Meet the Main Character from The Heartsong Cowboy

Meet Angela French from The Heartsong Cowboy

I thought I'd introduce you to a mom who is driven to do what's best for her daughter...not just out of love but guilt-- Angela French.

What is the name of your character?  Is he/she fictional or a historic person? My main character’s name is Angela French. She is a fictional character.

When and where is the story set? The story The Heartsong Cowboy takes place in modern day North Dakota.

What should we know about him/her? Angela is a single parent. Her husband died of cancer when her daughter was three. She loves being a mom to her daughter, Taylor and running her small restaurant- Café French.

What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life? After a traumatic incident, Angela’s daughter stopped speaking. Angela is dealing with guilt that is normal of a single parent but with the accident, she feels more responsible. She seeks out anyway to get her daughter to speak again.

What is the personal goal of the character? Angela would love to hear her daughter speak again, even just a sound. She feels responsible and can’t let go of the guilt.

Blurb:

Can two people, one horse and the power of love cure a little girl?

Angela French blames herself for her daughter’s lack of voice. Determined to do anything to correct the situation, she seeks out Jake Kyncade, the owner of The Heartsong Ranch.

Jake Kyncade hides his own sorrows behind his no-nonsense demeanor. Helping children becomes one way to correct his past. Using equine therapy, he sets out to make a difference.

Can Jake help Angela’s dreams come true or will Jake’s past bring more heartache? Will love save them all?

The Heartsong Cowboy Book Trailer Video

The Heartsong Cowboy is available in the book bundle Cowboy Up! This set has seven sexy cowboys and the women who love them! For only $0.99, you get six sinful stories full of tight Wranglers and Stetsons. 

Thank you for stopping by today! The fictional Angela French is based on my own "mom guilt" but also a piece of a real incident that happened when I was teaching at a college preschool. I love to weave pieces of real life into my books. If you are an author...where do you find your inspiration?? If you are a reader, what type of stories inspire you??

 Seven men as tough as the west…

          Seven women who know how to...

Cowboy Up

A boxed set of seven romantic novellas by seven award-winning authors experienced with writing about the men of the West.

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Fried Lake Erie Perch- Yum!

My character of Mr. Wilder is dear to my heart because he is loosly based on my father. My dad was a man of little words. He worked full time at a demanding job to care for his family but his passion was fishing. From an early age, he took us girls fishing. I learned how to ice-fish on a cold Ohio pond to ride the waves on Lake Erie in search of Lake Perch. 

The Lake Erie Perch is a fresh water, or yellow perch and kin to the Walleye that can also be found in the Great Lakes. The perch has a mild taste and is a frequent staple of Friday Fish Fries around Amherst. But no one makes it as good as my dad.

I thought I'd share the recipe with you, since I write about this yummy treat in Forever Love. Syndie's father makes Lake Erie Perch for dinner one night when, Syn's ex-boyfriend, Thom, comes to visit.

Enjoy!

Fried Lake Erie Perch

Ingredients:

Approximately 15 Yellow Lake Perch filets (best when caught on Lake Erie)

2 cups Milk (to soak the perch in)

2 cups flour

Batter:

4 eggs

½ bottle or can of beer

½ cup of Milk

4 cups cracker meal (I like the McCormick/Golden Dipt)

Deep fryer with 6 cups oil or a deep frying pan with 6 cups oil

Directions:

Wash the perch in water, examining it for any scales that were missed. Then soak the perch in a bowl with the 2 cups milk over night. When you are ready to cook, remove the perch from the milk and put into a baggie filled with flour to coat the filets.

Mix two eggs and equal parts beer and milk in a deep dish. In a separate deep dish (a pie tin works well) pour the cracker meal.

Remove one filet from the flour mixture, place it into the egg/beer/milk mixture then coat in the cracker meal. Lay it on a sheet of wax paper until all filets have been double dipped through the mixtures. If one of the mixtures runs low, add more ingredients until you’ve coated all the filets. Throw out any of the remaining mixtures.

Once the filets have been coated, heat the oil up in the fryer or pan. Place one or two filets into the hot oil and let it cook only until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and enjoy!

