Congratulations Jessica,

You’re the winner of one of the books I picked up at the Moonlight and Magnolias conference last weekend!

Email me through my website www.cindykirk.com and let me know whether you prefer historical or contemporary and give me your snail mail addy. I’ll get the book in the mail to you!

Thanks to all for commenting.

A friend and I were chatting this week about all the amazing–and often hilarious–things children say. In the current book I’m writing the heroine has three small children.

That’s why I thought it might be fun this week to share stories of what we’ve heard kids say, things that have remained stuck in our memory. Perhaps I’ll find something that I can use in my current work-in-progress. Even if I don’t it should be entertaining. And everyone who comments this weekend will be entered into a drawing to win their choice of one of the books I picked up at the Moonlight and Magnolias conference in Atlanta last weekend!! I’ll draw on Sunday at 9 PM (so check back then).

Okay, here’s my story. When my daughter was seven, she attended a Lutheran Elementary school. In addition to all the scholarly stuff, they had Chapel every day where they talked about God and the Bible.

One night in the summer, we were standing outside looking up at a star-filled sky and she said to me “Doesn’t this remind you of God’s promise to Abraham?”

I’m standing there trying to think what that promise was…when my little darling…apparently sensing my distress said, “That your children shall number as many as the stars in the sky.” Wow. All I could think was Wow.

It’s not funny, but it was amazing.

Now, your turn….

Picture the scene. You’re strolling along a stretch of golden beach, sand tickling your bare toes, or seated at a pavement café, sipping Sangria as you watch the world go by. Happening to glance up, your eyes meet those of a gorgeous stranger through the crowd. You lock gazes and a curious swooping sensation begins in the pit of your stomach, as though you’ve stepped off the edge of a precipice. You just know this is the start of something special, something incredible.

Is there anything more magical than falling in love in a foreign land, or than the joint discovery that comes not only from a growing intimacy, but from the shared exploration of somewhere new and exciting? Now, though I’ve been on trips with my partner that might be described as romantic, I’ve never been lucky enough to have a passionate fling abroad. Yet, the idea of the holiday romance captivated me, so that I had to incorporate one into Voices On The Waves.

Of course, things don’t always go according to plan. Like a couple of my characters, you might have the misfortune of falling victim to a philanderer, or of losing your heart to someone who doesn’t return your feelings. Heartbreak is unbearable enough when it happens at home, but at least then you have your friends and family around you to help fit the pieces back together. To have your heart broken while on holiday, far away from any willing shoulders to cry on … I can’t think of anything worse.

Unless it’s the scenario my mum encountered recently while cruising the Mediterranean. During dinner on the final evening, she and her friend got chatting to a guy on their table, who asked them if they’d enjoyed their trip.

“We’ve had an absolutely amazing time,” Mum said. “How about you?”

“Well, not really,” he confessed, grimacing. “Only a couple of days into the cruise, my partner and I discovered we’re not actually compatible.”

Imagine the misery, the squirming discomfort of being forced to share a cabin with someone you no longer want to be with. Oh, and let’s not overlook the crushing disappointment. You’ve lavished your hard-earned money on the trip of a lifetime, spent months in a state of barely contained anticipation, only to have it turn sour almost the moment you set foot onboard the ship.

These are my thoughts, but if you’ve had any experiences of holiday romances, for better or worse, I’d love to hear about them. Anyone kind enough to leave a comment here, or at any point during my blog tour, will automatically be entered into the draw to win a $15 gift voucher for either Amazon or Barnes & Noble, so don’t forget to provide an email address in case I need to contact you. I’ll be announcing the five winners at the end of my tour on October 31^st over at my blog http://www.jessicachambers.co.uk/blog. Good luck!

When I was 8 years old, I dressed up like Darth Vader for Halloween. We were poor, so I had a cheap plastic mask and my mother cut about a foot off the legs of an old black polyester jumpsuit. I thought I was pretty hot stuff. When I arrived home from school my father informed that my grandmother had died. Then he got in the truck and drove away, leaving me rather dumbfounded in the drive.

It was October 31st and for some reason, it was decided that I should go out Trick or Treating. My sister and her boyfriend took me. My poor sister sobbed for most of the evening, and I made out like a bandit on sympathy candy. Needless to say, going around telling people Nanny was dead was a hoot — almost as fun as walking into the houses that already knew and felt sorry for me.

That experience turned me off Halloween for awhile. I am happy to say, however, that my lack of Halloween enthusiasm did not last. Over the last few years it has returned with a vengeance and I am counting down the days!

