all time favorite book?
A series actually. The O'Malley series by Dee Henderson.
Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your book?
I'm working on two right now in between edits. One is an Inspirational Romance and the other a 'Sweet' Romantic Suspense involving another serial killer. I love writing and reading about serial killers. It's frightening how my mind works sometimes :o)
Your interview will be posted before Christmas. Is there a family Christmas tradition or recipe you would like to share?
Better Than Sex Cake (okay, so it's an exaggeration, but it's still really...really good!)
Yellow cake mix
Large can pineapple w/juice
1 cup sugar
1 sm pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 large carton cool whip
1 cup of coconut
1 cup of walnuts

Bake cake as directed, while cake is baking simmer pineapple juice and sugar. When is done poke holes in it and pour mixture over cake. Fold your pudding, cool whip and coconut together and spread over the cake, sprinkle on the nuts, then chill. Best if refrigerated overnight. 15. What is your favorite reality show?
I'm a little embarrassed by admitting this, but here goes. It isn't on anymore but I loved the Osbourne’s reality show. What can I say, Ozzy rocks! Now the only one I watch, when I have time, is The Office.
16. And even though I already know the answer (unless you changed your mind) who is your favorite sexy actor?
Yep, it's Matthew McConaughey.
17. Anything else you might want to add?
Be sure to look for Lethal Dreams and Dark Alliance coming in Jan and Feb 2010. I have a few more being released in 2010 also. For excerpts, release dates, and giveaways please visit: www.suspensebyanne.blogspot.com

Check out new review of Allura. Matilda at Coffe Time Romance gives Allura 4 cups. Check out the entire reveiw.

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Allura.html

I really enjoyed this book by Christine Young. It has mystery, humor and, whew, steamy love scenes! An awesome group of characters make this read very entertaining, from the tough as nails Allura to her meddlesome younger sister, Aiden. There is never a dull moment throughout this book and you will surely not be disappointed. I can only hope that some of my favorites get a story of their own. Well done Ms. Young.
MatildaReviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Forever His is on sale now as an ebook at Rogue Phoenix Press:http://www.roguephoenixpress.com/ The print book will be on sale November 25th.

Forever His will be released as an ebook by Rogue Phoenix Press November 15th--tomorrow. Forever His is the last in a series of 5 beginning with Dakota's Bride published in 1998. Topping off the end of the series Forever His received a 5 heart review from Night Owl reviews.

I am currently working on a St. Patrick's Day Anthology with Rogues Angels.

The winner is JWlsley. Congratulations. I will contact you and send you a copy of Safari Moon. Anaheim Elizabeth Tofte was born Friday, November 13th. Yeah!!!

Night Owl Romance gives Forever His: 5 hearts and a Reviewers Top Pick. Check out the review at Night Owl.

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=5007

Ashley and Tim's baby shower last night! Lots of fun. Baby Anaheim Elizabeth is due in November. On Thanksgiving Day I'll be a grandmother. What fun! I am so looking forward to meeting the new addition to our family. In honor of the new baby, I will be giving away a copy of Safari Moon. Safari Moon is my one and only comtemporary romance. Enter today with a favorite baby name. Drawing will be held on Anaheim's birthday.

Edits for The Wager--revisting England and the regency period. Hope to finish up by the end of next week. Found a section in one of my resource books where a certain Duke built a huge glass conservatory where he could keep exotic flora and fauna. He heated the building using seven miles of of iron pipes fed by an elaborate system of eight furnaces supplied with coal brought by a specially built tramway. At Chiswick the Duke had also had his own zoo, with an elephant, giraffes and other animals wandering in the gardens.

