March 5th....Oldest daughters birthday... grandson in his high school play... granddaughters,B'day party... ie...no time for wirting.  Some days are like that.

I finished rereading The Darkest Knight by my friend Gayle Callen. It was her first release. I am so impressed by her writing, her knowledge of early England and her storytelling. 
So, what to read next.  I have a library full of wonderful books...it shouldn't be hard to find one.  How about you?  Have you written up a book list..the books you want to read 'someday'?  Let me help.  I wonder if you have a list of BOOK BY LOCAL AUTHORS.  If you don't, let me introduce you.
Gayle Callen : (from the Syracuse area) - She has 24 books, all about Knights or Dukes or men in Kilts...my recommendation...all or any of them will take you on a historical journey.  Her most recent  release The Groom Wore Plaid  (March 2016) is nothing less than superb (at Barnes and Nobel).  If you prefer midieval she has written six books under the name Julia Latham.  And then her third alter ego, Emma Cane, writes contemporary romance in the picturesque fictional setting of Valentine Valley.
If you would like to learn more about this exciting author visit her Gayle Callen website.  

I just read an article entitled How to write whether you feel like it or not by Joe Bunting.  I read this article because this third book is not coming easily.  I mean this book is actually making me work.  That's not fun.  I'm retired I don't want to work anymore.  With my other two books, I watched a movie in my head and simply had to write it all down as I saw it.  Easy breezy (I jest...it took me two years for each book) 
So the article offers suggestions...take a walk,schedule writing time and stick to it...maybe write for a local newspaper or an article for a magazine(maybe a blog) .  Find a new or comfortable writing nook.  I have a comfy chair that I'm writing in right now, Thistle Dew was written in my bed, Men in Ts on the sofa in the TV room...both locations explain why the books took two years.  Hang out with other writers...This one is my favorite.  I attend weekly critique meetings, monthly writers meetings and host writers retreats a few times a year.  The creative energy is amazing and I am most productive in the 24 hours following a meeting. 
So here I sit,  waiting for my characters to speak to me, writing to you.  Thanks for listening...I mean reading.  Do you have any suggestions for me....to get back to writing the book?

Some thoughts on marriage

It's not easy...actually it's harder than experiencing childbirth, terrible twos and teenagers all put together.  But we do it.  It's a challenge to say the least to expect two people who have been raised in two different families, sometimes including  different religions, values, traditions, customs...and a whole list of differences to live together in harmony forever.  Okay, maybe not every minute is in harmony...that is unrealistic, but forever is doable. 
      Be Friends First.  The person you marry should be your best friend.  This is the person who brings out the best in you and you do the same for him/her.  This is the person who makes you laugh...a lot.  The person who knows when you need a hug.  The person who knows when to offer advice, suggestions, criticisms ..or not.  This is the person you look forward to spending time with...hours, days...years. 
      We connect with our souls...ie soulmate.  Your soul is inside...it's your essence.  Your soul embodies love.  When your soul meets it's mate it is not hindered by any physical boundaries.  Your soul only recognizes its mate by a love connection.  Therefore, your soul knows no bias...  it is not subject to race, religion, gender or any other 'rules' mankind has determined. 
     Compromise works wonders.  It is not always easy...but it is necessary.  As are the words "I'm sorry."  It's amazing how those two words can heal.
     And finally....if a marriage is broken....fix it. In a disposable world people think the can just toss away a marriage and get a new one....it works for appliances maybe, but should not be applied to marriages.  If a marriage needs repair...work together to repair it.  Remember why you married in the first place. Use a photo album to recall happier times, visit places where you shared happy times, go on long walks together holding hands.  Dance a lovely slow dance.
The death of a marriage hurts more than two people. 
 After 43 years, my DH and I are still together....I'm happy writing, he's happy fishing.  Guess what?  I can bring a pencil and spiral notebook on a boat.  It works.
My Mom and Dad celebrated 65 years together.  Dad loves driving his Model T Ford....Mom loves sitting next to him.  The hold hands while watching TV.  They kiss each morning and when they say goodnight.  They laugh together.  They are each others best friend.

