Jacquie Rogers, Author

Viewpoint: Did You See What I Saw?

2012-01-09T22:12:00.000-08:00

Did You See What I Saw?
by Jacquie Rogers
Copyright © 2012 Jacquie Rogers

That’s point of view.

We know what we see, hear, taste, smell, and touch, but we can never be sure how someone else senses those same stimuli, if they noticed at all.

Let’s say you’re thirty years old and you see an eighty-year-old arthritic woman take a full minute to get out of her chair. You can be compassionate and sympathetic, but until you’re eighty and have arthritis, you have no idea what her pain is like, or how it feels for her to stand. She can tell you, and you might be able to relate, at least somewhat, based on your own experience.

That’s point of view.

On the other hand, you can bet the lady can remember jumping up and running after her young children. She has fond memories and would be delighted to relate them to anyone who will listen, but you have lots of things to do so you feel a tinge of annoyance at being interrupted.

That’s point of view.

You and your best friend walk into a candy store. They’ve just put out fresh orange sticks. Your mouth waters at the aroma of candied orange and chocolate—oh, the chocolate! and you can’t wait to taste the free sample that the clerk is using to entice you. But your friend runs out of the store with her hand over her mouth. Come to find out, she had binged on a box of orange sticks just before her first bout with morning sickness during her pregnancy. The very smell sickened her.

That’s point of view.

Our characters react differently to stimuli based on their own unique experiences. Exploring those experiences are what gives our stories depth and makes our characters multi-dimensional. That’s why it’s so important to not just write a character, but to be that character—to smell what he smells and experience the feelings that the smell would trigger; to see what he sees and react how he would react.

This goes farther than point of view—it also takes you into the strength of your character’s voice. Now he acts, thinks, and sounds differently than any other character in your book because if his unique perspective on each stimulus thrown his way.

And that’s the beauty of it. If you know your characters well, then you also know what obstacles to throw in their way to prove your story theme.

But that’s a topic for another day.

Jacquie
Much Ado About Marshals
Jacquie's website * Twitter * Facebook
Coming soon: Much Ado About Madams

Jolyn Palliata: Twists of Fate

2011-12-27T01:05:00.000-08:00

by Jolyn Palliata

Did you ever get a song stuck in your head? Or part of one? How did you get it out? Did you avoid the song at all costs in the blind hope it would stop hammering you into submission? Or did you listen to the song over, and over, and over, until you were so obsessed that all you could think about was that delicious, devilish little laugh….er, what was I saying? (Right. Song stuck in my head. Ahh...I mean, your head.) Now, I know this has happened to every person reading this post, so I’m hoping you’ll relate to my little story here.

Let me give you some background. In October, I released Connected (Twists of Fate #1), and here’s a brief description of the story: A rock group’s rhythm guitarist, Rhys Alexander, dies and finds himself bound inside the body of a woman he’s never met. Can she help him move on to the other side, or will he end up finding the love of his life…after his has already ended?

For a time, I had this for free on Wattpad (where I posted as I wrote it). And several readers asked me how in the world I came up with the concept. The short answer was ‘By taking the longest route possible.’ The more involved answer is this…

It all started with a song—Imagine that, huh?—which began with a synthesized-sounding guitar and a sinful, maniacal laugh that made my gut quiver. (Yes, I do realize this may be an issue I need to fully address later.) It was Disturbed’s Inside The Fire. Add a little Framing Hanley (with that oh-so-sexy voice), and Tavion, lead singer of the band Persevere, was born. And what kind of woman would knock a strapping rock star to his knees? Why, a best-selling author, of course.

So here I had two people who worked in the entertainment industry, but were worlds apart. What could possibly bring them together? The answer seemed so simple, really: Fate. Then my next thought was “What if Fate was a living, sometimes-breathing, entity? What an interesting point-of-view that would be!” And it spiraled from there. I dug deep into the protag, Devan (the name of the girl in Disturbed’s song), and put pieces of me and my personality into the mix. Naturally, then I had to mock myself and my works along the way. (i.e., Suddenly Impending Reprisals became Devan’s masterpiece, and guess what…it made it all the way to the NYT Bestsellers list! Way to go, Devan!!)

Now, the question was ‘What inspired me to write Connected,’ and so far, I’m telling you how I started writing Twisted (Book 2). Yeah, well, I’m getting there. (Remember how I said it was the longest route possible?)

So there I was, writing Twisted and having a hell of a time. And then the unthinkable happened (insert suspenseful music here)…I got writer’s block. I’m talking a stint of writer’s block that could only have originated from the deepest, most vile and sulfuric, bowels of Hell. And, man, was it stubborn! Over a year went by before I picked it up again, and even then it wasn’t because I came up with a grand master plan, or that my head was swimming with ideas. No. It was simply because I missed my characters. So I started to reread/revise/edit the 30K words I had written, hoping it would shake something loose. Enter: two new inspirations.

The first was the Demonica series by Larissa Ione. In the series, paired up mates can sense each other’s emotions and I got to wondering “What would that be like?”

The next piece of inspiration came from Avenged Sevenfold (A7X). I was studying up on rock bands for Twisted (and can A7X ever ROCK!!), and checking out the band members (*drool*) and it inspired a new character—Rhys.

From Ione and A7X blossomed Connected (finally!) where Rhys’ spirit was stuck inside Addison (my protag), and they could sense each other’s emotions.

But I had one problem. I absolutely refused to walk away from Twisted again. Soooo…how could I use this? Well, first of all, Rhys couldn’t be a lead singer since that’s what Tavion is. And secondly, I wanted this to be a fast-hitting novella used to compliment Twisted’s story. What I needed was a supporting member of the band... Hello, Rhys, my luscious rhythm guitarist!

But then I had another problem. (Because I needed more, right?) I couldn’t picture Rhys in Tavion’s band, Persevere, which is a more mature, established group. No, he belonged with some just-making-it-big band that wasn’t afraid to play with the formula, to take chances, and was just enjoying the ride and what life had to offer. He belonged with the guys of Black Codex.

Then problem #3: How did Black Codex and Persevere tie in to each other? I mean, if Connected leads into Twisted, they have to know each other somehow, right? Well, as luck would have it, they’re all friends. (Who knew?!) Eh, okay, so actually two members from Black Codex are brothers and they grew up with a guy from Persevere, so, by association, they became friends. (It’s all in the details, right?) ;)

All right. Now what? I didn’t want to introduce Fate (my sassy, capricious entity) in Connected even though he’s definitely hard at work behind the scenes. It would’ve been too distracting from the plot, and I had plenty to maneuver already! (Hello…dead rock star stuck in some chicks head!!) So what I did was plot Connected so it all occurs during the same timeframe as the first half of Twisted. Perfect! Then when people read Twisted, they’ll get all the behind-the-scenes-extras that were going on in Connected that either: 1) I didn’t have time for, or 2) I couldn’t smoothly transition in.

At the end of my long-ass journey, not only did I have Connected, but I shook myself loose on Twisted…aaand came up with storylines for the other eight band members. (I’ll spare you the details on those. LOL) Thusly, the Twists of Fate series was born.

So, let me ask you again: Did you ever get a song stuck in your head…?

You can find more juicy tidbits on the Twists of Fate series at my website or the Twists of Fate Facebook page.

Purchase link: Connected (Twists of Fate #1)

Happy Reading in 2012!

2011-12-24T22:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Did you get that ereader you wanted? Have you figured out how to use it yet? I was surprised how easy it was to get in the swing of things.

Mr R gave me a Kindle last spring. I thought I wouldn't like it but after about fifteen minutes, I was a dyed-in-the-wool ebook fan. The convenience, the adjustable font, the space savings, the easy reading--yes, I'm a convert for sure! And I loved it so much, I gave my daughter one for her birthday, and now my grandson for his birthday--with a gift certificate for Christmas. :)

There are tons of great buys right now, so if you have a new ereader, you're in for a treat. My books are on special, too! So of course I'd love for you to try one. These books are available in print, too.

Much Ado About Marshals

Like romance? Love stories about the old west? Want a dreamy cowboy to cuddle up and read about? Then this is the book for you. ~~My Eclectic Bookshelf, 5 dragonflies

Daisy Gardner wants to be a detective just like dime novel heroine Honey Beaulieu. To her delight, her sister shot a bank robber and he got away, so now she even has a crime to solve. But her parents insist she marry a man whose farm is miles from town. She can't solve crimes stuck out there. What better solution than to marry the new marshal!

Rancher Cole Richards saves his friend from robbing a bank, but is shot for his efforts, and now is a wanted man. His friend takes him to Oreana to see the doc, where Cole's mistaken for the new marshal. Now he faces a dilemma few men have to face--tell the truth and hang, or live a lie and end up married. Either way could cost him his freedom.

Faery Merry Christmas

Amazon * Smashwords * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * iTunes

Romance has gone awry in Faeryshire.Who would've thought Mr. and Mrs. Claus's daughter would be "on the shelf"? Yep, Cheshya's all a'flutter because her 2,000th birthday, the last day she's eligible to take a mate, is on Christmas, only four days away, but Liam of the Red Clan, the only man she has ever wanted is otherwise occupied . . .

Terra Humanus in 1956: carhops on roller skates, the submarine races, a pink Nash Metropolitan, Lucky Strikes, Little Richard, and the Shoreline Sharks Baseball Club starring ace pitcher Liam Stone.

For the past five years, Liam of the Red Clan has lived in Terra Humanus, pitching for the Shoreline Sharks and obsessed with signing as a major league pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds. The faery queen sends Cheshya to help him achieve his goal, but in signing with the Reds, will he lose out on his true heart's desire?

What will it take to make a Faery Merry Christmas?

"What faery fun! A winsome sprite's barely still-ticking time clock. Mayhem in the land of Claus. And the man who could wave just the right magic wand obsessed with baseball. A Christmas story to cuddle up with--and keep you really warm." Stella Cameron, NYT Best-selling Author

You can find my other award-winning books at my website:

http://www.jacquierogers.com/books.html

Happy Reading in 2012!

Winter Festivities in the Old West

2011-12-18T03:36:00.000-08:00

by Jacquie Rogers

Yule Brings Celebration For All

The snow blows nearly sideways as it blankets the range. Ranch hands hunker down in their saddles, scarves over their ears and their Stetsons protecting them from the fierce wind. They dream of a warm fire and hot buttered rum. But they have livestock to save from freezing and starvation, so they ride on.

It's Christmas on the open range. Miserable for man and beast. But it isn't just another day at the office, so to speak. They whittle gifts for one another, sing a few carols as they sit around the campfire warming their hands and feet. Cook gives them a hot meal--the finest beans with maybe some meat thrown in. And with a little luck, Cook would bake an apple pie. Life couldn't be better and they thank their lucky stars for a sound horse and solid tack.

(Yes, I know these cattle are a modern breed and very fat, but it's the only picture I could find.)

Ahavath Beth Israel Congregation

Chanukkah in the mines

It's the 1860's in Silver City, Idaho. The Festival of Lights has been celebrated in the West since the beginning of frontier settlement, but not like their counterparts back East who have a warm and dry place to worship with their families. A menorah can be lit anywhere, and the Jewish silver miners do just that. They pray, play a little dreidel, and think a lot of home.

The picture to the left is the oldest continuously used synagogue west of the Mississippi. It's located in Boise, Idaho, and was built in 1896 by the Beth Israel congregation, now called the Ahavath Beth Israel congregation. Very beautiful.

Christmas on the farm

Everyone has chores to do every day. Cows needs milked, livestock needs watered and fed, eggs need gathered, and the barnyard needs to be tidied (to use a gentile term). So after the chores are done, the family can gather together and celebrate Christmas with what meager resources they have. If they don't have evergreen trees to spare, they might decorate a sagebrush with popcorn and berries. They make ornaments with precious bits of paper and scraps of cloth. Peach tins make nice ornaments, too, and they shine in the firelight.

1876 Christmas, Harper's Weekly

Their celebration might be more humble than those in the eastern cities, but they have a grand time, nevertheless. The women cook for days. They're resourceful and whatever they have available will do for a fine pie or stew. The Christmas feast could consist of chicken, venison, or maybe a ham, along with homemade rolls, freshly churned butter, potatoes and gravy, and pies--maybe one made with dried apples and a vinegar pie. Each family member has made modest gifts for the others and even the smallest child has labored over precious gifts--maybe a drawing or a doll made of sticks. They sing carols, maybe read the Bible, and if they're close enough to town, maybe even go to church.

For most Christian families, Christmas is a day for family togetherness and to show their love and appreciation for one another, as well as celebrating the religious aspect of the holy day.

Christmas for Outlaws, Gunslingers, and Cyprians

The saloon owner brings small gifts for the working ladies, the bartender, the resident gambler, and a few of the regulars. A few cowpunchers bring gifts for their favorite girl. They might have a nice meal together before they open for business, and even then, the customers are few. It's one night they can relax.

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

My gift to you: send a message to jacquierogers @ gmail.com (no spaces) and let me know which book you'd like, Faery Merry Christmas or Much Ado About Marshals and I'll send you a Smashwords coupon for a free book. Offer ends 10pm Pacific Time, December 19th.

Quantum Physics and the Art of Overcoming Despair

2011-12-06T00:05:00.000-08:00

by Craig Lancaster
Copyright © 2011 Craig Lancaster

After I finished my second novel, The Summer Son, and delivered it to the publisher, I did what I usually do at the conclusion of a big writing project: I took a deep breath, and I kept writing.

The difference, this time, is that I didn’t embark on one of the myriad ideas I had for another novel. I found myself drawn to short stories, something I’d pursued only haltingly before. I wrote stories about lost and lonely men and women, people pushed to the margins of society and their own lives: among them a traveling salesman consigned to a late-night bus ride; a teenage girl running from abuse in her hometown and falling into the indifference of a larger city; a newspaperman in a crisis of career and confidence; a basketball coach who, to borrow the words of the great Neil Finn, lost his regard for the good things that he had.

For nearly a year, the stories poured out. They weren’t consciously linked in time or in theme, but they were bound by one thing that I found impossible to escape: my own state of mind. My marriage was unraveling. I had learned, after a lifetime of veering between troughs of depression and soaring heights of manic energy, that I have a form of bipolar disorder. (I’ve also learned about the liberation that comes with finding a way to raise the floor and lower the ceiling, emotionally speaking.) My means of coping with the turmoil in my life was to sit at my writing desk and find a path through my own thoughts, exorcising my fears and my insecurities.

