Posted by Gwynlyn MacKenzie Jan 31 2012, 12:01 am in Charley Davidson, Darynda Jones, Grim Reaper, humor, paranormal romance, Ruby Release
Today, I have the pleasure of announcing the release of Darynda Jones’s third Charley Davidson book,
Third Grave Dead Ahead
I admit, paranormal isn’t my usual read, but I have to say, I’ve loved the two previous books. And once my husband discovered Charley Davidson and her sassy, irreverent humor, I had to hide Second Grave on the Left so I could read it first!
Now, he counts himself one of Darynda’s biggest fans and is as antsy as I am to read Third Grave. Since he’s watching the mail, I’ll just have to be a bit more creative to outflank him yet again. No way I’m waiting for him to finish reading it first. When that book makes it into this house, it’s mine!
Okay, enough gushing. Let’s get on to the good stuff.
HEEEEERRRRRRE’S Darynda!
Thanks so much for hosting me, Gwynlyn!
So, yes, today the third in the Charley Davidson series, THIRD GRAVE DEAD AHEAD, drops. This has been an amazing journey, one that started with that Golden Heart final and led me to the phenomenal life of a Ruby Slippered Sister. A fact for which I am forever grateful.
And, as one reader pointed out, those same Rubies know my story through-and-through, God bless ‘em, But some don’t. For those who don’t know the story of how Charley Davidson was born, I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version.
Before I even started, I knew I wanted to write paranormal. I knew I wanted to write a female lead who could deliver a series of one-liners while applying mascara without missing a beat. Or getting a smudge. And I knew I wanted her to be very down to earth despite any paranormal powers she might have. So I was lying in bed one morning, waiting for my turn in the shower, when Charley hit me. Not literally, but you understand. I wanted a little bit of Buffy, a smidgeon of Stephanie Plum, and a LOT of Lorelei Gilmore from the Gilmore Girls. Actually what I wanted was that back-and-forth banter, the lightning-fast dialogue that I love so much. And Charley Davidson was born.
Here is a quick excerpt of Third Grave.
Posted by Vivi Andrews Jan 23 2012, 12:01 am in author interview, debut, historical romance, Regency, Ruby Release, Sara Ramsey
 Today I’m thrilled and privileged to host our very own Sara Ramsey as we discuss her inaugural release, the fun and fabulous regency romance Heiress Without a Cause.
After winning the Golden Heart in 2009 and being named a finalist again in 2011 (with the first two books she wrote, but lets all pretend we aren’t green with envy over that), Sara is launching her delightful Muses of Mayfair series with those Golden Heart recognized novels, featuring artistic, rebellious highborn ladies and the rakish lords who love them.
Sara grew up in a small town in Iowa, and confesses to an obsession with fashion, shoes (of course), and all things British. She graduated from Stanford University in 2003 with a degree in Symbolic Systems (also known as cognitive science) and a minor in history. After graduation, she worked at Google for seven years in a variety of sales, management, and communications roles. She left Google in 2010 to pursue her writing career full time.
And now she can add “published author” to her impressive CV.
Heiress Without a Cause
One title to change his life…
A disgraced son with a dark reputation, William “Ferguson” Avenel is content to live in exile – until his father dies in the scandal of the Season. With rumors of insanity swirling around them, his sisters desperately need a chaperone. Ferguson thinks he’s found the most proper woman in England – and he won’t ruin her, even if he desperately wants the passionate woman trapped beneath a spinster’s cap.
One chance to break the rules…
Lady Madeleine Vaillant can’t face her blighted future without making one glorious memory for herself. In disguise, on a London stage, she finds all the adoration she never felt from the ton. But when she’s nearly recognized, she will do anything to hide her identity – even setting up her actress persona as Ferguson’s mistress. She’ll take the pleasure he offers, but Madeleine won’t lose her heart in the bargain.
One season to fall in love…
Every stolen kiss could lead to discovery, and Ferguson’s old enemies are determined to ruin them both. But as their dangerous passion ignites their hearts and threatens their futures, how can an heiress who dreams of freedom deny the duke who demands her love?
Posted by Addison Fox Nov 29 2011, 12:01 am in historical romance, Ruby Release
 I am SO excited to celebrate the release of Ruby Sister Elizabeth Essex’s third book, THE DANGER OF DESIRE. Elizabeth has been an incredibly busy Ruby and this is her third release in a year, coming on the heels of THE PURSUIT OF PLEASURE (12/10) and A SENSE OF SIN (4/11).
