Much Cheaper Than Therapy: December 2007

Monday, December 31, 2007

Friday, December 28, 2007

Interview with Carolyn Browm

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Carolyn Brown. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called Evening Star. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Evening Star is the final installment of the Drifters and Dreamer’s Trilogy. Morning Glory (Aug. 2007) was first and Sweet Tilly (Oct. 2007) preceded it. All three are about the Anderson cousins in Healdton, Oklahoma, 1917. Times were changing with the War and discovery of oil in the cotton town of Healdton as well as the more pronounced movement toward women’s rights.

Addison Carter was hired by Magnolia Oil to work as their company doctor in Healdton, Oklahoma. In 1917 oil companies didn’t hire women to work for them so that alone was quite a miracle. At least it was until she arrived from eastern Arkansas with an ego the size of Texas and dreams twice as large, only to have them all shredded to pieces in ten minutes when the directors of the oil company informed her they thought she was a male with a name like Addison.

She was sitting on the bench outside the drug store waiting for her ride to take her back to Ardmore to catch the train back to Arkansas when Tilly Anderson sat down beside her. In less than an hour Addison found herself at the Evening Star ranch setting Tilly’s cantankerous cousin’s broken leg and suturing the gash in his hand. Just as suddenly she was offered the job of caring for him until he healed. Anything beat going back to Arkansas with her deflated ego and shattered dreams so she took on the job.

Tucker Anderson had his ideas about women. They should live to serve and obey the male species and rather than endure a lifetime with one like either of his girl cousins, Tilly and Clara, he’d be a bachelor until he reached the Pearly Gates of Heaven. Then he broke his leg and the two cousins hired a female doctor to take care of him. He figured he’d died and gone straight to hell.

Evening Star is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

Evening Star is the name of the ranch Tucker Anderson owns. It was passed down to him by his parents when they died and is named for his grandmother, Katy Evening Star, an Indian woman who ran moonshine.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

Yes, that time period is just opening up for historical romance. Up until a couple of years ago historical stopped before 1900. The research was really interesting and fun.

What character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I loved Addison and her sass and brass, but then it was fun to write about Tucker coming around to another way of thinking, too.

If your book was made into a movie, what actor would you like to fill your hero’s shoes?

Keanu Reeves

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Oh, my yes. I’ve read everything LaVryle Spencer has written and went into depression when she retired. If I began to list all those who have inspired me we’d be here for hours.

What do we have to look forward next?

Right now, I’m working on a five book series called The Broken Roads Series. It’s contemporary and set in Sulphur, Oklahoma. Titles are TO TRUST, TO COMMIT, TO BELIEVE, TO DREAM and TO HOPE. The first one will be released in April, the second in June. After that there will be a historical called THE DOVE in August.

Thanks, Carolyn!

The author loves to hear from her readers at ccbrown@academicplanet.com.

Buy: Evening Star and the rest of her books are available online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, Target, Wal-Mart, and all of your bookstores can order them for you.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Recipe for Glogg

My grandmother used to make a variation of this recipe every year for the holidays. It was the only time I ever saw her snockered. It's not for the feint at heart. Enjoy.

Swedish Glögg

Makes about 1 gallon

1.5 litre bottle of inexpensive dry red wine

1.5 litre bottle of inexpensive American port

1 bottle of inexpensive brandy or aquavit

10 inches of stick cinnamon

1 Tablespoon cardamom seeds

2 dozen whole cloves

Peel of one orange

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup blanched almonds

2 cups sugar

Garnish with the peel of another orange

Notes: There is no need to invest in expensive wine or brandy because the spices are going to preempt any innate complexity of a fine wine, but don't use anything too cheap. Remember, the sum will be no better than the parts. Do not use an aluminum or copper pot since these metals interact chemically with the wine and brandy and impart a metallic taste. Use stainless steel or porcelain.

Cardamom comes in three forms: pods, seeds, and powder. Do not use powder. If you can only find the pods (the look like orange seeds), take about 2 dozen and pop them open to extract the seeds. Cardamom seeds may be hard to find, so you may need to order them from a spice specialist like Penzeys.com.

