TJ Killian is chasing her villians across the internet

Hello fellow readers and authors,


My friend TJ Killian's book Northern Skye is being released Friday, June 15, 2007
by New Concepts Publishing. To celebrate it's release, TJ is having a contest where she'll chase her undead villian across the internet. Participants will follow her as she hits a variety of publishers, authors, and yahoo websites leaving a trail of clues. There are loads of prizes. If you're interested, visit yahoo group - romancewithTJand friends for details. It's going to be a blast!


I just typed "The End" on my second time travel Love of Sky. Of course I still have final edits to do. The first time travel My Heart Will Find Yours is currently going through revisions. Hopefully I'll have both ready to market at RWA's national conference in July.


It's back to work for me. Happy reading.

Linda

When the Ocotillo Bloom - on Amazon.com


It's a big thrill to see my book listed at Amazon and other major book
stores like Borders, Hastings, and Barnes and Nobel. While today, most
of the book promotion is left up to the author, seeing it online is exciting
and a big help.


A few blogs ago I discussed my trip to West Texas where the novel
takes place. Several area book stores requested signed copies to add
to their stock.

Happy Reading, Folks!
Linda

Visit TJ Killian's new Reader's Group - Contest

Contest in TJ's Reader's Group - Heads up

These begin on June 1st, so gather your friends around, and lets
have some fun in my Reading Group.

I think everyone loves a good villain. They make us shiver. They
make us hate them. Keeping with that line of discussion :

June's theme is - No One Mourns the Wicked.

So here you go.

1. You tell me and the group about your favorite villain.
2. What makes them the one you love to hate?
3. The book it came from, and the author.

If you can't remember the last two, don't sweat it - it's just nice
to have in case someone wants to read the story.

Prize - for this month is a Celtic Good Luck Knot Charm - so you'll
have the luck of the Irish on your side if you ever meet up with a
true villain.

The Winner is picked randomly from all submissions received.

Basic Rules & Guidelines

1. You have to be a member of TJ's Reading Group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romancewithTJandFriends/
2. The contest runs from Friday when the contest is posted to the
following Friday at 12:00 AM EST.
3. In the Subject Line put - FFF CONTEST (this is very important).
4. If you are Moderated, don't panic, I'll get to it before the
contest ends.
5. Try to combine your responses to multiple postings into one e-
mail, so nothing gets lost. e.g. - Great ones - Miss X, Miss Y, Miss
Z.
6. If you don't agree, don't say anything. This is a friendly
community and I would like to keep it that way.

Any Questions, just shout out to amuzinglee@...

Thanks

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romancewithTJandFriends/

TJ, I'm having to think hard about a villian. Guess I'll review some of my favorite books and see which one has the meanest dude. Sounds like loads of fun. Good luck!

Cheers,
Linda

Winner of my contest - When the Ocotillo Bloom

Congratulations to Rita Thedford of Abilene, TX, for winning an autographed copy of my first novel When the Ocotillo Bloom. Rita, I'll be getting your book in the mail asap.
Linda

Whew! What a week!

You know how some weeks you don't receive any positive feedback on your work and others you get several warm fuzzies in a row? That's how my week has been. On Monday morning, my critique partner and mentor said my reworked chapter was much better. Then, that afternoon I received a call from an editor with Atriad Press with the news they liked my haunted house short story and want to add it to the collection of stories they are compiling.

So, this morning imagine my delight when I received news via email that The Romance Studio had finished reviewing my book. It received 4 1/2 Hearts!!! As if that wasn't enough, I learned that two of the stores in west Texas I'd left books with want me to send copies for them to sell.

My cup is overflowing.

Here is a copy of the review.



When the Ocotillo Bloom Linda LaRoqueContemporary romanceAvailable from Wings ePressISBN: 978-1-59705-235-3January 2007
Lynn Devry was a divorced, middle-aged, overweight teacher who had just taken a job at a spa ranch where she would be employed 6 hours a day baking bread; the other hours were hers to do as she pleased. Or so she thought! Her daughter and friend, Dr. Art had helped her secure this position. What she did not know was that she was signed (as in contracted) to work at Ocotillo Ranch, a summer camp for troubled kids. Seth Williams, an adolescent psychologist, was fulfilling his life-long dream of running this camp for neglected children. His wife, Barbara, had divorced him seven years ago because she did not like the outback, rural area.
To say Lynn was livid when she found out what kind of a camp she was at would be an understatement! She was furious that, not only did she have to live and work with these kids, ages 7 to teen, but she was required to get into shape, starting with water aerobics daily, including 10 laps after each day’s workout. She could hardly walk to the pool house, let alone swim! She refused to stay any longer than it took for Seth to find a replacement which he did not pursue for a long while.
Linda LaRoque has done an exceptional job with this story! She shows how two people who start out at such diabolical ends of the spectrum can actually belong together. They each had thoughts on how to conduct themselves and Ms. LaRoque allowed their personalities to merge into a relationship which worked exceedingly well. The supporting characters were many and varied; each played a wonderful part in the overall plot of this book. The interactions with the many children helped mold many actions they found impossible to resist.
I found that this unique story was so interesting that I read it straight through. I absolutely could not stop reading until the very end and then wanted to see it continue. I loved this book and recommend it highly!
Overall rating: Sensuality rating: Sweet
Reviewer: Brenda TalleyMay 17, 2007
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Copyright © 2007 theromancestudio.com

Regards,
Linda

Happy Mother's Day - Contest - free copy of my book

As a new author, and one from a small press, I'm always trying to come up with ideas to increase sales. So, I'm having a contest. It ends Monday, May 21st at midnight. There is nothing to buy, just go to my website www.lindalaroque.com for details.

I'm please to say that among Wings authors, I'm listed as 2nd in the best seller list and 1st in the highest rated. When the Ocotillo Bloom is the book of my heart so these statistics warm my soul. It took me 12 years to write, probably 7 rewrites to get it ready, with the help of friends, before getting published. In those years I also wrote two more books, as yet unpublished, and have two others almost ready to market.

All in all, I love what I'm doing - writing. I don't get much cooking or house cleaning done, but I'm turning out the pages.

Hope all you ladies have a wonderful Mother's Day.

Regards,
Linda

Texas Mountain Trail Writers Retreat

I just love an excuse to return to west Texas. So, when I heard about theTexas Mountain Trail Writers Retreat April 21-22, I started packing.


My husband and I have lived in both Alpine and Fort Stockton. We love everything about the area -- the people, the landscapes, the weather. I'd just bought a new car, an HHR, and was ready to put some miles on it.

The retreat was held at the Girl Scout Encampment at Miter Peak, just outside Alpine or Fort Davis depending on from which direction you're coming. Speakers included an agent from New York, an editor from Dallas, a bookseller from the Austin area, and a local newspaper/book editor. We'd been given a writing assignment prior to the retreat, so Saturday night after a wonderful dinner, and with a fire blazing in the fireplace, we formed a circle and read our stories - A Peak Experience.

On Sunday I drove to Shafter to visit good friends. The town has very few residents, but is beautiful, interesting, and a wonderful place to take pictures. I was delighted to see the ocotillo were still in bloom. Here are a couple of pictures - one of an ocotillo fence, the other a lovely old catholic church.

All in all, the trip was very productive and inspiring. Since I've returned home I've written two short stories, and as alway, am working madly on my next novel.

If you've never been to west Texas, you don't know what you're missing. Of course, you can experience it through reading -- like in my book and many others based in the area.

Regards,

Linda