My guest today is the fabulous BARBARA PHINNEY !

 Barbara Phinney authors Love Inspired Suspense novels for Harlequin and I'm thrilled that she is my guest today.

"She really knows how to grab readers and keep their attention."  ROMANTIC TIMES

Bio:  Barbara worked for the Canadian Armed Forces and has  lived in three provinces and two countries.  She married a man in the military, but they are now retired and live in his small hometown.

She's a full-time writer, mother and volunteer at her church.  She also loves to travel and has done a mission trip with her daughter to Bolivia.

Please help me welcome, Barbara Pinney!

I thought about writing something with a Christmas theme that could have you smelling chocolate and candy canes as you read this.

Well, it's not working out that way. And like many writers with an uncooperative muse, I have to sit down and drag the words from me. That's what being a writer can be like. I'm not Barbara Cartland with her nebulous hairdo, her bling and a Pekinese, lying on her couch dictating to a secretary.

No. Writing can be tough. And as I spend the end of 2011 independently publishing some of my older titles, such as Souvenirs, (which was once serialized in a local paper and had people coming up to me on the streets demanding to know who the killer was) I can honestly tell you that I have learned plenty during my time writing, and I continue to learn.

Take for instance, Christmas. I learn each Christmas. It's about gifts. God's greatest gift to us was His Son, but He gave us other gifts as well. I like to think I received the gift of fiction writing. And while there are moments of pure inspiration, and a turn of phrase that just sparkles, it's not all like that.

When I wrote Souvenirs, I pulled from me some delightful phrases that just stuck.

Too soon, Brent lifted his head.  "If I'd known kissing you like that would make me forget everything, I'd have kissed you much sooner."

Those were Brent's words to Anna after they'd kissed. To me, that speaks volumes about him, the needs within him and his personal torment. But those words only came out after hard work, and exploring two very unique characters. A heroine in desperate need to find herself, and a hero who didn't think he was a hero, but who proved to be far more attractive, and sexy than I first realized.

But hard work like this writing also teaches us. Easy work does not teach. And there is the enjoyment, the pleasure of finished work that somehow transcends the final product to add a subtlety like the taste of hot chocolate stirred with a candy cane. Then my gift of writing feels so real to me.

What gifts do you think you have that you can share this holiday season?  The gift of giving to the Food Bank?  The gift of driving and delivering the toys to the women's center? The gift of singing at the nursing home?

Pull them out, dust them off and share them.

And to add to the fun of giving, some indie writers, myself included, are offering a whole big batch of holiday treats, e-books that are only 99 cents each! Drop by and check them out. The fun started December 1st.

http://bookloversbuffet.com/

Souvenirs - Amazon

Souvenirs-Barnes & Noble 

Barbara, thank you so much for visiting with us today.  You can learn more about Barbara and her books at  http://www.barbaraphinney.com/index.php

Welcome to my Special Guest: Author, KC Klein!

Hi everyone! Thanks so much to Sandra for having me here. I love to connect with readers and talk about my passion, which is writing books. Sandra thought it would be a good idea to tell everyone a little about how I got started writing. 

Like most writers, I’ve been enjoying books since I first learned how to read. I started writing my first book around middle school and even remember dedicating an entire summer to writing The Great American Novel. Well, um…I wrote about a half a page and then my typewriter burned out. 

Regardless of my rocky start, my dream of becoming an author never changed. Even through college, marriage, and two kids I always had the desire to tell stories.

I started writing seriously a few years ago. I still remember putting down the eighty dollars for my RWA membership. There was major guilt over the fact that I was taking money away from my family and spending it on a pipe dream.  But…I did it anyways. I think that’s a good lesson. I was nervous about writing, scared I would fail, unsure if I had any talent, and yet, I did it anyways. 

There’s a quote in my office that I think is appropriate.

            Look for the dream that keeps coming back. It is your destiny.

                                                                                    Author Unknown

It’s true. If the dream of writing keeps coming back, then go for it, you have nothing to lose. 

It’s also important to have a dedicated place to write. I’ll leave you with a picture of my office. Of course, this is in the middle of my house so noise canceling headphones are a must. 

Thanks everyone for stopping by, and make sure to leave a comment and your email address for a chance to win an e-copy of my book, DARK FUTURE. 

Come follow me on Twitter @kckleinbooks and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKCKlein. And I try real hard to keep my website up to date so stop by and take a peek. KCKleinbooks.com.

Happy Reading! 

                                                          ***********

For a sneak-peek at KC's book, here is the blurb:

     Awakened in the middle of the night by a future version of herself, Kris Davenport is given a mission: go forward in time to save the world—and His life. Of course, her future self doesn't tell her who he is, just sends her into an abyss and straight into an alien invasion.

     He turns out to be ConRad Smith, the callous, untrusting Commander of Earth’s army and the world’s last defense. There’s only one way to know for sure if this strange woman is an alien spy—slice her throat. Except, he didn’t anticipate the heat he would feel as he interrogates the hot-tempered, warm-blooded woman. For a man whose sole focus has been survival, she's more temptation than he can handle. But a world on the brink of destruction leaves no room for love…and time is running out.

My Special Guest, today is author, LISA MONDELLO !!

Hi Everyone!
 I'm excited about my guest today.  She's a fabulous writer and despite being snowed in without power, she got this blog to me so noone would be disappointed.  This lady deserves a medal...and a cup of hot chocolate and a nice fire in the fireplace.   After you read her post, be sure to leave a comment ....the least we can do for her is to warm her heart.   So, take it away, Lisa! 

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

Hello from Lisa Mondello.  I want to thank Sandra for having me here today!

                       

I am sending this post from my cell phone because 18 inches of snow that fell Saturday knocked out my power. So this will be short and sweet.

I want to talk about determination. If blogging from a cell phone isn't determination I don't know what is!

As a writer you need determination as much as you need talent to survive in publishing. So often I hear of a writer getting a rejection or two and then just quitting. That writer will never survive the publishing industry with a give-up attitude!

To survive you need to be tenacious. Allow yourself tine to feel bad about rejection. But have a plan and then move on.  I have a 24-hour rule. I get to mope and eat chocolate for 24 hours and then it’s right back to work.  What do you do to survive the publishing industry’s ups and downs?

Thank you for stopping by.

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

 

Lisa has graciously offered to give away a copy of The Knight and Maggie's Baby to one lucky commenter today, so leave your comment!

 

    Amazon

ALSO, as an added bonus for those of you who own a Kindle, below is a link to go to Amazon to get a free copy of ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU.

Amazon

For a listing of all Lisa's books, click on one of the two links below...and Happy Reading!
                                Barnes & Noble
                                Amazon 



Don't forget that on Saturday I'll be posting the SATURDAY BOOK REVIEW and my featured book is THE KNIGHT AND MAGGIE'S BABY.  I can't wait to tell you about it, so don't forget to drop by and leave a comment on Saturday.

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)

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!

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.