What is Love?

LOVE is the most basic of human needs, right behind food, clothing, and shelter. It's the universal emotion of all humans.

Ever wondered why there are so many songs about love? So many movies with at least a subplot of love? So many books about love?

We crave love and acceptance the way desert craves rain.

For love, wars have been waged. Feuds fought. Lives endangered. Parents defied. Thrones abdicated. Risks taken.

Does true love promise there will never be problems? No! Love brings the grandest joy, the deepest sense of belonging, the most exquisite pain.

Romance is loving all through the drudgery, the sorrow, the flat humdrum, and the disappointment, because ultimately, the relationship is worth saving.

Romance is a husband driving all the way across town to give his wife a hug when she's having a terrible day, or taking her to her favorite chick flick. It's a wife cuddling up to her husband and trying to look interested in his favorite sports team on TV, or working side by side with him in the yard.

Love is when a man and woman would rather be together than with anyone else. It's living in the moment. It's creating memories to cherish for years to come.

As a romance novelist, I challenge couples in love in my quest to create a believable romantic novel. In my books, I create fantasy worlds based on real historical settings. My fantasy, Queen in Exile has a combination of Medieval England, ancient Rome, and Victorian England. My Regency romance novels, are, of course, set in Regency England. But that's just the setting. The stories have some adventure and some intrigue, but ultimately, are about people searching for acceptance and belonging, and most of all, love. The couples and their emotions are real to me.

I always strive to develop characters that are multi-dimensional, have a history, have flaws that make them human, and have strengths that set them apart from the crowd. The main characters aren't always the best looking, or the smartest or most powerful, but they have courage, honor and perseverance...and a deep need to give and receive love.

What’s your definition of romance? How do you show love? What's your most favorite way to have love expressed to you?

Leave a comment and you’ll be automatically entered to win the Romantic flowered heart pictured above. The flowers are real, freeze-dried pink roses (much lighter pink than is shown in the pic) set inside a plexi case and tied with ribbons. The drawing will be on the 17th, so be sure to check back to see if you are the winner!

Birthday Chocolate Drawing Winner

A very belated but excited congratulations to Carolyn for being the winner of my chocolate drawing, courtesy of random.org. Carolyn, as you requested, I'll be sending you out a bag of milk chocolate Lindor Lindt chocolate truffles. Yum!  I may get one for myself, too :-)

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by and left a comment. I read every post. Some made me smile, and a few made me wince. Here's to many happy birthdays to come for us all!

Happy Birthday to me

Today is my birthday. I'm 29. Again. Do you believe it?
:-)

I've been trying to think of a memorable birthday, but only a few really stick out in my mind. One was when I turned 13. I had my first ever boy and girl party...mostly because I had a huge crush on this really great guy named Brad and I wanted him to come to my party. I still smile when I think of him. I guess the fist big crush never really goes away.

To be fair, and to hide the reason I decided to include boys in my party, I invited my entire Sunday School class, plus some kids from school. To my surprise, almost everyone I invited came to my party. We had a blast! We played lots of fun group games and everyone was a great sport. A few of the guys I sorta though were jerks in church even behaved themselves at the party and made it fun for everyone.

For my birthday cake, we had angel food cake, and a do-it-yourself strawberries and whipped cream bar where everyone could add as much of that as they wanted to their cake slice. Can you say sugar rush? It was heavenly!

Anyway, since then, I've decided that I'm not really into parties. I no longer enjoy being the center of attention--maybe I never really did but thought I was supposed to. I prefer quiet evenings at home with my family or going out and doing something special but not with the whole restaurant looking at me while the waiters all sing and clap *shudder*.

This year for my birthday, I get a quiet dinner with my husband, my children, and my daughter-in-law (my son is in Tech school for the Air Force).  We always get to pick our favorite food for dinner and everyone says at least one thing they love the most about the birthday person.  Ahhh, my kind of party. Then, this Saturday, my husband is taking me to the Renaissance Festival--just the two of us. I've been wanting to do that for years. I hope I find a medieval costume by then (I need one for a book signing I'm doing at the Renaissance Festival next month anyway.) Or maybe I'll just wear my Maid Marion Costume I wear every year for Halloween.

