Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 74

Leaky #RV Life and the Who

TRIPPIN' THURSDAY THE RV LIFEOver the last two weeks, life has been rainy, sunny, exciting, fun, and ill.
My latest book reviews are posting, and I’m very pleased and excited over that. The Power of Love and Murder is suspenseful and a fun read. If you haven't read it yet, you can go to Netgalley.com and get a free copy for a review.
Sadi selfieSadi Belle, our precious granddaughter, spent a couple of nights with us at the RV park and luckily it was sunny and of course fun. She is such a clever three-and-a-half-year-old. She knows how to operate my camera. The self-portrait was another way to do a selfie. She set the camera on a table, pushed the button, and then backed up and posed. With the digital delay it worked! 
One day, we headed over the Mogollon Rim to the touristy town of Show Low to deliver my books to a store that wants to sell them. Nice, huh? But we had to turn around part way there. Forest Lake was a blizzard and the truck does not handle well in snow. Bummer. 
Breakfast and good friends in LaughlinRight now, I’m sitting in a hotel room in Laughlin, Nevada looking out on a gray, rainy sky. FDW, the madman, is fishing on Lake Mohave. This has been a great trip in spite of the rain and unusually cold weather for this Colorado River city. Besides having three free nights at the Colorado Belle, we were able to meet up with some friends we haven’t seen in years. They’re attending a trade show in Las Vegas and spent one night here. Such great people. It feels so good to connect with old friends. And the female half of this couple is a new friend. So, met a new friend too. I say met because although we’d not seen each other face to face, through email I felt like her friend already.
The Ranch has an owl who hangs out in the tree above our RV. He loves waking up FDW. Birds and trains do not bother my sleep. Ticking clocks and high pitched mechanical noises do. He started his call early one night. Luckily FDW took a camera and not a gun in flightto capture our resident owl.

I don’t usually make New Years’ Resolutions, but this year is the exception. After my back going out three times, two bouts with a virus, and a long bout with a chest-cough-thing over the last two months, it’s time to get back in shape. I blame this ill health on my inactivity. I know for sure my back problems are. I’ve had a painful back for over twenty years and learned long ago how to control it with daily exercise. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve done my squat routine. There’s always some reason to skip it. No more! I awoke with my second virus this morning. As soon as I’m well, I’m starting a vigorous routine to get back in shape.
It seems to me that restaurants are serving larger portions than ever before. It used to embarrass me to tell the waitress two of us would be sharing a meal. I would take my leftovers home and 90% of the time end up throwing them away. This is my money saving tip of the week. Forget the embarrassment and share a meal. 
P.S. Our heater in the RV is broken, the bedroom slide out is leaking, the island sink in the kitchen leaked and split the trim wood, and we had a hot water heater leak. We did get the TV replaced and the refrigerator fixed. Yes, it’s all warranty, but still a pain. If you’re thinking about buying an RV, I will be more than happy to give advice on what to look for. Drop me an email!

