Day One: Monthly Letter February 2002 Dear Readers, Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm a cold weather kind of woman. I love snow and ice. I love howling storms beating against my windows. I love watching Mother Nature blanket the world with mountains of snow while I toast myself next to the fireplace, sipping hot chocolate and reading my way through the towering stacks of books clamoring for attention. So far this winter has been a bit of a bust when it comes to its wonderland quotient but even I, a dyed-in-the-wool Snow Queen, had to admit that today was absolutely beautiful. Those of you in warmer climes will laugh but I stretched out on my deck (yes, the deck itself; the furniture is stowed in the basement until April) this afternoon (it's January 28th as I write this) and let the sun work its wonders on my winter self. The sky was deep blue and cloudless. The breezes were gentle and warm. A hawk circled lazily overhead. And, to my utter amazement, I didn't miss the wonders of a crackling fireplace and a cup of hot cocoa one bit. (Okay, so maybe I missed the cocoa . . . ) I know this preview of spring won't last (and, to be honest, I don't really want it to) but today felt like a gift. I was thinking the other night about how much fun Valentine's Day was when I was a kid. Oh the pleasures of white paper doilies and shiny red hearts and cupids clipped from construction paper! While I can't recreate that long-ago fun for you, I would like to offer up something else meant to warm your heart . . . and fire up your imagination! Starting today you'll find a new chapter from Midnight Lover posted on the first of the month right here on my website. Midnight Lover was my second historical romance, published by Pocket Books in 1989. It's a western historical (my only western), set in Silver Spur, Nevada - the wickedest mining town in the territory. Before a single citizen of Silver Spur had the chance to die from natural causes, 127 others fell victim to foul play. Why a man could shoot another man in the back and walk away scot-free, but let anyone try to swipe a bottle of whiskey or a box of fine cigars from one of the eleven saloons in town - well, that was a different matter. No one could say the residents of Silver Spur didn't know their priorities! Danger, however, proved to be as powerful an aphrodisiac as money. Women - old and young, fair and plain - had set their sights on Silver Spur. It was getting so a man could hardly walk from the Golden Dragon to Aunt Sally's for dinner without having one of those addlebrained petticoats swooping down on him like an eagle after her prey. Good men, men who should know better, were getting hitched up quicker than they could get the silver out of the mines. Men had to band together before it was too late. So on the first day of January 1876, in a secret meeting below Jade's parlour, a group of the town's remaining bachelors met and formed the Single man's Protective League and vowed that they would forfeit their fortunes to the cause rather than stand up in front of a preacher before the year was out. Romantic Times said Midnight Lover was " . . . an unforgettable one-night read that's guaranteed to lift [readers'] spirits and warm their hearts." I'm afraid you won't be able to devour Midnight Lover in one night this time around, but I do hope you'll stop by each month to read the next installment. (And don't forget to check out this month's contest and some wonderful new recipes.) Build a nice fire, make yourself a cup of hot cocoa, then settle down for some good reading. Wishing you a Valentine's Day filled with love and laughter, Subscribe to WritersDaily Powered by www.egroups.com Subscribe to BarbaraBrettonUpdate Powered by www.egroups.com Subscribe to HeSaidSheSaid Powered by groups.yahoo.com In stores now: Archived letters: January 2002 2001 2000 Home | Monthly Letter | Writers Daily Quote | He Said She Said Bio | Free Stuff | The Secret | Just for Fun | Scrapbook | Bookstore One and Only | Sitemap | Guestbook | Contest © Barbara Bretton