Still Holding On.....

Hello Friends,

Thought I'd touch base and let you know that I'm still holding on. Can't believe it's been six weeks since my beloved entered eternity. I wonder....will this be the milestone that marks events in my life?

We all have them you know - some point or points in our life by which we measure change, failure or success.

My boss told me of a priest who has experienced near-death and something he said....he (the priest) said that there is no time element in eternity and that when we meet our loved ones there - it'll be like we were never apart. This thought gives me hope and I know in my heart exactly how Terry will look....he'll look to me the way he did on our wedding day

- one friend said this picture is her favorite of him too - because every aspect of his personality is reflected in it. I agree - this is how I still see him, how I saw him throughout our entire lives together - how I'll always remember him....that smile, the expression on his face when he was about to say -or just said - something cocky and cute, the air of confidence he exuded, the joy he brought to MY and so many lives....

Little things like a ball game, selling a set of books or a new picture of our grandchild(ren) bring a spark of joy admist the sadness in my heart. Here's the latest of our youngest, Karson.....

Even writing isn't the same for me...where once exhilarating - now exhausting but I keep plugging away - not daily as I should but a couple of times a week I'll sit down with my latest WIP.

Oh before I forget ~ the White Rose authors are having a scavenger hunt! Visit our blog for details -AND- Bayou Writers's annual fall conference A Bridge to Publication is right around the corner - Nov. 14th - download the brochure here.

Guess that's about all for now. Until later.....take care and be blessed.

Saturday Spotlight - Pamela K Kinney

Wow, hard to believe this is the LAST spotlight in September - where does the time go?

Today's guest is author, Pamela K Kinney and her book, Haunted Virginia ~ Legends, Myths and True Tales.

Pamela K. Kinney is an author of published horror, science fiction, fantasy, horror, poetry, and the nonfiction book, Haunted Richmond, Virginia, published by Schiffer Publishing, along with Haunted Virginia: Legends, Myths and True Tales coming May 2009 from Schiffer Publishing, too. Using the pseudonym, Sapphire Phelan, she has published erotic and sweet paranormal/fantasy/science fiction romance, also poetry and a couple of erotic horror stories. She also has done acting on stage and in films. She admits she can always be found at her desk and on her computer, writing. And yes, the house and husband sometimes suffers for it!

Find out more about her at: http://fantasticdreams.50megs.com/ or at either of her MySpaces: http://www.myspace.com/PamelaKKinney and http://www.myspace.com/SapphirePhelan.

Richmond, Virginia is chock-full of ghosts and haunted places. This city names Edgar Allan Poe as its native son, and it is rich in ghostly lore, legends, and tales. Join this tour to:• Learn why Virginia's governor shares his mansion with ghosts;• Dine with ghosts at Ruth's Chris Steak House and Crab Louie's Seafood Tavern;• Discover that the Byrd Theatre has more than movies to offer customers;• Visit the prison in Powhatan (it might not be safe, even for those working there);• Call on the Lady in Red who roams the corridors at Wrexham Hall.These and other interesting and scary stories will transport you beyond, to a Richmond that most mortals never see!

EXCERPT

Chapter One
Ghostly Legends and Myths

In every state, in fact, in every country around the world, there are
ghostly legends and folklore. Many are stories that are happening to
people today, but there are many others that happened in the past and
can not be authenticated. These are always told at sleep overs and at
summer camp, at Halloween parties, and on ghost tours, too. With the
Internet, many are posted in forums and on Web sites. Most of all, they
always seemed to happen to a friend of a friend!

The Ghost Makes Him Behave—Portsmouth
There is a story told on the annual Ghost Walk in Old Towne
Portsmouth each Halloween. Mike Hardy, an ex-Confederate soldier who
always bragged about how many Yankees he killed in the Civil War, actually
felt guilty for one death, a young drummer boy he shot in the back.
After the war, Hardy came back to Portsmouth and settled into a
life of carousing and lechery. Later, though, as he passed by St. Paul’s
Church one night, he felt a strong compulsion to ask forgiveness for his
sins. He entered the church and knelt. Just then, a voice behind him
uttered, “I have long forgiven you for what you did to me.”

