Growing up, I had the good fortune to have a mother who stayed at home to raise my brother, my sister, and me. She made cookies and cakes and read us bedtime stories at night. She resolved disputes, ran to your side when you split your lip open (something I can recall doing only once, which was enough), and drove us kids around to band practice, piano lessons, and basketball games among other things. When I got to be a little older, she would tape soap operas for me and as soon as I got off the bus or out of the car, she would have the tape all ready for us to view with some snack on the counter. My parents took us kids to movies and dinner every Saturday, regardless of our plans, making us all stop our busy lives so we could have a few hours together as a family.

All in all, you could say I had a pretty decent time growing up. That is until people found out my deep dark secret: my mother writes books.

I know, I know, it's pretty scary, worse than those insane, schizophrenic, murdering, crying, compulsive marrying women on soap operas. When people discovered this secret, the one my brother, sister, and I tried to keep under the rug, people went nuts. Before we knew it, my mother had scheduled meetings with teachers so she could do presentations for our classes; she signed books for friend's moms who begged me endlessly, sometimes showing up on our doorstep just to meet this local celebrity; later on, she began autographing books for my friends. My mom's writing made my whole family little famous people inside our schools and jobs and lives. It was a very tough role to play.

Stories were legendary about my mom, the romance writer. I mean, she must lead some great, wonderful, romantic life all day every day. Truth is, at least from my point of view, she was just a stay at home mom who fought with her husband, her kids, and the dog like any other stay at home mom I knew. But she had an office. With sliding wooden doors that creaked when she was shutting them. When you heard that noise, all better be quiet, because the writer was at work. To our family, mom's writing was really nothing special, it was her job, her contribution to the family's budget, and something we never wanted to talk about in public.

I remember the persecution all us kids faced when someone discovered the secret. Some people gasped, some people's eyes got so big you feared if they didn't blink they would fall right out of the sockets. Others, especially kids in middle school, would shrug their shoulders, as if it was no big deal, all the while listening to every single word you wanted so desperately not to sputter about it. Teachers would go out and buy your mom's books and then tell the entire class what they thought about them. One teacher even said the name of the book she read, I believe it was How to marry.One Hot Cowboy. The class had a good ole time with that one. I was completely mortified. Let's just say I never got along well with that teacher after the incident.

My brother endured the worst degradation. His came during his junior year in high school, when one of his fellow classmates began reading one of the "romantic scenes" out loud during chemistry class. My brother has always been overly sensitive to any public humiliations, and I don't think he ever got over that particular one.

The hardest part about having this legendary mom was the questions and comments, the endless discussions that you never knew how to handle but that you needed to deal with politely. My favorite line began with, "I always meant to write a book someday, I just haven't had a free afternoon." Everyone says that. Everyone. It's hard not to laugh, knowing what I do about the effort that goes into making a book.

When those kinds of statements came out, I sweetly explained that in my family, Mom's job was a full time affair, she worked at least 40 hours a week. When she had ideas at 3am, she wrote at 3am. She lost sleep over approaching deadlines, struggled with finding new ideas, and battled writer's block. Sometimes, you could find mom yelling at the computer for losing her work or not doing what it should. When it came time to print a manuscript, let's just say that printing was an all day task. It took at least 5 hours to print one copy. And no one could go near the office lest you bend one page or ruffle one paper out of place. I can't tell you how impressed we were when mom upgraded her old dot matrix printer to a laser jet contraption that weighed about 100 pounds and printed one page every 20 seconds or when she got a new computer with little floppy disks, finally tossing out those big 8.5 inch disks that also could function as plates, Frisbees, and/or hats.

The best part about it, about having this renowned mom who wrote books, was that I had someone to proofread my papers in middle school, high school, and for a little while in college. She could also type quickly too. So when someone was in a jam, Mom would come to the rescue, taking her children's horribly handwritten drafts and firing them out on her keyboard. One time, she even typed a paper in German for my brother, while he paced around and behind her, correcting mistakes as they went (and she doesn't even know German). Now that's dedication.