Craig Lancaster, author

The result is Quantum Physics and the Art of Departure, a collection of ten short stories with perhaps the most inscrutable title I’ll ever choose. (My promise to you: There are no actual quantum physics involved, and the meaning of the title will become clear enough when you read the book.) Some of the stories appeared elsewhere first: “Cruelty to Animals,” a tale of badly mismatched lovers, was in the Spring 2011 issue of Montana Quarterly. Three of them—“This Is Butte. You Have Ten Minutes,” “Alyssa Alights,” and “Star of the North”—were originally bundled into e-book form. And the last and most hopeful story, “Comfort and Joy,” was written last December and sold for a dollar, the net proceeds of which I donated to Feed America.

While all of this was happening, I was also getting my publishing company, Missouri Breaks Press, off the ground. The first book I did, Carol Buchanan’s Gold Under Ice, was a Spur Award finalist. In July 2011, I collaborated with my colleague Ed Kemmick to bring out The Big Sky, By and By, a collection of Ed’s essays and stories about Montana people and places. The success of those books helped give me the confidence to bring out Quantum Physics under my own banner—not so much because I’m an ardent self-publisher but because my autodidactic tendencies compel me to explore this business from every possible angle. A collection of short stories, which most publishers shy away from on marketing grounds, seemed like the right project to take on. I hired the best editor I know, Jim Thomsen, and he helped me deliver a book that I’m intensely proud of.

I hope you’ll give it a look. It’s available in trade paperback ($14) and e-book versions for a damned sporting price ($1.99). Links: Kindle, Nook.

Grandma's Guaranteed-to-put-you-in-a-sugar-coma Pumpkin Bread

2011-12-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Grandma's

Guaranteed-to-put-you-in-a-sugar-coma

Pumpkin Bread

Faery Merry Christmas

Oven: 350 degrees

3½ cups flour
3 cups sugar
1½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

4 eggs
2½ cups pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil
2/3 cup water

1 cup pecans

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans (I prefer parchment paper)

Sift dry ingredients and mix
Stir in liquid ingredients
Stir in nuts
Pour into loaf pans
Let sit 30 minutes

Bake for 60 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan (or it will fall apart)

Eat and enjoy! But be ready to dial 911 when your head buzzes off from the sugar rush. :)

Happy Holidays!

Black Friday Blog Hop: KINDLE FIRE and 23 Books!

2011-11-25T00:28:00.000-08:00

The Black Friday Blog Hop is all about shopping tips. Uh, but...

I don't shop!

Not even for groceries. Not if I can help it. Online shopping is my friend—parking is always great, comparison shopping takes minutes instead of hours, there are no long lines, and best of all, I can...

shop in my jammies.

So this blog is for all you who would rather sleep in your nice comfy bed while everyone else is braving the elements and hostile forces (other shoppers) for those nifty Black Friday specials—the newspaper advertisements nearly filling my recycle bin.

My family members know if they don’t have an Amazon Wish List, they might get a polka-dotted zebra table cloth or some such a thing. Whatever I see that’s fast and cheap, I buy for them. Wish lists are great—pick something and send it to them. You know it’s something they want or can use, and won’t hide it in the attic except for when you come over. My relatives know they’d better pick something that’s eligible for Amazon Prime, too.

But mostly I buy books. Here’s a great deal for you: the print version of Faery Special Romances (a great Christmas gift for romance lovers from age 14 to 114) is now on sale at Amazon! Regularly priced at $13.45, it’s now on sale for only $2.38!!! That’s for a print book. And you can buy the Kindle version for just $1.99. Can’t go wrong there.

If you love Christmas stories, try Faery Merry Christmas—only 99¢ for the Kindle version. It’s a fun, feel-good story. The print version is available for $8.95.

Since Mr R gave me a Kindle last summer, I buy ebooks. Funny thing about ebooks and pricing—they can be really expensive and it’s a mystery why some publishers charge so much. Because I’m a readaholic, I love to find a great book at a bargain price.

That’s why my first western historical romance, Much Ado About Marshals, is only 99¢ on Kindle. If you want to buy it at Smashwords for 99¢, send a message to jacquierogers @ gmail.com (no spaces) and I’ll send you a coupon. The trade paperback version is absolutely gorgeous thanks to cover designer Deborah MacGillivray and cover model Kyle Walker. It’s also a great gift for romance or western readers. The price is $13.99, but for this blog hop, I’m offering a signed copy, personalized to the person you’re gifting, for the same price, $13.99, postage included.

Now, wouldn’t you like to win the

Kindle Fire?

Just comment and you’re entered, plus you could win an autographed copy of Much Ado About Marshals (or a Smashwords coupon for a free copy, if you prefer). Be sure to include your email address or you won't be entered into the drawings.

Where are the other 22 authors? Check out Cassandra Carr’s blog! Scroll down and you'll find links to all the authors' blogs. Comment on each blog for a total of 23 chances to win that Kindle Fire, plus you can win other free books along the way!

Good luck, and Happy Shopping!

Watch For It! BLACK FRIDAY BLOG HOP

2011-11-22T00:15:00.000-08:00

On Black Friday I'll be joining 22 other authors for a SPECTACULAR blog hop--and of course you can win FREE BOOKS from all of us! And something to read them with...something grand. Something I want. (Be patient, I'll tell you what it is!)

Get holiday shopping tips & deals all day plus great books and...

One random commenter (can be on any of the blogs) will win a

Kindle Fire

along with the prizes below!

Now THAT'S my kind of shopping!
Additional Prizes:
- Cassandra Carr: copy of either of her two current releases, Talk to Me or Head Games

- Kristabel Reed: back list copy of one of her stories and then on her own blog a $10 GC plus a copy of her newest release, Risque, a Regency Menage Tale

- Lucy Felthouse: back list copy of any of her single-title books

- Cari Quinn: back list copy of one of her books

- Leigh Elwood: two back list copies of her books

- Natasha Blackthorne: copies of her two Regency era novellas: Grey’s Lady and Waltz of Seduction

- Amber Kallyn: e-copy of Dragos 1

- Camryn Rhys: Kindle copies of The Barn Dance and Off the Record – Foodie Erotic Romances

- Lissa Matthews: two of her back list books

- Misa Buckley: an e-copy of Ironhaven and To Reach the Dawn

- Lacey Wolfe: a copy of Ambers Muse

- Courtney Sheets: a $25 GC to Ravenous Romance and a copy of Kona Warrior – PDF

- Sara Brookes: an e-copy of one of her back list books

- Cynthia Arsuaga: a copy of an e-book, and on her own blog five book charm book tethers

- Louisa Bacio: .pdf copy of her first book in The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf series, and on her own blog a $10 certificate to Ravenous Romance, and each commenter will also be entered to win a Goody Bag of new Orleans treats

- Malia Mallory: one copy each of The ABC’s of Erotica and Santa’s Back Door Baby

- Cynthia Eden: a copy of Angel of Darkness (either print or digital)

- Carrie Ann Ryan: an e-copy of The Alpha’s Path

- Jacquie Rogers: a Smashwords coupon for Faery Merry Christmas, plus on her own blog, a free copy of Much Ado About Marshals

Wouldn't you love to have all those books? I would! So be sure to come back Friday, and also check Cassandra Carr's blog, where you'll get links to all the blog sites.

Now in print! MUCH ADO ABOUT MARSHALS

2011-11-19T01:54:00.000-08:00

Cover model: Kyle Walker

All of you who have been waiting for the print version of Much Ado About Marshals are in luck! Special thanks to artists David Angell and Peter Baker for their really cool illustrations. So fun! Especially the drawing of the two widows...well, you'd have to see it to know what I mean. Take a look at the Amazon book page and let me know what you think.

About Much Ado About Marshals:

FIVE STARS from Detra Fitch, owner of Huntress Reviews!

"A hilarious, yet romantic, comedy of errors... I grinned. I frowned. I worried. I sighed ... this story grabbed me by the throat, kept me reading long past my bed time, and earned a place of honor upon my Keeper Shelf. Unforgettable! I cannot recommend this title highly enough."

Like romance? Love stories about the old west? Want a dreamy cowboy to cuddle up and read about? Then this is the book for you.

~~My Eclectic Bookshelf, 5 dragonflies

Back cover copy:

Rancher Cole Richards saves his friend from robbing a bank, but is shot for his efforts, and now is a wanted man. His friend takes him to Oreana to see the doc, where Cole's mistaken for the new marshal. Now he faces a dilemma few men have to face--tell the truth and hang, or live a lie and end up married. Either way could cost him his freedom.

Buy Links: Much Ado About Marshals in Print

Ebook: Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords

Sometimes a book practically makes itself and sometimes life gets in the way. I've had a busy, busy year with family and that's why the print book took a couple months longer than we'd all hoped. The cover designer (Deborah Macgillivry) and Melange Publishing were both johnny-on-the-spot. I'm thankful to work with such wonderful people.

Want to more about life in the Old West? Visit Romancing The West!

News from Camp Rogers

2011-08-03T02:22:00.000-07:00

Much Ado About Marshals will be out in print soon! Melange Publishing is working hard to make that happen. Yay! You can read it in ebook at Smashwords and Amazon.

Would you like to read an excerpt? Thought so. I posted the first two scenes for you. :)

Want to learn more about Cole Richards, the hero of Much Ado About Marshals? He wrote his autobiography for me and I posted it.

Other news: The next book in the Much Ado series will be Much Ado About Madams. It's still in the works--no cover or anything yet. But it'll be fun!

The Irresistibly Awesome Blog Award

2011-06-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

1) You link the person who sent it to you

Thank you, Meg Mims, writer extraordinaire, talented artist, and .

2) List seven random facts about yourself

1. I love baseball and my first heart's desire was to be a baseball announcer
2. Nothing holds my interest for very long. Except baseball.
3. My day starts with strong, freshly ground coffee. :)
4. It took about 15 minutes to get totally addicted to my Kindle.
5. The passion for writing came later in life (after the kids were on their own).
6. I've written in 16 time periods and three sub-genres of romance, and now I might try YA adventure, too. Why not?
7. I live in the city but I'm a country girl at heart

3) Pass the award on to 10 other awesome blog buddies. (We ran out of coffee this morning, plus Meg already picked some that I would have picked, so I'm tagging 5. )

Eilis Flynn
Amber Scott
SamMarie Ashe
John Klawitter
Karen Michelle Nutt

4) Contact them and let them know

Or it could be a nice surprise. LOL

Growing Your Audience: For Published, Unpublished & Under-published Authors

2011-04-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

Growing Your Audience:
For Published, Unpublished & Under-published Authors
Instructors: Ann Charles and Jacquie Rogers
May 2 to 27
WriterUniv.com

The publishing industry is morphing every day, and the internet brings a new dimension to the concept of audience. A shotgun approach worked for decades, but this technique becomes more expensive and less viable every month. Today's bad news: no one will find your readers for you. Today's good news: you have more options than ever in history to build your own fan base. Finding those readers who want to buy your book lets you stop wasting time and money, and instead tailor your marketing and promotion techniques directly to them. In this interactive class, you'll learn:

What writers can do to open new doors

Reasons and benefits for targeting an audience

Innovative audience-building techniques used by online marketers

Specific niches to find your potential readers

The "Six Thinking Hats" for exploring uncharted possibilities

How to approach and build rapport with your audience

Making your website "What's In It For Me"-friendly

The instructors are co-authors of Nail It!: The Secret to Building an Effective Fiction Platform (to be released later this summer), RWA Golden Heart finalists, and co-founders of 1st Turning Point at 1stTurningPoint.com -- where writers teach, share, and learn about promotion and marketing. Ann Charles won the 2010 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Jacquie Rogers won the NOR Award for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance and hosts an instructional radio program.

To register for the May "Growing Your Audience: For Published, Unpublished & Under-published Authors" course, click HERE.

WriterUniv.com is the go-to place to learn about all aspects of your writing career, from craft to marketing. Take a look at the other courses!

Much Ado About Marshals

2011-02-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, July 2011 is coming up fast! Why am I so excited? Because my next release, Much Ado About Marshals, will be released mid-July in trade paperback (a month earlier in ebook, I hope!). This book has a fabulous cover. You know it would be fabulous because the multi-talented Deborah Macgillivray is the cover artist. Wanna sneak peek? :)

With a little luck, I might get the cover model to agree to an interview. Should I?

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Website *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook
Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Expand Your Mind

2010-12-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

Read a good book lately? I mean non-fiction. I found a great little book that's both educational and fun to read. It's:

Shamanism: What It's All About
by Norman W. Wilson PhD
ISBN: 978-1456329358

This wonderful book is a collection of essays and articles by Dr. Norman W. Wilson, who has been intrigued by shamanism and its practices since he was seven years old. He describes everything from a shaman's tools and their uses to the four stages of shamanic trances. His emphasis on mind-body-spirit was very enlightening.

The material is presented in a linear format indicative of Dr. Wilson's background as a top-notch educator, so while the tone is scholarly, the reading is compelling, and I could hardly wait to get to the next essay. This work doesn't speak to any particular religion, but shamanism in general, with emphasis on North American shamanism.

Shamanism: What It's All About is an intriguing work. Kudos to Dr. Wilson, and I look forward to his fiction series, The Shamanic Mysteries.

Truth or Lies? You Decide.

2010-05-13T22:46:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Cassidy Hunter for Lesa's Bald-Faced Liar, er "Creative Writer" Blogger Award.

So here's the deal: I tell either six truths and one lie, or six lies and one truth about myself, and you get to figure out which. And yes, there's a prize. :)

But first, I get to nominate seven other writers for this award!

If you'll check out Cassidy's site, you'll see that she makes it pretty hard to tell truth from fiction. Well, we're all fiction writers here so let's get started. Oh, did I mention that in our family, we don't even know truth from fiction half the time??? So of these seven things, are six of them lies or are six of them truths?