I'm working on a new writing/business schedule.  I haven't been very dedicated to this blog...I'm hoping tho fix that.  

The BLIND DATE

Today my thoughts are on blind dates.  My husband and I met on a blind date.   Of course I've been out of circulation since then But I don't hear of blind dates anymore.  Is this because computer dating has taken its place?  Personally I don't think computer dating is better.  Here is my thinking.  
Way back when...when computers were new and not even in the schools yet...(1967 or so)  our school had a computer generated matchmaking dance.  We included some other high schools to attend since we needed a larger number of participants for the computer to match.  We each filled out a scantron questionnaire and waited. Dance night, we were introduced to our match.  My date was a nice guy, too shy to talk and had that perpetual red blush the whole night.  We really had very little in common because he admitted to not actually answering the questions truthfully.
 That's a chance you take with computer matches.
Now, a blind date is similar except that your matching comes from your Aunt Tilly or your best friend....someone who knows you and loves you and wants to see you happy.  Such was my blind date experience. 
My best friend had an awesome boyfriend from a neighboring town. Well, let me go back one step further.  
One Saturday afternoon, Diane, Ginny and I went bowling.  There were three boys laughing at us because, well truth be told, we were awful bowlers as a matter of fact, I think Diane released the ball behind her and might have hit one of the boys in the foot. (my version)  After that afternoon, Ginny and Ed exchanged phone numbers and before too long Ginny and Ed, started dating.  So they set up a blind date for Diane and I to meet two of Ed's friends.  We six had a fun evening and although my date and I didn't 'hit it off' Diane and Jeff did.  So months later..after graduation, Diane and Jeff set up a blind date wit me, her friend and Walt, Eds friend. Well actually ( this is my husbands favorite part of the story) Jeff went into a local bar where he and his friends drank and played darts, and approached Walt and Gene.  "Who wants a bling date with my girlfriends best friend?"  Neither one volunteered so they tossed a coin and the loser had to go on the date with me.
Well, we had a wonderful double date, dancing and laughing and well..the rest is history.  We've been married for 43 years.  Ed and Ginny will be celebrating their 44th and Diane and Jeff will be celebrating their 43rd.  (I can edit this, Ginny and Diane if I got the years wrong.)

I'm still learning about what love really is....
My childhood was filled with love...parents, grandparents, brothers, and extended family member all showered me with love.  I have a few friends that I truly love, although not to lessen the feeling I have for my family, I would spell it 'luv'.  I know I am extremely fortunate to have met my 'soul mate', my true love in my late teens, and we married and raised our five children together and now share five in-law children and so far six grandchildren.  Love is amazing in its capacity to grow.  We are not born with a certain amount of love and then have to divide that amount of love on the people in our lives.  It just keeps flowing....That love, that married love, that feeling of wholeness you get when you are with your soulmate... is quite remarkable.  
I've come to learn a few things about love recently.  One thing I've realized, is about the concept of soulmate.  The part of us that connects to and is attracted to another person is not the physical self but the soul.  We usually say it's our heart that falls in love, but it is our essence that draws us to another essence.  Our souls connect.  And our souls are not defined by  physical characteristics.  Our souls are not limited by size or shape, by color or gender.
Love in itself is a gift of the soul.

Guest Author... Bill Blodgett

Today I would like to introduce you to my critique partner and friend, Bill Blodgett.  

Alee - Hi Bill.  Welcome to my blog.  You are my first guest author.  Your third book is titled Unrequited.  Tell us what it is about.

