Y'all, I'm Such a Nerd

I really am. I have confirmation from my students. (I'm also a nag, but that's another story . . .)

Anyway, I am a nerd. I love to read, I love to learn new stuff, I get excited about knowing things and I want to share. I'm guiltiest when it comes to stuff I'm learning with my grad degree, and my colleagues are too kind to tell me to shut up when I get going at the lunch table about some new strategy I'm learning. But I can hear the mental, "Oh, Lord, here she goes again."

So I'm showing my seniors a series of documentaries on the history of Britain. Some of it is really interesting (to me, at least -- to them, I'm not so sure). I'd mentioned to them this morning that we were skipping the section on conquests, as when the DH and I were previewing the films, he turned to me and said, "You can't show them this. They'd be out, fifteen minutes, tops."

One of them looked at me, horrified. "You made your husband watch this?!"

Well, yeah. He's a history nerd. He's in the living room now, tuned into the History Channel.

So yeah, I'm a nerd. I'm all excited about going to the charter school conference next week because I know I'll be learning new stuff and that means I'll have more stuff to torture people with at the lunch table.

But y'all will tell me if I become an obnoxious nerd, right?

I'm Here!

Long story, but our DSL has been down forever. It's finally fixed, although I can't say the same for the landline. I'm seriously thinking of just not having a landline, as we don't use it anyway.

Anyway, this is a quick drive-by, as I need to get dressed for school. I have cover art for Chris and pics of the house to show you, though.

Back soon. Missed y'all!

Fall Into Me, Available Today!

She’s finally falling for the right man…at the worst possible time.

Fall Into Me
A part of the Hearts of the South series.

After two back-to-back romantic disappointments, bar owner Angel Henderson isn’t looking for love. In the past month, she’s been passed over twice by men she’d pinned her hopes on, both times in favor of a younger woman. She’s ready to swear off men for life. The only problem? A certain younger man determined to prove he can be her right man.

Sheriff’s deputy Troy Lee Farr is tired of being the department screw-up. The harder he tries to prove himself, the worse it gets. The only thing that’s gone right recently is getting a second chance with Angel. Except she’d rather jam on the brakes than rush into a new relationship. Now he has to work hard to prove his worth as a romantic prospect.

Troy Lee is a patient man, and it isn’t long before Angel is falling into him as hard as he’s fallen for her. Just as Angel begins to think of him as more than a fun date, her past—and Troy Lee’s dangerous reality—threatens the tentative happiness they’ve found in one another.
Reminding them both that security is tenuous…and unconditional love is the biggest challenge of all.

Warning: Cops who talk like cops, explicit older woman-younger man lovin’, and two-boxes-of-tissues emotion.

***

Outside, the sultry promise of the sunny day had dipped into a damp chill and she was glad to have his warm presence at her back, blocking the slight breeze, while she locked the door.
Guitar case in hand, he strolled across the parking lot at her side to where his Jeep waited next to her Mustang. He tossed the case into the passenger seat and she eyed the Wrangler’s bikini top. “You’re going to freeze.”
He cast a quick glance at it. “Nah. It’ll be nice to cool off after being under the lights.”
She fiddled with her keys, turning them between her fingers. “Well, good night then. Thank you for walking me out.”
“You’re welcome.” His gaze lingered on her face. With a lazy movement, he rested a hand on the roof of her car, bringing his long body into her personal space and filling her with breathless intensity.
She should speak, should laugh, should do something. Instead, all she could do was stare into those lash-fringed baby blues and imagine all the wicked possibilities suddenly trembling between them.
He lifted his other hand and sifted the fingers through her hair at her temple, rubbing a couple of strands together. One corner of his mouth hitched up. “About that kissing thing.”
Oh, this was so not like her…hadn’t she always been a take-charge kind of girl? And here she was, her back pressed against the driver’s side door, keys clenched in one hand, watching those beautiful eyes draw closer as he took the initiative and leaned in.
She closed her eyes before his mouth touched hers. Oh please, don’t let it be any good. It would be so much easier to walk, to let him go if—
Warm lips, a hint of lime and Corona. Pliable flesh, a bit of pressure, a suggestion of persuasive seduction, her bottom lip sucked lightly between his. Breathless, giddy desire plunging through her, swirling in an achy spin lower in her belly, pulsing to life between her thighs.
He lifted his mouth, caressed the corner of hers, then sought her lips once more. She rested her hands against his chest, over his thudding heart, and offered her mouth up to him, allowing his tongue to tease her lips apart.
Oh, this was good, playful strokes, a light tangle of tongues and lips. He moved closer, hard thighs brushing but not pressing to her own, both hands braced now on the car roof, his body holding her prisoner and providing shelter all at the same time.

