Cowboy Research Winner!

Okay, I have a winner! Sorry for the delay in making the announcement. We had major snow here on Tuesday and Wednesday, school called off and kids under feet, so needless to say I'm running behind a little. ;-)

My thanks to all of you who stopped by to chat! My winner for this quickie contest is Shelley Monro! Congratulations, Shelley!! Please email me at sherryjames@hamilton.net and tell me your preferred e-book format and I'll get it off to you!

Oh, and be sure to tune into CMT this Saturdady. You can see Skeeter Kingsolver in the Posse and get a glimpse of life behind the bucking chutes. And cool, I get to say I know him! ;-)

Vacation Blog Contest Winner!

It's time to announce the winner of my Vacation Blog Contest! But first, my thanks to all of you who stopped in and followed me on my travels. I'm, for the most, recovered, although I feel way behind on everything now. But it was so worth it! I hope you enjoyed traveling with me as much as I enjoyed having you along! It was fun to share my adventures.

Now for the winner!

Congratulations to Estella! Estella had posted nine times giving her nine chances to win. And it paid off. My son picked one of your numbers from the hat. Woo-Hoo!

Estella, please e-mail me privately at sherryjames@hamilton.net with your name and address and I'll get your T-shirt out to you.

Again, my thanks to all of you who visited, and posted comments. Keep on stopping by my blog, you never know what I'll be doing next!

Vacation Blog Contest Day 1--On The Road!

Okay, this is going to be a short post to kick off my blog contest. I'm exhausted! I got to bed way too late last night, was up way too early this AM, and during the 4 1/2 hours I was in bed, I slept maybe two. Figures. It seems it never fails that just before a trip I can't get to bed at a decent hour. Guess the house was just too quiet with the kids and dogs shipped off to the grandparents and my brother's! Well, and then I had to finish picking up around the house and vacuuming! Sorry, I can't help it. I don't like leaving a dirty house when I go out of town. It’s kind of like the wearing clean underwear thing.

But it was a great day for traveling. We left Nebraska and headed down the road for Memphis just shortly after 7 AM. We slipped through the SW corner of Iowa and then spent the majority of the day driving through scenic and beautiful Missouri and Arkansas. We made it to West Memphis at nine something this evening. Yea! My backside fell asleep numerous times, and I was stiff, but it was nothing that making a periodic pit stop didn’t cure. ;-)

I really enjoyed driving through MO & AK. Both are just gorgeous this time of year with all the trees fully leafed out and an abundance of wildflowers blooming along the roadsides. Flowers, however, weren't the only things in abundance along the Interstates and Highways! Roadkill was everywhere. We saw more deer, coyotes, armadillos, coons, skunks and opossums littering the scenic byways than I could begin to count. I told my hubby that instead of noting licenses plates along the way, we should have been counting the number of roadkill! I think the deer won for the most who’d met their demise while the armadillo was coming in a close second.

Do you play travel games when you’re taking a long road trip? If so, what? Hopefully not roadkill! :-)

Remember, each time you post, your name gets put into the hat for a T-shirt!

Vacation Blog Contest Coming!

I'm taking a vacation! Woo-hoo! My hubby and I are taking a trip!!! Yes, just the two of us. We're celebrating our anniversary a little early this year due to the fact it's in October and the kids' school schedules make it tough to sneak away then.

For years we've been wanting to travel down to Tennessee and Kentucky. After all these years we're taking the plunge and just going. Can't wait! If you follow my blog or web site at all you know I'm a big Country Music fan, a horse lover, and love to explore and do research.

So, travel along with me as we visit Memphis--Graceland, Shiloh Battlefield, Nashville, Louisville--Churchill Downs, and any horse farm that will let me set foot on its coveted grounds! I'm sure we'll find some other fun and interesting sites along the way, too.

Each day, starting Sunday, June 14th and running through Friday, June 19th, I'll be posting about our adventures for the day. If you post a comment on my blog I'll put your name in the hat for a Sherry James T-Shirt. That's right, an authentic, rare, first-run Sherry James T-shirt! Heck! I'll even autograph it! Post all six days and you'll get your name in the drawing six times. The more you post, the more you increase your chances of winning!

So, join me on vaction! I hope to see you down the road!

