Hi, everybody:
Here are the winners of the May contest on The Best is Yet to Read blog. Next to your name is the name of the writer who is going to send you a prize:
Sue A. - Peggy Webb
Shilo - Kate Austin
Stacy S. - Nancy Robards Thompson
tam - Jennifer Greene
Virginia - Hank Phillippi Ryan
Maura - Donna Birdsell
Can each of you send me an email at kate@kateaustin.ca with your full name and address which I'll pass along and then you'll get a lovely prize in the mail.
Don't forget that this is a monthly contest, so starting June 1 you're going to want to check out the blog and keep posting for more great prizes. Next month's prizes will be posted June 1 or June 2, but you can post before then - just don't do it before June 1.
Good luck and congratulations!
Kate
Thursday, May 31, 2007
What's NEXT in June?
What's NEXT in June are two great books, one by Hank Phillippi Ryan (brand new to NEXT) and one by Donna Birdsell, who you already know.
PRIME TIME - Hank Phillippi Ryan
Could an innocent e-mail offer really result in murder, mayhem and a multimillion-dollar fraud ring? The last person to ask is dead - but that won't keep Charlotte McNally from poking around. Face it: in the cutthroat world of television journalism, this seasoned reporter knows that she'd better pull out all the stops or kiss her cushy job (and that means her life) goodbye.
But all too soon her investigation leads her straight to Josh Gelston, who is a little too a lot too handsome. Could she trust a word he said? Charlie might have a nose for news, but men are a whole other story. Which means she is putting her job, life and heart on the line....
MADAM OF THE HOUSE - Donna Birdsell
It was a great idea — why not bring lonely hearts together and make money? Real estate agent Cecilia Katz's brilliant brainstorm gave a whole new meaning to an open house. Especially with her hunky new assistant hiring the hot young studs to mingle with bored housewives. Who dreamed a game of Truth or Dare would lead to a flourishing business for the nearly broke single mother?
Until a stash of drugs is found and the cops start nosing around. Add in a lethally gorgeous real estate rival, and a risky business just got a whole lot riskier. But Cecilia's up for the challenge. And with the help of Jake the babe- magnet, watch her transform a life that's boring and sexless to one that's hot and reckless!
But all too soon her investigation leads her straight to Josh Gelston, who is a little too a lot too handsome. Could she trust a word he said? Charlie might have a nose for news, but men are a whole other story. Which means she is putting her job, life and heart on the line....
MADAM OF THE HOUSE - Donna Birdsell
It was a great idea — why not bring lonely hearts together and make money? Real estate agent Cecilia Katz's brilliant brainstorm gave a whole new meaning to an open house. Especially with her hunky new assistant hiring the hot young studs to mingle with bored housewives. Who dreamed a game of Truth or Dare would lead to a flourishing business for the nearly broke single mother?
Until a stash of drugs is found and the cops start nosing around. Add in a lethally gorgeous real estate rival, and a risky business just got a whole lot riskier. But Cecilia's up for the challenge. And with the help of Jake the babe- magnet, watch her transform a life that's boring and sexless to one that's hot and reckless!
Enjoy!
Kate
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
My Perfect Day? Hmmm...
Okay, first off, my perfect day has to be a lot more than 24 hours. (Hey, I'm a fiction writer--I can play with time, right?)
If I had more than 24 hours, I could both loll in bed late with my husband and also get up early and get e-mailing and that sort of stuff out of the way before the day started. I could have pancakes covered with sauteed blueberries because I'd not only have plenty of time to prepare them, but time to exercise the calories off after I ate them. (Cool, huh?) Maybe I would even sit with a cup of coffee and read the paper.
I would write twenty pages. . .before lunch. That way I'd be free for the rest of the day. I'd spend an hour using the webcam to visit with my granddaughter and watch her gurgle and coo and have a bottle.
Oh--This is Lela:
Then I'd take off in my convertible because my perfect day would be 74 degrees and sunny, and I'd find a craft fair to stroll through. Then I'd go real shopping and all the size 8s I tried on would not only fit, but flatter!
While I was shopping, my daughter would call and tell me what a terrific day she's having. I'd conference in her dad and she'd tell us all about how they are filming the episode she wrote for South of Nowhere.
Call waiting would interrupt us and I'd receive a call from my agent that publishers all over NY were fighting for my next series.
I'd meet my husband at the wonderful cafe up the lake where we'd have wine and dinner outside--bug free.
We'd leave his car there, to pick up on a less than perfect day, and drive home together under the stars in my convertible.
We'd be cold from the drive, so we'd hop in the hot tub and then hurry up to bed (here's where I close the door on the details. . .).
You know, yesterday was actually just like that.
Except for the breakfast. And the exercise. And the shopping. And the call from my agent. And the sitting with coffee and reading the paper. . .
