Great Review

Check out this great review by Robin at NOR (Night Owl Romance) for The Angel and The Highlander.
Still settling in, which means I have more boxes to unpack than I thought. And finishing the first book in a new series. Tell you more about it soon.
Also planning a special contest for Ronan's book Highlander's Forbidden Bride. Read about it soon right here on my blog!
At the end of July I'll be posting the winner for my present contest. Still time to sign up for it. Send an e-mail to donna@donnafletcher.com or leave a message in the comment box.
Hope every one's having a great summer and enjoying some great reads!

Settling In

The move is over and I'm settling in, though I'm still buried in boxes. It seems like I just unpack one and two more boxes pop up, but that's what happens when you take everything out of storage. Naturally, when I open the boxes containing books I can't help but peruse them. It's like being reunited with long lost friends. Then of course I make a stack of books I must read again and before I know it, I haven't gotten very far unpacking.
So now all boxes marked books have been placed in my writing room to be opened when I'm finally done with all the other boxes. It isn't easy and sometimes I falter and give into the urge to open just one book box, but I'm doing better.
I'm also busy working on my warrior series, which you'll learn more about soon.
Ronan's alert list is growing in leaps and bounds, so if you'd like to be added to it just drop me a note at donna@donnafletcher.com. You'll receive an alert when Ronan's book, Highlander's Forbidden Bride, has a firm release date before it's announced on my website, and you'll also receive a reminder the day it's in stores. And keep checking my website. The book cover will be posted soon.
Now back to the boxes!

Share a Book

My son Marc wrote a great blog about his daughter and comic books. How they're meant to entertain and enjoy, and not merely be read and stuck safely away in a protective plastic cover and box. Oddly enough, it got me to thinking about readers and their books. It's nice to keep books on a shelf, sitting there looking pretty, or collecting dust until we're ready to take them down and read them again. But how often do we actually reread them?
Books are meant to be shared and, like an unspoken rule, readers know that and do just that...they share. My sister and I, plus two friends, trade books and when we're all done with them, the one woman takes them to her mother's retirement home for more people to enjoy.
Naturally, I have my keepers as do the other women, but without sharing books I would never get to read so many. I believe any avid reader would agree with me. And any bibliophile just couldn't possibly afford to buy all the books she wants to read.
I visited with a romance readers' group and part of their meeting involved the group dividing up books to share. They each enthusiastically recommended the books they had brought and they just as enthusiastically scooped them up. Some books even had a waiting list.
You might think being a writer I would think differently about sharing books, but not true. Many readers who contact me tell me that it was through a friend who shared a book of mine with them that they first learned about me. They then went on to buy my other books and recommend them to others.
Sharing books work not only for readers, but writers as well. So share a book or two today and spread the joy of reading.

Buried in Writing

The last few days have seen me buried in writing. Sometimes you get on a writing streak and can't stop. It's a productive time and naturally you don't want to interrupt it. So you lock yourself away and write. You don't eat right or fuss over your appearance. You basically stick your nose to your computer and work, work, work.
Then suddenly you realize, or someone kindly reminds you, that you've lost all track of time (actually days) and you look in the mirror and scream OMG! Who is that crazed, sleepless woman staring back at me?
Sanity sets in and you think of the countless phone messages that will need returning, not to mention the tons of e-mails, and of course letting everyone know, yes, I am alive! With little fanfare, you emerge from your creative mist and once again become part of life. But always lurking is that desire to return to the mist and become lost in the world you have created.

