I also pulled into the design the aspects of Native American research from my writing which I’ve adopted into my own life.  The number four is an important number in many NA cultures as well as the number 7 which I also have plans to use.  Then there are circles.  I have an outside circle 26 feet of hedge.  Inside that, is another circle–a pathway to walk around.  Inside that there is yet another circle.  This circle is split into 4 areas with paths (4 of them) leading to a smaller circle in the center which will be close to a grassy knoll.  And yes, there is yet another much smaller circle inside that where we’ll have a small fire pit to enjoy in the evenings and maybe roast marshmellows!

Circles have so many meanings.  Life travels in a circle such as the seasons from birth of Spring to death in Winter to life reborn once again in spring.  Our lives travel in circles, meeting and merging then separating and one of my favorite that I live by:  What goes around, comes around.

I should also mention that around my garden area, my husband will have his vegetable garden.

Okay, so how does this tie in with writing?  Aside from being a wonderful place to take my laptop and write (when done of course), it made me think of my characters in my newly re-released books (White Wolf, White NIghts, White Flame, White Dreams).  

First, in the mid 1800′s, growing your own food was part of survival.  Jessie and her brothers (White Wolf) would most certainly have grown some of their own food.  They lived by the goodwill of the land.  And on the Oregon Train, Jessie, Wolf, along with James and Eirika (White Nights) ate what they could find along the trail.    Unlike Native Americans though, living with the land, on the land and surviving their trek across the land was new to many if not most of the travelers looking to start anew in Oregon.  Those who understood the land and nature, the good, bad and ugly were the ones to survive and/or lead others on their westward trek.

The Lakota Sioux on the other hand were very well versed in survival.  Unlike many other tribes and cultures, the Sioux didn’t “garden” for their food but instead harvested what Mother Earth provided.  They understood the seasons, the circle of life.  And even though they didn’t ‘work’ the land, they honored and respected and took care of the land–their mother.   After Emma arrives in the village of Striking Thunder (White Flame), she learns to love and respect not only The People, but the land which provides for them.  Raised in a city, living outdoors at the whim and mercy of nature is an eye opener.

In White Dreams, Star Dreamer leaves the land she’s known all her life for the city, turning her back on all that she’s ever known.  But even in a city, she realizes that nature and all that she holds dear is close at hand.

In our past, we depended on the land for the animals raised, crops and food grown and also for travel–those who left their homes and bravely set out without knowing what was in store for them.  Today, we don’t notice the land in the same way–we drive on asphalt, see buildings, houses and shopping malls instead of crops (most places) and gardens.  We don’t barter what we grow for what someone else grows.  If the weather turns bad and ruins crops, prices might go higher but we are not truly affected.  Our ancestors went hungry or went without money if their crops were destroyed.

Having a garden isn’t part of our survival now.  We go to the local supermarket for our fruit and vegetables.  We want flowers?  Again, supermarket or other store-bought sources.  We travel and pay money to view gardens or go on the  internet or buy books.  It’s a fact of life.  But it’s also sad.

There is nothing so rewarding or even calming than digging in the dirt, letting the life-giving dirt fall between your fingers.  The feel, the smell, the connection is still there I believe but life is so busy, even crazy, that we forget to just stop and smell the flowers or touch the leaves, or admire the textures of Mother Earth.  Our yards if we are lucky to have a yard are planted to be “care-free” and sometimes planted with conforming to the neighborhoods instead of our own hearts.

Tomorrow, a 40 odd square foot of my backyard goes under the blades of a rototiller and then my journey of getting down and dirty begins.  And as I spend time with Mother Earth, I’ll think often of my ancestors who didn’t ‘garden’ for a hobby but depended on what bounty they grew for their survival.

So let’s hear from you.  If you could have any type of garden (food, herb, English Country, formal, etc.) what would you choose and why?   What would you plant?  And what would a garden of your choosing represent to you.   Do you think that working in the soil means anything to people in this day and age?  Does it meet some kind of instinctual, emotional, or ingrained need inside us or have we as a race (those who don’t grow food commercially) gone beyond the need of connecting with our Earth Mother.   And of course, any other comments are welcome.

Happy Reading (and Gardening).  Check out my website in a week or so to see progress of my Medicine Wheel Garden.  Also, news of a new contest coming soon

Susan Edwards

Coming April 2012

White Dove, White Deception, White Vengeance & Summer of the Eagle

http://susanedwards.com

http://susanedwardsauthor.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/susan_edwards

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Edwards/40226247104

As a romantic suspense writer, celebrating love on the feast of the killing of a saint piques my interest.

So how, in all that is cut-out hearts and candy, did we come to observe this day the world over as a day of celebrating love and romance?

Blame Chaucer.

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem “Parlement of Foules” to honour the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II to Anne of Bohemia. Very loosely translated, (though it was written in English, we’re talking really Old English), he states…”on this Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird chooses his mate.”

