trueromance

Invitation to Comment: Do you know a woman who has risen above adversity to make a better life for herself and her family? Tell us about her, or comment on this blog. For each person who shares their thoughts here, between now and midnight 3/8/11, Kathryn will donate $1.00 (up to a total of $500.) to the Washington, DC House of Ruth. This wonderful organization assists over 600 women and children (who have been living in stark poverty and violent, abusive surroundings) to find safe shelter and achieve their goal of a better life.

About the organization:

You’re here! You’re special! You care. So do we … and we have the skills to help.

Together we can provide women and children who are homeless and abused with the housing and intensive supportive services they need. We are assisting 600+ women and children who have been living in stark poverty and violent, abusive surroundings. We enfold them in a safe and nurturing environment, then we work closely with them every day to achieve their goals. Please join us in helping courageous women and children build new lives that are safe and stable.

Donor Testimonial

What caught my eye about House of Ruth was its focus on addressing the interrelated problems that underlie many women’s experiences of abuse, mental health, drug abuse and financial issues, and its holistic approach to empowering women to overcome past traumas and transform their lives.
Laura Rosenberger

Let’s help one another — see you tomorrow! Kathryn Johnson

A Very Merry Christmas in the Holiday Magic anthology with Fern Michaels

By Cathy Lamb
Cathy@CathyLamb.net

Other books:
Julia’s Chocolates
The Last Time I Was Me
Henry’s Sisters
Such A Pretty Face
Comfort and Joy anthology with Fern Michaels
Almost Home anthology with Debbie Macomber

Setting: A Very Merry Christmas is set in Telena, Montana…which is actually Helena, Montana. Meredith Ghirlandaio lives on the third floor of an elegant brick house, with loads of charm and history, built in 1889. Located across from the towering cathedral, Meredith finds that many interesting families have lived in the home before her…In 1900 a Jewish businessman resided there with five daughters. One married the boy next door, the other ran off with a convict. It was rumored the convict was quite handsome. A millionaire spent twenty years wandering the rooms and never left his home. Three sisters were also in residence in the early 1920’s. One owned a bar, one worked at a church, the third was a doctor. The home was also a house of “ill repute” with a madam named, no kidding, “Hearty Tallfeather.”

The first two stories of Meredith’s home are for her bed and breakfast where she serves Meredith’s Sock It To You Pancakes, Funky Fly Fisherman’s Omelets, and Roarin’ Raspberry French Toast.

In my “real” life, my sister used to live in that home.

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Romance

Hero: Logan Taylor. Tough upbringing, self made millionaire, rancher, fly fisherman extraordinaire, with broad shoulders a thousand Christmas angels could dance on and a green-gold gaze that could make Mrs. Claus swoon.

Heroine: Meredith Ghirlandaio. A woman who can mix, stir, sprinkle, flip, sizzle, fry, baste, chop, slice and bake with the best of best chefs.

One sentence summary: Not only is Meredith running her bed and breakfast, and trying not to fall in love with Logan, she’s also hiding a secret, dealing with a rebellious niece and an introverted nephew, meeting with the hilarious Three Wise Women each week, and planning a Christmas pageant for the town of Telena that Santa himself would be proud of.

Scene you like most and would never cut: I would never cut the first scene: “It’s the holiday season so I don’t want to have to shoot you.” I drummed my red fingernails against the long, polished bar, hooked my cowboy boot on the rail, and eyed the drunken fool who had crawled up on the stool next to mine like an inebriated sea urchin. “But you’re pushing it, buddy.”

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: My heroine would never be caught dead in a frilly dress and heels.

What celebrity is your hero like: None. Logan is Logan. A man lookin’ for the love of his life.

What celebrity is your heroine like: None. Meredith is Meredith. A woman who believes that love will never come her way.

What is unique about your heroine’s occupation: Meredith’s bed and breakfast has a few ghosts running around it. So when she hears the pitter patter of little feet but no one is home, she shrugs her shoulders. When she hears a horse whinny or the creak of carriage wheels, she doesn’t think anything of it. When she hears twenties music tra la la for a second, she shrugs it off. When she hears two women whispering and sees nothing but a lace curtain floating in the wind, she knows she’s not losing her mind. Why, when she’s long gone, she might come and haunt this charming 1889 home, too.

What is your hero’s occupation?: Logan, with his easy smile and chivalrous attitude, is a multi millionaire who made his money in highway development, electrical something ‘er other, real estate, ranching, etc. He’s built a log home outside of Telena, and he’s ready to jump off the whirlwind, non – stop life of work he created to dig himself out of poverty, and start over with a wife and his own little troop of elves.