Thanksgiving Blog Blitz Winner!

I have a Blog Blitz Winner! Congratulations go out to Tami C. She is the winner of an autographed copy of Studs for Hire: Woman on Top! Tami, please e-mail me privately at sherryjames@hamilton.net with your snail mail address and I'll get your book out to you.

Thank you all for stopping by last week and posting. It was fun. Keep stopping by for more news about Eight Seconds, coming soon from Ellora's Cave, and other future releases and contests.

Hero Qualities

I’m thrilled to say that I’ll have a novella, Eight Seconds, coming out next year in one of the Caveman anthologies, Flavors of Ecstasy, from Ellora’s Cave. I don’t know which volume yet, or what other EC authors I’ll be paired up with, but I’ll share as soon as I hear.

Eight Seconds is the story of rancher, romance writer Taylor Westfall, and professional bull rider Devlin McCord. I love cowboys! And I loved writing this story. It was great therapy for me after losing my mom, and it was nice to immerse myself in something positive and fun. Plus, I had a deadline to meet which is always great motivation.

Eight Seconds takes place one snowy weekend before Thanksgiving. I’ve always wanted to write a holiday connected story, and although this one only mentions Thanksgiving, the time of year and the snow reiterate her loneliness and the isolation she faces on her ranch. And, she’s in much need of some sexual inspiration for her writing. She’s bound and determined not to spend another harsh winter all by herself. Cowboy Devlin McCord is sexy, hot and just what she needs to get the creative juices flowing again! Hey, I wouldn’t mind spending more than eight seconds with this guy. Too bad I can’t make my fictional characters come to life in the flesh. Oops! Don’t tell my husband I said that!

Besides being good-looking and sexy, Devlin is honest, caring, and loyal to the bone. All qualities my heros must have, even if they don’t realize they have them. And yes, the hunk in the photo is George Strait, a true American cowboy who inspires this writer's work all the time! What are your favorite must-have hero qualities?

What's in your Autumn TBR Pile?

Hey, fellow bloggers! Sorry I’m so late getting my Wednesday entry up. It’s been one of those days. I’ve been busy getting my lap top PC all set up again after my darling daughter crashed the hard drive on it the other week. Then, our well decided to go on the fritz late last night, so we were without water for a good portion of today. Fortunately our nice repair man, Mark, made it here in good time and got us taken care of. Thanks, Mark!

While I was outside visiting with Mark, we both commented on how nice the weather was today for November 19th. I love Autumn. It’s a beautiful time of year, and here in the Midwest we can experience weather ranging from sunny days in the low to mid 70's, to below freezing temps with a mixture of freezing rain and snow to make driving life interesting. But on those days when the sun is shining and the temps are fair, it’s fun to get outside and enjoy Nature’s palette of golds and reds, hear the leaves crunching beneath your feet and listen to the few remaining crickets singing their songs. The cooler, dry days of Autumn are such a relief after the hot, humidity packed days of summer we have here, too.

Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved fall. I think it’s the beginning of a magical time of year with all the fun things we did at school, and the anticipation of the many holidays ahead of us. The vibrant colors of fall are a delight for the eyes, and the days get shorter, giving us permission to take more time to squirrel away with those books we have stacked on our TBR piles.

Speaking of which, I have more than one TBR pile. I need to get busy! Some of the books stacked in those piles for this Autumn are Julie Miller’s Brotherhood of the Badge series from Harlequin Temptation. I just picked up the fourth and final book, Kansas City Christmas, the other day, but it has to wait until I read the first three. I also have Picture of Perfection by Kristin Gabriel, Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich, and Alien Overnight by Robin L. Rotham, to name a few. I can’t wait to read all of those wonderful authors. Those books are my rewards for getting my own writing done. Who needs chocolate?! Well . . . okay, I admit it. I DO! But no books or chocolate for me until I get my work done. Right now I’m working on revisions for Eight Seconds which will be released by Ellora’s Cave next year in one of the Caveman Anthologies. I’ll share more details about Eight Seconds in tomorrow’s post. If you love cowboys, I hope you’ll like Eight Seconds.

So, tell me what titles do you have in your TBR piles for this fall and winter? I’m always on the look out for new books and authors to add to my stash!