Bill - Unrequited is a story of everlasting love, heartbreak, addiction and the courage of the human spirit to fight back against all odds. Travel back in time to this peaceful New England community during the simpler days of the post WWII era of 1955, and join Joe on a reminiscent walk down Main Street America to the Five and Dime where he’ll ask Kathy out for the first time.
Visit the Connelly’s home as Kathy and her family gather around their potbellied stove and trade stories of family values and of Chester, the fabled family protector. It’s the picture-perfect family Joe’s always wanted and when he calls on Kathy, he’s welcomed with open arms. When he proposes and she says yes, their future promises them an idyllic lifetime together, but fate breaks that promise and Joe’s plans are turned upside down.  Suddenly the peaceful 1950’s become his prison and the keys to his prison are hidden away in the true meaning of life as told to him by Riggs, an elderly black man with roots in slavery. Riggs shares his three truths with Joe as they’ve been handed down for generations, but there’s more to Riggs and his three truths than meets the eye.

 

Alee - I LOVE the cover.    So this is a historical romance?

Bill - Unrequited is a historical mainstream story with romantic elements.

 

Alee - And you have two other published books?

Bill - Yes. Dead or a Lie and its prequil Saints Sword.    

 

 

 

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Alee - Tell us a little about Dead or a Lie.   I love the title.....

 Bill - A sun allergy predisposes Lee Teadora to a solitary existence as the night security director of New York Medical. Endless nights watching uneventful images on her security monitors make her desperate for excitement.
Be careful of what you wish for…
One night, while visiting her father’s grave, a group of bloodthirsty vampires attack her. Despite her martial arts training she is outmatched. She should be dead… or undead, but she survives.
Lee isn’t alone in her battle. A shadowy figure watches from afar… protecting her.

Alee- and the prequil? Saints Sword.

Bill - 
1332 Eastern Europe: The worlds of God, Goddess and Satan collide in this epic tale of love, revenge and forgiveness.
Two years ago Nicolai’s life as he knew it ceased to exist. On that one horrific day his wife was murdered and his daughter abducted and he’s been on the hunt ever since.
But the baggage he carries is heavy— guilt. Guilt of not being there when he was needed most. Guilt of believing he wasn’t the husband and father he should have been haunts his every waking moment but above all else he’s determined to rescue his daughter from the ruthless clutches of the vampire known as Lord Valnar and destroy him to avenge his wife’s death. Kaira is also on the hunt. Barmaid by necessity and hunter by choice she too has been injured by these blood thirsty beasts. Kaira and her companion, Gustav, have been destroying Valnar’s legion of undead for years, but at a high cost—her heart. She’s already seen to many of her comrades fall prey to Valnar’s men and she’s vowed not to let her heart get in her way again. Gustav, the Preacher, has a much different goal. For him it’s neither revenge nor lost love. His only goal and pleasure in life is to hear the faint utterance of the word “free” as a soul is released when a vampire is destroyed.
Together, Nicolai, Kaira and Gustav join forces toward one common goal—destroying Valnar. After rescuing the witch, Jessica, she joins the group but finds herself at odds with Gustav and his Christian beliefs. Nevertheless they band together to destroy Valnar, but all hell breaks loose when Nicolai hears whispers on the wind warning him of betrayal and he begins to doubt everything and everyone around him. Even though he is surrounded by his friends and lover he feels alone. Will he be betrayed by his lover, the preacher, the witch, the mercenary or his own heart?

Alee - I've read all three of your books and really enjoyed them.   Tell us a little about yourself.

Bill -  I still live in the community where I met and married my lovely wife, Janice. Actually, she lived around the corner from me and we both ignored each other until our teen years when the hormone thing kicked in and we suddenly realized that the cute little girl skipping rope and that goofy boy riding a bike had both grown up. We are the proud parents of April and Lindsay; both of whom are now married. April married Darren and they have two beautiful boys, Brian and Owen. Lindsay married Tim and they have a beautiful little girl, Kailyn. I enjoy hiking, kayaking, camping, golfing, making candles, and restoring my antique British sports car, a 1972 MGB.
They say to write from what you know, so I do. I write of love, life and relationships.

Alee - Thank you, Bill.  I look forward to your next book.  