TGIF Hunk Friday- Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp, love him or hate him... he's developed a long-standing career in television and movies. His most recent movie, The Lone Ranger has received interest and controversy. Yet Johnny's portrayal of Tonto is certainly what drives people to the movies.

From the 1980's television show, Johnny Depp's bad boy image became the heartthrob of many young valley-girls who posted photos of Johnny on their walls. Johnny's careful choices of movies led many to question why he didn't select more mainstream romantic characters. His choice to work with director, Tim Burton brought him the most recognition until the Disney franchise of Pirates of the Caribbean.

For someone who loves living life to the fullest, Johnny Depp has continued to remain tantalizing to the female eyes. Whether it's his longer hair and passion for music or his rock hard abs and tattoos, there is something striking about Mr. Depp.

What do you think? Are you a Johnny Depp fan? Which movie did you enjoy best?

My First Crush- Tell Us About Yours!

My First Crush

I will never forget Tracey W. and that special summer we had riding bikes around town and kissing by the train depot.  It was a perfect summer romance.  Tracey will always be my first crush and my first boyfriend.

Tracey and I grew up together in small town- Amherst, Ohio.  There are photographs in an album at home of him and I sharing a sandbox, playing in the grass and having fun.  I honestly didn’t remember much about our childhood playdates.  I don’t remember how close our families were or how we spent a lot of time together.  The first time that Tracey came on my radar was in junior high.  He sat next to me in a class and we got to talking about how we knew each other. 

Tracey was a blond Sylvester Stallone or even Joey from Friends.  He had those piercing eyes and casual attitude that said, “Take it or Leave it”.  Most of the girls were already in love with him.  I remember Missy sitting by us and flirting with Tracey.  His smile was reserved but when he really found something funny, his whole face shone like a floodlight.  I was so jealous when he’d turn that smile onto another girl. 

For weeks, we’d tease around and chat.  All the while, I’d watch him go out with a different girl each week.  It wasn’t until almost June before he gave me a chance.  I wasn’t going to let that chance go. We would meet in the hallways at school, hold hands before class and sneak a kiss.  On the weekends, we’d ride our bikes to the pool in town and hang out or meet each other at the train depot.  It was the joyous feeling of new love.  We thought we’d be together forever.

 

But like any good love story, something happens and we broke up.  We remained friends and still hung out sometimes together, although my feelings never really changed toward him.  In our sophomore year of high school, his parents decided to move into a bigger house in a different town.  My heart was broken.  We wouldn’t be able to ride our bikes and see each other, never to hang out again at the train depot.  In fact, that year was the last time I saw Tracey as he played football for the opposing team one night in October.

Fast forward thirty years…

Tracey and I haven’t reconnected or been in contact in those years since he moved.  I’ve heard from his family but nothing much about him.  It is like he is a missing person these days. We could pass on the street and not know each other. However, I just have to close my eyes and I see his tosseled blond hair, his striking smile and deep blue eyes.  It takes me back to junior high school and my youth. And when we have those memories, we are always connected.

I did create my character of TJ from Forever Love off those memories of Tracey. Here's a snipet of TJ and Syn's romance.

After getting out of my car, I hiked down the stairs. It was a mild September day, and the beach was fairly empty—just myself and a few seagulls. I walked slowly along the shoreline with my head down, not noticing the person swimming in the water until he began to climb out of the surf.

A dark, cropped haircut framed a face so beautiful that it could be described as the face of a Roman god. He had a strong nose and jawline that showed just a sprinkling of whisker stubble. However, it was his body that made me pause. His muscular shoulders and upper arms looked like they could carry a girl off to bed. His wet torso was covered with hair that immediately drew my eyes and tempted me to caress it. The chest hair tapered down his narrow waist and seemed to lead the way to paradise. I stopped walking and just stared. God, please let there be no drool dripping off my chin. This guy was smokin’ hot! Then he smiled and I noticed his face, complete with a little dimple in his chin. He seemed familiar, but I wasn’t sure where I recognized him from. When he saw that I noticed him, he winked as if he recognized me too.

