I am so pleased to have Shawna Thomas as my guest on my blog today! Read on to learn about Shawna’s journey from idea to finished product of her newest fantasy release, JOURNEY OF AWAKENING!

Have you ever thought about how books are written? I’m a writer with several books under my belt and the process still amazes me. It starts as an idea, maybe a situation or a character in the writer’s mind. I don’t know how it is for most writers but  for me, this happens when I’m least expecting it. You know how I know a good character? He or she won’t leave me alone. A week or a month after the initial “introduction” the character or situation is still there, waiting for me when I close my eyes at night. Or as I’m driving down the road. So I turn your attention to him or it. Then the imagination takes over. The “what if’s” begin to pour in. I begin to weave emotions, story lines, tragedy and joy.

You see before a single word is typed the story needs to capture the writer’s imagination. Before the reader will fall in love with the characters, the writer must. The writer is, essentially a books first reader.

Now here is where you find two camps of writers: The plotters and the pantsers. Of course I’ve been around the block long enough to know that though there are the extreme writers in each category, most of us fall somewhere in between. Either way, the story starts moving. At times, it’s like the writer just needs to catch the flow, eavesdrop on conversations and type as fast as nature and ability allow.  Other times it’s work. You sit and stare at a blank page wondering what the heck happens next.

But finally, you have that story written down. But you see, writers are a peculiar bunch. There is that momentary sense of satisfaction, and then we look for someone to tear it to pieces. We want you to tell us everything that is wrong with it. Or course we also want you to tell us that you love it, because like it or not, a pieces of the writer is woven into every story we write.

After it’s torn to shreds, we take up the threads and carefully rebuild, weaving in the new threads, building on the blueprint we’ve created. One we’re done, we take a moment to appreciate the effort before we send it to someone else who could possibly tear it to pieces. This might be an agent, an editor, or even another writer. Eventually, when we’ve done what we can, the finished product may barely resemble the original character or situation, but the writer feels the progression.

And then comes the day we send it off to you. The reader. Countless hours of work, stress, sleepless nights, typing, editing and, woven through it all, a piece of who we are as people and writers captured in written words on paper . a bonfire where there was once just the flicker  of an idea.

That day for me is today. I give you my very first completed novel: Journey of Awakening. And let me tell you, it has been quite a journey for me to get it to you.

I sincerely hope you enjoy it, that you fall in love with the characters as I did long ago.

Here’s a preview of Journey of Awakening:

She followed Jith’s gaze. The golden sand rose away from the water’s touch, forming a hill that protected their little house and its gardens from the worst of the ocean’s fury. A shadow of melancholy tempered her excitement. She would miss the island. It was the only home she could remember. But she knew every tree, had followed or made every path through the dense interior forests. Each waterway, every animal’s den had long since been mapped. She was a warrior of Shi’ia, trained by one of the greatest commanders of all time, Willam of Ardal, and now she was full-grown. An adult by anyone’s standards. An island hideaway was not the place for her. She was ready. Ready for change, ready to use the skills her grandfather had taught her, ready to begin her life. She placed a hand on her chest and traced the hard contours of her pendant. Ready to discover the world outside their little island.

ABOUT SHAWNA

Winner of a 2011 RT Reader’s Choice award for her debut book, Altered Destiny, Shawna Thomas has been making up stories ever since finishing GONE WITH THE WIND as a child. Once she put her own ending in writing, there was no looking back.

A wife and a mother of seven, Shawna lives in California where she gardens, writes, and drinks a lot of coffee. Visit her on her blog, twitter or Facebook.

Feel free to leave a comment for Shawna. Ask her a question about her writing process or her newest release, or just say ‘hi’!

Oh, wait. Sorry. My romantic suspense brain just kicked in for a minute there. Oops. The point is, from that moment on, a very special friendship was born. I have had the joy of watching Kat grow into an amazing writer. Truth be told, she already was pretty darn amazing, but with every book she got amazing-er (or should I be an adult and say, “even more amazing?”). So when she sent off MARRIAGE WITH BENEFITS to Harlequin’s 2011 So You Think You Can Write contest, I knew she was going to win. And guess what? She did! Which just goes to show I really need to start playing the lotto.

Nah. Forget the lotto. I think I’ll do something much more fun instead and give away a copy of Kat’s most excellent Harlequin Desire debut!

