STILL MORE Bandita Booty!

The 12 Bandita Days of Christmas marches on!

Our latest winner from Monday's post is...

Joder!

Congratulations! Please send your snail mail info to the Romance Bandit email (see the top of the sidebar or send to romancebandits AT gmail DOT com) for your special Bandita Christmas present!

Eloisa James Writes from Paris

by Anna Sugden

I'm delighted to give everyone in the Lair a Christmas surprise - we have a special guest today. All the way from Paris (yes, the one in France, not the one in Texas!) is Lair favourite, my good friend, the awesome NYT best-selling author, Eloisa James.

As many of you know, Eloisa and her family are spending a year in Paris. Even I, an avid Paris-hater (and we won't mention the Parisians *g*), have been captivated by her daily tales of life in the French capital, which she has been posting on Facebook.

So, with great pleasure I hand you over to Eloisa who will share with you a special piece about her time in Paris.

Thank you Anna and Banditas. It's great to be back here.

My study looks out over a small, quiet street called Rue du Conservatoire. This morning the snow is coming down fast, slanting sideways and turning the gray slate roofs opposite the color of milk. Since I grew up on a farm in Minnesota, this makes me feel at home. I found myself thinking about peeling potatoes for a hearty soup.

That’s when I got a jolting sense of vertigo. After all, I grew up on a farm outside a town of 2,242 people, though my father was a poet and not a farmer. One year we had no money (poetry is not lucrative), so my mother took down the dining room curtains, which had sailing ships on them, and made my sister and me new dresses for the first day of school. My prom party was held in a gravel pit, and I earned the money to buy my prom dress by waitressing in DeToy’s Supper Club.

Paris is a long, long way from the polyester dirndl skirts worn by DeToy’s waitresses.

And yet it’s still me, sitting here, looking out at snow, which is falling in that directed, intense sort of way that happens in Minnesota and apparently in Paris as well.

Sometimes life turns a corner and you catch a glimpse of time passing, as if you were in double time, both a teenager in a farm town, and a woman in Paris. And the current you is one that the Midwestern teenager would never have envisioned -- at least, I wouldn’t have. Skipping anything that has to do with an unflattering mirror, what about you? What’s happened to make you sit up and think: Is this really me? Can this be happening?

What’s one thing that’s happened to you that you never would have envisioned when you were ten years old?

Three commenters will be sent frivolous Parisian souvenirs – pocket mirrors adorned with glittery Eiffel Towers, bringing with them a whiff of la vie Parisienne, not to mention snow. And please join Eloisa’s Facebook Fan Page (http://www.facebook.com/EloisaJamesFans) to follow her daily adventures in Paris.


Anna: And don't forget, we're still doing the 12 Bandita Days of Christmas! One of the three lucky commenters Eloisa chooses will also receive their special Bandita goody!

More Bandita Bootie

And the winner of the book and the 12 Bandita Days of Christmas gift is... dum da dum... Jane!!! Giving a late, but loud whohoooo for Jane, who had the killer sugar cookie recipe on the Sweet Treats post last week. Jane, if you'll drop me an email to Tawny@TawnyWeber.com with your shipping info, I'll get that copy of the Blazing Bedtime Stories right out to you :-)

Bandit Booty!

Thanks so much to everyone for commenting on my posts about Christmas music and the Christmas Q&A! My daughter has drawn names and the winners are...

Gigi and Sherrinda!!

Gigi, you've won a copy of one of my books along with a rooster themed prize and Sherrinda, you've won your choice of TWO books along with a 12 Bandita Days of Christmas gift!

Please email me at: beth@bethandrews.net (that's beth AT bethandrews DOT net) with your snail mail information.

Congratulations, ladies!

Sailing Away to Holidays

posted by Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy

Holiday greetings! By the time you read this I will be heading home from another fun cruise to Mexico where I soaked up lots of bright warm sunshine, and with any luck, finally kicked aside the last of this annoying 'bug' that hit me on Friday the 13th and lingered waaay too long.

It's true that Aunty is a nasty ole grinchy woman, and I like to spend my holidays AWAY from home. I like to be far away from the hustle, bustle, and crass commercialism that seems to over-run every place around here. I admit, I may have gone a wee bit overboard last year by traveling all the way to Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country. But, hey, I didn't hear a single Christmas carol and saw only one Christmas tree (an odd little black plastic thing in a shopping mall in Konya) in the two weeks I was gone.

Christmas in western Mexico is much nicer, and not just because of the lovely warm weather. There are plenty of decorations, carols, and trees, but they seem simpler and far more sincere than the garish displays up north in California.

The big Christmas tree in the main plaza of old town Mazatlan is decorated with red velvet bows and long garlands of paper flowers. Unlike Nor Cal, December is dry, so no worries about rain spoiling the fabric or paper decorations, which are what most people put up on their eaves and around their windows (sorry I don't have pictures but will post some taken by others).

Lights are usually single strands with multi-colored bulbs, just like we used a couple of decades ago before everyone went crazy with all these hanging multi-strands and plastic inflatables. Acapulco has a population of over two million, and I think everyone of them has at least one strand of holiday lights. Since the ship did not leave port until 11 PM, I stood on the top deck and admired the thousands of beautiful lights shining all the way up on the hillsides surrounding the harbor. Spectacular!

Thanks to the warm climate, flowers are also in abundance this time of year and are used extensively for decorations. I don't think I've ever seen more blooming poinsettias than the profusion hanging and filling every available space in the public market in Manzanillo. All those natural red and green colors were gorgeous!