“Hello! Nice day for a walk, huh? The weather has been kind to us this year.” He spoke and my knees wobbled. His voice was like chocolate, smooth and delicious.

“Hi…Yes…I’m glad the weather is nice enough to get out, but isn’t the water too cold for a swim?”

“Not at all. I enjoy my morning workouts after a long shift at the station. You don’t remember me, do you, Syndie?”

My mind was drawing a blank. How did he know my name? Who was this hottie?

“Not really. You do look familiar, but I can’t place you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s been a long time. We grew up together, our parents were best friends. We even went out in high school. I’m not surprised you don’t remember me, you hightailed it out of Amherst like your butt was on fire after graduation. We never saw each other again. I’m Thom Johnson, but everyone called me T.J.”

Oh wow. I’ve got a lot on my plate and he has changed over the years, but to not know someone so connected to most of my life was baffling. This man had been my best childhood friend. I was T.J.’s girlfriend for a while, but he dumped me for someone who put out. Before we went out in high school, I grew up with images in my head of him as the ideal guy. Our families encouraged our dating, thinking we were perfect together. When he dumped me, it broke my heart. I couldn’t stand watching him move on without me.

“Yes, I recognize you now, T.J. I took off because I thought that a big city had more to offer me. Well, it was nice to see you again. I had better get back to my walk, you seem busy.” I took off wanting to escape this awkward moment. Having to explain to T.J. why I was back in town was the last thing on my to-do list today.

“All right, Syn. See you around.” T.J. smiled. “Glad you’re back!”

I began heading back to my car, no sea glass having been found. Instead I’d discovered the one guy who broke my heart and, based upon my initial reaction to the sight of him, has the potential to do it again. I backed out of the parking spot and headed back onto the main road into town, thoughts of T.J. occupying my mind.

You can read more about Forever Love on my blog: http://www.melissakeir.com

Tell us more about your first crush. Did you have a summer romance? Was it a crush on someone famous? Who did you fall for and why! 

Five Things to Look Out for When Self-Editing

Five Things to Look Out for When Self-Editing

You’ve written a wonderful novel, a compelling story that must be published. But the first step in getting anything published is to make it shine. This is where self-editing comes into play. The writing process is just that- a process- and editing is an important step. It’s where you can correct those simple mistakes that will lead a publishing house to accept or deny your story.

There are many things that you need to do to make your story better from commas to semi-colons. Capitalization, spelling and grammar are just small pieces of the puzzle. There are so many different things to good editing that we could spend all day talking about them or taking a class on them. Today I’m sharing with you just five simple things to look out for when you edit.

Spell Check is Not the Best Tool

Most of us rely on spell check when we are writing. It automatically corrects those spelling mistakes corrects punctuation for us. But spell check is often incorrect and does miss some very common errors. In fact, depending on your settings it may not even be checking the words in your document. Rather than rely on spell check, it’s best if you use a dictionary or thesaurus if you are unsure about a word.

With the advent of the auto-correct, I’m seeing more and more silly wordings in documents. The auto correct will anticipate what word you are trying to type and put it in the sentence, only for you to find that it called your mother a “gas” instead of a “guest”.  Turn off the auto-correct function. It will only lead to more silly mistakes then it corrects.

Read Your Manuscript Differently

One of the best things you can do is to change the format of your manuscript when you do a read through. By changing the formatting, your eyes will see the mistakes more easily. One author that I know prints off her pages and uses the dreaded little red pen to mark her mistakes. She’s found that a hard copy makes it easier for her. Other authors use their Kindle to read through their story to see how the reader will see it. This allows for you to notice any spacing issues as well.

Even reading your story aloud will make a huge difference. If you come to a part that you stumble with as you read aloud, your audience will as well. Often line editors will read the manuscript back from the end word for word to catch mistakes. Our eyes are trained to fill in those words that we know are supposed to be there. No matter which way you choose or which way works for you, you should make sure to read through your manuscript with a keen eye to help you find those mistakes.

