Monday Mayhem – I saved it for you

Okay, so there was going to be a Facebook party that never happened. I was all set to be entertaining for my allotted hour and now I’m stuck with a bowl full of Halloween candy that apparently isn’t Weight Watchers friendly (who knew?) and a bunch of silly questions. Fodder has gallantly volunteered to eat the candy, therefore I have decided to ~~inflict~~, uh, I mean share the questions with you.

Want to play along?

1) What Halloween candy do you eat first, and what would you trade? Me, I’m all about the Reese’s cups, but you can keep your peanut butter kisses. I’m funny that way.

2) What do you think about this pumpkin spice craze: super nice or overripe? Can’t get into it. Believe me, I’ve tried.

3) One time I dressed as Peg Bundy from ‘Married with Children’ for Halloween. Sorry for the pic of a pic, but my scanner isn’t working. So, tell me…what’s the zaniest costume you’ve ever worn? Share pics if you have ‘em!

4) Let’s talk pie…I’m all over the pecan. What’s your favorite? Mine is pecan, but key lime is a close second. Your turn! Go!

5) You’re being haunted – choose your ghost: Rex Harrison or Patrick Swayze? Write in votes accepted.

October 20, 2014

Monday Mayhem – Thank you!

It’s been a busy couple of weeks with the release of Enchanted Lover, and you managed to hang in there. Thank you all for your support! As you can imagine, I’m a little burnt out on blog posts. I don’t really have much to say other than I think you are AWESOME!

October 16, 2014

Guest Author – Megan Mitcham

I’m so excited for my pal, Megan Mitcham. It’s her debut month, and she’s sharing her awesome Base Branch series with us. Welcome, Megan!

The Base Branch Series

Serve in the name of honor. Battle in the name of love.

Known by few as the Base Branch, the United Nations’ Special Operations Forces provide globe defense against any who threaten the fragile balance of peace.

Travel Time

My favorite part about writing the Base Branch Series—besides getting to better know the uniquely complicated and stubbornly passionate characters—is the travel. Do I have the means to jet set from Washington D.C. to Africa, to London, and then Los Angeles to Mexico? Nope, but I can research with the best of them. I. Did. A. Ton. Of. Research. And loved every minute of it.

Did you know Sierra Leone hosts hundreds of miles of pristine beach nestled against the cobalt water of the Atlantic Ocean? How about this? Many tube stations in the London Underground were used as air-raid shelters during the Second World War.

Thanks to Google maps, I’ve roamed the streets of Hermosillo, Mexico and scoped the dusky grass of the Kruger Lowveld. You know my places to travel to list has tripled in the last year. I’ll start witting it down with a trip to Mexico in a few months. Yay!

So, what are the top destination on your travel list? Comment and let me know for a chance to win a digital copy of Enemy Mine.

Megan lives in Southern Arkansas where she pens heart pounding romantic thriller novels and window steaming erotic romance.

Author Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megan.mitcham.5

Facebook Like: https://www.facebook.com/meganmitchamauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganMMMitcham

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/meganmitcham5/

Website: www.meganmitcham.com

Book Links

Enemy Mine

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | B&N

Justice Mine

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | B&N

Stranger Mine

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | B&N

October 11, 2014

It’s my turn!

Funny to pimp my own book on my own blog, but hey, everyone gets a turn! Here’s a bit about Paramour – part of the Enchanted Lover boxed set available now!

Paramour was inspired by one of my favorite old movies, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Like Lucy Muir, I fell in love with the ghost of Captain Daniel Gregg. The bit when Anna told her mother that Captain Gregg used to visit her when she was a little girl and they had been friends stuck with me.

How cool would it be to be pals with a ghost? What if she grew up with that ghost in her room. Would she have fallen in love with him like her mother did? I also liked the idea of a tortured young hero trapped between worlds.

Here’s an excerpt from Paramour:

The scent was back, flooding her senses with the relief of homecoming. She wondered if he knew how many hours she’d spent at the men’s cologne counter sniffing samples, trying to place the fragrance. After twenty years of friendship, endless fights, and one unforgettable kiss, she’d wondered if she finally earned the right to ask questions.

