Hi and Happy Halloween!
For all of those on the East Coast, I hope you are safe and dry. In Pittsburgh, we have been very fortunate. Just rainy and gray, which is normal for this area-ha ha!
Here is a treat for you on this Halloween. I'm guest blogging on Zee Monodee's Author's Corner.
Here is the link to the site:
The Morning Star Is Now Available!
Showing posts with label St. Anne's Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Anne's Day. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday--You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
Hi Readers:
It's Sunday again, which means I'm serving up a snippet from St. Anne's Day for you to enjoy on this first day of the week. This excerpt is quite appropriate as it takes place at during this time of the year, when the leaves are just beginning to turn, the days are warm, but the nights are cool, and the sunsets are spectacular.
In this scene our heroine, Anne, and our hero, Gerry, dance for the first time at Gerry's cousin's wedding. Slow dancing is an interesting phenomenon. I remember high school dances, when strange boys would walk up, tap you on the shoulder and ask you to dance. I always thought dancing to be a great breach of conventional norms. In what other activity can you come up to a complete stranger and then get intimately close to them without someone having to press charges? Perhaps that's why dancing is so magical.
In this scene, I take you back to those exciting times in your life, when you found yourself in the arms of someone you are attracted to and the magic that happens. Enjoy!
Lost in his arms, Anne was no longer conscious of their movement or of anything else. Their bodies were like a slow moving centrifuge that spun away reality leaving only Anne and Gerry forged together in the center with a thousand sensations. Anne began to feel a little dizzy. This is what it means to swoon. She’d always wondered when she read old novels what that felt like. Now she knew.
It's Sunday again, which means I'm serving up a snippet from St. Anne's Day for you to enjoy on this first day of the week. This excerpt is quite appropriate as it takes place at during this time of the year, when the leaves are just beginning to turn, the days are warm, but the nights are cool, and the sunsets are spectacular.
In this scene our heroine, Anne, and our hero, Gerry, dance for the first time at Gerry's cousin's wedding. Slow dancing is an interesting phenomenon. I remember high school dances, when strange boys would walk up, tap you on the shoulder and ask you to dance. I always thought dancing to be a great breach of conventional norms. In what other activity can you come up to a complete stranger and then get intimately close to them without someone having to press charges? Perhaps that's why dancing is so magical.
In this scene, I take you back to those exciting times in your life, when you found yourself in the arms of someone you are attracted to and the magic that happens. Enjoy!
Lost in his arms, Anne was no longer conscious of their movement or of anything else. Their bodies were like a slow moving centrifuge that spun away reality leaving only Anne and Gerry forged together in the center with a thousand sensations. Anne began to feel a little dizzy. This is what it means to swoon. She’d always wondered when she read old novels what that felt like. Now she knew.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
September Song
Hi Readers!
If you are a Northern Connection magazine reader and you saw the piece on the release of my novel, St. Anne's Day, in this month's issue and decided to visit my blog, thanks for stopping by. I'm very grateful that the novel is getting great reviews--many from people I didn't even know were reading it. Thanks so much to anyone who has posted a review. If you are interested in learning more about the book or how to purchase it, click on the links to the right.
Also, if you are a member of Goodreads, I'm hosting a Giveaway on the site where you can register to win one of three signed copies. If you are a reader, but have never heard of Goodreads, you may want to check it out.
This time of the year always make me feel a bit melancholy. School is back in session. Daylight grows shorter and the carefree days of summer are reduced to nothing but memories or photos in an album or postings on Facebook.
However, I always remind myself about something I learned in September of 1978. I had graduated from high school that previous May, but my first semester at Duff's Business School didn't commence until September 25. It was the first time in my life that I could remember that I wasn't in school come September. And you know what? Summer really doesn't end when we flip the calendar on August. There are many days of glorious sunshine left, flowers are still blooming, and the oppressive heat has diminished.
So take heart, summer doesn't end until later this month and even then, fall is also beautiful. Life is too short to be sad. Enjoy reading St. Anne's Day!
If you are a Northern Connection magazine reader and you saw the piece on the release of my novel, St. Anne's Day, in this month's issue and decided to visit my blog, thanks for stopping by. I'm very grateful that the novel is getting great reviews--many from people I didn't even know were reading it. Thanks so much to anyone who has posted a review. If you are interested in learning more about the book or how to purchase it, click on the links to the right.
