Tasty Summer Reads Blog Hop

This fun Blog Hop works like this:

Everyone on the hop invites other authors to join in. Each author answers the questions listed below, shares a summer recipe, and gives an update on a current WIP on a book they've written recently. Check out my answers!

The book I just completed and submitted to a publisher yesterday is "Romancing the Dustman's Daughter" A Regency era dustman finds something incriminating in someone's fireplace ash and uses it to blackmail them into finding a rich husband for his daughter.

1)When writing are you a snacker? If so, sweet or salty?
Sweet - mainly chocolate :)

2) Are you an outliner or someone who flies by the seat of their pants? Are they real pants or jammies?
Definitely by the seat of my jammies. And usually with a cat on my lap!

3)When cooking or baking, do you follow the recipe exactly or wing it?
I've been known to not look at the recipe and be sorry later...

4) What is next for you after this book?
Another Regency Romance. With lots of cats in it!!

5) Last Question...on a level of one being slightly naughty to ten being whoo whoo steamy, where does your book land?
Only slightly naughty.
 
Here's my recipe:

Easy Ranch Dip

I pint Cottage Cheese
8 oz Miracle Whip
1 packet dry Ranch Salad Dressing

Goes great with crackers or veggies :)


And here's Vivian Roycrofts's blog
http://taketwoonromance.weebly.com/2/post/2013/07/tasty-summer-reads-blog-hop.html

 

 

And Sue Barr's blog

http://susanlbarr.blogspot.com/2013/07/tastysummerreadsbloghop.html

 

Check out Jennifer Anderson on 7/25 at http://www.musingsfromthepeanutgallery.blogspot.com


Here's the link for the main site of the Hop: http://www.avonromance.com/post/tasty-summer-reads-blog-hop_1373316679

Sometimes, Editors Wear Fur Coats :)

Assisting Authors Online

A wonderful source for writers is Assisting Authors Online. They highlight different books on their site. Mine is shown here:

http://www.assistingauthors.com/books-love/

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 a Nook eReader!

Long and Short Reviews will once again be holding an online scavenger hunt. This time for a chance to win a Nook eReader. Click on the link below for details. The contest starts today!!!




http://www.longandshortreviews.com/promo.htm

Good luck!

Turquoise Morning Press

Yesterday, I signed a contract with Turquoise Morning Press for my newest romance novel, "Cat-Fish." This is the same novel that I was previously 11,000 words into when my computer crashed. It's a fun story, and yes, there's a cat in it. And fish. Hence the name.

My book won't be ready for a few months, but you can check out this wonderful new publisher here:

http://www.turquoisemorningpress.com/

I'm very much looking forward to working with them!

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.

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.

To Dad, With Love

Since Sunday is Father's Day, I'll join everyone else who may be writing on this topic right about now. My dad, Phil, is a retired Baptist minister. He preached in the same church for over 30 years. For those of you not familiar with the pastorate, that's an amazing accomplishment. Some denominations even require their pastors to change churches every couple of years. But, thankfully, Dad stayed right here, in this wonderful Indiana town where I grew up, for most of my life. We moved here when I was three, so this town, this church. is all I know.

When my first book was published, my dad told me how proud he was of me. He said I was the first person in his whole family to have a book published. But my accomplishment seems little next to what Dad did every Sunday of his life. And still does, if he's asked to fill in for other pastors. He spoke the true word of God to his parishioners. Actually in front of people. I didn't inherit the gene from him for public speaking. I'd rather have someone poke me in the eye. Repeatedly.

But even more than Dad preaching every Sunday, was what he did throughout the week. And I'm not talking about the many hours he put in visiting, counseling, and praying. I'm talking about writing. Yes, that's right. My dad is a writer. He took God's inspiration and wrote down the words in his heart. Words he knew would speak to anyone who listened. His sermons are so meaningful, and easy to follow, I could even glean something from them when I was very young. He comes up with some of the most humorous stories you'd ever hear. It's fun for me to check out the faces in the congregation of people who've never listened to a minister with a sense of humor. Some of them are stunned! Aren't men of God supposed to be stoic, dry, boring? No way! Dad is a craftsman with words. An artist of them, if you will.

Even though I didn't inherit his public speaking gene, I'm thankful I at least got some of his storytelling one. Without that gift from God, passed to me through my dad, I wouldn't be so fortunate as to be a published writer today.

Thanks Dad. I love you.

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.

Review for a Wonderful Book by a Wonderful Friend

Click below to read my review of "White Bread Competition."

http://cluculzwriter.blogspot.com/2010/05/white-bread-competition-review-by-ruth.html

Coffee Time Romance Chat

Join me and the other authors from Class Act Books tonight at 9:00 p.m. est. You can chat with us here:


http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Chat2.html

What If I Forget How?

That's the question I asked my husband today. That actual full question was "What if I forget how to write?" My computer has been comatose for a couple of weeks now. I'm typing this on the aforementioned husband's laptop. We're trying to figure out what ails it, but so far my PC has us stumped. In the meantime, I'm going crazy not being able to write. Sure, I could do it longhand, but I've found that for me, I'm better when I'm typing. My brain often works faster than I can write with a pen, and I don't want to lose momentum or the story idea in my head. And I can only use his laptop when he gets home from work, as he needs to use it there. At work. His company is kind of funny about an employee only pretending to type on their table top, instead of using an actual computer. Weird huh?

And I'll admit it, I'm a dunce. No...don't try to argue with me. I'm an actual dunce. You see, I haven't been backing up my stuff on a memory stick like I'm supposed to, so if we're not able to save what I've already written, I'm toast. My first three books are safe, I have a hard copy of them, but all of my short stories, as well as the 11,000 words I was into my newest romance novel, are well, really burnt toast.

Back to my original question. What if I really do forget how to write?

My husband assured me my imagination is too vivid, and my strange sense of humor so warped, he has no doubt I'll remember how.

Mini Interview

http://donutsdesires.blogspot.com/2010/04/quick-six-interview-with-ruth-j-hartman.html

Easter Egg Hunt

The Long and Short Book Reviewers will be sponsoring an Easter Egg Hunt for fun prizes! The dates for this run from 3/29-4/3. My website is one of the many participating. (You'll see the illusive egg on the right hand side of the page.) For more information, visit:

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/promo.htm

Have fun!

Always Use the Right Equipment

While sitting at my laptop going through e-mail, I reached to my left to click my mouse. I pressed and pressed. Why wasn't it clicking? Did it need a new battery? Or maybe one of my large cats had sat on it one too many times. That stupid mouse! It's not all that old. It should last longer than that! I glanced down to check the problem. And saw my mistake.
A friend had asked me to paint a rock for her family member. I found the perfect shaped rock and set it aside for her. I didn't want to leave it in with the other rocks in the communal rock box, because then they get confused as to who the lucky rock is who gets to be painted next. You can guess where the convenient place was I decided to set the rock in question, from the picture below.

The rock pictured isn't the one I'm painting for her, but you get the idea.

Hmmm. More caffeine anyone?