THURSDAY TRIVIA

Q. Where did Tallie, Ruby and Marly go to play pool?

A. The answer is in this blurb from CHALLENGING THE LEGACY.

**All conversation stopped when the three women walked into the dimly-lit Golddust Saloon. The few regulars stared at Marly, Tallie and Ruby as they walked to a booth near the pool table and slid into the vinyl-covered bench seats. 

**Excerpt from CHALLENGING THE LEGACY, copyright Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel.

SOMETIME HALO RESIDENT DIES

NEWSPAPER OF THE FICTIONAL TOWN OF HALO, OREGON

Ruby Solomon, sometime Halo resident, recently died quietly in her sleep. Ruby was the biological mother of Marly O'Shea, one of the locally famous adopted O'Shea siblings. Ruby's identity as Marly's mother became public several months ago, just before the town of Halo was nearly destroyed by dynamite explosions. 

The revelation could have been as emotionally devastating as was the physical devastation of Halo by dynamite. However, Ruby was determined to set things right and, in her last months in Halo, forged bonds of friendship that will be treasured for many years to come.

Ruby traveled extensively and, in her earlier years, was a promising singer.

In addition to her husband, Pierce Stratford, daughter Marly and close friend Tallie O'Shea were with Ruby when she passed over. A simple ceremony to honor Ruby was planned by her family and close friends.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Congratulations to: Shannon!

She's the winner of a $10 gift card in week #1 of my blog tour promoting CHALLENGING THE LEGACY.

BLOG TOUR AND FREE BOOK MONDAY!

Today, I'm at Tamaria Soana's blog promoting the fifth book of my Halo Legacy Series, CHALLENGING THE LEGACY.

Please stop by and leave a comment to be entered in my holiday contest for a $25 gift certificate (drawing on December 31) as well as weekly prizes during the tour.

A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS BOOK! 

In addition, my wonderful publisher, Rogue Phoenix Press, has pulled together two great offers for readers to get a taste of small town Halo. Not only has THE BODYGUARD been described as "a feel good Christmas story," it introduces the fictional town of Halo, Oregon, where my Legacy Series is set. 

--SPECIAL HOLIDAY PRICING! THE BODYGUARD and all the Rock'n'Romance trilogy--THE ROCK STAR and THE LEADER OF THE BAND are the other books--are specially priced at 99 cents through December 31.

--FREE BOOK MONDAYS! On every Monday between now and Christmas--Nov. 26, Dec. 3, Dec. 10, Dec. 17, Dec. 24--THE BODYGUARD will be free on Amazon.com!)

A holiday gift from me and Rogue Phoenix Press!

GRATEFUL FOR A LESS-THAN-IDEAL THANKSGIVING

I'm blogging about a less-than-ideal Thanksgiving at the Rogue's Angels blog. Hope you can stop by!

ENJOY A CLIFFHANGER AND SPECIAL OFFERS!

A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS BOOK! 

My wonderful publisher, Rogue Phoenix Press, has pulled together two great offers for readers to get a taste of small town Halo. Not only has THE BODYGUARD been described as "a feel good Christmas story," it introduces the fictional town of Halo, Oregon, where my Legacy Series is set. 

--SPECIAL HOLIDAY PRICING! THE BODYGUARD and all the Rock'n'Romance trilogy--THE ROCK STAR and THE LEADER OF THE BAND are the other books--are specially priced at 99 cents through December 31.

--FREE BOOK MONDAYS! On every Monday between now and Christmas--Nov. 26, Dec. 3, Dec. 10, Dec. 17, Dec. 24--THE BODYGUARD will be free on Amazon.com!)

A holiday gift from me and Rogue Phoenix Press!

THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL...

Please join me today at the Rogue's Angels blog for an excerpt from the book that started it all. THE BODYGUARD introduced the fictional town of Halo, Oregon--the setting for my Legacy Series books. You'll also get the scoop on two special holiday offers for THE BODYGUARD!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate this holiday!

I posted a list of sometimes serious, sometimes silly things I'm grateful for at the Mid-Willamette Valley Writers blog <http://mwvrwa.blogspot.com/>. Stop by if you're so inclined and add your own items to the list.

COUNTY SHERIFF AWOL; CHALLENGER WINS POST

NEWSPAPER OF THE FICTIONAL TOWN OF HALO, OREGON

After attacks on two local women, county sheriff Reid Weston has disappeared. With crime exploding in the small town of Halo, in addition to normal law enforcement responsibilities in the rest of the county, the lack of leadership left deputies struggling to perform their duties. 