Of course, all that bucolic splendor flies right out the window as soon as I get back on the ship. Talk about Christmas excess! There are decorated trees in every public venue. Wreaths, garland, and tinsel threaten to strangle me at every turn. Christmas music blasts from the PA system. (Aunty sighs heavily) I guess if I must endure the holiday madness, there are far worse places than a cruise ship!

And the Lair is lots of fun too! But please tell Aunty, what place would you like to sail away for the holidays: a) Mexico b) the Carribean c) Europe d) someplace else (WHERE?)

Since we are still celebrating the 12 Bandita Days of Christmas, one lucky commenter will win a prize!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL!

Christie's Bandit Winner

Lady Graeye, you're the winner of a signed copy of Every Night I'm Yours and the Bandita's Days of Christmas goodies. Please email me at christie AT christiekelley.com with your full name and mailing address so we can get these out to you!


Congratulations!

Christmas Q & A

by Beth

I thought we'd do a quick Q&A for today's blog. So I give you my...

12 (and a few extra) Questions of Christmas!

Christmas trees:

1. Real or artificial?

2. White or colored lights?

3. Blinking or static?

4. Tree skirt or bare?

Decorations:

5. Red and green or silver and blue?

6. Old fashioned lights or LED?

7. Outside decorations - simple or the more the merrier?

8. Gingerbread houses - edible or just for looks?

Fun stuff:

9. Sleds...runner or plastic?

10. Ice skating, skiing or sledding?

11. Do you hang mistletoe?

12. Where do you hang your stockings?

The toughies:

If you had to choose (and lets pretend you DO have to choose *g*), which of these would you give up for the entire Holiday season:

Christmas music or Christmas movies?

What if you were wrapping and could have either Scissors or scotch tape (and no, you don't have any gift bags available either *g*) which would you choose to keep?

If one of these was the ONLY beverage you could drink through the entire season, which would it be: eggnog or mulled wine?

And don't forget, each commenter will be put in the drawing to win a rooster themed gift for our 12 Bandita Days of Christmas and I'll throw in TWO books from my stash of goodies. Winner's choice!

A Wild Ride

Today, we welcome romantic suspense author Karen Kendall back to the lair to chat about the third in her ARTemis, Inc., art recovery series.

Welcome back, Karen! What have you been doing since you were last here?

Thanks! It’s good to be here. What have I been doing . . . well, promo and proposals and a Blaze manuscript and more. Always something!

Tell us about the hero and heroine of Take Me For a Ride.

I had a lot of fun with these two. Eric McDougal is the hero, and the book is really his story. Some readers may recognize him from the previous two books in the series (TAKE ME IF YOU CAN and TAKE ME TWO TIMES.) He’s known around the office as “McManWhore,” since he’s been, um, rather active with the ladies. LOL. But McD has some unusual reasons for being the way he is, and I think they make him sort of loveable.

Natalie Rosen is the heroine of TAKE ME FOR A RIDE. She’s a restoration artist who works on old tapestries. Nat’s a little shy until you get a couple of whiskies in her, when a whole new side of her personality reveals itself. She also happens to be an accidental thief. You see, she borrows something to show to her grandmother, who then refuses to give it back—which is what kicks off the action in the story.

The hero, in particular, is keeping secrets in this book. Can you tell us a little about that?

McDougal is definitely keeping secrets! He’s an art recovery agent who targets Natalie from the first scene in RIDE. She’s his mark, and he’s tracked her to a local bar in order to find out what she may have done with the missing and very valuable St. George necklace, a piece that used to belong to Catherine the Great.

But it turns out that Natalie is honest, and she’s gotten herself into a whole lot of trouble. And it also turns out that McDougal may have a well-hidden and completely inconvenient conscience.

You also have a quest story going here. What's the quest?

Well, the ostensible quest is to recover the necklace. But there’s also a quest for justice, since the St. George necklace was originally stolen from Natalie’s great-grandparents during World War II. Avy and Liam (main characters from TAKE ME IF YOU CAN) are working that particular angle of the book.

McDougal and Natalie must also find her grandmother before some nasty Russian thugs find the old lady first. And in a further twist, granny goes on a quest of her own for other family belongings still hidden deep inside a cathedral in Moscow.

Let’s see: how many quests is that? LOL. Four, I think.

How do you research the art recovery and restoration angles for this series?

I find the art recovery angles to be the most interesting. I’ve tracked down articles and books on various art recovery specialists—the most colorful of whom seem to be Robert Volpe, who worked with NYPD in the ‘seventies, Thomas McShane of the FBI and Charley Hill of Scotland Yard. Those guys had some adventures!

There are also big databases on stolen art such as the international Art Loss Register. Art crime is a fast growing, scary business. The old stereotype of the ‘gentleman thief’ no longer applies—it’s gotten rough and ugly out there. There truly are mob ties and drug cartel ties and terrorist ties and money-laundering angles . . . it’s unbelievable. I couldn’t make this stuff up.


Can we have a look inside Take Me For a Ride?

Sure! Here’s an excerpt.

From TAKE ME FOR A RIDE by Karen Kendall, Signet, copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
#

Natalie Rosen was McDougal’s mark this evening. An art restorer and probable thief, she lurched left on the crowded Manhattan sidewalk between 92nd and 1st. The door of Reif’s opened and swallowed her.

