Showing posts with label Linda LaRoque. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Linda LaRoque. Show all posts

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

Monday, December 5, 2011
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.

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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

Guest Post + Giveaway = LINDA LAROQUE!!

Friday, November 25, 2011
Today I'm just going to sit back, relax, and let the fabulous author Linda LaRoque take over the reins. So, okay, Linda...Take us away!)


Women’s Undergarments in the Nineteenth Century


In A Marshal of Her Own, Dessa Wade resists the idea of wearing a corset but is informed she’ll be ostracized by the women in the community if she doesn’t. Being a modern gal, Dessa doesn’t much care what the womenfolk’ think about her, but her friends do.

Back in the 1950s we wore waist cinchers, girdles and hose, even to school on occasion. So, I have a little idea of what wearing whale bone might feel like. I imagine some of you out there know also. Back in 1976 after giving birth to my last child I was told to wear a girdle to help me get back in shape. I suffered through the torture for probably thirty seconds and then the garment was trashed.

Knickers, called drawers because they were drawn on, were first worn in the eighteen hundreds. Have you ever wondered why we say a pair of knickers or a pair of panties? They were actually two separate legs joined together at the waist. Some drawers came to just below the knees; others, called pantalettes, worn only by girls after the 1830s, were longer and decorated with frills.

Under their dress, a long chemise was worn. It protected the skin from the corset and helped keep the corset clean. Made of cotton, the chemise was cheaper and easier to launder than the corset. By the late nineteenth century, hoops had disappeared; silhouettes were slimmer, so women wore a petticoat or two under their dress. Often trim, tucks, or pleats sewn onto the garment added fullness, as did a heavy dose of starch. In the winter, a flannel petticoat was worn and helped keep her legs warm.

Thank goodness we live in the modern age!

References:
http://www.localhistories.org/underwear.html
http://www.knowlesville.com/vintage/getting-dressed-02.html
http://www.knowlesville.com/vintage/getting-dressed-04.html


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.



Linda's Story : A Marshall of her Own


Blurb:

Despite rumors of “strange doings” at a cabin in Fredericksburg, investigative reporter Dessa Wade books the cottage from which lawyer, Charity Dawson, disappeared in 2008. Dessa is intent on solving the mystery. Instead, she is caught in the mystery that surrounds the cabin and finds herself in 1890 in a shootout between the Faraday Gang and a US Marshal.

Marshal Cole Jeffers doesn’t believe Miss Wade is a time traveler. He admits she’s innocent of being an outlaw, but thinks she knows more about the gang than she’s telling. When she’s kidnapped by Zeke Faraday, Cole is determined to rescue her. He’s longed for a woman of his own, and Dessa Wade just might be the one—if she’ll commit to the past.

EXCERPT:

Dessa stood still and watched as they conversed. Something stank to high heaven about this entire situation. Why were the cops chasing robbers on horseback? It’s not like Fredericksburg was that isolated. She glanced at the captured men. The boy moaned, and she made a step to go over and help him. The Marshal spun, and the expression in his eye froze her in place.

“He needs first aid.”

“He’s fine. The Doc will tend to him when we get to the jail.”

“You could at least call 911 and let them patch him up for you.” She nodded to the man lying so still with his eyes closed. “Your other prisoner doesn’t look so good. He’s going to die on you if you don’t start CPR or get him some help.”

“Lady, no one is going to hear a yell from out here. Never heard of any 911 or CPR.” He propped the hand not holding the shotgun on his hip and threw her a disgusted look. “Are you blind? That man is dead, shot through the heart.”

Her head swam for a moment, and she struggled not to give in to the sensation and faint. She drew in deep gulps of air. “Well...well..., what about the coroner and the meat wagon, not to mention the CSI folks? If you don’t get them to record the scene, how are you going to cover your butt? The authorities might say you shot him in cold blood.”

He looked at her like she’d sprouted an extra head. “I don’t know what the hell you are talking about woman. No one will question my authority. I’m the law in this county. Now, be quiet, or I’m going to gag you.”




A Marshal of Her Own will be available now at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com and other online book stores. It is the sequel to A Law of Her Own, available at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon.com, and Barnes and Noble.com and other online book stores. I’m awaiting a release date for A Love of His Own, the third story in the Prairie, Texas series.


My release contest for A Marshal of Her Own began November 9th. I’ll be giving away this vintage rhinestone typewriter pin. To enter the drawing, go to my website or blog and sign up for my newsletter. Don’t forget to verify your email address. If you already receive it, email me at linda@lindalaroque.com with A Marshal of Her Own contest in the subject line. Contest ends December 15, 2011.

Leave me a comment or ask a question today and you’ll be entered into a drawing for an ecopy of A Law of Her Own.

Also, today’s blog post is part of 2 blog tours—this one for A Marshal of Her Own and starting December 4th, one for Born in Ice. Follow along each day and leave a comment to be entered into the grand prize drawing and learn about my Born in Ice contest.