I've been working on edits for Forever His. So the St. Patrick's Day anthology story has been temporarily put on hold. Forever His is the last of the books beginning with Dakota's Bride which was first published by Zebra Books followed by My Angel. Here is an exerpt from Forever His which will be published in November by Rogue Phoenix Press

August 30, 1895
Near Buffalo Creek,
South Dakota

The sun beat down. Searing heat waves hit the hard packed earth, blistering, charring everything even the dry prairie grass. Jacob St. John, his arms stretched overhead and bound to a whipping post, no longer counted the lashes tearing into his back, no longer felt the horrific agony.
More than a half-dozen men and one woman were gathered in the sage-patched backyard of the run-down shack. So far not one person made a sound as they watched Chavez wield the whip, stripping the flesh off his back.
If Chavez weren't so angry and seeking revenge of his own, he would probably have just had him shot. Revenge was a powerful motive. Chavez wanted Jacob to suffer, to yell before he died. It seemed Etta Barringer did too. So far Chavez was toying with him, taunting and teasing him, cutting an inch here, ripping an inch there, not doing much damage but making mincemeat out of his back.
Jacob hadn't made a sound yet, not even a sharp, indrawn breath. He wasn't about to even though he knew Chavez would get impatient and start slashing. There was no hurry. Chavez had as long as he wanted. No one save Etta knew where he was, no one would come looking for him, at least not until the sun went down. By then Chavez would be done with him, and he would either be dead or buzzard-bait. For the life of him, he couldn't figure why Etta would hand him over to Chavez. She had always been Pinkerton to the core, yet she had betrayed him once before. If he survived this, he meant to have answers. He'd move heaven and earth to search out the lying Etta Barringer and find out exactly what she had against him.
The pain of betrayal at the forefront of his mind, and vows of revenge against the instigator of this kept him going. He focused on the woman's laughter and the scent of lemons that permeated his very soul.

Buy at http://www.roguephoenixpress.com/

Newest Release Meghan's Legacy Reviewed by: Val at eBookGuru

I picked up Meghan’s Legacy for the mystery/ suspense aspect alone and found it to be one of the best books that I have read. K.J. Dahlen most definitely knows how to write a chapter with one heck of a cliffhanger. I love how K.J. Dahlen’s mind works. Just when I thought I knew what happened, boom, another surprise! This book does contain a sensual romance and characters who sizzle together, but the main focus is on the mystery as, for this book, it absolutely should be. It’s what made the book a compelling and well crafted read. I found this book to be fast moving with a lot of sitting on the edge of your seat suspense. The villian is always lurking just one step behind Meghan and Quinn. I consider this book to be an instant pick me up book and I know that I will be reading it for a long time to come. I will definitely be looking for more work by K.J. Dahlen and this author has just become a mandatory add to my automatic to be read list.

For the entire review go to: http://www.ebookguru.org/2009/08/review-meghans-legacy-by-kj-legacy/

Shortly after her twenty-fifth birthday Meghan Thorp comes back home. There’s only one problem, she doesn’t remember ever living here. At age three she lost her parents and her grandmother when an explosion blew up a cottage on her grandparent’s estate. Two years later she lost her grandfather in what was claimed to be an accident. Now twenty years later she returns and strange things start happening to her.
When a friend of her grandfather tells her that her grandfather never believed the accidents that took her family were accidents at all, but murder, he encourages her to remember the two days in her young life that changed her forever.
She doesn’t remember anything about the explosion or her grandfather’s death but when the nightmares return she knows she has to before whoever murdered her family gets to her. When she finds out that the someone behind the murders of her family might be her own uncle, Meghan can’t believe it. Especially when she realizes the reason behind the murders are rumors of Union gold buried on the property.

1. What lured you to writing suspense?
I tried writing romance but I loved intrigue more. I love the fact that I can put my characters into a situation and watch how they get themselves out of it. Sometimes they just take over my story and make it their own. I like the fact that my books intrigue people enough that they want to keep reading. If I can make them want to turn the next page to find out what is coming next then I've done my job as a writer. When I first started writing someone told me that my books were predicitable. I vowed then and there that my books would have twists and turned you would see coming and I think I'm doing just that.

2. What is the hardest part of writing suspense?
I think the hardest part is coming up with new ideas. It's also the easiest part of writing suspense. Alot of the time my books come from a single idea or phrase. I can build up an idea into a book. I start with an outline and go from there. Sometimes I stick to the outline but most of the time the story takes on a life of its own and I never know where its going to go until I'm done.

3. How long does it take you to write a suspense novel?
I did a book in three weeks just to see if I could do it. It turned out to be a very good book, and led me to outline several more using the same characters.
Most of the time I can write about three to five books a year.

