To All the Heroes, I Salute You

I recently read a Facebook post by a man who had returned to the Napa fire area to rescue his horses. His American flag flew in front of his house and it hurt him to have to leave it, but he had no time to try and save it. Two fire crews were already in his yard, ready to try and save his house and he had to leave. When he returned, his house still stood, but his flag no longer flew. When he went inside, he found his flag, slightly charred and covered in soot, draped over the back of his couch. He was so touched that the firefighters had taken the time to take the flag down and save it.

That brought these thoughts to mind...

To the brave men and women who leave their parents, wives, husbands, children to defend our country against terrorism, against enemies who would seek to destroy us, I salute you. You endure hardships most of us cannot even imagine and risk--and sometimes give--your lives, often without thanks. You work for less than most fast-food workers, you endure extreme temperatures, you sleep in a hole in the ground because you love our country and respect our flag. You are deserving of the highest honor this world can give. I pray for your safety every day and pray you will return home to your family safe and sound.

To the brave men and women who fight the good fight at home, whether it's fighting fires or standing between us and the criminals on the street, I salute you. Your service, also, is often without thanks, and sometimes you face derision from the very people you are charged to protect. Your pay might be a little more than what our soldiers receive, but not by much. It is not nearly enough for what you do for us. I also pray for your safety every day and pray you will return home to your family safe and sound.

To our President and Vice-President, our First and Second ladies, I salute you. You have taken on the most thankless job of all. Not only are you derided by the vicious left, but you have to fight a daily battle with a media owned by some of the evilest men our country (and in some cases foreign countries) have produced. They have an agenda to destroy this country in order to bring in their New World order and they don't care how many lies they have to tell to do that. But please know that you have many, many people who stand with you, who don't believe the lies, and who pray every day for God to grant you wisdom and safety.

To the NFL leaders, coaches, and players--for you, I take a knee. You do nothing for this country. You make millions of dollars every year and burn through it with drugs, fancy cars, mansions, and women. Oh, you might break a leg or get a concussion, but it's all in fun, right? You make those millions doing nothing more than throwing or chasing a ball. And then you have the audacity to kneel there and say you are oppressed! How about getting off your high horse and putting those millions to use righting the wrongs you supposedly see? But no, the NFL takes in billions and then gets the taxpayers to pay for the stadiums. You pay no taxes because somehow you got non-profit status. That is a disgrace. I hope President Trump takes your tax-exempt status away from you so you can feel the pinch like the rest of us. I hope the citizens stop paying for your stadiums. Even better, I hope they show their displeasure with your "protests" by using their remotes to change the channel, by no longer buying tickets or merchandise until you grow up and start using your position and money for good, in a way that benefits this country rather than just yourselves.

I am proud of my country, despite those who vilify everything good about it. My country is more than a political party or a political agenda. My country is our soldiers, our police and firefighters, the farmers in the heartland, the small business owners trying to survive against the giants like Amazon and Walmart, the mothers and fathers doing their best to raise their children in a scary world and keep the bills paid and food on the table. To all of you who are trying to be the best you can be against incredible opposition, I salute you.

When You Can't Write, Paint!

The thyroid issues have really messed with my head. I no longer get those lines of dialogue, story ideas, or unfolding scenes as I lay down at night. I can't seem to string the words together to make a coherent sentence these days. So to fill in the time until I can get my body and brain straightened out, I've been painting and decoupaging furniture. And hey, it helps buy the groceries when I sell something. Here are a few of the things I've done so far.

I thought I did this post a couple of days ago. In fact, I know I did. I have no idea what happened to that post.

Anyway, I'm taking part in a new contest. This time it's contemporary western romance authors teaming up to lasso you a chance to win 55+ books and a Kindle Fire. Runner up wins the books.

Here's the official ad: Today, I have a fun surprise that I’d like to share with you. To celebrate the fall, I’ve teamed up with more than 55 fantastic contemporary cowboy romance authors to give away a huge collection of novels, PLUS a Kindle Fire to one lucky winner!You can win my novel Carter Country: Cade, plus books from authors like Patricia McLinn and Loralei James. Enter the giveaway by clicking here: bit.ly/cowboy-rom Good luck, and enjoy!

$3,000 Big Romance Author Spring Giveaway

Attention all awesome people! This month is a cool time to be a reader. 101 of your favorite authors contributed to one massive giveaway! Giveaway rules are listed on the rafflecopter. International peeps can play! Got any questions? Feel free to ask. There are 100 ways to enter for a maximum possible 500+ entries per person. The giveaway lasts the entire month of April, so come back every day and hammer away at a few more entries until you're all done! ONE PERSON WILL WIN $3,000 USD! That's the biggest giveaway I've seen recently! Tell your buds! Don't miss out. You'll kick yourself if you miss this one.

a Rafflecopter giveaway   Terms & conditions are listed on the rafflecopter. Read it for full details. The winner will be chosen on May 1, 2016 and contacted via the email address they used to enter. CHECK YOUR EMAIL! The winner's name will also be posted on the rafflecopter widget above. Participating Romance Authors: 101 different authors came together to make this giveaway possible. If you've been looking for a new book boyfriend, or you're literally famished between your fave author's releases, check out some of my peeps! They write in various hot romance genres including contemporary romance, new adult romance, erotic romance, steamy romance, urban fantasy romance, dystopian romance, historical romance, futuristic/ sci-fi/ fantasy romance, Teen/ YA romance, inspirational romance and time travel romance!