I’ve really been looking forward to celebrating Elizabeth’s release day. I’ve loved these books and THE DANGER OF DESIRE did NOT disappoint!!! This is Captain Hugh McAlden’s book. Now I’ve had a little thing for Hugh since he appeared on the page in PURSUIT and have been anxiously awaiting his book. And OH WOW, EE did not disappoint.
This book is lush and beautiful, evoking equal parts MY FAIR LADY and a good spy thriller and I was enthralled from page one clear through to the end. Here’s a short excerpt:
Posted by Vivi Andrews Nov 22 2011, 12:01 am in post-apocalyptic romance, Ruby Release
A couple years ago I heard Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Jayne Castle & Amanda Quick) talk about the difference between genre fiction and literary fiction. In a word, it was optimism. The happy (or emotionally satisfying) ending is what draws the line in the sand between romance and romantic fiction. The killer will be captured, the guy will get the girl, and the world will be saved. We demand it as genre fiction readers and we strive for it as writers.
Belief in a happily ever after isn’t always easy to find. My latest romance takes place after an apocalyptic epidemic (not exactly an idyllic scene set for romance to bloom). It would have been easy to write The Road or any number of post-apocalyptic books with dour endings, but I believe love can happen anywhere. Even when things look most bleak. In the darkest hour, that’s when our real mettle shows through. That’s when a heroine learns to live and love again, rather than just survive the apocalypse. Happiness is there.
Every romance novel is chock full of obstacles to that HEA and we as authors need the optimism to believe that happy endings are possible in this crazy world or we’ll never be able to see our characters through to The End. We have to be able to stare that black moment in the face and turn it into hope.
That, I think, is why it can be so hard to write through divorce, loss and other real life hardships. It’s hard to feel optimism when life is smacking you around, but we as authors need that belief in Love and Happy Endings just as much as our characters do.
Are you an optimist? Do you believe in happily ever after? Did you ever have a stumbling block to that belief? How did you find your optimism again?
————————–
Today one lucky commenter will win a copy of Vivi’s latest happily-ever-after novella, Reawakening Eden, releasing today in ebook.
 When life is a struggle, love is the ultimate luxury.
Librarian Eden Fairfax knows exactly where to find books about survival. None of them mentioned how to manage in the aftermath of a worldwide epidemic—with two young orphans in tow.
On a journey south to warmer climes, she finds sanctuary for all three of them among a community of survivors in Seattle. Until she realizes the children are the centerpiece of their bizarre new religion. There’s no choice but to run as far and as fast as her stolen car will go.
Former Army Ranger Connor Reed had planned to live out the end of the world in peace. Yet he can’t stand by and do nothing while a lone woman defends two children from an armed thug. Even if doing something means taking the trio in.
Eden’s not sure if the armed hermit is her salvation or an even more dangerous threat. A blizzard forces her to trust him with their lives, and in Connor’s arms she remembers what it’s like to live.
Just beyond the edge of the storm, though, the cult leader awaits his chance to get his hands on the children—and make Eden his next sexual sacrifice.
Warning: This book contains a strong, silent action-hero, a tough, tenacious heroine, a pair of steal-your-heart kids, and a pony-sized dog named Precious.
Buy from Samhain :: Kindle :: Nook
Posted by Cynthia Justlin Oct 25 2011, 12:01 am in Ruby Release
 I’m going to let you in on a shameful secret. I used to scoff at the idea that characters had a mind of their own. When authors would talk about how their hero or heroine did something unexpected, I’d loftily think, “I control my characters, not the other way around.”
Then something weird happened to me as I was writing my first romantic suspense, Her Own Best Enemy. See, I needed a best bud for my hero, Keith—a throwaway character that would come on screen for a couple of scenes and then quietly fade into the background. Cameron Scott leapt onto the page, during a tense scene between Keith and Grace and took over. He broke their stalemate with a quirky sense of humor that came out of nowhere. And when I pushed him into the background, he refused to stay there.
I tried to ignore him at first, because, well, I’m just not funny. And Cam…is. He’s got these great one-liners that come out of nowhere and I’ve never been able to put together a one-liner in my life. Trust me on this, I even polled my husband, and his response was, “No, not funny. Not even close.” So, how could I even contemplate writing a hero whose voice was completely different than mine?