My current WIP is titled    His Birthday Suit... and although the title might imply a saucy story... I probably won't write it that way.  I like writing sweet romance... with a hint of spice... but nothing too saucy.... I figured that you, my audience, already knows what happens when the bedroom door closes.       My heroine is Keely, a strong young woman with an abusive past.  She has a seven year old son and lives in an apartment over a men's clothing store, where she works part time in exchange for rent.       The hero, Zayn, comes from a well-to-do family, a snobby but loving mother and a obnoxious , controlling father.  Zayn is not happy working in the corporate world as is dictated by his father and escapes as often as he can to his log cabin in the Adirondacks where he is minutes away from his favorite ski resort.
     After Zayn's significant other runs off to Europe, Zayn's  mother begins planning a festive 30th  birthday. It will be a gala affair and she plans on inviting every single, single female she knows.  She has her hopes set on becoming a grandmother within the next five years and of course, wants Zayn to find happiness.
     Well, of course, Zayn is not going to be attracted to any wealthy daughters of her parents, friends... he likes the girl who measured him for his birthday suit.
I haven't plotted everything out... don't really know how this is going to work... but this in the direction I'm heading.
I always could use some plot ideas, twists and turns and of course, conflicts.  If you've got any ideas share them.... unless you are planning your own book of course.  (this is called brainstorming)  .  
Any ideas...thoughts....suggestions?

Learning the Art of Blog

Yes.  It's an art.  It doesn't come easy...it's not something everyone should do...like brushing your teeth...but if you are learning to expand your social network... blogging is one way to go. (so I've been advised.)
So, I need to create a schedule... to keep my posts appearing regularly.  They should be about writing and reading, books and poetry..... But my interests are diverse so my posts will be too, and I hope you will find some interesting reading here. 
Schedule.... let's see....
Monday - commentary on progress of my current writing project
Tuesday - interview of guest author... I know some really awesome authors....
Wednesday - recipe of the day... this would be really fun if I liked to cook...
Thursday - weather report... Snow  .... this won't need more until April.....
Friday - Plans for the weekend.... hibernate... this won't need more until April either...
Ok, so as you can need my new very exciting blog could use for inspiration... I could really use your suggestions ... What shall I write about?
I'm really excited to introduce you to authors whose books you may not be reading.  So Tuesday is all set.  (author friends... requests to appear on my blog on Tuesdays is requested at this time.)
OK... That is it for today... I need to hear from you....   

Learning Still and Again....

We never stop learning... thank goodness. That is a truth my fifth grade students couldn't quite comprehend..because they already knew everything.  But as we get older our interests seem to branch out and when we are busy raising families and keeping house and a managing a career there is little time to become educated in those things outside of child rearing, home maintenance, and job related updates.
And that is why retirement was invented.  WOOHOO!  I write. I love reading and writing.  Because writing is my passion I attend workshops and classes that will educate me in bettering (a Seuss word) my writing.
BUT...I also want to learn photography.  Oh, I can take pictures....nice ones that tell a story or remind me of a special event.  I really miss the old Kodak Instamatic.  I could just point and shoot. With the camera I have now.... I need a college course.  ( had to take an hour class at the Verizon store just to learn how to use my phone...and I still mostly use it to call.. but I did learn to text...that is fun.  And I can take pictures with it and play games (whose idea was that?!)
I want to learn genealogy  and upholstering and Feng Shui and painting and gardening and how to make jewelry ..... you get the idea.  Learning...and the desire to learn is a never ending story....Isn't it wonderful?
Oh, so now with the release of my book, Men in Ts (in case you forgot the title) I have to learn the art of MARKETING my book.  In the old days... I would just tell a friend and within a short time everyone was informed.  Welcome, Alee, to the age of technology.  I am currently taking a class on how to market my book...no kidding.  and let me add...it isn't easy.
So be patient with me...and spread the word that Men in Ts is available.... WOOHOO!!!!!

Here are two links to purchase a copy of Men in Ts
http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v1…/index.php…
At Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00QR1BIZM

YAYYY!!!!!!  Men in Ts is available

to you now on The Wild Rose press site or at Amazon.com 

Ghost Story

It's been a month since I've been here.  I've learned something.... the longer i stay away... the harder it is for me to remember how to post anew.  I can never remember my log in name or password.... But I'm here and so are you... I hope you enjoy my post today.
 I was challenged to write w scary story for a writers group  that I belong to locally, and I tried.  I really did... but i didn't feel that it was scary enough.  But... I read it to my friends anyway...and they liked it.  So, I will share it with you....since you asked....
Please make a comment, because I really DO care what you think of my writing.