Assembly: Pour the red wine and port into a covered stainless steel or porcelain kettle. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange peel, raisins, and almonds. Warm gently, but do not boil. Boiling will burn off the alcohol. Put the sugar in a pan and soak it with half the bottle of brandy. Warm the sugar and brandy slurry over a low flame. The sugar will melt and bubble until it becomes a clear golden syrup of caramelized sugar. If you wish, you can speed up the process a bit and create quite a show by flaming the brandy. Flaming will create a 2 foot high blue flame, so be sure there is nothing above the stove that can catch on fire. Then, stand back and light the brandy. Turn out the kitchen lights and watch it burn! This caramelization is crucial to developing complexity. Add the caramelized sugar to the spiced wine mix. Cover and let it mull for an hour. Just before serving, strain to remove the spices, and add brandy to taste (about 1/2 pint). You can serve it immediately, or let it age for a month or two. If you are going to age it, make sure the bottle is filled as high as possible and sealed tight.

To serve glögg, warm it gently over a low flame or in a crockpot, and serve it in a mug. Garnish it with a fresh orange peel, twisted over the mug to release the oils.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Interview with Roz Denny Fox

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Roz Denny Fox. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called Looking For Sophie. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

The year prior to the start of the story, Garnet Patton’s daughter, Sophie, was kidnapped from her preschool by Garnet’s ex-husband. Garnet, a high school teacher in Alaska, faces a long summer without Sophie. Friends know she needs to stay busy or she’ll fall apart. Work and friends have been her salvation.

In Atlanta, GA, detective Julian Cavenaugh gets a call from his mom who lives in a nearby small town. Julian’s dad, a postman near retirement, is sure he’s found a little girl pictured on one of the missing children postcards he gets each week to deliver. He thinks the child is living with a new family on his mail route. The problem is—Julian’s dad thought that once before and he goofed. It caused a huge controversy in town and Julian’s father almost lost his job.

Julian elects to take a well deserved vacation to see if his dad is right or wrong. The jaded bachelor cop, who comes from a large, happy family, personally thinks his dad is wrong again. But he will do what it takes to protect the really good-hearted man. And Julian certainly doesn’t expect to feel anything for a stranger, a woman who is working and socializing with friends instead of exhausting every resource looking for her daughter.

Looking For Sophie is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

My working title was: The Atlanta Detective. The title was changed after the book was written, from a list of possible titles I sent to my editor.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

I talked to some cops who have worked domestic kidnappings, did some digging into missing children where the person making off with the child is a non custodial parent, and I chose settings I’ve visited as I always try to do.

What character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I liked all of the characters in this book, primary and secondary. Each had a special role to play. I tried to go deep into the hearts and souls of all the players, because I knew from the beginning that I wanted this book to have an unconventional ending. And I was worried about how it would be received by readers. I’m grateful that the letters I’ve received to date have all been positive. And readers have shared their own touching stories and said the book caused them happy tears.

If your book was made into a movie, what actor would you like to fill your hero’s shoes?

I’m not sure since I’m not an avid movie goer. The hero would have to be someone with quiet intensity, but who has a lot of heart.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

So many stretching back to the individuals who wrote Nancy Drew stories and others I consumed as a kid. When I started writing just to see if I could, I lived in Seattle. I was fortunate to have met so many wonderful and encouraging writers who helped me along my journey. I credit any success I have to Harlequin editor, Paula Eykelhof, who I’ve been privileged tow work with throughout my writing career.

What do we have to look forward next?

I’ve recently finished two Superromances. Both only have working titles to date. One features a heroine who suffers from memory loss. Her mother lied to her about her background. The other has a hero and heroine who fell in love and married as teens, had their marriage annulled, but meet again as adults through an odd circumstance.

Thanks for inviting me to talk about my career and about Looking For Sophie,

Roz!

You're welcome!

To celebrate her book release, Roz is offering an autographed copy of Looking For Sophie to one lucky commenter on today's blog.

Bio: While working as a secretary at an elementary school in Phoenix, Roz freelanced a series of self-help articles and a short story. Her youngest daughter and friends, all voracious readers, were consuming Harlequin/Silhouette books. The girls badgered Roz to write a romance. A move to Seattle in 1986 opened the doors to do that when she took a college creative writing class and met other writers who introduced her to Romance Writers of America. She attended her first national conference and came home to write the book that would be her first sale to Harlequin Romance in 1989 under the pseudonym Roz Denny. After Roz's sixth traditional romance, her editor moved to Superromance, and she invited Roz to submit a longer, more mainstream-style book.

With Superromance, Roz added her real last name, (Fox). Her thirtieth Superromance will be released in December 2007 under Roz Denny Fox.As well she=s written three books for the Harlequin American imprint, two Signature Selects, and in August 2007, her first Harlequin Everlasting Love.