Also, if you are a member of Goodreads, I'm hosting a Giveaway on the site where you can register to win one of three signed copies. If you are a reader, but have never heard of Goodreads, you may want to check it out.
This time of the year always make me feel a bit melancholy. School is back in session. Daylight grows shorter and the carefree days of summer are reduced to nothing but memories or photos in an album or postings on Facebook.
However, I always remind myself about something I learned in September of 1978. I had graduated from high school that previous May, but my first semester at Duff's Business School didn't commence until September 25. It was the first time in my life that I could remember that I wasn't in school come September. And you know what? Summer really doesn't end when we flip the calendar on August. There are many days of glorious sunshine left, flowers are still blooming, and the oppressive heat has diminished.
So take heart, summer doesn't end until later this month and even then, fall is also beautiful. Life is too short to be sad. Enjoy reading St. Anne's Day!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Happy St. Anne's Day Everyone!
Well, it's finally July 26, St. Anne's Day!
I hope you enjoyed our journey to this big day and to the launch of the book.
A big thank you to all of you who have helped me along the way from critique partners, beta readers to friends, family and neighbors. The reviews are starting to roll in, and they've been terrific! Thank God and St. Anne!
Now let's get the party started!
In France, especially the Brittany region, they whoop it up on St. Anne's Day, making special foods like Creme Sainte-Anne and Gateau Sainte-Anne.
I found a really great website called CatholicCuisine.com, which gives recipes appropriate for many of the Saints' Feast Days and Church Holidays. The site also features some very interesting cookbooks. When you get a chance, check their site out.
If we could party together in person, I would serve you this--their fabulous creation: Creme Sainte-Anne.
Crème Sainte-Anne
(St. Anne's Cream)
1/2 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. butter, unsalted
1/4 c. macaroons, crushed
1 1/14 c. milk
1 egg
3 egg yolks
Butter 4 ramekins. Put half the sugar in a pan and moisten with 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil and cook to amber caramel.
Pour the caramel into 4 ramekins, to make a thin layer in each, and allow to set.
(I don't think I cooked the sugar quite long enough since it never turned to a caramel color -- next time I think I may try cooking it longer or reduce the water. Any suggestions??)
Place a thin slice of butter on the caramel in each ramekin and sprinkle each with the chopped macaroons.
Heat the milk to the simmering point. Whisk the egg, egg yolks and remaining sugar until creamy. Beat in the hot milk and pour into the prepared ramekins. The macaroons will float to the top.
Stand the ramekins in a tray of simmering water that comes halfway up their sides. Bake in a moderate oven at 325°F (160°C) for 20 to 25 minutes until set. Allow to cool, loosen edges and turn out onto a plate.
(I baked mine for 28 minutes and it could have still used a few more minutes... I am sure this varies depending on your oven, but mine usually tends to bake hotter/ quicker so you may need to increase the baking time.)
Serves 4.
Also, in France they celebrate St. Anne's Day by eating seafood because Brittany is a peninsular region on the northwestern coast of the country. That is why the grand prize is a $50 Gift Certificate to Red Lobster. If you can't go to France to get your lobster, I thought this is the next best thing!
Be sure to enter the Sweepstakes before the deadline. Tomorrow the lucky winner will be announced. Good luck, Anne Fans!
Finally, it wouldn't be a party unless everyone got some swell swag to take home. Therefore, I'm offering St. Anne's Day for FREE until July 28.
All you need do is go to Smashwords by clicking here. Enter this code at checkout: BC74F to get your FREE copy!
Unfortunately, Amazon Kindle does not permit authors to offer their books for free. However, they do have a downloadable Kindle app on the site that you can install on your laptop, phone, etc. that allows you to read St. Anne's Day from Smashwords. The paperback will be available very soon too. I'll be sure to let you know when.
Please remind your friends to get their copy before the price reverts back to $2.99. All I ask is if you liked the book, to please post a review about it on Amazon or Smashwords and to spread the word that St. Anne's Day is available. Word of mouth is the best publicity!
If you didn't like the book, then I'm asking you to invoke the Thumper Rule from Bambi: If you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nothin' at all! ; )
Please sign up for my emails so that I can keep you up-to-date on the lastest news. Also feel free to email me with any comments or questions.
Happy St. Anne's Day!
Enjoy the book!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Day 7 - St. Anne's Day Soiree VIP Book Launch Party
Hi Anne Fans!