Over Use of Words

We’ve all done it. We have some favorite phrase and use it too often. Just think back to the speaker who kept saying “like” during their speech. Remember how annoying it was? When we write, often it is a form of our own spoken language. Because of this, we tend to use words that we are comfortable with. These words can be used over and over again, making the story line appear comical.  Microsoft Word has a function that will help you find the words you use constantly. By clicking on the page number at the bottom of the document screen (page 1 of 1), a Go To dialog box will open. Click on Find and then type in a word such as “and”. The search function will tell you quickly how many “ands” were in your document as well as highlight each one.

Formal vs. Informal Language

Most of us understand that when we write a dissertation on a research subject, we must use formal language. That being said, I am horrible about slipping into a formal speech pattern when I write. See I did it there^. Contractions are an author’s best friend. It sounds more natural for your characters to use the contraction phrase of “I’m” rather than “I am”. By using the contractions for your characters’ speeches, your characters come alive to the reader. Readers are better able to connect with them and find them less pretentious.

Characterization Errors

When your story started, your heroine’s name was Syndie with an “S” but somewhere during the story line, the name changed to Cyndie with a “C”. The hero at the beginning of the story had deep blue eyes, but later on his eyes were chocolate brown. These are content errors. When writing a story, authors sometimes have to stop in the middle of the story and come back to writing another day. But when we come back to writing, things have changed in our minds. That’s why it is important to put these characterization pieces down in writing before you begin your story. It will help you keep things straight in your head.

But let’s say you’ve already written your story, how do you correct it or look for this? That’s simple, you can always create a characterization at any time. Write down the character’s gender, eye color, hair color and length, and as many details as you can about them from your read through. This will allow you to have a list. Then you can always refer back to your list as you read to see if there are any inconsistencies.

These are only five things that you should look out for when self-editing. There are so many more things that you can work to improve upon. I like to learn about one of my editing mistakes and keep a sticky note on my computer so that when I’m writing the next book, I can eliminate that mistake from my work. After all, if we don’t have time to do it write then we must have time to do it again. Those mistakes will always catch up to you in editing!

Happy Writing!

Fairy Tales Are a Staple of Childhood... or Are They?

Fairy Tales are a staple of childhood.  We grow up hearing (and now watching Disney’s versions) of popular stories like The Little Mermaid, The Three Little Pigs, and Cinderella.  We dream of finding our own Prince Charming that can lift the curse.  But fairy tales have a variety of different perspectives.  As an elementary teacher, I use fairy tales to teach my students about point of view and perspectives. They also have different versions based on different cultures and nationalities.  Stories like The Rough-faced Girl and The Three Little Javelinas tell the tales of Cinderella and The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf from different cultures.

Perspectives can mean things more than just cultures.  It can share with the reader a different character’s point of view. If you haven’t read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, you would be shocked to imagine the Big Bad Wolf as anything other than a greedy, hungry wolf.

In The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, the wolf is simply a misunderstood guy who was going from door to door in search of some sugar to bake his granny a cake.

Fairy Tales not only present a different point of view but can also change the characters into just about anything.  There are many Cinderella tales that change the characters from penguins to a boy to even dinosaurs.  By changing the characters, the author can introduce other concepts such as alliteration to conservation of nature. 

One of my favorite Cinderella tales is Bigfoot Cinderella, which tells the tale of Cinderella with bigfoot creatures as the main characters.  Instead of wanting to look more beautiful, Bigfoot Cinderella just wants to be smelly old self, which is exactly what wins her the prince in the end.

I enjoy playing with fairy tales and other known stories.  In college one of my fairy tale poems won an award and was recognized for its originality.  Today I like to take fairy tales to a new level.

My story Protecting His Wolfe is a twist on the fairy tale—The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf.  But in my story the Wolfe is a young naïve woman who finds herself in danger after over hearing a drug deal.  Betsie Wolfe is a strong woman who doesn’t like to rely on anyone other than herself but when she finds herself in danger, she turns to Jonah Pigg for help. Jonah is the oldest of the three Pigg brothers.  He is a police detective and first meets Betsie on the scene of a murder where she was the primary witness.  There are quite a few parts in the story where the characters tease each other about their names and that famous fairy tale.  But Protecting His Wolfe is just the beginning for these characters and this fairy tale.  I have two more books in the works highlighting Jonah’s brothers- Marcus and Luke as well as their own twisted fairy tales.  So stick around for that ride!