Voters obviously recognized the need for strong leadership, and overwhelmingly elected challenger Collin O'Shea as sheriff. O'Shea has been with the Oregon State Police for almost twenty years, his latest assignment as a senior trooper on the SWAT team.

In other news, Marly O'Shea and Deputy Dawson Browning were married in a quiet ceremony with family present. Her parents: Tallie O'Shea, Ruby Solomon, and Pierce Stratford were present, as were her seven brothers, one sister-in-law, and close friends.

TUESDAY NOT-SO-TRIVIAL...

Thanks to my wonderful publisher, all three of my Rock'n'Romance trilogy books (THE ROCK STAR, THE BODYGUARD, and THE LEADER OF THE BAND) 

are 99 cents each through December 31, 2012. 


You can find buy links and more info about these books at my Rock'n'Romance blog <http://rockandromance.blogspot.com/>.

MONDAY MYSTERY: Why is Tallie's former lover in Halo?

ON MONDAYS IN NOVEMBER, I'll be posting a Monday Mystery revealed in CHALLENGING THE LEGACY. Here's today's mystery.

Years ago, Tallie O'Shea had run away from the man she loved without even saying good-bye. She never thought she would see him again...

Puzzled, Tallie looked out the peephole. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she 

blinked and looked again. 

SUNDAY DINNER AT TALLIE'S: A SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY

THOUGH TALLIE'S CHILDREN ARE GROWN NOW, they still come back to Tallie's house for Sunday dinner when they can. As birth relatives show up in the lives of the O'Shea siblings, this tradition extends to others, though perhaps not always pleasantly..

Tallie sat in front of her vanity mirror and adjusted the pearl earrings Bernie had given her on Mother's Day many years ago. 

"The symbol of feminine wisdom," he said as she opened the velvet box. 

She had worn them every Mother's Day since.

MEET PORTIA STRATFORD

Born into a middle-class family, Portia married the Stratford money and name. While her husband flaunted his relationship with a long-term mistress who bore him a son, Portia clung to her wealthy status with a stern fist. Here are impressions of Portia from several points of view in CHALLENGING THE LEGACY.

****

"A Stratford doesn't make their own choices. Their lives are determined by what is best for the family." 

--Portia Stratford in CHALLENGING THE LEGACY

FRIDAY FRIENDSHIPS

Small towns are often known for their friendliness, and for helping out neighbors. And sometimes friendships develop between the most unlikely people. Here's an example from the fictional town of Halo, Oregon, where my Legacy Series is set.

** "Don't want to be seen in public with me?" Ruby asked. 

That comment brought Tallie's full attention. "I'm trying to be considerate of your health." 

"I'm healthy enough to be bored. And I'd like to get to know the woman who raised my daughter so well. The real woman--not just your public face."

AUTHOR UPDATE

I haven't done an author update on my blog for awhile, so thought I'd do that today. 

I finished book #7 of the Halo Legacy Series, SHADOW OF THE LEGACY, on Monday and sent it to my publisher. Hooray! 

One of the benefits of doing a series is that the characters, events, and what needs to happen next are still fresh in my mind. So I jumped right into book #8. This will be an action-packed book where many of the mysteries only partially resolved in previous books come to the fore again with more surprising twists. I'm very excited about this book!

In the meantime, I'm promoting earlier books, specifically CHALLENGING THE LEGACY, which is Tallie's story. She's pretty much a mom of the year every day, but she's forced to confront dark secrets from her past and resolve those. Tallie and the others in this book definitely had some surprises for me when I was writing this book. 

It's available at Rogue Phoenix Press and most other e-book retailers. Hope you pick it up and enjoy it!

HALO HERALD: SECOND EXPLOSION CREATES EERIE SENSE OF DEJA VU

NEWSPAPER OF THE FICTIONAL TOWN OF HALO, OREGON

Harvest festivities scheduled for October 31 took an unexpected turn when an explosion occurred on the outskirts of Halo. To tourists in town for the celebration, this seemed like part of the show. Here's what tourists thought they saw:

Pierce Stratford slipped behind the livery stable and paused to catch his breath. The crowd waiting for the wedding ceremony watched the action with nods of excitement and exclamations of how realistic the show seemed. 

However, Pierce wasn't looking for awed tourists. His focus was finding a person who knew the explosion wasn't part of the planned event. 

Like the man nervously glancing over his shoulder.

TUESDAY TRIVIA

Q. What does Tallie do to think through problems or relieve stress?

A. The answer is in this excerpt from CHALLENGING THE LEGACY.

Tallie slowly ascended the stairs to her bedroom, knowing she wouldn't sleep. Normally she would sew when she needed to work through a particularly difficult problem. Sewing and cooking--her two problem-solvers. 

