Have A Very Merry Christmas!!

This is my last post until 2012!!! I'm taking off work next week and everything. Hopefully I'll be sane by the time I return in January!

So I will wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year now.


(viewers of this video beware: if you suffer from epileptic seizures, there is a lot of lights flashing, but it's sooo cool. I'm doing this to my house next year...I wish!)


The Winner of my Christmas Present Giveaway is:

JENNIFER SHIRK

And don't forget tomorrow on Christmas Eve, Champagne Books will sell Hot Commodity for only $.99!! Here's the link: http://champagnebooks.com/shop/index.php




Season's Greetings to you from LINDA KAGE!!

Giveaway Prizes

At the end of last year, I listed all the books I'd won in contests and giveaways throughout 2010. So I decided to do it again this year. I can't remember if-or-what I won early in 2011, but boy have the prizes rolled in this past month.

'Tis the season for sure!!!

I would love to thank:

...Allison Knight, who provided a giveaway of her highland historical, Battlesong, in a recent Champagne Books chat, which I won.

...Annie Rayburn, author of Bittersweet Obsessions, a paranormal sci fi romance. I won a copy of that book on a contest in Carol Kilgore's Tiki Hut.

...Jessica Nelson, who gave away not one but TWO books on her blog BookingIt! There, I won inspirational romance stories Polar Bear Plunge by Linda S. Glaz and Savannah's Gift by Camille Eide!

...Claire Ashgrove. She has a giveaway of her books on her blog every Monday (Yeah, I know! Too cool!). From there, I won paranormal romance novella, Tormented by Darkness.

...and AllRomance eBooks is having a free book a day on the twelve days of Christmas. I won a contemporary interracial romance story there called Black Butterfly by Sienna Mynx.

***

And here, the year isn't even over yet. Who knows what else could happen before 2012 rolls around!

Finally in the giving Christmas spirit myself, I have decided to throw a little giveaway contest here on this blog! About time, huh!!

So... If you won a prize this year, tell us about it. If not, feel free to rant about that! Pretty much just leave any kind of comment below and you'll be entered in my Christmas present giveaway.

I would like to gift someone with the complete works of Linda Kage in PDF ebook (geez, it makes me sound all important when I say it that way...The Complete Works...heehee!). I'll even throw in ARC ebooks of my two forthcoming novels, The Best Mistake & The Right to Remain Mine.

That makes nine books total! And if you'd like to pick and choose from the nine (ie: you have a copy of one or two of them already, so you only want five books, or some of the stories don't look like something you'd enjoy, thus you only want two), that's perfectly fine with me! Whatever.

I'll announce the winner on Friday! Good luck with all the Christmas Contests you guys have entered this festive season....

The Horrors of Christmas Cards

Well, I survived. Barely. But what an awful experience.

I ordered our cute, Walgreens photo Christmas cards with an adorable picture of the hubby helping my baby put the star on the Christmas tree (see below!). Then I had another picture of her in her Christmas dress standing in front of the tree. It was a bit blurry but too sweet to keep out, so I put it in the smaller frame next to the "star" picture.


Yeah, all was good and well there. The order processed within the day and by that evening we had the pretty cards in our possession. I'd typed up a nice letter and had the hubby proof it to make sure it read okay.

And then the big day came. Stuffing and addressing letters.

Oh, the horror.

I used to have everyone's name in my computer where I typed up quick labels and was done with that part. But we got a new computer this year, ergo no names were in the new system. So I had to hunt up everyone who was supposed to be on the list and print out all the names...yes, with my awful handwriting.

What's worse, I always make mistakes and have to cross out, mark off or line through. Without fail, I put the wrong address with the wrong person's name...more than once. Once I wrote in one family member on two envelopes...you get the gist, I suppose.

After scrounging up what was hopefully an up-do-date list of people to send cards to, the assembly line began.

Hubby decided to 'help.' Yeah. HELP!!!! As I scribbled out addresses on the envelopes, he stuffed the pictures and letters (letters which we soon learned need to be physically cut to fit into the short envelopes, ugh), then he stamped and sealed.

Since he'd had a bad day at work, he was already in a mood....which in hindsight makes me wish I just would've said, "You sit on the couch, dear, and watch TV. I got this." But I didn't. Oh, why didn't I?

So the kid whined down out our feet the entire time, demanding constant attention and stringing toys and whatnot across the house in retaliation (oh, you know she did it just to get even!), while the husband and I bickered back and forth. Do we really need to send a card to "these" people? Honestly?

I kept checking my emails, hoping people I'd asked for current addresses might've responded.

