Jan Romes's Blog, page 25
March 10, 2012
Sweet, loveable friend!
Meet my loveable pal, Karl! He's been a member of our family since 1999 - (by my calculations he's about to celebrate his 91st birthday!) What an amazing mix: part German Shepherd, Corgi, Boxer, & Labrador -- very low to the ground, but a fierce defender! (especially when the UPS truck pulls into the driveway)
February 29, 2012
Interview with romance author, Katheryn Lane!
Today, I'd like to welcome contemporary romance author, Katheryn Lane, to my blog. Katheryn was raised in England, is living in the Middle East, and writes sweet, heartwarming, yet sensual stories set in exotic locations.
I recently had the pleasure of reading her novel, THE ROYAL SHEIKH, and thought it would be fun to ask Katheryn a few questions:
Jan: Katheryn, your book, THE ROYAL SHEIKH, is an amazing story, rich with details. Did you have to research extensively or are you surrounded by all the wonderful particulars in your book?
Katheryn: Thank you very much Jan. I'm so glad you liked my book! I did have to do some specific research for it, but that was mainly for the heroine, Clare, who is training to be an architect, so I had to check how a person qualifies for such a career and how long it takes.For the Middle Eastern details, I did quite a bit of research about the region before I wrote the book, but that was mainly because I wanted to find out more about the place that I was coming to live in! Once I started writing, I tried to incorporate some of the details I had read about, as well as the things that I started to see around me. A few of the details are based on stories that other people have told me. For example, in The Royal Sheikh, when the heroine goes on board the Sheikh's luxury yacht she sees a bunch of flowers made of gold with jewels in the centre of each one, such as diamonds, opals etc. This description is based on a vase full of golden flowers that a friend of mine actually saw when she visited a royal palace!Jan: When you created Prince Rafiq and architect, Clare McKay, did you know exactly how their adventure would go? Or did you let their story develop organically?Katheryn: I did a lot of planning and had the book all carefully plotted out before I started it, as well as detailed character profiles. However, once I began writing, the characters took over and began to change the story and make it their own. This may sound odd, but there were times when I could hear the characters saying 'I would never do that' about the parts of the original plot. Therefore, I changed sections to make them fit with what the Sheikh and Clare would really want to do and say in those situations. However, despite these changes, the basic structure of the story stayed the same.Jan: You not only write romance, but you're also a mother, and a teacher. Is there anything you would like to share about how you make it all work?Katheryn: With difficulty! Luckily as a teacher I have long holidays, as well as mid-term breaks and this is when I try to do most of my writing. I also try to write in the evenings once my kids are in bed, but often I'm too tired! I must admit that I do get very easily distracted by the internet and I can find myself spending hours on sites like Facebook and Twitter chatting to people when I should be writing. My New Year's resolution this year was to be more disciplined and spend less time on social networking sites. So far I have been partially successful and I've managed to get quite a lot more writing done.Jan: What was your biggest adjustment when you left England to live in the Middle East?Katheryn: I actually left England quite a long time ago to teach abroad and before I was in England, I lived in the USA. However, previous to moving to the Middle East, I worked in various Asian countries, so I found the Middle East to be very different. One thing that took me a long time to get used to was the desert, which seem so vast and empty compared to the jungles and mountains of Asia. Wherever I live though, there are always certain things that I miss about England and the USA. I miss good English pub lunches and I miss the positive, can-do attitude of the USA. On the other hand, I don't miss the ridiculously high petrol prices or the government taxation!Jan: You are currently writing another story set in an exotic location. Would you like to whet our appetites with a few details?Katheryn: My next romance has a provisional title of 'Her Latin Lover' and is based in South America. I decided not to locate it in the Middle East because a key element of the plot is a poker game which takes place the night before the story starts and gambling is illegal in most (perhaps all?) of the Middle East. Also, the story depends on the heroine being in a very dangerous country, where she is threatened at gun-point by a local man (I won't say who or what happens, or I'll give too much of the story away).Although the Middle East has dangerous areas, it's generally a very peaceful, safe area (despite some recent press). However, I did once hear about some teachers that were kidnapped on their way to the airport in Yemen many years ago. Maybe a kidnapping could be the basis for another Sheikh romance in the future? Jan: Can you tell those of us eager to read this new story, when we will get the chance?