MONDAY MYSTERY: Why the secrecy about Marly's birth?

ON MONDAYS IN NOVEMBER, I'll be posting a Monday Mystery revealed in CHALLENGING THE LEGACY. Here's today's mystery.

The O'Shea siblings knew they were adopted--except Marly, the only girl. 

** "You're not Bernie." Collin blew out a breath as his shoulders slumped. "None of us are. We're all just kids he saved from the streets. Even you." 

"I wasn't a street kid." Marly stared at Collin for a moment, then she turned toward Tallie. "Mom?" 

Stunned, Tallie simply stared back, as the world she had built over the last twenty-eight years began crumbling beneath her feet. How did Collin know? 

"You mean I'm not..." Marly stared a moment longer at Tallie, then turned and fled. The door creaked mournfully behind her, a split-second before the blustery March wind snatched it closed with a thump of finality. Muting the sound of Dawson entering the front door. 

The other brothers shifted away from Collin, visibly shaken by the revelation. Then their attention and questions barraged Tallie like condemning stones being thrown at an outcast. 

"Why didn't you tell her?" 

"We're all adopted. What would it have mattered?" 

**Excerpt from CHALLENGING THE LEGACY, copyright Genene Valleau,  writing as Genie Gabriel.

SUNDAY AT TALLIE'S: A CHALLENGE TO THE INTERLOPER

THOUGH TALLIE'S CHILDREN ARE GROWN NOW, they still come back to Tallie's house for Sunday dinner when they can. As birth relatives show up in the lives of the O'Shea siblings, this tradition extends to others, such as Marly's biological father.

Dinner passed with the usual good-natured conversation between the family and their guests, until Marly commented that Pierce's eye was turning purple and asked what happened. 

Silence fell among the O'Shea brothers and Tallie put on her stern mother look as her gaze traveled from one brother to another to another. "Don't start." 

Pierce realized he had stumbled onto an inside family story and pushed for details. Marly cheerfully told him the challenges her brothers issued to Dawson, who just sat back and smiled. 

When Marly was through with the telling; Pierce nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I'm just a city slicker, so maybe you'll go easy on me." 

Then he met the gaze of each brother in turn. "I plan to be around, so maybe we can draw up a challenge contract. You tell me what your challenge is and give me a specific length of time to meet it. Or is ambush more your style?" 

MEET RUBY SOLOMON

Ruby Solomon, self-professed man lover, sometime singer, and the birth mother who left Marly for Tallie O'Shea to raise. 

Ruby has always been a fighter, and when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, returned to Halo to "make things right." She fought the disease long enough to see her daughter married, and to shake Tallie O'Shea out of her halo a few times.

Here are some Ruby-isms from CHALLENGING THE LEGACY that show her attitude toward life and dying: 

"So you see, a woman doesn't need a man in her life except for entertainment. I've done just fine." 

"Isn't there a ghost town called Paris up the mountain where we can dump her?"  

"Aw, I'm no good at this touchy-feely crap. It makes me feel like lice are crawling on me. Insult me so I know you're alright." 

"What are you looking at? Did I put lipstick on my nose?" 

"I've been a better person these last few months than all the years of my life, and it's damn tiring. I don't know how you've kept this up for so long." 

SPECIAL HOLIDAY PRICING!

I've received word my wonderful publisher is running a special price on my Rock'n'Romance trilogy through December 31--just 99 cents each for these full-length novels!

I'm especially delighted because part of THE BODYGUARD takes place in fictional Halo, Oregon, the site of my Halo Legacy Series.

You can read excerpts from all of my books on my Web site <www.GenieGabriel.com>. Happy Holidays to all!

IT'S A PARTY!

Today I'm partying at The Romance Studio! 

Please join me and other authors for prizes and fun at the TRS party site!

NEWSPAPER OF THE FICTIONAL TOWN OF HALO, OREGON

"Gold! They've struck gold at the old town site!" The news traveled the Halo grapevine faster than the latest bullet train. 

With shouts of… "Jobs!" "Tourists!" "Mayor Audrey will get her mining town!" …Halo's citizens celebrated this latest discovery by dancing in the streets.

However, not everyone was happy with this latest development. Sheriff Reid Weston clashed with celebrating citizens and at least one of his deputies during the revelry. Weston's behavior further declined that evening, when he disappeared and hasn't been seen since. 

With the discovery of gold, plans for the redevelopment of Halo into an Old West mining town have moved into fast forward. Look for many more details about this project soon.

