I don’t know about you, but I’m still vacuuming up tinsel and pine needles.

In stores, Christmas decorations were shoved out one door and Valentine’s hearts were brought in the other, leaving only a brief window to celebrate New Year’s Day. Time is simply flying by too fast.

Still, I am a romance writer. Valentine’s Day represents the forever kind of love. So I hark back to yesteryear (Chuck and I have been married a long time!) when my husband and I were dating. He brought me flowers and took me out to a nice dinner. Perfect and romantic.

By the time our second Valentine’s Day rolled around, we were married and living in Anchorage, Alaska. (I knew I’d found a good one and did not hesitated to say ‘I do.’) On Valentine’s Day I gave him a card; he gave me . . . nothing!

Say what? Sheepishly, he admitted he thought Valentine’s Day was for couples who were dating. I quietly (but firmly) disabused him of that notion. Romance does not stop when you get married.

Fortunately, Chuck is a quick learner; he hasn’t missed a Valentine’s Day since. (And I’ve learned how to drop hints and reminders that are as subtle as a giant asteroid landing in our front yard.)

So I’m expecting a romantic card and flowers this Valentine’s Day. Rather than going out to dinner, which we do regularly anyway, I’ll cook a nice dinner at home and we’ll leave the crush of couples waiting in restaurants for tables to the dating crowd.

What’s your favorite memory of Valentine’s Day? How do you celebrate now ?

Books that leave you smiling - by Charlotte Carter
Big Sky Family, Love Inspired, available now
Montana Love Letter, Love Inspired, 10/2012
Secrets of Mary’s Bookshop, Guideposts Books, 2012

I suppose everyone has a favorite Christmas. The year they got the bike they had so wanted. Or maybe a Chatty Cathy doll when those were popular.

My favorite Christmas was the year my daughter Carolyn was born.

My husband and I moved to Anchorage, Alaska when we were first married. He was a civilian engineer assigned to help the Air Force keep their missiles operating. For me, a native Californian who had rarely seen snow much less lived in a snowy climate, it was all quite exciting. And truly beautiful.

I was pregnant as our second Christmas approached. (Which, by the way, gave me an excuse not to tramp through the woods in a foot of snow to cut down our own tree and freeze my feet in the process as I had the previous Christmas.)

As I walked through town doing my Christmas shopping, I admired the decorations draped from lamp poles and the store windows painted with holiday themes. Like most first-time moms-to-be, I wanted to shout to everyone that I would soon have a baby! And thank them for decorating the whole town in honor of her upcoming arrival.

On the evening of December 23^rd, my water broke. Off to the hospital we go, which was no easy trick. We’d had a Chinook, a warm spell that melted the snow during the day and turned it to ice at night. Newly-built Providence hospital was at the end of a long, dirt road, not uncommon in Anchorage at the time, and was crowned over with ice. Driving no more than 5-miles an hour, my husband managed to keep us on the road instead of in the ditch. I was so grateful we, and the baby, were in no hurry.

Baby Carolyn definitely wasn’t in a hurry. She didn’t make her grand entrance until the afternoon of December 24^th. It is not possible to describe the surge of love I felt the moment I saw her. Wow! I was a mother. A scary and wonderful feeling.

And the best Christmas present ever!

What was your favorite Christmas present?

Wishing you a lovely Christmas and holiday season.

Books that leave you smiling by Charlotte Carter
Big Sky Family, Love Inspired, available now.
Montana Love Letter, Love Inspired, 10/2012
Secrets of Mary’s Bookshop, Guideposts Books, 2012

Many authors have used several pseudonyms over their writing careers. For 15+ years I wrote for Harlequin as Charlotte Maclay. When I changed to writing Inspirational romances and cozy mysteries, I switched my name to Charlotte Carter. I didn’t want to confuse my readers between my warm, family secular books and my warm, family inspirational stories.

As a pseudonym, I thought Charlotte Maclay was dead. Poor dear! I closed her website and started this Charlotte Carter blog (with the thought of someday finding the time to do a website again).

But wait!

Charlotte Maclay has been reborn! Harlequin has converted 14 of her/my books to e-books and will no doubt be doing more in the future. But how can Charlotte Carter let readers know those fun books Charlotte Maclay wrote for Harlequin American, Love & Laughter and Silhouette Romance are available?