We are closing in on the end of our lead-up to the big event, St. Anne's Day, on July 26, when the celebration really begins.
Today, we are going to concentrate on the name Anne.
The name Anne is Hebrew for "grace" or "favor." It is derived from the name Hannah and has been popular for centuries.
According to the website ThinkBabyNames.com, there are nearly 100 variations on the name from around the world.
From 1900 to 1970, it was consistently ranked in the top 100 for girls' names. In 2011, it was ranked the 593rd most popular name.
How many people do you know named Anne? I think today it is more popular as a middle name. Off hand, I can think of Lily Tomlin's Edith Anne & The Beach Boys' song Barbara Anne
They have a variation that is a blend of Anne and Janice--Annice.
Can you think up a new variant? If you do, maybe we can tweet it so that the people in Hollywood might see it and stop naming their babies such strange names!
Don't forget to enter the SWEEPSTAKES before it is too late!
P.S. Did you see that the British Open was held at Royal Lytham & St. Annes on the West Coast of England?
We are closing in on the end of our lead-up to the big event, St. Anne's Day, on July 26, when the celebration really begins.
Today, we are going to concentrate on the name Anne.
The name Anne is Hebrew for "grace" or "favor." It is derived from the name Hannah and has been popular for centuries.
According to the website ThinkBabyNames.com, there are nearly 100 variations on the name from around the world.
Aine, Ana, Anabel, Anci, Anechka, Anelie, Anet, Anett, Anette, Anh, Ania, Anica, Anika, Aniko, Anissa, Anita, Anitra, Anjanette, Anka, Anke, Anki, Anne, Anna, Annabel, Annabella, Annabelle, Annaelle, Annalisa, Anneke, Annelle, Annelore, Annetta, Annette, Anni, Annice, Annick, Annie, Annimae, Annina, Annis, Annise, Annora, Annus, Annuska, Anny, Anona, Anouche, Anouk, Anoushka, Anouska, Antje, Anushka, Anuska, Anya, Anyoushka, Anyshka, Anyu, Asya, Ayn, Hajna, Hana, Hanja, Hanka, Hanny, Nan, Nana, Nance, Nancee, Nancey, Nanci, Nancie, Nancy, Nanete, Nanette, Nanette, Nanice, Nanine, Nanni, Nannie, Nanny, Nanon, Nanor, Neti, Nettia, Nettie, Netty, Nina, Ninette, Ninon, Ninor, Ninoshka, Nita, Nona, Nonie, Oni and Onie.
From 1900 to 1970, it was consistently ranked in the top 100 for girls' names. In 2011, it was ranked the 593rd most popular name.
How many people do you know named Anne? I think today it is more popular as a middle name. Off hand, I can think of Lily Tomlin's Edith Anne & The Beach Boys' song Barbara Anne
They have a variation that is a blend of Anne and Janice--Annice.
Can you think up a new variant? If you do, maybe we can tweet it so that the people in Hollywood might see it and stop naming their babies such strange names!
Don't forget to enter the SWEEPSTAKES before it is too late!
P.S. Did you see that the British Open was held at Royal Lytham & St. Annes on the West Coast of England?
Monday, July 23, 2012
Day 6 - St. Anne's Day Soiree VIP Book Launch
Hi Anne Fans!
I hope you had a lovely weekend. And thankfully, my computer recovered!
Several years ago for my 25th Wedding Anniversary, my husband and I had the opportunity to travel through Europe. It was an amazing adventure, and we were very fortunate to be able to visit Paris. This was during The Da Vinci Code craze. Let me tell you, the Parisians did not relish the attention Dan Brown's book foisted upon them. Several tour guides at the beginning of their narrations before anyone in our group could even ask if something they had read in the book was true, stated flat out: The Da Vinci Code is not true.
Not to get all Dan Brown on you, but I wanted to tell you about St. Anne's connection to France. The things we know about St. Anne have been handed down through the centuries and are based on the non-biblical Protoevangelium of James, which was written in the second century. According to tradition, Joachim, Anne's husband, was a well-respected man, but sadly, he and Anne were childless. Anne, prayed for a baby, and God blessed her with Mary. Anne was so grateful, she dedicated her child to God when Mary was very young. Hence, all those paintings of Anne presenting Mary in the Temple.
