Welcome Dolores Wilson

Southern Stories with Heart

Hi Dolores,

I'm so happy that you're blogging at Heartstrings today. Congratulations on the release of your Contemporary Romance, Dixie Cowboy.

Dolores: Thank you so much for allowing me to be here. I've been following your

Heartstrings Blog from the beginning. I love the questions you ask.

Vickie: I appreciate that. Dixie Cowboy is a sweet southern romance set on a guest ranch in Georgia. Have you ever been to a guest ranch or a dude ranch? 

Dolores: I've never had the privilege of staying on a dude ranch, but I have taken two day trips to Wyoming and Colorado. We rode a couple of stage coaches out where the buffalo roam. There a bunch (?) pack (?) herd (?) of great-looking cowboys rustled up steaks and fixings in a chuck wagon.

Vickie: Most of us have a favorite book, but I want to get specific and ask, what's your favorite romance book, and why did you choose that one?

Dolores: I've always been fond of the western romances. I'm not sure I can narrow it down to one. MONTANA WOMAN by Rosanne Bittner, THE WABASH SERIES by Dorothy Garlock, and anything Lavryle Spencer has ever written especially TWICE LOVED.

Vickie: I know that one of the things you love is to travel. Will you tell us a few of your favorite funny stories of your travels?

Dolores:  My Sweet Meadow Series (Bertie Byrd-Fortney) contains many of the true stories of my life. Because we were just visiting with friends and relaying humorous stories of staying in campgrounds, this story comes to mind.

Richard and I were on our way to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for a car show. We were pulling a VERY LONG trailer with two vehicles in it. We were to meet some friends at a certain campground halfway to the car show. It was late when we got there. Everyone was in bed. There were no pull-thru sites, so Richard had to back the trailer and motor home into a space. He gave me a flashlight and told me to watch him backup and shine the light into the driver's side mirror when he needed to stop. Of course, that meant I was standing in the dark, palmetto bush site.

As he got closer to where he would need to stop, I raised the flashlight and prepared to turn it on when it was time. All of a sudden, Richard slammed on the brakes, put the bus in park and came flying out the door. We had a short exchange which I don't think I'll repeat here, but the gist of logic was that he didn't want me to point the flashlight if I didn't intend to use it. He asked, "What if you were pointing it to tell him to stop, but it wouldn't come on?" The gist of my response was that I would like to make a suggestion as to where he could park the flashlight. To this day, I have never helped him park our vehicle.

Vickie: In your circle of friends and acquaintances, you're famous for your cooking. Do you have a favorite recipe, and will you share it with us?

Dolores: My favorite recipes change almost hourly. I love cooking for friends and family. Few things make me happier. There is a cake I've made several times in the past year. I didn't develop the recipe, but it is always a big hit.

Cream-Filled Strawberry-Brownie Cake

INGREDIENTS:

Brownie Layer

1 box (19.5 oz) Pillsbury® Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix

½ cup Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil

¼ cup water

3 Eggs

Cake Layer

1 box (18.25 oz) Pillsbury® Strawberry Cake Mix

¾ cup water

1/3 cup Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil

3Eggs

½ cup diced fresh strawberries

Filling

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

½ cup Butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Frosting and Garnish

1 container (16 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

2/3 cup powdered sugar

3 cups sliced fresh strawberries*

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Line bottoms of pans with cooking parchment paper; spray paper with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir all brownie layer ingredients 50 strokes with spoon. Spread about 1 cup batter in each of 3 pans.
• In large bowl, beat all cake layer ingredients except diced strawberries with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on high speed 2 minutes or until blended. Fold in diced strawberries. Pour and spread about 1 1/3 cups mixture evenly over brownie batter in each pan.
• Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Carefully invert cake layers from pans onto cooling racks; remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, to make filling, in medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on high speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in 3 cups powdered sugar until creamy. Carefully fold in 8 oz whipped topping.
• To make frosting, in another medium bowl, beat 16 oz whipped topping and 2/3 cup powdered sugar with electric mixer on low speed until blended.
• To assemble cake, place 1 cake layer, brownie side down, on serving plate. Spread half of filling to within 1/4 inch of edge; top with 3/4 cup of the strawberry slices. Repeat with second layer, remaining filling and 3/4 cup strawberry slices. Top with remaining cake layer, top side up. Frost sides and top of cake with frosting. Garnish with remaining 1 1/2 cups strawberry slices. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Store in refrigerator.

