November is Fun, Family, and Food by Jena Galifany

The holidays are supposed to begin with Thanksgiving. That is the date that most people observe as the opening of the festive season. I like to start with November 7th as that is my birthday! One week after Halloween, my holidays begin.

Sherri, Bill, Mom, Jena, and Dee

Holidays are for reconnecting with family. This year will be awesome because my oldest sister, Dee, her son Patrick, his wife, Tam and their daughter, Bella are moving back home from Texas. The really thrilling thing is that they will be here in the next week to ten days and my mother doesn't know they are coming. She will be so happy and that's what holidays are all about.

Last year, I was able to help my only brother come home for Christmas. Mom hadn't seen him and his wife and son for a couple of years. We were able to surprise her and her tears at seeing my brother made it all worth it. I want to do it again this year and we will all be together for Christmas for the first time in about five years. This is going to be great!

Holidays are for good food and a lot of it. Since we have a selection of picky eaters, the holidays include a main coarse of turkey, ham, and/or enchiladas with tacos, depending which part of the family we are with. I know it sounds strange but my mother-in-law likes the enchiladas and tacos because they are quick, easy and make for fast clean up. Works for me!

I like one dish meals for the ease of preparation and the ease of clean-up. Though the enchiladas are simple,
Chilliquillas are even better. Here's how it's done:

Chilliquillas

 

14 or 16 Corn Tortillas cut into small triangles

1 or 1.5 lbs of Ground Beef or Turkey, browned & drained

2 cans of mild or medium Enchilada Sauce (or you can do 1 of each)

1 pkg of Shredded Cheese

1 small can of diced Olives

 

Cook cut tortillas in hot oil. Make sure they are all softened by oil. 

 

Add meat, drained olives & sauces.

 

Mix all together so everything is coated. 

 

Let sit for a few minutes for flavor to mingle. 

 

Add cheese, mix and add more on top.

 

Serve with sour cream & diced green onion if you want. 

 

Enjoy

Quick, easy and only one skillet used in the preparation. the recipe may be doubled if you have a large family or it may be served as a side dish. (My thanks to Claire Martinez who shared this recipe with me years ago when we worked together.)

I believe that by Thanksgiving, you will have many traditional holiday recipes to try during the holidays so I wanted to begin the collection with something out of the ordinary. I hope you enjoy this dish and hope that you have wonderful holidays ahead!

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Begin your Holiday shopping now. Ebooks make excellent gifts for all of your buying needs. I hope you will consider checking out my books available from Whiskey Creek Press and Red Rose Publishing. To see all of my books in one place, and read excerpts, stop by my WEBSITE.

Clive Hanson is destined to be a comfort to those traveling the rocky road of life. He does his best work on Christmas Eve.

Emily Ann Brewster wishes for one wonderful evening spent with a friend. What she gets is stuck in an elevator with a strange gentleman. And it's Christmas Eve.

What he does,and what she needs, is a miracle.

My short holiday story will lift your heart. At only $.99, it's a great gift and a great way to begin your holiday season. Buy it at Red Rose Publishing.

May your holidays be special and filled with fun, family and fabulous foods.

Cheers, 
Jena'

Family Reunion by Jena Galifany

Have you ever had a family reunion? I bet it was interesting seeing everyone you hadn't seen in many months or maybe even years. It must have been hard to say good-bye again after it was over. I have to ask these questions because the last one I was at was for my father's family and I was eighteen years old. That was in 1976.

At that get-together, I was able to see my Uncle Bob, Uncle Billy, and my Aunt Marge. I got to meet cousins that I'd never met before, thought we were only related by marriage. It was interesting but not the blast I thought it would be. We were worlds apart. I was older than they were and they only wanted to go skateboarding around the neighborhood. They grew up in Arkansas and Texas, and I grew up in California. Needless to say, I spent my time with the older generation.

I've only seen my Uncle Billy once since that day, at my first wedding in 1979. He's passed away now as are most of my aunts and uncles on both sides. I don't mean to make this article a sad event. What I'm leading up to is the fun I have in tracking down information and putting together my family tree.

Wm Provins. Sr. Family

Have you ever done genealogy? It can be quite the adventure discovering your roots and how far they go. On my father's side, I've only just begun to do the research. What is making it difficult is that after three generations, the family disappears. My dad thinks that maybe the name was different but we have no one to ask about it. That is the importance of asking questions and making notes on your family history before they are all gone. Out of eight siblings, my dad, Uncle Bob and Aunt Marge are the only ones left.