But I did have a visit with my granddaughter, hear from my daughter about her great day on the set, go in the hot tub. . .
And you know what?
That's perfect enough!
Hope something is just perfect for you today!
Love,
Stevi
If I had more than 24 hours, I could both loll in bed late with my husband and also get up early and get e-mailing and that sort of stuff out of the way before the day started. I could have pancakes covered with sauteed blueberries because I'd not only have plenty of time to prepare them, but time to exercise the calories off after I ate them. (Cool, huh?) Maybe I would even sit with a cup of coffee and read the paper.
I would write twenty pages. . .before lunch. That way I'd be free for the rest of the day. I'd spend an hour using the webcam to visit with my granddaughter and watch her gurgle and coo and have a bottle.
Oh--This is Lela:
Then I'd take off in my convertible because my perfect day would be 74 degrees and sunny, and I'd find a craft fair to stroll through. Then I'd go real shopping and all the size 8s I tried on would not only fit, but flatter!
While I was shopping, my daughter would call and tell me what a terrific day she's having. I'd conference in her dad and she'd tell us all about how they are filming the episode she wrote for South of Nowhere.
Call waiting would interrupt us and I'd receive a call from my agent that publishers all over NY were fighting for my next series.
I'd meet my husband at the wonderful cafe up the lake where we'd have wine and dinner outside--bug free.
We'd leave his car there, to pick up on a less than perfect day, and drive home together under the stars in my convertible.
We'd be cold from the drive, so we'd hop in the hot tub and then hurry up to bed (here's where I close the door on the details. . .).
You know, yesterday was actually just like that.
Except for the breakfast. And the exercise. And the shopping. And the call from my agent. And the sitting with coffee and reading the paper. . .
But I did have a visit with my granddaughter, hear from my daughter about her great day on the set, go in the hot tub. . .
And you know what?
That's perfect enough!
Hope something is just perfect for you today!
Love,
Stevi
Friday, May 25, 2007
My Perfect Day(s)
My perfect day?
That's easy. It was only yesterday. My birthday. And a great one it was, too.
I think I talked with everyone I love, which was awesome. Those little "gifts" of conversation went on and on, one here, one there, from morning until night. I even had a nice long chat with my one-and-only-brother who lives in Ohio. We don't get the chance to catch up all that often these days, and it was so good to hear his voice.
The weather cooperated yesterday with a gorgeous late-May day of clear blue skies, low humidity (a minor miracle in Tennessee), a mid-80s temperature, and a balmy breeze.
Isn't it wonderful to be able to wear summer clothes again, not all those heavy winter things?
I admit, I didn't work yesterday. Oh, I kicked a few ideas around for the next chapter in my new book, jotted a couple of lines of dialogue on a notepad, but I never booted up the computer to actually write. I gave myself permission to take the day off.
And sat in the sun.
Later, my husband took me to dinner at one of our favorite places, the Back Inn Cafe, here in Chattanooga where I was given (surprise) a free dessert (yummy Italian cream cake) to celebrate. The salmon I ordered for dinner was tasty too, but that cake definitely topped off the evening! Good thing it didn't have candles, though. Wouldn't want to light up the entire restaurant--and besides, at this point in life who's counting?
I think I'll pick a permanent age and stick to it from now on.
Perfect.
What did I get for this birthday? My husband presented me with the Rosetta Stone Spanish lessons I've wanted. Apparently, my few broad hints did the trick. So the next time we go to Cabo San Lucas, probably in December, I'll be fluent. I hope.
We were there in early May with our son Hal and his girlfriend Kim, but none of us had a good grasp of Spanish then. We did, however, have a marvelous time. It's hard not to in such a beautiful place among such friendly people. With family. Great company.
In Mexico, even on vacation I did do some writing. The timing was excellent. I was at the point in my new book where the heroine Tess and her ex-husband Grady unexpectedly spend a week together in --guess where?--Cabo. This changes their post-divorce relationship to the max. So imagine me on the deck of the condo on another gorgeous morning, gazing out at an expanse of the Sea of Cortez that stretches endlessly from the beach below the building to the horizon. Laptop on my, well, lap. And the words flowing from my fingertips. It was easy to get the details of setting right when I was sitting in the same spot, more or less, as my characters did. I hope they had as good a time as I did. I am a lucky woman.
I've digressed here, I know. One perfect day into another.
But something does tie these two times together--and that's people.
The people I love, real or even imaginary, are the most important aspect of any day for me.
Absolutely perfect.
Thanks, you guys, for being the very best part of my life.
That's easy. It was only yesterday. My birthday. And a great one it was, too.
I think I talked with everyone I love, which was awesome. Those little "gifts" of conversation went on and on, one here, one there, from morning until night. I even had a nice long chat with my one-and-only-brother who lives in Ohio. We don't get the chance to catch up all that often these days, and it was so good to hear his voice.
