Book Releases

Holding On (Colorado High Country #6) —
The Colorado High Country series returns with Conrad and Kenzie's story.

A hero barely holding on…

Harrison Conrad returned to Scarlet Springs from Nepal, the sole survivor of a freak accident on Mt. Everest. Shattered and grieving for his friends, he vows never to climb again and retreats into a bottle of whiskey—until Kenzie Morgan shows up at his door with a tiny puppy asking for his help. He’s the last person in the world she should ask to foster this little furball. He’s barely capable of managing his own life right now, let alone caring for a helpless, adorable, fluffy puppy. But Conrad has always had a thing for Kenzie with her bright smile and sweet curves. One look into her pleading blue eyes, and he can’t say no.

The woman who won’t let him fall…

Kenzie Morgan’s life went to the dogs years ago. A successful search dog trainer and kennel owner, she gets her fill of adventure volunteering for the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. The only thing missing from her busy life is love. It’s not easy finding Mr. Right in a small mountain town, especially when she’s unwilling to date climbers. She long ago swore never again to fall for a guy who might one day leave her for a rock. When Conrad returns from a climbing trip haunted by the catastrophe that killed his best friend, Kenzie can see he’s hurting and wants to help. She just might have the perfect way to bring him back to the world of the living. But friendship quickly turns into something more—and now she’s risking her heart to heal his.

In ebook and soon in print!


About Me

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I grew up in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, then lived in Denmark and traveled throughout Europe before coming back to Colorado. I have two adult sons, whom I cherish. I started my writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor of two different papers. Along the way, my team and I won numerous state and several national awards, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service. In 2011, I was awarded the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism. Now I write historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense.

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Seductive Musings

Monday, August 16, 2010

Stitches coming out today / BREAKING POINT cover blurb



Sorry, it’s not MTM, but it’s still pretty. These photos were taken by my son Benjamin’s wonderful girlfriend, Lucy Gram.

This is one of the lakes near my home where I often go for walks. I hope to be walking there soon as I get back on my feet. In the background, you can see Longs Peak, one of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks. My family has climbed it many times, and my father thinks that its summit should be my goal for next summer.

It’s a 12-hour climb to the summit for most people. My brother did it in 3.5 hours last time he climbed it. I expect it will take me longer than that, even if I train seriously for it. My brother is 6-3 and climbs like he was born to it, which he pretty much was.

But first things first. I get my stitches out tomorrow. My mother is actually removing them. I see no point in paying a co-pay and driving to Denver for something that I could even do myself.

I am getting better gradually. It’s still hard for me to swallow, but I’m having no trouble breathing. I tend to hurt a lot in the morning when I wake up. I've been trying to take as few pain pills as possible, but I haven’t yet had a day without them. I try to remind myself that it hasn’t quite been two weeks, and that I have two artificial vertebrae, not to mention hardware, in my neck. But still, I hate to take so many pain pills. Today, I’ve taken two.

It’s hard to say yet how much nerve pain I’m going to have once the surgery heals. The bone grafts won't be healed for another six weeks. Then it could be six months before I have any idea how much pain relief I'll get in my arms and legs. So I appreciate your continued prayers.

Thanks so much for your posts, e-mails, cards and packages. I can’t tell you how much they’ve all meant to me. I apologize that I haven’t been able to reply to them all. I still can’t take sitting at a computer for long, and I spend much of each day sleeping. But know that your kindness means so much to me.

Attention Reece's Pieces! You know who you are! You completely made my day when your package arrived. I only saw the front side of the mug at first. But then I sat down and saw the backside and almost popped my stitches laughing. You are too sweet!

Team Jag Shag? Team Jiggle Stick? (Forget the typo. I love it!) Team Sucky Swirl? Absolutely freaking PRICELESS! I'll have to post a photo of the mug later. I haven’t eaten the chocolate yet — swallowing is hard enough to be scary at times — but I will.

Also, if anyone needs anything bubble-wrapped, Ronlyn is the one to see. That mug was the most completely bubble-wrapped piece of porcelain ever to travel across the country.