Sidebar: King Richard II’s parents were first cousins, he is believed to have suffered from personality disorder/s, and when his wife passed away, their marriage was childless. Fascinating stuff.

Poets of the time also adopted Chaucer’s romanticizing of Saint Valentine’s Day, and – considering there was no Twitter, Facebook, email or internet in the 1400’s – the concept took off. Poetry and love letters, signs of affection, or “symbols of my deepest, abiding regard” were delivered to chosen mates.

So, how do we celebrate Valentine’s Day today?

Very expensively.

• Can you believe it’s estimated that over $14 billion dollars is spent per year for Valentine’s Day?
• The first box of chocolates specifically targeted to Valentine’s Day was created by some guy called Richard Cadbury, in 1868 – yes! That Cadbury!
• Men are the largest purchasers of flowers (73%) – which kind of makes sense, as most men I know would prefer to receive a bouquet of international beer versus a lovely bunch of red roses…
• Valentine’s Day is the second busiest card-exchanging day of the year, and women are the biggest sector of buyers (85%).
• The Valentine’s Day industry is a serious business, and there can be serious repercussions. On average, 11,000 children are conceived on Valentine’s Day (I can attest to this!), and 53% of women would end their relationship if they don’t receive anything on Valentine’s Day (Really? REALLY?)

We celebrate Valentine’s Day in a very low key fashion in my home. There are no commercial gifts, but we do make it special. A special meal – either home-cooked or ordered in, candles, the good set of cutlery and crockery… and three children who argue over who is going to blow out the candles AS SOON AS THIS IS OVER! Totally romantic, but we all have fun.

My ultimate date would involve a) no kids, b) an intimate time with my partner. Maybe in front of a roaring log fire with a fine bottle of red wine. Maybe lounging on a deck watching waves roll in with a chilled bottle of white wine. Maybe dinner in a restaurant that actually believes mood lighting shouldn’t come in flouro.  Or a casual couple of hours in a pub with good live music in the background. But no matter the scenery or the activity, the one constant is sharing time and conversation with my partner.

What is your ultimate Valentine’s Day date?

Leave a comment and you can go into the draw to win a pair of sterling silver and amethyst cubic zirconia earrings! Winner will be announced on 17th February.

Now, for those of you too young, too sheltered or just plain uninterested (what the…?!) Star Wars not only launched the career of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher (let’s not mention poor Mark Hamill, who nonetheless did pretty well as a cameo Simpsons character), but also the cinematic genius of George Lucas.

I am a purist – don’t care too much for the prequels (even though I queued for hours for The Phantom Menace tickets for its first Australian midnight screening), absolutely LOVE the original three (in order: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi). It includes the best and biggest themes of popular storytelling – action, humour, romance, a hero, an evil villain, an anti-hero (played by Harrison Ford at his yummiest. ). And lightsabers.

Princess Leia was the first time I’d seen a take-charge heroine on the big screen.  Before Buffy was even a twinkle in Joss Whedon’s eye,  Leia was shooting at storm troopers, blasting holes in the Death Star and giving sass to bounty hunters.  She was gorgeous, feisty and got things done. AND she was a princess!

Star Wars also gave rise to one of the most recognisable theme songs ever, two most-often repeated lines in cinema (“looks like we’ve got company” and “I got a bad feeling about this.”), fan fiction, parodies and decades of pop culture references (including “may the Force be with you” and “I am your father”.)  It spawned a very lucrative merchandising offshoot (books, action figures, apparel and the most brilliant Lego sets EVER). The original trilogy have been listed in stacks of ‘best movies ever’ lists and the special effects were years ahead of their time. Not to mention Princess Leia in her metal slave bikini that launched heaven knows how many boy’s fantasies!

After Star Wars was released in 1977, I had to wait three more years for The Empire Strikes Back in 1980.  But hey, it was worth the wait because it had more sexy Han Solo, plus a charming Lando Calrissian, played by a devilishly charming Billy Dee Williams.  Empire also was my first encounter with the cliff hanger (poor Han trapped in carbonite) and I had to wait ANOTHER THREE YEARS to see Return of the Jedi  in 1983! (I will never forgive you for that,  George Lucas.  Also, Jar Jar Binks).  Of course, at that time I was fourteen, full of rampant teenage girl hormones, so of course  I had a serious lust for Han Solo.  EVERYONE had a lust for Han Solo, who is pretty much the ultimate bad boy: “Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution, and I’m not in it for you, Princess. I expect to be well paid.”  (You can see more of  Han Solo’s awesome quotes here.)   Pretty sure I’m not spoiling anything by telling you Leia and Han fall for each other   My heart still goes pitty-pat even now, watching that gorgeous romantic scene between him and Leia when he tells her “there aren’t enough scoundrels in your life.” ::sigh:::