Hardy whipped around and found himself face-to-face with the ghost
of the drummer boy. The boy said, “Change your ways, Mike Hardy, or
you won’t be able to go where I am now.” The ghost disappeared.

Chastened—or more likely scared—Mike Hardy changed his life
around and became an upstanding citizen. It is said that when he was
dying, he smiled and said he saw the Yankee drummer boy waiting to
take him away.

Noisy Ghost-Varina
In the Varina Battlefield Cemetery, there is a cemetery on the right
that has a very strange ghost lurking around the graves. He watches over
the cemetery and the rumor goes that there’s a water fountain in the
yard. And if you drink from it, this spirit will make noises and sometimes
throw things at you. He is believed to be a Confederate solder.

Haunted Theatre—Norfolk
Teddy Skylar of Ghost FIRE Haunts paranormal group (http://www.
ghostfirehaunts.com/) told me that there’s a legend about a theatre
(the theatre does not want their name used) in Norfolk. In the very
early days of the theatre, a stage hand named Ned tripped and fell
from the rafters. He was accidentally hung and died. People claim to
still see him back stage.

There is also a story in the same theatre about a small boy who fell
from of the number 3 box seat, stage right. The child has been seen
in the box, but only for a moment.

Lost in a Cave—Somewhere in Virginia
Along the New River, a local man found a cave and entered it in
the mid 1900s. He became lost and did not get out for several days.
Upon returning home, it was said that his hair had turned gray from
his experience. He would never talk of what happened in the cave,
except to say that no one would believe what he saw.

Haunted Statue and Mural at Virginia Military Institute-Lexington
On the campus of Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, there are
written accounts that tears are seen falling down the bronze face of the
Sir Moses Ezekiel’s statue of “Virginia Mourning Her Dead.” It is said
that the statue may be mourning over the graves of the teen-aged VMI
cadets who died in the Battle of New Market during the Civil War.
The statue isn’t the only spooky VMI occurrence. A cadet—locked
up by accident in Jackson Memorial Hall—claimed that not only did
he see figures moving on a large mural of the same battle and flashes
of gunfire, but he also heard sounds.

Worried Mother—Amherst
The story goes that a family bought an old farm and moved in.
While the husband was out plowing and the wife had just completed
her milking chores, the wife found a woman in black standing at the
basement door, crying. Then the woman vanished. This happened for
three days to the frightened farmer’s wife. She told her husband and
he told her that next time to ask what the woman wanted.

So when it happened to her again, she asked what was wrong. The
ghost looked at her and said that in the field the farmer was plowing,
her two children had been buried and she feared they would be dug up.
The ghost told the woman that there was money she had hidden in the
basement. She told her to take it and buy some tombstones for the two
graves, that there would be plenty left over. The wife found the money
as told. Then she and her husband discovered the two graves. They
put a fence around the graves and marked them with special stones.
Though the farmer and his wife never said how much had been found,
afterwards they looked like a couple of considerable means.

Ooohhh, erie....what better way to usher in October? LOL!

Well Friends, hope you enjoy this spotlight. Stay tuned every week for more interesting authors and their fabulous books!

Until later....take care, be blessed and remember....Love is a Choice.

Pamela S Thibodeaux
"Inspirational with an Edge!" (tm)

Memories

Hello Friends,

I've received numerous sympathy cards over the past month and all of them touched my heart in some way or another - EACH one is GREATLY appreciated. One however, titled Let There Be Memories, seemed to resonate within me. I'd like to share it with you now along with some photos of me and Terry.

Wedding Day - June 14, 1992

Let there be memories - fond recollections of special occasions and everyday things. Let your heart start on its journey to healing by feeling the comfort remembering brings.

Summer - 1993

Let there be memories - pictures, mementos and favorite stories both funny and sad. Let your mind wander the paths of remembrance, reliving the joys and the good times you've had.

Christmas party - probably around 2000

Let there be memories - signs that our loved ones remain near in spirit long after they're gone...tender, surprising, hearwarming, and welcom-sweet proof of the promise that love will live on.

