Tuesday, November 23, 2010

A Great Christmas Read

Are you interested in a very sweet Christmas Story?
You need to purchase "Mary's Christmas Wish" by Sheryl Coumans.

At 92, Sister Mary Grace Cantrell was dying. It was Christmas Eve and the festive decorations failed to cheer her...she was afraid to die. Would all the good she'd done wipe out that one sin ...Will Mary be granted her one Christmas wish?

This is an endearing short story of love and hope, and I know you will enjoy it. You can download your copy through The Wild Rose Press. Their web site is: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

You won't be sorry. I guarantee you'll enjoy this special Christmas story.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

A Fun Recipe

Ever want a quick, easy recipe to wake up to something different? Or perhaps something a little unique to serve for brunch? A friend gave this to me and I'm sorry I can't remember who, but I'd like to share it.

Butterscotch Pull Apart Rolls

Ingredients:
18 frozen rolls (like Rhodes bake n serve)
1 small pkg butterscotch pudding (not instant)
1 Teasp cinnamon
3/4 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup chopped nuts
1 stick margarine (melted)

Directions:
Arrange frozen rolls in greased bundt pan. Sprinkle with dry pudding mix.
Mix cinnamon, brown sugar and nuts together. Sprinkle over pudding.
Pour melted margarine on top.
Cover with foil tent so raised rolls won't touch it.
Let stand overnight (I put it in a cold oven overnight) Do not refrigerate
Next morning, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Invert onto a plate while still warm.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Are You Moving In The Right Direction?

Where you stand is not important -- its in what direction you are moving that counts.
------Unknown

I love that thought. Too often I think people worry that they haven't accomplished their goal, they aren't where they want to be in life, or that they may not be successful. But I think this thought says it all. It doesn't matter where you are. You just have to take small steps each day and one day you'll accomplish your goal and reach your dream. Don't have any? Then take time today and set some goals, identify your dream. The small steps will add up. Believe me, they will.

If you talk to various authors, they have a goal of writing a small number of words or pages each day. They know that eventually they'll complete that story or novel. Christine Feehan says her goal is writing seven pages a day. RaeAnn Thayne strives for three short period a day to write. They aren't all at once, but throughout her day, she tries to find small increments of time to put words on pages. They are moving in the right direction. I strive to find at least an hour each day on my computer to write and I admit alot of the time it is at midnight after my husband goes to sleep. Another thing that I find helps is to always have a notbeook with me. I am constantly playing with story ideas, developing characters, or plotting my story wherever I'm at. For me it works.

Someone on a diet knows they must lose a pound or two a week and over time it adds up to ten, twenty or more pounds lost. They know small steps lead them to success.

You can accomplish anything as long as you do it a piece at a time. Don't let disappointment or stumbling blocks cause you to slide backward.

Remember: If it is to be, it's up to me!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Book Legacy of Lies by Cindy A. Christiansen

I just finished Legacy of Lies by my good friend and fellow author, Cindy A. Christiansen. If you want a book to keep you turning the pages, you've got to get this book. Her heroine is a sassy, determined woman seeking answers about her father and takes you to a small town in Utah where intrigue, secrets, deserted mines and a hunky hero play out an amazing tale.

I highly recommend you get this book if you love romantic suspense. Way to go Cindy for a great book.

Check out her blog at http://cadragonfly.blogspot.com.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Utah RWA Conference - Out Out Damned Plot

Last weekend was our Utah Romance Writers Conference in beautiful Park City, Utah. The conference was at The Grant Summit Hotel at the Canyons Resort in Park City - beautiful facility and we just happened to be there when the Porsche Club was there so we saw some awesome cars too!

The leaves were in color, the weather was cool and nice. We had a great time. Christine Feehan was our luncheon speaker, along with agents Steven Axelrod, Laurie McLean and Amy Moore-Benson. We had editors Candace Salima from Valor Publishing Group and Heather Osborn of Tor/MacMillan, and Sue Grimshaw, book buyer for Borders. Marketing specials, Shahar and Mashlah Boyayan from Buzz Boosters gave us some great tips on marketing. All fantastic people with so much knowledge about the publishing business.

One of the perks to our conference this year was having Erin Summerill -- a professional photographer from Orem, Utah, take pictures not only of the conference but also head shots for each of the authors there. She is so good at what she does.

What a great way to spend a weekend. Only bummer was when I got home my internet was down and I had to spend three days waiting to get a new modem -- E. E. Cummings said, "The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." Guess the only thing I can say is I got to laugh at my predicament.

But the conference was worth all the headache when I got home.

Keep smiling.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Thought For the Day -- Friends

Friendship isn't about who you have known the longest...but about who came and never left your side.

I'm so lucky to have some great friends, many who have been by my side for years. My hope for you is that you also have friends who will stay by your side, through thick and thin, who will love you, listen to you and support you in your travels through life.

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Baldpate Inn

I love getting away for a few days, don't you? I just got back from a weeklong visit with my sister in Colorado. We spent most of our week in Estes Park and it is so beautiful up there this time of year. The days were warm, the nights cool. We had the opportunity to eat at a couple of fun restaurants and see the wildlife -- majestic elk and magnificent deer.

On our way down the mountain, we stopped at a lovely old inn called The Baldpate Inn. It's about seven miles south of Estes Park on the way to Lyons. What a beautiful bed and breakfast. It's nestled in the mountains with wonderful views of the aspens turning yellow amidst the tall pines and red mountains. They offer a lunch of crisp salad, delicious homemade soup and hot muffins. If you're lucky, you'll get seated on the covered porch and can enjoy the mountain views while you dine. Our waiter was a young man from Turkey, here on a visit for three months to learn the language, visit the United States, and work for most of the summer.

The Baldpate Inn is home to one of the largest key collections and it was so interesting to see. In the old days, they used to give out keys to their guests but that became unpractical so now people bring them keys -- safe keys, keys to cities, boat keys, house keys, keys of all shapes and sizes. You could spend hours reading about the keys on display.

I love visiting places like this that are unique. I have to admit it got my writing juices flowing, ideas started being crafted for a new storyYou might even recognize some of the sights I saw while in the mountains of Colorado, Estes Park and who knows, even the Baldpate Inn.