Hot Heroes Love Children

Hot Heroes Love Children

When Melissa Keir asked me to appear on this blog to talk about heroes, I wasn’t sure what to talk about. Was I even a hero? All I’ve been is a husband and now father. But it got me thinking about what makes a hero—and yes, a dad is a perfect hero.

Dads are sexy. Just ask any woman who sees a guy holding a baby. Or in my case, kissing my lovely wife’s bulging pregnant belly. It’s because a guy who can love and snuggle with a new baby is the perfect man who will take care of not only the baby but also the mother of his child. That’s why a man out at the park with a baby is a chick magnet!

Being a dad means being a hero. You are your child’s hero. You want to put the world at their feet and protect them. And isn’t that what heroes do? Heroes are the guys who are willing to put their lives on the line for the people they love. Once you hold that child in your arms, the bond is amazing and you would do anything to make their life better than your own.

When I first laid eyes on my son, I couldn’t believe that miracle was a piece of me. He was perfect in every way. I had to thank Father Grissom for his intervention in the event. After all, if it wasn’t for him, I’d have still been in a coma. But thanks to him, I was able to be there for the birth of my son. Holding my little guy in my arms was the most amazing moment. It was as if I could bench press a mountain. However, I was so afraid that I’d do something wrong.

Do heroes have fears? You bet! They are heroes because they face their fears head on and still do what is right. In my case, it is changing those really stinky diapers at three in the morning so Sherri can catch some sleep. Have you smelled one of those loads? Ewww! So dads are heartthrobs and  heroes. Thank you for having me visit.

A Christmas Accident (spicy- Contemporary Romance)

Expecting her first child, Sherri Wilder Davison wants nothing more than to spend time with her father over the holidays, but fate has a way of changing her best-laid plans.

Adam Davison is willing to do anything to make his pregnant wife happy. He will face hell to have her home for the holidays.

For Sherri and Adam, the holidays are a time of celebration and love, but this Christmas will be unlike any they have ever faced.

When a horrible blizzard causes an automobile accident that puts the lives of those Sherri loves on the line, can a Christmas miracle save them?

EXCERPT:

Looking over at Adam, I’m amazed that such a handsome man could love me. Stubble showed on Adam’s rugged face. I liked the way the short growth of beard rubbed on my face when he nibbled on my ears. Adam’s dark brown hair was cut short, emphasizing his deep blue eyes and strong nose. The small dimple on his chin made him seem more approachable and much less serious. His tall stature and muscular body always made me feel precious yet delicate, like a porcelain doll, but Adam never treated me like anything other than a desirable woman.

“How are the roads? Do you think we can stop so I can use the bathroom? Your son is pushing on my bladder.” Wiggling in my seat, I tried to alleviate the uneasy pressure.

Adam looked over at me with a dreamy expression on his face. His gaze settled on my stomach as it undulated. “Sure, I could use some coffee. How are you feeling? Little Pea looks active tonight.”

“I’m okay except for the kicks to the bladder. I swear he’s practicing his temper tantrums so he has them right when he comes out. Oh Ricky, we are in so much trouble,” I replied with a silly high pitched whiney Lucille Ball-type voice, then smiled.

I am thankfully in the third trimester of my pregnancy. I’d passed the dangerous stage where many women miscarry as well as the dreaded morning sickness phase that sucks the very life out of a body. Now I had abundant energy and looked forward to finally getting ready to meet our son. We still had two more months to go but I already felt like a beached whale, not to mention the walking with a waddle. Adam loved talking to my stomach, he’d even been reading storybooks to our peanut each night.

Adam and I had eloped to Hawaii five years ago during our Christmas vacation. We’d kept our wedding private, only us. Today we are closer than most married couples, enjoying the same things, especially our cottage home on the Huron River, old movies, television shows, and snuggling up with a blanket on those cold Michigan nights.