Check out author’s website at www.korynna.com/RozFox.

Buy on line or at your local bookstores.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Hero of the Month

I learned of Sister Rosemary through CNN's Hero's contest. She heads The St. Monica Girls’ Tailoring Centre.

The Gulu district in Uganda has been under conflict for two decades now. Many young women and boys are abducted and taken into the bush by rebel soldiers, known as the Lord's Resistance Army. They have terrorized the communities in this country, and are known for cutting off peoples hands, feet and ears. If abducted girls survive from the LRA, they are at times forced to become wives of the rebels. Many of the boys are tortured and forced to join the rebels’ army against their will. Both boys and girls may also be forced to kill their own parents and siblings among other innocents.

Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe has lived her whole life in Gulu, Uganda and has seen LRA's devastation. She refocused her school to help rehabilitate the girls by giving them room, board, an education and vocational skills free of charge. The girls also receive classes in life skills, such as sewing, cooking and cleaning. St. Monica's Girls Tailoring School has made a huge impact on the community. Many companies call the school requesting employees. Also, the school feeds, houses and rehabilitates about 300 girls and their babies each year.

As Sister Rosemary, the Centre Director says, "We need to develop people so they can cope with the future. Many of these girls are not accepted by their families when they return from the bush. We want to give these girls a chance to survive and succeed as well as helping them to learn to love the babies they have been forced to have."

They do accept donations at http://www.ruralhospitalrelief.org/

Thank you Sister Rosemary. You've not only touch one life but many.

Until next time.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

BEBO List 4

Monday, December 17, 2007

Top Ten Reasons to Create a MySpace Page

MySpace is the newest rage in promoting fiction novels, so like many writers, I hired a relative to create my profile. As a result, I have discovered…

The Top Ten Reasons to Have a MySpace Page:
(Half-serious, half-not. You guess what is which, or which is what.)

10. Promotion! Promotion! Promotion! Download/upload a picture of your book instead of your smiling mug and leave it with every comment, message, and request to add friends. You want to get your name out there!

9. Networking is great! I have “met” some incredibly nice people who have offered to do cross-promotional work. I’ll blogroll you, you blogroll me. Kinda kinky.

8. Speaking of kinky, cute men will hit on you! Okay, they probably just want your money, but hey, no one else needs to know that. Brag about all the men who want to be your friend, then change your age to 90 on your profile and the con artists will fade away. (Not a guarantee, so use common sense)

7. Speaking of men, you can spy on your old boyfriends if they have a MySpace page. Create a fake account with a picture of a buxom blonde, then befriend your ex. You can see all of his photos, read who is leaving smutting comments, and then get mad and throw pillows. Okay. Maybe you shouldn’t do that, after all.

6. Bulletins are a great promotional tool! Stamps will soon be $2 each. Instead of mailing out your newsletter, you can send your latest news to all of your friends for free. Simply type a message on the bulletin board and click send. It automatically goes to all of your friends. Way cool!

5. Explore new technology. I’ve learned so much since I’ve started my blogs and playing on MySpace. Play with all of the links and doohickeys, see what they do, then call in a teenager to fix the mess you made.

4. Invites can be better than bulletins! Bulletins can be ignored. They go away, eventually. The message that you have an invite sticks around until you can’t stand it anymore and you have to go delete it. Invite all of your friends to your book signings. It doesn’t matter if you live in Fargo and they live in Nogales, they will see your name and the name of your book. More name recognition! See how this works!

3. Multi-tasking takes on a new meaning! While you’re up watching movies on a Friday or Saturday night, forget the laundry. You can fold it Monday. Drop your whites onto the rocking chair, and then collect friends while you watch movies.

2. Forget stamps and coins, collect friends! I’ve seen people with tens of thousands of friends. The reader/writer with the most friends WINS! (Don’t forget to leave comments on profile pages. It’s all about promotion.)

And the number one reason to create a MySpace page is…

1. You can become friends with famous people! They’re all over MySpace. Or maybe nerdy guys in Fargo are pretending to be famous people. It doesn’t really matter. I’m telling everyone I’m friends with Will Smith and Dolly Parton and it’s no lie. I have proof on MySpace.

Now that you’ve created your profile page and you’re ready to add friends, where do you start? At http://www.suspensebytina.blogspot.com where I have 700 live links to Romance Readers, Writers, Reviewers, and Publishers who want to be your friend. No lie! They told me so. Add them today!

Happy Holidays, friend.

