Debra Kayn ~ Romance Author

Release Day! Margot’s Lawman is now available!

2012-02-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today’s the day! For all of you who’ve pre-bought Margot’s Lawman…go look on your ereader and start reading. For everyone else, you can now buy Margot’s Lawman! Don’t forget to swing by the Carina Press blog on Wednesday, leave a comment, and someone will be getting a free copy of Margot’s Lawman.

Buy at Carina Press

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance Ebook

and many more ebook stores…

Blurb

It's hard to keep a secret in the small town of Pike, Montana, but veterinarian Margot McDougal and sheriff Roy Lee Hanson managed to keep their relationship on the sly for months. Margot cares for Roy Lee, but the last thing she needs is to worry about local gossip while she's busy running her clinic and dealing with the loss of her beloved father.

Roy Lee can't wait to tell the world that he loves Margot. He respected her decision to keep their affair quiet—until now. It's time for everyone to know Margot is his gal...especially Ryan Martin, her new assistant. He's formed an attachment to Margot and Roy Lee is sure the city boy's unexplained appearance in Pike means he's up to no good.

Margot just wants to help Ryan fit in, and Roy Lee's jealousy soon drives a wedge between them. A wedge that only increases when Margot is roped into Ryan's secret, too...

Excerpt

“Oh, no you don’t.” Margot McDougal pushed the thigh-high gate against the side of the black-and-white hog, urging him to move back out of the doorway. “Lordy, Harley, you need to go on a diet.”

She leaned against the metal barrier with all one hundred and twenty-five pounds of her, but she didn’t gain an inch against the three-hundred-pound pig. “Ugh…seriously. We’re gonna have to kick up your exercise program to twice a day. Maybe even try out that new fangled Zumba program Ryan says all the fancy city folks are doing to keep their figure.”

The pig grunted, turned up his snout and lost all interest in escaping his enclosure. Margot hurried to latch the gate and shook her head. “You and Roy Lee are two pigs in the making, stubborn as all get out, do you know that?”

For the last eleven months, her boyfriend, Roy Lee, had a habit of leaving his clothes willy-nilly all over her apartment in hope their secret relationship would be found out. Not to mention sneaking kisses out in public when he thought no one was looking.

She picked up the empty bucket she’d used to feed the animals, flung her hair over her shoulder and grinned down at the Yorkshire. “I’ll make a deal with you, Harley. Once you can outrun me, I’ll find you a permanent home where you can have all the female swine you want. Until then, we’re stuck with each other because at this point you’re too big to use as a breeder.”

Harley snorted and turned his slop-covered snout at Margot.

“I know. It wasn’t fair that your previous owners spoiled you rotten, and then had to give you up when they moved. I can’t keep you here forever, and the only way to get you back in shape is with a strict diet. Until then, we’re stuck with each other.”

She walked through the large animal barn on her way to the office. Early mornings were Margot’s favorite time of the day. She had the veterinary clinic and animals to her herself, and it was almost like having her own farm. Except she lived over her workplace and the animals were never hers to keep.

It was hard to believe a whole year had passed since she’d bought the place outright from Doc Adams after completing her internship, and she’d already expanded enough to hire a part-time veterinarian to help out. Every goal she’d set for herself, she’d succeeded in accomplishing on time.

Her daddy, Stuart McDougal, would have been damned proud of her. She swallowed. He was proud, because if anyone had a special view from heaven, it was her dad. There was no doubt about it. If she had one thing to be thankful for this past year, it was having Daddy know she’d completed what she’d set out to do, before he’d passed away.

Margot strolled across the gravel parking lot and entered Double M Veterinary Clinic through the back door. She stopped in the small animal room in the basement and groaned.

A brown chore coat lay over one of the empty dog crates. She snatched it up, shaking her head. Dang you, Roy Lee.

She gazed around the back room for any other stray articles of clothing Roy Lee might have left behind. Now that her sisters knew about her relationship with Pike’s sheriff, she probably should let Roy Lee announce they were a couple to the whole town.

To let him go public would force her to face the fact that the one person who should have known, and deserved to know how in love she was, wasn’t around anymore. It was her fault Stuart left the world without the comfort of knowing his daughter had found her true love. The guilt of not telling him ate away at her every day.

A Border collie-hound mutt recovering from her sterilization procedure barked for Margot’s attention. She clicked her tongue and murmured a few babbling sentences until the animals relaxed. The four orphaned barn kittens stopped in midplay to investigate the intrusion.

“Georgia will be in soon, and you’ll all have uninterrupted playtime with your favorite person.” She dimmed the lights.

The older lady who lived next door to the clinic loved to volunteer for a few hours a day while her husband puttered around the farm. Margot climbed the steps into the main part of the building. Georgia had become an absolute godsend the past few months.

Carrying the coat to her office, she shut the door behind her and paused in the privacy of the room. She held Roy Lee’s jacket to her nose and sniffed. A fluttery sensation tickled her insides. The aroma of horses, fresh air and the woodsy scent she associated with Roy Lee clung to the material and left her wishing he were here with her now.

Roy Lee might be Pike’s sheriff, but you couldn’t take the cowboy out of the man, even if he wore a star on his shirt and a pistol on his hip. She hung up the coat on the hook behind her door and sat down at her desk. The new order for the pharmaceutical company was due tomorrow, and she’d left it to the last minute, again. If she planned to catch up on work to free up her evening, she’d better get busy.

Margot opened the top drawer in her desk, removed the papers and a rubber band for her hair and laughed. Two soft squares of caramel sat on top of her prescription pad. Smiling, she hurried to open up the plastic wrapper and pop the treat in her mouth. It was like Roy Lee to hide her favorite candy somewhere for her to find it.

The caramel melted over Margot’s tongue eliciting a moan of pleasure. She closed her eyes and let the sweet smooth goodness flood her senses. She was powerless to turn down the one addiction in her life and Roy Lee knew it. He often teased her over the hidden empty wrappers he found under her seat in the truck or in the pockets of her jeans.

The creamy richness soothed her soul better than any cup of coffee. She sighed in contentment. If ever she had a comfort food, this was it.

The office door banged against the wall. She swallowed the treat, put her hand over her mouth and mumbled, “Aw, shoot a jackrabbit, Roy Lee.”

“What’d I do this time?” Roy Lee shut the door behind him.

She struggled for breath and patted her chest at the same time. “I didn’t know anyone was gonna barge in my office without knocking, and I wasted it.”

“Wasted what?” He hooked his thumbs in the belt loops of his well-worn jeans. His mouth curved. “I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

Roy Lee’s sexier-than-all-get-out smile replaced the disappointment over swallowing the candy. He had a way of flashing a grin that went straight to her womanly spots and made her body temperature rise at least five degrees. All he had to do was lift the corners of his mouth, and she could no more resist Roy Lee than she could the caramel.

She motioned him inside, rounded the desk and met him halfway across the floor. Standing on her tiptoes, she placed her lips on his and gently coaxed his mouth open. His dark goatee tickled her chin.

Roy Lee moaned, and she knew he’d caught a hint of the caramel from the tip of her tongue. She muffled her giggle against his mouth. With her tongue tangling with his, she forgot what had him rushing in the room, or her losing the treat. It was the taste of Roy Lee she craved now.

He held her captive in his arms. She clung to him, not wanting to let go. Raising her leg, she rubbed against his jean-covered thigh. Part of her wanted to continue this way forever, spending every glorious second enjoying each other, and the other part of her wanted to hurry in case they got caught.

Margot dragged him closer, ran her hands down the back of his spine, over his tight hard rear end and pulled him thigh to thigh, close enough a mouse couldn’t wiggle between them. She was almost climbing up his body.

Roy Lee leaned his head back. “You’ve been sneaking candy again.” He licked his lips. “How ’bout we try doing a little more tongue lovin’? I skipped breakfast this morning…”

He lowered his mouth again. She turned her head. “Wait.”

Pausing, she strained to hear what grabbed her attention, but no door click, phone or voice calling out for a doctor reached her ears. “Did you hear something a second ago?”

“I didn’t hear anything.” He nibbled her neck. “Have I ever told you how much it turns me on to see those blue eyes of yours looking up at me when you’re put out with me?”

“You like when I’m angry?” She laughed.

“Mm…angry, happy, silly…it’s all good. You keep me on my toes, Margot Lace.” He sucked on her neck and gave a big smack.

The woodsy scent she smelled moments before on his coat now circled her head, intoxicating her, and it took all her control not to snuggle in and drown herself. Last night wasn’t enough. She wanted him. Here. Now. Always.

She sighed and closed her eyes. “I missed you last night after you left.”

“Mm hm.” His lips were caressing the sensitive skin under the curve of her jaw. “You know what I think you should do…” The warmth of his breath on her skin had her shivering. “Move in with me and we don’t have to miss each other.”

Margot leaned in to Roy Lee. She moved her lips, but the words died away. His tongue glided over her earlobe, and she melted. She couldn’t help herself. Roy Lee had enough seduction skills to last two lifetimes.

“Margot?”

Her body stiffened.

“Hello?”

“Dammit.” She stepped out of Roy Lee’s arms and brushed her hair behind her shoulders.

“What’s he doing here?”

“I don’t know.” She wrinkled her nose. Ryan Martin, the veterinarian she hired, wasn’t due in until this afternoon. “Do I look okay?”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Lovely.” His thumb stroked the base of her neck. “Especially here.”

“Roy Lee…stop. That tickles.” She wiggled away from him.

His brown eyes danced with pleasure. “You’re wearing the Hanson brand, sweets.”

She gasped and covered her neck with her hand as if to deny it. “You didn’t.”

“I did.” He stepped back, leaned against the corner of the desk and crossed his arms. Darned if he didn’t puff his chest out prouder than a sexually sated bull.

She fluffed her hair in front of her shoulders and glared. “Stupid, childish, thick-headed—” Margot stopped, inhaled and let the air out slowly through her mouth. “I can’t believe you think this is funny. Sometimes you can be so…so…canine-ish. Next thing you’ll be doing is lifting your leg and pissing around the doors to the clinic, marking your territory.”

“Margot?” This time her name accompanied two knocks at the door. “Dr. McDougal, are you here?”

“Just a second, Dr. Martin. I’ll be right out.” She threw her arms up in the air and focused on Roy Lee. She raised her left eyebrow, lifted her chin and stared him down in true McDougal fashion. “I’m not done with you yet, Sheriff. You’ll pay for giving me a hickey later.”

“Bring it on. I can’t wait.” The dark stubble along Roy Lee’s jaw twitched. He narrowed his eyes and growled. “You’re my girl. Doesn’t matter what others think.”

“I know. You’re mine too. Just don’t push me…about that. Please.” She reached up on tiptoe and gave him a kiss. Smoothing the frown off his mouth, she whispered, “Sorry, I can’t ignore him.”

Roy Lee gazed at her lips, his eyes softening. Taking pity on him, she kissed him one more time. “It wouldn’t be right. I’m at work. You’ll have to be patient.”

“Somebody needs to tell him he doesn’t have to trail after you twenty-four/seven like one of those small sissy dogs.” He swatted her butt. “Go get rid of ’im.”

Her stomach fluttered. “I can’t. He’ll figure out—” She clenched her teeth together. She didn’t want to talk about outing their relationship at this moment. Not with Ryan right outside the door.

Roy Lee closed the distance between them and leaned down. “Your secret’s out, sweets. Your sisters are champing at the bit to spread the rumor.”

“They wouldn’t. Chantilly had them swear, and unless she gets permission from me, they’d never do that behind my back. It’s a law in our family.”

He tilted his head, motioning to the other room. “Maybe it’s time for you to come clean with Cityboy in there too before he gets a broken heart.” He gave her a pointed look, bent down and pecked her forehead. “If you could come out to the ranch after work, I’d appreciate it.”

“Yes…of course, I’ll come.” She rubbed his stomach. “I’ll even bring takeout from Val’s bar. Angus burger and fries?”

“Perfect.” He swatted her backside before strolling out of the office.

Margot slumped against the doorframe. She gazed after him until he’d rounded the corner. For such a hot looking guy with a heart of gold, he sure could be stubborn when he set his mind to it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Margot’s Lawman stands on its own, but if you’d prefer to start at the beginning of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series…

#1 Chantilly’s Cowboy

#2 Val’s Rancher

#3 Margot’s Lawman

Coming soon…#4, Florentine’s Hero

Tuesday Catchup

2012-02-07T05:53:00.000-08:00

Six months ago, we packed up a lot of our “stuff” when we listed our place for sale. Over the weekend, it was time to go back through everything we’d packed and take it to the Goodwill. There was a certain thinking process I went through during the last six months. If I didn’t miss it, need it, or go find it, I didn’t need to take it to North Dakota with us. It worked. I took six more filled boxes to Goodwill over the weekend. To anyone who has moved cross country themselves and liquidated almost everything they owned…my hat is off to you! It’s an experience.

Besides the organizing, I’ve been writing up a storm, baking enough to feed an army (or the six of us!), and reading. I’m in a YA kick right now. A couple of books that have stood out above the rest are Enclave by Ann Aguirre, and Birthmark (book 1) and Prize (book2) by Caragh M. O’Brien. I can not wait for the next books to come out! If you’ve read a great YA book lately, leave a comment. I’d love to hear your recommendations.

On the writing front: Margot’s Lawman comes out February 13th from Carina Press, Harlequin’s Digital First imprint.

Also, Kathy at Book Reviews and More has let me know she’ll be giving away a copy of Biker Babe in Black, the first book of the Chromes and Wheels Gang, on February 8th. Then on February 10th, Kathy will be giving a copy of Margot’s Lawman during an interview with moi’. I hope to see you there!

Don’t forget to make your special person in your life something for Valentine’s day! It’s a day to tell those you care about how much you love them.

Release Tour Dates!

2012-02-02T09:23:00.001-08:00

Put your boots on, and plop down the ol’ cowgirl hat. It’s a release month, so things are going to get busy. Here’s my online schedule for the next couple of months. I’m sure I’ll be adding to it, so keep checking in for added tour spots. Oh, and make sure you come on by…you never know when I’ll be giving away a free gift!

Margot’s Lawman, 3rd book of Sisters of McDougal Ranch is released on February 13, at Carina Press, Harlequin’s Digital First imprint!

Interview on February 10^that, The Book Reviews and More by Kathy

http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com

Guest blog and contest on February 15^th at The Carina Press Blog

http://carinapress.com/blog/

Stop by my blog on the 15^th, to get the inside details about how Harley Hog made it into my book Margot’s Lawman

http://www.debrakayn.com

Guest blog at Bookin it Reviews on February 16^th

http://www.bookinitreviews.com/

I’ll be guest blogging at Ute Carbone’s blog on February 20^th

http://ute-carbone.blogspot.com/

I’ll be hanging out at Amber Polo’s blog on March 7^th

http://amberpolo.blogspot.com/

I’ll be a guest at heroines with Hearts on March 9^th

http://www.heroineswithhearts.blogspot.com/

I’ll be visiting Cate Masters blog on March 9^th

http://catemasters.blogspot.com/

I’ve made a good book into a great book…with Lori Wilde’s help!

2012-02-01T09:30:00.001-08:00

I’ve been a panster, since the beginning of my writing career. What is a panster? Someone who does not plan a story ahead of time. Basically, I get a wild idea, sit down at the computer, and type.

That all changed during my recent revisions. I finally had someone teach me how to plot. I know that sounds funny, but I had no idea how to go about plotting. In the past, I tried writing down the storyline, the general occurrences, and plot points. Then I never looked at the paper again. The story was in my head, firmly planted, and there was no getting away from it. I’ve even taken classes about plotting, and everything I learned flew over my head.

Then my editor had me rewrite a story 3 times. Not some of the story, but all of the story. I had to give the characters new motivation, new goals, new conflict, and new disasters each time. I took each scene and included everything I was taught. Most importantly, write the scenes out with the main points highlighted and stick to it. Don’t put any new conflicts in or stray from the point.

The result: Fabulous!

I found I was able to write faster. I didn’t have such a sloppy first draft, and I knew I’d covered my butt with no missing plot points. I also had a deeper point of view when I took time to get to know my characters better.

I won’t lie. Rewriting a 53k word book three times was painful. Not only did I mourn the loss of my original story, but I had to struggle through admitting I was wrong. You know that feeling when you think you have a great story and you’re proud of what you’ve done? Then you’re told to forget about that story? Yeah, it hurts. It’s painful. There were many times I threw up my hands and shouted, “This is impossible.” Of course, I said that privately.

But, I was wrong. It’s possible. I’m stubborn. I’ll be the first to admit it. Sometimes the only way for me to change is to have it beaten into my head. My editor knew this. She’s smart that way. She also understood what feelings I was going through during my rewrites. When I handed in the 3rd rewrite, I finally understood what my editor was teaching me. I got it! I could see the difference, and I liked it. When I got the email letting me know that we could now move on to edits…it was a proud moment.

I’m not saying all this to try and change your mind about being a panster or plotter. Everyone has to write the way they are comfortable with, but I know from here on out, that every story I write will be plotted. I found a comfort from knowing the direction of the story ahead of time. I could pinpoint trouble, and that trouble didn’t follow through the whole story, it was simply to go back to the scene and redo it. Writing actually took less time than I imagined.

So, what would my suggestion for you be? Listen to your editor! Go through the pain, and do it. Don’t give up, because some of the toughest lessons in life have to be painful for you to learn from them.

I’m proud to say that the book I worked so hard on is Florentine’s Hero, the 4th book of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series. That’s right, the 4th book. When Lori Wilde accepted Florentine’s Hero for the Indulgence Line at Entangled Publishing, she told me that she was going to take a good book and make it a great book. Trust me…she did.

Thank you for making Florentine’s Hero great, Lori. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Don’t forget that Lori Wilde’s Indulgence line at Entangled Publishing will launch February 14th at Entangled Publishing.

Catchup Tuesday

2012-01-31T05:40:00.000-08:00

Great news! The revisions I was working on were given the okay by my editor. Now, I’ll be moving on to edits. I’m excited.

Today’s the last day of January, and that means Lori Wilde’s Indulgence line launches at Entangled Publishing in 2 weeks. When it opens, you’ll have to come on by and check out all the great category romances. Soon, Florentine’s Hero, book #4 of the Sisters of McDougal’s Ranch will be released in the Indulgence line. I have a cover, but I’m keeping it secret for a little bit. I can’t wait to show you, though. It’s beautiful!

I have to give a huge shout out to a reader’s daughter. Her name is Camilla, and she’s 10 years old. Her mom told her how much I love Flat Stanley, and Camilla made me a Flat Deb. Wasn’t that sweet of her? I think she has serious talent!

Have you ever had a Hawaiian Burger? I think I’m the last person on earth who hasn’t. Just in case there are others out there that don’t know what I’m talking about. You make a regular homemade hamburger pattie. Cut a sweet roll in half. Grill a slice of pineapple. Add onion, lettuce, mayo, and cheese. Eat! It’s scrumptious.

Tuesday Catchup

2012-01-24T23:25:00.001-08:00

Ack! I missed making a Tuesday Catchup post this morning. It’s 11:20pm, so I’m squeezing it in, and then I’m going to bed!

I’ve been living at my desk this week (and last). No. Seriously. I’ve been doing revisions, which has turned into a total rewrite. The good news is, I’m done. I still have to go through the manuscript, and clean it all up. Then there’s always the chance that I didn’t pull it off, and my editor will send me back in. I have to admit this is the hardest I have every worked on a story. It’s been exciting, frustrating, depressing, and surprisingly interesting. I have learned so much. What my editor has taught me is an incredible gift that will stick with me and touch every future story I write. Pretty cool, right?

Next week, I promise to make up for this short post. Hope you all are chugging along and getting through the January blahs. I’m starting to itch for spring. How about you? What’s spring like in your area?

Slushy or Smoothie?

2012-01-19T09:26:00.001-08:00

I really did enjoy myself during our little snow-pocalypse. I took time for snowball fights, sledding, and the occasional snow angel. Well, except for the occasional power outages. That makes writing a little difficult.

Things happen fast here in the Pacific Northwest. We had snow coming down for 4 days. That’s it! Temperatures quickly started rising yesterday and now we’re dealing with slush. A lot of slush. Living on a hill, that makes walking difficult. If you don’t wear boots with a heel, you’ll find yourself sitting in a big pile of wet ice.

Everywhere outside reminds me of slushies. I could probably open a 7-11 store and make a killing. Add a little cherry flavoring or Coke syrup, and this place would be a Mecca for brain freezes. Oh the pain!

Since the snow plow was only able to do one side of the road, it would be impossible to invite people over for a slushie party. Instead, I’ll give you an awesome recipe for a healthy smoothie. Just watch out for those brain freezes. I hate those!

Smoothie

Using any frozen, unsweetened fruit. I love Frozen whole strawberries!

Throw a handful of fruit in the blender.

Pour a cup of non-fat milk into blender.

Add a couple spoonfuls of Stevia.

A dash of cinnamon.

Blend!

Because the fruit is frozen, it mixes up into the consistency of a milk shake.

Tuesday Catchup

2012-01-17T05:01:00.000-08:00

We finally have snow! I was almost afraid this winter would be a bust, but Saturday the snow started falling and it hasn’t stopped. It won’t last long. I think they are calling for rain on Wednesday. At least I was able to go out and play. I had some snowball fights, went sledding, and I even wrote my name in the snow. You can blame that last one on only having brothers growing up, and then having 3 sons. It’s an art form, I tell ya. (you can click on the picture to make them bigger)

My book, Chantilly’s Cowboy is nominated in Love Romances Cafe, cowboy/western category for best book of 2011, and voting is open! If you think Chantilly’s Cowboy should win, head on over to Dawn’s Reading Nook and comment to vote. Voting closes on the 24th of January.