Summer 2005

These lovely words were written by Linda Barnes, the card of course is a Hallmark - because when you care - you send your very best.

Remember - God sent HIS very best when He sent Jesus to save the world (that means you and me!)

He sent His second best when He sent Terry into my life. For that I'll be forever grateful.

In loving memory.....Terry L Thibodeaux, Sr - 11/29/1952 - 8/18/2009...I'll treasure you in my heart forever, My Love.....

Once again I'd like to THANK YOU ALL for your continued prayers and positive thoughts as I transition into the good plan - the future and hope for my good not my destruction - God has for me.

Thank you for allowing me to share these memories with you.

PamT

*Note* this is NOT an attempt to plagarize - I give FULL credit for the beautiful words contained within this blog post to Linda Barnes and Hallmark (R) - I only wish to share them along with my memories.

Saturday Spotlight - KM Daughters!

Hello Friends,

Well it's been 4 weeks Tuesday and a month yesterday that my husband passed from this life into the next. One thing I'm learning is the HEART does go on and FAITH in God and His promise of eternity help us (or at least me) go on. Again I'd like to THANK YOU for your continued prayers on my behalf and on behalf of everyone who loves Terry. May God bless you 100fold.

Today I'd like to welcome KM Daughters once more to Saturday Spotlight - this time with their book, Against Doctor's Orders.

K.M. Daughters is the award winning writing team of sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. Their penname is dedicated to the memory of their parents: Kay and Mickey Lynch. Pat is married to Nick Casiello and has three children, Jen, Emilie and Brian. Kathie is married to Tom Clare and has two sons, Tom and Michael. She has two grandchildren, Natalie and Michael and a new grandbaby is expected in September. K.M. Daughters’ career began with two book contracts from The Wild Rose Press and White Rose Publishing on the same day – January 26, 2008. Three more book contracts followed in 2008 in three romance genres: Inspirational, Romantic Suspense and Contemporary Romance. The Visions of Love inspirational series features Jewel of the Adriatic and Rose of the Adriatic. The author’s romantic suspense Sullivan Boys series includes: Against Doctors Orders, Beyond The Code of Conduct, Capturing Karma and working titles: All’s Fair In Love and Law and In The St. Nick of Time. Visit their website: http://www.kmdaughters.com/

The Sullivan Boys series, Book 1The Henna Housewife Killer continues to evade the police for the murders of red headed housewives. ER doctor Molly Jordon treats Detective Danny Sullivan when he's brought to her ER with a bullet wound. Molly has never had a carnal reaction to a patient before but Danny sparks so much heat in her, he appears in steamy dreams. A cop's widow and single parent, Molly is fiercely averse to the life of worry loving a cop entails. And Danny isn't any cop. He's the son of a retired Police Commissioner and one of six siblings who are all law enforcers. Danny thought that a cop's job and marriage didn't mix after his bitter divorce - until he meets the bossy, irresistible Molly Jordan who throws medical orders at him that he has no inclination to follow.

Excerpt: He saw pinpoints of light on his closed lids. “Wow,” the word gushed from his lips. He held her as she snuggled against his chest, both trembling in the aftermath.

“I hear bells,” she said.

“Honey, I hear bells, too. I think it’s your phone.”

His cell phone rang and they pulled back to look at each other.

“This can’t be good news.” He kissed her before he helped her slide off his lap, mostly naked and tantalizing, into her seat.

She dove for her purse.

They both dealt with the calls while they grabbed their clothes and wiggled into them.He fished an emergency beacon out of his glove compartment and set it on the top of his car. The rotating light washed the grass and tree limbs with red swirls.

“He’s hit again,” he said as he started the car. “We’ve got a live victim on the Eisenhower Expressway five minutes away from Chicago Regional.”

“I know,” she said. “They’re trying to patch me in to the paramedics now.”

He thrust the gearshift into reverse, tossed his arm over his seat and floored the accelerator. “Seat belt on?”

She nodded.

He backed the car down the path full tilt. Seatbelts strained as the impacts from the bumpy road jolted them in their seats. The tires hit asphalt and he slammed on the brakes. All the anti-skid devices in the car engaged with a mechanical moan and they fishtailed onto the road. He floored the car again and they took off.

