TAG!  I’m it!

On March 23rd, I was tagged by Louise Behiel in a writer’s game of LUCKY SEVEN.  Louise was tagged by Alyssa Palmer.  A writer tagged in this game goes to page 77 of their current WIP, finds line 7, and then copies the next 7 lines.  Sounds like fun, right?

I’m currently putting the finishing touches on A BANDIT CREEK MIRACLE, to be released through Amazon and Smashwords on May 15th as part of the Bandit Creek Books series.  Check it out at http://www.banditcreekbooks.com

Here are my seven lines from A BANDIT CREEK MIRACLE…

After one whiff of the toast, slathered in butter, Amanda leapt to her feet and dashed to the Ladies’ room. When she emerged, she almost crashed into Missy Gibson, the pregnant widow of the Iraq war hero. As they passed in the hallway, Missy whispered, “How far along are you?”

 Amanda’s heart almost stopped.

 “That door is not sound proof, and I suffered morning sickness in the beginning, too.” Missy smiled.

Now I get to tag 7 writers: Amy Jo Fleming, Trip Williams, Julie Rowe, Kreseda Kaine, Brenda Collins, Jill Christie and A. M. Westerling.  You’re it!

# # #

The aroma was enticing. The spicy layers dripped with mozzarella – his favorite cheese. The kids were still talking around him. But everything felt out of kilter, except for the burning in his gut. He was getting used to that.

* * *

Night. Dark. Humming to himself as he walked along the sidewalk alone. In the spotlight. Happy. Skipping.

From black to bright daylight in the blink of an eye.

From skipping to stillness – he couldn’t move. –   from Family Ties by Louise Behiel

# # #

As he walked, he began to hear sirens. At first it was faint, but as he drew closer to the Pont du Carousel bridge, he could see the cluster of vehicles and their flashing lights surrounding the Musée d’Orsay. He paused near a group of tourists, drawing his cigarette case from his jacket as he watched the scene and listened to their conversation.
A woman in the group waved to another approaching. “Oh my god! There you are! I thought you’d been inside!”  –  from The Paris Game by Alyssa Linn Palmer

# # #

 Fool’s Gold (Anthology) – April 1, 2012

FOOL FOR LOVE by Louise Behiel
A woman is dragged from a contented, happy marriage to a life on the run.

NEVER COUNT YOUR CHICKENS by Victoria Chatham
Two boys play an April Fool’s joke on their employer.

WISHFUL THINKING by Alyssa Linn Palmer
CeeCee tells Ruth about her past, but how truthful is she?

AIRPORT SECURITY by Julie Rowe
On her way home from her tour of duty in Afghanistan, Dr. Abigail Westward discovers it’s not easy to leave her fellow soldiers or the memories of combat behind.

BABY FEVER by Sheila Seabrook
Baby cribs and baby swings and a winking, blinking doll. Oh my!

LUCY’S APRIL FOOLS by Brenda Sinclair
Will this be George Jack’s year to catch Lucy in an April Fool’s joke, or will his wife outsmart him again?

WHERE RABBITS RUN WILD by Trip Williams
Not all the rabbits in the mountains of Bandit Creek are cute and cuddly. Some come with a warning label.

For more information and to read Carla Roma’s interview with these seven writers, check out www.banditcreekbooks.com.  Please pick up your copy of the book April 1st on Amazon or Smashwords.

Is Spring Here?

As a kid, I heard my parents’ theory about robins and spring. To this day, I love to spot that first red-breasted beauty hopping across the lawn in search of a tasty morsel. Of course, the robins’ return is a sure sign that spring is here. Or not!

How many times have you seen a robin, shoulders hunched, feathers fluffed up, a totally disgusted expression on his face – you really have to look closely to observe this – and snowflakes falling on the poor creatures head?

Sure sign of spring…not so much.

Today is the first day of spring according to my calendar, but Mother Nature doesn’t always hang the identical calendar in her home.  March goes out with a snow-swirling, wind-howling, bone-chilling cold blizzard most years.  And she’ll arrange a freak snow storm in May on occasion to keep life interesting. Nope, you can’t trust Mother Nature when it comes to spring.

Last Friday, March 16th, I actually spotted a woman raking her front lawn in Calgary, Canada on my way to the grocery store.  True, most of our snow had melted, but I thought it was pushing things a little. A few hours later it was snowing! Mind you, it melted in record time.