Now, here's where what is known about St. Anne starts to veer off into Dan Brown territory. There are some legends that state that Mary Magdalene brought St. Anne's remains with her to Apt, France, in the first century when Jerusalem fell. Her relics were supposedly buried there in the church and then lost. However, 800 years later Charlemagne found them. From that time on, France has had a special bond with St. Anne.
The origin of the St. Anne prayer, which features prominently in St.Anne's Day, is as equally as sketchy as the details of St. Anne's life. No one knows for sure where it came from, but thank goodness Dan Brown didn't know about it, or he may have beaten me to the punch and used it as the subject of one of his novels. Though I doubt Anne would have had much interest in the Fibonacci sequence or Peg would have put up with his shenanigans!
I hope you had a lovely weekend. And thankfully, my computer recovered!
Several years ago for my 25th Wedding Anniversary, my husband and I had the opportunity to travel through Europe. It was an amazing adventure, and we were very fortunate to be able to visit Paris. This was during The Da Vinci Code craze. Let me tell you, the Parisians did not relish the attention Dan Brown's book foisted upon them. Several tour guides at the beginning of their narrations before anyone in our group could even ask if something they had read in the book was true, stated flat out: The Da Vinci Code is not true.
 |
| The Eiffel Tower at Night |
Not to get all Dan Brown on you, but I wanted to tell you about St. Anne's connection to France. The things we know about St. Anne have been handed down through the centuries and are based on the non-biblical Protoevangelium of James, which was written in the second century. According to tradition, Joachim, Anne's husband, was a well-respected man, but sadly, he and Anne were childless. Anne, prayed for a baby, and God blessed her with Mary. Anne was so grateful, she dedicated her child to God when Mary was very young. Hence, all those paintings of Anne presenting Mary in the Temple.
Now, here's where what is known about St. Anne starts to veer off into Dan Brown territory. There are some legends that state that Mary Magdalene brought St. Anne's remains with her to Apt, France, in the first century when Jerusalem fell. Her relics were supposedly buried there in the church and then lost. However, 800 years later Charlemagne found them. From that time on, France has had a special bond with St. Anne.
 |
| Charlemagne's Coronation as painted by Raphael 1516-1517 |
The origin of the St. Anne prayer, which features prominently in St.Anne's Day, is as equally as sketchy as the details of St. Anne's life. No one knows for sure where it came from, but thank goodness Dan Brown didn't know about it, or he may have beaten me to the punch and used it as the subject of one of his novels. Though I doubt Anne would have had much interest in the Fibonacci sequence or Peg would have put up with his shenanigans!
Don't forget to enter the sweepstakes and invite your friends. The festivities will soon be concluding. So don't miss out.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Day 2 St. Anne's Day VIP Soiree
Hi again, Anne Fans!
You may be wondering where the idea came from for St. Anne's Day. One of those sparks of inspiration is the St. Anne prayer:
I attended an all-girls, Catholic high school. The spring of my senior year in high school had the prom looming on the horizon. Now, some schools allow people to attend the prom without dates, but back then, no one would have thought to go to the prom stag. It would have been too embarrassing to admit that you couldn't snag a date. I was lucky; I had a boyfriend at the time. (Well, not really--he was a real nut) But at least I had a date, but there were several girls in my class, who didn't.
If you attended an all-girls school, you know that eligible, brothers, cousins, and male friends were rounded up as dates. My poor brother, Tim, and cousin Rich were corralled several times by girls I knew who needed dates. No eligible male was safe.
However, as we were approaching the deadline for buying prom tickets, there were still some girls that needed dates. Our Social Studies teacher, Sister Jane Frances, heard us trying to come up with dates for the other girls one day before class and like cupid in a veil, came to the rescue.
"Say the St. Anne prayer, girls. She'll find you dates," sister said.
None of us had ever heard of the prayer before. So she taught us that little rhyming prayer, and every day before class we said it in unison.
And guess what? It worked. There was not one girl in the class (there were only 56 of us) that I know of that didn't get a date that wanted one.
Now, I don't know if the St. Anne prayer is an officially sanctioned one, but it worked a miracle for my class, and I've always remembered it.
I think many people today would love to find the right person, but I think it has become increasingly harder. Maybe St. Anne is the answer.
Let me know if you have ever heard of the prayer before.
You may be wondering where the idea came from for St. Anne's Day. One of those sparks of inspiration is the St. Anne prayer:
Dear St. Anne, get me a man as fast as you can.
I attended an all-girls, Catholic high school. The spring of my senior year in high school had the prom looming on the horizon. Now, some schools allow people to attend the prom without dates, but back then, no one would have thought to go to the prom stag. It would have been too embarrassing to admit that you couldn't snag a date. I was lucky; I had a boyfriend at the time. (Well, not really--he was a real nut) But at least I had a date, but there were several girls in my class, who didn't.
If you attended an all-girls school, you know that eligible, brothers, cousins, and male friends were rounded up as dates. My poor brother, Tim, and cousin Rich were corralled several times by girls I knew who needed dates. No eligible male was safe.
However, as we were approaching the deadline for buying prom tickets, there were still some girls that needed dates. Our Social Studies teacher, Sister Jane Frances, heard us trying to come up with dates for the other girls one day before class and like cupid in a veil, came to the rescue.
"Say the St. Anne prayer, girls. She'll find you dates," sister said.
None of us had ever heard of the prayer before. So she taught us that little rhyming prayer, and every day before class we said it in unison.
And guess what? It worked. There was not one girl in the class (there were only 56 of us) that I know of that didn't get a date that wanted one.
Now, I don't know if the St. Anne prayer is an officially sanctioned one, but it worked a miracle for my class, and I've always remembered it.
I think many people today would love to find the right person, but I think it has become increasingly harder. Maybe St. Anne is the answer.
Let me know if you have ever heard of the prayer before.
Also, don't forget to enter the raffle!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Day 1 of the St. Anne's Day Soiree
Hi Anne Fans and welcome to the VIP St. Anne's Day Soiree!
When it's St. Anne's Day, it's your day too!
Until the actual St. Anne's Day on July 26, we will be having fun with all things "Anne." Before you leave the site, make sure to go to the right and enter the sweepstakes to win the $50 Gift Certificate to Red Lobster, which will be drawn by Rafflecopter at the conclusion of the festivities.
In addition, on July 26, you will be able to download the digital version for FREE of St. Anne's Day in celebration of this great day and the book's official launch. Because "When it's St. Anne's Day, it's your day too!"
So check back every day and make sure you sign up for my newsletter so I can keep you up-to-date on the latest happenings.
If you are a romance novelist, you know that one of the elements of a romance novel is the "cute meet," when the main characters meet for the first time. It is supposed to be memorable and unique. In case you haven't yet read St. Anne's Day, I won't give away the details of what happens when our heroine, Anne, meets her match--but it's not violin music and rainbows.
I enjoy hearing how people met their mates in real life. I met my husband through a blind date. However, the craziest "cute meet" I have ever heard was told to me by my boss when I was working at Westinghouse more than 20 years ago.
My boss was in college at the time and her roommate had a blind date that evening. Unfortunately, the roommate got a tampon stuck inside her (didn't know that could happen--something new to worry about) so my boss took the roommate to the ER where a handsome young doctor extracted the tampon. They made it back home in time for the date. When the bell rang and my boss opened the door, she nearly fell over. Standing in the doorway was the young doctor from the ER, who had just removed the tampon! She said her roommate just about died when she came around the corner and saw him standing there.
Needless to say, the roommate and the doctor married within the year!
Do you have a "cute meet" story, either yours or someone you know, that you'd like to share? Please post in the comments.
P.S. Don't forget to invite a friend who you think would enjoy our party.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Breaking the Mold
If you are a writer, you know that there are standard formats for submitting articles and manuscripts for publication. For manuscripts, it was always one-inch margins, double-spaced, header at the top with title, author, and page number.
Well, not only has the publishing world changed, but manuscipt formatting has also undergone a transformation. Finally, after schooling myself on the rapidly changing world of indie publishing, I've gotten to the point of formatting my novel St. Anne's Day for Smashwords, Kindle and CreateSpace.
The process was relatively painless--although I have been working with Microsoft Word forever. For others not so familiar with word processing, it may seem a bit confusing. However, Smashwords Style Guide was a great aid as was my "bible" Dollars and Sense: The Definitive Guide to Self-Publishing Success. I thought the CreateSpace instructions were a bit vague, but perhaps that is to encourage you to buy their formatting services. With a little adjustment, I was able to upload there without much trouble as well. Now I'm waiting on my cover from my designer so I can "go public" on Amazon.
One thing I will do differently now that I've been through this far of the process is ditch the manuscript format. Headers, page numbers, etc. are useless when indie publishing. Also, when it comes to indenting paragraphs, double spacing, and page breaks, I'm no longer going to include them, because when you convert the files, you end up taking them out anyway.