Reif’s? She didn’t look the type for a seedy old neighborhood bar run by three generations of Irish. Reif’s was a blue-collar place in a now affluent neighborhood. North of 96th got dicey as it eased into Spanish Harlem, but south of 96th had become gentrified. Still, there were a few old hold-outs like Reif’s, where electricians and plumbers mingled with white collar yuppies and argued politics in a haze of dust mingled with decades of lingering, stale cigarette smoke. The Yankees, the Mets, the mayor, the weather . . . those were typical topics.

Reif’s was situated on the ground floor of a six-story apartment building. It smelled beer-sodden and mildewy but it was also homey and offered a sort of tobacco-stained comfort that suited McDougal . . . just not a girl like Natalie Rosen.

Natalie had dark, glossy, straight hair and dark, serious eyes that looked a little at odds with her snub, lightly freckled nose. She was cute in a repressed, academic sort of way. Not tweedy or preppy—more earnest and artsy. The chick wore a lot of black, but there was a difference between severe New York black and sultry Miami black.

New York black covered while Miami black revealed. New York black involved tights, turtlenecks, scarves and coats. Miami black involved thongs, skirt lengths just shy of illegal, spike heels and fishnets—particularly on some of those little Brazilian hotties, with their bras clearly showing under skimpy tops . . . oh, yeah. McDougal was a big fan of Miami black.

Focus. He frowned. What in the hell was a girl with an art degree from Carnegie Mellon doing in a beer-soaked joint like Reif’s? Surely not unloading a two-million dollar necklace that had once belonged to Catherine the Great.

It was his job to find out, but he needed to hang back for a few. Let her get settled. Have a drink or two. He pegged her for the type that would walk into a dusty place like Reif’s and order, say, white wine. A little naïve. A little out of touch with reality.

***

Twenty minutes later, McDougal shoved his hands into his pockets, crossed the street and entered Reif’s. He glimpsed her immediately: Natalie perched on one of the old, wooden, backless bar-stools, staring sightlessly into the dregs of a short glass of whiskey, rocks.

His opinion of her went up a notch—at least she hadn’t ordered a white Zinfandel in an Irish pub. Of course, his opinion of her didn’t matter much—he’d get what he came for, regardless. He always did.

In all that black, Natalie looked as if she’d smell of sulphur or mothballs, but as she dug into her nylon messenger bag for a tissue he caught a waft of fresh laundry detergent and a tinge of 4711, a cologne his sisters used to wear.

Over the bar hung a four foot by eight foot mirror, which reflected among other things Natalie’s drawn, downcast face. Something was on the lady’s mind.

McDougal nodded at the bartender and mounted the stool next to hers. It was covered in cheap green vinyl and had seen better days, but the upside of worn was comfortable. It announced his presence by creaking under his solid one hundred eighty pounds, but Natalie didn’t look at him.

Didn’t matter. She would. Women always did, eventually—not that in every case they liked what they saw. Some of the smarter ones summed him up as a player in one glance and dismissed him. Others focused on the bare fourth finger of his left hand. The fun ones started shoveling verbal shit at him immediately. Which type was she?

As Eric casually ordered a Guinness, he watched her in the mirror. Watched as her pointed little chin came up, she pushed some hair out of her face and cut her eyes towards him, her lashes at half mast.

Then came her first impression, the under-cover evaluation of his six-foot two frame, muscular forearms sprinkled with freckles and golden hair, his denim-clad legs. She took in the brown leather jacket and the reddish-brown stubble on his chin; then the grin that widened as he watched her.

That was when she realized that he’d seen her inspecting him in the mirror. Her gaze flew to his in the reflected surface and froze. A slow blush crept up her neck—a blush so fierce he could see it even in the dim light of Reif’s.

“Hi,” McDougal said, turning to face her with the full wattage of his grin.
She blinked, stared, then looked away as the blush intensified. She put a hand up to her neck as if to cool the skin off. “H-hi.”

She was a babe in the woods . . . without mosquito repellent. He prepared to feast on her tender young naiveté.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” McDougal said, taking his grin down a few notches, from wolfish to disarming.

She seemed to have no adequate response to that.

“It’s very normal to check out the guy sitting next to you. He could be a vagrant, a pervert, or a serial killer.”

She laughed reluctantly at that, and it transformed her face from mildly pretty to dazzling. She’d gone from librarian to . . . to . . . Carla Bruni in half a second flat. It was McDougal’s turn to stare. The French First Lady had nothing on her.

“So which one are you?” she asked, evidently emboldened.

“Me? I’m just a tourist, sweetheart. The only cereal killing I do involves a bowl of raisin bran or corn flakes.”

That got a smile. “Where are you from?”

“Miami.”

“Florida,” she said, sounding wistful. “I’d love to be on a beach right now, not in the city.”

“You work here?”

Natalie nodded. “I’m a restoration artist.”

“A restoration artist,” McDougal repeated. “As in, they call you to touch up the Sistine Chapel?” He nodded at the bartender and pointed at her glass.

“Something like that. But I specialize in rugs and tapestries, not painting.” A wary expression crossed her face as the drink was set in front of her. “Um, I didn’t order—”

“It’s on me,” McDougal said.

“Oh, but . . .”

“What’s your name?”

She hesitated. “Natalie.”

“Natalie, it’s just a drink. Not a big deal. ‘Kay?”

