I love Thanksgiving—the turkey and feast, the gathering of family, the big football game followed by an evening movie. But I also love it because it kicks off my favorite four weeks of the year. I’ve always loved the way sturdy brown, beige and orange gives way to the sparkle and shimmer of Christmas.
Most of you know I have a weakness for Christmas. I start Christmas shopping after Labor Day and love thinking about what would make the perfect gift for each member of my family. My kids and husband say I am terrible at receiving gifts—it’s true, I don’t know why—but I do love to give them.
Last June I flew to Seattle next to a stout older man with white hair and a beard and I thought that if Mac was with me, he wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off the man, convinced we were sitting next to Santa Claus. The old man looked like the real thing, and by the time the plane arrived in Seattle, I had a brand new story…but it wasn’t the one I’d planned on writing for Cormac Sheenan!
I was so conflicted. I didn’t want to listen to the idea, but once the premise took hold, it wouldn’t let me go. I thought about it all summer and then when I sat down to write, Kris Krinkles kept popping up, and taking over. It’s definitely a miracle story, though, as well as a riff on the very popular film, Miracle on 34th Street.
I wrestled writing A Christmas Miracle for Daisy. It was a fierce battle, but I was committed, and determined that Daisy, Cormac, and Whitney have the happy ending they deserved. A Christmas Miracle for Daisy releases today and I hope you’ll love Kris Krinkles, my kindly old Santa, as much as I do. He’s truly a delight and made me giggle as he put tough, non-believing Cormac Sheenan in his place, while regaling four-year-old Daisy with his most inventive stories.
A Christmas Miracle for Daisy has been released at $2.99 to give all my loyal readers a chance to scoop it up before it switches to $3.99 on November 30th. If you’re following my complicated, tough Sheenan brothers, you won’t want to miss Cormac’s story!
I’m celebrating the new book with a great giveaway and I’d love your help in spreading the word about my new release. For a chance to win, share my $2.99 Santa graphic on your social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google etc. – anywhere you like) and then come back and leave a comment below, letting me know where you’ve shared it. I’ll pick a winner on November 30th and you could win this fun holiday prize! (To share the graphic, right click on the Santa-with-finger-on-lips image and save it to your computer. Then share on your choice of social media.)
Have a wonderful week and much love to you. As ever, I am so very thankful to have you in my world. I wouldn’t be here, writing, without you!
I am so happy to have guest author Maggie Marrhere today.Maggie isn’t just a really cool author, and the President of the Los Angeles RWA Chapter, and an entertainment attorney, and the film agent for several of my projects, as well as the legal counsel for a fantastic little publishing company that is near and dear to my heart, (whew! that’s a lot isn’t it?), she is also someone I love to bits. I do. She makes me a bit teary because she is that cool.
Why am I a fan of Maggie? Because she’s strong and smart, passionate and loyal, and creative and real. The real thing is what pushes her to the top. She keeps it real even as she promotes opportunities for women, and sets the bar so high but then helps others get there. As you can see, I’m full on fan girl for her, and I’m thrilled she’s here and you get to meet her and learn about her new story releasing today, A Billionaire for Christmas.
Maggie, welcome to my JaneBlog!
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I love Christmas, but once upon a time, I didn’t. For a long while, Christmas came with a host of pressures. Which parent did I spend the holiday with? What gifts should I get my family? How did I get all those gifts purchased, wrapped, and delivered to all my friends and family in time for the holiday? For a loooong while, (that kind of felt like forever) Christmas lost its joy for me.
So what happened?
My love for Christmas returned with the arrival of my children. Seeing the excitement of Christmas through their eyes rekindled my lost love for the holiday. As I built my own family and home, we created our own traditions for the holiday. The creation of these traditions lit my spark for Christmas. Now, I find myself getting excited for the holiday sometimes as early as September. My excitement usually begins when our youngest mentions (usually around the end of summer) that Christmas is coming and they absolutely can not wait. For our family, Christmas has become the time of year when we build in extra time. Extra time for shopping and baking and cooking and decorating. We do all these things as a family. I try to cut back on deadlines and often the pressure of our day-to-day existences eases with no school. This time of year has become one of joy and happiness for me.
Yes, I love Christmas again. With this rediscovered love, one of the traditions that I’ve built into my life is releasing a Christmas book. My Christmas book this year is A Billionaire for Christmas, book 7 in my Eligible Billionaires Series. This is a long-lost love story. Shelly fled her home and her future when her brother died. Anthony’s heart froze when he lost Shelly. Now Shelly is home for Christmas and Shelly and Anthony must see if Christmas Magic can spark their romance.
A Billionaire for Christmas
Anthony Travati will no longer live in his brother’s shadow. Determined to start his own financial group and sever his ties to Travati Financial Anthony will stop at nothing to gain his independence. Shelly Bello spent five years trying to escape the memories of her past. Now she’s putting her life back in order and has come home to spend Christmas with her grandmother. Anthony and Shelly were the couple most likely to marry but a tragedy tore them apart. Can their never-ending love and Christmas magic overcome the tragedy in their past and reunite these long lost lovers?