I once mixed the sound at a Bellamy Brothers concert.
I outgrew my mother's shoes when I was in the third grade.
Zbigniew Brzezinski attended a dinner party and I sat next to him.
I was Owyhee County Fair Queen, roses, parade, and all.
My grandpa cause quite an uproar at the airport when they first got metal detectors. He told them, "It'll whistle. I got a pair of steel balls."
I won a golf trophy--for World's Worst Amateur Golfer
My daughter told Reba McEntire that she needed to change her lipstick color.

So what do you think? You decide!

One commenter will be chosen to receive a free copy of Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues. (If a USA mailing address, a trade paperback; otherwise, ebook.) Drawing will be at 10pm Pacific Time on May 21st.

Good luck!!!

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie's website * 1st Turning Point * Myspace * Twitter * Facebook Faery Special Romances * Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Bat Masterson--Sports Writer

2010-04-09T01:54:00.000-07:00

by Jacquie Rogers

“Bat Masterson said he didn't know anybody Wyatt couldn't whip without his guns. A lot of times Wyatt didn't carry guns...because if he carried guns he had to kill somebody - and he would kill somebody - but he didn't want to. He was a very religious man.”

When we think of Bat Masterson, most of us envision a lawman, a gunfighter--a man's man in the Old West. The television series definitely promoted that image. But did you know that he was also a New York sports writer?

Yep. Not only did he end up being a sports writer, but he wrote for years--as a newspaper reporter and editor as well as for other periodicals--and he'd been doing so since he was a young man. In fact, his ability to write and promote himself is how he pretty much created his own legend.

It all started in Quebec, Canada, on November 26, 1853, when a baby boy named Bartholomew Masterson was born Irish parents. In his teens, the family moved to Wichita, Kansas, and he along with his two of his brothers, Ed and James, went off to seek their fortunes as so many other boys did--buffalo hunting. At age 20, he fought in the Second Battle of Adobe Walls, and then worked for a while as a U.S. Army scout. From 1876 to 1882, he did his gunfight/lawman gig where he rose to notoriety, but our story starts in 1883.

It seems Bat rather enjoyed the sport of boxing. A lot. He was obsessed with fights and was more than fair at pre-fight analysis as well as calling the winners. So good, in fact, that he wrote a sports column for a Denver newspaper called George's Weekly. Newspapermen (and brothers) A.H. and W.E. Lewis had befriended Bat in Kansas City ten years before, and they would play a prominent role in Bat's fame and later success in the East. With their help, he'd honed his writing skills and while he couldn't be called a literary giant, he was pretty good at the craft.

During the years between his gunfighting days and his newspaper career, he mixed a little law enforcement here and there with gambling and writing. He was a professional gambler (called a thoroughbred) and organized boxing matches, acted as referee at times, as bookie, and guard. He never did actually box himself, though. His predictions were often right on, and he was excellent at assessing the fighters, their physical abilities, talent, and motivation.

Bat's life wasn't all roses. He ended up in more than a few altercations when his past reputation would catch up with him, and after a while, also succumbed to the lure of alcohol, although he threw off the demon when he moved to Manhattan. The buzz of New York City suited him just fine and he loved living there. Who would have thought a crusty old gunfighter would take so quickly to city life?

He hooked up with the Lewis brothers again, and he wrote for the New York Morning Telegraph, where he eventually because vice president and secretary. He was close friends with Teddy Roosevelt and other notables, and lived well for the rest of his days.

In 1821, he was writing his column when he had a heart attack and died hunched over his typewriter. The last thing he wrote was, "There are those who argue that everything breaks even in this old dump of a world of ours. I suppose these ginks who argue that way hold that because the rich man gets ice in the summer and the poor man gets it in the winter things are breaking even for both. Maybe so, but I'll swear I can't see it that way."

His last words are evidence that our world really hasn't changed much.

Jacquie
Faery Merry Christmas (a Kindle novella)
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie's website * 1st Turning Point * Myspace * Twitter * Facebook
Faery Special Romances * Book Video * Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Stephen Foster

2010-03-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

I'll bet there's not a soul who reads this article who hasn't sung a Stephen Foster song. I grew up in a traditional farm community, so he figured in heavily when it came to Grange dances and activities. So who is this guy?

He wrote several hundred songs. He changed the face of music in America to give us our own style. He wrote songs that have endured for 150-plus years, and still going strong. You've heard of Oh, Susanna? He wrote it. How about My Old Kentucky Home? He wrote that. As well as Camptown Races, Old Folks at Home, and my favorite, Beautiful Dreamer. He gave America a new sound and a new respect in the music world.

He was trained as an engineer at Athens Academy in Pennsylvania where he wrote his first composition that was performed in public: Tioga Waltz, which was played at the 1839 graduation ceremony. Athens Academy was near a place familiar to Stephen Foster fans--Camptown Races.

He wrote a bunch of minstrel songs to get his career started. These songs were performed by singers and dancers in black-face, as was the popular comic style in the 1850s. But after ten years of that, he grew tired of the "Ethiopian" style and began to write songs that portrayed black people in a heartfelt, honest way. This is when he wrote Nelly Was a Lady, about a man's grief over his deceased woman. Heretofore, no one had written songs about black people (remember, slavery was still a way of life then) in a humanizing way.

While he was known for writing southern songs, Foster at no time lived in the south. He grew up in Pennsylvania, moved to Cincinnati for a while, and lived his later years in New York.

Very few musicians leave their fingerprints on a country the way Stephen Foster did, but he wasn't a performer so had to rely entirely on sheet music royalties for his income, and he died in poverty.

From Pitt.edu: "Foster's only real income was the royalty he earned on sheet-music sales. Altogether he made $15,091.08 in royalties during his lifetime and almost nothing in performing rights (yearly average was $1,371 for his 11 most productive years). His heirs, Jane and Marion equally, later earned $4,199 in royalties, so that the total known royalties on his songs amounted to $19,290. Today, it would be worth millions."

Sources:
Pitt.edu
PBS: American Experience
Wikipedia
PD Music

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie's Website * 1st Turning Point * Myspace * Twitter * Facebook
Faery Special Romances * Book Video Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Zeus and Hera

2010-02-10T00:20:00.001-08:00

The gods and goddesses on Mt. Olympus have provided us with entertainment for thousands of years. One of the more interesting couples was Hera and Zeus, the children of Rhea and Cronus.

Hera and Zeus may not have had the most loving romance of all time, but they certainly kept life exciting. Zeus drew the long straw so he had the honor of being the ruler of heaven and earth. Hera was the goddess of childbirth and marriage. She was the supreme goddess on Mt. Olympus.

Theirs was an arranged marriage, one which Hera managed to avoid for three centuries. She wanted nothing to do with a god who was a womanizer, even if he was her own brother. Worse, he swallowed his first wife, Metis, a Titaness. That's just never a positive foundation for a loving marriage.

Finally Hera relented--only after Zeus tricked her by shifting into a cute little bird. Once she had him nestled in her bosom, he shifted back to his man form and made mad, passionate love to her. Once again he proposed, and this time she agreed. A lavish wedding followed, and almost immediately Zeus went back to his philandering ways.

Her reservations about his character were well founded. Zeus fathered many offspring, three by Hera: Ares, Hepheseus, and Hebe. Affairs with other women produced the twins Artemis and Apollo, Dionysus, Hermes, Athena, and Persephone. Also of note are Perseus, Herakles, The Muses, Minos, and Helen, among many dozens of others. So Zeus was a busy guy, and Hera wasn't all that thrilled with the situation. A bit jealous, you might say.

She banished Leto, pregnant with Zeus' twins, Apollo and Artemis, to Delos and then prevented the Goddess of Childbirth from attending her, forestalling the birth. Other goddesses felt sorry for Leto and bribed Hera with a golden necklace. She finally relented and allowed Leto to give birth.

Io didn't fare very well, either. When Hera nearly caught Zeus in flagrante delicto with Io, Zeus turned his lover into a white heifer. Hera wasn't a bit fooled, and to make a long story short, sent gadflies to pester Io, who ran and ran until she reached Egypt, where she became Isis.

I've mentioned a cursory scan of the events but most stories, as bawdy or salacious as they may seem, all have a lesson to teach, or explain nature in some way. Very few are for entertainment value only, although a more fascinating cast of characters would be hard to find.

And whether Hera and Zeus every settled into a Happily Ever After, I don't know. But what a wild ride!

Sources:
Marriages of the Gods, a Storybook by Erika Mitchell-DeLuca
The Loves of Zeus
Theoi Greek Mythology
Wikipedia: Hera
Wikipedia: Zeus

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie's Website * 1st Turning Point * Myspace * Twitter * Facebook
Faery Special Romances * Book Video Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

The Seasons: Chinese Moon Festival

2009-12-12T17:11:00.000-08:00

By Jacquie Rogers

The Chinese Moon Festival is an ancient festival over 3,000 years old, and is celebrated in autumn, the 15th moon day of the month of the Chicken. It's the night of the full moon, of abundance, the festival to honor family ties and romantic relationships. Families, even those divided by oceans, try to come together during this time. But if a family or a couple is unable to unite, separated by hundreds or thousands of miles, they can still share the moon on that night and be together.

Legends

There are four legends primarily associated with the Moon Festival: the story of the lady, Chang Er (or Chang'e); of the man, Wu Kang; of the hare, Jade Rabbit;, and of the Moon Cake.

Chang Er was the wife of Hou Yi who shot down nine of the ten suns that were scorching the earth. As a reward, Hou Yi was given the elixir of immortality for himself and his wife. When villains tried to steal it, they killed Hou Yi, and Chang Er swallowed the elixir so the bad guys wouldn't get it. Turned immortal, she flew to the moon, where she lives to this day. There are many versions of this story, one of the nicest told on Laputan Logic, where links to several other versions are given as well.

Wu Kang's story is also about immortality. He was a man who sought challenges, and hopped from job to job to find new adventures, until he decided the greatest adventure of all would be immortality. He headed for the mountains to study under an immortal. Not one area of study could hold Wu Kang's interest, though, so the immortal got frustrated and told Wu Kang to chop down the cassie tree, and he couldn't return to earth until he did. But the cassie tree grew back to its full size if it wasn't felled by sundown. Since the job couldn't hold his attention, Wu Kang never did keep on task to fell the tree in one day, so to this day, he's still on the moon, chopping on the cassie tree.

The Hare didn't fare so well, but is well-remembered. A hungry old man needs food. A monkey, an otter, and a fox, hoping to do a good deed, each offer the man some food, but the hare, knowing he has nothing to offer but himself, throws himself into the fire and cooks himself. The old man was really a monk, and in gratitude, gave the Jade Rabbit immortality on the moon, where he serves Chang Er even now.

Moon Cakes are the newest legend of the Moon Festival. It is said that in the 14th Century, when the Chinese were ruled by the Mongols and assembly was illegal, that the fomenters of revolution passed their plans and instructions to the people inside moon cakes. On the night of the festival, the people revolted and thus began the Ming Dynasty.

Celebration

The festival is at harvest time, a time of bounty, and celebrated by a family feast similar in spirit to the modern Thanksgivings of Canada and the USA. Moon cakes, filled with bean paste, meat, lotus seeds, or a few other popular foods, are both given and traded. It's a time filled with joy. and the children love getting to stay up until the wee hours during the lantern parade--and are especially delighted if they get to carry a lantern in it.

I'm using the Chinese Moon Festival as a ticking clock in my novella, Faery Hot Dragon. It's a time for lovers to sit on hilltops gazing a the moon. And perhaps other things. :) A perfect opportunity for a romance novel!

Whatever the season, have a happy one!

Jacquie
Faery Merry Christmas (a Kindle novella)
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Faery Special Romances * Book Video * Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research
Jacquie's website * 1st Turning Point * Myspace * Twitter * Facebook

Research: 12th Century Armor

2009-10-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

When I wrote Faery Much In Love, a short story in Faery Special Romances, I knew very little about 12th Century Europe, let alone about the specifics of armor. To lend authenticity, I had a lot of work to do. Here's what I learned about the nuances regarding armor and defense of this century.

Misconceptions

When most of us think of armor, we think of the full plate armor of the 16th Century, which soon became obsolete with the introduction of firearms. But armor took many hundreds of years before it finally evolved into such finely tuned equipment. One of the first things I learned was that my knight needed a bit more armor than was actually used in 1199 A.D., so my 12th Century knight wears late-13th Century armor. So far, no one has noticed (and now you know my secret). :)

But back to the 12th Century . . .

Before we get into the specifics, we need to know the weapons in use. Swords were the weapon of choice but very expensive. A warrior carried his sword in a sword belt worn around his waist, and sported a diamond-shaped shield held by a shoulder strap on his back. Crossbows came into popularity along about this time, as well as the Welsh longbows. Infantrymen used spears and whatever else they could afford and/or carry; and the cavalry, which became vitally important in this century, carried heavy maces as well as swords, and sometime battleaxes.

Well, then, what did they wear?

So the armor had to defend primarily against swords, arrows, spears, and maces. Let's take a look at some of the individual pieces of equipment.

Mail

Warriors used mail since the 4th or 5th Century, so it was nothing new. Skilled armorers created complicated hauberks, chausses, and even gauntlets out of mail. Under the mail, they wore heavy quilted garments to protect their skin from the rough mail, and also to cushion the blows from their enemies' weapons. Mail protected against slashing, but not piercing, nor did it protect against bone-crushing strikes.

We'll talk a little about most of the parts of armor.

Helm

In the picture to the right, we see he's wearing a steel helm (or bascinet) with mail to protect his throat and neck, with no facial protection other than a bar over his nose.

Hauberk

A hauberk is a mail shirt, usually long-sleeved and knee-length, with a slit up the front and back so the warrior could ride a horse. It's made of iron wire, was very expensive, required a lot of maintenance, and was quite heavy. (Remember, your knight will be wearing a heavy quilted shirt underneath the mail hauberk.)

Gauntlets

Gauntlets were worn over the hands. Gloves, if you will. They were sometimes made of mail but leather gauntlets were more common in the 12th Century.

Chausses

Chausses were leg protection made of mail, and very similar, although more form-fitting, to cowboy's chaps of today.

Sabaton

To protect their feet, warriors wore sabatons. These chain mail foot coverings extended past the toes and ended in a point. This grew longer and longer over the years, and toward the end of the armor era, some classes could wear sabatons with toes two and a half feet long!