What’s it about? And why do you have to have it? I’m glad you asked! MARRIAGE WITH BENEFITS is a marriage of convenience story that will knock your socks off. The tension between Cia and Lucas is absolutely captivating, the dialogue is both sharp and sparkling, and the emotional conflict is sheer perfection. This book will stay with you long after the last page is turned, and I guarantee you’ll be clearing off a wide shelf for all your Kat Cantrell keepers. I hope you’ll all come back and let me say, “I told you so!” I very rarely get to be right and I’m *really* relishing this opportunity. So, please. Indulge me.

What do you have to do to win? Just leave me a comment! Contest open until 11:59 PM EST, February 8, 2013. I’ll pick a winner on Saturday!

Her Ideal Ex-Husband

“Will you divorce me?” Those are the four little words Cia Allende wants to hear Lucas Wheeler say. Of course, they have to marry first. The gorgeous Texas real estate tycoon shuns commitment, but a six-month fake marriage will help them both. Cia can access her trust fund and build a women’s shelter, and Lucas’s playboy reputation is repaired. No strings. No romance. Simple.

Except it’s anything but. Lucas intends to seduce his in-name-only wife. It’s a battle of wills, and Cia is losing…and loving it. And now the divorce she needs is the last thing she wants….

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Harlequin

ABOUT KAT

Kat read her first Harlequin novel in third grade and has been scribbling in notebooks since she learned to spell. What else would she write but romance? She majored in Literature, officially with the intent to teach, but somehow ended up buried in middle management at Corporate America, Inc.

Kat became a stay-at-home mom in 2009 and devoted nap time to writing. After three years and many thousands of words, her dream of publication finally came true. When she’s not writing about characters on the journey to happily-ever-after, she can be found at a soccer game, watching Friends or dancing with her kids to Duran Duran and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Kat, her husband and their two boys live in North Texas. She’s a proud member of Romance Writers of America®. Kat was the 2011 Harlequin So You Think You Can Write winner and a 2012 RWA® Golden Heart® finalist for best unpublished series contemporary manuscript.

You can find Kat on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

I don’t much believe in coincidences. I believe everything happens for a reason, according to God’s purpose. My dad had Alzheimer’s and he’d been slowly going downhill for quite some time. When I was first diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in July of 2010, my parents came out to see me, and although he was having a hard time, he was still *there* enough to communicate. By the time I took an extra break in my chemo to go home for Christmas, not much remained of the solid, steadfast man that raised me. And yet, during those two weeks, there were moments–little glimpses–in his eyes, in the way he hugged me, that told me that not only did he know who I was, he knew what I was going through. Some may call me crazy, or maybe seeking to explain the unexplainable, but I will always believe that when my dad let go on the evening of February 13th, he did so willingly, to take the place in Heaven that had my name on it.

I was told I was incurable. That I would have to be on maintenance chemo until my body couldn’t handle it anymore. My first post-chemo scan showed no evidence of disease. The doctors warned that sometimes the type of metastasis I had didn’t show up on scans, so I was sent for a second surgery in June of 2011. The surgeon’s plan was to first do a laprascopic look, but have me prepped for the major surgery which involved a full abdominal incision and a heated chemo wash through my abdomen, if they found anything. My mom flew in to watch my boys for the two-week hospital stay I was told to expect. When we met her at the airport, she took me over to meet the woman she sat next to on the plane. This woman had been on vacation, and was returning home, and as my mom and her got to talking, my mom explained why she was flying to Arizona. In shock, the woman announced that she was my surgeon’s main nurse, and would be in the operating room with me the very next day. Out of all the flights and all the planes to and from my mom’s destination, God had placed this nurse on hers as a sign that everything would be okay. And it was. The surgeon found absolutely zero evidence of cancer. All the biopsies came back negative. And I was released from the hospital that same day.

So, I do have a point to my ramblings! Yesterday, I received word from my doctor that my latest scan was COMPLETELY normal. I have been cancer free for two years. When I was told that I would never be cancer free again. Two years in which I got to hug my children every day. Two years to bask in their smiles and their love. Two years to praise God for his precious gift. Two years to ‘just be’.

Hope is never wasted.
Faith is never misplaced.
Miracles happen every day.
I am LIVING proof.