Vickie: I noticed there isn't any hot sauce in this recipe. Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe just a little wouldn't hurt. For those who don't know, Bell Bridge Books, Dolores' publisher, sent hot sauce with these labels especially made for Dixie Cowboy to Dolores because they wanted her to have a promotional item to give out until her book was released.

Vickie: Have you ever thought of writing a cookbook?

Dolores: Yes, I've thought a lot about writing a cookbook. Somehow, someway, I will eventually do that. I want to write a cookbook from Sweet Meadow First Baptist Church. Sweet Meadow is the town from my Bertie books. Recipes will be donated by the citizens who give Bertie a run for her money. I can't imagine what recipe Mavis and Millie and maybe Booger Baily would submit for the cookbook.

Vickie: What's next for you in your writing future?

Dolores: Right now, I have two things going on. I'm working on a cozy mystery, with the hope it becomes a series. There will be several elements in the book that I will have fun developing--Heroine is a middle-aged widow who comes to the Mississippi casino left behind when her grandfather passed away. Hero is the attorney who is an associate in a firm that has handled the casinos legalities for years. The main problem is her grandfather left 20% of the shares of the casino to the heroine, 40% to his wife of 60 years (heroine's grandmother), and 40% of the shares to the old man's mistress who has worked at the casino for 40 years. Oh, yeah, did I mention someone left the severed head of a woman in a toilet? Like I said, I'm having fun, fun, fun.

The second thing is one of the most exciting things I've had happen in a long while. Salt Run Publishing will be re-releasing all three Bertie books at the end of summer. I've added 7,000 more words to the original Big Hair and Flying Cows, as well as a new character. If all goes well, I hope to do a 4th Bertie book in the near future. I'll keep you posted as to an official release date.

CONTEST

In the meantime, I am running a contest on my website. Here are the questions I'd like you to answer. What is your favorite cowboy romance, and what is the hero's name? Go to my website to enter. At the end of March, I will draw two names from the entries. One will win a signed copy of Dixie Cowboy, and one will win a special prize.
  
 www.Doloresjwilson.com

BIO

Dolores J. Wilson was born a coal miner's daughter in Morgantown, West Virginia, became a Florida transplant at the tender age of ten. In Tampa, she began her writing career when she and a cousin founded their own neighborhood tabloid and became the source for the juiciest news on the block. Their success, however short-lived, lay in their ability to sniff out gossip--or make it up. The locals were good-humored enough to take it all in stride. Or as Dolores suspects, she was simply too young to be sued for slander.

She went on to write articles for her junior high school newsletter and progressed to producing her first novel. The result was 300 pages of spineless hero, shy and mostly-in-hiding heroine, and remarkably dreadful prose. As a woman who realizes when she's in over her head, Dolores sought help through her local Romance Writers of America chapter, creative writing classes, and writers' conferences.

Along the way, she found her voice. She also found a devoted group of like-minded friends who became precious as family to her and shared their own skills, as well as what they had learned from their own experiences as authors. Her ability and confidence flourished, and Dolores' talent for writing sweet romance and Southern women's humor blossomed.

Dolores road-trips with her husband RW in their motorhome every summer. They meet up with friends and family along the way, enjoy bluegrass festivals, and Dolores serves massive meals from her portable kitchen to whoever shows up to eat. At home, she's the center of her big family, and she orchestrates big, messy, noisy celebrations for holidays, birthdays, weddings, and whenever she darn well feels like it.

It's hard to believe it's March already. On February 28th, Carly's Rule hit Amazon's Best Seller list, and it was 3rd in Amazon's Movers and Shakers. This could not have been accomplished without you, the reader. Thank you so much for making Carly's Rule a Best Seller!

The Braddock Series

Carly's Rule at Amazon

 

 

Unforgettable by Deborah Grace Staley

Amazon Kindle's Daily Deal for $1.99

Don't miss this special offer for Tuesday, February 25th

24 Hours Only

Unforgettable at Amazon 

 

  On a snowy night in Angel Ridge, two strangers share an unforgettable kiss.

Years later, Frannie Thompson is back in Angel Ridge to start a new life and a non-profit. When she meets with Patrick Houston, the town's mayor, to request a spot on the agenda of the next meeting of the Town Council, she comes face-to-face with the man she'd kissed on a snowy night years before. A very married man.

On that night, Frannie had been a woman reeling from the loss of her sister. Patrick had been drowning his sorrows to numb the pain of his wife's cancer and more. Kissing Frannie when he wasn't free had been unforgivable. With his life on track, he's trying to make amends and raise his children as a sober, single parent. With Frannie back in town for good, the intense feelings she stirs have him wondering if he could have a second shot at forever.

