THE JEWEL OF HIS HEART

I'm so excited to share with you the brand new cover for book 2 in Heart of the West series, The Jewel of His Heart. It's so beautiful and once again Revell had captured my herione perfectly with the Yogo blue eyes. I'm sure that you'll agree that it is stunning!
The story takes place in Montana, the Big Sky Country. Here's a tease-

Romance readers have taken to Maggie Brendan's softer romantic style that perfectly captures life on the American frontier, introducing them to rugged, independent souls and their inner spiritual struggles, and the quest for love that makes for a satisfying read every time. Set in 1890s Montana, The Jewel of His Heart finds Juliana drawn to a handsome, gentle sheepherder--but sparks fly when he considers mining, the occupation that lured her father away from his family. Both Josh and Juliana must make a choice--the world's riches and promises, or the eternal value of love.

I hope you'll be looking for it this fall and then "fall" in love with Josh and Juliana. Happy Trails...

TODAY AT BORDERS BOOKSTORE IN EAST COBB

Who Said Men Don't Buy Historical Romance? Here's proof!

Despite the cold, drizzling weather, people still like to go to the bookstore which was good news for me. Borders in East Cobb at the Avenues is one of my favorite bookstores. I had a fun time, meeting new folks and even a couple of school age children that were in awe of meeting a real writer and wanted a bookmark. So funny, but I suppose I would have felt the same way at the age of 7 or 8. I'm pretty new to all this but it amazed me as I sat greeting everyone when they walked through the door, that the traffic was definitely more men today than women! When you have to sit still, you tend to notice things like that. Hence the man that bought my book in the picture. Yes, it was only one man, but I already know of 6 who've read and enjoyed my book. I never would've dreamed it possible!

While I sipped on a mocha of Seattle's Best, I listened to the Assistant Manager, Jessica, announce every half hour, that Maggie Brendan was there signing her book. Jessica was very kind to me and encouraging.

When my time concluded, the Manager,John Alford, had me autograph all the rest of my books and told me that I did well. Exactly what an author loves to hear!

What a satisfying ending to a very dreary March afternoon. I hope you had a good weekend so far. :) Happy Reading...

BORDER'S BOOK SIGNING

Tomorrow, March 14th from 1-3 pm, I'll be at Border's in East Cobb at the Avenues on Roswell Road signing my new book. I hope if you live in the Atlanta Metro area that you will drop by and say hello.

Last Saturday I was at Sweet Spirit Christian bookstore and had a nice time with their customers, staff and Frank Hood, the store owner. I had intended on posting a picture but was busy finishing up galleys for book 2 coming out in October.

I'm still excited about the reviews and the fact that the book was picked up by Crossings for February and again for March!

Next Friday, I'll be speaking at a senior's luncheon at St. Theresa's in Augusta, my daughter and son-in-law's church. It should be fun. They are really nice people there, even to a Baptist like me!. Lol. I'm very honored that I've been asked and I'll post about it afterward.

Happy Trails....

BOOK SIGNING THIS SATURDAY-MARCH 7TH

I'll be signing my novel, No Place for a Lady, at Sweet Spirit Christian Bookstore this Saturday, March 7th from 12-2 PM. They are located at 1100 Johnson Ferry Road in Marietta, GA. Frank Hood is the owner of this wonderful bookstore, and I hope that if you live in the area you can stop by. I'd love to meet you! If you can't make this one, I'll post next week about others signings that are on my schedule.

I've had some good reviews on this book and I'm excited to see that people are really enjoying something that I've written. Nothing pleases me more!

Brief update on those of you that have asked me about book two, The Jewel of His Heart, it should be out in October!

God is so good! Now back to work.

BLACK CROWS AND MARCH

To refresh my brain and energize my creative juices, I took advantage of the fabulous Georgia temps in the 60’s today and skipped out in the middle of working on galleys to take a short walk. This is my first real walk in 8 weeks as I continue to have synovitis of the ankle that has left my foot sore and swollen, despite the physical therapy that I’m currently putting myself though.

