The Future

Okay, I've arrived home from work and want to tell you about what's happening in my writing life at the moment.
My third book to be published, Crash into Darkness, will be out later this year. I wrote it for the Intrigue line at Harlequin (yes, the Mills & Boon connection again). They wrote me a nice little letter saying that it was too dark for their readers and so I sent it to Wild Child Publishing, who snapped it up. It is set on a prison ship in the near future and concerns a hero and heroine with paranormal powers, who must struggle against an enemy as the ship flounders in a massive storm.
What am I writing now?
Okay, so I keep coming back to them but I am writing another Intrigue for Harlequin. This time I am going to stay strictly within the guidelines. I love the fact that they have an established readership and that only minimal self-promotion is necessary. My story is set in Egypt and involves terrorists so I guess I am going down that dark path again but I am trying to keep the heroine a little lighter. We’ll see if I am successful. Print publishing is definitely where I am aiming. If you wish to follow my journey with this manuscript, visit my blog every now and then. http://www.suzanneperazzini.blogspot.com/

Time to go make dinner so I will say good night and a big thank you to Anna.

Travelling & My Second Book

It’s now Tuesday morning and I’ll be off to work shortly but first I wanted to drop in and say hi.
Now to my passion for travel. While other little girls were playing with dolls, I used to line up the photos my uncle sent back from Africa of wild animals and vast, spectacular landscapes. I grew up knowing I would be leaving New Zealand’s shores sooner rather than later. At seventeen I was one of a very few chosen as school-leaver volunteers to teach in the Pacific Islands. I spent a year teaching in the Fiji Islands then returned to New Zealand to do a degree with a double major in languages. Then I was off again. This time to Italy where I met the man who was to become my husband. I stayed there for nine years. We now live in New Zealand together with our eighteen-year-old son and travel as frequently as possible. I have travelled to forty plus countries and China is next. If you want to see photos of some of the countries I have visited, please go here: http://www.suzanneperazzini.com/Travel.htm
This passion for travel is why I set my books in exotic places. My second book, which came out 11th September, Rough Justice, is set in Zambia where my uncle has a fishing lodge on the Zambezi River. This is a blurb for the book:
When Niki's partner, Logan, is kidnapped by poachers in Zambia, she tumbles into the sordid underbelly of a world where survival reigns and animals are sacrificed for financial gain. In order to rescue her man, she will fight all the way to the top and be stunned by what she finds there.
If you’re interested, you can buy Rough Justice here: http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=226Okay, I’m off to work but will drop by after work in about 10 hours to tell you about my next book which will be out soon and to say goodbye.

Suzanne Perazzini is in the House

Thanks very much to Anna for this opportunity to meet you all. I thought I would tell you about my path to publication.

I tried to write a manuscript when I was in my early twenties while teaching in Italy and someone who read it said it sounded like a Mills & Boon story so I gave up in disgust.
I started again seriously six years ago and immediately caught the attention of an editor with my first submission. And guess where that editor worked? At Silhouette - Mills & Boon’s sister. Well, I wrote four manuscripts for the new Bombshell line at her request but she couldn’t get the senior editor on side and eventually rejected them all two years later with a letter saying that my stories were more issue-oriented than Silhouette and that I should get them published mainstream. As you can imagine I was not a happy chappy. However, my first published book, Beneath the Surface, is the first one I wrote that caught the Silhouette editor's attention way back then. I still say that if the Bombshell line had accepted books like mine, they would still exist but sadly they didn’t get the following they thought they would and died a natural death. Quite understandably (at least I think so) I got the pip and stopped submitting to them.
So then, I tried to get an agent and after many requests for fulls but no bites, I got the pip again and decided to submit to epublishers. My first submission was Beneath the Surface and was picked up almost immediately by Wild Child Publishing: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com
That book came out 11th June and can be bought here: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70&products_id=238
This is the blurb:
Jo has the darkest of secrets in her past, which drives her to seek out the most traumatic of hotspots in the world as a war correspondent so she never has the time to confront what she did. A fellow reporter, Craig, accompanies her into war-torn Sergavia to recover rolls of film from a dead colleague and along the way Jo finds love and a reason to go back to the beginning so she can move forward.
I had meanwhile submitted my second Bombshell wannabe to Red Rose publishing but I will tell you the rest of that story when I wake up in the morning. Yes, I live in New Zealand and we're 16 hours ahead of you. It is now Monday evening and I need to feed the troups after a hard day at work (me as well as them). Chicken curry and rice tonight so I'd better get going. I'll also tell you a little about my passion for travel and the forty plus countries I have visited.
Meanwhile if you need to know a little more about me, please visit my blog: http://www.suzanneperazzini.blogspot.com/ or my website: http://www.suzanneperazzini.com/
Until then arriverderci.