Ghost Story...rough draft....

The members of the writer’s group sat around the long oak table in the front room of the local library as they had been doing every other Tuesday evening for some months now.  Strangers at first, acquaintances later and now developing friendships this group of eclectic writers  respected each other’s very different writing styles, voices and means of telling a tale.  The assignment for the last Tuesday before the celebration of the Day of the Dead was to create a chilling tale.  The challenge became palatable for ALee as she set her scene and began her story.  Relying on her admiration for Poe and his chilling poetry , and tales of deceit and quiet revenge, or the cremation of Sam Magee or  any of Stephen Kings books that she was too afraid to read after hyperventilating while reading  the chase scene in Salem’s Lot.  Alee loved Halloween.  Gross looking food, masks and hideous make-up, costumes and of course, chocolate candy made this holiday one of her favorites.

And so it was this night, a night of sharing scary stories, without the eerie campfire, that this writer’s group gathered.  So when it was Alee’s turn she shared Chris VanAlsberg’s The Widow’s Broom, a child’s story she traditionally read to her 4^th grade students. And the other writer’s loved it, scary in its simplicity and expressively sketched illustrations. 

My original short story originates here in this library.  It is a tale of secrets, of secrets so ____ that it has never been told before this evening.  One of the books , in plain sight upon these shelves is a diary, an honest confession of a deed so horrendous that the victim cannot wait another moment for the truth to be known.  The book waits….silently …for someone to notice its worn leather cover and the title printed in faded black ink.   

This  Tuesday evening ,  a curiosity lured Alee to search the shelves.  She is not sure what she is looking for and only knows, knows without a doubt that she will find it. She finds herself drawn to the back wall, behind the circulation desk, there amongst the shelves housing books of local history she searches.  She stops. There is a sound… the faint sound of weeping.  She hears a child weeping and glances out the window but sees only her distorted reflection in the wavy pane of glass.  She kneels, lower to scan the books resting on the bottom shelves. The weeping seems to be more audible, a little louder….a little more clear. And then….

The crying stops, as if the child is holding its breath. Waiting.  And the weeping becomes a whimpering , and the whimpering becomes a whisper, “find me.” The child voice urges. “Find me.”

Alee moves the books looking for the tape recorder, or some new technical device that has brought her to quivering.  There was little light here, back in the corner , down by the lowest bookshelves and her body was shading the very space she was examining from the dimness.  She took out her phone and used the flashlight app to see.. Cautiously, she moved and removed books from the lower shelves.   There was nothing technical that she could see, no microphones or speakers, no tiny recorder, but she knew pranksters were very clever and could rig up this scary moment for her with little effort.  She so badly wanted to catch them at their own game.  “Find me” the child voice whispered reminding Alee of her search.

Alee followed the sound, the tiny sound of whimpering.  “Please.” The voice begged.  Goosebumps tingled  Alee’s arms and she shivered.  The flashlight app was strong, and so she searched. She began reading titles and flipping through tissue thin pages of very old books.  Nothing.   “Find me.”

Alee could hear the quiet conversations of the others in the writing group.  They spoke of poetry and autumn and the beauty in the nature of colored leaves.  She rose quietly, embarrassed that she had been so completely fooled, embarrassed that she had been so completely frightened by their hoax.  She stood as she heard a collective chuckle.  They seemed to be pretty pleased with themselves.  Sure, scare the new resident of the town.  Well, it worked.  She was scared. 

