Category Archives: Lilly Gayle

16 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by in books, free -books., historical romance, Lilly Gayle, Mimi Barbour, The Wild Rose Press

≈ 5 Comments


Welcome Guest Mimi Barbour who is part of a free e-book give away party 3/14-3/18. Link to party is at the bottom of the page.

My Cheeky Angel
(1st book in the Angels with Attitudes series)
Mimi Barbour
     Annie is naïve and love-starved, she’ll soon to be celebrating her big 3-0. Something needs to be done! Celi, her ‘down-to-earth’ guardian angel appears to help kick-start Annie’s big change—her looks, her job, her whole life. By taking a managerial position with a sophisticated shoe manufacturer, Annie becomes embroiled with her new associates and hooked on the power of big business. Unfortunately, her exhaustion from overwork forces her to ignore old friends, and her lapse places someone she cares about in terrible danger.
    Tyler, a Social Worker and a woman-hater previously hurt in two relationships, only wants Annie in his life as a good buddy. Oh yeah! And to help with his mixed-up street kids. Perversely, once her life alters, he misses her like hell.  In one sweet night of loving everything changes. But, due to an overabundance of nightcaps, she doesn’t remember the night he can’t forget.

Excerpt:
Every time he closed his eyes, a strange image of Annie in trouble took on such realistic tendencies it seemed surreal. Sick of his own company, Tyler decided a walk would do him a world of good, clear his head, and help to get his mind off his tomboy gone rogue.
Once the idea appeared, it became a fixation. No choice, no dragging his feet, he had to get out of his apartment. Either he needed hallucination treatments or a curt, gravelly female had taken up residence in his brain and urged him to hurry and get his butt moving.
The elevator, not ever on his floor, awaited him with the door open and no one else inside. He shivered. Strange and stranger! The ride down lasted only seconds. When it slowly opened, a nightmare unfolded. One look at his Annie clinging to her evening’s escort and his rage superseded common sense. Without thought, he ripped her from the scumbag’s groping fingers and shoved the conceited-looking, puffed-up character against the wall. All Tyler’s six feet two inches of anger intimidated. He watched the coward evaluate, then shrink back.
Within seconds the smooth prick spoke. “Anna had a bit too much to drink. I was seeing her safely home.”
“Not a problem. I’ll take her up,” he growled. By this time, Tyler had a supportive arm around the wobbly woman. He looked down at her. “Say bye-bye to your date…Anna.” His spitting out her newly chosen name would have set worry bells ringing, if she’d been in her normal state of mind. Blitzed out of her head, she just jiggled her fingers and said, “Bye-bye, date.”
With everything happening so fast, Tyler knew Annie hadn’t had a chance to fully appreciate the change in her situation. One minute she was leaning drunkenly against the slimy character whose hands were all over her body, while her unfocused eyes gazed at him adoringly. The next minute, Tyler had taken over.
As the elevator doors closed, leaving Sergio shrugging off his disappointment, a fuming Tyler lifted Annie into his arms.
At ease, Annie wrapped her arms around him, snuggled her face into his neck, and then sighed. His familiar expensive cologne, one of her gifts that he regularly used, seemed to soothe her. “I love how you smell.”
His anger fled the moment he became aware that she sniffed at him like a small kitten. His legs almost buckled when he felt the tip of her tongue lick him, and then press a tiny kiss over the wet spot.
The groan started deep, frustration forcing it out, chasing away his righteous snit. At her door, he lowered her to her unsteady feet, but she refused to unwind her arms from around his neck. They clung, her body glued to his.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_15?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=my+cheeky+angel&sprefix=my+cheeky+angel%2Caps%2C189
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Standing the Broom

09 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by in equinox, Lilly Gayle, romance novelist

≈ 21 Comments

No, it’s not the white man’s equivalent to Jumping the Broom. Not even close. Jumping the Broom is a uniquely African/African-American wedding tradition. It’s also a funny, heartwarming romantic comedy from writer, producer/director, Tyler Perry. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it.

Standing the broom doesn’t have anything to do with weddings or cool wedding traditions. It’s an urban legend I hadn’t even heard of until my writer friend, Lori Keizer  https://www.facebook.com/readLoriHayes mentioned it on Facebook. But once I saw her post, I had to find out more about this supposed scientific “phenomenon.”

Oddly enough, the information I found on the internet was written to debunk the urban legend. But from what I understand, a couple of weeks before and after the spring and fall equinox, March 20 and September 22, the planets and gravitational pull of the earth align in such a way that a broom can stand on its on when balanced facing south.

