Its speed week at Daytona.

Don't you ever wish... you could be part of the crowd. So does Janet Duplain...


Chapter One

“Ticket, please.”
Arm extended, Janet Duplain held out the glossy, heavy paper and waited for the young man to rip off the end and hand the stub back to her.
“Thank you,” she spoke softly, placing her wallet back into the large shoulder bag before moving through the gate.
Florida was everything they said it would be, if you understood “they” to mean her husband‟s friends who gathered around the TV set out in the den on Sunday afternoons beginning the first of January. She pushed her white-framed sunglasses onto her face and stepped out of the line of human traffic flowing into the main gates of the superspeedway. This trip was to have been the greatest gift a wife could give her husband. Only now, Janet was making it alone.
Janet turned over her palm to glance at the stub. Section X, seat thirty-three in the Lockhart Tower. This shouldn’t be too hard to find. Raising her glance to look at the signs, she merged back into the throng intent on making her way toward the elevator.
A sudden shove to the side caught her off guard. Janet tried to take a short step in order to catch her equilibrium. However, her sandals tangled in the hem of her white cotton trousers. With a frightened cry, she held out her hands and braced for a very painful fall.

***
Steven Brock was amazed at the speed in which he had gotten through the line. Perhaps it was a good thing his company had purchased those suite seats in the Sprint Tower. He hurried toward the elevator, slowing his gait so as not to step upon the person in front of him. A group of teenagers went rushing past. He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly one youth knocked into a woman a few feet off to his right. She tottered on her feet only to tilt to the left. He stepped around the person in front of him, who paused. Steven rushed forward and caught the willowy auburn before her knees banged onto the rough pavement.
“Are you all right, Miss?” Steve asked.
Large green eyes flashed uncertainly at him. He offered her his winning car salesman smile and allowed her to catch her breath. “Come on. Let‟s step over here to the bench.”
She nodded, and her body trembled. He led her to the park bench out of the line of traffic. He knelt before her, placed his hands on either side of her and spoke, “Okay, take a big deep breath and hold it for ten seconds then blow it out.”
Her trembling fingers raked the russet curls from her face as she looked back at him. Whatever she was thinking, the young woman could at least follow through with directions.
“M-my sunglasses,” she stated, looking back in the direction of the accident.
“Sit tight,” Steve told her and moved back to the spot, turning until he found the glasses. He bent down, picked up the now twisted frames and brought them back to her. “I‟m afraid they‟re a bit worse for wear.”
He held them out to her, the frames bent, one glass missing, the other cracked.
“Oh,” she breathed.
“Check your pocketbook to make sure nothing is missing,” Steve suggested, knowing that security was good and incidents were rare at NASCAR events.
She pulled her large bag toward her and, opening it, she began to put the contents on her lap. The bag contained the usual—brush, comb, a compact—but Steve did admit he was intrigued when she picked up a keyring with a business card instead of a photograph.
“Nope, it‟s all there.” She looked up at him, a genuine smile lighting her face.
Warmth spiraled up and spread through Steve‟s body, shocking him. He felt…hell, he felt like a teenager asking some girl out for the first time. “I‟m glad.”
He rose to his feet and held out his hand. “I‟m Steven Brock, but my friends call me Steve.”
She dumped her things back into the oversized bag, then grasped his hand with a firm grip and shook back. “Hi, Steve, I‟m Janet.”
An electric current seemed to pass from his hand to hers then back again. Her lips dipped for a second, but she quickly regained her composure as she withdrew her hand.
“I want to thank you for your kindness.”
“Not a problem.” Steve nodded. “Is this your first event?”
Janet turned toward the crowd, paused and looked back at him. Pink crept to her cheeks. “How could you tell?”
He looked down. “Few women wear three-inch heel sandals,” he pointed out.
She laughed. His skin tingled with the melodious sound.
“Next time wear tennis shoes,” he told her. “It‟s much more practical.”
“Yes, I can see that now.”
A gust of wind blew by, and she turned away, keeping the fine gravel from flying into her eyes. The mass of curls shifted, and Steve had to hook his thumbs in the pocket of his jeans to resist the urge to help draw it back from her face. He wondered if those luscious locks were as soft and silky as they appeared.

