Love a Good Mystery? Me too!!

Life's a Mystery...

At least, my life has been for the last year and a half. I've just written THE END to my fourth mystery! I love writing romance, and never thought I'd write mysteries, but after my first one, I was hooked! Just now, I emailed the latest to my agent, Cyle Young. Stay tuned for upcoming news of what happens next!

Check out my interview with Fiona Mcvie!

http://authorsinterviews.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/my-interview-with-ruth-j-hartman/

Love Life of an Author

When you've been married for nearly thirty years, some things are a little different than when you're a newlywed. At forty-nine, I now have issues I never dreamed would happen. I had to purchase this sleep mask this week, so the light from my husband's reading lamp wouldn't keep me awake. Since my eye surgeries, I'm seriously light-sensitive. Even with my eyes closed, light hitting our bedroom wall from traffic outside our window jolts me awake.

So instead of a come-hither look when I crawl into bed at night, I slip on my hand braces for carpal tunnel, mouth guard for teeth-grinding, and now...my leopard print sleep mask. And believe it or not, this was the most sedate mask I could find! I couldn't bring myself to get the one that made me look like a hoot-owl.

That might have just sent my husband over the edge.

'Night, Honey!

Local Newspaper Article About Book Signing

http://www.pal-item.com/article/20110409/NEWS01/104090306/1008/news01/Author-sign-copies-new-books

Interview at Feeling the Fiction

http://feelingthefiction.blogspot.com/2011/02/tuesday-talks_15.html

Pillow Talk Blog Tour Begins

http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2010/09/ruth-hartman-author-of-pillow-talk.html

Today is the first day of my Blog Tour for Pillow Talk. Follow along and join the fun :)

Dental Delight

Hi all, Trixie from "Pillow Talk" here -

Okay, you know how I said I had to go to the dentist because I broke a tooth? And that I was dreading it? Well, get this...the dentist I went to is gorgeous! I made a fool of myself in his office, though. Because I got so tongue-tied around him, I must have sounded like a loon. His name is Dr. Graham Keebler. And I think I'm in love! He's cute, sweet, and super gentle as a dentist. When he gave me that shot, I didn't even feel it! Now that I've met him, I can't wait for my next appointment. That's when he'll deliver my crown. But after that, I'll have to come up with inventive ways to run into him. Do dentists get suspicious if a patient has a toothache once or twice a week? Hmmm. May have to give that a try. Hey, it's worth it to be in the dental chair if I get to be that close to him.

Molar Woes

Trixie Trident here...

You will not believe what just happened to me! I crunched down on a French fry and broke my back tooth! I'm not sure what was in there, but whatever it was, did some damage. Just great. Now I'll have to find a dentist. Not only do I not want to go hunting for one, I don't even like hanging out with dental humans. At all. You see, they don't believe in the tooth fairy. So where does that leave me? Because that's what I am. I'm not sure where they think little kids get all that money, but it's not from the Easter Bunny! That fat rabbit wouldn't give you the time of day, much less hop in someone's window and leave cash. We have a history, you see...but that's a story for a different book.

Whatever dentist I find, he or she better be quick at fixing teeth, because  I don't want to spend any more time than I have to in the presence of a tooth fairy non-believer.

I'll keep you posted about my dental appointment. Although, aside from getting my molar repaired, I can't see anything good coming from the visit.

Dental Hygiene Magazine Interview

Below is a link to an interview with RDH eVillage:


http://www.dentistryiq.com/index/display/article-display/0763437989/articles/dentisryiq/hygiene-department/2010/08/ruth_hartman_rdh_novelist.html

Pillow Talk is Now Available!

"Pillow Talk" my sweet, contemporary romance, is now available from Class Act Books!!


http://www.classactbooks.com/Pillow-Talk-by-Ruth-J-Hartman_p_211.html

Fun Prizes!!

http://turquoisemorningpressblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/giveaway-prizes.html


Turquoise Morning Press is giving away some great prizes. Click on the link above to see.

WIN PRIZES!!!

http://turquoisemorningpressblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/tmp-launch-festivities-for-august.html

Win Prizes from new publisher Turquoise Morning Press!

"Pillow Talk" Guest Post for Michele Paiva

Click on the link below for a guest post and interview:

http://www.loseyourfinattitude.com/1/post/2010/08/guest-blogger-author-ruth-j-hartman.html

My Enemy, the Horsefly

If you're like me, projects around the house seem to take on a life of their own. I headed outside at 10:00 this morning, ready to scrape decrepit, unsightly paint from the ceiling of my huge wraparound front porch. I thought an hour, maybe two for the job. Then I could come back inside and work on my newest romance novel manuscript, which I've been looking forward to. But Five hours later, I'm questioning the sanity of this particular job. I mean, the paint ceiling-peelings in an icky shade of green (who paints a porch ceiling green anyway?) seemed to mutate and propagate the more I scraped.

While I scraped, flicked, and basically made a big mess, a stupid horsefly the size of an eagle, zipped and buzzed around my head. I hate those things! Having been bitten by them before, I don't recommend the experience. It buzzed my head. I swatted at it with my hand. It buzzed my left ear. I tried to smack it with a broom. Thankfully, I didn't hit my ear. That would have given the horsefly a good laugh, I'm sure. But all I touched was air, which probably looked kind of insane to my neighbor who happened to be looking in my direction right about then.

