I got my first horse when I was six, and grew up riding bareback throughout our small Minnesota town year around. It was like giving a child car keys! I’m now living my childhood dream–a place in the country, three horses, two goofy border collies, and six fluffy barn cats–a much smaller menagerie than when our kids were still at home.  Visit my blog below, sign up for an e-newsletter, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and LinkedIn. Please keep in touch!

Our son got married this weekend!

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

Our son got married this weekend!!   How did you meet YOUR significant other? Come on over and chat  with authors and readers at  the “Riding With The Top Down”  blog,  at:   ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A dog named Blueberry…and a wonderful romantic suspense novel by Terri Reed!

Posted on January 18, 2012 by

Today’s blog guest:  author  Terri Reed!

This is our dog Blueberry.
When we were looking for a family dog we researched breeds and were amazed by how many types of dogs are available.  There are so many dogs that make great family pets.  It was hard deciding but we finally chose an Australian Shepherd.  Or rather she chose us.
We found a breeder near the Oregon coast and went to visit, not intending to come home with a dog but just see what they were like and ask questions.   So we arrived at The Neely Ranch telling the kids we’re only looking. Yeah, right.
There were eight cute little balls of fur waiting for a home.
The owner talked with us for a few minutes, asking general polite questions, watching the way we all interacted before opening the pen door and scooping up the biggest, fluffiest, blue merle pup.  She handed the pup to me, saying, “This is the little girl for you.”
Oh, my.  The puppy snuggled into the crook of my neck under my hair and went to sleep. That was it.  I was lost.
The breeder cocked her head and said, “I knew she’d like you.  She hasn’t cuddled like that with anyone else.”
“We’re taking her home,” I said to my husband.
The kids cheered.  My husband smiled.  And we had a new puppy.  That was eleven years ago.

And here’s Terri’s latest book!

THE SECRET HEIRESS
Love Inspired Suspense
January, 2012

A Shocking Revelation….
Finding out she is heir to a fortune shocks Caroline Tully to her core.  And to “qualify” for the inheritance, she just has to visit her newfound grandfather’s Mississippi home from Christmas to New Year’s.  Adopted as a baby, Caroline knows nothing about her mother’s family…and doesn’t realize they can’t be trusted.  When attempts are made on her life, there’s only one man who can protect her.  Donovan Cavanaugh—a man who made her lonely heart want to love again.  Posing as her fiancé, Don promises to find the would-be killer.  But will his protection-and his love-be enough to keep her safe?

Love Inspired series: Protection Specialists:  Guarding the innocent.

The book is available in bookstores everywhere, as well as christianbook.com, harlequin.com, barnesandnoble,com, and amazon.com

Share
Posted in dogs | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Vickie Taylor…. scratched and dented pets!

Posted on January 17, 2012 by

Author Vickie Taylor, here….

I was out looking at used trucks recently. I don’t need anything fancy, just something sturdy and reliable to haul hay and such around my farm. I finally found a nice Ford. It had some dings and scrapes, but the engine purred like a big cat.

That experience got me thinking about my cat, B.J. I adopted B.J. from the Humane Society of North Texas a year or two ago. At the time, I was volunteering with the shelter, and B.J. had been there too long. She was actually causing turmoil among the staff as they couldn’t decide what to do with her. She didn’t seem adoptable—she was old, had a mangled ear, a crooked leg, and her whole back end seemed somewhat out of kilter. But she was friendly and loving and so they kept trying to find her a family. I already had two cats. I wasn’t looking for another, but I took B.J. home (more to keep my friends from having to make a difficult decision than anything else).

Much to my surprise, B.J. has turned out to be the most amazing cat I’ve ever owned. Unlike most cats, who expect their owners to come to them, B.J. comes running when called. She sleeps next to me on the couch all day while I write, but is careful to keep her head and paws off the keyboard so she doesn’t interfere with my typing. She perches on my bureau and watches over me at night.

Much like my truck, she’s not showroom perfect, but she’s sturdy and dependable. My scratched and dented pet is the best pet ever.

Coming to Amazon a few days from now (mid-January, 2012) from bestselling author Vickie Taylor, a fantasy romance novella: Mother Nature & Father Time, A love (and hate) story.

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Lyn’s Cote’s Northern Lights series & the digital age

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

Lyn Cote’s Story Behind the Story:  Why I went digital with my “Northern Intrigue” series.

When an author signs a contract with a publisher, the author licenses the publisher to produce the book for a set period of years. When Tyndale House Publishers gave me back the rights to my Northern Lights series and it went out of print, I didn’t think much about it–until Kindle and then the Nook took off.  I thought, why not self-publish?

