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February 08, 2010Shopping With Sis
The first day we worked clear up until 10:30 at night. We also took care of bunch of administrative things. The next day, as a reward for all our hard work, we played. We went out to lunch and for dessert--we went shoe shopping. (We have been know to buy the exact same pair of shoes without each other knowing it!) Anyway, look what we found. The most adorable boots ever. And on sale! We couldn't resist. When we got back to Gayle's place, her husband took a picture of us in our matching boots. I'm home again now and am already counting the days to when I get to go up and see her again! What about you? Are you a shoe person? How do you and your sisters or friends or co-workers treat yourselves after a particularly hard day at work? *** Pepper Basham--winner of the CFBA Blog Tour Spotlight--is doing a Valentine's special called "A Kiss To Build A Scene On." Today, I'm the "author of the day." I talk about my favorite kissing scene from a movie, then had to include an excerpt of my favorite kissing scene from one of my novels. Pepper's had lots of other great authors in the previous week and more on their way this week. posted by Deeanne on 02/08/2010 - 3 comments - Post a Comment February 01, 2010Free Books!
Each judge will receive 5 FREE books to read and evaluate in the category that you choose. Judges may sign up to judge multiple categories. These books are yours to keep! All scores will be entered into an electronic form via the Web, so you must have access to the Internet. The score sheets have 20 questions, most of which are “select the highest rating that applies” type questions. The score sheets can be completed in under a half-hour for each book.
Each judge will be presented with the opportunity to complete an optional reader preferences survey. Any judge who completes the optional survey AND submits all scores for the panel(s) assigned to him/her will be given a discount code worth $10 off the 2010 RomCon™ in Denver, Colorado. If the judge has already registered for RomCon™ 2010, a refund of $10 will be issued. Each judge is eligible for only one $10 discount, regardless of how many panels they judge.
Judges must have a US or APO mailing address. Readers’ Crown™ books will not be sent out of the country. Click here to sign up! posted by Deeanne on 02/01/2010 - 13 comments - Post a Comment January 25, 2010Girlfriends Weekend 2010
All of Kathy's book clubs from all over the country travel to Jefferson, Texas. During the days, the clubs congregated in the Convention Hall where author panels and workshops were given. There was a diversity of authors--children's authors, fiction authors, non-fiction authors. So many you can't imagine. The highlight, of course, was when Pat Conroy (Prince of Tides) gave his keynote address. And he didn't just zip in, give his talk and zip out. No, he participated in the ENTIRE weekend. Wow.
At night, all books were put away and everybody let their hair down. Thursday night was a dinner where the authors acted as the waiters and waitresses. Friday night was the Happy 50th Birthday Barbie party. Both authors and readers came dressed as their favorite Barbie. (pics in our Dee's Circle of Friends section)
I made my Glinda-crown out of an Abraham Lincoln hat that I covered with glittery felt, then hot glued sequins and pearls onto. The rest of the pictures from Girlfriends' Weekend are in my scrapbook. Go to my Circle of Friends page, click on the Scrapbook and log in (if you haven't registered, it only takes a second). You don't want to miss these pics of authors and readers dressed up in the most creative costumes ever! Be sure to leave comments under the pics! posted by Deeanne on 01/25/2010 - 7 comments - Post a Comment January 17, 2010Caffeine, Romance and Barbie
I'm still at Girlfriends Weekend and having a blast. This is me at the 50th Anniversary Celebration for Barbie. The authors went down the catwalk holding their latest book and modeling their Barbie costumes. I was "Valentine Barbie." As soon as I get home, I'll post pics of me dressed up as Glinda the Good Witch at the big Saturday night "Over the Rainbow" bash. (I left my camera/computer connector thinga-ma-bop at home.) So, check back! posted by Deeanne on 01/17/2010 - 7 comments - Post a Comment January 11, 2010Girlfriends Weekend It's not too late to sign up for Girlfriends' Weekend if you want to join me! It is an annual get-together of a nationwide bookclub called Pulpwood Queens. Every January they meet in Jefferson, Texas for a big party. Lots of authors will be coming and mingling with readers. I went last year, too. Here's a peek: To register, email kathy@beautyandthebook.com or call Beauty and the Book at (903) 665-7520
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Since BEGUILED is now showing up on store shelves, our ARC giveaway has come to a close, but we are going to be picking a winner soon for the giveaway in my Circle of Friends section. To enter, click on the "Dee's Circle of Friends" tab at the top and then the trophy! And don't quite commenting. I read your comments every day. They mean so much. We all love hearing from you! posted by Deeanne on 01/11/2010 - 10 comments - Post a Comment January 04, 2010Not A Creature Was Stirring Everyone has gone home. The youngest son left on Thursday. The newlyweds left on Friday. The youngest daughter and our friend from Germany left on Sunday. Greg went to Norway on business. And our daughter's boyfriend went back to Dallas this morning. So it is just me and her. Boy, is it quiet around here! Here's a recap of our holidays: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. All have gone to bed and are awaiting Santa's arrival. Our "from" boxes--see post from Dec 14--are underneath the fireplace on the left.