But, I’ve learned that I don’t exist in a bubble — there are times when I wish I did, that I could just go into my writing bubble and block out all of the negative, overwhelming stuff that I give way too much power over me. Unfortunately, that’s hard, because at my core, I’m a person who just wants things to be okay. I want everyone to be happy and get along and life to be smooth sailing, and the more I pretend that the rough seas don’t exist, the worse those seas become. I guess I naively expected that if I could survive Stage IV cancer, that life would then be rosy and wonderful because I deserved it. I’ve gone through enough, darn it! It’s my time for THE BEST LIFE EVER.

So, I wrestled with my idea of what the “best life” looked like and saw in 2012, that my life was nothing like that. I was still struggling, still going through huge emotional and financial upheavals. Still feeling like a failure in a lot of ways. And when all these things took a toll on my writing productivity, it just fueled the idea that I was not good enough. That I was worthless and undeserving of better, and that I should be happy with what I had and stop whining about it.

I’ve never considered myself a slow learner, but it took the entire year to realize that…my best life ever is the one that I’m living. Because I’m here. Against the odds, I’m here. And no amount of stress, and cruddy outside…stuff…and the irreparable cracking of my optimistic, rose-colored glasses should ever rise above that fact.

Which leads me to this. 2013. Time for me to find some balance in my life. To stop letting the negative voices win (especially those within myself). To be a more productive writer and work both harder and smarter. To renew my commitment to enjoy every day, no matter what it looks like. To glorify God, with everything that comes my way. To renew my spirit when I feel it becoming burdened. To put more energy in home and family.

And to be eternally grateful in all things.

The Next Big Thing gives writers the opportunity to answer ten questions about their current WIP. Then, they tag four more people to post about their WIPs, who in turn tag four more writers to keep The Next Big Thing going.

In all the NaNoWriMo craze, I…uh…completely forgot about this, which means I forgot to ask who was available to participate (can we say brain fry?), so would it be really lame if I just say, if you read this post and haven’t participated yet, consider yourself tagged? Yeah, that is lame. But I’m doing it anyway.

What is the title of your book?

Edge of Recall

Where did the idea come from for the book?

From my scary brain. Well, okay, more specifically, I wanted to write a follow-up book to Edge of Light, and so I thought, hmm…what if Matt (a brief secondary character in the book), didn’t die like Jocelyn thought. What if he’s really alive somewhere, but he doesn’t remember who he is and how he got there. Who should he be paired up with? How about a woman with eidetic memory, who can’t forget anything she sees. Voila! The idea was born…

What genre does your book fall under?

Romantic thriller

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie?

This is hard, since I don’t generally use actors as visual prompts for my characters. Sidney, my heroine, is a tough, take-no-prisoners NCIS agent with black curly hair and grey eyes. If I *had* to pick someone…I guess I’d go with someone like Julianna Marguiles.

But for Matt? I don’t know that I can pick. He’s brown-haired, brown eyed, quick to smile and joke, but with a very serious side. He believes the past dictates the future, and for someone who now can’t remember the past…well, you can imagine what kind of conflict this causes him.

What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?

When NCIS agent Sidney Gallagher’s best friend is kidnapped she embarks on an overseas investigation to find her, but an ambush gone wrong lands her on-board a hijacked ship with a single ally: Army sergeant Matt Landis, a man with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. Now, Sidney must delve deep into her eidetic memory (an unusually vivid form of visual recall) to rescue her friend before it’s too late.

I realize this two sentences and doesn’t tell you a whole lot about the book, but I’m still feeling my way around it!

Will your book be self published or represented by an agency?

The book will hopefully (*fingers crossed*) be picked up by Carina Press. Right now it’s a WIP, so there’s still a lot more work to be done before it’s ready to submit!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I’m still in the middle of it. All I can say is, it’s taking far too long.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre.

That’s a hard one, but I like to say I’d love to be the Tom Clancy of romantic thrillers.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

The desire to write something that would tie into Edge of Light motivated me to write this book.

What else about your book might interest the reader?

The book takes place in the Philippines. I promise it will be an action-packed read. And it’s my first time writing a female villain. Which is fun.

Mini Excerpt:

(Please note this is a work-in-progress, which means it is ROUGH and subject to change!)

She was taller than him.