Katheryn: Although I've finally finished writing the book, thanks for my New Year's resolution, I'm still at the editing stage and that can also be a long process as the book will need to go through several different readers, as well as myself, to check for errors, plot holes etc. I also need to have a cover designed which will capture the feel of the story. Like The Royal Sheikh, it is a sweet romance, so I don't want the cover to imply an erotic story, but at the same time the cover design needs to indicate a sensuous romance. Hopefully, the whole thing should be edited and available on Amazon as an ebook by late March - I've just set myself a deadline here! As soon as it's published, I'll everyone know on my blog, Twitter and Facebook at:http://Katheryn-Lane.blogspot.comhttp... Thank you very much Jan for the interview. It's been great chatting with you.About Katheryn LaneKatheryn Lane works full-time as a teacher, mother and wife, but somehow also finds time to manage being a part-time writer as well! 'The Royal Sheikh' is her first book and is inspired by her experience of living in the Middle East. In her free time (on the rare occasion that she has any!) she loves to lose herself in a good book.
I recently had the pleasure of reading her novel, THE ROYAL SHEIKH, and thought it would be fun to ask Katheryn a few questions:
Jan: Katheryn, your book, THE ROYAL SHEIKH, is an amazing story, rich with details. Did you have to research extensively or are you surrounded by all the wonderful particulars in your book?
Katheryn: Thank you very much Jan. I'm so glad you liked my book! I did have to do some specific research for it, but that was mainly for the heroine, Clare, who is training to be an architect, so I had to check how a person qualifies for such a career and how long it takes.For the Middle Eastern details, I did quite a bit of research about the region before I wrote the book, but that was mainly because I wanted to find out more about the place that I was coming to live in! Once I started writing, I tried to incorporate some of the details I had read about, as well as the things that I started to see around me. A few of the details are based on stories that other people have told me. For example, in The Royal Sheikh, when the heroine goes on board the Sheikh's luxury yacht she sees a bunch of flowers made of gold with jewels in the centre of each one, such as diamonds, opals etc. This description is based on a vase full of golden flowers that a friend of mine actually saw when she visited a royal palace!Jan: When you created Prince Rafiq and architect, Clare McKay, did you know exactly how their adventure would go? Or did you let their story develop organically?Katheryn: I did a lot of planning and had the book all carefully plotted out before I started it, as well as detailed character profiles. However, once I began writing, the characters took over and began to change the story and make it their own. This may sound odd, but there were times when I could hear the characters saying 'I would never do that' about the parts of the original plot. Therefore, I changed sections to make them fit with what the Sheikh and Clare would really want to do and say in those situations. However, despite these changes, the basic structure of the story stayed the same.Jan: You not only write romance, but you're also a mother, and a teacher. Is there anything you would like to share about how you make it all work?Katheryn: With difficulty! Luckily as a teacher I have long holidays, as well as mid-term breaks and this is when I try to do most of my writing. I also try to write in the evenings once my kids are in bed, but often I'm too tired! I must admit that I do get very easily distracted by the internet and I can find myself spending hours on sites like Facebook and Twitter chatting to people when I should be writing. My New Year's resolution this year was to be more disciplined and spend less time on social networking sites. So far I have been partially successful and I've managed to get quite a lot more writing done.Jan: What was your biggest adjustment when you left England to live in the Middle East?Katheryn: I actually left England quite a long time ago to teach abroad and before I was in England, I lived in the USA. However, previous to moving to the Middle East, I worked in various Asian countries, so I found the Middle East to be very different. One thing that took me a long time to get used to was the desert, which seem so vast and empty compared to the jungles and mountains of Asia. Wherever I live though, there are always certain things that I miss about England and the USA. I miss good English pub lunches and I miss the positive, can-do attitude of the USA. On the other hand, I don't miss the ridiculously high petrol prices or the government taxation!Jan: You are currently writing another story set in an exotic location. Would you like to whet our appetites with a few details?Katheryn: My next romance has a provisional title of 'Her Latin Lover' and is based in South America. I decided not to locate it in the Middle East because a key element of the plot is a poker game which takes place the night before the story starts and gambling is illegal in most (perhaps all?) of the Middle East. Also, the story depends on the heroine being in a very dangerous country, where she is threatened at gun-point by a local man (I won't say who or what happens, or I'll give too much of the story away).Although the Middle East has dangerous areas, it's generally a very peaceful, safe area (despite some recent press). However, I did once hear about some teachers that were kidnapped on their way to the airport in Yemen many years ago. Maybe a kidnapping could be the basis for another Sheikh romance in the future? Jan: Can you tell those of us eager to read this new story, when we will get the chance?