So just in case your Star Wars trivia is lacking, here’s a list of my best:

• George Lucas nearly didn’t get the funding to make the first movie, even after his success with American Graffiti.
• He held onto the merchandising rights, instead of giving them to the studio (because the studio believed it’d flop anyway).  Huh.  Wish I’d kept that cinema promo booklet instead of cutting it up for a school project – would be worth hundreds today
• When they were filming Return of the Jedi, it was code named “Blue Harvest” so they didn’t have rabid fans invading the set on location. They even had Blue Harvest promo caps and t-shirts made.  And yes, that’s the title of the Family Guy parody.
• The scenes on the desert planet Tatooine were actually filmed in Tunisia
• The Return of the Jedi was originally called “Revenge of the Jedi”, and there were even promo stickers and letterhead made (which are now worth lots of money). But George Lucas thought ‘revenge’ did not accurately reflect the Jedi way, so he changed it
• People actually list “Jedi” as their religion preference on census forms

So now it’s your turn. Did you see Star Wars at the cinema? What’s your most memorable scene? Or have you not witnessed the glory yet? (in which case, what are you doing reading this blog??  Go and rent them!  You can also read all about the phenomena and more trivia on Wikipedia)

When Paula’s not obsessing about Star Wars (and building the most awesome Lego sets to go with it), she writes books.  Her latest, Bed of Lies,  is out in the States this month, also available on e-book.  Check her website for details.

I grew up in a house full of science fiction, history, and other books, and when I ran out of things to read, I inevitably started writing my own stories. I got married at 19 to my high school sweetheart, was then widowed quite young, now have two grown daughters, a very energetic 9 year old grandson and cats. I’m always reading, writing or on twitter (except when I’m at the day job or on the freeways!). I’m very happy to be here today, thanks for inviting me!

What made you want to write THIS story?

I enjoy the Egyptian setting and there was a challenge involved in taking a character like the Crocodile God through an emotional arc. He’s been around since the universe was created yet never felt true love, doesn’t really relate to humans until he meets the right woman! Which puts his immortal heart in serious jeopardy of being shattered…

Tell us about your hero – why is he so special?

Sobek is always depicted by the Egyptians as either crocodile or half man/half crocodile. Some legends say he created the universe from chaos but then other gods came along, like Isis, and he took a back seat. He stoically continued his duties tending to the Nile, keeping it flowing smoothly and flooding on schedule. As a writer, I found him and his backstory intriguing. Looking at a painting of him one day, I realized he was a shifter, to use our paranormal terminology. If the half man/half crocodile form was a partial shift, obviously he could shift all the way and take human form if he wanted to. The ancient Egyptians just never saw him do it! But since I now knew the truth, I could write his story. And most importantly for a paranormal romance writer, he could fall in love with the right human woman.

And your heroine; why is she so well-suited to your hero – or not?

What kind of woman would appeal to a Crocodile God in his human form, would cause him to fall in love for the first time ever? Crocodiles are very sensitive to sound, so I felt that Merys’s beautiful singing would be what first attracts him, sight unseen, as well as the fact she enjoys singing the traditional songs he hasn’t heard in a long time. Merys is descended from a long line of priestesses, so she’s not afraid of him. She continues to do her best to keep the abandoned temple in some kind of order, which he appreciates, having been pushed aside by newer gods. Then as he gets to know her, he starts to understand the feelings of a human heart…

What draws you to writing historicals?

I don’t give myself credit for writing a historical novel as such. I do the research but then I shape my version of Egypt 3000 years ago to work with my paranormal tendencies. Once I decided to involve the gods and to create my own pharaoh, I went into a slightly alternate universe. I gave myself permission to tell the fast paced stories in my head, try to be as true to the actual time as I could be but no claims to 100% historical accuracy here!

Ancient Egypt is such an interesting time period – what made you choose that as a setting?

I’ve always been intrigued by ancient civilizations, how we try to piece together the puzzle of their history from broken monuments, tombs and fragments. The Egyptians were so focused on the aspects of the afterlife, yet you can see from the tomb paintings and household items how much like us they were as well. It’s fascinating to contemplate living in another time and place, and the adventures you – or your characters – could have. Did you turn up a detail in your research that really surprised you? I was amazed to find out how much the Egyptians respected the Crocodile God, hand raising large groups of crocodiles at certain temples, feeding them choice tidbits, adorning them with jewelry for the big festivals, even mummifying them. I knew about the Egyptians’ love for cats but had never heard of the crocodiles receiving similar treatment.

What books/characters did you like to read, growing up, and how have they inspired you in writing this story?

Two books in particular stand out for me, as far as Egypt – Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw and Shadow Hawk by Andre Norton. Both told exciting stories against the rich background of history and left me wondering what happened to the characters next. I loved historical fiction, science fiction – anything that transported me to another time and place and had the elements for adventure!