Hodge Podge

A hodge podge. A bit of this and a bit of that?
I've been at my computer all week doing what writers do... write. Even when I'm not writing my books I'm usually writing something. This week I was asked by two friends to write two letters who needed help in specific and important areas. I got them done in no time.
And then there's my journal writing. I write in it with great enthusiasm either very early in the morning or very late at night. I don't dump my frustrations or such in it, that's not it's purpose. To me it's a place where I can go beyond the ordinary and feel comfortable. It's a trusting companion and I always look forward to spending time within its pages. Another important journal to me is my dream journal. I experience the greatest dreams and I have come to see how dreams help and guide in daily life, while some turn out to be prophetic. There's a good dream site if you're interested in lucid dreaming. Oh, and need I forget my blog, which I do enjoy writing.
In between all this writing there's other things to be done, not to mention making time for reading. It's crazy that I spend the majority of my day with the written word and when I sit to relax I return to it in books. Though I do have my knitting projects. I'm working on a lovely spring/summer shawl in muted, peaches, greens and rose colors. And there's the throw I'm working on now for some time, though it's more like a blanket and I will be doing embroidery on it when the knitting part is done.
I can't forget the Easter hat I put together for my granddaughter. I made it to accompany her Fancy Nancy stuff. It's white with a wide brim. I added to that a plastic, multi-colored jewel necklace that fit the rim perfectly, fluffy white bows and purple checkered hair clips finished the dazzling bonnet.
I will admit that I escaped the confines of home a few hours one day this week. And where do you think I went? Where else? The bookstore, though it wasn't a long visit since I had to go to the post office and food store.
And today? No doubt I'll write, but first my flowerpots need cleaning and I need to take my spring wind chimes out. And then I have to get started searching for a place, since it's come time for me to move. As I said, a hodge podge of things that's going on. What's your hodge podge like?

Erin Go Bragh!

Happy St. Pat's Day to all.

Here's a great St. Pat's Day website where you can find out all about the history of this special day and even some great Irish recipes.

Enjoy the day!

Character of the Day

Many of you have written to me regarding the character Bethane. She first appeared in Under The Highlander's Spell. She's Zia's (heroine) grandmother and she returns in the last two Sinclare brothers' books. A wise healer and intuitive by nature, Bethane patiently heals and guides those in need.

Most of your comments (and there were more than I ever expected) were pleased, overjoyed, relieved, grateful, about time (to name a few) that an older woman was portrayed with intelligence. And not needy, dependent, bad-tempered, toothless, or whatever other cliche that befalls the older woman.

It made me think of the many book titles that read... It' Not Your Grandmother's Knitting, Cooking, Sewing, etc., while it should read... It's Not Your Grandmother's Grandmother Anymore. Older woman, and I can't say what age you're suddenly dubbed with the misnomer since it seems that each age group moves old age further away from themselves, are in a class all their own. Let's face it, we all inevitably grow old, but it doesn't mean we have to fit the standard image.

That was why Bethane came to be. To me she epitomized an ageless woman. She faced and survived a husband's passing, a daughter who dies giving birth and the task of raising a child in her advancing years. Then there's her work as a healer and leader of a village she established. Not to mention teaching, so that her healing knowledge would continue with the women who chose to follow her path.

Was she a woman before her time? I believe women such as Bethane lived and thrived. They were the women who not only paved the way for those who followed, but opened it. While eventually women are believed to reach the crone years of their lives, I believe Bethane is the epitome of the crone. Not the withered old woman, but the ageless beauty who embraces life and fully lives it, tragedies and all.

Don't miss Bethane's wisdom, especially in the last book of the Sinclare brothers' series, Highlander's Forbidden Bride.

Contest Winner

Congrats to grand finale winner Ginny Wells! And a big thank you to all who took part in the contests. Look for more contests coming soon!

Final Week of February Contests

It's been fun celebrating the month of romance with weekly contests. For the grand finale you can win an autographed copy of not only The Angel & The Highlander the third book in the Sinclare brothers' series, but the whole series; Return of The Rogue, Under The Highlander's Spell, The Angel & The Highlander and Highlander's Forbidden Bride. The last two books being mailed to you as soon as they become available to me.
To take a chance leave your e-mail address in the comment box or e-mail me at donna@donnafletcher.com with contest in the message box.
This won't be the last monthly contest. Look for another soon.
Thanks for the enthusiastic response to February's Month of Romance Contests and good luck to all!

Week Three Feb. Contest

This week you can win an autographed copy of The Highlander's Bride plus a cover flat of The Angel & The Highlander. Leave your e-mail address in the comment box or e-mail me privately at donna@donnafletcher.com and make sure to put contest in the message box. Good luck to all and the winner will be announced Saturday.

Contest Winner

Congrats to this week's contest winner Deanna Bostick. Don't forget to check back Monday to see what you can win for the third week's contest.
Good luck to all and Happy Valentine's Day!