It shouldn’t have been the first thing Matt noticed about her, but somehow that one small detail lodged in his brain and wouldn’t let go. She stared at him, her feet braced shoulder width apart, her harsh breath visible by the rise and fall of her chest. He vaulted the last remaining step up to the deck. She raised the pistol. Her rock steady arm took aim at his chest.

He flinched. Damn it, since when did looking down a barrel of a gun make him nervous?

Since you can’t remember what it feels like.

He lifted his hands. “You’re not going to shoot me.”

“Yeah?” Her voice matched her ironclad stance. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t.”

“Because.” He barely survived the last time? Two bullet holes was enough redecorating of his skin? Because she’d kneed him in the nuts, and damn it, it had hurt? Because he deserved to live?

He frowned. He wished he could say with absolute certainty that was true. But he didn’t know, did he? He took one large step closer to the woman and finally let the truth slip past his lip. “I don’t have one.”

Her eyes widened. “What?” Her aim slipped.

Matt lunged, dragging the woman against his body and tightening his hold on her waist. He wrested her pistol from her fingers and sent it sailing across the deck. She cried out. The wind picked up one of her wild black curls and whipped it across his face. The smell of apples, so potent in that one single strand of hair, surrounded him, jarring a memory loose.

An apple orchard. A dare. A fall. The jagged edge of bone sticking out of his arm.

He shifted his hold on the woman to glance at his forearm.

Smooth. No scar.

No scar? How could that be?

She broke through his fingers and whirled on him. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I don’t know.” Panic gripped his throat, digging sharp, painful nails into his skin. “I don’t know who I am.”

She stumbled back a step. “Someone had a knife. Not a butter knife, but a—was it you? Did you…kill Jeremy?”

The strangled whisper tugged at him. Jeremy. The dead man. Back in the mess hall. “I haven’t killed anyone.” Blood dripped off her chin. He wasn’t squeamish, but something about that open gash marring her smooth skin unsettled him. “No, that’s not true. I—I have killed people. Bad people.”

But they hadn’t all been bad, had they? All those deaths, shouldn’t he know? Shouldn’t he keep score, check each one off in its appropriate column so he could tally them up and decide whether he was man or monster?

Neither.

He was a soldier. And sometimes a soldier had to do what a soldier had to do. Even if it meant—

Pain exploded across his temple. He gripped his head, pressing the rigid scar until he could see again. The edges of his vision cleared. He blinked the woman back into focus. She stared at him, her head tilted at a stiff angle.

Why hadn’t she run?

Her wide eyes held the barest hint of gray. And for some reason, he just wanted to look at her. To touch her and make sure she was real and he wasn’t losing his damn mind. He stretched out an unsteady hand.

I absolutely love the slider option that lets me display my awesome, vibrant, chilling, cover for EDGE OF LIGHT so beautifully. I also love that the widget options that let me choose where and how I want to use the widgets.

I admit that there is a bit of a learning curve if you’re not familiar with how Themify works. I spent a lot of time just playing around with each option and seeing what it did to my website, but they have excellent tutorials and support to help you every step of the way.

I’m still in the process of customizing some of the options to fit my vision for my site, but I am definitely pleased with Themify’s controls and their level of support.

Main Dishes

Allergen-Free Pad Thai (from Codename: Dancer by Amanda Brice)

Chinese Sausage and Sticky Rice in Banana Leaves (from My Fair Concubine by Jeannie Lin)

Pernil Al Horno (Puerto Rican Roasted Pork Shoulder) (from Avenging Angel by Anne Marie Becker)

 Jalapeño Chicken (from Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell)

Grandma Rose’s Varenyky (Ukrainian Pierogies) (from Pas De Death by Amanda Brice)

Angelo the Mobster’s Pasta Primavera (from The Good Daughter by Diana Layne)

Olivia’s Seafood Salad (from Under Fire by Rita Henuber)

Alaskan Crab Cakes (from The Doctor’s Mile High Fling by Tina Beckett)

Easy-Peasy Meatloaf (from Chase Me by Tamara Hogan)

“Hide the Peas, Please” Chicken Pot Pie (from Intrusion by Cynthia Justlin)

Soups/Stews

Cole’s Poorman Stew (from In the Presence of Evil by Autumn Jordon)

New Mexican Green Chile Stew (from First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones)

