Be My Valentine, Seekerville!!!!

Happiest of Valentine's Days, Seekervillagers!!!!! I'm so totally over-the-top psyched! Usually I talk about COOL THINGS like "The Princess Bride" on Valentine's Day because it's a big family favorite!!! Hit the techno hearts and light the candles, Wesley and Buttercup ROCK!!!!

And then I like to wax on about how cute Richard Castle is, and whether or not that is THE DRESS that Stana Katic was wearing last week...... Love it or hate it (I loved it!) she was stunning!  And of course we do this while eating chocolate....

And talking about Leroy Jethro Gibbs:

Giving out sweet (okay, corny) cards:

Yup, that's me and Dave, all right!!!!  :)

And making delicious family treats for youngsters, and how the heck did they worm in on this romantic holiday, anyway????

But no, today we wax poetic and romantic in a completely different way with 

RUTHY'S NEW BOOK!!!!!!!

Detective Crescent Dietrich vowed never to return to Watkins Ridge.  A bullet and her grandmother’s diagnosis changed that. Now she’s back, touching a past she spurned long ago.

 Alex Westmore appreciates God’s humor, but when hard-nosed Cress Dietrich is plunked into the middle of the family farm controversy—and his part in the sale of a centennial farm—he’s not laughing. He promised her grandmother secrecy, and Alex always keeps his word. But this time, his pledge might break Cress’s heart.

He wants her trust and love. He knows you can’t have one without the other. But can Cress escape the shadows of the past in time to embrace the simple light of her future?  With God’s grace, she can… in Watkins Ridge.

Of course there is a link in case you take it into your head to BUY THIS BOOK!!!!

I loved that Rose Zediker was talking series last week, and that I'm right now teaching a class on developing a series, because I write what I know... and what I love.

I love God.  I love romance. I love book series that entrench me in the story, make me feel like I know the people, embrace the town, feed the hungry and cure the downhearted.

That's why I write series. I LOVE THEM.  I love them in every genre I read, there's something emotionally satisfying about being immersed in a group of stories, getting to know people, feeling like you're part of that town, that neighborhood, that setting. Like these people are so real they could be shaking your hand in church every Sunday!

When you really love something, I think the pleasure of doing what you love outweighs the work involved. 

PLEASE DO NOT CORRECT ME, I COULD VERY WELL BE DELUSIONAL, MARY HAS POINTED THIS OUT OFTEN.

Just leave me in my book-producing, snow-filled, ice-covered forest corner of the world and let me write sweet books.

A beginning snow.... 

And when that happens, VOILA! A new book appears!

And here the snow is a little more determined!!!

This has been a labor of love. This is the formula I used:

1 finished book + 1 detailed rejection letter + FUN EDITING TIME!!! = "Safely Home", book one of the Watkins Ridge series,  the story of the oldest Dietrich sister,  a woman who turned her back on her home and her family long ago... until poor choices and Gran's illness left her few options.

Coming home as the prodigal is not easy, but it's such a grown-up thing to do. And most of us can relate. And it is a WONDERFUL STORY BASELINE. 

If we've never been the prodigal, we generally know one, and identifying the whys and wherefores of why a character reacts/behaves/chooses in a particular way is the basis for that initial story THRUST, the impetus, the ground-leaving jet take-off.  

Watkins Ridge is in the heart of Wisconsin, it's a Packer country, cheesehead central, beautiful, family-oriented, Midwestern brawn, football-loving, real man pleasing and farm-friendly area, an area settled by a broad mix of Scandinavian and German immigrants, and even though it's a meld of cultures now, the old farm families have their way of doing things...

And it's not to be trifled with. Pride runs deep in Cress's family, maybe too deep... and we all know how pride can tripwire a fall from grace.   

To set up this series I splayed the effects of childhood trauma on three sisters, and I'm using their individual characters to show the difference that timing, age, experience can make using the exact same experience: Loss of a mother to cancer, father's down-slide into several years of alcoholism, and the eventual resolution that doesn't erase scars, how externals affect us differently depending on age and stage and the nature we're born with.