A Billionaire for Christmas releases today and for a very limited time is only .99! From my family to yours have the most brilliant holiday season.
~
Thank you, Maggie, for being here today and talking about Christmas and your new release.
Readers, to celebrate Maggie being on my blog, I have a I Love Los Angelesgiveaway which includes a Los Angeles Starbucks mug, a Los Angeles Starbucks drink card, a signed copy of my Easy on the Eyes (you guessed it…set in LA!) and lots more fun reader swag. I will also send the winner an ebook of her choice from Maggie’s backlist so tell me if you’ve ever been to Los Angeles and where you like to visit if you do come to Southern California! Contest runs through Saturday with the winner announced on Sunday, Nov 22nd!
Happy November, everyone! I hope your Halloween was fun. I know I ate way too many mini & bite size sweets. I’m swearing off candy today but it’s okay as I have a wonderful treat in store for me…Karin Tabke’s IN A BAD WAY releases today and it’s just downloaded to my e-reader!
I wasn’t sure how many of you know Karin so I have asked her to join us today. I actually read Karin for years before I ever met her.
I was introduced to her as an author through my friends, Michelle and Tina, die-hard romance readers and promoters of romance, and when I had questions about about digital publishing two years ago, Karin spent an hour on the phone with me giving me her thoughts and advice. Karin isn’t just a talented writer, she’s a wonderful person, generous and supportive of all women, and I’m delighted to have her here today! Welcome, Karin!
Karin, please tell us a little bit about yourself that is not commonly known.
I used to raise boa constrictors and iguanas. My kids loved it.
What do you love most about being a writer?
The storytelling part and the meeting readers part.
How many books have you got under your belt now?
20 and climbing. What’s the journey been like since you became published? Amazing. Crazy. Challenging. I’m working harder now as a self-publishing author then I ever did as a New York published author. I love it. Does the thrill ever fade? No.
Why did you choose to write this book?
IN A BAD WAY is book four in my Bad Boys of the Bay series. Flynn showed up in BREAKING BAD book two. I knew the moment he showed up on the page I wanted to get to know him better. I also knew he needed an extra special lady. Isadora Fuentes is something else. What attracted you to this genre? I married a hot cop so it’s only natch that I write them. J
Please tell us about the premise of IN A BAD WAY.
IN A BAD WAY is the story of two fractured souls who just want to be left alone but find their attraction to each other impossible to ignore. They each have to go waaaay out of their comfort zones to make it work. But wanting to make it work isn’t always enough. Sometimes you have to strip down to the raw center, pour alcohol on it and let it burn before you finally understand that THAT pain’s got nothing on the pain of living without that one person who lights you up.
This is Izzy and Flynn’s love story. It will have you squirming in your seat, catching your breath, laughing out loud, sighing, getting angry, all while pushing you closer and closer to the edge of your seat. I dare you not to fall in love with these two the way I did.
So? What happens when Mr. Suit and Tie meets Ms. Wild Style? A chemical reaction that leaves them both IN A BAD WAY.
Special Agent Flynn Ryker meets his match when Wild Style, a sexy little stripper with a big secret, lands in his lap, literately.
Does your main character, Izzy, have any characteristics that are similar to your own?
She does. She’s pretty fierce when it comes to protecting the people she loves. She’s kind of a smart ass too with a big heart. I wish I were as brave as she is.
Tell us more about Flynn’s personality.What makes him tick?
Flynn is old school conservative. He comes from money, is hot as hell, and highly intelligent. Things have come easy to him until he meets a bodacious little stripper who turns his world inside out. He’s lived his life thinking he wanted one thing but discovers he wants the polar opposite. He spends much of the story fighting it. But in the end, there is nothing he can do to prevent hurricane Izzy from breaching his heart and wreaking havoc with it.
What’s your own favorite scene from the book?
Oh gosh, I had so many! I had so many laugh out loud moments as I wrote this story that I found myself smiling so much, my cheeks hurt. But it’s also a deeply emotional story. And sexy as hell.
What are you working on at the moment?
THE HARD WAY, Alex and Hunter’s story. At the end of IN A BAD WAY, Izzy’s sister Alex is still missing. In THE HARD WAY, we find out what happened to her.
How do you see the romance genre evolving in the next ten years?
I think we’re going to see darker more complex heroes and heroines as well as darker themed stories.
Based on everything you know today about the publishing industry and making it as a writer, is there anything you’d do differently if you had to do it all over again?
I would. I’d write slower, and I’d be more strategic.
What advice would you give aspiring writers today?
Learn. Your. Craft. Be. Patient.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
My gratitude. While I write because it’s my passion, it’s my readers that drive me to write better. I appreciate each and every one of them taking their hard earned dollars and spending it on my books.
www.karintabke.com
www.facebook.com/karin.tabke.harlow
www.Twitter.com/karintabke
Thank you, Karin, for chatting with me and I’m really excited about your new release. I do hope my readers check it out.
