Paty Jager

Never move a cabin

2009-11-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend my dh and I moved our cabin. This is a 20 x 10 building we built and placed on our property in Princeton. When we delivered it we pretty much just dumped it in the most convenient spot and after staying in it for over a year decided we wanted a more permanent spot that was more aesthetic.

Last weekend we dug the trench and installed underground conduit for electricity and pvc pipe for water to the new more aesthetic location. This weekend we did the big move. We left Friday night and my dh declared we'd get the cabin moved and head home Saturday night so we would have all day Sunday at the permanent residence to get things done.

We started out trying to lift the cabin with the backhoe. The dh had made forks on the bucket for loading large bales of hay, and he thought we could just put those under the building, throw a strap around the cabin, and pick it up and move it. Didn't work. The straps kept stretching and the forks weren't long enough to support enough of the building.

Then he decided since we had piles of old power poles we'd slide three under the cabin, chaining them together and pull the cabin to where we wanted it. The cabin wasn't cooperating and we ended up having to put four poles under by lifting with the backhoe and shoving them under. Then when we hooked the chains to them front and back like lashing together logs for a raft, it made the whole thing too heavy for the backhoe to pull up the small incline where we wanted to put the cabin. When that didn't work we then had to jack up the cabin again with one handyman jack and moving from corner to corner placing blocks under it and pull out the logs.

I suggested since we were jacking it up, let's use the fifth wheel trailer we hauled it there on. So it was a matter of jacking three corners and adding blocks while slowly picking up one corner with the backhoe to get it high enough we could back the trailer under the cabin. We finally had it on the trailer by dark. So my dh backed it up the incline and close to the spot we wanted it. Then he hooked the power back up and didn't get the electricity grounded right and blew out the two light bulbs we had. I drove the backhoe to the neighbors, begged light bulbs, and returned to our place. He had the wiring right, and we slept in the cabin on the trailer Saturday night. Not making it home like the dh had planned on the way over.

Sunday morning we jacked and blocked the cabin up and inch by inch pulled the trailer out, only the one end of the cabin was on a downhill slope, so we had to run rope through the beams under the cabin and tie it to the trailer as we slowly pulled out to keep it from slipping down the slope. Once we had the trailer out from under the cabin, we block by block, corner by corner lowered the cabin until we had it all the way down to one block. Then we had to make sure it was all level, the dh hooked the electricity back up and by 11:00 am we had the cabin in the spot we wanted and everything back to normal inside.

And that was how I spent my weekend. No writing and lots of stress both mentally and physically. So how was your weekend?

Unfortunately I forgot to photos of the newly positioned cabin. I'll try to remember to take some the next time we go over there.

Friday Faves

2009-11-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Let's see, I had a woman at the book signing last week tell me she had a friend in Iowa that had all my books and loved them. (ego boost)

I've written 8500 words this week and am nearly half way with the project I'm working on. My goal is to have it finished by Thanksgiving. So keep your fingers crossed.

The editor of the Yellow Rose like at Wild Rose Press said she liked my contemporary western but would like me to up the emotion and change the title. As soon as I get this project done, I'll jump into those revisions and I'm hoping to brainstorm a new title with my RWA chapter this month.

Found out my Alaska daughter will be here for Christmas with her crew!

And I'm attending a workshop with Sherman Alexie in Bend today with a writer friend.

I've fallen behind- Here are the subtypes of the enneagrams by Laurie Schnebly Campbell

SUBTYPES
If you met Sherlock Holmes and Greta Garbo in an online chat loop, you wouldn't have any trouble telling them apart. They're both Fives, yes, but no two matching enneagram types are alike anymore than two matching astrological types are alike.
One reason is because of the subtypes: Self-preservation, Intimacy, and Social. Everyone values each of these in different amounts. When you're holed up studying for the final exam, that's self-preservation. When you're on a dinner date talking for hours, that's intimacy. And when you're in a crowd of fans all cheering for the home team, that's social. We all do all three.
Ideally you have them all weighted equally in your life, but most of us tend to hang out more in one area than in the others. And of course that area is going to be a source of great strength because we're good at it, and it's also going to be a source of great weakness because we've left the others alone. But great weakness is a fine thing when it comes to creating characters! So see which subtype sounds like your hero or heroine (or yourself and your real-life hero).
The Self-Preservation subtype person is concerned with exactly that: self-preservation. Does their household have enough water to last through a nuclear winter? How are they gonna pay their kid's tuition? Is there anywhere they can get some privacy? Where can they find their favorite kind of soda? These people are concerned with basic survival issues...survival of the body or the spirit or both. If they were stranded on a desert island with plenty of survival gear, they'd be fine by themselves.
Now, how—in a romance—can this self-preservation trait work? It's not what you'd expect from a typical romance character, right? An adventure thriller, yes, you want your hero or heroine to save the sinking boat and elude the Nazis...but on an emotional level, this self-preservation can be a wonderful character trait for building internal conflict. Imagine someone who's trying to preserve their well-being, their sanity, their heart, by not falling in love. Imagine the tension as they find themselves falling in love, and resisting, and falling, and resisting.... Self-preservation is a great trait for a romance novel character!
The intimacy-subtype person is someone who's concerned with one-on-one relationships. Not just their lover, but every individual friendship. They want to spend time alone with everyone they care about, just the two of them, talking as intimately as they can: "What's going on? How're you feeling? Here's what's new with me." If they were on that desert island, they'd want one other person with them. Just one...who'd be just as involved with the relationship as they are.
Now it's no good for a romance if your hero and heroine are both intimacy subtypes who wants the same intimacy at the same time, because then all you have is two people kissing and holding hands for chapter after chapter. But suppose one character wants this intimacy with not ONLY the lover, but also with the friend next door and the brother across town and the boss and the waitress and the lover's grandmother...there's going to be some conflict, right? I remember a great book where the hero was a social worker who gave himself wholeheartedly to the individual kids at his youth shelter that needed one-on-one contact, and when it came time for the romantic dinner with the heroine while a kid is in crisis...okay, more conflict. So you can see how an intimacy character is great for a romance novel!
Finally, the Social subtype. This person is concerned with the community as a whole. They're not so much interested in what's going on within themselves, or what's going on within a particular person, as they are with what's going on in the whole group. That group might be their church, their co-workers, their RWA chapter...whatever it is, these people love being part of the group. They want their entire gang on that desert island, and they want to do their part for the whole group...for the whole social structure.