Not only did I contemplate but somehow I found the courage to jump in and let Cam loose. The more he joked, the more I realized his jokes were really just a mask for his pain—both physical and emotional—and it was his sense of humor that allowed the heroine, Audra, to open up to him. INTRUSION was my 2009 Golden Heart finaling book, and one of the most fun stories to write. Every day I sat down at my computer, Cam managed to surprise me. And I loved that. Especially because he was absolutely nothing like me.
So not that I’ve confessed, I expect you to do the same. Have you always believed your characters were real, flesh and blood people, with minds of their own? Or did a character have to take you by surprise to make a believer out of you?
Cynthia Justlin is an author of action adventure romantic suspense. Her newest book, INTRUSION, is now available at Amazon and B&N. For more about Cynthia, check out her website.
Posted by Liz Talley Oct 4 2011, 12:00 am in Ruby Release, the dragon and the pearl, Touch of Scarlet
 Welcome to a double dose of Ruby releases! Since things seem to be coming in twos for Harlequin Historical author Jeannie Lin – two novellas, two full-length books and two little peas in the pod – we thought it would be great to share our debut date and give the RSS blog readers a two-for-one deal!
So today, I’m hosting Jeannie’s release of Harlequin Historical The Dragon and the Pearl, an already highly-touted follow up to Jeannie’s first book Butterfly Swords. I love Jeannie’s writing – it’s sensual and strong – so I’m looking forward to diving into another story that will whisk me away to ancient China.
Jeannie’s interview is up first…
Liz: I loved the evocative writing and world-building of Butterfly Swords, and I felt many readers responded to the atypical setting and hero. How does The Dragon and the Pearl compare?
Posted by Rita Henuber Sep 6 2011, 12:01 am in Ruby Release
I’m so pleased to host Anne Marie Becker on the book birthday of debut novel Only Fear.
Only Fear won the 2009 Golden Heart® for Best Romantic Suspense. The story is about a psychiatrist, Dr. Maggie Levine, who becomes a radio talk show host after a violent incident with a patient. Psychoanalyzing on the air lets her do what she loves and at a safe distance. That is until a caller begins to murder people to get her attention. Maggie turns to former Secret Service Agent Ethan Townsend, now a personal security expert to track down the violent monster intent on teaching her the ultimate lesson in fear….
EXCERPT
“Hello?” It was barely a whisper as she gasped for air.
“Maggie,” the cheerful voice said. Owen’s voice. “You got home safe, I see.” He chuckled as her grip tightened on the phone. “And by now, you’ve learned tonight’s lesson.”
“Lesson?” She was pleased that her voice sounded stronger. Stronger, but not strong enough.
“About fear, of course. Did I scare you, Maggie? I believe I did,” he said when she didn’t answer. “I proved my point. But then, I knew you’d be an apt pupil. After all, you earned the highest marks in all of your classes in medical school.”
“Why did you do this?” The man was insane.
Again, Owen’s voice flipped from thrilled to threatening in the space of a stuttering heartbeat. “There is only fear. All other emotions are born of fear. You have to understand that before we move on to your next lesson.”
Zowza! Some heavy duty stuff. Knowing Anne Marie I was struck by the difference in her and this dark story. I asked her about this contradiction and she responded thoughtfully, “You know I never smoked, or played with matches but I know how to burn a body.”
My reply was “Girl….
Does Your Mama Know What You’re Writing?
When Rita asked me this question, I laughed.
Of course not. My mama thinks I’m a good girl, her straight-A student, and perfect eldest daughter, a role model for my siblings.
And, I am. (*twirls pigtails around fingers*) I’m innocent and pure. I was an honor student, Valedictorian, summa cum laude, and all that good stuff.
But yeah, I write romantic suspense. Books with death and sex and all kinds of gritty tidbits in them. (Oh my.)
Still, I’m pure at heart. It’s the voices in my head that make me write the things I do. Where did those voices come from? Many grade-school years of secretly devouring garage-sale paperback romance novels and almost everything Stephen King wrote.
Rita also asked if I’d been out TP’g (toilet-papering) houses before. Moi? (*bats eyelashes*) I was home studying every night, of course. (And if I wasn’t, Mama didn’t know about it, so shush!)
But I digress… I was talking about the voices in my head. I kind of blame Mama for them. She’s the most likely source of my interest in the macabre, though she’d never admit that’s what it is. She’s the type who watches 60 Minutes, Dateline, Nancy Grace and any manner of true crime story and clamors for justice, wondering how there can be such people in the world.
