Karilyn Bentley's Blog, page 32

Phyllis Middleton: Creative Multi-Tasking

 
There are several Plotting Princesses who love doing crafts and I am one of them. I don’t do them all the time, but when I get started on a new project, I keep going to for a while until I've made family and friends new little trinkets or something to wear. 
 For years, I've made jewelry.











 I so enjoy seed bead weaving.
 Lately, I've discovered Loom Knitting. Me! Knitting on a loom! I’ve always been able to crochet and make pretty things, but I packed those needles and yarn away for more than twenty years.  Then the new scarf craze hit and I crocheted a number of ruffle scarves. Those were my Christmas gifts for family and friends.  But let’s get real…there are only so many scarves I can do. 
That’s when I discovered the looms. Short ones, long ones, round ones and others I can adjust to any size! Now, I have baby blankets to make, afghans, more scarves with hats and who knows what else I will make. 

The really cool thing about all my craft work is that my mind is totally free to wonder. That's how I work out troublesome writing scenes. When I have absolutely NO  clue what to put down on paper, I listen to my creative music, get my fingers to working on some kind of craft items and eventually, the scene works!

So do you have a favorite hobby or craft? 

Creative Multi-Tasking by Phyllis MiddletonThere are...

Creative Multi-Tasking by Phyllis Middleton
There are several Plotting Princesses who love doing crafts and I am one of them. I don’t do them all the time, but when I get started on a new project, I keep going to for a while until I've made family and friends new little trinkets or something to wear. 
 For years, I've made jewelry.










 I so enjoy seed bead weaving.
 Lately, I've discovered Loom Knitting. Me! Knitting on a loom! I’ve always been able to crochet and make pretty things, but I packed those needles and yarn away for more than twenty years.  Then the new scarf craze hit and I crocheted a number of ruffle scarves. Those were my Christmas gifts for family and friends.  But let’s get real…there are only so many scarves I can do. 
That’s when I discovered the looms. Short ones, long ones, round ones and others I can adjust to any size! Now, I have baby blankets to make, afghans, more scarves with hats and who knows what else I will make. 

The really cool thing about all my craft work is that my mind is totally free to wonder. That's how I work out troublesome writing scenes. When I have absolutely NO  clue what to put down on paper, I listen to my creative music, get my fingers to working on some kind of craft items and eventually, the scene works!
So do you have a favorite hobby or craft? 

Vicki Batman ~ Plotting Princesses' royal news

 Royal News Forthcoming!      For the latest and greatest decrees from the PP gals, here's our February newsletter (info about the Cupid Comes Calling Blogtacular, too):    http://ymlp.com/zSGLOg

What do Readers Want?

Weekend before last I spent in San Francisco with some of the biggest names in romance talking about how to increase our presence on Amazon and reach more readers. This conference was small, personal and so unique. It’s not often you can ask Belle Andre or Tina Folsom or Sara Fawkes about their success.  Not to forget Nina Lane, Delilah Fawkes, Courtney Milan, Cynthia Woolf and several other Best-selling authors that attended. We spent the weekend discussing metadata, keywords, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Street Teams and all the other details that help sell our books. As we sat there, I couldn’t help but wonder if we shouldn’t be asking questions of our readers.So I would like you to take the following unscientific, totally random for my own purposes survey. It’s only five questions, with a bonus round and someone (randomly drawn number), who answers will receive a free book just because they participated. The results will be tallied and shared with other authors. 1)      How do you choose an author?
a.      Name Recognitionb.      Recommendation from someone you knowc.      Genre d.      Only buy Authors you’ve read previously.
2)      Do you read:a.      Multiple Genres (Contemporaries, Westerns, Mysteries, Paranormal, Erotica, Inspirations etc.)b.      Only one Genrec.      You don’t care as long as it’s a good story.
3)      Do you read:a.      Ebooksb.      Paperbacksc.      Both
4)      How many books a month do you read?
       a.  1-5       b.  6-10       c.  11 or more       d.  only short stories
      5)      What interests you the most in the story?                    a.  Plot                    b.  Characters                     c.  Suspense                    d.  Happily Ever After
     6) Bonus Round – Is there one plot device that you are sick of reading about? What is it and why? What do you wish writers would write more stories about?  

Okay, readers this is your opportunity. I have authors who really want to know the answers to these questions. Remember everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a drawing for a free book. I’ll even make it your choice. So let us hear from you! Leave your email address or check back tomorrow for the winner.  
Sylvia McDaniel is the best-selling author the western historical series, The Burnett Brides and The Cuvier Women. She has sixteen books published and is about to publish 2 more. She writes Western Historical and contemporary romance.  Look for her newest release in March.  Visit her website at: www.sylviamcdaniel.com.

 

Something to Entertain You

Today is my day to blog here at the PP and I've been trying to come up with a topic. First I was going to tell you about my weekend, but it was really boring.

And then I was going to tell you about the checker we had at the grocery store this weekend who was UBER annoying and shouted out things about the items we bought. (We were not amused.)

Since I've had neck and shoulder pain for the last few days, I'm not feeling so very creative. So...

I finally settled on a topic. Today, I shall introduce to you My Drunk Kitchen. It's wildly inappropriate and hilarious and I literally laugh out loud.

What to learn how to make pancakes? She'll show you how!



 

CUPID COMES CALLING! AND THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER IS...

EVERYONE WHO POSTED A COMMENT EVERY DAY OF OUR CUPID COMES CALLING BLOGTACULAR HAD THEIR NAME PUT INTO A BOWL AND MY MY DAUGHTER DREW OUT THE PIECE OF FOLDED PAPER WITH THE NAME KARLA EAKINS!! CONGRATULATIONS, KARLA!!! PLEASE CONTACT ME AT JULIETBURNS@GMAIL.COM WITH YOUR SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS SO WE CAN MAIL YOU THE $200 VISA GIFT CARD!
THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED AND LEFT COMMENTS. This blogtacular was so much fun! I enjoyed reading all the wonderful stories of how people met their true loves, and I loved hearing from readers about their experiences too!

Cupid Comes Calling: Favorite Romantic Era

Happy Valentine’s Day! Welcome to the final day of the Plotting Princess Valentine’s Day blog. I hope you’ve had fun reading all the romantic tales and commenting to get your name in the drawing for that $200 Visa gift card!
 

WWII is a wonderfully romantic era for me, perhaps because as it ended my parents met and fell in love.It all started in a small town south of Dallas, when the Yates family rented a house down the road from the Hunts, my mom’s family. Often, they would drop by the Hunt farm and visit. I don’t know for sure, but my theory is that those visits became more frequent once they got a taste of my grandmother’s homemade biscuits, pies and cakes. Anyway, at the beginning of the war, my mom, Syble Hunt, was still in school and the youngest Yates son, Bobby, developed a boyhood crush on her. Bobby would save her a seat on the school bus each day. He kept telling Syble that she should meet Duane, his oldest brother who was a tail gunner on a B-17. Bobby was a sweet kid, but she didn’t pay much attention. So when the war ended and Duane returned to Texas, his dad and kid brother started in with similar stories. “You should meet Syble Hunt. She’s pretty and smart and she can really cook!” Like Syble, Duane didn’t give the stories much credence. He’d bought a used hot rod convertible and began settling back into civilian life, enjoying his freedom. He’d earned the title of jitterbug king overseas and taught dance for awhile in Dallas.
.I know, get to the story. So one Friday afternoon Duane and Bobby were in town sitting on the hood of the hot rod convertible enjoying a soda. The Interurban (street car) pulled in from Dallas and the classiest girl Duane had ever laid eyes on stepped off. As he watched her walk across and get into her dad’s car, he asked his younger brother, “Who is that?” Bobby punched him in the shoulder. “That’s the girl we’ve been telling you about!” Duane grinned that sideways grin of his, “I think I’ll marry her.”
It took Dad two years to convince Mom to marry him, but as they say, the rest is history. How about you? Is there a particular era that you find romantic? Please leave a comment and in addition to the drawing for the $200 Visa gift card, I'll give one commenter an ecopy of my latest release, Undercover Heart.

Karilyn Bentley: Cupid Comes Calling - Blind Date

 
By the time I hit grad school in my mid-twenties, I was single and tired of dating jerks. One morning I woke and decided enough was enough and there was nothing wrong with living the rest of my life by myself. I had friends, why did I need a man?

And that's when Cupid struck.

After an hour of bemoaning the latest dating mistake to one of my grad school buddies, she asked if I'd like to meet one of her friends. "He has long hair. You don't mind long hair, do you?" Of course not, all the better to run my hands through. <g>

She picked a day for a double date with her then-fiance and invited us over to her house. She presented this as it was to me, a blind date. However, to my potential date, she said a group of friends were going out for drinks and music, would he like to come. Needless to say he was a bit surprised that the group of friends was a double date. <g>

I arrived first, before either of the guys. "Are you nervous?" my friend asked.
"Nope. As long as you don't mind if I don't like him, I'm not nervous about the date."
"Oh my god. I would be so nervous. What if he's the one you marry?"
I don't remember what I said to that, but I do remember thinking, yeah right. And then there was the distinct twang of an arrow being fired from Cupid's bow.

When my date arrived I thought he was cute. And tall. And short-haired b/c he'd cut his hair to go on job interviews. He thought I was adorable b/c I kept tripping all night long (he thought I was tipsy, little did he know I just can't walk a straight line without tripping on air and falling over my feet). By the end of the night, I knew he was the one. This is strange, I know, but when I sat beside him, or held his hand, I felt like threads were binding our hearts together. Don't laugh.

Then he left. Without asking for my number. I was too shy to ask for his and kept beating myself up over it the rest of the night.

Six weeks later he got my number from our friend and the rest is history. We dated two years (b/c both of us are slow movers with decisions, especially life changing ones) before getting married and have been married for a little over 14 years. Still in love. Still feeling those strange heart-binding threads of a soul mate.

Have you ever been set up on a blind date? If so, what happened?

Make a comment to be entered into a drawing for a chance at a $200 gift card. And while you're at it, my werewolf anthology, After the Moon Rises, is FREE until Saturday, 2/15, on Kindle. Download your copy now!!!

Karilyn Bentley
www.karilynbentley.com
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What Do You Want Your Sweetie To Bring You for Valentine's Day?

Every month in my newsletter I ask my readers a question and have them respond. This helps me get to know them, and hopefully they learn about me as well, since I answer every single email. This month I asked them what they wished their sweetie would give them for Valentine’s Day. Some of their responses were so sweet and caring that I’m sharing them with you!“I wish my sweetie would just plan a trip and take me away.  For once, I don't want to be the one who does all the planning and the packing.” Kim“I wish my sweetie would get me a pound of Alaskan King Crab legs and we’ll have a wonderful dinner.  I’m just not a red roses kind of girl.  Maybe this year-lol I've asked him for the last 33 years.  I should put a sticky on his car steering wheel I think.” Jai“Unfortunately, my sweetie has to fly over 1400 miles away on V day to go to his first sweetheart, his mom. I give him willingly to the woman that raised a good man, that needs him now, more than ever, being that he is her oldest boy.” Carla“If my sweetie were still with me, he would bring me flowers, candy and take me to dinner. We would have to dress nice to go. He always opened my door for me. I really miss him. He was a true gentleman.” Sharon “If I could have anything from my Sweetie for Valentines Day I wish he would surprise me by telling me that I am Important to him and that he wants to have "Date Night " twice a month where we can spend time together and he can make me feel that on that day I am the one he wants to be with. Surprise me once in awhile and reignite the spark!” Jayne“I would be perfectly content to stay in our pajamas and watch Netflix all day for Valentine's Day. I just want to spend time with my husband since we rarely have a day off together. He has two jobs and works most evenings as well as every weekend while I work days and have off Saturday and Sunday.  It would be so nice to have an entire day off with him.” CarrieAnd the one that made me cry…“My husband and I have had a difficult time since my health has failed. I haven't been able to work in almost four years. I also have been unable to do many of the household chores due to my health problems. He has been increasingly bitter as he must take on more and more of the familial responsibility. Fun times are gone since there is never any extra money. I would love for my husband to look at me with love and desire in his eyes, rather than looking at me as if I am a burden. That alone is my wish.” MichelleAnd the one that we all share…

“I wish my sweetie would just tell me how much he loves me and cares for me.” Carol So tell me what you wish your sweetie would give you for Valentine’s Day and be entered not only into the blog giveaway, but I will give away a copy of Return to Cupid. A Valentine’s Day anthology by Sylvia McDaniel, Carol Rose and Kathy Shaw. Happy Valentine’s Day!

 
 

Cupid Comes Calling: Book Babies and Birthdays

Today is a super special day. I mean, mega-important, stop-everything-you're-doing-and-savor kind of day. Because...
It's my hubster's birthday. He's turning the big 4-0.
But, like a very fine wine, he only gets better with age. I've been celebrating his birthday with him since he was 14... A lot of years ago, I know. And even though there are times we're more likely to growl at each other and cuddle, I do hope there's many more years to come.

It's kind of fitting that I'm celebrating his birthday AND my latest book release around the same time. Why? Well, I'm glad you asked. My latest book is
a Young Adult romance. (see the hubby's age when we met above) It's about a big-city girl moving to a small Texas town and falling for a pretty amazing cowboy.

NO, this is not auto-biographical. But it did make me nostalgic for those wrapped-up-in-each-other-because-the-rest-of-the-world-doesn't-exist passion. And, I admit, I did have a really wonderful time spinning a little of my teenage romance into Wyatt and Allie's love story.
I'm pleased to say, I think the book turned out pretty sweet! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, if you read it.

Here's a little Cowboys & Kisses teaser for you!


Before I sign off - I wanted to say a VERY BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY To Plotting Princess Kathy Ivan! *Hugs* and *Kisses* Lady! Hope it's the best one yet!