HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Like everyone else I’ve met lately, I’m wondering where the month has gone…and the year, for that matter.  The leaves here in Georgia are turning a beautiful array of red, yellow and orange….and starting to fall all over the yard. 

Although Halloween isn’t my favorite decorate-the-house time of year, I still do a little bit to get into the feel of this time of year.  The picture above is what I sat on the end of my breakfast bar and then there’s the mandatory jack-o-lantern on the front porch.  Oh yes, and I bought a bag of chocolate candy that has been tempting me for the last few days, so I’m ready.

Fortunately, I live in a gated community, so the Munchkins are somewhat limited to the ones in our “neighborhood” (my husband calls it the compound since there’s a guard at the gate and one who drives around occasionally), but there are hundreds and hundreds of homes, so we’ll see if I bought enough candy. 

But the weekend after Halloween, I’m looking forward to November 5^th when I’ll be heading to Alabama to a Readers Luncheon in Birmingham.  I’ll be hosting a table of readers during the speaker and lunch and then signing books, along with a number of other authors, so it should be a fun day.  I’ll tell you more about that later.

Till next time, enjoy the fall beauty outside and don’t forget that I have a special guest visiting here on the blog this Wednesday, November 2nd.  Lisa Mondella, author of The Knight and Maggie’s Baby, will be here to share with us so don’t miss her!

Saturday Review

Today I have the pleasure of reviewing The Woof In The Wedding Plans by Regina Duke.

The Book Blurb:

Wedding plans are well along, but Terri hates the plans and hates the planner! She has adopted a German shepherd, but he thinks he belongs to Russ (her future husband), and Russ's two shepherds are not happy about it. Although Russ is the man of Terri's dreams, her future father-in-law is turning into the man of her nightmares. Her job may be in danger as well. Now one phone call throws her life into turmoil. Something has happened to Russ!

Come along for the ride as Terri tries to salvage her marriage plans and save her man.This novella is fast-paced and if you love dogs...and who doesn't love a best friend...then you'll really enjoy The Woof In The Wedding Plans.

My thoughts:

I especially enjoyed the opening sceen when the dog has his goal set at getting to the wedding cake and ends up with pink frosting all around his muzzle.  Then I thoroughly enjoyed her trying to handle three large dogs in her compact car.   Yes, I too believe that dogs can smile...and pout.

This suspense is filled with a enough twists and turns to keep you engaged and clicking to turn the pages until suddenly you're at the end...and wanting another chapter in the lives of Russ and Terri.

Click on the link below to go to Amazon to enjoy her story today.
The Woof In The Wedding Plans

If you'd like to take a peek at her other offerings, click on one of the links below.I
North Rim Delight

Trickster and Other Stories

And have a great Saturday reading a good book!

Guest Author, Regina Duke---Welcome!!

            First of all, thank you Sandra, for having me! I’m so excited to reach out to more readers. In fact, my decision to go indie and make my books available for Kindle and Nook was born of a desire to please. Without readers, writers are working to an empty room. Why write if no one is going to read our stories?

            Oh, yes, the other reason for writing--the voices in my head. If I don’t write, they never shut up. I have heard many writers say the same thing! At least I’m not alone. Ever. Not with stories and films running nonstop behind my eyeballs.

            All through school, I wrote stories. I filled binders with my stories and shared them with friends at school. I lamented the fact that there was no creative writing degree at my college. I ended up studying (and teaching) foreign languages! Communication is very important to me, regardless of the language we’re speaking.

            Over the years I have written eight novels. The first five were not ready for prime time. I keep them all, just to remind myself that no matter how good I think something is at the moment of creation, there is still a lot of room for improvement. The last three novels needed rewrites but they will all eventually see the light of day.

            I chose to begin my indie journey by publishing North Rim Delight, a romantic suspense about Terri Baker who is dealing with the loss of her beloved German Shepherd and trying to shake off an abusive ex-boyfriend by taking a vacation to the Grand Canyon. Bounty hunter Russ Camino is tailing a hit man with a tragic connection to his family’s past. When he lays eyes on Terri, he falls head over heels in love, but refuses to admit it. Then he realizes that the hit man is following Terri, and he knows he must protect her at all costs.