Underneath, however, I’m convinced Mama has a secret fascination with evil and overcoming it, and I think I inherited it. (Is there a gene for that kind of thing? There must be.) It’s this fascination that led me to study biology and psychology, and to pursue a career in the mental health field. A desire, sometimes a need, to understand what makes people (and yes, also evil people too) tick has motivated every course I chose in college. Well, except for those pesky core curriculum courses – though philosophy, come to think of it, was also about understanding mankind.
So it’s probably no surprise that I became fascinated with stories of serial killers and the people who hunt them when I researched my Mindhunters series. Reading the books of John Douglas, and stories of the beginnings of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit were jaw-dropping and enlightening. Here were true villains. People who let their dark sides reign.
So, what holds us in check? What keeps the rest of society from acting on their darker impulses? Perhaps it’s our belief that love overcomes evil. Good wins over bad. I don’t know the answer, but given my history, I know I intend to explore it further!
And yes, I’ve been TP’g before – just ask some of my fellow honor students who were with me. (*twirls pigtails*)
How about you? Are people surprised at what genre you read/write, or what deep, dark thoughts you’ve had? Come on, confession time. I know I’m not alone here.
To get your copy of Only Fear go to Carina Press, Amazon, B&N
Posted by Jeannie Lin Sep 1 2011, 12:10 am in Ruby Release
 Ideas never come easily for me and I always find it interesting and actually helpful to reflect on what’s driving the idea behind a story. For my latest Harlequin Historical Undone release, THE LADY’S SCANDALOUS NIGHT, I channeled some very specific memories from my childhood.
We would spend the summers at Grandma’s house, often sleeping over. My grandmother seemed to have perpetual insomnia. She’d stay up very late at night knitting, wake up way early in the morning, and just take a nice long nap in the afternoon when we were expected to play nice and not disturb her. (I seem to have developed the same sleep patterns.)
She’d keep the TV on at night and I remember laying on the couch and watching these late night samurai dramas while the click, click, click of her knitting needles sounded in the background. The dramas were in Japanese and only sometimes sub-titled. Grandma didn’t actually understand Japanese, but she didn’t understand English that well either.I couldn’t read that fast, so I was left trying to guess what was happening on the screen most of the time.
 Oh, the delicious melodrama! The extreme highs and lows of human emotion! I remember one heartbreaking scene where the heroine is dying in her fabulous kimono and the hero gives her water from his lips and it’s the first and only time they allow themselves to “kiss.” My little eight year old heart was racing.
In retrospect, what was Grandma doing showing samurai dramas to a young impressionable girl like me? There was death and passion and star-crossed love and more death. In samurai films, all the good guys die. The heroine dies. Everybody dies and you are left to reflect on the impermanence of life and nobility of sacrifice.
What a downer! I was left wondering why did they have to do that? Couldn’t they have done it another way? And so I kept on wondering and pondering for likely the next twenty or thirty years until the chance to write THE LADY’S SCANDALOUS NIGHT came along. And I finally saw a chance to put all those elements together: unbreakable oaths, loyalty, duty, sacrifice and love. I could take a noble hero who was ready to die and a strong-willed heroine who was just as ready to sacrifice herself, but I could finally REWRITE THE STORY.
So you see, I think it’s a fallacy to assume that less thought and effort goes into writing a short story. Sometimes a short story comes from an idea that’s been a long time coming. Brainstorming and plotting and executing a short is like distilling alcohol down into one powerful shot. It goes down quickly, but should hit you twice as hard. At least, that’s my philosophy on it. 
THE LADY’S SCANDALOUS NIGHT releases today and is available from eHarlequin, Amazon, B&N and almost anywhere ebooks are sold. I’ll be giving away a digital copy to one commenter to celebrate.
Official blurbage here:
Tang Dynasty China, 759 A.D.
Yao Ru Jiang, known as River, has woven many romantic dreams of honorable swordsman Wei Chen from her brother’s stories. Their meeting should have been a happy event; instead, Chen arrives to tell River he is duty bound to kill her brother for rebelling against the warlord they both serve.
River would do anything to distract the handsome, conflicted warrior from his mission—even take him as a lover….
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Have you ever dug out some unexpected source of inspiration from your past?
