Blog suspended

Hi all,

I just haven't had the time to adequately spend here, so
I am temporarily suspending my blog until life allows more time.

Take care, God Bless and I'll be talkin' at ya soon!

SEASON FOR GRACE hero

We're having a huge winter storm and my internet is in and out so I'll make this fast. Collin Grace looked an awful lot like Colin Ferrel in SWAT.

Happy Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to my American friends. I must admit I overindulged a little yesterday. But all the family was here and the weather was around 80 degrees of sunshine and fun. We rode the horse, 4-wheelers, and played a crazy game of basketball. Remind me next time that I need to get in better shape before subjecting my back and knee to the rigors of guarding two 10 year olds. Or better yet, tie me to the recliner so I'm not tempted to play. :-)

If you haven't checked out the www.pinkheartscoiety. blogspot.com , please do so today. They have up a 'pretend contest' to choose the hero of my latest book, A SEASON FOR GRACE. It just hit the stands this week. If you like emotional, heart-tugging stories with a hero to fall in love with, please grab a copy. It's the first in a series called the Brothers' Bond. I love these three brothers and think you will too. I wasn't too crazy about the cover, so don't let that keep you away. What's inside the cover is far better than the cover itself.

Have a great day!

Copies in other languages

One of the coolest things for me as a writer is receiving copies of my books in other languages. Nope, I can't read them, but it's fun to know people all over the world read my stories! I've never stopped to count but my Silhouette Romances have been published in quite a large number of languages. So if anyone out there reads something other than English or you have a relative who does and you'd love to give them a little surprise, let me know. If I have a book in "your" language, I'd love to send it to you, free of charge.

Let's see, I have Italian, Greek, French, Polish, Dutch, Portugese, Swedish, and more. Ask and I'll see if I have the one you want.

Can't beat a deal like that!

MARRIED UNDER THE MISTLETOE

Word is out that MARRIED UNDER THE MISTLETOE, my November Harlequin Romance is on the shelves. I'm very excited. This is my first book for the new line and I have loved working with the editors in London to make it a very special story. I do hope you'll give it a read and let me know what you think.

Along with a Top Pick of the month review, Romantic Times Magazine, the guru of romance novels, called it "intense" and "a powerful character study with a lovely romance".

Check it out!!

IT'S ON THE SHELVES!

I am thrilled to announce that my first book for Harlequin Romance is now on the shelves. This, of course, is not my first book, but this is the first I've written for the new line. MARRIED UNDER THE MISTLETOE is a heart-tugger about an abused woman's struggle to learn to trust and love.

Romantic Times Magazine, the guru of romance novels called it "intense" and "a powerful character study with a lovely romance".

The reviewer gave it 4 1/2 Stars Top Pick of the month!!! I am thrilled about that.

Please grab a copy and let me know what you think.

Hugs and happy days,
Lg

A fun new blog

If you like fun blogs about romance novels, check out this new one: www.pinkheartsociety.blogspot.com

I've been asked to write a piece for it next month, so be looking for me over there.

And don't forget MARRIED UNDER THE MISTLETOE hits the stands the first week in November. I'm thrilled to tell you that this book received a 4 1/2 star top pick review from Romantic Times Magazine. I hope you like it!

Thrilled

I finished a book today. Whew! To a writer, "the end" are the sweetest words on the planet. I think it's going to be a good book in a great series for Love Inspired, "Tiny Blessings".

With this book, I will officially be out of contract and hope to take a couple of months off. I've been working very hard for the last couple of years with no breaks. The timing couldn't be better because my eye doctor says I need surgery to remove a growth on one of my eyes. I get the willies thinking about having eye surgery, but I'm ready to get it over with and move one.

Anyone out there have eye surgery? How was it? How long were your eyes out of commission. Scary thing for a writer. Well, for anyone.

Married Under the Mistletoe

An excerpt from my next book, Married Under the Mistletoe, is on the "Smooch of the day" at www.cataromance.com !!

It's always fun to be involved in things like that. I hope you'll check it out. This little book comes out Nov. 1 and I'm so excited about it. Can't wait to hear what you think!

Book covers

Book covers. As a writer I know how important that first glimpse is to grab a reader's attention. If the cover flops, the book, no matter how good, may also flop. Scary business, especially considering that we authors have very little say in what the covers look like. BUT I am absolutely thrilled with my latest one. MARRIED UNDER THE MISTLETOE, my November release is lovely. Harlequin out did itself to come up with beautiful covers for this new line and I am so pleased to be part of it.