What are you working on next?

I’ve got more stories in this connected series in various stages of editing and submission. I love Ancient Egypt and the ideas keep flowing. I just finished book #3, tentatively titled “Dancer of the Nile” and sent it to my Critique Partner.

Veronica’s novel, Priestess of the Nile, can be found at Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all good e-tailer sites.

If you want to catch up with Veronica online, here is where you can find her:

http://veronicascott.wordpress.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/vscotttheauthor

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Veronica-Scott/177217415659637

One topic the four men in the group had most trouble with was: How do Characters Fall in Love? We had previously covered Characterisation, in which I stressed that a reader must care about your characters, and this would come about because they liked them and related to them. I explained the various aspects of falling in love such as initial attraction, chemistry, emotional connection, mental connection, liking each other, caring, respect, growth, and we discussed what attracted one person to another. I then gave them the following exercise on showing attraction and character traits (keeping in mind that the probability was that these two characters would fall in love):

When Lisa finds her old childhood friend, Jane, pregnant and homeless, she immediately invites her to stay. Jane says her ex-boss, Dan, is the father of her baby, but won’t tell him as it was only a one-night stand.
Lisa is furious that Jane has been left destitute. She has always been very protective of the younger woman whose abusive father often caused her to take refuge with Lisa’s parents.
Without Jane’s knowledge, Lisa confronts Dan. His initial obvious attraction to her is soon squashed when he thinks she is out to blackmail him about Jane’s baby, and he denies having slept with Jane.

Write this scene, subtly showing Dan’s attraction to Lisa and the attraction Lisa feels for him, but which she denies to herself.
Keep in mind that although Dan is angry, he cannot be seen to be callous or arrogant.

When it came time for them to read out what they’d written, I was astounded that the four male writers had written Dan as obnoxious, arrogant, uncaring, and every other negative description I could think of. All of them had Dan thinking that Lisa was a “bitch”, something that went against the character profile a reader would expect of a hero.

The women, on the other hand, had created a character more in line with the brief given in the exercise, but with only one suggesting that Jane might have been lying about Dan being the father.

After much discussion, in which the men realised they had completely missed the purpose of the exercise, I suggested that because they were decent, honourable men, it was obvious that they had instantly been protective of destitute, pregnant Jane, and therefore assumed she was telling the truth and Dan was to blame.

It was interesting to see this difference in the viewpoints of the male and female writers. Having grown up with four brothers, and as the mother of two sons, I was well aware of how male thought processes differ from females’, but it made me wonder if writers realise that they have to discard their own personality traits and inhabit the persona of their character.

It’s the ability to ‘become’ your character that enables a writer to create characters that live in a reader’s mind long after the last page.

This came home to me forcibly when I was writing my first romantic suspense, Dance with the Devil. In one scene, the villain goes to cut out the tongue of the young man he has just knocked unconscious. I was so “in” the minds of both these characters that I couldn’t stand the stress of this scene and had to stop writing it for a couple of hours. I also left the scene at that point and didn’t describe whether the villain continued with this deed or not because I believe readers have wonderful imaginations and I didn’t need to overwhelm them with details. It’s a spoiler, I know, but I have to let you know that the villain changed his mind, but I won’t tell you why!

One reader told me that she was so affected by that scene that she couldn’t read the book for the next three days, but then she started again because she wanted to know what happened to the characters.

In my latest novel, Fatal Flaw, my two main characters, Mark and Julie, have been friends since childhood, but thirteen years apart has changed them in ways that create problems for their developing romance. Although they now realise that they have always loved each other, they have to find out if the people they are now are still worthy of that love. So that provided a different challenge to writing the “getting to know you” phase of a relationship.

Whatever the circumstances of a developing romance are, if the writer hasn’t succeeded in making the reader care about her characters enough that she wants their love to win out in the end, she (or he) might as well be writing a grocery list.

Sandy is the author of six romantic suspense novels, the latest of which, Fatal Flaw, is published by Clan Destine Press. All her novels, including Romantic Book of the Year finalists Dance with the Devil and Until Death, are available as ebooks from Amazon and Clan Destine Press. You can find out more about Sandy’s books at http://sandycurtis.com/blog/

She hates them. Doesn’t think they are necessary in romance novels if you’ve done a good job during the actual story of convincing the readers that the hero and heroine are meant to be together.

But I have a confession to make… I LOVE THEM!

I was one of the sad romantic fans who loved that J.K.Rowling wrote an epilogue in the final Harry Potter book. I loved that she rounded off the happy ending, especially because it was the romance thread of the series.

In ONE PERFECT NIGHT (Carina Press), I wrote an epilogue. It shows the hero and heroine one year (exactly) into their relationship – how things have changed and how their love has been consolidated. A friend of mine recently read the book and she said she was SO glad that I’d written an epilogue because she’s sick of reading romances that end abruptly at the resolution.