Katheryn: Although I've finally finished writing the book, thanks for my New Year's resolution, I'm still at the editing stage and that can also be a long process as the book will need to go through several different readers, as well as myself, to check for errors, plot holes etc. I also need to have a cover designed which will capture the feel of the story. Like The Royal Sheikh, it is a sweet romance, so I don't want the cover to imply an erotic story, but at the same time the cover design needs to indicate a sensuous romance. Hopefully, the whole thing should be edited and available on Amazon as an ebook by late March - I've just set myself a deadline here! As soon as it's published, I'll everyone know on my blog, Twitter and Facebook at:http://Katheryn-Lane.blogspot.comhttp... Thank you very much Jan for the interview. It's been great chatting with you.About Katheryn LaneKatheryn Lane works full-time as a teacher, mother and wife, but somehow also finds time to manage being a part-time writer as well! 'The Royal Sheikh' is her first book and is inspired by her experience of living in the Middle East. In her free time (on the rare occasion that she has any!) she loves to lose herself in a good book.
February 16, 2012
Cover for KISS ME
My next novel, KISS ME, will be released April 2, 2012, by Champagne Books!
cover designed by: Amanda Kelsey
cover designed by: Amanda Kelsey
February 13, 2012
Soapy thoughts!
We all have a place where we go to think! Mine is the bathroom...ahem...more specifically, the shower! My muse loves water and shampoo :-) Now if someone will invent a waterproof computer I'll be all set!!
Anyway, since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, I wanted to think of a snazzy post about love and chocolate - but the typical Hallmark sentiments and thoughts about candy wouldn't come. Instead, a different kind of Valentine thought took a hold of me and I guess I'm meant to share it. (Warning: this post could get corny. If you're not a fan of corny, rush to the exit... :D )
Here goes: Instead of the typical Valentine's Day where we give candy and cards, or make a fabulous meal for our sweetie, what if we made someone else's day special - someone completely unknown to us? I'm talking about your favorite charity! Or food pantry! Perhaps your local soup kitchen or thrift store. If you aren't in the position to make a monetary donation or food donation, how about a gift of your time? If you prefer to do something earthy, maybe spend the day picking up litter or recycling. (Include your spouse or significant other so it can be a joint Valentine's effort)
Keep love in your hearts on Valentine's Day and all year long!
Anyway, since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, I wanted to think of a snazzy post about love and chocolate - but the typical Hallmark sentiments and thoughts about candy wouldn't come. Instead, a different kind of Valentine thought took a hold of me and I guess I'm meant to share it. (Warning: this post could get corny. If you're not a fan of corny, rush to the exit... :D )
Here goes: Instead of the typical Valentine's Day where we give candy and cards, or make a fabulous meal for our sweetie, what if we made someone else's day special - someone completely unknown to us? I'm talking about your favorite charity! Or food pantry! Perhaps your local soup kitchen or thrift store. If you aren't in the position to make a monetary donation or food donation, how about a gift of your time? If you prefer to do something earthy, maybe spend the day picking up litter or recycling. (Include your spouse or significant other so it can be a joint Valentine's effort)
Keep love in your hearts on Valentine's Day and all year long!
February 11, 2012
Orange-Pecan Muffins
Oven at 350 degrees
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 orange, scrubbed
1/2 cup orange juice
1 egg
1/2 cup margarine, softened
Pecans
Line muffin pan with paper muffin cups.
In large bowl, mix: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cut orange (including peel) into 8th's.
In blender, blend: oranges & orange juice until liquified. Add eggs & margarine. Blend again. Then pour orange mixture into the flour mixture.
Fill each muffin cup (about 3/4th full) with the batter, then sprinkle a small amount of sugar on each
one & then either top each one with a full pecan or chopped pecans.
Bake for 20 minutes!
(recipe originally taken from Woman's World Magazine)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 orange, scrubbed
1/2 cup orange juice
1 egg
1/2 cup margarine, softened
Pecans
Line muffin pan with paper muffin cups.
