|
June 2003 Newsletter
Wow! One day I blinked and summer happened.
Actually, I'm very glad to see June arrive in Oklahoma. It means the
end of tornado season for another year. Whew! Lots of near
misses for me this year. It really makes me consider moving.
But everywhere I would consider seems to have it's own environmental
problems, so I might just as well stay where I am.
This was a fun month. I had my own
tornado arrive in the form of a close friend from Australia on her yearly
visit to the U. S. Diane is the consummate shopper! She spent one day
playing tourist and the other twelve days shopping. Since she left,
we have both set up a webcam and now we see and talk to each other almost
daily.
If that gives you ideas, let me tell you that
it was really easy to set up and using Yahoo messenger or MSN messenger is
free . . . and clear as a bell. Can you imagine what the long
distance charges are for Australia 30 minutes a day? Now all I have
to do is convince my son and daughter-in-law that they need one for their
first baby due to arrive this fall. Oh yes!
Have a Great Fourth!
Sandi Price
ps. Watch for new prizes and
drawings later this month.
http://www.romanceauthorspage.com
 What a Mother ' s Day present! After
being lovingly remembered by our children and grandchildren, the day was
capped off with a call from the president of the Colorado Romance Writers
informing me my Harlequin Superromance7 YOU'RE MY BABY (May 02) had won
their Award of Excellence for best long contemporary. It was the
perfect occasion to have my fictional " baby " recognized. Needless
to say, I was thrilled.
We just returned from St. Louis where we
celebrated my cousin's Golden Wedding Anniversary. It was a
wonderful, sentimental occasion, as well as a grand excuse for the family
to get together, which happens seldom since we are spread from coast to
coast. Whether it's for weddings, graduations,
Fourth of July celebrations, vacations, or reunions, I hope you will enjoy
your own family gatherings this summer.
For the time being, the only celebration I will
be observing is the completion of THE WRONG MAN (Harlequin Superromance7,
March 04), due on my editor ' s desk in mid-July.
Have a relaxing summer, full of fun books
to read!
Summer's finally here! June gloom
finally passed, the sun's heating up and I'm in a FREE BOOK FRENZY. If you
don't believe me, come to my sight and see all my lucky winners. I love to
give FREE BASKETS, too. Come check out my patriotic July basket with
chocolate, Ecco Bella Bath and Body Products (courtesy of Ecco Bella) a
flag waving bear and flag plaque, plus an autographed book. And take a
look at my winners, too. I love posting pictures of these happy ladies.
Currently, Kim Westgaard, my May winner, is on my home page, but you can
check out past winners, too, just click on CONTEST WINNERS. So those of
you who haven't already, SIGN MY GUEST BOOK FOR FREE BOOKS AND BASKETS! If
you've already signed up, you already qualify, so don't sign up again. I
do love to hear from my readers, though, so please feel free to drop me a
note anytime at bmccauleybooks@aol.
And why, you ask, do I want to give away so much FREE STUFF? Because I'm
so happy! It's been such a fantastic year for me. My February book, THAT
BLACKHAWK BRIDE was a Romantic Times 41/2 Top Pick, my May book, WHERE
THERE'S SMOKE... was on WALDEN'S BESTSELLER LIST three weeks, and my June
book SUMMER GOLD/WOLF RIVER SUMMER (a two in one book with Elizabeth
Lowell) hit the USA TODAY BESTSELLER LIST, too! And on top of all that,
I'm a RITA finalist for my May, 2002 Desire TAMING BLACKHAWK. Romance
Writer's of America national conference in New York is coming up in
mid-July and it's going to be a grand time. Wish me luck! I'll post
pictures after conference.
Anyone in the NEW YORK AREA, I'll be signing at the Romance Writer's
Readers for Life Literacy booksigning at the New York Hilton on Wednesday,
July 16th, starting at 5:30 to 8:00. Please come say hello if you're in
the area. Check out details at rwanational.com. Hope to see you there!
And while you're surfing the net, come check out my garden site, too. I'm
an avid gardener, and like my books, my garden is a "work in progress"
I've posted some new pictures I'd love to share. Just getting my first
zucchini's this past week, but tomatoes are still green. I can't wait!