Destination Daytona is for sale at Amazon follow the links to purchase your copy at Amazon for $1.99 http://www.amazon.com/Destination-Daytona-Forever-Yours-ebook/dp/B003VTZWEQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330107983&sr=8-1

Backlist Tuesday

As a woman, Lauren Phelps has suffered the worst life can throw at her. The loss of her breast, the rejection of her husband, a divorce can she pick up the shattered threads of her life and continue?
Cole McGuire met Lauren Phelps through a mutual friend, his mother. When Lauren took a medical leave of absence, he wondered if he would ever see her again. When she returned to Teague and Marshalls, he made sure she was transferred to his office. Now divorced, he wondered if he stood a chance to woo her.

Can Lauren learn to love again after the storm?

Read an Excerpt here

This can’t be happening, she kept telling her heart. A man like Cole McGuire didn’t stray toward women like her. Yet, as she twisted the handle of her bag in her hand, he appeared around the corner, and his eyes warmed. Lauren’s nerves frayed. She moved her large bag to her right hand and lifted it to her shoulder.
“Here, none of that.” He hurried, reaching out, taking hold of the straps.
His fingers brushed the sleeves of her blouse, and the skin beneath shimmered with heat. Embarrassed, she stepped back, allowing the bag to slide with a little more force than intended. The pens at the bottom clattered against each other.
“Sorry,” they spoke together.
Lauren lowered her gaze to the carpet. It was like being in sixth grade again with Joey Balboa.
“Ms. Phelps,” he began. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t know if, I mean…the weight of the bag.”
Lauren stepped back and eyed him, amused by his stammer.
When the exhausted the search for the words left him blank, Cole cleared his throat and ran his hand across his hair. “I guess I didn’t handle that well at all, did I?”
Lauren smiled and shook her head. “Mr. McGuire, it is very nice of you to do this, however—”
“I always hated however as a child,” he murmured.
She was tempted to ask why. Instead, she plunged on in case her courage left her. “However, I can carry my own bag and walk myself back to my car, which is parked just off the elevator doors at the parking garage.”
“I understand. But humor me, if you will,” he said. “You are a great employee, Ms. Phelps. I would be honored to walk you over to your car on your first day back. I hope you will come back tomorrow and many days after that.”
“Sure.” She nodded.
“Your bag?” He smiled at her and held out his hand.
With a sigh, Lauren handed it over. As their fingers touched a tingle of electricity skittered across her arms. Looking up, she wondered what it would be like to be held by those hands, to have them caress the tender places that lay out of his reach. That’s when she noticed his glance; Cole McGuire expressed surprised. His gaze lowered to his hand at her arm. His jaw twitched, and he placed his hand secure against her elbow. They moved toward the exit.


To purchase an ebook or a print go to my webpage at www.nancyoberry.com and books then follow the links.

Designing your manuscript.

Whether pantzer or plotter, in order to keep your story running smoothly you must have some sort of plan in place to keep the center focus of your story running smoothly. For the first time authors , this might be a bit overwhelming. You're saying to yourself, "I want to write. Why don't I just sit down and do it."

Well, no one is saying you can't. But after years and years of chasing this magical pony. I've come to the conclusion, I have to have something even if its just a blurb type statement about the story itself. Something that when I am grasping for words, I can go back, re read, digest, and suddenly let myself know that the information was there all along and I can move forward.

So, what do I use? I'm a pen and paper sort of girl. Yep Use that original computer complete with the delete eraser on the end. I will get a notebook and write down what the story is about in blurb fashion.

example.

Joe loves Marsha, but when it comes to her meddling mother and her get rich schemes he draws the line. When Marsha invest their savings in her mother's latest scheme, Joe moves out. Crushed, Marsha thinks she can never love again. Burying herself in her work, she tries to forget her teetering marriage. But when Mom's scheme finally works and Marsha becomes an overnight millionaire, things go a bit haywire.
Men come out of the closet to wine and dine her in hopes of getting her to marry and get their hands on her er- "assets". One conman gets to close. Joe decides to step in to save Marsha from herself... or it is that he can't forget the love they shared. Will Marsha take him back? Will her new lover steal her fortune? Does money matter when love is all he cares about?