And halfway through addressing envelopes, the freaking envelopes ran out! We only got enough envelopes to fit half the cards. So, we pulled out the ugly security envelopes we use to send out bills.

Then we ran out of cards to fit everyone on the list. I scurried to print out pictures on our home printer. The sad thing was, the people we like most were at the bottom of the list and got shafted on the cute Walgreen cards.

Then the big argument began over whether Great Aunt Dorothy REALLY needed a card because she probably wouldn't remember who we were anyway.

I didn't strangle hubby, thankfully, but I did walk out the room once, and so did he. I made him finish the cards since I wasn't doing 'anything' right (I know, there's going to be coal in my stocking this year). While he did that, I cleaned up the mess our child had made. I would die for this wonderful man, really, but stuff Christmas cards with him again? No, thank you.

Meanwhile, the kiddo found a baggie of animal crackers to eat, so at least she didn't starve!!

To conclude, a handful of cards went into our mailbox this morning to be delivered. And all three of us survived the night!

I KNOW I missed sending cards to lots of important people, but as of right now, I'm not sending any more this year. And with that, I'm all Ba-hum-bug. Give me a book to read or write any day. I am not a good Christmas Card sender.

Okay, I'm not the best book writer either, but at least I find joy in that!

So, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. Just don't expect a card from me this year!

More Book Trailers!

Well, I got a book trailer finished for my February story, The Right to Remain Mine. I'm showing it over at The Writers Vineyard today since it's my day to guest post there. It felt like a ho-hum trailer.

It's felt like a ho-hum month all around actually, and I really don't know why. I've been blessed with so many things. My family is safe and okay, I'm safe and okay. I've sold some of my stories and even held them in my hands and smelled the lovely pages. I've received royalties, and yet...I think I've fallen into that nasty rut where I just want more. MORE! I want what I've seen people more fortunate than me have gotten.

What a greedy, greedy girl I've become.

Well, it's time to give back...somehow. So, okay, how about I offer my story HOT COMMODITY to everyone for $0.99 on Christmas Eve? Okay, done!

Alright, alright, that was the publisher's decision. But it's still exciting to share. One December 24th, my story will be available to buy for one buck at Champagne Books! On the twelves days of Christmas, they're offering different stories each day to sell for ninety-nine cents and I was lucky to catch the 24th.

Since they already took care of that, I guess I'll just have to find something else selfless to do. Ideas anyone?

A Page with Kage (3)

Round three of my "Page with Kage" series starts now! Here's another excerpt from a story on my all-time favorites list.

I've returned to crush on historical romance again today, celebrating Julia Quinn's An Offer from a Gentleman. It had a spicy heat rating and this is one of my favorite scenes because the moment Benedict first sees Sophie never fails to take my breath away. I think I fall in love with her right along with him. It's just so sigh-worthy.


EXCERPT:

With a sigh, Benedict started to make this way toward the lemonade table. He could practically taste that brandy, smooth and mellow in his mouth, but he supposed that a glass of lemonade would tide him over for a few minutes.

"Miss Featherington!" he called out, trying not to shudder when three Miss Featheringtons turned around. With what he knew could not possibly be anything but the weakest of smiles, he added, "Er, Penelope, that is."

From about ten feet away, Penelope beamed at him, and Benedict was reminded that he actually liked Penelope Featherington. Truly, she wouldn't be considered so antidotal if she weren't always lumped together with her unfortunate sisters, who could easily make a grown man wish himself aboard a ship to Australia.

He'd nearly closed the gap between them when he heard a low rumble of whispers rippling across the ballroom behind him. he knew he ought to keep going and get this duty-dance over with, but God help him, his curiosity got the best of him and he turned around.

And found himself facing what had to be the most breath-taking woman he'd ever seen.

He couldn't even tell if she was beautiful. Her hair was a rather ordinary dark blond, and with her mask tied securely around her head he couldn't even see half her face.

But there was something about her that held him mesmerized. It was her smile, the shape of her eyes, the way she held herself and looked about the ballroom as if she'd never seen a more glorious sight than the silly members of the ton all dressed up in ridiculous costume.

Her beauty came from within.

She shimmered. She glowed.

She was utterly radiant, and Benedict suddenly realized that it was because she looked so damned happy. Happy to be where she was, happy to be who she was.

Happy in a way Benedict could barely remember. His was a good life, it was true, maybe even a great life. He had seven wonderful siblings, a loving mother, and scores of friends. But this woman--

This woman knew joy.

And Benedict had to know her.

Penelope forgotten, he pushed his way through the crowd until he was but a few steps from her side.


~~Julia Quinn provides lots a great info and a chapter one excerpt for this story on her website.~~

What a Weekend.

