I made a road trip out to Oklahoma last week.  My father’s father is from that part of the world and I still have cousins that live in the area. It is a seventeen hour drive but I broke it into smaller parts that made it more doable.

Lavern, Oklahoma is a tiny town in the center of the beginning of the panhandle. The part where the handle joins the pan, Lavern would be a bolt.  By east coast standards this part of the US is a lonely, desolate area. My father used to say “you can see further and see less than anywhere else in the word. “ That hasn’t changed in the fifty three years I’ve been making visits.

My grandfather was born in the territory of Oklahoma in little more than a shack. My family pioneered the land. A couple of brothers from Pennsylvania rode their horses out to the open territory. They wrote back “come on out, the grass is as high as a horse’s belly.” My ancestors loaded everything they owned in a wagon and went west.  They built a homesteaded.

Land was divided into sections made up of 640 areas. In order to own a full section, a person had to sleep on it for five years. So, my family built a house on the corner of the quarter  sections, each sleeping in a room over that section. This would give them plenty of land to farm. Over one hundred years later, the house in still standing and my cousin is living in it. That home has been added on to, changed around but it is still on the original sections.

My grandfather died from a ruptured appendix two months before my father was born. Growing up, my Dad would visit his Oklahoma side of the family by hitchhiking and riding the train from Nashville, Tennessee where he lived with his mother.  Daddy said he would get on the train with the cowboys carrying their saddles, and that it stuck awful.

The night of my visit, I shared a wonderful evening with two of my cousins and rode over a small plot of land that is part of my inheritance.  I stopped by the town cemetery on my way out of town the next morning.  There I remembered my great aunt and uncle who love me as much as they had loved my Dad, and who had shown him who his father was though them.  My great grandmother lies next to them on the rise above town.

Lavern has changed little since those days or from the time I visited as a child but it still gives me a little thrill to visit. I never knew my grandfather but through visits to Lavern, returning to my heritage I become strong in whom I am.

Do you have a story of your heritage?

The spring is all about new growth, new life.

Our house is especially full of new life this year. It seems like everything is coming up in my yard double time. All the ground cover has spread, the grass is greener. My son has even had to cut the grass twice this week. I’ve added more flowers in the hope that l’ll have even new life next year.

Saturday, I hosted a bridesmaids’ luncheon for a lifelong friend of my daughter. Her friend will be getting married this coming weekend. That will be the beginning of a new life together. I wish the new couple the best of everything.

Three weeks ago my son’s cat had kittens. One gold, one white and one gray. I call them Goldie, Ghost, and Tuggs. The kittens are so sweet and are just now starting to walk. I will hate to see them leave with someone when the time comes but I do know it will have to happen. Another shining example of new life.

But I have more. Friday night my married daughter came by the house with a cake that had May May piped on the top. That was her way of telling me that I will be a grandmother in December. I want to be called May May. The thought of this new life makes my heart swell. The father is the guy in green. These are my kids at Easter. Joseph, Zach, Mary Beth, Nick and Drew.  

Tell me about anything new in your life. Or just some go old fashioned good news.

I don’t know how many of you have ever heard the statement “I call calf rope.” I believe it comes from rodeoing. It is when the calf is roped, legs wrapped and calf on the ground then the cowboy throws his hands in the air stopping the time clock. He is done. Calf roped.

In my non-rodeoing world, I hate to call calf rope because it means that I have failed. For example, my mother-in-law asked me to make a cushion for a chair in her condo in Gulf Shores.” Okay no problem,” I say. And I really believed that but that isn’t how it played out.

Making a basic pattern out of newspaper and also getting a cushion from my mother to use as an example, I thought I was ready. Did I mention that my mother lives an hour away? I brought her cushion home, made a pattern and returned it. My mother-in-law provided the material, more than enough thankfully. I made the cushion and vanity maked me proud of it. I set it aside for a couple of months until I was going to the beach. I had to also remember to take it with me which required a note on my calendar.  In June, with pillow under my arm I was off. It was too small!

I drug it home, pulled the cover off, re-made it, add more foam doubling its size, re-cut the material and sewed it up again. Thankfully my mother-in-law bought plenty of material. Once again done, I set it aside until the next trip south. October arrived and with cushion in hand again and great anticipation in my heart, I climb the stairs to the condo.  No go. The cushion was correct on the sides but too short back to front.  Plus that my mother-in-law had also decided to change the color of the room. She’d gone from browns and golds to blue. Did I call calf rope? No.

I hauled the cushion home again. I found the perfect blue material. Remade it and set the cushion aside. Another four months goes by with the cushion hanging around my house having to be remembered. This past week I once again loaded the cushion in an already overflowing car and took it south. Did it fit? No. Too large.

Did I call calf rope? Of course not, that would mean defeat. I refuse to be out done by a chair cushion. I took it apart and cut the foam until it fit the chair correctly. I hauled it home again by the way of the Silken Sands Romance Conference in Pensacola, FL. No, there wasn’t any more room in the car than earlier, but that cushion still made the six hour ride.

Now, I’m going to have to take apart the cover because I have no extra material. I will re-sew it and return it to the beach which I plan to do next week. Will it work or will I call calf rope and throw it in the dumpster? I’ll just have to wait and see.

Have you ever wanted to call calf rope? Tell me about it and win a copy of Heart Surgeon, Hero…Husband? 

(No I’m not leaving my husband for my high school sweetheart.)

I’m a water person. I love the ocean, the pool, the bath. I swim well. I boat and water ski well. I ski well enough that my children actually brag on me. I like rafting, canoeing, kayaking.  

So all that brings me to this point – this is my year of revolution. Yes, a Beatles song that I sing regularly to keep my focus. I’ve started exercising again in earnest. One of the things I’m doing two and sometimes three times a week is going to the pool for an hour. We are fortunate in our county to have an indoor pool that is run by the recreational department. The pool is for people over fifty. I’ve been over fifty for a few years but I thought you had to be over fifty-five to use the pool until recently. An added advantage to having the pool is that the cost is minable per swim. I do an exercise class on Monday morning and a Zambia class on Friday.

I wasn’t sure how I would like the pool and the classes before I went so I only paid for enough swims for twice a week for a month. It only took one visit and I was hooked. One, I don’t feel fat in the water. Two, I feel young. Most of the others there are 10, 20, or more years older than me. Three, I feel better about myself, and four I’m losing weight. The first month I swam two times and then had to wait for over a week to go again. I could hardly wait to get in the water. The week didn’t pass fast enough for me. When I had to pay for more days I bought through May. My swims are the highlight of my week.

During the summer months, I will use the community pool in my neighborhood and exercise in the lake but when it gets to cool to do that I’ll be paying for six more months at the Senior Citizen pool. I love it.

Is there anything you’ve not done in a while that you would like to try again? Share and I’ll give away a copy of Heart Surgeon, Hero…Husband? to one of the people who comment.

January started with a bang. I celebrated the ringing-in of the new year with Debbie and Sandy at the lake working on our books. Also that month my husband and I went to the college football championship game in Phoenix, Arizona. Auburn won. Big, big deal at our house.

February brought health issues for me and a snow skiing trip for the family.

 March was the month my youngest had jaw surgery. He is downright pretty now. He also celebrated 20 years with a heart transplant. Amazing kid, but don’t tell him I said so. I also celebrate a birthday. I’m glad to have them the alternative isn’t pleasant.

In April, I spent some time at the beach and visiting with a friend. 

During May I made a road trip with Sia and Tammy to a conference in Florida. Learned a lot and did some great brain storming. A book we worked on is my work in progress.

June saw me receiving my first romance book contract. I was thrilled with a two book deal. I took my mother, daughter and niece with me to New York. I sent them home and attend the Romance Writers of America conference. I won’t lie, it was fun to wear a first sell ribbon. This was also the first year one of my workshops was picked up. Cool stuff. I had a chance to sit down and talk to my editor too.

July started with 4^th of July at the lake. Hard to beat that.

August was memorable because we had NO rain during that month. None. I can’t remember being so miserable.

September meant school started again for me. I’m still substituting but not as much as I used to. I had to start working hard on second book.

October brought the Georgia Romance Writers Moonlight and Magnolias conference. I got to give a workshop and I was a finalist in the Maggie. Carol came for a visit. Always a thrill, I don’t get to see her near enough. At the end of the month, I celebrated 29 years of marriage.

November was the month for thanks and I had much to be thankful for. Petit Fours and Hot Tamales being among the things I’m grateful for.

December meant giving a 50^th birthday party for a friend, a three book contact and an end to a happy year.

I met my writing goals for 2011, but I have some personal goals I’m going to give more attention to in 2012. If I have half as good a year in 2012 as I did in 2011, I’ll be more than pleased.

In honor of the Petit Fours and Hot Tamales 3rd Anniversary I’m giving away a basket of books written by Georgia authors including mine to one lucky commenter. So tell me how 2011 was for you or your plans for 2012.

 

The Doctor’s Mission

Debbie Kaufman

http://www.debbiekaufman.com/

Harlequin LoveInspired Historical

ISBN-10: 0373828942

ISBN-13: 978-0373828944

A woman doctor! Missionary William Mayweather can’t hide his disappointment. The Nynabo mission in Liberia, Africa, desperately needs help, but he’s vowed not to put another female in jeopardy. Too bad flame-haired Dr. Mary O’Hara refuses to turn back—and he cannot allow her to go into the jungle alone.

Medicine or marriage? For Mary, the choice was clear. Far away from the patriarchal medical community, she resolves to be of real service. She’ll willingly go head-to-head with the handsome, opinionated missionary, even in the face of deadly danger. Yet the greatest tests lie in trusting God’s plan—for the mission, and her future happiness in this untamed, beautiful land…

~~~

I’m going to give a disclaimer right up front – I’m bias where this book is concern. That being said I wouldn’t lie or even write a review just because I know the author. Now you have my proviso I’ll give you my thoughts on The Doctor’s Mission. As a Loveinspired, The Doctor’s Mission more than hits the mark. It is a sweet romance that still has titillating tension. The characters are well-developed and likeable, and the reader roots for the characters to get together. As a historical, the research shines and is woven into the story so that the reader is drawn in, instead of being hit over the head by the information. Its most striking element is that it is some of the finest writing I’ve read. It is spot on for the time period. If you like tender romances with a spiritual element I would highly recommend this book. If you just want to read a well-written book this is the one.

By Susan Carlisle

Last month I shared a story about a town that was taken-in by a major marketing scam. petitfoursandhottamales Today you’re going to get a real version of the same type of marketing but with no negative results.

A number of years ago a billboard along the main highway through my town read:  Your Wife Knows. My first thought was someone is announcing to a cheating husband that he better be prepared to be shot when he gets home.

That particular statement remained for a month, maybe two, before it was replaced with: Your Mother Knows. How even I was getting nervous. My mother doesn’t need to know everything I do. Still there was no indication of who was putting up the messages.

Another few months went by and another message went up: Everyone Knows. Still there is no hint to who was putting the announcements on the billboard. People were intrigued by now. My mother, who lives in a town thirty minutes away, came to visit. While she was at my house she asked if I knew what the billboards were about. A friend of ours, living in the same town as I do, had asked my mother at a party if I knew what the billboards meant. So the word had spread. I told her I had wondered but had no idea.

A number of months later the billboard was changed again. This time it read: Everyone knows that Riverside Toyota has the best deals.

I thought the answer was pretty funny. Not at all what I expected.

When I thought of writing this post I couldn’t remember what the signs had said but I did remember the car company who’d put them up, which was the point to begin with.  I called the car dealership and asked for the person who handled the advertising. He was unavailable so I told the receptionist what I needed to know. She remembered every one of the sayings. Affective advertising even six or eight years later.

I hope my book, which is coming out in January, is just as memorable as the car ad. Everyone knows you should read it.

Let me know what you think about this marketing idea and I’ll give one lucky commenter a copy of Heart Surgeon, Hero…Husband? at eharlequin

By Jackie Braun

http://jackiebraun.com/

Harlequin Romance

ISBN-13:978-0-373-17551-2

Hired: one Christmas angel!

With the dreaded holidays nearing, the last thing widowed businessman Dawson Burke needed was a personal shopper who wanted to get personal. What part of “I want to be left alone” didn’t Eve Hawley understand? She just seemed intent on getting him into the Christmas spirit…

Eve could see Dawson had stopped wishing on the future, and he didn’t know how lucky he was to be surrounded by loving family. But once she’d helped him find the joy he’d been missing, Eve couldn’t help wishing Dawson would give her the best Christmas present of all—by proposing to her.

Dawson is a poor tortured soul and Eve is the upbeat woman with her own problems that pulls him back into living again. I liked Dawson, Eve and Dawson’s family. Just a good down home book. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.  Keeper.

~~~

The books we review on this site, unless otherwise noted, are our own personal copies. The Petit Fours and Hot Tamales blog members do not accept payment in exchange for a review or mention.

On the Lewisville Theater marquee was posted the words in huge red block letters: It is coming.

The people of Lewisville questioned and wondered about the message but few paid it much mind.

A few weeks later the marquee was changed. It read: It is coming soon.

How the people were more interested. They started asking each other what “it” was.

A few more weeks went by and the marquee was changed again to read: It is almost here.

The “it” was all the talk in town. Young and old wanted to know what the “it” was. A week later the marquee read:

It will be here on Friday night at 7:00PM

Get your tickets now.

Friday night the Lewisville Theater was packed, standing room only. Everyone in town from the age of five up was in attendance. As the house lights lowered a hush fell over the crowd. The people sat on the edge of their seats as the heavy velvet curtain spread wide. The spot light circled and landed on the wall at center stage where these words were written.

IT IS GONE!

Not an honest bit of marketing but quality marketing none the less.

I’m going to do a little bit of the same thing today. My new book will be coming out in January so I’m on the big build up. Last month I shared my new book cover. The “It is coming” part.  Once again I’m going to share the cover along with the blurb and say Heart Surgeon, Hero…Husband? is coming soon!

Discoving her tiny son desperately needs a new heart terrifies Hannah Quinn – especially when she realizes ex-flame Scott McIntyre is the skilled surgeon in charge of the transplant. Entrusting her baby to Scott’s miracle-working hands is one thing, but whether Hannah’s own heart will survive Scott’s devastating charm intact is quite another…

Get your copy before they are gone by being a lucky commenter!

Under Your Spell

By Lois Greiman

http://www.loisgreiman.com/

Avon Historical 

ISBN-10: 0061191361

To London society, they were nothing more than a group of will-bread ladies gathering to gossip about the bachelors of the ton. But the women of Lavender house share an uncommon gift that will lead them to days filled with danger-and nights of unquenchable desire.

With her smoldering glances and dazzling beauty, Ella St. James, Countess of Lanshire, could bewitch any man. But she isn’t about to squander her unique attentions on the mundane task of finding a husband. After all, the perfect man is a mere fantasy, and she has more urgent worries. A close friend and fellow Lavender house lady has gone missing, and Ella is determined to find her. But everywhere she turns, she finds only the handsome, alluring, and troublemaking Thomas Donovan. 

Thomas has secrets of his own, secrets that could destroy him, and his attraction to the tantalizing leads her into mortal peril, Thomas cannot help but try to rescue her love her, and devour her… for he has fallen under her spell.

If you appreciate a strong woman with special talents Ella won’t disappoint. Thomas is a tortured man because of his past but Ella is able to see passed that to the man inside. Ella maintains her secrets but Thomas has a way of getting her to open up.

This story had some surprises and wasn’t my usual fair but I liked the characters and the plot line. Interesting read.

~~~

The books we review on this site, unless otherwise noted, are our own personal copies. The Petit Fours and Hot Tamales blog members do not accept payment in exchange for a review or mention.