Wednesday Promo- Darda Burkhart

2009-11-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Darda Burkhart grew up in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., then married and moved to Southern California. She and her husband pastored churches there for twenty-five years until his death. She worked at Avery Label, now Avery Dennison, in the Market Research Department until she retired. In 2005, she and her second husband moved to Lynden to be near family. She has three sons, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Darda is a member of North County Christ the King church in Lynden.
Her hobbies are needlework, reading and traveling. She is also a member of Women Writing the West.

What caused me to write the book, Forging Ahead for God?
It actually was suggested 19 years ago just after my father’s death in his hometown of Victoria, B.C. Canada. People said to me, “You ought to write a book about your father.” I wrote letters to many on his mailing list to inform them of his passing, and asked that they tell me what his life had meant to them, or specific examples of interacting with him. I received several replies and kept them in case the opportunity to write a book came about. I did not feel qualified to take such a project on and did not have enough information to do so then.

I moved back up to the Pacific Northwest from Southern California in 2005. In early 2007, I joined a creative writing class at our church. One day, the teacher asked me if I had ever thought about writing a book and I replied, “No, I haven’t” I wondered what I could write about. Even though my life has been interesting, it wasn’t worth a book.

Just before I moved north, I was reconnected with a man with whom I had lost touch. He had worked with Dad for many years. He knew a man in Abbotsford who also knew Dad, who said, “Someone should write a book about Percy Wills,” to which the first man said, “His daughter lives in Lynden.” That’s how the project began.

What in my research said, “I have to get that in the book.”
The book is my father’s biography, but there were sections of time that I had little, or no knowledge about. My mother’s sister was a good source of information of his early life, but during the last forty years while I lived in Southern California, I had only sketchy information. Dad did not talk about the scope, or the results, of his mission work, preferring to let people know how God had provided funds, and about fellow missionaries who were capable and compatible for the difficult field on the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C.

That lack was miraculously supplied in 2008, when I went to the mission base in Esperanza, B.C. On the way, I visited friends at the Coastal Mission base in Chemainus, B.C. As I was leaving, the director, Roy Getman, handed me three legal size folders of Dad’s writings that I did not know existed. They were dated 1977, and he had kept them all those years. Among those writings were anecdotes of special times in Dad’s life and during his work that I was able to incorporate into the body of the book. With that information, I was able to adequately cover the latter part of his life until his death.

Are you working on anything now?

No. I’m working on getting this book into the market place where I can. At this point, I don’t have any idea for another book.

About the book.

“Forging Ahead for God” is the biography of my father, Percy Wills, who was the pioneer missionary to the White Man, the First Nations people, and the coastal folk who lived along the rocky shores of the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada. First, by canoe, then by a 32-ft. boat, and later a 50-ft. boat, he sailed the treacherous waters of that area nicknamed, “The Graveyard of the Pacific.”

He was a visionary, a man of great faith, who saw the tremendous needs of that isolated area and stepped out to be the hands and feet of God to help the people. Neither ethnicity, religion, education nor position, had any meaning to him. He served them all equally over a period of forty years to provide for their needs.

His name is still remembered and revered by those who knew and loved him.

Or, as the back cover of the book reads, “Have you ever tried trusting God for all of your needs, including food, housing, safety, and your very existence? Most of us haven’t, but Percy Wills has, and this book shows how—time and time again—God comes through when His people turn to Him in faith.

In this book, you’ll experience adventures that include:

Beginning life as an itinerant missionary, he started out on foot to visit people in his area until God surprisingly provided a horse and then a saddle for it.
At the start of winter, the cupboard was bare and he had no warm clothes or money. As he turned the situation over to God, a farmer knocked on the door to ask if he would come work for him.
Wills faced seemingly insurmountable challenges in relying on God alone to provide for himself, his ailing wife, and their two small children in an isolated land.

He often said he did not have great faith—he had faith in a great God. Join the Wills family and fellow missionaries in experiencing a lifetime of hair-raising adventures—and God’s faithfulness.

Fun fun fun in the California sun!

2009-11-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

I had a good time last Thursday and Friday in California. I walked out to the airplane in Redmond with large wet snow flakes falling and stepped off the plane in San Jose to beautiful blue skies and sunshine.My cousin picked me up from the airport and we dined at an outside restaurant in Los Gatos before wandering around checking out the stores. After visiting my uncle we went to the Borders store in Los Gatos. I was met by Ellen the store's romance specialist and directed to the area of the signing. I saw several familiar faces among the other authors signing. We visited while waiting for the event to begin.

I enjoyed visiting with a TWRP author and old friend Jenny Anderson and a new TWRP author Marie Tuhat. I signed many books and left feeling like the event had been a success. Ellen even asked me to come back when I had a new release.

Friday my cousin and her husband took me to Santa Cruz. We drove along the shoreline and then checked out the shops on the wharf and had lunch. It was a wonderful day. Then they whisked me off to the airport and my return to the real world.

Friday Faves - Eeeeee!