            And of course, there’s a happy ending!

            Terri is a character I created in college. It’s so gratifying to tell her story at last. And because these characters live and breathe for me, I wanted to explore what happens after they returned from the Canyon. That’s why I wrote The Woof in the Wedding Plans. It’s a novella about their lives three months later as they deal with wedding plans, a new German Shepherd, a super-rich and overly involved future father-in-law, and the wedding planner from hell. It’s full of dogs, danger, laughs, and of course another happy ending.

            I hope you enjoy reading about them as much as I enjoy writing them!

            I also write soft science fiction and quiet horror. What on earth does that mean? Well, my science fiction is more about people and relationships than it is about techno wars or star ships. I was (and am) a big Star Trek fan, and I loved Star Wars. But my stories have more affection and relationships in them. Hence, “soft” science fiction. The only definition of that sub genre I ever found said it deals with social issues instead of tech issues, and that is also true about my SF. My horror stories are psychological, not gory. I have published six of them in Trickster and Other Stories. With Halloween coming up, it seemed like the right thing to do!

            When I am not writing, I am training and showing my own dogs. I have loved many breeds over the years, but my current pack consists of two Papillons (Buster and Darby) and a tiny rescued Shetland sheepdog (Gracie). I write about my dogs under the name Linda White. My training experience and show entries are under that name. Loving the Sensitive Dog is the story of my first Papillon, Buster the Wonder Dog. He’s still alive and well, and earning titles.

            If all goes well, I’ll have two more titles coming out before the end of the year. One is a romantic comedy with loads of mystery and laughs and, of course, dogs. The other is about my second Papillon. So I am writing like crazy!

                                                             ****************

If you'd like to learn more about Regina, her books and her dogs, visit one of her two websites...two since she writes under two different names.     

Don't forget to drop back by on Saturday (Oct 29th) for the SATURDAY REVIEW when I'll be reviewing Regina's novella, The Woof In The Wedding Plans.

And thank you for joining us today!

         

www.reginaduke.com           www.lindalouwrites.com

 

North Rim Delight  http://www.amzn.com/B0050Q57SY

 

 

The Woof in the Wedding Plans (novella)  

 http://www.amzn.com/B005JSPBV6

 

Regina Duke & Linda White’s Trickster and Other Stories 

 http://www.amzn.com/B005OKJMGY

Linda White’s Loving the Sensitive Dog,   http://www.amzn.com/B0055KXLJW

 

 

Come on Over to Alyssa Hesperia's Place!

I'm guest blogging at Alyssa Hesperia's site    Hesperia Loves Books 

I'll be her guest for 3 days...STARTING TODAY!!!! (Tuesday 25th - Thursday 27th)

One day I'll share my thoughts with you all, one day I'll be answering some questions that Alyssa has for me and one day she will be reviewing the Duty Series...three romance novels about three Air Force pilots and the women who are strong enough to land them.    (Yes, a shameless play on words there)

So, drop over and leave a comment for a chance to win one of several downloads and prizes.

See you there!

What Does It Take To Be A Woman Today?

"Women are Angels.
And when someone breaks our wings, we simply continue to fly....on a broomstick.
We’re flexible like that."      author unknown

A friend sent me the above quote and I had to chuckle.  My mother always told me that you get a lot more cooperation if you speak with honey in your mouth versus vinegar.   The part she never talked about was whether I should continued to "speak with honey" if people walked all over me or verbally beat me up.

Now, maybe Mom didn't see a need to tell me to "turn the other cheek" since I spent so much time in church and Sunday school, but even Jesus had his limit.  Right?

Over the years, I've learned to not sweat the little things...but I have my limits also...you know, the moment at which I open the closet door and pull out the broom.  For instance:

When I find out (for sure) that someone has lied to me.  My children can attest to the fact that when they were growing up, if they did something wrong, they'd be punished.  If they were confronted about something they had done wrong...and lied about it...the punishment was double what it would have been.  Don't lie.