There is nothing as wonderful as a vine-ripened tomato. We're off to a
slow start because of June gloom, but with the sun finally breaking
through, things should start taking off now.
I've also just sent out my first newsletter, which contained current news
and my response to Stacy Biggs question for me about how an aspiring
writer can overcome self-doubt. With the help from my fellow retreat
buddies, I wrote A WRITER'S SEVEN STEPS TO SELF-CONFIDENCE. If you'd like
to check it out, come to my website and click on my newsletter archive
section.
Have a safe and fun Fourth of July. Stay cool!
All the Best,
Barbara
--Howdy from down on the farm! We've
received much-needed rain to green up the pastures. For a while there I
thought we were living in the desert. The spring calf crop is on the
ground and the cute little rascals are running around everywhere.
We did suffer some storm damage when the tornado blew past here last
week. Thankfully the house is still in tact, more or less. The barn has
to be repaired and part of the backyard fence blew down, along with half
a cattle shed, but we were more fortunate than those who lost their
homes in the storms. I think of them each time I pick up tree limbs,
shingles and tin that scattered in the storm.
I just received a two-book contract to write 2 more historicals this
year for Harlequin and I've started on my 80th book. I'm also waiting to
hear about writing for one of Harlequin's new lines that sound like lots
of fun. That means I'll be spending the hot summer months in the office
working on manuscripts, hanging out with our 4 adorable grandchildren ,
doing a little gardening and helping husband Ed with ranch chores.
The latest installment of the Ryder cowboy cousins will be out in August
in the Double Duets--Fit to Be Frisked and Mr. Cool Under Fire. I adore
the new cover! Be sure to take a look at it on the web site. The next
historical, Oklahoma Bride, should be out in Nov. or Dec.--I'm not sure
which yet--and Texas Bride should be released in the summer of 2004.
In the meantime, happy reading to one and all. Enjoy your summer!
All the best, Carol Finch, Connie Feddersen, et al.
Or maybe I should say, storm country.
Tornadoes to the right of me, tornadoes to the left of me, then holy
smokes, tornadoes on top of me. After four really stormy nights here in
Oklahoma, the odds finally caught up with us. Henryetta was hit by a
tornado last Friday afternoon. We had ample warning and took cover so no
one was injured, but it doesn't stop the damage from happening just the
same.
My home was spared because the worst of the storm was on the north side of
town and I live on the south, but my mother's home and my Auntie's
properties both had damage. Mother lost the roof off of her large storage
shed in the back yard and the big beautiful tree in Auntie's front yard
wound up in the street. They also had a large amount of debris from other
people's property in their yards. However, the power had gone out in town
and was out for over two hours, my car was in the garage, and the
automatic door opener wouldn't work, so I couldn't get my car out to go
check on them. Talk about a nerve-wracking time. Then came Bobby to the
rescue, (my sweetie) rolled up to the front door of my house and
yelled "get in" and off we went to check on my "girls."
They were pretty shook up, but happy to see us. It's funny how the sight
of a man can calm women of their ages. Mother is 83, her sister is 78.
They were raised in the time when men "took care of" business and
troubles. By the time we left, they were back in their houses, marveling
at the mess, but much calmer.
All this and I'm trying to promote my latest book and write another. Yes,
this is where you laugh to keep from crying. This month, THE PERFECT LIE
was released under my pen name, Dinah McCall. I really like the story and
hope you've all had a chance to pick up a copy.
I think I'm going to sit back now and enjoy the oncoming summer while
keeping an eye to the sky.
Until next time,
Sharon Sala
aka
Dinah McCall
Dear book friends,
Can June be here already? This is an exciting time for me. The new Robert
Ludlum/Gayle Lynds adventure tale is on its way to stores, arrived mid
month, just in time for Father's Day!
The title is The Altman Code, and it's another episode in the adventurous
life of Jon Smith --- both a medical doctor and an intelligence operative
with the super-secret Covert-One agency. This time, the White House learns
a Chinese ship has slipped out of Shanghai with a cargo of illicit
chemicals that are prime ingredients in chemical warfare weapons. Of
course, if it's true, the ship must be stopped.