It sounded like a hoax to me and most experts agree.

According to Joe Ross, a professor at Texas A&M university, it’s just a balancing act. He claims anyone with patience and a broom can stand a broom on its bristles any time of the year. The broom he used is a straight broom, so I don’t know how he could tell if it was facing south or not, but he did stand the broom straight up. According to Ross, it had nothing to do with the equinox.http://verenettawarner.com/vernal-equinox-brooms-eggs-standing-alone-gravity/

It doesn’t have anything to do with gremlins, elves, or some funky phenomenon caused by a planetary alignment. It’s just a well-balanced broom.

Yeah, that’s kind of what I thought. Not that I sit around thinking much about brooms. I don’t even like to think about them when it’s time to sweep. I prefer my Swiffer. Or the vacuum. But Facebook and the internet have been abuzz with stories of standing brooms. And yet, in all my internet research, I found nothing to support the claims. All of the websites, blog posts, and such, declared the standing broom myth as nonsense. “If a broom stands alone today, it will stand alone tomorrow, next week, and next year.”

That’s what I thought too. But those who believe say it’s true, especially this year because of the recent alignment of Venus, Mercury, and  Jupiter. Skeptics say it’s hogwash:  “the bristles on a broom can be spread apart in such a way that all straight brooms will stand. Astronomers say neither planetary alignments or equinoxes have any physical impact on earthly objects.”

http://www.journaldemocrat.com/features/x1785618618/Urban-legend-tested-broom-stands-by-itself-in-hospital-basement-as-vernal-equinox-approaches

  The broom I used wasn’t straight. It’s angled, not just the bristles, but the handle. And the only way I could get it to stand on its own was to point the handle south. Hey, my dog was impressed. She’s all but bowing down to the magic broom. lol!

Does this mean I believe the equinox is responsible? IDK. Maybe it’s like author Stuart Chase says: “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.” 

I’m not saying I believe, but it was a fun experiment, and you can bet I’ll be trying this trick again–after the equinox. Think the broom will stand up then?

Only time will tell… 

Running With The Angels

02 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by in Fredericks Ataxia, Lilly Gayle, romance novelist, The Wild Rose Press

≈ 8 Comments

My big sister is gone. She had been so close to death so many times, only to pull through and defeat it. So, when the call came Tuesday, February 28 that she’d simply stopped breathing and was no longer with us, it came as quite a shock. But she’s in a better place and no longer suffering from the limitations of her failing body.

Cindy was born in 1957 and seemed perfectly normal until she reached puberty. She began stumbling and had some difficulty with hand-eye coordination. Then my parents noticed a curvature of her spine. She was diagnosed with scoliosis. A visit to the neurosurgeon at Duke revealed a more devastating diagnosis. Cindy also had Fredericks Ataxia. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002384/. There is no cure and Cindy was told she’d never walk again after the surgery to straighten her spine. 


Cindy on right. I’m on the left.

Cindy had the surgery at age 13 and she proved the doctors wrong. She did walk again. She walked unaided at first, then by holding on to walls and rails. She graduated from  high school and completed one and half years of college before the disease progressed to the point where she needed assistance getting around. By age 22, she was confined to a wheelchair, although for a few more years, she was still able to stand and transfer in and out of the chair with assistance. 


She lived at home and struggled for a normal life. Then about seven years ago, the disease’s progression accelerated. She could no longer bathe herself or hold a spoon and fork. So, she moved into a group home where she continued her fight. But in the last two years, she seemed to tire. The light faded from her eyes as her mind began to fail along with her body.


She’d lost total control her body. She could barely lift her chin and her speech deteriorated until she could no longer communicate with words. The loss of motor control made it impossible to communicate with her hands or via a computer. And finally,she started showing signs of dementia. 


She gave up the fight this week and God called her home.

Now, Cindy no longer needs her wheelchair. She’s running with the Angels and talking God’s ear off. She was my big sister and I will miss her dearly.


My aunt wrote this beautiful tribute to her.



“CINDY”
November 3, 1957 – February 28, 2012

Though this is a time of sadness, it is also a time of joy.  Cindy has transcended to a place where she can once again walk and talk and do all the things she had been unable to do for so very long.  I was seven years old when Cindy was born, and I thought she was my very own real doll baby.  I remember her laying on my Mama and Daddy’s bed asleep and I knew I wasn’t suppose to bother her, but I’d go and pull her toes to wake her up and run to proudly announce “she’s awake now so I can play with her”.  I was so proud of her!!!  I watched her in her role as oldest child.  She made sure the younger ones knew who was boss!!!

