Welcome to my Christmas In July Extravaganza

Welcome to my CHRISTMAS IN JULY EXTRAVAGANZA! I’m excited about this event. I have some wonderful prizes to give away, some great writers for you to meet and some yummy recipes to share. On July 4th, I’ll be posting some of my favorite summer recipes and at least on that day, I’ll be asking you to post yours. We may do the recipe exchange other times during the month, too.

So, a little about myself. I’ve been writing since high school, though I can remember having imaginary friends who went on high adventures with me. So, I really think I started ‘writing’ before I knew I was writing. I wrote my first novel in high school, an Armageddon tale about teenagers who were put into suspended animation over a 25 year period. They awoke centuries later, after a nuclear war and appeared to be the only survivors. Of course, they paired up and there was romance in there somewhere.

My first romance novels were written in my early twenties, before I knew about agents, scene and sequence and head-hopping was a no-no. Not surprisingly, the one I set in was rejected.

I hung up my writing for a few years to raise my two daughters. About 5 years ago, I took up the writing bug again. I was first published in 2005 with a short story in a local anthology. That story has been revamped and sold to The Wild Rose Press. “A Cowboy’s Dream” will be coming out this Christmas.

I have has several other short stories published in anthologies through Highland Press under my other pen name, M. J. Sager: “A Second Chance at Forever” in NO LAW AGAINST LOVE; “Blue Moon Enchantment” in BLUE MOON MAGIC and “Soup d’Amour” in RECIPE FOR LOVE. I have one story written under Anna Kathryn Lanier with them as well, “Tempt Me Twice” in “Holiday in the Heart.”

Through The Wild Rose Press, I have one short story out in their Yellow Rose line, “The Priceless Gift,” a contemporary set in Montana. This fall, I’ll have a novella released through their historical Cactus Rose line. “Salvation Bride” is set in Texas and the heroine is a mail order bride. And as already mentioned, “A Cowboy’s Dream,” is coming out through the Yellow Rose line this Christmas.

I have half a dozen stories in progress, and one good completed novel – a historical set in 1880’s Denver. Though it’s good, it does need some revamping.

Well, as I said, I have two daughters, both grown and mommies of their own. They have blessed me with two granddaughters and a grandson. In addition to writing and family, I am also a full-time college student. I earned my A.A. in Teaching/history (with honors) in May and am transferring from the community college I was attending to a senior college to continue pursing my teaching degree.

So, back to this gift giveaway. Each day, I’ll draw a winner from everyone who comments during the day. Throughout the month, I’ll also hold a few extra drawings, basically whenever I feel like it, and give away additional prizes.

Also, don’t forget to visit the other blogs (links for them can be found on my website www.aklanier.com on my contest page. Each fellow participant will also be giving away a prize a day for those who comment on their blogs. So visit them and increase your chance to win a prize!

Tell us about yourself. Are you an author or a reader?

Happy holidays!

~Anna Kathryn