The three sisters:

1. Cress: A cop, a Minneapolis Police Department detective, street-smart, tough, in-your-face, stand-your-ground, wondering where the sweet little girl within her went to so long ago when she left her little sisters to fare for themselves while she kicked the dust of Watkins Ridge off her riding boots and headed to the big city to chart a new path.

2. Audra: sweet, anxious to please, the peacemaker, the animal lover, nurturer, care-giver, she runs a farm-friendly bed and breakfast with an attached quilt-and-candle shop, just as nice as she can be, loving what she knows best: home. 

3. Kiera:  Stunning high-fashion model, seeking, never quite sure who she is, what she is, feeling like the facade might be the real thing, and deeply afraid it might be true, self-control is constantly challenged and desperately needed because she'd really love to just eat a bowl of fried cheese curds now and again, but fear... and insecurity... push her to dangerous levels of thinness.

Cress left her hometown in a fit of anger over a decade before.

And she came back just as angry! But she's a cop now, a detective, so she gets to carry a gun, and what better scenario than an angry chick-cop with a Glock?????

:)

And when you meet Gran, it's not hard to see where Cress gets her nature from, the apple didn't fall too far from this centennial tree, and their parallel lives take this further. But times have changed, and people have changed and maybe... just maybe... it's time to break the cycles of secrecy and control as Watkins Ridge embraces all three girls as their own.

When I set up a series, I grab tried-and-true formulas because they work. Three sisters, three friends, a high school reunion, a town in need of help, (Men of Allegany County) a family torn apart, a family as the background stability. (The Campbells in Kirkwood Lake), a town that's made mistakes (North Country books). People identify with these set-ups because they occur naturally in life. Too trumped and it FEELS fictional. Too sweet and it feels contrived. I strive for a happy balance between the two, a family, town, setting and characters that make you cheer for them... and feel like you know them.

(And shh, I don't really model characters after REAL PEOPLE. Missy in the book is nothing like our dear, beloved Missy Tippens!!!!! REALLY.)  (BIG GRIN INSERTED HERE) 

Come on inside and let's have some Valentine's Day FUN!!!!!!!  Talk to me about why you like series.... or why you don't like them! I'm interested to hear both. And what was the first series you ever read?

Mine was the Bobbsey Twins.  YES. REALLY!!!!

I brought chocolate, there's coffee brewin', and I've got some fresh sweet tea, too, and I do believe Tina Radcliffe's going to bring her coconut cake, a new Valentine's tradition!!!!  (Nom, nom, nom, Ruthy eats WHOLE CAKE HAPPILY!!!!)  

I've got an Amazon gift card I'm giving away, plus FOUR FREE DOWNLOADS of "Safely Home".... and I'd love to hear what you think once you've read Cress's story!!!

Leave a comment, grab a cuppa and let's chat, but first.... for the early crowd who knows me too well:

There is this:

Derek Jeter Announces His Retirement at End of 2014 Season

I hope he has a great year. I hope he goes out like Mariano did last year, on the wings of celebration, not injury. For a person who's given so much to the game, to being straight up, to loving baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Ford (well the song says Chevrolet, but Derek's a tri-state Ford spokesman!) how can we do anything but enjoy this year with him... and wish him well? And youse all know that Derek has opened his own PUBLISHING LINE, right???  Now there's a dream! Publishing sweet romance with Jeter!!!!!!   :)

Ruth Logan Herne is a hybid author who loves God and romance. When she's not helping to shape the lives of God's littlest people, she's busily shaping fictional lives, which spares her family unneeded and unwanted interference. They want you to know how grateful they are.

Married with six, NO!!! Seven children (she stole one, she freely admits it, and no one has arrested her yet...), she has been spending this year's "global warming" winter carving her house out of ice and snow and feeling like this global warming thing is MIGHTY SELECTIVE. 

But then, isn't everything?

Visit her at her website, or over in the Yankee Belle Cafe with a host of buddies!!!! 

"Let Me Call You Sweetheart!" How A Hero's Actions Speak Louder than Words!

Well, let's just start HERE....

Bing Crosby singing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart"....

