Mia Romano-Author

Free Download of Malibu Nights!

2008-10-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Yes, it has been way too long since I have posted anything on my blog. So much has been going on in my life.

Anyway, I have a free read in PDF format of a very erotic story I wrote called, Malibu Nights! It's hot, sexy and just downright well...you'll just have to read it!
If you would like to received it, just send me an e-mail with Malibu Nights in the subject line.

By requesting the download, you certify that you are an adult of at least 18 years of age or older. Your date of birth will be required to be sent in the e-mail request. I an not liable in any way for any false information that you provide.

The file is for your own personal reading only and may not be distributed via any electronic or print media method.

Enjoy!

Mia

Out Now in PRINT!

2008-02-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

Cupid's Dilemma is out now in the print version! Whoot! I'm so excited. It is like getting a late Christmas present. And to beat it all, it is snowing here in Alabama! It NEVER snows here. I'm going out to dance in the snowflakes. Here is the buy link to this romantic story!

http://www.lulu.com/browse/book_view.php?fCID=2042887

New Release!

2008-02-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

Love is in the air! I am such a romantic when it comes to this time of year and I hope you will check out my new Valentine Story from The Wild Rose Press called, Cupid's Dilemma! And check out the beautiful cover!

More News!

2008-02-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

I've been posting more on my blog over at Myspace these days and decided I had been a slacker over here. So, I'm posting some more news today. I've been doing some cover art and I have a gallery that you can browse through to see some of my work. Some of my gallery are photographs I've done and I love taking pictures and doing cover art as well. Drop by if you get the time and take a look around and let me know what you think! Here is the linky: http://miaromano.deviantart.com/gallery/Hugs Mia

A New Review!

2008-02-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

I just received a new review from Jo at Joyfully Reviewed for my book, Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Dead! I am so happy they liked it! Here is the link;
http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/reviews/Feb08/RaindropsKeepFallingOnMyDead.MR.html

So what am I up to?

2008-01-15T04:40:00.001-08:00

So far 2008 has been busy and frustrating at the same time. I've been trying to get over the flu for a couple of weeks and I finally feel better today.

On the upswing of things, here is what is going on in my little corner of the world.
I am working on my new series: The Lorkin Lords. The series has a total of six books and they are all targeted for Mass Market. Yep, that is a lot of long books! I also did some playing around in one of my art programs for a little inspiration. So far, I've done two mock covers for the series. I'll be working on more mock cover art for the other four books and will post them as I get them done between my writing time.

That being said, any editors or agents interested in picking up this series or taking a look at it...PLEASE give me a shout! LOL, hey a girl can dream.

So how is the new year shaping up for you?

Here are the two "covers" so far.

Plans for 2008

2008-01-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know my blog is way past being updated. Yep, I have been slack on lots of things as of late. But, I'm working hard on making 2008 a better and more productive year. I'm glad 2007 is over and behind me. It was a year of tragic events in my life mixed with a few good things.

So what about 2008 you say? Well, I'm changing life around a little. At least those things I can control. I'm going to be removing my name from lots of yahoo groups as bad as I hate to. I simply need to streamline things in my life. I'll be updating my website, making it more user-friendly and better, or I hope. The big thing will be my writing schedule and plan for print publication. YES! I am going to do my best to make it happen this year. At one point in my life I wrote full-length books and didn't know how to begin writing short stories. Then I tried a few and got hooked on the speed of getting them done. Not that I'm not happy with all my short stories and publishing history, I just need to focus on longer ones again and get my butt in the chair and write. I want that dream every author has of mass market publication and it's up to me to put in all my best efforts to see that dream have a chance to become real.

I'll be changing my schedule around my writing instead of my schedule dictating my time for writing each day. I have decided to get off of Facebook and a few other areas I'm on. I spend too much time playing around and it has to stop. So I'm going to be extra tough on myself this year and kick the ass of anyone or anything that gets in my way other than unexpected emergencies. Call me a hardass if you want. I WILL follow my dream. I hope each and every one of you have a goal and dream in mind for the brand new year and that you will see it happen! Keep writing harder, love that special someone in your life deeper and kick the ass of anyone who stands in your way!

Hugs,

Mia

My Lips are Sealed gets a new review!

2007-11-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

Just in from The Romance Studio! I'm super excited about the wonderful review of this book. It is one of my favorites and they gave it 4 1/2 hearts! Here is the link. http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/lipssealedromano.htm

My first review for Sweet Petunia!

2007-10-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

I just had to share my wonderful news. Sweet Petunia has been reviewed at The Romance Studio and received 4.5 hearts! This is my first review ever with them and I'm super excited. I've listed the link to the review below:

http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/sweetpetuniaromano.htm

I hope you'll check it out, and if you haven't picked up your copy of Sweet Petunia yet, remeber it's on sale at All Romance E-books for only $2.99!

www.teasepublishingllc.com

Have a great day all!

Mia Romano

IT IS HERE!!!

2007-10-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

Sweet Pentunia is out now from Tease Publishing! At only $2.99 on ARE, I hope you'll check it out and enjoy the read!

Here is the link:
http://www.teasepublishingllc.com/sweet_petunia.aspx

SWEET PETUNIA IS ON THE WAY!

2007-10-05T08:59:00.001-07:00

Not long now until the release of Sweet Petunia from Tease Publishing. I'm so excited! It will be out on October 15. Here are a few little snippets from a few chapters to give you an insight to Petunia's personality. I hope you enjoy them and will pick up your copy of Sweet Petunia on the 15th! Have fun and happy reading!

Hugs,
Mia

From Chapter 4

Within fifteen minutes we were docking at port. Petunia was running late as usual. She’d grabbed a T-shirt and slung it over her head, stretching it to its limits. It was bright mustard-yellow with the words “County Fair Corn Dog Queen 1988” on it.

“Nice shirt,” I commented, adjusting my Gucci sunglasses….

From Chapter 6
Petunia’s eyes sparkled like the crown jewels. “Twenty dollars says you’ll still be a
cranky, unfulfilled woman by the time this cruise is over. I bet it’s been so long since you had some, your vagina’s probably grown back like a virgin’s.”

From Chapter 9

Something in Petunia snapped. She stood up in the center of her bed and started bouncing on the mattress like a boxer in a ring. Her nightgown was swishing around, and her fist was a mere inch from my face. "Tell you what." She grabbed a handful of my hair with her other hand and pulled. “I ain't gonna put up with this kinda shit from you. I don't care how long we been friends. I'll open up a can-of-whoop-ass like you never seen before.

Check this out!

2007-07-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

There is a wonderful contest running over at Susan Helene Gottfrieds blog, The West of Mars you won't want to miss. Look at some of the fabulous prizes you could win! Susan has spent a great deal of time in putting this contest together and the prizes are huge! Have fun!

Hidden Treasures Prize List:

1. A signed hardcover of Henry Martin's Mad Days of Me
2. A signed trade paperback of Jennifer Estep's Karma Girl
3. A signed copy of Isle of Swords by Wayne Batson
4. Three copies of Mind Made by Amy Lignor
5. Two copies of Heart of a Legend by Amy Lignor
6. A copy of the hard-to-find (a true treasure!) book, The Cobra & The Concubine by Bonnie Vanak
7. An autographed copy of Cut to the Bone, along with some autographed bookmarks, from Shane Gericke
8. Two copies of The End of East by Jen Sookfong Lee from Random House of Canada
9. Two copies of Blood Sports by Eden Robinson from Random House of Canada
10. Two copies of Beyond the Blue by Andrea MacPherson from Random House of Canada
11. Two copies of By The Time You Read This by Giles Blunt from Random House of Canada
12. Two copies of The Halifax Connection by Marie Jakober from Random House of Canada
13. Two copies of Mean Boy by Lynn Coady from Random House of Canada
14. A paperback copy of Hit Parade by Lawrence Block from Armchair Interviews
15. A trade paperback copy of Demons Are Forever by Julie Kenner from Armchair Interviews
16. A hardcover copy of Jar City: A Reykjavik Thriller by Arnaldur Indridason from Armchair Interviews
17. A trade paperback 52 by Greg Cox from Armchair Interviews
18. A copy of Sailing Time's Ocean by Terence M. Green from Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, Publishers
19. A hardcover copy of Petropolis by Anya Ulinich donated by Eclectic Closet Litblog & Book Reviews
20. Trade Paperback of The Attack by Yasmine Khadra donated by Eclectic Closet Litblog & Book Reviews
21. A copy of Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell from Hachette Book Group USA
22. A copy of Seven Loves by Valerie Trueblood from Hachette Book Group USA
23. A copy of Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand from Hachette Book Group USA
24. A copy of Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst from Hachette Book Group USA
25. A copy of The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani from Hachette Book Group USA
26. An Advanced Reader Copy of Through the Eyes of a Survivor by Colette Waddel from J. Salyers
27. A copy of The Republic of Nothing by Lesley Choyce donated by Eclectic Closet Litblog & Book Reviews
28. For a Canadian winner (must be a resident), HarperCollins Canada is offering a prize pack
29. A copy of Nadine Dajani's Fashionably Late donated by the author

Blog Party

2007-07-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

My friend,Kelly is having a blog party over at her blog starting tomorrow. There will be lots of fun prizes special guest authors and I hope you'll drop by and leave a comment or two. Get to know some of the Forbidden Publications authors and learn more about their work, what makes them tick and so much more! Hope you all will drop by. Here is her blog addy. http://kelleyv.blogspot.com/

Birthday Celebration!

2007-07-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Tomorrow is my Birthday and I wanted to celebrate in a big way. I just put some of my items in my clothing line live on my website. I hope you'll check them out!

The web addy is www.miaromano.com

Yipee!!!!!!!!!!

Happy 4th of July and exciting news!

2007-07-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Yes, I know I've been bad at blogging. I hope all of you in the states are having a wonderful holiday. As for me, I've been busy getting my clothing line ready for my grand opening and doing some writing as well as working on edits.

I love to sew as a hobby and hope you'll like my creations and will check it out. If you go to my website at: www.miaromano.com and click on the link titled, Mia's Clothing Line, you will see some of the items I've created. I'm super excited about getting this thing done!

Since my main job is an author, I won't have a huge amount of clothing to sell at one time. Writing is my first priority and I'm doing this clothing line to help supplement my income. As a fairly new author, income is minimal. I hope you'll keep stopping in on my website and find something sexy you like! While you're there, I hope you'll check out some of my books that I have out now.

I haven't put out the excerpt for SIZZLE yet, but will be soon. I'm pleased to announce that it will be going to print in January of 2008! Well, that's it for me. Have a wonderful 4th and take care!

For those going to nationals in Dallas this year, I hope all your hopes and dreams come true. I'll miss seeing all the wonderful people I met last year at the Atlanta conference. I hope to get back to nationals next year.

Here's a small photo display of some of my creations. Let me know what you think and thanks for your support!

Hugs,
Mia

AND REMIND ME WHY I GOT OUT OF BED THIS MORNING...