What are my sure signs of spring?  The most obvious sign – my green thumb starts itching like crazy. An uncontrollable urge overcomes me to flip through my gardening books in anticipation of purchasing bedding plants for my flower beds and container arrangements.  And I wait anxiously for the first perennials to pop their heads out of the soil. Closer to the May long weekend, I’ll purchase vegetable seeds to contribute to the family garden that I plant with my daughter-in-law and granddaughter. The deck furniture on the back deck calls my name, and I enjoy an afternoon cup of tea outside while the dog chases a toy or curls up for a nap in my lap. Sounds so relaxing, right?  Of course, there’s spring work, too.  Eventually, I can’t stand the mess on the lawn a moment longer and out comes the rake. Why does uncovering small green grass sprouts thrill a grown woman so much? Because it means spring is here!

I’ve controlled the urge to rake, so far. The day is fast approaching, however.  But, hey, raking is excellent exercise, and you know me and how I harp about exercise, right?  Let me know when you spot that first little robin on your newly raked lawn.

Happy Spring Everyone!

  Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Everyone.

I’m a proud descendant of Irish immigrants who arrived in this wonderful country, Canada, in 1882 hoping to make a better life for themselves.

My great grandparents traveled by boat, bringing their personal possessions packed in trunks and large boxes, and landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  They continued across Canada by train and eventually arrived in Brandon, Manitoba.  Land was obtained for a registration fee of $10 and the commitment to live on the land for six months of the year for three consecutive years and break at least 10 acres a year.  Thus began their dream of a homestead in southern Manitoba.

My grandfather married the daughter of another Irish immigrant family and raised nine children, all of them born at home. My grandmother was never admitted to a hospital until age eighty-two and lived until age ninety.  My parents raised me and my brother on the land originally homesteaded by our grandfather in 1885.

The term ‘sturdy Irish stock’ certainly applies to my ancestors who, like so many immigrants from other countries, helped to build this country. I proudly celebrate my heritage and honour my ancestors’ sacrifices and dogged determination to forge a better future for generations to follow, including the lives of my grandchildren – sixth generation Canadians.

When I tip back the annual green beer this March 17th, I’ll take a moment to silently thank those wonderful pioneers who helped make this day possible for all of us.

                           Always A Lady (Historical)

                             March 15, 2012

                                                                       by Victoria Chatham

Lady Serena Buxton follows her husband from   England to Bandit Creek, Montana. Randolph is a partner in the Ellis gold mine, but when she arrives, she is horrified to find that Randolph is missing.

Sheriff Wilson seems to be keeping a watchful eye on her. Why? Douglas King, the mine manager, treats her as if she is already a widow. What does he know? The bank manager refuses her request for access to Randolph’s account. With no husband and no money, what is a girl to do?

Serena has an unsuspected and quite shocking talent. She can belly dance. With the help of two enterprising local ladies, Serena prepares for a public performance. But when the news leaks out, she finds the only venue she can secure is in the Men’s Club owned by King. Like it or not, she has no option but to ask him regardless of what terms he may insist on. Billed as Ayesha, Oriental Dancer Extraordinaire, she prepares for her show which she hopes will make enough money for her to stay in Bandit Creek until Randolph is found.

The whole town, as well as a train full of people from nearby Missoula, turns out for her performance. The Club is packed. But who is in the crowd, watching? Will King insist on exacting his fees? And will Serena be reunited with the husband she loves?

Another wonderful Bandit Creek Book!    Check out www.banditcreekbooks.com

                 Only four more days until another wonderful 

                           Bandit Creek Book is released.

                 Coming on February 15th from Roxy Boroughs

                                        is A Stranger’s Kiss.

                      Check out www.banditcreekbooks.com for

                     Carla Roma’s interview with Roxy and go to

                                     www.amazon.com to buy. 

SAM HUTCHINSON was once motivated by power and money.  But after his son’s murder, he alternates between losing himself in a bottle of scotch and researching James Ryan Morley, the still-at-large killer of the boy Sam never had time for in life.  Broken and desperate, Sam traces Morley’s roots to Bandit Creek, Montana and an addict who once sheltered him.

There, against a serene mountain backdrop, he finds the woman’s resourceful daughter, Amy Tesher, and her eleven-year-old child, Renee. Lies are Amy’s camouflage—her age, her name, even the identity of her child’s father—all fabricated to escape the secrets of her past.

Unaware of Sam’s real mission, she takes him into her boarding house. Just as Morley returns to take possession of Amy…and her daughter.