Thank You Cheerleaders!

If you've followed my blog at all, you know I signed up to participate in the BMO Harris Phoenix Half-Marathon. My sisters, brothers-in-law, and a nephew participated too. My one sister and her husband are multi-Ironman finishers (Ah-Ma-Zing!) and my other sister and her husband and son have done this before as well (again, amazing). My other sister and husband couldn't make it this

Go Charlie Brown!
Look at all that trash the
volunteers had to clean up.
Thanks team!

year, but we're hoping for next year! And maybe my hubs can join then too.

I told them originally that I would participate with the caveat that I was not running. I just don't enjoy that (and neither, really, does my body). Some people's bodies are meant for that. Not mine. And I'm so OK with that. I started walking almost daily in preparation, including some running during each mile. I was pretty confident that I would be able to walk/jog the course in less than four hours. My sister and I finished in 3:06:28! I was super excited about that.

Enough on that. I want to thank everyone who came out and cheered us on. People I knew, people I didn't, older people, kids in strollers, kids holding signs. It was incredible. I mean that. It made me cry more than once that they would be so generous with their time to come cheer people on during the race. It really made a difference. Walk/jogging a half-marathon is an accomplishment I'm excited about. It took preparation and determination. But the joy came from the people. The people we raced with, the people who volunteered at the water/gatorade stations, and the wonderful people who cheered us on as we ran past. THANK YOU!

And a huge thank you to my sister that walked with me who was my biggest cheerleader and encouraged me the whole way.

Mail Order Bride Collection

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**Amazon #1 Bestselling series in Clean Romance**

Six Award-Winning Authors have contributed new stories to A Timeless Romance Anthology: Mail Order Bride Collection. Six historical romance novellas set in the Old West. 

WRITTEN IN HER HEART, a charming novella by Stacy Henrie, Georgeanna is getting desperate. She can’t fund her favorite orphanage unless she marries and secures the rest of her inheritance left by her father. But her father’s financial planner, Clay, can't understand why she's not content with her current situation. Georgie determines to send out a notice as a mail order bride to attract suitors who won’t know her financial situation. Little does she know, Clay takes up the pen and sends her letters of his own under an assumed name. After years of working for Georgie’s father, Clay realizes he isn’t ready to watch her marry another, not when his heart is already claimed by her.

In Kristin Holt’s delightful novella WANTED: MIDWIFE BRIDE Dr. Naomi Thornton thinks she has it all: a beautiful house, a loving husband, and a fulfilling career. But when everything she holds dear is ripped away, Naomi has no choice but to start over. What will she find in the wild and untamed Wyoming Territory? Dr. Joe Chandler has waited years for a wife with the knowledge, skills, and tender heart he yearns for in a medical colleague and lifetime companion. When a midwife arrives with more expertise and secrets than he counted on, Joe quickly discovers there’s more to love and marriage than a simple mail order contract. 

In THE SOUND OF HOME, a captivating novella by Annette Lyon, Marilyn is given the choice of either marrying the despicable Victor or being charged with a murder she didn’t commit. Refusing to believe that either is her fate, she finds a third option: she answers a mail order bride advertisement and boards a train to Wyoming to wed a man named Harry. Moments after her arrival, she learns that Harry isn’t who he seemed to be, and the advertisement turns out to be a giant mistake. Harry’s brother Thomas agrees to let her stay until she can figure out what to do next—after all, she simply cannot return to New York—but Marilyn quickly finds herself developing feelings for Thomas.

In Sarah M. Eden’s endearing novella FOR BETTER OR WORSE Gerald Smith, on the advice of his well-meaning neighbors, has decided it’s time to change his lonely existence. Mary Hill, on the advice of her empty pocketbook and non-existent roof over her head, has decided it’s time to secure herself a future. A mail-order marriage, they both realize, is no guarantee of happiness, but it is a risk they are willing to take. However, coming face to face on the train platform, the hapless couple discovers an unexpected truth: marriage to a perfect stranger is sometimes far preferable to the prospect of a lifetime with someone you used to know.

Heather B. Moore’s sweet novella THE INCONVENIENT BRIDE sees Carmela traveling from Boston to Colorado, eager to meet the man she’s been corresponding with and will soon marry. Her brother’s new marriage leaves little room for Carmela in her old life. Upon arrival in Leadville, she faces a rude awakening, and the only one who can understand her predicament is her fiance’s brother, Samuel. But Samuel can’t possibly help her out of an awkward situation, can he? It would be better for all if she returns immediately to Boston and pretends she never traveled to Colorado in the first place.