And readers, you know I love you, so there is a special giveaway celebrating Karin today. I am giving away the first 3 stories in Karin’s The Chronicles of Katrina Series: The Dare, Double Dose, and The Truth, plus fun reader swag and a $5 Starbucks drink card. This is the series I read that I fell in love with. Hot, sexy, interesting…loved it…and I think you will, too. Have you read Karin yet? Are you a fan? If so, let me know which is your fav Karin Tabke story, or tell me something interesting you learned about Karin in the feature! The contest runs through the 6th with the winner announced on November 7th. Have a great week!
I metCJ Carmichael in Victoria B.C. over 17 years ago and its been an incredible friendship. Not only do we try to meet once a year for a writing retreat with Barbara Dunlop, our fellow Singletree pal, but we also now do a Montana adventure every Spring/Summer to CJ’s charming cottage at Flathead Lake.
This past June it was just CJ and me for a week and we did a little bit of everything: wrote, shopped, brainstormed cover ideas for this year’s Montana Born books, attended a rodeo in Poulson, and spent a day in what must be God’s country–Glacier National Park.
I’m sharing a few pics from our visit to Glacier National Park below. When we left her cottage for the peak we had no idea that we’d soon be hiking in shorts in snow!
I think you can tell how much I love CJ. She’s my buddy, my mentor, my touchstone, and a huge part of my heart, which is why it gives me great pleasure to help celebrate her brand new Montana Born Christmas release, A Bramble House Christmas!
If you haven’t read her yet, do. CJ’s stories are warm and smart, packed with emotion and characters you will love. She writes the small town setting so very well and here’s her gorgeous Christmas story for 2015, and yes, this beautiful cover happened while we were in Montana last June! (Thank you, Lee Hyat, for your awesome design.)
Finn Knightly a.k.a. Finn Conrad wants to know why his recently deceased father left his nurse fifty thousand dollars after knowing her a mere six weeks. So he travels to Bramble House B&B in Marietta, Montana to find answers.
But Willa Knightly is not the conniving woman he expects to find. Before he knows it, Willa-and her six-year-old son Scout-are stealing his heart. And that’s before he finds out Scout’s secret and the real reason this Christmas is so important.
Start reading now! Here’s a link to the excerpt too. I have no doubt you’ll love this latest story in the Carrigans of the Circle C series. (I personally love how CJ’s Carrigans intersect with my Sheenans. It’s part of the magic of Marietta, Montana!)
As always, no new release celebration is complete without a special reader giveaway and I’ve put together a I Heart CJ Carmichael prize (the prize includes CJ’s anthology Let it Snow, my Taming of the Sheenan anthology, and a Calgary, Canada Starbucks mug). For a chance to win this tote packed with books and treats, leave a comment below, sharing with me what you like most about CJ’s Carrigans series (if you’ve read any of the books so far), or if you’ve read any of her other books. Contest ends on the 31st with winner announced on November 1st.
Recently I heard from a few of my readers who had trouble getting my newsletter so I thought I’d share my newsletter content here on my blog so no one misses out!
It’s almost that time of the year again when cute little ghouls and ghosts come out to play and though it’s still be a couple of weeks away, son Mac and I are already busy decorating and getting into the spirit of Halloween!
Later today Mac and I will be in the kitchen stirring up some easy ‘no-trick’ Halloween treats, but before I get back to my little ghoul, I wanted to remind you of another Holiday treat that’s still available to you at a great price.
Tule Publishing’s new Christmas Boxed Set, A Montana Born Christmas, featuring a set of eight heartwarming stories from some of today’s best New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling authors is now available to download for just $0.99! It includes my first Sheenan Christmas story, Christmas at Copper Mountain, along with seven other reader favorites from Tule authors. But you must take advantage of this special deal by the 27th of October as the price will climb just after that date to $2.99 so grab it now! It would make a great ‘treat’ for friends and family too so feel free to gift it someone!
A Montana Born Christmas is available at major e-retailers so be sure to treat your own kindle and buy it today! This special price will be gone in just one week!
Before I sign off I also want to share this fun Halloween recipe Mac and I will be trying out today. I hope you enjoy!
Mac’s No Trick Mummy Pops
Ingredients:
8 straws or lollipop sticks
11 oz. chocolate, melted
8 Nutter Butters, opened
1 cup buttercream frosting
Mini M&Ms, for decorating
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly dip straws or lollipop sticks into chocolate before topping on open Nutter Butter. Press cookie back together, then dip into melted chocolate until completely coated. (Allow excess chocolate to drip back into pan.)
Place dipped cookie onto prepared baking sheet to set, about 25 minutes (to speed up the process, transfer pops to the refrigerator for 10 minutes).
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a straight flat tip with buttercream and pipe from side to side. Lightly cover backside of eyes with frosting and press onto cookie pop. Set aside at least 1 hour to fully set.
Enjoy!