4. Does research get easier over time? Do you utilize information gathered previously for your novel?
Yes several years ago I began researaching by reading forensic and crime books. I have a very extensive library of my own with everything from forensic, to herbal medicine to criminal psycology. Some times I use the internet. I like to read and that knowledge is never a waste of time. I also like to impart of little bit of myself in each of my books.

Kim lives in a small Wisconsin town with her husband and dog. She can see the Mississippi river on one side and the bluffs where eagles fly on the other. She has two kids and two grandkids. Kim loves to people watch and she uses what she sees in her books. She loves to create intense situations for her characters and sit back and see what they do to get to get themselves out of trouble. Sometimes her characters even surprise her. Her characters come alive for her, and what starts out as just an idea becomes a story with unusual twists and turns. She loves to keep her readers guessing until the very last page.

Only a three day work week. Woohoo! Today I am going to work on my St. Patrick's Day Anthology. I think the fae folk must be up next. They seem to write the story, but I'm going to have to read through the entire manuscript before I start writing. I've been away for far too long. I've finally figured out what the feud is about. Oh, the simple things and faster fingers. No this is not a story about pickpockets although I have a pickpocket story. Interesting, but the pickpocket is a dog.

Look for the Valentine Anthology coming out in February. The Wager and Forever His in November. Check out the http://aidansmisadventures.blogspot.com/ for an excerpt from The Wager.

Back to school! Now I have to figure out how to get everything done. PBS training today and work on animation. I hope the animation session will help with book trailers and other things. Will be finishing a scene tonight. I'm keeping my fingers crossed I'll get out of the first scene in chapter 5. Then what...

Finishing a book, wow! I saw on line someone blogging about the great feelings one has when the book is finished. Well, I'm a long ways away from finishing my St. Patrick's Day anthology. In the last three days I haven't even finished a page--a line or two maybe--but I've had other things on my mind. I will try again today. But I'm still working on the duel. I should be long past that point--ah, well--I'm not.

Check out my blog http://aidansmisadventures.blogspot.com/ for a new excerpt from The Wager coming in November from Awe-struck. Don't forget Forever His the last book in the series starting ten years ago with Dakota's Bride. Forever His coming in November from Rogue Phoenix Press

One of the groups I belong to asked the question: How is it working with other authors on a project? Good and Bad. The Rogue's Angels decided to work on Anthologies together. The first one will be published in 2010 on Valentines Day. The experience has been great. We are the best of friends and so we have been able to pull our combined talents into an anthology which will be a fun read. Our next project to be published in 2011 will be a St. Patrick's Day anthology. This one will be a little bit diffrent because we are trying to combine the three stories into one continuous one. I'm a little scared about how this is going to work but I think with lots of planning the story will come together. The problem with all this is that I'm not a planner. Sigh--it is a good thing Chris K. and Genene are excellent at this endeavor.

Look for The Wager coming in November from Awe-Struck books and Forever His in November from Rogue Phoenix Press. Yes, the date has been moved up. Go to http://aidansmisadventures.blogspot.com/ to read an excerpt from The Wager.

The heroine is racing to the park to stop the duel. Will she make it in time? Will her brother survive? This is an action packed scene with bullets flying, horses racing and oh my, I forgot how awkward and accident prone our heroine is. Will she survive the race to the park? Can she avoid the phaetons and other transportation devices that might get in her way? Will the fae folk intervene and sprinkle a little magical dust on her to keep her from hurting herself? So many questions and not even time.

Looks like the Valentine Anthology has a kick-off party planned for--you'll never guess--February 14th and I think it will be at the animal shelter in Salem. Mark your calendar and plan to be there. The three stories? Chasing Rainbows, The Lending Library, and The Gift.

I'm looking for some inspiration here. I'm sure the fae folk will give it to me once I start writing. The duel is about to take place. Ah--questions, how will the faeries interfere? Will there be trickery? Will the antagonist turn at 10 paces or will he cheat?

On another note, I'm looking forward to the phone call from my daughter. She is off to Greece. What an adventure. She was there for school last year and now cannot resist the place and is back. She has been to two weddings and traveled the countryside a little bit.