As she stood and  tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear  her earring fell to the polished wooden floor and disappeared beneath the bookshelf.  It wasn’t an expensive earring, but it was hammered silver, a gift from her husband and she really liked them as a pair.  She knelt once again and ran her fingers gingerly along the floor, underneath the edge of the antique bookcase. Dust bunnies came alive with the movement of her hand.  She felt a string and pulled it out.  A screech  nearly escaped from her throat as she realized that she touched the skeletal remains of a mouse .   She questioned, only for a second, the value of her cherished earring. Composure regained, she focused the beam of her app light pleased to note that there were no more skeletons, she found her earring and what was that?  A book, seemed to be wedged between the bookshelf and the wall. There was no way she could reach it. She stood.  “Find me.” The whisper voice urged.

Alee found a wire coat hanger in a small closet.  She pulled the hanger out of shape so that it would reach and once again lowered herself to the floor.  She worked the hooked end behind the book and wiggled it free, then carefully, slowly drew it out from its hiding place.  She flipped through the pages. It was an elementary arithmetic text book from 1868.  

She opened the cover to read the penciled inscription.  In childlike cursive, a riddle in the form of a poem, There is a secret that I hold, no man or woman has been told,

     I saw a murder years ago, I can’t tell anyone that I know.

     If you should seek the truth this late,turn to page sixty-eight.

With shaking fingers she turned to page 68.   

     The one who did this evil deed, is filled with hatred and with greed,

     he stole a child, a friend of mine, and hid her where the sun don’t shine.  

Alee smiled nervously hoping , so hoping, that this was some childhood prank.

      I cannot say where she is buried,this child of two who are not married. 

     The husband of her mother learned, the lover of his wife still yearned,

     so in his rage he killed my friend,a sweet young  girl, her life at end,

     If you are one who should know more, turn now to page eighty-four.

Alee sat in a chair behind the circulation desk and turned the pages until she found more. 

For all these years I’ve  feared the man, who killed a child with his hand, and to this day, I cannot tell , for fear he’ll throw me in the well.

I hear her call me, I hear her scream, I see her murder when I dream, Her mother searches night and day, why would her daughter run away?  This tale is true, set my sole free, from the guilt that burdens me, turn now my friend to 93.

Alee turned the pages. 

Do you hear her painful cries? The memory lives behind my eyes.  He hid her body wrapped in rags, beneath a pile of garbage bags. She needs a final resting place, a site of happiness and grace. Go find her now, she waits for you.   Go to page 102.

For all these years she’s had to bode with James and Bill on Black Hollow Road. She aches to rest from running wild, and be with her mother on Fairchild.

Find her now, you must be brave, and lay her gently in her grave.  Listen. Listen. She calls you there.  Find the girl with golden hair.  Her name is Amy, say aloud and she will guide you to her shroud.

“Amy?” Alee barely whispered.  “Amy?”

Alee felt a cold breath on  the back of her neck.  

Remember....please leave a comment.  Thank you.  and have a safe and scary Halloween.

WELCOME BACK

It seems I've forgotten about keeping up with this blog.  Although I have had snippets of time where I could have been writing here....I shamefully didn't.  I have been on Facebook.... you can visit my fan page there at ALee Drake/romance author.  I had some creative moments... some inspirational adventures and events in the past few years that have kept me busy and provided fodder for my stories. 
 I have a new book coming out.  It is entitled Men In Ts and it is a sweet contemporary romance that revolves around a 1916 Model T car. I grew up around model T cars and went to the international Model T convention in Indiana a couple of years ago.... well a story brewed and I started writing.  I am not as prolific as I'd like to be, I have friends who write four books a year....I publish one book every four years.  I'm working on that tho. 
Well, now that I've  reacquainted myself with this site.... I will be back... as I hope you will be back too.  I am planning on writing here once a week to start.  That will require me to get out my calender and pencil in blogging as an appointment... or I'll never remember.

Please stay with me.... Men In Ts will be coming out soon.  I'm so excited!!!!   I've read it a hundred times.... and still like it.  