And as always, no blog would be complete without a treat, so in honor of Halloween, I have a sweet treat for one lucky winner! For a chance to win, leave a comment below and tell me what you love best about Halloween, or what Halloween treats are always a hit in your house. Contest ends on Monday with winner announced Tuesday. Happy Halloween!
It’s rodeo season and I’m all about cowboys right now (and always!). I’ve also been excited about Tule Publishing’s great lineup for the Montana Born Rodeo, especially Barbara Ankrum‘s latest, Choose Me, Cowboy. which wraps up the series for 2015. A story about forgiveness, second chances and healing, Choose Me, Cowboy is the perfect book if you’re looking for a heartwarming read.
I invited Barbara back to tell us more about her new release. Please help me welcome Barbara Ankrum!
First, thanks so much, Jane, for sharing space on your blog with me today!
I’m thrilled to be a part of the exciting Montana Born Rodeo series with my October book, Choose Me, Cowboy. If you read last summer’s A Fair to Remember, (starring Olivia Canaday and Jake Lassen) you’ll recognize the heroine of this one as the second of the three Canaday sisters, Kate.
It’s common knowledge that Kate Canaday has issues around dating. Her men all have expiration dates. All except one. Pro-Bull-rider Finn Scott, the man at the crux of her long-standing commitment issues, has always been Kate’s Kryptonite, the one she tried to forget but never could. Six years ago, he married someone else and broke her heart. Suffice it to say, it was complicated. Now a divorced, single dad, Finn’s recent move to Marietta with his five-year-old twins puts Kate directly in the path of his tangled-up life. She certainly doesn’t want a second go-round at a broken heart. But let’s face it, Kate and good dating decisions do not go hand in hand. So, deciding to help Finn win a custody battle with his ex might be the worst mistake she’s ever made. Or it could just be her best mistake yet.
Up in the treehouse, Kate rolled toward him and braced her head on her hand. But she said nothing, just stared through the darkness at him.
“What?” he asked.
“I used to love watching you ride. Well, technically, I was scared to death watching you ride. But you could ride those bulls like nobody’s business.”
A pleased smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I don’t think you should let anything keep you from doing the thing you love.”
He rolled a look up at the stars. “My kids have put a whole different spin on my priorities.”
She dropped her hand to the wooden floor between them and drew little circles in the dusty plank. “I know. I admire that about you. Mostly because I’m so not a grown up. At least, ask my family and they’ll tell you that. My many choices in men have been…well, let’s say flawed.”
He squinted at her in the dark, a funny look that made her ask, “What? Do you want to know how many?”
“How many what?”
“Men. How many men there have been?”
“No. I wasn’t going to ask that.”
“What were you going to ask?”
“I was wondering how they didn’t see in you what I do. How they let you go.”
Oh, no. No, no, no. Don’t say things like that to me.
He touched the diamond rings that dangled against her blouse.
She laughed and pulled the rings back. “I just have them there for safe-keeping. Don’t go getting any ideas.”
He rolled up on his elbow toward her now with a grin. “Like…what kind of ideas?”
“Like…like…that this means something.”
“Does it?”
She clutched the rings between her fingers like a nervous habit. “No.”
But even in the moonlight, under those stars, he could see the lie in her eyes. She could have kept them in a drawer, out of sight. But she hadn’t. They were nestled against her breasts, the precious metal warm from her skin.
Maybe the starlight was to blame, or the fact that they were up here in this treehouse when they should be doing the right thing. But he didn’t feel like doing the right thing. He didn’t feel like doing anything at the moment but what was wrong. She gasped as he slid his hand around her waist and pulled her close to him. “Maybe I don’t believe you,” he whispered against her mouth.
She swallowed thickly and flattened her palm against his chest. “You’re playing with fire.”
“Maybe I like it.” He tucked her against his hips, just so there’d be no mistaking just how hot that fire really was. A tremor of want went through her and her fingers curled into his shirt. “And maybe you do, too.”
“I don’t.”
“Prove it. I dare you.” His mouth hovered teasingly close, his lips barely brushing hers.
“Gawd,” she breathed against his mouth with a smile he could feel. “What’s the deal with everyone daring me lately?”
But then she kissed him, and it was no gentle thing. Her kiss was hungry and full of hot need. She opened to him, wanting his tongue, finding his with hers until they couldn’t get any closer. Until that kiss fused them together. He felt her arms tangle around his neck, restless and tugging him closer yet.
Damn, she tasted good. Red wine and sweet strawberries. And Kate.
An instant later she was on her back and he was on top of her, pushing his knee between her long legs and reveling in the soft press of her breasts against the hard plane of his chest. But he wanted—needed—her closer yet. He wanted inside her. Not just physically, but past that steely wall she’d closed around herself. He wanted all of her, not just the piece she’d agreed to loan him.
