My Premio Dardos Blog Award 2008 -- Yay!!!

Thank you, writer Cheryl Rushing, for giving me the Premio Dardos Blog Award. I did view your blog and saw that you had given me the award. I also received the information in a Google Alert. I am honored to receive this award. For those of you interested in reading Cheryl's blog and viewing info about our mutual blog award, please go to http://www.bycherylrushing.com/?p=52. I regret only that I do not have time to blog more. I intend to give this award to other blogs. I will begin with Sandy Lender's blog www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/ and M. B. Weston's blog at http://www.elysianchronicles.com/. I know there are other worth blogs out there. Please let me hear from you. (Jane, I would give it to your blog, but Cheryl already has.) In a side note, I wish to thank Debi Norton, Darrell House (http://www.darrellhouse.com/) and Gwen Griffith for posting their five-star reviews of my romantic novel of women's fiction, A Chance to Say Yes, on http://www.amazon.com/. I neglected to do this in my previous blog entry.

Busy Holidays

Hi, thank you for checking in to read my blog! I have had no time to write recently. I have much to report. My book-signing at Barnes and Noble in Naples, Florida, went very well. I sold a number of books and had a little crowd of visitors at my table. Thanks to Jessica and Felicia for hosting the event and allowing me to participate. Four more book-signings are in the works. Along with other members of the SW Florida Romance Writers, I will be signing copies of my novel A Chance to Say Yes on Feb. 7, 2009, 1-3 p.m., at the Barnes and Noble in Fort Myers, Florida. We will be signing on Feb. 14, 2009, Valentine's Day, at two different Borders stores. We will sign at the Naples, Florida, Borders in the afternoon (2-4 p.m, I believe) and the Estero, Florida, Borders that evening (7-9 p.m., I believe.) I want to thank the people who made A Chance to Say Yes at hit at the Florida Writers Foundation's Silent Auction in Orlando. According to FWA VP Chrissy Jackson, A Chance to Say Yes was the object of constant attention and "spirited bidding" during the two days it was on display. The auction raised $3,000 for literacy in Florida. How cool is that? I am donating a signed copy of A Chance to Say Yes to another worthy cause, our local Conservancy. The event is called "Magic Under the Mangroves." The annual gala and auction will be held in Naples in March, 2009. Thanks to Carla Meekins for allowing me to participate. I also wish to extend a Big Thank You to Phil Jason for his wonderful review of A Chance to Say Yes, which may be viewed on his blog at http://philjason.wordpress.com. The article's link is "Naples the Hero of New Novel.: Thank you, Phil. I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming writers festival. One more thing: I've been receiving Google Alerts. I've learned that A Chance to Say Yes is being sold in Britain and India via bookselling websites. This is FABULOUS. I'll post the name of the sites soon. G'day! Tina

My Dragon Limerick, continued

Here are Verses Four and Five of my work-in-progress, the Dragon Limerick I am writing for Sandy Lender's blog. (Btw, I can't figure out for the life of me why my blog won't format correctly. I can't get it to make any paragraph indentations.) Please see my previous post for the first three verses. Angry Scary vowed that he'd marry Flarey But Flarey spoke to the contrary "If you were my mister, You'd soon be a blister 'Til this problem's solved we should tarry." As he pondered, a raindrop hit Scary Overjoyed he called out to Miss Flarey "We'll be like the otter! We'll kiss underwater! Our problem's solved. Now we can marry! (One more verse is on the way, the last verse. Yes. You're right. I've gone totally bonkers.) If you are in the mood for more fun stuff, please check out an author-friend's blog: http://www.darrellhouse.com/. Tina