Well, I now have a new sister-in-law. My husband's brother got hitched this weekend, and I'd say "hitched" is the proper word here because they were married in boots and cowboy hats inside an indoor roping arena. Knowing nothing about horses and roping and all that, I found it to be quite an experience.

This was a second marriage, so they didn't make a big deal about it. In fact, my husband found out he was the best man a couple minutes before the I do's!! It was like, "here, stand up here with us, hold the ring for me, give it to the plaid-shirted preacher guy when he asks for it, then sign as witness when we're done."

It was lovely though. The hubby and I lost track of our daughter and she got into the arena with the galloping horses and riders only once, so that wasn't too bad. Okay, fine, it scared the bejesus out of me, and I didn't let her down the rest of the night...a fact which she did NOT appreciate.

What's worse, we found out that morning she had an ear infection, so she was kind of cranky to start with. This is her first ear infection, poor thing. The night before the wedding, she cried as I haven't seen her cry in a long time. She'd been sickly with a runny nose all week. But we didn't notice the wax draining out of her ear until the next morning, which was a Saturday, of course. So we had to take her to the hospital emergency room's urgent care. Ugh.

She's finally starting to feel a little better, even though I have to gag medicine down her for another eight days. I'm hoping she'll begin sleeping throughout the night again...real soon.

Those things kept me busy enough. But to top off that, my writing bud, Miranda received a bad review from RT Book Reviews. It wasn't just the worst review she ever received, I swear it's the worst review I've ever READ! The woman was inconsolable.

She was even too afraid to let her husband see it because she feared he'd think worse of her for writing such a story to horrify this reviewer the way she did. It was an erotic horror/romantic suspense story, so yes, it's supposed to disturb the reader to some extent, but she certainly didn't mean to disturb anyone this way.

I know what she was trying to accomplish. She wanted to show how the heroine went to extreme measures to heal herself after a harrowing event. I could see where she was going with the story, but it was shocking to see someone else interpret it in entirely a different, appalling way. The reviewer was totally grossed out.

Miranda was ready to give up writing altogether. She thought all her writing friends would dissociate themselves with her because she wrote such disturbing material. She actually went through the stages of grief: Sorrow, anger, denial. I think she's finally beginning to accept and move on, but whew, it was harsh there for a while.

Problem is, this is her first and only review on the book so far, so it's hard to say if everyone will see the story the way this one reviewer did, or if it was just one person construing her own way. The reviewer DID get a couple facts in the story wrong, though they were close enough I could see how she could make them if she'd been reading fast or skimming. Still...I'm crossing my fingers Miranda will get another more-favorable (even a two-star at this point) review to help boost her ego a little bit.

How do you all help a friend when they've hit such a low point? I tried to tell her that at least three other people had to have read the story before it was published and no one mentioned any of that bad stuff, so it really couldn't be THAT bad, but that didn't help her..at all.

Ideas??

She's Baaaack!!! Welcome, Linda LaRoque.

A week or so ago (on Black Friday), Linda LaRogue visited us, explaining the history of undergarments. If you missed her lovely post, you can go here (Guest Post + Giveaway = Linda LaRogue) to check it out.

Well, today we're back with her to spotlight her book releasing TODAY!!!!

BORN IN ICE

This futuristic romantic suspense story grew from a dream, one of a woman frozen in a block of ice and found by fishermen from an undersea world. She’s taken to their home and with the help of advanced medical technology, she recovers. In time she learns she must learn to fit into their social system, one different from what she’s known.

Blurb:

Pulled from an icy grave…into a world of doubt and danger.

Frozen in ice for seventy-five years, Zana Forrester suffers the agony of rebirth to learn her son is dead, and her daughter's whereabouts is unknown. The year is 2155. A man's soothing voice and gray eyes haunt her drug induced dreams. When she recovers, she meets their owner and finds her heart in danger. But, a relationship isn’t a consideration; she must find her daughter.

Brock Callahan is drawn to the beautiful woman taken aboard his salvage ship. He's determined she'll be his wife and a mother to his young daughter, but he vows not to love her. All the women he’s loved died. While Zana searches for her daughter, Brock must protect Zana from the evil that threatens.


My editor for Champagne Books has graciously given permission for me to post the Prologue and Chapter One of Born in Ice, so for 10 days I’ll be sharing another installment.

Prologue – 2


Lifting Jonathan, she passed through the automatic-sealing dead-air
space to the garage. Though she’d turned on the exhaust system earlier and
started the Polar Excursion to let it warm, the moisture from her breath
formed ice crystals in the air. Even in the garage, the thermometer read
minus twenty-nine degrees Celsius.