At first I thought I would simply re-format the books for Kindle and Nook, but since writing them, I’ve written over thirty more books. When I looked over the pages of the originals, I realized that I like how I write better now.  PLUS, technology (ie cell phones, etc) has changed so much that the books needed updating. When an author writes a story, it feels like her child, and I want my children to look their best as I send them out into the world.  So I worked my way through each book, revising and updating. Time-consuming, challenging, but very satisfying work.  So here are my babies–all spruced up and ready for readers!

I’ve priced Winter’s Secret at only 2.99 and the upcoming Autumn’s Shadow and Summer’s End will be for a limited time only available for free and then at 2.99 also. If you don’t have an ereader, you can find these books on Amazon, and from those pages you can download free software so they can be  read on a computer. Or you can join the digital wave and buy a Kindle or Nook or Ipad. Your choice. :-) ~~Lyn Cote

WINTER’S SECRET
Romance and mystery in a small Wisconsin town during a record-breaking snowy winter. Tensions run high as more break-ins occur and family members interfere between Sheriff Rodd Durand and nurse Wendy Carey. Can the sheriff nab the “Weasel” before someone–maybe the sheriff himself–gets hurt badly or killed? And can he win the heart of the pretty nurse with the tender heart?

Reviews:
“Lyn Cote has the ability to write about a snowstorm with such delicious description that I can get shivers in the middle of August. In Winter’s Secret, she portrays a small Wisconsin town filled with characters of depth and substance, while leading us deeper into their collective past.” Hannah Alexander, award-winning author

4 Star Romantic Times  Magazine Rating
Winter’s Secret, book one in the Northern Intrigue series, is an excellent suspense story with a good hook and an interesting twist sure to hold a reader’s interest. Ms. Cote continues to hone her craft and gain fans. Reviewed By: Bev Huston

The “Northern Intrigue” series includes:   1.Winter’s Secret,  2. Autumn’s Shadow,  3. Summer’s End  Purchase Link http://booksbylyncote.com/SWBS/books/love-inspired-suspense

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Guide Dogs, and Lisa Mondello’s new book “The More I See”

Posted on January 10, 2012 by

Hello from Lisa Mondello!  Thank you so much for stopping by today and a big thank you to Roxanne for having me.

Using pets as characters in books is such a cool idea.  I do it all the time simply because your hero and heroine will act different around a pet, say things to them, confide in them, or simply act goofy.  Pets can bring comic relief to a story that has a lot of emotion.  Or they can tug at the heartstrings.

I have use pets in my stories quiet a bit.  In ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU, I had a very spirited Saint Bernard that caused all kinds of problems for the hero.  In THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT, I had an injured stray dog that the hero was compelled to help.  And of course, in my upcoming TEXAS HEARTS series, I have lots of horses and one particular dog that tugged at MY heart.

In THE MORE I SEE, the hero, Cody Gentry, becomes blind after a freak accident.  The proud cutting horse training can no longer run his ranch or work with horses.  He’s been reduced to counting steps from the house to a chair on the patio.  Enter the Allyssandra Orchid McElhannon, the Plain Jane woman with a love for her guide dogs and Cody’s world turns upside down.

The guide dog I used in THE MORE I SEE, which will soon be part of a Box Set for the Texas Heart series as well as available as a standalone book, was based on a real guide dog one of my dear friends had.  My friend Diane was blind for about 8 years.  She was determined not to sit in a chair in her house and immediately started working with this beautiful and soulful guide dog named Otis.  I’ve always been amazed by the control and the loyalty of a service animal.  They’re such special creatures!

Here’s a blurb about THE MORE I SEE:

As a top-notch cutting horse trainer, Cody Gentry was riding high until he lost his eyesight after a freak chemical accident.Unable to see the hand in front of his face,never mind the horse or cattle he trained, he knows his life is over and slips deep into depression.His whole future hinges on the success of an eye surgery that could give him his old life back.

When guide dog trainer, Lyssa McElhannon, arrives on his ranch like Florence Nightingale coming to save him, he wants no part of her or her guide dog. But something about Lyssa’s musical laugh coupled with her tenacity digs under his skin and won’t let go. Having been blind most of her life, Lyssa understands the paralyzing fear Cody feels after losing his vision.But she refuses to let the stubborn cowboy waste his life away sitting in a chair when she knows firsthand that a good guide dog can change his world. She just needs one month to prove it to him.

Falling in love with Cody was not part of Lyssa’s plan, nor was having him open her eyes to see that there was a whole lot of living she’d been missing out on.

