Dr. Elaine Watson never loses. Period. So she won’t miss out on a chance to restore the Bluebird Bed-and-Breakfast. The owner’s son, Dean Collins, seems just as determined as she is. A famous photojournalist, he hasn’t been home in years, so why does he want to turn the Bluebird, a charming old B and B, into a fishing camp?
With just a few weeks to create the winning plan, Elaine has no choice but to spend time with the guy. She’s drawn to the handsome, wounded man, but being with Dean would mean giving up the future she’s been dreaming of… And Dr. Elaine Watson never gives up.
Grab the Kleenex one minute and laugh the next. There’s a little of everything in this read; emotion, love, the sadness of life and a heartwarming town full of witty and wacky residents always ready to put in their two cents. I have not had the pleasure of reading any of the previous stories in this series but plan to do so soon as well as the new one just out. For a short tale I found THE BLUEBIRD BET as completely fulfilling and satisfying a read as any other story. There’s a lot of wit and humor and just plain good common sense and kindness. I definitely recommend THE BLUEBIRD BET for a satisfying and beautiful experience. Kay Quintin, FRESH FICTION
I can always tell when I’m about two weeks away from a trip because the crazy dreams start. Sometimes I’m in college and failing a history class because I never knew how to find the classroom. Sometimes there’s a maniac clown after me and all the doorways are tilted. Listen, don’t ask. I have a long list of dreams that just…I can’t even explain. I’ve gotten pretty used to those. Last night I had a new one:
I’m fully clothed but in the shower. With me, although I don’t know it at the time, is a an author whom I’ve never met. Because of our last names, we are usually near each other at book signings. In real life, I know what she writes and that she has an impressive sense of style and fashion. More than once I have admired her shoes. In my dream, she’s a zombie. And in this world, zombies hate water. So I’m in the shower, but she’s hidden behind her own black shower curtains inside the shower and I’m dumping buckets of water over her shower. In my dreams and in my real world, bucket = old Country Crock container. Just so you get the full visual. So I’m dumping. And dumping. And dumping. Every now and then there’s a mumbly growl from behind the black curtains. Finally I get smart and pull down the handheld shower thingy and aim it over her shower curtains.
Then the water pressure dies.
So I’m in the shower with an angry zombie.
Somehow I grab her by scruff of the neck, but she’s doing that cartoon glance where she’s looking obviously at my hand and back at my face and back at my hand and back at my face. When I look down, there’s a fang sticking out of my hand. Everyone knows that zombieism is contagious through the bite, right? I don’t know why she had fangs. Also, she must have introduced herself by saying “I’m a zombie” because she looked pretty undead to me. Except for the fang sticking out of my hand.
I did not notice her shoes in the dream. Also, this is why I do no prepping for doomsday. Instead of smashing her with the handheld shower thingy, I reach inside. When doomsday comes, I’ll be the first to go. It’s okay.
When I woke up, I had my dog in a wrestling hold that’s probably called the double chicken wing or something creative and he was all “What the what?”.
No animals or zombies were harmed in this dream episode. But now you will understand why I’m a zombie in San Antonio.
STILL, IF YOU’RE NEAR SAN ANTONIO ON JULY 23, COME AND SEE ME! This is the video from Atlanta’s literacy event. It’s cool.
At the literacy signing, I’ll have my two latest books (Santa, Bring My Baby Back and A Minute on the Lips, I think) and some freebies (and I know where at least one zombie is sitting. I’ll protect you. You trust me, right?).
I’ll also have some of these bracelets to give away! If you want to win one before that or you aren’t in the San Antonio area, here’s a chance to win your own: Heartwarming Authors Blog.
First things first: Happy Memorial Day. Please remember the service and sacrifice military men and women and their families make and say thank you if you can.
I didn’t look at the date of my last post because I had to really think, think, think to remember how to log on so that’s way too long. Thus, long post ahead!
1. I’m working on THREE more books for Harlequin Heartwarming and I AM ALL EXCITE about this. We’ll be going back to Tall Pines to visit a beautiful bed and breakfast on lovely Spring Lake, and then we’re changing scenery, going a little international, and then going to the dogs and cats and…well, we’ll have to see! I love all three concepts, so let’s see how well I can pull them off. While I’ve been away, the 2-in-1 version of A Minute on the Lips for sale in Australia arrived. SHINY! Also, “G’day, mate. Throw another shrimp on the barbie.” That’s all the Australian I know.
Here’s the whole international family: A Minute on the Lips, its British cousin, and the Australian branch.
2. I drove down to the RT Booklovers’ Convention in New Orleans at some point this month. All my days are blurred together, you know? It was my first visit to New Orleans and my first RT. Highlights: hanging with my friend Codi Gary, meeting Sara from Harlequin Junkie, peeking at Lisa Kleypas at the Avon party at Acme Oyster House, and shaking Charlaine Harris’s hand, and…there are many! After all the convention excitement and actually meeting FANS (I mean, of MY books, not just people who like to read because I love those but people who talk about my characters and are not actually named my best friend…that’s like whoa), I went to Cafe du Monde, had beignets, and this view.
3. I drove to Florida, camped out under an umbrella, and listened to the waves with the person named my best friend. It was awesome. We watched the beach attendant. We shopped. And did I mention it was awesome? Because it was. When we decided to exert ourselves, we visited the Gulfarium and I learned that I need a 13-stroke handicap to play minigolf on the pink course at the Big Kahuna. That was a sobering realization. Obviously I need to work on my putt-putt golf stroke.
4. I drove home. The ginormous yard had returned to its natural, jungle-like state, the mail was out of control, and the dog was mad. If they didn’t keep the beach so far away, I would have just jumped right back in the car. Eleven days, 1500 miles, 27 hours in the car. After I fought my way out of the paper bag that is streets I’ve driven my whole life and still managed to miss my turns, I did it flawlessly. There was some circling of the hotel in New Orleans, but I blame traffic, construction, and one-way streets for that.
5. Now I must write like the wind. Yesterday was a solid day of 5,000 words. I’m looking at my deadline and doing the math on my fingers and thinking there’s totally a chance I could still possibly make it. Maybe. Everyone keep your fingers crossed for me, ‘mkay? While I write, this song is playing in my head. The Bandit is my driving inspiration, after all. I’m just going to get in the rocking chair and put the pedal to the metal.
Cheryl Harper Books 