2009-10-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, so that isn't a very good title for this post but OMG! Nicola Martinez outdid herself on my first paranormal historical cover. It's the first of a trilogy and will be released next fall. Here's the cover:

And that is my first fave this week.

I also was asked to do a month long diary in May for the Farm and Ranch magazine. A friend is a contributor for the magazine and suggested me. It won't be published until 2011, but they will also link to my website the month it's published.

And I was telling another friend about a short story I wrote. She asked me to send it to her, and it's now on it's way to a Cup of Comfort book editor to possibly be in a book about couples.

I'm still in CA visiting(wrote this on Wednesday before I left)and Monday I'll tell you all about the booksigning.

Wednesday Promo- Jenna Peterson

2009-10-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to promote Jenna Peterson's current release, What the Duke Desires.

Bio:
Jenna Petersen is the award-winning author of historical romances and erotic historical romances (as Jess Michaels) for Avon and Avon Red. She is also well-known for her site for aspiring authors, The Passionate Pen, which gets nearly 200,000 hits per month. Her current releases are What the Duke Desires (November 2009) and Taboo (May 2009, w/a Jess Michaels).

What about the regency period attracts you to writing that genre?
I like the dichotomy of the time period. Scandal could ruin you and yet scandal was all around. There are so many rules to break or bend or feel the consequences of!

How do you find ways to make your heroes and heroines different in each book?
Well, I’m big on character. I really think character IS plot. So I start out with my hero and heroine before I write a work of any story. In the end their childhood experiences and goals will make them different people.

What do you have in the works?
I just had the first book in my “The Billingham Bastards” series hit the shelves yesterday. WHAT THE DUKE DESIRES should be on shelves everywhere right now! There are two books in the works to follow, THE UNCLAIMED DUCHESS in September 2010 and an untitled third book some time in 2011.

Blurb: WHAT THE DUKE DESIRES:

Simon Crathorne has never felt quite “right” in his own life. Even with his friends, he never fit. But now his father is dead and he has inherited the Dukedom, and all the responsibility that goes with it. And since his father was always known as a highly moral, upstanding man, Simon has big shoes to fill. Lillian Mayhew doesn’t buy the late Duke’s exalted reputation one bit. A lifetime of hearing her father talk about the man’s sins and seeing the torment her family endured at his hands has made her bitter and a final secret she discovered as her father lay dying has turned her bitterness to a drive to destroy the good name of the man she feels wronged her. No matter the price.

But when Simon and Lillian meet, sparks fly and passion erupts, leaving Lillian with an ugly choice. Can she abandon her quest for revenge, just as she is on the cusp of fulfilling her duty? Or will she betray a man whose past turns out to be a murky sea of lies and betrayals neither one could have ever anticipated? A man whose kiss could change her life forever.

For an excerpt hop on over to Jenna's website. http://www.jennapetersen.com/whatthedukedesires.htm

Happy Dancing

2009-10-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful Saturday visiting with, walking through a park, and looking for treasures in an antique mall with two of my good writing friends. We spent the day talking writing, families, and life in general. If you don't do this once in a while I encourage you to. Even though I tend to be a hermit when it comes to hanging out with friends, it is something that always leaves me feeling good inside.

Another happy dance moment- I had a very nice fan e-mail in my inbox. She'd won one of my books in my monthly website contest and just found time to read it. She commented on the things she liked, and that she was definitely looking for the rest of my books. Her closing. "I am now a huge fan." That is the reason I write. To give others a feel good moment.

I'm looking forward to visiting with my cousin and attending a book signing in CA this Thursday. It should be a fun experience as the family grapevine said a couple of relatives I haven't seen in a while are planning to come.

The good vibes/feelings I wrapped around me over the weekend are carrying into my writing this week. The sisters story is coming along. Maggie's persistence is going to make Ty do something he may or may not regret. We'll see.

Have a great week!

Friday Faves

2009-10-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

Faves today- I'm slowly getting back into the co-author book and getting edits done on the contracted books. At the RWA meeting I attended this week we were talking about how it makes you feel when you read something you wrote and it makes you smile or gives you chills. I have to say the last four projects I've worked on - the two that are contracted and the two I'm working on I've had several of those moments when I've been rereading to either get back in the story or while doing edits. It is a heady feeling!

This is going slow because Tink is sitting on my lap and using my microbead wrist rest for a pillow. LOL I don't know what's up but ever since I went to the last conference and she went hunting with the dh she hasn't let me out of her sight for very long. I don't think she's a hunting dog.

My best fave this week is I'm meeting two of my writing friends tomorrow and we're spending the whole day just hanging out together. I met them through my RWA chapter and one has had family issues which has kept her from meetings and the other has taken a different writing path so it will be fun to catch up and hang out.

I believe I still have one more Enneagram to give you. So here it is. Type Nine of Laurie Schnebly Campbell's Enneagram workshop.

Type Nine is the Peacemaker, the Mediator. They want everyone to get along and everything to be nice. They don't like conflict; they don't like having to pick sides...even picking chocolate or vanilla. They tend to go along with the flow, whatever that might be, and instead of exploring their own preferences, they kick back with TV or food or whatever's comfortable. There's usually some anger back there, but it's completely denied. Nines are excellent at ignoring their own feelings.
They're the ones who'll be just kind of sitting back, letting everybody else flap around them. A few years ago there was a survey as to what types are most attractive to other types, and more women want to marry a Nine than any other type of man. (More men want to marry a Two.)