It flew around, staying just far enough away so I couldn't hit it. But then the stupid bug had the audacity to land on the back of my leg. My leg! That fly got what was coming to him. I smacked my calf, which of course hurt me, but I also stunned him, it, or whatever. The fly lay groaning on the cement floor of the porch. It gasped, begged, and made its last will and testament. With no second thought, I swished its dying body into the mulch under the bushes surrounding the porch. Mission accomplished.

Later, I looked out our backroom window to watch our hummingbirds at the feeder. I looked closer. That's no hummingbird. It's a horsefly! It couldn't be the same one, could it? It landed on the outside of the screen I happened to be looking through. I honestly think it was mocking me. Giving me the wing, if you will. When I head back out to the porch tomorrow to begin re-painting it, I'm sure that resurrected fly will be waiting. Hmmm. Maybe my husband would like to paint the porch.

Pillow Talk

I just found out that "Pillow Talk," my contemporary romance about a tooth fairy falling in love with her dentist, will be released August 15th by Class Act Books.

(I'd Like) to Kill a Mockingbird

Deep South Magazine, an online publication of all things southern. Click below for my story about my family reunion.


http://www.deepsouthmag.com/?page_id=127.

Guest Post by Michele Paiva

There is nothing more romantic than truly loving yourself. Though I am not a romance writer, I am someone who helps people find the love within themselves. Statistically over 70% of the people reading this are either overweight or suffer from Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, insomnia or more. None of this, nor blood pressure or cholesterol nor hormonal issues, should you feel you need to put up with. Some people will need to tend to this medically forever, but starting on a safe, easy program, may in fact, eliminate the need to suffer and, medicate. Losing weight, decreasing stress and empowering oneself to a life of living to the highest quality possible are the goals that I have for readers.


My site is set up so that I offer incentives to purchase the book as well as complimentary items like easy download shopping lists, a forum, and more.

But for right now, let's be timely. Let's discuss the BP oil leak. As of this morning the news said it has reached Gulf states. It amazes me that the H1N1 struck more fear in people than this spill, where this spill is not something you get "over" in a few days nor can get a vaccine to protect you from. It's a mix of chemicals that are both cancer causing as well as corrosive. What can you do? The first and foremost is avoid areas with the spill. But the spill and leak will soon disperse and be just as toxic but harder to see and avoid.

The second and most powerful thing you can do for yourself and loved ones, is to be as healthy as possible. The less toxins you have in you the less you will reach that "overload" that causes you to feel badly.

Following a plan of stress reduction, eating well, being as fit as you can within your limits if you have such, and coping skills with physical and psychological stress are the key ingredients to achieving wellness.

Five things to do to love yourself into health:

1. Drink more water. Water is needed for life, and it helps to flush out toxins.

2. Eat more oats. If you can, eat oats daily. High in fiber and protein and helps you digest and cleanse your system.

3. Create a new attitude. Every day try to find one more thing to be happy or thankful about. See the silver lining in black clouds. Laugh more. A little character change goes a long way in how you cope with physical issues that may crop up or, little stressors that come into all of our lives.

4. Play eclectic music. If you are reading a victorian romance, why not spend the week enjoying victorian music? How about a romance set in Ireland? Play that music as well! Transport yourself and ignite many areas of your body, mind and spirit. It is both stimulating and stress reducing.

5. Lastly, eat less processed food. More vegetables, more fruit... not from packages but fresh. Even if you live alone, learn to treat yourself like a queen and eat in luxury! Food is a luxury we take for granted and it is delicious and fuels us. Embrace it!





Do visit www.loseyourfinattitude.com and keep reading romance and ...start with loving yourself!

Michele Paiva

Wellness Expert and Guest Blogger :)

Sneak Peak - Whispers of the Muse

Click below for another installment sneak peak for "My Life in Mental Chains."


http://whispersofthemuse.org/AuthorSpotlight/SpotlightFrame.html

Here's the cover for my upcoming romance novel, "Pillow Talk." I absolutely love it! The cover artist from Class Act Books did a wonderful job. This book is tenitively set for publication this September.

11,000 and Counting...

To recap, my former computer died a slow, violent death. In its demise, it took with it most of my written work to date. It took me quite a while to get over that. I'd see a publisher's guidelines and I'd think "Great! I've got just the short story to submit to them!" Then the ugly truth would knock me in the head. Nope. Not gonna happen. Your stories are no more.

Thankfully, with the help of wonderful, caring publishers, I was able to recoup some of my work. Two novels were e-mailed back to me so I could have them for my records. And a few short stories have also trickled back. To all of you who took the time to do that for me, I'm very grateful.

But the one that really got to me, stuck in my craw, shall we say, was my current work in progress. I was 11,000 words into the novel when my computer came down with an incurable virus. I'd kept written notes for my work, but most of that was just in idea form, jotted down in a hurry. If I was lucky, sometimes I could even read my own chicken-scratch.

But, as of last evening, I am once again over 11,000 words! The story has many of the same elements, but has changed somewhat. Some parts I remembered word for word, while others were just a cloudy concept stuck somewhere in my brain. I'm very happy to say, I like the story that's emerging even better than the previous one. A blessing in disguise? Yes, I believe it is.