In large bowl, mix: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cut orange (including peel) into 8th's.
In blender, blend: oranges & orange juice until liquified. Add eggs & margarine. Blend again. Then pour orange mixture into the flour mixture.
Fill each muffin cup (about 3/4th full) with the batter, then sprinkle a small amount of sugar on each
one & then either top each one with a full pecan or chopped pecans.
Bake for 20 minutes!
(recipe originally taken from Woman's World Magazine)
January 26, 2012
Olive Tapenade
Looking for something different to please your palate? Olive tapenade is a hit at our house - it's fast, easy, and yummy! :-))
Ingredients:
20 pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. rinsed, drained, & chopped capers
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. olive oil
1 clove of garlic (or 1 tsp. minced garlic)
cracked black pepper (I add a little initially, husband adds more to his portion)
(some recipes for this call for 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste - we're not a fan, so we omit)
Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate before serving.
Excellent as a dip with corn scoops!
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
20 pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. rinsed, drained, & chopped capers
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. olive oil
1 clove of garlic (or 1 tsp. minced garlic)
cracked black pepper (I add a little initially, husband adds more to his portion)
(some recipes for this call for 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste - we're not a fan, so we omit)
Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate before serving.
Excellent as a dip with corn scoops!
Enjoy!
January 23, 2012
Blurb & Excerpt for LUCKY DUCKS
LUCKY DUCKS is set to be released on Wednesday, January 25, 2012. I'm so excited!! Wanted to share with you a sneak preview with the book blurb and an excerpt --
Blurb:
Recently divorced, Claire Stone is off to a fresh start. A new city. A job prospect. Wearing her lucky ducks underwear. Things are going great--until a clumsy lout barrels into her, sending her to the concrete. Her world takes a tumble too when the handsome klutz who scuffed her up turns out to be her new boss.
Engaged twice. Dumped twice. Kasen Isaak has had his fill of green-eyed women, yet his father insists he hire Claire Stone -- a nail-biting claustrophobic with the greenest eyes he's ever seen.
Will green eyes, a run of bad luck, and a slew of idiosyncrasies keep them from finding the greatest luck of all?
Excerpt:
"Have a seat, Mrs. Stone." Kasen Isaak's voice was as chilly as his eyes.
Claire sat in a straight-back chair and folded her hands in her lap. Read the resume, bonehead. "It's Miss Stone." Should she go through the trouble of explaining that she was recently divorced and had taken back her maiden name? It took a millisecond to decide to leave well enough alone.
Kasen fumbled with a folder with her name in small, black letters. He removed the resume, glanced at it before tossing it aside, and then leaned on his elbows. "What do you know about investing, Miss Stone? How familiar are you with the markets?"
Claire swallowed hard. "Truthfully?" His pointed look had her crossing her legs. Uncrossing them. Moving from side to side in the chair. And trying not to focus on the fact she had to pee. "I know the market is volatile and investors are being cautious. My knowledge of investing, however, is limited to the experience of my 401K." Translation: I know as much about investing as this chair does.
Kasen leaned back, furrowed his bushy eyebrows and drilled her with a harsh stare.
Wordless staring? Seriously? Claire was tempted to hum the music from Jeopardy while she waited.
He finally spoke and sarcasm clipped each word. "That hardly qualifies you to work here."
Sheesh. Wasn't mowing her over on the sidewalk enough? Did he have to do it with the interview too? Thank God she had Jake Stone's DNA swimming through her veins. Claire furrowed her eyebrows to match his. "The position is for clerical work, right?"
For a second he went slack-jawed.
It was then that she noticed the small cleft in his chin…and dimples.
Dang it! Now was not the time to notice chin clefts and dimples.
Blurb:
Recently divorced, Claire Stone is off to a fresh start. A new city. A job prospect. Wearing her lucky ducks underwear. Things are going great--until a clumsy lout barrels into her, sending her to the concrete. Her world takes a tumble too when the handsome klutz who scuffed her up turns out to be her new boss.
Engaged twice. Dumped twice. Kasen Isaak has had his fill of green-eyed women, yet his father insists he hire Claire Stone -- a nail-biting claustrophobic with the greenest eyes he's ever seen.
