C.J. Carmichael's Blog, page 4

Montana Born and iPad Mini

I have big news this month. It involves an exciting new romance series, a contest to win an i Pad Mini, and it’s called Montana Born.

What is Montana Born? It’s a brand new imprint of romance novels from a  brand new publisher committed to bringing readers fresh and engaging new fiction. The imprint will open this September with four Copper Mountain Rodeo Novellas, including my own Promise Me Cowboy. Please check out the new Facebook Page and read more about this project. Also, be sure to enter the contest for Montana Born for a chance to win an i Pad mini.

Like Montana Born = 1 entry

Share Montana Born= 1 entry

Comment on a Copper Mountain Rodeo Series book title = 2 entries

Join our newsletter = 3 entries

Contest ends midnight PST on Sunday, August 18. Winner will be notified through Facebook. Good Luck!

Original article: Montana Born and iPad Mini

©2013 CJ's Desk Diary. All Rights Reserved.

Summer and New Projects

Just finished a one week writers retreat with authors Roxy Buroughs and Brenda Collins. Must say, even ten hour days don’t seem like work when I’m at the cottage at Flathead lake. We’ll be posting more information about this project soon. Stay tuned for details…

Bird’s view of Flathead Lake

 

 

 

 

 

In the photo below, Roxy and Brenda are taking a minute to read my latest Coffee Creek book on the deck. Yes, we did take some time off to relax now and then…including dinner at the lovely town of Big Fork one night.

 

 

 

But mostly we ate in, one evening trying the lemon and fresh herbed chicken and the fruit cobbler from Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cook book, It’s All Good. Both recipes were delicious!

 

So how is your summer going so far? Been someplace beautiful? Tried a new delicious recipe? Read an amazing book? If so, please share!

 

 

 

 

 

Original article: Summer and New Projects

©2013 CJ's Desk Diary. All Rights Reserved.

Promise From A Cowboy

B.J. Lambert has been waiting half his life for Savannah Moody. Now she’s the new Sheriff of Coffee Creek Montana–and she’s looking for him. To celebrate launch week of my third book in the Coffee Creek Montana series, Promise From A Cowboy, leave me a comment (let me know what’s on your summer reading list, besides the Coffee Creek books) and you’ll be entered to win a $45 Amazon gift card!

Original article: Promise From A Cowboy

©2013 CJ's Desk Diary. All Rights Reserved.

Contest Winner!

With only 4 days until the launch of my newest book, Promise From A Cowboy, I am happy to announce two winners of my Two Week Countdown Contest: Cathy Thomas who loves to read in her comfy chair and whose favorite summer song is Cruise, and Anne whose favorite reading place is the beach and favorite summer song is: Summertime. Cathy and Anne will be receiving a Starbucks gift card, some romance novels and a memory stick with all the songs listed by contest entrants here on my website and on my Facebook page.

Thanks to everyone who entered! I loved reading about all your favorite places to read! Here’s Mine: 

And here is the list of summer songs if anyone else wants to make themselves a playlist:

Summer Time Girls – Y & T

Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles

Kokomo – Beach Boys

Summertime – Kenny Chesney

Pon toon –Little Big Town

Lucky – Colbie Cailat and Jason Mraz

Fallin For You – Colbie Cailat

Palisades Park – Freddy Cannon

Under the Boardwalk – The Drifters

Summer Love – Brooke Hyland

Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen

Cruise – Florida Georgia Line

Fishin Blues – Taj Mahal

The Summer Sun – Sly and the Family Stone

Yellow Polka Dot Bikini – Brian Hyland

Til Summer Comes Around – Keith Urban

American Pie – Don Mclean

Summer Breeze – Seals & Crofts

Boy’s Round Here – Blake Shelton

Amarillo by Morning – George Straight

Some Nights – Fun

Summer in the City – The Lovin’ Spoonful

Summer Wind – Frank Sinatra

Drunk on you – Luke Bryan

Boys Around Here – Blake Shelton

All Summer Long – Kid Rock

Shine On – Florida Georgia Line

Hot, hot, hot – Buster Poindexter

Good Vibrations – Beach Boys

Please Remember Me – Tim Mcgraw

Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Original article: Contest Winner!

©2013 CJ's Desk Diary. All Rights Reserved.

2 Week Countdown Contest

I can’t believe it’s 2 weeks until July 1. For me, this feels like the real start of summer. I can’t wait to get to our place in Montana and enjoy biking, kayaking and relaxing on the deck with my summer reading list. July 1 is important for another reason–it marks the release of  Promise From A Cowboy. This book delivers something extra from the previous Coffee Creek, Montana stories. Yes, there’s a heart-tugging romance set in big sky ranching country. And yes, you’ll see more of the infuriating Olive Lambert as she continues the feud against her sister. The little extra in this book is a mystery. RT Book Reviews says: “A fascinating mystery as well as reunited sweethearts make this a riveting story.” I hope you, the readers, agree with this!

To celebrate the upcoming release, I’m holding a contest. The prize is a Starbucks gift card and a stack of romance novels–so you can sip your favorite iced coffee drink as you read on your holidays this summer. To enter, please leave a comment telling me your favorite place to read in the summer time and your favorite summer song. I’ll make a playlist of the songs and include them on a memory stick for the winner.

Original article: 2 Week Countdown Contest

©2013 CJ's Desk Diary. All Rights Reserved.

From Prague to Vienna to Home

Perhaps you’ve heard about the heavy rains and flooding in Central Europe this spring? Well I can attest to all of it, since Mike and I were there–and have just returned–from two weeks in the Czech Republic and Austria. It was a trip I’d dreamed about–the Backroads Biking Trip from Prague toVienna. Despite the crazy weather, we had a fabulous time. I wanted to share some of my favorite photos here, but if you’d like to see more, please check out my Facebook Page.

It all started in Prague…

 

This amazing city did not disappoint–especially not on this rare sunny afternoon. After taking this photo we walked down to the St. Charles Bridge–never dreaming that a few days later the flooding Vltava River would cause the bridge to be closed.

 

 

And then we started biking. Which was fabulous. Our first stop was in Tabor where we encountered more evidence of flooding as you see here on this footpath…

 

 

Undaunted, we continued on to one of the most charming towns I have ever seen: Cesky Krumlov

 

After the first day of biking the rain finally let up…but the rivers were still rising. Here you can see the flooding of the mighty Danube. Although we encountered a lot of bad weather, especially at the beginning of our trip, for the most part it didn’t get us down. There was one afternoon, however, when I just couldn’t face the rain one more second. What do you do when real life is getting you down? Why, read a good book, of course! And so I retreated to my hotel room with a pot of tea and  this excellent novel.

     

 

Our reward for enduring all that rain was waiting for us in Vienna, where enjoyed lots of heat and sun. But now that we’re home it’s time to turn my thoughts to springtime in Alberta…and to the next story waiting to be written…

Wherever you are, I hope you’re enjoying the spring weather and reading a good book!

Original article: From Prague to Vienna to Home

©2013 CJ's Desk Diary. All Rights Reserved.

Contest Winners

Wow, I have a lot of contest winners today. I’ve been away on a research/writing trip to Montana and have fallen a little behind, so today we’re catching up.

Let’s start with the winner of my Coffee Creek Montana Quiz contest–Shamelle! I’ll be sending Shamelle an advance copy of Promise From A Cowboy, which is the third of my Coffee Creek Montana stories. I’m sorry, but the rest of you are going to have to wait for July to read B.J. Lambert and Sheriff Savannah Moody’s story.

The next winner to announce is “whitby” who will be receiving a $15 Amazon gift certificate plus an autographed book from my backlist.

And finally, the Grand Prize winner of my “Moving Day Contest” is “onelady” who will be receiving the $45 Amazon gift certificate.

Thanks to everyone who signed up to my new and improved mailing list. I hope to be bringing you news of lots of great stories in the years to come.

As always, I wish you all lots of Happy Reading!

My favorite summer place to read–at Flathead Lake in Montana. What’s yours?

Original article: Contest Winners

©2013 CJ's Desk Diary. All Rights Reserved.

Surprise Contest: Take The Coffee Creek Quiz!

Have you read my Coffee Creek Books? Then why not have some fun and take the Coffee Creek Quiz I’ve posted on Goodreads?

Post your score here and you’ll be entered to win an advance copy of the next Coffee Creek Book (Promise From A Cowboy). You’ll find out what happens between B.J. Lambert and Sheriff Savannah Moody before anyone else! Plus I’m sure you’ll want to know what that meddling Olive has been up to this time.

Original article: Surprise Contest: Take The Coffee Creek Quiz!

©2013 CJ's Desk Diary. All Rights Reserved.

Five Reasons to Sign Up for CJ’s Newsletter

New book launch, working on my income taxes, moving my newsletter to a site with improved security–whew it’s been a busy week! I’m sure you’ve been just as busy, but I hope you’ve found time to subscribe to my newsletter. Whether you’re a familiar face, or a new reader, I’d love to have you on the list. And here are five reasons why you might want to be there:

You’ll be the first to hear when I have a new book coming out.
Contests! You’ll be reminded to enter–and you won’t want to miss my special Moving Day Contest this month.
You won’t be inundated with e-mail. I send out 4-6 newsletters a year and respect your privacy.
If you tell a friend, you’ll be entered in my Moving Day Contest twice. Tell three friends and you’re entered three time. And so on…
Our new server will be even better with an enhanced anti-spam policy.

Why do I have contests and newsletters and a Facebook Page and a Twitter Account? Because this is the way I reach my readers. And you are the people I write my stories for. So thank you for reading. And thanks for staying connected

 

Original article: Five Reasons to Sign Up for CJ’s Newsletter

©2013 CJ's Desk Diary. All Rights Reserved.

Contest Winner!

I’m happy to announce that Elaine from Belleville, ON was this month’s contest winner. Her name was randomly selected from others who knew that Dan Farley’s reaction to first seeing Cassidy Lambert back in Coffee Creek could only be described as…rude! I’ll be sending Elaine an autographed copy of Colton: Rodeo Cowboy.

Thanks everyone for entering and stay tuned for a new contest coming soon…I promise it will be something different and fun with multiple chances to win!

Original article: Contest Winner!

©2013 CJ's Desk Diary. All Rights Reserved.