The Friday Record - Wright Brothers' First Flight

Well, since I'm flying today (meaning Friday) from Texas to West Virginia for a wedding on Saturday and a visit with old friends (I shall refrain from saying 'really old friends'....lol), it seems appropriate to discuss Mike Flanagan's comments on "The First Flight of the Wright Brothers" in his book It's About Time: How Long History Took, page 4. Here's what Flanagan says:

"They had worked as printers and bicycle manufacturers, but brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright found themselves captivated by the aeronautical experiments of Otto Lilienthal. Their tests and experiments became serious in 1901 when they constructed a wind tunnel to test such far-flung ideas as wind resistance. On December 17, 1903, they successfully tested the first heavier-than-air machine (745 pounds) at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, with Orville flying at an altitude of ten feet and a distance of 120 feet. Three flights followed on that day. On the last one, Wilbur flew 852 feet in 57 seconds."

The first flight, of 120 feet, lasted 12 seconds.

Here's some websites on the Wright Brothers and their place in history:

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_wright_brothers.htm http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/wright/wright.html
http://www.wright-house.com/wright-brothers/wrights/1903.html

Information on Otto Lilienthal:

http://www.lilienthal-museum.de/olma/ehome.htm

I love to fly. I'm not afraid of it at all. I flew the first time when I was six and my father was sent to Guam by the Air Force. My mother, sister and aunt flew over six months after daddy went, cause a house on base was finally available for us. It was a 16 hour flight with a layover in Hawaii. Of course, two years later, we had to fly back. I remember the fact that we arrived back in the States before we left Guam...meaning Guam is on the other side of the International Date line. So, okay, I don't remember the dates now, but it was in July....and, for example, we left on July 6th, but arrived on July 5th.

I didn't fly again for many years, until I was 16, then again when I was 18 and went to Finland as an exchange student, and of course, back home. Again, a few years past before I flew with my children in the early 90's. The last time I flew was Pre-9/11, in 2000. So this will be my first experience with the new regulations. I have all my small bottles in my ziplock and since I was prescribed cough medicine today, I checked the government regulations on that. If it's over 3 oz, I have to have it checked by security. Not a problem. I'll do that, just so I'm not coughing during the nuptials.

I'm very much looking forward to my trip. And I thank the Wright Brothers for allowing me to make the trip in 2 1/2 hours, instead of 3 days!

What is your most memorable flight experience? I wont' comment about mine right now, but it's when I learned to carry underwear on your carryon luggage, not just in the 'checked' bags!

~Anna Kathryn
Win Prizes
www.aklanier.com

Win Critiques, book baskets, more...

How would you like to win a 50 page critique by a published writer? What about a full manuscript read? Or a box full of best selling romance novels? Or a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble?

Well, you'll have 31 chances to win one of these great prizes or others by participating the Hearts Through History RWA chapter's annual Scholarship Fund Raiser drawing. During the month of October, a winner a day will be chosen for a fabulous prize....from a great list of prizes. Donations are being accepted now for your chance to win.

4 for $5
8 for $10
13 for $15
18 for $20

Check out the website for more information and a complete list of the prizes:

Hearts Through History Romance Writers

Money raised will be used to pay the registration fee for the RWA National Conference in Washington, DC in July 2009, of at least one HHRW member. To qualify for the Scholarship, you must be an HHRW member, but anyone can participate in the Fund Raiser.

~Anna kathryn

Win a Sony eReader

The Wild Rose Press's second round for the SONY eReader contest kicked off yesterday.

If you check out the website and click on the SONY eReader picture
that says WIN ME you'll find all the details but basically the rules
are easy; purchase any story from any of the participating authors
listed on the web site and you can enter to win a FREE eReader. Last
quarter's winner was Dianne Miley and she received a gorgeous dark
blue reader with a flash drive full of information from the authors
and a free book of her choice.

The contest began yesterday and will continue until Tuesday, December
16 when we will announce the winner in the chat that night. Anyone is
eligible to participate except TWRP staff members. Authors who are
involved in THIS quarter's contest should not enter but they can
participate in any others.

If you purchase several stories, you are eligible to send in several
emails to enter. Simply send an email to
SONYREADER@thewildrosepress.com and include your name, the date of
the purchase and the order number. You can do this even if you
bought it at a distributor, simply indicate where and when you bought
the title and the order number so we can verify you did purchase the
story.

www.thewildrosepress.com

I'm not on this list of participating authors (I was in the previous contest), but some of my good friends are. Information on how to enter without purchasing a story can be found on the website. But remember, for EACH book you purchase, you can enter....so if you buy 5 books, you can enter 5 times.

