Kreativ Blogger Award

During the Cowboy Lovin' event in January, I was informed that author Kat Holmes had nominated The Cozy Page for the Kreativ Blogger Award. I have not forgotten and still feel very honored. While my group blog The Roses of Prose has received this prize, The Cozy Page hasn't. So thank you very much, Kat!

Here are the Kreativ Blogger rules: post 7 things about myself that no one knows then nominate 7 separate blogs for the award. Link back to the blogger who nominated you.

So here goes. 7 things you might not know about me:

#7 - I'm actually quite ditzy at times. I haven't been able to shake the blonde jokes (though, yes, I've been a brunette since 2005) since high school.

#6 - I'm on a historical romance kick. Since the new year began, I've craved nothing but historical romance. Just this week I purchased Christina Dodd's Candle in the Window and Christine Wells' Wicked Little Game. The week before that, I bought Deborah MacGillivray's One Snowy Knight and re-read Kris Kennedy's The Conqueror. And next on my buy-list is Eloisa James, Carrie Lofty, and Teresa Medeiros....

#5 - I think I've finally settled on a paranormal pen name. The first name is the same as one character from the television show Friends, which I adore! Can you guess which character? (Spt! The answer's at the end of this post!)

#4 - Big band music relaxes me. It's the old soul in me.

#3 - I usually name every piece of technology I use on a daily basis. For example: my laptop is named Keats. My horrible printer's name is Frankenstein. And my new iTouch 3G phone is named Galinda.

#2 - Speaking of Galinda, it is now a tradition for my mother, my sister, and I to take a road trip at least once a year to see the muscial Wicked.

#1 - I've decided that when my muse takes her infamous jaunts to a deserted island, she isn't there with Fabio. She's hanging with Captain Jack Sparrow, and she doesn't come back until the rum's gone.

Now for my Kreativ Blogger nominees...

Southern Sizzlers

Ununusal Historicals

Between the Pages

Risky Regencies

Happy Endings

The Menagerie

Emma Lai Writes

Now for the answer for #5 and a few laughs....

All I want for Christmas...is an HEA!

I'm a big believer in Happy Endings. Well, duh. I'm a romance writer! Happy endings are a MUST in romance! While on writing break between the completion of my 2nd paranormal and November's NaNoWriMo, I'm catching up on my TBR pile as well as all those movies I didn't get to see over the spring and summer...as well as a few more that have slipped through the cracks over the years. And an alarming trend has started to fan my ire. With reading, this isn't a problem because I know my copy of J.R. Ward's Covet or Nora Roberts' Black Hills is absolutely, positively going to have a happy ending. But with movies? It's a real gamble. This is a major reason I rarely go to the movie theater anymore. Unless it's Harry Potter or the latest Jane Austen adaptation. I can't stand walking away from my $8 with nothing but a half-eaten bag of too-salty popcorn and major disappointment.


It all started with The Break Up. Yes, I KNOW it was called The Break Up. That's why there's a break up in the end. But I had some hope that Vince and Jenn would work things out in the end. If I'd written the frigging script, you can be darn sure they would've found some kind of compromise. Preferrably without the strippers and concert-ditching. Come on! It was supposed to be a romantic comedy. So why did I cry? And not in a good way.


Then there was Atonement. Oy vey. Keira Knightley was not only coming off Pirates with Johnny and Orlando but Pride & Prejudice with MacFayden, too, to be paired with Mr. Tumnus a.k.a. Mr. LeFroy a.k.a the dreamy Mr. McAvoy!!! All this boils down to Amber's supreme anticipation. I expected a sweeping, odds-defying, somewhat wrenching World War II romance. It's certainly possible - I WROTE ONE! Well, the most wrenching thing about this film was the fact that the story actually makes you believe for a time that they do in fact have a happy ending. Only - record scratching (literally) - nope! The narrator made it up to salve her own guilt. They didn't just not get their HEA. They both DIED. Horribly! I had to watch the entire Cap'n Jack collection and down half a bottle of wine just to feel better!!!


At the HeartLA Readers Luncheon this past weekend, author Cynthia Eden listed her reasons for reading romance. And yep, that guarenteed HEA came in first with much nodding and applauding of agreeance from everyone present. So I beseech moviemakers out there to take a leaf out of the billion-dollar romance industry. If you're going to make millions off your latest film, make your audience walk away feeling a bit better about the world. You can be dang sure that no happy ending equals no moolah out of my wallet for you. Who's with me? Whadaya say, readers? Seen any bad endings onscreen lately that made you want to take your $8 back? And this lady could definitely use a couple of guarenteed HEA's on her must-see list. Any recommendations?


*Since it's October, we're celebrating at The Roses of Prose this week with...National Popcorn Month! Didn't know about this one, did ya? No worries - I added a little Halloween-y treat: an exclusive excerpt from my paranormal Urban Secrets. To see how it fits into the whole Popcorn Month thing, read it here!

More Appearances!

Today I'm guesting at Pamela S. Thibodeaux's blog! Wednesday I'll be chatting all day at Romance Excerpts Only so please join me. If there's a good turn out, I'll do another giveaway. I'm really excited about my appearance at Happy Endings with Jeannie Ruesch on Monday, June 8!

Also today everyone should stop by The Roses of Prose. Fellow Red Rose author Delilah K. Stephans is discussing about her new release, intriguing time travel romance Sarah's Story, and giving away prizes to one lucky commenter.