Almost instantly I am reminded of why I love being outdoors. The first leg of my walk took me to our open field that’s preserved for wildlife and wildflowers. Of course, since it’s the end of February, there are no flowers, only constantly cawing of five black shiny crows strutting along the edge of the park bench who distracts me as I take a seat. After adjusting my shoelaces, I watch as they come close, apparently not afraid of me in the least. Two of them fly off to the center of the field in delight of their afternoon snack they’ve found, which left the other three squeaking and flapping their wings in an argumentative tone as though in discussion of their two friends.

Since it is nearly March, my mind is filled with thoughts of sadness, memories and tenderness of my mother and others of my family. March 2nd would have been her 99th birthday had she not died 11 years ago. My father was buried on March 17th, 36 years ago. March 1st was my brother, Orville’s birthday, and we are coming up to the anniversary of his passing on the 27th, six years ago. I lost my closest brother, Gary on March 25th one year after Orville. My sister Gail, God rest her sweet soul, was diagnosed and surgery performed for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in March and given a fatal diagnoses. There’s an old Merle Haggard song, “If We Make it Through December”…that my sisters, Doris and Dianne and I have changed it to “If We Make it Through March.”

So with heavier steps I venture off the sidewalk down the worn walking trail, widened and cleared from the underbrush last summer. I love it here. It’s peaceful and I feel like I’m actually in the woods, despite the distant sounds of a car or occasional dog barking. It’s a pleasant walk and as I make my way half-way around, there’s a huge oak tree that fell over that was allowed to stay because it created a natural archway over the trail. Wishing that I had brought my camera, I take a seat on one of its giant extended limbs and close my eyes to listen and absorb the sounds around me. A sudden strong breeze blows my hair that teases the cheek of my face. It feels good and so does the sunshine penetrating my velour jog suit. A woodpecker pecks on a bare hardwood tree to my left and to my right; I hear the same crows in the open field still squawking. I remember how my mother had a ‘pet’ crow she called Jack that came to the back door of her apartment in Gulfport, MS every morning. Someone left an old metal highchair out back so she placed cornbread or other tidbits on the tray for the crow. I laughed and asked her how she knew it was the same one. She answered, “Because I just know—he comes to talk to me every day!” I couldn’t argue with that, now could I? Oh, how I miss her and her infectious laughter.

Other birds are singing, some of whom I can’t identify, but their sounds are lovely and full of promised spring. I open my eyes and around me are piles of dead leaves now decaying and moldy, resembling death…from dust to dust…
A tear slips down my face and I close my eyes again, thanking the Lord, for all that I’ve been given in my life, the happiness, the grief, the love, all that has made me who I have become in my spirit through His spirit. I pray for my family and friends that He will touch their hearts and lives as only He can with His positive love, to walk closer to Him, reminding us of the mysterious feeling of discontent necessary to pull back the veil just a tad so that we know with certainty that earthly things are fleeting.

A small limb falls to the straw, sounding loud in the stillness and I decide that I need to get back to working on my galleys, but vowing not to let March get me down, despite some personal issues that I face.

THERE WAS one bright shining moment that occurred on March 4th, 1971. My beautiful daughter, Sheri made her way squealing into this world at 5:04 PM. All 8lbs. 4oz. of her. I still think of her as twenty years old, and find it hard to believe all those years have passed. Sheri has brought our family so much joy and has truly blessed our lives by being who she is. She’s intelligent and educated with a Master’s in Elementary Education, very affectionate and loves to laugh like my mama did. She’s crazy for chocolate! I don’t know if I’ve ever known anyone more conscientious…except me, hehe. She has given us three wonderful grandchildren and a husband, Bobby, who is like our own son. Nothing could be better than that. She’s strong in her love of the Lord and gives back with her talent of singing to Him as she cantors for her church. She plays piano if she gets a free moment when she is not carting kids off to basketball, piano, cheering or walking her dog, Frankie. If she has any faults it is her dislike of cooking. She’s a bit of a worrier and perfectionists like me. She’s also a very good editor!

Sheri called me yesterday and related something funny. She said, “I was walking around outside with my coffee pulling weeds and thought, Oh my gosh, I have become my parents.” We both laughed because she used to wonder how we could be outside in the warm weather or the summer, with our coffee cup in hand, pulling a stray weed or two. How indeed?

Sheri, I wish you enough sunny days in your life to keep your outlook bright, no matter how dark your days may seem. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAREST SHERI BERRI!!!