Posted by Amanda Brice Aug 25 2011, 12:01 am in Ruby Release
I’m so excited to host a Ruby Release Party for my fellow Pixie-Ruby sister, Bev Pettersen! If you’ve never read a Bev Pettersen book, then you need to put that on your to-do list ASAP. Quite simply, in a word, they ROCK. Romance, intrigue, horses…what’s not to love?
Bev is amongst the bevy (I’m so punny!) of talented authors taking their career in their own hands and jumping into the indie-publishing waters. She released her debut novel, Jockeys and Jewels earlier this summer. Her sophomore effort, Color My Horse, just launched last week, and I cannot WAIT to dive right in. I haven’t had a chance to read this one yet, but I devoured her first book, so I know this is going to be just as good, if not better! Fortunately, I’m heading out on vacation this weekend, and I know this will make excellent beach reading!
If you don’t believe me, here’s what USA Today Bestselling Author Julianne MacLean says: “Bev Pettersen writes with flair and a down-to-earth warmth that will make you smile and sigh with contentment.” Sounds good, right? So let’s see what Bev herself has to say!
Bev: Yippee! So glad to have this book on the shelf. Color My Horse is especially close to my heart as it was written while I was saying good-bye to the best horse I’ll ever have the privilege to know. I was agonizing about whether he could make it through another cold Canadian winter and had the idea about an aging Thoroughbred who just wasn’t going to last much longer at the track. Much of my emotion spilled over to Jessica who struggles with her new job as a stablehand—she’s very much a fish out of water—and also her feelings for her sexy but focused boss and Buddy, the old racehorse with the big heart.
Amanda: The extent of my horse racing knowledge comes from being born during the Kentucky Derby weekend, but I didn’t find it difficult to follow at all. Your vivid descriptions really helped draw me seamlessly into that world. Brava! But given my own experience with dance mysteries, I wonder if your blend of romance, horses and mystery make the books more or less difficult to sell?
Bev: More difficult, for sure. They didn’t fit into any neat slots. For a period, I even tried to write with “less horse” but it wasn’t much fun and I quickly found it best to stick to what I’m passionate about. I’d always loved The Black Stallion series and Dick Francis novels so horses and romance, spiced with with a bit of mystery, were the perfect niche.
Amanda: Well, I definitely love niche books and know you’ve hit on a winning mix! In addition to your first two manuscripts finaling in the Golden Heart, you had considerable success on RWA’s contest circuit. Obviously you knew there were readers out there that would enjoy your writing.
Bev: Yes, but the publishers weren’t so enthralled. A helpful contest judge pointed out that my books were “different” and tactfully suggested I enter the Elements category instead of Single Title. Immediately after that, my first book, Jockeys and Jewels, finaled in the GH, and then the next year, Color My Horse.
Amanda: Making you both a Pixie Chick and a Ruby Slippered Sister! Yay! With all your contest success, what made you decide to self-publish? What advice do you have for others considering this route?
Bev: I had worked for about six years at improving my craft and knew this was the type of book I wanted to write. My agent shopped it around and we received responses such as “don’t think we have the readership for this type of book”. However, I simply believed with the Internet, I could find my own readers. Of course, it helped to have encouragement from fellow authors such as Cate Rowan, Julianne MacLean, Theresa Ragan and you, Amanda. I think one morning I emailed you six times with questions! Fortunately, you had just published Codename: Dancer and had all the answers.
For people considering this route, it helps to find an experienced editor. I would also recommend having at least two books ready to go. And ask for help. The learning curve is steep, but everyone is so very generous.
Amanda: Last week, you were third on Amazon’s Movers and Shakers List, and Jockeys and Jewels was as low as 250 on overall kindle sales. AWESOME! You must be glad you chose the indie route.
Bev: Glad but mainly grateful to all the readers who took a chance and bought Jockeys. Big thanks! It’s liberating to write the books we love. With the growing use of e-books and POD, readers can find exactly what they want—they just punch in their subjects. Shelf space is unlimited. I don’t think the publishing industry is any easier though, just different.
Amanda: I loved how you wrapped up the mystery element in the first book. I assume you’re a plotter. Can you describe your process?
Bev: I’m actually not much of a plotter *grin* except for the mystery elements. Generally I let the characters lead me. With both those books, I’d write in the morning and then go ride. Once I relax in the saddle, the next scenes just unfold in my head. Being close to the horses always revs my creativity.
Amanda: I hear ya. It really helps to write about what you love.