Please be on the lookout for my TEXAS HEARTS series Box Set and my FATE WITH A HELPING HAND Box Set, both of which will be published in the coming weeks.   The Texas Hearts series is available in hardcover right now.  By the end of the month they will be available as ebooks for Kindle and Nook.  The Fate with a Helping Hand series is available right now.   You can find these books by searching the author’s name at Barnesandnoble.com and at  Amazon, or at:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3ALisa+Mondello&keywords=Lisa+Mondello&ie=UTF8&qid=1326205483&sr=8-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B001KHOG3Y

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s?keyword=lisa+mondello&store=allproducts&page=%2Findex.asp&prod=univ&pos=&box=

Lisa Mondello
The Knight and Maggie’s Baby Book 3 (Fate with a Helping Hand) 9/11
The Marriage Contract Book 2 (Fate with a Helping Hand) 9/11
All I Want for Christmas is You Book 1 (Fate with a Helping Hand) 9/11 99 Cent Download! http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off

Sunrise glory….and sundowner syndrome…in dogs?

Posted on January 6, 2012 by

I love living on a hill in the country, where we have a beautiful view of the sky from dawn to dusk.  This morning, while heading out to the mailbox for the newspaper, I was momentarily awestruck by the sunrise–then raced back into the house for my camera. The photo is of the farm down the road–Forest Grove Farm–and one of their horses.  Sunrise, sunset–the glories of the heavens sometimes leave me speechless with wonder. Over the past four months I’ve been seeing a lot more sunrises than I ever have before, thanks to Harold.

Harold is one of our border collies.  At  thirteen, he is sometimes incontinent at night, and he yelps all night long. When  we check on him, he’s relaxed and laying on his dog bed, yet he’s looking at the wall, yelping.  On, and on, and on.

His labwork is fine, he shows no sign of pain anywhere, his latest xrays showed no tumors.  The vet says his endless, senseless yelping is likely a symptom of senile dementia. Would this be like sundowner syndrome in people?  Whatever it is, it’s not easy sleeping at night around here, and by five in the morning, I begin weighing the odds.  If I linger a little longer, hoping for a few more winks of sleep, will I have a floor to clean?

It’s not easy, with an  older pet.   But as my husband says, what do you do? Put him down because its more convenient, when he has been such a good, sweet dog all these years?  Of course not.  So, we have baby gates all over to keep him off the carpets,  and he is given Harmonease–a doggie psych med to ease his confusion and stress.

What experiences have you had with older pets, and how did you handle them?

Best wishes to everyone for a wonderful New Year!

Roxanne

(if you are reading this on Goodreads or Facebook, come on over to the All Creatures Great and Small Blog at www.roxannerustand.com and say howdy!)

 

 

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Happy Holidays!

Posted on December 31, 2011 by

Happy holidays!  I hope you were with family or friends for Christmas, and wish for you a safe and enjoyable New Year’s weekend.

I know many of you are in warmer climates, and I’ve always wondered what the holidays would be like with balmy warm weather and bright sunshine, year after year!  My husband and I live out in the country in the Upper Midwest,  on an acreage with our horses, dogs and cats,  and we’ve usually got snow on the ground by Thanksgiving–sometimes even by Halloween.  I adore heavy snowfalls and sitting by the fire with a cup of cocoa and a good novel while a heavy blanket of white builds up on the trees outside.  The silence of it–the incredible beauty–just takes my breath away.  Of course, when it’s time to go out to do my horse chores or help clear the driveway and I’m bundled up like a version of the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man (anyone remember the movie Ghost Busters?) then maybe it isn’t quite as fun!  This year, though, we had a bare Christmas and there’s still no snow in sight.

What are your favorite Christmas memories?  I would so love to hear them!  I guess my own favorite, hands down, was the Christmas Eve when our son Brian was born unexpectedly early.  His brother wasn’t quite as excited, though, at finding Christmas and Santa were delayed because of a baby!   Do any of you have Christmas birthdays?  Christmas Eve can be tough, because you can never have a big party on the actual date, and with the hectic schedule of that day– with a big late afternoon dinner to prepare, a crowd of relatives coming and going, evening church and then opening Christmas gifts afterwards–making the day truly special for the birthday child isn’t easy.  We often celebrated his birthday a week early when he was younger, but still….

Not long ago, I told Brian that I was sorry that he didn’t have a special day all his own, but he said “I have the best birthday I could ever have–because I’ll always be with family to celebrate, and that means more than anything.”

I feel so blessed, to have my family around me throughout this holiday season, and because another year has passed with all of us in good health.  And I feel so blessed to have had another year of doing the things I love most–enjoying the beautiful countryside on our horses, writing my books, pursuing my dreams.  During the past thirteen months I had seven books out.  The last one, Duty to Protect, was released a few weeks ago.  I woner what 2012 will bring?