Last week, I was doing revisions and this week—wait for it—I’m doing revisions. I will conquer this story if it kills me! On one of my breaks, I found this picture. I thought it was fitting…

I also joined Pinterest. If you’re a member, feel free to follow me or look me up. It’s a lovely time suck, and highly addictive. Don’t tell me, I didn’t warn you. I also snagged one of the pictures off the site. Since I don’t have a new recipe for you today, you can let me know if it looks possible to make these adorable cupcakes? I think it would be easy to turn them into cats too…maybe some licorice whips for whiskers?

What would you do for a friend?

2012-01-13T09:21:00.001-08:00

There’s a lot of handholding in the writing world. Authors, although working from home, have a great network available over the internet. Friendships develop and extend to phone calls, personal visits, and emails…lots of emails. It probably wouldn’t surprise you that those of us who write for a living also like talking.

There’s always a lot of us with submissions out, edits to do, cover forms to agonize over, and story plots to hash out. We’re supportive in our own ways. We cross our fingers and toes, make lots of wishes, provide alcohol on occasion, and construct voodoo dolls that look surprisingly like our editors (we love our editors, don’t get me wrong). Sometimes, we’ll even dance naked under a full moon, but we don’t talk about that one much. It’s right up there with the secret writer’s handshake.

So, it didn’t surprise me this week when an author friend said she’d hold her breath for me when I mentioned I have a submission out. Okay, it did surprise me. In fact, I quickly told her that I’d give her a straw.

Why a straw? Because I pictured someone underwater, holding their breath, and she’d need a straw to poke out of the water to breath with, if the killers were after her and she was hiding in the lake, at night, freezing, for safety, while the corrupt CIA combs the bank, searching for the flashdrive that my author friend is clutching in a waterproof baggie in her right hand.

Sorry. It’s how a writer’s mind works. Of course, I had to explain the concept to my breathholding friend, exactly why I was giving her a straw. She quickly understood, right about the time her lips were starting to turn blue.

That leaves me with the question…What would you do for a friend?

Tuesday Catchup

2012-01-10T09:12:00.001-08:00

What’s going on with you? Is everyone surviving the January blues?

When I was running around doing errands the other day, I noticed the street lights were on all day long. One of the drawbacks of living in the Pacific Northwest, I suppose. There wasn’t enough natural light to shut them off, and without any snow on the ground…the day was gray and depressing. I muddled through, and when I got home I turned on all the lights in the house. My little way of beating Mother Nature.

The revisions I’ve been working on forever are done. I sent them off to a beta reader, and will only have to go back through it one more time when I get it back. Then I need everyone to cross their fingers that my editor approves of the changes. At this point, I can’t see the storyline through the haze. lol It’s really hard, because I have the original storyline branded in my head. After a while I lose the ability to see what is down on paper. Sometimes, I think it would be simpler if you all can read my mind. Three bucks, and I’ll stick a special earbud in my ear, and you can listen, ‘kay?

This week, I’m struggling to get back on schedule. I’m forcing myself to start up my relationship with my treadmill again, since ignoring it since Christmas. I’ve also planned a blog tour, and updated my calendar. By this time next week, I won’t even remember running around, going crazy, and the lumps on my forehead from beating my head on the desk will be gone.

Bacon wrapped pineapple bites

Cut pineapple into bitesize chunks.

Wrap bacon around each piece of pineapple.

Put in oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

You can eat them hot or cold.

You can even fry the bacon (that’s how I prefer it), and then wrap the pineapple (use toothpicks to hold together), and then put them in the oven for a few minutes to heat it up. It goes over well at parties!

I wish...

2012-01-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

I wish...

the bathroom would clean itself

comfortable jeans never wore out

there was no such thing as cancer

revisions were always perfect

that ketchup had never been created

two hours of sleep would be enough

fingernail polish lasted until you remove it

the lottery would pick my numbers

What do you wish?

Tuesday Catchup

2012-01-03T05:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I’ve been busy with revisions, since before Christmas. I think I’m near the end, and then off to my beta readers. I’m anxious to start putting all my plans for 2012 into action. By February things will get busy with the release of Margot’s Lawman on Feb. 13. I’ll be doing a blog tour, so stay tuned for more info.

I received wonderful news this week. I made 2 Best of 2011 book lists. The first one is by a wonderful reviewer named Heather. The Sisters of McDougal Ranch series came in #7 on her list of 25. If you want to check her list out and get some new books for your TBR pile, you can find it here. Chantilly’s Cowboy was also nominated in Love Romances Cafe for the best Western-Cowboy category. I believe voting starts next week to find out who the winner will be.

I finally found time to squeeze in enough time to read Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It’s a fabulous YA book that my kids have been telling me I need to read. Once I started, it was almost impossible to put down. When I finished it, I instantly opened up the 2nd book, Catching Fire, and started reading. I imagine I’ll be staying up late at night until I finish the series. I must know how it ends.

New recipe time! I tried this recipe on New Years. It was a big hit. You all know how much I love caramel, right?

Caramel apple nachos

Drizzled caramel syrup over regular tortilla chips (make sure the syrup is room temperature if you store it in the fridge)

Then grate an apple over the syrup.

That’s it! Unlike regular cheese nachos it doesn’t take many to fill you up. They’re absolutely delicious.

Then and now pictures

2011-12-28T12:31:00.001-08:00

Over the Christmas holiday, my mom gave me a bunch of pictures of me growing up. Some of them, I haven’t seen in years.

Like this one of me, when I was about 1 1/2 years old and going fishing in Alaska.

Not much has changed, except I’m not in Alaska and I can swim now.

Water and rocks. Is there anything more fun than that?

I still don’t think so!

At age 3 during my Raggedy Ann birthday party.

This year on my birthday.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-12-27T08:48:00.001-08:00

We’re on the downhill slope of 2011. Put on your crash helmet, or as I call it…your brain bucket, and make the most of the rest of the year. Since 2012 is supposed to be the year the world ends, according to the Mayans, there’s a lot to do. I’ve got a bucket list to complete, books to get published, and that junk drawer in my kitchen has to be cleaned.

This week, I’m deep into revisions. Help! I asked Santa for a little personal editor to sit atop my desk. Someone to help me brainstorm, and tell me when I’m using words in Deb-lish, but I must’ve been naughty. I’m on my own here, so that banging you hear? It’s me, hitting my head on the desk. Oh, and by the way, I did not get the $568 cowgirl boots I wanted for Christmas either. Dangit!

What sorta plans do you have for New Year’s eve?

We’re going to stay home and watch movies. Hopefully something good is on. We’ve been on a movie kick this month. This is what we’ve seen…

Rise of the Planet of the Apes – Loved it! If you grew up watching the television show, you’ll notice a lot of similarities. I will say that at the beginning of the movie, I felt sad for the apes. Yet, by the end of the movie, they freaked me out. It was a great play on emotions.

Hangover, part 2 – It was good for a few laughs, but overall I didn’t think it was as good as the first movie.

Abduction – Predictable, but it was good. It reminded me of the Alex Rider books.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins – Jim Carrey is hit or miss with me. This one, I enjoyed. The penguins were adorable!

Pirates of the Caribbean (the last one, whatever it was called) – Didn’t hold my interest. I ended up writing during the movie. ;-)

30 minutes or Less – Meh. There were a couple funny parts, but if you’ve seen the previews you’ve pretty much seen the movie.

Cowboys and Aliens – I really loved this movie after the first 20 minutes. It stayed true to the morals, values, and cowboy laws of old westerns…except it had aliens. In fact, I watched this one twice!

Omg, it’s true! My bra and panties don’t match…sue me!

2011-12-22T08:39:00.001-08:00

Before I was a published author, I had fantasies about hiding out in a cabin, off grid, nameless, a total mystery to my readers. I’d sit on the porch, pouring through a bag of fan letters, giggling occasionally, at my extreme care of staying anonymous. Reporters, okay, to be honest -the paparazzi, would hire detectives to find out who was the writer behind the name of Debra Kayn.

The reality of my life is much different.

Take this morning. I was talking to a couple of authors who shall remain nameless because frankly, they do the crazy, anonymous writer thing better than me. *coughs* Freaks!

The subject of panties and bras came up, as it often does. Don’t ask. Us author types leave nothing to the imagination, to your delight. Anyhoo, the talk centered around how we dress/undress our heroines. How much detail is really needed?

He hooked his thumb under the string of her thong, and with better control than a saint, proceeded to strip her bare.

He trailed his finger over the edge of her black, lace boy shorts, relevantly inspecting each stitch with care. Sweat broke out on his brow, and only then did he allow himself to lean forward, grab the fragile material between his teeth, and rip the cloth from her body with a growl of male appreciation.

This is where the conversation turned to where no conversation should go. The topic of matching bra and panties entered the friendly banter. Unable to keep my ~~big~~ mouth shut. I confessed to not wearing matching underclothes, and when I do manage to match, it’s a special occasion. That’s right. Sue me. Today, my underwear is purple with little dots. My bra is black. The consensus is, they must match in a book. Why? Aren’t we told all the time to make the story real? What about believability? What about when you change your underwear at 11:00am, because you’re going to the store, and your mom always made you change your panties in case, horror of all horrors, you’ll crash and the paramedics have to cut off your pants to get to the wound on your leg where the gear shift penetrated your thigh bone? No one changes their bra for such an outing, because there is no way your upper body will be hurt with the new no-shatter windshields and, hello, airbags.

From there the conversation got heated. There is nothing like debating a fact with authors. They’re smart. They’re stubborn. Heck, they take rejections for breakfast. Thongs are so 90’s. Boy shorts are the new hot item. When I think of boy shorts, I think of athletic girls. Do I match them with a sports bra? Excuse me while I go grab me a glass of whiskey to get rid of that memory. No one over a B cup wears a sports bra. No man would ever be able to remove a sports bra from a woman with double D’s without causing some serious damage to the goods. Not to mention, spandex. Have you ever tried to rip spandex with your teeth? I think not. I won’t even mention the Tootsie Roll effect that happens when you stuff an ample breasted woman in the equivalent of a torture device.

The funny thing is, and the reason I wrote this post, I’m going to make sure in my current wip that I give my heroine unmatching underclothes. I’m going to stand up for women everywhere, and make it real. I’ll start now, by never using the word underclothes again. Then I’m going to go sit on my porch and giggle, because no one knows who I am.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-12-20T05:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas is almost here! Personally, I can’t wait. The month of December is hectic and always feels like I’m going in a million directions. I’m almost done with shopping. One more gift card to buy, and I’ll pick that up when I make the last run to the grocery store for goodies. Then we’ll rush through the weekend, and celebrate the new year, and ah…life goes back to normal. 2012 is going to be a huge year for me. Lots of good things happening, and if we sell our house on top of everything, we’ll be making the biggest move anyone in my family has made. So, if it seems like I want to rush through the holidays, it’s because I’m excited for what’s to come.

I received a sneak peek at the cover for Florentine’s Hero. Wow! It’s breathtakingly gorgeous. Look for the big reveal after the holidays. Get ready for the release of Margot’s Lawman too. Won’t be long and reviewers will be able to pick it up on NetGalley, or if you’ve reviewed for me before, feel free to shoot me an email. Of course, if you want to pre-order Margot’s Lawman, it’s available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and will be automatically delivered to your Kindle or Nook on February 13th.

Any Terra Nova watchers out there? Did you see the season finale? I really enjoyed the season, and it really picked up there at the end. I sure hope it doesn’t get cancelled. I swear, every show I love ends up getting cancelled. I think I jinx it.

Don’t forget to put your feet up and relax this week. Read a good book, and don’t let the stress of the holidays wear you out. :-)

Some cowboy advice…

2011-12-17T08:37:00.001-08:00

Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

Generally, you ain't learnin' nothing when your mouth's a-jawin'.

There never was a horse that couldn't be rode;
Never was a cowboy who couldn't be throwed.

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

Don't squat with your spurs on.

Never kick a cow patty on a hot day.

Courage is being scared to death - and saddling up anyway.

Never drink unless you're alone or with somebody.

A Cowboy is a man with guts and a horse.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

Your buckle don't shine in the dirt, get up.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-12-13T07:47:00.001-08:00

This past week, Margot’s Lawman went up on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for pre-order. I know February 13th is going to be here before I know it with the holidays fast approaching. Last night, I received my packet for release day. I need to come up with fun facts about my book, about me, and a blog post. Since this is the 3rd book in the series, I’m scratching my head wondering what to say. By now, you all probably know more about me than my husband. Never fear though, I will come up with something new. Even if I have to go out there and do something cool, like bungee jump off the bridge, to have something to talk about. *kidding*

Do you have young kids? Have you gone to the North Pole? This is one site that my kids loved to visit when they were little. Lots of things to do, and don’t forget to send Santa an email. He does answer! I was lucky enough to live in Fairbanks, Alaska when I was young. I actually got to go to Santa’s House in the North Pole…even when it wasn’t Christmas time. Back then, Santa was always there to talk to and visit.

As an adult, let’s just say that when I think of the North Pole, it goes something like this…

Where men are men, boys learn to be men, and the good guys always win

2011-12-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, I watched Cowboys & Aliens. If you haven’t seen the movie and plan to, you might want to stop reading now. :-)

For how much I wanted to see this movie with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford on screen at the same time, I was hesitant to see it at the movie theater. So, I waited until I could order it on television. I was afraid I’d be disappointed. I didn’t want the alien part of Cowboys & Aliens to ruin my chance of seeing two men who had the potential to be the perfect cowboy.

I’m happy to say that I enjoyed the movie. Sure, the first 1/2 hour was long and drawn out. The flashbacks (that appeared to really be flashforwards because of the weird techno color they used) were hocky. But the movie picked up, and I’m happy to say that the cowboys stayed true to a western. There were certain things that made this a western for me.

- Harrison Ford spoke with a boy, and told him to “be a man”. Classic!

- There was a dog in the movie.

- There was a wanted man.

- The cowboy saved the woman. Daniel Craig’s character risked his own life, then carried the injured woman, never giving up.

- Daniel Craig’s character stayed true to his woman who died, took the blame for her death, and remained the “lone” cowboy at the end of the movie…and riding off into the sunset.

- There were rustlers, a powerful cowboy who ruled the area, his henchmen, and at the end a turnaround from bad to good.

- The “Indians” came. The Native Americans banded with the cowboys.

- There was a holdup.

- By the end of the show, the world was going to change because the train was coming to the area.

All in all, Cowboys & Aliens left me remembering why I love cowboys. Where men are men, boys learn to be men, and the good guys always win.

Reactions to saying you’re an author

2011-12-10T11:41:00.001-08:00

I find it entertaining the range of questions and looks I get when others ask me what I do for a living. When I tell them I’m a published romance author, I almost have to be prepared for what comes next.

Some people get excited, ask a million questions, and think it’s the coolest thing in the world. –This is my favorite one. It makes me feel like awesomesauce.

Some frown and doubt me. –This is when it comes in handy to have business cards, postcards, and a Debra Kayn T-shirt on. For some reason if you claim to be an author, it’s like announcing you’re co-starring with Mr. Depp in the next pirate movie or you designed the wedding cake for the royal family. If they can’t see/feel/touch/taste it, it’s not real.

Then there are those that hear “digital” and tell you they only read REAL books. –That’s when I smile, nod, and tell them how much I love my Kindle and being able to read Nora Roberts, Sherilyn Kenyon, Robyn Carr and Debbie MaComber the minute their new book is released. This is usually followed by silence.

The most interested are men for some reason. They ask a ton of fun questions. -Funny enough, my doctor has been the most curious. Although, he claims to be asking the questions so he can understand his nurses better. They apparently read romance novels when they have nothing else to do at the office. It can be awkward, since I only go to the doctor once a year… if you know what I mean.

For the first time ever, I had a perfectly nice stranger approach me in the store last week and squee. –This was alarming at first, because this type of recognition has never happened to me before. If you’ve read my book, Double Agent, you’ll know why I’m a little paranoid. When the woman said she knew it was me, because she recognized my hair from my website, we had a nice lil’ chat. She had Googled “Oregon authors,” found my website, and bought the first 2 books of The Sisters of McDougal Ranch series a few days before this happened and loved the books. How cool is that? *waves to Michelle*

The point I’m trying to make is most days, I don’t have to tell anyone I’m an author. I work at the computer, I chat with readers who already know I write books, I correspond with author friends, editors, publishers, cover artists, and when I’m away from my job…I’m a mom. Okay, I’m a wife too. So, if I have that deer in the headlights look when you ask me what I do for a living, you’ll realize I’m contemplating whether to tell you I’m an author or run like hell to the nearest exit.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-12-06T05:40:00.000-08:00

I’m a fiddler. No, I don’t play a fiddle or violin. For which, you all should be happy about…trust me. I have zero musical talent, although I do sing in the shower. No, what I’m talking about is fiddling with my manuscript. I can check a manuscript off as polished to a high gloss, and two days later I open it back up and start messing with sentences. That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing for the last week. One of these days I’ll have to pluck the strings and send it off to my editor. Om *inhale* Om.

I’m almost done with Christmas shopping. That’s early for me. Usually, I’m scrambling store to store on the 23rd of December. I find it weird, delightful, and ironic, that when I’m shopping for others it is also the best time to find things I would love for myself. The holiday is all about giving, not receiving, blah, blah, blah. But, sometimes a little shiny is good for the soul. It’s only right that I reward myself for doing such a bang up job of buying for others. At least that’s what I told myself, when I spied this…

I’m happy to say that over on my Facebook page, Brandi gave me the best suggestion. She said I should wrap it up and put a tag on it that says, “To Deb --- From one of our dogs.” That way when I open my present, I I can hug and love on the dog for giving me such a wonderful present. I think this will work much better than simply claiming hubs bought it for me. *glances around* More believable too! lol

Do you buy yourself gifts? How do you handle it?

Time for a recipe. This is a repeat from last year, but it deserves another show. Lefse is a huge part of our family tradition, and December wouldn’t be the same without making a ton of it.

Lefse!

First off, lefse is a Norwegian flatbread. Hub’s family calls it lefse, but my Granny called it Potacocca. From what I understand, and I could be wrong, it depends on whether you are from North or South Norway on what you call it…but it is the same thing. Here is a picture of lefse on Wiki, and its origins.

It is very simple to make.

10 pounds potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup whole milk or heavy cream
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Cover potatoes with water and cook until tender. Drain. Place into a large bowl. Beat butter, milk, salt, and sugar into the hot potatoes. Let cool to room temperature. (Did you notice how you just made mashed potatoes with a tablespoon of sugar? lol Told ya it was easy)

Stir flour into the potato mixture. Pull off pieces of the dough and form into big walnut size balls. Lightly flour (don’t worry about how much flour you use. You don’t want the dough sticky, so make sure you add more than the recipe calls for) cutting board and roll out lefse balls to 1/8 inch thickness.

Cook on a hot (400 degree F) griddle until bubbles form and each side has browned. Do not use oil!

Once they are cool, you can stack them, and put them in a big plastic bag in quantities your family will use and stored in the freezer for long periods. If you’re going to eat them in a week, keep them in the refrigerator.

This is actually a small recipe, and I have a large family, plus I like to freeze a lot for later. I make anywhere from 60-80 lbs of potatoes…it’s a good half a day job, but the family really likes it. lol

To eat: Spread butter, brown sugar on Lefse. Roll it up and eat.

Optional filling: cinnamon/sugar, jam and butter. or dip in syrup.

A few of my favorite things…

2011-12-02T05:15:00.000-08:00

Clothes

Boots
big, sloppy hoodies
jeans
sweaters
winter scarves

Food

Cucumbers
Potato chips
Cheesecake
Chicken
Beef

Music

Kid Rock
Uncle Kracker
Nickleback
Zac Brown Band
Trace Adkins

Television

Grey’s Anatomy
House Hunter
Reality singing shows
Men in Trees (bring it back)
Jericho (bring it back)

Cars

Ford F250 crew cab
Suburban
Jaguar
Hummer

Color

Pink

What are a few of your favorite things?

Tuesday Catchup

2011-11-29T05:11:00.000-08:00

With my family’s hectic schedule, we stayed home on Thanksgiving. I even skipped the Black Friday sales (first time!). What I was doing is working on edits, and eating. The food was never-ending, and I was so glad to see the almost empty refrigerator on Monday morning. Then I get online this morning, and I hear people talking about putting up their Christmas decorations. That scream you heard? That was me. I’m not ready!

Okay, maybe I’ve got a little start to the holidays. All four kids are getting Kindles for Christmas, and I’ve bought them already. Sometimes, I think our house is the testing ground for tech toys. It used to be remote control cars made them happy. Over the years, we’ve gone through gaming systems, computers, netbooks, cell phones, and I don’t know how to stop the expensive cycle. Just last night my oldest son had me watch a program on the new Smart car. Now that scares me! I’ve already told him that he better go knock on Donald Trump’s door if he wants to have one. It ain’t happening in this family.