Santa came and he brought our 23 yo a pair of boots and a lone-star jogging outfit--so she'll be styling in her street clothes and styling in her work out clothes!
Our daughter-in-law knitted us gifts this year. Isn't that scarf beautiful!
The girls made Christmas cookies.
Our son's girlfriend made us Christmas candy.
My daughter and I did our 2000-piece Coca-Cola puzzle we do every Christmas.
And we had a special visitor from Germany. It was his first time in the States and his first time on an airplane!
Tonight, all is calm and very quiet. And though I have plenty to do, I feel a little lost without all the hussle and bustle. ***
If you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of my new romantic suspense, BEGUILED, leave a comment here on my blog between now (January 4) and Saturday (January 9). We will pick a winner at that time, then start all over again on Sunday. For more opportunities to win, click on the "Dee's Circle of Friends" tab at the top and join in on the fun! posted by Deeanne on 01/04/2010 - 39 comments - Post a Comment December 27, 2009Cast Your Vote for Best Cover
Two of my books have been nominated for Best Cover. Since my daughter is on A Bride in the Bargain, I voted for it, but I love both of these and there are some other great covers as well. This is a Readers' Choice award, so click here to cast your vote! Then, come back and let us know how you voted! ***
If you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of my new romantic suspense, BEGUILED, leave a comment here on my blog between now (December 27) and Saturday (January 2). We will pick a winner at that time, then start all over again on Sunday. For more opportunities to win, click on the "Dee's Circle of Friends" tab at the top and join in on the fun! Hope you have a great New Year! posted by Deeanne on 12/27/2009 - 38 comments - Post a Comment December 21, 2009Merry Christmas From our house to yours ... Have a blessed and wonderful Christmas! (These are our four children and our precious daughter-in-law.) ***
If you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of my new romantic suspense, BEGUILED, leave a comment here on my blog between now (December 21) and Saturday (December 26). We will pick a winner at that time, then start all over again on Sunday. For more opportunities to win, click on the "Dee's Circle of Friends" tab at the top and join in on the fun! posted by Deeanne on 12/21/2009 - 28 comments - Post a Comment December 14, 2009Christmas Traditions
He called it Christmas Dates. First, Greg & I and each child made a Christmas list and we put the items in the order in which we wanted them. Then, Greg and I went on a "date" with each child. Each date included:
During dinner, we'd give the child a budget and look over the lists of the family members we were shopping for, then decide IN ADVANCE what we were going to buy them. This way, we knew EXACTLY what stores we were going to and what we were going to buy them. (No browsing stores. Just in and out!) For the rest of the dinner we'd just visit. Because we had four kids (in four years), this was the ONLY one-on-one time Greg and I had with that child the entire year. And boy, did we cherish that time. After dinner, we'd do our shopping. When we got to the checkout counter, we'd give the child the cash so that they could make the actual purchase. (Sometimes they had to do this while standing up in the shopping cart because they couldn't reach the cashier!) We also found that withholding dessert until the end kept the chid on-task during the shopping and made for a very pleasant way to end the evening! Greg and I also made a pact that we would not do ANY shopping other than what the child was doing--even if what we needed was in the same store. We wanted to keep the focus on what the child was giving and not wear them out with extra errands or diminish what they were buying by purchasing something else ourselves. The first year we did it, I wrapped white shelf paper onto four big, open-ended cardboard boxes. At the end of each box I put--in big block letters--FROM: CHILD'S NAME. They became known as our "from" boxes. I then set the kids on the kitchen table with glue and markers and felt, etc. They spent hours decorating their "from" boxes. On Christmas Eve, we got the boxes out and they would each find the gifts under the tree that they were GIVING to their family member and put it in their "from" box. On Christmas morning they took turns--as everyone watched--GIVING a present to each family member. We'd all watch what that family member received and then take a photo of the two. With the kids in their twenties now, I keep expecting to leave the "from" boxes in the attic. But every Christmas eve, they still go up there and bring them out and fill them with the gifts they brought. And we still go on our dates. Though they've often already done their own shopping, it is a wonderful one-on-one time as we take each of them out to a restaurant of their choice. (And I have to say, their palates have matured and McDonald's is no longer their restaurant of choice. Ha!) One of the other things that has matured is their Christmas lists. They now include not only the item, but the cost, the store in which it can be found (or the web link), a thumbnail picture and its rank (8 out of 10 stars, 4 out of 10 stars, etc.) The store clerks are very impressed when we come in and point to the item and say, "We'd like one of these." :) It is a fun time and a very special tradition and one that, I suspect, our children will do with their children. What's a tradition that you do that is particularly special to you? ***
If you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of my new romantic suspense, BEGUILED, leave a comment here on my blog between now (December 14) and Saturday (December 19). We will pick a winner at that time, then start all over again on Sunday. For more opportunities to win, click on the "Dee's Circle of Friends" tab at the top and join in on the fun! posted by Deeanne on 12/14/2009 - 30 comments - Post a Comment November 29, 2009Pet Contest Winners
One of the things we discovered as we wrote the book was that sometimes we had to make up pets whose names were easy to remember. (One of the heroine's clients has four cats. We named them Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion. That way it would be easy for the reader to keep up with them all.) Other times, we needed names that evoked a particular mode. For example, we needed a big, scary looking dog. So, we made him an Argentino Mastiff with the name of Toro. All that to say: We didn't get to use as many of your entries as we'd hoped. But it was not because your beloved animals weren't worthy, it was simply a matter of which pets fit what we needed to accomplish in the book. Also I feel I should mention that some pets don't make an actual appearance, but are mentioned in passing. Anyhoo, pictures of our winning entries are in my scrapbook (click on the scrapbook in the COF section). There, you can see more about the pets and what scene they are in and a little bit about them. Here is a list of them in order of appearance:
Thanks to all who entered! I enjoyed reading about your pets and seeing their adorable pictures. ***
Meanwhile, if you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of BEGUILED, the new romantic suspense I co-authored with J. Mark Bertrand, leave a comment here on my blog between now (November 29) and Saturday (December 5). We will pick a winner at that time, then start all over again on Sunday. posted by Deeanne on 11/29/2009 - 32 comments - Post a Comment November 24, 2009Happy Thanksgiving
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If you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of my new romantic suspense, BEGUILED, leave a comment here on my blog between now (November 24) and Saturday (November 28). We will pick a winner at that time, then start all over again on Sunday. posted by Deeanne on 11/24/2009 - 31 comments - Post a Comment November 16, 2009Win An ARC
Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her. Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything. As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything? If you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of my new release, leave a comment here on my blog between now (November 16) and Sunday (November 22). We will pick a winner at that time, then start all over again next Monday. Also, this is the book that I ran a PET CONTEST for last year (November 2008). Next week I'll be revealing whose pets make an appearance in BEGUILED. Until then, you can preorder BEGUILED at CBD, amazon, Bethany House or where ever you like to shop best! posted by Deeanne on 11/16/2009 - 48 comments - Post a Comment November 09, 2009Recycled Costumes My family loves to dress up. Give us an excuse and we're there. (All except my husband. He's way too cool.) This year for Halloween, the girls went with a recycled theme. Now by "recycled costumes" I don't mean the girls used costumes from previous years, I mean they used recycled newspapers and grocery sacks to make their costumes!! (To see larger images, right click and open in a new window.) Our 20yo went to a Halloween party as a newspaper and her friend as a paper-boy! (Note she's also black-and-white-and-read-all-over.)
Our 22yo went as ... a recycler? I don't know. All I know is her entire costume was made out of garbage bags and plastic shopping bags (like you get at the grocery store).
What did your kids dress up as? posted by Deeanne on 11/09/2009 - 3 comments - Post a Comment November 02, 2009It's Done
I was still so concerned about being on time that I got myself a PIT Crew. This is a Personal Intercessary Team that commited to pray for me every single day until the manuscript was finished. I cannot tell you what a tremendous difference they made! It was made up of six people. My aunt and uncle, Larry & Donna Drake. Two women from my hometown church who have known me since I was little ... Pat Kane and Linda Wiltze. And a couple from BHP who I have become particularly close to ... Gary & Carol Johnson. There were also countless others praying for me: my women's Bible study group, my family, my daughters and daughter-in-law, some friends and even my hairdresser!! My sister, Gayle Evers, was also very involved in this manuscript. She's my plotting partner, but this time she actually went with me on the research trip to Biltmore. She helped me find resources, we plotted the book together and then she sent me off to write it. But if the characters did something unexpected, it was so great to be able to pick up the phone and discuss it with her. The two of us would decide if I should let the character do what they were wanting or if I should rein them in. My critique partner, Meg Moseley, read each chapter as I wrote it and emailed it right back with an ongoing critique. When the draft was completed, she read it, as did my mom & dad. The three of them gave me excellent feedback on how I could make it better and at what points I might want to clarify a few things. All of which led me to today ... the mailing of the manuscript to BHP. And now, even more team work begins as editorial, marketing, sales, art and production all catch the ball and take it to the endzone. Whew! Now that's what I call a TEAM effort!!! posted by Deeanne on 11/02/2009 - 15 comments - Post a Comment
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My new assistant, Gayle, is also my sister. We live a couple hours apart and I try to go up to her place (or vice versa) every six weeks or so to touch base. This was our week to do that. I brought 42 library books with me in the trunk of my car (research for the next novel). She scanned the books and marked the chapters and passages that she thought were most critical, then I started reading what she marked.
Borders is holding a Readers' Choice contest (called "Readers' Crown") for Best Romance Novel and they're looking for judges.
Kathy Patrick, owner of the Beauty and the Book hair salon/bookstore, hosted her annual gathering of the 
I did a panel with author 
The culminating event was The Great Big Ball of Hair Ball which, this year, had an Over the Rainbow theme. One and all came dressed in costumes inspired by the Wizard of Oz. Do you remember that gown my best friend from high school made me for my 
Rae Byuel is doing a "Spotlight on Dee Gist" this week. She posted some Q&As we did as well as "10 Random Things You Never Knew About Dee". Things like: when I was little I made up romance stories for my Barbie and Ken dolls. To read more 
Gail from San Antonio is last week's winner of an Advanced Reading Copy of BEGUILED. Congrats, Gail! 
Way back when the kids were small, I was at a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting and the speaker was giving ideas on how to take the "me" out of Christmas for your child. One of the things he suggested was a Christmas tradition that my family embraced and that--twenty years later--we are still doing today.
Since the heroine in BEGUILED is a dogwalker, Mark (my co-author) and I thought it would be fun to feature some of ya'll's pets in the novel. So way back in the fall of 2008 we held a Pet Contest. You submitted your pets' names, photos and an anecdote. Every entry was simply wonderful!
Harley is a mutt who belongs to Patricia E. of Texas (Harley---pictured on the right--is renamed Romeo in the book because I had a rather prominent secondary character in my TROUBLE books whose name was Harley.)
We're having Thanksgiving at our house again this year. All the kids are coming home from the four corners--the married son & his wife from CA and the youngest son from school up in NY and the daughter at college here in Texas and the daughter who just graduated. In addition to them, we will have friends and aunts and uncles and grandparents. Can't wait! What are you doing for Thanksgiving?
My deadline for Maid To Match was Nov. 1st. I mailed the manuscript in today. Boy, does it feel good to have that puppy in the mail!! It was supposed to be finished Sept 1st, but writing two books in one year threw my schedule all out of whack, so BHP let me have a couple of extra months to finish up.
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