Honestly, though, I had a typical family. My mom didn't go around lighting smelly candles (unless she cooked bacon) or running off to exotic locations to feel romance. She cooked dinner, ordered pizza when she didn't want to cook, went shopping to look at all the things she couldn't buy, constantly dieted yet ate the chocolate cake anyway, secretly held my father's hand (which, by the way, did make all us kids very nauseated), and cried when her son and two daughters moved away from home.

Yet, to this day, I cringe when I have to write my parent's occupations on forms or when someone asks me what my parents do. I try to dodge the question as best I can, saying "dad - program manager; mom - self-employed." When that fails, when further explanation is warranted, I say, "Yes my mom writes books. Yes, she has been published, in fact over fi

For aspiring writers, my best word of advice is to write as often as possible, and finish whatever you are writing, whether it be short-story or novel, before moving on to the next project. You learn a lot by taking a project through from beginning to end.

Classes are available at local writing guilds, community colleges, and universities. Some writer's groups--like The Romance Writers of America, of which I am a Charter Member, do not require you to be published when you join, and they have lots and lots of information on the how-to's as well as the business of writing, available to their members.

If you aren't interested in joining a group, or do not have one near you, you can still teach yourself the writing craft, just as I did, by reading everything you can get your hands on. Writer's Digest Books publishes many books on all different topics. I have many of them in my personal library. TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER, by Dwight V. Swain, University of Oklahoma press, is perhaps my favorite how-to-write book. You should also read as much as possible in the genree you wish to be published--romance, mystery, western, etc.

When you have a project ready to submit for possible publication, the reference librarian at your local library can help you find the names and addresses of publishers in The Literary Marketplace. The most important piece of advice I have is to keep going. If you are a writer, if the stories keep coming, even when you try and shut them off, then keep writing, keep submitting, keep learning, and don't stop believing in yourself. Writing is a craft, like any other art. It takes time to develop it, but it's well worth the effort, the first time you see your work in print.

Dear Reader,

There is fiction, and there is real life, and when the two come together-- these days--, it is called ‘reality TV’.  Like many of the rest of you, I have watched programs dealing with survival, business, home decorating, and romance.  But it’s the programs centering around romance which fascinate me the most.  Can someone really find the love of their life on a semi-scripted TV show?  Or is it all about the money and achieving the fifteen minutes of fame we are all supposed to have at some point in our lives?

I don’t know the answer to those questions, but I do know it was a heck of a lot of fun creating my own reality television show, BACHELOR BLISS, and imagining what would happen if the ultimate Texas cowboy/ladies’ man, Brad McCabe, somehow got roped into signing up to appear on one.

I figured he wouldn’t find romance there—that would come later—after the experience of chasing fame and fortune had wrecked havoc on his life.  And I knew it wouldn’t be easy, either.  True love never is.  Which is why I paired Brad with an old high school classmate he had barely known existed.  Someone with ambition of her own, journalistic ambition.  For a private guy like Brad, that’s a worst case scenario.  How did it all end?  Well, to find that out, you’ll have to turn the page…. I hope you enjoy reading this romantic comedy as much as I enjoyed writing it.  If you’d like to know more about this and other books, I invite you to visit the book list and series guide. Happy Reading! Cathy Gillen Thacker

EXCERPT

Dear Reader,

We’ve all been there.  Had a secret crush on a guy who was already “taken”.  Helped out a dear friend who was in so much trouble she didn’t know what to do.  Made a hasty promise we later wished we hadn’t, but still felt honor bound to keep.  All are situations that can be handled individually, without too much trouble.  But what happens when all these things occur at once, when life gets very complicated and there are no easy solutions to be had?  I wondered….  And that is how this story began…

I took one maid of honor—Laurel McCabe.  Gave her the task of protecting her very good friend.  In this case, the bride.  And added one very ticked-off groom, Cade Dunigan.  I put them in a situation no three people should ever have to face, and then sat back to watch what they would do.

The bride followed her heart, despite the fact that doing so would likely cause a scandal unlike anything ever seen in Dallas society.  The groom decided he would claim his inheritance—and his rightful place at the head of the family company—no matter what that entailed.  And the maid of honor….well, she was caught smack-dab in the middle of all the chaos and reminded of the solemn promise she had made.  It didn’t matter that she wished she had never given her word.  She had.  So, like it or not, she had to follow through on her “Texas Wedding Vow”. I had a lot of fun writing this book.  I hope you enjoy reading it.  For more information on this and other titles, please take a look at the book list and series guide. Sincerely, Cathy Gillen Thacker

EXCERPT

Dear Reader,

Christmas is a time of great emotion—and if you are very lucky—great joy.  But what happens when all the happiness has been sapped from your life and you can no longer experience the bliss you once felt during the yuletide season?

This is the dilemma facing rancher Rafferty Evans.  As a child, he loved everything about the holidays.  That’s no longer the case.  Thanksgiving and Christmas serve only to remind him of a tragic loss.  His plan to survive the season?  Work doubly hard, and avoid all holiday celebrations—even if it means being dubbed a modern day Ebenezer Scrooge.

At least that’s his plan until one dark and stormy November night, when Jacey Lambert finds herself stranded on Lost Mountain Ranch. Despite an unexpected turn of events that has left her without a job or a place to call home, Jacey loves life.  She loves the holidays.  And most of all, she loves the child she is carrying inside her.  Jacey knows there is always something to celebrate.  And soon, she decides, with her help, Rafferty Evans will recapture his Christmas spirit and realize that, too… This story, dear readers, is my gift to you.  I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Best wishes, Cathy Gillen Thacker

EXCERPT

It's fun to discover the interesting details of people's lives. Here's some of mine...

Dessert: Anything chocolate

Snack: Fresh fruit

Type of Food: Tex-Mex, especially beef enchiladas with red chile sauce

Low-Fat Food: Garden Salad with lite dressing only, please

Recent Books: Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Bet Me by Jennifer Cruise

Classic Romance Novel: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Movies I could watch again and again and again… The Family Stone, Catch and Release, Becoming Jane, The Devil Wears Prada, The Jane Austen Book Club, Sweet Home Alabama, Because I Said So, 27 Dresses, While You Were Sleeping, Juno, Hope Floats, Heartburn, Postcards From The Edge, Something’s Gotta Give, A Lot Like Love, Griffin and Phoenix

Classic Romantic Comedy: Any movie with Doris Day

Actors: Josh Lucas, Jon Tenney, Ashton Kutcher, Harry Connick Jr., Kyle Chandler, Jack Nicholson, Hugh Dancy, John Krasinski

Actresses: Jennifer Garner, Reese Witherspoon, Kyra Sedgwick, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Peet, Ellen Pompeo, Jenna Fischer, Connie Britton

Soap Opera: General Hospital

TV Shows: The Closer, Gray’s Anatomy, The Office, Dirty Sexy Money, Men In Trees, 30 Rock

TV Characters: Deborah from "Everybody Loves Raymond"; Sydney from "Alias"

Exercise: Exercise bike (because I can watch tv while I’m on it.)

Hobby: Gardening, specifically tomatoes

Canine Companion: Regan, our golden retriever

Family Vacation Spot: Disney World

Romantic Vacation: Charleston, South Carolina

Place to shop: Talbot’s, Eddie Bauer

Things to Get in the mail: Magazines and Netflix movies

Gift: Chain-hung swing on my back deck

Activity with family: Family game night (Beyond Balderdash, Loaded Questions)

Child: A three-way tie between Julie, David, and Sarah

Discipline that proved not so effective: My husband and I made a rule that for every minute a child was late past their curfew, those minutes were subtracted from their curfew until further notice. Before we knew it, one child had to be home before she even left the house because she was late so many times. (Take it from me: save yourself some trouble and take away their car keys!)

Ultimate College Move-In Day: When our family drove our daughter 220 miles to college and she refused to get out of the car because she was 'not ready' yet.

Medical Emergency I knew nothing about: One child came home from a day of river rafting with a towel wrapped comically around his head. After secret discussions with a sibling, behind closed doors, and one loud scream, both refused to go to an outdoor concert. My husband, youngest child, and I returned several hours later to find both older children sitting (too?) innocently on the sofa and wearing matching white headbands. I thought it was a joke until I realized one of the headbands was made of surgical gauze, not cotton. It turned out my son had hit his head on a rock, needing several stitches to the back of his head, and didn't want my husband or me to find out, because he didn't want us to miss our concert, or freak out about "so minor" an injury so he had his sister take him to the emergency room instead.

Medical Emergency I knew about: I received a frantic call one day from the school nurse while I was making lasagna. My fifth grade daughter had hit her forehead on the reading loft at school and most definitely needed stitches. She was the only one to ever get seriously hurt in the school library.

Husband: Charlie, the guy I base all my fictional heroes on…

First Meeting: When a very cute boy in high school came up to me and said, "Hi, you don't know me but I am a friend of your brother's." I told him, "A friend of my brother's is no friend of mine." He not only eventually talked me into dating him, but also marrying him.

Funniest Memory: My husband,Charlie, began describing to my two daughters and myself the unusual cash register (complete with animal sounds) at a new barbecue place. As he demonstrated the mooing, oinking, and cock-a-doodle-doo noises coming from the cash register, our dog, only eight months old at the time, jumped up, leaping over my daughters and the breakfast bar (a good four feet tall), and into his arms. Rest assured, we don't make too many animal noises around my house any more!

Sweetest Memory: The nurses at the hospital could not get my newborn to stop crying so they brought her to me. The second she heard my voice, she smiled and stopped crying.

Piece of Advice: Given a little bit of time, things have a way of working out (so don't panic).

Dear Reader,

Is it just me, or has celebrity news gotten way out of control these days?  I suppose it is one thing for the actual stars—who sign up for that kind of fishbowl existence.  But what about the ordinary people around them—like you and me—who inadvertently find themselves in the midst of all the craziness? 

Heroine Taylor O’Quinn is a novelist leading a normal life until the film rights to her first book are sold.  Suddenly, her book is being turned into a movie, and she is asked to write the screenplay.  Happily, she agrees, and there the trouble starts.  The next thing she knows her life is the fodder of tabloids, and none of what they are reporting is true!

Disillusioned, and in need of sanctuary, Taylor heads for Laramie, Texas.  It’s no safer.  Her unrequited love, Jeremy Carrigan, is there.  He’s never forgiven her for deserting him during their med school days.  And he’s never gotten over the secret crush he had for her, either.  Physician, rancher, gentleman to the core-- he decides he will protect her from the forces set on ruining her.  But who will protect them from their hearts? I hope you have as much fun reading this sexy romp as I did writing it. Happy reading! Cathy Gillen Thacker

EXCERPT

Dear Reader,

A while back, someone asked me if I had ever seen a bumper sticker that totally summed up my philosophy on life.  I confess I had to think about it for a while.  I couldn’t say if I had or hadn’t.  But if I were going to design a bumper sticker for my car, I think it would read: LIFE IS MESSY.  DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE MESS. 

That advice is especially on point for Will McCabe, and Samantha Holmes.
Will suffered through a betrayal and divorce that left him feeling that maybe he wasn’t cut out for marriage after all.  Samantha had given up on ever living happily-ever-after when tragedy ripped her family apart.  Both figured as long as they kept all their defenses up, they wouldn’t ever be unhappy again.  That was, until they met each other.

Will knew Samantha needed his help, even though Samantha did not want to take it. Samantha knew she could commission the inherently gallant Will to keep her way-too-intrusive-and-determined brother Howard at bay, but only if she let Will closer.  Temporarily, of course.  Howard asked Will to do everything he could to entertain and keep Samantha in Laramie—at least for the week of Howard’s wedding. Three people, all working at cross purposes.  Three people who ended up loving—and helping-- each other despite all the odds.  Three people who just might become family in the end.  Along with Howard’s bride, Molly, and all of Will’s family, and the friends and neighbors from Laramie, Texas they meet along the way.

EXCERPT

I hope you enjoy this latest visit to the fictional town of Laramie, Texas as much as I did.

Happy reading!

Cathy Gillen Thacker