Favorite Pics of 2011

FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS...MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My TOP TEN FAVORITE HOLIDAY THINGS..by Charlene Sands

I'm at EHARLEQUIN today.  Stop by and post a comment for a chance to win 2 backlist Harlequin Desires and an advanced copy of my March/April "Worth"  Historical !!   It's the 3rd installment of my Red Ridge series!

Hope to see you there!  

A LITTLE BIT NAUGHTY BUT VERY FUNNY...

Subject: WHY PEOPLE DON'T ATTEND CLASS REUNIONS



Jan, Sue and Donna haven't seen each other since High School. They rediscover each other via a reunion website and arrange to meet for lunch in a wine bar.

Jan arrives first, wearing beige Versace. She orders a bottle of Pinot Grigio.


Sue arrives shortly afterward, in gray Chanel. After the required ritualized kisses she joins Jan in a glass of wine.


Then Donna walks in, wearing a faded old tee-shirt, blue jeans and boots. She too shares the wine.


Jan explains that after leaving high school and graduating from Princeton in Classics, she met and married Timothy, with whom she has a beautiful daughter. Timothy is a partner in one of New York 's leading law firms. They live in a 4000 sq ft co-op on Fifth Avenue , where Susanna, the daughter, attends drama school. They have a second home in Phoenix.


Sue relates that she graduated from Harvard Med School and became a surgeon. Her husband, Clive, is a leading Wall Street investment banker. They live in Southampton on Long Island and have a second home in Naples , Florida.


Donna explains that she left school at 17 and ran off with her boyfriend, Jim. They run a tropical bird park in Colorado and grow their own vegetables. Jim can stand five parrots, side by side, on his penis.


Halfway down the third bottle of wine and several hours later, Jan blurts out that her husband is really a cashier at Wal-Mart. They live in a small apartment in Brooklyn and have a travel trailer parked at a nearby storage facility.


Sue, chastened and encouraged by her old friend's honesty, explains that she and Clive are both nurses' aides in a retirement home. They live in Jersey City and take vacation camping trips to Alabama.

Donna admits that the fifth parrot has to stand on one leg.



Top Ten Ways a Baby Makes a Book Better

Click Here

Babies and books are my business. Put the two together,add a handsome cowboy and you get  The Top Ten Ways a Baby Makes a Book Better!!

ANNOUNCING WINNER of CHARLENE's HH AUTHOR HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY PRIZE....

SQUEAKYMOM!! 

Congratulations!! 
You've won the  $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD!
I hope to hear from you soon. Please contact me at charlenesands@hotmail.com !!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Thanks to everyone who entered and remembered you are still in the running for the Grand Prize.  Be sure to visit the Main Calendar to enter the other authors' daily prizes!!

KINDLE FIRE AND DAILY PRIZES at the HH AUTHOR HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY.. DON'T MISS IT!!

                                                               CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS!

JOIN ME IN THE HARLEQUIN HISTORICAL AUTHOR HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!

Today’s my day -- DECEMBER 1 st for the Giveaway!

And I’d love to know about your Christmas/ Holiday shopping plans. Are you the forward thinker who shops all year round so by the time the holidays are upon us, you’re not scrambling to get the gifts purchased? Or are you the Black Friday shopper, who ventures in the dark of night to hunt for the greatest bargains in town?


Are you a shopper like me, who waits until after Thanksgiving and takes those few weeks to find the right gift at the right price? I hit the sales, and try my darnedest to make sure I’ve gotten the most for my money. I have not bought one gift yet, but thanks to gift cards, my shopping list isn’t too hard to navigate through.


Or are you the last minute shopper? Someone who can get it all done within a day and usually that day is RIGHT before the holiday?


Post a comment about your shopping habits TODAY and THRU the weekend and I’ll post the winner from a random drawing on SUNDAY. All commenters are automatically entered into the drawing for the Kindle Fire (or equivalent) on December 23rd. Try to visit all the blog sites from November 29th to December 23rd to increase your chances of winning!!


MY PRIZE: A $25 Gift Card to ONE of these outlets: Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Macy's or Target (You get to choose for your shopping pleasure!)

BE SURE TO STOP BY ON SUNDAY FOR THE WINNER!

Follow the Calendar November 29th to Dec 23rd.

                                                   For Rules and to navigate calendar

                                                               CLICK HERE

                                             Post your comment below:

Fun Happenings Today and Tomorrow!!

Today is my Eharlequin "LAUNCH PARTY" for THE COWBOY's PRIDE.

Come join the fun and win prizes throughout the day! 

I'm giving away "Desire" and "Love" Necklaces, gift cards and more!! 

Meet Me THERE!!


*******************************************************
And remember tomorrow, Thursday December 1st is my official day for the HARLEQUIN HISTORICAL AUTHOR HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!

All you have to do is come back here and post a comment about your holiday shopping habits to be entered!

LET THE PARTY BEGIN! THE HARLEQUIN HISTORICAL AUTHOR HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS AND TO BEGIN WITH WONDERFUL HISTORICAL AUTHOR

MICHELLE WILLINGHAM

November 29th

WINNER OF THE BOOK of the WEEK!!

I'm thrilled to announce The Cowboy's Pride won the Long and Short Reviews Book of the Week!!

Thanks to all of you who have voted this weekend!!

To see the entire book review CLICK HERE

Tomorrow starts the Harlequin Historical Author Holiday Giveaway!

Tomorrow is the official launch date for the Giveaway.  It's a fun way to blog, win daily prizes and be entered for the Grand Prize of a Kindle Fire. Details to follow, starting with Michelle Willingham. 



UP FOR BOOK OF THE WEEK at The Long and Short Reviews!

My second installment of the Worths in Red Ridge, THE COWBOY'S PRIDE has been nominated for the BOOK OF THE WEEK!





I hope you'll lend a hand by voting Saturday and Sunday...THIS weekend!  VOTE HERE



Vote for Book of the Week! Thank you!

Here's a little bit of the review.  

Ms. Sands does a beautiful job of creating two characters that practically sizzle the pages with their tangible chemistry. It’s obvious early on that both Clay and Trish are still attracted to one another. When they finally give into a “pre-divorce fling” readers will understand why they begin to question their motives for separating in the first place. Ms. Sands brings the reader right into the scene and I can tell you everyone walks away satisfied.


Ms. Sands is an auto buy for this reviewer and shouldn’t be missed by anyone who appreciates clean writing and a story that carries the reader on amazing and heart felt journey. 
Honeysuckle at TLASR



For the full review click here

BEING THANKFUL....

For the newest addition to our family. 

Sweet, precious little girl.

Happy Thanksgiving!

7 POINT GUIDE TO BEING THE PERFECT MOMMY by Baby Meggie!

Prefaced by Charlene Sands

Motherhood has been known to kick our butts. It’s an ever-evolving process that even the most competent women find challenging. The same holds true for Trish Fontaine in The Cowboy's Pride, an efficient, fashion-conscious publicist, now a new, unexpected mommy. Trish finds herself out of her element when she comes to Red Ridge to divorce her ex-country music star, now-rancher husband. The baby in tow, makes for a quite a threesome. Trish can’t let Clayton Worth melt her resolve, but oh, the way he looks at her four-month old baby is the thing that dreams are made of.

 

Baby Meggie’s 7 Point Guide to Being the Perfect Mommy:

If you warm the bottle before you hand it over, I won’t let out a blood-curdling scream.

I need a diaper change as soon as I wake up. I don’t like to make a mess. It’s no fun for me either.

You don’t need to creep down the road when I'm in the car. Just drive the speed limit. I promise I’ll sleep most of the way.

You don’t have to hold me all the time. I like to roll and explore.

Take me on a stroll, I like to see Red Ridge Ranch and all the animals, especially the horses.

Kiss the man with the soft thoughtful eyes already, Mommy. He looks nice.

Don’t panic – I will love you no matter what, even when you make mistakes … I promise.

Coming Soon -- Harlequin Historical Authors Holiday Giveaway!!



Enter every day starting on November 29th to December 22nd



WIN A KINDLE FIRE! 

Or any of a number of great prizes. 

Visit me here on December 1st!

COUNTRY MUSIC AND ME !

SKIP ON OVER TO THE PETTICOATS AND PISTOLS BLOG.

BRAD PAISLEY AND CARRIE UNDERWOOD
CMA AWARDS HOSTS

I'M THERE TODAY TALKING ABOUT COUNTRY MUSIC!  GIVING AWAY A COPY OF THE COWBOY'S PRIDE TOO!

THE REVIEWS ARE IN:

The Cowboy's Pride


OFFICIAL REVIEW
Romance Reviews Today


Book Reviewed by JV (reviewer)

4 ****


If you have a passion for cowboys, you'll love the hero of THE COWBOY'S PRIDE. Clay is everything a cowboy should be: hard-working, loyal, passionate, and a man of few words. Yet he shows his tender side in the way he behaves when his estranged wife blindsides him with a big surprise. I love a wounded hero, and this one fills the bill.