Barbara Ankrum is the bestselling author of fourteen books, including her latest contemporary romance, CHOOSE ME, COWBOY, from Tule Publishing. Her bestselling western historical series, ‘Wild Western Hearts’ and her new ‘Wild Western Rogues’ series are available on all e-book platforms. Barbara’s books have been twice nominated for RWA’s prestigious RITA Award. She’s the mom of two wonderful, grown children and she lives in Southern California with her sweet husband, two cats and her scruffy Toto-impersonator-walking-companion, Maggie.
So glad you stopped by to share with us today, Barbara! Readers, if you love the rodeo, be sure to grab your download of Choose Me, Cowboy soon. Barbara also has a treat for one of you lucky readers. For a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card, leave a comment below and tell Barbara where your most romantic kiss took place! Contest ends Tuesday with winner announced on Wednesday.
Sinclair Jayne is the pen name for one of my best friends. I met her nearly 17 years ago introduced by our husbands. Hers was my husband’s doctor and they suggested we talk to each other since we both wanted to be romance writers. We met, and became fast friends, and we would talk writing–as that was our dream–but we’d talk writing in between taking care of babies and husbands and prepping meals and doing errands.
The years passed and our dreams shifted and reshaped as the kids grew and our work tugged us in different directions but still, we remained fast friends. And then Sinclair moved from Bellevue, Washington to Oregon and I was at a loss. She’d been there through everything–including an IVF procedure–what would I do?
Years passed again and I went to California and then Tule brought us back together.
Sinclair’s version of our friendship is below, so there are two things to know about her: she is talented, loyal and extraordinary, and her debut book, is very special indeed!
Sinclair, welcome to my blog and my wonderful readers!
While writing and publishing my first book, Wrecked, this year with Tule Publishing has been a thrill and wish fulfillment of a childhood dream, what’s really hit home for me was how much my friendship with Jane Porter has shaped my adult life and my writing. We met through our husbands and clicked over our love of romance and challenges of trying to imagine and then write a sexy, romantic and emotional love scene in between diaper changes. I still remember listening to her problem solve a tricky happy-every-after-scene with an alpha hero who could barely apologize even when he was so wrong while I was trying to dodge spoonfuls of chocolate pudding flung by one of her sons (who’s now driving)!
Jane is one of the funniest, smartest and most driven women I know, and those qualities are reflected in her intense and engaging novels, the way she lives her life and her friendships. She has always been able to make me laugh, even when she made me cry, which was a lot when I first started writing because she could cut to the essence of a character, a scene, and the conflict with the precision of a neurosurgeon. She would adamantly tick off on her fingers what was wrong and what was missing in the scene I’d given to her to read over coffee at our neighborhood coffeeshop, but it was up to me to fix it, and because of that tough love (and I wanted to think she was at least sometimes wrong, but no such luck ever), I learned how to write. I actually started thinking GMC (goal, motivation, conflict) when people would tell me stories at parties. I now intone GMC and other Jane writing advice to my kids when I am proofing their papers, and not surprising, they are not appreciative. I was and am of Jane’s advice and one night over a lot of wine, I proclaimed my ever lasting loyalty, which turned out to be needed when she and her husband, Ty had fertility issues. He was often in Hawaii teaching at his surf school, but Jane needed daily hormone shots. Despite my needle terror, I said yes, and pressed down the plunger day after day, once even during a wine tasting party my husband and I were hosting.
When we lived close, we used to laugh about so much and many times during our rambling, excited, and imaginative conversations, Jane would take notes on napkins, tissues and scraps of paper during our conversations as inspiration for future characters and dialog so I always tried to be funny and clever even when I felt gloomy and crabby, which, in the Pacific Northwest, was often because I am still a So Cal girl at heart and every time I think of her writing in her beautiful home above the Pacific with all the doors and windows open so the breeze can bring in the fragrance of the ocean and flowers and the muse of inspiration, I am envious, but also grateful. I can visit. We can sit in the sand, dodging the sun, and talk about life and books and writing and the past and the future. You can’t pick your family, but you can pick your friends, and sometimes your friends can even pick your last name of your pseudonym.
Hollis Remington is slinking home to San Clemente, California. Needing to hide out at her grandmother’s beach cottage to lick the wounds from her latest professional failure, she’s stunned to find her ex lover and professional surf god, Kadan Carson, lounging in the only bed. Naked. Hollis can’t afford a hotel, and no way will she let her family or friends know she’s broke, but Kadan’s refusing to leave. He does, however, agree to share… Professional surfer Kadan Carson is recuperating after his third ankle and foot surgery, and while it’s highly possible his professional career may be over on the brink of his most lucrative corporate sponsorship deal, he’s determined to fight the inevitable effects of age, gravity, and injury on his body in private. No fans. No nurses. No distractions. Until Hollis shows up, who has always been one hell of a distraction. Six years after she walked out for the last time accusing him of infidelity, she’s still the one woman he hasn’t been able to exorcise from his heart, head or body. And he doesn’t really want to. There’s no way Hollis can forgive, but she also can’t forget. Kadan was and is her first and only love. Can she help him to heal without losing her heart again?