“Thank you,” she said after a long pause. She curled her small but competent hand around the glass. “Actually, you have no idea how much I need this.”

Yes I do. First heist, honey? It always shreds your nerves. But all McDougal said was, “You’re welcome. I’m Eric.” And he proceeded to chat her up while she got lusciously tipsy on her second whiskey.

Really, he should be ashamed of himself.

Natalie Rosen’s eyes had gone just a little fuzzy, her gestures loose and her posture relaxed. She’d also gotten wittier. “So you said you’re a tourist. Are you an accidental one?”

He smiled. “Nope. I do have a purpose. Are you an accidental bar-fly?”

“No.” She averted her gaze, then looked down into her whiskey and murmured, “I’m an accidental thief.”

“Do tell,” McDougal said, showing his teeth and signaling the bartender again. If he had his wicked way, she’d soon be a naked thief.

#

(McDougal seems very sure of himself, doesn’t he? LOL. Just wait. He gets taken down a notch or two! )

Yes, and I don't want to spoil the fun for other readers, but I will say that part of the book, where all his sins come home to roost, was fabulous. What's next for you?

Well, I’m contracted for a Blaze trilogy, so I’ll be working on that. And I have an interesting new project up my sleeve! But I’m not ready to talk about that, yet. I’ll be taking a hiatus from the art recovery business for a while, though—even though I love it!

Characters from the other two books appear in this one, and the different plot threads come together. Can you give us a hint how all that works? And where Avy and Liam, in particular, are?

Avy and Liam, oddly enough, turn up in Moscow along with Natalie’s renegade granny and everyone else! Remember the quest for justice I mentioned earlier? Well, they’re there to recover something most unusual . . . something that Liam’s never dared to try recovering before. And Liam is no coward—if you’ve read the previous TAKE ME books, you know that he’s got a set of real brass ones! LOL.

This recovery will strain not only his nerves and his ingenuity, but Avy’s patience and her trust in him . . . which has been a bit shaky lately. Will their relationship survive? It’s anyone’s guess.

I hope you enjoy TAKE ME FOR A RIDE! And here’s wishing very happy holidays to everyone.

Karen is giving away a copy of Take Me for A Ride to one commenter today, so tell us: Is there a story involving art theft that you especially like? What's your favorite story of a bad boy doing penance after he's reformed by love? Who's your favorite bad boy hero?

Give Me Some Bing!

by Beth

Sorry for the late post. It seems as if this holiday season is busier and crazier than ever *g*

I do love the holidays though and one of the things I love most is the music!

Some of my favorite Christmas songs are:

Carol of the Bells - Trans Siberian Orchestra (I'd love to see them live!)

White Christmas - Bing Crosby. We listen to Bing every Christmas morning. No substitutes! And I love both classic movies Holiday Inn and White Christmas. I'm going to force my family to watch them with me this year :-)

Baby It’s Cold Outside - Lee Ann Womack and Harry Connick Jr. Great version of this classic song.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Bare Naked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan. So upbeat and fun and makes me want to dance *g*

And because I'm always behind the times, I just found out that Kristin Chenoweth has a Christmas CD out which I would love to have. Along with Faith Hill's.

Some of the songs that make me want to stick my head in a very deep snowbank are:

Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. Ugh. I hate even typing that because now it’ll be stuck in my head!

Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney. Don’t get me wrong, I love Paul during his Beatle days but this song? Not so much.

Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid. Great idea to raise money for the world’s needy but after over twenty years of this song, I’ve had enough *g*

What about you? What are your favorites? What songs could you happily go without hearing this year?

And don't forget, we're still celebrating our 12 Days of Christmas! One lucky commenter will win a rooster prize plus I'll throw in a copy of one of my books :-)

Addictions

by Christie Kelley

Well it seems this blog is putting virtual pounds on me with all the food talk lately. So I thought I'd break it up by talking about addictions...hmm, I have a bad feeling this may lead to more food talk. I'm not talking about bad addictions but ones that make you feel good.

I guess I'll have to 'fess up. When I read Trish's post about not liking coffee or tea, my mouth gaped. You may have read that I brought my coffeemaker with me to my sister-in-law's house over Thanksgiving. I will admit, I'm addicted to coffee.



And Starbucks. Ahh, Starbucks.

There is just nothing better then when the gingerbread lattes come back to the stores. I wish Starbucks would have gingerbread flavoring all year long. A hint of nutmeg, some ginger and coffee. It's the best.

When it gets warm outside there's the carmel frappuccino. A delicious blend of coffee, carmel and ice. Mmmm, perhaps it's time to move on to another addiction that doesn't make me want to make a Starbucks run.

So the other addiction started as a child with me. Reading. I couldn't get enough books as a child. I was so lucky that I had three libraries within walking distance of my house. I came from a family of readers. My mom and dad both read, my brothers and sisters read too.

Then as a teenager, I discovered romance books. Yep, I'm addicted. There is nothing like pulling out a romance and curling up in a chair for a few hours to escape the stress of the day. Before I started writing, I probably read 2-3 books a week. Now, I'm ashamed to admit that I'm lucky if I get that much reading done in a month. But when I read, I still reach for a romance over any other genre. I force myself to read the literary selections of my neighborhood bookclub. I know it's good for me to read outside of romance but honestly, I'm tired of emotionally draining books with unhappy ending. I want the happy ending!

Onward to the last addiction I will admit to on a public blog. But I have to warn you, I'm back to food.

Chocolate.