In my upcoming June release JILTED (Mira, Australia), there isn’t an epilogue. I wrote one but after a CP said it wasn’t necessary, I cut it. In this book, I think she was right.

In the novel I’ve just subbed to Carina Press (working title: HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK), there isn’t an epilogue either, but I’m wondering if maybe there should be.

So I guess what I’m saying is I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules when it comes to writing and reading epilogues. Like many things in life, it really comes down to the individual (in this case book). Some books work well with epilogues and some don’t.

I’d like to leave you with an extract from the epilogue of ONE PERFECT NIGHT. Also, I’d love to hear in the comments section about your thoughts on epilogues. Do you love them, hate them or have never really given it any thought? Is there any epilogue you’ve read lately that really stood out in its brilliance?

Thanks so much for having me Shannon and also your readers for reading my rambles

EXTRACT ONE PERFECT NIGHT

“Don’t look now but that damn-sexy husband of yours just walked in with your cute-as-pie daughter.” Peppa laughed at Izzy and took the glass of champagne she held out toward her. She indulged in one sip but, as she was still nursing Angelina, she exchanged the rest for a glass of orange juice. “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” she said, leaning closer to Izzy as she surveyed the crowd around them enjoying the annual office Christmas party. Izzy raised her eyebrows in excited anticipation. “He’s damn fine at changing nappies too.” “Ooh.” Izzy pressed the back of her hand against her brow, pretending to swoon. “I just love a man who doesn’t shy away from domestic duties. Perhaps if I found someone with such talents, even I could contemplate the whole white-picket-fence deal.” Peppa was about to proclaim her approval at Izzy’s words—if her happiness levels this past year were anything to go by, she strongly believed everyone should be blissfully married—but Cameron returned with their little miracle and she lost her train of thought.

Book Blurb of ONE PERFECT NIGHT:

Peppa Grant’s fellow employees may call their new CEO Mr. McSexy, but she’s also heard that he’s aloof and distant. Cameron McCormac certainly seems cold toward Christmas when she meets him at the company’s annual party…but he’s also the sexiest man Peppa has ever seen. And when he offers to forgive the damage she accidentally caused to his expensive car in exchange for accompanying him to his family’s holiday get-together, she agrees.

Cameron needs a date to the family party to get his matchmaking relatives off his back. Their chemistry is instant and undeniable, leading to an incredible one-night stand. But Peppa wants love and family, while Cameron’s only interested in temporary pleasure. When their relationship takes an unexpectedly serious turn, will he run the other way—or will he give love a second chance?

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachael-Johns/260103224001776

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/RachaelJohns @RachaelJohns

Blog:  http://www.rachaeljohns.blogspot.com/

Website: www.rachaeljohns.com

To buy links: Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005Z1CF2A/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_alp_sCZRob15EH9MT

and Carina Press – http://ebooks.carinapress.com/262D0727-23A2-4E9D-B75E-249FF29C76DF/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=5BB8BC4C-4898-4073-8306-FECF92B5DC5B

Rachel Johns’ book, One Perfect Night, has just been made a Finalist in the Favourite Contemporary Romance for 2011 in the Australian Romance Readers Awards.

Congratulations, Rachel, and good luck!

Tell us a little about yourself… 

Life is new and wonderful for me these days. I retired from the post office in 2011, promptly gained 15 pounds—overnight, I swear!—and promised my grandkids, The Magnificent Seven, that I would make each of them a bed-size quilt. I also planned to write all day, every day.

What was I thinking?

I’ve learned to write when I feel like it, sew when I feel like it, and maybe even to eat a little less. I’ve gone back to school, where, yes, I am far and away the oldest kid in class. I’ve learned to share the house and sometimes even the kitchen with Duane, my husband of, oh, lots of years. And I’m having a Very, Very Good Time.

My fifth book—I’m not an overnight success, but I never give up—ONE MORE SUMMER, is a new release by Carina Press. I am thrilled to the point that everyone I know rolls their eyes as soon as I open my mouth.

What made you want to write THIS story?

Oh, my gosh, I was so lucky. This was one of those that wrote itself. I know how goofy that sounds, but I gave up trying to drive the writing train after the first chapter and just let it go. That had never happened before, nor has it happened since, but it was certainly fun (and exhausting—I was getting up at 3:00 AM to write) while it lasted.

Tell us about Dillon, your hero – why is he so special?

He’s just a nice guy, you know? He’s the one who can be as bad as he needs to be, but he’d just as soon not. He’s a good friend, the kid who lived next door your whole life and one day you woke up and realized he was the man of your dreams and there he’d been the whole time.

And Grace, your heroine; why is she so well-suited to your hero – or not?