TUESDAY TRIVIA

Q. What flower introduced Tallie and Pierce?

A. The answer is in this excerpt from CHALLENGING THE LEGACY.

Tallie stood in front of the elevator doors, clasping a massive arrangement of sunflowers in front of her. The florist shop where she worked part-time had been busy that afternoon. After she delivered these flowers to the third floor, several other arrangements were waiting for her back at the shop. 

The doors opened with a ping and a man charged out. Tallie tried to step aside, but he plowed into her before she had a chance to move. The vase slipped from her hands, scattering yellow flowers and shards of glass as it shattered on the marble floor. 

The physical contact reverberated through her body and settled in her belly as a primal longing. 

MONDAY MYSTERY: Who shot Bernie?

ON MONDAYS IN NOVEMBER, I'll be posting a Monday Mystery revealed in CHALLENGING THE LEGACY. Here's today's mystery.

Bernie O'Shea was gunned down while on duty. Though ruled a tragic accident, his widow always wondered...

**As Beth and her bridesmaids left to go shopping, the group of grandmas and kids stormed the attic. When Tallie pushed open the door, Bernie's voice whispered in her mind, "Look for the letter...if something happens to me, look for the letter." 

Tallie stopped abruptly. 

"What's wrong, Nana Tallie?" Rochelle's daughter, Ariel, peeked around Tallie. "Are there monsters up here?" 

With forced cheerfulness, Tallie replied, "Just dust and a few spiders. You're not afraid of spiders, are you?" 

With a slight frown, Ariel said, "I don't think so." 

"The musical instruments are on the shelves to the right." 

Ariel hurried toward the instruments, with Todd running after her in his awkward toddler gait. 

"Is something wrong?" Della asked. 

Tallie kept her smile firmly in place as she responded to Ariel's grandmother. "Just remembering something Bernie said." 

"Did the cops ever catch the guy who shot him?" Ruby asked quietly. 

Tallie shook her head. 

"Damn shame. Bernie was a good man." 

**Excerpt from CHALLENGING THE LEGACY, copyright Genene Valleau,  writing as Genie Gabriel.

MEET BERNIE O'SHEA

Bernie O'Shea was a hero. A larger-than-life police officer with a passion for justice. His death while on duty was deemed a tragic accident, but his widow still looks for the letter from Bernie that might reveal the truth.

**Slowly leafing through a photo album and listening to the O'Shea family, Pierce realized this family was woven together with love and determination and--damn it all--Bernie O'Shea. 

Nearly every photo included the man with an award-winning smile, an arm slung over the shoulder of one or more of the siblings, and pride shining in his eyes as he looked at his kids. He really did love every single one of them. 

However, it was the newspaper articles that shafted envy through Pierce's gut. The photos in those clippings clearly showed Tallie and Bernie were a team. Hand in hand, or Bernie's arm over Tallie's shoulder, or her hand tucked under his arm. 

Strong. Devoted. Totally attentive to what the other was saying or doing. 

Bernie O'Shea was one lucky sonofabitch for the years he had with Tallie, and he obviously knew it. 

**Excerpt from CHALLENGING THE LEGACY, copyright Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel.

MEET PIERCE STRATFORD

New York businessman Pierce Stratford came to Halo, Oregon looking for Tallie O'Shea-- and discovered more than one reason to make a place for himself in this tiny Old West mining town...

**Pierce slipped behind the livery stable and paused to catch his breath. The crowd waiting for the wedding ceremony watched the action with nods of excitement and exclamations of how realistic the show seemed. 

However, Pierce wasn't looking for awed tourists. His focus was finding a person who knew the explosion wasn't part of the planned event. 

Like the man nervously glancing over his shoulder. 

Pierce stepped into the street and called him out, gambling on the crowd to play their part. "You in the yellow bandanna. Put your hands on your head and turn around real slow." 

On cue, the crowd stepped back, leaving Mr. Nervous standing in the middle of a circle of eager onlookers.

**Excerpt from CHALLENGING THE LEGACY, copyright Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel.

MEET TALLIE--SUPER MOM WITH DARK SECRETS...

"Tallie, you were always more than a mom," Beth's mother, Natalie, said. "As a team, you and Bernie were pretty unstoppable. Remember when Chief Weston wanted to use the money allocated to the school for a new police building because the old one didn't have the right view from his office?" She pointed to a newspaper clipping. "And who headed a fundraiser so kids would have safer pads and helmets for football? Then there was the time--" 

CELEBRATING A NEW RELEASE!

Woo-hoo! Today I'm celebrating the release of CHALLENGING THE LEGACY, book #5 of the Halo Legacy Series. Tallie O'Shea is like a Mom of the Year every day, but her dark secrets haunt her past. As danger explodes around her, can Tallie set things right before everything she loves is destroyed?