3/13/2012

Ranchers & Rock Stars & Selvig...OH MY

It's getting closer...the date the finalists for the 2012 Golden Heart are announced (Good Luck to you all). The anticipation leading up to the ceremony was nerve-wrecking and awesome to say the least. Thank goodness SEE JANE RUN (Hill Country Holdup, Harlequin Intrigue) wasn’t going head-to-head with SONGBIRD (The Rancher and the Rock Star, Avon Impulse). If they had been, I might be a lot more jealous of our guest today. Liz Selvig and I became Unsinkable sisters in March 2010 and just a bit closer in July when we met face-to-face, both winning our respective categories.

We’re so proud to have LIZ SELVIG today with her Golden Heart winning manuscript…

THE RANCHER AND THE ROCK STAR
AVON IMPULSE
ISBN: 9780062134646
There comes a time in every independent woman's life when she has to step aside and let a White Knight do his job.
Abby Stadler has fought to carve out a quiet, independent life for herself and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Kim. She may need a White Knight, but she doesn't want one.
Especially when he shows up in the form of a superstar with a missing son and vindictive paparazzi on his tail.
To the world, Gray Covey is a rock god. To his teenage son, Dawson, he's simply an absent father.
When Gray is forced to track a runaway Dawson to Abby's struggling horse farm in small town Minnesota,
he finds far more than a widow and a ranch with a silly name.
Faced with one teen who despises him, one teen who worships him, and a woman who flips his heart on its axis, Gray must learn not just how to be a father, but how to be real superstar.
READ A LITTLE … THEN READ A LOT
The storm spent itself, and the sky lightened to a gorgeous purple-and-pink twilight as Abby tidied the kitchen and listened contentedly to Kim’s clarinet solo grow more confident under Gray’s patient teaching. Worries that normally sat just below the surface of her emotions, ready to overwhelm her, were held in check by the rare calm of the evening, but they were still there. The broken well earlier that day had been the tip of an iceberg.
The house roof wasn’t far from failing and, while she had next month’s mortgage money in the bank and enough for a half a month of horse and basic people feed, she couldn’t absorb another major disaster.
She watched the sky continue to brighten as the clouds blew away on the breath of a fresh breeze. She opened the chocolate cupboard and allowed ten seconds for a wave of guilt. Yes, she should stop indulging in the extravagant chocolate bars—but she never would. She’d figured out that about five dollars a month went to her vice. If one day she lost everything because she was sixty dollars short at the end of the year, she’d give up her addiction.
This batch of hot chocolate would celebrate Gray’s return—how could that be considered unnecessary? Engrossed in adding cream to the melting Symphony bar, she jumped when a light touch shimmied up her spine.
“What’s the occasion—happy or sad?” Gray leaned in behind her, his whisper causing shivers.
“You’re back safely.” She leaned right back. “This is a magic potion to keep you here.”
“A love potion?”
“I said magic. Don’t get full of yourself, buster.”
He nibbled down her neck to a point just beneath the collar of her polo shirt. First wetting the spot with his tongue, he worried at it gently with his teeth.
She laughed and pushed him away. “No hickeys, the kids are home.”
“If this were a movie, now would be the time our hero sings to the girl and changes her mind.”
“Ooh yeah, like in an Elvis movie.” She laughed again. “Hmm, forgot about Elvis. Maybe he’s my number three favorite singer and you’re number four.”
“Nope. I’m pretty sure I’m moving up the list not down.” He started humming and her skin vibrated beneath his breath.
She closed her eyes. “I always wondered where the background music came from.”
He straightened and winked. “Be right back.”
When he returned, his flashy Ovation acoustic hung from one hand, and Abby’s heart started tap dancing as Gray slung the guitar’s strap across his shoulders. At his first chord, a thrill dove for her stomach. He sang, for her shivers alone, a slow, gravelly version of the old Love Potion No. 9.
He trailed her around the kitchen, leering as she added more chocolate to the pan on the stove, laughing as she pulled out four mugs. The gypsy’s pad on Thirty-fourth and Vine, the turpentine, the India ink . . . all the silly, novelty lyrics took on the sultry heat of a jazz love song. His fingers mesmerized her, flexing to form chords, caressing the strings. The knuckles slipping beneath his tanned skin were as sexy as the baritone she could no longer resist.
He sang over her shoulder while she stirred her chocolate potion, sang in her face when she backed up, giggling, against a counter, and sang as he finished with an Elvis-worthy pelvis-waggle. Abby had never seen The King move with any more heat in his hips than Gray did when he pulled the Ovation’s strap over his head and leaned the guitar against a cabinet.
“Now Elvis kisses the girl,” he said.
LIZ ON LIZ

Growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota with three brothers and no sisters definitely shaped my personality. Even though my girlfriends were great, I was much prouder of the fact that I was the only female allowed into the neighborhood Boys Only club. Girlie stuff (with exception of the occasional Barbie play date) was simply a waste of time. Baseball, climbing trees, begging my parents for a horse, and avoiding wearing dresses at all costs were much more fun.
Imagine my surprise when, after years of wanting to BE one of the Beatles or the Monkees, I looked up at a picture of Paul McCartney on my wall one day--and fell in love. Like a doggone proper girl.
Making up stories was second nature to me. As far back as I can remember I told myself tales when I went to bed. As I got older, I started writing them down. When most girls were reading themselves to sleep, I was writing until the wee hours.
Because of the momentous epiphany over the posters from Tiger Beat and 16 Magazines, all my written tales were romances. At first, they were about Davy Jones and Bobby Sherman and Paul. Then I discovered my own characters, and writing became more than a bedtime activity, it became a passion.
Today I live in Minnesota with my hubby and my squirrel-loving border collie. My two children (an equine vet and a musician) are grown and married. I love to play with my four-legged grandchildren of which there are nearly twenty. I’ve worked as a newspaper reporter and a magazine editor, and I’ve lived in Germany, Canada and Alaska. And my love affair with romance novels has never died!

QUESTIONS for ALL THE CREW
MAUREEN: What was your favorite book when you were 12?
LIZ: Definitely “The Black Stallion” and all the books in that series. I had such a crush on Alec Ramsay (Walter Farley was always describing him as broad-shouldered and slim-hipped – but only because that made him a natural jockey, which was at the time, the sexiest profession I could think of!) And, of course, there was The Black himself. Holy moly what a horse!
JILLIAN: Since the 2010 Golden Heart, what has been your most rewarding publishing moment?
LIZ: It sounds like a cop out, but I have to say that each step in this process has been more rewarding than the last. First, of course, just making a sale was a dream. Then I got to see a cover with my name on it, and that was amazing. After my edits were finished, the coolest thing was getting an actual ISBN number. I think that’s when I believed it was a real book! There was the night my sister-in-law called me and told me she’d pre-ordered the book. But just recently I got my very first review – and it was a good one. Wow. There will be good ones and bad ones for the rest of my career—but my first positive review from someone who doesn’t know me? THAT was , cool!
SIMONE: What inspires you daily?
LIZ: I try really hard to let my faith inspire me, but sometimes, on the rougher days, the Lord just looks down, laughs and shakes His head, then pats me on mine. We both go, “maybe tomorrow.” Truly, it’s the people God has put into my life who inspire me. I’m a true extrovert and get energy from other people. I don’t tire at conferences or meetings. I love social networking because it’s a false sense of being out in a community. And I love hearing other peoples’ stories because that spurs me to do well, too!
Angi - Liz - Cat
CAT: What has surprised you the most about being published?
LIZ: I’m amazed at how truly undisciplined I am. Even though I’ve known my whole life what a procrastinator and deadline-oriented person I am, I’m finding that I will have to learn new habits or die in this business. I’ve always been able to survive on my natural internal clock that tells me when the very last second I can start a project arrives. Oh, that’s so not true anymore. I’m floundering with the hurry-up and wait aspect of everything about publishing, and I’m trying hard to learn to make new writing my priority. Focusing on a book release can take up all your time—and I’m in the high-risk factor category for that syndrome!
 
DONNELL: Complete this sentence. When I want to relax, I. . .
LIZ:. . .watch Matt Bomer in White Collar! (That’s true!) But to really relax? I love to hike with my husband—we’ve hiked in all of Minnesota’s 70 state parks and many of Alaska’s. This summer we’re heading for England to do a coast-to-coast walk; 190 miles in three weeks. I also love to quilt. I have frequent quilting weekends with my sister-in-law and that provides such a great balance to the solitary and sedentary job of writing.
ANGI: How often do you get lost in a story?
LIZ: In my head, with my own characters, I’m lost all the time. My husband is used to me nodding and laughing while I’m sitting next to him in the car or at some otherwise quiet time. “Oh, who are you talking to now?” he’ll ask. As far as getting lost in stories not my own, it doesn’t happen nearly as often as I’d like anymore. I read every night before bed, but it takes a while to get through a novel at, say, four pages a day. I made a goal on Goodreads this year to read a book a week, so I’m always looking for that story that will get me so lost I get way past that four-page mark!
ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading?
LIZ: I recall two very special books: “Heidi” by Johanna Spyri and “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell. I so wanted to be that little Swiss girl, running through the Alps with Peter the goatherd. I loved her grandfather and all the freedom. As for Black Beauty, well, I fell in love with that horse and spent long hours, city girl that I was, pretending to gallop to that broken down bridge with a horse smart enough to know to stop! I’ve had many horses in my life since then, but Beauty started it all.
ANGI: What’s your favorite “love” word?
LIZ: Kiss. It doesn’t matter what kind of love or what genre of romance we’re talking about, a kiss is part of it. A kiss can be soft and sweet, or hot and erotic. A kiss can have nothing to do with sexual love and everything to do with a mother and her child, or a boy and his dog. You can kiss your lover, kiss your fingertips to say ‘delicioso’, or blow a kiss. You can kiss a photograph or a casket, or you can kiss hello. You can describe a long, sensuous kiss or you can simply write, “and then he kissed her,” and it’s all you need. I can’t think of a more versatile love word!
ANGI: Can you tell us about a real-life hero you’ve met?
LIZ: I have to go cliché with this and talk about my dad. He was and is one of the smartest men I’ve ever known—a great role model to three sons, and my first exposure to a liberated man. I married a guy a lot like him! Dad did lots of heroic things as a parent, of course, but he’s most heroic to me now at age 81. He struggles with a form of aphasia—a condition that makes it difficult for him to speak even if he knows in his head what he wants to say. I know how horribly frustrating this is for him, because he hasn’t forgotten anything, he just can’t always communicate. For a smart guy, this has to be hellish. But, I am fortunate to get to spend time with him, and we go on dad/daughter dates every month. I see how he is willing to let us help him find words without getting upset, how he adapts to his difficulty, how he still listens so closely to his family and knows everything that’s going on. He’s fighting through this and I admire him so much. His heroism has to be ongoing—and that’s not easy. I want to be like him when I grow up!
ANGI: For the record, there’s nothing cliché about DADs being heroes!!
ANGI: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
LIZ: I love Calvin, from Calvin & Hobbs. I would give anything to be as creative as he is. Or as creative as his parents have to be, for that matter J I’d love to know what kind of man Calvin turned out to be – the ultimate geeky bad boy! (Okay, nobody steal that – I just found my next hero!)
ANGI: What turns you off like nothing else?
LIZ: Injustice. I have a really hard time controlling my anger if I perceive something is unreasonably unfair. As my dad-well everyone’s dad, actually-always said, “Life ain’t fair.” But sometimes, when people are taken advantage of, or downtrodden, or just plain ripped off—I rail against it. BTW, my nickname used to be Rambolina – no lie.
ANGI: What sound or noise do you love?
LIZ: I love the sound of my children laughing with each other. It was precious when they were growing up, and it’s even more wonderful now that they’re adults. My daughter and son-in-law are the complete opposites of my son and daughter-in-law, but they still get along. When they’re together and laughing and bantering, I feel like I did my part to give the world good-hearted people who can get along.
ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?
LIZ: Ooh, fairy tale! I like the old fashioned ones, where the prince swoops in and saves the day – there’s always a place for chivalry. But I also love new fairy tales where the heroine is equal to her hero. For example, Disney’s “Tangled.” Rapunzel with a frying pan? Oh yeah! It takes specialized skill to be a kick-butt action hero, but any one of us could make someone’s fairy tale come true. That’s what’s so special about them!
ANGI: What was the first story you remember writing?
LIZ: I always say I created “My Little Ponies” because my first stories were about small horses that did all kinds of cool stuff – like starred in comic strips and ran newspapers and still won cool races like the Kentucky Derby. They were more picture stories than books, though. My first “novel” was a round robin story about a hero named Lincoln (Linc) and the horse farm he ran. I passed it around and around with four of my junior high friends, and it got to be pretty long. I wish I remembered more about the plot or knew where it was. I just remember it was pretty cool, and Linc had lots of horsey adventures.
ANGI: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?
LIZ: Writing. I say that because I don’t trust my stories until I can read them over and check them out. I never truly believe I have anything people actually want to hear—which is not a great thing for a writer to admit! This is not to say I don’t love to talk (no rolled eyeballs, my GLIAS sisters who know me); it has everything to do with whether or not what I say is worthwhile. J
ANGI: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
LIZ: I have fans? Lol – I would LOVE to have fans. And I’d tell them I love them dearly. Be they friends, family, or readers who decide they like my book – they will always be incredibly precious. The act of writing might be a solitary endeavor, but once the book is out, a writer has to have a symbiotic relationship with readers or there’s nothing. If readers turn into fans—wow, writers should be humbled. And I hope whenever I get fans I can turn them into friends too. 
ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: I visited your website. Love all the animals and their photos. I could ask which one is your favorite…but that wouldn’t be fair. So instead I’m going back to your bio. I have to admit that I still have the vinyl of my first album--Portrait of Bobby. I watched THE MONKEES and HERE COME THE BRIDES religiously as a teen. So who was your absolute favorite? Davy Jones or Bobby Sherman.
LIZ HAS GOTTA ANSWER:


Oh, maaaan! That’s almost like asking me to pick between my children. I was such an enormous Davy fan but also a huge Bobby fan. “Here Come the Brides” . . . sigh.  Here’s a teensy back story: I spent hours and hours of writing time as a teenager making up stories about my famous crushes. So, in my mind, I’ve been married to both of these guys! What can I say? Davy could look me right in the eye (literally-he’s only two inches taller than I) and use that fantastic Manchester accent to melt my heart. He was so sweet and good.  Bobby, on the other hand, was just the best to my parents and my friends. He wasn’t afraid to go anywhere with me, even if it meant braving his fans. And he was such a good kisser. My favorite………….?   

Fine, Davy edges Bobby because I was “with” him longer, had more pics of him on my wall (by a couple), and he had a British accent.  But, if you look up Bobby Sherman online – he grew up to be quite a guy. Let’s just say, you and I knew how to pick ’em, Angi.
ANGI: Liz, I have share that my husband has a new toy: a turn table that converts to digital. On the top of the stack to be converted is BOBBY, skips and warped vinyl included.
AN ASIDE: Davy Jones passed away from a heart attack at the age of 66 February 29th. THANKS DAVY, for the countless hours of entertainment and joy!
FIND LIZ:

I will give away a copy of “The Rancher and the Rock Star” along with a lovely commemorative mug J imprinted with my heroine Abby’s decadent hot chocolate recipe from the story.
Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

DON’T FORGET to FOLLOW us on Twitter (#GetLostStories) or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes. Join me this week when I host Liz Selvig & Robin Perini. And come back Thursday & Friday for Maggie Toussaint & Sue Swift. ~Angi
AND LIZ WANTS TO KNOW…
WHO WAS YOUR TEEN-AGE IDOL? Did you have a favorite poster on your wall?

46 comments:

  1. My Teen Idol was Harrison Ford. I was 13 in 1977 when Star Wars came out and 16 when The Empire Strikes Back. Han Solo was my #1 crush. And yes, I had a poster!

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    1. Tammy, I have a life-size cut out of Han Solo. (I'm serious.) I was in my 40's and had to buy it for a skit and I've kept it ever since.

      ~Angi

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    2. Angi - we had one too! It was in my basement for years and years and then we had a flood. It was heartbreaking to lose him.

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  2. Good morning Tammy! It's so nice to meet you here. I can't think of a better Idol than Harrison Ford. I remember very clearly how awesome Han Solo was in that movie way back when! You have great taste! Thanks so much for coming by.

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  3. Hi Angi! Hi Cat, Donnell, Maureen, Heather, Jillian and Simone! Thank you sooo much for inviting me, Angi. I'm really looking forward to spending time Getting Lost with you all today.

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  4. Okay, I can't believe I'm about to admit this, but I was head over heels in love with Shawn Cassidy. Remember the "Do Run Run"? Yeah, I was one of those girls, and yes, I had a poster. More than a few.

    Great post, Liz! I can't wait for your book to come out.

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    1. Hi Tiffinie,
      You sure don't have to apologize for Shawn Cassidy--he was adorable! Just like his brother. What kills me is how these days there's so much mean teasing about teenage heartthrobs (Justin Bieber) At least we could enjoy our love affairs without so much social stigma. But maybe 13-15 year olds today don't care anymore than we did! Ah, the power of love!

      Thanks for coming by Tiffinie. BTW - you can get the e-version of my book already, we're just waiting on the paperback :-) And congrats on your new release, IMPACT. Can't wait to read it!

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  5. Okay, this really dates me, but my first crush was Ricky Nelson. Remember him? He was on a TV show with his brother, plus he sang. So HOT! Great interview.

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    1. I loved Ricky Nelson! "Traveling Man" is still one of my favorite songs--despite how sexist it is :-D I even have a Ricky Nelson story. His first wife, Kris, was from Minnesota. I was convinced when I was in Camp Fire Girls day camp that my counselor Miss Kris was Ricky's wife - lol. I doubt it was true, but she sure looked like the same person!

      Thanks for sharing, Barb. Good memories!

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  6. What a wonderful interview, Liz! Your personality shines through in every word. If I weren't already your fan, I would certainly become one now.

    Love the part about your father, and I'm so glad he's close enough for those dates with you.

    I had a crush on Davy Jones, too. Bobby Sherman is cute, but if we're talking "Here Come the Brides," I was a David Soul girl, even though I don't usually go for blonds. Robert Brown, who played the eldest Bolt brother Jason, was good-looking but didn't become a hearth throb. Ah, nostaliga. I may have to look for Brides on Netflix.

    TRATRS is at the top of my TBR list.

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  7. Jane, you are just the sweetest friend in the world--really a balm for my ego! Thank you for the lovely words.

    I'm very blessed to have my dad still with me and wish I could spend even more time with him. I know you're in exactly the same boat with your mama!

    As for David Soul, here's where my virtual loose woman comes out. I thought he was adorable, too. I discovered his 'hotness' after I already had a crush on Bobby. I wrote one lovely story when I was young about David. And Robert Brown figured prominently as the perfect older brother--just as he was on the TV show!

    Thanks, Jane, for more fantabulous memories. Our youths were definitely shaping us for our writing careers!
    Hugs!!

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  8. WELCOME TO MY PAL, LIZ !!

    Sounds like you Minnesota gals know how to have fun. But if you get to Texas, I can try to join in!

    ~Angi

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    1. Thanks, Angi. I already know that wherever we two would get together would be a party -- more Minnesotans and more Texans would only make it crazier!

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  9. My teenage Idol would have had to been Davy Jones and The Monkeys.

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    1. Hi Quilt Lady -- I love your blogger name since I love to quilt too! And, I love your choice of teen idols. I never missed the Monkees -- and I'm still mourning the loss of Davy! Thanks for coming by.

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  10. OMG! What an awesome interview!

    My fave teen idol? Bobby Sherman. All. The. Way.

    I woulda died to have been his *bride.* While I also though Davy was cute, I was more a Michael Nesmith fan. (His mom invented Liquid Paper. Did you know that?)

    THE RANCHER AND THE ROCK STAR is definitely on my TBR pile - which keeps getting longer and longer and longer. :)

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    1. Hey Lynda!
      I'm so glad you enjoyed the interview. They ask cool questions here, don't they? Since you were such a huge Bobby fan, you've probably kept up with his career -- he's quite a guy even nowadays. Still a star in so many ways!

      Mike Nesmith is another who's quite a man. I didn't know about the Liquid Paper, but I know he's been everything from music producer to college professor. He's a good hero to have too!

      Thanks for being here. Good luck with your new release too: Battle Born Love. Very cool!

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  11. What a great set of interview questions. I read the Chronicles of Narnia over and over while listening to the Saturday Night Fever, but never had posters of either. (I still can't hear "Disco Inferno" without the Last Battle coming back to me.) I wasn't much into teen idols. I didn't have posters because I didn't want to cover up one entire wall in my bedroom with woodland scene and a unicorn my mom let me design and paint - yes, I have an awesome mom.
    Love your book, Liz! And I love your interview!

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    1. Hi Tam!
      Hey, I wouldn't have wanted to cover up a wall like that either. Yes, you DO have an awesome mom! Here's to all the moms who let us paint, plaster, tape and frame stuff in our bedrooms. Mine let me paint my walls white and my ceiling yellow -- it was really cool. Maybe not as cool as a woodland scene and unicorn, though!
      Hugs, my friend. Thanks for being such a huge part of this book from the beginning!

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  12. OOOOOH, Liz, that's my way to relax Love White Collar, and the excerpt. I preordered The Rancher and The Rock Star, so there's no need to enter me in a drawing. I own this baby, and can't wait to read it!!! So excited and happy to see this book doing so well. Enjoy the ride!

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    1. Hi Donnell! Another White Collar fan -- oh, we are soul sisters! Thanks so much for the support -- I'm sending the same sentiments for you and your book right back at you! Hugs!

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  13. When I was a kid the idols were Donny Osmond and David Cassidy. It looks like a great story.
    mce1011 AT aol DOT com

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    1. Oh, and, Maureen, Donny is STILL hot! And I just saw an interview with David Cassidy because he and Davy Jones were very good friends--and he doesn't look too shabby either. I'm coming to the conclusion that we all had very good taste in teen idols :-)

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  14. Tangled was such a fun movie! I typically enjoy the older Disney tales but this one really made me looking forward to newer releases. I like a feisty heroine. Congratulations on your book. Cowboys can make for great heroes. One of my idol growing up was Nancy Drew - I thought she was so intelligent and wanted to be on many of her adventures.

    Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Hi Na!
      I totally agree - Tangled was an awesome movie. I loved Rapunzel as a heroine. I kind of missed out on Nancy Drew when I was young -- I'm fascinated by her now, though. And my mom was a huge fan of the very original Nancy Drew books--so she shares her memories with me too. Thanks for coming by today!

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  15. Davy Jones, David Cassidy, and Bobby Sherman are the ones I remember most! This one looks great and I'd love to be entered.

    mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

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    1. Hi Martha,
      You definitely came to the right party today! We're all with you on your teen idols. I'm so glad you came by to enter -- here's hoping we eventually get a book into your hands!

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  16. We are giving away our age here! David Cassidy and Scott Baio were a couple of my teen crushes.

    purpleunicorn19(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Hey Tina -- yes indeed. I've given up trying to hide it; my old crushes make it all too obvious that I was a teenager in the golden age of teen idols :-) Scott Baio is a new addition to our list of hunky teen guys -- good choice! Thanks for stopping by today!

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  17. Teen idols, hmm! John Cusack and Matt Dillon spring to mind, but even though they were not teens I liked Tom Berenger, Harrison Ford and Tom Selleck more so. Bruce Springstein and Billy Joel were my favorite contemporary entertainers. Fun memories!

    This book sounds great and I enjoyed the excerpt. Decadent Hot Chocolate and a romantic guitar solo. Yum!

    sophiarose1816@gmail.com

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    1. Sophia Rose I love your list! Everyone on it is a winner! Tom Selleck -- oh yeah! I still watch him in Blue Bloods -- he had a sweet kissing scene a week or so ago and it was like we had the old Tom back :-)

      I'm thrilled that the book sounds intriguing to you -- and the hot chocolate is scrumptious, I've actually made it :-) Think melting your favorite candy bar with cream and butter and vanilla. It'll kill you with deliciousness!

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  18. You know I love you Liz, and reading this blog sure took me down memory lane..As a young girl I loved Biogaphies, esp anything I could find about Georage Washington Carver. I know, I know, wierd choice for a little girl, but his life, strenth, and determenation fascinated me. Like you, I made up stories in my head all the time. I was the daughter of Captain James T Kirk for years in my mind. Love Love Love The Rancher and the Rock Star. You have a style of writing that sets a reader at ease and draws them into your stories like a long lost family member finally comming home..Can't wait for the next one..Maxine

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    1. And all I have to say to you, Maxine is XOXOXO.

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  19. Oh lolol.. my fav teem idol..I can't even remember his name.. how sad is that. There was this TV show.. I think it was called Maya. It was about this blond guy and an elephant. He certainly made my teen hormones rage, Also, like everyone else, I loved Davey and Bobby. And, I had more than one quick kiss (in my mind) with Chekcov from Star Trek (spelled wrong I'm sure) :)

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    1. Another great list of heartthrobs. If Maya is the show you're thinking of, there were two kids and an elephant. Sajiid Khan was the Indian boy and Jay North was the American. Remember Jay North? He played Dennis the Menace on TV too! And Chekhov was adorable. I can see you two together :-) Hugs to you, my friend!

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  20. I remember a Rob Lowe poster in my room.
    This book sounds great!

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    1. He chey! I'm glad we have you hooked on the book premise :-) Hope you get to try it and see if it meets expectations! As for Rob Lowe -- well just hubba, hubba! Thanks for coming by and sharing!

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  21. Liz
    I finished reading The Rancher today. I LOVE it, how could I not. The characters are so real and vulnerable, no one plastic here. I hated for it to end, they are family now. Great story.
    As I am sure you remember, my walls were FILLED with Pat Boone (showing my age now) with singles of Frankie Avalon, Rick Nelson and Bobby Rydell. I did love watching the “Brides” and loved Bobby Sherman Too.
    Ardie

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  22. I'm so happy you enjoyed the book, Ardie. You read a lot, so you have a lot to compare to! I do remember Pat Boone. I thought it was so cool that you had all those pictures of him. I was kind of emulating you when I papered my wall with my pics! Then again, I emulated you a lot! Thanks for all your love and support! Love you back!

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  23. What an awesome interview! Congratulations on your release, Liz. Enjoy every minute!

    I adored Rick Springfield...oh, yes, I did. :)

    I cannot believe you are going to walk across England...please take a million pictures and post them all. I cannot wait to hear about this.

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  24. Hey, Liz. Late to the party, as always, but I know you're a night owl, so I hope you'll still see this. My teen-age heart throb was the man Peter Brown started out as a sidekick for, John Russell. (Talk about dating yourself!) I've always gone for older men. . .

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    1. Hey Nancy,
      Thank you so much for stopping by, my amazing CP. I admit I've heard of the show "Lawman" that John Russell stared in, but I didn't watch it. My mom and my aunt (who commented above and is only a few years old than I am) talk about him. He was a very lovely "older" man!

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  25. Congratulations on the book! I entered the interview. I didn't have a teenage idol or favorite poster.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Hi again bn100 -- thanks for the congratulations and thanks so much for stopping by. Teen idol or no, it's great to have you join us here.

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  26. Great interview! Getting ready to read The Rancher and The Rocker. Very exciting!
    My favorite band when I was a teen was Duran Duran. I adored Roger Taylor!! My walls were plastered with all of the members of Duran Duran. My dad would tease me that he didn't need to paint, just buy me more teen idol magazines!
    Mel
    bournmelissa@hotmail.com

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  27. CONGRATULATIONS SOPHIE ROSE!

    Liz but the numbers into Random.org and drew your name! So shoot us an email to GetLostInAStory@gmail.com and we'll get you two connected for your free copy of THE RANCHER AND THE ROCK STAR!

    ~Angi

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