HERE COMES THE JUDGE-ALL RISE!

This past Thursday was a special one in our family. Our son-in-law, Bobby Christine, was sworn in as Chief Magistrate Judge for Columbia County in Augusta, GA. He was appointed by 8 Superior Court Judges. We are so proud of him because we know how hard he works, and we know Bobby's values and love of his country and for the state of Georgia. Bobby has already led an impressive career in his short life. He attended Georgia Military College, and the University of GA. (where he met Sheri, our daughter), and received his law degree from Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, AL. Bobby is a Major for the Army National Guard and serves as a Jag Officer. He served in Iraq attached to the First Marine Expeditionary Force that invaded Iraq. The man has more medals that I can even recall. He taught Political Science for Georgia Military College for 10 years. He serves on the parish council for St. Theresa's where they attend church. He has served as the Assistant District Attorney for Richmond County where he and his team were the first in recent history in the state of GA, to convict a murderer without producing a body from their incredible scientific evidence. Bobby also serves on the Chamber of Commerce, and many other committees and is asked to speak at many events, both political and community.
Bobby is a great Italian Southerner and loves his heritage, and is a great history buff. He adores his family, children and dog, Frankie. Everyone in Augusta is acquainted with Bobby. When he returned from Iraq, he spoke to a Right From the Heart Gala, a fundraiser of our pastor, Bryant Wright for his radio ministry which made everyone there cry and be proud of our great military and country.

Bobby's own father, Alexander Christine, was awarded several Purple Hearts for his service in Viet Nam, where he was severely wounded and came home missing an arm and a leg, as well as other internal injuries. I'm sure that Alex's valor and exceptional love of his country was passed down to Bobby.

Am I bragging so far?? You bet I am. Our son-in-law is one of the smartest, wittiest, (I'm no match for him in verbal skills), men that I know. There is so much to be proud of.

Bobby enjoys fishing with Peter, our 6 yr. old grandson, and sailing around their lake in his boat. He spends time collectively and separately with his two daughters, Maggie and Angelina. He loves having people over, playing Wii and shooting pool, and eating great Italian food, and jambalaya. But I think his favorite thing is to drive around in his vintage '65 Cadillac.

He thinks our daughter came straight from Venus and fits in with his southern Italian ideals, and he is, from what I hear, extremely romantic. He is strong in his faith in God, preserving America and keeping traditions alive.
So, dear Bobby, my hat is off to you--All that you do does not go unrecognized! Love, Brenda

MY FIRST BOOKSIGNING

This past Wednesday night was my first book signing at my church's (JFBC) bookstore, The Bookmark. I had a blast and my friend Dottie Poythress, who runs the bookstore, was almost as excited as I was. I even have one man reading my book! How encouraging for a man to pick up a romance book! That's Dottie with the blond hair in the picture below and my best friend Kelly. She came to support me. We had a good crowd, some of which had already read the book and wanted an autograph. Our Church bookstore is a very nice place to buy books or gifts and I spend my share of time in there. Just ask Dottie! lol. They have a friendly staff,
eager to help you find the resource or gift that you are looking for, along with some great fiction and the Pastor's Picks.

Here's the link for The Bookmark, (and by the way, it got it's name from my entry that was in a naming contest).
http://www.thebookmarkonline.org/

Here's my best friend Kelly, a wonderful writer and you should be hearing more about her very soon.

Below is a picture of Jim Stewart, who said he is enjoying reading a romance.

Hope if you haven't, you'll pick up a copy online or at your local bookstore.

Happy Trails.

MY BOOK IS IN BOOKSTORES NOW!

No Place for a Lady was actually in Borders on December 27th, and my daughter and I saw it, while out shopping for after Christmas bargains. I was surprised since I wasn’t expecting it to be released until Jan. 1st. Sheri whipped out her cell phone and took a shapshot of me in the bookstore. Later on in the week, it was in Lifeway Bookstores and Barnes and Nobles. It was such a thrill for me, and even better is the feedback that I've received thus far from readers. Here is and online review that warmed my author’s heart. http://writebyfaith.blogspot.com/2008/12/review-of-no-place-for-lady-by-maggie.html.