Thanksgiving Movies & TV Specials

Welcome to day two of my Thanksgiving Blog Blitz! Today I thought we’d talk about our favorite Thanksgiving movies or TV specials. Although there aren’t as many centered around this holiday, there are a few. For me, one of my favorites is A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I watched it again for the umpteenth time last night, (I splurged and bought the deluxe edition DVD three pack, for the kids, of course!) but it was the first time for my two kids to see this special. They laughed, and laughed even harder when Snoopy had his altercations with the ping pong table and the lawn chair. Classic!

But what I love so much about the Peanuts specials is that through the genius of Charles Schulz they teach the true meanings of the seasons without being preachy. I think one of the reasons the shows do this so successfully is because those lessons are shared through the innocent wisdom of children, and we all know how kids can say the most profound and amazing things without even realizing it. They don’t intentionally set out to teach us adults a lesson, but they just manage to do it. In addition, I love the brilliance of Vince Guaraldi and the music he created for Charlie Brown and his friends beginning with A Charlie Brown Christmas. You can’t listen to Vince’s music and not think of the Peanuts gang. I also love the fact they used children to voice the characters. I think those amateur, sometimes singsong voices add a core of truth and sincerity to the shows, taking me back to the innocence and wonder of my own childhood. Oh, how we so looked forward to watching all of those TV specials during the holidays. You had one shot per year to see them and you just prayed Rudolph, Charlie, Frosty, or the Grinch weren’t scheduled to air on the night of your school program. Oops! I'm dating myself.

Another Thanksgiving movie I’d love to see is The Thanksgiving Treasure starring Jason Robards and Lisa Lucas. I absolutely loved The House Without a Christmas Tree and have always wanted to see the other three movies in the series. Have you seen The Thanksgiving Treasure? If so, did you like it? And do you have a favorite Thanksgiving movie or TV show you'd like to share?

Remember, every time you post a comment to my blog this week, your name will go into the drawing for an autographed copy of Studs for Hire: Woman on Top. Even if you already own a copy, Christmas is coming and autographed books make great gifts, so get entered!

Thanksgiving Blog Blitz Starts Today!

Okay, readers. It’s time to get my Thanksgiving Blog Blitz rolling! I’m not only celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday, but the recent sale of my fourth book! Yee-Haw! Eight Seconds is a novella and will be released in 2009 in one of the Ellora’s Cave, Flavors of Ecstasy anthologies. I’m not sure which volume yet, but I’ll keep you posted. Eight Seconds does take place in November and mentions Thanksgiving, so I’ll be blogging about it later in the week. Here we go!

Thanksgiving marks the official start of the holiday season, and since I love history, I’m starting the week with some Turkey Day Trivia. See how much you remember from history class.

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621.

But, it wasn’t declared an official holiday until 1789 by President George Washington.

Many states observed Thanksgiving, but not all, and on different days. President Abraham Lincoln, faced with the trials and tribulations of the Civil War, was looking for a way to unite the nation and gave his Thanksgiving proclamation in October 1863. Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November would be observed as a day of Thanksgiving.

During the midst of WWII, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, looking for a way to give a boost to the shopping season, moved the holiday to the third Thursday for the years 1939, 1940, and 1941. The idea didn’t go over so well and Congress passed a resolution in 1941 decreeing Thanksgiving would always fall on the fourth Thursday.

So, ever since then our nation has been setting aside a day for us to give thanks by indulging in way too much food, taking a nap, and watching football on a weekday afternoon. Sounds like a perfect day. Well, maybe. For most women it means even more stress, work in the kitchen, a house full of relatives, and a mountain of dishes. Oh, how many Thanksgivings my dear mom worked to put a magnificent meal on the table. Bless her. She did so in style by not only preparing mouth-watering food, but by adding touches of the Autumn season with candles and fall silks to decorate the house and table.

One of my fondest memories of Thanksgiving is of my mom and her festive holiday apron. She’d get up bright and early that morning and with the apron officially tied in place, she’d get that bird in the oven. For the day, whether it matched or not, that handsewn apron, with its horse and sleigh print, was a part of her outfit. And you know, that trusted, well-worn kitchen helper wouldn’t leave her waist until the last dish had been washed and put away that evening. Did she complain? Nope. She did it out of a profound love for her family. Seeing her hustle around the kitchen with that faded, old apron is one thing I will miss big time this year. What I wouldn’t give for one more day. Maybe it’s time for me to pull that apron out of the drawer and carry on the tradition. By golly, I think I’ll do that. For mom.