My wish for all of you is that your holidays are happy and that you have a wonderful, successful and joyous New Year.

Peace to you all,
Roxanne Rustand
www.roxannerustand.om (The All Creatures Great and Small Blog)

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 24, 2011 by

This is just lovely–do click and  listen to this young girl sing “Mary Did You Know.”

 

www.youtube.com

Noelle was still quite sick but she really wanted to send a Christmas video to all of the nice people that have supported her over this past year.
Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

The Animals of YouTube sing Jingle Bells!

Posted on December 23, 2011 by

They’re at it again in 2010. Happy Holidays from me and the animals of YouTube. Best wishes for 2011.

Be a fan on facebook: http://facebook.com/klaatu42
Follow on twitter: http://twitter.com/klaatu42

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Kylie Brant, SEAL OF MY DREAMS, and one very curious dog!

Posted on December 21, 2011 by

Award winning author Kylie Brant writes…

I think dogs sense special events happening around them.  Maybe it’s the bustle of the preparations, but Lexie, our Polish Lowland Sheepdog, always knows when we’re preparing to go away on a trip.  She’s been known to plop down in a suitcase I’m in the middle of packing.  And she’d definitely put my bag over the weight limit!

But her favorite time of year must be Christmas.  It brings out behaviors she doesn’t exhibit the rest of the year.  Maybe because it was Christmas years ago that first started her ravenous appetite for sweets.

Chocolate is supposed to be bad for dogs, but it’s never done her any harm.  Which is fortunate, since she seems to sniff it out every holiday.  I can’t count the number of times she’s found and devoured multiple bags of small candy bars before they could make it to the stockings.  Once December hits, she starts her holiday scavenging.  She makes daily pilgrimages through all the bedrooms in search of the one I’m hiding the candy in.  And if I’m lax enough to set grocery bags down while I shut the front door, she’s pawing through all of them in search of her favorite treat.

So knowing the lengths she’ll go for chocolate, I’ve learned to place it far out of her reach.  But who knew she’d develop an equal love for candy canes?

Last week I had two boxes of Starburst candy canes, a favorite of my kids.  (And mine, too, I must admit!)  They’re individually wrapped, and the boxes are sealed in cellophane…there’s no way any smell can emanate from them.  So how did she know they were in my closet, hidden behind my boots?

I came home from work to discover one empty box, another with a lone candy cane left, and a few pieces of wrappers on the floor.  Lexie was sleeping angelically (ha!) on her bed on the landing of the stairs.  Upon closer inspection, however, I found bits of candy cane in her beard.  No amount of doggy denials could convince me that she wasn’t the culprit!

My kids rushed to her defense, of course.  They insist that she was framed.  That a candy cane burglar actually snuck into the house, snarfed down most of the candy canes and then sprinkled shards in her fur to make her look guilty.  The lawyer in the family is throwing around phrases like ‘reasonable doubt’, ‘wrongful incrimination’ and ‘alleged misdeeds’.  Leave it to sly Lexie to arm herself with a good defense attorney.  If she makes another pass at the candy this year, she’s going to need one!

Kylie Brant is the author of the acclaimed THE MINDHUNTERS series, including DEADLY DREAMS, DEADLY INTENT, WAKING THE DEAD, WAKING EVIL and WALKING NIGHTMARE for Berkley Sensation.

She is also a co-author of a brand new book you shouldn’t miss: SEAL OF MY DREAMS, which was released in November.

It’s an anthology of romantic suspense stories by eighteen top authors, and it was published for a wonderful cause.

Be sure to read the flyer here and take time to order a copy–or two or three.  What a great, last minute gift!

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

James Scott Bell…and “A Writer’s Wonderland”

Posted on December 20, 2011 by

Here’s a holiday departure from my usual animal and country life blog theme! When I first saw this today, I found myself singing along, to the tune of “Winter  Wonderland”…twice…and the tune has been stuck in my head ever since.  It’s so much fun!  James Scott Bell  has graciously allowed it to be shared, with appropriate credit.  Please keep reading on to the bottom as well–I absolutely love his books on writing and I’ve shared those titles below–perhaps in time for your own Christmas shopping?  Merry Christmas! :)

Oh–and in case you’re wondering, “Colleen” refers to his friend, the wonderful inspirational novel author Colleen Coble.  if you haven’t read novels by either of them, hurry to put their books on your Christmas wishlist.  They are both amazing authors!