One thing is certain and that is that through all her years, she remained determined and yes, quite often stubborn.  As a small child, she would hold her breath until she turned blue.  One motto for her would have to be “Never Give Up”, and she didn’t.  She wore a body cast for about a year following surgery for scoliosis, only to find out after the cast was removed that she had Freidrich’s Ataxia.  While still in high school, she faced tremendous obstacles as her body began to fail her, but she never gave up.  The high school year book was dedicated to her in her senior year and she inspired more people than she ever knew.  Through it all, she continued with her stubborn and determined attitude.

I can remember when she was still walking and several of us were in a store.  Her gait had gotten unsteady and people would look at her as if they thought she were intoxicated.  She just kept on going.  She continued on to college for a while.  She fought to continue walking on her own; she fought to continue talking and trying to communicate.  Her family always supported Cindy’s independence, and in so doing, they made her resolve to never give up even stronger.

For years, she did beautiful needlepoint projects.  She collected dolls and Christmas Village pieces.  She continued to eat a regular diet, even though it became difficult, but we all know food was always on her favorite things list! 

She absolutely adored her nieces and nephews and then her younger cousins when they came into her life.  They were the highlight of her Christmas, Easter, and other times of family togetherness.  In later years, her eyes literally sparkled when she would see them.  She was happy just watching them play.  Sometimes, when I would watch Cindy as she watched the kids, I would wonder if she ever held any resentment for what they could do that she no longer could.  Well, to see her joy as she watched them and to hear her laughter when they would do something funny let me know she held no resentment, but a heart full of love for each one of them.

When you think of Cindy, please don’t think of what might have been.  For whatever reason, she was just the way she was meant to be.  And in so being, she was an inspiration to a lot of people.  And she was a blessing to the children she loved so much.  From being around her, they learned at an early age that we are not all blessed with perfect health.  They learned how to push a wheelchair and how to help someone else.  They learned that people with disabilities are just that…they are people and they deserve respect.

Even death can be viewed in a positive manner.  As a quote from Henry Scott Holland, professor at Oxford University goes:

“Death is nothing at all.  I have only slipped away into the next room.  I am I, and you are you.  Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.  Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way you always used.  Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.  Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.  Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.  Let it be spoken without the ghost of a shadow on it.  Life means all that it ever meant…There is absolutely unbroken continuity.

What is death but a negligible accident?  Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you-for an interval-somewhere near just around the corner.

All is well.

Cindy, we all love you, and we will miss you.  But you will always be in our minds and hearts.  We know we now have a stubborn and determined angel watching over us.



From Books to Movies-The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

24 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in books, happily ever after, historical romance, Lilly Gayle, movies, The Wild Rose Press

≈ 12 Comments

Some people prefer reading over watching a movie. Others prefer movies. My husband’s motto is, “I’ll wait until it comes out on DVD.” Me? I love both. I love to watch a movie after I’ve read the book. I like comparing the two. Most of time, the movie isn’t nearly as good as the book, mainly because it’s difficult to portray inner emotions and turmoil on film. But in some cases, the movie version of a good book sucks.

One of my favorite Dean Koontz’s books is Watchers. In the novel, a top secret government laboratory creates two genetically altered life forms. One is a golden retriever with the IQ of a human.  The other is a vicious, hideous monster who hates humans for creating him and the dog, Einstein because his creators loved him.  The book combines a man, a woman, and a dog with action, suspense, horror and romance. What could be better than that?

In the first movie version, the man is a sixteen year old boy and Nora is his mother. There is no romance, precious little suspense or action, and cheesy horror. So, Hollywood created Watchers II, a second version loosely based on Koontz’s novel. The second movie more closely resembles the first. There’s a man, a woman, and a dog but the horror isn’t scary, the suspense is poorly written, and the action is over-acted.  Still, better than the first movie version.

Hollywood did a pretty good job with the movie version of John Grisham’s A Time to Kill.  Although in the book, I don’t remember the lawyer’s law student getting so much “face time.” Then again, Sandra Bullock played the part so I guess that’s why the movie version gave her a stronger role than the character in the book had. Still, the movie was well done and IMHO, more closely followed the book than just about any I’ve ever seen.