Don't steal from me.  I don't think much needs to be said about the obvious, except I'll add one example of that you might not have thought about as stealing.   Years ago when I worked for the State of California, I was assigned to train several people since I had been in the office several years.  (There had been a hiring freeze and it had just been lifted...so we had a number of new employees at one time)   After about a month, one of them came to me with a question of how to correct a particular problem.  I gave her an answer and then she said, "I don't think I'm going to do it that way.  I think it should be done XXXXXX way."    What?!    Without counting to ten first, (if you can read between the lines) I asked her why she had interrupted me if she wasn't planning to take my advise.  She stole time...something we can't get back.

When I see someone mistreating a child (mentally or physically) or an animal.  That's also true for mistreating the elderly.  In short, those who can't fight back for themselves.  Folks that's the fastest way to see me go ballistic. 

Okay, so I've given you a quick glimpse inside my head, so what makes you get your broom out of the closet?

BOOK REVIEW SATURDAY!

Today I'm reviewing A SKELETON AT HER DOOR by E. Ayers.   I must admit that I had never read one of her books before now, but I have been pleasantly surprised.

First of all, it's a fun read with enough steamy scenes to keep you warm on a winter evening without scorching you.  I loved how she starts the book.  BAM! She meets the hero...and he's a skeleton.  Can you imagine opening your front door and coming face to face with a skeleton?   Yikes!  That's just what happens, but how they deal with the situation and then eventually blend each of their families makes for a very interesting and enjoyable plot. 

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

Happy Halloween and Happy Reading!

The Fabulous E. Ayers Is My Guest Today

 My guest today is E. Ayers, author of A Skeleton At Her Door, and I'm excited to have her visiting with me here at Life, Love and a Good Book.  When I invited her to be my guest today, we agreed that it would be fun to tell everyone the "story behind the story" of her writing life.

So, without any more delay, here is Ms. Ayers.  Take it away!

 

I'm a writer. If you took my keyboard away, I'd write by hand. If you broke all my fingers, I'd learn to write with my toes. The proof of that is in a closet full of boxes containing hand-written manuscripts. I wrote stories for my kids when they ran out of things to read and weren't ready for Stephen King or Fanny Flagg, but they were bored with what was considered age appropriate, yet too young for grown-up stories.

Now, I write contemporary romances. They are adult in nature, but not erotic. No, you don't want that 13 YO son looking over your shoulder the entire time, but if he happens to pick it up and read a sexy scene you probably aren't going to have one of those OMG-do-people-really-do-that discussions with him over what he read. It will be more of a yes, that's what people do. (Maybe someday I'll tell you about my daughters watching a borrowed video that had been taped over with porn. Yes, it was a mother's worst nightmare moment.  No, I take that back. The worst moment was when my oldest daughter was in eleventh grade and decided she wanted to speak to me privately about something personal. My tummy drew into a knot because she had a steady boyfriend... She only wanted to put her hair back to light blonde because it had darkened to a dirty ash color. And you wondered why I have gray in my hair?)

I have teenage granddaughters, which is totally impossible because in my brain I'm only 30 something. It was only a few years ago that their mothers were teens. I had a very early start.

I met my husband when I was still seventeen and fell madly in love. Five weeks later I turned eighteen and we got our marriage license on my birthday. That marriage lasted almost 37 years and we were still very much in love. He was my rock. He was that true to life hero. I think there's a tiny piece of him in every hero I write, but there's nothing that you could ever point to and say, that's him. He wasn't very romantic, it wasn't part of his personality, but he was very loving and very caring. Dirty diapers didn't scare him. He loved newborns and toddlers, and my family called him the human toy. He could fix any appliance, but didn't have a clue how to use them. I used to joke with him that he'd better die first or he'd starve to death. He used to laugh. I didn't expect him to take me up on it so soon.

I buckled down back in the '90s, went back to college, and took every grammar class I could. Originally I had CLEPed them. (Credits for taking a test that said I didn't need to take the class because I knew the material.) If I was going to write, I needed to know where to stick the darn comma. So there I sat in a room full of 18 year olds, wondering what the heck a predicate was other than the back half of a sentence. Talk about feeling like a fool! Most of the time, I know where the comma goes, but please if you say infinitive or nominative case to me, I'll still look at you with that deer-in-the-headlamps stare. Now, I edit for other indie authors.