EPPIE Finalist!

I'm proud to announce Liquid Hypnosis is an EPPIE finalist in the suspense category!

Liquid is currently on sale at www.thewildrosepress.com Print copies will be available in February through Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Interview with Erin C. Niumata

I’d like to welcome our guest editor today, Erin C. Niumata with Avalon Books. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

What exciting new projects are happening over at Avalon Books?

We’re always excited about our upcoming books. We have several new Carolyn Brown, Holly Jacobs and Amanda Harte romances coming out as well as a few Kent Conwell mystery and westerns coming up.

Can you give us a little history about Avalon?

Avalon Books has been publishing books for the library market for fifty-five years. We started by publishing sci-fi and westerns. Nursing novels were added in the sixties which evolved into romances. Now we publish 60 books a year, 10 books every two months: 4 contemporary romances, 2 historical romances, 2 mysteries and 2 westerns.

What are your top five pet peeves a new writer makes?

*Not knowing your subject (ie writing about a city they’ve never visited)
*Ignoring editorial advice
*Creating false friction or unbelievable tension between characters
*Scooby-do endings in mysteries – the big confession instead of a good solid ending
*Too many subplots
*Trying to write too much to create drama which takes away from the main story

What are your top five pet peeves a published author makes?

*Selling to another publisher ;-)
*Writing a book almost identical to the one I just published
*Not listening to editorial advice
*Making outrageous demands
*Sending in a first draft instead of a polished manuscript

What old trend or new trend do you see in publishing for Avalon?

Avalon has a formula that works well for us but we’re always looking for something new and fun to publish. We have a few romantic comedies coming out and we’d like to publish more of them. But for now you can guarantee that all our forthcoming books are true to Avalon style.

What catches your eye in a new writer’s work?

Great writing and a new idea. In romance – when they can really capture that feeling of new love – the excitement, the anticipation – that’s hard to do so when I see a new writer who has ‘it’ I’m ready to fork over a contract and start working with them.

For the submission process, what do you want from an author ?

The first three chapters and a brief 2-3 page synopsis.

What is your response time?

For queries about 2 weeks. For full manuscripts about six months.

What new author have you recently signed?

Deborah Mazoyer and Shelly Mosley writing as Deborah Shelley, Jennifer Lawler, Loretta Rogers, Betty Archer Liddington

What new project made you grab that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

Carolyn Brown’s new five book series that I’m about to sign up. And a few other surprises!

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking to break into your house?

I like well written sweet romances that touch the heart and/or funny bone. Old themes with a new twist are always good to read, and new ideas are always welcome. We’re not afraid to take on new writers and work with them, we are small enough to groom novice writers with potential. We love unpublished authors and hope to make their dreams of publishing come true.
Thanks, Erin!

Thank you!

Check out Avalon Books Web site at www.avalonbooks.com

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Holiday Traditions & Contest

With the holiday season in full swing, I'd like to know what your Holiday traditions are.

Mine are:

1) Decorating the Christmas tree with the kids 2) A visit with Santa 3) A visit to the McCormick Ranch Train Park 4) Baking cookies 5) Making a gingerbread house 6) Making gifts for the kids aunts, uncles and cousins 7) Finding and donating gifts to Toys For Tots 8) Putting together a box for the homeless 9) Lester & Roberta’s Christmas Eve party 10) and finally Cave Creek's Annual Christmas Pageant.

So what are you traditions?

This month I'll be giving away a copy of my latest release
When Johnny Comes Home to one lucky winner.

There's three ways to enter:
1) reply to this post on the blog.
2) Reply to this post to my e-mail address kwatters21@hotmail.com
3) Join my Yahoo Newsletter Group. (see the join key on the blog.

That's it folks. Have a safe and happy holiday season.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Happy Holidays from the Neurotic Writer

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Therapist: Good morning, Suzie.

Suzie Writer: Can we make this fast? I have a million things to do.

Therapist: If that’s what you want, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. The holidays are very stressful.

Suzie Writer: You’re telling me. It took me hours to come up with just the right gift for all of the editors and agents I’ve been targeting.

Therapist: Oh? (Looking fearful) What did you finally choose?

Suzie Writer: Well, my story is about a cowgirl vampire who saves Christmas, so I painted bloody fangs on 500 Santa Clause ornaments.

Therapist: You what?

Suzie Writer: It wasn’t easy. It took me all day to paint them. When I was done, I lined all 500 on my condo windowsills to air dry. The homeowners association fined me $50 for an inappropriate holiday display. Can you believe that?