Writer’s Wonderland
by James Scott Bell
(with apologies to Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith)

Keyboards clack, are you listenin’?
Metaphors, they are glistenin’
A beautiful phrase
A plot like a maze
Typing in a Writer’s Wonderland

Scenes that move, twist and turny
Heroes go on their journey
With allies and foes
In a theme that you chose
Typing in a Writer’s Wonderland

In a coffee house you’ll write an ending
A final battle tying up loose threads
You’ll get so engrossed inside your ending
Folks will think that you forgot your meds

Later on, you’ll conspire
As you write by the fire
To prep an old book
For the Kindle and Nook
Typing in a Writer’s Wonderland

Then one day you’ll get your edit letter
Telling you your story’s just routine
You’ll be tempted to rip up that letter
Unless you happen to be with Colleen.

Soon enough there’s your new book
And you know it’s a true book
Put stars in your eyes
Baby, this is your prize
For typing in a Writer’s Wonderland

–
James Scott Bell
“The Suspense Never Rests”
www.JamesScottBell. com
www.killzoneauthors .blogspot. com
twitter.com/ jamesscottbell

James Scott Bell writes amazing novels and has written equally fantastic  books on the process of writing. My copies of Plot & Structure and Revision & Self Editing have been highlighted and marked up extensively, because I found them packed with great advice.  I just downloaded Writing Fiction this week, and look forward to reading it as well.  If you are a writer–either published or still aspiring for a first sale, I couldn’t recommend these books more highly!  All of them are available on Amazon.

 

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Mistletoe Mayhem…and Border Collies!

Posted on December 19, 2011 by

Guest Jill Elizabeth Nelson writes…
Back when we lived on a farm, we had a succession of dogs, but one in particular stands out in my mind. Ginger was a Border Collie mix with mottled fur, most of which was the color of her name. She was friendly and easy-going, and you had a friend for life if you petted her, but she possessed a surprisingly fierce protective streak when it came to our four children. If anything or anyone threatened them, it had to get past her first. She even bit one of the kids’ adult cousins when he was rough-housing innocently with the little girls in the front yard! Of course, it was hard to scold her for the misdeed when she only did it thinking to protect them.

I’ll never forget the winter’s day when my older daughter, maybe 7 or 8 years old at the time, came inside to sing Ginger’s praises for saving her from certain injury. The snow was deep that year, creating tall drifts of white that invited children to slide down them on their snowsuit-clad hind ends, dig forts beneath them, or play atop them. Evidently, my two daughters were playing on one such hill, when the older one lost her footing and began to topple toward a thick row of bushes. The bare frozen branches were sharp-pointed weapons that would have delivered vicious scratches or even poked out an eye! But Ginger leaped forward, grabbed my girl’s jacket in her teeth and pulled her upright. Needless to say, Ginger was our four-footed, tail-wagging hero of the day.

Ginger lived to a ripe old age. She got feeble enough that our kids’s uncle used to give her rides in his pick-up between the various sites of our family farm. But he didn’t put her in the pick-up box. She rode in the passenger seat! It was quite entertaining to see them coming up the driveway, a human head showing behind the wheel and a canine head poking above the dash on the passenger side where she perched primly like a dignified matron.

These are fond memories of a beloved pet, and I’m glad to share them.
Jill Elizabeth Nelson
~~Endless Adventure, Timeless Truth~~
http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com

Jill has a new book out this month–Seasons of Danger, with Hannah Alexander.  Here’s  the information on Jill’s story (if you look  further down the blog, you’ll find the information on the story by Hannah Alexander.)  Isn’t this a beautiful cover?

Seasons of Danger
Mistletoe Mayhem by Jill Elizabeth Nelson
Love Inspired Suspense
December 2011

Holiday cheer turns chilling in Abbottsville, Tennessee, as danger infects humans and animals. Local vet Kelly Granger knows health inspector Matt Bennett is chasing the wrong target, and will face any danger to show him the truth. Even if working with Matt means risking her life…and her heart.

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Huskies, horses, goats…and Deep Cover!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by

Hello everyone, Sandra Orchard here.

When Roxanne invited me to visit and share a story about one of our animals, I couldn’t decide on just one—animal or story!   I live in rural Ontario with a menagerie of animals. My blog readers have heard many stories about Bella, my hubcap-eating husky who, like a Houdini, can mysteriously escape from her crate without unlocking the door.

 

She likes people to think she’s a perfect angel, but don’t be fooled by the wings and stardust. We’ve lost count of how many shoes and collars she’s chewed through, not to mention plastic flowerpots.   We have no idea where she keeps finding those!Yes, she causes us no end of anxiety. One day my daughter saw her standing on the far side of the hayfield at the edge of the woods. She called and called her to come, and naturally, got pretty frustrated when the dog just stood its ground and stared.