The Blog Tour schedule will be posted on my blog and website. It will last 25 days and the Grand Prize is a Kindle. Leave a comment each day and your name will be entered 25 times. Pretty good odds, huh?

Thank you for having me on your blog today, Linda!

Tomorrow, Nov. 26th, I’ll be on W. Lynn Chantale’s blog at http://wlynnchantale-decadentdecisions.blogspot.com/. Lynn has interviewed Dessa Wade.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda LaRoque
Writing Romance With a Twist in Time
www.LindaLaRoque.com
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Book Blogger Appreciation Week

Wednesday, September 9, 2009
September 14-18 is Book Blogger Appreciation Week. So, today, I’m all about blog introspection. Is it doing what it’s supposed to be doing? Well… since a blog is basically a journal, and a person can blather on about anything their heart desires in a journal as long as they do it with some kind of regularity, then okay, I fulfill the general rule. I blather on—I mean BLOG—about topics at least once a week if not more frequently.

To go into a little more detail, a blog is an online journal, meaning you’re posting it on the WORLD wide web, so anyone and their dog can read what you’re saying. Throwing the whole world into the mix makes you want to put a little more purpose and possibly discretion into what you say. It’s not quite “anything goes” anymore. And you’re not so much generalized as you are specific about what you’re saying. Be the goal writing, politics, business, family, cooking…whatever... you narrow a blog down to a main theme.

Goals, purpose, theme, discretion? Bluck. But I just wanted to write a simple blog, for crying out loud. I didn’t know it could be so complicated.

But, honestly, it’s only as complicated as you want to make it. Since I like to keep things simple (a college professor of mine was big on the KISS principle: Keep it Simple Stupid. It’s stuck with me ever since), I just want to make sure I give my reader base what they come looking for. So, I ask myself: who the heck is my reader base?

I’ve come up with three groups of people for that answer: 1)Other writers, 2)Other readers, and 3)Friends and family.

For fellow writers, I like to post about the trials and joys of writing and muddling our way through the publishing world, whether a person be published or unpublished. For fellow readers, I post reviews and book discussions. I also hold contests to win books and provide the occasional excerpt or update about my own stories. For friends and family, I’ll pop in every once in a while with news about what’s going on in my life. Of course, readers and writers can also listen in there to learn a little more about me and discover where I come up with some of my insane ideas.

So, to re-cap: I post at least once a week and my most specific purpose here is to blog about books and my life… or hey, “My life with books.” I suppose I accomplish the main goal. But can I do it better? Yikes, new introspection! Time to turn the tables.

All suggestions are welcome now. What are some things you guys like reading best in a blog… in anyone’s blog? Personally, I’d like to be able to announce, “Hey, I sold another book today!” more often than the one time I have. But, sigh, not happening.

I’d also like to interview more authors and learn who’s out there writing stories these days. And, oh man, I’ve become obsessed with reading Linda LaRoque’s blog for the recipes she posts. The woman can up with some yummy dishes, let me tell you. Nancy J. Parra can always make me feel like I’m visiting a different place when she describes the view outside her window. And Jackie Bannon never fails to make me laugh on her blog.

So, don’t be shy now… spill all. What do you like best about reading blogs? Why do you keep going back for more?

Blog Awards

Friday, August 14, 2009
I've received a couple of blog awards lately. So, I'd love to thank everyone who thought of little-'ol-me. Plus I'd like to pass on the favor.

Blogging Award Rules
1) Accept the award and post a link back to the awarding person.
2) Pass the award on (the rules differ here; sometimes you pass on to one person, five, or even more).
3) Notify award winner.

Sounds easy enough to me. So, here we go.
1)
-I've received numerous blogging awards from Kate at Another Book Blog-Whore.
-I've also received the Kreativ Blogger Award from Laura, who writes Laura's Reviews.
-Then Linda LaRoque from Linda LaRoque's Musings awarded me the Lovely Blog Award.
-And most recently Robyn from Putting Pen to Paper passed the "Premios Dardos Award" to me.
Thank you, thank you, all. I know I don't deserve any recognition. But, heck, I'll take an award from you anyway!!
2)
Now I'd like to pass on the love:
To Nancy J. Parra from A Room with a View, I'd like
to award the "One Lovely Blog Award" for being so faithful on her blog and having something new to say EVERY SINGLE day. Amazing.





To Kate at Another Book Blog-Whore for introducing me to the blog awarding ceremony, I'd like you to have the "Kreativ Blog Award" since that's about one of the only awards you haven't gotten yet!!






I'd like to award "The Literary Blogger Award" to:
All three women write the ideal literary blog.




And I'd like Jackie Bannon's Chaotic Thoughts From Ms. Quirky to receive the "2009 Friendly Blogger Award" because a person always feels like they're one of her good friends, sitting down in her living room and chatting, when they read one of her personable, humorous blogs.



3)
Guess I should go do this part now and let my winners know they're... winners!