Jean Adams
Kim Amburn
Clare Austin
Clover Autrey
Carol Braswell
Sharon Buchbinder
Anne Carrole
Lynda Coker
Wendy Davy
Tabitha Gibson
Devon Gray
D.K. Harper
Cierra James
Paty Jager
Jennifer Johnson
Sylvia Kaye
Dayana Knight
Renee Knowles
Sharon Lanergan
Liana Laverntz
Hywela Lyn
Cara Marsi
Bess McBride
Lily Rose Moon
Skyhe Moncrief
Beth Morrow
E.G. Parsons
Victoria Pitts-Caine
Amber Polo
Sky Purington
Rynee Raines
Judith Rochelle
Jocelyn Saint James
Jan Scarbrough
Tarah Scott
Susan Shay
Patti Shenberger
Robin Shope
Linda Swift
Margaret Tanner
Sara Thacker
Pam Thibodeaux
Deborah Tompkins
M.K. Trent
Beth Trissel
Shereen Vedam
Lisa Wells
Anne Whitfield
Sandy Wickersham-McWhorter
Patrice Wilton
Michelle Witvliet

~Anna Kathryn
www.aklanier.com

Barbequed Shirmp

I'm not sure why this is called Barbequed Shrimp.....you don't barbeque it and you don't put barbeque sauce on it. However, it is a really good, quick and delicious recipe. It is also quite messy, because you serve on the table in the sauce, and the shrimp then needs to be peeled.

Barbequed Shrimp

2 Sticks Butter, melted
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
Dash of Oregano
Hot Sauce, to taste
1 tbsp Chili Sauce
Paprika
1 cup White Wine
1 Sliced Lemon
Salt & Pepper
1 lb Shrimp, in shells, headless, medium size

Mix all ingredients in large, oven-safe pan (9x13). Marinate shrimp for 1-2 hours in sauce.

Bake 300° oven, basting often about 30 minutes. Serve with French bread for dipping into sauce, cole slaw and rice, if you want.

Messy, but good!

Aside note: I made the peanut butter pie from last week a few days ago.....it was very good and also, quite easy to make.

~Anna Kathryn

SAIL INTO THE PAST WITH PIRATES

AHOY MATIES…Jannine won the Pirate Treasure basket !

Thanks for all the comments left on board this blog ship by ya’land’lubbers.
I am a pillaging seadog. ARGH! Remember not to drink too much of the grog ration or the Cap’n e’ll throw you down into the ships bilge.

Me’ book “BRIDE OF PASSION” is all about me’ pirate friends. Andreas, the renegade pirate, will capture Heart.

Connie Rachal

SAIL INTO THE PAST WITH PIRATES

Piracy is crimes of robbery committed on the high seas by the Captain and crew. Life often became boring for pirates after long days and nights at sea as they searched for ships to prey upon and plunder. Fighting was common. Pirates lived by a strict code and divided the pillaged loot.


Talk like a PIRATE DAY is celebrated in September.
Auast, me hearties! It’s a pirates life for me and me rascals, scoundrels and knaves. Yo ho, drink up me ‘earties.

Avast ye - stop and check this out
All hand hoay! - all hands on deck
Blimey! - exhortation of surprise
Heave Ho - give it some muscle and push it
Hornswaggle - cheat out of money or belongings
Old Salt - an experienced sailor
Savvy? - do you understand and agree?
Scuttle - to sink a ship
Seadog - old pirate or sailor

SHIP DUTIES

Quarter Master is about as valuable as a captain and usually took over a captured ship until it was disposed.
Boatswain inspected the ship, sails and riggings.
Carpenter repaired leaks.
Mates took care of the ships sales, ropes, rigging and mooring of the ship.
Riggers released the rigging and furl the sails.
Swabbies mopped the deck and kept it clean.
Sailing Master handled the navigation and direction of the course the ship takes.

A gentleman pirate of the early 18th century.
Why would an Englishman born into wealth in Barbados, educated, married and a respected plantation owner turn to piracy?

Stede Bonnet bought a ship, named it the Revenge and rigged it with 10 guns. He and his paid crew set sail for the American east coast plundering ships. He met up with Edward Teach, Blackbeard, and they sailed together capturing merchant ships along the east coast. North Carolina Governor, Charles Eden offered Bonnet clemency from the King of England if he would become a privateer against Spanish ships. Bonnet changed his name to an alias, Captain Thomas, and his ship name to Royal James. He was tempted to continue his piracy plundering ways in July and was captured and hung along with many of his men in November 1718.

KNOT terminology

Hitch, attach a rope to an object.
Stopper knot keeps the rope from slipping through a hole.
Butterfly knot is used when you need a single loop.
Triple Crown knot is a double loop.
A knot is set by tightening.
Join two ropes with a full carrick bend.
Anchor is to bend and attach rope to a ring.

SHIPS PIRATES SAILED AND CAPTURED

Schooner - a fast ship with a shallow draft, capable of up to 11 knots, could carry up to 75 crew and mounted 8 cannon and 4 swivel guns.

Sloop - another fast ship, capable of up to 11 knots, could carry up to 75 crew and mounted 14 cannon.

Brig - a two masted ship, square rigged on both masts, in the 18th century similar t as a Brigantine.

Brigantine - the choice of many pirate crews, able to mount 10 cannons.