Not sure if many of you saw the post I did on Facebook about my mom’s mishap. While I was sleeping one day, she went around sniffing all the perfumes I have scattered around my house. I have a good friend who’s a parfumier, so I have a lot of them. But one of the vials my mother picked up was actually a canister of MACE disguised as a pen (making it easier for me to carry into courtrooms, etc., because reporters carry pens, right?). Yes, my mother maced herself. Go Mom! I knew nothing about it. I slept through the entire thing.

When I woke up later that afternoon, she asked me what that horrible perfume was that didn’t smell good and which burned her nose and face. I had no idea what she was talking about until a few days later when, a little less groggy, I noticed the MACE sitting among some perfume bottles on my desk. I asked her if that’s what she’d sniffed and she said yes. I laughed so hard that it hurt.

I imagine my parents will drive me home tomorrow. I have veggie and rose gardens they need to water and harvest (lots of cucumbers, Swiss chard, squash, green beans and tomatoes ripening these days), as well as a lawn that needs watering. And then I’ll have to face the empty house. My folks will be coming by to do the outdoor chores (watering, harvesting, mowing), so I’ll see them every couple of days. That will help take the edge off Benjamin’s absence.

Also, I bought a 12-gauge shotgun for home defense. When MACE doesn’t work, there’s lead.

And now for something that’s more interesting than my neck... The back blurb for Breaking Point.

Here you go:

While investigating border violence in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Denver journalist Natalie Benoit is caught in a bloody ambush and taken captive. Alone in the hands of ruthless killers, she will need every ounce of courage she possesses to survive.

Betrayed by another operative, Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride has endured a week of torture and interrogation at the hands of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Ready to give his life if he must, he remains unbroken—until he hears the cries of an American woman.

Although Natalie is only a voice in the darkness of their shared prison, her plight brings renewed strength to Zach’s battered body. With her help, he overpowers their captors, and they flee through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun.


But past loss and tragedy leave both of them reluctant to follow their hearts, even when the passion between them reaches its breaking point. Faced with feelings neither expected, they fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both…


Does that sound interesting to anyone?

No word yet as to whether the photo shoot with Jed Hill happened, but you can rest assured I’ll let you know when I find out! And just in case you forgot who he is, here's this:


See, a little touch of MTM anyway. Just looking at him makes me feel better.

26 comments:

Sonya said...

Oh, wow.

You're sure Breaking Point won't be coming out in a couple of weeks rather than next year...?

Anonymous said...

uh, yeah, if the blurb didn't catch my interest, the photo...well, let's just say, YES!

Glad to hear you are on the mend....watch for me waving next week as we pass through Colorado!!!

Debbie H said...

I'm so glad you're getting better day by day.

Poor mom! Have you been threatened again? Someone try to break in? Stay safe!

I love the blurb! And, yes, I would definitely buy this book even if I didn't know you.

My fingers are crossed that Jed was the one at the photo shoot!

Yea, I finally mastered the blog.

Any surgery requires plenty of rest to recover and what you have been through girl give yourself that time. (Believe me I've been through enough operations to know)

You are in my thoughts & prayers for feeling better each day.

Thanks for the cover blurb....can't wait for the whole story.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the Monday smile and OMG! I hope you are mending well. Obviously, anxiously awaiting the book's release. Judy

Christie said...

I'm so glad to hear you're on the mend, Pam! Get plenty of rest and remember to NOT overdo it. I know how you get. You run around 90 to nothing, zipping from one thing to another. Take time for yourself and make sure you heal up.

Can't wait for the next I-Team installment! Sounds like Zach may give my main heartthrob, Julian, a run for his money. So exciting!

Ronlyn said...

I'm so glad you're feeling better little by little. And that you're no longer having trouble breathing. Scary stuff!
And I'm thrilled (!!) you like the mug. It was a joint effort. :-)
LOVE the blurb. Of course I love the blurb!
And you snuck in a little MTM...it's worth it. :-)
continue mending Babe!
xoxo

Diane W. said...

Your brother climbed Long's Peak in 3.5 hours???? HOLY COW!!! I'm VERY impressed!

Glad to hear you're on the mend and things are getting a little better each day. Hang in there!!

Oh, and yes, the blurb sounds very yummy! The photo....even more so! Crossing my fingers for Jed under the covers.....er....ON the cover! Just a little Freudian slip. ;-)

Diane

Kara C said...

