MIXED BLESSINGS

A while back, I expressed gratitude for our old refrigerator, which consistently groaned and complained, because it was 25+ years old. But it kept running.

Then one night, not too long ago, it took its last breath and gave up the ghost. Regretfully, we made a trip to our local appliance store and bought a new one. It's a side by side. It's smaller and has a small freezer. As far behind the times as we are, we had never owned an ice machine. Now, we are the proud owners of an ice machine. Yay!

Wait a minute. Sometimes an extra ice cube escapes and I let it lie on the floor because I have trouble bending over. I realized that I'd have to stop leaving the ice cube on the floor. I stated this opinion to my DH. Before he had a chance to agree, our cat, Abbie, spoke up. "No," she said.

Have I mentioned that we own a spoiled cat? Or she owns us -- or whatever?
Well, she threw herself down beside the next ice cube and wouldn't let us come near. Seems she thought it was hers. She watched it for a while, then tried to bite it. That didn't work, so she licked it. Now she thinks it's a done deal. If we don't provide an occasional ice cube, she goes to the refrigerator and waits for one to fall. "Meow," she says, indicating that she's ready for her ice cube fix. Perhaps, the 100+* heat is partly to blame. I have to lay blame somewhere. When winter comes, I'm sure she'll change her ways. If she doesn't, we may have to use tough love. Or something...

Christmas Bride
Marion Kelley Bullock
Mainstream romance
Available from Desert Breeze Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-61252-000-1
December 2010

Two sisters look alike. Their personalities are direct opposites. Cassandra is a spoiled, needy young lady. Sue-Ellen is down-to-earth and cares about people. When Cassie jilted her fiancé, Ethan, a soldier at Fort Clark, Texas, Sue-Ellen couldn't bear for him to be treated so shabbily. She made the treacherous journey by stage coach from their elegant home to the lonely, secluded, Indian, and robber infested area of Fort Clark.
Quite an eventful journey behind her, Sue-Ellen had lost everything—clothes, money, everything she travelled with except her life. Ethan had just been sent away on a mission so she had no choice but to take a job as waitress to try to earn enough money to make her return trip. Making the trip was scary; living in Fort Clark was strenuous. Then when Ethan returned, and Cassie arrived, things got even more interesting.

Ms. Marion Kelley Bullock has written a fun, quick-paced book about a historical situation that was very interesting. Her characters were fresh, interesting, and quite unique. They were as real as personal friends could be. Reading the book was almost like living through the situation. Her secondary characters were well-developed and complimentary to each other.

I really enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to others. This is a book which can be read by anyone of any age. That's refreshing to be able to recommend it to young adults as well.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Sweet

Reviewer: Brenda Talley
March 5, 2011




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Local Teen Still Missing.

It's been over two months and Hailey is still missing. What can I say? Our town is still hoping, praying for her. Teams still search.

LOCAL TEEN MISSING

Still missing. After all this time. Amidst speculations and stated fears. John and I ate breakfast in a downtown cafe one day last week. A reporter and photographer roamed among the diners. "Do you know the girl?" they asked us. When we admitted that we didn't, they asked if we had comments. "Yes," I said. "I believe our local police are doing their best trying to find her." Any more comments? "We're all united, praying for Hailey's safe return."

She could still return, though she disappeared December 27 or 28. Someone reported spotting her in Odessa last week. It could be true...if she really is a runaway. I choose to believe that and that she'll return.

People keep searching and praying.

Local Teen Disappears
by Marion Kelley Bullock

I live in a small Texas town. About 4,000 population. Nice, safe -- the kind of town you'd feel good about living in, raising your kids. Right?

Then, right after Christmas, a 13-year-old girl disappeared. Reportedly, she told her mother's boyfriend she was going to spend the night at a friend's house. When she failed to come home the next day, her mother checked and found that she had not -- after all -- been with her friend.

Now, law enforcement officials search a wooded area near the girl's home. Residents comb another area, while helicopters search from the air. Evidence has been collected from the missing girl's home, family members have taken polygraph tests and the FBI has become involved. Classmates have held prayer vigils. School students and others are handing out fliers door to door. On them is the picture of a sweet, innocent-looking 13-year-old girl, a little girl who went missing two days after Christmas.

A Surprise for Christmas

"Your Christmas Stranger is #1 on Christianbook.com," my friend emailed me, a while back. After she told me how to track the ranking of best sellers, I did just that. I looked it up, just as she'd told me. Click on "Christianbook.com, then click on ebooks, then click on Fiction, then click on Romance."

Yay. It stared me in the face -- Christmas Stranger, BEST SELLER!

I wrote Christmas Stranger last year and it was published last Christmas. I was thrilled when it jumped to the top of the list THIS Christmas. In the meantime, I'd written Christmas Bride, which Desert Breeze Publishing Inc. published Dec. 1, 2010.

Double fun for Christmas. But last year's Christmas Stranger is my surprise.

THE ANIMALS IN MY NOVELS…

Everyone who knows me well is aware that I'm an animal person.. I love cats and dogs. They warm my life in so many ways. Since I feel the way I do, it would be unnatural for me to leave them out of my writing.

I don't deliberately plan to include them. I'm just writing along and here comes a dog or cat. In some cases, even a goat or—well, I don't want to give away the story of Secrets of Old Santa Fe or that of Christmas Stranger. Anyway, animals seem to insinuate themselves into my books. And I, being the warm-hearted person I am, allow them to take up residence between the pages.

One such character is Ceesco, a tiny Mexican Chihuahua, an humble resident of Santa Fe. He worms his way into the hearts of most of the human characters. I didn't make him up. There really is a Ceesco, who belongs to a friend.

Another is Brownie, Melinda's big chocolate Lab that plays a part in Christmas Stranger. She belongs to my daughter. While she's very real, her actual name is Hershey. My daughter wanted to know why I didn't keep her actual name. It's simple. The story takes place in 1882. While there were big brown Labs in existence, I don't think there were hersheys.

Reviewers who liked my books have given them high ratings. Matilda of Coffee Time Review awarded Secrets of Old Santa Fe a 4 cup review. I like to think little Ceesco had something to do with that.

Jaymi of Fallen Angel Reviews gave Christmas Stranger a 5 Angel Review.

Here's an excerpt. Melinda and her friends are at the church Christmas party. Her friends are playing cupid.

Susanna frowned at her. "You ought to set your cap for some available farmer.
Melinda laughed. "Some available farmer?" What downright foolishness. "Available — my foot. All the single men are taken. Except for Abe and Howard, whom I don't want, and Zeke, whom I might as well not want."
"Abe's not so bad." Susanna whispered it, glancing again at her husband, who was now deep in conversation with some of the other men.
Melinda glared at her. "Oh, you know better than that."
Chloe and Susanna shared a look. "Howard, then. Maybe you should want Howard. We think you should go after him," Chloe said. "You seemed to get along so well together."
"That's not love, girls." Melinda rolled her eyes. 'That's friendship."
"It's a start. There's no such thing as love at first sight." Chloe's mouth was set in a so-there expression. "And anyway, you should have seen his eyes light up when he looked at you."

"You'd make a really nice couple." Susanna patted Melinda's arm.

"A nice trio, you mean." Melinda smiled at them.