2007-06-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

We've all had them. Those kind of days when we ask ourselves why we bothered crawling out from under the covers. But why, why, WHY do they have to come in sets of two? Yeppers, two days in a row I've had just crap and irritating things going on. First off, I'm a real do-it-yourself kind of gal. It's nothing for me to build a fence slat by wooden slat and hoist it up, support it and well, you get the idea. I must admit I'm pretty good at this stuff.

I've been working my buns off in the garden and remodeling the patio. Things have been going great even out in the 90 degree boiling sun. I've got most of the lattice up and it looks good. The flowers are planted and the garden doesn't have a weed one in it. Hell, even the fence I built would make a fenceatier (my made up word of the day) proud!

Granted none of this is a small task for a gal who stands 5" 1 1/2 inches tall and tips the scales at 125 pounds and yes, most of those pounds are on my ass. But that's another subject for another day.

So you're saying, Mia get to the point here. The point is, I am pissed at my stupidity. Yesterday I was hanging some lights from my table umbrella. I didn't bother to get my stepladder I just use the dang chair like I always do. Well, my foot gets hung in the chair arm and yep, I start to topple. Well damn it, I'm NOT going to fall. So I grab the umbrella like Mary Poppins and catch my fall only to have the chair flip and leave a huge pump knot on my shin which is now bruised.

Today is no better. I take my car in for an oil change and come out with yep, you guessed it, more things need done I'm informed. No surprise there right?

On top of it, we've not had rain in weeks. My yard is dead, I'm watering the garden each day and have given up on ever seeing the deep crevices in the earth from the dry spell mending back together. And TODAY, after the driest spring in this area since 1914, we get a huge storm. Now I shouldn't be complaining about that beautiful rain kissing the wilted leaves of my flowers, but the wind blows the damn fence over and wrecks havoc on everything.

Being the smarty-pants, brainless gal that I am, I go out and try to fix the fence only to have the other panel fall over and scrape my other shin all the way up. By tomorrow I will look like I've been in a boxing arena with someone who was much shorter than 2 feet tall and could only punch my legs!

But you know what the worst thing of all is? I broke a dang fingernail and my nail polish is chipped. Now thats MAJOR in my book. LOL

Come Join Us!

2007-05-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Tease Publishing has a new readers group that is going to be sizzling soon! I hope you will join the group and get to know all of us. We will be having plenty to tease you with!

alt="Click here to join teasereaders">
Click to join teasereaders

Malibu Nights is out now!

2007-05-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

I so excited! I just found out that Malibu Nights is available as of today in the Silk's Vault bookstore. It's hot, hot, HOT! I have included the link below and hope you'll check it out! It will add some steam to this hot almost summer day we are having!

Here is the link: http://silksvault.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=117

There's also a chat this evening at 7PM at the Silk's Vault Chat room. Hope to see you all there!

Mia

New Contract!

2007-05-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Whoo hoo!!!!!!!! I just received word that my story, Cupid's Dilemma will be published with The Wild Rose Press in February 2008! I'm super excited about it. I loved writing this story and it's a sweet romance that I think is perfect for Valentine's Day. I'm off to celebrate!

Check out what Sweet Petunia has to say

2007-05-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

From the desk of: Sweet Petunia Mason

May 2007

Hi Y’all,

October will be here before we know it, and I can’t wait for you to read about the big adventure Ritzy and I went on this past summer. The cruise ship was a new experience for me and let me tell you, I didn’t think I’d ever set foot on land again!

What started out as a vacation ended up being everything but. Ritzy learned a thing or two about love, and I learned it was never too late to follow my dreams. We made these little discoveries after nearly losing our lives!

I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Sweet Petunia when it comes out this fall. It will be available at Tease Publishing in e-book format. Mia Romano did a wonderful job of telling all the suspenseful moments that took place. Oh, and by the way, she really spilled all the juicy details about Ritzy’s love affair. Just don’t tell Ritzy we know she likes a little kink in the bedroom if you see her out and about.

Here’s a little sneak preview of the first chapter:

CHAPTER ONE

Don’t Tip the Trailer

What kind of mother would name her child Sweet Petunia, give her a red Vega on her sixteenth birthday, and remind her the posted speed in the trailer park, fifteen miles per hour, matched the age she'd given birth?

It was a shame it wasn’t mine, but the mother of my best friend, Sweet Petunia Mason.

My childhood fate had been far worse. I was reminded of it every time I had to display my driver’s license or pull out my social security card.

Yep, that was me all right, Ritzy Valentine, II, now forty years old and standing at the boarding dock of a luxury cruise ship, ready to bare my soul and my cleavage to the world.

The heat index and menopause caused a stream of sweat to slither between my breasts. My mother would have been appalled, as according to her words, “ladies do not perspire, but merely glow.” Well, I had news for Mother…God rest her soul. You can bet your sweet little…

“Petunia!” I caught a flash of orange and pink polka-dots headed my way. “It’s about time you got here. What took you so long?”

A voice could be heard from above. “Mitzi Valentine, Ms. Mitzi Valentine, please report to dock number five.” The purser tapped the clipboard in his hand, yelling into the megaphone over the crowd and their luggage.

“Here…here I am.” I said, arching my arm in the air and waving my hand in true beauty queen fashion. “And it’s Ritzy, Ritzy Valentine, not Mitzi.” I pulled my passport from the bright red floral tote weighting down my arm and approached him.

“Oh, yes, Mitzi,” he reached for my passport with a pasted smile.

“Ritzy,” I repeated, trying to correct him yet again. “It’s Ritz-y; you know, kind of like the buttery crackers you buy during the holidays.”

“I will have to confirm this.” The purser said in a heavy Spanish accent. “The names do not match, please step aside.”

Petunia bustled in front of me, “It’s hormonal—makes her a little cranky. She must have forgotten her hormone therapy patch today.” She gave me the look that said I’ll handle this, which is exactly what I was afraid of.

“Just don’t tip the trailer over this,” Petunia warned me.

“You mean don’t rock the boat,” I corrected. “If you’re going to use a cliché, at least get it right.”

She promptly ignored me, placing her hands on her hips, causing a large, orange polka-dot on her bust line to take on an oval shape. “Look, buster, there’s men on that there ship, and we intend to have us a few.”

“And your name please?” Purser Quadro, as his name badge stated, reached his hand out for Petunia’s passport.

“Sweet Petunia Mason, and if you think my friend and I flew all the way from Mobile, Alabama to ‘step aside’ as you put it, then you got another thing comin’.” She said in a flawless southern drawl. “Besides, it’s hotter than hell out here, so let’s get it on!”

“You mean get on with it.” I corrected Petunia again, blushing somewhat timidly at the purser. “We’ll just step aside for a moment, sir.”....

www.teasepublishingllc.com Visit Mia at: www.miaromano.com

Tagged

2007-05-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

I was over at Samantha's blog last night and saw that I've been tagged. I've never done one of these and it looks like fun, so here goes. First off here are the rules:
with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

8 random facts/habits about me ...

1. I'm so used to working under deadlines, sometimes I procrastinate which only creates more deadlines! LOL
2. I love pink and red roses, but never have liked the yellow ones or pure white ones.
3. I adore SpongeBob Squarepants! My office is filled with SpongeBob stuff.
4. I love push-up bras. Um...err...you asked for randoms facts.
5. My favorite flavors of ice cream are Pistachio Almond and Chocolate Mint Chip.
6. I worked as a branch manager for a huge banking corporation for almost 20 years and hung up my high-heels to do what I love. Write stories! Hey, I'm broke but happy!
7. I love Goth-girl clothing and black leather boots.
8. One day when I grow up, I want to be just like Nora!

Okay, there ya have it. I'm going to let anyone who reads my blog decide if they want to be tagged and post 8 random things about themselves on their blog. I hope you all have fun with it!

New Covers!

2007-05-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

I just had to share these beautiful covers I received for two of my books coming out with Tease Publications. I am so happy with both of them! I can't wait until the release of these.

Sweet Petunia is a fun romantic comedy with lots of spice in it. And Mistletoe Menage is my sizzling hot erotic Christmas story. Both of these will be out this year!!! Can you tell I'm dancing on air? And here they are. Thanks to the wonderful cover artist, Stella Price for doing such a beautiful job.

Contest Winner

2007-05-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Congratulations goes out to Crystal for winning the free download of my romantic suspense, Diamond! Thanks for stopping by my blog on Myspace and entering!

Dancing on air!

2007-04-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

New Contract

I'm happy to announce I have signed an author contract with Tease Publishing! I am super excited about being one of their authors. Look for loads of great books from the lineup of authors when they open their doors in October of this year. Check out the website they working on. Be on the watch for some of my books that I hope to get out soon!

http://www.teasepublishingllc.com TEASE PUBLISHING

MORE FUN!

2007-04-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

Announcement!

I'm in the mood for contest again. This week I'm giving away a free download of my romantic suspense called, DIAMOND! Here's all you need to do to enter:

E-mail me with the words: I want my diamond in the subject line. In the body of the e-mail, tell me what your favorite gem is. That's all there is to it. Fun, quick and a chance to win a free copy of one of my books. The contest will run until April 30th at midnight. I will be putting the names in a hat and drawing one lucky winner! Here is the e-mail addy to enter the contest: mia@miaromano.com
Have fun!

Please come join me

2007-04-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

I have a Myspace page up and running now. I would love to have you all join me there! Here is the page:http://www.myspace.com/miaromano
Hope to see you soon!

Contest Winner Congratulations Lisa!

2007-04-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am announcing the winner of the bracelet in my Frisk and Miss contest. I want to thank all of you who entered and hope you will check back again soon for another fun contest! The winner is: Lisa from Macon, GA. Congratulations Lisa!!!

Still time to enter the contest!

2007-04-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

The contest for the bracelet will end at midnight tonight. I hope you will enter to win if you haven't had a chance to do so yet. I will be announcing the winner on my blog in the morning. This will give those in different time zones a chance to play! I wish all of you luck on your entry. I've had a great response so far. Thanks so much for entering and keep those entries headed my way through tonight! Have a good one.

Mia

HAVE YOU BEEN FRISK YET?

2007-04-11T16:40:00.001-07:00

Enter my contest and win! I will be giving away a beautiful hand-made bracelet to one lucky winner. How to enter:

Read the excerpt of my newest release of FRISK AND MISS from Forbidden Publications below. E-mail me at mia@miaromano.com with the name of the orange cat in the story and be entered in a drawing for the bracelet to be held on April 15th! Please put: FRISK ME in the subject line. That's it! Simple and fun. I hope you will enjoy the excerpt and decide to pick up the complete book from Forbidden Publications. Here is the buy link:
http://www.forbiddenpublications.com/book_pages/frisk_and_miss.html

EXCERPT:

Prologue

In my opinion, gynecologists have a totally warped sense of humor. The one that delivered me must have vigorously tested a laughing gas mask before performing Momma’s C-section.

Perhaps he was bored, or having a bad day, but outlining the birthmark on my derrière with a permanent marker was inexcusable. Especially when said birthmark spelled out the words “kick ass”.

Far different in other ways, Momma’s skin was the color of warm brown sugar, while mine turned out to be creamy white, compliments of my missing, no-good father.