I’m not so sure they’re well-suited in a lot of ways. My husband and I, even after 40 years, have virtually nothing in common (other than the Magnificent Seven and their parents, of course) and we have managed to disagree about every single thing that’s ever jumped into our paths. And I wouldn’t trade a minute of those 40 years. I think Dillon and Grace are more like us. Only she’s slim. Sigh.

What draws you to writing in the romance genre?

First, last, and foremost, happily ever after.  I love relationship books, and romances are the ultimate in that.

What books/heroes did you like to read, growing up, and how have they inspired you in writing this story?

Well, Louisa May Alcott was the one. I literally read the covers off Little Women when I was about 10 or 11, and there was no looking back. I knew I wanted to do what she did. There were others who spurred me on, too—Jane Austen anyone?—but she started it all.

Heroes? Oddly enough, I have to go to the movies to answer that. Henry Fonda, Jimmy Stewart, James Arness, John Wayne. They were bigger than life and I saw them as loving men who would not only protect and love their women, but would accept love and protection, too. I loved the heroes in books, too—oh, Mr. Rochester—but I learned how I wanted to write them from the ones in the movies.

What are you working on next?

Blogging! LOL. No, I’ve started a new manuscript, working title, Desperado, but it’s going slowly and I’m not sure it’s going to fly. Mostly, I’m having the aforementioned Good Time, and if that means starting over again, that’s okay, too.

Thanks so much for having me here today. I’ve enjoyed it.

My book—you knew there’d be a commercial, didn’t you?—is available at the following links.

http://ebooks.carinapress.com/19C28077-E8B2-400A-ACBF-FAE0579EE2F0/10/134/en/Default.htm

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-more-summer-liz-flaherty/1107412429

http://www.amazon.com/One-More-Summer-ebook/dp/B006BE6HAG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324908781&sr=8-1

I’d love to have you visit my website http://lizflaherty.com or http://wordwranglers.blogspot.com/ where I hang out with some of my best writer friends.

Excerpt from One More Summer

by Liz Flaherty

It was no use. Grace had taken her lengthy bath in the claw foot tub, shaved her legs and nicked her ankle right on the bone where it hurt most, and put on her chenille robe. She’d poured a tumbler full of the expensive wine Steven had brought a case of and sat on the couch with the book she’d gotten at the library when she’d read to the kids earlier in the week. Louisa May slept on the couch back, twitching her tail occasionally and smacking Grace in the face with it. Rosamunde dozed contentedly in the baseball cap Dillon had left on the lamp table. The window behind the couch was open, affording Grace a cooling breeze scented by the rain that had fallen that evening.

She’d already gotten up once and closed the pocket doors between the living room and the dining room. But she could still hear it.

Laughing. There were Jonah’s guffaw, Maxie’s theatrical trill, and the husky whoop that was always such a surprise coming from Promise’s soprano throat. Now and then another laugh slipped in, quieter than Jonah’s but no less gleeful. Dillon was there too. They sat on the screened porch, a good forty feet from where Grace sat with her feet up, and still she could hear them.

They were playing Monopoly. Grace hadn’t played that since the day before her mother died. She remembered that last game, the board balanced on a bed tray across Debbie Elliot’s legs in the room that smelled of Cashmere Bouquet talcum powder and sickness and medicine. Faith had sat on one side of her mother, Promise on the other, and Grace at the bed’s end.

“Sit on my feet a little, baby,” Debbie had said. “You keep them so nice and warm.”

Grace had won the game, and the next day—when Debbie was dead and life for the rest of the Elliots had irrevocably changed—she had hated herself for buying Boardwalk and Park Place and forcing her mother into bankruptcy.

“I made her die,” she’d told Steven.

“Her heart made her die,” he’d responded, but Grace hadn’t really believed him until he became a cardiac surgeon.

Sometimes, she still wondered. If Debbie had napped in the evening as she often did, would that hour of rest have made the difference? If Grace hadn’t sat on her mother’s feet with her eighty-five pounds of almost-twelve-year-old exuberance, would the final heart attack not have happened?

But she refused to think about those things now, nor would she consider the game of Monopoly with an inward shudder of dread. She thought instead of the laughter that was dancing along her nerve endings, and wondered if anyone else was using the little iron as their token for moving around the board. The iron had always been her favorite. She liked the way it felt between her fingers.

If she just got off her couch and wandered toward the porch like she was bored with her own company—which she was—would anyone make a big deal out of it? If Promise or the others acted surprised by her presence, Dillon Campbell would think she’d joined them just because he was there. Which was nonsense.

Of course it was.

She remembered how Dillon’s hand had felt when he pulled her to her feet the night before. She’d avoided unnecessary touch all her adult life, and one squeeze of Dillon Campbell’s fingers had her wondering if that hadn’t been a mistake.