More info: http://www.samhainpublishing.com/authors/linda-winfree

Fall Into Me!

Releases TOMORROW!

http://www.samhainpublishing.com/coming/fall-into-me

Um...

I'm under deadline on revisions. Today. I'm still polishing transitions and layering. I've been working, I swear -- I even have photos of me at the computer at five 'til midnight on New Year's Eve (just too swamped to upload them here right now...later, I promise).

Today is Monster #1's b-day. He's FOURTEEN. How can my baby be fourteen?!

Trying to finish revisions before the tree guy comes. Last time, I had to go rescue him three times because the motor kept cutting out on his truck and he couldn't get down from up in the air. Hopefully today, he won't need rescuing.

Tree-guy-not-damsel-in-distress. Now there's a new trope for you.

Hope you're having a good day!

Where to Find Me Today

1) At my computer, revising madly.

2) In the laundry room, washing mounds of clothes

3) At Greta's blog (go comment -- you could win a book): http://idonotwanttowaitiwantthebooknow.wordpress.com/

4) At the Samhain blog: http://www.samhainpublishing.com/blog

Happy birthday to my brother Lionel!

The Best Review Line EVER

Fall Into Me is a Recommended Read over at Fallen Angel Reviews. Here is my favorite line from the review:

"To my delight Troy Lee proves to be a whole lot more than sweet. This guy could talk the panties off a nun without her noticing and poor Angel had no hope of escaping his seduction..."

I love it. Just love it.

You can read the entire review here: http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2008/December/RachelC-FallIntoMe.htm

Thanks to Rachel for making my New Year with a lovely review. Fall Into Me releases in ebook next Tuesday, January 6. You can find an excerpt HERE.

Elisabeth's Debut!

The lovely and talented Elisabeth Naughton has her debut release today.

Here's the cover and blurb for Stolen Fury:

Oh, is he handsome. And charming. And sexy as all get out. Dr. Lisa Maxwell isn’t the type to go home with a guy she barely knows. But, hey, this is Italy and the red-blooded Rafe Sullivan seems much more enticing than cataloging a bunch of dusty artifacts.

After being fully seduced, Lisa wakes to an empty bed and, worse yet, an empty safe. She’s staked her career as an archaeologist on collecting the three Furies, a priceless set of ancient Greek reliefs. Now the one she had is gone. But Lisa won’t just get mad. She’ll get even.

She tracks Rafe to Florida, and finds the sparks between them blaze hotter than the Miami sun. He may still have her relic, but he’ll never find all three without her. And they’re not the only ones on the hunt. To beat the other treasure seekers, they’ll have to partner up—because suddenly Lisa and Rafe are in a race just to stay alive.

Pop over to Elisabeth's blog, find out where she's blogging today and congratulate her!

Samhain Best of 2008 Survey

Family Photos -- The parental units. You will notice I look very much like my daddy. He looks like my Grandma W., I think.

According to editor Angela James, "At the request of a reader, Samhain has agreed to post the top ten bestseller list at the end of the year (probably the first couple weeks of January). In an effort to make it a fun promotion, we’d like to do a couple of other reader-driven “best of” lists. This is the readers’ chance to pick their favorites and get them on a top ten list."

Have a favorite Samhain title or cover? Go here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cx0Pt6VHI_2fJ4m5lSThk8Qg_3d_3d and fill out the quick, easy-peasy form.

Augh!

Family Portraits -- Me and the sibling units. I'm second from the left.

One word: revisions. They're killing me. The bad part? I haven't actually started them yet. I have my editor's notes and I'm thinking through what I have to do. I'm in that weird place where I know what needs to be added, but finding the place to put the added material without messing up the flow or breaking the tension is the hard part.

It's all Ash's fault anyway. He has to be all mature and settled and not-having-a-deep-conflict.

I will figure this out. I will.

Yet Another "Go Check It Out . . ."

And trust me -- when this book comes out, you want a copy!

Go Check Out . . .

Jambrea's debut!

Forever Guy
by Jambrea Jo Jones

Samantha has a crush on Jack. Now that he’s back in town, she needs to convince him he’s her forever guy.

Literally running into Jack yesterday at the bank had to be a sign of the fates shining on her. Her dreams of him still visited her on lonely nights; the fluttering started in her chest, and her heart jumped as his eyes flashed in recognition, a slow grin creeping across his face. To see and speak to him after so long brought back the memories of the last time he walked away from her. Jack had left her no air to breathe and had broken her heart, not once looking back to see the girl she had been crying for him to come back.
Picking up the pieces took time, but to his credit, she never told him how she felt before he joined the military. She needed to grow up, and as Jack left for the Marine Corps, she felt it too soon for her to express her feelings for him. She needed to make sure her emotions weren’t mere puppy love. Sam had no intention of making the same mistake twice. This time, she wouldn’t let him leave because they belonged together in the forever kind of way.
Sam shook off the memories and raced to get ready for her evening. Tonight, her dreams would come true.