Getting a non-profit off the ground and overcoming town opposition requires Frannie's full attention. She doesn't need the distraction of a man who wants to earn her forgiveness and trust. Frannie knows she's wrong for him, but despite her effort to remain focused on her business, her body remembers the promise of passion and Patrick.

Deborah Grace Staley

BIO
Deborah Grace Staley is the award-winning and Bestselling author of the Angel Ridge series. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and teaches at Full Sail University. She makes her home in Florida with her husband and two adorable dachshunds. Follow her on Twitter @debgstaley or Facebook.

Hawks Mountain by Elizabeth Sinclair

Daily Deal on Amazon Kindle $1.99

Don't miss this special offer for February 19th.

Today only for 24 Hours!
Hawks Mountain at Amazon 

Elizabeth Sinclair

Bio

Elizabeth Sinclair sold her first romance, JENNY'S CASTLE, in 1993 to Silhouette Intimate Moments. Since then, this multi-published author's 23 books have sold in ten foreign countries and been translated into seven foreign languages.

Her books have won The National Reader's Choice Award, The Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, and Maggie Award of Excellence. She has also won a Gold Medal Top Pick from the Romantic Times Book Club and a Holt Medallion Award of Merit.

She is a cofounder and member of the Ancient City Romance Authors of St. Augustine, FL, and has been a member of Romance Writers of America since 1989. Elizabeth served as RWA's Region 3 Director and chaired the 2001 RWA Annual Conference in New Orleans.

She has presented numerous workshops on the craft of writing and authored THE DREADED SYNOPSIS. Elizabeth has published a total of twenty-three romances with Silhouette, Harlequin, Kensington, Thorndike and Bell Bridge Books. Her upcoming release from Bell Bridge Books is HELL BENT, a romantic suspense. WINTER MAGIC, the fourth book in the HAWKS MOUNTAIN series, is out now. Previous Books in that series are HAWKS MOUNTAIN, SUMMER ROSE, and FOREVER FALL.

Elizabeth loves to hear from her readers. You may contact her through her website.

http://elizabethsinclair.com/ 

Meet the Braddocks!

 Carly Braddock
Carly's Rule released September 2013

Dusty Braddock
Dusty's Fate to be released May 2014

Landon Braddock
 Landon's Crossing

Trevor Braddock

Trevor's Hope

Happy February! 

I hope you are all having a wonderful new year. I can't believe it's February already. First, I want to thank you all for your continued support for my debut novel, Carly's Rule. For me, December was full of family, and I loved every minute of it. In January, I set realistic goals for myself.

Several important events are happening in February. Bell Bridge Books is featuring a favorite romantic line or quote every day this month from their authors. My quote from Carly's Rule is featured on February 1st. Here's a link to the Facebook page, so you can read my favorite romantic line from my novel. https://www.facebook.com/BelleBooks I think it will be fun to check the facebook page every day to see what favorite quotes or lines other Bell Bridge authors have chosen to share. If you have a favorite romantic quote or line, I would love to read it. Please use the comment section below or you can put it on my Vickie King Author Facebook Page.

The most important news  is that Book 2 in The Braddock Series, Dusty's Fate, will be released in May 2014 instead of February. It will be out for vacation time. :-)

 Here's a little about Dusty's story.

West Virginia Private Investigator, Dusty Braddock, takes a job to put some distance between him and his hovering family, who believe he's on a downhill path to disaster. Three years ago, Dusty's wife and unborn child were killed in a car accident. He wasn't behind the wheel, but he believes he killed his wife and the baby growing inside her as surely as if he'd been. The guilt consumes him and festers his heart.

Foster system survivor Jules Donovan wants to find a guardian for her son to assure a stable family life for him should anything happen to her. The likeliest candidate is Luke Donovan, a man who may be her brother. Getting to know this man and his family is Jules' priority but could leave her vulnerable if a DNA test proves they are not, after all, related.

Dusty's family is connected to Jules' efforts, and the case puts him in the middle of her problematic life. Yet, he can't seem to walk away from her or her son.

Jules wants to belong to someone. No one has ever truly cared about her, or said I love you. Now, the only man who ever made her feel like sshe belongs wants more than she can give. Can she ever go back to her normal life if trusting him proves to be a mistake?