And finally, NINE's is Sloth...because these are the peacemakers who want to just sit back and have everything be nice and comfortable. This person is gonna have to give up the comfort of neutrality and make some kind of a stand. Here they've spent a lifetime taking things easy, not getting worked up one way or another, refusing to take action, refusing to get involved on either side of anything. Now here they're faced with having to come down on one side or another...they're gonna have to declare themselves: this is what I want, this is what I believe, this is who I am, take it or leave it. (And maybe in a romance they're worried that the lover will leave it.) They've never let that happen before, they've never put themselves in a position where they have to take a stand...but now they HAVE to take some kind of action, make a stand for something, and it'll open their eyes to a whole new way of living.

Next week I'll have the subtypes and then I'll have to find another craft issue to talk about. Any suggestions?

Wednesday Promo- Kim Alan

2009-10-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Kimberly Alan, also known as Kimberly Peterson, grew up in Bordentown and then Lambertville, New Jersey. Like many avid readers and writers, she discovered their joys early on. After high school, she moved to Massachusetts to attend college. To her surprise, law school followed. She and her family now live in Connecticut where she has been a divorce lawyer for several years. In addition to writing romance, she has published two legal textbooks published for paralegals and new lawyers. Currently, she is developing a blog entitled Love on the Rocks, about the ups, downs, ins and outs of relationships, gleaned from all her years as a divorce attorney, romance writer and from performing weddings as a Justice of the Peace. Readers can reach her at Kimberlyalan.author@gmail.com.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Like many writers, I knew I "had" to write as early as fifth grade. I guess you could say I was a "closet" writer. When ever I had free time I would write a story. Nothing else I ever did (or have ever done) gave me that indescribable feeling. But I never showed them to anyone, nor did I edit them. Once they were written, I'd hide them away some place. In high school I wrote my first book. It was a young adult story. I even bound it myself, but again, I put it away. It never occurred to me to write as a career. In college, I dragged out that book and revised it for a course assignment. It was the first time anyone had seen my work. Though it was well received, it took another ten years before I seriously considered writing professionally.

Do you read the genres you write in?
I read and write romances. Most of them have some sort of mystery/suspense to them, but not always. I also enjoy reading commercial fiction. Usually, I'll pick up something that introduces me to a topic in a fictional setting, such as a historical time period, or a sport, profession, the law, medicine, etc.

Who or what was the biggest influence in you becoming a writer?
Zita Christian, who was president of the Connecticut chapter of RWA at the time, was the first person to introduce me to writing as a profession. That was in 1990. Probably without realizing it she validated my desire to write and actually introduced me to the profession. We spent at least two hours in a bookstore where she explained all about the various publishing houses, the different genres, how to write and submit a submission, pick an agent, etc. It made an amazing impact on me.

Blurb

Truths Unveiled is published by White Rose Publishing and is available through its website as well as at Amazon, etc.

How do you deal with someone you can't avoid and who makes it their business to constantly irk you? And how do you forgive yourself for getting involved with them in the first place? How do you forgive yourself for surviving a fatal accident when deep inside, you believe you were the cause, and then someone unknown to you exploits that belief in order to keep you from discovering the truth? Pam Harrington and Tom Jarrod shared a past that tore them apart fourteen years ago. Since then, they have separately struggled to right the individual wrongs they’d committed. Then an opportunity presents itself which could give them a second chance at love and a life together. But only if they can finally resolve the issues from their pasts. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Old dog, new tricks

2009-10-19T06:48:00.000-07:00

Wow, October's almost halfway gone! Where has the summer and the year gone?

This past week I finished first round edits on the next Halsey brother book, Doctor in Petticoats. The editor commented in a couple places about the verbs I used and called them intransitive verbs asking me to choose a different word. Before I could change them I had to see why she called them intransitive verbs. While I liked English in school and did well, I didn't retain all the info and I'm not even sure that was part of the info I learned.

Anyway, intransitive verbs are:
In grammar, an intransitive verb does not take an object. In more technical terms, an intransitive verb has only one argument (its subject), and hence has a valency of one. For example, in English, the verbs sleep and die, are intransitive. Some verbs, such as smell are both transitive and intransitive.

Some examples of sentences with intransitive verbs:

* Harry will sleep until sunrise. (sleep has no object)
* He died on Friday. (die has no object)
* You smell. (smell has no object)
* The bird tweeted. ("tweet" can never be transitive)
(from wikipedia)

Clear as mud isn't it? LOL Instead of going crazy figuring out exactly why the words didn't work, I used another word.

Friday Faves

2009-10-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

I'm late- I know. That's what happens when you stay up late every night then attend a meeting 3hours away and get home at midnight. I'm exhausted today.

Let's see what are some faves this week.

We're Fall calvers and we're half way through already! Yeah!

I've scheduled another book signing up in Washington. A group of Romance authors are going up the first weekend of November.

I finished first round edits of Doctor in Petticoats and sent it back to my editor.

After freezing rain on Monday the weather is warming up.

I had an epiphany about the book I'm co-writing with another author on my drive home last night.

My brother and his wife are coming for the weekend. The four of us haven't done anything together in forever so it should be fun.

How's your weekend shaping up?

And I realized last weekend, I forgot to put up another enneagram. So here is type eight from Laurie Schnebly Campbell's nine character types..

Type Eight is the Controller, the Aggressor, the Chief—this person is a self-confident, natural leader. They're used to taking charge, getting things done, making sure everyone gets a fair shake. They go after what they want, always keeping an eye out for the people they care about; they're strong individuals who take it upon themselves to defend the weak...kind of a Wild West sheriff mentality.
An Eight's motto is "I defend the innocent in an unjust world." And this is incredibly heroic—except that not everybody agrees on what is innocence and what is justice, so you might have some people who think this Eight is a real jerk! Scarlett O'Hara might be an Eight, considering how she went back to Tara and bossed everybody around and saved them from starvation. Some of the family resented her for it, but she was determined to get her way and make sure everybody at Tara survived...this take-charge attitude is what makes an Eight heroic.

