Hey Y'all!

It took me awhile to get here, but alas I'm finally joining the blogosphere of bloviation. It took a rant floating around in my head to send me toward this journey, but so be it. We'll have some fun here too. I promise. Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to leave me a comment or two. ~ diane


Showing posts with label Kindle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kindle. Show all posts

Saturday, June 25, 2011

My New Baby!

Shameless promotion alert: my newest book is now available on Kindle! Actually, it's a novella. Meaning it's a quick read and perfect for summer. And if you don't have a Kindle, not to worry. You can download Kindle for PC for free on your computer or laptop, iPad, or iPhone. If none of those are an option, a paperback copy of the entire collection of these novellas will be available sometime next year. But enough about the logistics. Let me tell you all about my new baby!

Tea with Emma is the first in a series called "The Teacup Novellas." Lucy Alexander has a serious case of writers' block. That is, until her UPS guy delivers a box of vintage teacups - a gift from the estate of her late Aunt Lucille, her namesake. The teacups immediately take her back to memories of those many summers she spent with her beloved aunt and the special tea parties they'd share when Aunt Lucille would tell her all those wonderful stories. Suddenly the stories rush through Lucy's mind like so many movie scenes all vying for her attention. And as those stories bombard her, she realizes her writers' block has disappeared. A series of novellas begin to unfold in her mind. The first, a modern-day take of Jane Austen's Emma . . .

Fresh from a Jane Austen tour in England, Maddie Cooper returns home to Texas, determined to bring a touch of “Austen to Austin.” She dreams of opening an authentic English tea room and, like Austen’s Emma, put into practice her self-proclaimed gift as a matchmaker. But an airport mishap with a cranky Englishman gets her off on the wrong foot (quite literally), especially when he moves into the university guest house across the street. Can Maddie find a love for her unapproachable new neighbor, or has she finally met her match?

I've had so much fun working on these stories, plus Lucy's story line which continues in the prologues and epilogues of the following novellas. Each is a stand-alone story which includes a sub-plot about a vintage teacup. 

Teacups? Why teacups? Well, you see, I once inherited a collection of vintage teacups from one of my favorite aunts. Just sayin' . . .

You'll be happy to know Tea with Emma is available for only 99 cents at Amazon. C'mon, you can't even buy a cup of coffee for 99 cents anymore! And did you know you can send an e-book as a gift via email? Treat yourself and your friends to a fun read, then drop me a line and let me know how you like it.

Happy reading!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

The Blahs, Distractions, and a Shameless Book Plug


Is it just me or is anyone else having a hard time getting 2011 going? See this little cutie in the striped cap? EXACTLY how I feel. (Here's hoping it ain't gas?) No, I'm afraid it's official: I've got The Blahs.

I just can't seem to find my mojo now that we're well into the new year (assuming I ever had a mojo?) . . . I have so much I need to be doing, but I can't get my "want-to" to want-to. Know what I mean?

Could be the snow. Nashville was blessed with such a beautiful white Christmas this year, and we've had even more since then. Yeah, I'm one of "those" people - the kind who can't get enough of the white stuff. BRING.IT.ON. Granted, I don't live in Minnesota (hi Joy!) or South Dakota or up in Alaska . . . but I do love me some good snow. It's very calming to my soul, if that makes any sense. Doesn't bother me a bit to get snowed in for days on end. Even when the kids were younger, I loved waking them with those two beautiful words: Snow Day! We'd watch movies, make popcorn, sleep a lot . . . heaven!

Ah. Maybe THAT'S the problem. All this snow = sleep in my brain, thus explaining the slow start to 2011. Like hibernating bears. Could explain all these naps that keep invading my schedule . . .

Or it could be the Kindle my kids bought me for Christmas! For a book lover like me, I can't believe I'm already hooked on this gadget but I am! I still love my traditional books (I take turns so they aren't offended), but I feel terribly trendy whenever I whip out my Kindle and start reading. LOVE when my kids surprise me! 

I'm also back on Weight Watchers. Maybe it's the hunger pangs that are distracting me. Ya think? Great program, especially with their new PointsPlus system, but any time I'm watching what I eat, it seems like that's ALL I can think about! But hey - I've lost 6.5 pounds my first two weeks, so I'm a happy girl. Only a bazillion more to go . . . watch for some svelte glamor shots later this year. HA!

But I've gotta get moving. I've got several trips on the horizon this year. A birthday getaway/house & dog sitting weekend with my good friend Sally in a couple of weeks. Then, the end of February, a reunion weekend at a cabin in Blue Ridge with some long-lost friends of mine from our seminary days in Texas - haven't seen either of them in about 25 years! Even now, I'm resting my jaws for the gabfest! HOW FUN!! In March, another trip to Ridgecrest in North Carolina for a big church librarians annual event. I'll be helping lead a conference as well as taking part in a big book signing there. Then Ken & I are planning a trip to Boston the end of April to celebrate - wait for it - our 30th anniversary!! Woo hoo!! Can't wait for that one!

As we speak, my next book - Don't Ever Look Down: Surviving Cancer Together - co-authored with Dick & Debbie Church, is headed to press with an April 1st release date. It was such an honor and privilege to work on this book with two of my dearest friends. If you know ANYONE who has had to travel down the road of cancer, you need to get a copy of this book. Dick & Deb have opened their hearts to share their experiences along their cancer journey, taking turns by writing every other chapter to give their individual perspectives. Deb, an oncology counselor who was diagnosed with Stage IIIA breast cancer, gives a transparent peek into her world from the other side of cancer. Dick, a minister with a passion for mountain climbing, writes a compelling comparison of Debbie's battle with cancer to the difficulties, dangers, and triumphs of climbing a mountain. I know I'm ridiculously prejudiced about this book, but trust me - you've NEVER read a book like this. What makes it so unique is not only Deb's point of view from 18 years of counseling others with this horrible disease, but also the rare insights of a husband whose wife endured a double mastectomy. As pathetic as it may seem, many husbands in that situation don't stick around. Dick Church did, and he gives us a rare glimpse into the heartbreaking situations they've faced together. You'll be hooked from page one. That's a guarantee!

Sound like a pitch? You betcha! Preorders available now! Click here! And be assured I'll remind you when the big launch occurs. Consider yourself warned.

I've been so bad about posting these blogs. "Irregular" doesn't even come close to describing how often I don't post! It isn't that I forget. Just doesn't seem like I have much to say that's worth blabbing about. That, and the fact that when I do post, it's waaaaay too long. So the new rule is "less is more." Post more often, just shorter and to the point.

Which means this one is already too long. I'm outta here!