Since I'm too much of a doofus to post the cover here, would you please click here and go have a look. It's so pretty. I'd love to know if you agree. http://thebridesofbellalucia.blogspot.com

Let me know what you think.

Brides of Bella Lucia

The Bella Lucia Brides series from the new and wonderful Harlequin Romance is off and running. The review so far are great, including mine, but I'm saving that news until next month when the book actually starts hitting the stores. But let me say in advance, I am very, very, very pleased and excited.

Here's the list. Don't miss a one:

Having the Frenchman's Baby by Rebecca Winters
Coming Home to Cowboy by Patricia Thayer
The Rebel Prince by Raye Morgan in September

And now for October don't miss Ally Blake's "Wanted: Outback Wife" The cover is gorgeous, too.

Passwords

Am I the only writer on planet earth that cannot remember her blog password? While I admit to being woefully remiss in blogging, from time to time I have a thought to share. But for the last several weeks I've been trying to figure out how to reclaim my password and user name. I even forgot that. This is what happens when you have too many passwords and too many user names. Awk! Anyone have a handy-dandy method for remembering these crazy things?

Great on-line read

Okay, ya'll, I just read the cutest story by Liz Fielding on eharlequin. It's a kick off read for The Brides of Bella Lucia series that is now in full swing. Go get a free taste of the delicious stories waiting for you in that series

http://thebridesofbellalucia.blogspot.com

or at eharlequin. com to the online reads.

Liz never fails to deliver a lovely time.

You gotta do this!

Have you heard about the new search engine that automatically contributes money to your favorite charity? According to one of my own personal favorites, His Kids Too!, it's legit. www.goodsearch.com actually donates to your chosen charity every time you use their search engine. Now how awesome is that?

Cruise the web and help someone in the process. I love it!

DIET CHOCOLATE?

Yes, I noticed that my last two blogs were totally conflicting. In one, I talk about Turtle Cake, the delicious, rich, fattening dessert that readers seem to love. Then the next is about dieting. Unfortunately, I do too much of the turtle cake and not enough of the dieting. But I have lost 5 pounds this summer. Does that mean I can make Turtle Cake now?

Got some great news from London. I'll share that with you tomorrow. Right now, I have to vaccuum the floor and then get to work on MISSIONARY DADDY, my latest series book for Love Inspired.

Be blessed and blessed today!

Diet blues

I've probably scared everyone away with today's topic. But the day comes when a person looks in the mirror and is startled by the extra few pounds that have crept in. It couldn't be the chocolate I eat because, as we all know and agree, chocolate is not fattening. It's good for you. But alas, something's got to give. So, I've rejoined Curves and am working out three times a week again. Can you hear me gasping for air all the way to your house? In addition to more exercise, I've cut back on--gasp, say it so--chocolate and everything else that actually tastes good.

Oh, wait, I cheated yesterday. I fried okra, my favorite food on the planet and I made chocolate oatmeal cookies, another favorite. And yes, I ate plenty of both. Sigh.

Did I mention that I sometimes have trouble sticking to a diet?

TURTLE CAKE!

In my January Silhouette Romance, SOMETIMES WHEN WE KISS, the hero's aunt made chocolate turtle cake. Since then, I've gotten a number of requests for that recipe and realized that I've never put that one on my website. I need to rectify that, but meanwhile here's the recipe. This cake is gooey and so rich you can feed a lot of people with one.

TURTLE CAKE
1 chocolate cake mix (any kind. The original recipe called for German chocolate but I use dark chocolate.)
14 oz. pack of caramels (I've tried caramel sauce. While it works, it's not as good.)
1 bag (12 oz.) chocolate chips (use whichever you like, milk chocolate or semi-sweet)
1 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c evaporated milk

Mix cake according to instructions on the box. Pour 1/2 the batter into a sprayed or greased 9 X 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully and do not overcook. Better to undercook than overcook. I usually stick a toothpick in and if the cake is still a little crumbly, it's done enough.

While bottom layer is cooking, melt caramels and milk together over low heat or in microwave. Pour hot caramel mix on top of the baked layer. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over this. Top with remaining cake batter. Bake again for about 15-20 minutes. Again, be careful not to over cook. A few crumbs on the toothpick is done enough.

Now, grab a big glass of milk or a cup of coffee, put your feet up with a good romance novel (preferably one of mine ) and enjoy that cake!

BRIDES OF BELLA LUCIA

Romance, weddings, and exotic locales: What reader could ask for more? Not me anyway! And I am so very thrilled to announce that the very first of the new series from the brand new combined line of Harlequin and Silhouette Romance will debut this summer! The author corps is outstanding and the stories run the gamet and the globe. Book 5, MARRIED UNDER THE MISTLETOE coming in Nov. is my contribution. I personally love the characters in this book so much, both terribly wounded people in different ways, who find their healing, of course, in love. More on that later, but for now, don't miss the very first offering from the fabulous Rebecca Winters.

I am very blessed to be part of this venture and hope you'll check out all the books and comments at this lovely blog:

http://thebridesofbellalucia.blogspot.com

Baby books

Yesterday, while I was hard at work plotting book 3 of The Brothers' Bond, I got a phone call from my editor. Love Inspired is planning a sequal to the very successful "Tiny Blessings" series that ran last year. And guess what? They've offered me a spot, writing Book 2. The tentatiave title is Missionary Daddy. I am very excited to be a part of this new series.

So tell me, do you like books about babies? What other elements do you LOVE to see in the books in you read?

Memorial Day

When I was a little girl, Memorial Day was almost sacred. People didn't go to the lake or off on trips or have barbecues. They decorated graves and remembered. Don't get me wrong. I'm not dissing the above things. Family times are wonderful, but somehow Americans have lost the meaning of Memorial Day. It's the same with saluting the flag or listening to the National Anthem. People are restless, noisy, innattentive. What's happened to us? Why do we no longer remember that men and women have died for our freedom--and continue to do so?

I don't know about you, but I think I'll say a special prayer of thanks today for all those military men, women, & families who have given so much to the rest of us.

A VERY SPECIAL DELIVERY

No, I didn't have a baby or get a package from UPS. That's the name of my new book from Love Inspired. A VERY SPECIAL DELIVERY just hit the stands so run out to Wal-Mart or any other bookstore and grab a copy. I'm getting some great reader mail already which is such a wonderful blessing to me. It's humbling that people take time to write an email to an author expressing their enjoyment of a book.

This particular story is my "SIDS" book. I think the topic has touched a cord in readers. Because SIDS had occured in my family, I worked very hard to handle the subject with sensitivity and to bring beauty out of a tragedy. Please let me know if I succeeded.

By the way, the cover is pink and lovely, very easy to spot on the shelf. If I wasn't such a klutz, I could show you. Instead, check out my website. My wonderful web mistress, Kelli McBride, has it up for you.

Happy Sunday!

PRINCE INCOGNITO

My latest Silhouette Romance seems to be doing well with readers. At least, I hope so. I've been getting email asking if and when I'll have books for the other two characters, Teddi and Carson. The truth is, Silhouette originally planned to do all three books. That was before they decided to merge Silhouette Romance with Harlequin Romance. Now, the idea is limbo. I've written a book for new merged line, but Teddi and Carson are on the back burner. Too bad, because I LOVE both those characters. If you've read PRINCE INCOGNITO, you know that Teddi is a hoot. She's a free-spirit, a warm, funny, new age flake. So, so much fun to write. And Carson, he's a macho cowboy whose bark is worse than his bite. And boy, does he bark! I love writing those types and watching them fall in love. They always make such a loud explosion.

Anyway, thanks to all who've asked. Maybe someday. . .

PRINCE INCOGNITO

www.lindagoodnight.com

Well, it's pretty obvious I couldn't figure out how to put my new book cover up here. Yes, I know. I did it once, but now I can't do again. Sigh. Someday I'm going to have time to figure this all out. :-)

Life is good. God is great. I am thankful for all the ways He shows us his love. A marvelous couple have adopted the little girl we were worried about in Ukraine. I am so thrilled for these little sisters to have found a forever family. Now, Gene and I are waiting for Him to guide us to our next adventure. Because with God, life is always exciting!

Cover, I hope

PRINCE INCOGNITO!

My last book for Silhouette Romance hit the stands today! PRINCE INCOGNITO is a Cinderella story about a klutzy private investigator wannabe and a gorgeous prince in hiding. I hope you'll pick up a copy and let me know if you enjoy it. If I can figure out how, I'll post a photo of the cover.

a very special delivery

One of the cool perks of writing for Steeple Hill is their devoted book club readers. Even though my next Love Inspired novel doesn't hit the stands until May, readers are already contacting me. So far, the news is good. And I am deeply thankful that they are loving A VERY SPECIAL DELIVERY. The cover is pretty too. All pink with a darling little baby on it.