When I was dubbed Lilly Ann White on that cold December morning of 1979, the town of Houston, Texas changed forever.

Although I never mastered the ghetto language of my friends and family in the projects where I grew up, Momma assured me I was still something special. I can still recall her words.

“Baby girl, I always heard if a person’s initials spelled somthin’, they’d grow up to real important one day.”

She’d scratched my initials on a brown paper bag--L.A.W. I set my journey in stone that day. I would grow up to be the best, kick-ass investigator that the Houston Detective Division (HDD) could ask for.

Chapter One
Frizzy Hair and Fluffy Cats

At 5:59 P.M, I packed my 9mm Glock in the leg holster strapped beneath my skirt. Spying on Bernie Albertson’s bouts of unfaithfulness was turning into a deadly game I needed protection from.

Sitting with a small desktop fan blowing hot air across the stack of paperwork in my IN basket, I stared at the strange note which mysteriously appeared while I was gone to lunch. The stain on the crinkly napkin could easily be blood or a smear of spaghetti sauce. The words, Give me 24 hours and you’ll be dead, were neatly printed.

I’d hung my PI sign on my door a year ago with pride and determination after a devastating love affair involving Devin Torrington of HDD. He may have been devilishly handsome, but what he did to my cousin Vito broke my heart beyond repair.

Lilly White, Private Investigator—that was me, now out on my own struggling to survive. Today’s little surprise had me thinking I needed to revise my five-year plan and obtain a partner.

I could hear obscenities being yelled below in the alley of the red brick building housing the small cubical called my workplace. Standing from my desk, I skimmed the alleyway with suspicious eyes from my third floor window. A couple of kids on skateboards were eagerly building a jump ramp from an open dumpster amidst the stench of rotted food spiraling upwards which collided head-on with my nostrils.

Eddie’s Spaghetti House, two stories below, had failed to shut the dumpster lid again after pitching a day’s worth of scraped plates into a mass of cardboard boxes. I closed the window in disgust, intending to contact the restaurant’s owner for the third time this week.

My day was far from over as I headed to my 1968 Volvo parked on the corner of Fifth and Seventh. A sweltering breeze smacked my frizzed curls, dangling like corkscrews against my back.

Just as I went to unlock my car I heard a pitiful meow around the trash can five feet down from my parking space. Moving in for a closer look, I spotted a cat poking his head into a half-empty bag of Fritos.

Thin and obviously a stray, he fully emerged from the shadow of the trash can, meowing and begging for me to take him home. How could I resist an orange, short-haired tabby, with one big mean ball of orange fluff going on at the tip of his tail? He looked like he’d wandered into Poodle Do’s three doors down by mistake since he resembled Fifi, my neighbor’s dog.

“Having a bad hair day?” I commented, bending down to pet him. I could certainly relate to bad hair at the moment.

With his teensy black nose and sharp green eyes, he hopped into my red Volvo and my heart. He rode shotgun down Forty-third Street with the full blast of the air conditioner blowing his whiskers back, and causing his tail to flap around in the breeze. It reminded me of my cousin Vito’s old brown Nova with the long antenna and big orange Styrofoam ball on the end.

So here we were. I had my first employee, and I would call him Shotgun. He had razor sharp vision at night, and only a salary requirement of one can of tuna a day, which is actually something I could afford on the payroll. Of course, I had to promise an added Christmas bonus of a can of sardines. (The expensive two-layer kind packed in pure soy oil, wrapped in fancy paper). We shook hand to paw over the deal and pulled into Cornerstone Market to grab a week’s worth of tuna, a bag of Fritos, and carton of milk.

Shotgun was about to go on his first case after I dropped the groceries off at my apartment on the corner of Forty-third and second, a run-down part of The Heights. I opted to keep the bag of Fritos in the car for emergency nutrition. The night could end up long while we waited for my suspect to emerge from the It’ll Do Motel off of Highway 59. I’d been tailing Bernie Albertson for weeks.

Shotgun’s weapons of choice were his claws which he kept neatly in the soft folds of his feet. He didn’t need a permit to carry them, and they were perfectly legal to carry concealed. Now if I could only figure out a way to legally carry a high-risk life insurance policy on him for all nine of his lives. Maybe we’d settle for a couple of catnip toys instead.

So far I’d worked for local attorneys and the Houston Police Department on small investigation cases. I was still in hopes of getting that big break one day—the case of all cases. It was out there someplace, maybe not in Houston, but time would hopefully drop something at my door. Little did I know what would fall inside the walls of my apartment would change my life forever.

For the time being, I was waiting for Bernie to surface from room 186 with or without his secretary. I had my Polaroid fully stocked with film and found a well- hidden area under a group of trees to the side of the building. Shotgun was sitting on the console taking his evening bath, licking the ball of fur on the tip of his tail.
I logged in my arrival time and double checked the battery in the trusty Polaroid as I spotted the suspect’s vehicle pulling into the lot. One quick snap of the camera etched the moment of proof on film when Bernie’s shiny blue SUV pulled in front of room 186. Through the windshield I could see a tall blonde woman in the driver’s seat.. (Go figure, me, I have the mouse brown). Shotgun decided to climb up on my dash, pressing his nose to the glass for a closer inspection.

I snapped another little “memory” for Mrs. Bernie Albertson’s divorce attorney of the blonde emerging from the suspect’s SUV.

Shotgun started purring, letting out a manly meow when “Miss Leggy” knocked on the door of the hotel room.

“Calm down, Shotgun, she’s not your type,” I muttered as I patted his head and grabbed my bag of Fritos. If I could only get a picture of Bernie leaving the room with her, my job would be finished for the night. That’s where the long wait came in while I sat three hours and one empty bag of Fritos later. Man, he sure must have a lot of energy to go for three straight hours! I was getting restless. Darkness had set in an hour ago, and I really needed to tinkle.

Shotgun had settled in for a long nap, curled like a cinnamon bun on the console. How was I going to explain I missed the most critical photo of the entire case because I had to pee? I glanced at my watch, deciding to give it fifteen more minutes before hitting the woods to squat, hopeful I wouldn’t ruin my new black lace panties.

With three minutes left in the countdown, the door to room 186 cracked open. Bernie walked outside in his underwear, taking a cigar break, and he looked as skinny as the matchstick that lit the stogie. Not a pretty sight I might add, and where the hell was the leggy blonde? As luck would have it, Bernie moseyed back in, slamming the door, just as my really-gotta-go timer ticked off the last second. I took a dive for the woods and marked my territory, hoping my rear hadn’t hit a patch of poison ivy in the process.

Upon a speedy return to my vehicle, I found Shotgun in the back seat completely involved with the empty Frito bag. He’d climbed inside, grabbing the last of the crumbs, and came out licking his lips. I could tell P.I.101 class was going to be a necessity. Turning his back to grab a snack during his watch wouldn’t work.
At 10:59 P.M., Bernie and the blonde gave me the perfect “Kodak moment” as they stood outside the hotel room, engaged in a blazing embrace. I snapped an extra shot just in case and scooted down in the seat of my Volvo until I felt sure they were gone. I recorded my time on the log sheet, placing the Polaroid’s in an envelope to deliver to Attorney Phil Brown’s office in the morning.

Catching someone having an affair wasn’t one of my favorite types of cases, but it paid the bills. Shotgun chose to ride in the back seat on top of the empty Frito bag, staking his claim to it. Maybe he thought if he waited long enough, the bag would magically refill with his favorite snack.

Working my way down Nagle Street, I spotted Cousin Vito’s Nova in front of my apartment building. Apparently he was still working on my window air conditioner which had been on the blink for over a week. I noticed the loud clanking noise when I approached my door. From the sound of things, he had the piece of junk running.
Vito was sitting at the kitchen table helping himself to a sizable snack of leftover Eddie’s Spaghetti as I rounded the corner, depositing Shotgun and my tote bag on the couch.

“Yo, whutz up cuz?” Vito leaned back on his chair giving me the notorious pinky and index finger sign. “You be runnin' some kinna’ late. Where you be all night?” He swung his dark brown dreadlocks from his face, giving me the eye.

“I had to work late, and what’s up with the air conditioner?” I noticed the melted mist on my kitchen table. “It’s spitting snow out of the front vents.”

“I just fix it like you say for me too. You got a problem whit dat?” He went to the fridge looking for a beer, giving me a wide view of neon green boxers sticking about five inches above the waistband of his jeans.

I went to flip off the air conditioner which was beginning to smoke at the top, thinking of the expense of a new one. “Why don’t you pull your pants up a little, or put a belt on those things or something?”

HAVE FUN AND GOOD LUCK!

Frisk and Miss is here!

2007-04-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I am so far behind as I am out of town and won't return home until Sunday. I just wanted to stop in for a second and tell you that Frisk and Miss is out from Forbidden Publications! I hope you will check it out. I had a blast writing this book and love the cover! Here is the direct link:

http://www.forbiddenpublications.com/book_pages/frisk_and_miss.html

I hope to catch up with everyone soon!

MY FIRST REVIEW FOR DIAMOND!

2007-03-09T14:41:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited! My first review just came in for DIAMOND. Thank you for such a wonderful review Sheryl! Here is the link to read the review:

http://sensual.ecataromance.com/11-reviews?type=&id=671

Okay, so I asked for it!

2007-03-06T05:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I said I work best under pressure. Well...my computer decided to act up again, causing me to get way behind on things. I have had to uninstall and re-install MS word three times in the last 24 hours! I was working on my first round of edits for Frisk and Miss and it was deleting entire chunks of the manuscript every time I would place the cursor anywhere in the document. Talk about frustration! I guess this means yet another repair on my laptop. This will make three since last December!!! It doesn't have a virus, just a stupid processor that is going out. This is AFTER I have replaced the Hard Drive, the Memory, the network card...

Anyway, I stayed up late and got back up at five o'clock this morning to meet my deadline. And I did it! Yep, thank goodness I was able to retrieve some of what I'd lost and get it back to my editor. Of course, that means I'm behind on my writing goals for the three stories I'm working on, but still, I have made some progress with them. I'm almost at 30K on Sweet Petunia, and at 6K on Wisteria's Longing. Love Pawn is also coming along pretty good at 12K. I think I'm going to take a small break this afternoon and do some reading to pamper myself. Or maybe I should say console myself a little. LOL So what are you all up to?

NEW BOOKS BOUND TO BE GREAT READS

2007-03-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

Lots of new e-books are out this morning for a wonderful weekend of reading! Check out the latest from Forbidden Publications and Cobblestone Press. So many great books and authors.

DO YOU EVER?

2007-02-22T09:34:00.000-08:00

Do you ever find yourself working on several books at a time? I am the world's worst for doing this. Oh, I go back and finish all of them over a period of time that I set as a goal, but somehow I find I work better this way. Right now I'm working on three different books that are all very different in genre. One is a western romantic suspense, another is a romantic comedy with an older generation while the other is an erotic si-fi fantasy. Oh my! I plan on reaching my goals on all of these by October of this year. All of them are going to be around 90K. Yep, I know. Why don't I just set my goals so far up they reach another planet! That's me though. It's the way I work best. Lot's of pressure. How about you?