Happy Reading,
Vickie

Can you believe it's already September? Fall is just around the corner. It is also the time of the Harvest Moon. What a beautiful sight. Harvest Moon 

Something else happened this month. My long awaited debut novel, Carly's Rule, became available at Amazon in Kindle and in paperback, as well as at Barnes & Noble in paperback. Soon it will be available for Nook, at ibook, Sony, and Kobo. It will also be available to order anywhere books are sold.

I feel like I've been waiting all my life for this one event, and it is absolutely all that I expected. I've received encouragement through the years, but the support I have been given since the book released has been unbelievable. Thank you all.

Carly's Rule by Vickie King

Interview with author Karen Hudgins

Includes an excerpt from her 2013 release 
When Hearts Speak

 

Vickie: What inspired you to write your first book?

Karen: Inspiration rose out of discovering that I really liked fiction writing, and this particular kind of creativity to the max. I so enjoyed slipping into the zone, creating something from nothing, and coming out on the other side with story pages that made me feel good and pleased others. I had started out small (with many rewrites), one page about a woman in an estate garden waiting for someone. It took all day with a yellow pad and me still in my pajamas when my husband came home from work. By then, I was completely hooked on fiction writing and wanted to do so much more, which led to novel writing and learning as much as I could about the craft and the business. As a result, my first completed manuscript, Next Year's Promise, mostly set in Australia, was published in 2001. My sixth novel, When Hearts Speak, was published July 2013.

Vickie: What or who has been the biggest influence in your writing career and why?

Karen:  Reader appreciation. The personal satisfaction of creating stories always calls me back to write another one.

Karen won 3rd place in 2012 The Heart of Excellence Readers' Choice Award for her book, Best Man. 

Vickie: What is the most difficult part of the writing process for you, and how do you get through it?

Karen: I've found different challenges along the way. In the beginning, I had enrolled in Novel Writing at Rice University Continuing Education program. Reading my work before a group was difficult for me. Also, learning the element of dialogue. I just persisted with both of them and eventually prevailed.

Now, I think my biggest challenge is coming up with romantic conflicts that are credible enough for readers to buy into for the length of a 90K word book with related subplots. Another difficulty, which felt painful, was having to shut down the total immersion process to go to my day job when all my writing doors were open, my imagination was ripe, and content was flowing full blast. Knowing I could write again in the evening helped me cope. Book promotion, which comes with the territory, is still a bit of a challenge. I'm trying different methods.

Vickie: What advice or tips would you like to give, one writer to another?

Karen: For new writers I suggest: Accept and learn how to use constructive criticism. Practice will help you with this. Write as much as you can, every day, if possible. Make an honest effort to learn from others and seek out learning resources. Pick a genre and read, read, read. Spend time with other writers. Set up your own writing space that you come back to every time you write. Keep your chin up. Know what you're doing is NOT easy. Persevere. Finish writing a book, then celebrate big time. Learn the craft first, then the business aspects. Both are changing and immense. Expect to devote serious time to this, years, in fact. Finally, love writing for all that it is, and what it is not--or leave it . . . but keep reading.

Thanks, Vickie, for inviting me to share some of my writing life with you and others. Making writer friends is the best side effect of doing what we do. So good to know you, and best of luck to you with your new first book!

Vickie: Karen, thank you so much for allowing me to pick your brain on writing and for sharing this with others.

BIO

Karen Hudgins began writing in the early nineties, and the first novel she wrote was published in 2001. She writes romantic, character-driven stories laced with mystery or suspense, history, humor, often a touch of magic, and always finishes with a happy ending. Researching places, history, and lines of work through talking with people is always fascinating to her.

Northeast Florida is now Karen's home region where she and her husband explore the abundant natural, cultural, and historical features that feed her writer's spirit and imagination. She's a mom and grandmother. Her degree in Behavioral Science helps her create story people and their conflicts. She's a dog owner, beach-goer, reader, and movie-watcher. She likes rock, country music, and the Symphony.

Karen is a member of Romance Writers of America and National Association of Professional Women. She has worked on staff for private universities; the most recent, Washington University in St. Louis. She also enjoys digital photography. People with vision forever impress her, as do moms and dads who read to their young children.

Karen's time with writers, aspiring authors, readers, and other industry folk never proves dull. She's thankful for her writing life and especially for people who enjoy her stories. She wishes her inkwell never goes dry.

Visit Karen's website at  http://www.karenhudgins.com/
Website update in progress. Please come visit again soon for current info and Pics.

When Hearts Speak
Blurb

Sarah Grace Mayhew, a southern widow, avoids new love. When enigmatic Wyatt Harper lifts her from a fountain, he gets under her wet skin. Yet, how can she love the man whose phantom enemy also targets her? And why should Wyattt cherish a woman tied to his family's worst nightmare? Only their hearts can say.  