Welcome New Year

It's been a year since I've posted anything on my blog. WOW...time flies... doesn't it ?
I have trouble here because I don't want to ramble for the sake of using up space...and I usually don't feel I have anything of value to share. But I do tonight.
This morning I was greeted by the thrilling announcement that the review of my first book, Thistle Dew, by SERIOUSLY REVIEWED was number 1 of the"most viewed" review of 2010.
This is quite an honor and really boosts my confidence in my writing. Thank you SR for such a terrific review.
And only to accentuate that life is indeed a roller coaster ride, our family sadly begins the new year with the funeral of my lovely mother-in-law. In previous blogs I've written of heroes and heroines...my mother-in-law is another heroine I've had the privilege to know and love. There are numerous jokes and stories about mother-in-laws...I really lucked out. She loved me like a daughter from the start and how could I not cherish the woman who raised her son to be my best friend, husband and wonderful father to our children.
My mother-in-law, a proud woman of Polish heritage taught me to make golumpki, perogi, and kapusta. She taught me to make a Polish Easter table, carve a butter lamb and make borste. I've been her daughter-in-law for 39 years. My mother-in-law and I were friends...and I will miss her dearly.
So...on that note...what about you're mom-in-law? Friend or foe.

Both of my daughters are amazing women. I didn't raise them to be amazing but they managed to be anyways. All five of our children became alpine ski racers. Kirsten, a severe asthmatic, raced through high school and college. Oftentimes after each run, the ski patrol would be waiting for her at the bottom of the hill with an oxygen tank as she collapsed struggling for breath. They usually suggested she forgo her second run, but she never quit. She would finish her second run with every ounce of energy she had and usually final in a respectable top seed.

Sarah, likes to climb mountains. She hiking most weekends to achieve the esteemed recognition as a 46er. (One who has reached the summit of all 46 Adirondack high peaks.) She has also been accepted as one of the 12 women globally who will be climbing the three highest peaks in Africa in a program called 3peaks 3 weeks in January 2011. Heroines indeed.

Who are your real life heroines? We write about women who are strong, independent, wise. Women who we relate to and admire. I know they aren't wholly fictitious.
Who are the true heroines in your life?

My Heroes

The hero and heroine of THISTLE DEW are character blends of many people that I admire and consider heroes. My heroes are strong in the sense that they move forward despite obstacles that life throws at them. You might recognize some of my characters in these real life heroes.
My brother Scott, a diabetic since the age of 16, has worked hard, played hard and been an outstanding Dad and now Grandpa. Even after this summer, when he was in the ICU for a week and then air lifted to a bigger hospital, he came back as feisty as ever.
My brother Doug has been a hero since her went into a burning house at Christmas to find a poor mans wallet containing all the money he had in the world. He became a fireman, an EMT and now retired, he cares for my brother Scott.
My grandson Luke is a hero too. Born with serious birth defects, surgery at Washington DC Children's Hospital at age 1 day old and has had about 6 surgeries since, (Luke learned to walk in a body cast). Today he is a healthy active 10 year old.
These are only three of my real life heroes. I have more to share at a later date.
BUT...until then...who are your real life heroes?

An Interview with TWRP author Lynn Romaine

Welcome to my interview with Lynn Romaine. Just last week The Wild Rose Press released Lynn's eco-suspense/romance novel Long Run Home. She has taken a few minutes today from her busy schedule to answer some questions a;;owing us some insight into this very talented author.