This weekend I plan on doing some relaxing. I've got a movie or two lined up. I'd also like to do some baking. I love making cookies and all those things that have way to much sugar in them. If I'm not careful, my muse has warned me she will become a moose instead of a muse. Yikes!

DIAMOND is out today!

2007-02-16T05:36:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

I'm so excited. Diamond will be released at Cobblestone Press later today along with two other great books! I hope you will check them out along with the wonderful Valentine's Day reads that released on that special day of love. We will be chatting later this evening in the Cobblestone Press chat room. I hope you will join us for fun and a prize or two.

I found a wonderful new site that I really enjoy called, Romance TV. It has lots of interviews, video clips and a wonderful forum. It has a video of Nora Roberts and so many other wonderful authors. Here is the link:

http://www.romancenoveltv.com

CELEBRATION TIME!

2007-02-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

Yipee!!!!!!!! I just signed a contract with Silk's Vault for my story, Malibu Nights! I'm dancing around the room to celebrate. Plus it's helping to keep me warm during this cold snap we are having here in Alabama. Speaking of keeping warm...
How about this?

I'M A SLACKER

2007-02-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

Yep, I've been ignoring my blog as of late. I need to do better about posting and so many other things. Today is the first day the temps have been above freezing. Thank goodness! I'm not fond of the bitter cold. I heard back from Kensington and it was a letter telling me the editor that requested the full has left to go to another publishing house. Basic rejection otherwise, but they were very nice to let me know and the letter did tell me to check the books they were publishing right now. Kind of an offer to re-submit something new one day. So...even though I feel a little down about it, the door isn't shut.

I've been in writer's block all week with my current WIP. I wish my muse would come back. She's a hard thing to hold onto sometimes. I have three other submissions out to different e-publishers so maybe I'll have some good news in a few weeks. I think the combination of cold weather, writer's block and no good news have me in a funky mood. I just want to lay around and play Xbox and watch movies. I must get motivated!! Someone slap me and tell me to put away the games, movies and ice cream and get my butt in the chair to do something productive!

On a positive note--I did meet a new writer friend yesterday. We met at Books-a-Million for coffee and I really enjoyed chatting and getting to know someone in this area that has a love of writing. Hope all of you are having a great week. Now...I'm off to find my muse. Wish me luck!

Have I told you how much I hate Blogger

2007-02-01T05:08:00.000-08:00

I tell you, I'm about sick of blogger. The new blogger is a pain in the butt! This morning I tried to do my blog hop and post to some of the great bloggers I keep up with. Over half of them returned an error code. On top of it, it won't keep me signed in when I tell it to remember me. Then you have to key in a boatload of stuff just to sign in. Come on someone out there with programing experience--create a new blog and give us something functional again!!!!!!!!!!!

Today I woke up to snow. Yes, here in Alabama where it never snows. Of course this is the day that I have several errands to run. LOL Oh well...

MY MUSE ARRIVED TODAY

2007-01-26T08:34:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

I'm pounding away at the keyboard today with words flowing. Thank goodness my muse showed up this morning. What's the story I'm working on? It's an erotic western suspense! Yeah, I know...different and weird again. LOL I already have a title for it which is something that I don't always type at the top of the page until a book is almost complete. Picking a title is part of the fun of writing and I like to research my title ideas. How do I do that? Simple, I type the title I've decided on into Amazon and see if it is already out there. Sometimes there is a book with my chosen title and it's back to the think tank. It always makes me dance on air when no results for my title comes back. Yipee! This one isn't out there. How do you go about choosing your book titles?

In other news, I'm waiting to hear back on two stories from a couple of different publishers. I hope they like them!

Later today I plan on watching a great movie as a treat on meeting my word count for the day. I'm going to pop THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA in the DVD player, slip under some warm blankets and grab a bag of potato chips to munch on. Ready...set...hit the play button. Here we go!

Diamond is on the way!

2007-01-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

I'm working on more revisions for another story. I've been cutting and re-arranging like crazy. I'm really pleased with how this story is coming together and hope to have it ready to submit to a publisher by the end of the week. Wish me luck.

Great news! My romantic suspense, DIAMOND had a release date. It will be out with Cobblestone Press on February 16th! Not long now. I hope you will check it out and if you decide to purchase it, I hope you enjoy it.

What's going on in your world today?

BACK TO BLOGGING

2007-01-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

Wow, has it been since last week since I blogged? Time is getting away from me. I've been working on revisions and final edits, lost in my own little world. Oh, and let's not forget contest judging for RWA's Golden Heart. Today...yes, today, I'm going to finish my revisions and treat myself to a great book as a reward. What am I starting on? A book by Stef Ann Holm. I can't wait to dig into this one. Today is a perfect day to read a great book. So what are you all up to? I have another idea rolling around in my head for another book--nothing new there! The plan is to start pounding away at the keyboard and reward myself with getting to read on my break. I'm still waiting to hear back from Kensington on a requested full. It's been several months, so at least that isn't a rejection--yet. We will see.

WHAT I'M UP TO

2007-01-10T06:36:00.000-08:00

Today I plan on working on some revisions. I hope to get them done and re-submit to a publisher I would love to get published with. So far, I think the revisions are going pretty good and the story is moving along much better. I finished the first round of edits on Diamond the other day. Now I'll wait for the second round to come in. The first of the year has been a busy one and I like that. I've set so many goals for this year, and so far I'm reaching them.

It's cold here today so I plan on staying in for the most part. I just put some chicken in the Crock Pot for dinner this evening. I love the smell of roasting chicken floating up to my office on the second floor of the house. I'm into comfort foods and relaxing while I write today. I'll put on some music, light a candle and pound away at the keyboard while dinner cooks itself. You gotta love a Crock Pot.

Of course I'll play on the internet for a little while and check out some more research books to add to my wish list. I love getting new books to read. Not only am I making a long list of books to read for pure enjoyment, but also some to learn more about HTML and Java. Yeah, I know...ho hum you say. I can't help it. I get into stuff like that. I'm a nerd at heart.

So what are your plans for today?

Here's a picture of how I feel today.

GREAT NEWS!

2007-01-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

So far the new year has been good to me. I'm so excited with all the great things that are going on. I just signed a contract with Forbidden Publications last night for one of my romantic comedies! I'm dancing on air!

I've also got in a couple of great reviews for Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Dead. Here is the link to the one from CK2S http://www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com/raindropskeepfallingonmydead_anne.html
Thanks Anne!

Also, Fallen Angels Reviews gave me a very nice review on it. Here is the link.http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2006/December/Tracey-RaindropsKeepFallingOnMyDead.htm

Yipee!!!!!!!
I hope each of you are seeing your dreams come true so far this year. I hope to have more very exciting news to share soon!

AND THE WINNER IS....

2007-01-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to cathiecaffey for winning the bracelet in my December contest! An e-mail has been sent to you. Thanks to all who entered. A new contest will be held in February for Valentine's Day. I hope you all will check back soon and enter. At the end of January, I will be posting a new contest on my blog and in my February newsletter.

Happy New Year!

2006-12-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you have a wonderful New Year! May all your dreams come true. I've just started a newsletter which was one of my goals for 2007. I hope you will join for lots of exciting news, contests and other things each month. I plan on having several different things for you each time. Here is the link:

alt="Click here to join romanobooks">
Click to join romanobooks

2006-12-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

2006-12-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

Today I'm working more on setting up a new template for my blog. I don't know if I'm brave enought to try to change it for fear of losing my post. I just created a backup copy, so maybe after I'm done with the design, I'll be ready to try it.

I also got a new idea for a sexy paranormal book I'm putting on my list for the first of the year. I have so many ideas floating through my head and in notebooks, but some are marked as priority. I think this is going to be one of those.

Today I got bad news on a car repair right here at Christmas. It was work that had to be done before my DH and I take off on a 330 mile drive for the holiday. So... The guy at the brake place was super nice and gave us a bit of a discount, which I appreciated. The car needed the brakes done along with a bunch of other things that deal with stopping the car. Since I like my car to stop, and I'm sure other driver's like for my car to stop too, LOL, we had all of it done.

I did get a chance to do some book promotion for a my paranormal book, and I hope they decide to check it out.

Now I'm off to put up more Christmas lights outside. I know the electric company will thank me for all the holiday spirit! LOL.

Like all of you, I have so many last-minute things to do before Christmas, my head is spinning. I bet it's not spinning as fast as my electric meter is though. LOL

2006-12-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

I HAVE A NEW WEBSITE
I know I have been a bad blogger for the past few days, but I have been working so hard on trying to get my new website up and running. I hope you will check it out and let me know if it is showing okay on your screens.

Yep, I finally broke down and purchased my own domain, and website service. Here is the link.

www.miaromano.com

Now, I'm off to work on some more edits, and try to wrap some Christmas packages. Speaking of Christmas, what is the number one thing on your wish list this year?

Mine is a new camera and some Xbox games.

2006-12-13T07:17:00.000-08:00

FINISHED!

Last night I finished up my erotic story and did some editing on it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the place I decided to submit to likes it. It ended up being 13,350 words. Now it's on to working on edits of Diamond, my suspense book with Cobblestone. I'll be over at the Story Board later today between doing some painting inside the house and working on edits. I've been trying to get the painting done for months now. The warm weather is finally back, so today is going to be my chance to finish it up.

Writing something very erotic was a new venture for me, and I have to admit that it was so much fun, I think I'm hooked! I now have another favorite genre to write in. I'm already thinking about writing another one after I finish up my romantic comedy. I still have around 40k to do on Sweet Petunia before I'm ready to polish it and send it to Harlequin NEXT. One of my goals for 2007 is to get some things out to Harlequin and query some agents. My ultimate dream is to look back in December of the coming year and say, this is the year it all happend! If I'm going to dream, I should dream BIG, right?

Speaking of dreaming, I found this cute cartoon. I hope you get a laugh out of it!

2006-12-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

PLEASE JOIN US FOR LOADS OF FUN, PRIZES AND CELEBRATIONS TOMORROW.

Just a reminder that I'll be on the Story Board Loop tomorrow with about 40 other authors for Stuff Your Stocking Day. Hope to see you there!

2006-12-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

OPINIONS WANTED

Okay, I'm almost finished with my very erotic story. It's quite different from what I normally write. If I'm lucky enought to get it published, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to write under a different pen name so my readers don't get confused. Then again, I've worked so hard on what we refer to as "branding", I'm not sure if this would be the thing to do.

Do any of you use different pen names for your writing styles? I'd be curious to hear your answers. Here is the name I'm thinking of using for my erotic stories: Amber Jazz

So what do you all think? As a reader, do you want to read the author's work regardless the genre?

2006-12-10T06:41:00.000-08:00

MOVING RIGHT ALONG...
I've been a bad blogger the last couple of days. I've been so involved in writing, the time has slipped away. I finished my Valentine story and went through it to do some editing. I've submitted it for consideration of publication. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good news.