EIGHT's fatal flaw is Lust. These are the leaders who lust for power, to be in control, to run the show and get things done their way. This person has to step back and share control, to let go of that lust for power. Here's someone who's spent their whole life running the show, making things happen, getting things done their way, and all of a sudden somebody's expecting them to give up control? Most types wouldn't have much problem sharing control with someone they love, but Eights didn't get to where they are by compromising on anything. So they resist. And maybe the lover walks away. And they try everything they CAN to win back this person—they want to give the lover everything, but they want to do it their way—and only after they give up this lust for being in control will they realize that here's the key to a kind of success they've never known before.

Wednesday Promo-Keena Kincaid

2009-10-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

Keena Kincaid writes medieval romances, which should explain why she sometimes spends a rainy afternoon reading the Domesday Book (a survey of land ownership in 11th century England) or the Oxford English Dictionary. After careers in journalism and public relations, she set out to write a medieval murder-mystery with a minstrel sleuth. At some point, her hero opted to woo the local innkeeper instead, and the murder-mystery transformed into an historical romance—a lucky break for the intended victims.

In addition to her debut book ANAM CARA, she’s written ART OF LOVE (the story of Abelard and Heloise the way it should have been) and TIES THAT BIND, a sequel to ANAM CARA. You can find her Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, http://keenakincaid.com/ and her blog, http://www.typosandall.com/

Why did you write this book? -- I wrote TIES THAT BIND because Aedan, my hero, wouldn't shut up. He can be very charming when he wants something, and he talked me into writing his story. It's that gift for words that he has. He can pretty much talk anyone into anything, even the author. And, as always, once I sat down to the keyboard, I found myself loving his story and enjoying how he grows and changes from the start of the book to the happy ever after.

You will shortly have a sequel out to Anam Cara. Did you have a sequel in mind while writing or did it happen afterwards? -- Not at all. Of course, a lot of things happened in ANAM CARA that I didn't intend when I sat down to write it, so I'm not surprised by the sequel. And, as I said, Aedan wouldn't be quiet. And to be honest, a part of me wanted to know how things ended up for him and Tess.

For those who haven't read ANAM CARA, Aedan is the younger brother of that book's hero, Bran. Bran breaks him out of a monastery and basically flees north with him. While Bran is falling in love with Liza (the heroine in ANAM CARA) Aedan makes up for lost time with the Liza's daughter, Tess. In his defense, he's 17, fresh from a life of prayer and celibacy, and just learning about his Druidic heritage. He's going to go a little wild, and I enjoyed exploring the consequences of his choices.

By the way, you don't have to read ANAM CARA first to enjoy TIES THAT BIND, but I think readers will find the emotional journey a tad more satisfying if they've read the first. They'll get the complete picture of Aedan's rise, fall and redemption.

What are you working on right now? -- I just started a story that in less than a week is already taking over my waking thoughts. The working title is Betrayed by a Kiss. It begins when my hero, Jude, finds an unconscious woman by the river while out riding with his cousin and daughter. Instinct tells him to let the woman lie. But, of course, he doesn't. Heroic traits will get a man into trouble every time. LOL! I don't know where the story is going, but I'm desperate to find out why his instinct says to leave her there and why he doesn't trust that inner voice and whose kiss betrays whom.

Blurb
A druid who denies himself nothing desires the only woman who believes magic and love don't mix.

Out of place in the Plantagenet court, minstrel AEDAN ap OWEN misuses his Sidhe gifts for the king's dark business. Sent north to investigate rumors of treason and dispatch the troublemakers, Aedan discovers someone is murdering monks and stealing saints’ relics. And all clues point to Carlisle.

TESS, LADY of BRIDSWELL, refuses to rekindle her relationship with Aedan. She knows his reputation as a secret stealer—and she has a secret that must be kept. But her resolve falters when her uncle promises her hand to a man she despises and Aedan hounds her steps.

A would-be king uses the stolen relics to amplify his power, wielding it like a weapon. Meeting the traitor's magic with magic will prevent war, but it will also destroy Aedan’s chance to show Tess he has at last mastered the temptation of the ancient wisdom. Can Aedan renounce his magic to win Tess' heart anew or will he choose magic over love?

Excerpt
“Tess.”
It was a single word, four letters, yet Aedan somehow imbued her name with the importance of a royal decree. He knows words, she reminded herself, quickening her steps. Life in the king's court had no doubt honed to perfection his raw talent for finding the phrase to start a quarrel or arouse passion. By now, he could likely start a waror stop onewith a single syllable. Chilled by the thought, she turned into a niche in the wall and discovered escape ended at an oak door as wide as she was tall. She fumbled for a latch. Finding only smooth boards beneath her hand, she pressed her palm against the door, prayed it would miraculously open. The steps behind her stopped. She closed her eyes. He had bathed. He smelled of Saracen soap, spicy and exotic, mixed with the brisk, earthy scent of old trees that had clung to her for days after he’d left.
“Tess.”
A tremor ran down her spine. Saints, she still loved the way he said her name. Rather than giving it a shortened, clipped feel like everyone else, he elongated it, adding depth and weight as if it were her true name.
“Tess, look at me.”
Unable to move forward or backward, she pressed her forehead against the door. Go away. Just go away, she prayed, and then hands, warm and steady, settled on her shoulders.

Happy after conference day!

2009-10-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

First off, I messed up and forgot to have someone take photos with my camera. So no photos. I'm lousy at remembering to take photos.

I had an interesting roommate in that, after we hooked up I found out she actually grew up in my corner of Oregon. So we had fun reminiscing about things as well as talking writing.