A squirming Jonathan babbled, “Go bye-bye,” as she locked him in
his car seat. The baby was fully dressed under his protective outerwear
designed for particularly low temperatures. His clunky gloves kept him from
removing the knitted facemask that covered his sensitive skin. She probably
looked as strange as he did in her suit, the hood trimmed with silver fake fur
to match her face covering.

With her remote control, she turned off the exhaust and pushed the
door opener. She backed out and turned down the hill. The big tires on the
powerful all-terrain vehicle designed especially for extremely cold weather,
traversed over the snow and ice like an Aspen skier on snow skies. The
darkened windows cut the stunning glare from the sun on snow and ice. Just
before his accident, David bought the truck for her. He didn’t want her and
the kids out in something unreliable. It had been a Godsend since his death. It
could and would continue to operate in all kinds of conditions, giving her
independence she valued in getting the supplies they needed. Other families
weren’t as lucky, and she helped them when she could.

It had been two years since David died, buried under a mountain of
snow while trying to rescue a family whose home was covered under an
avalanche. The hill behind the house literally slid down on top burying them
all. Twenty men had perished that day as well as the six-member family
inside. Zana feared the cold, ice, and snow would be the death of them all
before long.

The trip into town never ceased to make her nervous. It was always a
relief to get supplies and return home. Today was no different. Her dread
eased as they neared the four-lane bridge that crossed a small waterway. The
road wove close to the drop-off into the bay, and the snow-covered hills on
the opposite side rose majestically toward the sky. In five minutes they’d
have left this eerie pass behind.

Her heart stopped at the rumble in the distance and then pounded in
her chest when the carpet of white moved. No, no, no! She stomped the
accelerator in an attempt to outrun the avalanche. Oh, God, please let me
make it. The vehicle rushed forward, and snow hit the road behind her. A
nervous giggle escaped her lips. She’d made it. A gigantic wave of white
moved under and over them blocking everything from view. They were
thrust forward as if from a cannon. The last words she heard were Jonathan’s
terrified scream, “Mamaaa!” And her last thought was, Oh Katy. I’m so
sorry, sweetheart.



Available TODAY at Champagne Books.

ABOUT LINDA LaROQUE Linda LaRoque is a Texas girl, but the first time she got on a horse, it tossed her in the road dislocating her right shoulder. Forty years passed before she got on another, but it was older, slower, and she was wiser. Plus, her students looked on and it was important to save face. A retired teacher who loves West Texas, its flora and fauna, and its people, Linda’s stories paint pictures of life, love, and learning set against the raw landscape of ranches and rural communities in Texas and the Midwest. She is a member of RWA, her local chapter of HOTRWA, NTRWA and Texas Mountain Trail Writers. website | blog | facebook | twitter

Tune in tomorrow for the 3rd installment. I’ll be on Dawn Alexander’s blog at http://www.chasingsomeday.blogspot.com


Please leave a comment today to be entered into a drawing for an ecopy of A Way Back, my time travel set in the 1930s oil fields of Texas. Your name will also be entered in the GRAND PRIZE drawing for my blog tour—a KINDLE. A name will be draw at the end of my tour on December 16th.

I also have a release contest going. Sign up for my newsletter by emailing me at linda@lindalaroque.com with Born in Ice in the subject line. Your name will be added to the drawing for this rhinestone frog pin. For each of my releases I try to find a piece of jewelry significant to the story. After reading Born in Ice you’ll understand why I chose this frog.


Thank you, Linda, for having me here today, and thank you readers for stopping by. Good luck in all the give-a-ways!

Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda

If I'd been in NaNo

I would have fallen short of the glory of Nano-dom!

I did not join NaNoWriMo. But if I had been in the national novel writing month craze and tried to finish penning 50,000 words throughout all of November, I only would've been four thousand short of my goal. Altogether, I'd say that was pretty good...for me.

It's interesting how each person's goals vary. I had a writing friend who averages over 5,000 words a day. I know, sickening, huh. But it's also inspiring.

Makes me wonder how they came up with the number 50,000 to be everyone's goal. For some, that's a walk in the park. For others, its impossible. I wonder what would happen if people were able to set their own goal for the Nano Month.

Which reminds me: This week I met my 2011 Goodreads Reading Challenge!!! I know...you may congratulate me now (he)! I was able to set my own goals. I decided I was going to try to read 65 books. And I did it!!! With a month to spare. It feels so good to meet a challenge.

Have you challenged yourself lately? Met any relieving goals?

The year's coming to an end; it's time to see how much you've accomplished...and getting closer to the time to set new goals in January. Are you ready???