Look for another excerpt for The Wager coming in November from Awe-struck posted at http://aidansmisadventures.blogspot.com/

What will happen this morning when there will be duels at dawn? Will the hero and the heroine survive? Will they ever get that first kiss? Will the hero see his love before the duel or will he never see her again? Will they ever find out what the feud tearing apart their families is? I certainly expect they will.

An excerpt of The Wager will be posted at Aidan's blog. Take a look and see what the 12 sisters/cousins will be up to in November when The Wager is published by Awe-struck.
http://aidansmisadventures.blogspot.com/
Look for Forever His in November also. The pub date has been moved up. I will post an excerpt for this book also.

I'm looking for ideas: What is this feud all about? Could it be something so little as one family getting the last package of corned beef? Or could it be something more meaningful more horrible? Ah, but faeries are involved, the little mischief makers, so it can't be all bad.

Buy Allura at Awe-struck. Look for Forever His coming out in December at Rogue Phoenix Press the last book in the series which started with Dakota's Bride in December of 1999.

I actually wrote yesterday. Not a lot but I put word to paper which gives me a starting point today. As usual, the characters changed the plot line of the story and now I have some follow up and revising. Duels vs. fights, one is legal the other is not. Oh, my will the faieries fight a dual, a dual of curses and blessings, maybe tossing pixie dust back and forth. Oh, my, oh my. I'm sure there is protocol for all of this. Must consult an encyclopedia of faeries.

Look for the Valentine Anthology February 14, 2010. Forever His has suddenly become a November release as well as The Wager.

Let's try this a second time. Computers, we love them and we hate them. I was hunting for a title of a book and the computer froze. So everything I wrote vanished in a twinkle of an eye. Chapter 4--oh what a turning point the faeries have in store for the humans. It will keep you speeding through the pages to see what will happen next. And the feud, we are learning, was over something very minor which escalated as the years passed. These families should not be enemies!

Look for the new slideshow posted on roguesanglesblogspot.com. I am working on it and it is growing in preparation for the release of the Valentine Anthology in a little over 6 months. I am looking for faeries for the Lending Tree by Chris Kraemer and a nutty professor for Chasing Rainbows by Genene Valleau and civil war clip art for The Gift, by me.

Should they share the kiss? Is this the first big turning point in the story? Turning points--I believe there should be a turning point in every scene leading up to the dark moment. Turning points make the story interesting and they keep the pages moving. Should they not share the kiss? What pagan faerie will get in the way of the kiss? Oh, so many questions and so much trouble to get into. I thought I had the scene figured out and now...

Check out Rouge's Angels blog. www.rougesangelsblogspot.com I will be starting a slide show which will begin advertising the 2010 Valentine Anthology written by Genene Valleau, Chris Kraemer and myself. It will be out in print and ebook forms on February 14, 2010. Look for Forever His coming in December 2009 and The Wager November 2009.

Kiss the girl, Kiss the girl, Kiss the girl. What do you all think? If the fae folk whisper kiss the girl in the heroe's ear, do you think he will kiss her? That remains to be seen. I didn't get much writing done yesterday. I went to see The Half Blood Prince. Saw lots of death eaters and magicians but not a lot of faeries. No real inspiration in the movie. It seemed Rowlings did a lot of setting up for the next movie. I didn't like it that Dumbledorf (sp?) died--just didn't seem right.
Back to the story at hand. At least my uncoordinated heroine has survived the crashing surf and the tide pools without falling victim to the ocean. Stay tuned for further adventures of -- I'm really going to have to decide on their names.

Buy Allura from Awe-struck as an ebook or POD from roguephoenixpress. Look for Forever His the last in the Dakota's Bride series coming in December from roguephoenixpress. Buy The Locket and The Talisman from roguephoenixpress.

I have always loved to write villians into my stories. Antagonists are fun and they let the inner demon go unchecked. The two evil fae folk, and they really aren't that evil, they just like pranks and mischief more than most, are Conn and Carey. Conn has the task of seeing the arrogant and very pompous Florence marries our heroine. But he is bedeviled at every turn by Oran and Moya. Carey hasn't entered the story yet but she is Conn's sister. I haven't figured out her role yet but I'm sure she will be up to lots of pranks. Stay tuned for more adventures from our fae people.