Cock-A-Leekie Stew (from Prophecy by Heather McCollum)

Almost Medieval Leek Soup (from Lady Unbound by Elise Hayes)

Henri’s Turtle Soup (from A Kiss in the Wind by Jennifer Bray-Weber)

Caruru do Pará (Brazilian Shrimp Gumbo) (from Doctor’s Guide to Dating in the Jungle by Tina Beckett)

Abram’s Game Day Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (from Under the Autumn Sky by Liz Talley)

Sides

 Abby’s Fatten-up-Mac Green Bean Casserole (from The Memory of You by Laurie Kellogg)

Millie Polk’s Squash Casserole (from Home at Last Chance by Hope Ramsay)

Bacon and Egg Fried Rice (from Taste Me by Tamara Hogan)

Sultana’s Rice (from Kismet’s Kiss by Cate Rowan)

Stasia’s Vinegret (Russian Potato, Beet, & Carrot Salad) (from Underhanded by Shoshana Brown)

Violet Easley’s Okra and Stewed Tomatoes (from Last Chance Christmas by Hope Ramsay)

Eat These Fries (from Kiss that Frog by Cate Rowan)

Condiments

Dare To Be Different Barbeque Sauce (from Snow Bound by Dani Wade)

Alex’s Killer Pasta Sauce (from His Witness to Evil by Autumn Jordon)

Annie’s Favorite Hot Sauce (from Waters Run Deep by Liz Talley)

Devil’s Dust (from Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones)

Desserts

Triple Chocolate Cake (from Caught on Camera by Kim Law)

Summer’s Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (from Perfect Summer by Katie Graykowski)

Ryker’s Favorite Mint Brownies (from Her Own Best Enemy by Cynthia Justlin)

Tiramisu (from Thoroughbreds and Trailer Trash by Bev Pettersen)

Profiteroles (from Party Like It’s 1899 by Amanda Brice)

Hannah’s Heavenly Cinnamon-Almond Squares (from Hypnotic Seduction by L.L. Kellogg)

Picou Dufrene’s Infamous Pecan Pralines (from The Road to Bayou Bridge by Liz Talley)

Tara’s Mother’s Southern Pecan Pralines (from Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure by Diane Kelly)

Maggie’s Amazing Pecan Pie (from A Little Bit of Deja Vu by Laurie Kellogg)

Jenny Carpenter’s Secret Pie Crust (from Last Chance Beauty Queen by Hope Ramsay)

Cream Cheese Pie (from Only Fear by Ane Marie Becker)

Nicole’s To-Die-For Apple Pie (from Seized by Darkness by Autumn Jordon)

Susanna’s Sonker (from Whisper Falls by Elizabeth Langston)

Fried Banana Nuggets (from Edge of Light by Cynthia Justlin)

Betts’ Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Place Your Betts by Katie Graykowski)

Jilian’s “Best of Earth” Cookies (from The Source of Magic by Cate Rowan)

Breakfast

T-Bone Carter’s Biscuits (from Welcome to Last Chance by Hope Ramsay)

Cinnamon Rolls (from Sugar Springs by Kim Law)

Sausage Gravy & Biscuits (from Jimmie Joe Johnson: Manwhore by Lindsey Brookes)

Lucy’s Rum Cake “Stud Muffins” (from The Ghost Shrink, The Accidental Gigolo, & The Poltergeist Accountant by Vivi Andrews)

Sam’s Keep-Dani-Healthy Greek Omelet (from The Great Bedroom War by Laurie Kellogg)

Huevos Rancheros (from Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones)

Lucky’s Lucky Charms (from Getting Lucky by Katie Graykowski)

Beverages

Dani’s Mango Madness Smoothie with Raspberry Swirl (from Pointe of No Return by Amanda Brice)

Homemade Skinny Latte (from Death, Taxes, and a Skinny No-Whip Latte by Diane Kelly)

Parish Cocoa (from Ghosts of Boyfriends Past by Vivi Andrews)

Captain Drake’s Rum Drinks (from The Siren’s Song by Jennifer Bray-Weber)

Cookie’s Mucho Magnifico Margaritas (from Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones)

Bonnie Pratt’s Easy-Peasy Peach Sangria (from Death, Taxes, and Peach Sangria by Diane Kelly)

Historical

Sample Menu from 1890s Dinner Party (from The Vanishing Thief by Kate Parker)

16^th Century Herbal Remedies (from Captured Heart by Heather McCollum)

Available FREE from Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords

(We’re working hard to make it available on Barnes & Noble. Until then, you can download your choice of format (including PDF) from Smashwords!)