The movie Cujo, based on Stephen King’s horror novel was good, but not nearly as good as the book. In the book, King gets into the dog’s head. That seems a bit hard to do on film, and the director of the movie didn’t even attempt it. But if you like horror movies, this one is a lot better than Pet Cemetery and no cute little children die and become blood thirsty zombies.   

Jeffery Deaver’s The Bone Collector was an awesome book. In the movie, Denzel Washington portrays the paralyzed former detective, Lincoln Rhyme. In one scene, the killer comes into Rhyme’s home. Rhyme’s is lying in bed, paralyzed except for one twitching finger. Washington did such a good job portraying Rhyme’s character that for a moment, I actually believed Washington was paralyzed.  IMHO, he deserved an Oscar for that role. And yet, he wins an Oscar for his role in Training Day.

Washington did a fine job portraying a dirty cop, but other actors have played similar roles just as well.  And Denzel Washington has had much stronger performances in much better movies.  In Malcolm X, Denzel Washington seemed to become his character. And his acting in A Man on Fire was phenomenal. That movie had me biting my nails and balling like a baby at the end.

Ken Follett’s Eye of the Needle made a pretty good movie. In my opinion, it was one of Donald Southerland’s best performances.

The movie version of Somewhere in Time, based on Richard Matheson’s novel was enjoyable as well. Then again, I love Jane Seymour and thought she was nicely paired with Christopher Reeve—may he rest in peace.

And I can’t compare books to movies without comparing Gone with the Wind. Both the book and the movie are classics. In the movie, however, Scarlet O’Hara has only one child and if I remember correctly, she had four or five in the book. I remember liking this movie when I watched it way back in the 70’s. I tried to watch again years later when my daughters were younger. They were bored and laughed at the special effects. I cringed at the bad accents and horrible acting. In my opinion, Clark Gable and Butterfly McQueen (who played Prissy,) were the only actors in that film who didn’t over act or do a horrible job faking a Southern accent.

Debbie Macomber’s This Matter of Marriage made a pretty good Lifetime movie. So have several of Nora Robert’s books.  I didn’t like the ending of the book or the movie Message in a Bottle. I loved the movie version of The Notebook. The end was sad, but satisfying. I heard the book ends differently. I haven’t read it. My favorite Nicholas Sparks’ books are The Choice and The Guardian.  Both end happily. So, I bet they’re never made into a movie.

The coast guard movie, The Guardian, is one of my favorite Kevin Costner movies. It was not based on Spark’s book.

Since my reading tastes run toward romance, thrillers, and suspense, there are many more books that have been made into movies that I haven’t seen.  I’ve seen many movies based on books but haven’t read the book so I can’t really compare them. And I’ve read countless books that will never be made into a movie.

I enjoyed the movie Sense and Sensibility but I can’t for the life of me remember if I’ve read the book or Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  There are some books I’ve heard so much about, I can’t remember if I’ve actually read them or not.

Then there are the books/movies on my TBR (to be read) list and TBW (to be watched) list. I own a copy of The Secret Life of Bees. I’ve yet to read it or see the movie. Nor, have I read or watched The Help.  I seldom go out to the movies anymore and my reading time is severely limited by everything else on my TDL (to do list.)

I can’t end this post without mentioning one of my favorite books: Alexander Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. The book ends with Dante’ finding a new life and love with Haydee, but I always wished Dumas’ had ended it differently. In the 2002 movie version, I got my wish.  Dante’ and Mercedes live happily ever after, which is my favorite kind of ending and the main reason that in this instance, I prefer the movie to the book.

Happy New Year!

02 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in Lilly Gayle, New Year's Eve, New Year's superstitions, New Years Day, The Wild Rose Press, wood peckers.

≈ 2 Comments

New Year’s Day—January 1—is a time to forget the past and make a clean start. For many in the south, the year begins with a traditional meal of black-eyed peas with stewed tomatoes and greens. According to Southern folklore, the first food to be eaten on New Year’s Day for luck and prosperity throughout the year is black-eyed peas with stewed tomatoes. According to Southern tradition, eating black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes on New Year’s Day brings good luck for the coming year. And eating cooked greens like cabbage, collards, and spinach represents money. In the south, the more greens consumed on the first day of the year, the greater the increase in wealth.
  And it’s not just a southern tradition in the south either. The Danish eat stewed kale sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and the Germans consume sauerkraut.
When my grandmother was alive, I ate black-eyed peas with stewed tomatoes. I’m not fond of collards, so I never ate those. I guess that’s why I’ve never amassed a great fortune. But now that my grandmother has passed, I no longer eat those traditional foods. In fact, I spent New Year’s at the beach. My husband and I ate supper at Texas Steak House and ate leftovers for lunch.
Sadly, there were no greens. So, I don’t suppose I’ll be winning the lottery. I also failed to follow any of the other typical, New Year’s Day traditions.
Although, I did wear new clothes…

Superstition dictates that people should wear new clothes on New Year’s Day. Wearing new clothes will ensure new garments and prosperity for the coming year.

Crying is a bad idea on New Years as it could indicate a continued pattern of sadness for the coming year. Lucky for me, I didn’t cry.

One should also avoid letting money leave the house on the first day of the year. I’m not sure what that means. I didn’t know it was possible to go an entire day without spending money. And since we went to the coast for New Year’s, we had to spend money on gas. Good thing I didn’t buy lunch. We at left overs.
But I didn’t pay any bills today, which is good. It’s bad luck to pay bills or lend things to anyone on the first day of the year. Some folks extend this superstition to not taking out the garbage or dusting their carpets on this day to ensure that nothing goes out of home during the year. If you must take something out of the house, let someone come inside the home first.

Another superstition? Open all the doors and windows at midnight to allow the old year to escape unimpeded. I wonder if a person would want to do this if the old year was awesome? If I had a really awesome, prosperous year, I don’t think I’d want it to escape.

It is also believed that cupboards stockpiled with food and wallets filled with money on the first day of the year will bring prosperity throughout the New Year while empty pockets or empty cupboards on New Years Eve are portent of poverty for the coming year.

My cupboards were semi-stocked and my wallet contained more money than usual. Then again, I rely heavily on my ATM card and don’t normally carry much cash. So, I’m not sure how to interpret that one!

In some cultures, washing dishes and doing laundry on New Year’s day will lead to a death in the family during the year. Some people don’t even wash their hair on New Years day.

I didn’t wash clothes but I had to wash my hair and the dishes. My head was itchy and we were at our camper at the beach. I wasn’t about to leave unwashed dishes until the next chance we got to go to the coast.

Doing a small amount of work New Year’s Day is said to ensure advancement in career, but beginning serious work project is unlucky—I hope washing dishes counts as work!

Making noise on New Years will scare away evil. That’s why some religions ring the church bells at midnight. I sat by a firebox with my husband at midnight, watching fireworks over the inter-coastal waterway. I didn’t make much noise at all, but maybe the fireworks scared those evil spirits away.

It’s also a good idea to pay off loans and debts before New Years Eve, but I have car loans and a mortgage, not to mention a credit card. Guess I’ll be in debt forever!
It is also believed that a kiss midnight will ensure affections and ties will continue throughout the New Year. I think I’m good here. 😉

To dance in the open air, especially round a tree, on New Year’s Day ensures love, prosperity and health. I didn’t dance this year. But I did ride a bicycle with my husband so my feet were moving.

And lastly, by draining the last dregs from a bottle of drink on New Years Eve, you ensure good fortune. Hubby and I had a couple of beers sitting by the fire pit. I hope that means we’ll have good fortune in 2012.
I hope you all have good luck, great love, and good fortune in the year to come.
Now, if someone could just tell me what it means to see a woodpecker on New Years…
Happy New Year!

Changing Traditions

23 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in Christmas, family, historical romance, Holiday Traditions, Lilly Gayle, romance novelist, The Wild Rose Press

≈ 4 Comments

The tree is up, the gifts are wrapped, and I’m finally ready for Christmas. Now, I sit here reflecting and thinking of past Christmases when traditions seemed so important.

When I was a child, my dad always cut down a fresh tree and we decorated a week before Christmas. When I got older, my younger sister and I trudged into the woods with him to help pick out a tree. Nowadays, I have an artificial tree and I decorate the Friday after Thanksgiving. Decorating is a lot of work and I put up quite a few. I’m just lazy enough to want to leave them up as long as possible before I have to go to all the trouble of un-decorating.

My artificial tree used to be fat and tall, like the trees from my childhood. Nowadays, my tree is still tall, but not so fat. I got a pencil tree so it’d take up less room–and I needed to make a space for all the presents. Now that Santa doesn’t visit my house any more, everything gets wrapped and shoved under the tree–another tradition bites the dust.

We used to go to my grandparent’s house for Christmas Eve supper too. My dad’s entire family would be there: Uncles, aunts, cousins, even some great aunts and uncles and cousins. The next morning, we’d go back for brunch. As my cousins married and started families of their own, fewer and fewer cousins were able to make it to my grandparent’s house. After my younger sister and I got married and had children of our own, we started having Christmas Eve supper at my parents’ house and going to my grandparent’s the next morning. Even that changed as my children got older. Then my grandparents died, and the family stopped gathering.

Grandparents have a way of holding a family together for the holidays–until the grandchildren start having children of their own. Then a new generation of grandparents begin new traditions. Or so it seems in my family. I don’t have grandchildren yet, but my oldest daughter lives in Germany.

Because of the six-hour time difference we now exchange gifts on Christmas Eve morning via SKYPE. After the gift exchange, my daughter runs off with her boyfriend to spend time with his family. My husband and I go to my cousin’s house, where I once again see those aunts, uncles and cousins. And we go to my parents’ house after lunch on Christmas Day. These days, I work a lot of Christmas mornings for half a day to allow those with children to be home for Santa Claus.

For years now, we’ve celebrated Christmas with my husband’s family the week before Christmas in an effort to eliminate the stress of so many families trying to divide Christmas day into rushed visits. But now that my sister in law lives in Utah, we seldom see her any more.

As I grow older, I find my life changing and those Christmas traditions I cherished as a child must change as well or the meaning of the holiday will get lost. My tree is no longer real, but I have the same ornaments. From the two turtle doves, now slightly mangled by a troublesome cat, to the first ornament I bought as a married woman and my daughters’ “My First Christmas” ornaments, the tree still holds some traditions. And while we we no longer rise at the crack of dawn to see what Santa brought, I still get up early on Christmas morning to go to work. And we still go to my parents’ house on Christmas Day. But these days, we have our traditional oyster stew for a late lunch or early supper rather than at brunch.

Life changes and it’s sometimes stressful. But Christmas isn’t about the gifts or the dinners. It’s about family and finding time to be with them and remember why we celebrate. So, no matter if your Christmas involves following time-honored traditions, creating new traditions of your own, or just trying to fit as many people into your plans as possible, take time to remember the reason we celebrate.

16 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in HCRW, historical romance, Laura Browning, Lilly Gayle, romance novels, Santa's Helper, The Wild Rose Press, TWRP

≈ 12 Comments

I have fellow HCRW and TWRP author Laura Browning with me today. Welcome to my blog, Laura and congrats on your new release, Santa’s Helper.

Thanks.

In the midst of edits on an upcoming release, trying to finish another WIP and promoting Santa’s Helper, catching the Christmas spirit has been a challenge this year.

It really wasn’t until last night that it dawned on me why decorating the tree is one of my favorite activities. My teenager, for whom high-tech is a watchword, looked at the tree and said, “Why do you keep all of these old ornaments? Why don’t you get some new ones?” 
To which I replied, “Each one of those ornaments holds a memory.”
Sure, I have the requisite number of store-bought decorative balls, the ones that come in the packs of six or twelve, but along with that is the stuffed elf that’s nestled amidst the branches because its hanger has long since disappeared—the very first ornament I received at the age of five. In another spot is a small black horse with a “real” mane and tail. I purchased that during a trip to a botanical garden and zoo when I was six. There are ornaments to commemorate pets, and ornaments that my son made in elementary school. There is an angel my father-in-law gave me that has a tag proclaiming “Class of 1937.” Each year when I put it in a prominent spot near the top of the tree, I remember the man who would slip me “a spot of money, just in case you want to make a pie and need to buy some apples.”
I still smile when I think about that.
My tree might not look like an interior decorator designed it. It certainly doesn’t have any “theme” to it—unless you count the memories of loved ones past and present—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
So last year, when I decided to write a Christmas story, I wanted to touch on themes that matter to me. In this case, a man raising money for charity for all the wrong reasons, and a woman scrambling for money for all the right reasons. That’s how Santa’s Helper, my holiday release from The Wild Rose Press, evolved.
Jack and Merry meet while he’s ringing the bell outside a mall after losing a bet, and she’s rushing in to a part-time job as a Santa’s elf, trying to provide some kind of Christmas for her young son.
Here’s an excerpt from Santa’s Helper:
 Merry sipped her coffee and angled her head at him. “You know, the first night I saw you, you didn’t look like the bell ringer type. And even though you’ve changed out of the fancy clothes, you still don’t look the type. How did you end up doing it…and doing it every night?”
Jack laughed. “I lost a bet with my employees and had to take over all their shifts.”
He watched in fascination as color stained her creamy cheeks. “Well, I’m glad. I’ve liked being able to bring you coffee and getting to know you.”
“I have another week, Merry.”
Her eyes widened. Was that hope he saw there? Gladness? “You do?”
He nodded before touching the delicate skin inside her wrist. “I want to kiss you. Will you let me?”
He watched her hesitate, and then she nodded. He smiled and scooped the last bit of brownie and ice
cream. “Here. It’s yours.” Her eyes held his as she slid the sweet from the spoon. Jack dropped the spoon into the bowl. “Let’s go,” he growled.
Santa’s Helper is available from The Wild Rose Press. You can also find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
I’d love to hear some of your holiday memories. Leave a comment. You can also check out my website: www.laurabrowningbooks.com for a look at some of my other releases. Most of all – I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.

Somewhere–Beth Trissel

02 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in authors, Beth Trissel, historical romance, light paranormal romance, Lilly Gayle, romance novelist, romance writer, Somewhere The Bell Rings, The Wild Rose Press

≈ 9 Comments

Beth Trissel, cyber friend and fellow Wild Rose Press author lives in the mountains of Virgina where she pens amazing stories of love rich in history. Her time travel romance, Somewhere My Love earned it’s place on my keeper shelf.

So, please help me welcome Beth as she shares a bit about her latest book in the Somewhere series…

My fascination with the past and those who have gone before me is the ongoing inspiration behind my historical and light paranormal, time travel romances.  I’ve done a great deal of research into family genealogy and come from well-documented English/Scots-Irish folk with a smidgen of French in the meld, a Norman knight who sailed with William the Conqueror.  One family line goes directly back to Geoffrey Chaucer.  And there’s a puritan line with involvement in the Salem Witch Trials—my apologies to Susannah Martin’s descendants–but that’s another story.  In my recent light paranormal release, Somewhere the Bells Ring, I more deeply explored my Virginia roots.
Somewhere the Bells Ring is book three in my Somewhere’ series (not necessary to read these in order) with a Christmas theme.   Set in the old family homeplace where my father was born and raised, a beautiful plantation home from the early 19th century, the story opens in 1968 during the tumultuous age of hippies, Vietnam, and some of the best darn rock music ever written.  From that nostalgic year, the story flashes back to an earlier era, 1918 and the end of World War One.  Having a Marine Corps Captain Grandfather who distinguished himself in France in the thick of the fighting during The Great War and then tragically died when my father was only three definitely influenced this story.  
If you enjoy an intriguing mystery set in vintage America with Gothic overtones and heart-tugging romance then Somewhere the Bells Ring is for you.  And did I mention the ghost?
Blurb: Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.
To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope–until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.
As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe–in Bailey and the ghost–before the Christmas bells ring?~
Excerpt:
“Bailey.” He spoke softly, so as not to startle her.
She turned toward him. In her long, white nightgown, hair tumbled down around her, wearing that lost look, she bore an unnerving resemblance to the mysterious woman in Wilkie Collins’ classic mystery, The Woman in White. Eric fervently hoped the similarity ended there. As he recalled from the novel, that unfortunate lady had been unhinged.
Leaving the door ajar, he stepped inside. “We missed you at breakfast.”
She answered distractedly. “I wasn’t hungry.”
He limped to where she stood, the hitch in his leg a little less pronounced today. Maybe he was getting stronger. “Why are you here, looking for ghosts?”
“Or a door to the past.”
He tried to coax a smile to her trembling lips. “Did you check inside the wardrobe?”
“Eric, I’m being serious.”
“That’s what worries me.” Leaning on his cane with one arm, he closed his other around her shoulders and drew her against him. Such a natural act, and she accepted his embrace without pulling back. She smelled of flowers from her perfume and wood smoke. “Mercy, child,” he said in his best imitation of Ella, “it’s as cold as a tomb in here.”
“It wasn’t last night.”~
***Available in various eBook formats from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon Kindle, All Romance Ebooks, Barnes & Noble’s Nookbook and other online booksellers.

When did Thanksgiving become a National Holiday?

24 Thursday Nov 2011

Posted by in American history, historical romance, history, Lilly Gayle, Thanksgiving, The Wild Rose Press

≈ 2 Comments


The first Thanksgiving occurred in 1621 when the Pilgrims and Indians broke bread together to give thanks to the creator for a successful harvest. Most Americans are taught that this incident was the first Thanksgiving celebration. In reality, that one meal didn’t lead to a traditional holiday. It wasn’t a national celebration either because the colonies were still part of England at the time. No offense to our English ancestors, but most Brits didn’t much care what happened in the colonies.