Guess what? I wrote this blog to let you know.

Happy reading......

Books that leave you smiling.....

We’re at that time of year again: Thanksgiving tables loaded with turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and all manner of family favorites. A neighbor from Canada loves mashed turnips. My family enjoyed a special treat of pickled watermelon rind and spiced peaches (both of which are really hard to find these days).

I remember my brother as a teenager and my father seeing how many helpings of turkey and yams (not sweet potatoes; Mother was from Texas) they could consume at one sitting. Not exactly PC in this day and age when we’re supposed to count our calories and watch our cholesterol.

But Thanksgiving dinner is not my favorite meal. That comes the day AFTER Thanksgiving.

After all that cooking and baking, lumpy gravy (boy, do I miss Mother!), making pies and muffins, getting out the good silver, extending the dining table to full length on Thanksgiving Day, I’m ready to collapse.

I’m ready for leftovers.

My favorite meal is a slice or two of turkey on a plate, add stuffing and gravy, maybe some yams, and slide it into the microwave. Heaven!

What’s your favorite meal?

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving....and the day AFTER.

Happy reading....

To give you a flavor of Big Sky Family, my Love Inspired book which is available now in both print and ebook format, I’ve excerpted a scene that takes place at Potter Creek Community Church in Potter Creek, MT. Eight years ago Ellie James and Arnie O’Brien were a couple, but Ellie left town. Now she’s back with her 5-year old daughter Torie. Arnie and Ellie both have issues of trust they will have to overcome if they are to find their Happily Ever After.

After the church service ended, Ellie ducked out the side door while her mother waited to speak to the minister. She hurried to retrieve Torie from her classroom and returned to find Arnie back at his table raking in more pledges for the Paralympics program from his friends.

"Look, Mommy, Arnie’s here!" Breaking away from Ellie, Torie bee-lined it across the patio to Arnie’s table. Instead of stopping in front of the table, she squeezed in behind it next to Arnie.

Sheila, Arnie’s service dog, stood, backing away from her spot next to Arnie to avoid being stepped on by Torie. Arnie leaned back in his chair, equally startled by child’s sudden arrival. "Hey, squirt. What’s up?"

"I want to ask you an im-por-tant question."

He glanced toward Ellie, his lips twitching with the threat of a smile. "Sure, ask away."

Torie’s face scrunched into its most serious expression. "If my mommy bought me a horse of my very, very own, would you come take care of it for me?"

Ellie choked. "Victoria James! You’re not supposed to—"

"I don’t know, squirt," Arnie said with equal seriousness. "That would be a big job to take care of a horse."

"I know, and I’m too little. I get a dollar a week allowance. I could pay you that much."

By now those standing around Arnie’s table were fully engaged in the conversation, to Ellie’s mortification.

"High time you earned an honest dollar, Arnie," a man said.

"Isn’t she cute," a woman said. "I bet when she’s a teenager, her father will have to guard the door and lock the windows to keep the boys out."

Ellie had heard enough. "Come on, Torie. We have to find Grandma."

"But Arnie hasn’t said he’ll take care of my horse yet."

"You don’t have a horse, so why don’t we worry about who’s going to take care of it, if and when you have one?" With an apologetic smile, she handed her pledge form and check to Arnie.

He glanced at the form and the check, then looked up at Ellie. "Preschool teachers must earn more than I realized."

"No such luck, but a guilty conscience can make a person feel generous."

"No need for you to feel guilty."

That was nice of him to say, but she knew it was a lie.

He held up the check. "Don’t you want to hold off on this in case I don’t actually finish the wheelchair race."

"You’ll finish. I don’t doubt that for a moment." She took Torie’s hand. "Tell Arnie good-bye, honey. Grandma’s waiting for us."

With her daughter in tow, Ellie hurried toward the parking lot. Having such an outgoing child had its disadvantages.

So did having a guilty conscience.

Happy reading.....
Char......