The last few years we’ve hosted a Halloween party at our house. It started out kind of low key, but has been getting progressively more of an event. This year I’ve been combing through Halloween catalogs and websites, shopping up a storm. I’ve even bought a book on spooky cupcakes. I am going to bake! And put up lights and fake webbing. I’ve got Martha-freaking-Stewart Halloween items. Obviously, I mean business. The evites went out last month and I’ve been inviting everyone I see. I hope we have enough chairs.

So, I want to know who else is excited about Halloween. Any traditions? Big plans?

Incidentally, I discovered several years ago that my hubby was also Darth Vader that year. Talk about soul mates!

If you’re a reader, booksignings probably sound like fun. Authors out meeting the public, chatting brightly about the glamorous writing process and the glamorous writing life. Personal assistants abounding, bringing lattes and teas and opening books and keeping all the multitude of fans in orderly lines waiting to meet their favorite authors. (I actually saw an author’s personal assistant at work, opening books, adjusting her chair and tissues and soft drink….and she had a bodyguard, too!)

If you’re most authors, you dread booksignings. Sitting alone, hoping someone talks to you and knowing that most who do will ask you where 1)the restrooms are, 2)Dan Brown(or insert any other bestselling author’s name here)’s newest book is, or 3) someone would find a real author to write the book that’s been waiting to be written. And, oh, do you write anything good?

I wish I was joking about that, but it’s true and happens more than it doesn’t. You arrive for a scheduled signing to discover that no one ordered your books, or no one in the store knew you were coming or no one did any promotion, signs, announcements for the event. You call the week before to confirm everything you’ve set up with the manager only to find that the person you’ve dealt with is now gone. Ask any author and they can tell you about these kinds of things — it’s enough to turn authors off from doing signings.

Until there’s a signing like either of the ones I did this last week to celebrate the release of my latest Brava – A Storm of Pleasure. At the first one, I signed at a store where the CRM had done lots of prep work, ordering my books, having signs made, announcing the signing for weeks ahead and the readers group even chose my previous book as their discussion book!

Tonight, I signed at a multi-author event, with an array of authors from romance or originally from romance and now writing something else. There were books to sign, readers to ask questions and lots of support from the store’s staff. The CRM even quizzed the staff about our books, the details of the signing and set up a lovely end-cap display before and after the event!

So, everytime I begin to think I shouldn’t do signings, an event (or two!) come along to reaffirm my faith in trying them…. How about you? Are you an author who’s suffered through a bad one or had a great one? And readers? Have you attended a signing and met authors? Did they look like they were enjoying themselves or have that deer-in-the-headlights expression? LOL — post a note and I’ll pick one commenter to receive a copy of one of my latest books….

Terri is now in seclusion as she dashes headlong into a deadline-binge-o’mania-writing her next Brava, MISTRESS OF THE STORM, which is the last in the STORM trilogy. Visit her website for more info about her books and upcoming events (where you could help out an author by showing up!)

is Lori Ann!

Congrats!

Email Shana at shana@shanagalen.com with your address, and she’ll send a signed copy!

Jaunty P. Quills: Hello! This is Jaunty P. Quills, Porcupine Extraordinaire! I am here with author Shana Galen, and we’re discussing her new book The Making of a (cuts eyes to glaring Shana)…Porcu—

Shana: Jaunty!

Jaunty P. Quills:Gentleman! The Making of a Gentleman.

Shana: I knew it. I only agreed to this interview so you would stop harassing all the squirrels in my yard.

Jaunty P. Quills: And throwing pine cones at your window all night. Don’t forget that.

Shana: I haven’t. But you promised you would actually talk about the book.

Jaunty P. Quills: And Jaunty P. Quills, Porcupine Extraordinaire always keeps his promises. So, Shana, I understand there are no porcupines in this, your latest porcupine-less, novel.

Shana: (Sigh). That’s right, Jaunty. As usual, my books are about people, not porcupines.

Jaunty P. Quills: That’s Jaunty P. Quills to you, Shana. Might I ask why you have this aversion to porcupines?

Shana: No. You could ask me about the book.

Jaunty P. Quills: What about it? We already know it doesn’t have any porcupines.

Shana: You could ask me about the plot or where I got my inspiration…

Jaunty P. Quills: I already know the plot. The hero (who is not a porcupine, by the way) has been in prison for twelve years. He was imprisoned after some little uprising in France—

Shana: The French Revolution.

Jaunty P. Quills: Whatever. And when he’s finally set free and living in England—does England have porcupines or only hedgehogs?—he’s unable to speak, communicate, and he doesn’t know about wearing cravats or holding forks.

Shana: Manners. And that’s where Felicity, the heroine, comes in.

Jaunty P. Quills: Just FYI, she’s not a porcupine.

Shana: Anyway! She’s been hired to tutor Armand and, they fall in love.

Jaunty P. Quills: But what about the bad guys? Of course, the bad guys are never porcupines—

Shana: Except on this blog.

Jaunty P. Quills: —they show up and threaten everything. My little quills were actually all aquiver with worry for Armand and Felicity.

Shana: Really, Jaunty? That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.

Jaunty P. Quills: I keep telling you I’m nice, and you keep saying you’ll put a porcupine in one of your books…

Shana: I have never said that. But I think everyone reading this has suffered enough and deserves to be rewarded with a chance to win a copy of The Making of a Gentleman. Just comment below. Tell us—

Jaunty P. Quills: Your favorite prickly mammal.

Shana: Or what has you excited about Fall. I know I’m excited about all the books out this month!

Remember that episode of Friends where they discussed the five that would be on your list? You know the list of never-gonna-happen-in-a-million-years lust fantasy? Well Saturday night I was out with some writer friends and our conversation turned in this direction. One writer asked me who was on my 5 and I realized I’d never actually given it much thought. Well, it took me a few moments, but not so lone that my subconscious hadn’t been working on this very issue for a while. So without further ado, I present to you (in no particular order) my 5…

Matthew McConaughey – maybe it’s the Texan in me, but I can’t resist him. He’s got that lazy sexy drawl and frankly it makes me all gooey inside just to hear him talk. It was A Time To Kill that brought him on my radar and I think it was part character part actor that entranced me so. The glasses didn’t hurt either since I have a thing for men in specs.

Joseph Fiennes – with him it’s really all in the eyes. There is such intensity, such depth, such yummy goodness hidden in the color of his irises that just looking at him makes me melt. I’m fairly certain that if I were ever actually in the room with him and I caught his glance, I might swoon. Which makes it all the well that this is a fantasy list.

Ryan Reynolds – I’ve actually had a crush on Ryan for a long time since he was in a kid soap opera called Fifteen that I’m reluctant to admit I watched when I was in High School. He was a bit of a chubby kid back then, but had the same sharp wit. Well, clearly the chub is all gone and now we have what I think is a gift to all of us ladies. I mean look at him. That’s just ridiculous. I mean really!

Jonny Lee Miller – Like Mr. Fiennes, Jonny here has some intense and sexy eyes. Though I don’t think that’s the entirety of it for me, but I’m not sure what else it is. Of course the accent helps and the fact that he’s actually a bit unassuming so his sexiness can take you by surprise. I know I’ve admitted on here before that Hackers is one of my guilty pleasure movies and one of the main reasons is because we get to look at Jonny through the whole thing.

Johnny Depp – Frankly I think no list of 5 is complete without Captain Jack, but I do know there are plenty of women who disagree. But this is my list and on Saturday I nearly forgot him while thinking of my 5th and final choice. Once I remembered though, everything felt complete. He’s got it all, the voice, the sexy eyes, the smolder. He even makes things I wouldn’t normally think of as attractive work, like the thumb ring and eyeliner. He’s got a quiet vulnerability about him, yet a hint of danger which….whoa, just gets me all in a dither.

And here’s my runner-up, Josh Holloway. Yummy!

So how about you? Who is on your list of 5?

…is Karyn.

Karyn, email me at Emily at EmilyMcKay dot com with your snail mail address and I’ll put the book in the mail for you!

Everyone else, thanks for playing!

Let’s face it, we all do things we’re not proud. In the interest of full disclosure (and apparently a guilty conscious), I think I’ll share a few of them.

The other night when my husband was out of town, I pulled something out of the freezer to serve to my children for dinner. I thought they were savory cheese crepes. Turns out they were a dessert item. We ate them for dinner anyway.

The other night, my husband suggested cutting back our maid service to every other week to save money. I pretended to consider it. Pretended, being the key word there.

Under the guise of doing research the other afternoon, I bought an episode of the new show Running Wilde. And then bought another. Even though I didn’t enjoy the first episode.

At the Lego store the other day, I was looking at the Prince of Persia Lego sets. And thought the Jake Gyllenhaal mini-fig was kinda hot.

On the other hand, there are plenty of things that I am proud of.

I’ve been going to the gym every Tuesday and Thursday. Only for two weeks, but still …

I wrote over forty pages on my work in progress this week. Not the fifty pages, I wanted to do. But still …

With my help, my daughter totally rocked her homework this week. Okay, she’s in kindergarten, so the homework wasn’t hard, but still …

Let’s face it, nobody is great at everything. And when on the things that are important–like being with my kids and doing the work I love–that’s the stuff I’m good at.

So what are you proud of this week? Or not proud off? I’ll pick one person to win a copy my August release, Winning It All.