I've published three novellas and two full-length novels. And there are more right behind those. Why? Because I could. I broke a contract with a publisher for a variety of reasons, and then decided I'd indie publish. Every book I put out has been vetted by several people and edited by a professional editor with an excellent reputation and years of experience as an editor and author. I know I don't want to read something that isn't well written so why would my readers not feel the same way?

If you love a Harlequin-style romance, you won't like what I write. Technically, I write slice of life, the romantic slice. But I write that whole slice and not just the romance so there are heavy mainstream elements. Let's face it; women today have lives, busy lives. They aren't sitting at home painting their toenails, and they aren't waiting for Mr. Wonderful to sweep them off their feet. And Mr. Wonderful is trying to figure out how to get out of the meeting because he's got a date tonight and if he's late... Life is difficult. She's not going to give up her career nor is he. They've got to figure out how to blend their lifestyles into something they both can handle.

My pet peeve with many romance novels is that the hero is always big, sexy, and gorgeous. Hmm, what is sexy and/or gorgeous is really in the eye of the beholder. Seriously, there are very few jobs or sports that give a man that perfect physique that so often appears on a romance cover. (Want to try buying that man some clothes? They have necks like bulls and waists of gazelles, and those thighs don't fit in a pair of jeans.) And the women are just as bad. Sorry, but most of us don't weigh 95 pounds and wear a size zero. Yes, there are some women who are naturally tiny, and for others tiny would be a size fourteen. My heroes and heroines are all very different with every body build. They are also very different people with different personalities and different backgrounds. I like making my characters real. No one is perfect.

Characters happen, and some can get very demanding of my time. But I can't write their stories until I find them the perfect mate because I truly believe we all have one. They must have a good tale to tell. Life throws things at us and people make mistakes, same with my characters. All the grit, the dirt, the family, the friends, the job, and the things you want to pretend don't happened are in there.

My biggest fear? Oh, please, don't let me become senile in my old age. Those nurses in that old folks home are going to think that I've led an amazing life. 

                                                                    *******

Thank you so much for being with us today, and, now, leave a comment for several chances at a free download of A Skeleton At Her Door--a very timely book for this Halloween season.

Here are some of the books that Ms. Ayers has published.  Hop over to her website and take a look!

                                                     http://www.ayersbooks.com/

Or better yet, drop over to Amazon or Barnes and Noble and just download them and enjoy an afternoon of good reading.

A Fine Line  (novella)

“I hate you, Dickie Warren.” Chloe Langston remembered the sentiment in high school. Realizing Dickie is Rich Warren her boss, old prejudices come forward. Will Rich convince Chloe to let go of the childhood misunderstanding that stands between them? Will he prove there’s a fine line between love and hate?

Amazon

http://tinyurl.com/3zfrp4j

B&N

http://tinyurl.com/3jsmmvz

Mariner's Cove  (novella)

Start with a house at the beach. Stir together a widow who still felt married, an irresponsible cousin, a misconception, an opportunity of a lifetime, a few tears, and a little humor. Add a generous amount of rain, plenty of sunshine, a love of sailing, and three children with very different problems. Put it all together in Mariner's Cove, then watch the friendship grow, and true love blossom.

Available at Amazon
http://tinyurl.com/3c58j5p

Available at B&N,
http://tinyurl.com/3zv9jr2

A Skeleton at Her Door  (novella)

When Angie opens her door on Halloween she finds a six-foot tall skeleton on her doorstep. Trick or Treat?

AMAZON

http://tinyurl.com/3v99xjw

B&N 

http://tinyurl.com/3zk5eya

Life and Love Come Together in River City

Wanting  (A River City Novel) 

If you ask businessman Mac McGuire, he'll tell you this is his story. He fell head over heels in love with Amanda Conner, an unfettered beauty with a turbulent past. Wanting her is one thing, gaining her trust is another. From the violence of River City’s housing projects, to the glamorous digs of the downtown, and out to the lake district, this is one time that his money isn't working in his favor.