Will green eyes, a run of bad luck, and a slew of idiosyncrasies keep them from finding the greatest luck of all?
Excerpt:
"Have a seat, Mrs. Stone." Kasen Isaak's voice was as chilly as his eyes.
Claire sat in a straight-back chair and folded her hands in her lap. Read the resume, bonehead. "It's Miss Stone." Should she go through the trouble of explaining that she was recently divorced and had taken back her maiden name? It took a millisecond to decide to leave well enough alone.
Kasen fumbled with a folder with her name in small, black letters. He removed the resume, glanced at it before tossing it aside, and then leaned on his elbows. "What do you know about investing, Miss Stone? How familiar are you with the markets?"
Claire swallowed hard. "Truthfully?" His pointed look had her crossing her legs. Uncrossing them. Moving from side to side in the chair. And trying not to focus on the fact she had to pee. "I know the market is volatile and investors are being cautious. My knowledge of investing, however, is limited to the experience of my 401K." Translation: I know as much about investing as this chair does.
Kasen leaned back, furrowed his bushy eyebrows and drilled her with a harsh stare.
Wordless staring? Seriously? Claire was tempted to hum the music from Jeopardy while she waited.
He finally spoke and sarcasm clipped each word. "That hardly qualifies you to work here."
Sheesh. Wasn't mowing her over on the sidewalk enough? Did he have to do it with the interview too? Thank God she had Jake Stone's DNA swimming through her veins. Claire furrowed her eyebrows to match his. "The position is for clerical work, right?"
For a second he went slack-jawed.
It was then that she noticed the small cleft in his chin…and dimples.
Dang it! Now was not the time to notice chin clefts and dimples.
January 22, 2012
A fancy, smancy breakfast!
Breakfast has always been my favorite meal! It can be as simple as a bowl of cereal or two eggs over-hard with whole wheat toast. Occasionally, I like to start the day with a little more elegance: toasted egg cups*, bowl of strawberries, and a cup of cinnamon twist coffee!
*I have a handwritten recipe for Toasted Egg Cups on a yellowing, stained 3 x 5 recipe card. (I believe I copied the recipe when I was first married - no idea whom the recipe originally belongs to) Would like to share it with you in case you too like to snazzy up your morning meal.
TOASTED EGG CUPS:
Ingredients --
4 eggs
4 slices of white or wheat bread
1/4 cup milk
salt
pepper
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
Spray muffin pan with Pam. Trim crusts from bread. Press a slice of bread
into each space in your muffin pan. Melt butter & coat the inside of the toast
cups. Bake at 350 degrees - I check mine after 10 minutes and add more time
if needed. (I like mine just lightly golden brown.) Scramble your eggs with
1/4 cup of milk. When bread cups are done, fill with scrambled eggs. To add
more zip top with crispy bacon pieces, ham, cheese, green onions or sauteed
mushrooms. Enjoy!
*I have a handwritten recipe for Toasted Egg Cups on a yellowing, stained 3 x 5 recipe card. (I believe I copied the recipe when I was first married - no idea whom the recipe originally belongs to) Would like to share it with you in case you too like to snazzy up your morning meal.
TOASTED EGG CUPS:
Ingredients --
4 eggs
4 slices of white or wheat bread
1/4 cup milk
salt
pepper
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
Spray muffin pan with Pam. Trim crusts from bread. Press a slice of bread
into each space in your muffin pan. Melt butter & coat the inside of the toast
cups. Bake at 350 degrees - I check mine after 10 minutes and add more time
if needed. (I like mine just lightly golden brown.) Scramble your eggs with
1/4 cup of milk. When bread cups are done, fill with scrambled eggs. To add
more zip top with crispy bacon pieces, ham, cheese, green onions or sauteed
mushrooms. Enjoy!