I met new people, networked (I actually walked right up to an editor and an agent while they were in a hallway and talked to them) that is a first for me. I'm usually too timid. I learned one agent would never be a fit for me. Love the other two but they aren't interested in what I write.

I sold 20 books at the signing and had a good group in the workshop I presented. And I picked up tidbits of new stuff in the workshops I attended.

So it was a good weekend full of writing energy.

How was your weekend? And Lauri and Helen I know you also went to conferences how were those?

Friday Faves

2009-10-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

Some may not think of this as a fave, but this week I decided the story I wrote for a Christmas Anthology needs expanded to make it a better story. I'm excited to know I can bring out more elements that I had to cut to make the story short. I'm excited to now use the information I gathered about railroad towns and boot making into the story. Not to mention upping the conflict between the hero and heroine.

Today I'm on my way to the Seattle conference. I'm excited to meet new people, learn more about writing and meet some agents. As well as give my workshop on Western characters.

My dh is out deer hunting and I've had a herd come through the yard everyday. LOL

Wednesday Promo

2009-10-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

It seems my computer and my showcase author's computer are not playing nice. I'll try to reschedule Kim for Oct. 21st. So today you get a blurb about where I'll be this weekend.

Friday I'm driving to Seattle WA to attend the Emerald City RWA conference. Saturday I'll be at a book signing from 4-6pm and then on Sunday at 10am I'm teaching my workshop on Western Characters. If you're in the area, I'd love for you to stop by. Here is the formal info.

The Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America is sponsoring a Book Fair on October 10, 2009 at the Bellevue Hilton. The event runs from 4:00-6:00 pm in the Skyview Ballroom and includes signing opportunities with more than fifty authors. This is a free event and open to the public. The Bellevue Hilton is located at 300 112th Avenue SE in Bellevue, Washington. Their phone number is 425-455-1300. Visit www.gsrwa.org for more information.

Working Weekend

2009-10-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I managed to finish the first draft of the Short Christmas story I've been working on. It's not perfect, I need to go back in and fine tune some scenes and work in some more emotion but the nuts and bolts of it is done and I don't have to turn it in for consideration until January, so I have time to let it sit and come back to it. That always helps to be able to leave a story for a time then come back to it when it isn't fresh in your mind. That makes it easier to cut if need be or boost it up . When your in the thick of writing it you are putting everything you have into it and can't find the courage to cut a sentence or a paragraph or a scene that isn't working. But after it's sat and you've put space between yourself and the story it is easier to make those breaks.

Today I start on my editor's edits of Doctor in Petticoats. Looking forward to seeing how I can improve and enhance the story with her suggestions.

After a rather stormy, gloomy day yesterday we are graced, today, with the sunshine that I love! Should be a good day for a walk and moving the horses.

I have to comment that I went to an art showing with my brother(who had bronze sculptures at the showing)on Friday night and then we went back to the gallery on Saturday morning so he could talk some more with the gallery owner. Anyway there were hundreds of people who wandered through the gallery and he talked with several who were interested in his newest pieces which he had there in clay. It isn't even in bronze yet. But the wonderful thing was he'd introduce me to the people as "My sister the writer." Then they'd asked me what I wrote and I ended up passing out several book marks (which I always carry with me). I don't know if I made any sales but I spread the word about my books some more. At the art show there were many beautiful paintings and some unique and inspiring statues. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Friday Faves

2009-10-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

This week things progressed. I'm getting close to finishing the Christmas story (if all goes well I should finish it by the end of the weekend) and I received the edits for Doctor in Petticoats.

My favorite thing this week- my husband is heading out today to deer hunt for a week! Yes, that means more writing time, less cooking! Woo hoo!

Here is the next Enneagram from Lauri Schnebly Campbell.

Type Seven is the Adventurer, the Enthusiast...they want to keep having new experiences, try whatever there is. They're interested in everything and everybody, at least at first glance, and they love to plan things, plan trips, plan new activities—whether or not they actually carry out those plans. They like to keep all their options open rather than settle for just one of anything.
Sevens are charming as all-get-out...maybe not so good over the long haul, but boy, they're wonderful to have dinner with. When they aren't all mentally healthy and together, it's usually because they've deliberately avoided being alone with themselves. Sevens who let themselves examine their feelings become more realistic, more generous; and they're almost always cheerful, curious and open to new experiences. Either way, they're fascinating to be with—fun, intriguing, delightful people.

SEVEN's deadly sin is Gluttony...these are the adventurers who want every possible new experience, one right after another. Here's someone who'll have to learn that permanent freedom isn't so great; commitment has its own rewards. And you can imagine the struggle they'll go through to avoid learning this lesson. You've got a character who's the life of the party, ready to go anywhere anytime...and now all of a sudden they're in a situation where they have to slow down, move beyond the good-time surface and really come face to face, heart to heart, with another person. They're gonna resist that with everything they've got—stay out later, party harder, run away to some other distraction—and yet suddenly, this freedom isn't so attractive unless the loved one is part of their life. But only when they make the commitment to love will they realize that now, finally, this is what they've been missing...what they've been searching for all along.

Wednesday Promo- Toni Sweeney

2009-09-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to Toni Sweeney-

“…Vengeance from Eden puts a spell on you right from the beginning… you'll find it both poignant and heartbreaking. You might think you've figured out what's going to happen before you reach the end but you'll probably miss the mark like I did, which leaves the ending completely unpredictable, just as it should be.”—Margaret Marr, nightsan weekends.com

Vengeance from Eden was my second venture into the Western genre. My steady date at the time liked Westerns and asked me why I didn’t write one instead of those “science fiction things.” So, to make him happy, I said I would. Well, the boyfriend’s long gone (as boyfriends are prone to do) but the story’s still here—in various media forms.