A Busy November Coming Up

Hey! Wow, I don't have time to write much, but I have much to write!!! First of all, many thanks to the nice folks at the L.A. Cafe in Lehigh, Florida. The L.A. Cafe is the latest outlet to carry my novel A Chance to Say Yes. It's a great little coffee house that caters to writers and their ilk. I want to go to their Open Microphone Night soon and try out my reading voice. FYI, I have taken an ad on this website: http://www.asotvi.info/ and placed on in the upcoming issue of Romance Sells, http://www.corncreative.com/. RS goes out to 6,500 libraries and booksellers. Thanks to author Jamie Rush for suggesting it to me. In other news, three events occur in November, in which I'll be involved: During the Sanibel Writers Conference, on Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida, my book A Chance to Say Yes will be on sale through the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Bookstore. It will be available for purchase, also, at the Florida Writers' Conference Bookstore at the Lake Mary Marriott in the Orlando, Florida, November 14-16. In addition, I will be selling and signing books at the Barnes and Noble in Naples, Florida, on November 15, along with other local writers. The Miami Book Fair happens that weekend, too, but I'm afraid I'll have to miss it this year, although I do enjoy attending. In February, I be doing more events. These included signings along with other members of the SWFRW at local bookstores. Oh, yes, and Jane Kennedy Sutton and I will share a table at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival in Fort Myers, Florida, in March. YOU KNOW, as soon as I have time, after I've moved into my new place, I'm going to start posting more on this blog than just my book-related activities. I want to post some of my writing: essays, travelogues, and (gasp) yes, maybe even some things written by other writers. That's right--it's not all about me. Yikes. Btw, here is some verse I wrote for my author-friend Sandy Lender's dragon-story contest. (http://www.todaythedragonwins.com/). Actually, I am writing this, for it is a work in progress. Here's what I have so far: There once was a dragon named Scary Who was huge, yellow-green, and quite hairy But he didn't cause fear Cause he was a big dear Of a dear dragon none could be wary One day cool dragon-bachelor Scary Met a fire-breather he burned to marry Though a lass with a past This hot babe was a blast His lips scorched the first time he smooched Flarey Scary said to The Reverend, "Marry us." But the dragon-priest said, "Too precarious. Though I'd love to toast you Miss Flarey would roast you No, you must wed a lass less nefarious." There's more to come, I 'm afraid. You'll have to stay tuned for the next verse(s). Meanwhile, I'll try to figure out how to make paragraphs and returns on this blogsite. I know I just have to find the right thingy to make it work. Have fun today! Tina

Hemingway and Hiaasen and....!!!

When I strolled by Mina Hemingway's Florida Bookstore (www.hemingwaybookstore.com) yesterday morning, I was thrilled to see that she has placed my novel A Chance to Say Yes in her front window, right next to Carl Hiaasen's book!!! A sign nearby reads, "Local Authors." This is FANTASTIC. I am elated, thrilled, and generally just plain knocked out by this occurence. Thank you, Mina. In other news, I have placed new ads for my book. One is on the www.gottawritenetwork.com, run by Denise, a soon-to-be ArcheBooks author. Denise interviewed me, too. The interview is linked to the website, so please check that out. The ad will run on the website for three months. I've placed an ad with As Seen on TV, too. I'll post that link when I receive it. Thanks very much to the Southwest Florida Romance Writers for the astonishingly wonderful cake they gave me last weekend at the monthly meeting. They had a big cake made for me with the cover for A Chance to Say Yes on top in icing. Plus, they presented me with a lovely rose and a festive balloon. Thank you, SWFRW members. You are the best. I am truly grateful for your support (www.swfrw.org). I'd like to offer my congrats to Tom Williams and Jane Kennedy Sutton on the publication of their new ArcheBooks novels. Please check out the ArcheBooks Publishing website for details (www.archebooks.com). Aslo, Thanks to Jessica at the Naples Barnes and Noble store for ordering more copies of A Chance to Say Yes. Now back to my research for the sequel A Wild Dream of Love, coming in 2009. Cheers!