While we both loved our families, neither one of us enjoyed traveling which became the basis for the fight. I’d won the the argument after the announcement of my father’s recent diagnosis. I’d spent hours on the phone with my sister, then on the internet gathering information on Alzheimer's. The dementia had already begun to kick in when Dad accidentally set fire to his home. Luckily, Syndie had already moved in with Dad and got him out of the house in time. My need for family had only become stronger since I’d learned about my pregnancy and the arrival of the first grandson.. I didn’t want my baby to miss out on his remaining grandparent.

Fear about my father never getting to meet or know my little peanut became a constant in my mind. Adam and I had distanced ourselves from our families over the years. We were always so happy spending time with just each other, we’d just never considered what those choices did to others. Having a baby changes things. My sister’s wedding invitation plus my dad’s diagnosis, well, both convinced me that we needed to get back to Ohio. Christmas seemed like a perfect excuse.

After pulling into the gas station, Adam stopped the car next to the pump. I grabbed my purse. “I’m going to use the bathroom, grab your coffee, then get a snack while you fill up. Is there anything else you want?” I walked over to Adam’s door as he let himself out.

Adam bent down to kiss my belly, making my muscles clench. How does such a beefy man do that yet still look so masculine?

“Why don’t you also grab me some pretzels. I don’t know if the coffee will be good on my empty stomach. But with the way the snow has been falling, I want to make sure we can take the turnpike rather than Route 2.”

Route 2 is known as Death’s Highway. The area of Route 2 between Bono and Sandusky claimed dozens of lives due to the large semi-trucks in addition to the awkward two lane road. People couldn’t see what was coming around the next bend so head-on collisions were frequent. The horrible blizzard-like conditions from Lake Erie only made the road more treacherous.

After grabbing the coffee, pretzels and some crackers for myself, then paying for them, I headed back to the car. The snow made the car hard to see from the door of the gas station. Driving in this mess wasn’t a comforting thought.

“Adam, the weather looks really bad. Maybe we should turn on a local radio station to check on the road conditions.”

Making slow progress, we listened to the bleak weather bulletin. Little did we know one single radio announcement would change our lives forever.

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TGIF Hunk Friday-

I've seen his hot figure posted on Facebook a lot lately so naturally I've been intrigued  I wanted to find out more about the man behind the body. 

Gary Taylor is a man who believes in hard work. After a rough early life, he's made the most of himself and is setting out to go after his dreams. His Facebook page lists him as...father, friend, model, personal trainer, your inspiration...

He certainly is an inspiration for an alpha male in my book. His lean hard body is perfect for a working man to cowboy. He can rev my engine! What do you think? Will Gary Taylor haunt your dreams?

You can find out more about Gary Taylor and connect with him on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/garytaylorofficial

Persistence

Persistence-

Humans go blindly on faith into abysses all the time.  We hear about people who have stared caution in the eyes and decided that they could climb mountains or pursue their dreams. For me, being a published author was that leap of faith.

Growing up in the late 70’s, I enjoyed the sport of wrestling.  Strong legs and cunning could push a competitor out of the ring faster than anything could.  Being short was just another asset.  I had those three things in abundance and knew that wrestling was the sport for me, except for the small fact that I was a girl. Being the only girl on an all boy team was shocking. I was told that I couldn’t do it. I was told that I shouldn’t do it. Each time I heard that, it made me want it more. But when push came to shove (no pun intended) I couldn’t go through with it.  I lacked the persistence.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, to persist is to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of opposition, importunity, or warning.  As a pre-teen girl, it was more important for me to be liked by the boys (and not teased by the girls) rather than be seen as a competitor. That gender (Men) is still important to me today, but I’ve learned that there are some things that you can’t give up on, things you will fight for like your health or an education and things you will fight against like bullies or persecution. 