Books that leave you smiling.......
Big Sky Family, Love Inspired, available now
Written with Love, working title, 10/2012
Secrets of Mary's Bookshop, Guideposts Books, 2012

Sometimes characters get really uppity. I interviewed Arnie O’Brien, hero of Big Sky Family, and now Ellie James, the heroine, absolutely insists she be given a chance to tell her side of the story.

Char . . . Okay, Ellie, tell us what is really going on with you and Arnie?
Ellie: I was nineteen when I left Montana and moved to Spokane to go to college. Arnie had been so badly hurt that I spent day and night in his hospital room waiting and praying for him to wake up. But when he did, he told be to go away. I couldn’t believe it. I was frightened and confused, and badly hurt.

Char . . . Yes, I can understand how that would be upsetting. But he apparently thinks he woke up one day and you were simply gone.
Ellie: (long, silent pause) That’s not what I remember. The fact is, I was devastated. I admit, while I was living in Spokane I made some mistakes. One of them was a doozie. But I’m back home now. Torie and I are living with my mother, and I have a new job that I love. We’re here to stay.

Char . . . How do you feel about Arnie now?
 Ellie: Despite how hard I tried, I don’t think I ever stopped loving him and regretting I moved away.

Char . . . Have you talked to Arnie about how you feel?
Ellie: So far he hasn’t been real good about listening.

Char . . . Yes, well, he did mention something about guys not talking about their feelings.
Ellie: Tell me about it!! He’s really good about giving a girl the silent treatment. Except with Torie. That child of mine started wrapping him around her little finger the first moment she met him.

Char . . . That sounds promising. Maybe Torie will be the catalyst that brings you and Arnie together again.
Ellie: That may be possible. But in the end, us getting together is going to depend on how Arnie and I feel about each other. We both have to learn to forgive and trust again.

Char . . . Ah, that old bugaboo about trust. Something tells me the two of you will work things out — eventually.

Dear Reader, If you would like to discover how Arnie and Ellie get together to create a Big Sky Family, pick up a copy of the book, available in both print and ebook format August 19^th.

Happy reading . . .

Char.......

Books that leave you smiling.....
Big Sky Family, Love Inspired, 10/19/2011
Written with Love, working title, 10/2012

Sometimes the characters in my books get antsy right before the release date. They worry about the readers liking and understanding them. Arnie O’Brien, hero of Big Sky Family, which will be available October 19th, has been nattering in my ear for more than a week now.

Char . . . Okay, Arnie, what is it you want to tell readers?
Arnie: I was really upset when Ellie James left Potter Creek, Montana eight years ago and went off to Spokane.

Char . . . Did you tell Ellie you didn’t want her to leave?
Arnie: Well, no. I was pretty much out of it when she took off. I’d been in a really bad accident. (My brother was driving his pickup too fast and ran us into a boulder.) I was in and out of a coma for days. I did know she was there . . . and then she wasn’t. I felt betrayed.

Char . . . Now she’s back in Potter Creek. How do you feel about her now?
Arnie: I’m still upset she walked out on me when I needed her the most.

Char . . . Have you talked to her about your feelings?
Arnie: (Arms crossed) Guys don’t talk about feelings.

Char . . . (eye roll) Then how is she supposed to know what you’re thinking?
Arnie: She’ll figure it out.

Char . . . (double eye roll) What if she said she was sorry she left? Would that help?
Arnie: Yeah, I guess. But how could I trust she’d never leave me again?

Char . . . Does that mean you would like her to stick around, maybe the two of you get back together?
Arnie: Yeah, maybe. I mean, she’s a beautiful woman — red hair and freckles across her nose. Really smart, too. And now she’s got a five-year-old kid named Torie. She’s some little crackerjack. Asked me if she had a horse would I take care of it for her ‘cuz she’s too little. Offered to pay me a dollar a week. That’s her whole allowance.

Char . . . Sounds like you really like Torie. I suspect you’re still in love with Ellie, too.
Arnie: What if I am? How can I forget what she did?

Dear Readers, if you’d like to find out how Arnie and Ellie manage to overcome the hurts of the past, pick up a copy of Big Sky Family at your bookseller or online either in print or ebook format, available August 19^th.

Happy reading....

Char.........

Books that leave you smiling
Big Sky Family, Love Inspired, 10/19/2011
Written with Love, working title, Love Inspired, 10/2012