 H.M. Ward
Kim Golden
Drew Jordan
Christi Caldwell
Scarlett Metal
Chris Almeida &
Cecilia Aubrey
Heidi McLaughlin
Jenny Gardiner
Stacey Joy Netzel
Merry Farmer
Mallory Crowe
Julia Kent
Jean Oram
Vella Day
Meli Raine
Sherri Hayes
Jayne Rylon
Sarah M. Cradit
Erica Ridley
Christine Zolendz
Beverly Preston
Marquita Valentine
Melissa Storm
Dana Marton
Amy Bartol
Michelle Fox
Magan Vernon
Ainsley Booth
Venessa Kimball
Sidney Bristol
K.M. Scott
C.C.Wood
J.M. Miller
Zara Keane
Eliza Knight
L.P. Dover
Sadie Haller
Patricia McLinn
Suzanne Rock
Katherine Lowry Logan
Erin Richards
Tori Scott
Danielle Stewart
P.T. Michelle
Suzan Tisdale
T.M. Franklin
Evelyn Adams
S.E. Hall
Lauren Hawkeye
Josie Bordeaux
Melanie Marchande
Raci Ames
Catherine Gayle
Sam Cheever
J.M Cole
Brooke Blaine
Ella Frank
Allison Bell
Cristin Harber
Jacki Delecki
Tawdra Kandle
Sydney Logan
Laura Kaye
Laura Kamoie
Evie Harper
P.J. Fiala
Taylor Law
Pamela DuMond
D.L. Roan
Jenni Moen
LG Castillo
Rachel Schurig
Nina Levine
Rachel Hanna
Cheryl Bradshaw
Jessica Scott
Beth Yarnall
J.T. Geissinger
Stacey Mosteller
Kylie Gilmore
Maryann Jordan
Cari Quinn
Lauren Royal
Renea Mason
Christine Bell
Felicia Tatum
Fabio Bueno
RaShelle Workman
Nana Malone
Annika Martin
Sophia Knightly
Nikki Lynn Barrett
Marian Tee
Sarah Castille
Allyn Lesley
Ambrielle Kirk
Jami Davenport
Bonnie R. Paulson
Laura Stapleton
Kennedy Layne

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Must be 18 years of age or older to win. No cash value. Void where prohibited. Open to international & US residents. *The winner will receive an e-gift card via PayPal in the amount of $3000USD for this prize.* Winner must have: 1. an email account, 2. may be requested to fill out additional paperwork for tax purposes, and 3. must have a PayPal account to accept the prize. We are not responsible for fees taken by PayPal for this transaction, nor are we in any way responsible for VAT and/ or taxes. We are not responsible for items damaged or lost in the e-mail. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.  By entering you agree that we are in no way to be held liable for anything pertaining to this giveaway. Winner(s) will be contacted by email 72 hours after the giveaway ends. You must claim your prize or it is forfeited and another winner will be selected. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send us an email!

Check this blog on April 1st for a huge announcement!

New Release! Cowboy Masquerade

There's a new addition to the Lone Star Cowboys series--Cowboy Masquerade. This novella picks up with Doc and Susan's story. You'll also see most of your favorite characters from the Triple S crew.

Dr. John Marshall has spent most of his life moving from town to town, following the rodeo circuit to patch up injured cowboys. Now he's ready to retire, open a practice in a small town somewhere, and enjoy life. His only real regret is that his lifestyle never gave him the chance to marry and have kids. At forty-five, he thinks he's too old to do so now. If he followed in his parents' footsteps, he didn't have too many good years left. 

Susan Hunt is a young widow with three children. Her husband died on the back of a bull three years earlier, and Dr. Marshall has been her rock ever since. He's been there for her through the grieving, the acceptance, he helped her get back on her feet and make a new life for herself and her kids. The one thing he isn't willing to do for her, though, is the one thing she needs the most. It's going to take some ingenuity and a little help from the Triple S crew to help Dr. Marshall see where his future lies.

It's available now on Amazon, and soon on most major retailers.

New Release! Book One in the new Carter Country series: CADE

New Release! Book One in the new Carter Country series: CADE

Cade Carter is the oldest of seven children and the lead guitarist in the family's Country and Western band, Carter Country With his mother urging him to remarry, a more than full-time job as a veterinarian,and trying to raise his two boys on his own, Cade is feeling a little overwhelmed. After losing his first wife in childbirth, Cade is afraid to risk his heart again, but he knows his mother is right. He needs help, and his boys need a mother. 

Sarah McCutcheon has taken over her grandparents' old farm where she grows her own vegetables, raises chickens, and even milks her own cow. She also cooks up healthy meals for her food blog, and makes a pretty decent living from it. Life on a farm can be lonely, though. When Sarah meets Cade and his boys, her lonely life is changed to one full of fun and laughter. But does Cade really want Sarah, or does he just love her cooking?

You can get your copy of CADE at all major retailers. I hope you enjoy it!