The weather cooperated yesterday with a gorgeous late-May day of clear blue skies, low humidity (a minor miracle in Tennessee), a mid-80s temperature, and a balmy breeze.
Isn't it wonderful to be able to wear summer clothes again, not all those heavy winter things?
I admit, I didn't work yesterday. Oh, I kicked a few ideas around for the next chapter in my new book, jotted a couple of lines of dialogue on a notepad, but I never booted up the computer to actually write. I gave myself permission to take the day off.
And sat in the sun.
Later, my husband took me to dinner at one of our favorite places, the Back Inn Cafe, here in Chattanooga where I was given (surprise) a free dessert (yummy Italian cream cake) to celebrate. The salmon I ordered for dinner was tasty too, but that cake definitely topped off the evening! Good thing it didn't have candles, though. Wouldn't want to light up the entire restaurant--and besides, at this point in life who's counting?
I think I'll pick a permanent age and stick to it from now on.
Perfect.
What did I get for this birthday? My husband presented me with the Rosetta Stone Spanish lessons I've wanted. Apparently, my few broad hints did the trick. So the next time we go to Cabo San Lucas, probably in December, I'll be fluent. I hope.
We were there in early May with our son Hal and his girlfriend Kim, but none of us had a good grasp of Spanish then. We did, however, have a marvelous time. It's hard not to in such a beautiful place among such friendly people. With family. Great company.
In Mexico, even on vacation I did do some writing. The timing was excellent. I was at the point in my new book where the heroine Tess and her ex-husband Grady unexpectedly spend a week together in --guess where?--Cabo. This changes their post-divorce relationship to the max. So imagine me on the deck of the condo on another gorgeous morning, gazing out at an expanse of the Sea of Cortez that stretches endlessly from the beach below the building to the horizon. Laptop on my, well, lap. And the words flowing from my fingertips. It was easy to get the details of setting right when I was sitting in the same spot, more or less, as my characters did. I hope they had as good a time as I did. I am a lucky woman.
I've digressed here, I know. One perfect day into another.
But something does tie these two times together--and that's people.
The people I love, real or even imaginary, are the most important aspect of any day for me.
Absolutely perfect.
Thanks, you guys, for being the very best part of my life.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
my perfect day
Okay, are we talking "Perfect Day" like in my fantasies? Like spending the morning with George Clooney, the afternoon with Johnny Depp, and the evening with...my husband? Like eating chocolate croissants for breakfast, s'mores for lunch, and chocolate souffle for dinner?
How about a day where I'd see the sunrise without having to get up early, write ten perfect pages without effort, play with my kids without having to worry about the housework, and then go out to a five-star restaurant for dinner without worrying about calories (or the bill)?
No? You want reality?
Well, then. I'll tell you about some perfect moments I've had, and if I put them all together, I'd have the perfect day...
Sunrise on the morning I gave birth to my first child. I was holding her in my arms as I watched it through the hospital window.
Breakfast on the first mother's day my children were old enough to serve me breakfast in bed. Burnt toast, two strawberries (each with a bite taken out of them), and a mug of lukewarm tea.
The morning I walked into a bookstore and saw my first book on the shelves, for the very first time. I cried.
A picnic lunch in the backyard on a perfect spring day, sitting beneath a blooming spice bush. The sunlight shone in my daughter's hair, and she was looking at me like I was the best thing on Earth.
A summer afternoon writing on the back porch, listening to the sounds of birds and lawnmowers and children laughing.
The dinner when my husband proposed to me.
Prom night in tenth grade, when I was all dressed up and the music was playing, and my friends were all there, and I finally believed my mother when she said it would never get any better than that.
Watching the town fireworks with my husband and kids, leaning back on a blanket, the grass tickling my ankles as colors exploded above our heads.
If I could put all of those things together, that would be my perfect day. Although an afternoon with Johnny Depp wouldn't suck.
Donna Birdsell
How about a day where I'd see the sunrise without having to get up early, write ten perfect pages without effort, play with my kids without having to worry about the housework, and then go out to a five-star restaurant for dinner without worrying about calories (or the bill)?
No? You want reality?
Well, then. I'll tell you about some perfect moments I've had, and if I put them all together, I'd have the perfect day...
Sunrise on the morning I gave birth to my first child. I was holding her in my arms as I watched it through the hospital window.
Breakfast on the first mother's day my children were old enough to serve me breakfast in bed. Burnt toast, two strawberries (each with a bite taken out of them), and a mug of lukewarm tea.
The morning I walked into a bookstore and saw my first book on the shelves, for the very first time. I cried.
A picnic lunch in the backyard on a perfect spring day, sitting beneath a blooming spice bush. The sunlight shone in my daughter's hair, and she was looking at me like I was the best thing on Earth.
A summer afternoon writing on the back porch, listening to the sounds of birds and lawnmowers and children laughing.