I’m trying to be really good between now and the 25th of December. I figure the beginning of the year is shot. Ha! Why am I being sweeter than pie and cuter than Frosty? No words are necessary. I think a picture will show you…

Years ago, I heard a formula for buying gifts. I haven’t always stuck with it, but it’s great for buying gift for kids (keeps you from going overboard). It’s called the want, need, wear, read rule. To show you how it works, I’ve filled it out for me.

Want - A carry-all case for traveling
Need - Checkbook cover (mine ripped)
Wear - boots!
Read - Gift cert. to Amazon

What would you ask for if you followed this formula?

Edge of Survival by Toni Anderson

2011-11-28T04:01:00.000-08:00

I have a guest today! Please welcome, Toni Anderson. I’d like to point out that at the bottom of the post she’s donating part of her royalties to Diabetes research. How cool is that? I know I’m buying the book!

When Debra suggested I do a fun chatty blog post I got that startled deer-in-the-headlights stare. Fun and chatty? LOL. Me?

So, what’s fun and chatty about me? Nothing! Fun...I’m so not fun. I’m one of those overprotective mothers that make other parents grind their teeth. Chatty? On Twitter I’m chatty Cathy. Within touching distance I’m quiet to the point of muteness and I like to ask all the questions. Fun and chatty. OMG.

However, my upcoming heroine, Dr. Cameran Young, is pretty fun and chatty. So I thought I’d include a scene from the book to see what you think J . Hope you like it. Modified for swearing.

Excerpt from EDGE OF SURVIVAL

“What’s up?” he asked.

She didn’t startle or look around. But she froze into position, those lax muscles stiffening beneath delicate skin.

“It’s George.” Blindly she patted the phone. “He’s on sick leave for at least six weeks.” She raised her face, her green T-shirt bringing out the emerald in her eyes.

“And?”

“I have to start catching fish immediately if I’m to get this study up and running because the mine company won’t wait till next summer to start the dam.” Her mouth drooped at the corners. “And all I have are Tommy and Katie, who don’t know char from brook trout, and Vikki—” she eyed him sharply, the skin around her eyes tightening, “—who’s okay in a lab but in the field is too worried about cracking a nail to—” She cut herself off, dug the ends of her fingers into her temples. “Anyway, maybe you’ll get your wish after all.”

“My wish?” He snorted. Christ, he hoped she wasn’t psychic.

“The one where I go home with my tail between my legs and do nothing but lab studies for the next thirty years. At least I’ll be safe there…except—oh no!—my diabetes can attack me just as easily in a lab as in the field.” She thumped her fist flat against the table.

He laughed, which surprised him and annoyed her. When the hell was the last time he really laughed?

She stood and planted her hands on her waist and got in his face. “You think this is funny?”

He could smell the soap on her skin, the sharp tang of sweet shampoo which made him want to draw a deep breath and move in closer.

Suddenly her eyes sparked. “Hey, doesn’t the SAS specialize in living off the land? Don’t you know how to catch char?”

He huffed out a cross between a grunt and a laugh. “Aren’t you the biologist?” he countered. “Shouldn’t you be the expert on catching fish?”

“I’m a physiologist, not a fisherman. I usually get my fish from a hatchery.” She started pacing. “Goddamn. Why does it have to be so difficult?”

There was a brief silence during which the answer to her problem flashed through his brain.

“So all you need to complete your study are some fish?”

“Yeah.” She pressed her lips together. “Believe it or not, all I need to complete a migration study are a few migrating fish.”

“I might be able to help you.” He realized he was staring at her lips, so he shifted his focus to her eyes, which shone like feldspar. ****ing great. Thankfully she couldn’t see his eyes because he wore dark shades—all the better to hide hangovers with.

He made to angle around her, but was body-blocked. She stumbled and he grabbed her just to make sure she didn’t fall. It had nothing to do with wanting to touch her again. And his grandmother was the star performer of Cirque du Soleil.

“How…” She drew the word out into a full sentence, placing her hand on his chest as if that would stop him from moving. Oddly enough, it did. “Can you help me?”

He could feel the edges of his lips begging to crack into a grin. “Have you had your insulin and breakfast?”

“Ugh. Why does that sound so unappetizing?”

He backed up a step. “If you want my help, you need to answer my questions.” He stared her down while she gave him a death glare. Most people gave him extra-wide personal space, but despite everything that had passed between them over the past few days, she didn’t seem at all scared of him. Maybe she knew he was all bluster and no balls. When she didn’t answer he took another step back and she threw up her hands in exasperation.

“Okay, yes, great master. Yes, I took my shot and ate copious amounts of oatmeal. Now.” She stared at him so intently, he thought she might grab him if he so much as moved. And that was so tempting he held himself perfectly still. “What have you got that I want?” she asked.

The Doc was not referring to sex even though his ever-ready body was trying to twist it that way. “Grab your stuff. Meet me by the chopper.” He started out of the room to complete the daily inspection of the aircraft, but before he could brush past her she raised a brow and ran her eyes down his body.

“This better not be about your dinky again—”

“Dinky?” He snorted. God, she was funny. And fearless. “I do not have a dinky.” He tried to look insulted but a fresh rush of amusement ran though him. “A donkey, maybe.” He took another step, determined for once to have the last word.

“You are a donkey,” she muttered.

And though he tried to ram it down into that deep, dark place inside him, he couldn’t help the laugh that escaped.

EDGE OF SURVIVAL (November 21st, 2011)

Foreword by Brenda Novak

Dr. Cameran Young knew her assignment wouldn't be easy. As lead biologist on the Environment Impact Assessment team, her findings would determine the future of a large mining project in the northern Canadian bush. She expected rough conditions and hostile miners—but she didn't expect to find a dead body her first day on the job.

Former SAS Sergeant Daniel Fox forged a career as a helicopter pilot, working as far from the rest of the human race as possible. The thrill of flying makes his civilian life bearable, and he lives by his mantra: don't get involved. But when he's charged with transporting the biologist to her research vessel, he can't help but get involved in the murder investigation—and with Cameran, who awakens emotions he's desperate to suppress.

In the harsh and rugged wilderness, Daniel and Cameran must battle their intense and growing attraction while keeping ahead of a killer who will stop at nothing to silence her…

I'm donating 15% of my royalties to diabetes research.

Available for pre-order from Carina Press, Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Barnes & Noble.

Thanks so much for having me here today, Debra. Fun and chatty. I better work on that J

Check out Toni’s website for a list of current titles, her blog and Facebook Author Page for writing news and her personal Facebook page and Twitter for constant nonsensical chatter. She is also part of a wonderful group blog—Not Your Usual Suspects. Come introduce yourself.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-11-22T20:26:00.001-08:00

I’m squeezing in a post before the day is over. What a day! Our land line was wonky, keeping me off the internet. It was windy and rainy around here, and when I went shopping for Thanksgiving stuff 2 stores had power outages. There are also a lot of local streams causing a mess in the area. Without any internet to distract me, I sat down and had a great writing day. I’m working on developmental edits for Florentine’s Hero. I have to tell you all that with Lori Wilde’s excellent editorial guidance, this book is going to blow you away. I can’t wait until you can read it.
I think I’m set for Thanksgiving. We’re having a nice quiet day at home. Hubs has worked every day for the last 6 weeks, and he’ll have Thursday off. I’m gonna pamper him. ;-) Tomorrow I go into pie baking mode. I’m pretty sure you all have noticed I like to cook, and I include a lot of recipes in my posts. I’m going to tell you something that may shock you. I don’t make pie crusts. It’s true. It’s not that I can’t. I just don’t think they’re pretty or taste that great. So, I try to stick with pies that either take a graham cracker crust or a cookie crust. So on the menu, I’m going to make a Hersey cream pie, a Reeses peanut butter pie, and a butterscotch pie. I will make a pumpkin pie, but I’m cheating because I bought a pre-made crust.
What’s kind of pies do you like? Do you make your own crust? ;-)

I received the cover for Margot’s Lawman. Take a peek!

Cover Art Copyright © 2012 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited

It’s hard to keep a secret in the small town of Pike, Montana, but veterinarian Margot McDougal and sheriff Roy Lee Hanson managed to keep their relationship on the sly for months. Margot cares for Roy Lee, but the last thing she needs is to worry about local gossip while she’s busy running her clinic and dealing with the loss of her beloved father.
Roy Lee can’t wait to tell the world that he loves Margot. He respected her decision to keep their affair quiet—until now. It’s time for everyone to know Margot is his gal…especially Ryan Martin, her new assistant. He’s formed an attachment to Margot and Roy Lee is sure the city boy’s unexplained appearance in Pike means he’s up to no good.
Margot just wants to help Ryan fit in, and Roy Lee’s jealousy soon drives a wedge between them. A wedge that only increases when Margot is roped into Ryan’s secret, too….

Coming February 13, 2012

Happy 2nd birthday to me!

2011-11-19T10:07:00.001-08:00

Wow, it seems like birthdays come around so fast, huh?

Never fear…October 14th is my 1st birthday. The year I turn another year older. But, November 19th is another special birthday to me. It is the date that I was adopted. A day that my family always made special for me, and recanted the story about how they felt, how I acted, and how much I was loved. As a kid, it meant an extra present from Mom and Dad, and another day focused on me. How lucky am I?

As I got older, the focus isn’t so selfish on my part. It doesn’t matter about the present or the small birthday cake anymore. Sure, the stories are sweet and I love hearing how everyone felt, but it goes much deeper. In fact, beyond explaining. There’s a history now, and lives that were entwined forever. November 19th happened for a reason bigger than just me.

So with that said… Happy birthday to me. How lucky am I?

Help! I’m stuck in a bathroom stall…

2011-11-18T13:54:00.001-08:00

First mistake was watching the investigative reporting show on some satellite station last week. Maybe it was called, “A million things to ruin your life”, I’m not sure. It started out innocent enough. How many bacteria are in your kitchen sponge. I watched, somewhat disconnected, because I don’t use sponges in the kitchen. They gross me out. I also chuckled as they showed the flying bacteria coming from the kitty litter box, and smiled out the window at our cats, knowing they were outside.

No, the problem came when they were showing how much fecal matter, yes…poop, is on your toothbrush. I should’ve walked out of the room then. But like driving by a car crash, I sat hypnotized by the very thought of brushing my teeth with a little Crest, whitening agent, and speckled spots of sh-matter. In my defense, it was Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs who was hosting the show. I love Mike.

Anyhoodles…On the show, they flushed the toilet, used a special light to see how far the water spray covers your bathroom and showed the results. Along with that, they tested toothbrushes for fecal matter. By the time they came to Mike brushing his teeth, I was curled in a fetal position on the couch, yelling for hubs to plop a couple Alka Seltzers in a cup.

I’ve raised all kinds of animals. I’ve fallen in cow pop, sat in the chicken coop, cleaned up animals after they’ve given birth, and rode home with a pig on my lap. I can handle a little animal poop. I’m also a mother of four. Baby poop…no problem, I can change diapers with my eyes closed. Talk about poop in my mouth, and I resemble a cat with a hairball.

Hence, the traumatic event that happened two days ago.

At the end of a shopping trip with my daughter, she had to use the store’s bathroom. Ok, she’s 21 years old, but there’s safety in numbers and I decided to go into the bathroom with her. I don’t know if it’s because we shopped all day or the little old lady that was trickling the faucet as she proceeded to wash her whole face with the edge of her hankie, but all of a sudden I knew I wasn’t going to make it home without taking a little tinkle myself.

That’s when it happened.

I remembered Mike’s show on fecal matter on my toothbrush. I stood up, and as I’m pulling up my jeans the automatic flusher…flushed! I lunged for the door in my frantic escape to avoid flying fecal matter. (no, it was not my poop, but someone, someday, had pooped in that toilet, I’m sure). As I clung to the little flip on the door, pulling, tugging, cussing, crying, the door would not open. By this time, the toilet was still whooshin’ behind me, I panicked. The door would not open. I held my breath. There was no way I was going to open my mouth. I had my lips puckered inward, jaw locked, and there was no way I was going to yell for help and chance ingesting a little sh-matter.

I don’t know if it was the banging, or the little old lady who notified my daughter, but she opened the door. She’d never looked so beautiful. She was my angel in denim and lace, backlit by the white light from the wash area. As I flung myself upon her body, holding her close, I wiped my face on her shoulder and gasped, “Thank you.”

I’ve set new rules up for my holiday shopping experience. 1. No drinking allowed. 2. Go to the bathroom at home before I leave. 3. In case of emergencies, remember that the bathrooms at “Shopping trip from Hell” store has doors that open out, not in.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-11-15T05:18:00.000-08:00

Some people say a week isn’t over until your truck breaks down, you call a tow truck, and you’re sandwiched between the driver and Spike the Doberman. Well, I’m here to tell you, my week is now officially over…or I’ve made one helluva country song.

OMGosh, yesterday was not the highlight of my week. When the tow truck driver finally dropped me and the truck at home. I had to hike up the steep 1/2 mile driveway with no less than 50 plastic bags hanging off my arms. I really thought my bad luck was over. Oh no, it was just starting.

Hubs came home and says, “Your starter went out.” He said it like I should’ve known that. Honestly, I didn’t care. He had other plans though, and the next thing I know, I’m taking our other truck to the auto parts store that is open until 9pm.

You know how you need a hundred different pieces of information for one simple part? Well, I had 99 answers, except for this particular truck the company used 2 different starters. I needed to know what month the truck was made. *crickets* So, I call hubs at home. He runs out to look in the driver’s door on the little white sticker. I call back in 5 minutes. One of the twins said hubs couldn’t find a flashlight and to call back in 5 minutes. I wait. I pace. I talk to the old men at the counter. I call back and my son said he doesn’t know what is going on, but he’ll run outside and check. Meanwhile, I talk to the other twin. He’s telling me everything that he’s touching on my desk. Next thing I hear is twin 2 wants to know if it’s possible to upload different screensavers for my Kindle. Um. No. Step away from my Kindle.-- Now that twin 2 is bored, he’s going to run out and see what’s taking his dad and brother so long. Before he hangs up, he asks if his sister is with me. She is, and he proceeds to tell me to reach over and poke her. I do. She glares. I shrug and whisper, “Just go with it.”

Godawful minutes later, I call back. My oldest son answers the phone by asking, “Whattup?” At this point, if I could’ve reached through the phone and strangled someone, I would’ve been one happy chick. Instead, I ask him what hubs and the twins are doing. He doesn’t know. I talk with him for 20 minutes while waiting for someone to come back and tell me when the car was manufactured. Finally, oldest boy informs me he’s worried that something went wrong outside, and he better check it out. I order him. Yes. Order. He must return to the house in 3 minutes. Get set….go. I time him.

I called back, and oldest boy answers gasping for breath. “I’m here. I’m here. Did I make it?”

Apparently, he didn’t find out what was taking so long, but he’s happy enough to continue talking. We discuss his opinion on different types of rice. I swear, I can’t make this stuff up. This is my family. I love them. But, somewhere, somehow, when I was raising them, they haven’t learned when a situation is getting serious. I’m one turn of the wrench from going anal at the parts store, and lucky for me, there are plenty of wrenches handy.

Needless to say, over an hour later, I was told the information I was waiting for and bought the new starter.

On days like this, there is only one thing that’ll help….

Lime Jello Cheesecake

Crust

2 Cups Graham cracker crumbs

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 stick of butter, melted

Cake

1 small box lime Jello

1 cup water, boiling

1 chilled can of evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 pkg of cream cheese, softened

Directions

Dump the crumbs, the Tbsp sugar, and the melted butter into a 13x9 pan, mix them together and smash them into a flat crust

Mix the package of Jello into the cup of hot water - set it aside to cool

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until creamy – set aside

Beat the evaporated milk on high in a big chilled bowl until stiff.

Dump in the jello and mix in the cream cheese mixture. Beat all together until blended.

Put in refrigerator for a few hours until it sets up.

The 10 second rule in the Kayn house.

2011-11-12T09:00:00.001-08:00

Some people have the 5 second rule. A potato chip falls on the floor, and you’ve got 5 seconds to pick it up and eat it. No germs, you’ve saved it, hallelujah!

While others have the 3 minute rule. You tap your lover on the chest. Politely, I might add. “Honey, that was real nice. Can we do it again in *checks the nightstand clock* fifteen minutes? I guess that would be a 3 minute rule for the men, 15 minute rule for the women. (Okay, hubs is making me do a public awareness announcement. The 3 minute rule is not followed in the Kayn house. I repeat, the 3 minute rule is not followed in the Kayn house. *pats hubs cheek* He’s so cute, ain’t he?)

There are 15 seconds between the phone ringing and the answering service picking up.

Only 8 seconds between hot cup of noodles in the microwave, and blowing a hole in the Styrofoam and making a mess in your nuke machine.

All these are important rules, but the one I want to talk a bout is the 10 second writer’s rule. When my fingers are flying over the keys and I’m staring blindly at the computer monitor, you must give me 10 seconds after I turn to look at you before I can answer. Within that 10 second wait, I will eventually stop typing. My eyes will unglaze and focus on your person. And, if it’s a good day I will remember your name.

Son: Mom?

Me: type, type, type, type

Son: Mom, are you busy?

Me: type, nod, type, nod, type

Son: This is important.

Me: I turn my head slowly in his direction, and keep typing. The hero has finally woo’ed the heroine into the bedroom…

Son: I see his mouth move, but I hear nothing.

Me: Typing furiously. I end the paragraph, throw my hands in the air (which leads to flying body parts in my manuscript), lean back in my chair and smile. “What’s up?”

Son: “I’m going riding.”

Me: “Have fun. Wear your helmet.”

My family has learned that if they don’t give me at least 10 seconds from the moment they call my name, I won’t remember where they are, what they’re doing, or what they told me. It’s called being in a writer’s zone, or playing with the characters in my head. Some people call it hearing voices. Some day, I might make an appointment to see the doctor. I’m sure he has some drug, voodoo, or placebo that’ll help, but for now we’re sticking with the 10 second rule. It seems to work.

Do you have a second rule…maybe a minute rule around your house?

Good News!

2011-11-09T11:09:00.001-08:00

I’m excited to announce that I’ve sold Florentine’s Hero, book 4 of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series, to Entangled Publishing for their Indulgence line, headed by NYT and USA Today bestselling author Lori Wilde.

Have you checked out Entangled Publishing? Their books are fabulous! Months ago, I bought The What If Guy by Brooke Moss, and became a quick admirer on the quality of books published at Entangled. Along with all the rave reviews from their authors, and the detailed interviews done by Liz Pelletier, I knew I would find an excellent home for my book. While my book was in submissions, Entangled made the announcement that Lori Wilde would be heading the Indulgence line for their category romances.

I think I ate my way through three bags of Werther’s Orignals before I finally received the email that Florentine’s Hero was accepted. I still haven’t come down from the excitement. :-)

Tuesday Catchup

2011-11-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Do you know how hard it is to try and catch you all up on what I’ve been doing for the past week when so much of what is happening is secret? That’s right, secret! As in I gotta keep mum, but I swear it won’t be for too long.

Instead, I’ll tell you about my experiment with making Fried Bananas. I’ve heard of them before, but have never seen them or tasted them. A recipe I found sounded just weird enough, I had to try it. The reaction from my family was hilarious.

Hubs – Spit it out, and drank a glass of water.

Daughter – Scrunched her nose while chewing, but managed to eat one.

Oldest son – Ate six pieces and shrugged, while saying it was okay. (He eats anything)

Twin A – Put the Fried Banana on his lip before tossing it to the dog (He can’t stand bananas)

Twin B – Looked at Twin A and wouldn’t even try them.

Of course, I wouldn’t trust my family and had to try one myself. It’s weird. I liked the fried part, but as soon as the warm banana filled my mouth it was awful. I don’t think I’ll try to mess with the recipe. I think we’re just not a warm banana kind of family.

What recipe we did like was one Shirin Dubbin told me about the other night. She was making crab cakes, and said she makes them with hash browns. I usually make mine with leftover mashed potatoes. I had to try it! This is the recipe I used…

Crab Cakes

(like most of my recipes, I just guessed at the amounts)

I used thawed shredded hashbrowns – I used the whole bag, I have a big family.

Crab meat

Grated cheese

Olives

Chopped chives

Pepper to season.

I mixed the ingredients in a bowl and used 2 eggs and 1/4 cup of mayo to bind the mixture into patties. Then, because I overdid it with the eggs, I dipped the patties in Pride of the West batter mix.

Then I fried them in a pan with olive oil. I let those suckers get really crispy!

I have to say, I was able to get them crispier using the hashbrowns than I ever could with mashed potatoes. I also think coating them in Pride of the West helped too….another thing I usually don’t do.

Overall, everyone thought they tasted like my normal recipe, but liked the crispiness. I loved the ease. It was fast and simple to make. Two thumbs up! Thank you, Shirin!

Buy links for Love Rescued Me

2011-11-07T08:14:00.001-08:00

As promised…

Keep looking, more places will be selling Love Rescued Me soon!

Love Rescued Me excerpt

2011-11-02T23:03:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow’s the day (11/4/11)! Love Rescued Me comes out at Breathless Press. Be sure to watch for it to be available on Amazon and most 3rd party estores soon! I’ll be sure to post links when I get them. For now, here’s an excerpt for you to enjoy.

Blurb

What's small-town veterinary doctor Samantha James to do when the one person she trusts and shares her secret with isn’t who she thought?

Samantha James moves to small-town Skamania, Washington to escape the crooked cops who framed her younger brother, Parker, and sent him to prison for a crime he didn't commit. With the goal of setting up her veterinary practice and making a home for Parker when he's released, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with the local forest ranger.