But what happened next chilled my daughter to the bone.   Bella loped happily up to her… from behind.   Did I mention Bella looks like a coyote?    Yup, my dear daughter was trying to coax one of the local coyotes to come home to us. Thank goodness, the animal didn’t oblige!   Is it any wonder we’ve earned a bit of an eccentric reputation around the neighborhood? It’s not every family who gives their chickens wheelbarrow rides.  Or who walk their horse and goat along with the dog.   Or who give the neighborhood cats pony rides.

But perhaps one has to be a tad eccentric to spend hours a day writing novels.   My debut Love Inspired Suspense, Deep Cover, released this past September. It’s the first novel in my series Undercover Cops: Fighting for justice puts their lives—and hearts—on the line.

For Fun: I recently added some novel “Extras” to my website—things like deleted scenes, bloopers, character interviews, even the first chapter for anyone who hasn’t read the book. I hope you’ll stop by and check them out. at:  www.SandraOrchard.com.    For those who enjoy cooking, there are also a couple of free recipe books, and a bonus Christmas story for my newsletter subscribers. (There’s still time to subscribe!)

BTW If you’d like to read that husky hubcap story, click here:   http://sandraorchard.blogspot.com/2011/08/were-talking-character.html >    
And here is  the blurb about my latest book!

Maintaining his cover cost undercover cop Rick Gray the woman he loved. Sweet Ginny Bryson never really knew Rick. He never gave her the chance. Not then, and not now, when he’s back with a new alias to gather evidence against Ginny’s uncle. The man’s crimes led to Rick’s partner’s death, and Rick wants justice to be served. But his investigation is stirring up trouble, and Ginny is smack-dab in the middle. Someone wants Ginny to pay the price for what her uncle has done. But how can Rick protect her without blowing his cover, jeopardizing his assignment…and risking both their lives?

http://www.sandraorchard.com/

In addition to E copies, Deep Cover is still available from ChristianBookDistributors.com and your favorite online retailers.

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Shih-Tzus, a wonderful new book, and Janet Barton!

Posted on December 12, 2011 by

Janet Barton writes….

Generational living is an adventure in and of itself, but add a Shih-Tzu to the mix of four adults and two grandchildren, and it can be a ton of fun.  When our granddaughters had to give up their cat, it was hard on them—and hard on us to see them missing their beloved pet. So the natural thing seemed to be to try a puppy. We’d had a Shih-Tzu once before and enjoyed her, so we decided to look for another one.

Our youngest granddaughter picked Bella out immediately—possibly because she came right to her. At 1.9 pounds she was quite cute and she immediately stole a place in everyone’s heart. But what was so surprising is that our oldest granddaughter—who loved cats and was sure she’d never love a dog the same way—fell totally in love with Bella. How could she not?  Bella’s tail starts to wag as soon as she hears her voice.  She plays all kinds of games with them—they like to pretend they are hurt and let her try to revive them.

At a year and a half, she’s now up to about 14 pounds and she thinks we’re her pets. Of course she tries to protect us with her life—and would if she were just brave enough.  She tries really hard to protect us from the big dog she’s never actually seen, the one who lives behind the tall fence in our back yard.

I don’t think I’ve ever laughed more than when I looked out the kitchen window one night to see her giving her little bark at the back fence. But the big dog answered back with one not quite so little and Bella turned tail and headed back to the house fast as her short legs would carry her, looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t being followed. Cutest thing ever was to see her running back through her doggie door.

But she’s getting braver. When we had an earthquake recently, she seemed out of sorts most of the evening. She’d give a low growl and pace from the front door to the back. Then came the rolling thunderous sound of earth moving, the house shook—everything shook—and we realized she was trying to tell us something was going to happen.  Then quiet and stillness came—and Bella ran out her door to the middle of the yard and barked up a storm.  Not sure who or what she thought she was telling the world, but she said it loud and clear.   Bella has brought a lot of laughter and fun to our household and we don’t quite know what we did before she moved in.

And here’s some information on Janet’s latest new book!

Charity had always prided herself on her ability to make decisions. But that was before she met Luke Johnson, a reporter she’s falling in love with but can’t find it in herself to trust. As sunset begins to fall on the first Sooner capital, will Luke and Charity find hope to unite them to face a new day?