Excerpt

         

          Shortly after sunset Sarah Grace marveled that the tent was up, and Wyatt had hung lanterns in the low pine branches. She was eating a plate of barbecue beef brisket, corn bread, and quartered potatoes that Wyatt had carried in with him. She drank country fruit wine from a faded blue porcelain metal cup.  
          A long time had passed since Sarah Grace sat on a blanket spread on a log in her jeans, girly plaid shirt, Nikes®, and a light jacket. This almost seemed surreal.
          “What a difference eighteen miles makes,” Sarah Grace said quietly, taking it all in.  
          “I thought you’d like it here,” he said. “These are the backwoods to my home away from home. It’s a little cabin along Sandy Creek.”
          “Nice natural landscaping,” Sarah Grace remarked and licked stickiness from her fingers.
          “It’s about as natural as it gets.”
          “I like natural.”
          “I remember.” He moved closer to her and touched her leg with his. 
          “Is there a special reason why we’re here?” Sarah Grace asked thoughtfully. “Seriously.”
          Wyatt blew the flame off two more marshmallows and gave her one.
          “Seriously, yes. I wanted for us to have some time away,” he said. “Away from work problems, public parties, and family pressures. Let’s just be us and watch the sunrise together up here on the only decent hill in this whole county.” 
          Sarah Grace smiled around her marshmallow. He made them perfectly--charred. Also, he was right. Being away with each other was the best filter she’d seen in a long time. “I wouldn’t have thought of this,” she said. She stretched out her legs and crossed her ankles. She and Wyatt weren’t that far out of town. Yet, she was already feeling a difference. 
          “You make a good fire,” she added. “Were you a Boy Scout?”
          “Nope, Grandpa Joel taught me. He was Grandma Bunny’s husband,” he said, propping the long fork against a rock. “The secret’s in the stacking and dry wood. I keep some under a tarp by the big oak tree.” He hiked his thumb over his shoulder. “There’s a cave up here too. Fearless Alan checked it out once and got a bat scratch.”
          Sarah Grace cringed and rolled her eyes. “Boys.”
          “What? You don’t like boys?” Wyatt teased.
          Looking up at the moon, she flung back, “I do, but it’s a little vampire in the making that gets me going.”
          Wyatt laughed and touched her hair. “I’ve been missing you.”
          Sarah Grace squeezed his hand. Keeping things very loose for a while helped her. Now being close to him like this reminded her why it was worth the effort. Wyatt made her feel chosen and cherished. He moved his fingers to her cheek and stopped at the corners of her mouth.
          “C’mon, let’s go see the owls.” He got up and took her hand, grabbed a lantern from a branch, and led her onto a narrow path of chipped wood. He urged her to be quiet, and soon enough they stopped at a small stone bridge over the creek. She held the lantern while he drew a flashlight from his jacket pocket and shone the beam upward into the tallest pine tree. Large, beautiful golden eyes radiated down at them. “There’s a family up there. Chicks every spring,” he said.
          “Their camouflaging is amazing,” she said.
          He embraced her with his free arm, and she again was transported into his world. The more he revealed of himself the more she liked him. He was respectful of her and nature. He took things a little at a time, not at a reckless pace. He fed her spirit with gentleness. He fueled her desires with roguishness. With his eyes he read her needs, with his spirit he met them. She was feeling blessed tonight to be in his company.
          On the way back to the campsite, he flashed the light into the trees. Bright, silvery eyes popped into view.  “Deer,” she said in awe, counting three. “This is awesome.”
          Wyatt swiveled the light beam onto the path. “I should come more often. Last time the whole family was here for my dad’s birthday campout a couple of years ago. A little black bear visited us at the cabin. Mother dropped the strawberry basket on the porch. So the bear stuck around for a while.” He pushed aside a long branch for her to pass by. “Say, are you ready for a warm-up? The coffee pot has about two cups in it yet.”
         As the night grew darker Wyatt pulled her in for warmth and comfort beside him. They shared more stories, including a ghost story for good measure. Ruby had its share of them. The coffee was finished. The breeze around them whooshed through the pine tops, and the lanterns were not as bright. But who needed them for kissing?
          Wyatt turned and held her chin with his fingers and fired a sound kiss on her lips. Her need for love soared higher and deeper by the second. Cupping the back of her head with his hand, he let his passion take over.

Here is my cover for my September release, Carly's Rule, a contemporary romance.

When the book is released, I'll post a link.