Plate armor

Nope, not in the 12th Century. Sometimes plates of heavy leather were sown together and worn over the mail hauberk, and in the 13th Century, they started wearing plates of steel armor attached in much the same way, but the mail hauberk was still the main piece of equipment.

Pros and Cons

The advantage of 12th Century armor over later armor is that these knights were much more agile and mobile. The disadvantage is that they weren't nearly as well protected as the 15th and 16th Century warriors. In any century up until modern times, warriors had to buy their own armor, and a good suit cost more money than most common men would see in a lifetime.

Sources
European Historical Overview by David Kuijt
12th Century Arms and Armour

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta) Jacquie Rogers * Myspace * 1st Turning Point * Twitter * Facebook
Faery Special Romances * Book Video * Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Faery Merry Christmas

2009-09-16T01:36:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season for reading Christmas stories! And I have one for you. :)

Faery Merry Christmas

Details (blurb and buy link) coming soon!

Jacquie Rogers

Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)

Faery Special Romances (See the Book Video)

Royalties donated to Children’s Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through research

Website *** 1^st Turning Point *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook

Please Help Find a Cure for Neurofibromatosis

2009-08-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, my daughter and her two daughters have neurofibromatosis (NF), a genetic disorder in which tumors grow on nerve endings all over the body, inside and out. These tumors are disfiguring at the least, and debilitating and sometimes fatal at their worst. Our family is commited to NF awareness and research, hoping one day to end this dreadful disorder.

To that end, here's a message from John Risner, president of the Children's Tumor Foundation
http://www.ctf.org

I am sending this email to all supporters of NF research to ask for their help this year. We are proud of the advances in NF research that we have been able to be a part of, but we readily acknowledge that federal funding has been critical to this progress. In 1996 neurofibromatosis (NF) was added to The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP)as one of eight disease groups. Since then this program has funded over $125 million in NF research and has been the driving force in the development of NF cell lines, drug target identification, animal model development and now is moving into clinical trial funding.

The House of Representatives included a $25 million appropriation for NF research as part of the CDMRP for FY2010. This restores the program to its FY2005 level, which had declined to $10 million in FY2009. The Senate will begin their deliberations on this bill when they return after Labor Day.

I am writing to ask you to take five minutes in the next two weeks to contact your Senators to ask for their support. A personal letter, faxed or mailed, has the most impact, but calls and emails will help as well. While all voices are important, the Senators below are members of the Appropriations Committee and key subcommittee. If you live in one of these states, your letters and calls are particularly important.

Key points to include in your communications are to thank them for the Senate's past support of this vital program, and ask for their support this year to preserve the $25 million that is included in the House budget. A history of our advocacy program, recent updates and sample letters for downloading can be found on our website at http://www.ctf.org/How-You-Can-Help/advocacy.html.

Thank you for your past support. I hope you will take the time not only to act on this modest request, but to leverage your action by forwarding this email to family and friends and ask them to join you. The more supporters that reach out to their Senators, the greater our chances of preserving this vital funding.

If you have any questions about our advocacy program, or the legislative process for NF research, please don't hesitate to contact me by phone or email.

Best regards,

John Risner, President
Children's Tumor Foundation
Ending Neurofibromatosis Through Research
95 Pine St. 16th Floor
NY NY 10005
212 344-6633 x249
http://www.ctf.org

Democratic Subcommittee Members

* Senator Daniel Inouye (Chairman) (HI)
* Senator Robert C. Byrd (WV)
* Senator Patrick Leahy (VT)
* Senator Tom Harkin (IA)
* Senator Byron Dorgan (ND)
* Senator Richard Durbin (IL)
* Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA)
* Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD)
* Senator Herb Kohl (WI)
* Senator Patty Murray (WA)
* Senator Arlen Specter (PA)