“Are you really here?” she whispered, afraid she’d scare him away.

“Yeah.”

Their eyes met, and she tumbled into the depths of his dark gaze. Cam knew if she didn’t take the chance this time, she may never have another.

“What cologne do you wear?”

Frank’s eyes narrowed with typical caution. “Polo.”

“Huh. Smells different on you.”

His thick eyebrows rose, and a sardonic smile twitched his lips. “Might be because I’m dead.”

Cam swallowed hard and sat up. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Welcome home. I’m sorry.”

She shook her head, forcing a small, flirtatious smile. “Did you miss me?”

“Every damn day.”

“Then don’t leave me again.”

Frank raised his hand. His fingers twitched. She could feel heat radiating from his palm. Those warm fingers curved along the contour of her cheek. “I’ll make sure you’re never alone.”

Cam smiled, smoothing her palm over the rough hairs on the back of his hand. “With you around, how could I be?”

ENTER TO WIN A $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD & A SET OF 7 PRINT BOOKS HERE!

ENCHANTED LOVER: Tales of Everlasting Love

Seven Novels of Mystical, Magical and Paranormal Romance

PARAMOUR by Margaret Ethridge (ghost)
Two men: one living, one dead, and both vying for her love. Camellia Stafford has never been alone in her room. For twenty years, she’s been engaged in a fierce power struggle with her bedroom’s previous tenant, Frank DeLuca, the ghost trapped in the light fixture above her bed.

ENTRANCED by Maddie James (time travel, reincarnation)
Jack and Claire set out on a wild search through time, not only for the resolution to a powerful attraction between them, but also for a historical artifact that holds the key to their future happiness–the coveted silver-plated chalice made from Blackbeard’s skull.

MYSTIC THUNDER by JC Wardon (witch, mystic)
Millennia of tempestuous ancestral history forewarn Rayne Cavanaugh to hide her ability to communicate with ghosts. But– When the nephew of the man she just can’t resist goes missing in the mountains of Mystic Waters, West Virginia, she must decide between self-preservation and love.

RUNNING OUT OF TIME by Cheryl Norman (time travel)
When Stacy Webber travels to Germany for her best friend’s wedding, she loses more than her luggage and purse. She lands in a different time, fifty years ago, with no idea how to return to her world.

TIMELESS by Jan Scarbrough (psychic, ghost, reincarnation)
When Beth Abbott receives a surprise inheritance from her birth mother, she travels to the family’s nineteenth century mansion in Old Louisville, KY, now a bed and breakfast. There she meets the resident ghost, a little girl whose crying not only scares, but also intrigues guests.

MAN OF HER DREAMS by Cat Shaffer (dreams, parallel times)
Jessi Flint has a perfectly good life with a successful business and the perfect man. So, he’s only in her dreams…until her flaky assistant goes to a New Age fair and Jessi suddenly begins receiving gifts with love notes signed by a mysterious Damian.

ALMOST MAGIC by J.M. Kelley (magic, witch, gifts)
When it came to Vivian Burroughs’ unique connection with nature, her grandmother always said, ‘Mediocrity may not burn as bright as a firecracker, but it seldom blows up in your face.’ But the old woman never advised her on what to do when a sexy new neighbor stokes the flames of attraction.

Buy now at:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | IBOOKS | KOBO | SMASHWORDS

September 22, 2014

Monday Mayhem – Drive by posting

I’m just back from a fabulous weekend with some of the Diamond State Romance Authors! We had our annual writing retreat at this weekend and it was incredible. Not only did I add over 8,000 words to my work in progress, but we got to spend the weekend in this fabulous house on Lake Hamilton.

It even had this fabulous infinity pool (Author Megan Mitcham as Vanna White)

But we were there for a purpose, and that was to put words on the page. So I wrote. I wrote in the comfy recliner:

And on one of the nice, shady balconies:

And for a little while, I did the word putting into sentence doing out by the pool:

All in all, I added 8,143 to my work in progress. Whoo hoo!

Then I did this:

When I got home, I got to see the new carpet!