Happy cooking!

]]> http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/2012/10/26/free-cookbook-from-the-ruby-slippered-sisterhood/feed/ 0 http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/2012/05/14/edge-of-light-giveaway/ http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/2012/05/14/edge-of-light-giveaway/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 07:01:33 +0000 Cynthia http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/?p=607 (This contest is now over. Due to bandwith issues with my previous server–I have now changed servers–I’ve removed the Rafflecopter giveaway form and the photos of the prizes. Thanks!)

In honor of EDGE OF LIGHT’s release, I’m holding an exclusive giveaway. What can you win? I’m glad you asked. Because I’ve got some special, one-of-a-kind items up for grabs.

Oliver Shaw’s Journal

This 1901 hardcover edition of Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo was used as Oliver’s journal while in captivity.

Hidden throughout the journal are some of Oliver’s most revealing thoughts and drawings. Here’s a sample of two:

Also up for grabs, beautiful pendants made from Cambodian money:

And, of course, no contest would be complete without books!

Win copies of EDGE OF LIGHT, as well as the first two books in my REMNANTS series (Her Own Best Enemy and Intrusion)

Details:

Please note, this contest is open to anyone, however, due to the cost of shipping, the hardcover edition of The Count of Monte Cristo will only be awarded to a U.S. winner.

Prize Breakdown:

One GRAND PRIZE winner will receive: Oliver’s journal, the first choice of pendants and a digital copy of EDGE OF LIGHT.

Six FIRST PRIZE winners will each receive: a Cambodian money pendant and a digital copy of EDGE OF LIGHT

Three SECOND PRIZE winners will each receive: A digital copy of their preferred book (winner’s choice, either EDGE OF LIGHT or something from my backlist).

Ready? Set? ENTER!

GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER!

Winners will be announced soon!

Thanks for entering!

First, the paintings:

This is J’s (son #1) Sonic-the-Hedgehog esque character drawing. I love the shoes and the scarf and the sword.

This is G’s (son #2) dot painting. My favorite part of this painting is the elephant off to the right and the trees. Kind of like a re-imagining of Dr. Seuss, combining Horton Hears A Who with the Lorax. At least, that’s my take.

Now, for the sculptures:

J loves all things dragon! I absolutely adore this very special ceramic sculpture of this blue dragon–from the yellow horn, to the blue spikes and scales, to the sharp teeth. We proudly display it on the table in our living room. So much of J’s personality shines through in just this small little dragon head.

This is the only magnet on my fridge. Made by G out of salt dough and painted by him. This is a very special gift, given to me while I was going through chemo. I love the combination of the blue and the red (with glitter). It’s happiness and sadness combined in one heart, and shows so much of what he was feeling at the time.

Okay, I’ve showed you mine. Go forth and admire some more artwork at my friends’ sites:

Rita Henuber
Autumn Jordon
Liz Talley @ Diana Layne’s
Anne Marie Becker

Living in Northern Arizona, the blue skies and pine trees are plentiful. So, of course I had to nab a picture, even though technically I couldn’t say either of those things were blooming.

And once I grabbed this picture, I couldn’t resist grabbing a picture of a fort someone has been building in the woods. There’s actually quite a few of these in this small patch of forest, and every once in awhile a new one pops up. We have no clue who puts them up. Children or elfin wood gnomes? You decide!

The thing is, we live at an elevation somewhere between 6000-7000 feet, so we’re late bloomers. In fact, we just got a foot of snow a week and a half ago. It melted within a couple of days, but things are just starting to bud and sprout as evidenced by this bush…which I have no idea what it is called. Anyone know?

At last! Evidence of Spring in the garden around our house! First, lilies:

And then…um…violets…I think. Can you tell I don’t have a green thumb?

Go see what’s blooming around

Florida @ http://www.ritahenuber.com
Texas @ http://blog.dianalayne.com
Pennsylvania @ http://autumnjordonnotes.blogspot.com

And let me know what’s blooming where you live!