Republican Subcommittee Members

* Senator Thad Cochran (MS)
* Senator Christopher Bond (MO)
* Senator Mitch McConnell (KY)
* Senator Richard Shelby (AL)
* Senator Judd Gregg (NH)
* Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
* Senator Robert F. Bennett (UT)
* Senator Sam Brownback (KS)

~~~~~

It's me again. :)

My daughter recently married, despite the very real possibility that she's spend the rest of her life alone. People with tumors all over their bodies aren't prime candidates in the marriage mart, after all. You can read all about it and see some pictures here:
http://www.textyladies.com/2009/08/24/romance-is-in-the-air/

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie Rogers * 1st Turning Point * Myspace * Twitter * Facebook
Faery Special Romances * Book Video * Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Scandal: Little Joe Monaghan

2009-08-21T23:50:00.000-07:00

Joe Monaghan rode into Ruby City, Idaho Territory, on a quality mare in 1867. Like others there, he was looking for a bonanza at the gold and silver mines to create a new life for himself. Unlike the others, he was too young to grow a beard, slight of stature, and didn't carry firearms.

Historian Mildretta Adams wrote, "A man could live a lifetime in the early days, known only by a nickname. His "handle" may have been acquired by an incident in his life, his profession, or some distinguishing characteristic. By the same token a man could live and work among others, and be accepted at face value, and no questions asked about the past."

The old-timers (those who'd managed to survive the harsh climate, high altitude, and heavy labor for a year), reckoned it would only be a matter of time before Little Joe headed back East with his tail between his legs, the same as most greenhorns.

The rugged men of Owyhee County scoffed at greenhorns throwing down their shovels and heading for softer country. Little Joe, however, soon earned the respect of even the toughest of men because even though the work was back-breaking, he never faltered. As it turns out, the backaches and the blisters on his hands, didn't faze him, but the scanty findings soon forced him to seek other work, as with so many other optimistic miners.

Soon, he quit his claim and went to work at odd jobs, then started raising small livestock and sold meat, milk, and eggs to the residents of Ruby City. He lived frugally in a small shack for several years, minding his own business and staying away from the bars and bawdy houses.

Eventually, he took the lonely job of a sheepherder; later, a cattle hand. Eventually he settled down on a homestead ten miles from Rockville, Idaho. A responsible citizen always, he never missed voting in an election and always served on juries and posses when called upon.

All along,he was known as an outstanding bronc buster as well as horse trainer, and wrangled the remuda on several roundups. He even performed as Cowboy Joe in Whaylen's Wild West Show: the Greatest Show on Land or Sea. Whaylen would pay $25 to any man who brought a horse that Joe couldn't ride.

But after a year, Joe couldn't tolerate city life any longer and went back home to Rockville, where his closest friend and only company was his Chinese cook. When the cook died, Joe became even more withdrawn from friends and neighbors. In late 1903, Joe took sick and died in January, 1904, of a coughing fit.

The neighboring ranchers came over to prepare him for burial. But . . .

He was a SHE! The tough old ranchers had been fooled for over 30 years. Little Joe Monaghan, the miner, bronc buster, and rancher, was a woman. The tiny town of Rockville was, well, rocked. News spread far with headlines splashed on newspapers across the nation.

No one knows for sure exactly who Joe was. Anna Walters in Buffalo, NY, claimed the Joe was actually Johanna Monaghan and at age eight, had been adopted by the Walters family. They had a picture of Joe with short hair, in masculine attire. Another possibility is the theory that Joe was a Buffalo, NY, debutant who bore an illegitimate son and was disowned by her family. Joe's sister raised the child, Laddie, who grew up to become a lawyer.

Either premise is plausible--neither can be proved or disproved.

Joe was buried in the local cemetary at the Hat H Ranch near Rockville. She took her secrets with her, leaving us to speculate what made a lovely young woman chose to live and die in one of the roughest of lifestyles.

Sources:

Websites
Owyhee County History

Books:
More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Idaho Women
Lynn E. Bragg

Historic Silver City: The Story of the Owyhees
by Mildretta Adams
Owyhee Publishing Co., Inc., 1969 (tenth printing 1999)

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta) Jacquie Rogers * 1st Turning Point * Myspace * Twitter * Facebook Faery Special Romances * Book Video * Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through research.

Places You've Never Heard Of: Silver City, Idaho

2009-06-23T00:33:00.000-07:00

It was 1863 in the Owyhee Mountains located in the southwest corner of Idaho Territory. The War Between the States raged in the east, but out west, men had dollar signs in their eyes, looking for that next bonanza. They could get rich raising cattle, or logging, but fastest of all, gold. And silver.

The mining boom town of Ruby City was formed--a hotel, several business and residents, and the county seat. A few years later, Silver City sprang up as well. Ruby City hung on for a while but after a series of floods and a few other things that went haywire, the Idaho Hotel and the county seat were moved to Silver City.

Silver City was born on mining. Silver mine tunnels numbered in the hundreds, and dotted the countryside as well as the city. Here's a pan view of Silver City I found you YouTube. There's even a mine under the church! 60 million dollars worth of silver was taken in the 1900s, and if converted to today's currency, that would be a whole lot more for this little area. The silver lodes were the richest in Idaho Territory.

Historic Silver City Id aho writes:

During its "heydays", Silver City had about a dozen streets, seventy-five businesses, three hundred homes, a population of around 2,500, twelve ore-processing mills, and was the Owyhee County seat from 1866 to 1934. Some of the largest stage lines in the West operated in the area, and Silver City had the first telegraph and the first daily newspaper in the territory in 1874. Telephones were in use here at least by 1880, and the town was "electrified" in the 1890's.

(Picture to the left: the bar at the Idaho Hotel.)

Never heard of it? Most people haven't, but it was truly the wild west in all manner of ways. It's located in Owhyee County, which is a large county in southwest Idaho. The newspaper they refer to is The Owyhee Avalanche, the longest operating newspaper in Idaho and one of the oldest in the West. I subscribe to it--it's a very high quality publication. There was never a shortage of news from the tough men who risked their lives in the mines every day for the promise of a life of luxury.

From The Owyhee Avalanche, October 17, 1868:

SHOOTING SCRAPE
Between seven and eight o'clock last Monday evening a shameful shooting affar occurred at Sommercamp's saloon, between two of our citizens. On account of the hitherto respectability of the parties and for the sake of their friends we suppress names. On the evening in question, we, together with the twenty-five or thirty others were in the saloon, when the two valiant shootists commenced banging away at each other with revolvers . . .

Silver City and the surrounding ore-rich area drew men from all over the world to mine the silver lodes. Many Chinese came to make their fortunes, and several did. Of course, as with the Anglo immigrants, most didn't. Still, the Chinese established a strong presence and the economy couldn't have survived without them. Not that there weren't a few problems along the way:

From The Owyhee Avalanche, October 17, 1868:

MORE SHOOTING
Last Tuesday night a Chinaman was shot and severely wounded in a Chinese gambling house on Jordan Street. It appears a Chinaman who was bucking at a game wanted to bet five dollars on jaw-bone, the dealer objected, the other fell back on his dignity and shot the almond-eyed gamboiler through the right shoulder. The next day we noticed Deputy Sheriff John Springer and a posse of mounted Chinamen hunting for the shootist. We learn from Dr. White, who is attending the wounded Chinaman, that he will get well.

And yes, there were Cyprians--the ladies of the evening. Men out-numbered women at one point by 200 to 1 so every woman, no matter what her status, was highly regarded. The women, however were not so impressed with one another.

From The Owyhee Avalanche, February 26, 1870:

FEMALE PUGLISTS
One evening this week be observed two frail females in the vicinity of Catalow's stable, engaged in commintting assault and battery upon each other. For some time the fur flew in all directions. The finally sank down in the snow through sheer exhaustion. Jealousy was the cause of the muss.

And, yes, confrontations with the Indians were frequent. Be warned, this next quote is even worse than the one about the Chinese. "Politically Correct" was not yet invented. But we must also avoid revisionist history--Anglos were, for the most part, of the opinion that Native Americans were sub-human. This is why I avoid the entire issue in my westerns. I write humor and there isn't anything the least bit humorous about the treatment of the Indians.

From The Owyhee Avalanche, September 12, 1868:

LO THEY COME!
Tho's H. Smith Esq. just in from Camp Three Forks, informs us that last week the military of that place gobbled up and brought into Camp six-teen Indians as prisoners. Under promise of bringing in for-teen more, three bucks, whose squaws were retained as hostages, were allowed to go out into the mountains. The miserable wretches profess a desire to give themselves up and stop robbing and scalping the whites--at least till they recruit and obtain a fresh supply of arms and ammunition.

Silver City was difficult to get to and from (travel can get a bit dicey even today), so the subject of roads was always prominent in the news. Keep in mind "highways" is a subjective term here. The road into Silver City from the east isn't two-lane all the way even now. It's a dirt road and depending on the season, you drive on the high side of the ruts in order not to high center your vehicle. In those days, horses, stagecoaches, and wagons traveled the very same road.

From The Owyhee Avalanche, May 16, 1868:

THE ROADS
We are pleased to know that Mr. Abbott, Supervisor for the Road District No. 2, has commenced repairing the roads. As a consequence of the ground's thawing out and the melting of the snow, our highways in many places were in bad condition, but now the ground is becoming dry and the money now on hand in the road fund, with the taxes yet to be collected for that purpose will serve to put the roads in good order.

But most of all, people need entertainment, and the residents of Silver City weren't any different. There was a theater, several saloons, and lots of parties and receptions at the I.O.O.F Hall. In the dark of winter, entertainment was even more sought after.

From The Owyhee Avalanche, January 4, 1868:

ON WITH THE DANCE!
seems to be the motto just now--just what we expected, as soon as it became known on the outside that times were lively and money plenty in Owyhee, in comes a batch of hurdies to gobble up their share. It is an easy matter to find out where the hold forth --watch the crowds of suffering manhood as they emerge from cabins along the creek in the dusky twilight, or silently wend their way, in Indian file, down the mountainside; their steps are directed to Gabriel's large building, corner of Jordan and Second Sts., where, seated on a bench at one side of the spacious hall, are four coy and blushing damsels. . .

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta) Jacquie Rogers * 1st Turning Point * Myspace * Twitter * Facebook Faery Special Romances * Book Video * Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Where the Heck is Grasmere, Idaho?

2009-06-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

In fact, whoever heard of Grasmere, Idaho?

It's in Owyhee County, located in the southwest corner of Idaho. This is one of the largest counties in the lower 48 states, and has about the same area in square miles as New Jersey. Population is a about 1 person per square mile (twice as many people as when I lived there), although far less dense than that around Grasmere. (New Jersey's population density is about 1,170 people per square mile.) You'll find Grasmere . . .

South of Grandview.
Farther south of Murphy.
Way south of Marsing.
And way, way south of Homedale.
North of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.

This is what Grasmere looks like.

At the bottom of the page, you'll see my fictional world of Grasmere.

My editor was a bit stunned when I told her that there are twice as many characters in Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues as there is actual population in Grasmere, Idaho, where the story is set. Last I knew, Grasmere had phone service but not electricity, and outlying ranches have neither. All appliances and electrical devices are run with generators or propane.

In high mountain desert, Grasmere's elevation is a mile high: around 5,200 feet. Precipitation is scarce, about 8" per year, so even though the altitude is high, Grasmere ususally only receives less than a foot of snow total--a dusting here and there that blows away with the incessant, biting wind. In the summer, there is no wind at all, sometimes not a hint of a breeze. Temperatures can get up into the 100's, although average temperature in August is only 86 degrees.

So who lives In Grasmere? I'm not sure, at this point. Grasmere is a city with a post office, but last I knew, only one family lived in the city proper, and they were looking for a buyer. The buildings there are: restaurant/gas station/post office, a house, a garage, and I think a shed. Take a look at the Mapquest Aerial Map.

And exactly why did I set Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues in Grasmere? Because I wanted to make communication a little more difficult, the lifestyle more contrasting to the urban life, and my heroine just a little bit ashamed of her roots. In fact, that's her external character arc, to become proud of her family, her roots, her childhood home. To contrast that, the hero comes from an urban family and settles in one of the most rustic places he can find. His external character arc is to learn that happiness comes from what and who you are, not where you live.

I just don't see how this story could have worked anywhere else. The long drive to the hospital, the infrequent shopping trips to the city, and whole joke about Triangle--these elements are integral to the story.

And, as promised, here's the fictionalized Grasmere:

To get an idea of how I envisioned the story world, take a look at the book video.

How important is setting to you? Let me know and you could win an autographed copy of Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues and a Mule Blues T-shirt (USA mailing only. All others responsible for postage.)

This is a Classic Romance Revival GROUP event. You MUST have commented on EACH and EVERY blog in order to qualify for a prize. To see the contest rules and other prizes and to find more fabulous blogs, please go to:

Classic Romance Revival Blog.

(Don't forget to include your email address when you make comments here and at the other sites, so we can reach you in case you win!)

Cheers!

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook

Faery Special Romances * Book Video * Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Space Pirates Podcast

2009-05-31T03:08:00.001-07:00

Live, on Passionate Internet Voices Radio!

Space Pirates

Rowena Cherry, Queen of Space Snark(TM)
Mark Terence Chapman
David Lee Summers (Check out his guest blog)
Jacquie Rogers

June 2, 10am Eastern Time

One-Room Schoolhouses

2009-05-18T01:17:00.000-07:00

by Jacquie Rogers
Copyright© 2011 Jacquie Rogers

One-room schoolhouses were the norm in 19th Century America, especially in the rural areas. In the West, they lingered on for many decades more, into the mid-20th Century. A one-room school in the area where I grew up closed in the late 1950s, and I remember that even years later, many residents mourned its closing.

Why were one-room schoolhouses so successful?

In a word: efficiency. All the children attended one school, so the townspeople could put their expendable resources into a single source of education. The building was generally used for other purposes as well, such as town council meetings, court room procedings, and sometimes church services. This concentration of resources enabled a small town to offer much more in the way of civic services than would otherwise be possible.

How did these schools operate?

In some districts, a trustee was appointed. His job was to hire the schoolteacher, acquire supplies, keep the building in good repair, and oversee any contentious situations. Other district elected a school board to do these jobs.

Students numbered from 5 to 50. One schoolteacher could handle many children because older childern mentored the younger children. While the schoolteacher was working with one grade, the other students were studying, unually together. And of course the older students learned well since they also taught the lessons.

Children also did chores--cleaning the blackboard, sweeping, hauling in wood, and all the general duties required to keep a building in operation. Many times, a chore was an award for a job well done.

Most schoolteachers were female, young, single, and well-spoken, which meant they attracted young men. The trustee never knew if one of the young farmers would steal their schoolmarm out from under their noses. It happened. A lot. A this is probably why rules for schoolteachers came about.

Not all schools used these rules, but I did find them associated with schools on the East and West Coasts, and all the way through the Midwest. From New Hampshire Historical Society:

Rules for Teachers

You will not marry during the term of your contract.
You are not to keep company with men.
You must be home between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending a school function.
You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores.
You may not travel beyond city limits unless you have the permission ofthe chairman of the board.
You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother.
You may not smoke cigarettes.
You may not dress in bright colors.
You may under no circumstances dye your hair.
You must wear at least two petticoats.
Your dresses must not be any shorter than two inches above the ankle.
To keep the school room neat and clean, you must:

sweep the floor at least once daily;
scrub the floor at least once a week with hot, soapy water;
clean the blackboards at least once a day;
start the fire at 7 a.m. so the room will be warm by 8 a.m

I wonder who was in charge if checking her petticoats.

Have a great day!

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie's website * 1st Turning Point * Twitter * Facebook
Faery Special Romances *Royalties to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Contest: Author Jane E. Jones

2009-03-11T22:06:00.001-07:00

This is from my friend and sister Texty Lady, Jane E. Jones:

Hi everybody! This week I’m giving away a romance themed gift bag, with two ways to be entered to win.

All you have to do to for your chance to win is buy a copy of Puppy Love, or post this contest on your blog, myspace, facebook, etc. If you buy a book AND blog this contest, you’ll get two entries.

If you buy the book, just email a copy of your purchase receipt to
janejane07 @ gmail . com (take out the spaces). If you blog the
contest, leave me the link in comments. That’s it! You’ll then be
entered to win a gift bag full of goodies:

Four DVD movies-The Phantom of the Opera (Gerard
Butler), Music and Lyrics (Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore), The
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ernie Lively), and Divine Secrets of
the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Sandra Bullock).

An adorable furry stuffed animal

Sweet Treats-Chocolate, anyone?

A scented candle

Two bags of microwave popcorn-to munch while you watch the movies

A cute little striped notebook

A Pair of fuzzy socks

And maybe a couple other extras that I pick up along the way.

The contest ends March 23 at midnight EST time; I’ll announce a winner on Tuesday, March 24.