WHAT DID PIRATES WEAR?

Pictures from the past show captains wearing a tricorn hat, long coat with big cuffs, and knee breeches with buckle shoes. In port a gentleman captain might wear more colorful attire, brocades and damask.

18th century trousers were loose fitting above the ankle.

The common sailor would have worn a shorter coat called a fearnought and linen breeches or trousers. To be practical they wore a scarf on the head, a small knitted cap, or a small brimmed hat. At sea they went barefooted to be seaworthy on deck and to get a grip climbing ropes. Shoes were simple leather, some laced instead of with a buckle. Neck clothes and kerchiefs were fashionable for seamen.

"Blimey! Don't forget me gold earring."

A colorful sash around the waist might get in the way of duties of seaman.

Heave ho! What port wench wouldn't find pleasure in untying a sash from around a capn's waist?

WEAPONS OF CHOICE FOR PIRATES

Pirates maintained their own weaponry. They brought on board with them swords, knives, muskets, flintlock pistols. Axes and tools used in maintenance of the ship were a versatile weapon. The ships belaying pins kept in pin rails holes could be easily grabbed for defense during an attack. Small hand held round cast iron grenades filled with explosive powder could be set off with a fuse and thrown at the enemy.

PIRATES OR PRIVATEERS

Pirates roamed the treacherous seas to find wealth from ships they overtook. They faced penalty of death if caught.

Privateers in the 16th to 19th centuries, were commissioned with Letter of Marque from a country’s government to seize and rob enemy merchant ships. Many pirates were given clemency to come to the aid of a country as a privateer.

THANKS for stopping by. Leave a comment to be put in a drawing for a Pirate basket of treasures.

BRIDE OF PASSION ~ Historical ~ set on the high seas and in New Orleans. In a scheme of greed and deceit, Claret is blackmailed and forced to leave France. On a treacherous voyage, a notorious pirate will take her captive. Will the renegade pirate, Andreas, set her free?

Connie Rachal

http://www.eatel.net/~connie1/My_Homepage_Export/default.htm www.myspace.com/conniewriter

http://www.historical-romance-blog.blogspot.com/

September Reminders

Things are still hopping around here, even with the end of the month drawing near. Don’t forget to drop by my website and leave a comment in my guestbook. You’ll be eligible for a drawing to win a “Smart Women Read Romance” T-shirt. You’ll need to answer a question (who’s the hero and heroine in M. J. Sager’s story Soup d’Amour. The answer can be found on my website, on the Stories by M. J. Sager page). http://www.aklanier.com/

Also, I have two great authors lined up to be guest bloggers on the last two Monday’s of the month.

First up is Connie Rachal, on September 22nd. Connie is the author of Wings e Publishing's book Bride of Passion. Connie will be discussing her book, as well as pirates during her guest blogging. Find out more about Connie at:

http://www.eatel.net/~connie1/My_Homepage_Export/default.htm www.myspace.com/conniewriter http://www.historical-romance-blog.blogspot.com/

On September 29, Suzanne Perazzini will guest blog. Suzanne is the author of Beneath the Surface by Wild Child Publishing. Discover more about Suzanne at:

http://suzanneperazzini.com/
http://www.suzanneperazzini.blogspot.com/

~Anna Kathryn

Rements of Ike

Okay, not exactly the type of History I've done, but this is certainly history in the making. The fourth largest city in the Country coming to a grinding halt for at least a week. Our major damage....we were one of the lucky ones:

A shed on my church grounds:

My wisteria bush....there's more history to this bush. A few years back, a young man lost control of his car and rolled it over this bush. He was thrown from the car and landed under the bush. Note the bricks under the bush, his head landed in the one spot a brick was missing. He had only bumps and bruises. The car almost uprooted the bush as it rolled over it. Now Ike got at it. Note how half the bush had its leaves ripped off of it, while the other half is untouched.

Debris along Hwy 146. After Ike, this was in the middle of the road, until it was pushed off to the side. It includes chairs, a roof, and a refrigerator:

My mother's major damage, plus as of today, she still doesn't have power. And when this cover fell, it cut her phone lines, so even when she gets power back, she won't have a phone or the Internet.

Damage in Kemah - this area was under 6 feet of water:

-

As of today, over 1 million people are still without power, several 100,000 without water or are under 'boil' orders, and many still can't return to their homes. It's been said that some will be without power for up to 3 weeks. It's also worth noting that parts of Louisiana are still powerless, three weeks after Gustav struck.

While I understand the frustration, I think people need realize the parameters of this devastation. Houston has 26,000 miles of power lines....that's a lot of lines to follow and figure out where the outage problem starts. But people are out there working, one guy said he put in 16 hour days. We have workers from New Mexico, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida (that I know of, I'm sure there are more from other states) trying to get everyone back online. Though it only took Ike a few hours to do this, it'll take days, weeks, months and in some cases, years to recover. Patience is the key....which of course is easy for me to say, in my home which sustained minimal damage and has power back (though we were without for 4 days).