Available at Amazon

http://tinyurl.com/3ggshch

Available at B&N,
http://tinyurl.com/3et348g

A New Beginning  (A River City Novel) 

When Patrick Makowllen, a conservative investment adviser takes on the gifted artist Dallas Nixon, she destroys his budget, turns his life upside down, and tarnishes his sterling reputation. In spite of the chaos, she colors his life with more love and passion then he ever dreamed possible.

Available at Amazon
http://tinyurl.com/4ywdyus

Available at B&N,
http://tinyurl.com/3dfeqnf

Coming Soon:

A Snowy Christmas in Wyoming

A Challenge  (A River City Novel)

We Have Winners!

Yesterday I had the fantastic Annie Rayburn blogging with me and it was a great day.  Thanks to everyone who came out to comment, but now is the time to list the winner of a $5.00 Starbucks card.    Drum roll please!!!    Julee Adams!  Congratulations!

Contact me at SandraMcGregor60@gmail.com.  and I'll get this card to you right away.

Also, Carol chose her winner of a free download of Phantoms & Fantasies.   (as posted at the bottom of yesterday's post) and Congratulations to Sia Huff!
                             

And don't forget that tomorrow, (Friday 21st),  I'll have the fabulous E. Ayers, author of A Skeleton At Her Door, as my special guest.  See you then!





               

Annie Rayburn Is In The House!

MY SPECIAL GUEST TODAY IS ANNIE RAYBURN (aka Carol Burnside) and I'm excited about her visit and sharing an excerpt from her book. 

Annie Rayburn is the pseudonym of Carol Burnside, whose works have placed and won several romance writing contests. Annie is e-published, traditionally in short stories, and recently self/Indie published her previously released short story, Insight and a novella, Phantoms & Fantasies. Her latest release from Red Sage is Bittersweet Obsessions (June, 2011), an erotic romance with sci-fi and paranormal elements. Learn more about Annie and her books at www.AnnieRayburn.com.

Like Annie’s author page on Facebook: Annie Rayburn, Author

and Twitter:  https://twitter.com/annie_rayburn

If you've never met Annie Rayburn or been introduced to her writing, today is an opportunity to get to know her just a bit AND to read an excerpt from her e-book, PHANTOMS AND FANTASIES.  I know you'll enjoy it, so let's not waste any more time.

  PHANTOMS AND FANTASIES  by Annie Rayburn

Blurb: After a devastating trauma, Zeenie attended a college mixer and experienced powerful, Crainesian life-mate pheromones between herself and Turk. Unprepared, she panicked and fled.

Turk has waited and yearned for Zeenie for years while staying dialed in to her recovery. Finally, rumor says she's ready to date again, and he's determined to make her short list, even if it means resorting to a little trickery. On a blind date, he surprises her with patience and maturity when she fights against their pheromone bond, then shows tenderness and consideration when phantoms of her past arise.

As she learns more about Turk, Zeenie entertains heated fantasies and makes tentative forays into his sensual world. But her initial rejection broke with Crainesian custom and continues to cast a dark shadow on their future. Can she embrace her sexuality and summon enough courage to claim her man in true Crainesian style, or will their growing love be tainted forever?

                                                                   ------------------------

The following excerpt is taken from a sequence between Zeenie and Turk after she’s begun to trust him. They are Crainesians, humanoid beings whose pheromones are stirred in a big way when they encounter their mate. Like in this excerpt, they can share dreams. The italics with quotes are telepathic communication.

She took a deep, slow breath and succumbed to the beckoning darkness only to find Turk waiting for her there. Excitement zinged along her veins. He held out his arms. She hesitated, heart pounding in a wildly erratic cadence.

“I don't want to hurt you, Zee. Trust me. Let me show you a little of what it could be like between us.”

Oddly, the mental link didn't frighten her. She walked into his arms, desire and happiness surging through her body in waves. This was right and good. She knew it.