January 15, 2012
Interview with romance author, Kellie Kamryn
Today I would like to welcome author, Kellie Kamryn to my blog! Kellie and I both write contemporary romance, but with different heat levels (my books are spicy, Kellie's are extra-spicy). Recently, I had the joy of reading Kellie's novel, PLEASURE ISLAND, from The Wild Rose Press. It was a fast-paced sexy read. Kellie put a unique spin on a timeless tale of broken hearts looking to be healed. Her style of writing is fresh and memorable. Kellie and I are on the same Yahoo loops, but we got to know each other better on Twitter. She has an amazing personality so I thought it would be fun to interview her.*****Jan: First of all, Kellie, thanks for being a guest on my blog today. J Kellie: Thanks for having me here, and I'd like to say "wow" on all the compliments you just gave me! I'm humbled. *****Jan: Now, onto the good stuff! Anyone who follows your tweets on Twitter will realize what a busy gal you are. With four active kids and a fondness for staying in shape, you still find time to write amazing stories and blog posts. Tell us your secret for making it all work.Kellie: Uh…I don't have a secret. I have a day book that I use religiously to keep me on track because I could spend many hours promoting or writing and forget to eat or exercise. So I make to-do lists every day. I have to make a conscious effort to take care of myself because once the kids come home from school, my focus is mainly on them. I do love exercise but I'll tell you something – my real fondness is for chocolate. Thus, I have to exercise!*****Jan: Are you a morning person? Or a night owl?Kellie: Night owl and it's the bane of my existence. If I don't go to bed by a certain time, my second wind kicks in and them I'm done for. I start working again, and then I can't sleep. I hate getting up in the morning! I'm the person who hits the snooze button a hundred times. I literally have to set the alarm a good half hour before I have to be up otherwise it's a really slow start to my day and when I've got kids to get off to school, then I'm sunk! Over the Christmas holidays, my daughter wanted me to stay up to watch Ghost Hunters with her. I must have been tired because I kept falling asleep on her. Now she jokes about how old I'm getting because I can't stay up. Teenagers…*****Jan: Coffee makes my world turn. What goodies help your creative process?Kellie: Well, I do like chocolate. Milk chocolate. Chocolate covered nuts. Peanut butter and chocolate. I think you get the idea. I drink a lot of tea, and try to have plates of veggies or fruit by the computer so I can snack healthy while I work. *hears Jan snicker* What? I said I try!*****Jan: I'm a weirdo when it comes to expressing joy. *grins* When I sold my first book, I hurried to my husband with my face buried in my hands and said, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh." Thinking back to your first sale, how did you react? Cartwheels? Screaming? Skipping through the house? Or were you a weirdo like me? Kellie: My first acceptance I pretty much screamed, "Oh my god! Yes!" (How fitting, considering what I write…) The tears started streaming down my face, the kids wanted to know what was wrong, I spun around in my desk chair, the kids cheered, the dog barked – it was mayhem! After a few rejections, that was a stellar moment. Getting five acceptances in one year was — awesome doesn't begin to describe it. Pretty much the same reaction every time.***** Jan: Most writers hit a point in their books when the words just will not come. Sometimes the dilemma lasts for an hour or for a few days. Have you ever had to deal with a stubborn muse? If so, how did you make it behave?Kellie: Oh yeah. Last summer was stressful and I don't think I wrote anything new for two months. Drove me crazy! A fellow author and dear friend, encouraged me to write a short for a Christmas anthology and that brought me out of my funk. But it was tough, I tell ya. If I'm stuck on something, I just try to figure out why the words won't flow. Sometimes it's because I don't know my characters well enough, or I just have too much going on in my personal life. I just try to relax, prioritize things in my life and trust that it will come back to me when I'm ready.*****Jan: If you could pick one place in the world where you could hide for a month with your computer and your thoughts, where would you go? Kellie: Oh, I can't say! Then people would know where to find me when I suddenly disappear! Actually, my dream has always been to tour Ireland, England and Scotland. Some of my family originally came from over there and I've always felt the pull to visit and see where the ancestry started. ******You have a book coming out January 16, 2012. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Rebound is my debut novel coming out with Secret Cravings Publishing. Book 1 in the Love and Balance series, it's based on my love of gymnastics and romance.
Blurb: An award-winning choreographer must face the only man she's ever loved then lost when they are teamed up to work together at a gymnastics camp for Olympic hopefuls.Claire LeMay is at the top of her game - she's head of a prominent gymnastics facility with her gymnasts winning awards for her outstanding choreography. Now her biggest challenge is to coach alongside the man she's avoided for three years after he demanded she live in his shadow instead of forging her own path. After sinking every penny of his inheritance into his state-of-the-art gymnastics facility, Justin Black has achieved his dream. But even with hundreds of members and well-trained coaches, when Claire's presence invades his space, he reluctantly admits she's the one thing missing in his life. As their old passion tumbles out faster than a gymnast sprinting down the vault runway, Justin knows he can't let her walk out of his life this time.Are they destined to repeat the same old routine or will they be able to choreograph a new one?