Ukraine & INS

We received good news today. Our immigration application was approved, so if Ukraine will allow us to adopt Sasha and her sister, we have the approval to bring them to America. Other good news is that Sasha is feeling better. She's still coughing and orphanages are not all that warm, but at least she is mending. We are praying hard that things will reopen in Ukraine and we can get the girls out of the orphanage by summer. We know it's a long shot, but God can do anything. Please pray. Children shouldn't be in orphanages when they could be with a loving family.

Waldorf Salad Recipe

I haven't made Waldorf Salad in a while, but since Gene and I both could lose a little weight, I decided to make more salads. Here's the recipe I used. It turned out great.

2 apples
2 stalks of celery
a handful of green grapes
a capful of lemon juice
1/4 - 1/2 cup of walnuts
1 heaping TBS. of no fat sour cream
1 heaping TBS. of Miracle Whip
a little spoon of Mayo. (You could use lowfat here too if you had it.)

Chop fruits and celery. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Add all other ingredients, chill and enjoy!

Prayers Needed

If you read this blog, by now you know there is a little girl in Ukraine who owns my heart. Today I received word that she is sick and has been taken to the hospital. My mother's instinct is screaming to get on a plane and go take care of her! Impossible, of course, but please pray for her. Being an orphan is hard enough. Being a sick, six year old orphan is horrid.

Ukrainian orphanages

Linda Goodnight
When the former Soviet Union collapsed, it left a lot of good people in very bad situations. The result has been an influx of children into orphanages across eastern Europe. I must say, from personal experience that these are beautiful, bright, wonderful children, but if the statistics coming out of Russia are correct, their future is bleak. Sixty to seventy percent of kids that age out of orphanages end up in crime, prostitution, or dead from suicide.

This weekend, I agreed to add to my already overburdened schedule a roll as coordinator for donations for Gorlovka Hope Orphanage, the orphanage in Ukraine where our Sasha and Elena live. Please take a minute to go to life2orphans.com and read about the wonderful work this group does. In the days to come, I'll be telling you about a special project I'm trying to get going to help the kids at G.H. I hope you'll agree this is a worthy cause. Caring for orphans is, as the scripture says, the very heart of Jesus.

Ukraine Adoption Plea

Linda Goodnight
Do you know anyone who has ever adopted from Ukraine?

In previous posts I mentioned that we hosted a little Ukrainian girl at Christmas. Since then, after much prayer and asking ourselves if we had lost our minds, we decided that we couldn't leave her to grow up in an orphanage. So, we are currently collecting the paper work to adopt both Sasha and her sister, if possible. The problem at this moment though, is not in the mountain of paperwork or even the frightening expense. The problem is that Ukraine has suspended adoptions to Americans. Why? Because about 900 American parents who have adopted from Ukraine have not turned in the yearly reports that the Ukrainian government requires. And now, because of the noncompliance of a few, many children may live out their entire childhoods without families, including the little girls we would love to bring home.

So, please, for the sake of many, many needy kids, if you know of anyone who has adopted from Ukraine, please urge them to check and make sure they have filed their yearly reports.

Olympics

Is it just me or did the Olympics lack zing this year? Once upon a time, I was an avid Olympic watcher, logging dozens of hours during the course of a couple weeks. This year, there didn't seem to be anyone I really cared about enough to follow. Maybe because I was so bummed when Michelle Kwan bowed out with injury, but even the ice skating, normally my favorite, didn't draw me to the TV each night. I did, however, watch Sasha Cowan win silver, though I admit to being totally unAmerican because I was cheering for the Russian skater to take the gold!!

Do you think the difference this year was that there just weren't any "sympathy" stories as there have been in the past? No heroes that we could hang our hearts on?

Ice bound

We're iced in again today. Well, not actually. The roads are thawing and Gene has been to the bank and to feed the cows, but school was called off. We live in a mainly rural area with back roads that become treacherous during an ice storm. So today I'm just chillin'. Later, I'll put my nose to the grindstone and work on TOUCHED BY GRACE. It's started to flow pretty well and the characters are coming to life for me. I love it when that happens.

I'm also trying to learn Russian so that when the Lord opens the door, I can go to Ukraine and be able to communicate on some basic level. Ever heard anyone speak Russian with an Okie drawl? That should be interesting! Seriously, if you've ever studied a foreign language, how did it go? I'd love to hear your experiences.