To buy Puppy Love, click here.

Good luck!

~Jane

Texty Ladies special guest: John Klawitter

2009-03-09T03:08:00.001-07:00

A Man of All Media at Texty Ladies

Please join producer, director, screenwriter, ad man, and award-winning author John Klawitter at Texty Ladies, where he gave us an interview and promised more to come later! John has done everything from jingle writing (Nestles makes the very best. . . choc-lit), to Disney movie trailers, with a few stops in between--penning the biography of football superstar Deacon Jones, as well as writing novel-length fiction.

http://www.textyladies.com/?p=333

And what a grand day! John won two EPPIE Awards!

See you at Texty Ladies!

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Screenwriting: Secrets Revealed!

2009-02-16T04:11:00.001-08:00

Screenwriting: Secrets
Revealed!

Please join me at Texty Ladies, where I posted
Screenwriting: Secrets
Revealed! -- a guide from a major studio to help readers reject the pile
of screenplays crushing their
desks.

http://www.textyladies.com/?p=318

Here's an interview whereTammie King of Night Owl Romance
interviewed me about Down
Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues.

Also,
I'll be chatting at Night
Owl Romance tonight (Feb. 16) in the chat
room at 5pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern. Yes, there will be prizes!

See you at Texty
Ladies!

Jacquie

Down Home
Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook

Faery
Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties
go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending
Neurofibromatosis through Research

Writing Contests: Give Em Your Best Shot!

2009-01-12T03:49:00.001-08:00

Please join me at Texty Ladies, where I posted Contests: Give ‘Em Your Best Shot. I discussed some of the mistakes I've seen, which I hope helps make your contest entry better.

http://www.textyladies.com/?p=296

See you there!

Coming up Jan. 14: Gamblers of the Old West at Unusual Historicals. Be watching!

Jacquie

Famous Old West Gamblers

2009-01-09T23:27:00.000-08:00

Westerners bet on anything that moved--how fast it could go and how high it could jump. They had foot races, boxing matches, flea-jumping contests, frog-jumping contests, bear and bull matches, dog fights, cock fights, as well as cow-boy tournament events such as saddlebronc riding.

But most of all, westerners like to play the ponies: “Gradually, as wealthy men made a hobby or a sideline of breeding horses, Western races became more carefully orchestrated, the crowds grew and betting flourished. Indeed, gambling and a day at the races became a virtually synonymous. And when Westerners got around to staging formal stakes races the prizes were sometimes much richer than those back East. In 1873 what was billed as “The richest race in the world” was run at Ocean View Park in San Francisco. The winner’s purse was $20,000 paid in gold. In the same year New York’s famous Belmont was worth only $5,200 and Maryland’s Preakness a mere $1,800.” [Gamblers of the Old West, p.200]

While horse racing was wildly popular, a close second was boxing. This sport wasn’t exactly the refined version we have today. Boxers wore no gloves and round lasted until one of them was knocked down--and no limit to the number or rounds. As long as both fighters could throw a punch, the match was active. The winner took the purse which could be as much as $10,000.

And of course there were the card and dice games. Professional gamblers in the Old West, the really good ones, were called “thoroughbred gamblers.” I’m listing several thoroughbreds and sources where you can get more information, as well as a few famous gamblers, not necessarily thoroughbreds, but definitely well-known.

George Devol

Mississippi riverboat gambler, born in 1829, who worked the river for 40+ years and made a fortune on 3-card monte, poker, and keno. He wrote a fabulous book, Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi, that I used when I researched a story I wrote a few years back. I've never found anything even close to this book as far as explaining how gambling and conning works. Mr. Devol was probably a charming, rough, genius from a good family who had no idea what to do with such a rambunctious boy. He won and lost many fortunes over the years.

Elanora Dumont (Madam Mustache)

Quoted from American Gambler Online:

“In the 1850's Elanora Dumont was a sexy young dealer who attracted love-starved players that gladly lost their gold to this expert player. As she grew in popularity so did her earning. Eventually she owned her own casino, "Dumont Palace" which also prospered, because she enjoyed a reputation for fairness and free food. The mustache appeared suddenly well after she'd made her money. Following a busted romance and a worse marriage which left her broke and alone, she poisoned herself 1879.”

Jefferson Randolf “Soapy” Smith

A very colorful character, indeed! Soapy is more in the spirit of con men than traditional gamblers, but his talents certainly can’t be overlooked. He was from Southern gentility and well-educated as a lawyer.

Originally running a shell game, he graduated to the soap scheme where he wrapped 5-cent bars of soap with either plain paper, or $20, or $100-dollar bills and sold the bars for $5 a piece. Of course, the only people who actually “won” were on Soapy’s payroll.

Always ready to make a buck, Soapy did everything from fixing elections to the more standard job running a poker hall.

While I never did find a biography (book form) of him, you can read more at
http://www.mtnguy.com/owlhoots/smith.htm
or
http://www.denvergov.org/AboutDenver/history_char_smith.asp
and a little about his Scagway adventures at
http://www.yukonweb.com/business/lost_moose/books/chilkoot/soapy.html.
His death photograph is at http://www.arcticwebsite.com/SoapyDead.html.

Wyatt Earp

Everything has been written about him, but I’m including him because he was a renowned gambler who owned games/saloons throughout the West. Here’s an interesting site about Earp’s life after Tombstone:

http://users.techline.com/nicks/later.htm
And here’s a more complete biography:
http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/mar/papr/du_earp.html

Poker Alice (Ivers)

Poker Alice was an amazing woman. Outstanding mathematical ability stood her well throughout the years while she made her way quite nicely through a man’s world.

There’s a really good article about her at
http://www.readthewest.com/billkellyWILDWOMEN08-2002.html.
and another (the year of her birth is different)
http://www.blackhills-info.com/quinn/Pokeralis.html
Her house in Sturgis, SD:
http://www.star-litemotel.com/pokeralice.htm

Martha “Calamity Jane” Canary

Her autobiography:
http://www.blackhills-info.com/calamity_jane/CALAMITY.htm
An article that carefully skirts the gambling issue:
http://adamsmuseumandhouse.org/clmtyjan.htm

And I love this quote from
http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/1926/gunfighters/calamityjane.html

“It takes disaster to bring the woman out in a female, even Calamity, who went around like a saint when the smallpox plague struck Deadwood. She nursed back people close to the door of death and didn't ask for so much as a thank you. Even old Doc Babcock had to admit there was a little angel of some sort in this hardboiled woman, yes, even a little bit of heaven itself when she tended children. ‘oh, she'd swear to beat hell at them,’ said the Doc, ‘but it was a tender kind of cussin'.’ ”

James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok (1837-1876)

Family History (stats) and brief bio:
http://www.ukans.edu/heritage/families/hickok.html
An article on his life:
http://www.abacom.com/~jkrause/hickok.html
His portrait:
http://adamsmuseumandhouse.org/wildbill.htm

William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (1856-1921)

A good article on his life although his gambling is not mentioned much:
http://members.aol.com/Gibson0817/bat.htm
This one’s interesting but it, too, skirts his years as a gambler:
http://www.ashrael.com/oldwest/bat.php
Here’s an article that actually has his gambling mentioned!
http://www.ksheritage.org/hist04.html

And there you have a handful of gamblers--not all of them the thoroughbred variety, but well known, nevertheless.

Interesting Books

Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi, George H. Devol, originally published in 1887 by Devol & Haines, Cincinnati. Republished by Applewood Books, 18 North Road, Bedford, MA, 01730. ISBN 1-55709-110-2. This book is a series of vignettes by Mr. Devol recounting various adventures he had as a Mississippi riverboat gambler.

Gamblers of the Old West, from the Editors of Time-Life Books. ISBN 0-7835-4903-2. This is a terrific book with many fine illustrations the aid in the understanding of gambling in the 19th century. Please bear in mind that the terminology is often modern.

Games You Can’t Lose: A Guide for Sucker$, Harry Anderson and Turk Pipkin, Burford Books, 1989, 2001. ISBN 1-58080-086-6. While certainly not a historical reference, it certainly is an interesting read for anyone who’s writing a con artist character.

Card Control: Practical Methods and Forty Original Card Experiments, Arthur H. Buckley, Dover Publications, Inc., 1993 (first published in 1946), ISBN 0-486-27757-7. Need to deal from the bottom or stack the deck? This book shows you how. Not that I got anything but gales of laughter from my husband and friends when I tried cheating . . . (Remember the manual dexterity requirement?)

Interesting Sites:

Gambling in the United States
http://www.library.ca.gov/CRB/97/03/Chapt2.html

Famous Gamblers:
http://www.casinochecker.com/know/hist/famouspeople.htm

Western slang and phrases:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~poindexterfamily/OldWestSlang.html

Enjoy the ride!

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

What Starts Your Engine? at Texty Ladies

2009-01-05T01:10:00.001-08:00

Please join me at Texty Ladies, where I posted What Starts Your Engine?. I
wrote about a few of the ways I use to get my writing started, and I'd like to
hear what you have to say about it,
too.

http://www.textyladies.com/?p=293

See you there!

Coming up Jan. 14: Gamblers of the Old West at Unusual
Historicals. Be watching!

I hope you have a healthy and prosperous
2009!Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule
Blues (See the Book
Video featuring the music of Justin Saragueta)

Jacquie Rogers
*** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook
Faery
Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties
go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending
Neurofibromatosis through Research

Book Talk Interview & Contest!

2008-12-27T04:50:00.001-08:00

Book Talk with J & J

interviews

Jacquie Rogers

author of

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

and

Faery Special Romances

When: 9:00AM Saturday, December 27th

Where: http://booksbypickles.blogspot.com

Commenters are eligible to win cool prizes!

Happy New Year!

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook
Faery Special Romances *** Book Video

Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Magical Monday at Texty Ladies

2008-12-22T04:10:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Please join me at Texty Ladies, where I posted Ready For 2009?. Let me know what sort of articles you'd like to see on Magical Mondays for 2009 and one commenter will win an autographed copy of Faery Special Romances.

http://www.textyladies.com/?p=284

See you there!

Coming up Dec. 28: Interview, excerpt, and contest on Book Talk. Don't miss it!

Happy Holidays!

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring the music of Justin Saragueta)

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video

Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Win a Book from The Romance Studio!

2008-12-20T12:40:00.001-08:00

You could win a copy of

Faery Special Romances

at The Romance Studio Book-a-Day Giveaway!

Just visit http://www.theromancestudio.com/bad_form.php during the day, Dec. 21, and complete the form.

Good Luck!!!

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video)

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

2008-12-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

By Jacquie Rogers

Yule Brings Celebration For All

Chanukkah in the mines

Christmas on the farm

1876 Christmas, Harper's Weekly

Christmas for Outlaws, Gunslingers, and Cyprians

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

***

Enter the IWOFA Winter Holiday Contest. Lots of great prizes and it's fun!

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video)

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Contest at Crystal's, plus Interview!

2008-12-15T00:48:00.001-08:00

Author Interviews by Crystal
Adkins

of Book
Reviews by Crystal

Crystal Adkins reviewed Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (read
her review) and then invited me to her Author
Interviews blog. Thank you, Crystal!

There are two groups of prizes
so please come visit and enter to win. I'd love to hear from
you!

http://interviewswithauthors.blogspot.com/2008/12/jacquie-rogers-contest.html

See You There!

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule
Blues (See the Book
Video)

Jacquie Rogers
*** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook
Faery
Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties
go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending
Neurofibromatosis through Research

Realism Without a Hammer

2008-12-08T05:12:00.001-08:00

Please join me at Texty
Ladies, where I posted Realism Without a Hammer, an
article on how to incorporate society's social ills without making your story a
social commentary.

http://www.textyladies.com/?p=275

See you
there!

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule
Blues (See the Book
Video featuring the music of Justin Saragueta)

Jacquie Rogers
*** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook
Faery
Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties
go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending
Neurofibromatosis through Research

Let's Rodeo!

2008-12-03T21:47:00.001-08:00

Let's Rodeo!

A Nez Perce named Waaya-Tonah-Toesits-Kahn was one of the greatest saddle bronc riders and defined the sport. An African-American named Bill Pickett invented bulldogging, now called steer wrestling. And women competed head-on with men, and won.

I posted an article on Unusual Historicals about the History of Rodeo called Let's Rodeo!

http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/2008/12/sports-entertainment-lets-rodeo.html

Or go to Unusual Historicals at

http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com

and scroll down until you see it.

Enjoy!

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video)

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video

Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Links for Breakfast

2008-12-01T03:30:00.001-08:00

Or . . .

Breakfast of Champion Writers

Please join me at Texty Ladies, where I posted Links for Breakfast, a listing
of some of the internet sites I use to help me with language usage and
translation.

http://www.textyladies.com/?p=270

See you
there!

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule
Blues (See the Book
Video)

Jacquie Rogers
*** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook
Faery
Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties
go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending
Neurofibromatosis through Research

Plotting Your Story, Part 3: Structure

2008-11-17T03:55:00.001-08:00

Please join me at Texty Ladies, where I posted the third of four workshops on Plotting Your Story. November 17th's class is on Structure.

http://www.textyladies.com

I shared the form I use to define the story bones, and I'd love to hear how you choose the events of your story, too.

See you there!

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video)

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Plotting: It's All About Character

2008-11-10T03:20:00.001-08:00

The Texty Ladies have
invited me to post on Mondays, and I'm very excited to be part of this dynamic
group.

Please join me this Monday, when I'll have posted the second of
four workshops on Plotting Your Story. November 10th's class is on
Character.

http://www.textyladies.com

I shared a few of the
tools I use, and I'd love to hear how you build character, too. See you
there!

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule
Blues (See the Book
Video)

Jacquie Rogers
*** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook
Faery
Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties
go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending
Neurofibromatosis through Research

Humor: It's What to Write

2008-11-07T01:06:00.001-08:00

Are
You a Bubble Off Plumb?

That's the question I hear, and my readers
want to know how I write humor. Well, I tried, and you can read about it at We Write Romance. If the link
doesn't work, cut and
paste:

http://www.wewriteromance.com/blog/

See you
there!

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule
Blues (See the Book
Video)

Jacquie Rogers ***
Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook
Faery
Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties
go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending
Neurofibromatosis through Research

I'm a Texty Lady!

2008-11-02T15:17:00.001-08:00

I'm a Texty Lady!

The Texty Ladies have invited me to post on Mondays, and I'm very excited to be part of this dynamic group.

Please join me on my first Monday, when I'll have posted the first of four workshops on Plotting Your Story. November 3rd's class is on Theme.

http://www.textyladies.com

See you there!

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video)

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Faery World
Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Mule Blues: PNR Staff Top Pick!

2008-10-27T02:52:00.000-07:00

PNR Staff Top Pick!

http://paranormalromance.org/blog/2008/10/staff-top-picks-october-2008.html

Down Home
Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

by Jacquie Rogers

ISBN:
978-0-9800356-8-1

See the book
video featuring Justin Saragueta

Blurb:

It Happened in the Idaho
Desert

The rodeo clown:
Brody wants the thrill of bullfighting and the
wind at his feet.

The actuary:
Rita doesn't want anything to do with a
busted up cowboy--and odds are, Brody will be.

The mule:
Socrates
understands humans. And love, even if humans don't.

Can Socrates lead
Brody to Rita's heart?

Will Rita let herself take the biggest risk of
all?

Read
Chapter One

Jacquie

Down Home
Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video)

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Faery World

Faery
Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties
go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending
Neurofibromatosis through Research

Mule Blues is Available Now!

2008-09-25T02:53:00.001-07:00

Released Today!

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule
Blues
by Jacquie
Rogers
ISBN: 978-0-9800356-8-1

See the book
video

Blurb:

It Happened in the Idaho
Desert

The rodeo clown:
Brody wants the thrill of bullfighting and the
wind at his feet.

The actuary:
Rita doesn't want anything to do with a
busted up cowboy--and odds are, Brody will be.

The mule:
Socrates
understands humans. And love, even if humans don't.

Can Socrates lead
Brody to Rita's heart?

Will Rita let herself take the biggest risk of
all?

Read
Chapter One

And don't forget to send in your furbaby's photos to the Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues Pet
Pictures Contest! Just go to http://www.jacquierogers.com and click
on Contest

Good Luck!

Jacquie

Down Home
Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video)

Jacquie Rogers
*** Myspace *** Twitter *** Faery World

Faery
Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties
go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending
Neurofibromatosis through Research

Socrates Sez

2008-09-20T02:33:00.000-07:00

Note:
Socrates is a minature mule and the star of

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues
by Jacquie Rogers

Copyright (c) 2008 Jacquie Rogers

Humans are so stubborn.

But never let it be said that we mules don’t take care of our humans. Mine is Brody Alexander. I’m Socrates, master of cogitation and entertainer of both large and small children.

Infinite patience is required to endure Brody’s obstinance. Granted, we john mules do have it easier than men. We don’t have this hormone thing going on so we don’t spend our lives trying to make little mules.