I've been pounding away at the keyboard the last couple of days on a very erotic story that I want to submit to Elora's Cave. So far it's moving right along with a word count of 9K. As you can tell, my fingers have been flying over the keyboard.

I'm up to 30K on a romantic comedy I plan to target Harlequin NEXT with. My muse has been good to me this past week, and I hope she continues!

This week I plan of finishing up some painting inside the house when it warms up on Tuesday. I'm ready to get it done so we can get the new carpet installed. I plan on getting all the Christmas shopping finished up and wrap everything. After that it will be time to do a little baking for the holidays.

My DH and I went to see the new James Bond movie. The movie was great, but I'm just not impressed with the new blonde Bond. I want Pierce back!

2006-12-06T05:27:00.000-08:00

I MADE IT!

Yipee! Yesterday I not only met my writing goal, I went over it by nearly 1K. It felt great getting close to 4000 words done on my story. Today my plans are to do another 2K and the same thing for tomorrow. That will pretty well finish up the story and then I'm ready to do my edits on it.
I also plan on re-arranging my office. Sometimes it helps when I change things around and gets the creative side of me flowing. I'm also planning on finishing up another story I'm working on and then treat myself to reading a great book as a reward for meeting my goals. I'm going to read something by Kristan Higgins, a new author for HQN. The title is Fools Rush In. It looks like such a fun book and I love the first line--"I'm a stalker. The good kind..." I'm such a sucker for great book covers and first lines. First lines or "the hook" are so important in a book. I try to keep this in mind when I write, and I've been know to go back and change the first line of my current story several times after I've written the book until it's just what I want.

I'm looking forward to a new year and new writing goals. Kensington has a requested full of one of my manuscripts, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good news in 2007. I have two other manuscripts near completion that I'll be submitting to my list of dream agents and editors as well. I want to write a trilogy next year and maybe a mini-series. I have so many story ideas in my head and scribbled in a notebook.

Another goal I have for 2007 is to learn my software program called Poser 6 better. I love playing around with art and photography. Below is a picture I did awhile back in Poser. I call her my muse. I think she's giving me an eye-roll here. LOL

2006-12-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

GLUE MY BUTT TO THE CHAIR

Today I'm on a writing marathon. I have set my goal at 3K on my Valentine story. I will get this done! So far I am at 770 words after around 30 minutes of writing. I found something that might help keep me in my chair.I figured if I'm glued in, I might as well have something nice to distract me. I can't touch this until I reach my goal today. Now, how many words do you think I'm going to pound out on the keyboard in order to get my hands on this?

2006-12-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

Come on over and celebrate the holidays with us!

Readers - come ready to stuff your estockings and hear about all the must have books too add to your wish list!

Authors participating include:

Louise Bohmer, Madison Chase, Karen Erickson, Ann Cory, Emma Petersen, Mia Romano, Adelle Laudan, Diana Castilleja, Elaine Breault, Gracie C. McKeever, Jena' Galifany, Larriane Wills, Marie Rochelle, Sierra Dafoe, Taige Crenshaw, and Victoria Blisse to name just a few!

Excerpts, contests, games, reviews, and all kinds of fun to be had! Join us on Dec. 13th and come Stuff Your eStockings at The Story Board http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/The_ Story_Board_ /

~Ann Cory & The Story Board

2006-12-03T06:21:00.000-08:00

Today's post is totally pointless and long. Can you tell I'm bored? I though it would be fun to do a story in pictures. I call this HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Hope you have fun with it!

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS:

The first thing you'll do is map out your trip. Your husband pulls out the map:

After thoughtful navigation, he is trying to decide if driving or flying would be the best way to get to your destination:

He had a hard time getting a few days off at the office for this trip, and time is valuable:
Then there's the distant family members to deal with once you arrive: Not to mention cousin Ed's somewhat eccentric pet, Fluffy: Of course with the entire family staying at the same place, Aunt Pearl has decided to bring in extra bathroom facilities. She's so accommodating. She's decided to install an extra shower right beside the Port-O-Let in the back yard: How thoughtful! My husband decided to help out as much as he could. He's bringing the sleeping bags for the little ones: But the main thing to remember this holiday season is being together, and sharing love, laughter and happiness:

FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS--HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

2006-12-02T04:50:00.000-08:00

Today I hope to get some shopping in. I really need to get busy doing some more Christmas shopping. I will not, I repeat--not, venture to the mall! I'm only going out to get things that I can't find on line, or the shipping cost of ordering it would be way too much.

I'm having a blast with my new manuscript I'm working on. So far I've been getting in a little over 1000 words a day. I feel like this is pretty good considering I've only wrote for two hours each day for the past two days. Next week I'm going to sit my butt in the chair and really dig in to getting another manuscript finished up edited.

It felt so good to turn the calendar to December yesterday. I'm looking forward to setting my writing goals for 2007, and I do this in December. I have so many books begging to be written floating around in my head. I've never tried to do a series before. This coming year I want to do a series of books that consist of about four in the series. I'm really tough on myself when I set my writing goals. How about you? Do you set writing goals each year?

I found the above picture and thought it was really neat. I'm such a book junkie!

2006-12-01T05:48:00.000-08:00

CRAZY IN ALABAMA

The temperatures have been insane here. All week we have had mid-seventies for our temperature. It's felt like late summer and been beautiful. Last night the wind and storms moved in dropping the temperatures drastically. So much of a drop, they are calling for possible snow flurries tonight and over the weekend. I give up on putting away my summer, winter, spring and fall clothes. My closet is on overload screaming--"Do something!"

One great thing about the cold day is the great new books out from Cobblestone Press. What better way to spend the afternoon than to curl up under a blanket and do some reading by these three wonderful authors? These books are a guarantee to make you shed that blanket and warm you right up on a cold winter day. So, grab the blanket, get the books and be prepared for a real treat that will leave you satisfied!

http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/winningangela.htm

http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/scentofevil.htm

http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/silkhauntings.htm

2006-11-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

Another review!

I just received this review from Two Lips Reviews! Wow, what a day it has been today. I hope you will check it out. I got 5 lips!!!

Here is the link:
http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=650&Itemid=36

2006-11-30T07:20:00.001-08:00

HITTING ROADBLOCKS

Do you ever run into a brick wall on a current work in progress? That's what is happening on my story, Cupid's Dilemma. So...I'm putting it aside for a day or two and refreshing my mind with a new story to alternate back and forth with. I do this quite often in my writing and then go back and finish the first story. Somehow it clears my head and let's me see what is not working in the manuscript.

Then there are those times where the words seem to fly off the page, and I get 5K written in an afternoon. Funny how things work.

I just found the first review for Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Dead. I find it to be interesting. I'm keeping in mind the words of the great "Nora" here. During the Atlanta conference, she said if you paid attention to all of your reviews, you would stop writing. I live by that rule. I've seen wonderful authors such as Nora receive reviews that went from totally sucked to raving and wonderful. Anyway, I believe in sharing my reviews no matter how good or bad they might be. I respect and appreciate the difference in people's perception of my writing. It makes me grow in my field and become a better writer. There hasn't been one review I've received that hasn't helped me along my writing path. I appreciate people's opinions of my work. Here is the review I found.

RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY DEAD – Mia Romano

ISBN: 978-1-60088-059-9

November 2006

Erotic Paranormal Romance

Rating: Wanton

RRT Rating: Foreplay

Unlike most humans, Cindy Plunkett knows that paranormal beings do exist. After all, she was raised by her Uncle Buck, a shapeshifter who likes to change his animal form every time he "dies." While at the reading of the will for his latest demise, Cindy is appalled to find her former lover, Tanner Stone, in attendance. Things go from bad to worse when she finds herself caught in an battle between her uncle's clan, the Volarimites, and their enemies, the Hidnights. Forced by her uncle's will to work with Tanner to defeat the Hidnights, Cindy's world goes topsy turvy as she deals with unresolved feelings, emerging psychic powers and an uncle running around in his latest animal incarnation…a chimpanzee.

Like Alice in Wonderland on an acid trip, RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY DEAD is funny, original and just plain weird. I'm still scratching my head over the "rodeo as a paranormal power source" angle. You'll just have to read it for yourself to believe it.

Isabelle Spencer - 11/25/06

2006-11-29T05:17:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged!
I stopped over at Tara Leigh's blog this morning and saw this. Since I don't have anything much to blog about today, I thought this would be fun.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I'm a Hot Chocolate kind of gal. No Egg Nog for me.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? He wraps them. Sometimes the tape and a little paper seem to fall off the end though. Tee hee...
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White, it reminds me of snow.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. I just grab my man and lay one on him.
5. When do you put your decorations up? The week of Thanksgiving

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Chex Party Mix, Ham, Magic Cookie Bars...Yum!
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Going ice skating and sleigh riding, then going home and getting warm and drinking hot chocolate.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We open one and save the rest for Christmas morning.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Lights, snowflake ornaments and sometimes bunches of silk flowers.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I love sitting inside and watching it fall.
12. Can you ice skate? I used to be pretty good at it. If I tried it now, I would probably kill myself by running into a tree or something.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? A new hard drive for my laptop.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? My family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Can I just name one???
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve service.

17. What tops your tree? A gold star
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire"

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yum!

2006-11-22T05:39:00.000-08:00

WINTER WRITING CONTEST!!!!

Jennah Sharpe is hosting a writing contest that is sure to be lots of fun and you could win lots of great prizes from some wonderful authors. Check out the link below for all the details and best of luck to all of you!

http://seasonalcontest.jennahsharpe.com

2006-11-21T09:37:00.000-08:00

WHAT I'M UP TO
Today I'm doing a little sewing. Yes, again, I'm making some gifts for Christmas. This is one of the kitchen towel sets I do. It has a striped towel and a country check with red snowflake fabric embelished on it. I like to tie these with a ribbon and a cookie cutter for those on my list who love to cook.

My daughter and grandchildren are traveling here today, so I will be doing some baking this afternoon. Before I can start my baking I need to get my writing quota in for today. I've cut back on my word count per day until after Thanksgiving. It is so important to spend time with those you love.

I just received a call from my other daughter that has the cute little newborn. She surprised me by telling me they were coming too! I'm so happy and excited. They are going to surprise my parents who don't know they are headed this way for the holidays. It will be the first time my parents get to see and hold little Hannah. This is sure to be a Kodak moment.

Hugs,

Mia

2006-11-20T09:14:00.001-08:00

GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS
I'm so excited about getting to hug my other three grandbabies tomorrow. My daughter, Leslie is bringing them to Alabama for Thanksgiving. Of course as you can see, they aren't babies anymore. They are growing up way to fast. But they will always be my beautiful babies! Here is a photo of them that was taken at Easter. I can't wait to get some new pictures of them when they are here. I worry about her traveling with the three kids on a five hour trip. But then that's a "Mom Thing" as all mother's can relate to. And Leslie--If you are reading this by chance--Don't drive over the speed limit!! I've told you that since you were a teenager. LOL

From left to right: Kierra, Khalil and Matthew. They are full of energy and a blast to be around. It will be great to see my daughter too. We always have such a great time together. We just get plain silly and do lots of laughing, play board games and watch movies and eat way too much junk food! Hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy lots of good food and family.