Pamela,
The back blurb is great! Although the waiting is just that more difficult now. LOL
So glad things are looking up for you physically. You're story about your mom was too funny. Glad she was ok. ;)
For the record, I voted to have Team Marc in bigger letters than the rest, but it's important to let others have their way occasionally. I'm so happy we brought a smile to your face - and another when you can finally enjoy that chocolate!

I'm glad the stitches are coming out and hope the rest of your recovery goes well.

I did remember reading about your mom on facebook, that sounds like something my mother would do as well! :)

Oh boy, what a lovely speciman of a man he is...goodness. ;)

Ronlyn said...

Also for the record:
I fullly supported Kara's TEAM MARC idea, but then I thought of TEAM JAG SHAG! And really, once we started down that path there was no turning back. LOL

Congratulations on losing the stitches. I wish you good speed in healing and preparing for the big hike.

Your new book sounds very interesting.
PS: great job in getting the state to protect the interests of pregnant prisoners in Colorado! I hope you get some great awards along with that satisfaction.

Glad you're improving, Pamela. I'm still sending prayers your way. Take care of yourself, and thanks for the taste of MTM - YummyY

Aly said...

I am so glad to hear that you are on the mend. I wish it would go faster for you!

::shaking my head at Kara and Ronlyn:: But of course I vetoed the whole Team Marc thing b/c why would we want to be Team Marc when we could be Team Reece...and I thought Team Reece worked well with the Reece's Peeces ::sigh:: but alas, I was overruled :)

I am so glad you enjoyed your treat!

However, I am sad that all we got was the back blurb...I mean why not the whole book :) LOL!

Scorpio M. said...

Love the blurb. No matter what happens Jed is Zach in my mind's eye...can't get his face outta my head!

The tale of our mom & the mace. Hysterical! Hope she didn't suffer much, lol.

Pamela
I loved the blurb! I am hoping Jed will be on the cover!! ....sigh...I'd have a life size poster made of the cover! lol

By the way if you only knew how much the Reece's Peece's went in circle's trying to decide on what the mug should say you would have another big laugh. It was quite comical at times. I wanted "Team Julian/Marc" but owell....lol
Keep up the good recovery!!

Mary G said...

Hi Pamela
Great to see your post. Love the pic & of course the blurb is awesome. I want to read it now.

So glad you like the mug. We had a blast deciding on what to put on it. I think one day when you have a Pamela Clare "store", we could have a set of 4 mugs and each guy could have their own so we wouldn't have to choose LOL.

Ronlyn said...

ooo, Mary has a good idea.
Plus, I have all the different versions of the mug saved somewhere. LOL

I just drank my first latte out of the mug now and am going back to my kitchen for another...

I think Mary has a brilliant idea, so I'll have to get a shop up and running. The mugs can include the sexiest part of the cover art, so that if you're Team Julian you've got Julian on the mug, and so on...

My first night at home alone went well, though it was strange (in a bit of a sad way) to be alone for the first time in two weeks.

Taking it easy today.

I hope all of you — yes, lurkers, too — are having a wonderful day. You certainly have brightened mine.

Ronlyn said...

where's the LIKE button when you need it?
YAY for the first latte! The mug has been cristened! LOL

Kara C said...

No leaks in the mug? That's another plus. :) Glad you like it. It was a blast designing it, creative spellings and all. Right, Ronlyn?

Ronlyn said...

but, to answer your question, yes! It was great fun. LOL Despite the fact that my hubby's dyslexia has apparently rubbed off on me. ;-)

Kara C said...

LOL, Ronlyn. You also gave us a new vocabulary word to use, so sitck to it, girl. You're doing great.

Kristin said...

Happy you're on the road to recovery!!

Everything you post for Breaking Point makes me LONG for its release! Can't wait!

Speaking of, is there a tentative release date? I'd love to add it to my "Eagerly Anticipating" section on my blog.

*hugs*

Kristin

RitaSV said...

I just watched a story about how there have been 30 journalists killed in Mexico since 2006. A woman named Olga Martinez was interviewed and she was an AP correspondent for Mexico City. She talked about the drug cartel turf wars and such and how the newspapers are being pressured/intimidated not to publish stories about the situation. Frightening. You've chosen a really timely issue to inject your story into, Pamela.

Hope you're continuing to heal so you can enjoy what's left of your summer!

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"I am an artist. I am here to live out loud."
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