Happy Yule, Happy Winter Solstice!

Mountains make pretty magical snowflakes.

Today is the Winter Solstice. It’s the longest night of the year, the shortest day, and I looove it. Last night we picked Grandma up from the airport and were treated to the soft shimmering of green Aurora Borealis. They really do dance across the sky. Gosh, it's such a treat to see them! The pretty display didn’t last long, but it brought such a sense of magic and wonder to this already wonderful time of year. It was quite a stellar welcome for both grandma and the Solstice.

Some holidays are boisterous, full of revelry and merry-making. For me that will start in a few days when we celebrate Christmas. Yay! Spending holidays with family and friends totally fills my bucket. I’ll be honest, the Holidays used to bring me so much stress and unresolved emotions, but now I allow myself to soak up all the joy and happiness of the season and just have fun. Stress and baggage can wait for another day, because now is the time to be merry. 

And for me, today is the quiet reflection of Yule before the upcoming boisterous, happy storm. When I celebrate the birth of the sun, the wheel turning again, the tipping point where the days start to get longer again, I like to keep it soft and quiet and just silently beam all day. It is a very good day.

It really is a wonderful time of the year. However you celebrate, have a wonderful Holiday Season full of Peace, Joy, Love and Fun! Happy Holidays!

When Words Collide 2014 is here!

Wow. . . it has been a spectacular two days, and we're still in the pre-festival festivities of When Words Collide 2014. I'm all floaty and happy . . . I love writing and the writing communities!!

I started my WWC 2014 yesterday when Adrienne Kerr of Penguin Canada rocked it with the Author-Publisher Relationship workshop. Today Mark Leslie, director of Author Relations at Kobo Canada, totally delivered with the workshops Marketing Best Practices and Hybrid Publishing.

My brain is fantastically full of new information . . . and maybe some information I've heard before but it has finally sunk in. :) Thank you Adrienne and Mark and When Words Collide.

Then there was Ranchman's. For anyone who knows Calgary, you might have checked out this iconic western bar. More fun and a really good dinner. Then we found the mechanical bull. Full disclosure, we did not in fact ride it. But we might have included it in a few photo ops.

What's on for tonight? Prepping my Alberta Romance Writers' Association workshop on writing with depth that I am team-teaching tomorrow morning with Diana Cranstoun, Mahrie Reid and Jessica Jackson.

And with that, I should get to it. :)

Happy When Words Collide 2014!

Tall, Dark and Brooding

Yesterday I was driving in the northwestern quadrant of Calgary and first saw, then smelled, one of my FAVORITE things. For those of you who are local, you might have guessed it. Those EPIC rain storms that rolled through.

Look south and it was patches of blue sky peeking from behind rather mundane pale gray clouds, look north and it was all tall, dark, brooding clouds full of presence and energy. That's what I'm talking about, whew, I love storms like that. All that pent up energy you can feel through your whole body, the depth and texture of those layers and layers of clouds, the sweet smell of rain like someone squeezed a particularly enchanting cologne and you inhale as deep as you can just to smell more of it . . . that was me in the car with my window down just enough to catch that incredible scent.

That rain turned to snow, but I got the preview. Aw man, now I want to write a storm scene . . .

Happy Weekend!

Springtime in the Country Blog Hop

Welcome and Happy Spring Equinox! Today is the Springtime in the Country Blog Hop!

Please join me in saying a special thank you to Sara Walter Ellwood for hosting this blog hop, as well as all the readers and authors participating! Giddy-Up.

Spring in southern British Columbia

Ever since I was a kid, I have been fascinated with the west. Growing up in Wisconsin, I had dreams of Colorado, Montana and Alaska. Those Rocky Mountains have quite a pull. So do horses and pickup trucks and country music . . . you get the picture. I never did move to the American West, but as Love would have it, I moved to Canada (my Happily-Ever-After is Canadian) and I now call Calgary, Alberta home.

I’ve gotten to play with trucks, quads and helicopters for work, but my equine-time is limited to events like the Calgary Stampede, tournaments at Spruce Meadows, or visiting ranching friends in the foothills of the Rockies or the prairie parklands of Saskatchewan.

Or is it?! I’m starting The Tanner Series and am delighted it centers on a family who’s maternal roots are in ranching in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The siblings are all outriders, though, and have found their own careers; namely an archaeologist, a bull rider, a dude ranch owner, a police detective, and a Vancouver Island fishing guide. I get to write-in horses and helicopters, plus hot alpha men and the stunning, extraordinary women they love, and who love them back just as completely.

Sign up for my newsletter here (or look on the right side of this blog ;)) to receive release dates for the Tanner Series and other goodies.

I have included two sneak peak blurbs from The Tanner Series and from my two titles already out. My novella Claiming Love takes place in Northeastern Alberta. It is definitely in Western Canada, but a helicopter pilot instead of a cowboy. What can I say, I love the boreal forest as much as I love my mountains, and helicopters as much as horses. My short story, Duke Out at the Diner, is set in a  small-town cafe and bloomed from a hook-writing exercise at an ARWA writing workshop. Fun!