2006-11-19T04:07:00.000-08:00

ONE OF THESE DAYS...

I swear, I think the flu bug has packed his bags and moved in. So much for my plans of 1000k a day on my current novel. I am getting about a third of my goal in due to this little monster.

Right now I'm ready to stop up his stinger until he inflates with his own snot, falls out my window and splats into a green blob on the street. Then a huge garbage truck can finish spreading his slime guts into the pavement while I stand in my window and laugh at his final moments. I hope a hard freeze comes along to finish him off and crack him into...

Okay, can you tell I've taken so much medicine that it has inflamed my brain? Yes, today's post is pointless. I promise I won't whine anymore.

2006-11-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

Today is a better day...
I hope to get much more done today. At least I'm able to get out of bed for more than a few minutes and I'm starting to feel normal again. So, back to my interrupted schedule. My plans are to get my current novel completed by next Friday. Yep, that's right--1000k a day until Saturday morning. Here is another picture of more of my craft projects I'm doing. This one has a cute little key chain with it. I love making things as I said yesterday.

As promised, here are a few little tips for the Fugal Writer articles I do from time to time. I hope you enjoy them!

First off, everyone I know loves their little critters, cats, dogs...well you get the picture. Today I'm giving you a quick and easy recipe for homemade dog biscuit treats. It is simple and not too expensive to make. I like to mix up a batch of these and cut them out with a dog biscuit shaped cookie cutter. They would make a great little gift for all those adorable canine friends on your list this year.

DOG BISCUITS
2 1/2 -cups flour
3/4 cup -Powdered Milk
1/2 cup -vegetable oil
3/4 cup -canned broth (Can use chicken, beef or vegetable)
1/2 cup -grated carrots (This is optional, and I never put them in mine)
1 egg

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix all ingredients into a ball and roll out to about 1/4 inch thick. (I usually make them a little thicker) If you don't have a cookie cutter, just cut them into strips or a cutter shape of your choice. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. I like to put these in a little plastic gift bag and tie a ribbon on them to give to all the neighbor's pets. So easy, cheap and fun. Dogs love them and you are sure to get a big kiss from them for making this treat!

The next thing in my Frugal Writer article for today is homemade flavored coffee. If you like the kind you find in that little square can at the store that cost over $3.00--well...

Here ya go!~

CAFE SWISS MOCHA MIX

1/2 cup -instant coffee
1/4 cup -unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup -non-dairy creamer
6 tablespoons -powdered sugar

In a small bowl, conbine all ingredients; mix well. Store in airtight container.

To serve, spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons mix into cup. Add 3/4 cup boiling water, stir to dissolve. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and a pinch of cocoa. Serve immediately. This will make several servings. (I like to put this in a little jar, and tie a pretty ribbon and measuring spoon on it along with the recipie for a little gift. It makes a wonderful hostess gift for the holiday season.

I hope you enjoy these, and tomorrow, look for another fun idea or two.

Hugs,

Mia

2006-11-16T08:44:00.000-08:00

Just things in general today. I have managed to get the flu, so not much for me today. I'm chatting over at the Story Board Loop between trying to get better and get some rest. Yesterday I was talking about making some gifts and I wanted to show you a picture of one of the bracelets I made. My camera doesn't do such a great job, but at least you can get an idea. I love making things for gifts. If I feel better later today, I'll post another photo or two and get some Christmas tips written out that I hope you will find fun~

Mia

2006-11-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BABY!

My little grandaughter, Hannah, finally arrived and I just received this picture from my daughter, Terra. Isn't she beautiful! I just had to show her off. For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I was there for the wonderful event of her birth. And...oh yes, I cried tears of happiness that day.

I know I've been a bad blogger as of late, and I promise to do better. As for what's going on? Tomorrow I will be chatting along with around 30 other authors over at the yahoo group called The Story Board. I hope you will join us for lots of fun. There will be plenty of prizes, excerpts and other fun things to talk about and participate in. It is our Reader Appreciation Day! Thanks to all of you who have purchased my books! I hope you are enjoying them.

I'm also getting ready for the holidays. My older daughter, Leslie and her three children will be making the visit to Alabama to spend the holiday with me. I can't wait to see them and hug my other three grandchildren. Yep, with Hannah, I now have four beautiful babies! Oh man, I feel old! I'm also working on some crafts that I love to do this time of year. Along with my writing schedule, I'm fitting in making some jewelry, sewing and planning lots of holiday baking.

I'll be back again tomorrow with some photo's of what I'm making. There might even be a holiday idea or two that I'll share with you to make some wonderful gifts for those you love.

Hugs,

Mia

2006-11-03T08:41:00.000-08:00

OUT NOW FROM COBBLESTONE PRESS!

Hi all,

I am finally back home after a long time away. It feels wonderful to be back and get back into the swing of things. I totally missed Halloween and most of the events. As you can tell, my story for my blog kind of went by the wayside since Halloween has passed. I am trying to decide if I should still post more of it since the holiday is over.

I do want to let you know about my latest release that came out on October 31st called, Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Dead. I hope you will check it out! I had a blast writing this one. Here is a link and the cover art. Sable does such a wonderful job on the cover art. I would love to send a huge thanks to all of you who have read my books and to Cobblestone Press for making my dream come true.
http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/raindrops.htm

2006-10-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

GREAT NEWS!

Hi all,

No, the baby still hasn't arrived yet. We are hoping that our little Hannah arrived within the week, and I can't wait to see her and head back home to Alabama. There will be more of the free read posted on my blog as well as more Frugal Writer issues forthcoming--promise!!

In the meantime, I received the great news that my book Diamond has been accepted by Cobblestone Press! I'm so excited, and the cover is so beautiful. Here is a sneak peek of the cover. I just love it!

2006-10-04T04:13:00.000-07:00

MIDNIGHT SHADOWS continued...

Hi all,

Here is the second installment of the free read. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I'll be traveling to Tennessee later this morning, so I might not be blogging until the weekend. Now for more of the story..

His wicked laugh pierced her like the blade of a sword being shoved into one’s heart. What kind of sick game was he playing? How dare he intrude upon her! Catalan Harrington was neither fool nor coward. She’d been a lot of things in the past, but being cowardly certainly wasn’t one of them. She raised her arms and fisted her hand while she swung out at the hovering shadow. She found it did nothing to stop this insanity. It penetrated through the shadowed figure as if she were swinging through a vapor of mist.

Anger boiled in her. “Leave my room!” She demanded in a voice she hoped sounded bold and brave. “I will not tolerate such games, nor do you frighten me.”

Another laugh bolted near her. So close, she could feel the breath of her perpetrator. This time her voice held a tremble, giving way to the truth. She was frantic, no, more like terrified.

Clutching the wool blanket, she drew it around her like a shield that could serve as some sort of protection, noting a strong musty smell in the room.

"Now, now, don’t try to hide from me, Catalan. You know it won’t work…it never did now, did it?"

The snap of a branch breaking free from the large tree outside her window jolted her as the wind whipped furiously through it. It smacked against the glass pane of the window, shattering it. The long, burgundy velvet curtain flapped outward smacking towards the shadow as it crept backwards, knocking over the wash basin stand in the corner.

The voice held a tone of fury as a gust of wind burst the closet door open, causing the hinges to squeak in protest.

“I’ll be back Catalan…I will be back." He yelled above the roaring wind. The closet door slammed back into place. Like a flash, he was gone.

2006-10-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

FREE READ TO CELEBRATE OCTOBER!

In celebration of Halloween, I'll be doing a free story on my blog. I'll be posting a story called MIDNIGHT SHADOWS. I'll hope you'll keep checking back to read the next installment and hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think.

This is a story that takes place in a victorian bed and breakfast. It is a dark paranormal that I'm writing just for my blog for you to browse at for free! Here's the first installment.

MIDNIGHT SHADOWS

CHAPTER ONE

Rain pelted against the windows along with night's blackness hovering over the homes on Charleston Street. It was a evening like any other, except that tonight, Catalan Harrington was the one sleeping under the roof of the three-story bed and breakfast.

She heard the voice for the second time on this dreary night, calling out her name. "Cat-a-lan…come here Cat-a-lan, I’m waiting. The hour is upon us."

A shadow emerged from the small crack in the closet door adjacent to her bed. It hovered over her in a crippled-like stance, and she could hear the drips of blood splattering against the hardwood floor. A smell of death lingered about the room.

"Cat-a-lan…You didn’t listen. You’ve been so disobedient. Now you must obey. I knew you would return to me. I’ve been waiting."

Catalan’s first stay at the Charleston Bed and Breakfast had been well over a year ago. She’d taken a wrong turn while traveling on a business trip to Arizona. Exhaustion had forced her to stop for the night after traveling over four-hundred miles since dawn.
Now, over a year later, something had drawn her back. Most would have ran from the nightmare, considering the bed and breakfast to be haunted. But for Catalan, there was something more. That something was exactly what she’d returned for. She intended to find out the secrets behind the walls of the Charleston.

Sweat trickled between her breasts as she winced from the brightness in the room caused by the vicious streak of lightning. A scream hung in her throat when the bright flash cast a shadow of what appeared to be a man against the pale blue wall. She froze when the voice shot through the room.

"Go ahead and scream, Catalan, no one will hear you. You belong to me now and I’ll be taking you back with me very soon."

Drip…drip…drip, she continued to hear the splatters of blood hitting the hardwood floor while the form moved closer to her bed. The cotton nightgown she wore was soaked with perspiration, clinging like a second skin.

“Who are you? What do you want with me?" She struggled to get the words for her throat with a clap of thunder overriding the last of her question.

“Go away, leave me alone.” It was but a whisper from her quivering lips.

An odd coldness enveloped throughout the room, sending a shiver up Catalan's spine. A sudden brush of cold scattered about the room. A strange light appeared warming the room with an odd glow consisting of yellow haze. The sheet she’d clutched to her chest in terror was torn away, revealing her trembling body.

”You must come with me now, Catalan,”

She felt a strange sensation tingling the back of her arm as if something or someone were brushing against it. The clock in the hallway struck an unknown hour, its ticking matching the pounding of her heart. Ding…ding…ding, the chimes echoed into the darkness. Catalan covered her ears, willing the clock to stop the insane ticking.

Black curls tousled about her face, framing her eyes, dark as midnight with her pupils dilated that covered the normal violet tint they normally held. Sounds of an odd chuckle bounced off the Victorian wallpaper about the room.

"Here, here now, Catalan, I so love to play tricks on you. It tickles my soul to see you so frightened. Nay, it is but me, your beloved soul mate for eternity."

2006-10-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

OCTOBERFEST IS HERE!
I hope all of you are ready for the great line-up of books over at Cobblestone Press. There are so many of them! Several authors will be chatting over at Joyfully Reviewed on October 6th. I hope you'll join in the fun. Happy Halloween all!

cobblestone-press.com

2006-10-01T05:01:00.000-07:00

MARKETING ON THE CHEAP
TIP #3

I'm back today with another marketing tip that cost $0.00 that's right, FREE!