All I can say is God Bless us all. We'll be all right.

~Anna Kathryn

Easy Peanut Butter Pie

Here's another quick and easy recipe, this time for a dessert.

Peanut Butter Pie
Serves 8.

3 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
8 oz frozen whipped dairy topping, thawed
1 pre-baked graham cracker pie crust
(or use Keebler)

1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer combine
cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and milk. Beat until smooth.
Gently fold in whipped topping. Pour into pie shell.
2. Freeze 4 to 6 hours.
3. Thaw 10 minutes before serving.

~Anna Kathryn (who's back home, finally)

Ike update: heading home and maybe offline for a while

I have not regained electricity, but my husband thinks we'll get it back today or tomorrow. My town, Deer Park, 3/4 of the town with power now. Anyone wanting some local information can go to the Houston Chronicle website:

http://www.chron.com/

I've seen pictures on AOL and can't believe some of what I'm seeing. Pictures of Seabrook and Kemah are amazing. My mom and brother live south of them and I drive down the road (Hwy 146) all the time to their house. I can say I'm not surprised by it, but am just amazed. I heard that the restaurant my brother works at was flooded and it sits a good 15 feet off the ground. And of course, pictures of Galveston, Port Author, Gilchrist and Beaumont, as well as other areas of Houston don't even give the whole picture. The Southeast portion of Texas will be a long time recovering from this.

Also, I may not have internet. Our phone line has been going in and out and I have my internet through the phone company. So, I'll catch up with you all when I can.

~Anna Kathryn

Monday's Guest Blogger

My scheduled blogger for today, Skhye Moncrief, was affected, as I was, by Hurricane Ike and evacuated to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Though I sent her a reminder e-mail, I think she's too busy with family and trying to keep things as normal as possible for her toddler.

I'll reschedule her for a future date.

~Anna Kathryn

Heard from my Husband

I finally heard from my husband on Saturday night. The phone line was down, so even though we have a phone that doesn't need electricity, he didn't have a phone for the day.

Our house is fine. Part of our fence is down, limbs down, and our banana trees didn't do too well, so he cut them down yesterday. And we lost a few shingles from the roof. All in all, we've done well. I've been looking at the pictures on the net and recognize a lot of the areas they are showing, places I drive and near my mom's house (who I also heard has survived with minimal damage).

I'll stay here -- outside Baton Rouge -- until we at least get electricity back, and maybe a few days after that, to give the gas stations and stores time to restock.

Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts and continue them for those who didn't fare as well as I did.

~Anna Kathryn

Update on Ike

I have not been able to get a hold of my husband, but a friend of my daughter's drove around town and she very nicely drove by our house and it is still standing. I'm certain we have no electricity, but we do have a phone that plugs into the wall, and it should work, but alas DH (dear husband) is not answering.

There is damage in our town, downed trees, signs, messed up buildings, but it appears my house has survived. Hopefully, the wide-range damage is not bad.

~Anna Kathryn

You still have time to enter the Blog Train Scavenger Hunt and be eligible for a chance to win 16 great reads (including my very own The Priceless Gift). The hunt ends on September 13th. Then you'll need to forward your final entry (with the phrase assembled correctly) to mizging2003@yahoo.com by midnight on the 13th. All correct entries will be entered into a drawing, but you never know...you may be the only person who gets it right.

Click on the Blog Train link to the right for more information on me and see if you can spot my word in the post.

Good luck.

~Anna Kathryn

Hurricanes

Well, I suppose I should do a history lesson on Hurricanes, since one is affecting me. I'll probably add other posts as I do research, but this will get you started. Here's some facts and figures about the 1900 Hurricane of Galveston, TX that I found on this website (clicking on the link will take you to a page with links to pictures of the aftermath).

http://www.1900storm.com/photographs/index.lasso



Remembering the 1900 Storm ...

On September 8, 1900, a hurricane struck Galveston. Winds estimated at 140 mph swept over the island, leaving devastation in their wake. After the storm surge of 15.7 feet subsided, Galvestonians left their shelters to find 6,000 of the city's 37,000 residents dead and more than 3,600 buildings totally destroyed.

The 1900 Storm is still considered to be the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. After the storm, Galveston constructed a seawall and raised the grade of the island to protect it from future hurricanes.

Facts about the 1900 Storm:

• 8.7 feet: The highest elevation on Galveston Island in 1900.

• 15.7 feet: The height of the storm surge.

• 28.55 inches: Barometric pressure recorded in Galveston, 30 miles from where the eye of the storm is best estimated. At the time, this was the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded.

• 6,000 to 8,000: Number of people estimated to have died during the storm.

• 37,000 people: Population of Galveston in 1900.

• 3,600: Number of buildings destroyed by the storm.

