Summer is here and we need to heat things up a little… to help - which Swimsuit Hunk do YOU think is hottest?
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Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. ~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love this quote. I know, realistically, its not that simple. Decisions aren’t enough, results require hard work, luck, timing, all that great stuff. But yeah… if you decide and focus on something, if you do all that work and commit to making something happen, luck and timing? Those I do believe the Universe puts in our path.

How about you? What do you think?

And the winner is ::: drumroll ::: Dianna! Dianna, if you’ll drop Missy an email, she’ll get that book right out to you!

Thanks so much to Missy for hanging out with us and to everyone for visiting!
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I’m so excited to welcome the awesome Missy Tippens to my site! Missy writes wonderful inspirational stories for Steeple Hill and WOW, check out her gorgeous cover. Doesn’t it just grab you and make you want to curl up and read?! Be sure to check out her Quick Six answers below and her question to all of you. As always, answer the question in the comments section to be eligible to win a copy of her book, His Forever Love.

Plotter or Pantzer? Reformed pantzer who now plots (to save so much revision!). I like to do lots of planning ahead, but I also like to have room for the story to grow and change.

Historical or Contemporary? For writing, contemporary, definitely. But love to read historical, too.

Football or basketball? Pro football—Atlanta Falcons. College basketball—Duke University.

Email or Letters? Emails. So, so easy. Although I still love to receive snail mail.

Home Made or Store Bought? Store bought. I love to shop!

Candles or Incense? Do essential oil burners count as incense? If so, that’s my choice!

And now my question to all of you…
Paper books or e-books? (And if you do e-books, what reader or program do you use?)

Tawny, thanks so much for having me today! This was fun. I’ll be giving away a copy of my new Steeple Hill Love Inspired release, His Forever Love, in a drawing from among those who comment.

Missy Tippens is an award-winning writer and was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Contest. She has a story included in Blessings of Mossy Creek, published by BelleBooks. After ten years of pursuing her dream, she made her first sale of a full-length novel to Steeple Hill Love Inspired. Her debut novel, Her Unlikely Family, was a February 2008 release. Her next, His Forever Love, is on the shelves now! It will be followed by A Forever Christmas in November.

Missy loves to hear from readers through her website, www.missytippens.com, or by e-mail.

Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it by the handle of anxiety, or by the handle of faith. ~Author Unknown

I love this quote. I just put my house up for sale, and its a nerve-wracking process for sure. I keep hearing how bad the market is doing, how crazy I am to make the move, etc… but this quote keeps me focused on what matters- believing. It worked when I wrote my first book. Faith that I’d get from page one to The End. It worked when that first book was rejected, and the next and the next. It worked after my first book hit the shelves and I worried that thats all I had in me… and I have to believe that just taking the handle of faith will get me through this too.

How about you? What helps you keep the faith?

And the lucky winner is: Jody F!!! Jody if you’ll drop Stacey an email, she’ll get your book right out to you

Congratulations - and a huge thanks to Stacey for hanging out with us, and to everyone who came by to visit!! It was a great time.

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I’m so happy to welcome my dear friend and an awesome author, Stacey Kayne! Nobody does a cowboy like Stacey does (oh my, that might’ve come out wrong, huh?) If you’re a fan of the hot and hunky cowboys, of the western romances or of a really good book - you have to check Stacey’s stories out!!

And also check out her fun Quick Six interview below and be sure to leave a comment to be eligible to win a copy of her fab book, Mountain Wild.

Historical or Contemporary? Historical WESTERNS, and I’m not just trying to sell ponies here, I’m a total die-hard western romance fan. I can dig on a fast contemporary or Scottish historical, even like some paranormal, but nothing appeals to my reader side like a gritty western romance set in rough and rugged terrain, pitting the characters against the elements, the bad guys and their own desires.

Champagne or beer? Depends…is the beer Corona? Do you have any lime? The only thing that can trump an ice-cold, tangy Corona is an extra dry pink champagne Picky, ain’t I?

Blue or white collar hunk? BLUE. I so like to root for the underdog, someone struggling to carve out a better life for himself in a tough and tumble world—someone I can relate with.

Ball cap or Stetson? Guess

Brown, blue or green eyes? S’long as they’re smiling beneath the brim of that Stetson, color’s not an issue.

Save or Be Saved? Yes, and yes, as per my slogan: Stories of heroic women and the men strong enough to love them.

n the midst of a range war, Garret Daines is dead-set on keeping his ranch from greedy local cattle barons. An attempt on his life during a winter storm lands him in the healing hands of a mountain recluse. He can hardly believe the youthful beauty he discovers hidden beneath her mountain woman attire or the passion unleashed by her tender touch.

When “Mad Mag” pulls the handsome rancher from the snow she has no idea he’ll be the man to thaw her wounded heart. But Maggie is hiding a mess of secrets in her mountain sanctuary, none of which she’s willing to share. Murderous cattlemen threaten their fragile bond and Maggie has to face the fears of her past or risk losing her hope for the future. Garret will defend his wild woman at any cost, but can he convince her their love is worth the risk?

Stacey Kayne has always been a daydreamer. If the comments in her elementary school report cards are any indication, it’s a craft she mastered early on. Having a passion for history and flair for storytelling, she strives to weave fact and fiction into a wild ride that can capture the heart. Stacey lives on a ranch near the Sierra Nevada Mountains with her high school sweetheart turned husband of eighteen years and their two sons.

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

Oh yeah… this one resonates today. I’ve spent the last two weeks prepping the house to sell, and I’m still not ready. I keep focusing on what I have to do, but need to instead focus on how much I’ve gotten done, right?

How about you? What seeds have you planted today?