When I started writing Vengeance from Eden, it played itself in my mind like an episode of Gunsmoke… a man walks into a saloon and in front of thirteen witnesses, guns down the owner, then waits to be arrested. At his trial, he refuses to give a defense, practically begs to be found guilty, in fact. Awaiting execution, he finally agrees to tell the young deputy guarding him why he committed cold-blooded murder, and what the boy learns makes him question whether justice is really about to be carried out.

The rest of the story is told in flashback…how Lucas Brennan’s father left his Georgia home because he and his own father had conflicting opinions about the upcoming War of Secession, how Michael Brennan and his wife died during a blizzard at their Nebraska ranch leaving their son an orphan, the birth of Luke’s own son to a Pawnee girl, Luke’s marriage to Marietta Sylvestre, a Southern belle half his age…and of the terrible event that turned Luke’s happy life into tragedy within the space of a few hours and made a peaceful, family man into a stone-cold killer.

Lucas Brennan is a typical mid-Westerner, descended from people born elsewhere, growing to manhood in a country where the weak never survive and the strong prevail through sheer power of will…fighting for and deserving every moment of happiness he receives. Vengeance from Eden does have a happy ending, to be sure—thought it’s what I call a Toni Sweeney Happy Ending, hauntingly tinged with bittersweet. Still, it’s one with which readers will not find fault, I think. And if you shed a few tears along the trail of Lucas’ journey, that’s okay, too.

Book Trailer for Vengeance from Eden

You can purchase Vengeance from Eden here.

Keeping out of trouble- maybe!

2009-09-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm in Princeton as you read this. Yep, another irrigating long weekend. But that is good. It also means another long writing weekend! Nothing to do but write or go for walks in between changing the irrigation pipes. That is a great way to get writing done. It's kind of like my own little writer's retreat.

I'm waiting for edits to come back on the two contracted books- Doctor in Petticoats and Spirit of the Mountain. I'm still waiting to hear from the Yellow Rose editor if she likes the latest contemporary western I sent her. So there are lots of good things happening with books that will be coming out next year.

I'm currently half way on a Christmas novella and getting fidgety to finish my half of a dual effort with another author.

I'm also polishing up one workshop I'm giving in a couple weeks at a Writer's conference in Seattle and putting together a workshop I'm giving in November to a sister RWA chapter in Portland. So my plate is very full. And this past week I was asked to give a workshop for another writing group.

With the holidays and company coming, I want to make the most of every spare minute I have.

Are you getting in the holiday mood?

Friday Faves

2009-09-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo! MY favorite thing this week is receiving the cover for my next Halsey Brother book. My editor suggested we needed a man on the cover to catch more attention when readers peruse the cover. So... TA DA here's the cover. What do you think? Will this capture reader's attention? And I like the idea of the man since this book is spicier than the last two.

Another fave is connecting with the ladies from the Dayville/Grant County writers group. They came over for the COWG(Central Oregon Writers Guild) meeting last night and we had dinner before. We chatted writing and a retreat they want to organize. They also asked me to come over and present a workshop in March. I like helping other writers so of course I said yes.

At the COWG meeting I had a chance to visit with two of my writing pals that I've not seen for a while, so it was a wonderful evening.

Yesterday I was stuck on a historical accuracy problem with my WIP. I e-mailed an acquaintance I made in an Eastern Oregon library who loves looking up my quirky questions and she got back to me with some great information that helped to move along the plot as well as answer my questions. You have to love research librarians!! They are the best! Thanks Diana!

Have a great Weekend!

Wednesday promo- Cheryl Pierson

2009-09-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to showcase another Wild Rose Press author this week. Cheryl Pierson and her debut novel Fire Eyes in the Cactus Rose line at The Wild Rose Press.

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
When I was a little girl, I had a lot of books. Most of them have some very careful lettering of my own inside them. I think my mom realized it long before I did--she would always keep a pen and scrap paper in her purse and no matter where we went I could occupy myself for hours with writing and drawing. I'm no artist, so I guess I practiced my writing more than my drawing.

Why do you write historical romance?
I was the weird kid in school who actually LOVED my social studies and history classes. History was my minor in college. I love pretty much every bit of history, in every culture and country, but it would be really hard to write all kinds of historical romance without focusing on one specific time period, I would think. So, being raised in the heart of the west, in Oklahoma, western history was my first love. I do write some contemporary, but western historicals are the first books I ever wrote, and the ones that grab my heartstrings and hang on.

Which character in Fire Eyes do you feel the strongest connection to? And why?
I think I would have to say Jessica. She is a very strong person, but doesn't think of herself as such. It's amazing what kind of strengths we develop as we go through life. Sometimes, those strengths are very evident to other people, but we don't see it. She has gone through so much hardship and sadness, but she is just trying to live her life and take care of Lexi. She hasn't been alone for long, but in that harsh land and those times, even a few days would have been risky for a beautiful woman like her, let alone a few months. Even though Kaed was wounded so badly when he came, I still felt a sense of relief for Jessica, that she was not alone anymore.

BLURB:
Beaten and wounded by a band of sadistic renegades that rules the borderlands of Indian Territory, U.S. Marshal Kaed Turner understands what the inevitable outcome will be for him: death. But Fate and a war party of Choctaw Indians intervene, delivering him instead to a beautiful angel with the skill to heal him. Jessica Monroe has already lost a husband and a brother to the outlaws who tortured Marshal Turner. As the rugged lawman lies bleeding on her bed, she faces a difficult decision. Can she afford to gamble with her heart one last time? For when Kaed recovers, he is sworn to join the other Territorial Peace Officers in their battle to wipe out the renegade gang once and for all. When vengeance is done, will Kaed keep riding? Or will he return to claim his future with the beautiful woman the Choctaw call "Fire Eyes?"