He wanted to tell her what their trip to lovers lane meant to him. But there had to be time for that later. Not now. He could only think one thing. A break. This could be the break I need to stop the bastard.

He heard her calm voice on the phone as he wove among the sparse cars on the expressway and thanked God for the V-8 engine that blasted them down the road over a hundred miles per hour. “They’re there,” she said as she snapped her phone shut. “My team’s ready for her.”

Against Doctor's Orders is available in Ebook and Print from The Wild Rose Press!

Well folks, that wraps up another edition of Saturday Spotlight - please check back for more interesting authors and their books!

Until later take care and be blessed.
PamT

WRIB Authors' Our Cup Runneth Over Contest!

Hello Friends,

I'd like to take a moment to thank you all for your continued love, support and prayers.

The White Rose authors are hosting a contest with numerous prizes and chances to win! Here are the details:

Each week, over the next seven weeks, you will have the chance to win free e-books courtesy of the White Rose Publishing authors.

How? By joining our scavenger hunt. Each Saturday two to three new author’s web-sites will be added to the White Roses in Bloom blog. What your job is to locate the WHITE ROSE PUBLISHING cup hiding somewhere on their site. Jot down the author’s name and what color cup is on their web page and e-mail the correct answers to carolann.erhardt@gmail.com (Please place in the subject line WRiB Contest) Each Saturday, starting September 19th, a winner’s name will be drawn and your prize will be awarded.

But that’s not all, each time that you send in an entry—regardless if you win that week or not--your name goes into a larger kitty for the grand prize drawing October 31st! (That prize consists of: seven e-books, a box of White Rose Organic tea, your very own beautiful White Rose mug, and a little basket of Arbonne skin care products.)

The first 3 blogs are listed below.....

http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com/
http://thewestcorner.blogspot.com/
http://www.karencogan.com

One of the following e-books will be awarded as a prize for week one: Winter Madness, Dreams Do Come True, or Fragile Dreams.


Check back every Saturday to find the newest list of website/blogs so you can continue your hunt. There will also be a listing of the books which will be awarded.

List of participating Authors:

Pamela Thibodeaux, E.A. West, Karen Cogan, Cami Checketts, Janelle Ashley, Wendy Davy, Diane Miley, Sandy Wickersham-McWhorter, Teri Wilson, JoAnn Carter, Nicola Beaumont, Carla Rossi, Carol Ann Erhardt, Sharon Donovan, Cindy Green, and Vicki Caine

Hope you join the White Rose authors and have fun with this contest. Good luck in the hunt for great books!

Saturday Spotlight - Margay Leah Justice

Hello Friends,

Trying to keep things going here so please welcome this week's guest, Margay Leah Justice and her book, Nora's Soul.

Writing has always been a passion of mine from the very first time I picked up a pencil. Telling stories has always been in my blood; there have always been great tellers of tales in my family, whether it was my grandmother passing on a family store or distant relatives publishing their own. Yes, my claim to fame is being related to the Lowells of Boston – James Russell Lowell, Amy Lowell and Robert Lowell. So I’m not kidding when I say that writing is in my blood.

Though I started out writing just for me, somewhere along the way I came to realize that others might be interested in what I have to write. It started with family and friends, then teachers, but still, it took some time to convince myself to pursue publication. It has been quite a journey, culminating in the publication of my first book, Nora’s Soul. Here’s to continuing the journey.

When angels of light and dark collide on earth…
Once he held a favored position in the heavens. But one moment of weakness casts Dante out and now he is cursed to walk the earth, collecting the souls of vulnerable women to buy his way into hell.

All hell breaks loose…

But standing in his way is Peter, an angel of light. Peter is everything Dante is not. Pure, above reproach. And determined to prevent Dante from achieving his goals. Peter will stop at nothing to protect the souls in his charge, even if it means achieving the impossible – leading Dante back onto the right path.

And no one is safe from the fall-out.

Nora Kendall believed in angels. Once. But then she lost her brother to cancer despite all of her prayers – and she lost her faith in all things angelic. Now, she is a lost soul who wanders through life like a sleepwalker, playing it safe and leaving the risk-taking to others.