What about you? Do you have a passion, either secret or not-so-secret, that makes writing fun? Or maybe a much-loved pet that has crept into your writing and makes you smile? Leave a comment and we’ll draw at the end of the day for copies of Color My Horse—one copy for every ten comments!
Posted by Gwynlyn MacKenzie Aug 23 2011, 12:01 am in contemporary romance, Home at Last Chance, Hope Ramsay, new release, Ruby Release, spotlight
Haley Rhodes Tells All!
 It’s August, and Last Chance, South Carolina is sweltering, but when Miz Ruby called to tell me another of her sons was in the cross-hairs, I couldn’t resist. Clay and Jane’s story turned out so well, and I really do want find out what happened after the Great Lightning Strike at Golfing For God.
Reaching the Cut ‘N Curl, I hurry out of the heat, my mouth watering for a long, cold glass of Miz Ruby’s sweet tea. I no sooner enter the shop, however, than my arms are filled with young Haley Rhodes who looks like she’s gone ten rounds with an army of chocolate chip cookies.
The cookies, obviously, lost, but not without doing some damage.
“Praise the Lord, Gwyn,” Ruby says. “You’re an answer to prayer. Elbert just called. There’s a ruckus down at Golfing For God. Watch Haley, won’t you?”
And with that, Miz Ruby and all the church ladies bustle out the door, leaving me gaping at the gamin sprite smearing chocolate on my white blouse.
Now I remember Haley from my last visit. Haley sees angels. One particular angel, who she calls The Sorrowful Angel, seems to be her constant companion.
She’s grown and lost her two front teeth since last I saw her, but her hair is still defying restraint and her clothes refusing to stay clean. She’s just precious, and I can’t help but give her a hug as we watch Miz Ruby’s van disappear.
“I wonder what that’s all about,” I murmur, glancing around the silent shop, unsure how I’ll keep Haley out of mischief until Miz Ruby returns.
“It’s Uncle Tulane, Miz Gwyn.” Haley shakes her head, looking much too wise for her seven years. ”He’s come home, and he’s a magnet for trouble.”
Someday, I’m going to ask Miz Ruby what she was thinking when she named her children, but for now, Haley needs me. ”And how do you know that, Miss Haley?”
“Granny says so. She says trouble follows him like his old blue tick hound used to. It’s so bad, he has hisself a babysitter.”
A babysitter? Interesting.
I make myself comfy in one of the well-padded salon chairs and settle Haley on my lap. “Want to tell me about it?”
“Yes’m. See it’s all on account of the fact that they painted Uncle Tulane’s racecar pink. I don’t see any problem with a pink car—after all Barbie has one, and Mrs. Henrietta Charles down over to Allenberg got one selling Mary Kay—but Granny says Uncle Tulane is kind of proud. And besides, I reckon pink is a funny color for a man to wear.”
“Well yes, I suppose it is,” I agree, trying not to grin. I’ve seen a couple of NASCAR races, and Tulane Rhodes drives a car sponsored by Cottontail Disposable Diapers. The car’s cotton-candy color is more than enough to make a man cringe, but the sponsor added insult to injury and painted a huge cuddle bunny on its hood.
Tulane’s pit crew looks pitiful in pink.
“So, anyways,” Haley continues, “Uncle Tulane was supposed to help at the Value Mart with the baby-changing races only he played hooky. I reckon his boss got really mad at him for that, and he got put in the dog house. ”
“Baby-changing races?” I ask. “What the he . . eck is a baby-changing race?”
“Oh, that’s where mamas bring their babies to the Value Mart and have a race to see who can change their baby fastest using Cottontail Disposable Diapers with the quick release tabs for quicker pit stops.”
I stifle a groan. The tag line is cheesy enough without the child’s deadpan delivery.
“Anyways, Uncle Tulane is supposed to go to the races and of.. off…”
Unwilling to watch her struggle, I hazard a guess. “Officiate?”
Halely nods. (Whew!) ”Yup, that’s the word. So, you see, when Uncle Tulane played hooky, he got in big trouble. And that’s when the folks who make the diapers sent Miss Sarah Murray. She’s Uncle Tulane’s babysitter. She’s supposed to make sure he goes to all the baby-changing races on his schedule.
“I guess he doesn’t like her very much.”
“I wouldn’t say that. Miss Sarah is really smart. She came up with an idea for Uncle Tulane to do something instead of baby-changing races.”
“Oh? And what might that be?”