Book trailers are becoming the latest thing in advertising. What better way to market yourself. You can put one on MySpace, your blog, and your website. I've included a link today that you can download it to and have it hit cyberspace. I hope you find it helpful. And remember, the best part about it--FREE!

http://www.youtube.com/index

Have fun!

Remember to be creative in your marketing efforts. Creating something eye catching isn't that hard. See todays photo for proof!

2006-09-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

BUBBLE BATH ANYONE?
By now you know I like to cut cost whenever I can. So why not save water and energy?

Sometimes the simple pleasures in life can be the most rewarding. Share a bubble bath with that special someone and have fun!

I guess I'm thinking along the lines of romance since I'm working on a Valentine's Day story. Right now I'm at 12K and it is really coming together. Now I know a bubble bath isn't very original, but who cares if you have something like this to decorate with bubbles?

2006-09-27T05:18:00.000-07:00

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?

The life of a writer isn't easy. We have our good days along with the bad. Some days the words just flow in a steady stream. Other days we struggle to get one paragraph written, but we continue to sit our butt in the chair and type those words onto the page.

Are you willing to go to great lengths to make what you want most a reality? You bet! I can't think of anything else I would rather do than be a writer. I hung up my corporate high heels for it.

People often ask me this question. "Don't you ever get tired of the rejections, the struggle to make ends meet, the dinner's consisting of Oodles of Noodles and grilled cheese? Don't you want a REAL job?" Oh, I could go on and on.

You might be wondering how I answer those questions. So here you go. "No, no and I have a REAL job. It's called writing!"
So how bad do YOU want whatever dream you go after? Are you willing to be financially creative? Do you invent creative ways to get what you really want like the mouse in the picture above? There's an old saying that holds so much truth to it. Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy...

That being said, I'll be starting a series on my blog today called: The Frugal Writer
I'll be including some penny-pinching ideas, recipes, and with the holiday season fast approching, I'll be adding some great gifts that you can make or purchase on the cheap. I hope you'll enjoy the series and find something you can use. Here's the first issue.

The Frugal Writer
Issue: 1

How Far Can You Stretch a Chicken?

In today's article we are going to take one whole chicken to make three meals. This is based on feeding 2-3 people. Trust me, you'll have plenty of chicken to satisfy everyone.

We're going to purchase a whole chicken at the market that weights around 3-4 pounds for these meals. You can get whole chicken much cheaper than a cut-up fryer. We will be able to make these meals from it:

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Fried Rice

Okay, get out that big pot in the back of your cabinet and rinse out the dust. You know you have one someplace!

Rinse the chicken and place it in the pot with about 5 cups of water, some salt, pepper, and any other seasonings of your choice. We are going to boil this chicken until it's tender, usually around 2 hours will do. You will need to keep an eye on the water level, adding more if need be. I like to put my chicken down in a crockpot for the day. If I use this method, I don't add any water. I just season it, add a couple tablespoons of butter and let it "roast" in the crockpot. Either method will work.

After the chicken has cooked and cooled, pull it from the bone and place the pieces of chicken in a large bowl. Divide it up into three quart-size containers. Put 2 containers in the fridge for later use. Keep the broth for use that day, or freeze it for later use. You'll need it for the Chicken Noodle Soup. Now for the recipes.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Take one pack of the chicken and heat it with a little water in a small pan or the microwave. Add bottled BBQ sauce to taste, and place on hamburger buns. Serve with chips and a pickle spear. Simple

Chicken Noodle Soup

Take the broth and 1 package of chicken from the freezer. Get out that big pot again and put the broth down in the pot with about 5 cups of water, a couple of tablespoons of margarine, seasonings of your choice--I like to use garlic salt, pepper, and dried onion flakes. Bring to a boil. Add about 1 1/2 cups of a bag of frozen peas and carrots. You can purchase a bag for about $1. This is not only cheaper than using fresh veggies, but it saves time in the kitchen. Add the peas and carrots to the pot and bring back to a boil. Add the chicken, and add the noodles. I like to use linguini. I use about 1/3 of a box and break it into about 2 inch pieces. This make the perfect size noodle. Bring to a boil and simmer with the lid on until noodles are tender. That's all there is to it! This will feed about 4 people.

Chicken Fried Rice

I like to use Jasmine long grain rice for this. It smells wonderful cooking and is economical.
Get a large skillet out and set aside. In a large pan, take about 2 cups water with a dash of salt mixed in and bring to a boil. Add a well-rounded cup of the dry rice to water. Cover and put heat on about medium until water comes to a boil. Turn down to low or simmer and let rice cook until tender and water has evaporated. Turn rice out into a bowl and place in freezer to cool it down quickly.

Add about 1 tablespoon of oil to large skillet and heat. Take the rest of that pack of frozen peas and carrots and place in a bowl of water to thaw, then drain them. Beat one egg, and add to heated oil in skillet. Break it apart with a spatula, add drained peas and carrots and stir fry them for a few minutes. Add pack of chicken and continue to stir fry for another couple of minutes.

Add cooled rice and stir in about 1/3 cup of soy sauce, and a little over 1/3 cup of stir fry sauce. You can find this in the oriental section of the grocery store. Stir fry for a few minutes and you are ready to go with another nutritional hot meal. This will also feed around 3-4 people.

Now that we've made three meals, let's break down the cost. These prices are based on the store I shop at and of course will vary somewhat due to where you purchase your groceries.

Whole Chicken-$4.67
Frozen Veggies-.99
Jasmine Rice-$1.49
Hamburger Buns-.99
Stir Fry Sauce-$1.49
BBQ Sauce-$1.29 TOTAL COST OF THREE MEALS: $10.92 excluding your tax
COST PER MEAL: $3.64

This is taking into account that you probably have the other stuff on hand which most of us do. Keep in mind that you will have enought BBQ sauce, Stir Fry Sauce and Rice left over to make several more meals with.

Not bad for three nights worth of meals.

I hope you will find this first issue helpful and enjoy the savings!

Hugs,
Mia

2006-09-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got off the phone with my daughter who is expecting her first baby within a couple of weeks. Whew, I feel so much better about things and I know she does since she saw the doctor today. The baby was breech, and we thought she was going to have to have a C-section up until a few minutes ago. Well, praise the Lord the baby has turned and everything looks like it will be okay now. It is going to be a little girl, and I am getting so excited! They are going to name her Hannah. According to the ultra sound, she weights 6lbs. 6oz. and my daughter said she could see her really well on the screen. She said she has chubby little cheeks and a head full of hair! Oh, I am so going to be traveling soon for the delivery. So as you can see, today's post is all about babies! And to celebrate how cute they can be here is a picture I found that I though was adorable. Enjoy!

2006-09-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Fall Decorating

I love this time of year. I'm so ready for the leaves to start changing to the beautiful reds, oranges and yellows and to start decorating for the fall season. I seem to get more writing done when this time of year arrives. Today I'm up to 8500 words on my WIP for a Valentines story. I thought it would end up around 12K when I finished, but it is growing into a full novella at this point. Now I'm thinking it will end up around 25 to 30K. My characters are really starting to reveal so many things, and as always I have an animal in the story who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. When I started it, I thought it would be a contemporary chicklit, but it has turned into a Valentines paranormal chicklit. I'm having so much fun with this one. Everytime I start a new story, it becomes my favorite. Does that happen to you?

I'll be heading back home to Tennessee soon, and I think I'll make some treats to take to the kids. Tomorrow I think I'll make a big batch of homemade carmel corn. Oh, and some peanut butter fudge. I get in a cooking mood when it gets this time of year. My daughters usually start putting in their request for goodies to bring along with me about a week before I head out to see them. Why do I have a feeling the list will grow before I leave? LOL

My TBR stack is growing and I'm ready to dig into some great reading next month. I have to meet my goals and other obligations before I can start back on the stack of books to read first. I always like to treat myself to a great read for reaching my goals. Speaking of treats, I'm looking forward to our Octoberfest at Cobblestone Press. There are lots of great books lined up. I hope you will treat yourself to a great read soon! Today I've added a picture that is sure to be a big hit in decorating. Hope you enjoy it!

2006-09-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

SO FAR BEHIND

Okay, I know I have neglected my blog for several weeks. Not a good thing, but life has been getting in the way. I've done so much traveling to Tennessee; I think I'm living there instead of in Alabama. Right now I'm home for a couple of weeks, and then back to Tennessee again. Hopefully the month of October will be better.

What am I up to in my writing? Right now I'm working on a Valentine story and I'm pleased with my progress so far. I've been getting in around 2000 words a day, and the story is coming along in a way that makes me happy. I love when a story I'm working on seems to flow the way I want it to. Sometimes it just doesn't happen and a total re-write goes in the works. I've learned to accept that as a big part of writing. I still have a requested full at Kensington and I'm hoping to hear good news. Then there is a partial that is still under consideration with one of my dream agents, so keep your fingers crossed. In the mix there have been some rejections along the way which is just part of the process. So what do you do? You keep going, you keep writing, learning and growing.

I'm looking forward to the days of cooler weather and preparing some of those fall foods that just don't taste as good in the summer months. Things like, making homemade bread that smells delicious in the oven or a big pan of homemade spaghetti and meatballs that simmers on the stove all afternoon. Yum! I love making the sauce from scratch and another of my favorite things to make is homemade biscotti and a cup of orange-brandy latte' that I developed my own recipe for. There's nothing better to dip biscotti in.

On a final note, please remember that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Tell someone you love to make sure to have that all-important exam. I have included a helpful link below.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites

2006-08-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

A NOTE TO MY PUBLISHER

Really, I'm working as hard as I can!

2006-08-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

TODAY HAS BEEN HECTIC!

Whew, I just finished doing a final run through my manuscript entitled, FRISK AND MISS. It is a fun Chick Lit inter-racial mystery that I just submitted for consideration of publication. Wish me luck!

2006-08-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MY SEXY HERO, AARON MONTANTA?
Check him out over at:

http://strictlyseductive.blogspot.com

2006-08-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

MARKETING TIPS ON THE CHEAP TIP#2
I found this template on the Microsoft site to make your own bookmarks in Microsoft Publisher, so I thought I would share it. You can get 500 sheets of cardstock for around $5.00-$8.00, depending on the store you purchase it at. For the cost of the stock, some time and some ink from your printer, you can make some really nice bookmarks for promo items. I have found if you asked most bookstores in a nice way, they will allow you to leave a handful at their checkout counter for their customers to pick up. This is a great way to get your name out there and reach those important and wonderful readers! Here are the instructions:

Bookmark templates
Publisher does not include any publication designs that are intended exclusively for use as bookmarks. However, you can easily create bookmarks in Publisher. You can adapt an existing publication design for use as bookmarks. Publications that are set up to print multiple copies per page, such as postcards, business cards, or gift certificates, can be customized for use as bookmarks. You can also create bookmarks from scratch.
To create a bookmark from scratch
This procedure creates a sheet of bookmarks that are printed four per page on 8.5-by-11-inch paper, with room for trimming.