 Ah.... Bing.... :) The whistling toward the end???? Oh my stars, be still my heart!!! Andy Griffith was a whistler... and he won my heart when I was about eleven years old...

So I had a prosaic and informative post ready for today but then my buddy Vince Mooney...

 the lot o' youse know who I'm talkin' about, the handsome fella pictured here....

 Well, Vince reminded me that it's like the HOME RUN DERBY for Major League Baseball for a romance writer to write a post on Valentine's Day... and since the aforementioned Vince and his revolutionary Rewards Per Page program took my writing to a whole new reader-pleasing level, I'm happy to grab his idea and run with it!

And speaking of baseball... spring training... the boys of summer.... PINSTRIPES!!!!

YES!!! GRATUITOUS JETER PIC!!!!

Oh.... sigh....

Okay, back to heroes. We love 'em. Sometimes because they do all the things we WISH we could get our husbands/boyfriends/fiances to do and sometimes because they're broken and we want to fix them.

(NOTE TO ALL WOMEN READING THIS: THEY ONLY GET FIXED IN FICTION. RUN. RUN FAST AND FIND SOMEONE SO TOTALLY WORTHY OF YOU AS TO BE YOUR BEST FRIEND FOREVER. DO NOT FOOL YOURSELF, PLEASE AND THANK YOU.)

(That was my Ruthy-lecture for the day) Please note that authors and books all have "live links" which means if you click on the highlighted names, they will take you away... but then come back and play!

In "The Lawman's Second Chance" the first book of my new "Kirkwood Lake" series, there are three very good reasons why Alex and Lisa shouldn't get together. Their names are Emma, Becky and Josh and they've already buried one mother... but as Alex comes to terms with his growing feelings, he realizes he's got a BIG DRAGON to slay... so one morning he calls her early, because she starts her day early... and he teases her about her favorite Mandisa song... and then he swings by the bakery on his way to the Fillmore New York State Police barracks, then drops off a box of fresh Danish pastries for Lisa and the garden center crew... just to make her smile. Ten minutes won him a lifetime.... Sweet payback, right? Nothin' on Wall Street's going to give you that kind of return!

In Debby Giusti's book, THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER, a serial killer is on the loose, and Special Agent Jamison Steele, US Army Criminal Investigation Division, is assigned to protect Michele Logan. Jamison keeps a vigilant watch, and when danger nears, he's willing to sacrifice his own well-being to ensure she's safe from harm. On a lighter note, Jamison has impeccable manners. He opens doors for Michele and stands when she enters the room. Realizing how much she loves flowers, he has a special surprise for her at the end of the story. In addition to a gorgeous bouquet of cut flowers, Jamison offers Michele an engagement ring along with his heart.

Mary Connealy is the grande dame of having men either grovel, work, romance or put themselves in peril to win the fair damsel's heart and her books sing with fun reparte, a total Mars/Venus showdown.... Here are a few of things her heroes did to show their love: (And just so youse know, she sent me FIVE TIMES THIS MANY but then I'd have to cut Julie, and if you've ever met Julie Lessman, you'd know I do not want to get on Julie's bad side... like, um... ever.)  :)

Clay McClellen butchered a pig Sophie shot. She would have had to do it herself otherwise. (Petticoat Ranch)

Tom Linscott chopped wood and plastered mud on Mandy McClellen's house when her no-account husband Sidney had gone to town. (Sharpshooter in Petticoats)

Silas Harden did the  morning chores on the first day of his employment and it touched Belle's heart but it couldn't really be called a sweetheart moment, just a man doing his job, but that was so rare in Belle's experience it was almost romantic. (The Husband Tree, a Ruthy favorite!!!)

Red Dawson, now there was a sweetheart. A picture of Cassie's ancestors had been torn up and he helped her put them back together. When she let all his chickens out he pretended like he wasn't upset because he didn't want to hurt her feelings.  (Montana Rose, another Ruthy top-pick!!!)

Notice a recurring theme? Most of these acts of love are classified under the "Acts of Service", one of the Five Love Languages.  And that's a whole other blog topic, but totally relevant for authors!

