Jill Marie Landis | The Tale of THE ACCIDENTAL LAWMAN or The Book with the Big Headed Hero.

Last year Steeple Hill released HOMECOMING, my first western historical with an inspirational theme. The story is set in a fictional Texas frontier town named Glory and I found myself so involved in the characters and the setting that I wrote a second book, THE ACCIDENTAL LAWMAN, set in the same town. The hero and heroine from HOMECOMING make cameo appearances, so readers who missed that book might want to order it as well when shopping for THE ACCIDENTAL LAWMAN. (Okay, enough of the shameless self promotion--for now.)

Though I'm known for the emotion and characterization in my books, there is always a touch of humor that sneaks in, too. In THE ACCIDENTAL LAWMAN, humor comes to play in the opening scene, an accident that propels an unassuming writer with the dream of publishing his own newspaper into the unlikely position of the first sheriff of Glory. Hank Larson has moved to Texas to escape his old life, one that continually reminds him of his late wife. He's spent his entire savings on a printing press to enable his dream and is all set to launch "The Glory Gazette." He'll be editor, writer, and publisher. The problem? There is no newspaper in this one horse town because there's no news--not until he arrives and heads for the bank.

Click here to read the rest of Jill's blog, comment and to enter her contest.

Jodi Thomas | Writing the West, Texas Style

I’ve been lucky in writing. I’ve been in the game 20 years with twenty seven books on the shelf with my name on them. I’ve had a wonderful time, lots of fun, many dear friends and only a few bumps along the road.

My brother says we have Irish Luck in our family. He knew it the month after he came home from Viet Nam wounded. Someone said to him, “Man, are you lucky. You were hit bad enough to send you home but not so bad that you won’t recover.” My brother’s one thought was that if he’d been lucky, he wouldn’t have been hit at all.

Sometimes I feel the same way about my writing career. Man, am I lucky. Lucky it only took me four or five years to find an editor. Longer to find an agent. Lucky I picked a field, Historical Romance, about the time it died. Lucky my wonderful editor kept getting pregnant and finally quit.

But, remember, I have Irish luck. In all those years of waiting I kept writing so when I did sell, I sold five books in 15 months. Lucky I picked Historical Romance and stayed in until finally as it comes back I’m at the top of the game. Lucky my editor kept having babies because after she quit, she became my agent.

So, after twenty years, I doing what I love, I’m writing the west in Historical Romance and in present day fiction. My newest book, TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN is the story I feel like may be the best I’ve ever written. It’s a tender love story that will make you laugh and cry and feel good all over. It’ll make you believe that even people who’ve never loved can find someone they’ll love forever.

So, before I say happy trails to you, I wish you all Irish Luck. May whatever you want in life come to you, not always when you want it, but always when you need it. In the mean time, I’ll meet you when you open one of my books and we’ll take an adventure together.

See you soon,
Jodi Thomas
www.jodithomas.com/

Diane Whiteside | Bond of Fire, or A French Lady Comes to Texas

Hullo! Here it is, January 2nd, the Christmas sales are over, the New Year’s Day buffet has been reduced to a neat stack of leftovers, and BOND OF FIRE, the Texas vampires’ trilogy volume 2, has finally hit the bookstores! Yes, Hélène d’Agelet, the French secret agent and firestarter, just made it into the Texas vampires trilogy.

Need I mention that she’s usually very well-groomed, as in very, very fond of designer clothing? No? Yes, I thought you might have guessed that, since she’s a French aristocrat. She enjoys a glass of good sherry but is willing to explore Texas’s unique ways of drinking beer. She’s also very bookish and prefers her flirtations take place in libraries, which isn’t where you’d expect to find one of those rare lady vampires.

Oh, and she’s passionately in love with Jean-Marie St. Just, Texas’s chief diplomat, spy, and assassin. They fell for each other across a crowded ballroom at Versailles over two centuries ago. They’ve suffered through a lot of trials and tribulations ever since, including major pieces of nastiness like the French Revolution and the Peninsular Wars. In fact, matters became so bad Jean-Marie and Hélène have spent the past two centuries thinking the other was dead.

Plus, there’s Hélène’s vicious little sister Celeste who’d dearly love to see Hélène dead. Not that Hélène realizes that – yet…

And now it’s present-day Texas and Hélène has just learned Jean-Marie is still alive. She’s on her way to Austin, eager to be reunited with her true love.

Sometimes I wonder who’s in for more changes – Texas or Hélène?

Hope you enjoy spending as much time with Hélène as I did!

Diane

http://www.dianewhiteside.com/

Jodi Thomas | How do we get back up when we fall.

When considering a topic, I've decided to go with one few writers talk about--How do we get back up when we fall.

In my writing career of nearly twenty years, like most writers I've had my ups and downs. Once, just after my fifth book came out, my numbers were so bad my editor assured me I wouldn't be writing another book for them, except for the fact I'd signed a two book contract. I was down and almost went back to teaching. I'd already written book six, so I decided to try one more time. I won a RITA with that sixth book.

Since then I've learned to take the ups with the downs. I love the ups---the awards, the lists, the money---but I think it's been the downs I've had that have taught me the most in this game of writing. Sometimes I've learned to try harder. Sometimes I've learned to trust myself.

This year I decided to take another chance. With my next Historical Romance, TEXAS PRINCESS coming out in November, I'm hard at work on something different. In April I'll have a book of a different kind released. TWISTED CREEK, I can only hope my readers love it as much as my agent and editor do. This was the first book I've ever written with the door closed. No one saw it before I mailed it. I needed the story to develop without suggestions.

Now, don't think I'm leaving historicals, I love writing them and I'm in the middle of a series. I think I've been very lucky in my life to step so easily into the past and meet some really nice people there. In TEXAS PRINCESS, I enjoyed the adventure of my characters. Sometimes it seems like the stories already there, I just have to find it. This book ran full speed out of my head. I'm at home in the ranch setting.

I'm looking forward to chatting with you all.

Jodi Thomas

http://www.jodithomas.com/