Good chocolate, not cheap stuff you can get anywhere. I want Godiva...preferably truffles. Just biting into the creamy dark chocolate and soft filling is a fantasy for your tastebuds. I'm hoping Santa will drop some off under my Christmas tree this year.


So now it's time for confession. I want to know all about your legal addictions. Nothing illegal or morally questionable. What food is your addiction/comfort? What is the one thing you must have when shopping in the mall? Come on, we all have them.

In addition to one of the 12 Days presents, I'm giving away a signed copy of Every Night I'm Yours to one lucky commentor!

posted by Nancy

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and made today such fun. The prize copy of Spy Games goes to . . . Judith!


Judith, please email your contact information to me via the link at the top of the Bandit News sidebar, and I'll forward it to Gina. Please put For Nancy and Gina in the subject line.

Congratulations, Judith, and thanks again to everyone else.

Spy Games

Today we welcome romantic suspense author Gina Robinson back to the Lair. What has been happening with you since you joined us last year?

I’ve been writing away and just generally keeping busy with everyday life. Isn’t life funny? It zips by at a million miles a minute, each day so busy and full you feel like you’ll never get everything done. Then someone asks you what you’ve been up to lately and suddenly you just draw a blank. That’s the way I feel right now. I’ve been busy doing everything and nothing, nothing exciting enough to stand out anyway.

My second novel, Spy Games, was released on December 1st. I’m very happy and excited by that. Now I can say I’m a multi-published author .

Your Spy Camp series sounds like a really cool idea. Please tell us how it's structured.

Sure! Basically each book is a standalone single title story featuring a unique cast of characters. What ties the books together is Fantasy Spy Camps, the fictional extreme vacation company I created. Fantasy Spy Camps (FSC) runs a variety of spy-themed camps worldwide. Spy Games takes place at FSC’s Urban Ops camp in Seattle, Washington. The first book, Spy Candy, took place in Arizona. Since each book is a complete story unto itself, they can be read in any order.

Who are the hero and heroine of Spy Games, and what's their main problem?

My heroine is Reilly Peterson. She’s a former college athlete, former sportswear model, and current sportswear company executive. And she has a crazed ex-boyfriend after her. My youngest daughter is tall and athletic. I gave Reilly those physical characteristics, and a similar love of sports, in an effort to portray tall women as sexy and desirable. Even though most supermodels are 5’10” and over, I think it’s all too easy for the average tall woman to feel somewhat less than feminine.

I’ve seen so many tall young women slump, trying to look shorter and more petite, I guess. Instead they end up looking like they lack confidence. I didn’t want my daughter to feel that way, or to feel like she has to wear flats for the rest of her life. My sister, who’s nearly 5’10”, is a great example for my daughter. My sister’s tall, nearly as tall as her husband, yet she loves heels and wears them all the time. She’s confident and proud of her height. I want my daughter to feel that way, too. Woman of all shapes and sizes should have a good body image. Beauty comes in all shapes.

My hero is Van Keller. He’s a wisecracking math professor who just might be more than he seems.

Their main problem is Reilly’s ex-boyfriend and the dead bodies that turn up at camp. Reilly doesn’t believe a math professor is any match for her athletic ex-boyfriend. As a consequence, she tries to distance herself from Van in order to save him from her ex’s wrath.

Can we have a peek inside?

Sure.

Stalked

“You have any dinner plans?” Van asked.

Suddenly, I was one part pleased and nine parts panic. Flirting with Van under the innocent guise of playing basketball was one thing. But going on a date with him, alone, with Ket out there, was suicide. Or murder, depending on who Ket would kill, Van or me. Or both. I looked around at the group. “I don’t know. Have we made any plans?”

Undaunted by my sudden reserve, Van grabbed my hand and pulled the phone away from my ear. “I was thinking, we could make plans. You and me.” He pointed to me and then him. “Just the two of us. Eating together somewhere nice. I have the feeling you’re a local girl. You could suggest somewhere. I could pay.”

I turned to stare at him, my heart melting to mush. “Are you asking me out? Like for a date?”

“Yeah. Like for a date.”

My phone beeped. I had a text message.

The dude 2 ur right wants u. Tell him ur mine. Im watching U.

Oh, spooky! How are your holidays shaping up, and what's next for you?

I’m having a happy, joyful holiday season. This time of year I’m always reminded of my blessings. Already this season I’ve had lots of fun Christmas parties and activities. Just this past weekend my daughter and I hosted a table at a ladies’ Christmas luncheon whose theme was It’s a Wonderful Life. We used my Christmas dishes and designed an angelic centerpiece. Have you ever tried to find a male angel, let alone one that looks like Clarence? In the end, we used a beautiful clear acrylic female angel figure and lit her from beneath with LED lighting. We felt like Martha Stewart for a day.

As for what’s next for me, I have a short story in an anthology coming out in March in the UK and in May in the US. The book’s called The Mammoth Book of Special Ops Romance. My story is “The Lipstick Spy School.” I’m excited to be part of the anthology. There are a lot of great authors in it.

Gina, I envy you having all that lovely decorating done already. And no, I haven't ever tried to find an angel that looked like Clarence from the movie. I'm not surprised it was hard.

Your anthology story sounds great. I'll have an eye out for it.

Gina is giving away a copy of Spy Games to one commenter. So tell us, do you like your spies funny or serious? Who's your favorite spy? Your favorite book or movie involving spies in love?