More nonsense.

She tried again to devote full attention to the book, but finally gave up and laid it aside. She sat in the harsh light from the reading lamp and sipped her high dollar wine and listened to the laughter of the others. Isolation and loneliness wrapped around her, not new feelings by any means, but somehow deeper and darker tonight.

Maybe this time, as Promise often accused, she was excluding herself and the loneliness was of her own making. Maybe if she stepped onto the back porch, no one would make a fuss and no one would make her feel as though she didn’t belong. It was, after all, her porch.

Carrying her glass, she whispered open the pocket doors and strode barefoot through the deserted dining room and the kitchen with its ever-present light over the sink. After a moment’s hesitation, she pushed open the door to the porch.

“Replacement power. Just in time.” Promise’s smile was wide and brilliant. Welcome to the human race. Grace heard the words she didn’t say. “Now that I’ve been trounced, Grace can take my place while I make popcorn. No one’s using your iron, so have at it.”

Grace sat in the chair Promise vacated, taking the little metal iron from the Monopoly box. It still felt nice between her fingers.

“I’m the banker,” Jonah informed her, passing money around the table. “Since I’m better at losing money than anyone else, I was unanimously elected.”

“I don’t even know why I play.” Maxie sighed, fluffing her blond hair with heavily be-ringed fingers. “I seem to spend all my time in jail. Unless Dillon rescues me with his ‘get out of jail free’ cards,” she added with a flutter of eyelashes.

“I’m just a soft touch for a pretty lady.” Dillon smiled at her, his eyes glinting silver in the dim, yellow light on the porch.

Grace’s heart hammered against her ribs.

Geezy Pete, Grace, grow up.

Liz has generously contributed a copy from her backlist to a lucky reader. Leave a comment, and enter the draw! Winner will be announced 16 Jan.

Let’s take a look at my last year’s resolutions (cringe!):

Drop 4 dress sizes and be fit and fabulous.

-          Didn’t quite work out. As in, I didn’t quite work out.

Get two romantic suspense books written and published.

-          Actually, this one kind of worked. My first book, Viper’s Kiss, was released July 25, 2011, and my second book will be coming out May 2012 – but was accepted for publication within 2011.

Finish my middle grade fiction.

-          Did that. Have learned there is a big step between finishing a book, and getting it published – which leads me to the purpose of this post – S.M.A.R.T. GOALS.

I’ve actually presented on this very topic with my fabulous critique group, the Writer’s Coven, and kick myself that I haven’t used the same philosophy in my New Year’s Resolutions. Well, this year, I will.

A S.M.A.R.T. goal is:

Specific – no generalisations, be specific about what you want to achieve, when and how.

Measurable – when you’re specific, you can see whether you achieve your goal, or not.

Achievable – within your control. Your goal can’t rely on another’s actions to be achieved.

Realistic – within the bounds of reality. Don’t set yourself up for failure with an unrealistic goal.

Time-bound – put a limit on your goal, so that you can measure your success. No use saying you want to give up smoking, by whenever. Whenever never comes.

My S.M.A.R.T. writing goals for 2012:

Finish writing and submitting two more romantic suspense novels by Dec 31^st 2012.

Complete and submit two novellas by Oct 31^st 2012.

Plot out a trilogy, and start writing Book 1 by Nov 1^st 2012.

My S.M.A.R.T. personal goals for 2012:

Create a personal timetable by Feb 20^th 2012 to better organise the home life.

Lose 15kgs by July 1^st 2012.

Read 3 fiction books that have nothing to do with my writing, purely for enjoyment, by Dec 31st 2012.

Have a date night each month with my husband.

What are your goals?

Congratulations, and Merry Christmas, Helen!

And to all my readers, a very joyful and safe Christmas, and best wishes for a wildly successful and joyous New Year!

Take care.

Shannon

Yay. It’s enough to make any parent pull their hair out.

The happy holidays can quickly become the ‘Time of Interminable Hell’, if one isn’t prepared. Admittedly, the first time I had summer holidays at home with my children, I was not prepared, so I know of what I speak. Cries of ‘I’m bored!’ echoed through the house to the soundtrack of crickets as my children looked hopefully to me for distraction. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before I learned some tricks to keep the munchkins engaged and interactive, so I’m going to share some of these Boredom Busters with you, now:

1)      Play dates

Organise as many play dates as possible. Yes, I know, sometimes you don’t want to look after your own cherubs, why borrow someone else’s hound from hell? Well, because they keep each other amused (if they’re the friendly variety – you don’t want antagonistic cherubs).  Make the TV a no-go zone, and you’ll be amazed at what they’ll come up with to entertain themselves.  Or else trot out the Christmas movies, pop some popcorn and make viewing the box a special event.

 2)      Craft is your best friend.