When times were tight and money non-existent, "Pa" Ingalls assured his wife that  the imprint of her pretty hand atop the cornbread was sweetening enough for him...
Now that's an "aww..." statement if ever I heard one!

 Tina Radcliffe employs a lovely hand with sacrificial love. When you read a Radcliffe novel, you're immersed in the depth of strong, selfless characters... Here's a snip from her upcoming release  Mending the Doctor's Heart, pre-order here... 

Her eyes flew open. "He sold the Land Rover."

"Yes. He did."

"Uncle Henry." She looked down at her uncle. "Why did he do this?"

"I believe he did it because he loves you, and because he understands your loss."

Moving into the sweetness and hardship of the American past, Janet Dean shares this picture-perfect sacrificial image from her newest Love Inspired Historical release "The Bride Wore Spurs"...

Hannah is emotionally numb with grief for her father, unable to get back to living. As she and her marriage of convenience husband pass a field of bluebonnets, Matt stops the buggy, hoping flowers might lift her spirits. He practically tows her into the field. She stands amongst all those flowers and says, "I love bluebonnets." Within minutes he fills her arms with the blooms, more than she can carry, gazing into the prettiest blue eyes he'd ever seen. Uneasy under his scrutiny, she challenges him to a race to the buggy. A race he lets her win or so he claims. For the first time, she smiles, a smile that reassures him she'll be okay, that he has his feisty wife back. He promises himself that he'll keep her smiling even if it means losing a race every day of his life. 

Matt spent no money... he merely seized a God-given moment and showed his compassion by taking the time to stop. How many men drive by "Scenic Overlook Ahead" signs every day, and never take the turn off to check out God's beauty... Janet brought that home to us with this poignant scene.

And then Julie Lessman continues our foray into yesteryear with this glimpse into her first published novel "A Passion Most Pure"...  Julie helps us see the tenderness in the bad boy hero and the longing in the 'girl next door' heroine, a personal favorite of mine:

Faith has loved Collin since she was a little girl with polio, filling journals with poems, dreams, and her innermost longings for the older boy who’d defended her from bullies. Despite deep attraction between the two, Collin is now her sister Charity’s beau instead, and in the midst of her struggle to put her feelings for him behind, he gives each of the family a present for Christmas. When Faith opens hers, her heart aches over the tenderness of his gift—a leather-bound journal with the inscription, "To Faith––a woman of faith. Collin. "It's a journal," he says, "for your poetry. Charity says you've written poetry for years.” Faith can do nothing but weep, painfully aware he’s been the center of any poetry she’s ever written. 

HOW ADORABLE IS THIS??????

Pam Hillman keeps us rooted in the past with this sweet scene from her newest release "Claiming Mariah"...

"In Claiming Mariah, a barn cat has kittens, and Mariah is trying to figure out how to get her hands on them. Slade comes in and fishes the kittens out from behind a jumble of harness. He wouldn't have even bothered with the kittens if it hadn't been for Mariah. But because she wanted to hold them, he did something special for her. Of course the converstion is peppered with more than just references to sweet, innocent darling little kittens!"

*Note to all: A Ruthy-Rule-of-Thumb is that you can almost never go wrong with puppies, kittens, foals, calves, injured songbirds or twinkle lights! And cute little kids who need a loving home???? BIG AWWW FACTOR UNLESS YOUR READERS DON'T LIKE KIDS... Luckily, mine do!

And we pull ourselves back into the present with this sweet note from Missy Tippens: 

I have what I think is a fun sweetheart moment right at the end of my upcoming release, Georgia Sweethearts. But if I tell you much about it, it would be a big spoiler! So I'll just say that my hero, pastor Daniel Foreman, arranges something that will protect the heroine, yarn shop owner Lilly Barnes. It shows he cares about her best interest, no matter what happens with them romantically. It makes for a fun scene when she finds out what he's done!

And we end on this beautiful farm-friendly, reader-pleasing note from Mia Ross as she wraps up her first Love Inspired series  with "A Place for Family"...