Thank you, Sinclair, for your time and for introducing us to a great surf god like Kadan! Love you, girl!! Readers, please help me get the word out about Sinclair’s new release, Wrecked. Be sure to download your copy soon and feel free to share your thoughts on Facebook and other reader websites too. I would love to bring Sinclair Jayne to the attention of other readers. And there’s more fun for you too! I’ve got an awesome I Heart Sinclair Jayne prize package that celebrates Sinclair’s and my Bellevue friendship for one lucky reader! For a chance to win, leave a comment here for Sinclair and you’ll automatically be entered to win. Contest ends Friday, with winner announced on Saturday.
I have been a fan of Charlene Sands a long, long time. As a closet Harlequin Desire reader, I never miss a Charlene Sands release, and so I was so thrilled to hear that Charlene had signed on with Tule to write one of the rodeo stories for this year’s Montana Born imprint. Charlene also happens to be the launch author with this year’s Copper Mountain series and her story is amazing and garnering many many 5 star reviews.
For my readers who know Charlene, you’re going to love her blog (and new book!). For those who don’t yet know her, so glad you’ve got the chance to meet her now!
Welcome, Charlene to my blog and my incredibly supportive readers!
In reality I would imagine the cowboy life wasn’t all too glamorous. They ate dust on the cattle trail, fought Mother Nature’s wrath in scorching heat and raging storms and gusty winds that swept the hats from their heads and blew grit in their eyes. They fell asleep at night, their exhaustion a blessing against the hard-packed ground that was their bed.
But there’s just something honorable, worthy and soulful about a cowboy that pulls at all my heartstrings and makes this New York born, California implant… bleed cowboy.
I know why that is. It’s easy for me to explain. Back in the days of my early childhood, my father, a wonderful ex-Army Sergeant, turned entrepreneur, had a gift for storytelling that entranced his two young daughters. And what were the stories about? Well, they weren’t about princesses or silly rhyming cats or female superheroes. No, these stories came directly from his own passion, the history of America. My dad, bless his soul, read four thick books a week and could tell you any detail you wanted to know about General Armstrong Custer, (his favorite subject) the American Revolution and our founding fathers, the Civil War, the plight of the American Indians and the American Cowboy.
As a young girl, I’d sit on my parent’s bed on Saturday mornings and implore my father to “Tell me a ‘tory.” Being the grand storyteller that he was, Dad would concoct a fascinating tale about the bad guys of the west and interject ME, as the Sheriff Who’d Saved the Day! I’d be Sheriff Charlene in the town of Cinnamon Toast Ridge and the tall tale would take on a life of its own. As we grew older, my father would entertain us with fascinating facts about history at the dinner table. And it wasn’t so much a lesson in history, but of life. As I look back on those times, I can only hold those treasured memories to my heart.
Of course, it was also the time of Bonanza and Gunsmoke and Rawhide. Like every young girl, I had a crush on the Ponderosa’s Little Joe. Small wonder that the first book I’d ever published from Kensington was about a down-on-his-luck rancher, titled Chance in a Million. And my very first Harlequin was a historical western titled Lily Gets Her Man. Since then I’ve written many modern day western series, including the bestselling, The Slades of Sunset Ranch and The Worths of Red Ridge.
My office is filled with western inspiration, from one-of-a-kind metal art horses that rise above my computer, to bookshelves filled with western facts and special art, mostly given to me by my dearest friends.
Claim Me, Cowboy, comes right from my heart. It’s a story about second chances and shows how love conquers all. Montana cowboys (of course) and the Copper Mountain Rodeo, babies and broken hearts in need of mending all play a part in this story. Tyler Warren is a man with a bitter past, who has come home to Summer Simmons Nichols, the girl who’d married his best friend. Prepare for secrets to be revealed and strong characters to emerge. Tyler is a man’s man. He’s the hero I’ve always wanted to write. And I’m so grateful to Jane Porter and Tule Publishing, for giving me this chance to write my story as I see fit.
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Charlene Sands is a USA Today bestselling author penning steamy and emotional contemporary romance and stories set in the American West. She’s been honored with the National Readers Choice Award, the Cataromance Reviewers’ Choice Award and the Booksellers Best Award. Her book, The Texas Renegade Returns was honored with Romantic Times Magazine’s Best Harlequin Desire of 2014.
Charlene knows a little something about romance. After daydreaming about the cute boy with the long blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes two lockers down from her in high school, to her amazement he asked her out on a date. And he’s been continually amazing her for the past thirty years.
When not writing, Charlene teaches childbirth and baby care in her community. Her perfect day includes reading, drinking iced mocha cappuccinos, walking the Pacific beaches with her hubby or dragging him to the latest romantic comedy movie.
It’s a real treat to have you as a guest, Charlene! Thanks so much for stopping by. Readers, to celebrate Charlene’s new release, Claim Me, Cowboy and the entire new Montana Born Rodeo series, we’ve got a special treat for you! Leave a comment below for Charlene and you’ll be entered to win this prize package – and it even includes one of Tule’s very popular handmade pottery mugs featuring the wonderful state of Montana (and Marietta is the little red star)! Contest ends Monday with winner announced on Tuesday. Good luck!