• 130 to 140 miles per hour: Speed meteorologists estimate the winds reached during the storm.

• $20 million: Estimated damage costs related to the storm. In today's dollars, that would be more than $700 million.

http://www.1900storm.com/facts.lasso


Oh, here's a good site with information on a lot of the hurricanes and storms that struck the U.S. for the past 100 years:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/history.shtml

~Anna Kathryn (who's in Baton Rouge, after evacuating Houston ahead of Ike)

Evacuating for Ike

Well, I'm not in the mandatory zone yet, but I know we have a high chance of losing electricity, so my daughter and 9-month old granddaughter will be evacuating to my other daughter's house tomorrow.

Now, the other daughter lives outside Baton Rouge, and yep, evacuated to us just last week. In fact, she left on Sunday...lol.

So, I don't know if I'll be doing a Friday History lesson (I missed last Friday's because of the evacuees in my house). But I'll try. Tiffany does have Internet!

~Anna Kathryn

Mexican Skillet Supper

Here's a quick and tasty main dish. Skip adding the lettuce to the dish and make a salad instead and you have a complete meal.

1 lb. g. beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 can ( 14 oz. ) tomatoes
2 tsp. instant beef bouillon
2 tsp. chili powder or to taste
1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1 c. shredded lettuce
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Brown beef and onion in 10'' skillet; drain off fat. Add tomatoes, including liquid, bouillon (2 beef bouillon cubes, crushed, may be used ) and chili powder. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve bouillon, and to break up tomatoes. Stir in cooked rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 5 min. top with lettuce and cheese before serving.

I've made this recipe a lot in the last 15 years.

~Anna Kathryn

It's been fun...

Anna, thank you again for inviting me to be a guest on your blog. It's been fun and I've met some wonderful people.

I'd like to remind the readers that I am still awaiting interesting contest ideas and suggestions for my Tricks or Treats Blog Contest in honor of Halloween.

The idea I pick to use will win someone a free download of my newest release, Curse of the Marhime. No worries that I won't be here tomorrow. I am always available at my blog, so you can post ideas there or shoot me an email. All my contact information is availble on both my website and blog. I'll keep an eye out for suggestions through September 15th, at which time I will decide the suggestion I like the best and choose a winner. To register and list an idea please visit my blog or email me placing "Tricks or Treats Contest ideas" in the Subject line.

Thank you all for taking the time to join me here today, comment, and share a piece of yourselves with me. And good luck to you. May one of you win the drawing for the $15 gift certificate for Barnes & Noble that Anna is offering at the end of the month.

Please stop by for updates on new releases and check out interesting new contest information and some really great prizes at the below links:

www.dayanaknight.blogspot.com
www.romawolftales.com

Well, it's been fun but I will say good night now.

Dayana~

October with Dayana

Hi! I'm back!

Home for lunch. Thought I'd drop in and see what's going on here. Gypsy is happily eating her lunch and will soon be lounging upon her own personal ottoman in the livingroom gazing out the front picture window keeping an ever vigilant eye on the neighborhood.

I am tossing a sandwich together, grabbing the chips, and a diet coke with lime thinking about what I would like to do on my website and blog to celebrate Halloween. Do any of you have any neat Trick or Treat ideas for a fun Samhain/Halloween contest? How about something like a scavenger hunt for ghoulish icons scattered about my sites? Or maybe a wolf trivia quiz? Maybe a get to know the local vampire quiz? You would have to read through the sites to find this one, LOL

Here's an idea. Why don't I let you guys suggest some interesting contest ideas and the person's idea I like best and choose to go with will win a free download of Curse of the Marhime? Are you game?

Let me know when I check in again after work. That gives you about five hours to think up some really great contest ideas. Hey! I think this will be fun. I hope the afternoon goes by quickly so I can get back here and check out what you guys have come up with.

Alrighty then, gotta get cleaned up and back to work now. I'll be back shortly. Get busy with your contest ideas:)

Who is going to get a free copy of my new release, hmmmm?

D~

Paranormal Romance Author, Dayana Knight

Good Morning!

My name is Dayana Knight.


I want to thank Anna for inviting me here today as a guest on her blog. I am thrilled at this opportunity to introduce myself and my newest release to you.

I am a paranormal romance author who enjoys writing the darker more erotic side of Weres and Vamps.

I'll take a moment to introduce myself:



As you all know, I currently live in South Florida and have always been enthralled with haunted places, old cemeteries, and deep misty forests which I love to explore. I enjoyed watching shows like Dark Shadows(my personal favorite), Night Gallery, and the Twilight Zone.

I love sticking my nose into anything to do with the paranormal, witchcraft, and ghostly matters

hmmm...

Favorite holiday? No brainer. Yep, you've got it. Halloween! I even take a vacation every year during Halloween week. You should see the transformation of my house decor. It's right up there with Christmas! That will begin next weekend.