Therapist: Do you understand why they might consider your ornaments inappropriate?

Suzie Writer: Enough about them. Let’s focus on me. I want to leave early because I have to slip my bookmark into every Christmas stocking for sale in every store between Phoenix and Tucson. (Holds up bookmark with picture of cowgirl vampire sinking her teeth into Santa, along with the title, Bite Me Big Boy, and the caption, Coming to a Store Near You – One Day!) Promotion! Promotion! Promotion!

Therapist: Suzie, parents don’t usually check the stockings for bookmarks. Children will see these and become quite upset. The sight of Santa being attacked will traumatize them.

Suzie Writer: (Rolls her eyes and releases exasperated breath.) Has anyone ever told you, you’re a glass-half-empty kind of person?

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Contest Winner!

The winner of a $30 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble is Reader1287. The next drawing for another gift certificate will be on January 13th. To enter the contest, all you have to do is join my Yahoo Newsletter Group Suspensebytina. Click on the Yahoo icon on the right side of the blog to join.

Good luck! Here's hoping you win next month.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Interview with Linda Style

I'd like to welcome our guest today, Linda Style. It's a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called GOING FOR BROKE. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

GOING FOR BROKE is the third book in the Texas Hold 'Em continuity series about five lifelong buddies who play Texas hold 'em once a week. Dubbed "The Wild Bunch" by everyone in the small town of River Bluff, Texas, the five guys are now older and wiser...or maybe not so much. :-) Each book is about one of the guys in the poker group and while all of the heroes show up in all the books, each story stands alone. My book is Jake's story (Jake Chandler) who, after taking the rap for a crime he didn't commit, swore he'd never return to his unforgiving hometown--until his uncle's funeral brings him back...face-to-face with his past. Face-to-face with Rachel Diamonte. Not only did Rachel break his heart, she was the lone witness whose so-called evidence fifteen years earlier branded him a "barn burner." And now, the former homecoming queen--a single mom who needs help--has the nerve to ask him for a job. And, as you can imagine, Jake soon learns that when it comes to love, the stakes are high.

GOING FOR BROKE is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

All the titles in the series relate to the Texas Hold 'Em poker theme in the series. My title came up while I was playing Texas Hold 'Em with a group of friends. I liked that it fit the story, which is more than a cowboy buddy story. It's about love, redemption and forgiveness--on several levels. I wasn't sure if it was possible to love someone who betrayed you. To forgive? I wasn't sure...but I knew Jake and Rachel would have to go for broke if they wanted a future together.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

I love researching and always do a lot for each of my books. But this time, the research was a little different. I usually have research related to the suspense elements in my books, but GOING FOR BROKE is more of a straight romance. I didn't have the technical police procedural things to deal with. Instead, I had main characters with major issues, five buddies who get on each other's nerves at times, and a small Texas town that has it's own personality. I'm big on authenticity in my stories, so I also had to learn to play Texas Hold 'Em. To do that, I enlisted a group of author friends (who understand this kind of research) and we began a monthly hold 'em game. I had one of my son's teach me how to play and, at first, it was very much like the blind leading the blind. Now, even though the book has been long finished, we still play--just like the Wild Bunch in GOING FOR BROKE! I even win some times. :-}

What character did you like writing about the most, and why?

My hero, Jake Chandler, of course! He's not only easy on the eyes, he's smart and doesn't need to live up to anyone's expectations but his own. He's a rebel with principles, he takes chances, he's an entrepreneur who made it big in the dot.com business. But even though he has no money worries, he's still living with a past that isn't his. Well, not entirely. He's a complicated man with a soft center, the kind of man I like.

If your book was made into a movie, what actor would you like to fill your hero's shoes?

Oh, easy question. But a good one. I always picture my hero and my story as if it were a movie. Scenes come to me visually, so I have my main characters firmly envisioned before I ever start writing. If GOING FOR BROKE was made into a movie, I'd love to see Jake played by Matthew Fox (with longer hair) from Lost. Fox's character on Lost is similar to Jake. An honest guy with a turbulent past. If Matthew isn't available, my second choice would be a taller Patrick Dempsey. (from Gray's Anatomy)

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Absolutely. In fact, too many to list. Early on when I first started writing, I read all the top authors and was inspired by all of them--whether I liked a particular story or not. The authors who inspired me (and still do) are those who work hard at their art/craft and always bring to the reader the best of what they do. The authors who inspire me are those who bring a piece of their heart to their stories.