A Cat Named Oliver

Greetings. Many thanks to the (intelligent, beautiful, and charming) members of the Read 'Em, Dish 'Em, Eat 'Em Book Club in Los Angeles, California. The club members have chosen to read my romance novel A Chance to Say Yes for their next meeting. I am excited about this. I can't wait to hear their reactions to A Chance to Say Yes. In addition, I would like to thank Mr. John Poole and Jay for making One for the Books in Cape Coral, Florida, the latest book store to carry A Chance to Say Yes. Thanks to Rayne Golay, I discovered this wonderful books store yesterday. It is a bibliophile's dream. It even comes with an enormous, furry orange tabby cat named Oliver, who deftly slides in and around the well-laden book cases. Oliver is known for having twice as many toes as the average cat. Speaking of pets, I would like to make you aware of a worthy organization called Friends of Gummi (www.friendsofgummi.org). It is a no-kill shelter for pets that promotes pet placement. I became aware of it because a mutual acquaintance told me that the group's founder read A Chance to Say Yes and "loved" the book. So, I looked up the website and was quite impressed. Please click the above link to check it out. Speaking of the book, I'm pleased to say I'll be selling, along with friend Sue, and signing copies of it at the eWomen Network's event called Backwards in High Heels. It will be held in Fort Lauderdale at The Towers on Wednesday, September 24, 2008. Lots going on!

Tropical Storms, Book Clubs, and Booksignings

Hi, there, Sorry it's taken me so long to post a new entry. A lot's been happening, including Tropical Storm Fay, which, fortunately, slid across the Southwest Florida landscape without causing extensive damage. My heart goes out to the residents of New Orleans as they cope with the ravages of Hurricane Gustav. Unless you've been through a bad hurricane, you just don't realize the danger posed by such a gigantic force of nature. I am working now to firm up the dates of several booksignings I'll be doing this fall. I'll be back online with specific dates in the weeks to come. Already I can tell you that I'm booked for the weekend of November 14-16. If all goes according to plan, I'll be signing at the Florida Writers Association's annual conference at the Lake Mary Marriott, which is in the Orlando, Florida. On the following day, Saturday, November 15, 2-4 p.m., I'll be participating in a local authors' signing event at the Barnes and Nobles in Naples, Florida. That BN is located at the corner of US 41 and Pine Ridge Road in Naples. You're invited to both signings! Please come join me if you have the opportunity. Good news, too, in that I now know of two book clubs who plan to read my debut novel A Chance to Say Yes. This is very exciting! I am eager to hear the members' feedback. Meanwhile, I'm doing a gigantic (it seems to me) postcard mailout to independent bookstores, libraries, and so forth. Whew! That's a lot of labeling and stamping. Oh, and please look for my debut-author ad in the October issue of the Romantic Times BOOKreview. More about that as the time nears for publication. Take care and stay dry, Tina

San Francisco, Oregon, and The Bob Harden Show

Wow, what a couple of weeks I've had! While attending the national conference of the Romance Writers of America at the Marriott in San Francisco, California, I did my first radio interview by phone with Bob Harden on WGUF 98.9 FM back in Naples, Florida, the city in which I reside. The interview, which I did at 5:30 a.m. Pacific to air at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, went very well. Bob Harden was genuine and nice asked interesting questions, and I answered them without becoming tongue-tied. I really appreciate his having me on The Bob Harden Show. In fact, I enjoyed the experience and hope to do many more radio interviews in the future. Meanwhile, the RWA conference was impressive, and I networked with a number of fellow writers, including Debra Maher (http://debmaher.wordpress.com/), who kindly posted info about ACTSY on her blog (please see her comment on my previous post). San Fracisco was fascinating, if startling. I did as much touristy stuff as I could cram into a few days. I rode the trolley car over Nob Hill, and I walked across the Golden Gate bridge and back. The weather changed three times during the course of my walk. From SF, I headed north to Southern Oregon to distribute book promotion materials while visiting a close friend, Tivo, who was very hospitable. We had a fine time, and I visited with his son and his family on the way back to the SF airport. I also met a number of interesting passengers on my airplane flights, and I solicited airport bookstores in Charlotte, North Carolina, during my lay-over betwen SF and Fort Myers, Florida. When I returned to Naples, I hopped right back into promoting A Chance to Say Yes. Dona Lee Gould of Bradenton will be selling copies of A Chance to Say Yes at her bookstore in Bradenton, Florida, Village Voices and Eclectic Art Emporium (http://www.villagevoicesgallery.com/), which is appropriate because ACTSY revolves around art. My debut-author ad for ACTSY will appear in the October edition of the Romantic Times BOOKreview, which will be out soon. Giselle, whom I met sent me a copy of the ad, and it looks terrific. As a side note, thanks to Karen Lieb, I am donating a copy of ACTSY to the Florida Writers Foundation. The book will be part of a silent auction to benefit literacy at the annual Florida Writers Conference in the Orlando area in November (http://www.floridawriters.net/2008_FWA_Conference.html). I am happy to participate in this worthy cause. I'd like to do more to promote literacy. Btw, the reason this blog has no paragraphs is because I haven't had time yet to figure out how to create them, just as I have not had time to figure out how to delete extra comments which I accidentally posted on the previous blog, when, in haste, I hit the "post" button three times. Hmmm....Oh, yes, and I've now had two more from readers praising A Chance to Say Yes -- one from friendly, helpful Jo Allen, travel agent at CI Neapolitan Travel in Naples, and the latest from gracious legal-eagle Tanya Davis in Tampa -- and I spoke to another reader, Carole, and signed her copy of ACTSY yesterday. Carole enjoyed ACTSY and is sending the copy she bought to a friend. That's just wonderful, isn't it? Nothing could please me more than to know my story captures the imaginations of its readers. I'm going to try to post a copy of the one decent photo I shot in SF. Wish me luck! If it appears here, you'll know I succeeded. Smiles, Tina

My First Fan Letter

Hello! My heartfelt thanks to Mina Hemingway for displaying A Chance to Say Yes at the table near the front door of her bookstore (http://www.hemingwaybookstore.com/) and to each and every one of you who has bought and read a copy of A Chance to Say Yes. (Please see Cheryl's comment at the bottom of my previous blog post. Thanks to Cheryl, too.) I actually received my first fan letter this week from my friend Vicki's mom, Ann Panton of South Dakota. Ann noted that it was the first fan letter she'd ever written. Here's a portion of Ann's letter in which she writes about A Chance to Say Yes: "I loved the book and thought it was very well written. It was fun to have it set in a place I know so well [Naples, Florida]. The plot kept me spellbound and the characters were very real. It got to the point where I counldn't put it down as I couldn't wait to s ee what happened next. Can't wait for the next one -- write fast!" THANK YOU, ANN, for writing to me such fine words of praise. I AM working on the sequel to A Chance to Say Yes. The sequel is called A Wild Dream of Love. I am intesteed in hearing from all those of you who read A Chance to Say Yes. Please drop me a line anytime. I'll be in San Francisco next weekend for the national conference of the Romance Writers of America. Woo-hoo! Hope to see you there. Tina

A Chance to Say Yes is now in bookstores, too!

Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm happy to report that my debut novel A Chance to Say Yes is alive and well on the Internet and is soon to be available in bookstores. Online booksellers include www.amazon.com, www.bn.com, and others great sites. You can access some of them through my page at www.authorsden.com/tinamurray. Booksellers with storefronts who soon will be carrying the hardcover version of A Chance to Say Yes include, but are not limited to the following: Naples Barnes and Noble at Pine Ridge Road and US 41; Mina Hemingway's Florida Book Store (www.hemingwaybookstore.com; yes, she's his grand daughter!); the Pembroke Gardens Barnes and Noble in Pembroke Pines, Florida, at the intersection of Pines Blvd. and I-75, which is in the Miami area; and others stores, pending, which I will list here as soon as they are confirmed. My thanks to all the great folks with whom I've spoken in the past few days. As for booksignings, I have at least one date scheduled. I will be signing books at the Florida Voices Bookfair in Gainesville, Florida, Saturday, August 16, 2008. As other book-signing dates are confirmed I will list them here. In the meantime, I hope you have an opportunity to read A Chance to Say Yes. I would love to hear your reaction to the story. The first sequel A Wild Dream of Love has me in its grip at the moment, so I'll sign off for now. Stay safe and have fun! Tina P.S. Please have a look at the book cover (and you know who) on this swell site, too: www.swfrw.org.

A Chance to Say Yes is published!!!

The news is good! Please visit my publisher's website at http://www.archebooks.com/ to view and purchase a copy of my debut novel A Chance to Say Yes. My book was released yesterday. It will be available from http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bn.com/, and other online booksellers in about two weeks. It will be in place at the distribution houses in about two weeks, also, and can then be ordered, using the ISBN, from any bookseller. Many thanks to my publishers. I am totally thrilled. I hope you enjoy reading A Chance to Say Yes. Please let me know how you like it. Tina

My books is ready to be released!

Updating to let you know that A Chance to Say Yes, my debut novel, is ready to hit the shelves. The spectacular cover has been finalized. A Chance to Say Yes should be available for purchase VERY SOON at amazon.com, bn.com, etc., and through fine booksellers everywhere. I will post the latest info of the book's release as I receive it. I believe my story a great beach read. I hope you enjoy A Chance to Say Yes and that you take it along with you on your summer vacation. Smiles, Tina

Local Authors Abound

Hi, People! I wasn't able to post last weekend, but I did attend the monthly meeting of the Southwest Florida Romance Writers (www.swfrw.org). The speaker was a local Naples author who has, as they say, "made good." Her name is Kristy Kiernan, and the title of her well-recieved novel is Catching Genius. She was an interesting and funny speaker. Her instights and revelatons about her path to success as a writer were inspiring. As she worked her way up the hill to publication, she displayed determmation and drive, as well as talent. She said her online critique partner was Sarah Gruen, who wrote the bestselling novel Water for Elephants. FYI, an article about Sarah Gruen appears in this month's issue of Writer's Digest magazine (www.writersdigest.com). Although I haven't read Catching Genius yet, I added her book to my Shelfari bookshelf, which is located next to this column. You can view the info about her book by clicking on the book jacket. It's the last book on the "shelf," so you have to click the ?Next" button three times to reach it. Cheers to Kristy! She has a website, of course, but I will have to post that address later I'm sure you can Google it. Speaking of female authors from Naples, Florida, I do know a handful of them who are published by ArcheBooks, as I will be when my book A Chance to Say Yes is released (soon). At the Naples Barnes and Noble today, I noticed, happily, that three AurcheBooks novels were stacked on the display table under the sign reading "Our Staff Recommends.." or words to this effect. Thanks to the staff at BN for recommending M.B. Weston's A Prophecy Forgotten, Penny Lauer's Bottled Butterfly, and Linda Bilodeau's Stepping Through Seagrass, all of which are located on the adjacent Shelfari shelf. Go ArcheBooks! What's more, local author and SWFRW-member Karna Small Bodman's books were also on that table. Her latest book Gambit is on my shelf, too. On a personal note, I would like to say congrats to my young friend, Zoe, who recently graduated from kindergarten. Zoe was given a special award for being "Sweet and Kind." It just doesn't get better than that! See you next week. Tina

Upcoming Conferences

Hi! Well, I've decided to go for it! I've signed up to attend the national conference of the Romance Writers of America in San Francisco, July 28-August 2 (http://www.rwanational.org/cs/conferences_and_eventsThe conference will be held at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel. I hope to participate in a book signing for literacy event during the conference. My plans are still tentative, but I'm hoping they will come to fruition. For all you fantasy fans out there, here's some trendy info: my author-friend Sandy Lender will speak at ConQuesT39 next weekend, which is Memorial Day weekend. Please sign up now if you are interested. In addition to participating in panels, Sandy will read from her first novel Choices Meant for Gods Sunday at 11:30 and will sign books Saturday at 4:30. Here is what Sandy says about the conference: "If you've ever been to a ConQuesT convention before, you know there's loads of fun fan activities from art viewing to seminars on your favorite sci-fi shows to opps to meet the guests to a masquerade (on Saturday night) to improv story-telling to sessions on creative writing. The special media guests this year are Jeff East from Young Clark Kent and Ellen Muth from Dead Like Me. Check out the ConQuest site at http://www.kcsciencefiction.org/conquest/contactus.html or visit Sandy Lender's blog at http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/ to get more information. But do it fast! Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner." From Sandy Lender, Fantasy Author of Choices Meant for Gods Available now http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595071652 Coming soon, the intense sequel, Choices Meant for Kings So there you have it! I wish I could attend, Sandy. Thanks for sharing. Good luck at the conference. By the way, you can check out Sandy's book on my Shelfari shelf to the right of this column. See you all next week. Warm regards, Tina