Kyle Cameron is one of those risks. Burned by a bad marriage, his only concern now is providing a stable life for his children, who are left motherless by the unexpected death of his wife. This means working overtime to grow his architectural firm into a viable business – and leaving the care of his children to the care of someone he trusts. Despite his past connection with Nora, Kyle isn’t certain that she’s the right person for the job. He also doesn’t want to reconnect with her and repeat history.

But fate – and the machinations of two angels – has other ideas.

Excerpt

“I don’t want there to be any misconceptions or hurt feelings between us, Nora.”

The sound of his harsh voice snapped her attention back to him. “Misconceptions?” she repeated, confused. “About what?”

“About what you and my sister expect is going to happen here.”

“I don’t – “ Her protest died on her lips when he placed a fingertip over them, silencing her. She nearly choked on a shallow breath at the fireball of sensation that roared down to the pit of her stomach at that minute touch. Thankfully, he withdrew the finger before she could do anything really damaging to her pride – like suck it into her mouth – but the fiery sensation lingered in her stomach, quietly banking a fire of old sensations into full life.

“I don’t need a social secretary,” he said, seemingly unaware of her reaction to him. “If I did need a secretary, I’d find one through a headhunter, not my sister.”

“Okay.”

“And I certainly wouldn’t take one whose background is in social services.”

“Well, then, it’s a good thing I’m not here to be your secretary.”

“Good. Now that we’ve got that established, let’s move on.”

“Please do.”

Kyle ignored that last comment as he launched into his speech. As he spoke, he made a leisurely circle about Nora, pausing to lean toward her in punctuation of each sentence.

“I’m not looking for a wife or a new mother for my children – “

“I’m not – “

“ – so if that’s the little scheme you’ve got going with my sister, you can just forget about it now.”

“I don’t have any ‘little scheme’ going with Joelle - or anyone else, for that matter!”

“Glad to hear it,” Kyle said, his tone belying his words. “Let’s move on, shall we?”

“Oh, please do.”

“I live alone. I like that.”

His breath skimmed her right ear as he leaned in close to her, front to front. She tried not to shudder at the pleasurable sensation it sent shimmering down her neck and into her stomach, where it joined the fire still banked there. She feared that she failed miserably. She almost didn’t hear his next words in the aftermath of the sensations he aroused in her.

“I throw my clothes on the floor when I undress.” He slipped around her right shoulder, but circled close to it – too close. “I leave the toilet seat up. I squeeze toothpaste from the middle. I sleep in the nude.” He leaned over her shoulder. His lips pressed to her ear, his breath searing a path down the left side of her neck now that, oddly enough, brought chills to her spine. “I like that.”

As the chills rippled through her, Nora swayed, slightly off-balance. Kyle righted her equilibrium with a quick, painless jab of his knees to the backs of hers. Then he pulled back, abruptly, completed his circle as he drilled home his point. “I don’t want anyone picking up my clothes. I don’t want anyone putting down the toilet seat or telling me where to squeeze my toothpaste.” He paused to quirk his lips in what could almost pass for a smile at the suggestive statement. “And I don’t want anyone buying me silk pajamas. I don’t want to be reformed.” He leaned his face so close to Nora’s then that his features filled her entire realm of vision. “Got that?”

Well, of all the arrogant, insufferable – ! Nora was trembling with rage by the conclusion of Kyle’s little speech. Just who the hell did he think he was, anyway, making demands like that?

“That’s what I missed about you all these years, Kyle,” she said with hard-won calm. “That charming personality.”

Kyle smiled then, but it was just a flexing of the muscles; there was no warmth to it. He leaned nearer to Nora, the tip of his nose in a position to touch hers should either of them make the slightest movement. It was an oddly intimate pose; a slight twist to the left, or a slight twist to the right, and their lips would be touching, even if no other parts of their bodies were. But the heat of his body – emanating from his skin in a wonderfully male scent that reminded her of warm summer days at the beach – did touch her; like a brand, searing another impression of him on her heart. The urge to melt into him wasn’t as hard as the urge to pull away; it took all of her strength to resist it. Oh, no, she wouldn’t give him that.