“She wants to help mamas learn how to use car seats to keep their babies safe. And I think that’s a real good idea because, when I was little, I was in a car wreck, but I didn’t get hurt on account of my car seat. I want to help Uncle Tulane and Miss Sarah with the car seats, but my daddy said no. He’s a grump. Even The Sorrowful Angel thinks helping with the car seats would be a good thing.”
Haley releases a long, woebegone sigh—just before her busy little mind lights on another thought.
“Hey, you know what”
“No. What?”
“Miss Sarah is smart about some other stuff, too, like Granddaddy’s putt-putt course. She told everyone she thought Golfing for God could be the kind of fun place folks from all around the world would come to. And she even convinced Miz Hettie Marshall, the richest lady in town, to form a committee that’s going to fix up what got broke that time when Aunt Jane’s boyfriend came and made trouble. I’m glad about that.”
An index finger makes feathering swipes at one of the chocolate stains decorating my now ruined blouse. “But I’m not so sure about what Miz Miriam says about Miss Sarah.”
Oh, boy. Now we’re getting to the good stuff. Miriam Randall is Last Chance’s main matchmaker, and when she makes a match it’s a done deal. “What does Miz Miriam say about Miss Sarah?”
“Well I’m not sure exactly, but Miz Polk and Miz Hanks have told everybody in town that Miss Sarah is going to marry Reverend Ellis.”
“Really? He is kind of cute.”
Haley wrinkles her nose. “He’s okay, but I don’t think Miz Polk and Miz Hanks got it right.”
“Why not?”
Despite the fact we’re alone in the shop, Haley stretches toward my ear and whispers, “I saw Uncle Tulane kissing Miss Sarah in Granny’s kitchen when they were visiting before. He’s teaching her poker and pool and a lot of other stuff. And I heard Miz Bray saying that Uncle Tulane and Miss Sarah were down at Dot’s Spot dancing and carrying on.”
“Carrying on?”
“Uh huh. And Granny went shopping with her, too. Granny says Miss Sarah hides her light under a bushel basket, and Granny should know—’cause she’s the bestest beauty consultant in all of Allenberg County.”
“Your Granny gave Miss Sarah beauty advice?”
Haley smiles and nods like she knows when Miz Ruby starts doing makeovers love is probably in the air. “Yes’m, Granny sure did. And after she did Miss Sarah’s hair and nails and took her shopping, I heard Granny tell Granddaddy that she thinks Miss Sarah is the one.”
“The one?” This was getting better by the minute.
“Uh huh. I’m not sure what that means, but Granny likes Miss Sarah a whole lot.”
Before I can formulate another question, Jane enters the shop. “Hey, Gwyn.” She gives me a quick hug before taking Haley. Needless to say, another blouse bites the dust, but Jane doesn’t seem to mind, planting a kiss on Haley’s chocolate-y cheek. “You ready to go home, Sugar?”
At Haley’s nod, Jane turns to me. “Miz Ruby called. Sent me to rescue you and lock up. She wants you to wait at the house.”
Still jonesing for that glass of sweet tea, I hop out of the chair. The thought of drinking it parked in a rocker on Miz Ruby’s front porch sounds like heaven, and it will give Jane and me a chance to catch up. Knowing Jane, I’ll soon have the complete scoop on Tulane and Sarah. I can’t wait.
“Let’s go. I’m right behind you.”
* * * * **
One lucky non-Ruby commenter will win a free copy of HOME AT LAST CHANCE, featuring the story of Tulane Rhodes and Sarah Murray and a very pink NACAR racer. You can buy HOME AT LAST CHANCE at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com.
*****
 Hope Ramsay was born in New York and grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, but every summer Momma would pack her off under the care of Aunt Annie to go visiting with relatives in the midlands of South Carolina. Her extended family includes its share of colorful aunts and uncles, as well as cousins by the dozens, who provide the fodder for the characters you’ll find in Last Chance, South Carolina. Hope earned a BA in Political Science from the Universityof Buffalo, and has had various jobs working as a Congressional aide, a lobbyist, a public relations consultant, and a meeting planner. She’s a two-time finalist in the Golden Heart, and is married to a good ol’ Georgia boy who resembles every single one of her heroes. She has two grown children and a couple of demanding lap cats. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia where you can often find her on the back deck, picking on her thirty-five-year-old Martin guitar. You can follow Hope on twitter (@HopeRamsay), visit her webpage (www.hoperamsay.com), or connect with her on Facebook.
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