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!!

Welcome to my Housewarming!

Check out all the new rooms in my home away from home! Hope you enjoy browsing through the pages on my redesigned site!

Don't forget to stop by the Win Stuff page ... two chances to win some really great prizes!

Stop by my Heroes and Hunks page too ... the first installment is up with hot pictures of my favorite hero!!

See you there!

COWBOY UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE CONTEST!

Who wouldn't want this cowboy under their holiday tree?

He'll be delivering grand prizes from all the authors at Wildflower Junction! Your holiday gift includes signed Christmas books, Special Edition Young Guns DVD, homemade earrings, Holiday napkins, Christmas ornaments, Lenox candle,glitzy baubles and much more!

Contest Ends December 6th

Go to http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com to enter!!

DRENCH YOURSELF IN DESIRE CONTEST!

"DRENCH YOURSELF IN DESIRE" BOOK SHOWER IS ON!

STARTING THE 1ST OF AUGUST, WE'LL BE ENTERING EACH ONE OF OUR COMMENTORS INTO A POOL AND AT THE END OF THE MONTH WE'LL BE FISHING OUT A WINNER!

IT'S THAT EASY. YOU COULD WIN A DOZEN OR MORE AUTOGRAPHED BOOKS FROM YOUR FAVORITE DESIRE AUTHORS! COME ON AND GET YOUR FEET WET!!

VISIT OUR DESIRE BLOG TO COMMENT DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST!

*** TEXAN'S WEDDING-NIGHT WAGER IS #4 ON eHARLEQUIN'S BESTSELLER LIST!!

It's my day at Petticoats and Pistols

Stop on by! We have a brand new Contest up and running.
And don't forget to post a comment.
We're talking WEDDINGS!

www.petticoatsandpistols.com

Contest Ending today!

My Suite Valentine's Contest ends today! I'll be posting the winner's name and starting a new contest soon! So check back.

Thanks to all of you who entered. Good luck!

Loves Western Romances

Voting has begun for the Best Western Romance of 2008!

Western Weddings, my anthology with Kate Bridges and Jillian Hart has been nominated!

If you cast your vote, you'll be eligible to win a very nice prize from their site. Vote here and good luck!

Short and Suite News!!

The Brand New Suite Secrets Contest is up and running!!

Check it out and be sure to get your copy of Do Not Disturb Until Christmas!

It's almost crunch time - and soon I'll have a married daughter! I've been a little busy these past few weeks, but I'll be blogging regularly after the wedding. I promise pictures! Think of me on Saturday!

Suite Secrets Grand Prize Contest Ending Monday

Please check back on Monday to see if you're our Grand Prize winner. Special thanks to all of you who entered those marvelous hotel stories.

I hope you enjoy Five-Star Cowboy and look for Code Landon's book coming November in
Do Not Disturb Until Christmas!

Join me today at Petticoats and Pistols!

You could win this out of print and

hard to find book!

www.petticoatsandpistols.com

Suite Secrets Book Winner! MEGAN

It's getting harder and harder to pick a favorite. So many of your hotel stories are amazing. Remember you're still entered in the drawing in September and you can submit more than one story!

Thanks for all those remarkable tales, but this time the signed book goes to: MEGAN

Choose from one of these choices then contact me at Charlenesands@hotmail.com :

Heiress Beware (Desire)

The Corporate Raiders Revenge (Desire - prequel to Suite Secrets)

Fortune's Vengeful Groom (Desire and winner of Booksellers Best Award)Taming the Texan (Western - Knight in Shining Silver honor)

Bodine's Bounty (Western - Nominated for Booksellers Best Award)

or any other from my available backlist of books.

All who post are entered into the random drawing for the Victoria Secret Gift Card and Secret Prize!

Check out the Contest Page for details!

STOP BY AND SEE ME AT PETTICOATS AND PISTOLS TODAY WHEN I BLOG ABOUT TRUE LOVE ... WHAT IT REALLY MEANS!

HERE IT IS... SUITE SECRETS CONTEST!

Have you ever gotten stuck in an elevator in a hotel? Have you ever been in a hotel black-out? Any hotel mishaps? Met your other half in the hotel pool or gym?

Celebrating the launch of Five-Star Cowboy set in Tempest West Hotel, the first of the Suite Secrets mini-series, we're holding this blog contest!

Simply post any fun/intriguing/harrowing/romantic adventures that has happened to you in a hotel! Every so often I'll be picking a favorite and sending out autographed books.