Look for Forever His, coming in December 2009. Buy The Locket and The Talisman at Rogue Phoenix Press. www.roguephoenixpress.com. These are the sequels to Dakota's Bride and My Angel.

Faeries, faeries everywhere. The Fae people are taking over my life! They are playing tricks and writing my anthology, putting thoughts in my head. But they are so much fun. I'm introducing Moya and Oran (the good faeries) into my story. They are fairy godmother and fairy godfather to the heroine and hero in the St. Patrick's Day anthology I'm writing with Genene Valleau and Chris Kraemer. I have not settled on my the names for my hero and heroine yet. These two fae creatures have blessed the heroine and hero with the gift of true love (for each other) and now they have to figure out how to bring these two people together. Since humans are so inept at everything, including finding true love, this is turning out to quite the task.

I am looking for guest bloggers and in return would love to blog about my books at other sites. Please let me know if you would like to be a guest at my site.

I am currently finishing a project that has spanned six books. This book Forever His is a historical romance. It is the last of the six books. The story is Jacob St. John's. Jacob appeared in the second book Dakota's Bride, and My Angel the third book that were published by Kennsington. I now have the rights to those books. He has been in all the books since. Etta Barringer appeared in the fourth book The Locket and has been in each book since then. In every book Etta and Jacob fall more deeply in love but in each book she betrays him some way.

Look for Forever His coming in December 2009. Buy The Locket and The Talisman at www.roguephoenixpress.com

So, yesterday I tried to post on this site and the post ended up on one of my other blogs. Sigh...
I guess 4 blogs are too many to handle. I am so looking forward to the festival this weekend. I'm going to learn about Irish faeries, gnomes and leprachauns among other things. If you have any information about Irish faeries, celtic myths, runes, magic and so much more--lead me in the right direction--please. My next book will have some of these elements.

NW Book Festival--long day with lots of new people and almost flawless weather. Valley Romance was represented by Paty Jager, Genene Valleau, Chris Kraemer, Teri Reed, Minnette Meador, and myself. (I hope I didn't leave anyone out) Rosemary Indra (a past member/longtime secretary of Valley Romance) was also there with her debut book A Wife for Jay Prescott. We missed you Eli. but we are all praying for a speedy recovery. Thank you so much Veronica for hosting this event and I'm hoping there will be a repeat. Oops, I forgot the adorable little girl, Tink, who gave the entire experience a brand new spin. Check out Tink in her cowboy hat. OMG, I think Tink's a girl. I even asked. So, hopefully, once again I hope I don't offend any of her/his doggy friends.

My appologies to Minnette. I left her out the first time around. And as with Chris K. I somehow cut her in half. Sigh...a photographer, I am not.

Review from Coffee Time Romance for The Talisman:

This is a wonderful tale, full of action, emotion and a bit mystical at times. Ivan and Moriah each have a silver armband set with amber, an heirloom in their families. They are unlikely soul mates at first, but the author creates a very engrossing love story for them. There are no half measures here at all, the heroes are very good and brave and the villains have absolutely no redeeming qualities. Sometimes it is nice to not have to make a decision whether to love or hate a character.

To see the entire review: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/thetalisman.html

Woohoo, I received my rights back from Kennsington for my first two books, Dakota's Bride and My Angel. In honor of this I am giving away a copy of The Talisman which is the fourth book in the series beginning with Dakota's Bride. (Actually,there is one before Dakota's Bride but it isn't published yet. All you have to do to win is comment on my blog. Please include your email address in your comment. I will draw one lucky winner. The contest will run until the end of the month.

So...I didn't post on Sunday after the signing. It was Mother's Day after all. The month has been busy. The end of the 2008-2009 school year is upon us. (Two more days) Yay! I have two new books of my own out, Allura and The Talisman. Allura is the beginning of a series and The Talisman is the second to last in another series. I have my rights to Dakota's Bride and My Angel back. I will be publishing them later on this year or next. These two books begin the series of Dakota's Bride, My Angel, The Locket, The Talisman, and then Forever His which will be published in December of this year. Rogue Phoenix will start publishing two books a month in July.

Whew! I need to step back and take a break. Which is exactly what I plan on doing next week!

