Some of you have seen the news elsewhere, but it did seem there should be an official announcement.  How To Bake A Perfect Life won the RITA from Romance Writers of America last week, a third win in its category.

That means, my friends, that I was inducted into the Romance Writers Hall of Fame.  It was one great night, let me tell you.  Christopher Robin was there, and my best writing buddy Christie Ridgway, and my long-time editor Shauna Summers, who happens to be a great friend now, too.  We share a love of food and books and music, and dinners with her are always the highlight of my conference.

And this …

I’ll be signing copies of The Garden of Happy Endings, The Sleeping Night, and possibly How To Bake A Perfect Life (which is up for a RITA this year!) in Anaheim next week at the GIANT literacy event staged by Romance Writers of America every year.

The event will be held on Wed., July 25, from 5-8 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center.  Nearly 400 authors will be participating, and this year, we are not in alphabetical order. To find the authors you wish to meet, you will need a map, also available at the site.

I will be sitting at table 403.  Hope to see you there!

For more, including how to park and other practical details, click here.

It seems like it’s been a long wait for this novel about sisters, second chances, and a community garden, but it is finally here.  Read more about it here: http://www.barbaraoneal.com/bookshelf/the-garden-of-happy-endings.

I’m delighted to announce that my book, How to Bake a Perfect Life, is a RITA finalist for 2012.  The winners will be announced July 28, 2012 in Anaheim, California.  Read more about it: http://www.rwa.org/cs/2012_rita_and_gh_finalists

A chance to win a Nook or Kindle before Christmas
I’m giving away one Nook and one Kindle this Christmas season. All you have to do to be eligible is join my mailing list. Go here:

https://www.facebook.com/barbarasamueloneal?sk=app_4949752878

Just noticed that the digital price for A Piece of Heaven has dropped to $4.99.   Check it out at

Barnes and Noble Nook Store

Amazon Kindle Store 

First Chapter

Filler from The Taos News: Full Moon FactsThe full moon is the phase of the Moon in which it is fully illuminated as seen from Earth, at the point when the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth. The full moon reaches its highest elevation at midnight. High tides. Names for the August and September full moon: Full Red Moon, Full Green Corn Moon, Full Sturgeon Moon.

It was a good thing for …

A reader wrote to me recently with these comments:

I just finished another of your books and I really enjoy them……In your stories the women drink a variety of teas…..I’d like to find a good breakfast tea to replace coffee in the morning, is there one that you would recommend? So many choices on the shelves its confusing……
Although I didn’t realize the characters in my novels drink a lot of tea, it really is not surprising, since I am a serious tea drinker. Always have been. When the Englishman entered my life, that particular habit found a cozy spot and settled in for good.  We always drink tea first thing …

If you only read my blog here, you would think I had disappeared into the far reaches of Tasmania, but in fact, dear readers, I have been blogging twice a month at The Lipstick Chronicles, with a group of very entertaining and interesting women writers.  I am posting there the first and third Friday of every month, and here are the opening paragraphs of  the most recent three.   Stop by!

 
Ian and the Blue Gill

Three women, ranging in age from senior to ancient, are settled in a half circle at the end of the dock.  The chairs have been dragged down to the pond from the main house, metal lawn chairs with green and white woven seats.  My young son and …

Time sensitive! Bids must be in by March 20!  Writers for the Red Cross auctions are going on this month, and we can all see what an amazing job they are always doing, but even more so when something like an earthquake or tsunami wipes out cities.

Help raise funds and get a How to Bake a Perfect Life package for your book club. Go to http://www.writersfortheredcross.org/baking-a-perfect-life-in-a-box/#respond to make a bid on a package that includes: 5 signed copies of How to Bake a Perfect Life, a celebratory signed apron, a sourdough crock and starter yeast, a collection of colorful spatulas, and a handwritten collection of the author’s favorite bread recipes.

You may not know that I blog regularly in several other places. One of them is at The Lipstick Chronicles, every other Friday (alternating with such luminaries as Joshilyn Jackson and Diane Chamberlain).  This morning, I have posted a story of my grandmother, a garden we grew, and my hatred of rhubarb.  Don’t miss the recipe for rhubarb pie in the comments.

I also blog regularly on random topics at my long-time blog, A Writer Afoot, where I write about travel, gardens, food, books, writing….pretty much everything.  Here is a recent post about the urban farm we’re putting the backyard this summer: An Organic Farm!

Also, I am aware of the slow speed of these pages. We’re …