Then in September, all hotel blog comments will go into a random drawing for a Grand Prize of a $25.00 Victoria Secret Gift Certificate AND a Secret Prize.

Remember you have to blog here to be entered!!

I want to hear your stories!

Must Love Handbags!!

Isn't this a great cover? It's my friend, Dorothy Howell's first mystery series starting with Handbags and Homicide available now!

You won't want to miss it! Dorothy, aka Judith Stacey with Harlequin, writes with humor and always gives the reader a satisfying ending. And better yet, if you visit her site you can enter her wonderful contest.

She's giving away a gorgeous, new Coach Handbag to the winner.
Imagine that! Click on Handbags!

Here's a little about the story:
When Haley Randolph's passion for designer purses outlasts her credit cards, her life goes from glam to grim as she's forced to work at a mid-market department store. There she finds the ultimate fashion victim--
face-down in lingerie, stone-cold dead. Haley must find a killer with impeccable taste... before time runs out!

http://www.dorothyhowellnovels.com/

I know you'll enjoy!!

What I'm Reading!

It's June and that means a new Stephanie Plum adventure by Janet Evanovich. It's Fearless Fourteen this year!

I'm hooked. I love the Steph, Cupcake, Babe. I love chuckling out loud every few minutes, but mostly I love her relationships. With Lula -- what a character. Grandma Mazur, I didn't have a grandmom like her, that's for sure!

I love Stephanie's relationship with the ever dangerous Ranger. But mostly, I love a good romance and that means sexy, lovable, gorgeous Joe Morelli! It's always been Joe for me.

Sometimes, after 14 books in a series, the stories can seem redundant, the character's growth might seem mimimal and the relationships can get dull. I've read some negative reviews, but Fearless is #10 on Amazon right now, and that means that LOTS of readers enjoy her books still.

Me included.

I wait patiently each summer, for the release of another installment in the Stephanie Plum chronicles. What about you? Are you a fan and if not, have I sparked your interest?

It's my turn to blog on Friday, June 27th at Petticoats.

I have a fun prize for commentors! I hope to see you there!

Writer's Block Anyone? -- Contest Continues

I've never experienced it before, so when it happened to me, my nerves went raw. When the ideas don't flow, when I can't think up a plot, when my characters aren't aren't talking to me, their lips sealed and I can't get into their heads that's writer's block and it's what makes my heart race like crazy.

Not in a good way.

It's been days of me trying to work out a plot. And I think to myself "Tonight, I'm gonna sit my butt down and finish the synopsis. I won't go to bed, until I do."

Three attempts later, I find myself lying on the sofa, eyes shut, trying to sort out my character's conflicts. I'm close, I know I am, but it's not working. My partner in crime and masterful plotter, my husband tries to help. He's great coming up with ideas. He's great to bounce ideas off of, but nothing's working. My head clouds up. I can't think. Nothing's coming and everything's coming, all at once.

I console myself. Start on the synopsis, get something down. Didn't Nora Roberts say to put garbage on the page, then fix it?

Finally it dawns on me. I'm trying too hard. I need a break. It's been 21 books over 10 years of writing and for the past three years, back to back to back and double deadlines. Maybe I need a break. I need to free up my mind. I don't mean a vacation, because writers know that even when we're on vacation, we're writing in our heads, accessing situations for suitable storylines, noticing surroundings and people -- it's obsessive, it ridiculous and it's wonderful. For most of us, it's truly what we were meant to do.

Most writers are compulsive and if I may, slightly neurotic. There's always the devil in your head questioning you, what if I can't do it anymore? What if I am fresh out of ideas forever?

So, I backed off. I didn't think about writing. I read a book, (always good for inspiration). I went for frozen yogurt, did normal things, got away to the beach, tried not to think at all. I freed up my mind. I didn't press. I didn't demand.

And guess what? The story came to me. It uncluttered in my mind and I saw the characters for who they are. I have the story now. It's there and it's exciting and I'm over the block and the panic. I never thought it would happen to me. It's wasn't pretty. My husband was great, comforting and tried to help. The support meant so much.

So now I'm off- to finish the synopsis and start my story. I'm back in the saddle. It's where I'm supposed to be.

Remember --contest continues: Post why you think Men Are Happy People from Monday's blog and you'll be entered into a drawing on Friday!

A Monday Morning Funny-- Contest Continues

Men Are Just Happier People

(For women who love and write about men- for men who want to smile this morning)

What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves.

Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant.

You can wear a white T-shirt to a waterpark. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth.

The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.

Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Graying hair adds attraction. Wedding dress~$5000. Tux rental~$100.

People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars.

You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck. You can play with toys all your life.

Your belly usually hides your big hips. One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier!

Random Drawing! Which one of these do you agree or disagree with most? Do you have another one to add to the list? Your post will enter you into my last weekly August Blog contest. You'll win a free autographed book from my list of available titles and Harlequin/Silhouette Coupons worth $5.00. Good luck!

7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE YOU A BETTER WRITER- Contest Continues

7 Things You Need To Know to Make You a Better Writer -- Getting Summer Write! Contest Continues Below...

1. Always trust your OWN instincts. Critique partners are great sources for other sets of eyes and ears, but ultimately it's your story and your career. Always listen with an open mind - then go with your gut.

2. Put your work aside for a few days -- take a breather or start on something else. Then go back to read your story. Ask yourself and be brutal -- Would I Want to Read this Story? Then ask yourself Why or Why Not?

3. If you feel your "middle" is lagging, STOP! Write down 20 Things That Will Happen in the Story. They can be silly or serious - then draw a FEW ideas from those twenty and get back to writing your story. ie: Blow something up, burn something down, someone unexpected shows up, natural disaster, the circus comes to town, there's a murder, etc. Force yourself to put 20 things down on paper. Think about your characters and how your new ideas work in the story.


4. Try to let go of your internal editor. Go for broke. Make your story edgy. Be Brave. Be Daring. Be Bold. Then read the scenes you've written and pull back the reins a bit if you need to. It's far better than writing "safe". The most memorable stories are ones that fill the reader with a sense of surprise, wonder and shock.

5. Remember that Good Storytelling is a must. Beautiful prose fill the pages and if you can do both, great. But ultimately it's the story that wins out.


6. Remember to keep your "voice" constant. Too much voice can cloud the story just as much as too little voice kills the story. Keep your style fresh, open and honest. Don't mimic. Finding your voice is freeing.


7. Remember writing is your passion! When you struggle, think of it as a challenge, not a chore. You have a gift that you share with others. You should love the process and enjoy the journey. You're the creator of your own destiny. It's the best job in the world!


Contest Continues .... so who do you suppose sat right behind me while I was watching Bourne Identity? (Hint: he was the guest/singer on American Idol and also a great songwriter) Keep guessing here and I'll post the name on Friday.

The Bourne Ultimatum - Getting Summer Write and Contest continues...

Are you one of the 70 million who saw this movie this weekend? What did you think? How would you compare it to the first and second movie? If you're a fan-- and I am, I really like Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. He's perfect for the role - well, he created it after all. And I liked the whole premise - that his identity was taken from him and he's fighting to stay one step ahead of the people trying to kill him.

So why am I writing about this movie today and not talking about writing per se? Well, I am -- really. I walked out of this movie with a small sense of satisfaction that ,"Ah, okay- now I know why he was being chased and why they want to kill him." But I was left totally unsatisfied in other ways. A good book can do that to you too. It can answer all the questions, satisfy your curiosity, but at the same time, not really leave you feeling like you got your money's worth.

Perhaps there are many who would say that the 3rd Bourne movie is the best. I'd have to disagree. Why? Because there was no heart and soul to this movie. I had 2 movie's worth of time and expectation invested here and I wanted more. There was a scant amount of dialogue. The movie-goer never got "involved" with Bourne. He hardly spoke to anyone. Every time I thought he might come close to displaying his emotions, to letting us know what he was feeling, to getting close to someone, another long-lasting action scene ensued. The director felt it necessary to jar the camera so much (to display the gripping stunts and action realistically) I had to turn away. It hurt my eyes to watch. Those incredible stunts were fast and furious and hardly recognizable. And it wasn't just my take on it -- others in the theatre felt the same way. So for the 3rd installment we get lots and lots of rapid action, fight scenes, but very little plot, very little emotion. If I hadn't seen the first 2 movies, I wouldn't have known anything about Jason Bourne. And I probably wouldn't have cared about him.

There needs to be some down time in a movie, where the movie-goer can take a breath, get to know the character, feel what he feels, to truly get involved. The same holds true for a good book. This goes hand in hand with the last two weeks where we've talked about character and emotion. Let us see "who" the character is, what he wants, what his motivation is, through dialogue and interaction with other characters and introspection. Let us "feel" what he feels. To do that, the writer has to let emotions speak for the character. That involvement was missing in this movie. At least for me. But it ended well, answered questions and because I'd seen the other two, this sequel held up. But it could have been much better.

When writing, that's the ultimate goal -- to make your story the best that it can be.

Contest - Guess who sat directly behind me in the theatre when I was watching the Bourne Ultimatum? (Hint: male singer who was a guest vocalist/instructor to the American Idols Top Ten this season)

Win a Book from my backlist of Available titles if you guess correctly.

Be Sure to check back on Friday when I post the winner.

Getting Summer Write - Emotion/Blog Contest

I was thrilled to have received this wonderful inscribed marble plaque last week for winning the 2006 National Readers' Choice Award for Bunking Down with the Boss. It was unexpected and quite an honor because of all the books I've written thus far, this one ranks up there with highly-packed EMOTION.

And for fun, I'll be running a weekly CONTEST about the Writing Topic of the Week. This week it's emotion -- so all you have to do is post here Monday through Friday about what book you've read recently or in the past that really hit you hard with emotion. What emotions did the book evoke and why?

One winner will be picked randomly from your comments and I'll send out a signed Bunking Down with the Boss, or any other of my available titles you'd like. Read the blog all week and I'll post the winners on Friday.

I'll go first. I just finished Susan Mallery's SIZZLING. It was a great story about a famous jock baseball player and his grandmother's nurse, a sort of plain Jane. Susan has a way to suck you right into the story immediately with intriguing characters that you instantly care about. Why? Well the heroine has lived all her life envying her "perfect" sister and as a result, she feels inferior. It's something we can relate to on a very elemental basis. We've all known someone close to us,that seemed to have it all. But our heroine isn't a wilting flower - she's good at her job, feisty and takes no bull from the handsome hunk who's had women adoring him all of his life.

Immediately our hero sees something different in the heroine. And she makes him sees that living the good life, isn't good enough. Through her, he believes he can be a better man. There's heart tugging emotion when we learn the "perfect" sister is dying and the sacrifices our heroine makes because of her love of the sister she'd always envyed. There's a scene in the story that is so heartbreaking, that I talked myself out of crying, "I'm okay. I can handle this." But the words and the emotion evoked were too much for me and soon I found tears running down my face. And just minutes later into the story, I'm cheering and happy again. That's the benchmark for a good story - make the reader feel emotion, make it real and make it believable.

When writing a story, put your whole heart into it. Dig deep inside and flesh out all the emotions you can. An easy way to do this is to really "know" your main characters. Know who they are and what's most important to them. Feel what they feel, see what they see. Know their perceptions and what's underneath the facade that they show to the outside world. Most often when I see unpublished works the key element missing in the story is that, I don't care. I don't care about the character. I don't care about what they want in life. I don't care to continue reading the story.

Putting a level of emotion in the story from the very beginning is fundamental. The opening line or opening few paragraphs should give the reader a real clear sense of who the characters are - on an emotional level. Emotion shouldn't be resigned to just dialogue. Put it in description, narrative action and certainly in introspection. Think about some amazing opening lines of books you've read. Didn't they make you want to read the entire book in one sitting? This is Susan's opening line in Sizzling. Note how it immediately tells you something about the hero and the line makes you want to continue reading to find out more. "Until six forty-five that Thursday morning, women had always loved Reid Buchanan. "

Okay, we've all known men like Reid Buchanon, right? But what happened to him that day? Why did everything change for him? The author's next few witty paragraphs go into detail about Reid's life to date, very briefly, but immediately we feel something about this man. We've already formed an opinion about him. That's a good thing. We care.

So what book have you read lately that evoked a good deal of emotion in you? Why? Remember to post here and check back during the week.

Next up on the blog: More on emotion! Contest continues...

Contest at Romance Junkies and more

I'm happy to announce that Pam Pellini was the winner of my Valentine Contest at Romance Junkies. Pam received an autographed copy of Fortune's Vengeful Groom and a beautiful red heart beaded necklace.

Check back soon when I announce my next contest at Romance Junkies and don't forget to enter my Fortune's Vengeful Groom Contest II. You still have time. Contest ends on May 1st!

BTW-- my page at Myspace is growing in leaps and bounds. If you're on Myspace, stop on over to say hello. www.myspace.com/charlenesands .