Valentine's Day Party - Romance is in the Air!!

When love is not madness, it is not love. ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Many are the starrs I see, but in my eye no starr like thee. ~English saying used on poesy rings

Loving is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction.~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939

Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. ~Albert Einstein

Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine! ~Thomas Hood

I claim there ain't Another Saint As great as Valentine. ~Ogden Nash

Must, bid the Morn awake!
Sad Winter now declines,
Each bird doth choose a mate;
This day's Saint Valentine's.
For that good bishop's sake
Get up and let us see
What beauty it shall be
That Fortune us assigns. ~Michael Drayton

“Be My Valentine”…

I just LOVE Valentine's Day!! Maybe it's the romance author in me - I don't know. But special days like Valentine's Day I just have to share my books. Sooo... from Feb 10th to Feb 14th, I'll be having a contest with a few of my author friends. 

Here are the goodies we'll be giving away to our winner:

Marie Higgins: Download of Crazy for You (my Valentine's Day romantic comedy) and $5 Gift Card to Amazon

Amy Durham: Download of Dusk and $5 Gift Card (your choice Amazon of B&N)

Mary Martinez: Download of Honky Tonk and $5 Gift Card to Starbucks

Sheri McGathy: Signed print of  Elfen Gold (only in the United States)

Judy Baker: Download of Better She Die and $5 Gift Card to Amazon

You will have a chance to win this great gift basket (approx $50).

How can you win, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. All you need to do is answer the EASY (and I'm not kidding - they are easy) five questions listed below. Next to the questions, there is a link to find the answers. (see, I told you it would be easy!) Email your answer to one of the five participating authors. Deadline is Feb 14th at midnight. Winners will be announced on Feb 15th. GOOD LUCK!

1. What does Nerys do to free herself from Gerard's grasp? Find answer (linked to: http://sherimcgathy.com/sheri/content/excerpts/)

2. Mary's wedding wasn't your typical wedding, where was it? Find answer (linked to: http://www.marymartinez.com)

3. What is Eli's father's name and where is he at? Find Answer (linked to: http://mariehiggins84302.blogspot.com/p/valentines-day-romance.html)   

4. Where did Amy and her husband get engaged? Find Answer (linked to: http://www.amydurham.com/)

5. In the Silver Sage Creek series, Sam Coulson, the Comanche half-breed, had an Indian name. What is it? Find Answer (Linked to:  http://judybaker.coffeecup.com/Western.html)

THANKS for participating!! I would still love for you to leave me a comment on the blog. Tell me what you love about Valentine's Day!! 

Romance is in the Air - Giveaway Blog Hop!

It's that fun time of the year again when romance is in the air (and snow...but that's another story), and authors love to give away their books!

From Feb. 8th - 14th, I'll be part of a Giveaway Blog Hop with other authors who write clean romance or Young Adult stories.

To enter the contest, please leave a comment and tell me why you love Valentine's Day. Leave your name and email in the comment as well so I will know how to contact you. Winner will be chosen on Feb. 15th.

Here is what I'm giving away... A print or PDF (winner's choice)  of my romance, "Dreaming of You".

Katelyn Palmer never believed any harm could come from using her college crush as the hero in her first romance novel—the novel that jump-started her writing career.  However, when Shane Hunter storms into town, demanding to meet the writer who used his identity Katelyn is confronted with more than her long, silent emotions.  If Shane takes her to court for invasion of privacy, her career would be over.

Shane doesn't know how to act when his ex sister-in-law accuses him of having an affair while he was married—and then shows him the romance book as proof.  Now he wants to know who this author really is and why she used his name, and most of the events in his life for her story.  Desperate to know the truth Shane befriends Katelyn but he does not expect to be attracted to her, even more unexpected is the joy he finds watching his twins fall in love with the woman who is stealing his heart, too...

NOW...to find other giveaways participating in this blog hop, click here.

My daughter is married!

Today my daughter, Heather, had a small wedding ceremony in our living room. Although it was small, it was still a very special day and it was very important to everyone who attended. I want to thank Betty Jeppsen for making the wedding cake. It was gorgeous! And she also styled Heather's hair. Beautiful! Thanks so much for being the "other mother" in my daughter's life. :)

When Heather & David cut the cake, their kids were bugging them to 'shove it in their face'. So, after Heather & David cut the cake and took a bite...David smeared the cake on the kid's faces. Oh, that was priceless. David's friend got it on video. I hope he shares it with me!

When the weather gets warmer Heather & David will have another ring exchange ceremony with their daughters--Liberty & Gracelyn as the flower girls and Xavier as the ring bearer. At that time Heather will wear a white dress and David & Xavier will have tuxes. They'll have a big reception, too. Lots of fun to look forward to!

My hubby took some pictures. Here they are:

Introducing a new series - Paradise!

As most of you know, I love getting book covers. It's almost like Christmas--maybe even better!!  So when my cover artist, Sheri McGathy designed more gorgeous book covers, I KNEW I had to write a series just so I could have these covers. Right now I'm working on "Amazon Sunset". It's a historical in the late 1800's. My characters take a journey through the Amazon jungles...a journey that's filled with adventure, suspense, and of course, ROMANCE!  All three of my books will be centered around the Amazon Rainforest. I have done so much research on the rainforest that I feel I can take the reader on a journey with my characters and make them feel like they are there with them!

So, here are my book covers. Very romantic, don't you think?

Hopefully, I'll be able to write all three in 2014. If not - at least two of them!

Book Review: The Colony by Cami Checketts

Marie's review:
5 STARS!!  I really enjoyed reading The Colony by Cami Checketts. She instantly pulled me into the story and kept me reading until I turned the last page. What a great story-teller she is! I loved the emotion of these characters and the obstacles they had to get through in order to find their happy endings. I especially enjoyed reading a clean romantic suspense! Thank you, Ms. Checketts for a spellbinding read -- one that I'll never forget!

CONTEST - scroll down to see how to enter the contest.

Tour Schedule

 
The Colony by Cami Checketts To protect her sons from the mistakes of her past, Brinlee Trapper escapes to a secluded mountain home. But there are dangers lurking in the mountains she has never encountered. The little family is saved from injury by Jed, a mysterious hunter. Brinlee is drawn to him, but she worries about his involvement with a peaceful commune hidden deep in the mountains behind her property. Lance, Brinlee’s attentive neighbor, has his own troubled history. Between his obvious attraction to Brinlee and his developing love for her children, Brinlee finds it more than difficult to guard her heart against this tender intrusion. While Jed offers a life of excitement and freedom, Lance holds the key to the family Brinlee always wanted. When it comes time to choose, she learns that both men have secrets that could shatter her fledgling trust in men and the wrong decision could leave more than her heart exposed to danger.  

Praise "Cami Checketts is a genius! She writes about topics that aren't widely discussed, in and out of books, and she does such a brilliant job of crafting these things into wonderful stories that touch your heart and remain with you for days afterwards." ~Myra, Reviewer, Pieces of Whimsy

Grab your copy for just $2.99!

Author Cami Checketts Cami Checketts is married and the proud mother of four future WWF champions. Sometimes between being a human horse, cleaning up magic potions, and reading Bernstein Bears, she gets the chance to write fiction. Cami graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Exercise Science. Cami teaches strength training classes at her local rec and shares healthy living tips on her fitness blog: http://fitnessformom.blogspot.com. Cami and her family live in the beautiful Cache Valley of Northern Utah. During the two months of the year it isn’t snowing, she enjoys swimming, biking, running, and water-skiing.  

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Fitness Blog

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 2/6/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway