Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Aloha to Anita Clenney and AWAKEN THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR


Sunday's events call for a celebration of warriors.  Enter Anita Clenney  and her debut book, AWAKEN THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR.   What does it take to write a paranormal romance?   From Anita's bio,

I’ve worked in a pickle factory (picture Lucy and Ethel, hair nets and all--lasted half a day), a preschool, booked shows for Aztec Fire Dancers, been a Secretary, Executive Assistant, and a Realtor, and through it all, I’ve been in love. Sometimes it was wonderful, sometimes it hurt so bad I could hardly breathe. Then I found Mr. Right, and the two of us multiplied into a family of four. We live in Virginia, not far from Washington, DC, where we are slaves to a white Boxer named Lily, who thinks we live and breathe to buy new stuff for her to chew up. My husband is a Network Architect, and it’s a good thing because technology doesn’t like me. My twelve-year-old son plans to be a famous hockey or football player, and my nine-year-old daughter will probably figure out a way to rule the world.

I wonder if Anita would have lasted longer in
a chocolate factory with Ethel and Lucy!

Obviously a life fully lived can be a muse in of itself!  And the end product - an exciting new twist of the time traveling Highland Warrior who battles evil with a modern heroine in AWAKEN THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR:

Mis-adventurous historian Bree Kirkland discovers a one hundred fifty year old warrior buried in a crypt behind her house. But Faelan, the warrior, isn’t dead. When this chauvinistic Scottish Warrior awakes, he has no choice but accept the help of this modern-day woman who’s rescued him, but she’s more fearsome than the demon trying to kill him. If he’s not careful, she’ll uncover every secret his clan has bled and died to protect.

Today's Highland Warrior wields a
different kind of sword.

Read an excerpt for yourself from Anita's website.

She set the lantern on the edge of the burial vault and studied the markings on the chest. Swirls and shapes like writing shifted in the amber glow. Stretching out a finger, she touched the surface. Warm? She yanked her hand back and hit the lantern. It crashed to the floor, throwing the top of the crypt into darkness. Dropping to her knees, she scrambled for the light. A sound cut through the silence, scraping, like fingernails against stone. She grabbed the lantern, not daring to blink, then remembered the wind outside and the claw-like branches of the old tree.

This excerpt reminds me of my English grandfather's Navy chest.  It sat unopened for many years in a corner of my grandmothers' house.  In Devon, England.   When my mother sold my grandparents' home, I was living in the Netherlands.  I asked for my grandfather's chest and my mother shipped across the channel.  Once it arrived in my home, I opened it, not knowing exactly what I would find.   I found mementos from my grandfather's service in the Royal Navy.   So I rediscovered my grandfather in that chest.  He was not a Highland Warrior but a proud Naval officer who served Country and Crown during WWII. 


In honor of Anita's debut book, I am giving away Hawaiian treasure (that Captain Jack Sparrow might find in a chest on Waikiki Beach) to one randomly selected commenter.   To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about what you might find in a relatives house, closet, or chest.

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, May 7, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 8.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Wounded warriors return to Iraq

Today is a double header with Warriors from the past, present, and future.  Make sure you check out my first post with Susan Grant and THE LOST WARRIOR.

http://sosaloha.blogspot.com/2011/05/aloha-to-susan-grant-and-last-warrior.html

Sunday's news about Osama Bin Laden reminds us how military personnel put themselves in harm's way. Although the Navy Seals can celebrate their success on this mission, they have sustained significant losses during the last 10 year's campaign to end terror. Thus, I have identified a special fund to benefit military families of Navy Seals as the beneficiary of our ongoing Silent Auction of Jodi's beautiful quilt:

http://sosaloha.blogspot.com/2011/05/silent-auction-to-benefit-military.html

Place a bid. Make a donation. Forward this link to your family and friends. Thank you for your support during Armed Forces Appreciation Month.
 
Combat warriors return home.


38 comments:

  1. Firstly, hat's off to our fierce warriors overseas, whose diligence and perseverance for the cause of freedom brought justice to so, so many.

    Secondly, Susan, I can't wait to read your book! And congratulations on a first sell! It sounds incredible!

    Thirdly, at the foot of my grandmother's bed sits the hope chest my grandfather made in the late 40's. It's full of old photos, the quilt she made when my mother was a newborn, and several pieces of Depression glass.

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  2. By the way, Kim, thank you so much for your constant support of our nation's military. My husband is USAF. Before we met, I said I'd never marry a military man, mainly because they're always traveling. However, now that I'm married to one I must say, I wouldn't have it any other way. A surge of pride runs all through me every time he walks through the front door in his BDU's.

    So, thank you. You do a good thing here. :)

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  3. Well, since I was just at my sister's house and stayed there -- in the bedroom closet were we stayed was tablecloths and matching napkins hanging.

    Way to go Seals -- your my heroes. Thank you Kim for all that you are doing! Love ya!

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  4. All this warrior talk makes think about my dad and just how much I appreciate the fact that after 4 years in Iraq he has been brought back home safely! It does make me sad to know that there so many out there still in the dangerzone and then there are the families of those who died just makes me want to cry but all we can do is pray they come home safely and for those lost already we pray God give their loved ones strength.

    The men and woman fighting for justice are all hero's and I love them all and I am so very proud of the Navy Seals they totally rock!!!

    Thanks for a really "kickbutt " post Kim!

    Desere

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  5. Hi Kim. What would we do without warriors? I'm so proud of our warriors today. Finally, they got rid of that evil man. I love your treasure chest story. In Awaken the Highland Warrior, Bree is certain she's found hidden treasure, but she finds something far more important than jewels, silver or gold, as most of us would in finding pieces of our family history.

    And I'll add to your giveaway. Two copies of Awaken the Highland Warrior for two commenters.

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  6. Hurray for our fighting men and women. Thank God for them.

    On things in closets and chests...I think I'd find old photos, cards and letters, the things a family treasures for sentimental value.

    Anita, thanks for visiting. Your Highland Warrior looks great.

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  7. Thanks LSUReader. I love old chests and trunks. I wish I had a big attic. I'm writing a mystery series now and it has hidden treasure, an old trunk in the attic and a secret room.

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  8. Anita, you are an author new to me. I will add your book to my shopping list (maybe a Mother's Day gift from my children). I was hooked the thought of opening a chest to find a Highland Warrior! Perhaps he and his broadsword were too big for a bottle!

    Barbara

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  9. Hi Barbara. Thanks so much for thinking of me when there are so many choices for books. Yes, I think a bottle would have been too small. :) He's a big guy and his sword, which he recovers after it's stolen, probably wouldn't fit either. Check out my website for an excerpt.

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  10. My mom has a chest but it's not a wooden one, it's more made of some sort of metal that she got from her father. I remember it being in my granpa's garage for the longest time and one day he saw me looking at it and he asked me if I knew what was in it. I shook my head and he motioned for me to come over, when he opened it I saw hundreds of loose pictures of him and my mom when they were both younger and some of my grandmother too. Went went through some of them and then he told me to pick out some that I wanted to keep in my photo album. I took about 40 pictures and I still have them today. When he died years later, all the rest of the pohotos were distrubuted to all the family members and I got a few more but I really treasure the ones he gave me that day.

    miztik_rose At yahoo.com

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  11. Ehh I would never want to snoop in my in laws or family's closest, I would be frightened by what I would find knowing them. I do know what is in my mother's closet only because usually when I'm there she's hunting for something in there for me. It's filled with items that she has that belonged to grandma.

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  12. I would probably find alot of old pictures and such in closets, trunks, and drawers. I love finding old pictures to look at. When my grandfather passed away, I wanted something different that reminded me of him, one of his old pipes. I remember him smoking these when I was a little girl and the smell of pipe tobacco still reminds me of him.

    Congrats on the book and best of luck! :D

    Thanks to all our service people for all they do to protect and serve us.

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  13. Kim, thank you for your support of our military. My brother has miised the birth of both of his children while in Iraq. he's home now, and just finished his degree to be a criminalist. We're all very happy he's done over there.
    Af for what I would find in a relatives house..umm..at my mom's house it wasn't the closet, it was the fridge. You just never knew WHAT you might find. In fact, sometimes after you found it, you still weren't sure what it was, not did you really want to. But that was better than when my hubby was helping my son-in-law look for something in the closet of his & my daughter's bedroom. Shoulda known this would not turn out good. They came across a bag with a rolling pin in it. When hubby was crazy enough to ask WHY a rolling pin in the bedroom closet (did he really want to know?) SIL said, "Oh, that's our sex bag." According to my daughter, the rolling pin was used for back massages, and it wasn't really a "sex" bag, but I said I really didn't want to hear anymore LOL. That was 7 years ago and it's been a running joke in our family ever since.

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  14. Thanks for the post, Kim!

    Congrats, Anita, on your debut release of Awaken the Highland Warrior! I'm definitely checking this out because highlander time-travel romance stories are one of my favourite genres to read - I am always looking for more so I am thrilled to find out that this is only the first of a trilogy! :)

    As for what I might find in a relatives house, closet, or chest... I think probably photo albums and other items that hold sentimental value to my relatives, no hidden treasures I don't think, lol...

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  15. You have to give thanks to the American troops for their bravery. I wish we could live in peace. This war scares me soooo much.
    My mom always kept her jewellery and other things in her hope chest. The one thing I would have wanted was her dinner ring from the 1940's.
    I always loved it.

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

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  16. Mary, how wonderful to find all those photos. I remember my mother in law showed me an old box of photos from her family. It was so touching. My own family didn't take many pictures. I wish they had.

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  17. Marjorie, it is frightening when there is so much conflict in the world. It would be far worse if we didn't have our troops who do so much to protect us. Sometimes I guess we just have to pray and reach for a good book so we don't worry so much. You mentioned your mother's 1940's dinner ring. I have an engagement ring that's 1940's. It wasn't in our family but I hope to have a granddaughter to wear it one day.

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  18. Thanks Winnie. I love highlanders and mysterious things. I think you'll like the book. If you get it, please let me know if you enjoyed it.

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  19. Betty, isn't Kim wonderful for all she does? Not only for the military families but last year at RWA in Orlando, she brought me and my critique partner a big case of Diet Coke. Bless her heart. We're both soda junkies.

    The rolling pin was hilarious. Your hubby should have known not to ask :)

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  20. I love reading about warriors and highlanders are my very, very favorite. Your book sounds fantastic!

    As to looking into closets and attics, I'm afraid it's going to be my two girls doing all the discovering when I'm gone - I'm a huge packrat lol.

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  21. Thanks June. I love old pictures. I don't have many. Someone in my family found an old one of my grandmother and grandfather with several of their children. My grandmother was pregnant with my mom at the time. My grandfather would die tragically when mom was only three years old. That picture is special. I think it's the only one we have of him.

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  22. Raonaid, I have to admit I love snooping, or the thought of it anyway. I don't do it, but it sounds like such fun. In addition to my Highland warrior series, I'm writing a mystery series and I have a very nosy heroine. It's fun!

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  23. Probably just dust bunnies in my relatives houses.

    I love Highlander stories!

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  24. I'm pretty sure all I would find is junk and dust! Our family is not big on collecting!

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  25. My cousin has a huge wardrobe, so I'm sure I'll be able to find some nice dresses and cute heels.

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  26. After my DH Grandparents pass i helped clear our the Home I was working in the big Wardrobe where they kept there linens. Grandma loved to embroider I have 5 beautiful Tea towels Doilies that she enhanced with Threads I adore them. Dh found Books with the insided cut out he came across a few Hundred dollars A gold watch belonging to his Great Uncle.
    Old people just did not trust Banks...
    Love the cover of the book I so want to read it...
    Wonder why I cant find a highlander under my house? Maybe cause I don't live in Scotland anymore.:( I will have to do a massive search why I"m there next week.
    Have a good one Ann/alba

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  27. Estella, glad you like highlander stories. I hope you like this one.

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  28. Ann, sounds like you found some great stuff, and very sentimental. Glad you love the cover. Actually, Awaken the Highland Warrior started out with him buried in her cellar, but I changed it.

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  29. Johanna, I could find lots of dust right now. I'm so swamped that I'm behind on cleaning.

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  30. Catslady, oooh, you love highlanders. This book is full of them, and they're pretty darned special, but maybe I'm biased. :)

    I'm afraid I'm a bit of a packrat myself.

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  31. I am really enjoying all the Highlander novels coming out. they are soo good. I love the pictures on the blog.
    debby236 at gmail dot com

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  32. Did someone mention Highlander? I am SO there! :)
    At my in-laws house, there is nothing but cat hair, which leads to hair balls and a few dead mice. Yuck! I'm allergic to the house - literally. :D

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  33. A true trearure chest you recieved, your grandfather's Navy chest! Must have brought back some good memories/feelings :)

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  34. Hi LilMissMolly, we do love our highlanders.

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  35. About the only "old" things I'd find in any relatives' closet would be old B&W photos of people no one remembers. Since every move necessitates purging unneeded stuff, photos are all that's left.

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