In A Place for Family, John Sawyer is the kind of guy who takes care of things. When Amanda Gardner's bankruptcy threatens to keep her from starting up a PR consulting business, he calmly hands over his credit card so she can purchase a website to get her company started. As a farmer, he doesn't have much, but he's more than willing to share everything he's got with her.

These experienced and successful authors epitomize the beauty of pure romance... The warmth and growing emotions that drive us to love and cherish one person, one hero (well.... USUALLY) all of our days.

COFFEE'S ON!!!! Come on inside, set a spell (This Yank loves talking Southern) and help yourself to some of the Black Forest Chocolate Chip Cake I made over in the YANKEE BELLE CAFE.... :)  

There's plenty to go around and if you leave a comment I'll put your name in the cat dish for this lovely Sack o' Romance!!!!

Clari Dees, Debby Giusti, Myra Johnson and me!!! 

Things That Make You Go Awwwwwww

The Seekers and the Digital First authors are talking about warm fuzzies. Warm fuzzies happen all year long, not just on Valentine’s Day. Warm fuzzies can be from your spouse, your kids, your mom, or your pet. Warm fuzzies are anything that make you go awwwwwww, how sweet.

I guarantee some of these tidbits will make you smile.

“We lived an hour away from each other. I lived in the country, he was in the city. On my birthday before he went to work he picked up my then favorite hamburgers and brought them to me. He had just enough time to hand them over and jump back in the truck and return to Illinois.” Diana Brandmeyer

"Once when Iran and I were dating, I remember riding down the road and he was making up silly songs about me. The rhyming was actually pretty good, and I remember laughing and trying to get him to stop because I was afraid he'd actually remember and repeat the words to someone else. I didn't know him well enough to know that he'd never repeat silly love songs to others." Pam Hillman

“We were in a night class together and one night he asked me if I wanted to go for coffee after class. Sure. Good looking hunk. Of course. We get to the coffee shop and he starts apologizing for having to cancel the date last Friday. Well we had no date. He had asked another girl out and forgot who she was. He thought it was me. Big mistake. We laughed and really had a fun time talking. Well we've been together 47 years so I keep telling him that was the best mistake he ever made. He agrees.” Sandra Leesmith

“When my son said he wanted me for his mom--in front of a judge.” Diana Brandmeyer

“One year My Cowboy showed up on Valentine's Day when we had three really little girls, and he had three roses in a vase for me, then he had a separate rose for each girl. The next year he came with a cut flower arrangement for me and three tiny arrangements one for each of the girls.” Mary Connealy

Julie's prized wall grouping from Keith

“The love of my life is both artist and handyman, so after he built a truly beautiful media room, we decorated it with a leather sectional couch and modern multi-colored pillows.  Would you believe he took a picture of one of those pillows and designed three different versions in the same colors, then superimposed them on canvas frames as a wall grouping? “It’s beautiful, babe,” I said, amazed once again at his mind-boggling creativity. “Look closer,” he said, and I squinted a bit, suddenly seeing our entire life before my eyes. Yes, you guessed it—this incredible man actually super-imposed pictures of each of us—me, my son, daughter, daughter-in-law and himself—over the multicolored canvases to create living artwork that captured US!! Let me tell you—I teared up on the spot and threw myself into his arms, giving him the biggest, most grateful kiss I could! What can I say—MasterCard has nothing on him—he’s “priceless.” Julie Lessman

“He kidnapped me! He and my best friend's husband made plans for a night away for us. Babysitting, packed suitcase, and even home made lasagna --all planned! My friend and I didn't have to do anything. We walked down a moonlit path and talked for hours.” Diana Brandmeyer

"We used to ride horses a lot. We'd ride to my parents four miles away and visit for awhile, then ride home late at night. I can still remember the still night, the stars, the sound of horse's hooves clopping down a quiet dirt road, and just the two of us, talking about nothing and everything." Pam Hillman

“Seeing all of my sons wearing tuxes 3 times!” Diana Brandmeyer

"When our first child was born, we were in the hospital, and I remember laying in that hospital bed watching my larger-than-life husband slouched on a hospital sofa teasing our newborn baby's face with the edge of the baby blanket just to watch him screw up his mouth when it tickled." Pam Hillman