Like my Facebook Page, follow me on Twitter, and/or sign up for my newsletter for a chance to win a copy (Kindle or Kobo) of Claiming Love or Duke Out at the Diner. I'll draw three names, one from each of the new likes, follows and newsletter subscribers on Wednesday, March 26. 

Thanks for hopping by. ;) Happy Spring and Happy Reading!

Sneak Peak from The Tanner Series

The Cop Can Cook and Other Christmas Miracles - A simple hideaway holiday in the Rocky Mountains for Princess Grace was supposed to be a simply horseback adventure with nothing more stimulating than the next mountain pass and gorgeous scenery. Life had taught her to settle for staid, definitely not ignite at the touch of a man who looks as hard as the mountains they are in, and cooks like an angel.
A cop with his own reasons for hiding away, finds himself moonlighting as a gourmet camp chef for his sister, and falling for a foreign princess who fights like a guerrilla and kisses like a Goddess.
But outside forces are moving in and threaten the budding relationship. Will they succeed, or will the princess and her cop find  the greatest adventure of all, Love.

Kiss Me in the Rain - Glaciologist Savannah MacIntyre was happy with her life far away from her family. But sometimes life has a way of bringing you back home when you least expect it and most need it. When the opportunity to reconnect with her estranged dad comes up, she takes it. Then finds herself distracted from her turmoil by ex-CSIS agent turned archaeologist Gabe Tanner, who would rather get another bullet to the head than reconcile with his own father.
Their attraction is definitely mutual, but betrayal has taught them both not to trust, or love. The couple are thrown together at the machinations of her dad at a remote work camp, where together they both find a chance to heal. But will they let their pasts keep them apart or will they finally learn to love and trust again?

Available Now

Claiming Love - Isobelle Cody, or Elle as her friends call her, loves her job as an archaeologist in Canada. Working in remote landscapes suits her completely, but her irrational fear of airplanes has her beyond grounded. She decides backup is in order and asks for Divine help. As an afterthought, she throws in a request to meet her Mr. Perfect. It couldn’t hurt.
The Goddess, Gaia, assigns Bodin. He is a thousand year old warrior, now angel-in-training, who just happens to not believe in love. Grumpy and usually a divine pain, Bodin has met his match with the beautiful archaeologist and finds himself under the healing power of love for the first time. The two explore their budding attraction working in the wild northern forests. When Bodin’s past threatens their future, will love come too late or just in time for forever?

Duke Out at the Diner, A Short Story - Some napkin dispensers hold napkins, others have gorgeous heros locked inside. 

Eric is no genie, but a mistaken curse landed him in the damn thing and now he has to be the one being saved. Shay just wanted to grab a bite to eat and pretend her life was safe. She never expected to be responsible for rescuing a handsome hero. Each wary of the other, the couple must learn to trust and love before danger takes the choice out of their hands.






And as a thank you for reading this far down, tweet or leave a facebook comment with HAPPY SPRING EQUINOX 2014 in it for a chance to win both Claiming Love and Duke Out at the Diner (Kindle or Kobo). Happy Reading!

www.sarahkades.com

Thanks for stopping by and keep hopping! http://cowboycharm.blogspot.com/2014/01/springtime-in-country-blog-hop.html



Expand Your Normal

Sarah Kades and Ski School Instructor Extraordinaire
(he also answers to Rob)

Have these words ever crossed your mind: take a downhill ski lesson, you don't know what you're doing.

Cabin Fever
They did for me a couple weeks ago. Cabin fever had set in at our household so it was time for an adventure. And what better way to celebrate winter than playing in the snow in the mountains?

Winging It
Oh wait, it's been years since I've been on downhill skis and I never really knew what I was doing, just kind of winged it. Well, hello Panorama Resort and the Ski School. And we were meeting friends out there. Okay they knew what they were doing. So does my husband. But this kid < thumbs pointing to chest >  took a lesson. Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

Laptops and Lounges
I did bring my laptop and even got some writing in that wonderful weekend. But, I spent most of the time playing which equalled recharging. And maybe I hit the T-Bar with everyone for a cold one or two... ;)

 

Sarah Kades, beyond the magic carpet

Gold Medal Game
I did not wake up at 5am that Sunday to watch the Gold Medal Hockey Game between Canada and Sweden. My hubbie did, though. Does that count? just kidding.

Blasted Quads and Inspired Words
It wasn't a relaxing weekend, per say. I haven't blasted my quads like that in years. But it sure was fun! And my writing has absolutely taken off since coming back home. Nice!

Thanks Winter, Family and Friends who played, too, Ski Instructor Extraordinaire (a.k.a. Rob), and those gorgeous mountains! I had a blast...and not just my quads. ;)

Happy Adventuring, Happy Reading

Sunday Morning...before coffee