Yeah, I hear you – it’s so messy. It takes soooo long to clean up, and we create even more work for ourselves. It does take up time, though – it’s naptime or dinner time before you know it. So, really, we love craft time. Here are a couple of craft exercises one can do with the kids, to help stave off boredom, and help you keep your sanity:

Christmas Decorations

Using coloured cardboard, cut out Christmas trees and circles (approximately 10cm in diameter).  Using glitter, mini pompoms, pipe cleaners and glue, let your little darlings decorate their Christmas tree and ‘baubles’. Punch a hole through the top, tie a bit of wrapping ribbon through, and voila, you have a homemade Christmas decoration to hang on your tree.

If you want to go a little more 3D, visit the craft store and buy some polystyrene shapes, and decorate with glitter, paint and ribbons, etc. Imagination – and your budget – are the only limitations!

Beading

Visit your local craft or jewellery supply store and pick up some beading supplies. It doesn’t cost the earth, and the projects are endless. I recently made some Christmas angels – these can be made into earrings, cell phone tassels, beaded tree decorations, necklaces, sun catchers or wine glass decorations. Okay, maybe the last are for the big kids, but still, they’re a lot of fun to make, and very pretty, too! Supplies can be bought from your local craft or jewellery store.

You will need (to make six):

• 6 x 2in headpins (silver or gold, depending on personal taste)
• 6 x 8mm glass bicones (beads)
• 6 x 4mm pearl beads
• 6 x angel wings (silver or gold, depending on personal taste)
• 6 x 3.2mm round spacer beads (silver or gold, depending on personal taste)
• 6 x 6mm diamante rondelles
• 6 x 4mm jump rings (silver or gold, depending on personal taste)
• Round nose pliers
• Cutting/crimp pliers

To make:

• Thread the 8mm bicone onto headpin (this is the angel’s body).
• Thread the angel wing onto headpin (make sure angel wings are facing the correct way! I learned this the hard way.)
• Thread pearl bead onto headpin (this is the angel’s head).
• Thread rondelle onto headpin (this is the angel’s halo).
• Thread round spacer bead onto headpin (just a nice finishing touch, and stops ‘halo’ from skewing).
• Using round nosed pliers, twist headpin into a loop.
• Using both sets of pliers, open jump ring by a tiny twist to the side.  Thread angel onto one end.
• Now, depending on what you’re going to attach this angel to – ear wire for earrings, cell phone loop, or (in my case) an ear hoop for a wine charm, thread this also onto the jump ring, and then close jump ring.

Voila – you have an angel decoration. Easy, absorbing, not too time-sucky, and very pretty.

Here are a couple of places where I order my jewellery supplies (note, I live in Australia, so these are Australian suppliers, but you can also find these things on EBay and elsewhere):

The Bead Shack

I Love You Beads

3)      Colouring In/Painting

There are loads of websites that offer free downloads of Christmas colouring in pages. Print a booklet (or 6!) and give them to the kids to spend some time on.  Here are a couple of sites that I have used, and think are great for this:

Kidspot

Coloring Book Info

4)      Cooking/Baking

Create your own mini Master chefs, and cook up a storm.  Here is a simple recipe that is on my Must-do Christmas Baking list each year – it is quick, simple, and yummy:

Christmas Coconut Ice

• 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 4 cups desiccated coconut
• 375g can condensed milk
• Food colouring of your choice (for Christmas we use red and green)
• You will need a slice pan, greased and lined.

1. Combine all ingredients into a bowl. When thoroughly mixed, divide equally into two bowls.
2. Place a couple (or more!) drops of food colouring into one bowl. If using two colours, place drops of second colour into second bowl (you can also leave it white, if you like, for a ‘snow’ effect).
3. Once colour is thoroughly mixed through, press the contents of one bowl into a 20cm square pan (a slice pan will do just as nicely). Once compacted into tin, press the contents of bowl #2 on top, forming a second, colourful layer.
4. Refrigerate for at least 20mins to set.
5. Remove from fridge, and turn out of pan. Remove any baking paper.
6. Cut ice slice into bite-sized squares, and serve. You can also place on a plate and wrap, and give as a special gift from the kitchen.

*Freezing tip – wrap twice in cling wrap, once with foil, and place into freezer for up to 3 months. When defrosting, remove all wrapping and let it rest at room temperature overnight (or a min of 3 hours).

I hope this has given you some ideas to help whittle away the hours before school resumes.

BOREDOM BUSTER GIVEAWAY!

I’m always on the lookout for some really good ideas for things to do with the kids at home – craft, cooking, games, etc. What boredom buster do you use to keep your sanity – er, kids happy? One lucky suggestion could win you a set of angel wine charms made by ME!

Winner will be announced Christmas morning (and will need to provide a mailing address).

Merry Christmas, and happy boredom busting!

Win this set of six wine charms!

Wine Angel Charms