Note: Sooner Sunset is the last book in the Oklahoma Sooner Series, at present it is only available from Barbour at: http://www.barbourbooks.com/product/Sooner-Sunset,9105.aspx?Tab=Books&sj=782

www.janetleebarton.com

www.janetleebarton.com/blog

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Hannah Alexander

Posted on December 8, 2011 by
A wonderful new story from award winning author Hannah Alexander

Silent Night, Deadly Night,
novella by Hannah Alexander
included in the Season of Danger anthology
Love Inspired Suspense
December 2011

After the murder of Tess Vance’s fiance, Tess leaves her career as a musical talent agent and retreats home to her brother’s rescue mission for the homeless in Corpus Christi, Texas. She finds solace helping others, and peace with ex-cop Sean Torrance, who has also endured great pain over the past year. Just as they begin to think life will settle for them, and their friendship will deepen into something more lasting, Tess finds herself the subject of a stalking, and the stalker hurts her by hurting and killing those she loves, including the homeless.
All of Sean’s protective instincts rise to the top when the woman he has grown to love finds herself in danger once again. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect her and the others he works with at the mission. As the owner and manager of one of the top radio stations in the region, he finds a way to stop the attacks, but it will mean betraying her trust. Can their relationship withstand the conflict?
Hannah Alexander website www.hannahalexander.com
Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Duty to Protect….and cookies!

Posted on December 4, 2011 by

Howdy!

Early forecasts for the Upper Midwest indicated that we were going to have an unusually cold and snowy winter,   though so far we’re still having lovely forty degree days (far nicer than thirty below!) and have had just a single whisper of snowflakes one day.  I can still water the horses using the outside water tank, and even the barn cats’ water bowl hasn’t been freezing overnight, which makes life a lot easier!  But even though the weather is still lovely, I’ve got our Christmas decorations up and now need to start baking. How about you–are you set for the holidays?  Page down, for one of our family’s favorite recipes for this time of year!

DUTY TO PROTECT,  my December release, wraps up a very busy year.   My 2011 releases include:
April:     Murder at Granite Falls        (Love Inspired Suspense)
June:    Second Chance Dad            (Love Inspired)
July:     Home at Blackberry Hill        (Harlequin Heartwarming)
October:      A Home In Hill Country  (Harlequin Heartwarming)
November:  A Loner’s Thanksgiving Wish  (Love Inspired)
December:  Duty To Protect              (Love Inspired Suspense)

DUTY TO PROTECT is  a Love Inspired Suspense set during a very snowy winter in the ranching country of Colorado and Montana.  Brrrrrr!  I’m glad it was Emma and not me,  trapped in a frigid horse trailer crossing Nebraska!   It’s now available in bookstores everywhere, as well as at www.harlequin.com, www.christianbook.com,  www.barnesandnoble.com,  and Amazon.

Here’s the blurb…

She needed a safe haven…

After nearly a lifetime in witness protection, Emma White depends on the anonymity of her false identity. But when her mother dies under suspicious circumstances, her father is shot and Emma is framed for murder, all of her security is gone.  There’s nothing left to do but run.

Montana cop-turned-rancher Jake Kincaid is an unlikely defender.  Why would an ex-cop believe an accused killer?  Though he is determined to find the truth, he is an honorable man who makes Emma feel safe.  With his drive to protect her, she knows staying on his ranch endangers him both and she needs to leave–yet now that he has captured her heart, she’s not sure she can walk away.

 

DUTY TO PROTECT 1/2   RT Bookclub Magazine Rating (4.5 stars )   and MURDER AT GRANITE FALLS  (April)  are both  Nominees for Best Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense of 2011 by RT Bookclub Magazine.

RT’s review of Duty To Protect:

After testifying against a powerful drug cartel, Emma White and her family were placed in the witness protection program. Over the past few years, both of her parents have been targeted and killed. Emma appears to be next. Fearful for her life, Emma stows away in Jake Kincaid’s truck. After hearing her story, Jake vows to keep her safe. Emma does not want to place his family in danger, but she may have no other option. A riveting page-turner with the promise that forgiving others and turning one’s worries over to God will help in making a new start. Reviewed By: Leslie McKee

I hope you’ll track down a copy, and that you’ll enjoy reading it!

***********

I’d like to share the best recipe I’ve ever found for cut-out cookies, one especially great for when you’re baking with small kids.  As much as you work with it, reforming the odd bits and pieces into a ball and rolling it out again, it still stays nice to work with.   I’ve used this since the early 1980′s.  Once, while reaching for the nutmeg, I knocked a container of chili powder into the bowl, the lid came off and the entire container emptied over the cookie dough.  I removed what I could, then added ample cocoa powder to cover the taste–and everyone still loved them.  Now, this is one very forgiving recipe!  :)

Super Easy Roll-out Cookies    –The Rustands

1 cup shortening           1 ½  tsp cream of tartar
1 ½ cups sugar              1 tsp soda
2 eggs                           ½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla                  4 cups flour
2 Tbsp milk
optional: 1 tsp cinnamon  and/or  1 tsp nutmeg
You can drop these on a  cookie sheet and flatten with a fork, or use for cut-out cookies.  We like to double the recipe, and roll them out  quite thin.  350 degrees, 8-10 minutes.  My favorites are the ones liberally decorated with cinnamon red hots candy!
Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Margaret Daley’s His Holiday Family

Posted on December 3, 2011 by

Margaret says….