Today's Booty Winner

Stephanie J, you're the winner of the Starbucks gift card and today's Bandita Days of Christmas goodies. Please e-mail me at trishmilburn AT yahoo DOT com with your full name and mailing address so we can get your goodies out to you.

Warm me up, please

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a fan of winter. As soon as the temperature starts dipping into the 50s for highs, I start staring longingly toward Florida. From about November through March, I'm colder than I want to be. I live with layers of fleece and a space heater going next to my desk. My husband bought me fingerless typing gloves a few Christmases ago because my hands (particularly my right, since it's on the computer mouse a lot) go ice cold unless I get up and exercise.

It's this time a year that I wish I was a coffee drinker. Or even a hot tea drinker. Alas, I don't like either. But this is the only time of the year that Starbucks makes any money off me -- for their yummy hot chocolate.

In November of 2008, I think I hit half a dozen Starbucks locations in New York City when my agent and I met there to visit with the editors at my young adult publishing house. It was really cold (seriously, even New Yorkers were bundled up and looking pained), so every time we had to go somewhere and passed a Starbucks, in we ducked for hot chocolate.

I also love soups during the cold months. Potato soup, tomato soup, vegetable, chicken noodle, lentil -- you name it. When I go to Panera Bread for lunch and some writing time away from home, I typically get one of their hearty soups.

Another cold weather staple is a pot of white beans with cornbread. Not only is this warm and hearty, but with a couple of cans of Bush's Great Northern beans with a piece of bacon thrown in for flavor and a package of Jiffy corn muffin mix, it's also really easy. As someone who isn't a big fan of cooking, I like easy.

Finally, I love a big bowl of chicken and dumplings. I've been eating this dish since I was a little thing. I can remember my grandma making dumplings from scratch and me actually snagging a couple of pieces of raw dough to eat. Okay, so that wasn't very healthy and it sounds gross now, but at the time I thought it was awesome. What was even more awesome was the finished product. My grandma has been gone nearly 30 years, so most of my chicken and dumplings come from Cracker Barrel now.

So, I'm curious. What dishes do you turn to for keeping you warm in the winter? Also, I'm looking for some good soup or dumpling recipes. Please take pity on this cold soul and share. One poster today will receive a $10 gift certificate to Starbucks as we continue our 12 Bandita Days of Christmas.

Bandita Booty!!

by Anna Sugden

Thanks everyone for helping to make Kate Walker's 25th Anniversary celebration such a wonderful success. Kate had such a good time that she is giving away some stocking stuffer prizes as well as her main prize!

The winner of the Grand Prize "12 Point Guide to Writing Romance" is ...

Linda Rader!

Congratulations Linda, I know you'll love this book and find it incredibly useful!

Stocking Stuffer prizes go to:

Keira
Jo
Gillian
Deb

Congratuations to all of you!!

Please send Kate your snail mail details at Kate at Katewalker dot com and she will send out your prizes!

CORRECTION!!! this should be Kate at kate-walker dot com!!!

Sweet Treats

by Tawny

Tis the Season for all those sweet treats. You know the ones - Fudge, divinity, homemade nut brittles and almond toffee. Mmmmmmm, I can feel the sugar rush just typing that.

Today is the second day of The Banditas Twelve Days of Christmas! So to celebrate, I thought we'd talk about visions of sugar plums... or even better, homemade goodies. Fruitcakes, cranberry bread, gingerbread. The once a year, only at the holidays, mom's secret recipe traditions that make this season so extra sweet.

I'm actually the designated candy maker in the family, with the help of my little baking elf: my oldest daughter. My mother makes a divine, to die for caramel (she actually handed over the recipe this year!!!) and both my gramma's are fab pie and 'regular' dessert makers. But they don't do the special holiday candies. So it's always been up to me. And I must say, I strive to live up to the sweet task.

Along with the regular assortment of candies, breads and treats, we always do a cookie decorating day. I'd planned it for today, but was informed by my youngest daughter and my niece that the cookies wouldn't be fresh enough for Santa if they were made this early. In the name of freshness and not offending the jolly fat one with all the pressies, the cookie decorating party has been moved to next weekend.

We also do a gingerbread house each year. Because we never actually eat it (do you eat yours? I always wonder if we're really supposed to), I don't feel bad about buying the pre-baked kits. Pre-fab gingerbread walls make it much easier to focus on the important stuff... decorating!!! how about you? Have you ever made a gingerbread house? Is it one of your sweet traditions?

In the spirit of the season, I thought I'd share one of my sweet recipes -and a secret. I completely suck at making fudge. No matter what recipe, it always ends up grainy and, well, blah. I wish like crazy I could make that smooth, silky fudge but haven't ever been able to pull it off. Well, until I found this nifty little recipe:


Candy Bar Fudge

1 can Pillsbury Chocolate Frosting
2 Snickers bars(3.7 oz.) ,chopped
1 12 oz. pkg. semisweet chips

Line an 8 inch square pan with foil,extending over sides. Spray with non stick spray, and set aside.
Melt chips in a microwave and stir in frosting. Pour half of this mixture in pan. Place all candy except a few pieces to garnish over this. Pour remaining chocolate over and garnish with remaining candy.Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

LOL - I can just imagine the die-hard candy making Bandita cringes over this recipe. But what's a girl to do when she can't measure up to the holiday fudge requirments?? I can make caramels, divinity, almond toffee and any number of cookies, cakes and a killer pie crust. But fudge? I just can't do it. Until this recipe.

