Book Covers of the 1950's

Harlequin had a lunch celebration at the RT Convention one day and when you walked into the room they had these beautiful book covers done up. These two represented what you might see on their books in the 1950's. Wow, have we come a long way, huh?

Book Signing at the RT Convention

Hubby tried to convince a few folks passing by that he was the author who wrote "IT'S ALL IN THE JEANS" & "WICKED DESIRE".



More pictures coming!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Confucius Says: Man who fight with Wife all day get no piece at night.

Woohoo!

My first review for THE COWBOY WAY! Read what Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews had to say about my latest torrid romance! And guess what...they gave it the Best Book Rating. Check it out.

I know! I know!

I'm late and I'm sorry. I've been so busy lately. I wanted to edit this picture and delete the one on the left but couldn't. Posted it anyway because I didn't want you to miss out on the hunk on the right:) And he is a hunk, eh ladies? If you have failing eyesight like me, click on the photo to make it bigger. It's definitely worth it!

RT Convention Chronicles

day five...

And the last day. On the way home last night I had car problems, which forced me to drop it off at the shop this morning. Hubby drove me to the convention. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay for the Mr. Romance competition because I had to pick my car up before the shop closed this evening. I did, however, get to do the book fair.

Wow! There were about 400 authors signing and probably just as many or more readers wandering around. We all sold books. It was nice when it was over as I'll be honest, I'm exhausted! But it was an exciting week and I soaked up a lot of information and ideas. And...was totally surprised at some of the things I heard.

All in all I spent a small fortune this week but it was a learning journey and one I'm glad I took. I promise to post pictures soon. I'm waiting for the link of the picture taken of me and the models. I have a picture but we were also promised a link in order to post on our websites. I saw Chris Winters, Mr. Romance 2008...what a hunk!

Can't wait to find out who won the coveted title of Mr. Romance 2009, tonight. Ya'll have a great Sunday.

Tootles!

RT Convention Chronicles

day four...

OMG...wait until I post the photo taken of me and the hunky models all trying out to be Mr. Romance 2009! I was so nervous. Don't know why. I guess being surrounded by all that muscle and sexiness. When I took up the seat provided for the shoot the model on the left of me asked me if was nervous and I replied yes. Next thing I knew he and the model to the right of me each took one of my hands and said, oh don't be nervous, there's no reason to be nervous. Then I felt a muscular arm slide around the back of my waist and all I could think of was the love handles in the way. Ever tried to suck in love handles?

After that, my mind went blank. They were all very sweet and gentlemanly. And the picture will provide me with enough heroes for a series, if I decide to write one.

The workshops I attended today were on writing thrillers and suspense. I also took the agents workshop. Harlequin was having a 60th celebration during lunch time and I took some cool pics there.

Tomorrow is my last day there. Then back to the real world and work on Sunday.

Bear Made out of Pine Needles

Amazing, isn't it? A country folk artist, short on funds, used a couple of hundred thousand pine needles to make this beautiful bear. The pine needles were gathered off the ground, sorted, washed, trimmed and hand woven. Took him 8 months to complete. The artist named the bear "Mountain Magic - A New Life"

RT Convention Chronicles

day two and three...

I was so tired by the time I got home last night, about 8:00 o'clock, that I didn't even get on the computer. Yesterday was a long day, starting with an RT mixer at 8:00 where everyone attending the convention met in a huge room for a light breakfast and drinks. The room was jam packed. And when the hunky models went up on stage I took some pictures. But, since I was at the very back of the room I'm not going to hold my breath that they will even come out.

The rest of the day was spent attending information sessions, where I met authors like Judith Knight, LA Banks, Roxanne St. Claire, Gennita Low, Joey Hill, A.C. Arthur, Kimberly Kaye Terry, to name a few. Kimberly and I were published together for the first time four years ago. She writes erotic multi-cultural romances.

The day ended with the ebook author autographing event, which was a lot of fun! I sold a few books. One reader, Linda, who invited me to sit at her table for lunch came by and bought two. I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised at how many readers I'm running into. And some of them attend the RT Convention every year!

The models were making their rounds during the book signing, too. When they came by our table we, the girls on either side of me, got their autographed pictures. Talk about some hunky men! And they were all very sweet. Stopping by and talking to us as if they had all the time in the world.