Excerpt:

Jessica laid the knife aside on the nightstand, surprised at the slight trembling of her hand. She'd done this plenty of times before. Her throat felt tight, like a knot had formed in it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She cleaned the blood from his lip, and he closed his eyes, allowing it. "Are you all right?"

His breathing became steadier. "Finish it, Jessica."

"But—"

"Don't wanna think about it." His dark hair fanned across his forehead, his swollen eyes shuttered, closed against her worry. His split cheek had reopened, and had begun to bleed once more.

He looked like a fallen angel, Jessica thought. A once-beautiful, perfect angel who now lay before her beaten and bruised. But not broken. He was too tough, too proud.

And still beautiful.

Through all the blood and bruises, Jessica could still see the dark planes and lines of his features, the tenacious set of his jaw. He opened his eyes slowly once more, and Jessica's breath caught at what she saw there. The pain in his ebony gaze was obvious, but beyond that, there was a concern she had never expected to see. He was worried for her, rather than himself.

She nodded. "All right, Marshal." She turned and walked to the fireplace, thrusting the knife in the fire.

www.CherylPierson.com

My oh my it's Monday!

2009-09-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

And we're home from our trip! Yeah! We had a good time on the Alaskan Cruise but we won't be doing it again. Neither of us enjoyed the cruising part- only the seeing part. LOL

We had time to play with grandchildren and experience even more of Alaska with them after the cruise so it was an enjoyable vacation. But now we are back to work. We moved irrigation pipes out of the last hay field of the season and the dh cut it this afternoon while I caught up on e-mail and projects that needed tending.

I'm feeling like a huge loser because I've not written a thing since we left. I'm hoping to make up for it this week and the week my dh goes deer hunting. So cross your fingers and repeat this mantra: "Paty will add words to her WIP. Paty will add words to her WIP"

So any big plans for you this week?

Friday Faves

2009-09-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

I'm late! Sorry!

My faves this week have been getting off the cruise ship. (Too many people and the motion sickness)
Seeing 2/3 of my grandchildren who all live in Alaska.
And finding out a writing friend received "The Call" from a publisher she has been wanting to acquire for some time.

Now for the next installment of the Enneagrams from Laurie Schnebly Campbell.
Type Six
Type Six is the Defender, the Trooper—these are the people who get the job done. They're very aware of any possible threat to their well-being or the people they love; they're very aware of the rules and determined to always keep them...or to always break them. (That's the counter-phobic Six, the James Dean rebel type.) Either way, Sixes are very loyal, steady, always on the lookout for danger, good to have on your side.
It's interesting that in America there are more Sixes and Threes than any other type. Threes are flashier, Sixes are more steady and the Six hero is probably more a beta than an alpha male. I remember a Nora Roberts book where the heroine thought the hero didn't love her because as a special present he gave her a set of tires for her car, and a wise observer pointed out that there was PROOF he loved her—he wanted to keep her safe.

SIX's fatal flaw is Fear. These are the defenders who are always aware of possible dangers and worrying about how to handle them. The Six will have to let go of fear and realize you can't always guarantee absolute security. You can imagine a character who lives in fear, right? Not so much a woman-in-jeopardy heroine, afraid of the dark baron up in the Gothic tower, but someone who's driven by the quest for security. It could be financial security, it could be emotional security, but whatever it is, this fear keeps them from living life to the fullest. And now here you have the lover offering a new kind of life...and the Six hesitating, afraid of taking any kind of risk. "What, jeopardize my comfortable life and the security of my heart to fall in love? I can't do that." But for the right love they CAN risk it, and when they do, it's wonderful to watch the payoff.

Relaxation or not

2009-09-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

My dh and I went on a 7 day Alaskan cruise through the inside passage last week. We learned we aren't really cruise people. But we had a good time visiting the ports and seeing the area.

We left Vancouver BC on the cruise ship Millennium part of the Celebrity cruise line. The first day I was seasick. After discovering about a third of the guests and some of the staff were also sick I didn't feel so bad.

Our first stop was Ketchikan, AK. We'd visited it a couple times before as one of our daughters lived there for five years. Having already explored all the sights then we just walked around town and because it was such a gorgeous day we played basketball on the ship. I won one game of PIG and the dh won the other.

We enjoyed the people at our dinner table each night having made new friends.

The next port was Juneau. The capital of Alaska which is surprising since the only way to reach the city is by air or water. There we went on a van trip around the town and out to Mendenhall glacier and to a church on a small island with a narrow land bridge.

We went to Skagway checked out the downtown area then boarded a bus to Liarsville the base camp/town at the beginning of the Chilkoot Trail in the 1890's. We watched a skit about the town and the surge of miners to the Yukon and also panned for gold. Then we were bussed to the Canadian town of Frasier and rode an 1890's train down the Chilkoot trial to Skagway. The whole trip was a wonderful experience for a history nut like myself.

The following day we pulled into Icy Straits Harbor and the town of Hoonan. The old fishing cannery had been turned into a mall of sorts with shops of the native art work and souvenirs. There was a walking path and a zip line. We wandered into the town and chatted with some of the locals. While shuttling back to the boat we saw a whale spout in the distance and on the boat we watch several playing in the distance.

The last day we visited Hubbard glacier before heading back out into the open ocean and the rolling, boiling sea. Yes, I was seasick again. This time the ship rocked and rolled and my dh said the dishes were sliding around on tables at the buffet and people holding onto things to stay standing.

All and all it was a good experience but we've learned we are not cruise people.

Follow me

2009-09-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

If you want to find out what I've been up to hop on over to The Mid Willamette Valley blog. I put up a post there today. http://mwvrwa.blogspot.com/