THE HEROINE'S STORY by Patricia Preston

MUSE MONDAY Please enjoy my guest blogger, Patrician Preston. Welcome, Patricia!
When I started working on Everything His Heart Desires, I thought the story would belong to the hero, Dr. Brett Harris, aka Hot Rod Harris. Hot Rod had come from the wrong side of town, raised by his uncle, no parents, no money but he was gifted and ambitious to a fault. So I thought the story would evolve around his coming to terms with love over ambition. To an extent, that did play out but the muse took over when the heroine, Natalie, came into being. 
In contrast to Brett, Natalie came from a powerful, wealthy family, but she is not the golden girl that Brett thinks. Once her character started developing, I knew she was going to be dealing with a tragic past. A photographer, she had almost died in a hotel bombing in Kabul two years ago and her story is a story of her reconnecting with her family and the hometown she had left behind fifteen years ago after her mother’s death. She had gone to England to fulfill her mother’s dream of touring castles in search of Camelot. Natalie had found Camelot when she met her husband at a castle and they were married there. A few years later, he was murdered during a robbery and late one night in London, Natalie took her camera out to photograph the dark side of life. She ended up as a photojournalist working in the Middle East where she photographed horrors that Brett and her family could not even imagine. After the bombing, she has a new face and no clue what to do with her life. The muse said this is Natalie’s quest and how she comes to terms with finding a future that she can own. 
Although Natalie is a dark, complex character, the story is not grim. There are a lot of fun moments in it. Natalie is pretty and witty. She’s not a depressed or miserable character. She and her fellow BFF from high school, Amber, who is a beautician, were so much fun to write. Of course, Natalie takes pleasure in seeing her old enemy from high school, Brett Harris, struggle to win over her haughty grandmother. 
Everything His Heart Desires will be released on January 10th and is available for pre-order. If you love single title romance/women’s fiction with picturesque settings, some humor, colorful characters and warm romance, you might enjoy the Love Heals All series. The first book in the series, One Week in Your Arms, is available now and the third book, Not Through Loving You will be out in June. I’m currently working on the fourth book. 
Author bio 
Patricia Preston loves writing mainstream romantic fiction with picturesque settings and a host of unforgettable characters whose lives entwine in feel-good stories about life, love and finding happiness.  She also writes short stories and historicals. She won William Faulkner Award for Short Fiction, the Lone Star Writing Competition for Historical Romance, and Harlequin’s World’s Best Romances Short Story Competition. She is repped by the Seymour Agency.
Besides writing, she’s also worked as a librarian, medical office manager, and in a cosmetic department where she played with makeup all day. Her favorite place to hang out is her writing cave where must-haves are iced tea and epic music. She also enjoys photography, movies, and research trips to New Orleans. Plus she’s a fangirl of Supernatural and Walking Dead. 
For info on new releases and contests, sign up for her newsletter
Check out her Blog  Follow her on Twitter  Facebook  Amazon Author Page 
Everything His Heart Desires 
The man most likely to drive her crazy…
Growing up in Lafayette Falls, senator’s daughter Natalie Layton hid her sorrows behind a bright smile that charmed everyone in high school—except Brett Harris. Hardworking and highly motivated, Brett dismissed Natalie as a slacker. Instead, she’s become an acclaimed photographer. And when Brett, now a successful cardiologist, needs her family’s help to secure a coveted position, Natalie’s more than happy to prescribe a little payback…
Hailing from the wrong side of the tracks, Brett believed he could never win the school’s popular princess. Now he’s intrigued by the complex and compassionate woman Natalie’s become. Gaining her grandmother’s goodwill is the key to becoming chief cardiologist—and Natalie has no intention of making it easy. But as mutual mistrust gives way to pure chemistry, there’s more at stake than either ever expected—and much more to learn about matters of the heart… 
An excerpt from Chapter 1 
Talk about the opportunity of a lifetime. If he could become Anna Layton’s physician, he would literally have it made. He would have Harry and Sheldon’s support and gratitude, which meant he could create a superior cardiology program at LFMC. Perhaps, someday, there would be a heart center named after him and he would be remembered for all posterity. Yes, he was definitely Type A.
“Do you want to speak with your mother and then give me call?” he asked Harry.
“Well, we have a little something different in mind.” Both Harry and Sheldon looked at Natalie as if it were her turn to speak up.
She tapped her fingers on the table. “I’m home for a few weeks, and I’m staying with my grandmother.” She managed to choke out the rest, “You can come over as my dinner guest tomorrow night.”
It took him a moment to process that. “Okay. So I’m not coming over as a doctor. I’m coming over as your date?”
“A date is kinda stretching it,” she said as if to say that was never gonna happen. “An old friend from high school.”
“Friend,” he repeated, meeting her gaze. “Seriously?”
“It was Uncle Harry and Aunt Lorraine’s idea.” She was quick to clarify,and she frowned at her uncle, who had a mouthful of cheese Danish. “And it’s not a good idea. It’s not going to work. Not with Nana.”
“Natalie, you promised us you’d help out.” Harry took a swig of coffee. “We’re counting on you.”
She shook her head, and Brett realized she was totally against the idea, which might cost him the chief of cardiology position.
He sat up straight. “Natalie, you do understand what’s at stake here?”
“Besides your ego?” She didn’t blink as she looked him straight in the eye. It appeared that, since high school, she had developed a Terminator stare.
Buy Links:  Amazon   Nook   Kobo  Google Play  iTunes

OFF THE RANCH, LLAMAS AND BURGERS

TRIPPIN' THURSDAY
THE RV LIFE
After being stuck inside for five days with a cold/virus, I really needed to get off the RV Ranch yesterday. I wanted to go fishing with FDW, but the morning temp was 42 degrees and only getting to the mid-fifties before we’d head off the lake. To some of you, that might seem warm enough, but on the water and zooming in the boat, not so warm. I didn’t think chilly wind would do me any good. 
Taking a drive is a cheap thing to do (won’t see the gas bill until next month) and in this part of Arizona, a trip in the mountains can be eventful. Honestly, taking a drive most anywhere can be good cheap entertainment, if you take the time to live in the moment. See what you haven’t seen before even if you’ve been over the road a dozen times. 
We headed to rim country. The Mogollon Rim extends about two hundred miles starting in Northern Arizona and running eastward, ending near the border of New Mexico. The part I’m most familiar with is covered in pine trees and gets a bit of snow. Our route took us to the rim and then crossing over it to the Mogollon Plateau. The Plateau offers a different variety of evergreens and more open space. I had hoped we’d see more snow than we did. Only one short area, near the crossover still had snow, but on the return trip even that was mostly gone. It was a sun shiny day. 

I’d also hoped to see elk—they are advertised every few miles with watch out signs—but we didn’t catch even a glimpse. The only wild thing we saw was on a Minnesota vehicle. We did see a herd of llama. I’m betting they weren’t wild.
Even so, it was a beautiful day and did the psyche good.
We drove as far as Show Low for lunch in one of those unique cafés that can be found only in small town America. The Sweetheart Café had gigantic, delicious burgers that left no room for what sounded like scrumptious pie. Next to the café was a quaint bookstore whose owner I met and chatted up. She’d like to handle my books. That’s a good excuse for another drive to Show Low. Next time, I’ll have desert first at The Sweetheart Café.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

TRIPPIN' THURSDAY Although our friends at the RV ranch have been coming and going, now mostly gone, FDW and I have still been busy-busy. We celebrate both Solstice and Christmas which means double the fun (and double the hectic activity). I’m guessing many of you split your holiday in a similar manner in an effort to celebrate with family and friends in more than one setting. I’d love to hear about your activities, so leave a comment.


We have had some feathered and furry friends hanging out with us. The javelina (wild pigs) have made a couple of trips through the park. I never seem to get ahold of a camera quick enough to capture them.



I did find the time to get out with FDW fishing one day on my favorite lake around here, Apache. The pictures tell the tale. I was Chilly but beautifulbundled in four layers for the first couple of hours, but since we’re in the desert, it warmed up enough that I could peel out of at least two of the layers. First fish of the day
Singing with my sisterWe had a great time at Acker's Night in Prescott, Arizona. This is a celebration of music and Christmas. All the stores around main street stay open and host In the town squarelive music of all kinds. There's hot chocolate, wine, food, and fun.

We celebrated Solstice with our son’s family at their home this year. So glad they’re back in Arizona so we could make the visit. Our custom on the farm was to have a dinner on Solstice Eve with food from our fields. We’ve now changed that custom to make dishes that represent our combined heritage. This year, we had foods that were Irish, Welsh, English, American Indian, and French. We had our dinner, then headed outside for the Solstice Fire. Our ceremony involves honoring Mother Earth and the Four Directions. We relate these to our past year and what we’ll look forward to in the year ahead. I was the leader this year. And my three-year-old granddaughter had her own Direction for the first time which was North. She listened intently to the first two Directions and amazed us all by actually speaking to her Direction and what it meant to her. Of course, there was a fair amount of marshmallow roasting, too. On Solstice Morning, we exchanged gifts. All things potty are a big deal to a three-year-old, so Nana’s and Papa’s gift of a doll that wets was a huge hit.



FDW and I are back at the ranch to unpack and repack for the trip to Prescott tomorrow. We’ll spend Christmas with my mom. Christmas Eve will be food and fun for any family members than can make it. We’ll wake up with Mom on Christmas morning. 
Since this will be the last post before Christmas, let me wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas. I’d love to hear how you celebrate the holidays.

Double Whammy #NewRelease and #Solstice

WICKED WEDNESDAY Today is one of those great double whammy days. It should be called Whammy Wednesday instead of Wicked Wednesday. 
Luckily, the first part of my double whammy involves the official release of my fourth book in the Love and Murder Series, The Power of Love and Murder. There is definitely some wicked going on in this book. The time frame is December, and the wicked involves a blood thirsty politician and his wicked FBI counterpart. Suspense a plenty! 
For thirteen years, Penny Sparks has managed to hide from the political powers who murdered her family. When she unwittingly exposes her true identity, not only is she marked for death, but the people closest to her risk meeting the same fate. 
Jake Winters is out of rehab and coming to grips with his demons. When he meets his sister’s roommate, Jake believes Penny might be that someone who can help him find life after rock star status…until her secrets blow up his world. 
With a government agent turned hit man closing in on her, Penny and Jake race to expose the presidential contender behind the murders of her family. Even if they win the race with death, the murder that stands between them could end their hope for a new life. 
From a Solstice past.The second part of my Whammy Wednesday is Solstice. Today is the day we celebrate with my son’s family. Last night we had our Solstice Eve dinner, sat around a fire, and shared our view of the prior year and what lies ahead for us. Of course, there were marshmallows involved and laughing. This morning, on Solstice we exchanged gifts around the Christmas tree.
It’s been an all round great day.
I hope you’ll be enticed to get my newest book uploaded on your reader, or onto someone’s reader for Christmas. Or, if you’re a print book sort of person, it’s also available that way. 
AMAZON:
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Love-Murder-Book-ebook/dp/B01M3YVO4H/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478459500&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Power+of+Love+and+Murder+Whiteside 
TWRP
http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4774-the-power-of-love-and-murder.html 
Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-power-of-love-and-murder-brenda-whiteside/1125058047?ean=2940156875115 
KOBO
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=The%20Power%20of%20Love%20and%20Murder%20(Brenda%20Whiteside)&ac=1&acp=the%20power%20of%20love%20and%20mur&ac.title=The%20Power%20of%20Love%20and%20Murder&ac.author=Brenda%20Whiteside
Are
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thepowerofloveandmurder-2167218-149.html 
HAPPY SOLSTICE!! P.S. This was written in advance of the busy day so no pictures. Check out Trippin' Thursday tomorrow.

The French and the English: Their Troubled Relationship in Regency Romance By Eleanor Webster

MUSE MONDAY I wish I'd paid more attention to history in school. Eleanor makes it fun today! I have always loved history. I spent much of my childhood imaging myself in gorgeous gowns while stomping about in the clothes my mother ‘made me wear’. I know real life wasn’t very glamorous – but in my imagination… The Regency Period has always been of particular interest, likely due to a youthful over- indulgence in Georgette Heyer.
However, in addition to Heyer, this period fascinates because it is a society in the throes of change. During my first novel, No Conventional Miss, I focused on the emergence of innovation connected with the Industrial Revolution. My protagonist creates several inventions, including a butter churn. By the way, current historians now recognize the scientific contributions of some amazing women! Three cheers for Sarah Guppy inventor of the tea or coffee urn, which also cooked eggs and warmed toast. Oh yes, and she also figured out a way to keep barnacles off ships.
My new book, Married for His Convenience, is set slightly earlier during the French Revolution.  This era has also always fascinated me; those wonderful ideals which so soon dissolved into blood thirsty chaos. Married for His Convenience touches on that time period and explores its impact on a family touched by its violence.
The French Revolution greatly impacted English society. More than 40,000 French refugees came, many arriving with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Never reluctant to turn tragedy into a high society event, Victims’ Balls were thrown. When a gentleman entered the party, he would bow his head as if presenting it to the guillotine while women wore red ribbons about their necks to symbolize spilled blood.
Not surprisingly, the French and American Revolutions frightened the British upper classes that were somewhat attached to their heads. This made the British even more hesitant to improve the life of the working poor or change the electoral system.
The society of the time is also a fascinating study in French/English relations, which is another intriguing topic. My mother, staunchly middle-class from Sheffield, England, was never a tremendous fan of the French language or culture. As an adolescent, I found this surprising. Had France and England not been allied during two world wars? Moreover, thanks to Georgette Heyer, I knew that every educated person had to speak French with fluency. Therefore, I was surprised when my own attempts at French conjugations were met by a muffled grunt by my maternal unit.
However, the British and their relationship with French language and culture has historically been influenced by class.  During regency times and beyond, the aristocracy adored the French language, art, fashion, food, wine, furniture. Indeed, the fact that the two countries were at war between 1793 and 1815 (except for a brief truce in 1802), did nothing to lessen this fascination.
In contrast, the British populace, the poor and growing middle class, were strongly anti-French. This attitude was fueled less by the enemy and more perhaps by the French fascination of their own aristocracy. Therefore, my personal theory is that this sentiment continues, perhaps even to this day, and certainly influenced my own mother, grounded as she was in Yorkshire commonsense and middle-class practicality.
As for me, the unraveling of societal mores and influences throughout the ages make the study of history even more fascinating.
About Eleanor Webster 
Eleanor Webster loves high-heels and sun, which is ironic as she lives in northern Canada, the land of snowhills and unflattering footwear. Various crafting experiences, including a nasty glue-gun episode, have proven that her creative soul is best expressed through the written word.
Eleanor is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in psychology and holds an undergraduate degree in history and creative writing. She loves to use her writing to explore her fascination with the past.
Connect with Eleanor
Website: https://eleanorwebsterauthor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ewebsterauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eleanor-Webster/1457032624594046?fref=ts/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eleanorwebs0086/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/eleanorwebsterauthor
Married for His Convenience
Tainted by illegitimacy, plain Sarah Martin has no illusions of a grand marriage. So when the Earl of Langford makes her a proposal that will take her one step closer to finding her half sister, she can't refuse!
Sebastian's dreams of romance died with his late wife's affair, so now he needs a convenient wife to act as governess for his silent daughter. Yet Sarah continues to surprise and challenge him, and soon Sebastian can't deny the joy his new bride could bring to his life—and into his bed!
Available November 22, 2016
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2cEzUzW
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cm9jJB
Nook: http://bit.ly/2cm8oZN
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cNcokR
iBooks: http://apple.co/2eUcoAs

YAY FOR DECEMBER #thrifty #holiday #gifts

35 year-old Christmas angel preserved TRIPPIN' THURSDAY
All the packages are wrapped, tagged, and ready for Solstice and Christmas. We do both. We started the Solstice celebration the first year on the farm, b.s. (before Sadi). We love our tradition and have continued, in spite of leaving the farm life behind. It’s great fun, and it helps solve trying to fit in a visit to everyone on Christmas. We take a little bit from a couple of cultures for our own brand of Solstice. More about that after Solstice. 
I found some great deals for gift giving. Everyone says this time of year is not about the gifts…but it sure makes it fun if I can give. Honestly, wouldn’t care if I got but I do love to give. Thanks, Mom, for instilling this in me. Part of the fun is shopping for just the right gift on limited Another Christmas relicfunds. I’m not kidding. Here are a few of my ideas. 
*For the child in your life, Kohl’s has the stuffed animal or character with a book to match, each for $5.00. They are excellent quality, and how can you beat that price?? 
Sadi makes it fun*Another idea for the little ones is a lunch box filled with trinkets. I found cloth lunch pails with children’s movie themes. For a little girl, I filled it with hair ties, hair clips, lip gloss, little girl nail polish, and chocolates. The whole thing came to under $10. 
*If you have a classy Humane Society Thrift Store (or another one), don’t rule it out for gifts. There are new items, or, like I found, a gently used item for a cook in my family. A set of three high end tiny melting pots that looked new were only $20. 
*Photos are another great gift idea. I have copies of photos in all sizes made at Costco for next to nothing. My favorite frame store is Hobby Lobby. Their prices are the best I’ve found. Kohl’s can be good too if they’re on sale. 
Happy shopping! 
Or…you can be like my mom and come back from Laughlin with $800 in your pocket from winning at video poker. Her gift budget went up! Her three children took her to Laughlin for her 86th birthday. Mom loves the poker slots. All of her grandchildren gave her money to gamble on, and she scored. She brought home all the money she went with plus $800. Her three children did not fare so well.

Silent Signals #newrelease by Linda Carroll-Brad

MUSE MONDAY
Will the valley’s feud between cattlemen and shepherds keep them apart?Today on Muse Monday, Linda Carroll-Bradd is introducing her latest release. Hope you enjoy!

Blurb for Silent Signals:After losing half his herd in the Great Blizzard of 1886, rancher Konrad Werner needs to safeguard his cattle. Tomboy Anora Huxley trains the Australian Shepherds and Kelpies that run the family’s sheep herd. Although cattlemen and shepherds are at odds, the pair discovers common interests. A threat is overheard, and Konrad rides out to Anora’s ranch to protect her. The tense situation reveals their true feelings. Will Anora be swayed by family loyalty, or will she listen to her heart that responds to Konrad’s silent signals?
Excerpt:
Mikel returned, dropping two rolls of wire onto the counter. “I have a new shipment of barbed wire too. Perhaps that works better for your needs?”Konrad turned and laid a hand on the smooth wire. “The fence to pen in my cattle has several components, so this is what I need. But thanks, Toussaint.”The shopkeeper shrugged. “Some ranchers prefer the barbed.”“I do too, and I may have to resort to that when the winter weather sets in. But I’ll wait on that purchase.” He leaned his other hand on the counter. “This year, I’m building a brush fence. I’ll use what I can from downed branches and rocks cleared from the field that will be planted in the spring.” He shrugged and straightened.“Makes sense.” Mikel nodded as he pulled the pencil from his ear. “I remember those types of fences in old country. Uncle had them around his vineyard.”Konrad was sure his wasn’t the only sad story the store owner had heard over the last year. “Gotta come up with the cheapest solution for protecting my cattle.” He shook his head. “The ranch can’t withstand any more losses like last year.”“Excuse me, sir.” A female voice floated in the air. The tone was pitched low, almost intimate. Konrad shifted and raised an eyebrow at the tall woman dressed in an ill-fitting coat and a split skirt that showed several inches of boot-encased legs. “Are you speaking to me?”“Have you considered using herding dogs to contain your cattle?” The blonde woman took one step closer, her gaze intent.“No.” This stranger had an opinion about how he ran his ranch? His body stiffened.“I train the dogs that work the sheep at Green Meadows Ranch, and I don’t see why the dogs couldn’t be used with cattle.” She glanced over her shoulder and then back to connect with his gaze. “The principles are the same, as long as the person uses the right cues.”He squinted at the green-eyed woman who stood only a few inches shorter than his six-foot height. Wisps of blonde hair had escaped the edges of her plain black bonnet and straggled along her cheeks. Her face was pleasant enough—probably would be more so without the frown creasing her forehead. “Have we met?”“I apologize, Mr. Werner. I’m Anora Huxley.” A blush reddened her cheeks. “I am acquainted with Gaelle.”His younger sister by five years. Which explained why he didn’t know this woman from his schooling years. Huxley did sound familiar, though. But he didn’t have time to contemplate why because the woman now stood by his side. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a thick-set scowling man hovering two feet away who looked madder than a newly branded steer. The second member of the arguing duo.“My dogs are exceedingly smart. A special breed with strong herding instincts. They respond to hand signs and whistles, and from a distance of more than ten rods.”He held up a hand lest he be stuck here listening to her run down every detail. “I do not wish to be lectured on how to run my ranch. My brush fence will suffice.” Regretting the stiffness of his tone, he lifted a finger to tap the brim of his hat. “Good day, Mrs. Huxley.” He spotted the brief widening of her gaze before scooping up the roll of wire and headed toward the storeroom. Irritation at the outspoken women and her high-handed advice put an extra punch into each footfall.Purchase Links:Amazon:  http://a.co/6efnAeC Bio:As a young girl, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about fascinating characters having exciting adventures in places far away and in other time periods. In later years, she read and then started writing romances and achieved her first publication--a confession story. Married with 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters, Linda writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from her home in the southern California mountains.Linda’s Links:Website           Blog    Facebook         Twitter             Goodreads

Only Five Feet Five Inches Tall, But Still Fearless by Joe Cosentino

Please welcome Joe Cosentino back to Fearless Friday. Joe write about a fearless female. Gotta love that!
           
When you’re a little skinny kid who is a straight A student, not good at sports, and live in an Italian American neighborhood in New Jersey, you learn how to entertain people fearlessly for survival. My entertainment debut was sitting in a box full of straw with a blanket around me at five years old in a Nativity play in my cousin’s garage. That morphed into full scale musicals starring my sister and me, including lavish costumes in that same garage.
Eventually I became an actor in film, television, and theatre, working opposite stars like Bruce Willis, Nathan Lane, Rosie O’Donnell, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. Acting onstage in front of hundreds of people and praying you’ll remember your lines, won’t bump into the furniture, or your fly won’t fall down also takes quite a bit of guts. Performing in front of a camera, and crew people racing around like ants, is equally fearless.
After writing some plays, I began writing novels. I sent them to publishers, and then I did the happy dance when four publishers accepted my various books! I knew my novels would include show business in some way. As an avid mystery reader, it was clear to me that my novels would also be page-turning mysteries with clever plot twists, engaging characters, romance, and lots of clues leading to a surprising conclusion. Since coming from a funny Italian-American family, I also knew humor would play a role in my novels. Most importantly, I knew my leading characters would be fearless, like me!
My most fearless character is Jana Lane in my Jana Lane mystery series published by The Wild Rose Press. I’ve spent five books with Jana (Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, and now Rag Doll) and I still marvel at the fearlessness of the ex-child star, current Academy Award winning actress, and master sleuth who lives in my favorite time period, the 1980’s. I know you’ll love her too! 
RAG DOLL, a Jana Lane mystery
by Joe Cosentino
published by The Wild Rose Press 

http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4671-rag-doll.htmlhttp://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/4753-rag-doll-paperback.htmlhttp://myBook.to/Rag_Dollhttps://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ragdoll-2126977-367.htmlhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rag-doll-joe-cosentino/1124742578?ean=2940156928002
Murder, romance, and scandal on and off the set of Jana Lane’s new murder mystery television show. America’s most famous ex-child star Jana Lane is starring in The Detective’s Wife, a murder mystery television show in 1985. Guest starring on the show is Christa Bianca, a rags-to-riches ingénue who has flooded the entertainment press. Life imitates television as cast members are murdered, and once again it’s up to Jana, along with sexy ex-detective Chris Bove, to save the day before the lights fade to black. 
Bestselling author Joe Cosentino won Divine Magazine’s awards for best mystery novel, best humorous novel, and best contemporary novel of 2015. He is the author of the Jana Lane mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll (The Wild Rose Press); the Nicky and Noah mysteries: Drama Queen, Drama Muscle, and the upcoming Drama Cruise and Drama Luau (Lethe Press); the Cozzi Cove beach series: Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, and the upcoming Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out (NineStar Press); and the romance novellas: In My Heart anthology (An Infatuation & A Shooting Star), A Home for the Holidays, and The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland (Dreamspinner Press). Joe is currently head of the department/professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married. http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com 
An excerpt of RAG DOLL by Joe Cosentino, published by The Wild Rose Press: 
Jana and Bove did the scene again with a thin piece of gauze over the camera lens aimed at Jana.
Ah, the plight of a middle-aged actress.
Jana felt even better about that take. Their relationship worked, and the energy bounced back and forth between them almost effortlessly. Again Jana wondered what it would be like sharing her days with Bove and kissing Bove in bed before sleep each night.
Herm’s call for action brought Jana back to the scene. Bove’s close-up was even better than the first two takes. It was as if they had been married for years with an easygoing yet emotional rapport.
“Cut!”
“Good job, partner.”
Bove smiled at Jana. “Right back at you.”
As she started to rise from the bed, Jana spotted Christa in the distance with a look of horror on her face.
The young woman screamed as a lighting screen headed straight for her. Stu Silverman, standing next to Christa, noticed and pushed Christa out of the way in the nick of time. The screen crashed to the floor inches away from Christa’s feet. Standing on the other side of her, Andrew Bianca took his wife in his arms, and she wept on his shoulder.
Bove whispered to Jana, “Here we go again.”

An RV Ranch Thanksgiving

TRIPPIN' THURSDAY Ranch bird sanctuaryI hope everyone is having a thankful Thanksgiving. I wrote this post yesterday, knowing I’d be overindulging in turkey, stuffing, and family time today. Our family is small, but we make a lot of racket and writing would be out of the question. We’ll do a little trippin’ this holiday long weekend from Tonto Basin to Prescott to Wickenburg and back to the basin. 
The RV Ranch is filling up with the usual winter visitors now that November is here. Most of our friends kind of come and go after they’ve come back for the season. Only a couple of them hang here for the holidays. I haven’t had a great deal of time to get social. They wouldn’t have wanted me. I’ve been coughing and feeling generally blah since we got back from Colorado at the end of October. Two trips to the Indian Medical Center has only got me to a certain level of well. Now, I’m trying some of my own remedies. 
I did make it to the annual pig roast and tried to hold the coughing down as much as possible. Missing the food was out of the question! I did miss several birthday celebrations. No one seemed to mind! 
FDW and I went to Laughlin for a few days. It might have been better if I’d Big fishstayed in bed because I think the trip set me back some. The smoky casinos are not conducive to keeping the lungs healthy. The fishing was hit and miss. I got some writing done, too. It was a cheap trip since we had free nights. Tip for anyone within driving distance of a casino: Stay at one a couple of times and you will repeatedly be invited back for free nights or greatly discounted with extras such as free meals. We never pay to stay in Little fishLaughlin anymore. 
Managed to make it through a Fall Festival a couple of weeks ago with a bag of cough drops in my purse. I think I own stock in Halls by now. Chino Valley, AZ area never ceases to What were they selling?have some surprises. Take a look who had the booth next to the local author tent! 
My eye appointment went great. After the rude dude at the driver’s license renewal office scared the you know what out of me telling me there was something wrong with my right eye. The doctor confirmed there is nothing wrong, other than a floater. He even checked for melanoma. I’m free and clear and breathing easier. 
We tried to walk a couple of mornings, but honestly, the desert and I are Desert walk is 4 wheeler trailnot on speaking terms right now. I want badly to get back to it, but the cough won’t give me peace. I’m sure I’ve gained back the six pounds I’d lost.
Always dry Ranch washWe’ve had a little rain in the basin, but as you can see, not enough to get the wash flowing. It hasn’t flowed in the three years we’ve been coming to the Ranch. I’d love to see that happen.
I guess my big tip this time was casino specials. Lately, I’ve been finding great deals for Christmas and I’ll try to remember to share next time. 
Enjoy your feast, big or small, wherever you are!