Happy Independence Day!

To quote Bill Pullman as he played the President in the Will Smith 1996 blockbuster, "Today is our Independence Day!"

It is of course tomorrow, but I am working Saturday and Sunday, so we are having a cookout a day early. The local fireworks are tonight as well, probably so the local government can get a cheaper rate.

I have always been fond of the Fourth of July because my father's side of the family is dyed-in-the-wool, came-over-on-the-second-ship-after-the-Mayflower New Englanders and my ancestor Roger Sherman was the only man to sign the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation as well as the US Constitution. John Adams described him as "that old Puritan, honest as an angel."

Roger was not exactly a stick in the mud, though, fathering thirteen children with two different wives, so he has plenty of descendants. I will probably join the Daughters of the American Revolution as soon as I get a spare minute but will probably be the only one under 55 unless I can convince my sister to join with me. The website I looked at actually lists the members as Mrs. John Smith, Mrs. William Jones, and so on. I haven't seen women do that since I worked in the university newspaper archives one summer.

Whether your family came over with the mammoths, the Pilgrims or yesterday on United Airlines, welcome home to America! Happy Independence Day!

Summer Vacation :)

I love summer-- ice cream cones and barbecues, swimming pools and trips to the park. Hanging out with friends and family without the pressure of papers to grade and lessons to plan. But of all the things to love about summer, the thing I lvoe most is going on vacation. We don't get to do it very often-- with three kids, there never seems to be enough money to go everywhere/do everything we want to-- but we do try to go somewhere every couple of years. Our last vacation, two years ago, was to Southern California where we hung out at my mom's and took the kids to a variety of theme parks.

This year, however, we decided to go big. Really big. We're going to Egypt and I can't WAIT! I leave for RWA nationals (along with Juliet and Karen) in two weeks, but as soon as I'm back from D.C. we leave for three weeks in Alexandria, Egypt. Alexandria is right on the Meditteranean Sea and it is just beautiful-- we'll spend five days at a beach house in Alexandria-- taking day trips to the Great Library at Alexandria and other museums-- including the Roman Ampitheater and the Royal Jewelry Museum, which I am way too excited about, then we'll go to Mount Sinai and the Red Sea (yes, the one Moses parted!!!!! The history major in me is all aquiver ;) And finally, we'll end our vacation in Cairo, at the Sphinx and three Great Pyramids of Giza. I will, of course, also get to explore the world famous Cairo marketplace and nightlife in one of the world's largest cities.

I'll post pictures when I get back and tell you all about it. In the meantime, what is your favorite place to visit or where would you go if you could go anywhere? And before I forget, I've got a brand new blog going at www.tracywolff.blogspot.com Come on over and say hello and be entered in the contest I'm running this week.

Welcome Guest Blogger Lisa Dale!

Wedding Bells Are Ringing

Thanks to all for having me back here! I had a great time last time I stopped by and I’m glad to be visiting again.

The last time I was here I blogged about my first women’s fiction/romance release, Simple Wishes, which came out in January. But today I figured it might be fun to talk about something close to my heart these days: my fiancé.

My boyfriend and I got engaged a few weeks ago and I still feel as though I’m walking on air. He whisked me away on a much needed vacation to Florida, and on a beach called Pass-a-Grille , he got down on one knee right in the water and held out the ring. The whole moment was surreal. And beautiful.

When I began telling people what happened, some said “so are we going to read that in your next novel?” It surprised me how many people—half-jokingly—figured that I would fictionalize the moment. And while I don’t think that exact scene will make an appearance in a romance novel, I did write about it on my blog. As nonfiction.

Even though my moment with Matt probably won’t be in a book, I can’t help but think how important those kinds of moments are for us writers—those moments that feel lifted up beyond the realm of the ordinary. Those instances feel like gifts—to real life but also to the muses as well. You may not read the specifics of my own personal love story in my fiction, but the heart of it is there.

I’d love to hear your engagement story—or a friend’s—if you’re up for sharing. One commenter will win a copy of my first book Simple Wishes, about a young woman who returns to her mother’s cottage in the mountains—seeking isolation but finding so much more. There’s more information at www.LisaDaleBooks.com .

Best,

Lisa Dale

Blazin' Hot Summer

And no, I'm not talking about the Harlequin Blaze books my fellow blog mates write (though those are pretty dang hot too, heh heh). I'm talking about the weather here in my neck of the woods. I can sum it up in one word:

HOT

I have complained about the weather here before, I know I have. But dang is it hot here. Like 106 degrees. Too hot to go out and swim during the afternoon. And the kids are going bonkers, trashing the house with their toys every day. Which in turn drives this mama a little crazy.

To escape the heat we went to Target and the mall last Thursday. Sigh. Oldest was at his dad's so I didn't have his help with supervision. Husband was working. Just me and the 6 year old and the 4 year old. An adventure, let me tell you.