My New Shelfari Bookshelf

Hey, All! Please check out the new books I've added to my Shelfari bookshelf. I have 15 books on my shelf. I have NOT read them all, but I did want to share them with you. Each is written by a female author. Each author is either published by ArcheBooks (http://www.archebooks.com/) or is a member of the Southwest Flordia Romance Writers (http://www.swfrw.org/), the grouped I recently joined. My forthcoming debut novel, A Chance to Say Yes, is not on the shelf yet because I am still awaiting its publication (this month, I hope). Please click on the "Next" button below the bookcase to see all 14 books. You can check out each book in depth by clkking on its individual book jacket. Info will pop up. I'm still no expert at Shelfari, but I am learning. I've written additional notes on my other blog, at http://www.achancetosayyes.blogspot.com/. Btw, I read the news at http://www.bbc.com/ because I want to know what's happening in the whole world, not jut the US. While on that site, I read an article about Welsh whisky and found a link to this book: http://www.dramgoodbooks.com/newsite/home/main.htm Always glad to give a plug to a fellow Murray author! :) Tina

Naples Sun-Times Article

Wow! Thanks to journalist Andrea Galabinski and the Naples Sun-Times for mentioning me and my forthcoming novel, A Chance to Say Yes, in the following article about the Southwest Florida Romance Writers. It is in the print edition, as well, which is available all around the Naples, Florida, area. http://www.naplessuntimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19648729&BRD=2605&PAG=461&dept_id=523946&rfi=6 Please check it out. The article gives a lot of good info about the group (www.swfrw.org). I am posting the article on my other blog, too: http://achancetosayyes.blogspot.com/. Please drop by again soon! Tina

Poppy's Morning Walk

Poppy is strolling northward along Vanderbilt Beach.. One of my main characters in A Chance to Say Yes, gallerist Poppy Craft-Talbot lives in a high-rise condo, Solarmarina, on this very spot. Here is her POV, as she idles in the cool shadow of her building. The sun is rising to her right. She is gzaing North-Northwest up the sandy shore that fronts the Gulf of Mexico, just north of Naples, Florida, USA.

NEW BLURB AND NEW RELEASE DATE

Hello there! Have no fear. A Chance to Say Yes, my debut novel, WILL be published soon. Honestly!!! NEW RELEASE DATE: Last twoo weeks in May, 2008 PUBLISHER: ArcheBooks Publishing, Inc. (www.archebooks.com) Please view my other blog, www.achancetosayyes.blogspot.com, for more information about the story and to view Sandy Lender's latest meme and the websites of other interesting authors. ______________________________________________________ NEW BLURB re: A Chance to Say Yes "...wonderfully descriptive narrative, with well-rounded muti-dimensional characters." -- J. C. Arlington, author of The Stand-In (http://www.jcarlington.com/) ____________________________________________________ TWO MORE BLURBS: "In A Chance to Say Yes, Tina Murray skillfully portrays an elite world jam-packed with romance, glamour, lust, greed, deception, betrayal, and surprising twists and turns to keep you captivated to the very last word." -- Jane Kennedy Sutton, Author of The Ride www.authorsden.com/janekennedysutton _________________________ "Fan-freaking-tastic. I loved it! I stayed up reading until 1:30 a.m. I finished (A Chance to Say Yes) in one day!" -- Vicki Fillmore, reader and resident of Naples, Florida ___________________________________________________ Thanks to J.C. Arlington, Jane Kennedy Sutton, and Vicki Fillmore for their good words. Please check in at this blog site again soon for more updates! Warm regards, Tina Murray

My New Blog

Welcome to my new blog, http://tinamurray.blogspot.com/. I'll be writing weekly updates here from now on. Please check back here in one week for my next blog entry. In the meantime, please visit my other blog iste, www.achancetosayyes.blogspot.com. Thanks for checking in. Tina