I'm looking forward to the May 9th book signing at the Blue Pepper. The Angels, (Genene, Chris K and myself) have all put a lot of work into this event. Rosemary Indra, a debut author will be there signing her book A Wife For Jay Prescott. The event is from 1:00 to 4:00. Hope to see everyone there. I will post picture on Sunday.

Readers Luncheon yesterday in Portland was fun. We had a great speaker, great food, and lots of great readers. I took some pictures of the Valley Romance crew but didn't think about having someone else take a picture so I could be in one of them. For the first time in three years they had my books. Wow! Thank you Marci, you did a great job. I drove to Portland with Genene. We had super convrsation and we were able to discuss some promotional ideas. I'm looking forward to the next Mid-Valley meeting. See everyone there on Thursday.

5 ribbon review from Romance Junkies http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/historical/Allura.shtml

Christine Young’s ALLURA is a delightful historical novel full of suspense, lovable characters, humor and a budding romance between two characters determined not to fall in love. Allura and Hunter’s stubborn, determined natures allowed for some interesting scenes as they attempted to get one up on each other. As a modern day woman I felt bad for Allura because technically her husband would dictate every aspect of her life and the freedom she loves would be a thing of the past. Hunter is unbending as far as to how he believes a wife should behave but falling in love changes him and his perception of Allura. Hunter and Allura are the main focus of this story but there are secondary characters whom I absolutely adored and would love to revisit in future novels (hint, hint). Especially the youngest sister Aiden and Hunter’s trusted friend Blade. He doesn’t believe in love and she’s determined to do whatever’s necessary to get him to notice her.

What is in a review? If it is a good one, it leaves the author feeling great! If it is a bad one...
Many different emotions go through my head. I absolutely love my last three reviews, two for Allura which is just out and one for Safari Moon. I couldn't want anything better.

How do you feel about reveiws? (as an author and as a reader) Does a good review sway you to buy the book?

Stop by and leave a comment. Check out Aidan's Misadventures blog and look for an upcoming interview on Rogue's Angles blog. Soon to be announced.

Check out Coffee Time Romance for the first review of Allura:

It has mystery, humor and, whew, steamy love scenes! An awesome group of characters make this read very entertaining, from the tough as nails Allura to her meddlesome younger sister, Aiden. There is never a dull moment throughout this book and you will surely not be disappointed. I can only hope that some of my favorites get a story of their own. Well done Ms. Young.

Allura will be released April 10th by Awe-struck.

Wow, it's spring vacation again and I have so much to do. In honor of the 12 sisters/cousins in Allura's household, I have decided to start a new blog. The blog will honor Aidan, the youngest of them all and will feature each relative as thier individual books are released. Since Aidan is already "in love" I wonder if she will marry her soul mate. Will Blade, the object of the young lady's desire, fall in love with her. At the moment she is simply an unwanted distraction and yet there is something protective about the way Blade treats this lovable and vivacious charater.

The question of the day is what is a soul mate? Do they really exist? Can someone fall in love "at first sight?" So all of you incurable romantics out there, what do you think?

Don't forget to check out the Rogue's Angels blog http://www.roguesangels.blogspot.com/ for the newest information on the Valentine Anthology coming in February 2009
And Rogue Phoenix Press http://www.roguephoenixpress.com/

Allura will be released by awe-struck books next month. This book is the first in a series of twelve books. They were conceived several years ago with the help of my youngest daughter who was in middle school at the time. I cherish these books, in part, because of the wonderful time I had with Jenee. She plotted their horoscopes, gave them physical characteristics, and fantastic personalities. I have only written three of the twelve books, but I'm hoping that when I retire, I will have more time to settle down and finish all the stories.

The origional concept was a fairy tale based on the twelve dancing princesses. Where did they dissapear to each evening? Their father was beside himself to discover this mystery.

In this series, there are three families, all related in some way. Each family has four daughters and yes, they too dissapear. Where do they go? The father of the oldest child, Allura, distributes a handbill over all of England and Scotland. He pledges to give the hand in marriage of his oldest daughter to the man who can discover their secret.

Of course, Allura is outraged. She is a kick-ass heroine in the regency period, and she doesn't appreciate all the medling done by her father.

Christine