We still have a lot of work to do on the room, but it’s really starting to come together. I even picked up a pretty piece of inspirational artwork for the big wall:

So that’s the update on my works in progress. What’s up with you this week?

September 15, 2014

Monday Mayhem – An-ti-ci-pation!

This weekend I worked a little and goofed a little. In my book, that’s the best kind of weekend.

I kicked the weekend off by picking up the latest Susan Elizabeth Phillips book, Heroes Are My Weakness.

I’ve been parsing it out chapter by chapter between construction duties. The walls in the upstairs bedroom/office are up and the seams mudded. The new windows are in. We start priming and painting today and the carpet comes Wednesday.

It’s bound to be a crazy busy week again. I’m within striking distance of finishing the first draft of Full Court Press and I have a new story to plot. The good news is, annual DSRA writing retreat starts this Friday and I can’t wait! And after that, I’ll be on vacation.

In other words, this will be the longest short week of my life.

How about you? Anything coming up in your world that’ll make the seconds between now and then drag by?

August 4, 2014

Monday Mayhem – Gotta Get Away

I’ve been suffering a pretty strong vacation urge for the last couple of years. When one moves 500+ miles from family and friends and marries into a ready-made family, vacation time is usually eaten up with trips back home or activities to entertain the kids.

My husband and I haven’t taken a trip that wasn’t work or family related since our honeymoon in 2001 when we went to Eureka Springs and stayed at the beautiful (and haunted!) Crescent Hotel.

We had a taste of what it might be like when he flew to south Texas last spring to meet me for a quick weekend. I was working in McAllen for a couple of weeks, and the flight times to and from Little Rock just didn’t make sense for a Friday afternoon to Sunday evening turn around, but the proximity to South Padre Island and frequent flier miles made a couple days at the beach possible.

Boy, did that whet the whistle.

When inclement weather forced us to stay overnight in Cape Girardeau, MO on our way back from Illinois, we discovered that we both enjoy exploring these old Mississippi River port towns. It didn’t hurt that we came out of the riverboat casino $60 ahead for the night.

So yeah, we’ve been itching to get away again, but with job/family/pet/financial obligations, it hasn’t been easy to take the time away. But then I had a flash of genius.

No, I didn’t invent an intermittent windshield wiper, but I did manage to put a couple of random thoughts together and come up with a semi-plan.

You see, I’ve been entertaining thoughts of a story or two with a historic South backdrop. Towns like Vicksburg or Natchez, MS. Both are within few hours of our house, so the man and I have been tossing around the idea of a road trip. The easy proximity from either of those locales to New Orleans, and the fact that my husband has never experienced The Big Easy, and well…it’s safe to say there’s a plot afoot.

We like diner food and flea markets. We’re easily lured by roadside stands and local attractions. Photos of plantations turned B&B have spawned more than one fantasy involving sneak-drinking brandy whilst I observe the size and strength of Rhett Butler’s hands….

http://www.anyclip.com/movies/gone-with-the-wind/drunk-rhett/#!quotes/

Ahem. Sorry. I digress.

How about you? Are you a road trip person or do you prefer to make a beeline for your final destination? Anyplace in particular you’re yearning to see?

July 21, 2014

Monday Mayhem – The deep end of the gene pool

I’ve just returned from spending the weekend with my family. Always an adventure, given then we number in the dozens. This weekend, my eldest niece was married.

As with most weddings, there were just as many misty moments as there were happy ones. Due to health and mobility issues, my mom was unable to attend the ceremony (held in an outdoor chapel in the woods), but we were able to arrange for her to attend the reception for a few hours.

Those few precious moments were every bit as good for us as they were for us.

There were many funny conversations over the course of the weekend, but the one that stuck with me was a brief exchange I had with my sister and eldest brother.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged in our family that I was created in my father’s image. In saying that, I mean not only God, but Bob. You see, I have everything: his eyes, his nose, his chin…even his sinus trouble and prematurely graying hair. Thankfully, my ears are a bit more under control.

But as I grow older, more people tell me I’m starting to resemble my mother:

Then, as my siblings were helping my niece find some old pictures to display at the ceremony and reception, they came across a picture of my maternal grandparents that made them question the strength of my father’s influence. They seem to think I look like my mother’s mother, which would stand to reason. Her name was Margaret, too.