Undercover officer Bobby Thorn is only in Skamania posing as a forest ranger to apprehend the scumbag who killed his partner. He doesn't have time for romance. But, when he goes to town seeking help for the injured wolf he finds, he can't help but be drawn to the fiery veterinarian. Caught between sharing sizzling nights with Samantha and doing his job, he finds himself torn. Will he be able to keep from blowing his cover, catch a killer, and keep the woman he loves safe all at the same time?

Excerpt

After closing the door, Samantha surveyed the room and decided to jump right back into working. With no one around to talk with, she carried on a continual one-sided conversation in her head. The more she unpacked and organized the clinic, the better prepared she'd be.

So many things needed to get done before she opened the clinic. She needed to hire someone to help with the front office and another person to assist in surgeries. She imagined one person might work for a while, since she'd probably have time to help out at the front desk and answer phones if her schedule wasn't full. Clientele took time to build up, and she wasn't expecting a steady rush of new patients once the doors were open.

The success of the clinic rested entirely on her shoulders, and she was doing everything possible to better her life. She felt positive for the first time since leaving Portland. She no longer had to worry about the nasty cop who tormented her over Parker's situation, or the thought of bringing Parker home to a place that only brought out bad memories.

All in good time...a line her mother used to quote. All in good time.

Samantha balanced precariously between two stacks of boxes and lifted a filing cart out of the way. With all the containers scattered about, it proved impossible to move the oversize cart toward the back of the room without a degree in acrobatics. Her arms shook, and she yelped as she tottered backward.

"Umph!" Samantha landed with a thud, her butt squashed into one of the bigger boxes on the floor as the cart flew out of her hands. She grunted and strained to lift her body out, but the laws of gravity worked against her. Damn that extra doughnut.

Her knees touched her chin, and her feet dangled over the rim of the box. A giggle bubbled out. She resembled one of those nerds in high school that always got dumped into the garbage can by a bully, and couldn’t extract themselves.

"Hey, anyone here?"

Samantha's head popped up. Oh, no! Someone was in the clinic. A very masculine someone, from the sound of it.

What do I do now? She frantically rocked back and forth with the same kind of determination she'd seen many times with cows giving birth to an oversize calf. Come on, come on!

"Damn it."

She bent her head forward, banging herself in the eyebrow with her knee. She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed the pain. Could this be any more embarrassing?

"Hey?"

"I'm...uh...back here." She rubbed her forehead and hoped if there was any swelling her hair might hide it.

The echoing sound of boots against the tile flooring grew louder the closer the man came to discovering Samantha's embarrassing situation. Heat traveled up her neck and settled on her cheeks—a phenomenon she believed cursed her for being born a redhead.

"Dr. James?"

The man had entered the right room, but with all the boxes stacked about, Samantha remained hidden. "I'm back here, behind the boxes." Tell him the truth, idiot, you're stuck in a box. This is karma for not being able to resist two doughnuts!

A very handsome, tall man stepped over and around the obstacle course. He planted his feet in front of her and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.

"You look like you find women stuck in boxes every day." She wrinkled her nose.

"Can't say that I do." The man circled her, his head bent at an odd angle to view the box.

"Are you looking for a handle, because I can tell you there isn't one." She snorted. Just get me out of the damn box!

"Not a handle. I thought maybe there might be a wind-up mechanism, and if I turned it, you'd pop out of the box." The man grinned. "You're name wouldn't happen to be Jill?"

"Jill?" She shook her head. What was he talking about?

"You know, Jill in the Box...like Jack in the Box." The man chuckled.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, the fun and games are over. Instead of gawking, do you think you might lend me your hand and help me out of this stupid box?" Samantha raised her arm. She'd lose her temper if he didn't stop the sideshow act.

Her self-respect demanded that she take control of the situation. She wished to keep what little credibility she had in this new town. With her kind of luck, she'd become known as "the wacky doctor who murdered the first person who came in to make an appointment." She clamped her teeth together and managed to hold her temper in. "Please. I'm stuck."

She grasped his offered hand, using his weight to pull herself up, and for a brief moment, she stood belly to groin against a giant of a man. Samantha tilted her chin. She was sure he reached at least six-foot-four inches tall, and his shoulders stretched for miles.

The man lifted the corner of his mouth, and the skin crinkled around his hazel eyes. She lowered her gaze to his hand, afraid if she didn't stop staring she'd emit a schoolgirl giggle. The only thing lacking is his ability to hold a decent conversation.

The new view didn't bring her the distraction she wanted. The size of his hands matched the rest of him, and she found herself utterly fascinated by the fact her fingers disappeared entirely within the tough interior of his. She gave her head a little shake. He was just a man, and she wasn't raised in a convent. There was no reason for her to act this way.

Samantha's head reached chest level on the man, and she read Skamania County Forest Ranger on the front of his buttoned-up shirt.

Samantha eyed him with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. She crossed her arms over her chest and fought the urge to step back. If he wanted to play the waiting game, she'd win. Besides, she wasn't the one that came seeking the vet.

An eerie, low-pitched howl tore through the air, startling her and the man. What in the world? She sprang into action, shouldering her way past the Paul Bunyan wannabe and out the clinic door.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-11-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

Hi-dee-ho! It’s the first of November. How many of you are doing NaNoWriMo? I’m often asked if I participate, and the answer is no. Not because I don’t believe in the good that can come from challenging myself and having some friendly competition with friends, but I’m a scheduled person. I write every day. Not because I have to, but because I love to. Plus, with homeschooling, animals, and raising kids, I have to keep my writing on a schedule to be able to write full time. NanoWriMo would throw me off schedule, because I know I’d be socializing too much. But…I wish all of you great success, and can’t wait to hear about all the great books that come out of your month of writing.

I had an exciting week. One of the highlights was visiting a Gold and Silver exchange, and getting some behind the scenes research done. I was utterly fascinated and learned a lot. And girls…bars and clubs are so yesterday. If you’re looking to pick up a rich man, go to an exchange. I’m serious. I was floored by the amount of well polished business men who dabble in exchanging cash for gold. Want to find out how much your gold is worth? Click here.

Friday, Love Rescued Me, is released. I’ll post the buy links on Friday. In the meantime, here’s the blurb…

I have a wonderful dessert. It’s especially good in the colder months. A little hot, a little cold, a little yummy caramel!

Hot oatmeal, caramel, sundae

Put a big scoop of vanilla icecream in a bowl.

Put a couple spoonfuls of hot oatmeal on the side.

Drizzle caramel over everything.

The texture and the heat mixed with the cold is delicious!

What does an author do on a Friday night?

2011-10-28T22:18:00.001-07:00

I update my site!

There are new reviews, new recipes, a new look, and release dates listed. Be sure to let me know if you see anything wonky. I thought it was time for a change, and what better time than a week before Love Rescued Me releases. If you haven’t subscribed to my newsletter yet, feel free to join. The next newsletter will go out on November 4th.

I’ve also got good news. I finished the new story I’ve been working on the last several months. I’m excited to find a new home for it, and will let you know the moment I do. That means I get to start Monday on a new project. I’m not sure what I’ll start. It all depends on time limits, submissions, and the position of the moon. Ha!

Tuesday Catchup

2011-10-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

I thought with the fall weather arriving, I'd find more spare time. Someone, somewhere, is laughing their butt off at my expense. Despite waking up every morning full of hope that today will be the day I complete everything on my to-do list, it doesn't happen. Between schooling the kids, writing, dealing with getting a new transmission in one of our trucks, hubs taking a little vacation, having our house shown 4 times in the last week, preparing for cold weather, and...and...and...I need a vacation!

The good news is, what I have accomplished feels wonderful. I'm ready for Love Rescued Me to come out on the 4th of November. I only have 60 pages left of self editing on my current project. Oh, and I've even fit some baking in my busy days.

One thing that is weighing heavy on my mind lately is what to do with our chickens. Well, it's not stressing me out in the way you might imagine. We raise, butcher, and eat our farm animals. What hubs and I are debating about is when we should um...butcher them. He's of the mind to do it now and fill our freezer. I'd prefer to wait and keep them producing eggs until we actually sell the house. We've started a what comes first argument....the chicken or the egg? Trust me, you haven't heard a debate quite the way we go about it. Hubs has a good point. Stuffed chicken, bbq chicken, and fried chicken do sound good. My theory that eating farm fresh eggs is healthy, and inexpensive holds weight in the debate. Stay tuned, and I'll let you know who wins.

I have a wonderful recipe for you. Everyone knows about the Tex Mex appetizer, right? Sometimes it's called the 7-layer Mexican dip. I've got a recipe for you that turns that appetizer into a meal.

I call it Mexican Dip-licious.

Cut the tops off 6 (or however many you need) red bell peppers. Any color bell pepper will work.

Put a couple spoonfuls of refried beans in the bottom of the hollowed out peppers.

Take a 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and one pkg of cream cheese, mix together while adding two tablespoons of taco seasoning to the mix. Put a dollop of mixture on top of the refried beans.

Then, in layers, add chopped tomatoes, olives, onions, grated cheese. (I also add corn, sometimes avocado)

Top off with a splash of hot sauce (your choice).

Set the stuffed peppers into a baking dish, add a little water at the base of the dish. Cover with foil. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, and then take the foil off for 15 more minutes.

Serve hot!

Do you want your name in barcode? I'm your agent!

2011-10-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the cover to Double Agent. What some of you might not know is my cover artist did something special for me. Do you notice the barcodes on the hero and heroine's neck? The hero's barcode actually says Debra Kayn. The heroine's barcode has always remained a secret. It's a secret I'm willing to share if you can send me an email by answering this question correctly...What was Thrasher's profession before the New World government took control?

Blurb for Double Agent
The year is 2016, and every conspiracy theory we worried about in 2010 has come true. Only a select few have escaped the New Order's control.

Thrasher never took risky chances with his freedom, so when Johanna approaches him and asks for his help to get to the refugee camp, he does what he'd promised he'd never do—he helps her escape. Little does he know that decision will change his world.

Johanna has two choices. Go willingly into the repro-M order, or infiltrate the refugee camp. She never plans to fall for the survivalist who helps her escape. With pressure mounting, will she follow through with the plan, or lose the love of her life?

Amazon

All romance Ebook

Sony

Kobo

Go ahead and try your hand at putting the cover puzzle together. If you'd like, you can email me at debrakayn at debrakayn dot com (change at to @ and dot to . , without spaces) when you're finished, and I'll send you your name in barcode.

Here's mine! Debra Kayn

provided by flash-gear.com
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-doubleagent-501235-143.html

To use serial commas or not to use…that is the question

2011-10-21T10:18:00.001-07:00

Serial comma…(notice the red comma)

She pushed off the wall, squared her shoulders, and
stepped back into the kitchen.

No serial comma…(notice the lack of comma after the word shoulders)

She pushed off the wall, squared her shoulders and
stepped back into the kitchen.

Let me just say that I love commas. The more, the better, and all that jazz. I’ve got a terrible habit of putting them in sentences where I pause for breath in emails, and social media outlets. I’m slowly breaking that habit in manuscripts.

The problem for me comes with the use of serial commas. I have one publisher who lets me use serial commas, and another publisher who doesn’t believe in serial commas. I recently finished a story that I didn’t aim at a specific publisher. The whole time I was writing, I was debating whether to use serial commas or not. I’m almost afraid of going back and self editing my story, and finding that I’ve used serial commas 50% of the time. What a mess!

Publishers usually don’t give their opinion on the use of serial commas on their submission page. The way I figure out if they do or don’t is by buying one of their books (or going back and reading one I’ve bought before). That’s a good habit to get into anyways when you’re aiming for a certain publisher. You can get the feel of what they like, what they expect, and how their editing department does their job. Plus, it gives me an excuse to buy books.

What are your thoughts on serial commas? Like? Hate?

Tuesday Catchup

2011-10-18T05:25:00.000-07:00

It’s a big week…

On Monday, Val’s Rancher, the 2^nd book in the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series was released at Carina Press, and I’m riding around visiting blogs. Go ahead and pick out your horse, saddle up, and join me for some cowboy fun and giveaways.

Tuesday – Swing by Modokker Book Picks, read the review for Val’s Rancher, comment, and be entered to win your choice of either Chantilly’s Cowboy (book 1) or Val’s Rancher.

Tuesday – I’ll be guest blogging at the Carina Press blog and talking about birth orders. Come on over and tell me what you like about being the youngest, the middle child, or the oldest. I’ll be giving away a book to one lucky person.

Thursday – Swing by Manga Maniac Café before October 22^nd. They put me to the test during their Cowboy Crush. Find out what makes cowboys special to me, and get your name in the drawing for a free copy of Chantilly’s Cowboy.

Saturday – Do you read what’s familiar or read to escape? That’s the question I’m throwing out to readers at Manic Reader’s Blog.

Don’t forget that the fun continues when on November 4th, Love Rescued Me, comes out.

I have good news though. Even through my hectic schedule, I finished a new story. The first book of a planned series. I do love my category romances! I’ll tell you more about it later when I find a home for it. I’m also still waiting to hear back on a couple submissions. Sometimes writing is a lot like making stew. A little of this, a little of that, and I stand above the pot, stirring, waiting for dinnertime.

On the homefront, we’ve been house hunting online. I love, love, love to look at other people’s farms for sale. We also are trying to sell our daughters lil’ Bronco. We’ve winterized the chicken coop, and have prepared everything else for the first freeze. It’ll happen any day now. I can’t wait! I love every season, but winter is my favorite. I’ve got my boots on, my scarves out, and ready to play outside.

It’s Release Day!

2011-10-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

I have a book release today. That’s right, Val’s Rancher is now available at Carina Press and all other ebook stores. For those who’ve already bought it, you’ll finally be able to read it. :-)

and many more ebook stores

BLURB

Val McDougal knows all about heartbreak. First, the love of her life, Sam Turner, left to join the rodeo circuit two years ago. Now she faces a new kind of pain—her beloved father is dying. The last thing she needs is Sam’s unexpected return to Pike, Montana, to take over his family’s ranch, stirring up desires Val doesn’t think she can handle.

Sam knows he made the biggest mistake of his life when he broke things off with Val. He’s determined to win her back, this time for good. But despite the sizzling heat between them, Val keeps pulling away. He has to convince her to trust him—and her own heart—again, especially as the time draws near when she’ll need him the most…

Book two of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series. Look for book one, Chantilly’s Cowboy, available now.

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-10-14T08:42:00.001-07:00

Today’s my birthday. A day of celebration and cheesecake! Although, I don’t like gaining another year, I do enjoy having a birthday. No matter how old I am, my mom always calls early in the morning to sing me Happy Birthday. Hubs indulges me by letting me have all the attention. The kids go out of their way to make my life easier.

The big question this morning is, do I have Fried shrimp or Fried chicken for my birthday dinner? I can’t make up my mind.

Mid October is a good time all around. The weather is changing, life is slowing down, the boots come out, and in a couple weeks it’ll be time to put the snow tires on. I love snow! Best of all, I know that Thanksgiving is around the corner, Black Friday sales, Christmas, and then hubs gets a big break from work until after the new year.

Tomorrow, I’ll be at Manga Maniac Cafe. Stop in and say hi!

Also, in honor of NY Comic Con, Carina Press is taking 40% off all books from Oct. 14 - 16th at checkout with the coupon code NYCOMICCON. This is a great opportunity to buy books. Seeing how my book, Val’s Rancher, is coming out Monday, you can pre-buy it and receive the discount!

Tuesday Catchup

2011-10-11T05:40:00.000-07:00

Hoo-boy! It’s my birthday week! Yep, Friday I will turn another year older (which I’m ignoring) and making the most of my special day. The talk is already starting on what I’ll have for dinner. I’m not sure what I’ll pick, but I know it won’t be something I have to cook. Normally, I go for fried shrimp. That’s it. I’m not a big Chinese food eater, but fried shrimp is my favorite food. I’ve also been thinking of fried chicken. Can you tell it’s been a long time since I ate fried food? I do know that instead of a cake, I’ll be having cheesecake. That’s a given.

If it was your birthday, what would you want for for your birthday dinner?

This week, I’ll also be sending out a newsletter. Watch for it! I’m also waiting to hear on a couple submissions, making plans for the what if’s, and working hard on the current story. I had a wonderful spell of writing last week and on Sunday. This story is very character driven, and I’m having a blast giving them free space to do what they want. It’s not surprising that I have secondary characters that would love to have their own stories, and I’m thinking it might be nice to turn this into a series with each book a standalone too.

Speaking of series. Google alerts notified me of a review on Val’s Rancher, the 2nd bk of the Sisters of McDougal series. I smiled while reading the whole thing. One of the worries I always have when writing a series is if a reader picks up the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th book, and can’t fall in love with it because she/he hasn’t read the other books in the series. I try very hard not to let that happen, and this reviewer put my mind at ease. Here’s a little snippet…

I normally do not read book out of sequence, but honestly this book could stand on its own. After reading this, I am anxious to go back and read Book One Chantilly’s Cowboy. I fell in love with the family, the book was very inspiring and paints an intimate portrait of a family dealing with their father’s illness. The author was able to bring each character to life. You felt the sister’s bond and how they can endure anything as long as they have each other. --- You can read the rest of the review at Forever Book Lover

Don’t forget, Val’s Rancher comes out Monday at Carina Press. You can also pick it up at most ebook stores.

I’ll be at Manga Maniac Cafe on October 15th. Come on by and say hello!

The morning of October 19th, I’ll be at the Carina Press blog, and Carina Press will be sharing some facts about me on Twitter and giving you insider peeks into Val’s Rancher on the Carina Press Facebook page.

On October 22nd, I’ll be chatting it up at Manic Readers. You won’t want to miss it.

You’ve gotta check the wonderful and fabulous Shirin Dubbin out!

2011-10-06T11:16:00.001-07:00

My great friend, Shirin Dubbin, is on the fast track up. I love her books! If you haven’t checked her out before, go now. Run! Let her know Debra sent you, that’ll earn you brownie points, for sure.

Without further ado…here’s a little info from the queen. (really, I’ve seen her wear a crown)

My October blog schedule is a fun one. From bad dates, to monsters, to how I fell in love with UF/PNR/FR, to returners. There are a lot of laughs to be had, books to be won and several recommendations to keep you entertained.

Fresh Fiction - October 2 - A Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Date + Giveaway
Carina Press - October 4 - Piping Hot Embarrassment Coming Right Up
Kelsey's Book Blog - October 6 - Interview on Chaos Tryst + Giveaway
AllRomance.com Newsletter - October 7 - Halloween Celebration (link TBD) + Bonus Free Read
Remixing Macabre and Grimm: The true tales of an aspiring Buffy’s love of fairytales, her flirtation with horror and how she finally found satisfaction in the arms of UF.

I'm sending a big thank you to ARe's Lori James—she's fantastic!

Katie Reus's Monster Mash-up - October 11 - Godmothers and Monsters (link TBD)

Harlequin Tumblr - date TBD - A post about the returners from Chaos Tryst

There you have it. I hope to see you at a few of these places. Also there's a post by my buddy and fellow Carina Press author, Shawn Kupfer, wrote called Buying On Faith. It features me and Chaos Tryst. So very cool! If you haven't read Shawn's helluva-good-time military SF 47 Echo you've got to fix that situation right now.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-10-04T22:10:00.001-07:00

I almost didn’t make the Tuesday Catchup post in time. Usually I’m ahead of schedule, but I’ve been swamped with making guest blog posts, answering interview questions, and doing a million errands. Well, not quite that many, but when one of those things involves going to the DMV it sure seems like it takes forever.

I have made time for writing though. I’m half way done with the story, and have reached the “scene” that I envisioned when I thought up the plot. Love it!

I’m afraid October isn’t going to slow down. The 14th is my birthday, the 17th is the release of Val’s Rancher, and after that it’s blog visit after blog visit until Love Rescues Me releases on November 4th. I’ll keep you updated on where I’m at through the month, just in case you want to come say hi *please*.

Is October keeping you busy too? Anyone have anything exciting happening?

I have an easy recipe. So easy, it only takes 2 things! I’m hooked on fruit smoothies. I make them myself with frozen fruit and fat free milk. No sugar added! The secret is using a lot of fruit and adding just enough milk to make it thick. Oh, and use the fruit when it’s frozen. It comes out milkshake thick.

Rainy day Saturday with the sisters of McDougal Ranch

2011-10-01T10:06:00.001-07:00

It’s chilly and rainy, which makes it the perfect Saturday to stay inside. I was able to finish up the final copyedits on Margot’s Lawman, the 3rd book of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series, this morning. I can’t wait for you to read this one. There are some surprises that I think you’re going to love. Of course, I have to keep mum about it all…which is killing me! Margot’s Lawman releases in February of 2012, so in the meantime you have time to read the 2nd book, Val’s Rancher. It’s already available for preorder everywhere (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance, and more), and will come out on October 17th, 2011. Want to know what one reviewer said about Val’s Rancher?

…Val’s Rancher by Debra Kayn is a fantastic story about following your heart and not your head. Val and Sam are two characters who readers will not be able to turn away from. I give Val’s Rancher by Debra Kayn 5 smirks because the characters continue to surprise me, the story is just too romantic for words, and Val and Sam have this deep connection that will reach readers everywhere. ---You can read the complete review at A Snarky Space

I’m also going to find time to write on the new wip. I’m already over 25k words in, and still haven’t came up with a title.