Jon is assigned to find out what the cargo really is, and in the process
he runs into his dear friend and our favorite female agent, Randi Kennedy.
Oh, I do enjoy the sparks between them. By the end of the book, she's
saved him twice. A reflection of real life, don't you think?
Anyway, I hope you'll take a peak. It's a saucy, politically with-it book,
full of lots of great adventure as well as those sparks I was talking
about.
Remember, the previous one in the series was a New York Times bestseller
as well as a People magazine "Beach Read of the Week." That one was called
The Paris Option.
In my personal life, things are going pretty well. I'm in revisions for my
next standalone and planning to go back to New York soon to meet with my
editor and see our youngest child. Looking forward to both.
Flowers fill our yard. The lilies-of-the-Nile are gorgeous, and now the
roses are blooming madly. Our two geriatric cats and one young 'un are
playful and happy to see the fog of winter lifting. So are we.
Hope your summer is getting off to a great start, and that you're finding
wonderful books for those lazy moments all of us treasure.
Please remember to drop by my website to sign my guestbook and win books!
www.nettrends.com/gaylelynds
Salud, Gayle
As one of the partners in independent
press, BelleBooks, which publishes southern fiction, Deborah Smith is
excited that the third novel in their acclaimed Mossy Creek Hometown
Series is now in bookstores across the country.
WELCOME BACK TO MOSSY CREEK continues the warm, witty and wise doings in
a small southern Georgia village you’ll want to call home.
Get ready for a comical battle over pickled beets and a spy mission to
recover hijacked chow-chow peppers. Meet an unforgettable parakeet named
Tweedle Dee and a lovable dog named Dog. Watch Amos and Ida sidestep the
usual rumors and follow Katie Bell’s usual snooping. In the meantime,
old-timer Opal Suggs and her long-dead sisters share a lesson on living,
and apple farmer Hope Bailey faces poignant choices when an old flame
returns to claim her.
Written by some of the most entertaining authors of women's fiction
today, including Deborah Smith, SUMMER IN MOSSY CREEK is the third in a
series about the town that ain't goin' nowhere and don't care to. You
can find a link to the bellebooks website on Deborah's author site,
www.deborahsmith.com.
Talk about a great summer beach read --
Jill Marie Landis's debut contemporary novel, LOVER'S LANE, just out from
Ballantine, is THE book to tuck into your beach basket.
To celebrate the June publication of this fabulous read, Jill is running a
beach basket contest on www.jillmarielandis.com, where you'll also find an
excerpt of LOVER'S LANE.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips calls LOVER'S LANE "a heartwarming, sexy
page-turner," and Booklist says LOVER'S LANE is “heart-touching and
impossible to put down. Landis’ compelling depiction of characters extends
even to the villianess and six-year-old Chris; the pacing and plot are
dead-on, and consequently this love story is a joy to read." And
RTBOOKClub awarded LOVER'S LANE a Top Pick designation for June.
Sounds like a must-read to me!
| And while you’re
visiting my website, check out the excerpt of LOVER’S LANE |
|
Linda Lael Miller, and her Arizona
author pal, Dar Tomlinson recently flew to San Diego to appear together on
Antoinette Kuritz's hit writers' cybershow, "Writers Round Table" on
www.worldtalkradio.com.
Antoinette is one of the finest author interviewers in the country, and
Linda was delighted to make a return appearance on her show.
To replay the interview and to learn tips from one of the best romance and
women's fiction writers in the country, visit www.lindalaelmiller.com and
click on "Links." And stay tuned -- soon you'll find an excerpt of Linda's
smart, sassy September novel, DON'T LOOK NOW, on her website.
|
June Book Winners |
Dar Tomlinson -
UNBREAK MY
HEART
Winner: Vicki Kosanke, North Branch,
MN
Gayle Lynds - MOSAIC
Winner: Theresa Wagner, Florida, NY
Debbie Macomber -
DARLING
DAUGHTERS
Winner:
Tami Sweger, Carlisle, PA
Georgina Gentry - TO TAME A
TEXAN
Winner:
Shirley Plumley, Grand Prairie, TX
Linda Lael Miller - BRIDGET
Winner: Sherry Elliott, Bullock, NC That's All for this
month,
Sandi Price
|
