Cuddle Up with a Contemporary Romance...enter to Win a Book!

Welcome! Thanks for joining the blog hop!  
THE WINNERS ARE: DAWNE PROCHILO, EMILY LAWRENCE, HEATHER, PATTY KIYONO & LENA HART! CONGRATULATIONS! I'LL BE EMAILING YOU SHORTLY. I ROUNDED UP THE NUMBER AND DONATED $50 TO CURLY TAIL PUG RESCUE. THE PUGS THANK YOU DEARLY FOR COMMENTING!

 WINNER WILL BE SELECTED MONDAY AT 5PM. Some of my books are sweet and some, spicy. Name your favorite cover in a comment with your EMAIL ADDY. 5 people, chosen at random, will win their choice of my books & for every comment, I'll donate $1.00 to Curly Tail Pug Rescue.

"She dreamed of getting lost in his embrace, tumbling down into the soft safety of his heart and wrapping the strength from his arms around her body, protecting her from heartbreak forever."

“Should be illegal to be so attractive and out of reach on a night like this.”

She smiled at his compliment. Desire shone in his eyes, reflecting the moonlight mixed with the soft glow of a street lamp.

 “If we can agree on three goals, then I’ll prepare sort of a proposal…” 
“Proposal? You’re going to propose to me? We’ve known each other such a short time!” He lifted his eyebrows in mock shock.

"Betcha my story’s worse than yours!" A small smile played at the corners of her lips.
"Ooh, sounds like a challenge. Sure you're up to it?" He shot her a one-sided grin.
“Bring it on.”
"First, what are the stakes? Dinner? A walk on the beach?"

“It stinks. We sure don’t have women up here who look like you,” he blurted out. Idiot! Shut the hell up. Smooth, real smooth. Why don’t you just ask her to take off her clothes and lie on the floor? Jerk!

Thank you for stopping by! DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDY TO WIN! Then hop back to great SCP authors here - BACK TO THE BLOG HOP

Homer says, "The pugs of Curly Tail Pug rescue thank you, too!"

MY WEBSITE

Welcome Kathleen Ball, Western Romance Writer to my HARD Interview!

Come on in, Kathleen. You've written some of my favorite books. Have a seat. Have a brownie while I pour the coffee. Get comfortable before I grill, I mean ask, you some questions.

  1.     Why do you write the genre you write?

I write Contemporary Western Romance because that is what I like to read. I’ve read just about every genre out there and I found myself gravitating towards books with cowboys.

2.     What does your family say about your writing?

They are very supportive. My dad wears a t-shirt with Callie’s Heart cover on it at his retirement home and he loves when people ask what it is. The outpouring of support has been absolutely amazing.

3.     What is the hardest part of being a writer for you?

Staying off facebook.  Seriously the hardest part is knowing there is a deadline.

4.     What’s one piece of advice you give to an aspiring writer?

Build your social network before you are published. If you do a little everyday by the time your book is released you can hit the ground running.

5.     Do you open a bottle of wine if you get a bad review?

No, maybe I should.

6.     How do you handle rejection?

First I’m insulted, then mad. If feedback is given I take that into consideration. Sometimes feedback and advice is needed.

7.     What advice would you give to an aspiring writer who gets rejections?

Don’t give up. I was told by a contest judge to never write again. I can laugh now but at the time I was devastated—BUT—I reread what she said a few days later when I was in a better frame of mind. I didn’t know the rules of writing and the rules of romance writing. I knew my story was good. I reedited it after looking up the rules and kept entering it – Texas Haven – into RWA contests. Ones that gave feedback from a judge. It became my best learning tool.

 8.     What one thing would you change about your writing career?

I feel as though I wasted a whole year trying to find an agent. For some reason I thought that’s what you were supposed to do. I wish I had known that you could submit to publishers yourself.