For several moments Turk just held her, his chin resting on top of her head. Pulling back, he brushed his lips against her forehead before he tilted her chin up and took her mouth with his. Again, Zeenie acknowledged the tight control Turk kept on his desire while she lost herself in a maelstrom of sensation. Desire, excitement, anticipation and a little dread all mixed into a potent cocktail designed to seduce.

Turk continued kissing her, first settling his mouth firmly over hers, then pulling back. The little sips and nips he teased along her jaw line made her strain nearer, wanting a closer connection. He avoided returning to her mouth, working his way along her jaw line and neck with tiny sucks and nibbles, teeth scraping across sensitized skin. In his wake were spots of moisture left cooling heated flesh. Electric current seemed to hum through her, with nerve endings standing at attention.

She reached up, tentatively touching his bare chest, running her palm over the smattering of hair scattered across his pectorals. Her index finger grazed his nipple, and Turk sucked in a breath. Catching her hand in his, he returned it to his waist.

“Not this time. This is for you.” The low timbre of his voice next to her ear, breath puffing hot on her neck and his words sent shivers down her spine. “You're in control, Zee. Just like it's supposed to be. I promise you that. Nothing happens here you don't want. Just stay open for me. The minute you're uncomfortable with anything, we abandon it. Understand?”

She nodded, her nipples tightening almost painfully. Her breasts felt heavy, needy.

“Are you okay with everything so far?”

“Yes, only...”She hesitated, embarrassed.

“Tell me.”

Uncharacteristically shy, she couldn't bring herself to ask. Instead, she reached for his hand and cupped it over her satin-covered right breast, breathing deeper. “They ache.”

She could have sworn her breast swelled to fit his hand.

His thumb made a slow caress over the underside of the gentle curve. More. She arched into him and his hand tightened on her back, his head lowered, mouth closing over her beaded nipple with a swift suction, even through her nightgown.

Zeenie cried out as need stabbed low in her abdomen. She clutched Turk's head to her, wanting to prolong the sensation. Oh, yes. Please.

She didn't even know what she begged for, just that she didn't want it to stop.

                           (Excerpt is protected under copyright)

                                                 ------------

Today, Annie is giving away a copy of Phantoms & Fantasies to one lucky commenter.
And, since a good Pumpkin Spice Latte always goes well with a good book at this time of year, I'm drawing for someone to receive a $5.00 Starbucks giftcard.  (Winner to be announced tomorrow on this blog).  
But that's only today's offerings!!!!   There's still more to come!

Don't forget:  Tomorrow, Thursday, Annie will be interviewing Turk Fontaine on Mary Marvella's blog, Pink Fuzzy Slippers Writers .  Leave a comment on Thursday for another chance to win a download.
Then on Friday, you'll want to visit Linsey Lanier where she and Annie are going to be playing Spin The Bottle to decide WHICH CRAINEY WOULD YOU KISS?   And guess what?  Yes!  Another chance to win a download and other prizes.  
Then on Saturday, on Annie's blog, she will announce the winner of her fabulous Grand Prize........(drum roll please)  Twelve Semi-precious heart pendants in their own jewelry box.  Aren't they gorgeous?  More information on her Saturday Grand Prize Drawing can be found on her blog at:
http://annierayburn.com/2011/10/14/blog-tour-commences-monday/

   I hope you enjoyed your visit today with Annie and that you'll check her out tomorrow on Pink Fuzzy Slippers for more fun and prizes.


I ALSO HOPE YOU'LL DROP BACK BY ON FRIDAY TO WELCOME MY SECOND SPECIAL GUEST THIS WEEK, AUTHOR, E. AYERS.            SEE YOU THEN!

Two Great Authors In The House This Week!

Mark your Calendar!!   Don't forget that tomorrow--Wednesday Oct 19th, Annie Rayburn will be in the house!

Plan to grab a cup of coffee, pull up a comfy chair and read an excerpt from her book PHANTOMS AND FANTASIES.....so timely for this Halloween season.