So, what fond memories do you have of Thanksgiving? I’d love to hear them. Remember, every time you post a comment to my blog this week, your name will go into the drawing for an autographed copy of Studs for Hire: Woman on Top! Good Luck!

Romantic Times SOS Military Mixer Contest, April 19- May 3rd

For the second year in a row I'm one of the sponsoring authors of the Romantic Times BOOKlovers Convention SOS Military Mixer held April 19th in Pittsburg, PA. I feel it's very important to support and thank our men and women who have worked hard, and sacrificed so much, to keep the good ol' USA safe for all of us. So if you are in the Military, have served in the past, or have a loved one who has served, you were welcome to join the event! Saturday, April, 19th, 4 -5 PM, Hilton Pittsburgh, 600 Commonwealth Place.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend in person this year, so I've teamed up with good pal and critique partner, Julie Miller, to bring you a special little SOS contest. If you attended, I hope you were amongst the lucky ones to receive a red, white or blue goody bag from me, or one of Julie's books, in your BIG goody bag. In that bag/book you will find a card with information about the SOS contest and the code you need to enter. Email me with that code, and Julie and I will put your name into the hat for a very special Military Care Package. Deadline to enter is April 30th.

Thank You for your service to our Country. God Bless You!

Sherry

I'm a Wanted Author!

Wow! What can I say? I'm a Wanted Author. No, I didn't commit any crime, unless you count writing as a crime, but I'm wanted because of my last name. Yep. The good 'ol name of James has gotten my face plastered on a Wanted Poster. Even though I'm not related to the infamous Jesse James, at least not that I know of, I am now a member of the Wanted Poster Club. Well, in a good way. Fellow romance author Marcia James came up with the cute idea of the James Gang. Each month she interviews fellow authors who have James in their names. I'm pleased to be her guest for the month of March. Check out the interview at her web site at http://www.marciajames.net/James_gang.html

Marcia is quite a lady. She is fun and dynamic. I had a blast sitting next to her at the Romantic Times BOOKlovers convention book fair last April in Houston, TX. I don't know how many pairs of thumb cuffs she gave away while signing copies of her book At Her Command from Cerridwen Press, but it was a bunch!

If you could be wanted for something, hopefully good ;-), what would be? A great mom? A good neighbor? A sex symbol? For me, it's a great mom/spouse/friend, a great writer, and a as a compassionate friend of animals. Let me hear from you! I'm always looking for great ideas for characters.

Sherry James

The Fun of Book Trailers

Okay, I'm finally getting back to actually posting on my blog. I've spent the last week tweaking, searching for just the right look that reflects me. I think I've found it. Anyway, today I'm excited to talk about book trailers. They are the newest, hottest trend in promoting books. They are basically like a movie trailer and are designed to give you a brief, but exciting synopsis of the book that it will, hopefully, intrigue you so much you can't live unless you read that story!

Being the creative soul that I am, I couldn't resist the temptation to do my own book trailers. I've done one so far for my first Ellora's Cave release, Cowboy Fling. After a lot of trial and error, I (for the most part) figured out the software and managed to create a trailer that reflects the book really well. It's short, snappy and fun. The biggest challenge was figuring out how to convert the trailer to the proper file formats for the various sights like Google video, Yahoo video, and You Tube, which I still haven't mastered. I think my choice of software has something to do with my troubles with You Tube. But I'll keep hunting and pecking in my software and hopefully will find a way.

Now that I have a cover for my new Studs for Hire book, Woman in Charge, I'm going to be creating a trailer for the Stud series. Keep your eyes open! My challenge so far with that trailer is finding just the right music. I did find one, but sorry, I have a hard time paying sixty bucks for 30 seconds worth of music. Guess I didn't like the tune THAT much! So, it's back to searching.

So, tell me what you like about book trailers? Live action? Still photos? Dramatic or upbeat music? Do you have a favorite book trailer? If so, tell me about it. Inquiring minds want to know! And enjoy Cowboy Fling!

Sherry