“Oh, I can be very charming.” He dropped the smile. “Or not.” Withdrawing, he stared down his nose at her, pointed a finger toward her collarbone. “Your choice. Just remember this – I don’t want to be seduced.”

“Oh, I don’t think there’s any chance of that,” Nora said, her voice so thick with sarcasm she nearly choked on it. She thought she detected a flicker of something – admiration, perhaps – in his eyes when she stated, “I’m here to take care of your children’s needs, not yours.” But whatever she thought she saw in his eyes was gone before she could name it. Must be my imagination, she decided.

“See that you remember that.”

“Oh, I will.”

They faced off for an eternal moment, two battle-scarred warriors at an emotional impasse. Each waiting for the other to flinch first. When that didn’t happen, they simultaneously relaxed their stances, as if by some silent agreement.

Kyle took a wary step backward. His eyes never left her face. “Good. Then there’s nothing left to discuss. Is there?”

“Just one thing,” she said when he would’ve turned away. She ignored the annoyed look he cast over his shoulder as he paused on his flight up the stairs. She started down the hall toward the sounds of merriment emanating from the kitchen, but paused when she came abreast of Kyle on the stairs. “I take my responsibilities very seriously.” She hesitated, for effect, then drove the statement home with, “All of them.” And then she was gone, leaving Kyle to stare after her in wonder.

Nora’s Soul, by Margay Leah Justice, published by Second Wind Publishing, LLC is available now at Amazon.com

Find out more about Margay at her website.

Stay tuned for more Saturday spotlight guests in the weeks to come.

Until later....be Blessed.
PamT

Special Guest Spotlight - Mary Ricksen

Hello Friends,

Please issue a warm welcome to my special guest, Mary Ricksen.

I am a Vermonter. I was born in Burlington and the mountains and Lake Champlain are in my blood. I have lived in several places, from Vermont, to New York, Canada, Texas and finally Florida. I have lived here in Florida for the last twenty five years. Although it is a beautiful place, the hurricanes and the heat are hard to take.

I have been married forever to my husband Chris. He spends most of his time in front of his computer. A computer engineer by career, he is addicted to them. My dog Junior, a huge black German Shepherd, is my baby. One hundred and thirty pounds of adoring love, he is a beloved character in my first book. And he is very spoiled. My garden is a jungle of tropical plants, the sweet smell of their fragrances filled my yard and my nose! There's nothing at all like planting something and watching it grow. It's like writing in that way.

I have spent years trying to find my special ability. Finally, I think I have it. I love to write and I love to interact with other authors and I'm hoping to say the same thing about readers when my book is finally published.

Tripping Through Time is a time travel novel that takes place on the Islands in Lake Champlain, Vermont. It surrounds you in the imagery and story of a young woman who learns that love is truly timeless.

Excerpt

What the hell? She knew this wasn’t still in some part of that nightmare trip she’d taken. It was too real, the place too old fashioned. She heard crickets and saw lightning bugs twinkle outside the window. A fly buzzed over her head and she listened to a mosquito or two, droning in their search for the rich red blood beneath her skin.

She didn’t hear blast of car horns, the tire sounds on pavement, or the grinding noise from trucks changing gears, as they flew up and down the hilly countryside. It was so quiet, no music, no talking, nothing. Then she heard a latch lift, and one hundred and twenty pounds of fur jumped up onto the bed, knocking the breath out of her.

Anxiety left her speechless, as the light from the open door spilled into the room, and onto the bed, she lay in. The dog lay next to her warm and wild smelling, doing her no harm. The large figure approaching her now made her breathless, anxious. She knew it was a man; his silhouette outlined by the light behind him.

When he reached the bed, he bent toward her, only to pick up the tiny piece of candle still barely burning. He lit a stained glass-covered lantern placed on the bed stand beside it. Keealyn stared into a pair of green eyes that reminded her of misty mornings.

Clean-shaven, thick dark chestnut hair flowed past the collar of his navy muslin shirt opened halfway down the front, to reveal a smooth muscular chest. Very tall, lean, and brawny, well defined, biceps, triceps, and pecks filled his shirt. He had a slim waist and strong shoulders. His worn blue jeans were held up with a handmade leather belt, hung low on his hips. His skin seemed to glow in the lamplight in a warm bronzed tone.