Being a writer isn’t an easy choice of a profession if you aren’t a persistent person.  Giving up will not sell your books or even get your books published.  As an author, you are told by a publisher that they either want or don’t want your story. Many publishers if they don’t want it, will at least be helpful and tell you what needs changing and give you a chance to resubmit. Even if your book makes it past the acquisitions desk, it has to go a few rounds with editing. Here you have to deal with someone who is only trying to polish your piece, but it sometimes feels like they are dissecting your heart. It is extremely hard to hear that you need to fix something that you worked on and poured your soul into. And if your manuscript makes it to becoming a book, you invite reviewers and readers to comment on it. That can feel like target practice and you are wearing the apple.

I liken being an author to being a presidential candidate. Some days you are on top of the polls and others, you are being run out of town for something you said.  If you want to see reviews of the candidates, watch the evening news or a few mud-slinging commercials.  Ouch! Just like candidates, authors must continue to “sell” themselves, their story, or even future projects after a bad review or modest sales.  Authors must continue to hone their craft to get better which requires us to continue to push forward in the face of opposition.

Let’s be honest here, if you want to be good at anything, you are going to need persistence. Michael Jordan didn’t win the NBA Championship because he shot one basket. No, he practiced and persisted when others told him that he couldn’t make it.  Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs…there are a million stories of being persistent in the face of failure, opposition or warning. I’m sure that if we spoke with any of those people, they would agree that persistence was a skill that was invaluable.

And who knows where I would be today if I hadn’t given up on that interest in wrestling, although I’m fairly sure that there are many more people happy about my romantic stories than about seeing me in one of those wrestling uniforms at my age.

What is one thing that you wished you hadn't given up on? How to do you persist when things are tough?

TGIF Hunk- Tarkan

Recently a wonderful friend introduced me to this hot singer. She lived in Turkey and even hinted that he might have been a muse for one of her characters. After seeing his photo, I couldn't stop from finding out more about him. 

Tarkan Tevetoğlu, simply known as Tarkan, is a World Music award winning Turkish pop singer. He was born in Alzey, West Germany, and raised in Turkey. Tarkan has been known for the use of romantic themes in his work and has been nicknamed the "Prince of Pop" by the media. Tarkan's effect on Turkey has been compared by The Washington Post as analogous to Elvis in America.

Tarkan is hot but I love his longer hair better than his short hair and those eyes are compelling. Even though I can't understand what he's singing about, the romance is clear in his body and movements. Who wouldn't want to be in this guy's arms?

But I will let you see for yourself. What do you think? Is he a new hottie or what?

A Life Long Fascination With Cars

A Life Long Fascination with Cars

Alright, I admit it. I’m a gear-head.  I love the sleek long shape of the design and can’t get enough of the shine or colors.  It all sounds so titillating.  And for me it is!  I’m a car fanatic.  There is something exquisitely beautiful about a car that makes it more than just a tool to get from one place to another.

I grew up as one of five daughters to a very manly man.  My dad who worked in the steel plant on the floor where molten steel was poured and formed liked to hunt, ice fish, and build shed and playhouses for fun.  In many ways we were expected to do them to.  By the time I was  ten, I was  mowing the grass. Shh…don’t spoil it but we just liked to drive around on the tractor too!  We learned how to ice fish (burrrrr) and shoot (I wasn’t too bad hitting the cans, but never wanted to shoot an animal). We were all girls but had a unique side.

When my dad got me my first used car, I wasn’t allowed to drive it until I learned how to check the oil. It took me two days to figure out how to open the hood because I was too proud to ask for help, but I did it and  learned so much more. My first car was a pretty rusted out 1978 Firebird.  It was silver and had the screaming chicken (eagle) on the hood.  It was my pride and joy. At least until I had to share it with my next youngest sister and she wrecked it.  But that car was the car that launched my gear-head.  I had to learn how to drive a three-speed stick shift and, don’t tell my parents, got many of my speeding tickets because I just couldn’t go slow in that car!  Most of my friends were people who understood my love of cars and endured those Autoramma shows or had other showcase cars like ’63 Corevettes and’57 Chevy’s. Sometimes when it’s late at night I still cry that I didn’t get the  ’79 Camaro convertible in the divorce.