What do you think readers will like best about this book?: Real characters, real love, a town coming together to put on a pageant that stars two World War II vets talking about their Christmas in 1942 in the trenches, a funny Three Wise Women skit that brings the house down, a man from Nigeria playing his drums, pink haired teenagers rockin’ the house with Jingle Bell Rock, the exquisite decoration of a gingerbread house, and the true meaning of Christmas.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
Well, let’s see. I’ve had requests for me to write about Aunt Lydia again and her pink house, five foot tall ceramic pigs, and her chickens from Julia’s Chocolates; Emmaline Hallwyler, the anger management counselor in The Last Time I Was Me who agreed that Jeanne Stewart should run naked along a river but not get in any more bar fights has been requested also…I’ve been asked for a follow up book on all the Bommarito sisters from Henry’s Sisters, and have had readers ask for more about Cherie Poitras’ story from Such A Pretty Face and Henry’s Sisters, because she is a heckuva woman with an incredible collection of high heels.

What’s next: I am currently writing my next book titled, First Day Of the Rest Of My Life. It’s about pink, gunshots, a lavender farm, a scratched and dented violin with a story all its own, a beauty parlor, sisters, explosives, emotional weather, betrayal, atonement, and love.

What are your Christmas traditions? How did they get started?

“It’s the holiday season so I don’t want to have to shoot you.” I drummed my red fingernails against the long, polished bar, hooked my cowboy boot on the rail, and eyed the drunken fool who had crawled up on the stool next to mine like an inebriated sea urchin. “But you’re pushing it, buddy.”

“A Merry Christmas” in the Holiday Magic anthology, features Three Wise Women, a pregnant Mary, a bustling Martha, a drummer man from Nigeria, singing shepherds who are ex-World War II vets, a pretty cowboy hat obsession, a tragic secret from the long ago past, a three story, brick house built in 1889 with a history as wild and rollicky as the wild west has ever been, a reclusive violin star, a Grateful Journal, fly fishing, pink cake, a duck whistle, an escape from Cambodia, and a gingerbread house.

Holiday Magic anthology: Fern Michaels, Cathy Lamb, Mary Carter, Terri DuLong
A Very Maui Christmas by Mary Carter
Setting: New York City and Maui
Subgenre: Romance
Hero: Darren Skies
Heroine: Tara Lane

One sentence summary:
Tara Lane is thrilled to be flying to Maui for Christmas, escaping New York City, internet dating, and her Christmas-obsessed sister, only to find your troubles (i.e. family) can follow you wherever you go.

Scene you like most and would never cut:
I don’t want to give too much away, but it is a scene in Central Park where Tara prays that some nice, fresh air will restore her to sanity.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
“Would you like fries with that?” Tara Lane is a chef at a French restaurant in Manhattan, and I can’t see her working at the yellow arches.

What celebrity is your hero like:
He’s the epitome of a laid-back, surfer slash handyman whose good looks and quick wit make him all the more aggravating. I could see someone like Mathew McConaughey in the role.

What celebrity is your heroine like:
She is pretty and funny, but self-deprecating and flawed. I really like Jennifer Anniston’s comic timing and pretty yet quirky ways, so if I was casting this, she would be the type I would look for.

What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing:
She is a chef, and although it is exactly what she should be doing, so far she hasn’t risen to the level of success that she deserves and is capable of.

What is your heroes occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing:
He is a laid-back handyman, which serves his beach-combing, Frisbee-throwing life to a tee. He also runs the Christmas Village every year which is a non-profit yet slightly pornographic adults only Christmas display. The proceeds go to a local orphanage. I think in the future he should get involved with creative fund-raising and short-term projects that will benefit the community.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
Hopefully it will make them laugh, which is always a good thing around the stress-filled holiday season.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
This is a great question, but I don’t have an answer for it! Readers are welcome to write in and tell me. So far I’ve been very lucky to write about characters and situations that interest me. I tend to gravitate toward well-meaning but deeply flawed characters, I guess I can relate!

What’s next:
I am working on a novel called, The Pub Across the Pond, which is about an American woman, who, swearing off all Irish men, wins a pub in a small town in Ireland. It will be released in the Fall of 2011.

When it comes to the holidays, what are your favorite traditions? Is there anyone in your family who is the exact opposite? Does this cause conflict every year or have you found a way to merge your celebrating-styles?

Whether it’s smooth sailing or fatally flawed, I’d like to wish all the readers a very happy holiday season, and let them know that I will be giving away copies of Holiday Magic, as well as some of my previous works on my website. Readers can visit marycarterbooks.com and enter under: Contest.

GIVEAWAY!!! - 3 random commenters randomly chosen to win books — good luck!