What do we have to look forward next?

I'm actually working on two books. The first book, THE WRONG MAN, (working title) is about a man who spent ten years in prison for a crime he didn't commit--and the woman whose testimony put him there.

Thanks, Linda!

Thank you for inviting me, Kim. The pleasure was mine.

To celebrate her book release, Linda is offering a free book of your choice from her backlist to one lucky commenter on today's blog. She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio: Linda Style moved from one extreme (20 below zero winters) to the other (120 degree summers) when she left Minnesota for Arizona. Since then, she's visited every ghost town in the state, explaining that she likes to seek out the unusual. "I've been to the Corn Palace in Nebraska, the Sturgis S.D. motorcycle rally, trekked the outback in Australia, hung upside down to kiss the Blarney Stone, climbed Cichen Itza in the Yucatan, and drank more than my share of ouzo in Istanbul."

She combines those adventures with her writing career, which began after graduating ASU with a degree in journalism in the early '80s. Her venture into romantic fiction came about after she took a class on writing romance novels "as a lark," in the early '90s. Recently she finished her eleventh Harlequin Superromance, which will be out in December 2007. GOING FOR BROKE is part of the new Texas Hold 'em series, for which she had great fun doing research. She started a monthly Texas Hold 'em poker game "with a bunch of crazy-fun writers," who she says continue to play even though the book is finished.

Along with writing her novels, Linda serves as editor of View Highlife Magazine. For fun, she enjoys travel, hiking and photography...and recently, she went to her first opera!

Check out author's website at http://www.lindastyle.com/

Buy GOING FOR BROKE at www.LindaStyle.com Just click on the book page.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

The Results Are In!

The results are final. Here is the ranking for favorate romance review site on the web. Surprised or not? Let us know.

Fallen Angel Reviews 44 (42%)
Coffee Time Romance 14 (13%)
Romance Reviews Today 12 (11%)
The Long and The Short of It 11 (10%)
Ecataromance 7 (6%)
Romantic Times 4 (3%)
Romance Reader at Heart 3 (2%)
The Romance Studio 2 (1%)
Romance Junkies 2 (1%)
Joyfully Reviewed 2 (1%)
Two Lips Reviews 1 (0%)
Cocktail Reviews 1 (0%)
Night Owl Romance 1 (0%)
The Romance Reader 0 (0%)
Sensual Reads and Reviews 0 (0%)
My Book Cravings 0 (0%)
CK2SKwips and Kritiques 0 (0%)

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

And the Winner is.......

The winner of my short story When Johnny Comes Home is Jaycee from Massachusetts.

Thanks for playing along everyone.

To get your hands on your own copy go to :http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=623

Monday, December 3, 2007

Looking for that perfect holiday present for yourself?

Register for the Desert Dreams Conference today. This conference, put on by the Desert Rose Chapter of RWA, has a great reputation and is bound to fill its remaining slots quickly.

Enjoy Arizona in the spring.
April 4-6, 2008
Crowne Plaza
San Marcos Golf Resort
Chandler, AZ
***
Speakers include Sherrilyn Kenyon, Carly Philips, Mary Jo Putney, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Cheyenne McCray, Jennifer Ashley, Lori Wilde, Brenda Novak, CJ Lyons, Jade Lee, and BrendaJoyce.
***
Editor/Agents attending include Leah Hultenschmidt of Dorchester, Toni Plummer of St. Martin's, Joanna Raisanen of Harlequin, Rachel Vater of Lwenstein-Yost, Bob Mecoy of Creative Book Services, Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency, Jessica Faust of Bookends, Inc., and Michelle Grajkowski of Three Seas Literary Agency.
****

Editor/Agent Appointments are
Free of Charge!
But Hurry!
Appointments are available only for those who register and pay before they fill up.
***
Awesome Conference Contest
The first 60 people to enter the first 10 pages of their manuscript
will have it judged by an editor or agent!
Don't Miss This Opportunity!
*****
For more information go to http://www.desertroserwa.org/

Sunday, December 2, 2007

7 Days Left!

Only 7 days left until I name the lucky winner of a $30 Barnes and Noble gift certificate!

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Don't miss this opportunity.

No excerpts to read. No hoops to jump through.

*****

To be eligible to win, you must be a member of my Yahoo Newsletter Group. Click on the link on the right side of the blog to join the SuspensebyTina Yahoo group. Kim Watters also has a link to join her group, too.

Good luck!

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