That gives us lots more time to cogitate. And believe me, I can think of a few more species who could do with a little thoughtful uncommon sense.

Human males, for instance. Why, they seem to spend every waking hour thinking about sex, getting sex, or being disappointed by not having sex.

That’s how I see it. Except I left one thing out—human males need more than sex. They need love. My human could use a little loving these days. Why, he’s been moping around worse than a porcupine on a bad hair day.

That’s where the cogitating comes in. If testosterone hadn’t clouded Brody’s thinking, he’d already know what he needs. Funny thing, those hormones.

The way I see it, my job is to help his brain listen to his other parts—especially his heart. And I have the answer. Yes, sir, I do. I just saw a pretty little filly drive down the road, the very same one who mooned over Brody ten years ago.

It’s time for action.

Read what happens to Brody when Socrates puts his plan into action. Perseus the Australian Shepherd and Guinnevere the skunk are gung-ho to help, along with the neighbor dog, Beauty (bloodhound/collie mix).

May your saddle never slip!

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

also check out:
Faery Special Romances *** Book Video

Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research
Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Faery World

Males, Mules, and Other Animals

2008-09-07T01:46:00.000-07:00

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

Pet Pictures Contest

Give me your best shot!

Cats, Dogs, and Equine categories. Don’t forget the mules!

10 categories in all and GOBS of prizes from a dozen authors (including some of our fabulous IWOFA authors!). Plus, everyone will get to see how cute your pet is! Cats, Dogs, and Equine are the three groups. Each group has three categories: cutest, most heartwarming, best overall. And then the tenth category is the 2008 Best Pet Picture.

(There are more prizes than represented in the following graphics, and not all titles are prizes. Please go to http://www.jacquierogers.com and click on Contest for a complete listing, as well as contest procedures and rules. Because of postage costs, we have to limit entries to USA only.)

Alexis Morgan

http://www.alexismorgan.com

Celia May Hart

http://www.celiamayhart.com

The Late Dawn Thompson

http://www.dawnthompson.com

Deborah Macgillivray

http://www.deborahmacgillivray.co.uk

Eilis Flynn

http://www.eilisflynn.com

Gerri Russell

http://www.gerrirusell.net

Jacquie Rogers

http://www.jacquierogers.com

Judith Laik

http://www.judithlaik.com

Rowena Cherry

http://www.rowenacherry.com

Almost Taken by Isabel Mere

Saving Tampa by Jo Webnar

Kissing Lessons (e-story) by Sherrie Holmes

So enter your pet pictures today!

Go to http://www.jacquierogers.com and click on Contest

Good Luck!!!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

October 2008: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video)

You can help NF research in 60 seconds!

2008-08-30T17:00:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

American Express is currently sponsoring a non-profit contest called The Members Project. We have submitted our Drug Discovery Initiative, which helps to identify drugs for NF treatment, for consideration. Almost 1200 projects entered and the DDI proposal is currently in #42 with 1087 votes.

Voting closes at midnight on Monday, September 1. The top 25 projects will move to the next round, with the chance to share $2,500,000.00 in funding. This is an important opportunity for our community to raise awareness and drive much needed resources toward researching therapeutics for NF.

You do not need to be a card holder to vote and it takes less than a minute to register as a guest and then login to vote. American Express cardholders can login with their user name.

Please visit our homepage at www.ctf.org. Clicking on the top item in the "What's New" section on the right side will take you right to the American Express Members project page. Your vote, an investment of less than 60 seconds, could bring us closer to treatments for NF.

We need your vote before midnight on Monday, and please distribute to friends and family and ask them to vote for it as well. Feel free to post this message on Myspace, Facebook, any bulletin boards and other social networking sites.

Many thanks and the best to you on this holiday weekend,

John Risner, President
Children's Tumor Foundation

Ending Neurofibromatosis Through Research

95 Pine St. 16th Floor NY NY 10005

212 344-6633 x249

www.ctf.org

PS - Click here to go directly to The Member Project site and vote.

Aarrr!!!

2008-08-27T01:44:00.001-07:00

What kind of Pirate are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Black Beard

When you finally die and enter Hell, the devil will hand over his reign and bow.

Captain Jack Sparrow

100%

Black Beard

100%

Mary Read

92%

Long John Silvers

75%

Will Turner

67%

Captain James T. Hook

67%

Captain Barbosa

58%

Sinbad

58%

Dread Pirate Roberts

17%

Morgan Adams

IWOFA: Your Spec Fiction News Source

2008-08-23T01:35:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy speculative fiction? Of course!

Well, there's a new announcement group where you can learn about each month's current releases. It's called Infinite Worlds of Fantasy Authors, a great group, and I'm a member there.

This isn't a chat-type group. Authors will post new release announcements and review news only--each item just once, you won't be barraged by the same excerpt over and over--and you'll learn about some great books. :)

Here's how you sign up:

Happy reading!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

October 2008: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video)

Emerald City Writers' Conference

2008-08-05T15:08:00.001-07:00

The Emerald City Writers' Conference (Oct. 10-12, Bellevue, WA) promises to be excellent, as usual! Here's the blurb the conference chair sent:

"We have three outstanding luncheon/keynote speakers (NYT bestselling authors Susan Mallery, Julia Quinn, and Allison Brennan,) excellent workshops, a comfortable and welcoming venue, and we have the lovely, the talented, the indomitable and indefatigable, the one-woman motivational machine, Cherry Adair! She wants you to finish the "Write the Damn Book" challenge, and so do we! When all that isn't going on, we have seven agents and editors in attendance and looking forward to meeting with you!"

Of course, Eilis Flynn and I will be presenting Faeries Along the Silk Road on Saturday. Also on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 4pm is an event we all love--massive romance booksigning! Yes, it's the Emerald City Bookfair, and often 50 or more romance authors are signing--many are NYT Best-selling authors. Eilis and I will be there, too. :) You don't have to register for ECWC to attend the bookfair.

See you there!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World
Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video)

Long and Short Reviews--1st Anniversary!

2008-08-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

at Long and Short Reviews. One anniversary, but 27 prizes, and even a free cookbook.

Good luck!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World
Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video)

Vacation Video Fun!

2008-08-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have had lots of fun this summer, for sure! We had Mercedes’ two girls, each for two weeks, then Mercedes, her fiance, and both girls stayed for five days.

Baby Mo Part I (This whole vacation video was her idea—she’s 8. She was involved with every process, including structure, and took a good percentage of photos—she’s very talented—so I was merely her technician.)

Baby Mo Part II

Yana Part I (Yana picked out the music, and I had the freedom to play around with hers. Am still working on Part II.)

Mercedes and Rod Part I

Judy’s picnic: What’s Not to Laik?

I'm currently working on Yana Part II, and still need to do Mercedes Part II, and ChunYun (she's only getting one video, poor thing). I'm not sure whether I'll make one for the August birthday party or not. Sometime or other, I do need to write, not to mention work on my own graphics and website.

Highland Press has lots of good books lined up for 2009. Be watching for pirates and dragons! And more faeries!

Enjoy!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video

Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the

Mae West: Still a Star

2008-07-08T03:32:00.000-07:00

by Jacquie Rogers

We have lots of blonde actresses today, and have had in the last century, but none of them could hold a candle to the woman who invented the movie version of the sex kitten. Mae West. She was sharply intelligent, had a keen wit, was a multi-talented actress, dancer, comedienne, and writer--and she didn't mind using her sexuality to make a buck or two.

I always say, keep a diary and someday it'll keep you.
~~Mae West

American stage and film actress Mae West was not only the first woman to make a million dollars in the entertainment business, her work rescued Paramount Studios from oblivion and debt. She was a formidable financial force and made a lot of money for a lot of people.

Any time you've got nothing to do and lots of time to do it, come on up. ~~Mae West

This amazing woman was born in 1892 and by 1895 was already performing on the vaudeville stage. When she was fifteen, she was a "coltish shimmy dancer" and billed as a "sex clown," so her beauty and wit were bankable early on.

Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.
~~Mae West

In 1918, she made it to Broadway and appeared in a musical called Sometime. She was tremendously successful as a stage actress. Miss West's early years in vaudeville and stage gave her a venue in which to hone her writing skills. She wrote nearly all her best hits, including five film credits, and her creative talent was noticeably missing on the later films that bombed at the box office.

She wrote a play called Sex and staged it in 1926. This earned her some morals charges and she was arrested twice.

I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it.
~~Mae West

The real fascination with Mae West over the years probably has more to do with the time she lived. She was born in the Victorian era of corsets but society was evolving--not as radically as Miss West, for sure, but her humor certainly reflected the changing values of the day. The Roaring 20s brought a huge social revolution and Miss West was right there to promote pleasure and have fun. Maybe she gave the depression-weary masses permission to have a good time, who knows. But her humor struck a cord, and even though she was the first commercially successful blonde bombshell, her humor was appreciated by women as well as men.

A woman in love can't be reasonable - or she probably wouldn't be in love.
~~Mae West

She starred in her first Hollywood film in Night After Night (1932). She held her own with Cary Grant, WC Fields, and many other leading men of the day. She was a box office hit until . . .

Will Hays of the Production Code Administration (the censors) took a special interest in suppressing her bawdy nature (purely for the good of the country and our families, of course). "...The initial screening of "Klondike Annie" elicited rigorous monitoring from the PCA (Production Code Administration) for its implications of interracial sex, representations of torture and unpunished murder (which undermined the codes principle of "compensating moral values"), and for casting West as a prostitute...." (http://www.cd.sc.ehu.es/FileRoom/documents/Cases/81maewest.html)

With the censors watching her every move (and not in a good way), Miss West finally gave up on films and went back to the stage. Her humor could not survive the censor's red pen, and we have to surmise that she wasn't having much fun, either.

Mae West lived out her life in and out of show business, but she never quit writing. In the 50s, she wrote the review of brawny men with herself as star, and some say she singlehandedly started the bodybuilder popularity boom. To this day, we love her sometimes wise but always witty one-liners. And she even has a life jacket named after her!

His mother should have thrown him out and kept the stork.
~~Mae West

Jacquie Rogers writes books with magic, romance, and whimsy. Watch for her July 2011 release, Much Ado About Marshals.

Down Home Ever Lovin' Blues: Book Video!

2008-06-14T13:34:00.001-07:00

This is for my Fall 2008 release, Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues.

This is a fun book about Rita, an actuary who goes home to help her mom, and finds the most dangerous risk of all, a handsome bullfighter.

Enjoy!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World
Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

Looking Ahead

2008-06-11T17:47:00.001-07:00

It's June. While the Northeast is cooking, it's cold June in the Pacific Northwest, the coldest since they started keeping records in 1894! My tomatoes haven't grown even a smidgen since I planted them a month ago. Nevertheless, summer is coming (we hope).

But I'm a writer, and everything writers do is for a project that won't come to fruition for months or sometimes years ahead. So what did I work on this week?

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues--to be released this fall from Highland Press. Not only did my editor and I work on the manuscript, but I've been working on the book video. And good news--my niece's bf, who wrote the theme song for my book video, just signed a recording contract! Check out Justin Saragueta on myspace. He's awesome. (So's my niece!)

Faery Merry Christmas--yes, a Christmas novella featuring the faery princess and matchmaker, Keely.

Looking ahead to 2009:

I'm working on a pirate novella for Love on a Dead Man's Chest with Cynthia Breeding and Deborah MacGillivray. Here's a sneak peak at the cover:

Next project: Romancing the Dragon. I'm so looking forward to writing the pirate and the dragon novellas. :)

And, of course, there're the ongoing projects that I'm writing on spec. I really love these stories!

Jacquie

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

Technorati Tags: faeries, fairies, dragons, pirates, baseball, mules, writing, christmas, weather

Emergence of Child Labor Laws

2008-05-20T00:56:00.000-07:00

The happy-go-lucky childhood spent playing kickball and complaining about piano lessons is a modern phenomenon for all but the wealthy. Lower class children have always worked, and worked hard, especially in agrarian societies. But the Industrial Age brought machinery that could do the work of a dozen full-grown men, and a boy could run it. And so began the era of child labor and unspeakable cruelty.

Whether chimney sweeps, mudlarkers, miners, or mill house scavengers, these jobs were dangerous, oftentimes very treacherous, and required long, long hours.

In 1938, 26 boys and girls ages 6 to 17, died in the Huskar Pit disaster in Yorkshire. The picture on the right shows a child pushing a cart through a small shaft in a deep rock mine.

Mill house scavengers brought much controversy to early Nineteenth Century Britain. Frances Trollope wrote, "A little girl about seven years old, whose job as scavenger, was to collect incessantly from the factory floor, the flying fragments of cotton that might impede the work... while the hissing machinery passed over her, and when this is skillfully done, and the head, body, and the outstretched limbs carefully glued to the floor, the steady moving, but threatening mass, may pass and repass over the dizzy head and trembling body without touching it. But accidents frequently occur; and many are the flaxen locks, rudely torn from infant heads, in the process.

Charles Dickens publicized the plight of the children in Oliver Twist, as did several charitable societies and churches. By the 1880s, the U.K. and most of Europe had child labor laws in place, but the United States lagged way behind. "Children were often preferred, because factory owners viewed them as more manageable, cheaper, and less likely to strike."

According to Scholastic.com: By 1810, about 2,000,000 school-age children were working 50- to 70-hour weeks. Most of them came from poor families. When parents could not support their children, they sometimes turned them over to a mill or factory owner. One glass factory in Massachusetts was fenced with barbed wire "to keep the young imps inside." The "young imps" were boys under 12 who carried loads of hot glass all night for a wage of 40 cents to $1.10 per night.

After several abortive attempts, the United States enacted the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, a full one hundred years after England passed its first child labor laws.

In our modern era of enlightenment, children are still used and abused unfairly. The International Labor Organization estimates that worldwide, 211 million children are engaged in unlawful, dangerous, or forced labor--mostly in mining, agriculture, industry, pyrotechnics, domestic, or in the sex trade.

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

New! Texty Ladies Interview

2008-05-06T10:53:00.001-07:00

Texty Ladies Interview

Jacquie Rogers

Lots of Prizes! See Details.

Texty Ladies: Artful Adventures in Writing is an awesome new blog that promises to be chock full of everything a romance writer or reader wants to know, and will cover other fine arts as well. I'm really honored to be part of the Texty Ladies debut week!

They're also having a contest with lots of Faery Special Prizes. Comment on any Texty Ladies posts though Saturday, May 10, and they’ll put your name in the drawing for first and second prizes. Names will be drawn and announced on Monday, May 12. If you’re a winner, send your address by using their Contact page. Here is what you can win:

First Prize

Faery Special Romances, autographed copy
Faery Special T-Shirt
Princess Keely Pen

Second Prize

Faery Special Tote Bag
Faery Good Bath Salts

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World
Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

LASR Spotlight Author!

2008-05-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

I’m spotlight author at Long and Short Reviews the week of May 5. There are prizes!

* *

GRAND PRIZE

Autographed print copy of Faery Special Romances
Faery Special T-shirt
Faery Good Bath Salts (wonderfully soothing!)

RUNNER-UP PRIZE

Faery Special Romances in pdf
Princess Keely Pen
Faery Good Bath Salts

Direct link:
http://www.longandshortreviews.com

Read the Reviews for Faery Special Romances!

As the reader, it was as if I journeyed through time and history with Keely, who gets her own romance story in the end ... with an interesting twist. Author Jacquie Rogers has a winner with this gem. Recommended! ***** Detra Fitch, Huntress Reviews

Ms. Rogers deserved all 5 hearts I am giving for her collection of short romances. I think everyone needs a little Faery Dust to carry around in their pockets. Book Reviews by Crystal

Believe me when I say, this entire volume has a delightful collection of stories! This impressive author took the concept of the young faery Keely and brought her through the ages (Faeries live thousands of years, don’t cha know!) from pesky adolescent to adulthood. . . [a] wonderfully conceived and precious collection of short stories that will entertain you from the first to last page! Marilyn Rondeau, CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Enjoy!

Hugs,
Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

2008-05-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

I’m featured author at Unusual Historicals blog today. There are prizes!

Autographed copy of Faery Special Romances

Faery Good Bath Salts (wonderfully soothing!)

Faery Special Coaster Tile

Princess Keely Pen

Direct link:

http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/2008/05/book-party-jacquie-rogers.html

Enjoy!

Hugs,

Jacquie

Jacquie’s Website *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** See the book video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

__._,_.___

Unusual Historicals: Spotlight on Jacquie Rogers

2008-04-29T02:36:00.000-07:00

Faery Special Romances—that’s one title that fulfilled its promise because the romances were really special. How did you get the idea of this book come about?

