May Happenings!

I'd like to thank everyone who stopped by our week-long blog at Romance Vagabonds with Harlequin Mills and Boon. We shared lots of information, had some fun contests and Q and A with Senior Editor, Linda Fildew and Joanne Carr. Our Western Day was headed up by Lisa Plumley, Kathryn Albright and Charlene Sands (me).

This month, amid the wedding plans for my daughter, choosing invitations and sizing dresses, appropriately our Western Wedding Anthology has been released! We're garnering some very nice reviews and it's a chance to read stories from multi-talented writers, Kate Bridges and Jillian Hart as well. I hope you enjoy this trio of stories!

Another fun happening is a month-long appearance on Coffee Time Romance for a May Reader's Retreat with six great authors from Petticoats and Pistols. There'll be prizes, blogs and I'll be talking about Westerns and my brand-new Suite Secrets Series from Silhouette Desire. Wait until you see the cover for Five Star Cowboy!! Oh, and we have titles for the next two books in the series, Do Not Disturb Until Christmas (Nov 08)and Reserved for the Tycoon (Feb 09)


Another May Happening is the Brenda Novak Diabetes Auction. There's so many great items up for bid on this auction, including vacations and electronics, critiques from authors and editors and tons of BOOKS! The authors at Pettiocats have donated a pretty cool gift tote filled with goodies. It's a great cause - all proceeds going to Diabetes Research.

I hope you have a wonderful May filled with love and flowers and romance!!

Happy Trails and Happy Reading!
Charlene Sands
Bold, rugged, heart-stopping heroes... and always real good men!

Brenda Novak's Diabetes Auction

Take a look at this great prize the Fillies in Wildflower Junction put together. All proceeds of this fabulous auction go to Diabetes Research.

To take a peek at all auction items, click here.

If you'd like to bid on this Western Loot, it's under Gift Baskets,

Item #979026

Romance Vagabonds Celebrates Harlequin Historicals

It's Harlequin Historical Week at Romance Vagabonds!

Please join in the fun all week long.

On Wednesday I'll be blogging with Lisa Plumley and Kathryn Albright for Western Day! There'll be book giveaways and Q and A you won't want to miss. Come visit me!

Romance Vagabonds

Here's some neat info about Mills and Boon !

Celebrating 100 years of pure reading pleasure :

In 2008, Mills & Boon celebrates a century as one of the most enduringly popular brand names in publishing.

Over the past 100 years the Mills & Boon imprint has become synonymous with romantic fiction and today is part of Harlequin, the world’s largest publisher of romance fiction.

* Gerald Mills and Charles Boon founded Mills & Boon Limited in 1908 and opened offices in London’s Covent Garden. Since then, Mills & Boon has become a hallmark for romantic fiction, recognised around the world.*

Mills & Boon is now part of Harlequin Enterprises, a global company who sell over 130 million books worldwide each year.* Published in 26 different languages and sold in 109 countries.* Global author base of 1,300, of which approximately 200 are acquired through the UK office.

Harlequin Mills & Boon is a UK Top 10 adult fiction publisher.

10 million books sold each year in the UK, of which over 7 million are romance novels.*

A Mills & Boon book is sold in the UK every 3 seconds.* UK monthly readership over 1.3 million.*

Mills & Boon series books are released in 2 shipping cycles each month (the first and third Friday of the month) and have a one month shelf life.

More than 60 titles published every month in the UK including 50+ brand-new series titles.

In the past 50 years, our characters have had: 10,325 weddings, 29,500 kisses and 35,250 hugs (figs from UK Editorial-Acquisition).

“Mills & Boon” is in the Oxford English Dictionary meaning “a (type of) popular romantic novel”.

Thanks to Diane Gaston, Joanne Carr, and all the fabulous Harlequin Historical authors for making this celebration possible!

Blogging Today at Petticoats

Come see what I have to say about The Biggest Loser!

Petticoats and Pistols

A Good Cause from the AHA

This story touched me. As you might know I'm a member of the American Heart Association and teach CPR at local hospitals. The Amercian Heart Association and its donations have helped so many children.

CREATE HOPE for millions of Americans like Caroline!
When our daughter, Caroline, was born on February 9, 2006, we were so excited to welcome her to our lives. Our excitement was quickly overwhelmed with fear when we learned that Caroline was born with a hole in her heart. At five days old she had surgery to repair that hole in her heart.

The surgery was a great success and by mid-April, Caroline was home and healthy. She is now a strong and determined little girl. Hope is a reality for us and it wouldn't have been possible without the life-saving research advances funded by the American Heart Association.
Living through the experience of our newborn child's heart condition discovery, surgery and recovery showed us that we are truly blessed. Her experience creates hope for thousands of other parents of children born with congenital heart defects.

Please take a few minutes today to join us in creating hope for others by joining the American Heart Association's Million Dollar Day campaign and pledging your support! Our contributions will create hope for others in the research discoveries we fund.
Mark, Shari and Caroline Busby

Create Hope by forwarding this email to your friends and family!

Romance Blossoms .. Announcing the release of Western Weddings

WESTERN WEDDINGS

Rocky Mountain Bride by Jillian Hart

Savannah Knowles arrives in Montana expecting to marry Nate Brooks, but he has never heard of her! Can this quiet man find room in his heart for lonely Savannah?

Shotgun Vows by Kate Bridges

Milly Thornbottom has a crush on Mountie Weston Williams, and one stolen kiss changes their lives! After they're marched straight to the altar, can her crush possibly develop into more?

Springville Wife by Charlene Sands

Grace Lander returns to Springville to pick up the pieces of her life and become the town's schoolmarm. Single father Caleb Matlock's kiss may be just what Grace needs to mend her heart and make a home!

If you like hunky mishievous heroes with a twinkle in their eyes, then you'll love Caleb Matlock. The town of Springville holds a big batch of secrets that only his love can reveal.

*This is my first ever anthology and I loved writing this story.

Available in Bookstores in May

Available on Eharlequin NOW!

Jewish Buddaism

From my friend Debbie.
Thanks for sharing!

If there is no self, whose arthritis is this?

Be here now.Be someplace else later.
Is that so complicated?

Drink tea and nourish life;
with the first sip, joy;
with the second sip, satisfaction;
with the third sip, peace;
with the fourth, a Danish.

Wherever you go, there you are.
Your luggage is another story.

Accept misfortune as a blessing.
Do not wish for perfect health, or a life without problems.
What would you talk about?

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Oy.

There is no escaping karma.

In a previous life, you never called, you never wrote, you never visited.
And whose fault was that?

Zen is not easy.
It takes effort to attain nothingness.
And then what do you have?
Bupkis.

The Tao does not speak.
The Tao does not blame.
The Tao does not take sides.
The Tao has no expectations.
The Tao demands nothing of others.
The Tao is not Jewish.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Forget this and attaining Enlightenment will be the least of your problems.

Let your mind be as a floating cloud.
Let your stillness be as a wooded glen.
And sit up straight.
You'll never meet the Buddha with such rounded shoulders.

Deep inside you are ten thousand flowers.
Each flower blossoms ten thousand times.
Each blossom has ten thousand petals.
You might want to see a specialist.

Be aware of your body.
Be aware of your perceptions.
Keep in mind that not every physical sensation is a symptom of a terminal illness.

The Torah says,Love your neighbor as yourself.

The Buddha says, There is no self.
So, maybe we're off the hook.

My new love!

Come on over to Pistols and Petticoats today (Friday)to see about my new love! Win a signed book from my backlist and this metal art bookmark from Arizona!

The Cure for Spring Fever !

This from Eharlequin this week.

I'm pleased to see Taming the Texan included!

Top 10 Books That Cure Spring Fever

1. Taming the Texan by Charlene Sands

2. The Blackmail Baby by Penny Jordan

3. The Sheikh's Convenient Virgin by Trish Morey

4. A Risky Affair by Maureen Smith

5. Naughty Paris by Jina Bacarr

6. The Spanish Aristocrat's Woman by Katherine Garbera

7. Dark Seduction by Kathleen Korbel

8. The Italian's Seduction by Karen Van Der Zee

9. Operation: Rescue by Anne Woodard

10. Sealed with a Kiss by Carly Phillips

Buy any 6 featured books and get 2 additional titles FREE with our Spring Fever offer!

Midnight Bride

Here's my friend Tanya's book. I hope you get a chance to read this story, it's great! She's also giving a chance at a free copy.

Read on:

Broke and alone, Carrie Smith vows to hold on to her ramshackle West Texas ranch. Once she locates her late granddaddy’s will, she’s sure to find a way out of the predicament his gambling debts have thrust on her.

She sure doesn’t expect a handsome stranger showing up in Sweetcream, bearing legal documents forcing their marriage by midnight tonight. Carrie must take on cowboy Jed Jones—and his full pocketbook—or lose her ranch.

All Jed wants is the land rightfully due him. And to find out if his beautiful bride’s father killed his own.

Coffee Time Romance calls Midnight Bride a four-cup “Outstanding Great Read.”

Midnight Bride is available now at http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/midnightbride.htm

To win a free copy in your choice of formats, enter “Carrie’s Crypto Contest.” Details at http://www.tanyahanson.net/ Deadline March 31

Visit Tanya at her website, blog or MySpace.

http://www.tanyahanson.net/
www.myspace.com/tanyahansonbooks
http://tanyahanson.blogspot.com

Humor For Lexophiles ... that's lovers of words.

From my friend Mary who knows I'm a lover of words!


I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.



Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.



Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.



The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.



The butcher backed up into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.



To write with a broken pencil is pointless.



When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.



The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.



A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.



A thief fell and broke his leg in wet cement. He became a hardened criminal.



Thieves who steal corn from a garden could be charged with stalking.



We'll never run out of math teachers because they always multiply



When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A. (how true!)



The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it.



The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.



The dead batteries were given out free of charge. (clever)



If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.



A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail. (corny!)



A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.



A will is a dead giveaway.



Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.



A backward poet writes inverse.



In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.



A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.



If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.



With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.



Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner. (when would you ever see that?)



He had a photographic memory which was never developed



When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall



Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.



Acupuncture: a jab well done.

MyTop Ten Favorite Shows this Season

When I'm pooped and a little burned out from writing, reading, researching and promoting, these are the television shows that entertain me. These are the shows I watch when I need to vegge out. These are the shows that I DVR when I'm not home.

See how many of these you enjoy.
I'm rating them in order of importance to me.

1. Lost ( I don't miss an episode and haven't since the beginning)

2. American Idol ( I will admit to fast forwarding thru Paula's comments at times)

3. The Biggest Loser ( I like Alison Sweeney from Days and tuned in just to see her, but wound up being a big fan of the show. Very informative health tips and work outs. I'm learning a lot. I do love the weigh-ins.)

4. Celebrity Apprentice ( I'm not a Donald fan, but like the show, mainly because of Trace Atkins and the others who have diverse dynamics)

5. Desperate Housewives ( A fan from inception and miss it terribly)

6. Men In Trees ( There's something about that show, great characters)

7. One Tree Hill (family ties here and a very good show)

8. Numbers ( very underrated show, great characters and plots)

9. Deal or No Deal ( I like game shows and Howie makes me laugh)

10. Martha Stewart ( love cooking and craft shows )

I'm also blogging today at Petticoats and Pistols.

Stop by for a visit!

And now for the commercial...

If you want added savings to all of your purchases at Eharlequin from now until March 12, use this code.

Maybe, you'll even pick up Taming the Texan as one of your sale items. Click here to my site and click on Eharlequin under the hunky Texan's cover if you'd like the additonal discount. Simply use the code 3DAYSALE when you check out.

I'm always in the mood for a bargain, aren't you?

Happy Reading!

KEEPING HEALTHY - DISPELLING MYTHS

Everyone is very health conscious these days but often we don't know what to believe. What's true and what's not true?

Here's a list of the Top Health Myths that might help us all decide.

Myth 1: Potatoes and bread are fattening.

Actually: It's just the opposite. Starchy vegetables and bread (whole-grain bread, that is) are quality carbs needed to fuel every part of you, from your brain to your muscles. Where you can get into trouble is how you eat them: Smear butter on a slice of whole wheat bread or deep-fry potatoes and you can double, triple, or quadruple their calories.

Myth 2: Drinking a glass of water before a meal curbs appetite.

Actually: Yes and no. Water tames appetite if it's incorporated into food, such as soup or a thick drink (think V8 juice). Apparently, when water is bound to food, digestion is slower, explains Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet. That's why in one study women found chicken-rice soup more satisfying than chicken-rice casserole and a glass of water--even though the soup had 27% fewer calories! One exception to this rule: Because it's easy to confuse hunger and thirst, if you find yourself craving something--but what?--drink a big glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that's what you really wanted.

Myth 3: Shellfish is high in cholesterol.

Actually: On one hand it's true, just three ounces of shrimp deliver more than a third of your daily cholesterol, but there's a surprising flip side to this story: Shrimp are low in saturated fat--the kind that becomes artery-clogging bad cholesterol--and they have a smidgeon of heart-healthy omega-3s. In fact, University of Southern California researchers discovered eating shellfish, such as shrimp, every week reduced heart attack risk by 59%!

Myth 4: The occasional burger and fries won't kill you.

Actually: If "occasional" means every Friday night, then no. But if it means every few months, and you're fit, and you've got good "numbers" (weight, waist size, cholesterol, blood pressure) AND you're chowing down on vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and other nutritious fare most other days, hey, you'll live. But few of us are that perfect. If you do occasionally indulge? Offset the effects of a fat fiesta with a brisk, 90-minute walk afterward.

Myth 5: Women naturally gain weight after menopause.

Actually: While you can blame a lot of things on hormones (from acne to PMS), in this case slowing down physically is far more likely at fault. Study after study has found that older women who exercise regularly and vigorously maintain their girlish figures. What about those charts that say as you get older, you need to eat fewer calories to simply maintain your weight? Same story. The research doesn't show that age (instead of inactivity) accounts for the drop.

Myth 6: Diet soda is worse than the real thing.
Actually: Soft drinks now outrank coffee as America's favorite beverage, but we all would be better off switching to water, diluted juice, and green tea than drinking either diet or regular soda. Both increase kidney and heart disease risk, plus they contain acids that erode tooth enamel, inviting cavities.

Final fact (this one's no myth): Maintaining your weight and body mass index at a desirable level can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

Happy Leap Day!

It's February 29th and here's a bit of news. Back in the day, women had a
chance to choose their mate on leap day. Once every four years, it was considered appropriate for a woman to issue a marriage proposal on February 29th.

Wishing you all a happy Leap Day! I'm blogging today about proposals and weddings so LEAP on over to Petticoats and Pistols.
I'd love to see you there!

American Idle - The girls stalled the show last night.

American Idol- Yes, I do know how to really spell it!

Last week I thought the girls outshined the boys in overall talent. But this week, two performances stood out and they were male vocalists.

I'm calling them the Dueling Davids.

David Hernandez wowed me. I really like his tone and style. I think he's got natural talent that isn't forced. Simon thought he was better than he'd expected, high praise coming from the Kritic King.

But I do agree with Simon, this week the one that topped the charts -- I mean really outsung every one of the contestants, was David Archuleta.

He sang John Lennon's Imagine, and gave me goose bumps! This 17 year old has a truly honest, pure and natural voice that comes across nearly flawlessly. There's a difference between singing the music and feeling the music. David feels the music.

Both Davids site Stevie Wonder as their inspiration.

Simon has it right this time. David Archuleta is the one to beat.

Who's going tonight is anyone's guess.

Gotta watch!

Only Great Minds Can Read This!

I loved this. See if you can do it! and let me know! There are no typos in this. It's how it's supposed to look.

This is weird, but interesting!

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too Cna yuo raed tihs?

Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch atCmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in awrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer bein the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raedit whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed erveylteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and Iawlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year! This morning I woke up to find a lovely note from my husband along with handcut roses from our garden placed in a pretty glass bowl, the rose tops floating on water. It was a lovely surprise and his note, just about made my heart flutter.

It's the little things in life that matter most. It's the love and consideration and kindness we share with our loved ones that make the world go around.

Hug a friend today. Tell someone you love them.

If you have a chance, stop by our Valentine's Day blog at Petticoats and Pistols today for some fun facts, recipes and chat.

I'll be chatting tomorrow all day at Petticoats about Romance In the Movies. Post a comment on Friday and you're entered to win an autographed book.

Have a SWEET Day, my friends!

HUMP DAY FUNNIES

Something to get us over the Wednesday hump! I thought these were very clever.

Philosophies of the Famous

Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself ~~"Lillian, you should have remained a virgin." -- Lillian Carter (mother of Jimmy Carter)

I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: "No good in a bed, but fine against a wall." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

Last week, I stated this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by her sister, and now wish to withdraw that statement. -- Mark Twain

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible. -- George Burns

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year. - - Victor Borge

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. -- Mark Twain

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. -- Socrates

I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury -- Groucho Marx

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat. Alex Levine

I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap. -- Bob Hope

I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it. -- W.C. Fields

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress. -- Will Rogers

Don't worry about avoiding temptation as you grow older, it will avoid you -- Winston Churchill

Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty, but everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out. -- Phyllis Diller

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere. -- Billy Crystal

The cardiologist's diet: If it tastes good, spit it out.

Making Pancakes

Six-year-old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter,opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling iton the floor.He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in mostof a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a flour trail on the floorwhich by now had a few tracks left by the kitten.

Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad.He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn't know how the stove worked! Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas whiteand sticky.And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon 's eyes .

All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking, but his father just watched him.Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process!That's how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend, or we can't stand our job, or our health goes sour.

Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him.But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes" for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried...I was thinking and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that need rekindling or three words needing to be said.Sometimes, "I love you" can heal & bless!

Remind every one of your friends that you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words, a smile, and a reminder like this can do. Just in case I haven't told you lately... I LOVE YA!!! Please pass some of this love on to others. Suppose one morning you were called to God; do all your friends know you love them?

I hope everyone keeps on making pancakes.