Okay so there's my "working blurb". I'll let this peculate, stew, mull over adding plot ideas in one sentence bullet points beneath or on sticky notes till I get what I want. Can it change? Sure. Can I rearrange? Anytime. As long as I build a world that people can believe and I am comfortable with.

So, let's write!


Nan

Tuesday's Teaser....

From The Rancher's Irish Bride


"Look into my eyes, Clay Roberts. Are these the eyes of a woman bent on revenge? Or, are these the eyes of a woman who would do everything in her power to protect you?"
He felt the warmth of her breath caress his face. His need for air struggled with his want to breathe in her presence. By all that was Holy, he couldn't look away. She drew even closer. Without touching, his skin warmed along the shadow of her frame and places best left unexplored came to life. Her face lifted up and he stilled at his own reflection in the deep green of her eyes.
"Yes, look at me for the first time in your life and see me without the prejudicial words others have cast against me. There is no dim light. What you see is truth and nothing but the truth."
Her hand touched his. Her fingers leaving scorched marks upon his skin as they pulled his hand to her chest, only to flatten his palm against her heart. Clay's eyes widened. Beneath the cotton of her nightdress, he felt it's gentle thump.
"Ask me again," she demanded. "As me again if I planned to set your meadow ablaze and see what my heart tells you."
His mouth went dry. His lips twitched, and then he heard his voice croak. "Did you mean to set my field on fire?"
Beneath his hand, her heart continued its steady beat. No skip. No half beat of doubt, just a steady, thump, thump, thump. To his amazement, his own heart began to do the same, almost - no, it couldn't be. Where they beating as one? His eyes widened.
"Yes, now you see," she whispered in triumph and her eyes released him.
Clay stumbled back. His knees hit from behind by an armchair and he tumbled down into its seat as Maeve walked past him, back straight, head held high, and disappeared from the room. Minutes passed before his breathing swung again into its regular pattern. He brought his hand up and ran his fingers through his hair. "What the hell was that?"





To purchase your copy for $1.99 please use the following links...

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ranchers-irish-bride-nancy-oberry/1038310448?ean=2940014083218&itm=1&usri=the+rancher%27s+irish+bride

http://www.amazon.com/The-Ranchers-Irish-Bride-ebook/dp/B007567YRO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1328318096&sr=8-2

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/129195

Yipee! Marin Thomas

Come and meet a dear friend, Marin Thomas, who writes for Harlequin American series.

Marin Thomas grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin. She left the Midwest to attend college in Tucson, Arizona where she earned a B.A. in Radio-TV. Following graduation she married her college sweetheart in a five-minute ceremony at the historical Little Chapel of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over the years she and her family have lived in seven different states but have now come full circle and returned to Arizona where the rugged desert and breathtaking sunsets provide plenty of inspiration for Marin's cowboy books.

I recently had the chance to have a cyber chat with Marin Thomas. Of course our conversation turned to cowboys. She graciously provided a few answer to some questions about her writing and up coming works. I hope you'll enjoy.

Marin has offered a copy of her latest release to one lucky guest. Be sure and leave her a comment so you'll be entered in a chance to win. So, please welcome my dear guest, Marin Thomas.


Hi, Marin, what is it about cowboys that make them an easy focus as your heroes?


I can't say it any better than cowboycrew. com (http://www.cowboycrew.com/cowboy_crew_com_080.htm)

"America needs the Cowboy both to remind us of how far we have come and to bring us back to the simplicity of the values he represents. He is also needed because he is a piece of who we are as a country. He represents a lifestyle and a time period that is a cherished part of our History. Little boys want to grow up to be him and the little girls want to grow up to marry him."

Characteristics that make the "Cowboy" appealing
Stubborn
Determined
Hardworking
Honest
Independent
Old-fashioned manners
Loyal
Helps the underdog
Patriotic
Brave
Self-sacrificing

So, how did you come up with your storyline for Arizona Cowboy?