THE PRICE OF SILVER, an engaging novella by Siân Ann Bessey, Katie leaves New York for Idaho to marry Jake, a man she’s written to a couple of times. But when she steps off the train, his brother Caleb is there to greet her. Jake has gone to take a mining job he couldn’t pass up. Caleb takes Katie back to the family ranch to wait for Jake’s return. The more Caleb gets to know Katie, the more he envies his brother, but he can’t let his heart overrule his head unless Jake changes his mind about his intended bride.

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Check out the other blogs participating in this tour:

Feb. 29: Heidi Reads / Bookworm Lisa / Bubblebath Books / LDS Writer Mom

March 1: Brooklyn Berry Designs (and me!)

March 2: My Book a Day / Aimee Brown / Mel's Shelves

March 3: Rachel Stark / Katie's Clean Book Collection

March 4: Singing Librarian Books / Why Not? Because I Said So / Wishful Endings 

Caribbean Crossroads

Caribbean Crossroads is such a fun book. It's a light read but also touches on deeper issues. I love cruising, too, so it was fun to have that setting for part of the book. I recommend this for a perfect getaway during these cold months, and the Kindle version is only $1.99 right now. You can get it at Amazon. Once you read it, review it on Amazon and Goodreads. (Reviews are like gold to authors!)

Here is a little bit about the book:

New college grad Megan McCormick just got dumped. Hard. Swearing off men and relationships, Megan is coaxed into performing on a cruise ship where she meets the star performer, Bryant Johnson. Handsome and charismatic, he looks like trouble, but she can't deny the intense attraction between them. Urged to find a wife and run the family lumber business, Bryant is torn between his family's expectations for his life and his own. However, when he meets spunky, but love-skittish Megan McCormick, settling down doesn't look so bad. Just when Megan begins to trust again, and Bryant makes some big decisions regarding his future, her former fiance returns with a malicious surprise, taking Megan and Bryant to their own CARIBBEAN CROSSROADS.

Connie Sokol has written many books and offers insights in a deep and common sense way. I think she is inspired and inspiring. You can check out more of her great stuff on her website: http://conniesokol.com/. I highly recommend it.

And who doesn't love a chance for $25 at Amazon? Enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance!

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Other blogs participating in this tour:

My Book a Day 

Bookworm Lisa

Mel's Shelves

Katie's Clean Book Collection

Empower Moms

Rachelle Writes

Singing Librarian Books

Why Not? Because I Said So

Brooklyn Berry Designs

Rift Watcher by C R Simper

Sixteen-year-old Onnie, newly minted adult, isn’t sure what she wants in life, but she is sure what she doesn’t want, and going off to the Interplanetary Alliance’s Academy is at the top of that list. When she purposely flunks the entrance exam, she’s certain that’s why her father commanded her and her brother Jayesh to return to Rift Watcher Station. As Onnie settles into her new life on Rift Watcher, will she find a place of her own?

Chief Medical Officer Darragh Conally has issues. And secrets. As Onnie determinedly worms her way into his life and forges a friendship he doesn’t want, those secrets come dangerously close to being exposed. But how do you tell the Captain’s daughter to back off without risking your job?

There’s something wrong with the relationship between the Galladirans and the Earthers. It’s all polite on the surface; too polite. And Onnie can feel the tension rippling underneath. How long will it be until things break wide open?

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C R Simper was raised seven miles north of a small town, with two sisters, thirteen dogs, and an open sky painted every night with billions of stars. This unharried childhood allowed time for much reading, which led into a desire to create stories of worlds beyond her own. 

She is a member of the American Night Writer's Association. She has two published short stories in the Steampunk genre. Besides writing, she has a passion for genealogy, volleyball, and bargain hunting.

              

Author Interview with C R Simper.

1. What is your preferred writing genre?
a. I prefer to write Space Opera style Science Fiction, and Fantasy.


2. And preferred reading genre? 
a. I don't really have a preference. I read a lot of Westerns and Mystery as a kid, then discovered Fantasy and Science Fiction as a teen. 


3. What are your top 3 favorite books?
a. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis, The Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling. Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien. 


4. Do you have any particular writing habits? 
a. Yes, I write pretty much everything by hand first and then type it in afterwards. 


5. Advice for writers? 
a. Keep writing, even if what you write now doesn't impress you, it's a skill that has to be practiced and will improve over time.



Author's Top Ten List 
10  Bird/bunny watching in my yard.
9    Playing the piano
8    Bargain hunting
7    Arizona Sunsets
6   Taking long drives in the country
5   Writing and more writing
4   Researching my ancestors (or yours)
3   Walking my silly dog
2   Helping my friends
1   Dinner conversations with my family

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

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From a fan (Ellen): "Fascinating story and plot, interesting insights into character personality. A nice photo of you."

In The Dying Light ... Cover Reveal!

