Pam Crooks December 2006 Newsletter

Hi, there! My latest release with Harlequin Historicals, HER LONE PROTECTOR, is out, and oh, my, what a wonderful cover they've given me. This rugged-looking guy just jumps out at you. I do believe the cover is my favorite - but then, have I said that before?

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This is Creed Sherman's story, the sequel to THE MERCENARY'S KISS. Here's a brief blurb:

Creed Sherman is a war-hardened mercenary disillusioned with the happiness he hopes to find when he finally comes back home.

Gina Briganti traveled from her native Sicily to start a new life in America, but a terrible fire threatens to destroy her hopes and dreams.

A fanatic and his cause are responsible, and she must depend on Creed to protect her from danger. But is her love enough for the peace he craves?

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My next release - UNTAMED COWBOY - will be out in July, 2007, and takes place on a cattle drive in 1885. It's chock full of blackmail and revenge . . . and of course, a love story between a woman who doesn't think she needs a man and one who's determined to convince her she does.

I'm presently working on a Christmas novella that will be part of an anthology with Cheryl St. John and Jenna Kernan. The collection will be on the shelves in October, 2007. Writing a Christmas story this time of year has been just as much fun as I knew it would be!

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If you have friends who enjoy reading romance and just happen to love cowboys, too, invite them to subscribe to my newsletter by stopping by my website: www.pamcrooks.com

Also, my fellow Harlequin Historical authors have a new blog:

http://harlequinhistoricalauthors.blogspot.com

We give you glimpses into our lives, information about upcoming releases, fascinating historical research, holiday recipes and more. Something new nearly every day. Take a minute to find out more about us!

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Here's a yummy Christmas treat. I've made this for years, and it's still my favorite.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix

½ cup instant mocha-flavored coffee
½ cup dry non-dairy creamer
¼ cup baking cocoa
1 1/3 cups confectioners sugar
¼ cup crushed peppermint candy (3 regular size candy canes)

Combine all ingredients in blender and process.

Use 2 Tb. cocoa mix with ¾ cup boiling water.

Yield: 2 ½ cups mix.

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Any author who writes in a bygone era will do hordes of research to bring her story to life. Literally hours can be spent on the Internet, at the public library or thumbing through reference books at home.

Unfortunately, because of sheer logistics, very little of the information will make it in the story. Too much can drag an exciting story down to the level of a textbook.

Of course, while writing HER LONE PROTECTOR, the same thing happened to me. Here's some interesting information I found:

1. The Brown Palace Hotel, the setting for the opening scene in HER LONE PROTECTOR, is still in existence today as a luxurious hotel in Denver. Each of the six tiers of balconies is surrounded with cast iron panels depicting dancing women. However, two panels were mistakenly installed upside down, making the ladies look like they're standing on their heads.

2. After the loss of her second child, President McKinley's wife, Ida, fell sickly and was often plagued with epileptic seizures. She kept a busy social schedule with her devoted husband, who took her affliction in stride. When a seizure appeared impending, he merely tossed a handkerchief over her face until the episode passed.

3. Moments after President McKinley was shot in the abdomen by anarchist Leon Czolgosz, chaos erupted. McKinley saved Czolgosz' life by commanding to the frenzied mob, "Go easy on him, boys." Czolgosz was later executed at Auburn Prison in New York.

4. After his assassination, President McKinley's wife mourned him until her own death. Ida kept a picture of him sewn into her silk knitting bag. She crocheted 4,000 pairs of bedroom slippers to pass her days and donated them all to charities.

5. Immigrant laborers were 'sweated' in the garment industry of the 1890's, meaning they were forced to squeeze out more work for less in squalid environments, usually crowded tenements, often a tiny room owned by a boss where his family lived. Hence the term 'sweatshops.'

6. For example, an above-named laborer would sew linings into suit jackets and be paid five cents per dozen. At a rate of about a lining every five or six minutes, he could finish a dozen linings in an hour. S/He would work sixteen hours a day, 6 days a week, (a total of nearly one hundred hours!) and earn five dollars.

7. The squalid tenements would house an immigrant family of seven or more in an area only 325 square feet, with one bedroom, no toilet, no bath or shower, no running water.

8. President Abraham Lincoln created the United States Secret Service on April 14, 1865. Later that night, he was assassinated.

9. The Secret Service was originally formed to fight the nation's counterfeiting woes. The agency did not start protecting the president until two more were assassinated (James Garfield and William McKinley.)

10. The Triangle Waist Company fire, the inspiration for HER LONE PROTECTOR, was the worst workplace disaster in New York history. In a matter of minutes, 146 people perished. 123 of them were women.

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So there you go.

Fix yourself a cup of hot chocolate, curl up with a copy of HER LONE PROTECTOR, and stay warm on a cold winter night. Merry Christmas, from my family to yours!

Pam