And, what goes better with a rainy Saturday than cookies? I’m thinking chocolate chips…

What’s your favorite type of cookie?

Oh, and welcome to October. It’s my birthday month too, so make sure you sign up for my Newsletter. There’ll be a couple extra giveaways to my readers to celebrate.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-09-26T22:15:00.001-07:00

Everyone should have a place that they can escape to, and one of my favorite places can only be described with pictures.

You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

You’ve all heard about me talk about the creek that we have on our property. This waterfall is downstream from our place (not on our property…darn). You have to hike in above the falls, and scale the rock wall. No, not the wall my son is standing at the base of, but over to the side there is a place that’s not quite so steep, but it is steep enough you have to use a rope and a couple of the trees that grew out of the embankment. Because of this, not many people go to the waterfall. The place is about perfect, in my opinion.

Describe your favorite place to escape to?

I’ve had a productive week. We got the travel trailer cleaned and winterized. I took 2 car loads of stuff to Goodwill. I even found time to write 60 pages on a new story. The Oregon rain and wind showed up over the weekend, and that kicked my butt into gear. I always want to clean and organize when I’m stuck inside. I’m actually looking forward to winter, because I love to spend the day writing. There are two big windows by my desk, and I find the rainy or snowy weather is great medicine for my muse.

Remember that Val’s Rancher, book 2 of Sisters of McDougal Ranch, is available for pre-order at most 3rd party ebook stores. It releases on Oct. 17th. I’ll be at the Carina Press blog on the 19th, and also stopping by the Manic Reader’s blog on the 22nd.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-09-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

One problem of having a muse that won’t shut up is writing a new story that makes you continually feel like something is off kilter. That’s what happened to me last week. I was making good word count, digging the story, getting in the groove of doing research on wine (the hero owned a vineyard), and I hit a brick wall. I knew where the story was going, and what the conflicts were, but the overall feel of the hero was off. Then it hit me. I needed to write what I know. I’ve done that every single time in past books. I know the rural farm life, cowboys, bikers, virgins (ha!), and even how to bug out if the world ends. What did I know about winemaking? Nada. Zip. This is one time where I was thankful for my muse, and she/he didn’t let me down.

That left me brainstorming an occupation for my hero. With his ego, and he has a big one, what he does for a living had to be big. A past Wimbledon Tennis champ? Bingo! I know tennis. I’ve played tennis since I was 6 years old. The great thing about changing the hero’s occupation is I started writing like a ball machine set on high. I’m loving the story, and the chemistry between the hero and heroine is game…set…match!

For those who have sent emails, I’m happy to say our dog is doing great. The incision where they operated on her ear hematoma is looking really good. She does tend to try to scratch the area, but I think that has more to do with the fleas she picked up at the veterinarian’s clinic. I can’t wait until her two weeks are up and she gets her stitches out. Then I can spray her down with some Frontline. Because they leave the ear sorta open to drain, I can’t spray her until it’s all closed up. But, she’s a trooper and did so much better than I thought she would. Thanks for all the well wishes.

Val’s Rancher, book 2 of Sisters of McDougal Ranch, will be out in less than a week. Oct. 17th at Carina Press. For those with a Kindle or Nook, the book is available for pre-order.

If you haven’t signed up for my Newsletter, you still have time to get in on release month giveaways. I’ve been celebrating on my newsletter by giving away more and bigger prizes to my dedicated readers. I’d love to build a reader base up, and not simply drive bys to the blog, and to do this I’ve been giving away T-shirts, skullcaps, gift certificates, and anything else I drum up. Next newsletter goes out sometime during the first of October. Sign up here.

Last, but not least. I have a blurb for Love Rescued Me.

Look for Love Rescued Me in ebook stores near you on November 4th, 2011.

What's small-town veterinary doctor Samantha James to do when the one person she trusts and shares her secret with isn’t who she thought?

Samantha James moves to small-town Skamania, Washington to escape the crooked cops who framed her younger brother and sent him to prison for a crime he didn't commit. With the goal of setting up her veterinary practice and making a home for Parker when he's released, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with the local forest ranger.

Writing Tips

2011-09-16T19:26:00.001-07:00

Every author can offer different writing tips. No specific way is better than what works for you, but sometimes hearing how someone else does it turns out to improve the process. That’s where I come in. I’m going to share some things that help me, and if you can use them…great!

I never number my chapters when I’m writing. I make a page break, write “Chapter” at the top of the page, and continue writing. That way when I’m ready to submit the story to a publisher, I can go fill in the numbers without any errors.
After each chapter, I go back through and correct my typos and misspelled words. Nothing too deep, just whatever shows with a pretty colored line under it as being incorrect. This is fast and easy, and will save you time when you do go through the manuscript with a fine tooth comb.
I change the color theme on my Word program while I’m writing the story. Right now, I’m using black. When I edit, I’ll probably change it to blue. This only changes the color around the document you are working on, not the document itself. For some reason, this helps me not see the writing as something I’ve worked on. (yes, it’s a little weird. lol)
If I get stuck on a scene, I often change the font. This is easily changed at the end of the process to what the publisher requires upon submission.
Make use of track changes and comments while writing. I write a lot of comments. Sometimes I won’t want to expand on a sex scene or the dialogue is boring, so I’ll make a comment to go back and rework it later. Again, don’t worry, these are all easy to clean up when you’re ready to submit. You don’t want the acquisition editor to see your grocery list. ;-)
Have a Kindle? Upload your finished manuscript and use the audio option (available on some Kindles) to read the story back to you. I know it sounds a little stilted, but give it time, play with the speed, and soon you can close your eyes and hear where sentences don’t make sense or your hero sounds like a dork. I’ve found the Kindle audio works better than any of the online or downloadable text to speech programs around.
Use the highlighter! Do you catch yourself using the same expression or gesture when you’re writing? Highlight it, and then do a “find” to reword.

That’s it for today. Feel free to share your own tips in the comments. We can all learn from each other, because as we all know…writing is tough work!

Some days you have to seek your own storyline…with pictures!

2011-09-14T19:57:00.001-07:00

Far away in Japan, there was a woman with long blonde hair.

She tried to gain entrance into the palace, but she broke the golden rule. Don’t take goofy pictures with Buddha.

So, she ran to the gates and tried to ride one of the king’s mighty lions.

When the guards noticed what she was doing, they banished her to the forest where she met a rugged man, had his babies, and lived happily-ever-after.

As you can see, that’s me in the pictures. I might not have really visited Japan, but the gardens were lovely and I enjoyed myself. A little fun goes a long way to get the writing mojo back, and I’m ready to hit the keyboard hard.

So, tell me…do you usually look serious in pictures or would you rather look goofy?

Tuesday Catchup

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

The last week has been a mix of getting into the routine of school starting again, researching wine for my latest writing project, and dealing with an emergency dog situation. Sound fun? Well, some of it. School is going smoothly, and everyone is falling into the new routine nicely. Sampling wine…I love being a writer. The dog is now doing fairly well. Our oldest dog had an ear infection, which we didn’t know about, and must have shaken her head hard enough to cause a hematoma on her ear. So, she had surgery and for the next 3 weeks I’m on dog duty, giving her pain medicine, antibiotics, ear ointment, and making sure she doesn’t scratch all the stitches in her ear. This is the same dog I talked about last week on the blog that was holding me hostage at my desk.

On the writing front, besides tasting wine, I’m prepping for the release of Val’s Rancher that comes out October 17th at Carina Press. It’s already up for preorder at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. If you loved Chantilly’s Cowboy, then you’ll be happy to know that Val’s Rancher is the 2nd book of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series. The 3rd book, Margot’s Lawman will come out in February, 2012.

So, how would you like to help me with my wine research? I’d love to hear what type of wine is your favorite…let’s talk fruity liquid!

You can’t argue with a deaf dog

2011-09-09T08:21:00.001-07:00

Our oldest dog is the best dog we’ve ever owned. I love her. She’s 14 1/2 years old, and in excellent health. When I say that, it means that she plays, she can go up and down stairs, and she looks like she’s about 10 years old. Only those who really know her will realize she’s deaf, and she’s blind in one eye. She’s what the Native American’s call a spirit dog…she has one brown eye and one blue eye. She’s a Cattle Dog, and we bought her as a pup when the the twins were 1 years old, thinking she would be the perfect dog to grow up with the kids. At the time, our kids were 6,3,1,1…they needed herding.

She’d herd the kids in the yard when they were younger. Often biting a diapered butt if one of them toddled toward the perimeter of the yard. She’s heard many secrets, dried many tears, and has protected them from real and imagined danger.

More and more often these days, I find myself arguing with her. She barks to go outside, but can’t hear us calling her to the door. When the truck starts, we have to make sure she’s in the house because she could get ran over. If she’s walking, we move or she’ll walk right into our legs. Lately, she wants to lay right behind my rolling desk chair. Telling her to move so I can get up from the desk doesn’t work, because she can’t hear me. Stomping my foot doesn’t register in dog language as “move”. It takes about 5 minutes of pointing and giving her a head toss for her to realize I’m asking her to get up and park herself somewhere else. It breaks my heart. She’ll move across the room, and look at me. I can see she’s wondering why I’m talking to her.

She’s retired from being the children’s keeper. She no longer dogs their every step and yet, she’s there watching them through her blurry vision. She sleeps in their beds, taking turns, so every one of the kids knows she’s there, guarding over them, protecting them, loving them.

As I argued with her this morning over moving away from my chair, I realized she deserves to lay wherever she damn well wants. She’s earned it. So, I write this post because I’m being held hostage at my desk. There’s a much loved dog sleeping.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-09-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful long weekend. For the first time in what seemed like forever, I had three days of doing absolutely nothing. No where I needed to go, no working, no chores at home, just time to hang out with hubs at home and do whatever we wanted. I spent time working out in the yard, mowing, and puttering around. I love mowing and being outdoors. Most of all, I enjoyed having hubs home for three days straight. That’s a rarity this year, because he’s been working so much overtime. Sigh…I’m refreshed, and ready to face the new week.

In fact, last night I sat down and started writing a new story. I’ve had a couple ideas bouncing around in my head the last few weeks, but couldn’t put all the pieces together until now. I thought it was a perfect time to start something new. School’s starting, a new story is developing, and Fall is right around the corner.

I have a new cover to show you. On November 4th, Love Rescued Me, will be released from Breathless Press. The blurb will be finished this week, but for now I’m showing off the cover.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

(You can cut the recipe in half)

84 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 60 left whole, and 24 chopped

4 pounds cream cheese, room temperature

2 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

8 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Use paper liners in your muffin tins. Place 1 Oregon cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
Using a mixer at medium speed… beat cream cheese until smooth. Then add sugar, until combined. Add Vanilla and mix.
Drizzle in eggs slowly. When that’s all mixed up, add in sour cream and chopped cookies.
Fill cups almost to the top of muffin cups.

Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until set. It’ll take about 20-22 minutes.

Let cool on wire racks.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Release day for Ride Free!

2011-09-02T09:36:00.001-07:00

You met Reefer in Biker Babe in Black, the 1st book of The Chromes and Wheels Gang series, and now he’s back with his own story in…Ride Free.
Wanna find out what makes Reefer, Margarine Butter’s best friend?
Do you want to find out how Margarine Butter and Remy are doing now?
Do you want more scenes with the biker gang?
More action, more fun, and more gang members! You’ll get to know Thelma and Louise, and find out which gang member does the unspeakable. Hold on to the seat, because the Harley’s are rev’ved up and hitting the road.
There’s one woman who knows what she wants, and nothing is going to stop her from going after the most sought after man of the gang…the end man. It’ll take someone special to break through reefer’s well protected heart and convince him to take her for a ride. And, her name is Sarah Lightfeather.
Get your tissue box ready, because Ride Free is going to touch your heart in ways you’ve never imagined. Buy your book today, and hold on…

Buy at Breathless Press

All Romance Ebook (Watch for it…should show up at any time!)

Amazon

Official Blurb

Reefer gave her an hour's worth of sex in a kiss that lasted no more than ten seconds…and Sarah Lightfeather saw her future with the sexy biker.
Sarah always dreamed of joining a motorcycle gang and hitting the open road. What better way to escape a troubled childhood filled with poverty and alcoholism than to ride out and live a gypsy lifestyle? Her life changed the morning a biker stopped in the middle of the road and asked if she wanted a ride.
Reefer had two rules: don’t mess around with women who didn’t grow up riding the road, and his biker family always came first. Nothing prepared him for the woman who hopped onto the back of his Harley with the ease of a born rider and peeled back the layers of his sealed heart.
Two people running from a world full of hurt. Can they escape to find happiness or will they have to first revisit the past?

Tuesday Catchup

2011-08-30T13:24:00.001-07:00

I wish I had wings. Even a hovercraft would do! I remember in grade school the teacher had an assignment where we were supposed to write about what we thought the world would be like when we’re adults. I had envisioned The Jetson’s. We’d all fly through space, and speed past the police in our hovercrafts. I would also love my own Rosie, the robotic maid.

For those who haven’t caught on to the Tuesday Catchup post that comes out every Tuesday, it’s a time to talk about what I’ve been doing the last week. Update you on any projects or happenings going on in the writing world. Sometimes, I’ll share what is going on at home. I also love to recommend a recipe, a book, or product that is new to me. I’d also love to hear what is going on in your life. Tell me about a new book you read, or about your family vacation. Got a recipe? Please, share it!

I’m taking this week to work on my story ideas, while I wait to hear about other projects I have finished. I think of this as a little R & R, no pressure, just fun ideas I get to bounce around. It was a rather stressful week on the writing front, and I’ve discovered I need to regroup and figure out the direction I’m going in. I think this is a perfect time to do that with Labor Day weekend fast approaching.

On the homefront, hubs and I were searching for houses for sale in the state we want to move to when our place sells. We found one! It’s hard though, because we know our place isn’t going to be a fast seller, so we must wait. It feels sorta like anticipating on winning the lottery. The place we love is everything we’ve ever wanted. Lakefront house with acreage for animals. I could seriously daydream about what I would do during the day if I lived there.

Where is your dream place to live? Do you like oceans, mountains, prairies?

Baked Apple Treats

Cut up apples (A red variety, since they are sweeter) – I used 3 whole apples

A spoonful of Natural Peanut butter – I use Adam’s brand

1/2 cup of Splenda – You can use regular white sugar

1 tablespoon of Cinnamon – Use less/more depending on how much you like

Mix everything in a microwavable bowl and nuke it for 2 minutes. When done, stir, and set aside.

Now, pop open one can of Crescent croissant roll’s…instead of rolling them per instructions, roll them out in a flat rectangle. I was able to make 6 individual rectangles from one package. You’re going to spoon the apple filling onto the middle of the rectangle, fold the dough over, and pinch the sides together. It’ll look a little like homemade HotPockets. ;-)

Bake at 350 degrees in oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Be careful, because they are very hot when done. You can eat them alone, or serve with a spoonful of vanilla icecream.

Fast, easy, and cheap!

Wanna spice up your marriage?

2011-08-25T13:06:00.001-07:00

I don’t know about other romance authors, but it’s amazing how many people have asked me for marriage advice. To be honest, I’ve been asked questions way before I ever became a published author. I’m not an expert. I have a normal marriage. We love, fight, bicker, become so cheesy no one can stand to be around us, but I guess in the end…we’re still married, and deeply in love. That’s what matters!

I’ve often joked that if a best selling newspaper ever wanted to contact me to write a Love Advice column, I’d jump at the chance. It’s one of the reasons why I love writing romance stories. I’ll always believe in a happily ever after. Give me tough times and conflicts with some sigh-able sappy ending, and I’m melting.

I’ve always shied away from telling someone exactly what I thought. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and it’s hard to give advice when you don’t live with the person. No one is able to see what goes on inside your house, or bedroom, right? And, there’s that little fact that I’m not an expert on marriage or relationships.

That doesn’t stop me from giving advice to the general population though...

As a general rule, I think stagnant marriages are the number one sign of trouble. Oh, don’t start worrying. It’s common. Throw in kids, jobs, every day stresses, and one day meshes into the next and before you know it…you’ve hit the drainage ditch with some tadpoles growing in your marriage. The good news is, it’s the easiest thing to fix.

Remember those days when you couldn’t keep your hands off each other? When you couldn’t wait to see the man/woman in your life? You need to rekindle the connection. Here are a few things to get you started…

Backrubs

Go for a walk

Plan a date

Go for a car ride

Play a game, and up the ante. Come on! You’re two consenting adults and rules are meant to be broken.

Go do something neither one of you have done before.

Kiss! For goodness sakes, he’s not your mother…kiss him like you mean it!

Don’t overwhelm yourself. Pick one this week, and go for it. Feeling a little shy? Well, let me tell you that to love someone you need to allow yourself to be vulnerable. It’s how you learn about yourself and grow further in your relationship. My characters do it all the time. That’s why it hurts so much when something goes wrong, but like all romances…you know there’s a happily ever after coming. Isn’t the person you love worth it? Aren’t you worth it?

Tuesday Catchup

2011-08-23T09:51:00.001-07:00

I had a funny conversation with a couple of cowboys this past week. Naturally, the conversation turned toward my book series The Sisters of McDougal Ranch (I’m sneaky that way), and my search for the bronc rider that I had interviewed during the writing of Florentine’s book. If you missed out on what happened…I talked to a man who is a pro rider for a 1/2 hour over the phone. We chatted about so many things, and had a great conversation. Then I hung up, and didn’t get his name! Gah! I could have kicked myself. I’ve called numerous times to the organization that hooked me up with him, but so far, no luck. I’m at the point where I think a random stranger answered the phone, passed it to the rodeo rider as he was walking out of the bathroom, and then my cowboy rode off into the sunset. I will get to the bottom of the mystery though if it kills me.

Anyhoodle, back to the funny conversation. Somehow, the topic of where cowboys are from came up and I said most romance stories feature cowboys from Texas, with Wyoming being the 2nd most popular. This brought great laughter from the cowboys, who are from the Pacific Northwest. It seems that they don’t believe real western cowboys come from anywhere east of Montana, south of Oregon, and North of the Canadian border.

Me, being me, asked why not? (now granted, I knew what was coming. I’m a country gal. We know what the men are thinking, before they speak. But for my own entertainment, I asked anyways) These are some of the reasons they gave me:

- Cowboys drive trucks. They don’t drive Cadillac's with oversized horns sticking out of the grill. Apparently, this is hilarious to the cowboys I talked to, and there were jokes about “bottoming out” going down a gravel road.

- Cowboys never wear suits. Ever.

- Nor do they wear white, off-white, cream, or any other color. That goes for cowboy hats too. It’s black or brown hats only.

- Cowboys are not rich, nor do they carry wallets.

- Flannel shirts are real shirts. Pearly-buttoned shirts are for funerals and weddings only, and you wouldn’t be caught dead in a short sleeved shirt…ever. If you’re hot, the flannel shirt comes off. It’s simple.

- If your ranch house is sprawling, you’re not a rancher, you’re a millionaire. Instant disqualification on being a cowboy. Ranch homes are always 2 story, and have a big ol’ fashion porch, a couple missing shingles and a dog on the porch.

- The last thing mentioned was the use of ma’am and sir. It’s not done. In fact, this started a lot of laughter. One cowboy mentioned how it sounds ridiculous when you say, “You son-of-a-bitch, sir.”

- There were also references to the old television series, Dallas. I’ll skip what they said, because I barely remember the show, and they weren’t exactly um…polite.

- When I asked which movie star fit their idea of a real cowboy, it was unanimous. John Wayne.

On the homefront, I’ve been busy with edits on my romantic suspense book, Love Rescued Me, coming November 4th! I’m also back to writing the 5th book in the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series. I’m having fun with Bisette. ;-)

Writing to music

2011-08-20T15:06:00.001-07:00

Usually, the more chaotic my house is, the faster I can write. I lose myself behind the noise of older kids and activities. The television, radio, chainsaw, you name it, will create my writing zone. A bomb could go off in the house and I wouldn’t hear it if I’m deep into writing a story. That’s why I was surprised when I was writing the secret project, and I found myself putting the earbuds in and listening to music…instead of the natural sounds of the house. By the time I was half way done with the book, I had a new playlist.

Adele –Rolling in the Deep

Jessita Reyes – Tucked in for the Night

Uncle Kracker – Good to be Me

Nickleback – If Today Was Your Last Day

Kid Rock – Care

That was it. Over and over, for hours on end. Now that I’m done, I can’t even tell you why I chose those songs. They really have nothing to do with my book. I think it’s because I could sing them word for word and create that chaotic zone I needed. Call it multi-tasking for my brain, or being a mom. I’m not sure but while the kids were out enjoying the last bits of summer, I needed noise in mine. No wonder it’s easier to write during the colder months…everyone is inside creating my zone.

Do you like doing things while listening to music?

Cover for Ride Free…

2011-08-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

Reefer gave her an hour's worth of sex in a kiss that lasted no more than ten seconds…and Sarah Lightfeather saw her future with the sexy biker.

Coming September 2nd, 2011

Sarah always dreamed of joining a motorcycle gang and hitting the open road. What better way to escape a troubled childhood filled with poverty and alcoholism than to ride out and live a gypsy lifestyle? Her life changed the morning a biker stopped in the middle of the road and asked if she wanted a ride.

Reefer had two rules: don’t mess around with women who didn’t grow up riding the road, and his biker family always came first. Nothing prepared him for the woman who hopped onto the back of his Harley with the ease of a born rider and peeled back the layers of his sealed heart.