Since I'm not having a big party with friends, I still want to have a celebration with my friends. So,  I'm giving away chocolate :-) Please leave a comment telling me about a memorable birthday you have--good or bad. (Telling me that I'm wonderful, or at least that my books are, would be nice, but not necessary.)

Please remember to leave your email address in the comment so I can notify you if you win. If you don't, I'll have to track you down, and tracking down people makes me cranky.  So don't make me cranky on my birthday.


The winner will receive a bag of Lindor's Lindt chocolate truffles. When you leave a comment, you can specify dark, milk, white, or mixed.

(Sorry, due to legal entanglements I'm told are on the rise, I can only keep this open to US residents. But you can still feel free to tell me about a birthday memory even if you live outside the US.)

Winners will be chosen Friday, Feb 10.

Happy Birthday to me. And Happy Un-birthday to you ;-)


Legal stuff:
No purchase necessary.
Giveaway open to US residents only.
Winners will be chosen randomly.
Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received.

Void where prohibited by law.

ANWA Writers Conference--space available

Time Out for Writers

20^th Annual ANWA Writers Conference for  

Men and Women

February 23-25. 2012

Mesa, Arizona

                                                                                      

To register go to: http://anwa-lds.com/2012conference.html

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NEW  "SUPER SATURDAY DEAL" on Saturday February 25th, 2012

ANWA Members $75, General Admission $85 (Lunch included)

Many of you work and can't take Friday off for conference.

Here's the solution:

Take advantage of the jam-packed Saturday conference day loaded with great writing classes!

(More info in green below.)

American Night Writers Association is proud to sponsor its 20th Annual Writers Conference for Women and Men:  Time Out for Writers,  February 23 -25, 2012 at the Mesa Hilton Hotel in Arizona.  Discounted hotel rooms are limited so you will want to register ASAP.  The conference is open for all writers, men and women - wanna-be-writers, young to old, and beginning to published authors, teachers and students of writing, fiction and non-fiction. The conference is open to the General Public.


The top notch faculty will include literary agents accepting pitches for new projects, well known authors and writers, including; Jane Dystel, Anita Mumm, Linda Mulleneaux, Janette Rallison, Conrad Storad, Larry Brooks, Brent Whiting, Deirdra Coppell, Sara Fujimura, Joshua Perkey, Donna Hatch (that's me;-), Joyce DiPastena, Linda Radke, Matt Peterson, Peggy Shumway, Sandra Hendrickson, Serena Freewomyn, Wendy Peterson. (Read about faculty on the conference website www.anwa-lds.com/2012conference.html.  Class information is also available on the website.)

The Keynote speaker is, Lisa Mangum, Assistant Editor at Deseret Book/Shadow Mountain.  Her address, "Reach for Your Dream - It's Closer Than You Think," will motivate and inspire you, as Mangum takes you on her journey as an author and editor and explains how YOUR dream (whatever it is) is truly closer than you think.

This is an incredible opportunity to take time out of your busy life to spend two and a half days investing in yourself and learning your craft.

Register for the FULL 2012 ANWA Writers Conference AND book a Mesa Hilton Hotel room and you will enjoy:
·         FREE, Thursday night workshops on Query Letters and Pitches and Critique Camp
·         A  variety of Friday and Saturday Classes available for all writing levels
·         Panel on Friday with agents and editors
·         Meet & Greet on Friday night with agents, publishers, and authors along with bookstore owners and managers scheduling book events for their stores for all you published or soon to be published authors at the conference.
·         Lunch on Friday and Saturday
·         Breakfast on Friday and Saturday (Complimentary breakfast vouchers for first two guest in shared room, guest three and four pay $10 each for a breakfast voucher)
·         Free Wi-Fi
·         All Hilton Hotel Amenities
·         “Story Time" during Friday's lunch, attendees will have the unique opportunity to listen to authors reading, selling  and singing their book(s)
·         Golden opportunity to enter the BOB Contest –Beginning of Book—1^st 500 words of your manuscript

The 2012 ANWA Writers Conference is available at an affordable rate.