How about you? What's your favorite holiday sweet? Do you make it yourself? Is it a family tradition - a recipe handed down through the generations? Or do you try out new treats each year? Do you want to share any recipes? Anyone who can teach me to make fudge gets their name in a drawing for the 12 Days pressie and a copy of my upcoming January Blaze - YOU HAVE TO KISS A LOT OF FROGS, from the Blazing Bedtime Story anthology!!!

On The First Day of Christmas the Bandits Gave to Me....Joanie T's Annual Christmas Trivia!!

Today is the first day of The Banditas Twelve Days of Christmas!





We've been very busy here in The Lair getting ready for the holidays. Demetrius cut down the Christmas tree with his gladius and Lucien has been stringing popcorn which has taken longer than we anticipated as he eats two bowls of the stuff for every one that makes it on the string! The GR was in charge of ornaments, flapping up to the boughs to place each ornament just so....which also took extra long as he kept getting distracted by all the shiny balls. The hockey hunks solved that by replacing broken ones with pucks!

Marcus keeps shaking the packages while Sven insists that today is NOT the first day of Bandit Christmas but Lucia day....a tradition from his home country where it is believed man and beast require extra nourishment........Stop! Boys! Stay away from the cookies!!!

Sigh.

Yes, we are steeped in tradition, steeped in good will, steeped in eggnogg.....Oh, wait! That's just Anna C. and AC and (squints at shoes sticking out from beneath the table) maybe....Suz???

Tawny, Jo stop standing under the mistletoe winking at the glads....no...no. ack! Jeanne! Stop shaking the packages! No, there is not C4 in the green one...no! Really! Don't. Shake. It.

Oh, wonderful. Anna S. just breezed in from England with a huge bowl of wassel....like we NEED more alcohol...and now she's taking down the mistletoe and chasing the hockey guys around!

What? Yes, yes Donna that corset is very pretty in green and red. Oh, my...it lights up...and in the most interesting places. Look, Susan and Kate have just arrived from the cave.....nice Elf hats girls. Do ya'll hear that? What is that carol Nancy, Caren and Christie are singing? "Deck the Halls with SuperHero Figures"...no, I think the words are...

Stop! Stop! Kirsten, honey really I don't think doughnuts will hold up as a wreath..the glaze don't you know. Ah, Christine...just in time....I need help with....what have you got on your head? A candle wreath? You say you're name is Lucia??? Sven! Sven...come back here and finish the wreath! Beth, Trish....step away from the long, weapon like package KJ just put under the tree...um, don't put it close to that green package!

This party is getting out of control and we haven't even served the cake...er, pie...er, cake.

(Collapses against reindeer) Never mind. Let's get on with the Christmas trivia. During the day, I will post batches of Christmas trivia questions. The first person to answer each correctly will get a point. The person at the end of the day with the most points (9 pm EST in my world) will win the first Bandit Christmas prize. Good luck!

BATCH #!

1. What do the carolers in the song "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" insist they be given?

2. Who wins the decorating contest in "A Charlie Brown Christmas?"

3. Where did the Grinch steal Christmas?

4. When a Ukrainian finds a spider web in their Christmas tree, what does it signify?

5. Who was the first ghost to appear to Ebenezzer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol?"

6. What Christmas song was introduced in the movie "Holiday Inn"?

7. What non-traditonal Christmas movie sports the character Oogie Boogie?

8. What actor won an Academy award playing Santa Clause?

9. What branch of the American military is associated with Toys for Tots?

10. What did Carol Brady lose that jeopardized the Brady's Christmas celebration?

Bonus FIVE points will be added at the end of the day to the BB who describes the most unique ornament for any of the Banditas.

Now, excuse me....Cassondra is putting TRUCK NUTS in the stockings!!!!

Let's Celebrate with Kate!!

by Anna Sugden

I'm delighted to welcome back my very dear friend, the fabulous Mills & Boon author, Kate Walker, for another fun-filled day in the Lair. This time, we're going to give Kate a celebration to remember, as she's joining us during a very special anniversary!

So bring on the cabana boys, gladiators and hockey hunks and let the fun begin! May I be the first to raise a glass of bubbly and say "Congratulations, Kate - may you have many more years of giving us wonderful books! And thank you for all the help and advice you've given us over the years."

Thank you, Anna and Banditas. It's a real pleasure to be back with you all.

It’s very nearly Christmas and everyone is rushing around looking for gifts to give to loved ones, choosing them, buying them, wrapping them up and either putting them in the post or delivering them in person. Christmas is all about giving and sharing with those we care about. But the gifts we give don’t have to be just material things. (Though those are always nice – and a few brand new books in my Christmas stocking will always go down a treat!) We can share help and advice and support and encouragement. And that’s what I love to do with those not-yet-published authors who are aiming and hoping top get their books published some time soon.

But not everyone understands this. A couple of years ago, I was at an event with a lot of other Harlequin Mills &Boon authors. One of them was an elderly, long-established writer who told me to my face that she ‘didn’t approve’ of all the things I did like giving workshops, running courses, teaching and advising ‘wannabes’ (her term). And she really didn’t approve of the fact that I had written the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. I was, she said, encouraging them to think that getting published was easy and that all you had to do was to follow a few rules, knock together several thousand words, and you would be heading for the best-seller lists in no time! Hmm! She also wanted to know what I was doing, ‘training up the opposition’, helping new authors who would get published, move in, grab all the sales, and, apparently, ruin my position, knocking me – and other older established authors out of the market altogether.