My favorite authors to lose myself in are earlier Anne Rice(The Vampire Lestat series along wiht The Witching Hour series), and more recent authors such as, J.D. Ward's Black Dagger series, and Laurel K Hamilton's Faery and Vamp/shifter series, just to name a few.

I am very excited about my newest release, Curse of the Marhime, Book One of The Roma Wolf Tales, a new paranormal romance series.

Pita Sedgewick is my unsuspecting heroine in this tale of discovery, deceit, and soul-binding love. What do you do when you discover your life isn’t the simplistic one you’ve always known, and though you knew you were adopted, you suddenly discover that you are a part of an amazing but scary lineage?

Pita realizes just how resilient she is when she finds herself alone in Romania, tracking her heritage and bloodline. Will she survive the knowledge of what is hidden there.


Why not check out Curse of the Marhime for yourself? Now available at The Wild Rose Press (http://www.thewildrosepress.com/)



***If you'd like to view the book trailer please scroll down to the bottom of this post***

For more information please visit me at:
http://www.romawolftales.com/ or http://www.dayanaknight.blogspot.com/



Let's see what else can I mention here? Well, I am a devoted animal lover and proud mom of a Shetland Sheep dog, Gypsy Lee, who enjoyed the limelight in Dog Fancy magazine, August 2003 with mom and starred as herself in a perspective view article titled, "Crate Beginnings."


Orchids, roses, playing in the dirt are additional loves and means of relaxation to me. I also keep three freshwater aquariums. A 75 gallon with a huge 17 inch plecotamus who is now on his third tank and started out 2 1/2 inches long, 45 gallon with fancy gold fish and a couple more plecos normal size:) -- that would be a small couple of inches, and a 1o gallon adopted from a neighbor who moved with one small tetra and two new cories which are small catfish.

I work full time as an Orthopedic Assistant/Xray Technician at a very busy Orthopedic Surgeons practice. And speaking of that, I'm going to have to talk to you all a little later as I do need to go get ready for the day job. Nope, I'm not a full time writer yet. It is my ultimate goal but there does seem to be one small problem...

the mortgage;)


One of these days *sigh*

Anyway, I want to remind you that Anna is having a drawing this month for a $15 Barnes & Noble gift certificate for one lucky commentor. So please have at it and get busy with those comments. I'd love the winner be on my watch. And who knows, I may just toss a question out there some time today for a nifty grab bag prize chock full of goodies and sweets. So stay tuned and I'll be back a little later. Don't hesitate to ask questions or make comments. I'm pretty easy, I'll answer just about anything you toss at me:)

Curse of the Marhime Book Trailer.

Thank you for listening to my ramblings. I'll be back in a little while. I hope you'll stick around.

Dayana~

Welcome Author Dayana Knight

Welcome to my September 8th guest blogger, Dayana Knight.

Dayana Knight grew up near the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey where the legendary 13th Son, better known as the Jersey Devil, was born and the popular television shows were Dark Shadows, The Twilight Zone, and Night Gallery. She now resides in Southern Florida with her family.

Dayana enjoys solitary walks in mist-covered forests, visiting century-old cemeteries, and spine-tingling ghost stories. And, of course, her favorite celebration is Samhain, All Saints Day, better known as Halloween.

She has just released Curse of the Marhime, the first book in a planned paranormal romance series collectively titled, Roma Wolf Tales at The Wild Rose Press (http://www.thewildrosepress.com/).

For more information about Dayana and her latest releases please go to http://www.romawolftales.com/ or http://www.dayanaknight.blogspot.com/.


Contact Information:Gothscribegirl@aol.com



My future guests will be:

15-Sep Connie Rachal

http://www.eatel.net/~connie1/My_Homepage_Export/default.htm
www.myspace.com/conniewriter
http://www.historical-romance-blog.blogspot.com/


22 -Sep Skhye Moncrief
http://www.timeguardians.com/
http://www.skhyemoncrief.com/

29-Sep Suzanne Perzzini
http://www.suzanneperazzini.blogspot.com/
http://suzanneperazzini.com/

The Blog Train

Welcome to the Blog Train Scavenger Hunt, chugging from Blog to Blog. I hope you enjoy this brief stop with me. Somewhere on this page, you'll find a hidden word, plainly labeled, that is part of a famous saying...not too famous though, so you'll have to use some brain power to assemble all the words you find during your travels--there are 16, total. The hunt ends on September 13th. Then you'll need to forward your final entry (with the phrase assembled correctly) to mizging2003@yahoo.com by midnight on the 13th. All correct entries will be entered into a drawing, but you never know...you may be the only person who gets it right.