Linda Goodnight

I'm reading the best book. It's called "The Battle Belongs to the Lord." You see, I'm a control freak. I always think I have to do everything myself. But lately, I've run up against something that I have no control over. In fact, I'm just pretty helpless to do anything at all. And it's an incredibly important situation that I believe God specifically called me to do. This book has helped me understand more and more how to really, truly cast my care upon the living God and let Him handle things. Do I have it down pat? Nope. But I want to. I think the most important thing I'm learning is to keep my focus on him instead of my problem. God is so much more able to handle the closed doors and troubling situations than I am.

Linda Goodnight

I just finished the AAs for my first book for the new Harlequin line. Originally, the line was called Romance! and was meant to be a merge of Silhouette and Harlquin Romance but now I'm hearing rumblings that the title is too confusing and may experience yet another change. Whatever they choose to call it, I can't wait for the debut series to hit the stands. It's the Valentine series and I was blessed to work with some of the industry's best traditional romance writers. My book, MARRIED UNDER THE MISTLETOE, is a very emotional story. When I reread it this weekend for the final edit before it goes to print, I became so excited to share it with my readers. It won't arrive until November so I'll be reminding you again. :-) You knew that, though, didn't you, you smart person?

New Books

I've discovered I'm not too good at this blogging thing. Someone told me it was addictive, but not so far. Sorry to be so sporadic.

Anyway, I just finished the first book in a new three part series for Love Inspired titled A BROTHER'S BOND. This first one, A SEASON FOR GRACE will be out at Christmas. Tonight I started the second book, A TOUCH OF GRACE. I love the emotion in these stories and hope I can do them justice. The tag line that Love Inspired came up with perfectly charactizes the series: " Separated as boys, reunited as men." I've wanted to write these stories for a while and I'm so thankful God has given me this opportunity.

On another book note: I have a new one out right now. One of my last for Silhouette Romance, SOMETIMES WHEN WE KISS. I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think.

More on Hosting

I'm still not sure how to sum up the two weeks we had with Sasha. They were stressful but also wonderful. This little girl, who's probably endured more hardship that most of us will ever understand, is a survivor. She was funny and smart, stubborn and difficult, and completely endearing. We fell in love with her.

Hosting an international orphan can be done several ways: through an adoption agency who then expects you to use their services, or through one of several groups whose only agenda is to give a child an amazing vacation. Of course, if the child finds a permanent home in the process, all the better. You can find a number of these groups on the web. It costs, of course, but if you are fortunate enough to live in the same state as the hosting group, the cost is not bad. If, like me, you live in the boonies, the cost is pretty high. But the end result is feeling that you've done a good thing. That you've made a difference in a child's life. The hard part is saying goodbye, not knowing if you will ever see that precious little person again.

I'm baaaaaaaack!!

Linda Goodnight

Oh, my goodness! I've done it. I'm here. And now I can publish some of the things that have been happening lately. Here goes:

During the Christmas holidays we (meaning my husband Gene and I) did something unusual. At least it was unusual for. We've never known anyone else personally who has hosted an international orphan child, and boy, were we in for a surprise that has changed our lives forever.

It all began when we started studying the book of James in the Bible. Suddenly, all the scriptures about orphans and widows and the needy started jumping out at us. So we began donating to orphanages and other compassion ministries. But that didn't seem to be enough. Then this opportunity to host a child, to give a child a wonderful Christmas, came along. And we took it.

The road to getting our little 61/2 year old Sasha here from the Ukraine was rocky to say the least. She was due to arrive on Dec. 20 in Denver. I was on my way to the airport to fly to Denver to pick her up when the phone call came. Sasha had a passport glitch and was not on the plane. We were saddened that she wasn't coming but just couldn't stop thinking that something good would come out of this. Three days later, we get another call. Sasha can be on a plane that morning but I have to pick her up in NYC instead of Denver. (Eat two nonrefundable airline tickets.) We agree to this, though the cost is staggering and way more than we intended to spend. Well, more bad news. We can't get out of NYC on that day. Finally, another couple who is hosting agrees to meet our child and take her to Detroit. My daughter Sundy jumps on a plane and heads for Detroit. Christmas Eve, four days late and exhausted but determined to be chipper and sweet, Sasha arrives.

Linda Goodnight

Linda Goodnight

Okay. So, I am forever and eternally techno challenged. So much so that I have not been able to get into my own blog for more than a month. Sigh. I have so much to tell you. Hopefully, I'm really, finally back. Time will tell.