So for all of you embarking on prepping a new manuscript, it's time to break the manuscript format mold.
**Look for the debut of St. Anne's Day on the July 26, St. Anne's Day. Please sign up for my emails so I can keep you up-to-date on my progress. I plan free downloads for those who sign up for the newsletter!
***One bright note. Although the book is up on Kindle and Smashwords, I'm still reading through those versions to make sure everything converted right. But today I got my first sale through Smashwords without even letting anyone know that it was there.
Well, not only has the publishing world changed, but manuscipt formatting has also undergone a transformation. Finally, after schooling myself on the rapidly changing world of indie publishing, I've gotten to the point of formatting my novel St. Anne's Day for Smashwords, Kindle and CreateSpace.
 |
| I'm on Kindle! |
The process was relatively painless--although I have been working with Microsoft Word forever. For others not so familiar with word processing, it may seem a bit confusing. However, Smashwords Style Guide was a great aid as was my "bible" Dollars and Sense: The Definitive Guide to Self-Publishing Success. I thought the CreateSpace instructions were a bit vague, but perhaps that is to encourage you to buy their formatting services. With a little adjustment, I was able to upload there without much trouble as well. Now I'm waiting on my cover from my designer so I can "go public" on Amazon.
 |
| homeaccentstoday.com photo |
One thing I will do differently now that I've been through this far of the process is ditch the manuscript format. Headers, page numbers, etc. are useless when indie publishing. Also, when it comes to indenting paragraphs, double spacing, and page breaks, I'm no longer going to include them, because when you convert the files, you end up taking them out anyway.
So for all of you embarking on prepping a new manuscript, it's time to break the manuscript format mold.
**Look for the debut of St. Anne's Day on the July 26, St. Anne's Day. Please sign up for my emails so I can keep you up-to-date on my progress. I plan free downloads for those who sign up for the newsletter!
***One bright note. Although the book is up on Kindle and Smashwords, I'm still reading through those versions to make sure everything converted right. But today I got my first sale through Smashwords without even letting anyone know that it was there.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Six Sunday
Here is another brief selection from St. Anne's Day.
Anne looked at the silver disc in her palm, the bas relief
of a man holding a crucifix, a halo radiating about his head. She noticed something small depicted near the
bottom of the medal but couldn’t make it out.
“They say in addition to his being the patron saint of
expectant mothers that St. Gerard could also read the consciences of sinners,”
Peg said.
Anne moved toward the window where the light was brighter
and squinted at the medal. Then her
breath caught as she made out the article on the medal--it was a small
skull. She felt her blood drain from her
face as her peripheral vision narrowed and darkened to a tunnel of sight.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Six Sunday
Hi and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
Here is a teaser for my soon-to-be released novel St. Anne's Day. Hope you enjoy it as much as the first grilled burger of the summer season. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by. Also, you can read a sample chapter of St. Anne's Day on my website at www.janicelanepalko.com.
While you are there, sign up for email notification of when St. Anne's Day is available.
“Please don’t tell my mother I hired you,” Gerry said. “She thinks Medicare provided you. She’d have another heart attack if she knew I was paying out-of-pocket for a private-duty nurse.”
“My lips are sealed.” Anne noticed how he glanced at her lips for an instant as if to see if she should be taken literally. The predatory gaze that passed over his face made her heart beat irregularly, and flustered, she bent and picked up her bags.
Here is a teaser for my soon-to-be released novel St. Anne's Day. Hope you enjoy it as much as the first grilled burger of the summer season. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by. Also, you can read a sample chapter of St. Anne's Day on my website at www.janicelanepalko.com.
While you are there, sign up for email notification of when St. Anne's Day is available.
“Please don’t tell my mother I hired you,” Gerry said. “She thinks Medicare provided you. She’d have another heart attack if she knew I was paying out-of-pocket for a private-duty nurse.”
“My lips are sealed.” Anne noticed how he glanced at her lips for an instant as if to see if she should be taken literally. The predatory gaze that passed over his face made her heart beat irregularly, and flustered, she bent and picked up her bags.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Six Line Sunday
Here's a sample from my soon-to-be released novel, St. Anne's Day. Enjoy!
“Why did you invite her anyway? You say she’s just an employee. Oh, I know, you invited her so she could change water into wine for you!” Claudia said.