Two people running from a world full of hurt. Can they escape to find happiness or will they have to first revisit the past?

Excerpt

She flopped back and laid across the tank, her arms spread wide over the handlebars, and giggled. He grinned at her tinkling laughter.
Sweet Jesus, give me strength.

"Oh, Reefer, you have no idea." She lost the smile on her lips and stared at the stars. "Have you ever been alone and gazed up at the sky?"

He cleared his throat, trying to concentrate on what she was saying and not on the sandy brown skin on her stomach that her shirt didn’t cover. "Yeah."

"My whole life I’ve searched that same sky. I gazed into darkness, but I connected with something much bigger that let me know I had a place in this world. I learned someone walked the earth beside me, but hadn’t shown himself to me yet." She sat up. "I believe that person is you."

He shook his head in denial. "Sarah—"

"No, don’t say it." She placed her finger on his lips. "Remember, I told you I expect nothing from you. These are my thoughts, the dreams I’m made from." She tapped her chest with the palm of her hand. "I know this ends tonight, but I want this moment to last me a lifetime."

"I don’t get involved with someone not from the biker lifestyle, at least not seriously. I’m sorry." Now that he’d spoken the words, a sense of guilt hit him.

"I figured. I actually know quite a lot about bikers." She grinned. "Plus, if you shirked your beliefs, I’d think less of you." She stole a quick kiss. "You, Reefer, are the real deal."

Tuesday Catchup

2011-08-15T22:31:00.001-07:00

I finished the sekrit project! Now it’s back to my regular routine.

I received the new cover for Ride Free. I’m just waiting for the final okay, and then I’ll post the yummy goodness. Only 2 1/2 weeks until Ride Free is released. If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Biker Babe in Black, now’s a good time to buy it.

I’ve updated my Review Page. Now you can read a little snippet, and follow the link to read the whole thing. I have to shout out to the people behind the reviews. They do a marvelous job of writing about books, without giving away the secrets. Thank you!

On the home front, things are hopping. The twins go back to their schooling in 3 weeks (we homeschool). Our place is officially for sale, finally. I had a couple of parties I had to attend, and I’m still stalking my inbox. I think the most stress I was under this week was hunting down a pair of new work boots for hubs. First I couldn’t find the pair he always wears, and then when I did find them, they didn’t have his size. I finally found a pair that was sorta similar. Hubs gave them the final okay, and I called it good!

No recipe today, but I do have a recommendation. Bistro Sensations makes a Habanera and Montgomery Jack cheese hotdog that is really good. It’s fully cooked, and made with chicken. Oh my…it is so good grilled on the barbecue. Plus, it’s not that bad for you. Win-win!

Do you have a new food you’ve found at the store that you’d recommend?

Tuesday Catchup

2011-08-09T10:04:00.001-07:00

Let’s do the limbo!

I was never good at the limbo. I think the only time I’ve ever played it was back when I was in junior high school at the roller-skating rink. You know, back when kids roller-skated. lol

I’ve tried to set up my writing routine in such an order that I write, I edit, I promote, I write, I edit, I promote…you see my goal, right? The last six months have been all wonky. I’m finding myself either doing 2 or 3 edits at once, trying to write 2 different books back to back, and then there are times like now that there’s a lull in the schedule. Sure, I’m writing, but I’m waiting on submissions, cover art, and trying to plan the next promo round. Add in the stress of polishing my current sekrit project and getting it ready for submitting. It makes me feel quite unbalanced. (hm, now that I think about it, maybe it’s the summer season. Having four kids and a hubs, while balancing a work schedule is not for the weak)

Yesterday, I finally decided on a title for my sekrit project. That was a great relief, and one more thing to check off the to-do list. This is the first time I’ve not blabbed about my story I’m writing ahead of time. I’m extremely nervous, and don’t want to jinx it. It’s huge, it’s exciting, and it’s worthy. (Come back after it’s published, and feel free to nod at its worthiness, you’ll see…trust me)

Can you keep secrets? Is it hard to do or exciting for you?

No new recipe today. Instead I’ll post a picture of a cute little creature my son brought to the house from the creek. It’s actually a lot bigger than it looks. My son is 6’3” and has big hands!

Book of the week voting is up!

2011-08-06T08:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I found out that Biker Babe in Black is up for Book of the Week at the Long and Short Romance Review website. You can vote today and tomorrow. If you loved the book, loved the review (which is so well written!), please vote for my book. :-)

Yes, I want to vote!

Tuesday Catchup

2011-08-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

I've reached word count on my sekrit project. It's a long one, and really pushed me as a writer. I found the deeper I dug, the more I fell in love with the story. As I work my way back through the manuscript, cleaning it up, polishing, and dotting all my i's, I grow more excited. I can't wait to share more about it when/if it sells. I'm also in waiting mode on a submission, and also waiting to see the cover for Ride Free. That means I'm stalking my inbox this week.

I spent a ~~couple~~ few hours making a banner for my Facebook page, so those who land on my welcome page will have something pretty to look at and entice them to click the like button. After I was done, I went over to replace my old one, and I can't remember how to change it. That fbml code is tricky. I will get it up this week if it kills me. Here's a little peek at the graphic. I had to shrink it down to fit on blogger, but you can see the "feel" I'm going for.

Over the weekend I made Guacamole. I had no idea most people buy guacamole already made. (so say my friends, who call me odd) Just so I'm not the only person in the world who makes it by scratch. I'll give you my recipe. Give it a try...I'm sure it's better than the store brand. lol

Guacamole

1 avacado - mashed

1 tomato - chopped

1 clove of garlic - minced

2 tablespoons of Lime juice

You can add a dash of salt, but I don't use salt in it.

Mix it up, dip it with your favorite tortilla chip, and enjoy!

Tuesday Catchup

2011-07-26T13:49:00.001-07:00

If you’ve ever pictured a writer bent over their keyboard, sitting in the dark and pounding out a story…that’d be me this last couple weeks. I’ve taken on a big project that I’m so excited about. The word count I’m shooting for is more than I normally do, and that’s challenging. The story (and planned 5 book series) has exceeded my expectations. I’m going to keep mum about the storyline and my plans. If this all pans out the way I hope, you’ll be the first to hear about it.

August is almost here. Pretty soon it’ll be time to think about starting school, jumping into our Fall routine. I enjoy Fall, but summer has seemed so short this year. Probably because we haven’t received more than a day or two of warm weather before we’re back having rain.

What do you look forward to in Fall?

I received my final TI sheet from Carina Press today with the official blurb for Val’s Rancher. It’ll come out this fall on October 17th. Here’s the blurb…

Val McDougal knows all about heartbreak. First, the love of her life, Sam Turner, left to join the rodeo circuit two years ago. Now she faces a new kind of pain—her beloved father is dying. The last thing she needs is Sam's unexpected return to Pike, Montana, to take over his family's ranch, stirring up desires Val doesn't think she can handle.

Sam knows he made the biggest mistake of his life when he broke things off with Val. He's determined to win her back, this time for good. But despite the sizzling heat between them, Val keeps pulling away. He has to convince her to trust him—and her own heart—again, especially as the time draws near when she'll need him the most…

Book two of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series. Look for book one, Chantilly's Cowboy, available now.

Don’t forget if you have a recipe, household tip, an easy way to do a chore, or a pet trick and wanted it included on the Ranch Chore page, just drop me an email at debrakayn@debrakayn.com

Have a Kindle and want a personal autograph?

2011-07-25T10:00:00.001-07:00

Now you can get a personalized autograph from me! Go here Kindlegraph and find which one of my books you’d like signed. You can pick as many as you want. Kindlegraph will send me an email letting me know you requested one. I’ll give you a personalized autograph that Kindlegraph will send right to your Kindle.

Neat, huh?

There are lots of books and authors you can request autographs from, so go collect!

Tuesday Catchup

2011-07-20T09:42:00.001-07:00

Let’s pretend this post was done yesterday, shall we?

Time slipped away from me, and I blame it on the book I’m writing. The last couple months have been a juggling act between edits on several books, writing a couple new ones, submissions, and then BAM out of no-man’s-land this idea hit me. When that happens, I usually try to write 2 or 3 chapters down real fast. That way later, I can read through it and jump back in. This story was not cooperating. I tried to walk away, but I was dragged back to the keyboard. 40-thousand words later, I’m still writing. I don’t want to give too many details, but this will be at least a 70k novel AND the first of a five book series. Daunting, exciting, and deep, the storyline is challenging me in ways I never expected when I came up with the original idea. Simply…I love it.

But, along with good news, I’m also falling behind on other things. I have a 20-something-thousand contemporary western that is sitting on my hard drive that I need to make plans for. It’s lonely, and is looking for readers. I need to look around and find a home for the story. I also have the 5th book of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series that I need to finish. On top of promoting and branding, family and chores, summer and feeling the panic of school starting in a month and a half, I’m thinking I’ll start waking myself up at 3am to get everything done.

(To know me, you’d realize that I love to stay busy and I do best under pressure. I’m one happy gal lately. ;-))

One thing you won’t hear from me this summer is, “I’m bored.” Which, I’m betting all you moms out there are glad for, right?

Would you rather be looking for things to keep yourself busy or scrambling to finish all the things you’re doing?

Sneak peek at Ride Free, Book #2 of The Chromes and Wheels Gang series

2011-07-15T17:03:00.001-07:00

I don’t have a cover to share…yet. But, I thought I’d share the blurb for the 2nd book of The Chromes and Wheels Gang series with you. The title is “Ride Free”. It’ll be released on September 4th, 2011 at Breathless Press.

You met Reefer in Biker Babe in Black (Bk #1), and now you’ll get to read his story.

Ride Free

Tag line:

Reefer gave her an hour's worth of sex in a kiss that lasted no more than ten seconds…and Sarah Lightfeather saw her future with the sexy biker.

Blurb:

Reefer had two rules. Don’t mess around with women who didn’t grow up riding the road and his biker family always came first. Nothing prepared him for the woman who hopped onto the back of his Harley with the ease of a born rider, or how she peeled back the layers of his sealed heart.

Two people running from a world full of hurt. Will they escape to find happiness or will they have to revisit the past?

Tuesday Catchup

2011-07-12T16:23:00.001-07:00

Whew…I slid in before Tuesday is officially over. I’ve been busy the last week with dev. edits on Margot’s Lawman, Bk 3 of Sisters of McDougal Ranch. I turned them in this afternoon to my editor at Carina Press. Every time I have to do something with Margot’s Lawman, I want to blurt scenes out to everyone who’ll listen. It is so hard to keep quiet with this one. The hard part is, even after it releases, I can’t talk to much about it because I don’t want to spoil the story for those who haven’t read it yet.

Now that I have that job done for now, it’ll be back to writing on Bisette’s story (bk 5). Plus, I’m still writing on the 1st book of a planned 4 book series. I need one of those boards with the arrows on it to spin. Which way will I go?

Have you made the switch to Google+? You’ve probably heard the talk about how it is the new and better “Facebook”. I like it. It’s taking some getting used to, but the more I play over there, the better I like it. If you want, you can put me in your circle… Click here.

I’m determined to find this shoe…

I’ve looked at a few stores, but so far, no one is carrying them. I don’t want to buy it online, so I guess I’ll have to wait. Why do I want this pair of pink Nike hightops? Well, they’re pink. lol But, it goes back to my childhood. A few months before my dad died, he bought me a pair of Nike hightops for playing basketball. The Nike Air shoe had just came out, and they were really expensive. Triple what Reeb’s or Avia’s were going for at the time. Because I begged…and my dad knew how much better a Nike Air shoe would allow me to play, he bought them for me. They looked just like this pair, except they were white with a gray stripe. I loved them. No one in my school owned a pair, and others would ohh and ahh over them. I felt special.

Did you ever have a pair of shoes that made you feel cool?

Ladies…meet Sam! Val’s Rancher cover reveal

2011-07-08T08:11:00.001-07:00

Get ready for Val’s Rancher. It’ll be released October 17th, 2011. It’s the 2nd book of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series, and will be released at Carina Press.

Oh….it’s almost time

2011-07-07T18:16:00.001-07:00

I turned in my blurb, tagline, and excerpt for Ride Free today. The edits are going to the proofer soon, and I can’t wait to see the cover. On September 2nd, Ride Free will be released.

Ride Free will give you more biker action. You’ll meet more of the gang, be able to check up on Margarine and Remy, and fall in love with the quiet, loner who has pledged himself to the gang for life. It’ll take a strong and determined woman to win his heart, and I think Sarah Lightfeather is the woman to do it.

I’ll share the unedited tagline with you. Sh…don’t tell.

Reefer gave her an hour's worth of sex in a kiss that lasted no more than ten seconds…and Sarah Lightfeather saw her future.

Did that pique your interest? :-)

Tuesday Catchup

2011-07-04T23:02:00.001-07:00

I hope you all had a nice 4th of July, and for my Canadian friends, a Happy Canada day. I celebrated in a nice, quiet, family way. A baseball game, a little basketball competition, and a vicious round robin of Tetherball. We cranked up the bbq, and ate too much. All in all, a nice relaxing three day weekend.

Of course, something always has to happen to break up the wonderful day. This time, we had a little drama over a lost wedding ring. Mine! I had gone in the house after playing my game of tetherball. I sat at the kitchen table, raised my glass of ice water, and noticed I wasn’t wearing my wedding ring. I never, ever take my wedding ring off. Ever. The area that we play tetherball in is packed dirt, and filled with pinecones and fir needles. I got everyone to hunt for the ring, but I felt sick inside. There was no way we’d find it. One of the twins said they saw something flying through the air during our game, but thought it was a bug I’d hit. He pointed in the direction the “bug” flew, and my oldest son walked about 20 ft away, bent over, reached inside a mountain beaver hole, and brought out my ring! Isn’t that amazing? I thought it was lost for good.

That brings me to the question of the week…Do you remove your wedding ring when doing certain things?

Have you ever lost your wedding ring?

Of course, the best part of a holiday is letting your hair down and enjoying the day. I did that too. It’s a time to be goofy, and for me, to enjoy the beautiful weather outside. The rain had stopped, and we had beautiful 70 degree weather.

On the writing front, I received a revise and resubmit on a sekrit project that I haven’t talked about. I’m keeping mum about it for now, but hopefully soon I can share more about it. I am also still waiting to hear back on another submission. In the meantime, I’m splitting my time writing between the 5th book of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series, and a new 1st book of a planned 4 book series. Once I know I’ve found a home for the new series, I’ll tell you all about it. I’m very excited about my plans!

Shrimp ball

2 cans of mini shrimp, drained

2- 8 oz pkgs of cream cheese, softened

2 Tablespoons of minced or chopped onion

2 Tablespoons of mayonaise

1/2 Tablespoon of minced garlic

Mix it all together, chill, and serve with your choice of crackers. You can mix and keep it until the next day, but it should be eaten by the 2nd day, because it involves seafood. ;-)

Out visiting, but left you with a treat…

2011-07-02T09:12:00.001-07:00

I’m over at Toni Anderson’s Blog today, talking about Fourth of July fun. Stop on over and tell me how you celebrate the holiday.

In the meantime, you need a treat for the long weekend, right? I thought so!

Homemade fudgesicles

Mix together…

1/2 cup of milk

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa mix

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Everyone has those Tupperware popsicle makers, right? If not, you can buy the cheapie ones at most stores. Pour the mixture in, and freeze for at least 4 hours. Makes 6

Extra hint:

If you don’t have the ingredients, you can also mix some instant chocolate pudding with milk, and use more milk than the recipe calls to thin it down. Freeze. These taste more like frozen pudding pops than fudgesicles, but they are good!

The winners!

2011-07-01T20:49:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to today's winners...Becky, Sharon, Momoftwo, Jordan, Theresa P., and JoJo! Thank you so much for entering the contest. You made my day extra special. :-) Also, thank you to everyone else who entered. You guys are the best! Next contest will be for my September release. I’ll have to think up a good one.

Oh, and to those who didn’t get the name I asked for right. You cracked me up! I entered everyone, whether they knew the name or not. ;-)

Contest! 6 Prizes!

2011-06-30T15:00:00.001-07:00

To Celebrate the re-release of Biker Babe in Black, the 1st book in The Chromes and Wheels Gang series, I’m giving away…

2 books
2 Harley Davidson skullcaps
A $25 dollar gift certificate to Amazon
A “The Chromes and Wheels Gang” T-Shirt.

That means I’ll be picking 6 winners tomorrow night…1 prize for each winner!

But, there’s a catch…of the good kind! I know I’ve had a couple other books that have released lately, and since Biker Babe in Black is a re-release, I’m letting the winners have their pick of which book they want out of all my books. That way if you’ve read Biker Babe in Black before, you can pick up another one of my books to try. This contest is being ran on Twitter, my Facebook Page, and on my blog.

What do you need to do for a chance to win?

Email me at debrakayn@debrakayn.com with the name I’ve asked you to remember for the last couple months. You do remember the name, right?

(It’s not difficult to find the answer, if this is the first you’ve heard of it. Look through my old posts, check out my Facebook Page, or my old tweets. Hint: It’s the name of the heroine in Biker Babe in Black)

Late Friday night (7/1), I’ll draw a name for each prize and list the winners first name/nickname here on my blog, and also contact you by email.

If you’re in a hurry, and would like to go ahead and purchase Biker Babe in Black, you can find the book at these locations…

Breathless Press

All Romance EBook

and soon at Amazon and most other 3rd party ebook stores

What’s in a name, and other stuff…

2011-06-29T11:22:00.001-07:00

This is the last you'll hear me shout out the name "Margarine Butter" this week. Remember the name though, because Friday I'll be doing something special in honor of the rerelease of Biker Babe in Black. More details coming Friday, so stay tuned!

I’ve also added new reviews for Betraying the Prince and Chantilly’s Cowboy under the Review Page. Check it out, and follow the links. Make sure you say hi to the reviewers. They do so much work, and deserve to hear how much we appreciate them.

I’m addicted to my inbox today waiting for news. Angela James, from Carina Press – Harlequin’s Digital First Imprint, has let us know that she’ll be answering some specific questions at RWA today, and we’ll want to hear the answers. We’ve all learned that when Angela teases, it’s always good news!

On July 2nd, I’m going to be a Toni Anderson’s blog chatting it up. Stop on by!

Congratulations to Marguerite Labbe! She won a copy of Quarter Square from author, David Bridger, yesterday on the blog. If you haven’t checked out his post, go read! He’s a brilliant author, and you’ll love his writing.

The 4th of July is coming up fast. What’s everyone’s plans for the holiday?

Please welcome...David Bridger!

2011-06-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

A Hometown Story

My stories usually start with a character or two living in my head for a while, but pretty soon the setting takes shape and becomes a character too. So when I dreamed up an Elizabethan square, hidden behind an old building, unchanged for 400 years and home to a community of magical street performers who entertain tourists by day and return to their secret haven at night, there was no contest for its location.

I love the delightfully bohemian Barbican district around Sutton Harbour in our adopted home city of Plymouth. I'll ever tire of its mix of very old with sparkling new, and it's the natural home for my urban fantasy Quarter Square.

What sort of story would fit perfectly in your town or city? Tell me in a comment below and tomorrow I'll pick one person to receive a free copy of Quarter Square.

Quarter Square

Book 1 of the Wild Times series

English carpenter Joe Walker thinks his life is over when he discovers his wife and best friend having an affair. Restoring an abandoned theatre offers little hope for a fresh start...until he follows a group of strangers through a hidden door into a world he never could have imagined.

In the haven known as Quarter Square, Joe encounters a community of supernatural street performers who straddle the mortal world and the magic realm known as the Wild. Here, Joe finds a sense of belonging he's never known before—and a chance to uncover the truth behind the frightening visions that have haunted him since childhood. He also meets Min, an enchanting singer who quickly captures his heart.

But as Joe settles into Quarter Square, he learns their haven is under attack, while an ancient enemy threatens to tear him and Min apart. Now, Joe must learn to wield his own powers in order to save the life he's come to love...

Buy it here.

After twenty years of ocean-based fun, during which he worked as a lifeguard, a sailor, an intelligence gatherer and an investigator, David Bridger settled with his family and their two monstrous hounds in England's West Country, where he writes urban fantasy and paranormal novels. You'll find him on his blog, Twitter and Facebook.

Pre-Tuesday Catchup

2011-06-27T15:08:00.001-07:00

I’m posting a day early this week, because I’m having the fun and fabulous, David Bridger, here tomorrow. Don’t forget to come by and say hi! You’ll also get a sneak peak at his book Quarter Square that came out at Carina Press today. It’s a must buy for me!

So, today it was suppose to be 74 degrees. It’s raining. The story of my life lately. I won’t bore you with the details.

I’m hoping to get the okay to show off the cover of Val’s Rancher. Oh em gee…it’s drool worthy. Stay tuned, and I’ll promise to share the eye candy as soon as I hear from the art department at Carina Press.

We’ve finally reached the end of the “downsize and clean up” part of the farm before we list it with the realtor. What a long journey. Right now we’re debating whether to get 2 more loads of gravel for the driveway. I’m in the camp that thinks we did enough, and hubs is insisting the 1/2 mile driveway is a huge selling point and needs to be perfect. Sigh…So, hopefully next week, we’ll have the coolest driveway and a realtor sign at the end of it.

Things are starting to pick up over on my Facebook Fan Page. Stop by and say hi sometime.