Isn't this cover intriguing? I love it and I'm so excited to share more about this book with you.

In The Dying Light 
By Angela Carling

Winter Merrill knew it would be difficult when she took on an ancient curse to save her family, but couldn’t have imagined the isolated existence she would inherit. When her long-time boyfriend’s demanding college schedule competes with her needs, Winter is left completely alone to fight the dark secrets she bears. At her breaking point a stranger enters Winter’s life, one who understands how she feels and more importantly knows how to eliminate the curse. 

Will his friendship be a new beginning for Winter or will it prove to be her demise? 

Also, here's your chance to get caught up. Grab The Secret Keeper, the first book in the series before In The Dying Light comes out in March.

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Here’s a juicy little excerpt from The Secret Keeper to get you started

Over and over in my head I repeated, “She can make my secret go away.”

I’m not sure if I was trying to convince myself, or trying to keep myself from going nuts, but the phrase calmed me as I drove.

I found Lejo Street and began the steep climb to the top. The houses in this neighborhood were small. Most were weathered if not completely forgotten. Pines grew too close together. Piles of rusted tools and long-forgotten bathroom fixtures littered the landscape, hidden only by overgrown grasses and neglected Quakies. No wonder everyone thought it was creepy.


My heart rate quickened with the ascent, and my palms left sticky sweat on my steering wheel. I wiped them on my jeans only to have the moisture build up again immediately. Soon there was nothing but dense forest; a blur of green, broken only by the ashen skies above. The rain came down in unyielding sheets and I turned up the windshield wipers.

Back and forth they went like a giant metronome, keeping in step with my nervous heartbeat. I strained to see out the windows until all at once there was nothing in front me but a large rusted metal gate and a cracked wood sign, painted long ago, that declared, “No trespassing.” Beyond the gate, through the trees and the rain, I saw the pale blue house that the girl in the park had described.

One more time I said out loud, “She can make my secret disappear.”

I’d almost convinced myself now. I had to be convinced, what with the dilapidated house in the middle of nowhere and the stormy weather. Everything screamed “Don’t go in!” but I was driven to try something, anything, not to lose my best friend and boyfriend.

I climbed from the car and ran until I reached the porch, slipping and having to catch myself as I tried to take the stairs too fast. Light spilled out through a crack in the curtains, letting me know someone was there.

I lifted my hand to knock on the old splintered door and froze. I didn’t know the secret keeper’s name. How would I address her? Before I could decide what to do, the heavily scratched door handle turned and the door opened a crack. My mouth fell open. The eyes that peered through the
opening were surprisingly young. My throat felt tight as I swallowed and it sounded loud to me. I
could turn and run. Everything in my gut told me to go, but I stood like a marble statue frozen by my anguish.


"Who are you looking for?” she asked.


Her melodic voice made me think of dozens of wind chimes all tinkling at once. Still, I felt uneasy.

I made myself spit out the words.

“The Secret Keeper.”

An excruciatingly long minute passed and I thought she might tell me that I had the wrong house or that I should get off her property.

Finally, in a voice no louder than a whisper she said, “Come in. I’m the Secret Keeper.”

A little about Angela

Angela Carling was raised in Palm Springs California, but lives in Arizona with her husband, three kids and five felines. After years of denial she finally admitted she is a hopeless romantic which led her to write her first Young Adult book Unbreakable Love. Since then she’s published three more books, Shackled, Becoming Bryn and The Secret Keeper. Shackled won the silver IPGA award in 2012 and has been optioned as a screenplay. She always eats the frosting off her cake and leaves the rest, and can be caught singing in public bathrooms. When she’s not writing YA novels, she’s mentoring teen writers, making pizza with her family or dreaming of taking a nap, not necessarily in that order.

Connect with Angela
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The Value of Learning

The Grand Canyon
One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World

Learning should be a life-long process. It not only expands our minds, but also our opportunities.

With the advent of the internet, we have access to learning like never before. We can sit at the virtual feet of philosopher's masters or watch instructions to correctly order our Jeep's spark plugs. We can take a tour of a foreign land or landmark at the stroke of a key. We can even follow our lineage back many generations.

Websites that share learning abound, both free and for pay. Inspiration is everywhere.

Writer's Digest is one of my favorite writing how-to resources. Second to that, but not quite as accessible in a timely manner is writing conferences: particularly ANWA's Time Out for Writers. Books are available as are blogs and websites to help you improve (see which book we're talking about this month over on the Five Pages blog. Your local library may also host workshops on a variety of topics.

Where do you want to go? What did you learn today?

Whatever it is, Learn On, my friends!

Cross Post for This Week: Moral Position

Things we care passionately about drive our best writing.

Posted over on the Five Pages of Something Blog, so go check it out.