I’d like to extend a warm Jaunty welcome to Roxanne Rustand. Roxanne is the award-winning author of twenty-two warm, emotional romance and romantic suspense novels. You can find her at: www.roxannerustand.com
www.shoutlife.com/roxannerustand and

http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com/

Today she comes offering prizes! Three, yes that’s THREE, winners will be drawn from those who comment on her blog. What will they win? Each will receive a copy of one of her fabulous books!

Writing is such an interesting business–literally! I loved being in school. I spent many years in college, changing majors several times along the road to a Master’s Degree in nutrition. Ahhh, you say. Nutrition—an ideal background for a romance writer–not!

But it was, in a way. All that studying was helpful for becoming a writer, because with each book I write, there’s a whole new world to research while I try for accurate, evocative settings. Ranch settings, the Rocky Mountains and the Northwoods of the upper Midwest are some of my favorites, and our travels often end up as settings for my books.

Writers not only strive to get their settings right. There are also the details and vernacular of different professions and hobbies. Believable behaviors of pets, and children, or of someone slipping into the murky mental depths of Alzheimer’s. I love using a variety of pets and other animals in my books–but that “research” often comes from our family menagerie. In fact, our son’s favorite slithery pet had a key role in my very first SuperRomance. I still wish I’d gone to vet school (a lesson in ‘following one’s heart’ that I’ve reiterated to our children many times over!) But now, I can still slip into that world for months at a time if writing about characters who are veterinarians and vet techs, and enjoy a taste of that world.

Speaking of that–I have a new blog, where I hope readers will stop by to read and share amusing or poignant stories about the animals in their lives. It’s called “All Creatures Great and Small” after a line in an 1800′s hymn. It’s at: http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com/

My May, 2009 Love Inspired Suspense, Deadly Competition, is set north of New Orleans, and it’s a definite departure in locale from what I’ve done before. The lush, mysterious, dangerous element of bayou country captured my heart from my first moment there, back when RWA (Romance Writers of America) held a national conference in New Orleans. The ornate, crumbling elegance of the oldest parts of town, the wonderful old cemeteries, and the dark depths of the bayou are a perfect setting for suspense! This book takes place a little farther north than that, but spending time there (if only in my imagination!) last year makes me long to visit that beautiful place again.

When you browse through books at your favorite bookstore, or online, what do you zero in on first? Author names, eye-catching titles, back cover blurbs or cover art? The type of story? Do any particular story settings intrigue you–or conversely, make you put the book back on the shelf? Let’s talk! I’ve offered free books to three winners here, so good luck to everyone!

The winner of Shirley Jump’s fabulous book REALLY SOMETHING is Lyoness2009.

Lyoness, congratulations!

You can contact Shirley via her website addy: Shirley@ShirleyJump.com to claim your prize!

Thanks to all who commented!

It’s that time of year when NYT’s Bestselling author, Brenda Novak, hosts her online auction for diabetes research. There are always great items to bid on and this year is no different. And in the mix of those wonderful treats you can win, are some things donated by your lovely Jaunty Quills.

So here’s a list of those JQ goodies and for the rest of the month you will be able to find these links in our links section down to your left.

* An autographed advanced reading copy of Seduce Me by Robyn DeHart

* A critique of a partial historical romance novel by an aspiring writer by Robyn DeHart

* An autographed copy of Mistress of Pleasure by Delilah Marvelle (1)

* An autographed copy of Mistress of Pleasure by Delilah Marvelle (2)

* A three chapter critique with a follow-up phone call from Delilah Marvelle

I admit it, I’m addicted to Dr. Phil. I’ve watched talk shows since Phil Donahue was on the air, so it’s not like it’s just the tough-talkin’ Texan who has me hooked. They’re characters. Real, honest-to-goodness, couldn’t-write-this-stuff-and-get-it-past-an-editor characters. Some of these people are certifiable, some of them are simply troubled, some of them are just looking for their fifteen minutes

But one thing that Dr. Phil does is zero in on his guests, and within a few minutes, hit their core issues. That deep emotional conflict that drives that mother to hover over her child’s every move—even though her child is eighteen and about to go to college. That trauma in a grown man’s past that now makes him unable to commit. The dark secret a grandmother is hiding that keeps her from being a part of her grandchildren’s lives.

I’ll be watching the show, seeing Dr. Phil grill a guest, and wham I have the idea I’ve been searching for. Or I suddenly know why my character has that control issue. Or I have another idea, one to file away for later (and there are a ton of those in my little mental files). I’ll see one guest tell their story about being abandoned as a child, and that will get my mental gears thinking about how abandonment might affect the child I have in my current book. Or what the abandoning mother’s perspective might be.

What I see in Dr. Phil’s hot seat are amazing novel possibilities. Marriages in crisis, relationships on the rocks, daughters trying to connect with their mothers, sons on the outs with their fathers, friends who have been betrayed. There are people down on their luck, others who have hit the lottery. You name a character type, and chances are, they’re going to be on the Dr. Phil show before the season finale

So if you’re looking for characters, try turning on the television at 3:00 p.m. EST. Chances are, you’ll find what you’re looking for –sitting on Dr. Phil’s right

Do you watch Dr. Phil or another show like that? Do you get character ideas from there? Or just like to sit back and be entertained?

I’ll choose a winner from one of the comments to receive a copy of REALLY SOMETHING, where you’ll meet a few characters in Tempest, Indiana!

Shirley

A big Jaunty welcome back to Bella Andre! *shines up quills* She just couldn’t stay away. Too sizzling, this porcupine is!

Bella, your new series says it is “The seals of the firefighting world.” Sizzle! Can you expand on that?

Of course I can, Jaunty! In a nutshell (which I’m sure you can crack with a single sharp point of your quills!), the firefighters I’m writing about are the elite of the elite, the men who run into fires that everyone else runs from. They’re all about adrenaline. All about the brotherhood. And utterly addicted to risk.

Synopsis?

WILD HEAT is about Logan Cain,a hotshot who’s the best of the best. Maya Jackson is the sultry beauty he never saw coming, targeting him as her number-one suspect in a string of deadly wildfires. But when Maya’s life is threatened, Logan vows to protect the woman sworn to bring him down. And as desire ignites, nothing-not the killer fire or the killer hot on their trail-can douse the flames….

I’m hot! Sizzling hot! How do I get a shot at being a hotshot?

Um, I suppose you could try out for the crew…unless that persnickety “human only” rule kicks in…Plus, there’s the small matter of you looking like you just came off the BBQ.

Sounds like it would singe my quills. I checked out your website and I see you have feng shui tips. Can you help me find Ms. Porcuright? *bats eyes* I keep having quills jabbed into my prickly heart.

Declutter your den! And don’t sleep where you…well, nevermind, you’ve probably already got that one.
Thanks for the invite to stop by! If anyone has any more questions/comments/naughty thoughts about hot firefighters, I’d be happy to discuss!

Whew.  Well, I’m off to take a cold shower. Visit Bella’s website for more information on hot Hotshots, her latest books, and for great Feng Shui tips too!

I have been DVR’ing this series which I only discovered a couple of months ago. It’s not so much about fashion as about studies of human nature.

And as an author, I am and have always been fascinated about how people react to different stimulus (to sound like a psych major which I WAS NOT).

If you haven’t seen this show, two New Yorkers, Stacy and Clinton ambush a woman (and once a man) who has been nominated by friends and family as a fashion disaster.

Stacy and Clinton offer her $5000 and a NYC shopping trip IF she will give up all the clothes in her closet that they think don’t do anything for her. And the woman must shop by their rules.
Well, how many of us would say “No” to that?

The funny part comes when Stacy and Clinton start throwing the woman’s clothing out. The woman all try in vain to stop Stacy and Clinton to save clothes. When thwarted, they sometimes have a tantrum or burst into tears over.

This astounds me because except for a few sentimental pieces of clothing (like my wedding dress, etc), I go through my closet usually twice a year and dump out the stuff that I’m tired of or has gone out of style. Stacy and Clinton could come to my house and as long as I got my $5000 and free NYC trip, they could throw away anything! I would grin and wave bye-bye!

This is the part that grips me. I had no idea that:

1-some women use clothing as camouflage. I didn’t know clothing was to be hidden behind. Silly me I thought it was to keep us warm, covered decently and help us look attractive.

2-some women (even without anorexia) had distorted ideas of their body.

3-some women really had no clue what was flattering or unflattering to them.

4-some women had no idea how a dress or shirt or slacks was to meant to fit them-either they wore oversized or undersized clothing and thought that was a correct fit.

The tantrums and tears and #1 and #2 are the discoveries that really intrigue me.

Why would a woman as thin as an icicle believe that her cup size A breasts were always in the way?

Why would a woman wear clothing that repelled people?

Why would taking away a woman’s old ragged clothing and giving her new clothing reduce her to tears and almost a deconstruction of her whole self image?

What do you think? Is this common or just for reality TV?

Regardless I will continue to watch and marvel at us human beings.

(Note: Lyn will draw a winner from everyone who comments on her blog. That lucky person will win a copy of her latest book–The Desires Of Her Heart)

Lyn Cote

http://www.strongwomenbravestories.blogspot.com

Every woman has a story! Share yours.

Good morning, everyone! Thank you so much to the Jaunty Quills for having me today, especially Cindy for inviting me and Kathy ‘cuz I adore her.

I am here to talk about my humorous contemporary debut, TANGLED UP IN LOVE. Or rather, the funny thing that happened after the release of release in February. Something I definitely wasn’t expecting.

You see, TANGLED UP IN LOVE is the first book of my “Chicks with Sticks” knitting trilogy. (Very sexy, very funny knitting, by the way. My editor and I like to joke that these are not your grandmother’s knitting romances. And it’s a very tightly plotted series, revolving around a group of six close friends—three female and three male. Although, not all of the friends get along at any given time. Two of them despise each other; two are recently divorced, but not necessarily happy about it; and two are sickeningly happy and engaged to be married.

Which is where the trouble begins.

Book #1, TANGLED UP IN LOVE, is about Dylan and Ronnie, who are bitter rivals and make a habit of carrying out a series of anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better challenges. Throughout their story, there are hints about the other characters, and I had many readers remark that they hoped the next book would be about Gage and Jenna, the divorced-but-miserable couple.

Readers are so smart. They’re right—Book #2, LOVES ME, LOVES ME KNOT (August 4, 2009) is most definitely Gage and Jenna’s story.

But what I didn’t expect—and where the trouble began—was how interested readers would be in Zack and Grace. Oh, I thought they would be interested, but in the same way they were interested in Gage and Jenna—as an upcoming book in the trilogy.

Instead, I have been inundated with letters asking me for the title of Zack and Grace’s book and how long ago it came out. Readers are terribly worried that they missed something vital—that they missed the story of how Zack and Grace fell in love and got engaged to begin with.

But I’m sneaky, you see. Zack and Grace’s story, KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP, is actually the third book in the “Chicks with Sticks” series and won’t be out until February 2010.

But how can that be? you might wonder. How can they already be engaged if their story hasn’t even been told yet? He-he. That would be where the sneaky part comes in.

Because even though these characters are a couple in TANGLED UP IN LOVE, things . . . happen in LOVES ME, LOVES ME KNOT, causing Zack and Grace to need a whole new book to find their true happily ever after. Ah, I just get crueler by the minute, don’t I? But trust me, you don’t want to miss any of these stories. Not only are they super-funny and super-sexy, they’re also very intricately woven together. Yes, you can read them separately or out of order, I’m just telling you that I think you’ll enjoy the series more if you read them as they come out. You’ll spend less time scratching your head that way, or kicking yourself later for not seeing how the whole series comes together when you read them one, two, three.

So tell me: Have you read TANGLED UP IN LOVE yet, and if so, did I throw you for a loop with my set-up of this group of friends?

And if you haven’t read TANGLED UP IN LOVE yet, what do you think of this little “tangle” I’ve accidentally created? Would you be excited to discover that a book you thought you’d missed was actually yet-to-be published, or would you be annoyed with the author (eek—that’s me!) for dangling this sort of carrot in front of you when you can’t run out, buy the missing book, and get instant romance gratification?

To make it up to one reader, at least, who’s already read TANGLED UP IN LOVE, I would like to give away an autographed copy of any other book from my backlist for you to enjoy. And for one reader who hasn’t read TANGLED UP IN LOVE, now is your chance. I’ll be giving away an autographed copy of Ronnie and Dylan’s story. These two winners will be drawn from those who comment on this post.

So toss your name into the hat by letting me know what you think of this intricately woven (*snork* I just love knitting puns!) story arc I’ve developed, toss a few questions my way, or simply bring up some fun topic to chat about—I’m happy to discuss just about anything!

Feel free to visit me at my website and blogs, too! I can almost always be found at www.HeidiBetts.com, WIPs and Chains (a.k.a. The Dungeon) www.heidibetts.com/wipsandchains/ and Must Love Yarn www.heidibetts.com/MustLoveYarn/

Here are some Jaunty jokes for St. Patrick’s Day! Have a good one!

——————–

Q: Why do people wear shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day?

A: Because real rocks are too heavy!

——————–

Paddy was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn’t find a parking place. Looking up to heaven he said, “Lord take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me Irish Whiskey!”

Miraculously, a parking place appeared.

Paddy looked up again and said, “Never mind, I found one.

——————–

Q: What’s Irish and stays out all night?

A: Paddy-O Furniture

——————–

A man stumbles up to the only other patron in a bar and asks if he could buy him a drink.
“Why of course,” comes the reply.

The first man then asks: “Where are you from?”
“I’m from Ireland,” replies the second man.

The first man responds: “You don’t say, I’m from Ireland too! Let’s have another round to Ireland.”
“Of Course,” replies the second man.

Curious, the first man then asks: “Where in Ireland are you from?”
“Dublin,” comes the reply.

“I can’t believe it,” says the first man. “I’m from Dublin too! Let’s have another drink to Dublin.”
“Of course,” replies the second man.

Curiosity again strikes and the first man asks: “What school did you go to?”
“Saint Mary’s,” replies the second man. “I graduated in ’62.”

“This is unbelievable!” the first man says. “I went to Saint Mary’s and I graduated in ’62, too!”
About that time in comes one of the regulars and sits down at the bar. “What’s been going on?” he asks the bartender.

“Nothing much,” replies the bartender. “The O’Malley twins are drunk again.”

——————–

Share some good ones and have a green beer on Jaunty!

The winner of the copy of Would-Be Witch is Fedora! Fedora, contact Kimberly Frost at frost_fic@yahoo.com with your name and address and how you’d like the book signed.

Congrats!

Romantic Times has released their best of the best for 2008 and two Jaunties are on the list. Help us congratulate them.

**Delilah Marvelle’s debut novel, Mistress of Pleasure is a Reviewer’s Choice Award Nominee for Best First Historical
**Anne Mallory’s The Bride Price is a Reviewer’s Choice Award Nominee for Best Historical Romance of the Year
**Anne Mallory is also up for a Career Achievement Award for Historical Romance

Congrats, ladies!!!

Now scroll down to read about Nancy’s help from her friends…