Part of the One Touch One, Glance Anthology on sale December 9, 2208
http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19&products_id=149

Five Stars: FALL INTO ME

“Fall Into Me is a feast for the senses…drama, heartache, love, romance, passion and so much more…a five star masterpiece.” – Kimberly Spinney, ecataromance

http://sensual.ecataromance.com/index.php?p=1200

She’s finally falling for the right man…at the worst possible time.

Fall Into Me -- coming January 6
A part of the Hearts of the South series.

After two back-to-back romantic disappointments, bar owner Angel Henderson isn’t looking for love. In the past month, she’s been passed over twice by men she’d pinned her hopes on, both times in favor of a younger woman. She’s ready to swear off men for life. The only problem? A certain younger man determined to prove he can be her right man.
Sheriff’s deputy Troy Lee Farr is tired of being the department screw-up. The harder he tries to prove himself, the worse it gets. The only thing that’s gone right recently is getting a second chance with Angel. Except she’d rather jam on the brakes than rush into a new relationship. Now he has to work hard to prove his worth as a romantic prospect.
Troy Lee is a patient man, and it isn’t long before Angel is falling into him as hard as he’s fallen for her. Just as Angel begins to think of him as more than a fun date, her past—and Troy’s dangerous reality—threatens the tentative happiness they’ve found in one another.
Reminding them both that security is tenuous…and unconditional love is the biggest challenge of all.

Warning: Cops who talk like cops, explicit older woman-younger man lovin’, and two-boxes-of-tissues emotion.

For an excerpt, visit http://www.samhainpublishing.com/coming/fall-into-me

I'm Alive, I Promise!

Life (and house renovations and research papers and teaching and editing . . .) have hijacked me lately.

I won't leave you this lonely this long again (like you missed me. Heh.).

Hey, it's only a little more than a month until Fall Into Me releases. Contest details and maybe some free read info to come!

A New Release Date

For Fall Into Me. Now you'll be able to get your Troy Lee-fix three weeks earlier, on January 6 instead of January 27.

Details to come on pre-release contests, fun stuff, and a weekly free read.

The Central Song: Chris & Ruthie

Working on edits for Facing It and I end up looping the soundtrack while I work.

This is the central song for Chris & Ruthie:



The lyrics are so perfect for their relationship (snipping):

You could've bowed out gracefully
But you didn't
You knew enough to know
To leave well enough alone
But you wouldn't
I drive myself crazy
Tryin' to stay out of my own way
The messes that I make
But my secrets are so safe
The only one who gets me
Yeah, you get me
It's amazing to me

Icome around all broken down and
Crowded out
And you're comfort
Sometimes the place I go
Is so deep and dark and desperate

Sometimes I swear, I don't know if
I'm comin' or goin'
But you always say something
Without even knowin'
That I'm hangin' on to your words
With all of my might and it's alright
Yeah, I'm all right for one more night

Every day you save my life

Sunday Not-Check-In

I have no new words. I have many, many pages of Chris's book edited, but many, many more to go, too.

I also have nine more essays to grade tonight and there are still eight senior research papers sitting untouched here.

And . . . I think my habitual neglect of my oral health in favor of my children's (read: they go to the dentist on a regular basis; I don't because even with insurance I can only afford so much $$$ to go into Dr. W's pocket) is about to bite me (no pun intended). Why can't this stuff happen at a convenient time?!

The Hard Stuff

Remember Mork and Mindy, how when they finally had a child, he was in his fifties or so? I think the idea was he would actually get younger as he got older.

Let me explain why it doesn't really work that way: because as difficult as taking care of a baby or toddler can be, as sleep-deprived or patience-tested you get, it's nothing to the challenges involved in the tween and teen years.

Monster #1 has been on a teen tear this week, which I'm not going to share here. But I will tell you about Monster #2's heartbreak.

Both Monsters are involved in 4-H, and this year was #2's first foray into DPA (District Project Achievement). At the county level, he won first place in his area, which meant he got to present his project and compete at the district level, which was today. He's worked incredibly hard to prepare and was very excited about competing. His visual aids were good, his speech was good, he was prepared, his confidence was up. He did well in competition.

His competitors did well also. I told the DH as we were leaving for lunch, before the awards ceremony, that I wasn't sure if he'd place. We'd talked to him about it over the past few days, and I thought we were good.

Well . . .

He didn't place, and we weren't good. The kids were seated on the gym floor and the adults were in the stands. Once it hit him that he didn't place, my baby, my heart, was sitting with his head bowed and even from a distance, I could tell he was crying quietly.