This post has no real point. I'm just complaining about the sun. It's zapped my brain cells and left me with not much to blog about. Plus I'm working on a short category length book for Samhain that I want done in two weeks. I also need to get ready for the RWA conference in DC. Ooh and then I need to go to the American Idol concert with my sister in law on July 10th. Lots going on!

What's going on with you this summer?

AND THE WINNER IS...

HOUSEMOUSE!
IF YOU COULD EMAIL ME YOUR SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS TO julietburns@gmail.com I'LL PASS IT ALONG TO CATHERINE SPANGLER SO SHE CAN SEND YOU A COPY OF HER LATEST RELEASE; TOUCHED BY LIGHT!

And Flchen, since there were just the two of you on Thursday and I hate to leave someone out, I'd like to send you a copy of my Blaze, LET IT RIDE if you want to send me your snail mail address please?

PS. I'm blogging today over at the Blaze authors' blog http://blazeauthors.com/blog/ about the seven basic plots: What are they and where can they be found in contemporary romance?

MEMORIES OF DADDY

This past Sunday was Father’s Day and, although I had a good day with my husband and his father, every year I always get a little misty-eyed missing my daddy. It’s funny how, no matter how old we get, we still take our parents for granted. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate my dad and love him, but I took for granted that he’d always be around. Mostly because I just couldn’t fathom the idea of him not being around. A fifty-plus year smoker, he died from lung cancer in 2001 at the age of 66.
My father was Charles Fred Laue VII—yes, that’s the 7th (pron. LAW –it’s German and used to be Von Laue). Then he had 4 daughters and no sons to give his name to. But he never seemed to mind. He was the best kind of Daddy for little girls.
He was the only child of a feisty, Irish schoolteacher and a gruff German train engineer who came along late in their lives. Also livings with him were his paternal grandmother and a maternal aunt. The result of having 3 women catering to his every need was that he didn’t speak a word until he was 4 years old.
Worried for her only child, his mother took him to a doctor. The physician quickly realized that Charles only had to point at whatever he wanted and it was instantly provided.
My dad attended Notre Dame but was so unhappy there he begged to come home to Fort Worth after two years.
He was handsome but very shy and quiet, and while home for Christmas break of his third semester he met my mom while he was playing the saxophone in her uncle’s band and wrote her quite eloquent letters expressing his loneliness and longing for her. So, he came home and enrolled at Texas Christian University.
While they were dating my parents often went dancing. Daddy was a wonderful dancer. He used to play Perry Como and Herb Albert albums and dance with us in the living room. He gifted us all with his love of music.
Daddy eventually earned his degree by going to school at night while working full time during the day. He was a chemical engineer and worked for Lockheed (What used to be General Dynamics) most of his life, and received an award for inventing a special glue used on F-16 so the heavy rivets were no longer necessary.
When my sisters and I were kids, Mama played bridge one evening a week and on those nights Daddy would always play the “Monster” game with us. Scared us half to death but not really and we loved it. While we hid in our bedroom room, he would point two shoes in different hiding places and then hide in one of them. He would knock slowly three times on the door and when we would finally muster up the courage to go looking for him, he would jump out and chase us back to our room. We loved that game!
The other childhood memory I have was a bedtime ritual he went through with all of us girls every night. I did this with my kids when they were little. He would kneel down next to our beds and slip his hand underneath our pillow, and then ask us questions about our day.
“Were you a good girl today?” Then he would shake our heads “No” for us and we would giggle and try to nod our heads yes. Then he would tell us to have sweet dreams and kiss us good night.
I remember Daddy walking me down the aisle at my weddings and the tears in his eyes on that special day. And that special dance to “Daddy’s Little Girl” at the reception and the joke after the reception was over when he pulled his pockets wrong side out and tried to declare bankruptcy. He was a consummate over-actor and often had us rolling in the aisles with laughter at his antics. Mama was always saying “They’re not handing out academy awards tonight, Chuck.”

He was a fun-loving Papa to his grandkids, taking them to the air shows out at the Air Force base. He loved old cars, Coors beer, and rainy afternoons. But mostly I remember him as the man who kissed my boo-boos and made pancakes on Sunday mornings before church.
I miss you Dad. I’ll be seeing you.

5 QUESTIONS FOR...CATHERINE SPANGLER

I'm so excited to have a guest today who was writing Paranormal Romance when Paranormal wasn't cool. Please join me in welcoming Catherine Spangler! Cathy started out writing futuristic romances and created the award-winning Shielder series. In 2005, the fifth book in the series, Shadow Fires, earned a nomination for the prestigious RITA award. Now Catherine is forging new territory with her edgy, dark, and provocative Sentinel series, paranormal romances based on Atlantis and set on current-day Earth. The third book in the series, Touched by Light, is on bookstore shelves NOW. Catherine lives in Richardson, Texas, with her husband, four cats and two thoroughly rotten dogs. She loves reading, listening to music, playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker, and eating chocolate (not necessarily in that order).