(My father is on the left on the bottom step followed by Bob and Billy. Aunt Marge is on the next step, holding Barbara. Margie Pearl (Grandma) and Wm Sr (Grandpa), holding Julia, are on the top step. Dad's oldest sister was already married and his youngest brother was not yet born when this photo was taken.)

Mary and Bill Provins, Jr.

On my mother's side, we have a family tree back to 1857 in County Cork, Ireland. We know that Elicum Briggs set out for a better life and traveled through England where he married a nice young lady with the family name of Churchill. Shortly there after, the family sailed for America and settled in Ohio. Through the generations, after moving through Iowa and Missouri, the Williamson family merged with the Thompson family. After fourteen other children Riley and Ferne Thompson produced my mother, Mary.

I am fortunate to have the family tree on this side as my mother is the only one left of her siblings, mother and father. I'd only met two of my aunts on this side, and none of the cousins.

The one I know the most about is my Uncle J.R. Thompson, my mother's brother. His name is only J.R. He joined the Army when he was seventeen and shipped out during the Korean Conflict. He was killed at the age of eighteen. My mother was twelve and she was devastated by the loss. Since she was the youngest and he was six years older, she was closer to him than any of the other children in her family. Most were married before Mom was born.

J.R.Thompson

There are so many little stories I've learned about my family that would have been lost if my mother didn't share them with me. Like the time my mother was throwing a fit in the school yard so J.R. picked her up and spanked her right then and there. She never threw a fit again but she worshiped the ground he walked on. I'm glad she shares these things with me because once she is gone, there will be no one left to share her family history.

Do you have a family tree? Do you ask about the old days when you are talking to your aunts and uncles? Do you still have your grandparents to talk to? If you do, take advantage of the memories they have and write them down for the generations to come. My grandfathers were both gone before I was two. The last time I saw one grandmother was 1966 and the other was in 1979. They are also both gone now.

Make copies of photos and share them. If something should happen to my computer, both my sisters and my brother have copies of all the photos that can't be replaced. Be sure to make notes of who are in the photos and when they were taken, too. Years from now, that information might be lost.

My father and I in 1967

It's fun to research your family tree. See how many "nuts" you can find. There may be a few gems there as well. That lady named Churchill who married Elicum so many years ago is my family connection to a great man by the name of Winston. You see, he is related to a family in Britain with the name of Spencer. One more step takes me from Diana to her son, William, who is now married to a lovely lady by the name of Katherine. It's nice to know there are a few princesses in the family.

I know this was supposed to be about family reunions but when you find out something new about your family history while doing genealogy research, it's like a reunion with a past you didn't know you had. It can be fun and rewarding. You are compiling a great gift for your children and grandchildren as well. They will know where they are from and what kind of wonderful people were their forefathers. It is a unique way to meet those who have gone before.

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Doing research for historical information is one of my favorite parts of writing. I loved the information I found when writing "Shyanne's Secret", my historical inspirational romance. I felt a connection to what Shyanne and Cole were subjected to in 1880s Oregon. My grandmother, Margie Pearl, was a Native American and William Sr was of German descent. I haven't heard stories of any problems they may have had with the mixed culture marriagey. That is another thing I need to talk to my father about.
 
Cole Jackson promised to take care of Shyanne Bennett, to keep her secret. It was a promise he intended to keep—and then her father lynched him. It might take time, but he’d

find a way.

Shyanne Bennett loved Cole Jackson, that sassy half-blood. She lost her mind when he died to keep her secret. Cole promised to take care of her but how could he once Harvey Bennett hung him? Maybe her heart might find solace in becoming the wife of his look-alike cousin, Will Marshall. And then again, maybe the heartache will only begin again.

Discover how it turned out for Cole and Shyanne by reading "Shyanne's Secret", available from Whiskey Creek Press.

Cheers,
Jena Galifany
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June 16th - One of the Sweetest days of the Year by Jena Galifany

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to National Fudge Day! Ah, that sweet confection that melts in the mouth and brings so much pleasure to the taster.

Fudge comes in so many different flavors, there are bound to be one (or more) that will please your taste buds. There is chocolate, caramel, maple, peanut butter, and marshmallow. I’ve found in my search for into on this tasty day there is even peppermint, orange cream or white fudge.

Originally known as Scottish Tablet back in the 17^th century, it has evolved into the treat it is today. Then, it was not as tasty, lacked chocolate and had a harder texture. I found this information on www.punchbowl.com .

Upon further research, I found that American legend holds that the name was derived from a culinary accident that not only developed the new dessert but also the expletive used when making a mistake. “FUDGE!”

The original recipe has been around since the 1800s but many alterations have been made to enhance and/or simplify the procedure. Although the original recipe required the utmost precision, modern recipes have simplified the process, making it so much easier for chocoholics to indulge.

For those who are now ready to rush to the kitchen and whip up a batch to celebrate this delightful day, here are a few online recipes to help you along.

http://www.verybestbaking.com

http://www.fudge-recipes.net 

- this page has links to other recipes as well.

http://www.countrykitchensa.com/

- another collection of fudgy ideas.

I hope you take a few moments to celebrate National Fudge Day. It may not be one of the holidays that made America great, but it will certainly make your family happier and your day just a little bit sweeter.

Cheers!

Jena Galifany

ShadowsForge Series – Whiskey Creek Press

Shyanne’s Secret – Whiskey Creek Press

Her Perfect Man – Red Rose Publishing

Love Lifted Me – Red Rose Publishing

Great Outdoors Month by Jena Galifany

June has been designated Great Outdoors Month. It is the time to get out in the open as much as possible and enjoy the world around you. I live in the high desert so being outside in the daytime can be hazardous to my health. Temperatures can reach from high nineties to the low hundreds. It is better to get the outdoor time in after the sun goes down.

Doug and Steve @ Knotts 2011

What can be done after the sun goes down that’s fun for the kids? Did you ever play hide and seek? It’s a simple childhood game where one person is “It”. That person would cover their eyes and count to twenty while the others all hide. Then the It person has to find them. If they are found but can make it to the counting spot, aka “home” before It tags them, they are free. If It is looking for someone else, the others can try to run for “home” and be free. Simple, right?

Now, our version of the game is this: Everyone wears black clothing that they don’t care if they get wet in and a sturdy pair of old sneakers. Each player is armed with a super-soaker and a squirt gun. Have a centrally located plastic kitchen sized garbage can filled with water. Floating in that water is a large stockpile of water balloons ready for use. If an attack is going on a balloon can be scooped from the container as you run by. These are ammo for every one to use.

The game is now played along these lines. No lights should be on in the yard so hiding can be creative. Be sure that there is nothing that can be a hazard in the dark yard. You don’t want anyone to fall during the game. Everyone hides. I’ve hidden by lying down in the shadow of a fence. I suggest checking for ants before trying this. My husband has spent time sniping from up in a tree. My youngest took a pail of water balloons up into her tree house and clobbered anyone who tried to sneak by below her. She was only five when she did this.

Now, everyone is It and everyone is fair game. The players may take up a hiding place to snipe from or if they are more adventurous, they can go out hunting the others. It’s all good fun and cooling in the summer heat. I have two and a half acres so our games got to be rather large.

 For her sixteenth birthday, my older daughter wanted a game of water wars, our name for the game. She wanted to have a couple of her friends on her team and she wanted to “hunt” boys. My son, my nephew, and my husband were the branded targets for the night. The girls had a blast keeping the guys on the run.

One should note that after the game has ended, be sure to let all the targets know. After the girls had their fill of hunting, they came in to watch a movie and eat popcorn. After a while, I noticed that my husband was missing. I went out to the yard and found him. He’d been sitting up in a tree, getting eaten by bugs, waiting for the girls to sneak by. No one told him that they were coming in for the night. Now, there’s dedication to fun in the out doors!

Jen in meditation @ Knotts 2011

All of this fun can take place once the sun goes down, after a barbeque or a day spent back-packing or taking a nature walk at a local park. The important thing is to get outside and enjoy the health benefits of fresh air and exercise.

What are your favorite out door games? Did you ever have a Badminton set or a croquet set out in your yard? We did when I was a kid. We also had a large tent set up in the back yard all the time. I spend a lot of time in that tent. My siblings and I were always out side and we had a great time. How about you?

Cheers!

 _____________________________
Jena Galifany writes in the genre of sweet romance and adventure. She can be found at her WEBSITE, or on Facebook.

Creative Beginnings by Jena Galifany

What does it take to get an author started writing? Some times, it only takes a man with a sign. While driving home one day, I noticed a nice looking young man standing on the side of the road holding a cardboard sign that stated simply, "Day Labor". It got me thinking.

It takes me about ten minutes to drive from where I saw the man to my home and in that ten minutes, I'd mapped out the basic story. What would the man do? What was he willing to do? What if he looked like someone's husband? What if he looked enough like someone's husband that he could sire a child that the husband was unable to father? Yeah, I know. I'm warped that way. Work with me here. =) Day Labor began just like this.

I allowed the idea to roll around in my mind for about two years. Last year when I lost my day job on October 28th, I decided it was my chance to join in the fun of NaNoWriMo for the first time. Day Labor became my project for the month of November. From November 1st to November 29th, I worked each night on my project and finished up with a novel 50,448 words long.

I still need to polish it and get it out to a publisher, but at least I know I have one more novel finished. It's a good feeling.

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Unedited Excerpt of Day Labor by M.J. Conrad (Jena Galifany)

Chapter 1 – 2005

Mark Langston stood in the doorway to the Chief of Detectives, Grant Langston's office. Grant took his time in responding to Mark's knock. Obviously annoyed, he tossed down his pen and leaned back in his large leather chair as Mark entered and closed the door.

"What do you want?" As usual, Grant showed no pleasure at seeing Mark.

Mark pulled an envelope from his pocket. He held it up, and crossed the plush carpet in the large office. As he reached the mahogany monster of a desk, he tossed it onto the surface, and watched it slid to a stop at the edge of the blotter. "I want an explanation."

Grant didn't look at the envelope. His gaze locked instead on Mark, his jaw clenched and released before he spoke. "Now that you're married, I wanted you to know that you will receive nothing from my estate in case of my death. You have no part in my will. Just so you can let that new wife of yours know it."

"Why would Beth care? She has her own money. She doesn't care about yours." Mark burned with anger at the insinuation. Beth had more money than Grant Langston ever dreamed of having.

"So my name and my status didn't get you a bride? Congratulations." Grant commented in bored monotone.

Mark slammed his hand on the desk as he leaned toward his father. "I've done everything I could my entire life to please you. I've worked my ass off through school and college to be the son you'd be proud of. I've solved several cases that were beyond anything even you've ever handled. Now, after one of my greatest successes, I get this letter. What kind of a father are you that you’d expend so much energy hating your son?"

Grant carefully weighed his words before he let them spill from his lips. "The kind of father who only has a daughter." He smirked, and rocked back in his chair, his trained eyes watching Mark's face for a reaction.

Mark felt as if he'd been kicked in the stomach. "What are you saying?" He knew damned well what was said but couldn't wrap his mind around the words, or believe them. Not after thirty-five years. Why wouldn't Grant, or at least his mother, have told him before?

"You’re the fancy detective. Figure it out." Grant leaned his forearms on his desk, and continued before Mark could respond. "Do you recall a local incident some thirty-six years ago. A criminal was shot during a home invasion. You probably read the case file when you studied local issues."

"The man was into pornography and drugs." Mark thought back to the case. "Rape, too, I believe."

Grant nodded and clapped his hands with sarcasm. "He gets the gold star."

"What? Rape?"

Grant folded his hands on the desk. "The man had taken a gun from the home office and attempted to shoot the homeowner when he walked in on him. It was a cut and dried case of self-defense."

"What's that got to do with rape?" Mark was confused. He saw by the look on Grant's face that the older man took pleasure in traveling the long road to where he was going.

"What the report didn't say – because it was covered up – was that the bastard raped the man's wife. That woman was your mother and that bastard that I took great pleasure in shooting was your father. I don't think he left you anything in his will either."

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I hope to get the chance to polish up "Day Labor" before much longer and get it out to the public. What does it take to get you started? What stirs your creative juices? Feeling that you need a new idea? Take a drive around town!

Cheers!

Jena'

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How About a Cookie? by Jena Galifany

In celebration of Pet Month, I want to share a short piece I wrote after watching my dear pet, Puppy Dog, watching the neighbor kids at a birthday party. I could only imagine what was in her mind. She's a Golden Retriever/Terrier mix with a wonderful disposition, even at the age of nearly 13 years old.

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How about a cookie?

I was outside on my rope, enjoying one of the first warm days after the long cold days. The trees were budding and the grass was just long enough to make a comfy lay-down spot, which I took advantage of. There was a loud ruckus from the next yard. I couldn’t believe my doggy eyes. They were pulling a person from the house and had a rope on him. He didn’t fight them as they pulled him to the tree. They threw the rope over a branch and hauled the poor guy up. He still didn’t struggle. I got excited, wondering why they were doing this to the guy.

The people all clapped, even the smaller people in the fancy clothes. Just when I thought it was over, a big person came out with a long stick. It was too big to make a good fetching stick but the guy seemed to be happy to have it. I stood up from my lay-down spot and watched. To my horror, they wrapped a cloth around a small person’s face and turned him around a couple of times. They gave him the stick and he started swinging at the man in the tree.

YIKES! I couldn’t stand it any more. I had to call for help. I had to do something. I was on my own rope so I knew the person on the rope in the tree couldn’t go anywhere either. We were both stuck. I sounded the alarm. I barked… and barked… and barked. I knew my person would be out quickly to see what I needed. When she came out the door, I showed her with my eyes what the problem was. I barked again, telling her to go help the guy in the tree.

She laughed at me. Was she as crazy as the people hanging the guy in the tree and hitting with a stick? I’d have never thought so. She sat on the ground beside me so I sat, too, to watch the horrible happening next door. After several of the smaller people took turns hitting the man in the tree, he split into pieces. I held my breath, watching with eyes wide. His insides spilled out on the ground and the small people laughed and dived to grab handfuls. It was awful. I turned toward the open door to my house. I couldn’t watch any more.

As I walked slowly in to the house, my person followed me.

“Don’t worry, Puppy. It’s only a piñata. You must think they were killing someone.”

Then she said the words that made my world right again.

“How about a cookie?”

(c) 2009 Jena Galifany
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For other Free Reads, visit my web site HERE
Check out my Published Books HERE

I hope you've enjoyed Puppy's story as seen through her eyes...well, her eye. She was blinded on her left side by a car many years ago while playing in the street. No matter what happens in her life, it can be corrected by a cookie. Cookies make her world all better. She's stood by me for the writing of each of my seven published books and was the first to celebrate every contract with me. (A cookie party, of course!) I can't imagine living or writing without her and pray it is a long time before I have to try.

Cheers!

April Fool's: The Good, the Bad, and the Great!

April 1st has got to be one of the most terrifying days in the year for me. That is the day that I fear my worst enemies will use my pet phobia against me. (Forgive me if I keep that phobia to myself. I don't want to hand out any more ammo.)

April 1st celebrated as April Fool's Day has many supposed origins, including the change of the calendar in the 1500s from the Julian to the Gregorian. This change caused New Years to be celebrated January 1st instead of April 1st. The fools were those who still celebrated the new year on the wrong day.

There are more less pausible reasons for its origin but I tend to agree with this one due to its logic.

To read more about the possible origins of April Fools, see what Snopes.com has to say about it. I enjoyed learning about the spaghetti harvest that came early in 1957. The harvest was abundant due to the conquering of the ravenous spaghetti weevils.

Museum of Hoaxes.com has a collection for your reading pleasure of the Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of all time. #1 on the list is the Swiss Spaghetti Harvest. I borrowed the photo from their site after reading about it on Snopes.com. If you have a bit of reading time today, I hope you get the chance to indulge.

Of course, April 1, 1958 was a most special day. It was the day that my darling husband was born, and that is not a joke. His mother said that he was supposed to be born in late March, but he held out for diamonds, the birth stone for April. He has told me several times that he hated his birthday when growing up as no one would believe it was his birthday. So, for all those who have the special day of April 1st for a birthday, Happy Birthday and I hope it will be the best day of your life!


April 1 is additionally the anniversary of the release of two books in the ShadowsForge Series, Three Times a Hero in 2006 and Retaking America in 2007.

Three Times a Hero was #1 Reader's Choice at Whiskey Creek Press that month.

Retaking America was deemed a "Recommended Read" by Fallen Angel Reviews. No bad luck there.

I'd say that in my life, April Fool's Day has been an extremely positive twenty-four hour period.

Cheers!

You Can't Go Wrong Today!

I’m writing this with a smile on my face. I’ve just finished getting my records together from last year and can now walk happily into the accountant’s office to file my taxes with everything in order. It’s a wonderful feeling especially after spending the last three nights up until 3A.M. working on it. Tonight I can pillow my head without regret, knowing I’ve accomplished the task.

Once that was out of the way, I moved on to writing this piece for this wonderful group of writers and readers. I wanted to share some happiness so I did a search to see if there is anything special going on for March 16th. I was amazed at what I found.

March 16th, in every year without fail, is “Everything You Do Is Right” day. Wow! How perfect is that? Imagine a day where you can’t go wrong. Imagine a twenty-four hour period where no matter what you do, you’ll do it right, without failure lurking around the corner to mess up an otherwise perfect day.

Think of all the things you’ll be doing today. Getting the kids off to school will be a breeze. After all, they will be doing everything right today, too. Breakfast will be perfect and on time. Getting the Significant Other on their way will be so smooth, you’ll want to call them home to do it again.

Getting yourself ready for what ever is in your day planner will be a cinch. The perfect outfit is ready and waiting for you in the closet. Everything you need will be where it is supposed to be, including your keys, glasses and cell phone, the three elusive items in my day. Today is going to be sheer heaven on earth.


You might think I’m being dramatic, but why not? How often do we get this opportunity to dream? As a writer, I love to take a small idea and run with it just to see how far it will play out. Three little words, “I wrote it”, were the beginning of my writing career. It turned into one 50,000+ word novel that grew into a six book series.

A little idea about revenge became an eighteen year writing exercise entitled Her Perfect Man, the story of Anna Scott, a girl in Southampton who thought she knew who her perfect mate would be. She senses things before they happen. Everything she did should have been right, shouldn’t it?

Her Perfect Man is available at Red Rose Publishing. It takes place in Southampton in the early 1900s and is an historical romance with a touch of paranormal. Here’s the blurb:

Anna Scott could see snippets of the future, what was going to happen before it happened. She learned at a young age how to use this gift to her advantage. She planned out her life, and knew that she would have everything she wanted. She could see it. Unfortunately, she couldn't clearly see the perfect man she knew she should marry, or the years of unhappiness she would have to endure before her dreams came true.

Colin Marsec would do anything to be close to Miss Anna. As they grew up together, he tried to make her see beyond her dreams, to see him as the man who loved her as more than just a surrogate sister. Once she chose Chase Trent over him, his reckless living trapped him into an unwanted marriage with a woman who would ruin his life.

Chase Trent breezed into Southampton fresh from America, presenting himself as the perfect man. Good looks, charm and money blinded the saucy Anna who was five years his junior. Chase was used to having the best and, on the surface this little sample of English tart would look good on his arm. To top it off, she thought he was perfect. On their wedding day, Chase proved to his bride that he was the furthest thing from the man Anna expected him to be.

And what of the flattering and attractive Justin Waring? With so many choices, will Anna find her perfect man?

Read an excerpt from Her Perfect Man HERE

I hope that what ever your day brings your way, everything you do will truly be right for the next twenty-four hours. You deserve a great day and I pray you’ll reach the end of the day with a satisfied smile.

Cheers!

Music Sets the Stage

My entire life is based on music. If there is the memory of some special occasion or incident, I will know what music was playing at the time.

Music will lift up or pull down. Music may bring a smile, or can incite tears. Music can bring us closer to God, or lead to destruction. Whether we notice or not, it can be a strong influence in our lives.

Music was used as far back as biblical times to soothe. David played the harp for King Saul when the “evil spirit” was upon him. Music plays softly in the stores to calm shoppers. Some stores play screaming music to draw shoppers in. Some people even claim death or suicide were due to the music.

Writers and artists may be influenced by the music they choose. Many of my fellow authors have shared lists of songs that they listened to while writing their novels. Music sets the mood for the scene and aids in the flow of words from mind to fingertips to computer.

“The Ice Child”, an as yet unpublished work of mine was influenced by the sound track from “Conan”. It fit with the medieval setting of the story, even though I was not fond of the movie itself.

The ShadowsForge series was born of my love for 80s rock music and mostly my love of the bass players in those groups. Def Leppard, Poison, Journey, and Heart, just to name a few, were my writing inspiration. Heart gave me the idea for The Long Way Home, the fourth book in the series. (NOTE: “ShadowsForge” is one word spelled with a capital in the middle to irritate my older sister. It’s not a typo.)

Personally, I don’t think I could accomplish much in my life without some form of music playing in the background. How about you? How has music influenced your life?

Meet my favorite band, ShadowsForge, at Whiskey Creek Press.com. Join the boys as they travel across the U.S and the U.K. in pursuit of fun, women, and rock-n-roll! Meet Geoff Richards, Ty Synclair, Jon Wiles, Jordan Cantrell, and Brian Cummings, the men of ShadowsForge. They look forward to meeting you, too.

Watch the TRAILER

Can two cold hearts spark a flame when they collide on a snowy mountain road and spend three days in a snowbound cabin? Readers Choice #1 Best Seller!

Self Esteem shot itself in the foot today.

Self-Esteem is the feeling of well-being when thinking about yourself. It’s when you get kudos for your writing, or creating a masterpiece of some kind. It’s a low feeling when you think you are nothing until someone thinks you’re something and tells you so.

I’ve always had low self-esteem. That changed once my first book was accepted for publication. It was the biggest boost I’ve ever had in my life. It was a Readers Choice Best Seller for the first month and stayed in the top ten for many months after release. When the next two books were accepted, it was the Snoopy Dance of Joy on the ceiling for a few days. Someone actually enjoyed reading something I wrote. How wonderful!

Over the following years, I had small injections of esteem booster when each of my manuscripts were accepted for publication. I was feeling pretty good about myself.

Then the other shoe fell. I registered for college. Yep, at the age of fifty-three, I decided to take a few college classes. I didn’t have a job so I needed something to get me up in the morning. Why not college? I always wanted to go to college. My daughter is in college. So, I registered in the classes she’s taking. I’ve always said there is no such thing as wasted learning.

Church Finance and Bookkeeping isn’t bad. I’ve taken bookkeeping before, back in the dark ages. The class teaches how to handle the accounting for a non-profit organization. I could use a refresher course and can always use bookkeeping skills since I do have a business. This class had me nervous the first few days but I settled in to the work and now it’s a lot of fun trying to keep up with classmates that could be my children.

English Composition, on the other hand, is where the “self-esteem shot its self in the foot” comes in. Holy cow! I have seven published books and now I’ve found out that I don’t know how to write! Well, not according to the text book, anyway. I am now learning the mechanics of writing and the steps to writing a great narrative. I have kept up with the kids but I’m wondering how I was ever published. I guess I must have done something right.

Self-esteem is taking her lumps but I’ve convinced myself that I will be a better writer for taking the class. Of course, I’m sure my editors will appreciate me learning how to make their job easier, too.

Cole Jackson knew all about low self-esteem. After being orphaned by men who didn’t understand the love his white father had for his Pauite mother, Cole was an outcast from the inhabitants of the town. He got a boost when he received a simple smile and some attention from Shyanne Bennett.
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A shadow grew on the kickboard, and drew Cole's attention from his meditation.

"What's up, Chief?" Dex grinned at Cole, displaying a row of perfect teeth. His platinum hair reflected the sunlight like a halo around his head. His cronies, three idiots that Dex couldn't take a breath without their applauding his success, surrounded him. Each held their hands solemnly behind their backs.

Cole ignored them, his gaze caught by that blonde girl, Shyanne Bennett, that he'd been watching for the last four months. It was the highlight of his trips to town. She sat across the street in a wagon with one of her friends while her father tended to some business or other. Shyanne made it easy to forget that there was a horse's arse standing beside him trying to make his day worse than it already started. He'd focus on the good, and ignore the bad. He'd become good at that throughout the years.

"I'm talking to you, In-jun."

Cole concentrated on Shyanne. Dex turned, followed his line of sight and laughed.

"You've got no chance with that one. She's way out of your reach."

Cole tossed the apple core into the street. His eyes remained on the girl. He wished the idiot would go away while he enjoyed the view. She was pretty when she laughed, her blonde hair bobbing around her shoulders and down her back in soft curls. He wondered what color her eyes were.

At that moment, she noticed him. She stopped talking, her gaze locked with his, and a smile curved her mouth. Cole would remember that smile for the rest of his life. It was one of the few moments in his life when he felt acceptance. No one could take memories away from him so he held on to the special ones like a miser held on to his gold.

Dex kicked the foreleg of Cole's horse. The wagon lurched as the horse cried out. Cole leapt to the ground, his boots accenting his landing with a plume of dust. He stood face to face with Dex.

Dex grinned. "Well, I finally got through to him. You can take your eyes off the girl. If anyone gets that one, it'll be me."
"We'll see," Cole challenged, his glare drilled into Dex's eyes. They stood equal in height but Dex had quite a few pounds over Cole.

"He can talk. I didn't think he spoke English." The cronies laughed. Dex's grin melted to a smug frown. "There's nothing to see."

Cole glanced past Dex at the girl. She stood on the raised sidewalk now, and watched the exchange along with a few other people. Cole could toss this fool to the ground but it would only get him reprimanded by Sheriff Olsen. That would either impress Shyanne or she'd never speak to him because of it. Dexter Heims wasn't worth the trouble.

"Right." Cole tried to step around Dex with the intent of loading the rest of his supplies. Dex grabbed a handful of Cole's jacket, and shoved his back against the buckboard.

"I didn't tell you to go yet." As the fool stepped back, his cronies fanned out beside him. Dex turned his back to Cole for a moment, taking something from one of the others.

"What ever." Cole hooked his thumbs in his back pockets, cocked his head in annoyance, eyes on the building across the side street. A few others had gathered behind the idiots. Great. Cole smirked as he waited.

Dex turned back to Cole. "You remember General Custer? That run in they had up in Montana territory?"

Cole glared at Dex. "Last year. What about it?"

"Did it look like this?" In a synchronized attack, all four of the boys pelted Cole with balls of mud. Cole didn't flinch as the globs thudded against the wagon and the stacked supplies, startling the horse, and splattering him. He didn't take his eyes from the grin on Dex's face.

Cole smirked. "If you had half a brain, you'd remember that the other blonde horse's ass lost that battle. The Indians won." Cole headed toward the supplies, undeterred by the show of stupidity. "But you're not long on brains, are you."

Dex puzzled for a moment. He glanced around and laughed, the others following his lead, as usual. Cole continued his task as Dex and his band moved off down the street. Cole worked, his head held high as he turned his back to the laughter. As he hefted another bag of seed, he chanced a glance into Shyanne's kind blue eyes as she strolled past him into the mercantile. At least she wasn't laughing. Another memory he could keep.
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In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Shyanne’s Secret is on sale this month at Whiskey Creek Press. See how Cole handles his self-esteem issues and how I handled my writing ability.

Cheers!
Jena
http://jenagalifany.bravehost.com

New Month, New Member

My name is Jena Galifany and I am new to the Roses of Prose group. This is my first blog post and I hope I don’t disappoint anyone.

As a new writer I first tried self-publishing. I’ve only had the one experience with this twenty years ago and it was not a good one. I was new to the game of publishing and didn't think anyone would actually want to take a chance on signing me to a contract. As it turned out, I’d really rather forget I was taken in by the disreputable company that was to "help" me with self-publishing my first book. I have to chock it up to lesson learned and pay better attention next time.

Since that time, there have been many reputable companies emerge to aid the writer with this endeavor. They will legitimately help self-publishing writers but a person still needs to pay close attention to details and small print.

Years after my false start in the world of publishing, I was blessed to work for an online review site. Through the reviews that I wrote, I was able to see the quality of books coming from several online publishers. I had the opportunity to see who would be the most likely to publish the genre of books that I wrote and carefully put together the submission package for ShadowsForge 1: Three Times a Hero. I sent it off and, as I was taught by other writers, forgot about it while moving on to the next writing adventure.

Since I had readers at my day job, people who pushed me into publishing in the first place, who read SF1 and wanted to know what happened after the first book, I commenced to write two more books in the series. After two months, I received an acceptance letter and contract from the publisher for the first installment.

The contract stated they wanted to see any other books that included the same characters or continued the story. I contacted the publisher that evening to find out how to submit the next two stories, together or separately. She answered that she was going on vacation and if I could email them to her that night, she’d take them with her. Long story short, two weeks later, I was the proud owner of three contracts and doing the Snoopy Dance of Joy on the ceiling for about a week.

ShadowsForge, life on tour with an 80s rock band, is now available to follow in four of the six books in the series. Three Times and Hero, Trials on Tour, Retaking America, and The Long Way Home are available at Whiskey Creek Press.

Note: “ShadowsForge” is one word spelled with a capital “F” in the middle just to irritate my older sister who should have been an English teacher.

Since this beginning, I have added my first Western Historical Romance, Shyanne’s Secret, to my WCP portfolio.


Her Perfect Man, an Historical Paranormal, and a holiday short story, Love Lifted Me, are available at Red Rose Publishing.

I’ve thought about trying to self-publish but so far in my writing career, I’ve had such wonderful publishers helping me along the way, I don’t know if I could do as outstanding a job without them. But that’s just me. From research I’ve done, it sounds like a lot of work to self-publish but I do believe that there would be a lot of self-satisfaction that would come from it as well.

I hope that I’ve not bored you all with my humble beginnings. I am pleased to be a part of this wonderful group and hope that I will be an asset to the Roses of Prose. Thank you for giving me that chance.

Cheers!

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Jena Galifany writes in the genre of sweet romance and adventure. She can be found at her WEBSITE, on Facebook, or writing book reviews on NovelSpot.net under the name of Marge _Anna Conrad.