Full 2-day Conference:

General Admission $175    ANWA members $155

Those attending the full Conference AND staying at the Hilton receive FREE Thursday night Critique Camp and Query & Pitch Workshops.

Add-ons:

Thursday Evening Critique Camp & Query/Pitch Workshop    General Admission $35, ANWA $25

(This is FREE if attending both days and staying in the hotel)

Pitch Session with an agent/editor/publisher: $20 (Space is limited) See website for more info

BOB, Beginning of Book Contest $10 Deadline, Midnight, January 31, 2012.

To register go to: http://anwa-lds.com/2012conference.html

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Super Saturday Deal

Saturday February 25th, 2012

ANWA Members $75, General Admission $85 (Lunch included)

Add-ons:

Thursday Evening Critique Camp & Query/Pitch Workshop $35 General Admission, $25 ANWA Members

Friday Evening Panel Discussion and Meet & Greet  $10.

Saturday Pitch Session with an agent/editor/publisher: $20 (Space is limited)

BOB, Beginning of Book Contest $10 (Entrance deadline extended to January 31, 2012)

Mesa Hilton Hotel has reserved a block of rooms for ANWA Conference attendees at a special discounted rate of $99 + tax.  Act now. When the block is sold out, the special price will no longer be valid.

Discounted Rooms onsite at the Hilton Hotel in Mesa Arizona, call: 1-800-544-5866                  

Discount Code:  ANW  

Questions about the Conference, contact ANWA Event Co-Chairs,

Cindy and Patti anwa-events@anwa-lds.com

Chocolate and Romance--the Best Combination!!!

Tonight I will be signing books at the Glendale Chocolate Affaire from 6 to 10 p.m. I hope it won't be as cold as it was last year! If you're in town, stop by and say hello and get a chance to win a $10 borders gift card.

Join the fun at the Glendale Chocolate Affaire - February 3-5, 2012

 

This weekend, starting tonight, Feb. 3-5, is a delicious delight for the senses as the Glendale Chocolate Affaire takes over downtown Glendale to create a chocolate-lover’s dream!

• Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, 5 - 10 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, Noon - 5 p.m.
• Watch Video
  

Chocolate purveyors from Arizona and around the nation gather in Glendale for this award-winning festival, which celebrates not only chocolate, but romance and the arts as well. Chocolate confections will include items such as chocolate-covered bacon, chocolate-covered churros, chocolate-covered twinkies, chocolate-covered key lime pie, fried ice cream with chocolate and strawberries, chocolate-covered crepes and much more.

The Chocolate Affaire is sponsored by Arizona’s famous candy makers, Cerreta’s. The candy factory will offer tours all weekend, so visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at how the chocolatiers create everyone’s favorite candy.

In addition, the festival has become the largest gathering of national romance novelists in the Southwest. This symposium of literary romantics offers fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with authors, as well as the chance to attend free writing workshops given by the experts. I will be there Friday night from 6 to 10 and Saturday from 10 to 6. Stop by and say hello and meet some of my writing friends.

Families with children will enjoy myriad activities, including hands-on arts and crafts, face-painting and a rock-climbing wall. Horse-drawn carriage rides will be available throughout the weekend to take couples or families on a scenic, charming ride through the historic Catlin Court district. 

Event hours are Friday 5 - 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. The event is located in the heart of Historic Downtown Glendale, in Murphy Park, located at 58th and Glendale avenues.

The Glendale Chocolate Affaire festival was named one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and the American Bus Association. The event also was bestowed with the 2003 Governor’s Tourism Award for the Best Special Event in Arizona.

The Glendale Chocolate Affaire is sponsored by Cerreta’s Candy Company, ABC 15, The Arizona Republic, Valley Buick-GMC Dealers, YooHoo, KMLE, KOOL and JAMZ.