Catherine is giving away a copy of TOUCHED BY LIGHT to one lucky commenter today. I'll post the winner's name tomorrow.

1) How many manuscripts did you write before you sold one?
I wrote two books, both futuristic romances, and a young adult novella. At the time, I was convinced that the books were NYT bestsellers, but of course I had no idea how much I didn’t know about writing. In retrospect, it’s a very good thing those books are under the bed, cohabitating with the dust bunnies. I’m very glad the world didn’t have to read them. But that’s the good thing about the excitement and enthusiasm of a new writer—the thrill of writing carries you through those first rough books, and keeps you going while you’re learning the craft. From the time I began writing seriously for publication, it took me about seven years to make my first sale, which was Shielder.

2) Which book was your hardest to write and why?
Shadow Fires was the most difficult book I’ve ever written, because it was so dark and had some uncomfortable elements. I sold it on a one-page blurb, without plotting the story through (since I’m a “pantster”, I’m not big on plotting anyway). The hero was a member of a race I’d already introduced in earlier Shielder series books, so the parameters of that race were already in place and I couldn’t change them. As I wrote the book, I realized that to be true to the Leors, I couldn’t soft pedal the story. They were fierce and barbaric, and I had to address that head on. Some of the story elements were so difficult for me that I almost scrapped the project to offer a new story idea to my editor. But something inside me urged me to finish the book, and I’m so glad I did. Shadow Fires got a prestigious RITA nomination, and won numerous awards. I believe it might be one of my best books. Having to dig deep to create the book made it ring true and evoked strong emotions in the readers. There’s a lot of truth to the comment, “No pain, no gain.”

3) What do you think is the most difficult thing about being an author?
The difficult thing about being an author is the fact that every phase of a writing career has its difficulties. Getting published is tough. Selling follow-up books is tough. Writing under deadline, even if you’re not in a creative mode, is difficult. Doing promotion, trying to get publisher support is difficult. There’s plenty to discourage an author and wear her down. You have to learn to become mentally tough and cultivate unyielding tenacity.
That said, the rewards of being an author are also wonderful. We’re wired to be creative, and there’s no greater thrill than reading your work and realizing that you created it. Seeing your name in print is also an amazing experience. We have to write, because there’s nothing else we can do!

4) What authors have most inspired your work?
Many wonderful authors have inspired me over the years. One of the earliest authors was Kathleen Woodiwiss, whose first historical romances held me enthralled. Later, I discovered Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Linda Howard, and Jayne Ann Krentz (who had the audacity to write futuristics!). I continue to be inspired by creative and innovative authors like MaryJanice Davidson, Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris, JD Robb, Nalini Singh, and J.R. Ward. There are truly some amazing and mega-talented authors out there!

5) What are you working on now?
I’m working on a new paranormal series about fallen angels (and apparently angels are one of the hottest new trends in paranormal romance). I’m also dusting of my “Silly Alien” story and revisiting it, hoping to try to market it again. You can read chapters from “Cowboys and Aliens” on my website at: http://www.catherinespangler.com/fun.htm

6) Anything you’d like to add?
I’ve currently got a June contest going on my website, at http://www.catherinespangler.com/ (click on the contest link). The prize is a $25.00 Barnes & Noble gift card, so check it out.
I also have a really fun “Mr. Right Sentinel” quiz on my website. You can answer the questions, total your score and discover which of the three ultra-sexy Sentinel men (Damien, Luke, or Adam) is your perfect match. To take the quiz, go to my website (see above) and click on the large bright quiz box on the left. If you want to report your results here, we can compare notes.
Thanks so much for having me on the Sizzling Pens!

