FROM THE AUTHOR...

Did I survive launch day for my LEGACY series? Yes, quite well, thank you!

I'm now spreading the word that the first book of this series, PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, is available, with more books to be released every two months during 2012 and 2013. So I'm also busy writing and editing the later books of this series.

I hope you enjoy the LEGACY series, as well as related information on this blog and on my Web site. I plan to add more information as the series continues, so if there is something in particular you enjoy or would like to see, let me know. I'll toss it in the creative hopper and see what comes out. :)

MONDAYS CAN BE CHALLENGING...

DAWSON FACES SEVEN CHALLENGES FROM MARLY'S SEVEN BROTHERS
Challenge #1 from Johnny

From the time boys noticed adolescent Marly, her seven brothers seemed to have a sixth sense when she was attracted to a guy. Usually, the Buttinsky Brothers--as Marly called them--could scare off potential boyfriends without saying a word. Just a solid wall of overprotectiveness and dare-me looks. However, Dawson didn't back down. He took on the challenges with enthusiasm and determination.

**As Marly's body melted against Dawson, his mind registered the snick of the lock downstairs being picked. He cursed. "Someone's breaking in. I'll get my gun." 

"Much as the thought appeals to me, it's just one of my brothers." 

"Well, well, little sister, you have found yourself a whole passel of trouble this time." Johnny O'Shea stood on the top step. His normally smiling face surveyed the state of Marly and Dawson's undress with a frown.** 

And so began Dawson's challenges with Marly's seven brothers. Youngest brother, Johnny, wasted no time getting down to the business of protecting Marly's honor, even if she didn't want it protected.

**...Johnny stared at Dawson for a moment, then slugged him.  

The pain from the blow radiated across Dawson's face. Damn, the kid packed a wallop, but he hadn't chosen his defensive position very well. The cocky bastard stood at the top of the stairs. But only momentarily. Dawson hit him low with a tackle that sent them both tumbling down the stairs.  

In the background, Dawson heard Marly shriek--or maybe it was curse.  

Dawson rolled to his feet as soon as they hit the bottom of stairs, only to find Johnny O'Shea had bounced up into a boxer's stance, fists raised to protect and jab. Dawson grinned as a surge of testosterone shimmied through his body. He hadn't beat the hell out of someone for a long time. And Johnny wouldn't be a pushover. It would be a good fight.** 

**Excerpt from PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, copyright Genie Gabriel

COME TO SUNDAY DINNER AT TALLIE O'SHEA'S

I'm blogging today at the Rogue's Angels' blog, so thought I'd run a recipe similar to one Tallie O'Shea might prepare for her family.

Tallie enjoys cooking. Good thing since she had eight children and a husband with a healthy appetite, as well as many guests who join them for traditional Sunday dinner. So Tallie doesn't save roast turkey for holidays. She fixes it on "regular" Sundays too--one of the ways this extraordinary mom makes every day special. 

The first time we join the O'Shea's for Sunday dinner, Tallie is roasting a turkey and baking apple pie. 

At the risk of sounding egotistical, I never quite understood why many people think roasting a turkey is so difficult. Start with a good turkey, and when the timer pops up, it's done. LOL!

OK, not quite so easy. My mom taught me to cook with a dash of this and a taste of that. So I'm not great with recipes. To make things easier for those who like to follow a recipe, I looked on the Internet for a good roast turkey recipe. 

Appropriately, there's one called "Mom's Roast Turkey" at <http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/moms_roast_turkey/>. 

I especially like several of this lady's suggestions for roasting a turkey, including:

--Be sure to take the neck and giblets (heart, liver, gizzard) out of the cavity of the turkey before roasting. And don't cook the stuffing inside the turkey as this will increase the cooking time.

--Rub butter or olive oil all over the outside, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper. 

--Cook the turkey breast side down on a rack with a separate pan beneath it to catch the drippings. Saves trying to pour the drippings out of the pan after the turkey is done without either lifting the turkey out or dumping it on the floor. 

She also recommends how to clean up the turkey before roasting and had a lot of other good suggestions, but I'll let you look for yourself if you're in the mood for roast turkey.

Before or after you enjoy your Sunday dinner, I hope you stop by to say hello at the Rogue's Angels' blog!

SMALL TOWN SATURDAY

MEET MAYOR AUDREY CHAMBERS…

Retired school teacher and Mayor of Halo, Audrey Chambers is determined to recreate an Old West mining town to help provide jobs so Halo's young people--like her son--will stay in town. In spite of her political and entrepreneurial ambitions, Audrey is very much a mom. She and her husband, Bill, have been surrogate parents to Dawson since he was fifteen.

** "Dawson!" 

He turned toward the sound of the urgent voice, seeing Audrey Chambers, mayor of Halo and his surrogate mother since he was a teenager, hurrying down the sidewalk toward him. The woman had the energy of a teenager packaged in a grandmother's body.  

She walked into his outstretched arms for a hug and patted his belly. "Have you eaten supper yet? You're looking a bit thin." 

He didn't bother to tell her his supper had probably been eaten by Bigsy before he and Charlie let themselves out of jail. "Beth brought over something. Did Reid send patrols through while I was on the drug case?" 

A snort conveyed Audrey's opinion of the sheriff. "I should have rapped that boy's knuckles more when he was in grade school. Only saw a patrol car once a day and didn't even stop to talk to anyone. Bill took care of things." 

Audrey's husband, Bill, was as quiet as Audrey was energetic. Like her, he had lived his entire life in the area. When he retired after thirty-three years working in the national forest lands blanketing the surrounding mountains, he didn't even consider living anywhere else. 

"I need you for a meeting at the barbershop." Audrey tugged at Dawson's arm. 

"Meeting about what?" 

Audrey lifted a finger to her lips. "It's a secret." 

"Not for long in this town." Dawson followed her, ignoring the rumble of his stomach. "I thought you were on the outs with Stanley Alvord." 

Another snort from Audrey bounced the corkscrew gray curls framing her face. "You can't be mayor and conduct a decent feud. All this negotiation mumbo-jumbo. Sometimes I'd rather be a steamroller." 

…

"Well, we can start now since we have the downtown property owners assembled." Audrey's introduction gave the reason for Alvord's inclusion.  

Audrey and Bill owned most of the buildings in town, except Beth's café and Alvord's barbershop. If this meeting concerned her favorite topic of making Halo more than a dot on the map, she would need the cooperation of both Beth and Alvord. Dawson settled into one of the red vinyl chairs to see what tactics Audrey would use to bring Alvord around to her way of thinking. **

**Excerpt from PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, copyright Genie Gabriel.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Congratulations to: Marybelle!

The second winner from my Virtual Blog Tour. 

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to comment. Your names will also go in a drawing for a $25.00 gift certificate at the end of this tour. 

SECOND STOP OF VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR

Please join me today at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews on the second stop of my Virtual Blog Tour, where I talk about five things you'd probably never guess about me.

PLEASE JOIN ME AT SHY WRITER'S BLOG TODAY

Hi, all! Today I'm the guest  of writer Rebecca J. Clark at Once Written, Twice Shy, also known as the Shy Writer's Blog.

Yes, I'm an introvert at heart and happily hang out at home with my doggies, writing and forgetting what day of the week it is.

But I also love to talk about writing and to share stories too, so sometimes I emerge from my "cave" to blog (like today) or visit with other writers and readers (online and in person) or announce winners to contests (each week this month).

So please stop by Shy Writers Blog if you have the time and say hello.