I will be signing my book at The Bookmark, Johnson Ferry Church this Wednesday, January 14th from 5:30 to 7:30. Dottie Poythress is the bookstore manager and here the link to my church. http://www.johnsonferry.org/. If you are in the area, I’d love it if you’d stop by.

TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF

Christmas decorations are stored away, family is gone to their respective lives and jobs, the house is clean and now as the dust settles into distant memories of exchanged gifts, food, laughter, and teary eyed goodbyes, we look ahead to a fresh new year and all the limitless possibilities of 2009. I, like most of you, had a busy December with church Christmas concerts, extra rehearsal, shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking, etc., while trying to maintain some sense of balance between my writing and reading so that I wouldn’t become some green-eyed monster with two heads.

Nearly every one I know makes at least one resolution for the New Year. The most common one is to loose weight and become more active. Now that’s a good one. All my life I have done some form of exercise and I believe that’s why I’m in fairly decent shape now. I could be better. But as I so often encourage my best friend, Kelly and my daughter Sheri, and daughter-in-law Amy, to make sure they take time for themselves to exercise, and to be sure to include time out of the house without the kids , I've noticed that there is a certain attitude that most women have, but particularly mothers. And it disturbs me. Too many women feel guilty if they take one hour a day for themselves to read or exercise. Not only that, other people infer that they're being selfish if they do! Many women cater to every whim or need of their children then wait hand and foot on their spouse. And it’s our fault if we allow others to make us feel guilty for choosing to have some free time. Our family and children should not feel threatened when we decide to do this.

Now, I’m a writer and not a psychologist, but I can tell you from experience that if you don’t give yourself freedom away from the kids (no matter what age they are), or some time out of the house, it will affect how you feel physically. Men included! Everyone needs a mental break from all the day to day chores of raising children and running a home, not to mention, many women work outside the home, and still have all that work waiting just on the other side of the door like a nagging toddler. It’s hard to juggle everything and keep some form of sanity. But ladies, and any man out there who reads this blog, it’s a necessary thing to exercise. It called your health! There's nothing selfish about that. It energizes you and releases endorphins which can alter your mood making you feel good about yourself. It keeps us flexible as we age and is good for the heart, slows down the aging process, and a boat load of other things. I know you’ve heard them all.

My daughter has been attending “boot camp” for strenuous workouts for a couple of months and I applaud her. Amy walks miles every week (even more than me), and watches everything she eats. I walk and do light weights, and try to watch the calories. Do whatever you feel comfortable with, running, walking, swimming, etc. BUT JUST DO IT! Like the Nike ad reads.

I know it’s hard to start over again, but the benefits you receive will reward you with a happier outlook and a healthier body. Gradually, you’ll loose weight while watching what you eat and feel better. Pick a time that works for you and get started today, so that when you look back this time next year, you can smile and say, "I took some time for me!" and feel good about!! By the way, if you are struggling with just dragging yourself to the gym, outside or the treadmill, post a comment and I'll add you to my personal prayer list. It would be a priviledge to pray for you!

DECEMBER COWGIRL CONTEST WINNER

Merry Christmas, Cleda! You're the winner of my cowgirl contest! Your name was drawn from all the comments posted on Bustles And Spurs. The correct answer to the question--what was the name of the ranch and the horse that Crystal rode on the trail drive--was --The Aspengold Ranch, and Rebel was her cutting horse. Look for your copy of No Place For a Lady in the mail soon.

I want to thank all of you that took the time to enter the contest and read both blogs. All of you still have a chance to become one of the Big winners of ALL our authors books at the end of the month. Good luck and have a very Merry Christmas!

Cabin in the Snow

Is this not the cutest cabin in the snow? My sister in Mobile surprised us with this. It's surrounded by roses with red ribbons, and has a switch at the back of it that turns on the fireplace that flickers like a real fire. Inside there are people standing about and a Christmas tree in the corner.

I was so tickled that I wanted to share it with y'all. Isn't it sweet? Gets me in the mood for Christmas! Sometimes I wish I was in a cabin like that in the Rockies, baking cookies and reading by the fire while I watch the snow softly falling. By the way, this is my favorite snowman who loves to sit overlooking my sink and watch me cook and do the dishes! :)