Hi, I’m Anna Kathryn Lanier and I started writing while still in high school. My first novel was a futuristic Armageddon tale with romantic elements. I wrote my first romances in my early twenties, but my only submission was rejected. After putting my writing on hold for nearly two decades to raise two daughters and play housewife, I picked up the pen again, so to speak--this is the computer age--five years ago. I’ve completed three romance novels to date. I also enjoy writing short stories. My first short, Happily Ever After, was published in 2005. I’ve recently revised it and sold it to The Wild Rose Press as A Cowboy’s Dream, due out in November 2008. I had a November 2007 release, The Priceless Gift, also through TWRP and on January 21, 2009, I’ll release my novella, Salvation Bride, with TWRP as well.

I live in Texas with my husband and two cats. I have two grown daughters and three grandchildren. I am also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in history/education at a local college.

Learn more about me and my writing at:

http://www.aklanier.com/
www.myspace.com/aklanier

As soon as you finish perusing my site and find the word here, please get back on the train and visit Kat Duarte - http://www.katduarte.com/ for your next word. Remember, although this is fun and there are prizes involved, we are all authors doing this as a promotion for our blog sites. We hope you will bookmark us and visit often. Thanks for joining the Blog Train.

P. S. Anyone leaving a comment on my blog during the month of September will be entered into a drawing for a $15 Barnes and Noble gift card. Each time you comment, you’ll increase your chances to win. So, do bookmark me and come visit often. Each Monday, I’ll have a guest blogger, on Wednesdays I post a recipe and on Fridays, I try to post about AN historical event or person.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the Blog Train! Remember, you can be the winner of 16 wonderful downloads. :) and have a happy trip.

~Anna Kathryn

Louise Porter's Ambrosia Fruitcake

Louise Porter was my husband's grandmother. He spent his summer as a child on the Porter Farm in Mississippi. I've never made this cake, but certainly looks yummy. I'll need to make it one day.

1/2 lb. butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. b. soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. each Cinnamon & nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 cup boiling water
1 raw apple (grated)

First dissolve spices & cocoa in boiling water, then mix soda with buttermilk, set aside.

Cream butter, and sugar and add eggs one at a time. Now add the spices and then flour and buttermilk alternately. Then grated apple. Bake in 3 well greased & floured cake pans at 350° for 25 or 30 min.

Filling;
3 cups sugar
2 cups milk
1/4 lb. butter
1tsp. baking powder
1 cup raisins (chopped)
1 cup coconut
1 cup nuts
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 orange rind (grated)
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook in a medium pot until thickens and spread evenly between layers.

Do you have a favorite cake recipe you'd like to share?

~Anna Kathyrn
http://www.aklanier.com/

August Winners

Tami C won my comment for commenting during August on my blog. Her winning comment is on August 15th and she'll receive a $15 gift certificate for The Wild Rose Press.

Jane is one of my winners for the Dog Days of Summer contest. She won my Hot Summer Reads package.

Savannah Breeze by Mary Kay Andrews
Taming Him by Kimberly Dean, Summer Devon and Michelle M. Pillow
Secrets Vol. 14 by Angela Knight, Alexa Aames, Leigh Wyndfield, Jennifer Barlowe
Tempting the Prince by Patricai Grasso
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell by Samantha James
Wicked Night Games by Kathleen Lawless
The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
The Priceless Gift by Anna Kathryn Lanier

Kim won my second Dog Days of Summer package: A Stay Cool in the Summer gift package. It includes a water bottle, chapstick, Bath and Body Works Cool Melon lotion, a Smart Women Read Romance T-shirt.

And Teresa won my website guestbook commenting contest. She'll receive a Bath and Body Works sample set of body wash, lotion, Liplicious Tasty Lip Color, and a copy of my short story "The Priceless Gift."

Thanks everyone who's participated in my many contests.

For September, I'll continue to do my guestbook contest and my commenting on my blog contest. So stop by and visit a while. (You can only enter once on my guestbook, but you'll be eligible for the drawing each time you comment on my blog). September's prizes are: Guestbook - A Smart Women Read Romance T-shirt and Blog - A $15 Gift Certificate for Barnes and Noble.

~Anna Kathryn

Guest Bloggers for September

I'm having a great time with my guest bloggers and am looking forward to a new month of other people doing my blog for me each Monday. I didn't schedule anyone for today, either because I didn't realize the 1st fell on a Monday, or I realized it was a holiday.....I can't say for sure which my excuse is. But that's cool. It'll let me tell you about the four people who will blog for me this month:


8-Sep Dayana Knight

http://www.dayanaknight.blogspot.com/
http://www.romawolftales.com/


15-Sep Connie Rachal

http://www.eatel.net/~connie1/My_Homepage_Export/default.htm

www.myspace.com/conniewriter

www.historical-romance-blog.blogspot.com

22-Sep Skhye Moncrief

http://www.timeguardians.com/
http://www.skhyemoncrief.com/

29-Sep Suzanne Perzzini

http://www.suzanneperazzini.blogspot.com/
http://suzanneperazzini.com/

So, come on by each Monday this month and join the fun. Also, anyone commenting in September, will be eligible for a $15 gift certificate from Barnes and Noble.



~Anna Kathryn