Cars tend to find themselves in my stories as well. In Beach Desires, the main character Stacey Wilder is a gear-head. She notices the beautiful ’68 dark read Camaro convertible before she notices the cute girl getting out of the car. In Protecting His Wolfe, Betsie is not a gear-head but a girl looking for a sensible car with good gas mileage.  However underneath that sensible girl lurks a gear-head who notices the sporty black car that the murderer was driving as well as Detective Jonah Pigg’s and his brother’s cars.  She just can’t help herself.  And most gear-heads can’t!  Summer is all about hot cars and sizzling nights. I hope you come along on my next story to see just what car shows up.  Varrrrrrooommmm!!

What's your favorite car? What car would you have if you could afford anyone? Why??

20 Questions with Melissa Keir

Playing Twenty Questions with Melissa Keir- Author

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?  For me the story comes first.  It has to be compelling to me.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you? The characters sometimes control me and other times…I guess they are just like my children!

How do you come up with the titles to your books? I like to look for a key phrase from the book or something unique about the story that makes a wonderful title.

What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a pop star!  But then I quickly realized that singing on my skateboard wasn’t going to make that happen, so I went into nursing and finally teaching.

Are you working on anything at the present you’d like to share with us? I am working on a story about a teacher who falls for a parent of one of her students.

Do you have any strange handwriting habits, like capitalizing all your “r”s or dotting your “I”s with heart (or anything like that)? When I actually use my own handwriting, I write in a mixture of cursive and print.  I tend to write quickly and it isn’t as neat as I’d like.

You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? I would erase the death of my mom.  I would love for her to be alive today to see her grandchildren.

When you looked in the mirror this morning, what was the first thing you thought? I haven’t gotten out of bed yet, but usually I avoid the mirrors until after the shower.

What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping- Teachers aren't supposed to be crabby from a lack of sleep!

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? Crocodile…tastes like chicken.

What do you want to know about the future?  I would like to know the lottery numbers so that I could spend my time writing.

What's your heritage? My family is English, Welsh, Romanian, and Swiss.  We are a mixed bunch.

What's your favorite pizza?  Pepperoni and Mushroom, please.

What's one thing scientists should invent? I would love for scientists to invent a way for us to travel without driving, like teleportation.  Long car drives with small children would be a thing of the past.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?  I love to read and take naps.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? Yes, I’ve always wanted to be a writer.  I started out writing very sappy love poetry and my own songs.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing? It is never too late but I would love to race cars!

Fill in the blank favorites (two word max!) - Dessert. Cherry pie.

City. Amherst, Ohio.

Season. Spring

Type of hero. Tough and sweet

Type of heroine.  Smart and sassy

What question would you love to answer that I didn't ask? What TV Show is your guilty passion?  Hawaii 5-0

Tell us about one of your books. Second Time’s the Charm is a tale of a woman, Lissa Vincent, who was beaten down emotionally after her divorce that she doesn’t believe in her own value.  She has two small children and a busy job that has monopolized her life.  When her best friend’s son ends up in a life threatening situation, Lissa gets to meet her friend’s ex-husband and soon falls for his charm. Second Time’s the Charm is a tale of finding love again but also about finding yourself and learning to see past others’ perspectives. 

What question would you like to have answered? Leave a comment and I'll answer it!

What Makes You Follow a TV Show?

Each year, the networks show off their new shows hoping that they will entice viewers to set aside time each week for their stories. We know that when a show becomes popular, it helps the networks earn more money for ads. But popularity can also catapult that new actor to stardom or spin off merchandising. Just think about True Blood. You can buy the True Blood drinks and who'd heard of Alexander Skarsgard before the show became popular?

Then there are the shows that are fan favorites but never seem to get the recognition it deserves and is taken off the air. It has a strong following but not the popularity that changes a show from interesting to a must-see TV night.

But if it was as easy to create a popular show that caused readers to fall in love with, every show would be a success. So what is the formula? What makes a show worth your time? Does the story have to have hot looking characters? Or is the gripping storyline more important?

Maybe it is a story that you can laugh at or shows the world in a "realistic" way. Do you identify with the characters? Do you long to be a part of their family? Or is it the fact that they are crazier than your family?

We'd love to hear from you. What shows do you have to watch? What makes a show a must-see?