Diana Brandmeyer's stain glass doors

“Our first Christmas together was bittersweet. I was still feeling sad about moving from my old home, an 1800s limestone block house. That house had a lot of outbuildings and one of them had stain glass windows waiting for a project I never got to do. Christmas morning my gift from my husband was those windows made into doors for what is now my office.” Diana Brandmeyer

“The last thing we tell each other each night is ‘I love you.’” Audra Harders

“Ed used to bicycle to work past the Japanese flower gardens. Well one afternoon he was really thirsty so stopped and asked the lady if he could get a drink. She talked him into buying some flowers for me. When he got home and gave me the flowers, I was so tickled, thrilled and let's just say he was well rewarded for his gift and that was the start of a beautiful thing. He discovered how much that simple gift meant to me and he stopped every Friday until he retired to buy me flowers. He and the lady became quite good friends and she always had a bouquet picked out for him. And I always looked forward to my lovely bouquet of flowers.” Sandra Leesmith

“Even though Gary and I had known each other since 4th grade, we never dated until we were 30! Our very first "date", he invited me over to his place after church to talk and catch up on life. It was Super Bowl Sunday and I just knew I was going to have to compete with the game for conversation. I got there at 1:00 and left around 8:00. We talked, laughed, snacked, and laughed some more. He never turned the television on. It was the best and most memorable afternoon of my life.” Audra Harders

“When my husband brings me soda just because…” Diana Brandmeyer

“Our first Christmas together, he gave me Sorel boots so my feet wouldn't freeze when we went hunting. The following year on my birthday, he gave me a fishing pole and reel because I wouldn't enjoy spring fishing without good equipment. Some folks might think these selfish, male gifts, but I know better. It was Gary sharing a piece of his heart and life with me.” Audra Harders

Yeehaw - Lathan riding his first bull!!!

"I was on a business trip three years ago and received a text from my sister-in-law. Attached was a photo of my husband sitting on the ground and his four-month-old great-nephew petting a baby calf. It's been my background picture on my phone ever since!" Pam Hillman

So, everybody together now…. 

Awwwwwwww

~

Have you heard the News????

All three of the Digital First ebooks are 

ON SALE for $1.99 February 

THIS WEEK ONLY!

Click here for links to your favorite etailer

>>>> Tyndale ebook Promos <<<<

Claiming Mariah by Pam Hillman

Mind of Her Own by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

Where Treasure Hides by Johnnie Alexander Donley

Mark your calendar, put a string on your finger,

tattoo your forehead, but whatever you do,

don’t let this opportunity slip by.

The #Digital1st authors are counting on you!

To celebrate the release of Claiming Mariah, Pam is giving away two eReaders

(choice of Kindle Wi-Fi, 6" Display, or Nook Simple Touch)

Two Winners: One on facebook. One through Pam’s Newsletter.

Facebook Drawing for Kindle/Nook

Pam’s Newsletter

Registering both places is not required but will double your chances of winning. Also keep in mind that you will receive updates more often being connected on facebook than through the newsletter. Just sayin’

Contest runs from January 1^st until March 31^st, 2013.

And....that’s not all! There will be prizes offered randomly throughout the tour.

Click here to View Current Giveaways!

(1 Year Subscription to E-cards by Jacquie Lawson)

PREVIOUS STOP ON TOUR:

February 11th: Blogging with Sandy Ardoin

NEXT STOP ON TOUR:

February 13th: Blogging with Angie Breidenbach

Click for a Complete List of Stops Along the Tour

www.pamhillman.com

Seekerville Weekend Edition: Valentine's Day

This is it. Valentine's Day weekend. The stuff romance is made of. And we do love romance around Seekerville. I've complied a list of my top ten romantic songs just for the occasion.

What's on your list? Leave us your favorite romantic song and we'll put your name in the hat for a chance to win your favorite Seekerville romance.