I knew exactly which picture they meant because I already had a copy of it. My grandfather gave it to me when I was in my early twenties. I guess he saw the resemblance way back when, despite the eyes, nose, mouth and chin my daddy was to proud to claim.

But I noticed something as I was helping to settle my mother back at her care facility Saturday evening. Despite decades of claiming that my father only used her as the vessel to carry his mini-me, I believe I might have inherited my mother’s hands.

They are small and squarish with blunt-tipped fingers. Hands that survived thousands of dishes, loads of laundry, and cooking cuts and burns, but still manage to look graceful. She used them to wipe our tears and administer mid-Sunday-mass spit baths. The same hands always anxious to cradle grand(and great-grand)babies and equally willing to coo and coddle grand-dogs, cats, rabbits, and other cuddly creatures.

We both have crooked pinkie finger and the same map of faint blue veins in the backs. I think I only noticed because I realized that mine are becoming more pronounced. And I’m okay with that. Just you wait, in about forty-one more years, my hands are going to be absolutely beautiful. Soft, and smooth, if a bit thin-skinned, but just as strong as hers are when she gives mine that little squeeze and tells me not to worry so much, she’s just fine.

So, perfect Roman aquiline nose (my father’s claim) notwithstanding, I think my dip in the gene pool leaves me in pretty good stead.

How about you? Do you take after one parent, or are you a mix? Do you have a next generation (or two) doppelganger?

July 7, 2014

Monday Mayhem – As high as an elephant’s eye

Well, in truth I’m fairly crashed out. We just had the best dinner and I am stuffed to the gills.

The local grocery has a butcher who makes these fabulous chopped sirloin steaks edged in garlic and coarse pepper. When I was cruising the produce section to pick up Tim’s leaf lettuce (why else would I go there?), I spotted some fresh sweet corn on sale 3 ears for a buck. I had a bag of Yukon gold potatoes in the pantry and an envelope of Lipton onion soup mix in the cabinet.

The steaks were juicy and flavorful, the potatoes crisp, and the corn the sweetest I have tasted in a long time. In other words, it was the perfect storm of a meal.

So in addition to the better-than-George-Clooney-in-a-yellow-raincoat meal, here are four other highlights from a lovely holiday weekend:

On July 4th, someone who sounds a lot like me, but has a different name received their first recommended read on the USA Today Happily Ever After blog!
The clingy monkey boy wanted his Moogie when the big, mean fireworks scared him. Nothing beats having the little man you love choose you.
I had my annual July 4th viewing of The Music Man. Yes, I sang. No, Jewels, I didn’t record it. As for the rest of you, you’re welcome.
I wrote over 5k this weekend. And I have a crazy impulse to start an entirely different story tonight. Somebody stop me!

How about you? What were the highlights of your weekend?

June 23, 2014

Monday Mayhem – Reclaiming my routine

This week I’m going to focus on getting back into my pre-2014 routine. What does this mean? I need to figure out how to manage my time in this brave new world I’ve entered. Since I’m working toward feeling better physically, my first order of business will be to figure out how to fit gym time into my day. Next, I’ll tackle reestablishing the daily word count.

So I thought I’d start here with the good old fast five. Ready? Here we go!

What I’ve been working on: I’m about halfway through the battle of the sexes story I’ve been working on, but need to narrow the focus a bit. I’ve spent the least week reading, editing, and rewriting what I have so far in hopes of getting it on track to finish.

What’s running around in the back of my mind: A plot bunny inspired by an old Frank Sinatra song. Can you guess which one?

What I’ve accomplished: I worked all weekend, but I did get this post done. Does that count?

What new goal I’m chasing: Reclaiming my writing routine.

What I saw: Park Hill Collection showroom at the Dallas Market Center.

So, to get things back on track, let’s do something fun…Comment below and take a guess at which Sinatra song is making me itch to write a story and I’ll draw one winner from the correct answers for a choice of any book from my (or Maggie’s) digital backlist – one copy for you, and one for a friend!