Hi Lynn,
Personal:
1. Describe your writing space. Do you have an office? How is it decorated?
(does this count as 1 question?????) I have three computers - two for work work and one for writing and email - they're in my living room - my writing space. I like everything in the same place basically - It has a bunch of CD's, a bunch of my favorite books, my lounge chair for taking a break, my TV and a wood burning stove. It's very nice and cozy - I like cozy.
2. What do you eat or drink, nibble or sip while writing? Usually coffee and chocolate (yes, I indulge a lot)
3. What music inspires your writing? A particular artist or group...specific song/s? If I'm writing suspense which I do 50% since I write romantic suspense, I like jazz or blues; if I'm writing romance part, I might put on something soft but don't like lyrics with the music - but Joni Mitchell gets me in the mood to write.
4. What does your writing schedule look like...or are you a 15 minutes here and there writer? When I'm writing, I try and write a chapter a day rough - perhaps 10 pages - if I'm editing, I try and do a chapter every two days - I don't usually mix editing and writing - I may write for a year straight and then edit for the next six months.
5. Do you have a family? and how do you handle interruptions? I don't have family at home any more but I have many accountabilities - boards, friends, and other constant interruptions, plus ten yahoo groups and other lists. I get interrupted all the time but I'm persistent in my writing so that's how I handle it.
6. Do you wear anything special while you write? Comfort clothes? No - whatever I am wearing for the day.
7. What do you daydream about? I get my stories from daydreams - since I was five, I've had ongoing stories running in my head - I switch every year maybe - but that's how I get my next book going.
8. Do you play any computer games when you're not writing? What game? No, I gave up computer games when I found writing.
9. What is your all time most favorite movie? Probably Jane Austen's Persuasion filmed by the Royal Shakepearian theater. TV show? Probably CSI Miami or SVU where I get a lot of my more gruesome ideas. Book? Tami Hoag books. Holiday? Christmas household chore? Hmm - does anyone have one? I don't.
10. Of what FIVE personal accomplishments are you most proud? 1) Writing and getting a contract on my first fiction book written in six months. 2) Raising an amazing daughter whose life is committed to making a difference helping young traumatized girls. 3) Transforming my life from someone who stuttered and wanted to hide out in life doing jobs that required no talking to someone who speaks at events and even has taught. 4) Getting a bachelor's and master's degree when I was over 50. 5) Having an amazing relationship with my ex-husband who is my best friend.

ABOUT Long Run Home your recently released novel. (CONGRATULATIONS, by the way)

1. What characteristics, if any, do you and your heroine Samantha Neally share? The good characteristics we share are courage and endurance. The 'bad' one so I've been told by my editor and a recent review, is her lack of outward emotional expression - I'd call it stoicism - not the best trait perhaps in a romance heroine but I like it.
2. Did you base your hero, Joe Roper, on someone you know, a celebrity, or pure imagination? A mixture of men I admire plus a few I've seen walking down the street.
3. Do you have a critique group/ or friend with whom you brainstorm? I'm a member of womens writers exchange - a group spread around the US and Canada - about ten of us ladies writing various genres from romance to womens lit to literary
4. What message are you sending to your readers about the environment? I'm interested in having the reader be aware of the earth and the challenges without preaching about it.
5. Why did you choose a desert setting? I flew over Nevada fives times and felt a longing to be there so I did a five day research trip there, not knowing I was searching for a place for my story.
6. What scene was easiest to write? The scene where the FBI agent is tracking his prey, Sam Neally, in the tacky grocery store in her small indian reservation town.
7. Which scene most challenging? The sex scenes - making them work for my editor
8. What is the title of your current project? The Reckoner. (I'm editing Night Noise as well, an ecosuspense book that takes place in a steel town on Lake Michigan).
9. Can you give fans a glimpse into the story? The Reckoner takes place in Manitoba, Canada and is about a girl who, in defense of her older sister, murders two men. The story opens with her trying to reconcile her adult life to that of a young girl who did murder. It's a love story and a story about atonement.

10. Is there anything I neglected to ask that you would like me to mention? I am committed to supporting young women finding fulfillment in their lives by contributing to the earth. My organization I started to support this is Red Pants For The World and our current projects are raising money for young girls in Afghanistan and starting writing groups for economically deprived girls in America.

BLURB......

SAMANTHA NEALLY is in hiding. Abandoned by her mother at eleven, she was implicated in an ecoterrorist firebombing at eighteen. Since then, she’s been living in the Nevada desert, lonely and afraid. But all that is about to change when undercover FBI agent Joe Roper turns up. He insinuates himself into her world and sends her to jail. Forced to turn state’s evidence, Sam goes to work with Roper. Laying a trap for her former friends, she’s unaware that the real danger to her life lurks in the desert, someone ready to commit murder to keep her quiet.

(344 pages) Spicy

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