1. On the File menu, click New.
2. In the New Publication task pane, click Blank Print Publication.
3. On the File menu, click Page Setup.
4. In the Page Setup dialog box, under Publication type, click Custom.
5. Under Orientation, click Landscape.
6. Under Page Size, type 2" in the Width box and then type 7.5" in the Height box. Click OK.
7. Customize your bookmark publication by adding any pictures, graphics, or text that you want. You can also customize by selecting specific color schemes or font schemes. For more information about any these tasks, search Publisher Help.
8. If you want to print content on the back of your bookmark to create a two-sided bookmark, you can do so by adding a new page to your publication. Click Page on the Insert menu.
9. To print your bookmark publication, click Print on the File menu, and then select the options that you want.
Notes
* If you are printing two-sided bookmarks to a duplex printer, you may need to click the Properties button in the Print dialog box to specify how you want your publication to be printed on both sides. The available options in the Properties dialog box vary, depending on what kind of printer you are using. If the Flip on Short Edge option is available, select it to ensure that the content on each side of your bookmark is printed in the same direction. You may need to print a test sheet to determine what settings work best.
* If you are printing two-sided bookmarks to a nonduplex printer, you need to print the first side of your bookmark publication first and then flip the sheets, reinsert them into your printer feed tray, and then print the second side. Print a test sheet first to determine which direction you need to flip the paper before you print the second side.
* Print your bookmarks on heavy paper or card stock so that they are durable.

I hope you find today's tip helpful. On a side note, I need to finish up some painting around the house, but it has been to darn hot to do it. I'll be traveling back to Tennesse at the end of the week to help my daughter and son-in-law move to their first house. Of course, they want to know if I would like to paint the baby's room while I'm there. Oh, boy...

Here is a photo I found that relates to painting you might enjoy!

2006-08-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

MARKETING TIPS ON THE CHEAP

Today I decided to start blogging about some marking tips for authors that can be done at a reasonable cost. From time to time , I'll be posting them here on my blog. I hope you'll find something you can use in your marketing efforts.

TIP ONE: Print address labels on your printer that have a small image of your book in the left corner. I use size 1" x 2-5/8" Ink Jet Address Labels. I found some at Wal-Mart by Mainstays Office for a little under $4.00 for a total of 300 labels. It leaves enough room for the image of the book, your address, and a website. I put the website of my publisher on mine.

For the cost of the labels, a little ink and a few minutes of your time, you can reach 300 people. It's a quick fun project that looks great, and helps in promoting your books.

On a different note, I finished up my short story called, Diamond. It is a romantic suspense and I had fun writing it. Now, I've submitted it and will keep my fingers crossed that they like it. Here is a picture of some cats doing the happy dance to celebrate!

2006-08-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

A REQUEST FOR A FULL!

I came back from my visit with my daughters in Tennessee to some exciting news. Kensington Publishing has requested a full manuscript on one of my books!

I rushed it to the post office yesterday. All 400 pages are on the way to New York!

I love getting great news, and this really made my day.

2006-07-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

MY FIRST REVIEW FOR MY LIPS ARE SEALED!
Review: My Lips Are Sealed by Mia Romano From Euro Reviews
http://euroreviews.eu.funpic.de/bookdetails.php?book_id=553

Title: My Lips Are Sealed
Author: Mia Romano
Publisher: Cobblestone Press
Genre: Contemporary , Chick Lit
Publication date: 2006
ISBN: 1-60088-015-0
Pages: 175

Rating:

Reviewer: Annick

Jade Wellington has made an important decision: her husband (who just left her) doesn’t have to come back, he’s not welcome anymore. She’s better off without him. So if anybody finds him, they can keep him as far as she’s concerned. It’s painful of course but she had enough of it, he’s too handsome to be trusted.
That’s why she and her friend are hanging out posters, to let others know that they can keep him if they find him. Sweet revenge…

David Jackson is watching Jade while she’s hanging up the posters. She’s up to no good, he can see that just by looking at her. He knows those sort of women. They mean trouble. But she sure looks beautiful. He wouldn’t mind solving her trouble.
But she most be really angry against that guy on the posters, to do something like this.

My Lips Are Sealed is one of the funniest stories I have read. It’s a chicklit from the top shelve. If you like chicklit, make sure not to miss this one. If you have never tried reading a chicklit, take your chance and start with this book from Mia Romano.
It’s a lovely story with plenty of humor in it and also a dose of romance.
A woman who feels hurt because her husband left her is so mad that she’s up to doing silly things. But lucky for her she has a friend who is there for her to give her advice and support, only this friend is as crazy (in a positive way) as she is. So… those two together make for some funny scenes and of course there are some men involved too.
Make sure you read My Lips Are Sealed yourself, I really recommend it to you.

2006-07-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

RELEASE OF MY LIPS ARE SEALED
I'm getting so excited about my release of my first Chick Lit with a twist called, My Lips are sealed from Cobblestone Press. www.cobblestone-press.com

It come out tomorrow! I hope you will check it out. I had so much fun writing it. Here is a little teaser for you. Enjoy!

Chapter One

Jade Wellington positioned the nail near Austin’s fly. Things were definitely going to get messy. Pearls of sweat beaded her forehead as she drew back the hammer.

“Wait! Not there. Move it to the right just a little.”

“Here?” Jade tilted her head in the direction of her partner in crime.

“Yes, that spot right there. It’s perfect!”

Jade reared back, driving the nail in with the precision of a marksman, then stepped aside to admire her mischievous deed.

She combed her fingers through jagged bangs, closed her eyes, and inhaled a breath of sultry California breeze.

“That should fix him—for good this time.” He might as well be dead and buried, just like her marriage.

Jade’s best friend, Celine, swiped soiled hands across the back of her designer jeans. “I could see this working. I mean, how many women in the town of Cranberry would be willing to fork over this much cash just to get their hands on him?”

Jade stood back, reading the poster she’d nailed to the light pole. She was proud of her cleverness.

“Missing husband—last seen running out of the neighbor’s house zipping up his pants. If found, please send a $500 reward and keep him! Please call 123-6782.

2006-07-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

NINE PAGES, BUT WHO'S COUNTING?

Today I feel good about what I have accomplished on my current WIP. I got nine pages done on Sweet Petunia, and yesterday I did five pages. I'm working toward my goal of at least five pages a day, and so far I'm on the mark this week. I've decided I have to quite playing around on the internet so much, and put some artwork I want to do on hold. I want this book to be priority! So...that means that I'm going to let the house work slide a little as well. Hey, it's only fair that I get to do this. Or so I keep telling myself.

2006-07-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

PLAYING AROUND WITH ART
Here is my first attempt at some artwork. I'm having so much fun with this stuff!

2006-07-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

WHAT I'M UP TO TODAY

After a glitch in my computer, I finally have it fixed--yet another time. I'm in the middle of edits for Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Dead and should have them done by tomorrow afternoon. You would think I would be tired of fooling with computers after redoing half of my laptop, but no...I need more punishment I guess. I'm working on learning a new software program called Poser 6. I'm having fun with it, and have created some really cool artwork. I love working with art programs, and hope to create some really neat artwork to revamp my website with. Right now, it is plain purple. Make sure and check out the new books being released tomorrow at Cobblestone Press www.cobblestone-press.com They are sure to be some wonderful reads! Okay, back to creating some sexy and/or evil figures for me!

2006-07-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

MY NEW COVER FOR RAIN DROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY DEAD
I just love it! The great Sable has done it again. Everytime I look at the monkey, I just crack up.

2006-06-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY!
Well, my first release from Cobblestone Press will be out tomorrow. Whew, I'm biting my nails, and probably won't get a wink of sleep tonight. Tomorrow, Burnin' Down Nash Vegas will be on the cyber shelf in front of the world.

I hope all of you who decide to purchase it, will enjoy reading it. I had so much fun writing about my handsome hero, Aaron Montana. Oh...even his name makes me want to.... Oh well, never mind.

2006-06-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

MORE GOOD NEWS!

I have a release date for Burnin' Down Nash Vegas. It will be released on June 30, 2006! I'm so excited. Plus, I received word last night that Cobblestone wants my chicklit paranormal called, Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Dead. I'm as happy as a girl with a pound of chocolate.

2006-06-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

WHAT I'M UP TO...
Late yesterday afternoon I finished my first chick lit paranormal called, Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Dead. I had so much fun with this one, and hope it will be published. We'll see what happens.

Also, received my first edits on Burnin' Down Nash Vegas, and got them completed and sent back. Waiting on round number two.

Waiting on round two edits of My Lips are Sealed in the meantime, and biting my nails...

Today I plan on getting about 10 pages done on Sweet Petunia. It's a fun lady lit that has a southern flair and lots of adventures for two friends on a cruise ship. So far my characters are still holding out on some secrets from me. Darn them. I'm up to nearly 14,000 words on this one, and don't know how long it will end up being. My characters just keep coming up with more things that they want to do and say. Oh those southern ladies and the secrets they have!

Anyway, back to writing, waiting, and hoping for the best.

2006-06-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

IF YOUR BOOKS WAS A MOVIE

Have you ever wondered if one of the books you wrote somehow became a movie, who you would like to see play in it? I've done this in one of my moments of daydreaming and reaching for the stars.

I was thinking the other day about my book entitled, My Lips are Sealed. Tom Hanks would be the perfect man to play the part of David Jackson. For the acrtress playing Jade Wellington? I would choose Demi Moore. I don't know about the other characters except for Jade's best friend Celine. Maybe Bett Midler would fit her.

Anyway, I just think it's fun sometimes to get wrapped up in my own little world of dreaming. How about you?

2006-05-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

Lions and Tigers and Edits Oh My!

Whew, just finished with my first round of edits on My Lips are Sealed. Man, have I learned a lot. I hope so anyway! I guess we will find out. Now back to work on Sweet Petunia, and wait on the second round of editing.

Opening day at Cobblestone Press is right around the corner. I'm so excited for everyone. I know that it has been, and will continue to be, a team of hardworking authors, artist, and editors, and wish to thank Deanna Lee and Sable Grey for their dedication to all of us. I wish all you a huge success.

2006-05-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

ANOTHER FIRST FOR ME
Okay, I'm trying to write a story just from looking at a picture. This is a first for me, and I'm finding it fun and a bit of a challenge. Anyone ever write a story just from a picture before? I think this will be a big help to make me learn and grow more in my writing. So, I'm off to work on the manuscript and see where it leads me.

2006-05-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful cover from the wonderful artwork of Sable Grey!
I was so excited to wake up to a beautiful piece of artwork this morning. I received my cover art for Burnin' Down Nash Vegas, and love it! Check it out!

2006-05-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

DANCING ON AIR!

I'm so happy! I just received news that my book--Burnin' Down Nash Vegas has sold to Cobblestone Press! Whoo hoo, I'm a happy gal.

2006-05-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

LOOKING FOR A GREAT RESEARCH LIBRARY?

Check out this wonderful link for writers.
http://p097.ezboard.com/bcobblestonelibrary