What Are We Writing

By Margaret Daley

Author: Louise M. Gouge

Title: Cowboy Lawman's Christmas Reunion

Hero and Heroine: Justice Gareau and Evangeline Benoit

Line: Love Inspired Historical

One paragraph from the page you are currently on: (Since I've turned in the ms, I thought I'd offer the book's first paragraph:

Sheriff Justice Gareau ducked around the corner of the Esperanza train depot, hoping he hadn’t been spotted by the woman who’d stepped off the train. He felt downright foolish. Usually people hid from him if they’d done something wrong, and he sure hadn’t done anything wrong. No, it was that woman who’d done wrong by him and ruined his life. No. “Ruined” was too harsh, because he had a pretty good life these days. But she’d sure broken his heart. He’d subsequently promised himself he’d never give that deepest part of himself to any woman.

 Due date: January 15, 2017

Word count goal today: Just turned in the completed manuscript

Something cool learned recently from research:  I learned about the history of Christmas villages, called putzes by the Moravians, and how the custom grew from simple Nativity scenes to entire towns with trains and working parts.

Author: Pamela Tracy

Title: TBA

Hero and Heroine:  Heather Graves and Tom Riley

Line:  Harlequin Heartwarming

One paragraph from the page you are currently on:  

He opened the door for her, ever the gentleman.  This time he didn’t put a hand on top of her head to make sure she didn’t hit it as he was guiding her in.  Instead, he touched her back and heat seared. No, no, no. This was the man who every time she started to trust him, suddenly brought up Rachel Ramsey.  And, judging by his tone, his eyes, his profession even, his heart wasn’t big enough for the three of them.

His touch, though, sent a different message.

Due date:  January 31st

Word count goal today: 1500 words

Something cool learned recently from research:  If a member of the church confesses to his pastor, the pastor can utilize

clergy-penitent privilege meaning the pastor can refrain from testifying in a court of law.

Author: Lorraine Beatty    

Title: Nina and Bret’s story

Hero and Heroine: Bret Fulton Nina Johnson

Line:  Love Inspired

One paragraph from the page you are currently on:  

A cool morning breeze blew a strand of Nina Johnson’s hair across her eyes. She pulled it away, her gaze riveted on the building in front of her. Had the cab driver made a mistake and left her at the wrong place? Pulling her phone from her purse and brought up the address. 557 E. Warren Ave. her spirits sagged. She should never have agreed to come here. But then where else would she have gone? Kathryn Bettencourt was her closest friend. She’d been there for her since college, through the marriage and the dark days afterward. When she’d asked her to come down to Hastings, Mississippi and take over her psychology practice while she and her husband took an advantage of a job in Spain for the next few months, she hadn’t been able to refuse. Her position as in corporate psychologist at Duncan and Stone had been eliminated. The call from her friend had been a blessing. Until now. 

Due date:  Proposal due Feb 28th

Word count goal today: 1000

Something cool learned recently from research:  still researching.

Author: Jean C. Gordon

Title: TBD: I'm calling it Marc's Story for now.

Hero and Heroine: Marc Delacroi and Fiona Bryce

Line:  Love Inspired Romance

One paragraph from the page you are currently on:  

He watched her leave, back straight, steps measured. But he’d come to want more. So much more. And he couldn’t help feeling he’d failed Fiona. He’d have to let go himself—of his dreams of him and Fiona and Stella as a family and keep Fiona as Stella’s aunt, like his sisters. He knew better than to pursue fixing something he couldn’t fix again. He’d go it alone. It would be easier that way.

Due date:  February 1, 2017

Word count goal today: 1,200

Something cool learned recently from research:  The Town of Ticonderoga, NY, holds an annual End of Winter Carnival in March.

Author: Jolene Navarro

Title: Lone Star Bride

Hero and Heroine: Sofia De Zavala & Jackson McReed

Line:  LIH

One paragraph from the page you are currently on: 

 He made sure to smile, hoping it didn’t look as tight as it felt. An image of Lilly on her parents’ porch as he asked her to marry 

him flashed across his mind. Closing his eyes, he forced it away. He should be running, but he couldn’t humiliate Sofia and leave her abandoned like that.

For better or worse, he would soon have another wife.

I’m so sorry, Lilly.

Due date: Monday 23, 2017  

Word count goal today: Editing

Something cool learned recently from research: This was so much fun. I discovered that on parts of the Old Spanish trail (from San Antonio to New Orleans) in the late 1830s retired pirates owned some of the cattle crossings! Cowboys and Pirates in the same place for a very short period in history. These are not good pirates, but what fun in fiction, right?