If you want to know where she'll be for the rest of the week, drop down and read Sunday's blog article...it even has links to get you there in a hurry.
                                                                    ***************


THEN on Friday October 21st, E. Ayers will be here to share with us about her book A SKELETON AT HER DOOR

.... another timely Halloween story for us to enjoy.  Oh my goodness, can you imagine opening your front door and .....Brrrrr, I can't wait to read her book.   I plan to put up my review of her book on Saturday 21st, so don't miss that!

Happy reading!

Annie Rayburn Blog Tour !

Hey, Guess What?  My good friend, Carol Burnside, writing as Annie Rayburn will be my guest on Wednesday, October 19th 

She'll be sharing an excerpt from her book, Phantoms & Fantasies!  PLUS, she'll give away a download and other goodies to a lucky commenter here!

But since we can't get enough of some good things, Annie will be on a blog tour all week! In the best tradition of celebrating Halloween this month, she will be blogging about Phantoms and Fantasies on the first Georgia Romance Indie’s Book Blog Tour. 

Here is Annie's Blog tour schedule:

It starts with a bang on Monday when Annie stops in at Pamela Mason's home, Writermason for an review of Phantoms & Fantasies.   Leave a comment for a chance to win a download of Annie’s book, where Zeenie and Turk find each other but Zeenie harbors a secret hurt that may just be too big for Turk to overcome. 

Annie will also be giving away a download of Insight, Annie's introductory short to her Crainesians species. 

Don't worry if you don't think you like science fiction - Crainesians are almost human, blending into the human species seamlessly, except for their elevated empathic skills and ability to recognize their lifemates the first time they set eyes on each other.

Gosh, don’t you wish it were that easy in real life? And wait until you read what happens when her heroines recognize their lifemates!

Annie might have a few other goodies to offer too - but you have to comment to win! 

And the best part? She'll be giving away one copy of Phantoms & Fantasies each day of the week on the other GRI blogs! And there’s an added incentive to follow Annie on her tour and comment each day.  There’s a fabulous grand prize and each day that you comment, you not only have a chance to win a download of her book, but you get another chance at Annie's big prize on Saturday.  That’s 5 chances you could have toward the grand prize…but only if you come by each day and comment.

"Because my books all revolve around matters of the heart, the grand prize will be a beautiful collection of semi-precious heart pendants and necklaces encased in their own wooden jewelry box."
                                                                         --Annie Rayburn

Next week will be filled with Zeenie & Turk... and more Versatile Bloggers to get to know! 

Monday, the 17^th   Stop by Writermason on Monday to kick off the Blog Tour 

Tuesday, the 18^th  Tami Brothers' Live, Love, Write! for an author interview

Wednesday the 19^th  Sandra McGregor's Life, Love, and a Good Book for a book excerpt

Thursday, the 20^th      Pink Fuzzy Slippers' Writers' Blog Mary Marvella will interview Turk

Friday, the 21^st  At Linsey Lanier's play Spin the Bottle-Which Crainey Would You Kiss?

Saturday, the 22^nd, Annie will wrap things up on her own blog, with the names of all the commenters and the number of times they've commented.  One name will be chosen from those who have commented every day.   It’s going to be a fantastic Blog Tour week!  So Mark Your Calendar!!!!  and don't miss this blog tour.

If You're Still Breathing...

Occasionally I get to “thinking deep” as my husband says, and this morning, I thought I’d share my latest “deep thoughts” with you.

I recently read a quote by Andy Andrews from the book, The Noticer.

He said:

“If you are breathing, you are still alive.

If you are still alive, then you are still here, physically on this planet

If you are still here, then you have not completed what you were put on earth to do.

If you have not completed what you were put on earth to do…

that means your very purpose has not yet been fulfilled.

If your purpose has not yet been fulfilled, then the most important part of your life has not yet been lived.

And if the most important part of your life has not yet been lived…

then the most important part of your life is ahead of you; then even during the worst times,

one can be assured that there is more laughter ahead, more success to look forward to,

more children to teach and help, more friends to touch and influence.

There is proof of hope…there is more.”

"The most important part of your life has not yet been lived." 

So, the way I see it,

Grab the arm of a friend and face each new day with determination and a smile.

But what stops us from being happy with our lives?  Part of the problem, as I see it, is that too often we lose focus—and maybe we also lose hope—and float through life without realizing….or without living as if we realize…that we have a purpose for being here.   And, as Mr. Andrews says, if we haven’t fulfilled that purpose, then we still have that…along with a lot of laughs & success, to look forward to.

Now, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you think your purpose is life is.  Also, does it matter to you what that purpose might be as long as you’re contributing in a positive way to the world?

The MALE Point of View

I received an e-mail recently that gave me a good laugh.  When writing a story, we’re either in the hero or the heroine’s Point of View and if any of you ladies have ever wondered what your male is really thinking—even if he just comments with “Yes, dear,” then you need to read the following things that guys wish women knew and understood.

1) Men are NOT mind readers.

   (All I can say to that is Thank Goodness!!  But maybe this means we can just give him our Christmas list?)

2) Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it Down.

We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about

you leaving it down, right?

      (Okay, so maybe we gripe a little too much about sitting on cold porcelain in the middle of the night or, worse yet, sit down into the water-filled, cold porcelain.)

3) Crying is blackmail.

           (No comment)

4) Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do

 not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say

 it!

             (Yep, here’s the permission to give him the Christmas list !!!)

 5)  Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

            (Can you imagine that ever happening?  Nope, neither can I.)

6) Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's

 what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

            (Okay, glad we got that straightened out.)

 7) Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact,

 all comments become null and void after 7 Days.

    (Hey!  That’s not fair!  That’s outlawing some of our best weapons!!!)

8)  If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

      (Nuff said)

 9) If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways

 makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one

      (Yeah, right)

 10) You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done.

 Not both.  If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

        (Not sure I want to touch that one!)

 11) Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

   (Isn’t that when they’re asking us to get them a drink from the kitchen?)

 12) Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

           (I’m not brave enough to touch THAT one. lol )

13) Don’t ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball or motor sports.

            (Now we know why they don’t ask us what we’re thinking…they don’t care about clothes or what we need at the grocery store)

 14) You have enough clothes and too many shoes.

          (Excuse me?)

15) Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch

 tonight. But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

See any truth in these? Are there any others that your guy as told you about?

Just remember:  Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change. Life's too short to be anything but happy.  

The Journey of Life, Love & Good Books Begins!

Welcome!  I'm Sandra McGregor.  I hail to many titles, but my favorite ones are Mother, Wife and Romance Author.

If you're already a friend, I'm glad you stopped by to check out my new blog site, but I'm always excited about making new friends, so spread the word and invite others to join the fun. 

My current plans are to post new articles about my Life and Love twice each week and Good Books (and their authors) will be featured once each week.  (usually on Wednesdays, but this might vary)

So, I hope you'll drop back by often and check out my upcoming guests and leave comments.  I hope you will also "like" my site and choose to follow me during this exciting journey through life while I write and publish books for your enjoyment.

Below is a short Bio that I hope you find interesting.

I've written stories for many more years than I care to admit, even though some of them were only a page long and lacked most of the required elements for a book to be deemed publishable.

I got a little more serious in the 1990s and actually finished several full-length books, but, alas, I made all the new writer mistakes and, still, they were deemed unpublishable.  Then in 2001, I accepted a challenge from my husband to get serious and write some of the books I'd been talking about for so long.  Never one to step away from a challenge, I began to study, take classes and write.

In 2006 I went to my first romance writer's meeting, Georgia Romance Writers of Atlanta, Ga. and the rest, as "they" say, is history.   With help from several people in reading and giving advice, I sold my first book to Avalon Books in 2008 (under a pen name).  I was on my way.  It published in 2009 and the next one released in 2010.

Then, I took another challenge and edited some of my older stories and joined the exploding number of authors who are putting their work up on Amazon and Barnes & Nobel and, in essence, we're publishing our own e-books.

Currently, I have five books up for sale--with a sixth one being launched in about a week.

E-books on Amazon


You'll hear more about these and upcoming books in the days and weeks to come, but in the meantime, let me assure you that what some people teased me about as a "hobby" is a serious career that I'm pursuing and I'm excited to be sharing my writing life with you.