My brother David took this photo up in Washington, near the Columbia River a few weeks ago. So pretty that I wanted to share. I really think I need to use it for a book cover one day!

Happy New Year to all of you—and yes, this is the January newsletter and for once I’m getting it out on time.  And, there will be a contest! I’m doing something different this month—giving away a signed copy of a book by one of my favorite authors, Jessica Scott. This one is called ALL FOR YOU, and it’s absolutely terrific.

Jessica writes military romances that deal with the issues of men and women returning from active duty in the Middle East—something she has experienced first hand as a captain in the US Army who deployed to Iraq in 2009 and served as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas. I am so glad I’ve gotten to know this amazing young woman—she represents everything good about our military, and her stories not only offer a wonderfully intimate look into the lives of returning soldiers, but they are deeply emotional, compelling romances as well.

I will only accept entries from the entry form at the lower left on my website—it may appear at the very bottom of the post on your mobile devices.  DO NOT enter in the comments section—that will post your personal information (mailing address) publicly.  I try to delete those as soon as I see them, but I’m not on my computer 24/7, even though it often feels that way! I want you safe on the Internet. Giving out your home address in a public forum is not safe.

I hope your holidays were absolutely wonderful—ours were crazy fun with our son and his family here for two weeks of absolute chaos. Since our daughter lives here in town with her three, it meant that we had all six grandkids together, something that doesn’t happen very often. Luckily the weather was mostly good—cold but clear with only a couple of damp days.  One of the highlights was going to see the movie ANNIE with all six of ours, including two cousins of our son’s three, and all three grandmothers. That's eight kids from three to thirteen! I’m Dabba, our son’s mother-in-law is Tutu, and their cousins’ grandmother is Grandma. At least one traditional one in the group! We had a wonderful time--I was shocked that so many reviewers panned the movie. The show was entertaining from beginning to end, I loved Quvenzhané Wallis as Annie, (and no, I can't pronounce her name!) and Jamie Foxx was terrific as Will Stacks, an updated version of Daddy Warbucks. Even our 13 year old grandson managed to stick it out!

I’m not sure if any of you have read Paige Tyler’s books, but I’ve gotten hooked on her X-ops series—in fact, I did a quote for her first in the series, HER PERFECT MATE, and recently finished the second, HER LONE WOLF—both are excellent. I just read HER SECRET AGENT last night, which is currently free online and really well done.  Here’s the link to Amazon, but I believe it’s also free at other online retailers as well. In the back of the novella is an excerpt for the first in her new SWAT series, HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF about a SWAT team of werewolves. It comes out on January 6, and I’ve already ordered my copy. I’m really enjoying her writing! Anyway, if you're looking for a way to spend those Christmas gift cards...just a thought! Another book coming out on the 6th is TRUST NO ONE by Jayne Ann Krentz. I’ve never hidden the fact I’m a huge JAK fan—she is one of the few authors I buy in hardcover, (Nalini Singh is the other!) and I’ve never once been disappointed in any of her stories, whether they’re written as JAK, Amanda Quick, or Jayne Castle. Jayne always manages to include a wonderful romance, humor, emotion, and enough spine-tingling suspense so seamlessly in her stories that she manages to push all my happy reader buttons.