Clay's deepest desire is to fulfill the vow he made to his dying father to work the ranch, have children to cherish, and keep the Worth lineage and legacy going strong. That's been hard to do, though, since his wife Trish hasn't lived with him for a year. She is on her way home now to finalize a divorce and work her fundraising magic for a charitable cause they developed together. So imagine his surprise when she emerges from a cab with a baby in tow -- a baby who isn't his!

For 16 years, Clay Worth was a mega-watt country singing sensation in addition to having grown up as a cowboy on his father's ranch. In fact, he met Trish at a black-tie function in Nashville, literally bowling her over but catching her before she hit the floor. That was it for Clay. He was determined to have her, but she made him work hard to win her over before she finally agreed to marry him. Once they married, he hung up his stardom and his playboy ways and never looked back as he settled into life as a rancher and a husband.

Despite their love for each other and their mutual devotion to developing Penny's Song, a place on Worth land where children recovering from devastating illnesses can go to get their bearings before having to return to their normal lives, Clay and Trish butted heads often and loudly. Trish was not ready to have the children that Clay wanted. She was several years younger than Clay and wanted to focus on building her career as a publicist first. She also had unresolved issues from having grown up with a brother who had cancer and required all of his parents' attention, leaving Trish feeling as though she were always an afterthought. However, she loved her husband and was determined to get their marriage back on good footing, until the night she came home early and found him seemingly cozied up with a widowed neighbor who made it clear that she could give Clay everything he wanted. Trish had run back to Nashville that night and never returned -- until now.

Then Karin, a close friend of Trish's who'd been widowed recently, learned she was pregnant. Between her grief and an illness that she just couldn't overcome, Karin passed away shortly after Meggie was born, having elicited Trish's promise that she'd take Meggie and love her as her own if anything happened to Karin.

Now, Trish must spend some time on the ranch with Clay becoming familiar with how Penny's Song operates and designing the gala fundraising event that she'd promised to work on all while protecting her baby and her own heart from falling for her husband again. Despite all that has passed between them, Trish still has feelings for Clay, but she can't forgive him or see how they can rebuild their life together. Though he's furious over her abandonment, Clay still loves Trish, and their passion has not dimmed as a result of their separation. He can't see his way to forgiving her for falsely accusing him and walking out on their marriage -- or for denying him a child and then showing up with one. So, is finalizing the divorce their only answer, or can they find their way back to one another?

Charlene Sands does a fine job of letting the reader see each of the characters' insecurities and wounds, even when they can't show them to each other. Over the course of their working together, as they give in to the inevitable and overwhelming passion between them, we can easily see that their deep feelings for each other are still there, if only they can let down their guards a little bit.


As she tends to do, Ms. Sands has written a hero who is strong and hard-working and, outwardly, tough. Yet, he is tender and accepting of the baby and, though he tries not to show it, totally vulnerable to the wife he still loves. In my mind, I pictured a younger Sam Elliott as Clay with the rough voice and tough but tender persona. Her heroine has to come to understand her own fears and motivations in order to become a stronger and more confident person who is willing to risk reaching for what she really wants.


Ms. Sands described the ranch and the Red Ridge Mountains so that I could see the dust rising from the horses' hooves and feel the warmth of the sunset as I read. I very much enjoyed reading about this strong, stoic cowboy and the woman and child who stole his heart.

Cool New Banners and NEW Cowboy's Pride Contest!!

I have 2 new banners!!  I think they came out great!!
And a NEW CONTEST is cooking on my website.

Let me know how you like the banners AND please be sure to enter my contest! You could win Brighton Bling and a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Go to the Win Stuff page on www.charlenesands.com
Good Luck!!

HALLOWEEN FUN - SPOOKTACULAR CONTEST!

Win an Amazon Gift Card at Fresh Fiction

Click here!!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Yes, it's October and along with gorgeous fall foliage, carved pumpkins, cinammon-spice lattes and Halloween Trick or Treaters, comes BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.

I have to give kudos to Jason Aldean for donating the proceeds of his sixth annual Concert for the Cure to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation.  He raised an impressive $315,000 and provided local commuities in the Virginia area with free mamograms.

Ladies - have you gotten your yearly mammogram this year?  No more excuses, make that appointment, okay?

And be sure to do your monthly self-exams. It's important! If you need a helpful reminder how-to, go to: http://ww5.komen.org/breastcancer/breastselfexam.html

I don't know any family who hasn't been affected in some way by breast cancer.  I have close friends and family members who are survivors.  I can't say enough about their courage and bravery.    I have also lost a cousin to breast cancer. 

The fight goes on.  

The best thing we can do to battle this disease is to stay informed, get your yearly check-up, do self exams and lower your risks.  

For more info go to:
http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/


  

New Contest at Fresh Fiction!!

Would you like to win an Amazon Gift Card and a copy of one of my books?  I'll be holding a contest at Fresh Fiction every month until the end of the year. 

Hope you stop by!!  

HELP! I'M DROWNING IN NEW TV SHOWS!!

I don't know about you, but this September I made myself a solemn promise NOT to watch any more TV than I can possibly hold on two (2!) DVR's.  There isn't enough hours in the day for viewing EVERYTHING I'd like to try. 

After a full day of writing, and Facebooking, Tweeting and blogging, I'm ready to hang up my keyboard and vegg out in front of the boob tube.  Forget my soap opera --I've been faithfully watching for 30 years - I can't squeeze that one in anymore.  So I tape it, then scan through different storylines.  You know what they say about soaps, you only have to watch once a week, to know what's happening. Things do not move rapidly. My proof - the stars on the show don't have wardrobe changes but once a week, usually.  Which means that one week in human time = one day of soap time!

My die-hard favorites, I can't do without are:

Castle  - how could I not? He's a writer!

Dancing With the Stars - hasn't gotten old for me. I smile the entire time I'm watching

The Mentalist.  Love the premise of the show and the characters.  Cute star in Simon Baker.

Hawaii Five-O - love the remake, McGarrett and Dano solve crimes in landscapes to die for. Again cute star and co-star.

Modern Family - I'm in awe of the comedic writing!  I love to laugh out loud with this one.

Parenthood - Really grabbed me last season and I love that family, quirky as they are!

.

Justified - simply can't wait for the new season to begin. Gritty, gorgeous and compelling!







I have given up on some due to lack of time and creativity (sorry to the fans of these shows)

Grey's Anatomy

The Biggest Loser

Private Practice

Two and a Half Men ( I might give it another try.  Love the supporting cast, miss Charlie's character)

Desperate Housewives  (trying to hang on for the final season)

Trying New:

Terra Nova (Avatar, Land of the Lost and Jurassic Park all in one! I'm a Jason O'Mara fan since Life on Mars)

Unforgettable - Interesting premise

Up All Night -  the jury's still out on this one

So what about you?  What shows are you loyal to? What shows disappointed you this season and which new shows are you enjoying?

MONDAY INSPIRATION

IT'S WHAT YOU SCATTER

 I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes... I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.


I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.


Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.


 'Hello Barry, how are you today?'


 'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good.'


'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'


'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'


 'Good. Anything I can help you with?'


'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.'


 'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.


'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'


 'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'


 'All I got's my prize marble here.'


 'Is that right? Let me see it', said Miller.


'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'


 'I can see that. Hmm mmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.


 'Not zackley but almost.'


 'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy.



 'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller

 Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.


 With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.


 When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.


 I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

 Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

 Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket.

Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes..

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.

 They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt.'

 'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho ..'

 With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

 

*****

We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself...

 An unexpected phone call from an old friend.... Green stoplights on your way to work....

The fastest line at the grocery store....

A good sing-along song on the radio...

 Your keys found right where you left them.

My CAT...My trusty companion, my sidekick!

Skittles is always by my side.  In the picture she's waiting for me to start writing. She knows my routine.  

Luckily, right now, she's sleeping up on the desk. But when she gets frisky, she likes to play with the keyboard.

I get {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{  or  """"""""""""""""on my work in progress when she's too fast for me.

Sometimes, she swats at my hands to make me stop what I'm doing and pet her. (She is a devil)

See, she has a sidekick too.  A little Mini-Me of herself!!

What's your pet up to these days?

My Baby Connection and a Giveaway by Charlene Sands

Okay, so I'm a little early, but I love my December cover sooooo much!  Hunky cowboy and adorable baby...does it get any better?   Yes, there are horses in the background too!! 

Stop by Petticoats and Pistols today to read about what I have in common with this cover!!

I have a giveaway over there too.

http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com/

WHAT PETS WRITE IN THEIR DIARIES!

(With special thanks to my cuz, Maria, for sending this to me)

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary......

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!

9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!

9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!

10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!

1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!


Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary...

Day 983 of my captivity...
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.

Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of.

However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now.