As the years passed, however, more people celebrated Thanksgiving and remembered that first meal of Thanks between the Pilgrims and Indians. Still, no one celebrated an official Thanksgiving until America won its independence from England. In 1789, George Washington recommended and assigned Thursday, November 26th as a day to be devoted by the People “to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be…”

Despite the proclamation, Thanksgiving wasn’t a national holiday.

Thanksgiving didn’t become a national holiday until Abraham Lincoln took office prior to the Civil War. In an effort to pull the country together, in 1863, he declared the last Thursday of November Thanksgiving Day. The country gave thanks to those who gave their lives in the Noble cause. And it gave thanks to those who yet survived the war that threatened to divide America.

Since that day in 1863, every president since Lincoln recognized Thanksgiving. But recognizing a holiday doesn’t make it a national holiday.

In 1939, in an effort to extend the Christmas shopping season, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the third Thursday in November as a day to  give thanks.  His declaration was met with controversy. Then in 1941 Congress set the national holiday of Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of every November.  And it has been a holiday ever since.

It is a day celebrated as the kick off to the Christmas season. A day spent in celebration with friends and family. A day to give thanks to God for his many blessings. And a day to thank the men and women serving in our armed forces for their tireless dedication and sacrifice to this great nation.

So…

Thank you God for all the good in my life. Thank you for my family, my life, my health, and my home. Keep my family safe and healthy. And please watch over the men and women of our military. Hold them in your loving arms. Protect them. And keep them safe until they can return to their families.
Amen.

Real Life Heroes Fart

18 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by in family, heroes, Indian Jones, James Bond, Jason Bourn, Lilly Gayle, love stories, real heroes, romance novels, Terminator, The Wild Rose Press, true love

≈ 19 Comments

Heroes are basically the same, especially romantic heroes. They may vary in size, coloring and ethnicity, but they are nearly always physically fit and nicely toned. Every woman wants him and every man wants to be him. It’s not just the romance hero either. Action heroes exhibit these same characteristics—and more often than not, action and suspense books/movies have a hint of romance. 

In the Bourne Identify, Jason Bourne has Marie St. Jacques. Jack Ryan “Clear and Present Danger” and “Patriot Games” has his wife.

 
In the Indiana Jones films, “Indie” successfully pursues an artifact and a woman. There’s even a romantic subplot in the Terminator movies.
And while James Bond isn’t monogamous, he always gets the girl. Or girls. He even gets married in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” He falls so madly in love with his wife, Tracy, he’s willing to give up his career and his free-loving bachelor ways.
Whether our hero is from a romance novel or an action movie, he’s going to come out on top no matter what the villain or life throws at him. Oh, they may lose a skirmish, but our hero is always the victor.
Heroes are never lazy, and they’re never slobs. They may get dirty in the jungle or after a brawl, but they clean up nicely afterwards and they never have morning breath. They don’t procrastinate or whine and although they may have an odd quirk, a hero has good manners and is never rude. 
In real life, heroes fart. And morning sex usually requires turned heads or a quick dash to the bathroom for a rinse or a brush—especially if your real life hero ate oysters and drank beer the night before. Otherwise, that sour smell coming from both your mouths could ruin the moment.
Trust me, there’s nothing romantic about morning breath. Or farting. I know. Woman pass gas too. But it’s not usually a source of amusement for them. Fictional heroes would never fart in the bed just before his lover joins him.
My real life hero not only passes gas in bed, he once had the bright idea to fart beneath the covers and then pull them over my head. OMG! I thought I was going to die. He laughed uncontrollably. I threatened to vomit on his crotch. 
It wasn’t his finest moment. But he’s still my hero, even after thirty-one years of marriage.
My husband with our youngest when she was7

He’s not rich, powerful, or titled. He doesn’t own his own business and he’s not a CEO. But he’s a dedicated, hardworking, responsible man who puts his family first.

Hubby with oldest when she
was 3

He’s a wonderful father and supportive husband.   

He stood by me when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. He never hesitated to lift my handicapped sister from her wheelchair and carry her to the car or the sofa when she still had the muscle control to sit alone. 
He didn’t complain when I wanted to take her on a family beach trip either. He even pushed her chair through the sand so she could sit on the beach.
And since I became a published author, he does the laundry more often than I do. He’s not the role model for any of my romance heroes, but Devin Flannery from Wholesale Husband reminds me of him.