I had written a short story for No Law Against Love, an anthology to benefit breast cancer research. My story's titled Faery Good Advice and stars Keely, a faery princess. For some reason, this character just took off. She ended up with her own blog, a myspace page, a bebo pag e, her own network at ning called Faery World, a contest and news list, and most of all, readers asking for more faery stories. My publisher asked me to write a single-author anthology featuring Keely. This all went to her head, especially when she was presented with a Hollywood Star:

Keely is such a fun, alive character. Does she come from someone you know?

Normally, I do a considerable amount of character work before I ever write a word of the manuscript, but Keely came to me fully formed. She has the can-do sunshine of my daughter, Mercedes; the energy and humor of my daughter, Moriah, and the self-righteous matchmaking from Jane Austen's Emma. Put all together, and she's a unique character all of her own.

Keely first showed up in Faery Good Advice, a story in the No Law Against Love anthology, whose profits all went to Breast Cancer research. And you are donating the profits from Faery Special Romances to research to cure Neurofibromatosis. What led you to make such a generous gesture?

I had always intended to donate the royalties of my first book to neurofibromatosis research because my daughter, Mercedes, and granddaughter have this painful, disfiguring genetic disorder, but I'd planned to donate anonymously. When I told my daughter what I planned to do, she flat-out said, "No, your most important contribution is to spread neurofibromatosis awareness, and you can't do that if you're anonymous." So she laid out a marketing plan, and is now my publicist. We're working with the Children's Tumor Foundation, a wonderful organization that promotes research on both the clinical and laboratory levels. CTF gives us hope that our children will someday be able to lead pain-free lives.

FSR features ten stories, each set in a different time period, from Medieval all the way to modern. I’m so impressed with all the research you did. It must have been a lot of work! Can you talk a little about how you approached the research?

To get a feel for the period, I want to know three things: how they dressed, how they conducted their daily lives, and how they used slang. Once I feel comfortable with those areas, I research the specific geographical setting and the particular vocations of the main characters, as well as the political climate. Not one of my friends escaped without me grilling them on their area of expertise, you can bet. I also read at least one reference book for each story.

Each story took a solid week (translation: 60+ hours) of research, and I hope each story transports the reader to experience a new time and place during each major period of history, and into the future. While I admit to doing a considerable amount of moaning and groaning about it all, I absolutely love research. My problem though, is that I find too many interesting items and sometimes find myself far afield from my topic. Research is also the best tool I know of for proctrastinating instead of writing. Ouch.

Tell us about your next book. Is it also an anthology of short stories?

Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues is a fun and exciting short contemporary western with a touch of woowoo. The rodeo clown: Brody Alexander wants the thrill of bullfighting and the wind at his feet. The actuary: Rita Markum doesn't want anything to do with a busted up cowboy--and odds are, Brody will be. The mule: Socrates understands humans. And love. Even if stubborn humans don't. Will he succeed in his matchmaking endeavor? Will there be Brodiettes?

I'm excited because the fabulous musician/songwriter Justin Saragueta wrote a song for the Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues book video and I love it! I'm hoping to have the video ready by mid-June.

Anything you'd like to add?

Yes, it's contest time!!! Comment on this blog article and you'll be elegible to win a signed copy of Faery Special Romances, along with a few other goodies, including Faery Good Bath Salts (marvelous!!!). Good luck!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

He's Here & He's Gorgeous!

2008-04-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

I love being a grandma. You can hug them, feed them sugar, and send them back to their parents. Wow, what a reward for all those sleepless nights raising our own children. Anyway, I'm thrilled to announce the birth of my newest grandson, Cole, who joins Cody, Collin, and Clayton.

April 11, 2008

8 lb. 9 oz., 20.75"

Lots of hair, square hands, hefty appetite.

Mother and baby are doing great. Cody, Collin, and Clayton love their new baby brother. Jason is proud as punch and holds the baby anytime he can get Cole away from his momma, although Cole does like his mother and her food supply a LOT.

Fantasm Award Winner!

2008-04-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that Faery Special Romances has won the Fantasm Award for Best Faerie Tale Romance of 2007. Many thanks to all of you who voted for me!

Each award, and each book sold, helps Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research. Neurofibromatosis affects one in three thousand children, yet few people have ever heard of this serious genetic disorder. Please take a moment and learn about neurofibromatosis through the Children's Tumor Foundation website.

Hugs!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video

Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

Patent Medicines: 19th Century America

2008-03-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

The labels carried wild promises but no list of ingredients. Patent medicines were ubiquitous in the 1800s—partly because medical science had made advances and partly because the search for health exceeded medical science’s capabilities.

These elixirs, creams, and compresses were made from any number of ingredients, ranging from vegetable juice to narcotics. Remember, there were no drug laws in the USA until after the turn of the 20th Century. When a patient took a dose of patent medicine, he or she could be taking opium, alcohol, mandrake, belladonna, marijuana, or extracts from hellebore, henbane, datura, and hemlock.

The term patent medicine refers to a product with a proprietary list of ingredients and sold directly to the public, not that the medicine was patented. Some of these products originated as old family recipes, but some manufacturers were a bit more mercenary in the development of their tonics. The quest for the almighty dollar soon surpassed any anecdotal or scientific basis for these medicines, and the patent medicine business became a huge economic force.

Tired of Viagra ads? Believe me, these ads certainly aren't new. Here's one of my favorite patent medicine ads, taken from The Owyhee Avalanche in the 1880s:

*************************************
LOST MANHOOD RESTORED
*************************************

THE DR. LIEBIG Private Dispensary
400 Geary St. San Francisco, Cal

Conducted by qualified physicians and surgeons-- regular graduates The Oldest Specialists in the United States, whose LIFE-LONG EXPERIENCE, perfect method and pure medicine, insure SPEEDY and PERMANENT CURES of all Private Chronic and Nervous Diseases. Affections of the Blood, Skin, Kidneys, Bladder, Eruptions, Ulcers, Old Sores, Swelling of the Glands, Sore Mouth, Throat, permanently cured and eradicated from the system for life. NERVOUS Debility, Impotency, Seminal Losses, Sexual Decay, Mental and Physical Weakness, Failing Memory, Weak Eyes, Stunted Development, Impediments to Marriage, etc. from excesses or youthful follies, or any cause, speedily, safely and privately cured.

Young, Middle-Aged and Old men, and all who need medical skill and experience, consult the old European Physician at once. His opinion costs nothing and may save future misery and shame. When inconvenient to visit the city for treatment, medicines can be sent everywhere by express, free from observation. It is self-evident that a physician who gives his whole attention to a class of diseases attains great skill, and physicians throughout the country, knowing this, frequently recommend difficult cases to the Oldest Specialist, by whom every Known good remedy is used. The Doctor's Age and experience make his opinion of Supreme Importance.

. . . and it goes on and on!

The patent medicine industry was brought to its knees shortly after the turn of the 20th Century. From the Food and Drug Administration:

A few muckraking journalists helped expose the red clauses, the false testimonials, the nostrums laden with harmful ingredients, the unfounded cures for cancer, tuberculosis, syphilis, narcotic addiction, and a host of other serious as well as self-limited diseases. The most influential work in this genre was the series by Samuel Hopkins Adams that appeared in Collier's on October 7, 1905, entitled "The Great American Fraud." Adams published ten articles in the series, which concluded in February 1906; he followed it up with another series on doctors who advertised fake clinics. The shocking stories of the patent medicine menace were accompanied by startling images, such as "Death's Laboratory."

Good health to you!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

EXCERPT: The Duchess and the Dirtwater Faery

2008-02-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

The Duchess and the Dirtwater Faery

a short story in

Faery Special Romances

Best Faery Tale Romance
Best Overall Fantasy Romance

The Duchess and the Dirtwater Faery finaled in the P.E.A.R.L Awards for Best Short Story, so I decided to post an excerpt, especially since Kegan is one of my favorite heroes. :) He's a tall redheaded fae man who is hiding out in the Human World because he can't stand the woman Princess Keely is trying to match him with. So he's in Idaho Territory working as a blacksmith.

Copyright © 2007 Jacquie Rogers
Idaho Territory, 1885

It was going to be either the best day or the worst day of my life.

Whichever, when I saw the classy dame’s wagon stuck in the mud, I knew my day would be interesting. With a final plink on the hinge I was shaping, I laid my hammer on the anvil and chuckled at the general confusion on the street outside. I’m from the Faery World, of the Red Clan, and my name is Kegan.

The clay mud gave the town its name—Dirtwater. We locals (meaning those of us who have lived through the four seasons here) glean great amusement from outsiders thinking they know our country better than we do. And so it went with the covered wagon and the driver who took it upon himself to whip the mules, when the animals were smart enough to know that a wagon sunk in mire up to its axles wasn’t going anywhere.

The lady was as beautiful as she was snooty. I’d place the cost of her fancy gown at about my yearly income, and maybe throw in the next-door baker’s, too. She didn’t seem to care one whit for her finery, though, as she bailed off the wagon, slapping away the driver as he tried to assist, then trudged with her skirts dragging through the knee-deep mud, and barged right into my blacksmith shop, waving her parasol like a sword. Hells bells, what do you do with a woman like that?

“I want the wagon fixed and a new driver hired,” she ordered in her refined English accent as she stood to her entire five-foot height, chin up, lips pinched. I cleared a chair by pushing the tools onto the floor and she sat, her reticule perched on her lap and her parasol leaning against her skirt. “And I want dinner.”

“Howdy-do, ma’am.” I leaned back on the shop’s center-support pole and wondered what a Brit lady like her was doing in Dirtwater. She needed to learn a thing or two about this country if she planned to stay more than a day. “I’d like a new roof, walls that don’t leak cold air in the winter, and you can have the woman who runs the confectionery. I never knew such a sour woman could make such sweet things.”

“You make light of me.”

“And you don’t seem to ken where you are. This is a hard country, ma’am. You play by its rules—it doesn’t play by yours. If you do that, you’ll enjoy yourself. If you don’t, you’ll probably die. Your choice.”

She chewed her lip for a moment, then took a deep breath. “What would you do, Mr. . . ?

“Kegan. I’d fire whoever told that driver to take a team and wagon through foot-deep mud.”

She looked me straight in the eye. “I told him to.”

That didn’t surprise me. “Then I’d hire some men to take care of those mules, and a blacksmith to fix that wagon of yours.”

“I’m hiring you.”

“Well, ma’am, I’m mighty expensive.”

She opened her reticule. “How much?”

“A kiss and five dollars ought to cover it.”

Her gaze faltered a bit, but she recovered quickly. “Here’s ten dollars.”

“That’s nice, but it’ll cost a kiss, too.”

“You, sir, are sweaty.”

“And you, ma’am, are muddy.”

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** See the Book Video

Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

Thursday 13: 13 Historical Quotations of Love

2008-02-11T23:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

13 Historical Quotations of Love

Love is a blazing, crackling, green-wood flame, as much smoke as flame; friendship, married friendship particularly, is a steady, intense, comfortable fire. Love, in courtship, is friendship in hope; in matrimony, friendship upon proof. ~~Samuel Richardson
Who can give law to lovers? Love is a greater law to itself. ~~Boethius (Anicius Manlius Severinus), De Consolatione Philosophiae
All the pictures that hung in my memory before I knew you have faded and given place to our radient moments together. Now I cannot live apart from you...Your words are my food, your breath my wine. You are everything to me. ~~Sarah Bernhardt
As for me, to love you alone, to make you happy, to do nothing which would contradict your wishes, this is my destiny and the meaning of my life. ~~Napoleon Bonaparte
'Tis said of love that it sometimes goes, sometimes flies; runs with one, walks gravely with another; turns a third into ice, and sets a fourth in a flame: it wounds one, another it kills: like lightning it begins and ends in the same moment: it makes that fort yield at night which it besieged but in the morning; for there is no force able to resist it. ~~Miguel de Cervantes
We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end. ~~Benjamin Disraeli
Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get--only with what you are expecting to give--which is everything. ~~Katharine Hepburn
I cannot exist without you - I am forgetful of every thing but seeing you again - my Life seems to stop there - I see no further. You have absorb'd me. I have a sensation at the present moment as though I were dissolving... I have been astonished that Men could die Martyrs for religion - I have shudder'd at it - I shudder no more - I could be martyr'd for my Religion - Love is my religion - I could die for that - I could die for you. My creed is Love and you are its only tenet - You have ravish'd me away by a Power I cannot resist. ~~John Keats
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage. ~~Lao-Tzu
The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain singing to it... you and you alone make me feel that I am alive. Other men it is said have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough. ~~George Moore
At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet. ~~Plato
There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not. ~~La Rochefoucauld
Love, and you shall be loved. All love is mathematically just, as much as the two sides of an algebraic equation. ~~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Honorable Mentions (because verse messes up the numbering)

With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt.
~~William Shakespeare

Love wing’d my Hopes and taught me how to fly
~~The Oxford Book of English Verse

Love, and you shall be loved. All love is mathematically just, as much as the two sides of an algebraic equation. ~~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Love is like the wild rose-briar;
Friendship like the holly-tree.
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms,
But which will bloom most constantly?
~~Emily Bronte

Sources:
http://www.quotations.com
http://www.bartleby.com

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** See the book video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

10 Finalists: Now You Pick Your Faery Favorite Romance Story!

2008-02-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

We asked for your stories and
you sent some great ones!

Our dedicated panel of judges picked ten finalists:

Tina Brunelle: Valentine's Day Wedding
Melinda Stogsdill: Harry Belafonte in Germany
Joan Powell: His Heart Forever
Tresa Hiatt: Half Off Sale
Gigi Hicks: Bed of Roses
Joy Isley: Hot-air Balloon Ride
Amelia: Salmon Steak
Jan Smith: Notes, Notes, Notes!
Vonda Gouker: Valexmas
Joan Woods: Her Faery Own Hero

And now, let's see who gets the prizes. I hope you enjoy their stories as much as we did--you can read their stories on my website (click on Contest! Vote for your favorite.

Voting is easy!

Go to my website and click on Contest.

After you read the entries, the voting button will take you to the ballot page. Remember, you can vote for one in each category: Most Humorous and Most Heartwarming.

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances *** See the Book Video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

NF Awareness Podcast - Jan. 31!

2008-01-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

Neurofibromatosis Radiothon

Date: January 31, 2008
Time: 2pm to 6pm Eastern Time (11am to 3pm Pacific Time)
Place: Passionate Internet Voices Radio
Hostess: Jacquie Rogers, author of Faery Special Romances

Guests from the Children's Tumor Foundation
John Risner, President
Kim Hunter-Schaedle, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer

Featured Doctors and Scientists
Dr. Hubert Weinberger
Dr. John Slopis
Dr. David Gutmann
Dr. Scott Plotkin
Dr. David Viskochil
Dr. Tom Roland
Dr. Jim Tonsgard

Featured Guests Who Life with Neurofibromatosis
Mercedes Rice
Laurie Smith
Jennifer Walsh
Jerry Willman

The two 2-hour programs will be aired back to back.

Special thanks to Lillian Cauldwell of Passionate Internet Voices Radio for donating the airtime and resources, as well as helping out in every area. You're the greatest!

Coming up: Daily Life with NF, to be aired in May, Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month.

Please join us!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances (See the book video)
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming in 2008: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

Valentine's Contest: Tell Us Your Faery Special Romance Story!

2008-01-16T15:27:00.000-08:00

Your Own Faery Special

Romance Story Contest

USA entrants only this time, please

APO and FPO okay

How to Play

1. Answer this question:
What is the the most memorable thing your sweetie ever did for you on Valentine's Day?

Keep it brief, please, under 100 words.

2. Send your story to the First Round Judges by January 31, 2008, midnight PST.

Be sure to include:

Your name (will be listed if you final)
Your email address (will be kept private)
Your snail mail address (for mailing prizes and news only)
and, of course
Your Faery Special Romance Story

3. My special panel of judges (sister and daughters) will select 10 finalists, who will be announced February, 4, 2008. Finalists will be notified by the email address they provide.

There are two categories:

Most Heartwarming
Most Humorous

4. Then the voting begins! If you're a finalist, be sure to get your friends, relatives, and neighbors to vote.

Prizes

Runner-up of Each Category		Winner of Each Category
Faery Delicious Chocolate Faery Good Bath Salts Keely T-shirt and the award-winning Faery Special Romances New E-book Version		Faery Delicious Chocolate Faery Good Bath Salts Faery Special Teddy Bear Faery Special T-shirt and the award-winning Faery Special Romances Print Version

. . . and more! We'll announce all the prizes before the voting begins.

Winner Announced February 14!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World
Faery Special Romances (Available now)
Take a look at the book video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues

Fantasm Awards: Faery Special Romances is a Double Finalist!

2008-01-14T22:13:00.000-08:00

Faery Special Romances is a double finalist in the Fantasm Awards!

Best Faerie Tale
Best Overall Fantasy

Voting begins in February. Congrats to Dawn Thompson, Deborah Macgillivray, and Rowena Cherry!

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Bebo *** Faery World

Faery Special Romances -- See the book video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Coming soon: Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues