Sunday, March 2, 2008

March Preview

posted by Aunty Cindy

March is roaring in like a lion here in the lair! (Hey, Foanna is on holiday and somebody has to step up to the plate with the puns.) In case any of you readers are interested in a wee bit of trivia, it was one year ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play...

No wait! Seriously, on March 2, 2007 the Banditas first started to experiment with this group blog. True, we didn't "officially" launch the Romance Bandits into cyberspace until May 4, 2007 but we were laying the groundwork for the Lair for more than two months. So here we are some 400+ blog posts later and we are having even more fun than we ever imagined!

As usual, we have an action-packed time planned for the upcoming month with more contests, maybe some Golden Heart and Rita finalists to announce (certainly our illustrious Banditas DESERVE the honors!) and lots of wonderful guest bloggers including:
  • March 6th USA Today bestselling author of over 100 books, Maureen Child will talk about the latest in her hilarious Demon Duster series, A FIEND IN NEED.
  • March 10th we are excited to welcome the queen of romance blogs, Michelle Buonfiglio!
  • March 12th best-selling Harlequin Superromance author Kay Stockham will join us.
  • March 18th author of the recently released FIRE STUDY, Maria V. Snyder will swing by the Lair.
  • March 19th Sherry Thomas, whose book PRIVATE ARRANGEMENTS is getting lots of buzz, will drop in.
  • March 24th CJ Lyons (who gave us great advice on pitching at National) returns to the Lair! Her debut medical thriller LIFELINES just received a 4 1/2 star Top Pick from Romantic Times.
  • March 27th we will welcome Nancy Haddock whose debut novel LA VIDA VAMPIRE just received 4 1/2 stars from Romantic Times!
  • March 31st historical writer Tessa Dare will swing into the Lair.
Yes, it promises to be RIP ROARING FUN here this month so check back in with us OFTEN!

Meanwhile, now that you know what the Banditas were doing one year ago, care to share what YOU were up to in March, 2007? Or any other year you might have had a memorable March!

P.S. And it's not too late to VOTE FOR TRISH! We want to see our Fabulous Bandita take the tiara in American Title IV. Just use the button on the sidebar!

24 comments:

jo robertson said...

Yahoo, the GR for me. Maybe. Who knows?

Anyway, northern Cal has had boo-tee-ful weather the last several days, so he'll have a pleasant place to stay.

We've got lots of great things happening in March, so it really is coming in like a lion!

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

WTG, Jo-Mama! Think a GOLDEN rooster will like riding around in a TANGERINE SUV? :-) Too bad it's not a convertible. Like you said, the weather is so boo-tee-ful here I'm sure you'd both love riding with the top down!

As for my question about Memorable Marches... I'll start the answers by saying my most memorable was the March I had my son. Won't say exactly how LONG AGO that was, because that kid is just getting TOO DANG OLD! ;-)

AC

Christine Wells said...

Thanks for posting the coming attractions, AC! What a fun month ahead. Has it really been a year? I remember the excitement and apprehension of those first few posts we did. We weren't at all sure what we had on our private loop would translate to the blogosphere. But blogging together just keeps getting better. As Pam (doglady) and I were saying the other day, the Lair is like Cheers with better shoes;) Happy (unofficial) anniversary to us!

Helen said...

Congrats on the GR Jo

There is going to be some fun in the lair this month can't wait you guys are always so much fun I am so glad you all got together and created the Bandits.

As for anything special in March none of my children were born in march so nothing special that way but March is the start of Autumn and it is my favourite season I love the nip in the air morning and night and the fact that sleeping is so nice under a good doona I don't like to be sleep deprived and that often happens in summer because of the heat.
Great post Aunty Cindy
Have Fun
Helen

Gillian Layne said...

Go Jo! :)

March rocks. Spring shoves it's way in, we see the last of our snows/ice, and then there's Spring Break!

It was my Dad's birthday yesterday, AC! March first is a good day! :)

Eva S said...

Congrats Jo!

And thanks to you all Bandits for your experiment last year, may the following years be as great!

As for my March, nothing memorable, everything important have taken place later in the spring. Our spring usually begins in March (although today it's snowing, for the first time this year, I think!) but my favorite part is late April.

Joan said...

Oh, what a difference a year makes!

Blogging with the Banditas has drawn us all closer in a pre-destined kind of way. (I guess that is a precurser to world domination :-)

It has brought us as a group SO many new friends (too numerous to mention for fear of leaving one out)

Introduced us and our loyal readers to a pleathera (I LOVE that word) of new and now favorite authors.

What other March in my life could possibly compare?

Fedora said...

Yes, Joan, what a difference a year makes! And AC, I've got a March baby, too! March sounds like a good time for celebrating beginnings! Or maybe just celebrating, period!

Anonymous said...

March is one of my favorite times of year. I love the promise of spring, the unexpectedly warm days, the daffodils and crocuses, even the occasional remaining frosts that are winter's last stand.

It's hard to believe what a difference one year can make. I think one year ago I was wracking up rejection number 120 something, and trying to decide if I should throw my YA book under the bed for good. I was wondering how I'd gotten so lucky to final in the GH in the first place.

And I was loving all my 2006 GH buddies and thrilled to be starting this fabulous blog!

I am so proud of us and the community we have here. I personally appreciate all the good wishes I get from all our readers, all the cyber-hugs and laughs. After all, what could be more fun than hanging around with a bunch of romance junkies who understand my obsession with HEA?!

Here's to many more great years!

jo robertson said...

Thanks, everybody. It's very windy here in northern CAL today, so windy that Dr. Big is NOT playing golf today. Can you imagine?

March is a wonderful month for our family, so many birthdays I usually forget someone, weather starting to turn nice, and sometimes even Spring Break!

Thanks to all the wonderful new friends we've garnered through the past year. You make our blogging so much fun!

Oh, and the TANGERINE SUV the rooster is riding around in today is a Honda Element. I promised to call it The Ellie in honor of my granddaughter, but it's quickly becoming known as THE ORANGE BOMB!

What can I say? Dr. Big surprised me with it and he's never been accused of having good taste in colors!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Wow, a whole year already! What a great year it's been, and our sophomore year is starting to look even better!!

Okay, my March story. Please note, today's date is 3-2-08...On 3-2-80 (kinda freaky, huh?) I was working the OB recovery room of my first hospital in Columbus. We had a record breaking day of 25 babies in 24 hours. 16 of them on the 8 hours of my shift! And I, with a little help from a friend here and there, recovered all 16 plus 4 left over from the night shift!! Whew...oh and it was a SUNDAY, too!

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

I am so proud of us and the community we have here. I personally appreciate all the good wishes I get from all our readers, all the cyber-hugs and laughs. After all, what could be more fun than hanging around with a bunch of romance junkies who understand my obsession with HEA?!

VERY WELL SAID,Kirsten! You and I were in a similar boat last March -- racking up those rejections and wondering how we had ever finaled in the GH. But LOOK AT US NOW! And the successes have been even sweeter (and will continue to be!) because we have all our Banditas and Bandita Buddies here in the Lair to celebrate with us!

You're right, Joanie T. it doesn't get much better, though March 2006 when we all got the Call that we were GH Finalists is a close second. ;-)

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

20 babies in ONE SHIFT, Suz??? That must be some kind of record! Must have been a very hot summer in 1979. (evil grin) And knowing you, you probably delivered babies for some of THOSE babies! WAY TO GO!!!

And hope your dad had a VERY HAPPY Birthday, Gillian! March has always been one of my favorite months. Probably because of its unpredictability. :-)

AC

doglady said...

Congrats on the GR, JoMama! He must have heard about the weather!

I for one am SO glad you gals got together last March and decided to go in cahoots with each other to form the Lair. It really is one of my favorite places on the web and I cannot go a day without at least one visit.

Last March, if I remember correctly, my BFF and my CPs were talking, harassing and blackmailing me into entering my little writing exercise in the Royal Ascot. As it ended up winning the traditional category, I guess I need to keep listening to them!

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Doglady, YOU are one of our buddies we fully expect to hear is a GH FINALIST this month! So yes, please continue to listen to those highly intelligent CPs of yours.

Any of our other Bandita Writer Buddies enter the GH this year? Gillian? Terrio? MsHellion? Anybody else??? Please fess up so we can send lots of positive Bandit-Karma your way!!!

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

...And since I'm on the topic of Bandit-Karma, everyone PLEASE send out TONS of POSITIVE VIBES for our very deserving Rita hopefuls: The lovely Madame D-W (Christine Wells), Tawny (Depp) Weber, Anna (Foanna) Campbell, and Donna MacMeans!

All of their 2007 books were GREAT READS and TOTALLY DESERVE to be Rita finalists! ...not that I'm biased or anything. :-)

doglady said...

Thank you so much, Aunty C! From your lips to God's ears!

And I totally agree with your Rita choices. All of those ladies are beyond deserving of a nomination!

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

18 years ago March 1, 1990 I was giving birth to my son.

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

LOL, Dianna! Are you glad you aren't doing the same thing as 18 years ago?

You too, Fedora? Less years ago, but still...

I'm REALLY GLAD to not go thru that labor and delivery stuff again!

AC
who was out enjoying the windy but warm weather

Joan said...

I saw a FLOCK of robins today! In my yard!

Oh, and two Canadian geese just hanging by the Walmart!

It was spring like in KY too and really reeved up my sense that good things are coming....

Fedora said...

Amen, AC! I'm quite pleased not to be laboring right now! Glad you were able to get out and enjoy the spring weather!

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Aunt Cindy, much as I love my angel boy, I don't think I could face doing that again. My daughter will be 30 in August, let us just say that was a major shock to a 38 year old body.
It was beautiful in WV today to, I did something I have never done before. BF took me and my son out for his birthday (we could get it worked out to do it yesterday) and we played minature golf for the first time. My son loved it! He is autistic and it is really hard to get him out of the house sometimes but he really did enjoy himself. It appears he has a talent we didn't know about......LOL

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

A FLOCK of robins, Joanie? How KEWL was that?!?! With Easter coming so early this year, maybe Spring really has sprung. (Aunty crosses fingers that it is true.)

Yup, Fedora and Dianna, it is definitely worth it once they arrive but it ain't called "LABOR" for nuthun! :-) Dianna, your golfing day sounds great and so glad your son had a good birthday!

Here's to a GREAT MARCH everyone!

AC

Keira Soleore said...

Kirsten said, "I am so proud of us and the community we have here."

As I am to belong to it! Raising a flute of the bubbly to all you Banditas. Thanks for creating such a fabulous home for us. And raising a second flute of the bubbly to all the RITA hopefuls. What fabulous books!! I can't wait to be the one screaming when you get called to the podium in August.

Dianna, this year's a huge milestone for you! Congratulations and many heartfelt ((hugs)) to you on your son turning 18.

MichelleB, CJ Lyons, TessaD, and so many other fabulous guests. Thanks for that look ahead, AC!

AC wrote, "Hey, Foanna is on holiday and somebody has to step up to the plate with the puns."

And someone has to step up to the plate and say that Foanna would nevah utter such ahem-ahem puns.

Jo: You really own a tangerine SUV?? How cool!

AC: Now there's an image! A convertible SUV...a sportible, eh?

Christine: The Lair's like Cheers with better shoes, better manners, better jokes, and yes, better PUNS.

My memorable March story was my trip out west for a job interview. It rained and rained that day, and I squelched into my last interview with my sodden suit dripping water all over the hiring manager's carpet, my hose glued to my skin, and my wet pumps rubbing raw against my feet. The interview was punctuated with the manager apologizing for the weather, saying it just mists in Seattle, never rains, etc. etc. Uh-huh! Well, despite it all a dozen or so years later, I'm still here.