In the other room, Peg slapped her knee, laughing silently.
The argument continued for a while. Everyone at the party sat staring, their ears straining to hear more.
“Why did you invite her anyway? You say she’s just an employee. Oh, I know, you invited her so she could change water into wine for you!” Claudia said.
In the other room, Peg slapped her knee, laughing silently.
The argument continued for a while. Everyone at the party sat staring, their ears straining to hear more.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
My Book Cover is In!
Hi Readers:
Not to sound like Steve Martin in The Jerk when he ran through the street with the White Pages yelling, "The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!", but I've just gotten the cover for my novel from the designer and I like it.
This book is a romantic comedy/chick lit/inspirational, but the next one I plan to release will be a Christmas story called A Shepherd's Song. Since that will be an entirely different genre, I thought that perhaps blocking the title and my name and carrying that over to my other books will tie them all together. I'll probably change the colors and fonts to suit the book though.
Not to sound like Steve Martin in The Jerk when he ran through the street with the White Pages yelling, "The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!", but I've just gotten the cover for my novel from the designer and I like it.
This book is a romantic comedy/chick lit/inspirational, but the next one I plan to release will be a Christmas story called A Shepherd's Song. Since that will be an entirely different genre, I thought that perhaps blocking the title and my name and carrying that over to my other books will tie them all together. I'll probably change the colors and fonts to suit the book though.
Here is my cover. What do you think of it? I'm shooting for a release date of July 26, which if you didn't know it is St. Anne's Day. St. Anne We learned this prayer in high school and it figures in the book:
Dear St. Anne, get me a man as fast as you can.
I went to an all girls, Catholic school and some of the girls needed prom dates. Sr. Jane Frances taught the class this prayer, and all the girls got dates for the prom. St. Anne is the patron of single women.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Some Great Feedback & Praise for Second Set of Eyes
Well, I'm progressing with the publication of my novel, St. Anne's Day. All the experts recommend having your manuscript professionally edited before publishing. I searched for an editor and found one with impeccable credentials and experience. Plus her website has the same template that I used for a former website--I figured she had good taste like me (ha ha). The editor was Cynthia Sherwood at
www.secondsetofeyes.com
I sent her my first chapter to evaluate it for an estimate and was I pleasantly surprised to get this message from her:
However, and I should preface this by saying I've never said this to a potential client before, you need to decide whether it's necessary to hire someone. Though it's possible the rest isn't as clean as the first chapter, it really does look like it's in great shape. I hate for you to spend money on something that may be only marginally helpful. But, of course, if you decide to go ahead with it, I would love to take you on as a client. Let me know what you think.
Not only does she have great credentials, she has integrity! What a gem I found. I'm ecstatic that the novel is in such good shape and doubly pleased to find someone with such depth of character that she would actually advise me that I don't really need her services.
You can bet I will be consulting her in the future for any editing projects I may have.
www.secondsetofeyes.com
I sent her my first chapter to evaluate it for an estimate and was I pleasantly surprised to get this message from her:
However, and I should preface this by saying I've never said this to a potential client before, you need to decide whether it's necessary to hire someone. Though it's possible the rest isn't as clean as the first chapter, it really does look like it's in great shape. I hate for you to spend money on something that may be only marginally helpful. But, of course, if you decide to go ahead with it, I would love to take you on as a client. Let me know what you think.
Not only does she have great credentials, she has integrity! What a gem I found. I'm ecstatic that the novel is in such good shape and doubly pleased to find someone with such depth of character that she would actually advise me that I don't really need her services.
You can bet I will be consulting her in the future for any editing projects I may have.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Six Line Sunday
This is a scene from St. Anne's Day, my soon-to-be published novel, when Anne, the main character, and Gerry, her love interest, take to the dance floor during a wedding they attend.
Little by little, Anne melted into Gerry’s body until there was no longer any distance between them. The stiletto heels made her taller, elevating her head so that it came to his chest. She rested it next to his heart, closed her eyes, and inhaled his intoxicating cologne. She could feel the strength of his muscles beneath the gabardine suit as he held her tightly. The heat from his body penetrated her and fused them together. She would be content to spend eternity like this.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday
“Anne, could you get into my pants?”
Anne’s eyes grew wide. “Pardon me?”
“Hell,” Letitia mumbled. “Now that is what I’d call one of them ‘offers you can’t refuse.’”
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