It seems like I have a lot going on at the moment, although I don’t, really. Not compared to when my three kids were young and I was working as a nurse and my husband had an hour-long commute every day…each way! The household is just busy because all of my kids have been home for the summer. It’s temporary, though. Withhin weeks, the kids will have moved out and the house will be mine again.

Which is a mixed blessing, right? We certainly enjoy having them around, but we like our own space, too.

It got me thinking about the things that make me happy. Invariably, they’re little things.  Some are tied to memories, some are just the pure pleasures of the moment. for example, when I see a young mom carrying one small child and herding two others, I remember the days when I was doing that. It’s a warm memory, even though those were hectic times.  I always want to reassure those moms that things will get easier – at least for a while. (Of course I’ll hold back what I know about teenagers).

I enjoy the fall – the changes in temperatures, the cozy mornings in bed before the sun comes up, the colors. Most people I know say they prefer the heat of summer, but not me. I love the fall.

Then there are my dogs. They’re a couple of gorgeous labradors – one black, one yellow. And they’re sweet and affectionate, and look at you as though there was no one else in the world. You can’t help but smile when they make a mad dash for the water – doing what they were bred to do – swim! The best part? Walking hand in hand with my husband while the dogs play with each other.

Writing. It’s a pleasure that non-writers probably can’t understand. But there is nothing like writing a scene that is just right – and knowing it!

Having the whole family pitch in while I cook a big meal and then all sit down to enjoy it together.  (Just kidding – that’s not us at the left). My husband and I both grew up in large families where we all had dinner together, no matter what kind of activities we were into. And we managed to do that with our family, even though there was always a lot going on. Somehow, we made it work.

What are the little things that give you joy? Inquiring minds want to know!

I drew Shannon’s name – Congratulations!

Shannon – contact me (margomaguire@yahoo.com) with your snail mail address and I’ll send you your books!

When I was a kid, we never camped. My dad said he’d had enough of that in the army, so no – when our family went on vacation, we stayed at motels with pools. Or at his fishing lodge (which he shard with a few of his buddies). It wasn’t exactly luxury, but the lodge was pretty cool – we were right on the river where there was a dock and we could fish for trout, and my dad could go fly fishing to his heart’s content. We always jumped in a few times- but the river was really cold, so we didn’t do a lot of that.

Years later… I met my future husband when we were both in school –  I was studying nursing and he was working on his PhD. He thought the best place on earth was, … The Middle of Nowhere … aka the back trails of Banff Provincial Park in the Canadian Rockies. Well he was right, sort of. Except that when you hike the back trails, you have to carry in everything you need, sleep on the ground, and try not to think about grizzly bears.

That’s right – grizzly bears.

But if we were going to be together, I had to adapt (and so did he – but that’s another blog). Way too many times we saw evidence of bears during our long hikes deeper into the back country. And what did we do about it? We would hike another 8 hours in the opposite direction to get out of their territory. Hey – we’re not dummies. He’s got a PhD and I’m – well, I’ve taken care of some really bad injuries of all kinds. I had no interest in having to deal with a mauling out on the trail.

So that was my experience with camping: 100 miles from indoor plumbing, with packages of freeze-dried food in my pack, along with my sleeping bag and toothbrush and everything else I couldn’t live without. Forty-five pounds, in fact. (He carried the tent and teeny stove, and his pack always started out at 60 lbs).

Fast forward a few years, and we’ve got three kids. My lovely husband decides the kids need to experience camping. Which – true enough, they loved!

Of course they loved it! The crowded campground was full of kids and dogs – RVs and… The Camp Store! Penny candy! Ice cream cones! (Whoa – this is not what I expected out of camping!) There were camp fires and marshmallows. They stayed up late. They swam, they rode their bikes everywhere. But guess what? We had to pack the car and a cartop carrier to bring everything we needed. Pots and pans and a stove. Food.  Bicycles. A big tent. Sleeping bags and pads for the kids, and air mattresses for my husband and I. (When then the kids saw the air mattresses, they were done with sleeping on the actual ground). Beach towels. Chairs. The list goes on and on. In fact, I have a master list on my computer that I print out when we pack up, so we don’t forget anything crucial. Like somebody’s pillow. (Did I tell you that our pillows when backpacking were just our down jackets stuffed into our sleeping bag bags?)

Fast forward again. We go camping now, without the kids. Lo and behold, it’s more like it used to be. Just my husband and I in our tent. We bring the stove, but only to make our morning coffee. Otherwise, it’s simple eating, or a drive to the nearest town for a meal in a restaurant. Things change… and one day, we’ll probably go along camping with our kids when they have kids of their own.

Have you ever camped? What do you like or dislike about it? I’d love to hear all about it, and I’ll send one lucky responder two books from my backlist. Come on – tell us your camping tales!

The winner of my drawing for The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance is Lois M. So, Lois – please contact me — margomaguire@yahoo.com — and I’ll get your book out to you next week. (Because I think I’ll get my copies sometime in the next 10 days).

Summer usually comes with a rash of great new movies.  This year, I’m not so sure. We’ve seen a few, but I’m wondering what you’ve seen and loved – and what you’re looking forward to seeing.

My husband and I saw The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and thought it was a lot of fun. It was a good story that held up well, and the kid who plays the apprentice was perfect. I was afraid he was going to be too goofy, but no. Well, yes he was goofy, but just right, I thought. My kids are not Nicholas Cage fans, so they’re not really interested in seeing it, even though it’s a Jerry Bruckheimer film.  They all went to see Inception, which I think my husband and I will catch at the IMAX. Why not? if you’re going to bother with a 3-D movie, then GO for it, right?

We haven’t seen Despicable Me, which is getting great reviews. Maybe when I get back from conference next week, we’ll catch that one. Has anyone seen the latest Twilight movie? I admit I haven’t even seen the first one, so I have some catching up to do before I can watch the newest release.

I’m not an Angelina fan, so I doubt if I’ll see Salt. What about you? The premise of the story looks interesting, so maybe we’ll go. Along the suspense lines, my book club has been reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and we’re going to rent the movie and see it at my house next month (before we discuss the book). That should be fun.

What about Harry Potter? Is everyone waiting with baited breath for the final two installments? Is anyone else really peeved that Part 2 won’t be released until nearly a year from now? It’s not that I don’t know how it all ends, but WHAT are they thinking? Maximizing profits, no doubt…

There aren’t really a ton of movies I’m anxious to see this summer. How about you? When I think about all the great books I’ve read – especially the romances with their strong characterizations and plots – I just don’t understand why Hollywood doesn’t adapt more of them into movies. Tell me what book you’d like to see as a movie and I’ll draw one name to receive The Mammnoth Book of Regency Romance, an anthology that features stories by over twenty different authors, including Robyn DeHart and me. I won’t receive my copies until next week – but I’ll send one out to the winner as soon as I get them!

In the Single Title – Contemporary Romance  category, our own Kristan Higgins is a finalist for Too Good to be True – which ( I can tell you first hand) is a spectacular read — funny and touching. “To keep everyone from obsessing about her love life, Grace announces that she’s seeing someone. Someone wonderful. Someone handsome. Someone completely made up.”  It’s everything a great romance story should be.

Joy Nash’s A Little Light Magic is another Single Title finalist. This book is the story of two people – one with too much family, the other with none. The excerpts sound… magical!

Dirty Sexy Knitting is an intriguing title! Christie Ridgeway (who is a doll, by the way) is also a finalist in this category.  The beachside knitting shop Malibu & Ewe is SoCal’s newest hotspot–where strangers become friends and friends become family over good yarn and better gossip… This is Cassandra and Gabe’s story.

Julia Harper’s (aka Elizabeth Hoyt) contemporary single title, For the Love of Pete is a madcap tale of opposites - Zoey a free spirit who likes to break rules, Dante is an FBI agent who lives by them.

Talk Me Down, by Victoria Dahl, is about the successful (but closet) erotic fiction writer who comes home to her small town where she re-connects with the strait-laced cop who was the subject of all her girlish fantasies. There’s an element of suspense in this one, too.

Rachel Gibson’s True Love is about a trophy wife, er… widow who inherits a large chunk of change… and a hockey team. She despises the star player on sight, but can’t stop thinking about him. “Then a night of temptations ends with Faith in Ty’s bed, and she begins to see there’s more to him than sex appeal and slap shots.”

Susan Wiggs’s Fireside features pitcher Bo Crutcher, who is just about to get a shot at a major league team, but suddenly has to provide a home for his son. Kimberly van Dorn handles his press – assuming he’s a shallow sports-type. But she learns he’s a whole different kind of guy, one who puts love first.

Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis is the story of accountant Katie Cramer, who leaves her sedate job for one with Wilder Adventures and Expeditions. She meets Cameron Wilder, who will “risk his body taking clients on adrenaline-drenched excursions, his heart is off limits.”

These are the contemporary romances that were judged by other published authors to be the best in their category for the year 2009. Try them – I’m sure you’ll love them!

Congratulations to Edie Ramer, who won Helen Brenna’s drawing for ALONG CAME A HUSBAND.  Please contact me (margomaguire@yahoo.com) with your full address, and Helen will get your book out to you as soon as she’s back from vacation.

And remember – everyone who comments for the rest of the month will be entered into a randomized drawing to win a Sony eReader – Good luck!

Mary M and Margay are the winners of Michele’s giveaway.

And don’t forget that every commenter for the rest of June will be entered into a drawing for a Sony eReader. Good luck!

I am not much of a TV watcher. I just can’t force myself to commit to a particular date and time every week. I do catch a few shows periodically – shows that don’t require the viewer to have seen every episode in order. Mostly, I just see sports – hockey games and basketball play-offs. Even some golf. ( I know – ugh! – right?)

But wow – I just discovered something I was missing for two seasons. Actually, I’m sort of glad I did miss the first two seasons. Because it’s on “On Demand” now, and I’ve been able to watch one episode every day for the past two weeks. No waiting for next Sunday at 10 PM (or is it 9:00? – I’ll have to check.)

When I was in NYC last fall, my editors were raving about this show. I’d heard of it, but didn’t really have time for it then. But I turned in a book two weeks ago, so I had some free time and decided to check it out.

I’m not a huge vampire fan (although I have nothing against them ) but now I understand why my editors were raving about True Blood. They were enthused about the story, the characters, the conflict. There are great, three-dimensional characters in True Blood, and a plot that just won’t quit. Or I should say – several plot lines – that keep you guessing. Best of all, I’ve found an amazing prototype for the hero of the book I’m working on now. How did I miss this guy? Stephen Moyer is his name, and he plays the protagonist vampire. (You guys probably all knew about him years ago, but well … I’m just a bit slow on the uptake, I guess!)

I don’t think I’ve ever found a picture of anyone who so perfectly fits the idea I’ve got in my head of one of my characters -  Stephen Moyer is exactly the kind of brooding, damaged character who is the hero of my February book – Seducing the Governess. He was injured at Waterloo, and returns home to his estate after he becomes earl, and has to sort out the mess there – including finding a proper teacher for his orphaned niece. Enter the heroine – although I have yet to find the perfect picture of her. I’ll keep at it, though. Maybe you can help me out. She’s an average-sized, dark-haired beauty, but she was the prim daughter of a vicar. What do you think? Any suggestions?

Gillian – you won my drawing yesterday – Send me (margomaguire@yahoo.com)  your snail mail address and I’ll get The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance into the mail to you asap. Congratulations!