Four years ago today Ty and I married in Las Vegas. We wanted a celebration, and we wanted it to be fun. I hadn’t planned on ever marrying again and I’m a deeply spiritual person but being married by Elvis in a tacky little chapel seemed right.
Why?
Because it was Ty and me, combined, doing this–love, life, marriage–our way. We’d done everything backward to that point and so making our wedding uniquely us, felt right. It felt hopeful and fresh, making our commitment, new and strong.
In just minutes we’re taking off for the Dana Point Harbor to take a boat to Catalina for the night. It’s a quickie escape as we’ll be back by noon tomorrow, but we wanted a chance to do a little celebration of us, and our committment.
We make a point of celebrating little things and big things as often as we can. Why?
Marriage is hard.
Love is complicated.
But life wouldn’t be anything without love, and I cant imagine my life without my husband and three sons.
I’ve learned that we celebrate holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries because we don’t just want to celebrate, we need to celebrate. We crave reasons to get together and talk. We need to laugh, remember, and share. We need joy, and we need moments that cement us, and stablize, allowing us to put down deeper roots to hold us fast when the next storm hits.
So celebrate life and love. We should focus on the good as often as we can!
PS And to celebrate that love, I’ve got a fun giveaway for one of you. Comment below and winner announced Sunday! xoxox
I’ve been doing lots of interviews this summer in conjunction with the release if It’s You, and my attendance at various writers conferences and book festivals and thought I’d share some of the questions (and answers!) from the interviews. You might already know this stuff but a few of you might be new readers and find it interesting!
You’ve just had your 50th book published in June. What has changed in the 15 years since you sold your first book?
Besides the massive transformation of the publishing industry? I’ve changed. I’m a very different woman now than when I sold that first book back in 2000. I’m stronger, more confident, and more resilient, too. I’m also less interested in being out, ‘visible’, then I used to. When I first sold, I was so excited to be a published author, and I’m still very proud of my work, but I’m ready for my work to speak for itself. I don’t feel the same need to go everywhere and do everything.
Jane on the steps of the grand Old Courthouse in Decatur, GA for the Book Festival.
And yet you created Tule Publishing.
Tule wasn’t a calculated move. It certainly wasn’t intended to get as big as it did. It grew very quickly and I think it grew because there were writers who wanted and needed a place that valued their ideas, voices, and stories.
So how did Tule get started?
Three years ago I was firmly entrenched in ‘traditional publishing’ when I began to worry about my fellow author friends. It was late 2012/early 2013, and I became aware that I wasn’t the only author exhausted by the changes in the industry and bruised by the publishing rhetoric that sales were down ‘due to authors not writing good enough books’, or the right kind of books
Writers weren’t being told the truth. Writers didn’t create the problems in the industry—the economy did. When the 2008-2009 recession hit, it impacted all areas of the economy, resulting in one of the US’s biggest book chains closing, and the other downsizing. Print runs shrank. E-books were on the rise. Amazon was changing the nature of the game. The industry was shuddering and changing, but it wasn’t the author’s fault.
Frustrated that smart, creative, successful women were getting the short end of the stick, I reached out to my three of my closest author friends, CJ Carmichael, Lilian Darcy, and Megan Crane and asked them if they’d want to do a special project with me, something fun and creative that would allow us to work together and enjoy being smart, creative, successful women, and well….Tule Publishing was born.
Montana Born, Tule’s first imprint, launched Sept 2013 with the Copper Mountain Rodeo series with the Holiday imprint, headed by Kelly Hunter, launching in 2014. In the past two years Tule Publishing has expanded to four imprints, with the goal to continue publishing fantastic stories by gifted writers, and in so doing, delighting readers while satisfying authors’ desire for creativity, freedom, and commercial success.
That’s the how and why of Tule, but now, two years into it, I’ve stepped back, handing the day to day management over to the Tule team. I meet with the team weekly and get daily updates when big things are happening, but with three incredibly competent publishing professionals running the show, the team doesn’t need me getting in the way.
So essentially Tule Publishing was founded because you felt a need to support writers?
Because I love books, readers, and writers. I can’t imagine life without stories.
Jane with Sally Kilpatrick before the Romance Panel at the Decatur Book Festival in GA.
Let’s talk about books, then. What kind of stories did you love when you were a child?
Series. I really passionately loved connected books, stories about a little girl, or the girl and her family. My two favorite series when I was young was the Little House on the Prairie series about Laura Ingalls, and Louisa May Alcott’s series about the March family (Little Women, Little Men, Jo’s Boys, Under the Lilacs, etc). I loved that Jo, from Alcott’s Little Women, was a writer. Looking back, I think I was also loved inspired by Laura Ingalls who was also a writer. Being a writer definitely seemed to be the way to go!