My first three books for my Rodeo Rebels series for Harlequin American Romance did very well so my editor gave me the "thumbs up" to write more rodeo books, but she wanted a different "hook" or "angle" for the next three books. I remembered a vacation our family took in Colorado when I was 15. I met a distant uncle who was quite a storyteller. He'd been a rodeo cowboy in his younger days and he claimed to have competed in a rodeo where a cowgirl had dressed up as a man and tried to enter the bull riding competition. Of course she'd gotten caught and was subsequently booed by the crowd and sent packing. So that was it! One vacation memory…one distant uncle's story…and voila! I had my angle—women's bull riding! Hopefully readers will enjoy reading about these incredibly brave women.


I read your blog on women bull riders. Fantastic! What can we look forward to seeing from you in the coming year?

Another Rodeo Rebel book and a return to the fictitious town of Stagecoach, Arizona.
In A Cowboy's Duty (August 2012) you'll meet Dixie Cash and her six brothers—each named after a country western singer. (my quirky sense of humor) You'll get a kick out of the wild & crazy Cash brothers. But…the cowboy who will steal your heart is Gavin Tucker. He's a soldier cowboy—who's paid a high price for defending his country.
Many soldiers return from war suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as does the hero of my book. Gavin's an adrenaline junkie and rodeo feeds his addiction. The high he gets from busting broncs gives him the strength to keep on the run from his past. As long as the past never catches him, Gavin is able to keep his PTSD under control. A chance encounter with a female bull rider named Dixie Cash threatens to undermine his efforts. When Dixie turns up pregnant, Gavin must face his past before he can seek the future he'd always believed to be out of reach for him.

Then November 2012, Beau: Cowboy Protector Harts of the Rodeo—Born to Ride! This is the 5th book in a 6-book multi-author continuity for the Harlequin American Romance line. A family's ranch has hit upon hard times and in order to keep the ranch they shift away from cattle to raising bucking stock for rodeos. They acquire a prime stud horse—Midnight, who was a former rodeo champion in hopes of using stud fees to get the ranch back on solid financial ground. Of course lots of things go on throughout the six books…Midnight disappears…there's a rash of local thefts….the family is split down the middle on whether or not Midnight should be allowed to rodeo again.
Lots of family drama in each book!


Aidan: Loyal Cowboy July
Cathy McDavid

Colton: Rodeo Cowboy August
C.J. Carmichael

Duke: Deputy Cowboy September
Roz Denny Fox

Austin: Second Chance Cowboy October
Shelley Galloway

Beau: Cowboy Protector November
Marin Thomas

Tomas: Cowboy Homecoming December
Linda Warren


I know readers are very excited about your work after reading that. Where can readers find you?

May I put a plug in for the contests promoting Arizona Cowboy?

Of Course!!

At the end of each month I draw a name from the list of people who Follow My Blog by Email. (To follow my blog by email visit All My Heroes are Cowboys and put your email address in the Follow by Email box. I also run a Wild West Trivia contest in my monthly newsletter. I pose a question and chose a name from all those who submit the correct answer. Subscribe to my newsletter by clicking on the NEWSLETTER link on my website. During the month of February I'm hosting a Goodreads Giveaway and offering 5 copies of Arizona Cowboy. And finally…for all those who "LIKE" my Marin Thomas—Harlequin Romance Author facebook page during the month of February…your name will be entered into a drawing for a free book!

Back to where you can find me….
Website
All My Heroes are Cowboys (Blog)
Twitter
Facebook
goodreads
Harlequin American Romance Authors
Harlequin Books
Amazon


Wow Marin, so many ways to get in touch with your hero's. I hope everyone takes advantage of following your blog and joining your newsletter. I so enjoy it. Please make a comment and enter in Marin's Contest here today for a copy of her latest work.

Marin makes several appearances each year for book signings. Be sure to check her blog to see if she'll be near your home town. Thanks for dropping by my blog as well. I hope you'll come back soon.

Giving a Hint????

I'm having a guest come over this weekend. Won't you come and meet one of my favorite all time western romance authors, Marin Thomas.






So all you buckle bunnies, grab your Stetsons and climb on to the top rail for a grand view some fun and laughs as we learn what it's like to write western romances. While you wait be sure and check out Marin's Website, blog, and books.

http://www.marinthomas.com/home.html
http://www.marinthomas.blogspot.com/