In my writing career, I've been rejected more times than I really want to count (it's over a hundred, okay?). I've had harsh rejections and harsher reviews. In my teaching career, I've had parents bash me, students make some really harsh comments about my teaching while I was teaching, and suffered through one really wickedly bad job interview. I can handle getting knocked down. I simply get back up.

Watching my Monster struggle with getting knocked down when he'd worked hard, tried his best and (in his head) failed? I'd take a hundred more rejections to spare him that. At the same time, while I was watching him (and tearing up as well because I couldn't do anything to comfort him), I knew what I was seeing was one of those darned hated-yet-valuable life lessons: sometimes we try our best and don't make the cut. Then we have a choice: keep trying or give up. Monster #2's already making plans for next year, so he just might be his mama's son. I realize, too, that this is the first of several knock-downs I'll have to watch him experience as he grows older. I'm glad to see he can pick himself up and dust himself off and get back in the game*.

One bright spot: After I wiped my own eyes, I looked down to find Monster #1, who was serving his first day as a teen leader with our county 4-H group, kneeling beside his brother, arm around his shoulder and offering support and comfort. So even the sometimes-so-moody-I-want-to-kill-him Monster has potential.

I think I'll keep them, even if we are embarking on some of the really hard stuff.

A Tidbit

The diner wasn’t difficult to find and wasn’t far from the department, either. Within walking distance. Frowning, Madeline parked in the alley beside the historic brick building. Why hadn’t Calvert sent her on foot?
She found the answer inside as the bubbly fresh-out-of-high-school cashier loaded take-out plate after take-out plate in two large cardboard boxes. An unwilling spurt of humor tugged at Madeline’s lips. At least Calvert hadn’t been a big enough ass to send her after this on foot.
Or maybe it simply hadn’t occurred to him.
She juggled one of the awkward boxes into her arms and glared at the second. “I’ll be back for that one.”
Trying to keep her hands from slipping off, she shoved the door open with one hip and stepped onto the sidewalk. The damn carton was heavier than it looked, and it was further to the car than she’d like. Plus, she’d locked the unit. Her keys were in her pocket; she’d have to set the box down to dig them out.
“Hey, let me help you with that.” A smooth drawl filled her ears seconds before strong hands lifted the box easily from her precarious hold.
“Thanks.” She rubbed her tingling palms down her hips before tugging the keys from her pocket. She looked up at her rescuer. He was tall, his body tight with the muscles that came from good old-fashioned hard work, the box balanced easily on one hip. Sunlight glinted off sandy-blond hair, lightened here and there by long hours outside. A denim jacket covered an untucked T-shirt worn over faded blue jeans, a hole worn in one pocket, and scuffed work boots.
Standard farmer attire.
Too bad she’d sworn off farmboys long ago. This one was cute, with a great smile and the prettiest pale green eyes she’d ever seen, glowing in a tanned face, thin lines spreading out beneath long lashes.
He was checking her out, too, his sea-colored gaze roaming from her hair, to her face, over her body and back up to her eyes. He grinned, white teeth flashing against his golden skin. “You’re new here.”
New? Madeline swallowed a laugh. If he only knew. She wasn’t going to explain her convoluted past to a man she’d probably never see again, though. She pointed toward the police car. “I’m parked over here.”
He settled the box on the stainless steel back seat and straightened. “Is that all?”
She wavered for a half second. “Actually, there’s one more, if you don’t mind…”
“I don’t.” The great smile lit his face again. “Or I wouldn’t have asked.” He tucked his hands in his pockets as they walked back to the diner. “Good thing I decided to call in a lunch order today, huh?”
She reached for the door and held it. “What do you mean?”
“Might have missed meeting you.”
A laugh bubbled in her throat, and she smothered it. The last thing she wanted was a man in her life, and if she was in the market for one, it would be the kind she’d always dated: smooth, polished, interested in sex and no strings.
Not the farmer-type she’d grown up with.
Not even one with a killer body and drop-dead eyes.
He hefted the second box with the same ease and economy of movement. Outside at the car, he tilted his chin toward it. “So you’re with the sheriff’s department.”
“Temporarily.”
He tucked his thumbs in his back pockets, the line of his body relaxed. “Maybe I’ll see you around then.”
Not likely, but she smiled anyway. “Maybe.”
He nodded. “You have a good day, now.”Slipping behind the wheel, she watched him amble toward the diner. My, my, he had a nice ass, and the old jeans highlighted it to perfection. Shaking off the purely feminine musings, she shifted into gear and drove back to the station. Any pleasant feelings engendered by the interlude with the good-looking farmer sputtered out as soon as she returned to the sheriff’s department.

Sshh!

I have a secret.