tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223478192010-03-13T09:30:35.695-07:00writing and life and genealogy and muddy dogs and feisty kids and cowboy heroes and dead relatives and good books and pompous cats and old friends and new and . . . well, you get the idea.Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.comBlogger746125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-12989892335112937302010-03-11T18:43:00.002-07:002010-03-11T18:52:57.970-07:00

Apologies for my disappearance -- and Christo's, too. Everyone at our house got sick last week, even the fictional characters. My mother ended up in Intensive Care and when her doctors finally decided she could leave the hospital, they gave me twenty minutes notice to find her a place to live that afternoon (she couldn't go home).So I moved her -- and then I was flat on my back for five days.

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-11954242112064601332010-03-03T09:58:00.003-07:002010-03-03T10:12:15.648-07:00

Micah and Mitch (with a little help from Christo) picked a winner for him in this year's Here Come The Grooms! contest -- Dena W from Washington!Congratulations, Dena. Your copy of Christo's book, One-Night Mistress...Convenient Wife is on its way to you.Sid the cat has picked Nikos's winner -- Mary Ann D from Michigan. And Liz Fielding (or one of her minions) has picked Kal's winner -- Alison L

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-42368937345397152722010-02-28T21:37:00.009-07:002010-02-28T22:34:06.447-07:00

Hey,Anne is still busy playing with Sol, but she's given me a list of the books that are up for grabs during Week Four of her 25th anniversary Great Book Give-Away.They are:Anne McAllister, Antonides' Forbidden WifeKelly Hunter, The Maverick's Greek Island Mistress Nora Roberts, Face The FireLiz Fielding, Her Desert Dream (this is Kal's book, by the way!)Lucy Gordon, Beauty and the BossStephanie

Christo Savashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035906249361440679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-77546918764272333652010-02-25T11:46:00.003-07:002010-02-25T11:54:09.228-07:00

Hi,I've stolen my blog back from Christo (and Natalie, apparently) just briefly to say that I've sent off the books to the winners from weeks one, two and am just finishing up week three.If you commented on a blog piece in week three, you should also just hit the 'contact me' link at the bottom of the page and send me your name and address. Some people put them in comments, but if you would

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-4903523442590521452010-02-23T22:11:00.003-07:002010-02-23T23:22:28.658-07:00

Hi, Sorry I've been neglecting my job taking care of Anne's blog. I thought she'd try to sneak back in here and write something because she's sort of a workaholic when it comes to writing. But apparently she meant what she said and I get the blog for the rest of February. I don't know what Kal and Nikos are up to. I've been up to my ears working. I'm a lawyer in case no one told you.

Christo Savashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035906249361440679noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-39649446993503514432010-02-14T14:42:00.004-07:002010-02-14T15:14:40.778-07:00

Hey, I'm Christo.Anne has given me free rein with her blog for the rest of the month so she can take care of her mother and so I can talk about my book and Natalie and give you a chance to win three great books (mine, of course, being one of them) in the 4th annual Here Come The Grooms contest. So let's get business out of the way and then we can talk. Business: What the contest is: a

Christo Savashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035906249361440679noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-2986432399280416562010-02-14T10:59:00.002-07:002010-02-14T11:20:21.459-07:00

Well, it's that time of year again!I wish you and your beloved the happiest of valentine's days. Me and mine are having cake with our 86 year old neighbor to celebrate. Also taking flowers to my mother who is in transition from the hospital to wherever she goes after she gets out of skilled nursing.I'm going to be busy over the next couple of weeks because of that and because Sol, my youngest

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-9961654200355682622010-02-06T21:49:00.003-07:002010-02-06T22:09:45.580-07:00

Micah and Mitch have picked the winners for the first week of my 25th anniversary Great Book Give-Away. Winners have been notified.If you didn't win a book this week, you can submit a new entry with the answer to week two's question. And your old entry will continue to be active all during February as well (so you have two chances to win a book). If you did win, I'd be delighted if you want to

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-16092857505223669632010-02-02T09:30:00.004-07:002010-02-02T11:27:49.407-07:00

My first book to be published (the second book I wrote), Starstruck, came out in February 1985. That's 25 years ago. And I had no idea then what an amazing 25 years it would be. I've met so many interesting people, written about lots of other interesting people, gone places and done things I never would have been able to do if I'd continued on my pre-publication life. I have a lot of people to

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-50458393752383541352010-01-28T22:34:00.003-07:002010-01-28T22:49:42.221-07:00

Sorry I've been missing in action.Life has been complicating the things I would normally be doing if I weren't out living it.I would be blogging and telling you all that come February I'm starting a year long celebration of 25 years of being published by Harlequin and Silhouette. To do that I thought the best thing would be to invite you all to share the celebration with me by doing what we all

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-68573985548124358052010-01-19T11:47:00.003-07:002010-01-19T12:08:08.205-07:00

I was saddened to learn of the death today of one of America's most beloved writers, Robert B. Parker. He is said to have "died at his desk" at age 77.I will miss his books, his talent, his wit, his characters. I have a collection of Robert B. Parker books. Most of them are from his series about Spenser, the hard-boiled Boston detective, who made Parker a household word. I can't remember them

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-53877824799588488132010-01-13T23:16:00.003-07:002010-01-13T23:35:54.144-07:00

It's that time of year again -- Anne Gracie's birthday!If you aren't already familiar with Anne's wonderful warm witty books, get thee to Amazon or Book Depository or Barnes and Noble or your favorite neighborhood bookshop and start ordering all of her terrific back list.If you have already read them, you know what I'm talking about, and you'll be delighted to know that she's got another great

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-69132115873164411262010-01-03T16:42:00.005-07:002010-01-03T17:31:33.296-07:00

No, it's not Tuesday.But Monday, January 4th, I have the Male on Monday slot at The Pink Heart blog, and I wrote about one of my very first heroes who came into my life every Tuesday night for four years between 1959-1963.The hero was Jess Harper, the cowboy-drifter who turned up on Laramie in the very first episode and, while he was always a threat to go, never ever left.He was played by

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-52999778891113028432010-01-02T06:26:00.005-07:002010-01-03T16:40:39.051-07:00

There are grandchildren everywhere.I consider this a good sign for the coming year. I tripped over three bodies in the middle of the living room this morning while trying to get to the kitchen in the dark (hey, it was 4:45!) to make tea before we took daughter and granddaughter to the airport. And there were grandsons scattered all over. They looked like a pile of puppies.Why -- when there are

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-42227086306533440962009-12-24T21:11:00.002-07:002009-12-24T21:22:09.802-07:00

From the middle of the stormy, snowy, sleety, rainy midwest (as in "Is this the ice bowl?" "No, it's Iowa."), I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the coming year.Thank you for joining me here on my blog and on my website. I'm so glad to have had your companionship over the past year and I look forward to another year here, sharing books and ideas and heroes (especially,

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-10358227527801287262009-12-21T21:16:00.004-07:002009-12-21T21:51:27.778-07:00

By George, he's gone.George, that is. He took his heroine and cyberspatially took off on the weekend so he'll be spending Christmas on the other side of the pond.It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Neither could his heroine, Sophy. I am sooooo glad they finally got it together and managed their happily-ever-after.I hope the ed likes it when she reads it which, she tells me, will probably not be

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-37779812285643076552009-12-13T19:19:00.003-07:002009-12-13T19:38:08.296-07:00

Monday I am doing the coveted "Male on Monday" post over at The Pink Heart Society.As it is already Monday in much of the world as I write this, my column about Raoul Bova is already up.Stop by and ogle the pix. Celebrate the social conscience of a man who is more than just a pretty face. Drool, if you wish.I sent his picture in with the art information for Demetrios in my upcoming The Virgin's

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-52114375114286731932009-12-08T08:09:00.005-07:002009-12-08T09:42:40.061-07:00

One of the really enjoyable television programs of the past eight weeks has been the new USA network series, White Collar.It's fresh, snappy, charming -- and there is great buddy chemistry between the leads, slick, handsome con-man Neal, played by Matt Bomer, and witty but by-the-book FBI agent, Peter, played by Tim DeKay.Since it began in October, I looked forward every week to my dose of White

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-49368172559991541252009-12-06T23:17:00.003-07:002009-12-06T23:28:18.680-07:00

I went to my blog yesterday and it was gone.So was my website. In its place was an email server access point which apparently is a legit thing, but . . . huh?I wrote my hosting company and they seem to have done something in the past 24 hours because I'm back -- at least I am at the moment. But I'm not sure what happened or why or how to prevent it happening again.Is this normal? Is anything

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-32414810231855705552009-12-02T18:10:00.003-07:002009-12-02T18:20:31.006-07:00

Anne Gracie wrote me an email the other day and said, "The weirdest thing just happened. I went to your blog and it sounded like someone was throwing stuff in the water. So I left. And people stopped dropping stuff in the water. But when I went back, they were doing it again." Or words to that effect.Um, yeah.Because there's this fish... Or rather this dolphin on my side bar. I changed the

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-56915637030738398512009-12-01T15:20:00.005-07:002009-12-01T15:32:10.718-07:00

At least it feels that way. The temperature is nearly 60 F this afternoon. I know it's December 1st, but it sure doesn't feel that way.I am so tempted to go on long walks with the dogs, but I'm in nose-to-grindstone mode with George and Sophy. They need to be finished by December 15th and I'm on track to get there. It would be nice to have a week beyond it to 'tweak' it myself before the ed

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-71250708132809975952009-11-21T23:42:00.003-07:002009-11-21T23:53:05.557-07:00

I'm writing the blog at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs on Sunday. So stop by and say hi. Share a memory about your high school days.Or if you don't want quite such a big audience, share it here!Facebook has brought high school back into my life. It's a strange experience. And it's reminding me of all kinds of things I didn't realize I even remembered.Christo's book, One-Night Mistress . . . Convenient

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-46300167395364382242009-11-20T16:26:00.005-07:002009-11-20T16:55:34.484-07:00

This weekend I am posting over at the Pink Heart Society about Holiday traditions. It's a post inspired by our upcoming Thanksgiving in the US.I think Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday ever since I moved away from home. While I was growing up, it didn't measure up to Christmas. But once I left, I began to see its potential.It became for me a holiday of infinite potential. It made me

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-70825094415609785402009-11-18T21:07:00.006-07:002009-11-18T22:03:28.557-07:00

Two of them, actually.To start with, in January, the We Write Romance crew has worked with Harlequin to put together a "Harlequin Bloggers' Bundle." Apparently the first one they did was enormously successful, so they're back for another round with four different books, all Harlequin Presents -- and one of them is Lessons From a Latin Lover, the third of my McGillivrays of Pelican Cay books.If

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22347819.post-53869470395694694612009-11-17T22:29:00.008-07:002009-11-17T22:57:44.411-07:00

Nowhere interesting, believe me.I've been holed up in my office writing George. And writing an article. And creating a Power Point presentation on immigration trails.George has been the most fun part of my life, which ought to tell you something.At least I'm not battling him to a standstill the way I did Demetrios. He's actually turning out to be entertaining -- right now -- before revisions

Anne McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04408045786951555625noreply@blogger.com3