When I decided to write a series about a town that goes through a hurricane, I wanted to give tribute to all the people who have gone through a disaster and rebuilt their lives. This series was written for the heroes and heroines who help others in a time of disaster.

Blurb for His Holiday Family by Margaret Daley:
When Hurricane Naomi tears through a small Mississippi town, a daring rescue unites two heroes. Nurse Kathleen Hart is a single mom racked by guilt over her husband’s death. Firefighter Gideon O’Brien—orphaned as a young boy—has lost too many people he cared for. To rise above the storm’s devastation, Gideon helps Kathleen and her sons rebuild their home. As Christmas approaches, they discover that even the strongest of storms can’t destroy a romance built on the foundation of faith.

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off

Tucker’s Photo Shoot!

Posted on November 18, 2011 by

How many of you love taking pictures?  I’ve loved photography since I was a little girl, playing in my dad’s darkroom, developing my own photos and watching the magic wrought by cropping and dodging as pictures materialized on the plain photo paper.  I miss the sharp smell of the chemicals, and the magic that took place!  Dad was an avid photographer–extensive still and 16mm film while he was in the CIC during WWII, then a broad range of photography  throughout the rest of his life.  He passed away twelve years ago, but oh, how he would have loved toying with the advanced digital cameras we have today! 

Well, getting back to the theme of this blog, yesterday was Tucker’s big day. :)   Tucker Pine Bar is my big sorrel  AQHA gelding, and I’ve got him up for sale on Craig’s List as of last night.

Back during the film age,  I might have grudgingly shot a roll of 36 exposures at the most, and thought that was over the top.  Yesterday, I shot over 150!  What a fun day–outside in the warm, bright sunshine in Mid-November (unusual for the  Midwest this time of year), spending time with the horses.

The photos were shot with a Canon f/4L IS  70-200mm lens on a 7D.  In the first photo, shot at 200mm, it makes it look like the neighbor’s house is much closer to our pasture than it really is.  I wish the blog would support  18 MP photos, but to be loaded here I had to reduce them by 75%. 

At any rate, I thought I would share some photos of Tucker.

 

 

Do you enjoy taking photos? Do you a favorite camera, or some memorable photo-taking experiences you’d like to share?

(Note: if you are reading this on Facebook or on Goodreads, this post originated from the All Creatures Great and Small Blog, at www.roxannerustand.com.  Come on over and say howdy!

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Posted on November 18, 2011 by
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
including Small Town Christmas
Love Inspired Duet – November 2011
Mini-Matchmakers And An Old Fashion Christmas

When the new second grade teacher, Amy Carroll, meets the precocious twin sisters, she knows she has her hands full, but when she learns they live on the street where she is staying with her grandmother and they have a single father who is handsome and needs help, Amy’s hands are beyond full. But Amy’s from Chicago and falling in love with a small town man is not part of her plan. Can God waylay Amy’s desire to return to the big city? Can Mike Russett open his heart to love?
“Martin’s story contains strong characters and touching scenes” – Romantic Times

Multi-award-winning novelist, Gail Gaymer Martin writes Christian fiction for Love Inspired and Barbour Publishing, where she was honored by Heartsong readers as their Favorite Author of 2008. Gail has forty-nine contracted novels with over three million books in print. She is the author of Writers Digest’s Writing the Christian Romance. Gail is a co-founder of American Christian Fiction Writers, a keynote speaker at churches, libraries and civic organizations  and presents workshops at conference across the US. She was recently named one of the four best novelists in the Detroit area by CBS local news. This duet novel also includes Brenda Minton’s Her Christmas Cowboy, and is available in all stores where books are sold.  To Purchase online click link:
Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off

I have a new book out now!

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

I have a book out in the stores right now–November, 2011–and since I often feature new books by other authors, I figure I’d better let you know about mine!  It’s a Love Inspired, and its part of the Rocky Mountain Heirs series.  I hope you’ll check it out!

RT Bookclub Magazine Rating
THE LONER’S THANKSGIVING WISH (4) by Roxanne Rustand: To satisfy the conditions of her grandfather’s will, Mei Clayton has returned to the hometown and family that never seemed to accept her. Both sides of her family are at odds and Jack McCord, Mei’s high school crush, is linked to the wrong side. He may be able to get on her mother’s good side when he offers to track down Mei’s missing brother. Someone seems determined to run Mei out of town. Can a Thanksgiving meal mend the rift in her family? At times, many feel that, due to their differences, they do not belong. Rustand reminds us that God always has a plan, even if it is not obvious to us.

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment