Karilyn Bentley's Blog, page 45

Plotting Princesses: Just Because We Can

Just Because We Can…

Recently, the Plotting Princesses issued our first newsletter. (In case you want to sign up, put your email in the comment section below this post or sign up on our site: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com/.)
Lots of you were very kind and enthusiastic with your yes! when we asked for subscribers. So totally unbeknownst to you, Vicki decided to do a drawing from the email list.
And our winner is... SHARON BUCHBINDER!!!!


Sharon is a longtime friend of the PP and we are thrilled she has won.
So stay tuned to the PP, join our mailing list and maybe--Vicki has that twinkle in her eye--we'll do something when our June newsletter is issued.
Again congratulations, Sharon!

Blog: Plotting Princess Vicki Batman on Writing Love Letters?

Love Letters

Two days after Valentine's Day, I received a hand-written letter from Handsome. It is quite...beautiful.

After I finished re-reading it, I began to think about when was the last time I'd written a love letter or even a letter.
Nothing.
When my elderly neighbor moved to the East Coast to be near her family, I wrote letters quite frequently for I knew how much she'd cherished the ones her family had written. She read them over and over and shared bits of information with her close neighbors. I felt like I knew them like my own family. 
When I wrote her, I included articles from the local newspaper, especially if they pertained to people or places she was familiar with. Photographs were a must.
Other than my friend, I haven't written anyone a letter. I've sent birthday, Christmas, and congratulatory cards. But not a handwritten note.
I have to admit, I haven't written anything like this to Handsome. Not a missive that really conveys my feelings. It seems...embarrassing. How come I can say what I feel and not write what I feel?
That should change. That will change. I'll write something he will--hopefully--cherish as much as I cherish his.

Have you received a love letter from your beloved or someone else near and dear? Have you sent a love letter lately?

Vicki Batman is staring at her bottle of diet Coke, contemplating another, and working on another holiday story. Find her at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com or at: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com

Blog: Plotting Princess Vick Batman on Writing Love Letters?

Love Letters

Two days after Valentine's Day, I received a hand-written letter from Handsome. It is quite...beautiful.

After I finished re-reading it, I began to think about when was the last time I'd written a love letter or even a letter.
Nothing.
When my elderly neighbor moved to the East Coast to be near her family, I wrote letters quite frequently for I knew how much she'd cherished the ones her family had written. She read them over and over and shared bits of information with her close neighbors. I felt like I knew them like my own family. 
When I wrote her, I included articles from the local newspaper, especially if they pertained to people or places she was familiar with. Photographs were a must.
Other than my friend, I haven't written anyone a letter. I've sent birthday, Christmas, and congratulatory cards. But not a handwritten note.
I have to admit, I haven't written anything like this to Handsome. Not a missive that really conveys my feelings. It seems...embarrassing. How come I can say what I feel and not write what I feel?
That should change. That will change. I'll write something he will--hopefully--cherish as much as I cherish his.

Have you received a love letter from your beloved or someone else near and dear? Have you sent a love letter lately?

Vicki Batman is staring at her bottle of diet Coke, contemplating another, and working on another holiday story. Find her at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com or at: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com

PP Vicki Batman-Something for Nothing: STORE WARS

It's Free: Store Wars!
Today, MuseItUp Publishing is offering my fun and sexy contemporary romance, Store Wars, for free.

Blurb: Janie's heart's desire is to open her own store, but that could be thwarted when her old love is back in town, running the competition's business.

Excerpt:  "Store Wars"
          "This stuff is crap." I ran a finger along the edge of a faux-finished table parked inside the store's entryway, flicking more than a hint of dust from my fingertip. My best girlfriend, Tracy, and I were scoping out the competition in the Sommerville Historic District, one of which was Tejas Souvenirs owned by an old flame's mom. So far, no business we'd visited had measured up. The other stores all looked...tacky touristy.                     I walked through to the next section, thoroughly disgusted with what lay before me. This store needed major first aid. No quality merchandise anywhere. The overpowering scents of vanilla and cinnamon from the cheap candles loaded on another table top caused me to have a major sneezing fit.           Tracy passed a tissue. "Janie, need this?"          "T'anks." I stuffed the used wad in my pant’s front pocket, praying the urge to let loose again would bypass."Store Wars"          "This stuff is crap." I ran a finger along the edge of a faux-finished table parked inside the store's entryway, flicking more than a hint of dust from my fingertip. My best girlfriend, Tracy, and I were scoping out the competition in the Sommerville Historic District, one of which was Tejas Souvenirs owned by an old flame's mom. So far, no business we'd visited had measured up. The other stores all looked...tacky touristy.                     I walked through to the next section, thoroughly disgusted with what lay before me. This store needed major first aid. No quality merchandise anywhere. The overpowering scents of vanilla and cinnamon from the cheap candles loaded on another table top caused me to have a major sneezing fit.           Tracy passed a tissue. "Janie, need this?"          "T'anks." I stuffed the used wad in my pant’s front pocket, praying the urge to let loose again would bypass. "Why in the world is a huge candle display by the front door, assaulting a customer when he-slash-she walks in? I can't be the only one who's allergic. And look..." I pointed to the section at the top of four steps, "room diffusers up there. Another brand of candles over there. And yes, people, let's combine those with scented bath products. A whole lotta stinky people and stinky homes are out there in the big wide world."          Tracy scribbled notes as I surreptitiously took pictures of the store's contents. "Undoubtedly," she said in a hushed tone. "So what else turns you off?"           In one corner, imitation leather purses embellished with rhinestone crowns had been stacked on a glass and chrome shelving unit. Cheap, gemstone bracelets decorated a nearby display stand. I pointed to a shirt rack and said in a soft voice, "I'd never wear these clothes."          With a frown, Tracy cupped her mouth. "Me, neither. They're aimed for the nighttime crowd—if you catch my drift."          "I do. Yuck." Taking in the whole enchilada, I stopped when I spied the jean-clad backside of a male employee sweeping the floor. God, I hope he hadn't heard us. I steered Tracy aside and whispered, "We'll have no problems with Twinkle Toes succeeding in the Depot District. Even better than the mall."          "I agree. Let's split up, take mental notes, and meet out front in fifteen minutes."          I peeled off to the left, and she went to the right. The man cleaning glanced over his shoulder and straightened. "May I help you?"          Instantly, my body froze like an icicle. It couldn't be— Could it? Fletcher? As in my once upon a time boyfriend, Fletcher Babcock? When had he abandoned the bright lights of Big D and return to Sommerville?


Get your copy at: http://museituppublishing.com

Vicki Batman has a diet Coke in one hand and rereading Store Wars cause it is too funny. For more info on her, check out: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com or at: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com

I hope you like this fun adventure with Fletcher and Janie. Let me know what you think!

How to Seduce a Girl in the 30's by Alisha Paige

Come on, beauty queen, we better get going,” Cliff said as he led Louise to the front door and out into the February night air.
Louise smiled to herself as he helped her into her father’s sparkling Tin-Lizzy. He always said the sweetest things. No one had ever called her a beauty queen. Always the charmer, she thought to herself. No wonder the women were coming in droves.
Cliff whistled as she pulled her leg into the car. He had never seen her wear stockings and he instantly hardened at the sight. God, he had always thought of Louise as a little girl, but lately, she didn’t look like one so much. In fact, she looked darn right delicious in that red velvet dress and her hair all done up in a bow, revealing that creamy, delectable neck of hers that just went on and on.
Cliff had never been tempted by all the women that flung themselves at him, practically on a daily basis. He was waiting for Louise, but it stunned him that he no longer had to wait for her to grow up. Louise had become a stunning woman and though she was only sixteen, he was going on twenty and he wondered how much longer he’d have to hold off. He told himself to drive straight to the dance. One kiss on the side of the road could be dangerous and he didn’t want to risk it. My, she was a vision and he couldn’t wait to show her off.
“Tell me something, Louise,” Cliff asked, squeezing her hand.
“Yes,” Louise asked, batting her eyes at him in the moonlight. She knew for sure that she was beautiful tonight. Even she felt it and she could tell that Cliff was pleased. He reminded her of a hungry wolf and in a way, she liked it, though she was a little afraid to explore her feelings.
Lily had already been with a man, but Louise was in no rush. It didn’t sound too fun to her, but Louise didn’t see how it couldn’t be grand with Cliff. Lily wasn’t picky and never in love with any of the boys. Louise figured love might make all the difference in the world.
“When did you decide to grow up?” he asked, cutting her a devilish grin.
“Whatever do you mean, Cliff?” Louise asked, smiling even more wickedly than he, sending his male mind whirling.
Cliff couldn’t help it; he pulled over to the side of the road and turned the engine off.
“Oh, baby, you’re so beautiful,” Cliff breathed softly as he cupped her face gently in his palms, not wanting to muss her hair or her make-up.
Louise noticed his hands shaking and his hot breath fogged up the windows in an instant.
“You like my dress?” Louise asked sweetly.
“Oh, honey, I like you and I think you know how much,” he added as he kissed her softly on the lips.
Louise closed her eyes and was in her perfect place with the perfect boy. She never wanted to leave. This memory would definitely be colored candy apple red. She kissed him back gently and could tell it took a lot of effort for him to hold back and not mess up her lipstick or her powder that mama had so carefully applied. His breathing was ragged and it made her heart race. His tongue teased her tiny lips and she opened them just enough for him to graze past her small teeth and touch the tip of her tongue. The mere hint of her taste sent a whirlwind through Cliff.
Oh, how he wanted his woman-child, but he knew he had to hold back. Suddenly he felt guilty for steaming up her father’s car, even though he knew Bill would never know and probably wouldn’t care. Shoot, Cliff was nearly twenty, how long was he expected to wait? He sighed deeply and touched his forehead to Louise’s. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw at her temples, tendrils of blonde locks bouncing. He was so close to her that he could feel her heart beating. It was beating so fast it was causing her curls to bounce. He was touched as he took her face in his large hands again and kissed her fully on the mouth, forcing her mouth open. He tasted her, devouring her warmth and perfection. Louise pushed gently on the lapel of his overcoat and he released her softly.
“I’m sorry, sugar. I didn’t mean to make a mess of your lipstick.”
Cliff put his hands on the wheel and started the engine. “I couldn’t help it. You’re better than homemade ice cream.”

Want to hear what happened next to Lousie and Cliff? GO HERE TO FIND OUT

Happy Spring Break!

Alisha Paige

Plotting Princess Pamela Stone on Sometimes Life Takes an Interesting and Unexpected Turn

Sometimes, life takes an interesting and unexpected turn. Back before Christmas, I received an email from a guy whose family lived next door to my parents when I was born. He'd tracked me down through my website and wanted to know if I was 'the Pam' who was born in Dallas and lived off East Ohio. If so, did I remember Jimmy from next door?  Oh man did I remember. He and his brother, Robert, were a huge part of those first eight years of my life.

As Jim and I emailed back and forth and swapped memories, he'd send me pictures of some of the things we did as kids. Talk about a stroll down memory lane. Robert was cool too, but he was older and ran around with my aunt and the other teens in the neighborhood. Jim and I were the youngest kids on the block and he got stuck hanging out with me. We were united in our mutual dislike of our red hair and freckles.

My dad had lots of hobbies and Jim and Robert were always in on the fun. Go-karts, fishing, bow and arrows, and even an RC plane. Once when it snowed, Daddy built a cage that we could spread bread crumbs inside. When it filled with birds, I'd pull a string from our warm seats inside the house and the cage would drop the last few inches and trap the birds. Then we'd bundle up and tromp outside. Daddy would point out the different kinds of birds and we'd get a close up look before he'd release them and set the cage up to catch more. We worked all day to catch a cardinal. Here is a picture  Jim sent of him inside the bird trap.


Robert and Jim would play cards with my family on our living room floor or in pretty weather outside on the porch. Our moms exchanged recipes. Our families celebrated birthdays. It was a great time growing up in small frame houses and just finding fun things to do. Jim remembers his dad growing strawberries, but before Jim could get them, his dad would hand them through the fence to me, the brat next door. The other day when he came to visit he asked me if they were as good as they'd looked. Ha!

We are also amazed how many similarities there are in our adult lives also, especially given that we hadn't seen each other in almost forty years.

He and his wife, like my hubby and I, dated in Fort Worth and frequented the same reastaurants and theaters.
We each raised two boys in the same town, just a few miles apart.
We both love American Eskimo dogs. He and his wife still have one.
His wife and I both had 66 Mustangs as our first cars.
Both Jim and my hubby restored two mustangs each.  A 1966 and a 1969.
Jim and I both worked in the technology field.
We all love to travel and to collect glass art. Strange, fun hobby to share.
Love the Texas Hill country, New Braunfels, and Gruene.
And best of all, Jim and I have wonderful memories of growing up in an idealistic 50s type neighborhood.

In both pics below, that's my brother Jim to my left. We don't plan to wait another 39 years to catch up. So many memories to share.




Is there someone from your past you've lost contact with and then years later reconnected? Did it feel like you were never apart?

Pamela Stone is having a blast tormenting new characters in her current work in progress. Her books are available on Amazon or eHarlequin and she can be found at both www.pamelastone.net and http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com.

Spring - New Beginnings

When I think of spring, I think of new beginnings, rebirth, changing and falling in love.  I think there is a cliché about in spring a young man’s thoughts turn to love. I love the way the seasons are changing and flowers are blooming, the trees are budding, and the earth is turning green again. Just like the earth, people also have times in their lives when they change and evolve, are reborn or fall in love.
When I was in my thirties, after fifteen years of marriage, I walked out the door and decided this was not what I wanted in life. I had been extremely unhappy for probably fourteen of those fifteen years. There were times it got better, but I could never say I was happy. Not only did it reflect in my marriage, but it reflected in my personality.  I hated my marriage, I hated my job, I hated my life. When you’re an unhappy person, it radiates from you. You become toxic. I was a walking, toxic ball of unhappiness.
After I walked out, I made the decision to become a different person. I went to therapy, I learned more about myself and what I liked. I decided never to settle for second best ever again. I can’t tell you that this change magically happened over night. There were plenty of bumps along the road, wrong paths taken and well-hard learned lessons. But I made the decision to be a happier person.
This was the spring of my life – the new beginning.
Today, I love my life. It’s not perfect, but I don’t wake up in the morning and think who’s going to crap on my parade today. I pay more attention to the good things and deal with the issues that I don’t like right away. Fortunately, today I have a wonderful man in my life that makes me smile all the time and even when things get rocky between us, I know with certainty that we’ll work things out. My job is a job, but I’m happy there. My writing is my passion, and I create a new beginning each time I sit down to write a book. My characters must go through the dark winter, overcome obstacles and find their spring or rebirth.
So what about you? Was there a time in your life when you experienced a new beginning? A springtime where you were reborn and learned a valuable lesson of rebirth?
If you leave a comment, I will enter you into a drawing for a free copy of one of my books.  Your choice.  Here is from my current series, The Cuvier Widows: They met over his dead body! Marian Cuvier didn't know how to react when she learned that the man she called husband and father to her children, Jean Cuvier, had been murdered. Yet, the biggest surprise was when the detective informed her that she's not the only woman Jean married. There are three Cuvier Widows and one is suspected of murder.

http://www.amazon.com/Wronged-Louisiana-Historical-Cuvier-ebook/dp/B00AV07RAK

PP Interview with Shawna Thomas & Journey of Awakening

How did you get from your day job to writing romance?  The kids were in daycare, it was costing a mint. I didn’t have time to write so I did the math and discovered if I free lanced and stayed home, I’d actually be netting only marginally less.
What are your three favorite books of all time? You want me to pick just three? Ack! Sunshine by Robin McKinley—This book for me is the ultimate in vampire fiction. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I know that’s cheating but you can’t just read one. I’ve read these over and over. And since I already did it: The Harry Potter books.
Morning, afternoon, or evening person? NOT morning. ; ) Evening. I used to be a night owl, but if I stay up past midnight now I’m nodding off.
Music--with or without? What kind? I love music to get me in the mood to write, but then it gets turned off. What kind really depends on the scene.
First or third POV?  Third. I’ve don’t a few experiments in first  but it doesn’t resonate with me.
How's tricks? Do you juggle multiple projects? LOL I am the queen of juggling. But I can only have one main project or my characters’ personalities tend to blend.
What's harder: beginning, middle, or the end? Beginning. Once I hit my stride, watch out!
Revisions: Love 'em or hate 'em?  Both. I think that’s the case with most authors.
How did you come up with that title?  Best advice anybody ever gave you? I suck at making up titles. I really do. So far, the publisher has named most of my books. So if you have some advice, I’ll gladly take it.
Fill in this blank: My ideal fictional hero would think me gorgeous no matter…how old I am or what I’m wearing.
What's your favorite dessert? Chocolate! Throw in a little hot fudge, some vanilla ice cream a warm brownie and I’m in heaven!
Do you write at home or someplace else? Home tucked away in my little cubby.
What's your favorite type of hero/heroine and why? I like real heroes and heroines. I need to relate. That means they have to fail sometimes.



Leave your email address in the comments to be eligible for a giveaway for a very rare (1 of 7) soft cover copies of Altered Destiny to one  commenter. US only! ; ) 
Thanks, Shawna, for being with the PP today!

MY IDEA OF FUN -- by Phyllis Middleton

What is your idea of having fun?

In recent months, 'stuff 'in my life got troublesome. Sickness, surgeries...you know the kind of stuff I mean. Okay, I'll admit it. That 'stuff ' just got down right scary and not only for me, but hubby, too. So scary in fact, I started thinking about putting together a bucket list.



Have you ever noticed that when you put a bucket list together you always think about the fun things to do? Aside from any of my writing goals, my list contains all the things I so enjoy. Here is a sampling:


Travel. I love anything that has to do with water. On any given day you are likely to find me on the deck of a cruise ship going to destinations I look forward to seeing and things so much fun in doing.



If I'm not on a cruise ship being pampered, then you'll probably find me on the charter ship out there fishing. I so enjoy doing that. I got two big ones on our last trip to Alaska and we've booked the whole day with the same charter captain for more fun and excitement at the end of this April.



If I'm not fishing for the creatures of the deep, you may very well find me swimming with them!



Next is Game Day! Game day for our family means getting together for a whole day with our friends and family and we play games all day long. It could be card games, board games, dominoes or word games. Anything that puts us together as a family. We have so much fun and it's absolutely great when we have that opportunity to spend that kind of time with friends and family.

Commercial games: I call it commercial games because that's when we go to someplace like Dave and Busters and play on all of the machines. I like the coin drop which puts me into the skill of putting a coin in just the right spot to allow multiple coins to fall and give me lots of wonderful tickets. Hubby, being the fisher and hunter he has been, loves the Big Game Shooting game. He's good enough to have top billing on the games brag board.

Are your good times seasonal? Spring, summer and fall will find me either taking nice hiking walks or picnics in the Rocky Mountains or swimming in the light blue and turquoise waters of the Caribbean.



If I'm in snow I am playing in it- not driving in the mess. I so enjoy tubing and snowmobiling. I am just as content to stay curled up in fleece blankets, by a fireplace and enjoying yummy hot chocolate.

Well, that's a touch of my fun life. What about yours? With spring and Summer right around the corner what's on your list of big fun things to do?

PP Vicki Batman on Cuddle Up!

Cuddle up
With weather changing and the arrival of spring, I began thinking of where and how I like to read.
-On a couch, fire burning, a lap robe. A hot drink on the coffee table, a bowl of popcorn and my kitty warming my feet.

-Teeth-chattering cold. In bed, lots of blankets, down comforter, pillows piled behind my head. My cat under the covers and curled by my side.
-A lounge chair by a body of water. Grass underneath my feet. Cold bottle of diet Coke, soft breeze to stir the heat away.
-A comfy chair in a hotel lobby, tucked in a corner.
I can read pretty much anywhere, any time. I love to read and usually have a book within reach. One in the car, one by my bed, one downstairs, and sometimes, one in my handbag (although my Kindle is probably going to replace that).
I've seen people reading their phones, their computers, e-readers, and yes! even from real books. Reading consumes us, taking us to new places and introducing us to new people, new ideas, new themes.
What's your story? Where's your favorite place to curl up?


Vicki Batman likes nothing better than a diet Coke, a good book, and a bag of Cheetoes to spend a day. Find her at: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com Or at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com . Find her books at: Amazon  ; Smashwords  ;  BarnesandNoble