And now an excerpt from TOUCHED BY LIGHT

Adam leaned back, stared out the windshield. “I’m taking you home.”
Surprise jolted through her. “Back to Houston?”
“Yes. I should never have forced you to come with me.”
“But . . . what about Matt Stevens? The fire at the IMAX?”
“I will deal with them as soon as I reach San Antonio.”
“What about the fact I’m supposed to interview Dr. Curtis for a position with the math department?”
He shrugged. “As I said, you’re very resourceful. You’ll think of something.” He started the car, adjusted the heat to a higher level.
She considered this, righteous indignation building. He was telling her what to do again. He’d jerked her around, created upheaval in both her personal and professional lives. And after everything, he was going to toss her back into the melee of her personal life, a mess that he’d created? Like hell he was.
“Wait just a damn minute. You can’t make this decision for me. I get a vote here.” She shifted toward him, poked his arm hard. “Who died and made you God?”
He started to speak, but she held up her hand. “Don’t answer that. You’re definitely not God, although you think so. Let’s get something straight. You’ve made it very clear that I have free will. Therefore, I’m choosing to exercise my right to make my own decision. I’m going to San Antonio with you.”
“Julia—”
“Adam!” she mimicked back at him. “For once, you’re not calling all the shots here. You dragged me into this. You’re not getting rid of me so easily.”
“I’m beginning to see that. What exactly has convinced you to help me?”
She wasn’t even sure herself. She picked up the crumbled newspaper, smoothed it out to study the article. “A lot of people were there for me after . . .” She shook her head, shutting off the memories. “For some reason, the attack left me with this ability to see future events. If it can assist you in helping that poor tormented Sentinel and preventing more people from being hurt, then I can only assume I’m supposed to go with you.”
He did a passable job of keeping the smugness out of his expression. “So you’re accompanying me of your own free will?”
She gave him her narrow-eyed professor look. “I just said that. But let me clarify something else. I won’t jump just because you tell me to.”
“Really? There’s another surprise. Now let me tell you something. You will agree to defer to my knowledge and experience in these matters. To listen when I give you crucial directives.”
“I’ll concede you’re the expert here. I do actually have enough good sense to listen when necessary. But I also want your word that you won’t do any of that pseudo, woo-woo crap to me. No paralyzing stuff.”
“I will not give my word on that. If I think you’re in danger, or for that matter, if I’m in imminent peril of losing a body part because of your temper, I won’t hesitate to do what I think necessary.”
“I don’t have a temper. I’m very rational and calm.”
“You’re quite capable of becoming a loose cannon.”
She gave an unladylike snort of denial.
He raised an arrogant I’m-right-and-you-know-it eyebrow.
They glared at each other a moment.
He finally inclined his head. “Shall we call a truce?”
She considered. “For now.”
A quick smile flitted across his lips. “Oh, I certainly wouldn’t expect the peace to be permanent.” He stared at her another long, unsettling moment. “You know, Professor,” he continued, “since you have made the decision to work with me, there is one other thing you need to keep in mind.”
“What’s that?” she asked warily, suspicious of the sudden glow in his eyes.
He lifted his hand to the side of her face. “This.”
Just that one touch sent tingling frissons of sensation down into her body. “Not going there,” she said firmly, trying to shove his arm away.
He didn’t move. His fingers were warm against her chilled skin, generating combustible sparks to points due south. He leaned closer. “There’s this perfect, precise conductor/Sanctioned match between us. Not to mention what I’ve seen in my visions.”
Her body went on full red alert, alarms blaring at every key nerve junction. And he was merely touching her. “I don’t want to know what you’ve seen.” She pressed back against the seat, tried to squirm sideways and create more distance between them. But there was nowhere to go.
He slid his other hand along the opposite side of her face, effectively trapping her head. Starbursts of light flared in his eyes, and the air around him glowed brighter, like a halo. God almighty!
Her heart started racing faster than sound, constricting her chest and making it impossible to say anything else. Worse, she found herself leaning toward him, as if being pushed by an invisible force. This was so not good.
“There’s no need to tell you what I’ve seen, because your body already knows,” he said, his harsh voice mesmerizing. “It recognizes a bond that goes back thousands of years. A bond that is both highly spiritual and . . .” he leaned in, brushed his lips against hers, sending a bolt of pure electricity through said body, “physical,” he murmured. “Very physical.”
Erotic need rushed through her veins like molten lava. Not good, not good, not good, her mind chanted, even as her body voted to take this further and instigate a deeper kiss. No, damn it! It took every ounce of will to turn her face away, and give a hard shove against Adam’s chest. He released her, sank back into his seat.
“I already told you in Dallas that there would be nothing physical between us. Absolutely no conductions, no sex,” she said, as soon as she could muster enough air. And why the hell wasn’t he breathing as hard as she was?
“Denial doesn’t change the truth, Julia. It won’t stop what’s already been set in motion. But don’t worry. Whatever happens between us will be completely of your own free will.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. She wanted to argue, to fiercely debate and vehemently insist that hell would freeze over before she’d become involved in any way with Adam. But he was a master at verbal sparring, and right now, she wasn’t up to stepping into the ring with him.
She needed to regroup and reorder her thoughts and what was left of her decimated routine—not to mention corralling her unruly body. She had to get her balance and find some center of calm in the storm that swirled around Adam Masters, and the turbulence from William Bennett’s release.
“Nothing to say?” Adam asked coolly. When she just glared at him, he gave her that smug smile she detested. “Good. Then we understand one another. Fasten your seatbelt.” He put the car in gear, shot her another look. “The ride could get very rough.”
Crap, she thought, as she reached for her seatbelt with shaking hands. No, make that crap to the tenth power.