Do you remember the first romance novel you read?
It was probably a Barbara Cartland romance. I would have been 13, and it was probably something like the The Impetuous Duchess. I was in heaven. Within months of reading everything I could find that Cartland had written, I stumbled across my first Mills & Boon romance while living in Europe with my family. It was sweet but had such emotional intensity and I was hooked forever. Now this is what I wanted to do.
How old were you when you know that you wanted to be a writer?
Young. Really young. I’ve always written stories. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t make up stories in my head. I wrote down my first story in Kindergarten and it was a short story about a Christmas Elf. I wrote my first picture book in second grade (my friend Laurie Johnson illustrated it for me) and my first young adult novel in fourth grade. Writing was my ‘gift’ and I took it seriously, from walking around with a notebook as a little girl, to spending recess sitting next to my classroom wall writing, to entering poetry and essay contests. I don’t know why, but writing is as natural as breathing for me. I have to do it. I want to do it. Not that it’s ever been easy for me. I actually find writing quite challenging…maybe that’s the attraction!
One of the beautiful rooms inside the Old Courthouse where the Romance Panel was hosted at the Decatur Book Festival
When did you first sit down and start to write? How long after that before you were published?
I got serious about being published in romance in college. I’d been published in national magazines while in high school, but started writing my first ‘adult’ romance the summer between high school and my freshman year at college, and continued working on that romance my first year at UCLA before submitting it to Mills & Boon as a sophomore. That story, Struck Out in Love, was rejected, along with many others. I finally got my first sale in January 2000. It took nearly 15 years to finally sell to Harlequin, and nearly 15 rejected books before I got I sold The Italian Groom to Harlequin Mills & Boon in London.
How hard was it to first get published?
Very hard. Very, very hard. 14-15 years. 14-15 rejected books. It took a toll on me. But it also made me resolute….I would succeed. I’d put so many years into it, and so much effort, that I simply couldn’t accept that I wouldn’t eventually make it.
What authors do you read and/or admire now that you’re an author (and publisher)?
When I read for pleasure, I love historical romance and paranormal, athough historical romance is definitely my ultimate comfort read. I love Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, Lorraine Heath, Joanna Bourne, Anne Gracie, Sarah Maclean…Eloisa James, Elizabeth Boyle, Tessa Dare, Vicky Dreiling, Grace Burrows…gosh, there are so many more, too.
Kresley Cole and JR Ward are two of my favorite paranormal authors, although I wouldn’t be a fan today if it weren’t for Christine Feehan. Her books gave me my love of paranormal.
I nearly always avoid contemporary romance since I write contemporary romance and don’t want other authors voices in my head. With that said, I am a massive Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Lisa Kleypas, Sarah Mayberry, Kelly Hunter and Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews fan, so I always read what they write. But my escapist reading will always remain the historicals…. nothing scary happens, nothing violent, either. It’s a beautiful, relatively safe world where the focus is on character!
You haven’t mentioned any women’s fiction authors or titles, and yet you write it….?
I think because I write it, I tend to avoid reading a lot of it. Also, some women’s fiction makes me sad, and I hate feeling sad when I read. I read to be lifted up…bouyed. I also read to escape. I experienced a lot of tragedy and grief as a teenager and young woman and what got me through were stories that weren’t too dark, but stories of romance, and hope and healing.
Your newest release, It’s You, is a story of love and loss….and considerable grief.
Yes. And my novel, The Good Wife had a lot of conflict and loss in it, too, which is why I’m having a hard think about my fiction career. Are my stories becoming too dark, or too depressing? Or are they simply becoming more complex? I don’t know. I do know that my muse goes into those darker corners when I write fiction and spends time in the shadows. It’s not always comfortable for me as a writer. The muse is an interesting thing. After 50 books, it’s begun to fight with me a bit. Maybe that’s why I enjoy writing romance more. It’s a different mindset and the writing is less torturous.
What is your next romance?
In November I’ll have out my 5th Taming of the Sheenan story, A Christmas Miracle for Daisy, out and then I’m also working on brainstorming and drafting my fiction novel, but its still in the very early pre-writing and rough writing stage so that one will probably be put on a back burner for a bit while I write another romance. I tend to procrastinate when it comes to my women’s fiction because sometimes the character’s intense thoughts and emotions are overwhelming.
If you weren’t a writer, would you still be teaching, running a not-for-profit or something else?
I would either be teaching, or working in the film industry, as I love making things, creating things, and working on projects that are collaborative in nature.
You have quite a big library.
I do. I love books. Old books, first edition, rare, interesting, non fiction history, memoirs, beautiful bindings of American literature, anything I find personally interesting…
I think you can tell I’m besotted with books. I’m nothing if not a book girl!
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I have a giveaway for you! One lucky winner gets to claim this great Atlanta inspired prize and all you have to do is leave a comment and you’ll be entered in the drawing! Contest ends on Monday with winner announced on Tuesday the 15th.
Mac’s No Trick Mummy Pops