9.     Is editing a learning experience for you or a nightmare? Explain.

The first edit of each book is a nightmare when you see all the red marks and corrections you have to make. I take a deep breath and dive in, taking one thing at a time. I have learned so much. I believe that a good editor works with an author and offers advice and explanations as to why things need to be changed. I’m happy to change it to make it right, but I also like to educate and push myself to be a better writer.

10.  Paperback or ebook?

I love my kindle

11.  Publisher or Self-Publishing?

Both, either

12.  How important are your book covers?

A cover can make or break sales. The cover artist asks what is the most important thing you want on your cover—I always say that it needs to scream western. I shop using my kindle and the covers are small. I scroll through until I see a western. Having a good looking male on the cover never hurts.

 1.     What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Pumpkin pie

2.     Favorite meal is…

Prime Rib

3.     Name one place you’ve never been that you’re dying to visit.

Ireland

4.     Your favorite vacation spot is…

I love cruises

5.     First name of the one man or woman who got away.

Starts with a D

6.     Favorite color is…

Blue

7.     Favorite car is…

Mine- I’m not fussy

8.     Gourmet meal out or shopping trip?

Shopping trip

9.     What do you do to cheer yourself up if you’re having a bad day?

I write

10.  Name an embarrassing moment you’ve had in four sentences or less.

For the first month or so after meeting my daughter in law, Brittany I kept calling her Courtney. Have no idea why.

A BIT ABOUT TEXAS HAVEN

Everything in Annie Douglas' life has taught her that men can’t be trusted. Although Burke is big, strong, and not seemingly gentle, Annie feels drawn to the handsome Texas cowboy. Upon discovering Burke’s advertisement for a wife, Annie shyly asks if he might consider her.      Burke Dawson wants children; unfortunately, that also includes a wife. His first wife was a citified hellcat who stole half of his ranch. Now Burke’s determined to find an honest country girl with no expectations of love. Misunderstandings, accidents, and treachery leads to Annie leaving shattered and alone. Can their shaking start lead to the possible loving relationship they both desire but neither is sure of? 

BUY LINKS

Secret Cravings (all formats)

Amazon  

Barnes & Noble

TUESDAY TALES PICTURE PROMPT - THE BIG LIE - 300 Words

 

Welcome to Willow Falls! Thanks for stopping by to read my Tuesday Tales short piece written to this picture. This WIP has a tentative title.  Scroll down for link to rejoin Tuesday Tales.

THE BIG LIE

Willow Falls lost its charm for Dale Carruthers many years ago, after she found out Cliff Thomas had married someone else. Now, she hurried down Main Street doing errands, Drugstore, Library.  Dale left her stepmother’s coffee house in the capable hands of Jonesy, an old family friend.
Traveling from New York City to Willow Falls to look after her ailing stepmother wasn’t a big inconvenience. Dale was a widow now for three years. Her father had passed on four years earlier. Her mother died when she was a child. Dora, her father’s second

wife, was sliding downhill fast.

“I don’t expect her to make it to the holidays,” Dr. West had said.
Dale’s chest had constricted at his death sentence. 
But she had to be practical. The lease on the coffee house was up in two months. Dale would live in the house she grew up in and run the business until the lease expired. Then she’d go back to her empty life in Manhattan until Dora died. 
Dale returned to find her twenty-year-old son chatting with Jonesy.
“You’ve got an internship for the holidays?” The older woman inquired.
“Yep. With a lawyer in town.”
“Good. We’ll probably have to be up here anyway,” Dale said as she unpacked small bottles of pills. Jonesy poured coffee.
“Funny thing, Dora keeps apologizing to me. Keeps saying she’s sorry. But I don’t know what she’s talking about. Do you, Jonesy?”
Jonesy sipped her coffee and lowered her eyes. “Nope.”
“She has dementia but still. She murmured ‘the lie, the big lie’ several times, then she cried. I haven’t a clue.” Dale stared at Jonesy.  
The older woman checked her watch. “Oops. Gotta go. Past break time.”
“You were her best friend, Jonesy...”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

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