Day three ended a little earlier than yesterday. I attended three workshops. One run by author Robyn Carr on how to set up for a series. The last one of the day was really enlightening about e-book and e-marketing myths. It was truly educational and makes me like the e-book industry all the more.

Tomorrow is going to be another long, long day.

RT Convention Cronicles

day one...

Today was the day to set up our tables at promotion lane. There were some pre-convention workshops but I believe those were for aspiring authors. I didn't attend any. I did get the chance to meet Jo Carol with Romantic Times Magazine. Nice lady. I met a couple other authors and I think a groupie. Do book conventions have groupies?

She was a very sweet lady and told me this was her 5th RT Convention. An aspiring author, she admitted she was there strictly for the models. LOL She said they would be wandering around the resort all week long. Even showed me some pictures taken of her with some of them. Handsome hunks! Lucky girl:)

I didn't see any of the models she was talking about. Though, I wouldn't know one if he walked right up to me. They look pretty different in, ah, clothes. Ever noticed that?

Once 11:00 came I proceeded to pick my spot for my promo stuff. It helped that the tables were already sectioned off so you didn't get a bigger spot than the next author. Promotion lane is set up in the hallways of the convention center, rows of tables that by tomorrow morning, will be loaded with beautiful book marks, post cards, pens and much more.

I hope to make lots of new friends this week. I've crammed my days full with work shops to hone my writing skills and of course the two book signings. One on Wed 4:30-6:30 and Sat 11:00-2:00. Hope to see some of you there, too.

Tootles!

Happy 50th Birthday Barbie

...bout time something like this happened to her:)

THEIR FIRST MEETING

THE COWBOY WAY...

Lacey probably would have stood there for as long as it took if it hadn’t been for the man walking out of the cattle barn a short distance away. An impossibly tall, well-built man with the most piercing silver eyes she’d ever seen, set in a face that seemed carved from stone. He had the look of an experienced cowboy, from the top of his sweat-stained cowboy hat right down to his old leather boots. The leather chaps he was wearing over his jeans emphasized a certain part of his anatomy that didn’t appear to be lacking in size or length.

She tried to swallow, caught totally off-guard by the animal magnetism he exuded. He looked like a cowboy straight out of the 1800s, only twice as sexy. Was this her surprise? Who was he and when had he started working for her dad?

Lacey’s first instinct was to take her hands off her hips, aware her stance could be considered provocative to any man other than her father. She met the man’s gaze before his cool, slate-gray eyes dropped to take her in from head to foot to head again. Much in the same way she’d been ogling him. To her mortification, having his eyes on her produced an unexpected result. It suddenly felt like there was fire replacing the blood in her veins, and she felt her nipples become taut and tingle with intense awareness.

She had to remind herself to breathe.

Before she had a chance to see if he liked what he saw, she turned quickly and started up the stairs.

Okay, he's kind of sexy...

don't ya think?

Florida Road Sign

I lost my toe ring:(

Go ahead and laugh. Yes, I, a fifty-three year old grandmother had a toe ring. My niece bought it for me a few years ago and I never took it off. Not even when I went in for my monthly pedicures. Then, tragedy struck. I went in for my pedicure and it was gone!

I searched everywhere for it. The shoes I wear to work. My socks. The bag I use to carry my shoes home after taking them off for something more comfortable. I have no idea how it came off without my knowing it. I mean, it hugged my toe. And I distinctly remember that I had it on that morning because, oddly enough, it was hurting my toe.

Oh well, I know there's more troublesome things in the world right now but I liked that toe ring. Mostly because my niece bought it for me. Now my toe is nekked.

Any of you have one?

Badcock and More

This was the advertisement on the back of a pickup truck in front of me today. I chuckled, even while knowing it's the name of a furniture store down the street. And a company that's been around since I can remember.

You were expecting something naughty? Or perhaps...dirty? I have to confess that was the first thing in my head before remembering the store. Badcock and more? Like, ah, badcock and man woman breasts?

I mean, come on, what would you have thought in today's freedom of speech world? Express yourself! And you know what's really funny? I just did spell check and Badcock came up as a misspelled word. The suggestion? Bad cock...LOL

I never thought I'd see that word in spellcheck!

Vacation Here I Come!