Now, I saved the best news for last…

Biker Babe in Black, Bk 1 of The Chromes and Wheels Gang, was released TODAY at All Romance Ebook store. If you don’t want to wait until Friday when it comes out at Breathless Press, go grab it now and fall in love with the gang. Heather Wildman described the book to a reader who had just finished reading Chantilly’s Cowboy as, “Think of bikers as cowboys with metal horses.” I love it, thanks Heather!

Recipe of the day…Swedish Pancakes!

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

Melt a tablespoon in a hot skillet (large), spread batter over the entire surface of the skillet…a very thin layer. Cook for 2 minutes, and then flip the giant pancake. (that part does take practice). Cook 1-1 1/2 minutes until speckled brown.

Spread butter on top of pancake, roll it up, pour syrup over the length, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and eat!

Recipe courtesy of my Grandma T., who always made these for me growing up, and I’ve carried on the tradition. My family loves them!

Next Friday…Biker Babe in Black is re-released!

2011-06-24T08:01:00.001-07:00

Cursed with bad luck, and a stubbornness that gets her nowhere, Margarine Butter wants to shed her biker gypsy lifestyle for a white picket fence and a permanent address. When Remy offers her employment, she gambled with her desire for a new life and her attraction to the millionaire. Could she keep her distance and her identity secret long enough to secure her future?

Business conglomerate, Remington Montgomery, couldn’t believe the sexy waitress with the long blonde hair turned his money down after he accidentally got her fired from her job. So, when she whacked him with her leather studded purse and rode off on a Harley Davidson, he wanted to learn more about the woman who was not impressed by the size of his wallet. But would the price of loving her be his downfall?

Pre-buy at Breathless Press

Excerpt

"Margarine Butter, will you ride with me…?" He looked at her and winked. "On my motorcycle."

She laughed, and the sound trickled over him like a caress.

"Yes, Remy. I'll ride with you…" Margarine returned the wink, "on your motorcycle."

They arrived home, separating only long enough for Margarine and Remy to retreat to their respected bedrooms to change into something more comfortable to wear for the night. He planned to remove everything soon anyway, if things worked out right.

Once in the living room, he sprawled out on the couch in a pair of jeans and a well-worn tee shirt, his bare feet propped up on the coffee table. He smiled at Margie.

"I don't know what I like better. You all dressed up, or seeing you now with your hair in a ponytail, wearing Hello Kitty pajamas." He grinned, amazed that kitty nightwear ranked higher for him than lingerie.

"Hey, don't be knockin' my PJs. I happen to like them." Margie claimed the other end of the couch, stretched her feet out, and planted them on Remy's lap.

He handed the television control to Margie and placed his hands on her feet. To his delight, she sported not one, but two toe rings. His lip twitched. She brought out a bunch of firsts for him. First, kitty pajamas, and now a foot fetish that got his juices primed. Damned if those bright red toenails and toe rings didn't tempt him into a planting a kiss on her dainty feet.

Margie flipped through the television channels, but with Remy's hands doing their magic on her feet, she couldn’t care less about what played on the idiot box.

"Mm…" Margie laid her head on the back of the couch. She closed her eyes and let the tingles travel through her body.

"You know you owe me a kiss?" She kept her eyes closed.

"I do?"

Did he tease her, or really forget he promised her a kiss? She opened one eye. "You promised tonight that before I went to bed you would give me a kiss."

"Hmm." Remy continued his manipulation on her feet.

"You can do it now." Margie frowned.

"Do what now?"

"Give me a kiss." She threw one of the couch pillows at his head and missed.

"Give you a kiss?"

Margie lifted her head and looked him straight in the eye. Sometimes the man appeared too aloof. "Yes!"

"Nope." He ran his finger up the arch of her foot.

Margie attempted to pull her feet off his lap, but Remy held on tight. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. The distasteful evening slipped from her mind, as Remy’s touch brought her back to the moment.

"Not yet, anyway." He switched from the arch of her foot to running his finger between her toes. "In a while, after I enjoy playing with your feet, and you tell me a little about yourself."

"About me?" Margie's voice rose, and her stomach tightened up. The last thing she wanted brought up was her past. "There's nothing to tell."

"Sure there is. How about I ask you a question, and then you can ask me a question in return?"

The man's fingers on her body made it hard to follow the conversation. A sigh escaped her. Remy ran his thumb along her arch. How was she supposed to concentrate on evading his questions about her past, if all she could think about was the way his hands were traveling farther up her leg?

She sighed. "Okay."

"Where were you born?"

That's an easy one. "Sacramento, California."

"Your turn. Ask away." Remy's fingers circled her ankles.

"If you could have one wish, right this minute, what would it be?"

"To have you in my bed."

Margie’s head swam. He was so different than any other guy she’d dated. Most guys she knew obsessed with getting her in bed. On dates, she ended up worn out by the end of the evening from the constant slaps she delivered to trespassing hands. Not Remy. He put everything on the table and spoke the truth.

"Why haven't you tried?"

"Is that your question?" He cocked an eyebrow. "You only get one turn, remember?"

"This is childish, Remy." She crossed her arms and leaned back again.

"Have patience, sweetheart."

She shook her head. Maybe she would ask how he gained so much control over himself. Or, cut to the chase, and find out what she really wanted to know.

"Tell me…" She pulled her feet off Remy's lap and curled her legs so she sat on her feet facing him, "about your relationship with Gloria."

There. The invisible person with them this evening brought out into the open. She would sense if he was anything but truthful with her.

Remy tilted his head back. "Ah, Gloria. I was wondering if you were going to question my relationship with her. We grew up together. Our parents were best friends and not-so-secretly wished that their two children would someday join and unite our families."

"Did you love her?" she asked.

"In a way. I don't believe it was the kind of love you have for someone you see yourself wanting for the rest of your life. We were comfortable with each other and pretty much fell into being a couple."

"But you separated?" She leaned her elbows on her knees.

"Yes. I knew I wasn't happy with Gloria, so I broke off our engagement."

"How long ago?"

Remy pulled her hand, and she tumbled over to his side of the couch. She let him snuggle.

"I owe you two questions, since you asked out of turn." Remy flicked her nose with his finger.

Margie snorted. She wanted to do other things than play this game. It reminded her of the Truth or Dare challenges Reefer and Crowbar used to talk her into participating in.

"Fine. Ask away." She stuck out her lower lip.

"First question. Can I kiss you?"

She closed her eyes and nodded. Finally!

Remy's lips touched hers. Gentle and soft, he explored every centimeter of her mouth. It was one of those kisses where a person slows down and shows experience; a sensual dance of the lips.

The stubble of his whiskers grazed her face, and she raised her hand to touch more of him. Tiny jolts of electricity filled her lower stomach and she sagged against him. The warmth of his lips ignited her body.

Remy nudged her with his tongue to open her mouth. She parted her lips, enough to accept the gentle swipe of his tongue against hers. The ball of fire in the pit of her belly ruptured and spread out into every hidden spot inside of her body.

She opened her mouth wider and moaned. Her neck stretched and drove her closer to Remy.

Remy's hand entwined in her hair at her nape, and Margie let him take control of the kiss. She yearned for more, yet every time she urged him, he held back.

He removed his mouth, hovered above her lips, and stared into her eyes. She licked her lips to savor the taste of him.

"Please…" she whispered.

"Not yet." He rubbed his cheek along her neck.

"Yes. Now."

Not Going to Conference?

2011-06-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

I won't be attending the RWA conference in NYC this year, so I'll be hanging out with the Divas!

Not Going to Conference?
Attend Romance Divas' Annual Not Going to Conference Conference June 28-July 1

Romance Divas' annual virtual conference features workshops, publisher spotlights, pitch-your-book opportunities, fabulous doorprize giveaways and more.

It's FREE!

And nobody says you can't wear fabulous shoes while you're recharging your writer batteries from home.

LIKE the NGTCC on Facebook for future updates in 2012 and beyond.

A little change…

2011-06-23T12:35:00.001-07:00

I’m going to combine my website with the Sisters of McDougal Ranch website. I think it’s easier for readers to find all the information on one site. Originally, I thought it would be easier to have them separate, because Blogger only allows 10 pages per site and no sub-pages. So, I’m rearranging everything. You’ll now find my links along the side of each page, instead of having a page to themselves.

I’ve added the Ranch Chores and Recipes page. Take a look! This is where I’ll post helpful hints and recipes. I’ll still be posting recipes on my Tuesday Catchup post, and then I’ll add them to the page. That’ll make it easier to find them all. I’ll start that Tuesday.

Also, get ready for some drool-worthy eye candy. I received my cover for Val’s Rancher (bk 2 of Sisters of McDougal Ranch) this morning. I’m waiting for the okay to show him…er, I mean, the cover off to you all. Soon as I get the word, you’ll see what I mean. ;-)

Tuesday Catchup

2011-06-21T05:53:00.000-07:00

Isn’t it funny how I hate to have a stuffy nose when I have a cold, but I love camping and waking up with a stuffy nose from the cool night air? Just one of the many things that make me go hm…

Next Tuesday, the fabulous David Bridger will be here on my blog. You won’t want to miss it! He’s one of my favorite guy writers and fellow Carina Press author. On July 2nd, I’m going visitin’. I’ll be at Toni Anderson’s blog talking it up!

I’ve been playing a waiting game on a couple submissions. To keep from checking my inbox every 30 seconds, I’ve been puttering around updating my sites. I finally figured out how to add comments on my Tumblr account. I’d love to have you follow me. I’m a newbie to Tumblr, and so far, I like it.

I thought instead of posting a recipe this week, I’d give you something better. Information…specifically, insider information. Okay, not really, everyone knows, but if you haven’t seen it, you’ll be glad I told you. Carina Press is having a free book week. Here’s the info!

It's FREE BOOK WEEK at Carina Press!!!
Starting on June 20th, every weekday, all week, Carina is offering a spectacular title for free download. And when they say free, they mean ACTUALLY free. Not "sorta free", or "free with a $50 purchase" free, but actually, totally, no strings attached FREE! So, get thee to Carina press to download a free book every day! Here are the books being offered, and the links and promo codes for your free download:

Monday's FREE BOOK is:
The Debutante's Dilemma by Elyse Mady
Just type in the promo code DEBUTANTEFREE at checkout
http://ebooks.carinapress.com/ContentDetails.htm?ID=50C0978A-DAC7-44E7-B627-C26A520471C0

Tuesday's FREE BOOK is:
Demon's Fall by Karalynn Lee
Just type in the promo code DEMONFREE at checkout
http://ebooks.carinapress.com/ContentDetails.htm?ID=1E5A3A07-9BC7-4449-9B8F-377C21E2F664

Wednesday's FREE BOOK is:
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell
Just type in the promo code TWISTEDFREE at checkout
http://ebooks.carinapress.com/ContentDetails.htm?ID=D79D7CD6-1BAA-4D2E-AE65-FF0E42F79BE7

Thursday's FREE BOOK is:
Blue Galaxy by Diane Dooley
Just type in the promo code GALAXYFREE at checkout
http://ebooks.carinapress.com/ContentDetails.htm?ID=827CC21D-6F33-437A-977B-B0F291B70367

Friday's FREE BOOK is:
Friendly Fire by Megan Hart
Just type in the promo code FRIENDLYFREE at checkout
http://ebooks.carinapress.com/ContentDetails.htm?ID=E1466469-DB0C-404F-A0AA-3491BB9E9B14

Please welcome, Chris Redding!

2011-06-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

in·trep·id

adjective
resolutely fearless; dauntless: an intrepid explorer

Origin:
1690–1700; < Latin intrepidus, equivalent to in- in-³+ trepidus anxious; see trepidation

Related forms
in·tre·pid·i·ty, in·trep·id·ness, noun
in·trep·id·ly, adverb

Synonyms
brave, courageous, bold.

Antonyms
timid.

I am a word nerd. I admit it. I’m okay with this.

I love words. Love learning new words. Intrepid is not new for me, but I needed a blog post and I went to my handy Writer’s Observation Deck. The card I picked out said to visit a dictionary. I did. Are you surprised I have one in my living room?

My finger landed on intrepid.

I don’t consider myself intrepid, though I am not timid either.

When I first began my blog a few years ago, I had a Word Wednesday feature where I talked about a different word every week. I became bored with it. No one was reading it either.

Here’s what I want you to do. I will give away a prize today. Not sure what’s in my goody bag, but I will give the winner a choice. Just use intrepid in a sentence in the comments. I will pick one person to get the prize. You must be in the United States.

Thanks for stopping by.

Chris Redding lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids, one dog, three rabbits. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. When she isn’t writing she works part time for her local hospital. Her next book out is A View to a Kilt, July 1.

Blurb: Waking up next to a dead guy can ruin your whole day. When a wise-cracking interior decorator wants to put her past behind her, the dead body of the mayor’s son makes her realize that won’t happen too easily. A conservative former computer geek for the FBI is holding on too tightly to his past. His wife died under suspicious circumstances and he believes the decorator has the information to solve the case. Unfortunately for him, she isn’t speaking until a series of events convinces her she needs protection especially when her biggest secret threatens to destroy both of their lives.

A little fun and sun

2011-06-17T16:51:00.001-07:00

As we approach the first day of summer, we finally received a little sun here in the Pacific Northwest. That means we shake off the moss, and hit the outdoors. Whether it’s a nice stroll in the sunshine, a boat ride, or a little fishing, the liquid vitamin D sure does wonders to make everyone in a good mood. Have a happy weekend. Go out and play!

2 weeks until a new series starts coming out!

2011-06-16T13:29:00.001-07:00

It seems like only yesterday, I was talking about my new series at Carina Press and announcing the first book, Chantilly’s Cowboy, was released. Actually, it’s been almost 2 weeks. What can I say, I’ve gotta lot of books coming out this year! lol

In 2 weeks, on July 1st, I have the first book of The Chromes and Wheels Gang series coming out. Biker Babe in Black is a 46+k contemporary book that is spicy hot! If you enjoyed Chantilly’s Cowboy, you’ll no doubt enjoy meeting Margarine Butter as she tells her story in Biker Babe in Black. I do love my feisty heroines, and this biker chick doesn’t take #&$@ from anyone. Plus, you won’t have long to wait for the second book to come out, either. Ride Free will be released September 2nd. You’ll be able to purchase these books at Breathless Press and most 3rd party estores. I’ll make sure to post the links once they are available.

Want a little teaser? Here you go…

With her long hair flying, her leather studded purse swinging, she marched away from him and rode off on a Harley Davidson…and Remy wanted her.

Blurb

Excerpt

"Excuse me, Ms.?"

She screamed and fumbled for her purse strap. Strap in hand, she swung her arm in a wide circle and aimed at the voice in the shadows. Oh, God. “Stand back or I'll smack you with my leather studded bag.”

"Whoa, lady, it's me…Remy."

A dark outline of a big person stood in the shadows between two parked cars. She continued to swing her purse. She didn't know anyone named Remy, and in the dark, she aimed to disable anyone who came close enough to hurt her.

"I'm the man who got you fired." The man stepped closer. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Palms in the air, he ambled out of the shadows and into the light. Her arm fell to her side. The buckle of her purse slammed into her knee. She groaned. That's going to leave a bruise.

"What are you doing? You scared me half to death." She bent over and rubbed her knee without taking her gaze off him.

"I wanted to apologize and offer to find you another job." Remy removed his billfold from inside his suit coat and fingered the bills.

She stood back up, her pained knee forgotten, and wrinkled her nose. No way! Where the hell did he get that idea? She held her tongue and thought to herself. Do I look like a whore?

He held out his hand, dangling a fist full of dollar bills between himself and Margie. She snorted and stepped around him, disappointed that the best-looking man she'd ever met joined the ranks of just another jerk on the bumpy road of life.

Margie marched over to the light post and extracted a set of keys from her purse. She unlocked the saddlebag of her motorcycle, removed her helmet, and threw her purse in the side compartment.

Bending at the waist, she gathered her hair in a messy bun atop her head and slipped on her helmet. Remy, or whatever he called himself, didn't have a clue. She'd rather purchase an oversized, gas-guzzling, ozone-killing machine than sell her body to the highest bidder.

Margie hiked her skirt up to her thighs and straddled the leather seat. Behind the face shield, a smile came to her lips at the touch of the smooth, familiar shape between her legs. Without a second glance back to check if he still stood in the parking lot, she revved the motorcycle to life and left the man and his ego in the dust.

The handful of crisp one-hundred-dollar bills slipped out of Remy's hand, falling onto the asphalt of the parking lot. His mouth hung open, and he blinked.

"I'll be damned."

The waitress rode a Harley Davidson.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-06-14T07:34:00.001-07:00

The last week has been an exciting one. Chantilly’s Cowboy released from Carina Press, hubs had a birthday, school is out for the summer, edits came in for Ride Free, and the debate about whether using containers to organize cabinets continued.

The cabinets that are the focal point of the discussion are in our travel trailer. Hubs believes having everything in shoe-box size Rubbermaid containers allows us to fit more inside the cabinets in an orderly fashion. I, on the other hand, believe the containers take up too much space and it would be wise to stack everything in the cabinets. This isn’t a new debate. We’ve been discussing this subject for most of our 22 years together. (It’ll be 22 years of marriage on Thursday!) So, what do you think? Containers or no containers? Team Deb or Team Hubs? I’ve got chocolate!

After spending a couple hours yesterday giving the stainless steel, barbeque a complete scrub down, I cooked hamburgers and hotdogs for the family. I consider those the most basic type of foods one can do on a bbq. That got me to thinking about the odd foods I’ve cooked over the roaring fire of propane flames. Cooking any kind of meat is a no brainer, but what about pizza or frying an egg? I’ve cooked rice, stuffed mushrooms, homemade burritos, baked a cake, grilled cheese sandwiches, just to name a few. It’s actually quite easy, just takes a little experimenting.

I’m not gardening this year, as we hustle to put our house up for sale, but one thing I’ve always kept up on is the Old Farmer’s Almanac. I find it interesting how people plant by the cycle of the moon, and even hardcore followers plan their life around the earths rotation and how the moon lines up. Here is June’s moon schedule. June is known as the Full Strawberry Moon, because the Algonquin tribes knew it as a signal to gather ripening fruit. Around here, I’ve never had good luck growing strawberries. If the rain doesn’t ruin them, the birds do. lol I did find it interesting that Moon folklore says… A growing Moon and a flowing tide are lucky times to marry.

That I believe! Happy Anniversary, hubs! I love you!

What’s the Margarine Butter hype I’m hearing about?

2011-06-13T07:47:00.001-07:00

If you’ve been following me on Twitter or you’ve liked my Facebook page, you might have noticed that every couple weeks, I’ve been throwing out the name “Margarine Butter”, and asking you to remember it.

In 18 days, Biker Babe in Black, the 1st book of The Chromes and Wheels Gang, will be released at Breathless Press. Margarine Butter is the heroine in the story. Your first reaction after hearing the name might be laughter. Don’t. Do. It. Trust me…once you get to know Margarine, you’ll love the name forever.

Plus, on July 1st, I’m going to ask everyone to email me the heroine’s name from Biker Babe in Black. I’ll collect all the names from those who email me, and pick 2 winners to receive a pdf copy of Biker Babe in Black.

You’ll want to get your copy, because Ride Free, book 2 of The Chromes and Wheels Gang, will be released September 2nd!

Tuesday..err Thursday Catchup

2011-06-09T08:36:00.001-07:00

With a release on Monday, this week ran away with itself. But, I couldn’t let another day go without a catchup post.

Basically, I’ve been busy promoting Chantilly’s Cowboy this last week. I’ve had so much fun, and got to meet new readers. That’s always my favorite part! I also had to take the time to shop for Hub’s birthday that’s coming up in a few days, and quickly followed by our anniversary. I can’t believe we’ll be married 22 years. June is always rather nostalgic for me. I married young, to the first man I fell in love with, and now it’s been 22 years. I’m pretty proud of us. :-)

I also received a phone call from my mom with some interesting news. She received a call from a man who is the honored speaker at an upcoming graduation ceremony. The man is going to talk about the 5 most influential people in his life. My dad is one of those people. The cool part…my dad died 26 years ago when I was 16 years old. I can’t even explain how neat this is to me. I have no doubt that every relative, and family member thinks my dad was great…but for someone else, after all this time, to still feel like my dad was one of the biggest influential people in their lifetime is huge. Very touching!

Okay, time for reviews! Can you believe I already have received 2 reviews on Chantilly’s Cowboy? Here are the links with a lil tidbit highlighted. Please follow the link to read the whole review.

The Readers Roundtable said…

The McDougal’s strong family bond is the heart and soul of Chantilly’s Cowboy. Jack and Chantilly are a wonderful couple, and watching them fall in love is an absolute delight. But it is the close and loving relationship between Chantilly, her sisters and their father that will steal your heart.

Smitten with Reading said…

There is love and romance all over this ranch...from the bed of a truck, to the barn, to the creek bed...it's all good!

I’ve got a recipe for you today. Snickerdoodle Cupcakes!

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup real butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup of milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shift the dry ingredients together, and then mix the wet ingredients into mix. Using cupcake liners, fill each container 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes.

I use a basic buttercream recipe for the frosting with a little cinnamon/sugar to the mix.

1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cups of real butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoons heavy cream or half & half – or cheat and use 2% milk, lol

Using the mixer, beat until fluffy and top your cooled cupcakes. I usually save a little of the cinnamon and sugar mix to sprinkle on the top of the frosting because it’s pretty and grabs people’s attention.

