::: Permission to Forward to anyone you can think of ;-):::

I am here in hopes of helping Todd get toy donations for the Superior Fire Department again this year.

We live in a small old mining town, population three thousand. My husband who helps me with all things RJ runs the local fire department in town. It’s a low income town and there are a lot of kids here that don’t get much for Christmas. Weeks before Christmas the fire department decorates one of the fire trucks with thousands of holiday lights, fire personnel and yours truly spend weeks wrapping every toy brought in with festive Christmas paper. On Christmas Eve Santa and Ms. Claus ride in back of the fire truck and, with Christmas music blaring, the fire truck weaves its way up and down every street in town. The sirens blare every few minutes and as kids hear it they scramble out of their houses. The truck stops and Santa gives each child a toy. The drive itself takes seven hours. It’s a big production and one that the fire department takes great pride in.

A few years ago I got involved in the toy drive. With the help of the Romance Community the Fire Dept has been able to give a toy to every child in town for 3 years straight. The toys are not expensive — small stuffed animals and 1-4 dollar toys, but it doesn’t take a lot to make it a magical night for the kids in town, especially when Santa is delivering the toys personally.

I know it’s been a bad year for everyone, but I am really hoping we can raise enough toys again this year. Last year we barely brought in enough, but we did it!

If anyone is interested in sending in some toys it would be VERY MUCH appreciated by both the fire department and the kids in town

I really want to thank everyone who has contributed over the years. I go on the drive every year with Todd and I can’t describe adequately how incredible the whole experience is. It chokes me up every year watching kids with huge grins on their faces, clutching tight to the toy Santa has given them.

You can check out photos of the Santa Drive –

http://superiorfiredept.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=348

If you would like to donate toys or gift cards you can do so by sending them into:

Superior Fire Dept Toy Drive

C/O Superior Fire Department
236 Golf Course Rd
Superior, AZ 85173

The Department is not set up to take Paypal. So anyone who would like to contribute via Paypal can send their donations into Romance Junkies and I will forward the donations onto the Fire Dept. RJ pal info is - info is webmaster@chaosdesigns.net

Cat Brown AKA Chaoscat
(Chaos - It’s not just a lifestyle, it’s a state of mind)
Owner/Operator Romance Junkies
http://www.romancejunkies.com

My guest this week is Barbara Meyers. Please give Barbara a rousing welcome.

Q: To start, which genre do you write in, and why?
A: Mostly I write romance, romantic comedy, women’s fiction, light romantic suspense. I like happy endings. It’s that simple. Reading has always been an escape for me and I hope my books provide a brief escape from reality for my readers. I don’t like books that purposely manipulate readers’ emotions. Why would you write a book with the intention of making the reader cry or feel sad? If you want to feel sad, turn on the news.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: Oh, my gosh. Ten years maybe?

Q: So, if you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?
A: It’s a book connected to A MONTH FROM MIAMI, which Samhain Publishing published last year. (The print version came out in January ’09.) The hero of the book I’m working on now is Rick’s twin brother, although he’s not mentioned in A MONTH FROM MIAMI. That’s because I didn’t get the idea for this book, A FOREVER KIND OF GUY, until after I sold A MONTH FROM MIAMI.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: I think the books authors write are kind of like their children. You don’t have a favorite. You love them all in different ways and for different reasons. And once they’re published you love them even more because you’re proud they succeeded. It’s like sending your child out into the world and letting them find their own way. I know a lot of authors who have books close to their hearts that never got published. I have a bunch of those! One in particular I worked on and worked on and worked on and never could sell. It’s called HOMELESS HEART. The heroine takes in a drifter without realizing he’s a drifter by choice. He’s running from his past.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: Not especially. I do find I write better sitting at my kitchen table or propped up in bed with my laptop, than in my “office.” My office represents work. Writing fiction is not work for me.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: The idea for A MONTH FROM MIAMI came from the gas tank of a car…

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: Don’t start writing fiction if you’re not absolutely compelled to do it and don’t do it because you think you can make a lot of money from selling your work. You’d be surprised how many recognizable names still work a day job. And also, if I may, if you’re not planning to write the absolutely best book you can write, please don’t bother. There’s enough mediocrity in the world in general and in publishing in particular.

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: I wouldn’t call it an evil day job, but for the past five years I’ve worked part-time as a lowly barista at a Starbucks about a half-mile from my home.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: Hang out with my friends or my kids. Walk the beach or take long bike rides. Do crosswords. Read. Read. Read.

Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.
A: They’d probably be surprised at how much time I spend writing or doing writing-related stuff (like this).

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
A: My ears are double pierced. Wild, huh?

Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: There is no particular one. I hate most of them except for laundry and doing dishes. (Yes, I have a dishwasher!)

Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Before I started seeing a nutritionist, I used to eat chocolate frosting straight out of the plastic container it comes in. Yummy and soothing and probably no worse than eating a candy bar. Put a bag of potato chips and some French onion dip in front of me and I’ll be your slave for life.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures you feel comfortable sharing?
A: Not exactly a guilty pleasure, but if possible, between 7 & 8 p.m. weeknights, I sit on my couch with a crossword book and watch back to back reruns of Two and a Half Men.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
A: If you read something you love, the author would love to hear from you. She’d also love it if you’d post a great review of the book wherever you can, Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com, or maybe the publisher has a site for it. Anything positive is always welcome. Tell your reader friends about the book.

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release
A: A MONTH FROM MIAMI is a light romantic comedy escapist beach read. It’s the perfect vacation book, airplane book, cruise book. It won’t tax your brain or make you think too hard. It’s meant to entertain. Kaylee thinks she’s on her way to a glamorous big-city life, but she ends up stranded in a small town similar to the one she left. When Rick discovers a secret stash in the gas tank of her car he has to wonder if she’s been taking him for a ride all along.

For more information about Barbara, please visit her website: http://www.barbmeyers.com

Book III in the Reckless series

Beau Bradbury has it all. He’s good looking, owns a lucrative business, and has an endless supply of hunks vying for his attention. His skinny, uptight personal assistant shouldn’t rate a bleep on his radar. Nevertheless, there’s just something about Adam that Beau can’t resist.

One night of drunken passion leads to nearly a year of secret trysts during office hours. Adam keeps his private life confidential, while Beau pretends to want nothing more than a good time. It’s a good arrangement, until a simple phone call ruins the status quo and makes Beau green with envy.

Frustrated that Adam might be seeing someone else, Beau tries to put his attraction to the younger man behind him. However, all that changes with the introduction of Adam’s son. Instantly smitten with the sweet little boy, Beau is all the more driven to claim Adam for his own. All he has to do is convince his wary lover to open his heart and trust that there’s more to Beau than his playboy persona suggests.

Buy it now at Loose Id

Read a spicy excerpt