“Salt of the Earth” Many of you are familiar with the term, used in biblical text , it not only refers to a spiritual meaning, but has a context, too, that refers to one who is grounded, a person who respects the earth, cares for it—in short, those generations of farmers and ranchers who have sustained the temperament of weather, markets, and life itself to sustain and serve the world with crops, produce and education. Born in in Oklahoma, I have lived all my life in a small town community in the Midwest. Much of my writing comes from my experiences living in a farm town. There is a sense of being close-knit. From the local diner where the farmers meet each morning for coffee, and where discussions revolve around the latest in model of combine or how many acres they plan to put in come spring. It’s about helping out your neighbor, oftentimes working dawn to dusk, looking a man in the eye when you shake his hand and taking pride in what you believe. Around here, “Earth Day” is not simply a day—it’s a way of life. A fav song on my writing playlist is the Dixie Chicks…

We live in a disposable society. Given the abundance of inexpensive products and rapidly changing technology, most people choose to toss out their underperforming items rather than attempt to fix them. Toaster not toasting? Not a problem. There are a dozen or more to choose from at your local department store, or better yet, order one online without leaving your favorite chair. Your shiny new toaster will arrive on your doorstep within days, if not hours. It seems to me, relationships have fallen prey to this same toss and replace attitude, becoming revolving doors of half-hearted attempts at finding and nurturing love. Why bother to diagnose and repair when there’s another potentially less demanding, less stressful, new and untarnished situation around the corner, or better yet, on the internet, just waiting for you to log on? So, what constitutes a relationship worth saving? I’m a firm believer that as long as two (or more) people love each other and still want the same things, then the relationship has a chance of survival. It’s a matter of working together to find a way past the obstacles in the way of happiness. In the real world it’s a sad truth that no…

What a great day! It’s Monday and in the northern hemisphere according to the television weather maps we have spring-like weather in most parts. When you’re shopping, spring flowers are everywhere, and most people are thinking about their gardens. Well, I think and plan a garden each year but not so competent in execution. I usually settle for some potted vegetables that wither before I actually get them in the garden area. And it’s also CONVENTION season. Actually, ours has already started. In March we had SXSW and North Texas Two Step, in April we visited the London Book Fair, So our spring so far has been productive and busy! In May we have RT in New Orleans followed closely by Book Expo America, then Lori Foster’s, then our big Boas & Tiaras, then off to LA for Television Critics previews and then we split: off to San Diego Comic Con and San Antonio for RWA convention. I’m tired just typing all this much less thinking about it! But the bottom line is we get to meet in person our readers and authors. And truly isn’t that what makes our life so wonderful. Oh, I forgot the one next week,…

Fresh Pick for Monday, April 21st, 2014 is FAR GONE by Laura Griffin #SuspenseMonday a new series begins Gallery April 2014 On Sale: April 15, 2014 384 pages ISBN: 1451689349 EAN: 9781451689341 Kindle: B00DPM7YTU Hardcover / e-Book Add to Wish List Suspense Buy A Copy Amazon.com Kindle BN.com Powell’s Books Indiebound Far Gone by Laura Griffin To save her only brother, Andrea Finch must face down a criminal mastermind, the FBI, and her own demons in this thrilling novel from the author of the bestselling Tracers series. Police detective Andrea Finch is a rising star in her department until a split-second decision derails her career. Disgraced and disillusioned, she’s on leave from her job when she gets an urgent call from her younger brother. She’d prefer to ignore his latest plea for cash, but this time instinct tells her something is very wrong. Andrea’s search for answers takes her to a dusty Texas border town where danger lurks in plain sight and nothing is quite what it seems. FBI agent Jon North is working undercover in west Texas investigating an unsolved murder that may be linked to a broader plot. But when the evidence points to Andrea’s brother, Jon finds…

Fresh Pick for Sunday, April 20th, 2014 is GUARDING HIS HEART by Cari Quinn #FreeForAllSunday Baseball season Samhain April 2014 On Sale: April 15, 2014 210 pages ISBN: 1619218798 EAN: 9781619218796 Kindle: B00HOFEHEE e-Book Add to Wish List Suspense Buy A Copy Amazon.com Kindle BN.com Powell’s Books Indiebound Guarding His Heart by Cari Quinn To protect her, he’ll have to cover the bases—first, second, third, and all the way home. Deuces Wild, Book 2 Cassidy Dixon isn’t about to let her overprotective big brother know she has a stalker problem. But when she turns to his bodyguard agency partner, former MLB player Jax Wilder, she realizes she’s made an even bigger mistake. Jax is even more overbearing, and soon he’s getting too close for comfort—as in panty-melting close. Heat is the last thing she needs in her under-siege ice cream shop—until hot tempers explode into the best angry sex of her life. For once, the last thing on Jax’s morning-after mind is escape. He’s wanted Chase’s little sister too long not to make a move when opportunity strikes. He knows the reasons why she lives a careful life, and he’s ready to be the man she needs. If only she’d…