In this excerpt, Justin has attempted to call a truce between them. Claire doesn't know what to make of his "goodwill" gesture.
Excerpt: She noticed the silence of the gym. "Did everyone leave? I was lost in thought." He studied her so intently, her heart stuttered. "Just let me finish stretching. I better find Shelley."
"She said she'd meet you at the car."
"Oh." Unable to bear his gaze, she popped into a bridge—upside down on her hands and feet, back arched—so she didn't have to face him. She regretted her decision as the new position served to remind her of the time they'd attempted to make love like that. Her cheeks burned as she remembered him maneuvering to slide inside her at the awkward angle. It hadn't lasted long, but it had been fun to try.
She eased back into a sitting position. "I guess you want to lock up." She stood and caught him looking her over.
He cleared his throat and turned away, fishing around inside his pants pocket. Then he thrust his hand at her. "Here."
Tentatively, she took what he offered—a key wrapped in a piece of paper with some numbers on it. "What's this for?"
"For the gym," he said gruffly. "I know how you like the solitude before all the activity starts. You're welcome to come here early. Alone, if you like."
She stared at the key and the alarm code in her hand. "Did you give this to any of the other coaches?"
He shook his head. "No. Just you."
Shocked at his attempt to extend an olive branch after all this time, she opened her mouth to speak. The words died in her throat when he reached out and traced her jaw with his fingertip. Oh God, he's touching me. Only a finger, but still a shiver of sexual awareness made her clit tingle. Her knees threatened to buckle, so she locked the muscles in her thighs to remain upright.
In a low voice, he said, "There's no reason we can't be civilized. Is there?"
Rebound buy link: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=13&products_id=236
It's been fun having you as my first blog-interviewee, Kellie! Best wishes for continued success with your writing career. Thanks for having me here, Jan! It was a pleasure. I wish you tons of success, too!
Readers can find me at: www.kelliekamryn.comwww.kelliekamryn.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/KellieKamryn, or on twitter @KellieKamryn I love to talk! (as Jan knows, LOL)
January 11, 2012
Fun Health Facts...Or List of Useless Hooey
I'm not exactly a candidate for Jeopardy, but I do enjoy trivia and fun facts. Thought I'd share some with you:
For every pound of weight you lose, you take 4 pounds of pressure off your knees.
Sex burns about 360 calories per hour. (Hmm...better break it down by minute...ha ha -- 6 calories per minute).
When you take a step, you are using up to 200 muscles.
By weight, bone is five times stronger than steel.
The life span of a tastebud is ten days.
Dentists recommend that you keep your toothbrush at least 6 ft. away from the toilet to avoid airborne particles from finding it. (Eww!)
The pupil of the eye expands as much as 45% when a person looks at something pleasing.
Your heart rate can rise as much as 30% when you yawn.
Scientists estimate that laughing 100 times is equivalent to a 10 minute workout on a rowing machine.
Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
Due to the angle at which the optic nerve enters the brain, staring at a blue surface during sex greatly increases the intensity of an orgasm. (Yowza! Blue paint sales are going to skyrocket!!)
Have a great day, folks :-))
*Some info taken from FunFactz.com
For every pound of weight you lose, you take 4 pounds of pressure off your knees.
Sex burns about 360 calories per hour. (Hmm...better break it down by minute...ha ha -- 6 calories per minute).
When you take a step, you are using up to 200 muscles.
By weight, bone is five times stronger than steel.
The life span of a tastebud is ten days.
Dentists recommend that you keep your toothbrush at least 6 ft. away from the toilet to avoid airborne particles from finding it. (Eww!)
The pupil of the eye expands as much as 45% when a person looks at something pleasing.
Your heart rate can rise as much as 30% when you yawn.
Scientists estimate that laughing 100 times is equivalent to a 10 minute workout on a rowing machine.
Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
Due to the angle at which the optic nerve enters the brain, staring at a blue surface during sex greatly increases the intensity of an orgasm. (Yowza! Blue paint sales are going to skyrocket!!)
Have a great day, folks :-))
*Some info taken from FunFactz.com