The dinner when my husband proposed to me.
Prom night in tenth grade, when I was all dressed up and the music was playing, and my friends were all there, and I finally believed my mother when she said it would never get any better than that.
Watching the town fireworks with my husband and kids, leaning back on a blanket, the grass tickling my ankles as colors exploded above our heads.
If I could put all of those things together, that would be my perfect day. Although an afternoon with Johnny Depp wouldn't suck.
Donna Birdsell
Thursday, May 17, 2007
A perfect day
Hmmm, there are so many of them.
A spring day in Paris, sunny, warm enough to wear a sweater, my favorite walking shoes, and a companion who loves the city (and the art) as much as I do. Then a late lunch at a small cafe, wine and jambon sandwiches, then an afternoon nap. Then a walk along the Seine, a terrific dinner (mussels, maybe) and another walk back to the hotel.
Or a day like today. I started the day with a walk, then a little shopping, then breakfast by myself, then back home for a little work. This afternoon I'm off to the hairdresser (who's a great friend of mine) for cut and color, then meeting friends for dinner and a movie. Wine included, of course.
Or there's the day when the work is going perfectly, when everything I write feels fresh and clean and perfect. I love those days. And I can look out the window and see this view while I'm writing:
Or the days when I need a mini-vacation and I take the bus from Vancouver to the Victoria ferry and spend the hours on the ferry looking out at the water and if I'm lucky, I see a dolphin or a whale, but always see the ocean moving past, the islands, the boats. And then I spend the day in Victoria, gallery hopping, listening to buskers, going to museums, walking, walking, walking, having lunch and dinner wherever I want, and then I take the bus to the last ferry home. Coming back across the water in the dark and arriving home just in time for bed, feeling like I've been away for a week, rested, refreshed, energized.
Or the day when it's warm, but there's that soft rain, so soft you don't feel yourself getting wet. And I go for a long walk on the beach - and there's almost no one there. And the sky and the ocean merge into one and the mountains look like mist on the horizon. And the ocean is perfectly still and the only sounds are the seagulls mewing off in the distant. And the whole world smells like water.
And then there are those days - which don't happen as often as the others - when you meet a new friend and it's perfect from the moment you meet each other. You talk and laugh and learn about each other and everything you learn, everything you say, every time your eyes meet or your laughter drowns out the noises around you, you realize you've met someone that you'll know forever. And you'll always remember that first meeting. I have friends like that, male friends and female friends, and that first click of connection is like a miracle.
Or the day when I find a new writer and a book that I love and I spend the whole day with that book and that story and those characters. Those are some of my very favorite days.
And the day when you make your first sale (or your tenth!) - those are pretty good days as well.
But for me, the perfect days are the days that I can control. The days on the beach, meeting new friends, good working days - I can count on those days. I can plan for those days.
Perfect days for me happen often - it's an attitude more than anything, I think, at least it is for me. I wake up 99 days out of 100 knowing I'm going to have a good day. And I do. Because you know what? People respond when you smile at them, when you chat with them, and that reinforces the good day. Hard to have a bad day when people smile at you and chat with you and are nice to you.
Here's wishing you a perfect day.
Kate
Monday, May 14, 2007
Sorry I've been AWOL
Wow! So many responses to my blog about forgetting...and since I didn't answer any of them, you probably thought I forgot that, too!
I was out in Phoenix visiting my granddaughter again. Her daddy was away at a conference and I spent four days doing her night feedings as well as lots of her day feedings so that her mommy could get a few good nights of sleep and run some errands, etc. I got back last night and checked the blog and wowie!
So, to all of you who said they couldn't retain the books they read either, thanks for making me feel "normal!" And to those of you who can't part with your favorites, I've gotten lots of comments that my romance novels were "keepers" and nothing thrilled me more! I still have all my Lavyrle Spencer's.
My mom was a really avid romance reader and she had a fabric book cover that she'd keep whatever book she was reading in. She passed away before my first book was published, but I put a copy inside her cover and it sits on my shelf . . .
Anyway, thanks for all the comments! Keep 'em coming!
Stevi
I was out in Phoenix visiting my granddaughter again. Her daddy was away at a conference and I spent four days doing her night feedings as well as lots of her day feedings so that her mommy could get a few good nights of sleep and run some errands, etc. I got back last night and checked the blog and wowie!
So, to all of you who said they couldn't retain the books they read either, thanks for making me feel "normal!" And to those of you who can't part with your favorites, I've gotten lots of comments that my romance novels were "keepers" and nothing thrilled me more! I still have all my Lavyrle Spencer's.
My mom was a really avid romance reader and she had a fabric book cover that she'd keep whatever book she was reading in. She passed away before my first book was published, but I put a copy inside her cover and it sits on my shelf . . .
Anyway, thanks for all the comments! Keep 'em coming!
Stevi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