Yippie! Two more days of work and I have a week off. And it's a good thing I'll be busy attending the RT Convention next week because my hubby is driving... me... crazy!

He's the most intelligent person I know and there isn't much he can't do, but this computer thing seems to be beyond his scope of understanding. I think a lot of it has to do with his advanced age. He's trying so hard, going to computer classes and everything, but he doesn't have the patience for it. And...he's like the kid who says, "why?" all the time. He wants to know everything and he wants to know it yesterday.

I don't mind helping him but I honestly think this is one of those things he's just not going to get. And I do get tired of jumping up out of my chair after the 7th or 8th time in half an hour. But, knowing him, he won't give it up.

Unfortunately, I might lose my mind in the process. Ahhh...the things one does for love:)

OUT TODAY!!!

Whiskey Creek Press Torrid

THE COWBOY WAY

COMES OUT TODAY...THE 15TH!
PRINT AND EBOOK AT: WHISKEY CREEK PRESS TORRID.

If you like cowboys, if you like suspense and romance...then pick up your copy today!

Feel Like You're Lost?

Well, you're not. Most of you probably know Tory Richards is my alter ego. Well, since I've decided I'll probably be writing more under her name I decided to have a new website and blog designed for her. What do you think?

Check out my new Tory Richards website, too!

Happy Easter!

The Good Ole Days

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN...?

• All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?


• It took five minutes for the TV warm up...and every father was a home TV "technician"????


• Nearly every one's Mom was at home when the kids got home from school?


• Nobody owned a purebred dog?


• When a quarter was a decent allowance?


• You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?


• Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces?


• All your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done every day and wore high heels?


• You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free, every time?


• And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?


• Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box?


• It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents?


• They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed. . ...and they did?


• When a 55 Chevy was every one's dream car...to cruise, peel out, lay rubber or watch submarine races, and people went steady?


• No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never locked?


• Lying on your back in the grass with your friends and saying things like, "That cloud looks like a ."and playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game?


• Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger?
  

And with all our progress, don't you just wish, just once, you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace, and share it with the children of today? When being sent to the Principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the student at home? Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.

Gee...I remember all of this! And they were the good ole days. When times were simple and families did things together. Things like eating dinner at the dining room table and going out for ice cream. Shoot, I recall my mom making homemade ice cream! I remember going to a drive in movie with them, and to the beach for a picnic. Does anyone go on picnics anymore?

The world has certainly changed since I was a kid. I think about my granddaughter and worry about what the world will be like for her as she grows and begins to step out into it without the protection of her family. Even kindergarten can be a dangerous place these days.

You can't stop progress, or change for that matter. And I wouldn't want to because some of it's for the better. Some day when our kids and grand kids look back, these will be the good ole days:)

What One Reader Had to Say

A reader recently emailed me after reading one of my books and her review thrilled and delighted me. I asked if she would mind if I posted what she said and here it is...

I don't know what to say but WOW. I just finished reading "Cupid's Arrow"and what a thrill. You had me laughing, crying, and couldn't wait to turn the next page. The way Mike and Emma would banter back and forth had me in stitches at times. When Mike walked away from Emma was the part I was crying in. I'm so glad I have had the opportunity to read your work. Thank you for a wonderful book. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Warmest Regards,
Roberta H

Thank you Roberta! You made my day:)

Wow...

...will you look at the size of this tree!

Hey my friends, check out who's featured author over at Diana Kay Publishing!

I Drank a Beer!

LOL...I did something last night I rarely do. I had a beer. I was so tired when I got home from work that hubby took me out to dinner so I wouldn't have to cook. When I got home I showered, changed and drank the one beer left in the fridge. I'll admit that about halfway through I fell asleep. But when I woke up I finished it and then went to bed. Didn't know anything from 8:00-4:30! What a sleep I had. And I needed it.

Maybe I should do that more often. Beats a sleepless night. I have a very low tolerance for alcohol and usually get very relaxed and kind of dopey when drinking. One is my limit...if I can finish it:)

Yum! Yum!

I like a man with a little chest hair. Seems more natural. Now, I'm not saying I'd turn down those hard smooth chests I've been posting on Mondays...I'm not crazy! LOL

Bored Graphic Artists

Hey everyone, check out the big Blaze of Beauty contest going on! Lots of prizes offered and one of them is from yours truly:)