Top Ten Romantic Songs

1. A Groovy Kind of Love-Phil Collins

2. Can't Fight This Feeling-REO Speedwagon

3. When You Say Nothing At All-Keith Whitley

4. You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This-Toby Keith

5. This Kiss-Faith Hill

6. Wonderful Tonight-Eric Clapton

7. Don't Want To Miss A Thing-Aerosmith

8. I Will Always Love You-Whitney Houston

9. Valentine-Martina McBride

10. Truly, Madly, Deeply-Savage Garden





We Have Winners:

Monday Janet Dean celebrated the Release of The Substitute Bride and the winner of a copy of that release is Helen Gray!


Hope you didn't miss Tuesday's post by Myra Johnson, You Talkin' To Me?? The winner is Pamela Mason (Drop Myra an email or leave it in the comments! Email addresses for Seekers are available by clicking on our names in the right hand column of Seekerville.)

The Seeker Voice answers are:

1. Cara
2. Ruthy
3. Janet
4. Glynna
5. Tina
6. Myra
7. Debby
8. Julie
9. Mary
10. Audra
11. Sandra
12. Pam
13. Cheryl
14. Missy
15. Camy
16. Marlena Fortune


Wednesday, Julie Lessman's A Kiss Is Just A Kiss, post winner is Gina Welborn. Also she'd like to announce that her newsletter winner is Heather. (Please contact Julie by clicking on her name in the right hand column of Seekerville and then you'll be able to click on her email addy.)


Thursday Ruth Logan Herne was your hostess with The Good Cook's Guide To the Chopping Block of Chronic Wordiness. Winner of her debut release, Winter's End is Sherrinda. Please email Ruth!


Friday's guest Jennifer AlLee posted, Has the Road to Your Dream Taken A Detour? The winner of her release, The Pastor's Wife is PATRICIA W!

Next Week In Seekerville:


Monday: Steeple Hill Love Inspired author Missy Tippens shares today.


Tuesday: Multi-published author of Southern mystery and suspense, Robin Caroll is our guest today!


Wednesday: Love Inspired Suspense author Debby Giusti is posting.


Thursday: Zondervan and Love Inspired Suspense author Camy Tang is your hostess today.



Friday: Today we're doing something different in Seekerville. Story consultant, author and lecturer Michael Hauge will be sharing one of his articles and then we will take questions on the topic or any other questions, which will be answered by Michael in another post. There will be two giveaways of The Hero's Two Journey's DVD sets, winners announced in the Weekend Edition.

If you are not familiar with this wonderful teaching tool check it out here, and you can get a sneak peak of Michael Hauge here.




Save The Date:

February 26: Summerside Press author, Ocieanna Fleiss.


March 3: Revell author, Laura Frantz.


March 10: Friend of Seekerville, talented writer Pepper Basham.


March 12: Multi published children's author Shari Barr.


March 15: Multi-published historical author, Ruth Axtell Morren.


March 29th: Publishing professional and writer Patty Hall.


March 30th RITA and Christy Award winner Francine Rivers.




Ruth Logan Herne will be hosting Francine Rivers and here's more on that from Ruthy:

Francine Rivers is scheduled to come to Seekerville on March 30, 2010 and we're delighted.

Oh my stars. The Atonement Child. Redeeming Love. The Mark of the Lion series...

I'm grabbing nitro pills just thinking about it, LOL! I need questions from you guys, though, not the same old, same old... What would you like to know about Francine, about her work, about her upcoming book Her Mother's Hope to be followed this fall by Her Daughter's Dream.

Redeeming Love is being made into a movie by Abba Productions. That's an interesting thought right there, isn't it?

E-mail me your questions at loganherne@gmail.com so I can put together a warm, lovely interview for Francine, one of the nicest ladies on the planet. Seriously!





Seeker Sightings:




Janet Dean will be guest blogging at Faith and Fiction on Fire as part of a blogFEST series A Kiss to Build a Dream On, Wednesday February 17th.













Mary has a book signing in Mission, Texas, from Noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13th at: Family Christian Stores #491 Sharyland Towne Center 2505 E Expressway 83 Ste 500 Mission, TX 78572.











Friday February 12th through Saturday February 13th you can find Julie at at Faith and Fiction on Fire as part of a blogFEST series A Kiss to Build a Dream On. Stop by for a chance to win a signed copy of your choice of one of the Daughter's of Boston series or a signed copy of Katie's story, A Hope Undaunted, when it releases in September.



Monday February 15th, book giveaway at Operation Encourage An Author Blog. Your choice of one of the Daughter's of Boston books or a signed copy of Katie's Story, A Hope Undaunted, when it releases in September.


Hope your Valentine's Day is lovely!

Seekerville Weekend Edition-Happy Valentine's Day

The Chocolate Winners from our Friday Valentine's Day Trivia Are:


Patty Smith Hall

Vince

Cathy Shouse

Jessica

Melanie

Debra Marvin

Rose

Patricia W

Rae

Micky & Minnie Mouse

Even if you have won before please send your name and address to tina@tinarusso.com


And the correct answers to the trivia:

1. Venus Chau/Drake
Lex Sakai/Aiden Young
Trish Sakai/Spenser Wong

2. Noblesville, Indiana

3. Hannah/Grant
Sophie/Clay
Grace/Daniel

4. Romancing Your Spouse

5. Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

6. City of Angels

7. 1936, 1939

8. Bud's Diner

10. Fitzwilliam Darcy

11. USAF Pararescue

15. Darcy, Wentworth, Knightly, Tilney


THIS JUST IN!!! Congratulations to Cathy Shouse, the winner of Amanda Cabot's book Paper Roses.

Next Week In Seekerville

Monday-Love Inspired author, Missy Tippens will be leaving Bud's Diner to be here.

Tuesday-Love Inspired author, Cheryl Wyatt will continue her plotstorming series.

Wednesday-Steeple Hill Suspense author, Debby Giusti posts today.

Thursday-Zondervan and Steeple Hill author, Camy Tang's posts on inexpensive writing retreat ideas.

Friday-Seekerville is delighted to have Nicole Young, as our guest. Nicole Young is the author of the Patricia Amble, including Love Me If You Must and Kill Me If You Can, books 1 & 2 in the Patricia Amble Mystery Series, published by Revell. The exciting conclusion to her taut romantic suspense series, Kiss Me If You Dare comes out this month.

Jordan Dane returns to Seekerville on February 24.
Be prepared to hide under the covers as this best-selling Avon HarperCollins author shares about the first release in her Sweet Justice series, Evil Without A Face. Hey, and guess what? There's a certain, Seeker's husband featured on the acknowledgment page of Jordan's new book. How cool is that?

Wendy is Coming!! Wendy is Coming!

March 3, 2009, Wendy Lawton, the award-winning, awesomely cool dollmaker, author, educator and now esteemed literary agent of Books & Such Literary Agency, is coming to Seekerville! Don't miss her presentation, Ten Near-Fatal Career Mistakes.

If you have specific questions for Wendy, either post them here or e-mail Ruth at loganherne@gmail.com.

March 4, 2009. Marlena Fortune is back, and she has promised to answer all your pressing contest and writing questions. Send your questions to tina@tinarusso.com, with Marlena Fortune in the subject line. Your name remains anonymous, however if you submit a question you will be entered into a drawing to win a Marlena Fortune surprise package (value undetermined), to further culture and sophistication in the romance writing community. Marlena is thrilled that we have a ton of questions that have already been sent in!

Seeker Appearances, Sightings and Such:

Myra Johnson will be appearing Thursday the 19th on the Romance Your Spouse blog.

Mary Connealy sightings: Tuesday, Mary will be at Writer at Random. Stop by for a chance to win a copy of Gingham Mountain. She will also be guest blogging at Wanna Be Published?

News from Cyberspace

Attention Writers!!! Postal rate increase coming in May. Check out Writer at Random for the full details!!


There's a great article on the Writer's Digest site: Get Messy With Your First Draft by Elizabeth Sims.


Kindle 2 or....Plastic Logic? Check out this article and video at Galley Cat.


Chicken Soup, True Love Stories. We all love stories about how love started and blossomed; stories about dating, romance, love, and marriage. We are looking for true stories and poems about your soulmate, your true love, the one that got away, and all the ups and downs of your love life. Stories can be serious or hilarious, or both. The deadline date for story submissions is May 31, 2009.