When I started writing my first book WEIGHTING FOR MR. RIGHT, I never set out to write a series. One of my goals was nothing more than to fulfill my dream of being an actual published (fiction) writer. I wanted to walk into Barnes and Noble, pick up my book off the shelf, hold it up, and scream, “Yeah! I wrote this!” and have people applaud. (Or the manager would call the police and I’d be escorted out of the store.) Then, I realized that whatever I wrote could potentially cause change in someone’s life and it gave me pause, because I’d read a book that changed my life for the better. A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR What book? A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR by Jude Devereux. When I picked up that book for the first time in 1992, I really needed it. I sat in the middle of a horrible relationship and I’d hit rock bottom in my faith in humanity. Despite working two waiting table jobs and working up to seventeen hours a day, I sat up late for three nights to read this book. The character Douglas spoke to me. She was in the middle of her…

Fresh Pick for Saturday, April 19th, 2014 is JET by Jay Crownover #FreeForAllSaturday Jay Crownover rules! Marked Men #2 William Morrow June 2013 On Sale: May 28, 2013 400 pages ISBN: 0062302418 EAN: 9780062302410 Kindle: B00CGZXRRU Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List New Adult Buy A Copy Amazon.com Kindle BN.com Powell’s Books Indiebound Jet by Jay Crownover With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire. Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships. Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will…

I’ll be the first to admit a book set during the Salem witch trials doesn’t exactly scream romance. For that matter, the setting doesn’t even whimper romance—at least not at first glance. I mean, there were hangings and rotting jail cells and constant fear—not just of the evil that supposedly lurked among the people of Salem, but of being accused of so-called affliction and being sent to die. This fear was tangible. It lived and breathed among these people as if it were one of their own, and I admit my initial draw to Salem had a whole lot to do with its dark history. And I felt guilty. Separated by both time and distance, my interest in the Salem witch trials wasn’t purely for entertainment value, but I have to admit the cinematic appeal was there. The events themselves are so absurd that it’s hard to equate them with reality. How could something like this happen? It seems unfathomable, but history is sadly full of these atrocities. There’s no doubt they exist, but do they belong in romance? The answer is a resounding yes, and here’s why. When I began researching the Salem witch trials for my Sins of…

Fresh Pick for Friday, April 18th, 2014 is JEDIDIAH’S BRIDE by Rebecca Kertz #InspirationalFriday Brides of Lancaster County 2 Harlequin Love Inspired April 2014 On Sale: March 30, 2014 221 pages ISBN: 0373878842 EAN: 9780373878840 Kindle: B00GPDUTQ6 Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List Inspirational Fiction Amish, Inspirational Fiction Romance, Amish Buy A Copy Amazon.com Kindle BN.com Powell’s Books Indiebound Jedidiah’s Bride by Rebecca Kertz A Place of Their Own When handsome stranger Jedidiah Lapp saves her twin brothers’ lives, Sarah Mast offers him her heartfelt thanks. And a cherry pie! But she never expects to see him again. When they meet once more at Sunday services, Sarah begins to feel something special for him. Jedidiah is eager to know the blushing beauty, and asks permission to court her. Soon, he can see Sarah as part of his future. But her family is in Delaware, his in Pennsylvania. Dare he ask her to leave all she knows behind for him and build a life in Happiness, Pennsylvania? A simpler life and a love that enriches Previous Picks

I often think back fondly of my very first book-signing. I had just published a romantic suspense geared to the literary/library market. So the binding and packaging were top-notch—it would truly hold up to heavy wear-and-tear. And the cover photo was imbedded in the hardback cover, beneath the paper jacket. The only problem was the list price of $27.00 for an absolute “nobody” of a writer. I was so tickled with getting published that I scheduled a signing at my local independent bookstore. (Borders and Barnes and Noble kept asking: Who did you say you were?) This was an adorable shop in a valley surrounded by ski slopes and quaint art galleries. Unfortunately, it is now out-of-business. I send out dozens of publicity postcards to my family, friends, neighbors and business acquaintances. I paid for ads in my local newspapers and tried every avenue of free publicity I could find. The day of the event I wore my new dress and took extra time with hair and make-up. I brought a tray of cookies and fruit tarts from the nearby bakery. The store owner had a fire lit with a comfy armchair for me to greet my “fans.” And in…