He was gorgeous.

"Tripping Through Time" ISBN#1-60154-392-1
Available Through The Wild Rose Press

Kreativ Blogger Award

My friend Ginger Simpson surprised me with the Kreativ Blogger award.

The rules...and yes there are always rules that come with these honors...I must share with you SEVEN of my favorite things, SEVEN of my favorite activities, SEVEN things no one knows about me.

I'm not up to playing the game right now, but please visit Ginger's blog and check out the blogs for the other authors she picked.

Thanks Friends.

PamT

Saturday Spotlight - Tricia Jones

Today's guest is fellow TWRP author, Tricia Jones and her book, A Temporary Arrangement.

Fair England is my home, where I’m happily married to my wonderful husband of…ahem…let’s just say several years. A lifelong writer, although for many years I channeled that interest into work related qualifications for the "day job" in adult education. Now I'm addicted to writing fiction, especially contemporary romance with strong heroes and equally strong heroines who give their men a run for their money. Travel is a passion and I can pack a suitcase quicker than a girl can sneeze. I love finding romantic places to act as the setting for a new book, or a little corner café where I can indulge in a spot of people watching and let my imagination fly.

Finn Montgomery needs a wife … temporarily. With his sister’s recent death heavy on his conscience he wants custody of his seven year old nephew, and that means finding a suitable woman and making her an offer she couldn’t refuse. Thia Conway needs a miracle … permanently. Too bad that miracle comes in the shape of a ruthless and arrogant businessman who views a marriage proposal as just another clause in a contract – a contract Thia has no option but to sign.

EXCERPT – A Temporary Arrangement

Thia spun around to see Finn in the doorway. He dropped his shoulder against the frame and just leaned there. It was amazing how the man generated heat, how she could always seem to feel the energy coming off of him.

“I really don't like you,” she said. “And do you know what? I don't want to talk, not any more.”

“What's the matter, Princess, my conversation skills not to your liking?”

Thia scoffed. “Conversation skills? Try putting lack of before those words and you just about have it.”

“What do you mean? I've been talking. Christ, I've talked more to you than just about anyone outside a boardroom. What the hell do you want from me?”

She folded her arms, more to hide the erratic rise and fall of her chest than for any other purpose. “I don't want anything from you. Just let me pass.”

“How about a nightcap first.”

“We've just had brandy.”

He pushed away from the frame. “For God's sake, Thia.”

She went to squeeze past him. He simply turned, edging her back against the frame.

“Get out of my way.”

“Why?” he said, pushing against her. “You're constantly in mine. Digging about this, nagging about that.”

“I don't nag.” She tried to keep her eyes on his chest, but some malevolent force had other ideas and their gazes met. If she hadn't had the frame for support, Thia knew she would have fallen back. How could a man so complex, so difficult, have eyes like that? How could he make her want him, even when she knew it was so not in her best interests to want him?

Finn placed his hand on the frame, effectively trapping her.

Her stomach gave one long unsteady roll. “I don't like you,” she felt compelled to say again. “I really don't like you.”

A Temporary Arrangement is available now from The Wild Rose Press

Find out more about Tricia at her website.

Until later....take care and be blessed.

Nothing to Blog About.....

Hello Friends,

I'm sure you're wondering at the title of this post. Believe me, I've wrestled over the decision to share this information for a while now - afterall once it is out on the 'net it is there for all the world to see.

Terry was a firm believer in privacy and not putting our business on the street. But since you are my friends and deserve to know why I'm not writing/posting regularly, I chose this simple explanation and it is with a heavy heart I write.

My beloved passed away on Aug. 18th.

I'm not sure when I'll be inspired to write another enlightening post. Thank God (and Blogger) for the option to 'schedule' these things - because of that ability, Saturday Spotlight and an occasional special guest spotlight will continue.

Prayers and positive thoughts appreciated.

Until later take care, be blessed and remember....show/tell your loved ones often that you care because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

PamT