Huh? I didn’t get it then – still don’t get it now. How could helping a ‘trainee’ author polish and hone her skills so that she sees how things have to be in a romance novel and more importantly why they have to be that way ruin my own career and those of many other like me? How could saying that there are no ‘rules’ but there are things you need to look out for, things you need to focus on, things you need to think about damage the reputation I’ve built up over the years?

[Anna: Trust me, Kate's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance is invaluable for any wannabes!]

Perhaps I should add in something here. Over on my own blog, as well as celebrating Christmas, I’m marking a very special anniversary. This December 2009 I have been a published romance writer for 25 years since my very first book, The Chalk Line was published in December 1984. In that time I have had over 50 books published, with titles number 56 and 57 coming up in 2010. It’s a very special time for me and an achievement I’m so very proud of.

25 years ago when having a book published was just a dream - one that no one ever seemed to think I was going to achieve – there was just one person who believed in me and thought I might actually make it. She was a friend of my mothers, a woman called Marguerite Lees who wrote for Mills & Boon way back then when I was growing up. Her simple comment ‘You can write,’ when she read my childhood writings gave me faith in myself and sustained me when I thought I’d never make it. My success never damaged hers – so why should I ever think that helping anyone else would harm mine? Could it take away the 57 titles I’ve had accepted?

Some months ago I went to a concert by a favourite singer, Michael Ball. He has had huge success as a recording artist, on stage in musicals, and had won many awards. I’ve seen him on stage many times. This time he had a slightly different show because it included performances by several new young singers who had appeared with him in productions of Hairspray etc. Giving these young - and hugely talented singers – a break by letting them appear on stage with him did nothing to reduce the singing power and presence of the star . Instead their new voices added a different depth and richness to songs I had heard many times before, allowing for different and original arrangements, extending the range and scope of the music.

That’s what I hope for when new authors are signed with Harlequin – in the Presents line I write for, or for any line at all. In fact any genre at all., Every line, every genre, needs new blood to stay alive, stay fresh. Any form of fiction needs to grow and develop, to change and adapt to new years, new trends, new types of societies so that it will always be relevant and never ever become a stuffy old dinosaur that no one wants to read.

And that’s why I love helping what the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association calls ‘New Writers’ those who aren’t yet published but with a little help and adv ice and encouragement might yet be the new Lynne Graham, the new Jennifer Cruisie, or even the new Nora Roberts. That’s why I run the courses etc and that’s why I wrote the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. This book has already sold out one edition completely and the second, much expanded and updated edition was brought out in an American edition for the first time this year. Since it was published, I’ve heard from at least seven brand new novelists who have been helped on their way to publication by reading this book – and believe me that’s one of the best presents I’ve ever had. Almost – though not quite as good as that very first published book that I held in my hand this time 25 years ago.

So as part of my ‘Silver Anniversary’ celebrations I’m giving away a signed copy of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance to one lucky commenter. (Or if you’ve already got it – or you’re not actually trying to get published – then I’ll send you a copy of my most recent Presents novel Kept For Her Baby instead. Your choice.)

I’ve been talking about giving and if you’ve ever visited my blog you’ll know that two years ago my husband (the renowned Babe Magnet) gave me one of the best presents ever when he found me a beautiful and adorable Maine Coon kitten who has now grown into an even more beautiful and more adorable Queen . Her real name is Flora but she’s also known as Flora the Floozie. So Flora and the very first edition of The Chalk Line all those years ago have to come into the category of the Best Presents I Ever Received.

What would be your best present ever? One you’ve been given or one you’d just dream of ever finding under the tree on Christmas morning? I’d love to know. And I’ll get Sid the cat on the job to pick one poster as a winner of a copy of whichever book you want!

And can I add a special request here too – with another chance to win a prize as I have 25 of them to give away to mark this very special Silver Anniversary for me. I’ve been asking readers to let me know which of my books was the very first title they ever read. And perhaps tell me a little bit about how they found it, when it came into their life. And I’m also sunning a vote for the top 5 favourite Kate Walker titles – just send me (kate AT Kate-walker.com) a list with your favourites numbered one to five and I’ll add them to the voting. And if I post your story on my blog, or Sid the Cat picks your name out of the voting you’ll win a signed copy of one of my back list titles together with a little extra gift to share the celebrations of the 25th anniversary. Details are on the Contest page of my web site – and on the home page there you’ll also find my special Christmas ‘card’ to all my readers.

I’ll just end by wishing everyone the happiest of holiday seasons – whatever you’re celebrating. I hope you have a truly special and loving time with your family and friends. And I hope that the new year when it comes brings lots of wonderful joys and maybe even a dream or two coming true. Thank you all Banditas for having me over to visit and I hope to see you all again in 2010.

Annie West's Booty!

Thanks, everyone, for a great day in the lair on Monday when Annie West visited to talk about her fabulous new releases BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE and FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD.

Annie very kindly donated two prizes. The winner of BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE is:

PINK PEONY!

And the winner of your choice of Annie's backlist is:

DEB!

Deb, check out Annie's website www.annie-west.com if you're not sure which of her fantastic books you'd like. You can't go wrong with any of them.

Congratulations, girls. Please email Annie on annie@annie-west.com with your snail mail details and she'll get your books out to you pronto.