Happy Anniversary, Carina Press!

2011-06-06T22:25:00.001-07:00

A year ago, Carina Press – Harlequin’s Digital First Imprint, opened their doors for business. It’s been an amazing year, and I’m happy to be a part of it. Yesterday, Chantilly’s Cowboy was released at Carina Press, and I’d like to thank the team at Carina, my editor Melissa, and everyone who works behind the scene to make sure everything comes together flawlessly.

Carina Press is celebrating their anniversary today on the Carina Press blog, and I’ve heard there will be prizes given away. Check it out!

Don’t forget that on Wednesday, I’ll be at the Carina Press blog in the morning hours talking about my book, and also giving away a copy of Chantilly’s Cowboy. It’ll be fun, and I’d love if you stopped by and said hi.

Chantilly’s Cowboy is released today!

2011-06-06T00:18:00.001-07:00

I’m so excited for the start of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series. Today, book one, Chantilly’s Cowboy is released at Carina Press.

I’ll be over at my blog at eHarlequin giving away a book to one lucky commenter. We’re talking fruits and veggies, come on over!

My first review came in for Chantilly’s Cowboy today. Perfect timing…and I’m smiling, because the reviewer came away feeling exactly how I hope all the people who read the book feel once they get to know the whole McDougal family. You can read it here http://thereadersroundtable.com/mainstream/?p=193

Let’s talk eReaders…

2011-06-01T08:08:00.001-07:00

Now that I’ve had time to play with my Kindle, I thought I would let you know what I like, don’t like, and love about the eReader. I’ll also compare the eBookwise ereader, since that’s the first ereader I bought.

I like the thinness and weight of the Kindle. Going from the much bulkier eBookwise, I’m still fascinated how thin the Kindle actually is when I hold it. I also like the ease of one click buying…a little too much if you go by the amount of books I’ve bought lately.

I don’t like attaching a light to the leather case I bought. I was in a hurry to read in bed, and didn’t order the Kindle case. I ended up finding a Nook leather case at Walmart of all places, bought it, and hoped that when I got it home, it would actually fit. It did. I saved $20 going this route, but I also had to buy the Kindle light attachment that clips on the top. Not a big fan of the light. I need to find out if the Kindle case that comes with a light is built in. If it is, I’ll definitely be buying it and shelling out the extra money.

Also, I must hold the Kindle differently than most people, because I would think the forward page button would be on the top (like the ebookwise), I always seem to have to shift my hand farther down on the Kindle to turn the page.

What I love about the Kindle is the screen. Hands down, you can’t compare the eInk of the Kindle to the backlit screen of the ebookwise. Although, I’m used to a touchscreen, so I catch myself wanting to tap the screen instead of using the buttons. The battery life is awesome! One of my favorite features. Since I live in an area where I can’t even pick up 3G coverage, the battery seems to last forever…and that’s with me leaving it on all the time.

My biggest concern was how easy it was going to be to put books on the Kindle. Not having 3G coverage at home isn’t a problem. It is very simple to drag and drop downloaded files from my computer to the Kindle. This is much easier than even buying books for the eBookwise. Not to mention putting my own files on the Kindle. Love it! The storage space is awesome.

Wifi works great, and makes it even easier to find books. Don’t tell my family, but I could have handled having the cheaper (with ads) Kindle, but it is nice to have the 3G and Wifi when I travel away from home. ;-)

I wish I could say that the Kindle will be the last eReader I buy, but I think buying the Kindle has fed an addiction and now I wanted to try more devices. The Nook is now on my radar.

What eReader do you use? What do you like/don’t like about it?

Tuesday Catchup

2011-05-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

I knew it was Tuesday, but the day slipped away from me. I guess that'll happen when I try to squeeze Monday into Tuesday, huh? So much is going on. Most days, I have to remind myself to brush my hair! That's what happens when you wake up and get right to work on the computer. Thankfully, I've always remembered when I have to leave the house.

The rainy season is still plaguing us. All my chores and errands seem to be done in the rain lately. There's hope yet for some spring-like weather, because our weatherman has promised nice weather over the weekend, and into next week. Can't wait!

Our 14 year old cattle dog is having her moments during this rainy season. She's a spoiled pooch, and doesn't really like to go out in the rain. I swear, she goes to the door a million times a day and barks. Once I open the door, she looks outside, glanced up at me as if to say, "Are you kidding me? You expect me to go out in the rain?" Then she turns around and goes back to lay down. I guess I get my exercise by running to the door all those times, but I'll be glad when she likes to go out and lay in the sunshine. I guess I shouldn't complain, the other inside/outside dog likes the rain and tracks in mud. The St. Bernard mutt who lives outside all the time...well, I don't even think he realizes it's raining most of the time. Too much fur!

What's the weather like at your place? I'm starting to hear of others across the states start to complain about the heat. People on the other side of the world are getting ready for Winter. Amazing how on one planet, we could all be happy if we traveled around enjoying our favorite spots during our favorite seasons. It's a nice thought when we're stuck with less than ideal weather. ;-)

On the bookfront...

Chantilly's Cowboy, the first book of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series, is making the rounds at all the 3rd party ebook stores. Every day brings a new option for readers to find the book. Here's a list of places you can purchase the book early, and receive it on June 6th.

Carina Press
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance Ebook

Betraying the Prince is available now!

Breathless Press
Amazon
All Romance Ebook

Thank you, so much!

2011-05-27T15:22:00.001-07:00

I want to thank everyone who stopped by and chatted with me during the Live Chat. Did you know that I hoped 4 or 5 people would show up? I had no idea 36 readers would come ready to party. lol I wish you could all see me, because I’m wearing a huge smile. I wish I could have given you all something as a prize. :-) Next chat is coming soon, and I can’t wait.

I also wanted to let you know that my good friend, Gina Gordon, let me know that All Romance eBook store is having a 50% off sale (rebated at checkout) all day tomorrow and Sunday (5/28 – 5/29). A perfect time to stock up on your summer reading, or grab one, two, three…four of my books!

Here’s the link to my books at All Romance, in case you’d like to check them out while you’re shopping.

Betraying the Prince by Debra Kayn is released!

2011-05-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

Don't forget that you can stop by my live chat today between 1pm and 3pm, pst. I'll be giving away a copy of Betraying the Prince, along with other prizes.

Blurb
All Princess Celina wants is to stay on her beloved island of Antaka, marry a man of her culture, and make her papa proud. So when Prince Joqua ships her off to America, Celina’s believes she’s being punished. While she’s not prepared for the wild ways of the Americans, no one is more surprised than her when she finds herself falling for a California hottie…

Drake Randall looks forward to a vacation from work, especially if it means showing the princess how people their age have fun. But when Celina strips off all her clothes and announces she’s trained in Kama Sutra, he’s left with an even bigger problem than wanting to make love to the princess.
Drake's holding on to a secret that could not only ruin his chances with Celina, but could also ultimately destroy her.

Betraying the Prince - Excerpt

Celina swung the door open to a surprised Drake. He stood there with his arm raised, ready to knock, but she'd been listening for footsteps since she came to her room. She reached through the opening and grabbed his shirt.

"I thought you would never get here." She giggled.

With the lamp beside the bed covered with a scarf, the darkened room cast a sensual atmosphere over them both. Celina walked her fingers up Drake's shoulders and around his neck. She'd trained her whole life for this one moment to become a woman.

"It looks like I came overdressed," he murmured against her throat.

She'd greeted him naked, except for the bracelets she kept on her wrists. Stepping away, she backed toward the bed to let him see there was nothing holding her from making love to him. She sat on the edge of the bed and arranged her hair to cover her nakedness.

"Stand back up." Drake stood in front of her in only his trousers, his shirt long gone.

She stood, her body heated and more than ready for him. She stepped toward him, but he held up his hand.

"Do you want me upside down?" She raised one of her eyebrows and waited for instructions. She knew the moves, but without him telling her what he wanted, she wasn't sure what the next step should be.

"Upside down?" He unzipped his pants.

She nodded. "It's rated the favorite position for most men. Don't American men have knowledge of what positions are best for their satisfaction?"

Drake's Adam's apple jumped. "I don't know about all American men, but this man wants you to have pleasure too."

"Oh, I will, Drake. Just being around you gives me butterflies in my stomach and makes me want to rub myself all over you until I explode."

"Then let's start there." He lay on the bed. "Later, maybe I'll have you upside down."

If you’d like to learn if Celina finally shows Drake her Kama Sutra moves, you can purchase Betraying the Prince here. It’s also at All Romance ebook store here. Soon it’ll be available at most ebook stores!

Visit Debra Kayn’s website at www.debrakayn.com
Like Debra on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DebraKaynFanPage
Follow Debra on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DebraKayn

Release Day! Time to celebrate!

2011-05-26T22:59:00.001-07:00

Betraying the Prince was released today, and I invite everyone to come and chat with me between 1pm and 3pm, pacific standard time. All you have to do is click on the above page where it says, “Live Chat”, and type in your chat name. That’s it! I’ll be giving one person a copy of Betraying the Prince, and I have some other surprises to give away too. You won’t want to miss out!

If you’re too anxious to read the book, and want to skip the fun, you can purchase it at Breathless Press today. Soon, it’ll be available at most other eBook Stores.

Want to know more? All week long I’ve been posting insider peeks into Betraying the Prince. Take a look around, read, and learn more about the the princess Celina and her California hottie.

Ready for some fun? Plus, one more sexy excerpt!

2011-05-25T23:13:00.001-07:00

Things are getting busy! I’d like to invite you all to follow me around as I blog hop through all my releases coming up.

I’ll be hosting a chat at my blog on Friday, from 1pm to 3pm, pst. to celebrate the release of Betraying the Prince. It’s super easy to join in. Just click to the chat page, type your chat name, and you’re in. Book giveaway, prizes, and laughs!

I’ll also be over at Margaret West’s blog on Friday, and I’d love to have you stop in and say hi.

On the 8th of June, I’ll be at the Carina Press blog in the morning hours talking about Chantilly’s Cowboy, which comes out June 6th. I’ll be giving away a free book, so make sure you comment. Then stay through the afternoon when Lauren Dane takes the blog and shares her book, Goddess with a Blade, with us all.

On June 9th, I’ll be over at David Bridger’s blog talking about small town entertainment, and giving away a copy of Chantilly’s Cowboy too!

On July 2nd, stop on over at Toni Anderson’s blog. The fun continues…

(I’ll post a little later about future days that I’ll be out and about. I really don’t expect you to remember them all. :-))

I’m going to leave you with the final excerpt for Betraying the Prince. A little romance…

Celina swung the door open to a surprised Drake. He stood there with his arm raised, ready to knock, but she'd been listening for footsteps since she came to her room. She reached through the opening and grabbed his shirt.

"I thought you would never get here." She giggled.

With the lamp beside the bed covered with a scarf, the darkened room cast a sensual atmosphere over them both. Celina walked her fingers up Drake's shoulders and around his neck. She'd trained her whole life for this one moment to become a woman.

"It looks like I came overdressed," he murmured against her throat.

She'd greeted him naked, except for the bracelets she kept on her wrists. Stepping away, she backed toward the bed to let him see there was nothing holding her from making love to him. She sat on the edge of the bed and arranged her hair to cover her nakedness.

"Stand back up." Drake stood in front of her in only his trousers, his shirt long gone.

She stood, her body heated and more than ready for him. She stepped toward him, but he held up his hand.

"Do you want me upside down?" She raised one of her eyebrows and waited for instructions. She knew the moves, but without him telling her what he wanted, she wasn't sure what the next step should be.

"Upside down?" He unzipped his pants.

She nodded. "It's rated the favorite position for most men. Don't American men have knowledge of what positions are best for their satisfaction?"

Drake's Adam's apple jumped. "I don't know about all American men, but this man wants you to have pleasure too."

"Oh, I will, Drake. Just being around you gives me butterflies in my stomach and makes me want to rub myself all over you until I explode."

"Then let's start there." He lay on the bed. "Later, maybe I'll have you upside down."

If you’d like to learn if Celina finally shows Drake her Kama Sutra moves, you can purchase Betraying the Prince here, and pick it up on May 27th. It’ll also be available at most ebook distributor stores soon!

Betraying the Prince – 44,922 Words of entertainment

2011-05-25T09:04:00.001-07:00

Two more days, until rerelease day!

I thought you might find it interesting how I came up with the story of a sheltered princess trained in Kama Sutra coming to America and meeting a California hottie. It started with a car ride with my daughter, who was 17-18 years old at the time. Over the radio, I caught the words Kama Sutra, and being the cool mom that I am, I turned to my daughter and asked her if she knew what Kama Sutra was. Honestly, I thought she’d giggle and say, “duh.” Instead, I got the blank stare and the sound of crickets invaded the car.

Then, I started thinking what it would be like if a woman was trained in Kama Sutra, but all other aspects of her life was sheltered. What would a woman act like if she had no contact with males…ever, yet had the knowledge of how to satisfy them sexually. Would she go crazy once she was able to be around the opposite sex? Would she be scared? Shy? Bold?

I came home and started writing. The story flowed fast and easy. Along the journey of writing it, the simple princess from Antaka had more going on then she knew. An unknown past was going to come back, and I wanted to know if Princess Celina was woman enough to handle the shock of her life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All week, I’ve been talking about my book, Betraying the Prince. I invite you to read the last few blog posts. Come back on Friday between 1pm – 3pm pst. and chat with me. I’ll be giving away a copy of the book to one lucky person, and throwing a surprise or two into the fun.

If you’d like to pre-buy Betraying the Prince, Breathless Press has it available now. That way all you have to do is pick it up on Friday.

Betraying the Prince – It’s all about family

2011-05-24T09:45:00.001-07:00

To celebrate release week, I’m talking about family. Specifically, the family in Betraying the Prince.

Prince Joqua, the ruler of the royal family has many wives and children. Celina, the heroine in the story, is the eldest. Already an adult, she takes her duties seriously, although her temper usually gets the best of her.

As with all families, what people see from the outside is not always what is happening on the inside. In Betraying the Prince, the palace holds a lot of secrets. Some harmless, some devastating, and some downright deadly.

The thing about the royal family is they love each other. They may run things differently than the family you are used to, but the meaning behind their actions come from love…even if you don’t realize it at the time.

Betraying the Price is about families falling apart, betrayal, reuniting, and discovery. Whether you’ll discover that even being a world apart from the ones you love, you’re always connected. Pre-buy Betraying the Prince today, and find the love that really never goes away.

Betraying the Prince will be released May 27th, 2011.

Tuesday Catchup

2011-05-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

I love release week! Actually, it’s rerelease week! Betraying the Prince was my first published book, which I’ve resold to Breathless Press. With my wonderful editor, Spencer, we’ve made the story bigger, better, and….well, I’m so darn excited about it, you’ll have to read it and see! One of my favorite things about this book is how it has a little of everything in it, romance, mystery, laughter, and tears.

Make sure you come on over on Friday, May 27th. I’ll be chatting live for the first time. The chat program on my blog is super easy to use. No registering, no installing, just type your name and you’ll be in the chat. I’ll be here from 1pm to 3pm, pacific time. That’s 3 hours ahead of you eastcoasters. Because Facebook changed their rules on me, I’ll be giving prizes away here on my blog instead.

Yesterday was spent at the DMV registering and getting plates for the travel trailer. The DMV is getting pretty good about letting us do business online (which I’m so happy about), but since we bought the rv in a different state, they have to match the VIN number with the trailer. At least that chore is done.

We’ve had a few days of sunny weather. The temps finally reached the low 70’s. Of course, we’re back to rain, but it makes me appreciate the sun after a very long dreary winter. One of the first things we did outside is roast hotdogs. I don’t care how much you scrunch up your nose and say that hotdogs are a mystery meat, they taste so good cooked over a fire and consumed with soft, fluffy, white buns.

What is your favorite way to “dress” up a hotdog?

I love to add sauerkraut to mine, but I think my all-time favorite is putting mayonaise, mustard, relish, and onions on it. As long as there’s lots of toppings, I’m a happy camper.

Betraying the Prince and a little laughter

2011-05-23T21:35:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I posted a short excerpt showing the mystery in my book, Betraying the Prince, which comes out on Friday at Breathless Press. Today, I’m going to show you a little laughter…

Blurb

All Princess Celina wants is to stay on her beloved island of Antaka, marry a man of her culture, and make her papa proud. So when Prince Joqua ships her off to America, Celina’s believes she’s being punished. While she’s not prepared for the wild ways of the Americans, no one is more surprised than her when she finds herself falling for a California hottie…

Drake Randall looks forward to a vacation from work, especially if it means showing the princess how people their age have fun. But when Celina strips off all her clothes and announces she’s trained in Kama Sutra, he’s left with an even bigger problem than wanting to make love to the princess.

Drake's holding on to a secret that could not only ruin his chances with Celina, but could also ultimately destroy her.

Excerpt

She ran the fabric between her fingers, marveling at the silkiness. Not finding a zipper, Celina held it over her head and let it fall onto her body. She looked down and inspected herself. "Oh…!"

"I think I see the problem." Mrs. Stevenson fought back another giggle. She turned back into the closet and came back holding a bag. "Here you go. You wear these to cover your breasts. That way they don't poke through the dress for everyone and their dog to see."

"Their dog?"

"Just a figure of speech, dear. Let me see what sizes we have," Mrs. Stevenson said, sorting through each garment.

"Now, you put this upside down under your breasts, like this." Mrs. Stevenson held an odd shaped cloth bag up against her ribs. "Then you reach back here and slide the clips together."

Trained in Kama Sutra—which she did along with her sisters every evening—did nothing to help Celina coordinate her arms into latching the two metal clips behind her back. She groaned with effort, and Mrs. Stevenson reached over to help her. Ack, it is so tight.

"What kind of torture is this?"

"It won't be torture after you are used to it, dear. The companies who designed the bra stress that wearing one every day will keep your breasts firmly uplifted for the rest of your life."

Celina cocked an eyebrow and looked down at her chest.

Mrs. Stevenson snorted. "You are right not to believe it. Gravity and age does take effect with or without wearing one, but at least you will be decently covered around other people, right?"

Celina nodded. She wasn't totally convinced, but so far, Mr. Randall's older wife seemed sincere in her actions. The contraption pinched her skin, restricting her breathing.

"There, just what I thought. You wear a 34C. Remember those numbers, and we'll pick you up more bras."

"Bras?"

"Yes, they are called bras. These are panties." She held up another garment. "You wear them here, under your clothes."

The panties went on without struggle, and she heaved a sigh. Walking over to the mirror, she posed and admired her new clothes. Her body looked odd, her breasts higher than usual, and the bra squished them closer together. The area between her breasts fascinated her, and she stuck a finger down in the valley.

Mrs. Stevenson cleared her throat. "Let's get this dress on now and see if you feel better about wearing it."

Betraying the Prince Excerpt

2011-05-22T09:55:00.001-07:00

You’ve heard me explain before how Betraying the Prince has romance, mystery, suspense, laughter, and yes…a few tear jerker moments. I thought I’d share parts of the book this week that show you what is in store if you purchase, Betraying the Prince. It’ll be released may 27th, but you can prebuy at the Breathless Press website. Here’s a little mystery excerpt…

Blurb

Drake's holding on to a secret that could not only ruin his chances with Celina, but could also ultimately destroy her.

Betraying the Prince - Excerpt

The courtyard bristled with movement, and Celina soaked it all in. Young men strummed their guitars with the hope of attracting the attention of women who stood around chatting in groups nearby. Small children played a game of skipper, where they jumped from square to square. Mothers sat on the stone benches and conversed with each other.

"Celina, wait," a voice called out.

Tressa's mother, Marti, ran toward Celina. Her long gown billowed in the breeze sweeping off the ocean. The lump in Celina's throat grew bigger, and for a moment, she took pleasure that a parental figure came to say farewell.

"Celina." Marti grabbed Celina's hands. "I wish you well, daughter."

Daughter. The casing she placed around her heart threatened to crack over the endearment. Here was the one person who might be able to answer the question she needed to ask.

"Marti, can you tell me why my mother was buried with the blessed in the Holy Ground?" She squeezed Marti's hands and searched her face for the answer.

Marti drew back her hands and acted wounded. Celina reached out and picked up Marti's hands again. She ignored the onlookers who gathered around them, curious about the prince's daughter.

"Please, Marti, it is important to me," Celina begged. "It's the only thing I want to know before I leave here, never to come back."

Marti stepped closer to Celina, and keeping her head down, spoke to her in a low voice, no one would overhear. "It's not something I can speak of. Your father forbids the people to tell you the truth."

"The truth? What is the truth?" Celina shook Marti's hands and tried to coax the secret out of the woman. She deserved to know what everyone else knew.

"I must go. I'll miss you." Marti pulled her hands away and leaned over to kiss her on the cheeks.

"Marti, I beg you. Tell me before I leave."

"Find the truth, Celina. Find the truth about your mother," Marti whispered in her ear.

The chatter of conversations came back to Celina, who became aware of the eyes trained on her. Mr. Randall waited patiently. What truth? She knew the truth…didn't she?

The stories she'd heard growing up about her mother never included her ever being buried in the blessed area. Did the Antakians know Natalia was buried in the wrong area? Shaking her head, she gazed up at the palace one last time. It's off-white masonry smooth with age and the abuse of sand and salt stood majestically against the almost barren landscape of the island. This was her home where her family would stay all their lives. Never before had she felt so alone.