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A Bandit Creek Miracle (Contemporary Romance)

City girl Amanda Bailey arrives in Bandit Creek to replace the bank manager who is on maternity leave. After surviving her first day at work, Amanda spends a toe-curling night in the arms of a Hollywood-handsome local cowboy.

Several doctors had predicted Amanda would never conceive a baby, a devastating side effect of her successful cancer chemo treatments. But she is both shocked and elated to discover a few weeks later that she is pregnant!

Joyful thoughts of motherhood swirl in her head, but the baby’s grandfather threatens Amanda with his unwelcome demands. Protecting her professional reputation by keeping her condition a secret in this small town is the least of her worries when she discovers something is seriously wrong at the bank.

The local gossip-mongers hit an all-time low when rumors abound that Amanda herself is the thief and is covering her tracks by accusing one of the locals.

Amanda must fight to save her career and her reputation, but will this temporary work assignment prove to be her ruin?

Witch in the Wind 

(Bandit Creek  Paranormal Romance)

May 1, 2012

Bandit Creek has a new magical dimension, The Otherland.

When murder strikes in Bandit Creek, and the victims aren’t who they seemed, powerful guardian warlock, Marcus Egan, is sent from The Otherland to investigate. What he doesn’t expect to find is Avalon Gwynn, the grieving daughter of the victims, who has no idea she’s an extraordinary, hereditary witch. And Avy’s pent up magical abilities have just been set free in the mortal world.

Can Marcus catch a killer while making sure Avy doesn’t bring Crow Mountain crashing down on the town—destroying Bandit Creek for the second time?

Check out this and other Bandit Creek Books at http://www.banditcreekbooks.com and pick up your copy of Witch in the Wind on May 1st!

Heart of Mine (Historical Western)    April 15, 2012

To avoid a forced marriage, Laura Gibbs has little choice but to go along with her controlling father’s plan to deceive the man she’s secretly loved for years. Scared and alone, she lies next to a drugged and sleeping Jake knowing fully well the position she’s putting him in.

Jake Evans has been burned in the past and has learned the hard way that nobody is interested in him, only his money. So when he wakes to find Laura in his bed, he’s convinced that she’s yet another in a long line of women who only wants his share of his recently inherited gold mine. A fact soon confirmed when her father storms in the room and demands Jake make an honest woman out of Laura, lest he be charged with rape and hanged. A bitter Jake agrees, but vows that money-grubbing Hugh will never see a cent of his money.

As Laura gains freedom from her oppressing father, she also gains courage. Determined to make a real marriage with Jake, she refuses her father’s demand that she steal from her husband and instead concentrates her efforts on showing Jake the woman she truly is.

Despite Laura’s deceptions, Jake can’t deny his attraction to her. With the physical attraction sizzling between them, Jake begins to believe he’s finally found the woman for him.

But there’s trouble brewing. Hugh, neck-deep in gambling debts with no money in sight, seeks drastic measures that won’t only risk Laura and Jake’s marriage; it’ll risk her very life.

Buy Heart of Mine here http://amzn.to/L4oKAu

 Check out www.banditcreekbooks.com for more information on Heart of Mine and other books available in the Bandit Creek Series.  Pick up your copy of Heart of Mine on Amazon and Smashwords on April 15th.   Happy Reading!

TAG!  I’m it!

On March 23rd, I was tagged by Louise Behiel in a writer’s game of LUCKY SEVEN.  Louise was tagged by Alyssa Palmer.  A writer tagged in this game goes to page 77 of their current WIP, finds line 7, and then copies the next 7 lines.  Sounds like fun, right?

I’m currently putting the finishing touches on A BANDIT CREEK MIRACLE, to be released through Amazon and Smashwords on May 15th as part of the Bandit Creek Books series.  Check it out at http://www.banditcreekbooks.com

Here are my seven lines from A BANDIT CREEK MIRACLE…

After one whiff of the toast, slathered in butter, Amanda leapt to her feet and dashed to the Ladies’ room. When she emerged, she almost crashed into Missy Gibson, the pregnant widow of the Iraq war hero. As they passed in the hallway, Missy whispered, “How far along are you?”

 Amanda’s heart almost stopped.

 “That door is not sound proof, and I suffered morning sickness in the beginning, too.” Missy smiled.

Now I get to tag 7 writers: Amy Jo Fleming, Trip Williams, Julie Rowe, Kreseda Kaine, Brenda Collins, Jill Christie and A. M. Westerling.  You’re it!

# # #

The aroma was enticing. The spicy layers dripped with mozzarella – his favorite cheese. The kids were still talking around him. But everything felt out of kilter, except for the burning in his gut. He was getting used to that.

* * *

Night. Dark. Humming to himself as he walked along the sidewalk alone. In the spotlight. Happy. Skipping.

From black to bright daylight in the blink of an eye.

From skipping to stillness – he couldn’t move. –   from Family Ties by Louise Behiel

# # #

As he walked, he began to hear sirens. At first it was faint, but as he drew closer to the Pont du Carousel bridge, he could see the cluster of vehicles and their flashing lights surrounding the Musée d’Orsay. He paused near a group of tourists, drawing his cigarette case from his jacket as he watched the scene and listened to their conversation.
A woman in the group waved to another approaching. “Oh my god! There you are! I thought you’d been inside!”  –  from The Paris Game by Alyssa Linn Palmer

# # #

 Fool’s Gold (Anthology) – April 1, 2012

FOOL FOR LOVE by Louise Behiel
A woman is dragged from a contented, happy marriage to a life on the run.

NEVER COUNT YOUR CHICKENS by Victoria Chatham
Two boys play an April Fool’s joke on their employer.

WISHFUL THINKING by Alyssa Linn Palmer
CeeCee tells Ruth about her past, but how truthful is she?

AIRPORT SECURITY by Julie Rowe
On her way home from her tour of duty in Afghanistan, Dr. Abigail Westward discovers it’s not easy to leave her fellow soldiers or the memories of combat behind.

BABY FEVER by Sheila Seabrook
Baby cribs and baby swings and a winking, blinking doll. Oh my!

LUCY’S APRIL FOOLS by Brenda Sinclair
Will this be George Jack’s year to catch Lucy in an April Fool’s joke, or will his wife outsmart him again?

WHERE RABBITS RUN WILD by Trip Williams
Not all the rabbits in the mountains of Bandit Creek are cute and cuddly. Some come with a warning label.

For more information and to read Carla Roma’s interview with these seven writers, check out www.banditcreekbooks.com.  Please pick up your copy of the book April 1st on Amazon or Smashwords.

Is Spring Here?

As a kid, I heard my parents’ theory about robins and spring. To this day, I love to spot that first red-breasted beauty hopping across the lawn in search of a tasty morsel. Of course, the robins’ return is a sure sign that spring is here. Or not!

How many times have you seen a robin, shoulders hunched, feathers fluffed up, a totally disgusted expression on his face – you really have to look closely to observe this – and snowflakes falling on the poor creatures head?

Sure sign of spring…not so much.

Today is the first day of spring according to my calendar, but Mother Nature doesn’t always hang the identical calendar in her home.  March goes out with a snow-swirling, wind-howling, bone-chilling cold blizzard most years.  And she’ll arrange a freak snow storm in May on occasion to keep life interesting. Nope, you can’t trust Mother Nature when it comes to spring.

Last Friday, March 16th, I actually spotted a woman raking her front lawn in Calgary, Canada on my way to the grocery store.  True, most of our snow had melted, but I thought it was pushing things a little. A few hours later it was snowing! Mind you, it melted in record time.

What are my sure signs of spring?  The most obvious sign – my green thumb starts itching like crazy. An uncontrollable urge overcomes me to flip through my gardening books in anticipation of purchasing bedding plants for my flower beds and container arrangements.  And I wait anxiously for the first perennials to pop their heads out of the soil. Closer to the May long weekend, I’ll purchase vegetable seeds to contribute to the family garden that I plant with my daughter-in-law and granddaughter. The deck furniture on the back deck calls my name, and I enjoy an afternoon cup of tea outside while the dog chases a toy or curls up for a nap in my lap. Sounds so relaxing, right?  Of course, there’s spring work, too.  Eventually, I can’t stand the mess on the lawn a moment longer and out comes the rake. Why does uncovering small green grass sprouts thrill a grown woman so much? Because it means spring is here!

I’ve controlled the urge to rake, so far. The day is fast approaching, however.  But, hey, raking is excellent exercise, and you know me and how I harp about exercise, right?  Let me know when you spot that first little robin on your newly raked lawn.

Happy Spring Everyone!

  Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Everyone.

I’m a proud descendant of Irish immigrants who arrived in this wonderful country, Canada, in 1882 hoping to make a better life for themselves.

My great grandparents traveled by boat, bringing their personal possessions packed in trunks and large boxes, and landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  They continued across Canada by train and eventually arrived in Brandon, Manitoba.  Land was obtained for a registration fee of $10 and the commitment to live on the land for six months of the year for three consecutive years and break at least 10 acres a year.  Thus began their dream of a homestead in southern Manitoba.

My grandfather married the daughter of another Irish immigrant family and raised nine children, all of them born at home. My grandmother was never admitted to a hospital until age eighty-two and lived until age ninety.  My parents raised me and my brother on the land originally homesteaded by our grandfather in 1885.

The term ‘sturdy Irish stock’ certainly applies to my ancestors who, like so many immigrants from other countries, helped to build this country. I proudly celebrate my heritage and honour my ancestors’ sacrifices and dogged determination to forge a better future for generations to follow, including the lives of my grandchildren – sixth generation Canadians.

When I tip back the annual green beer this March 17th, I’ll take a moment to silently thank those wonderful pioneers who helped make this day possible for all of us.