WOW! What a week!

Well, it's like one of those that should go down in history as the best of what was. For starters, I got the official notice that BOTH House Call to the Past and Par for the Course won the third place prize as a re-released Gem from RIO (Reviewers International Organization). Let me tell you, this is no small potatoes! Other winners included such notable authors as Nora Roberts and my mentor (and my stalker! LOL!) John Grisham. In case you haven't checked on it before, you can see why I think he is trailing me around at my website http://www.janetelainesmith.com on the John Grisham and Me page. And John won an equal third place prize--but his was for just one book! Can you tell I'm grinning at that one?

Then I got the proof of Pampas and the cover, so it is on the way to the printer. It should be out in almost no time. I'm really anxious for its release. I think it is one of the best ones I've had so far, but then that usually happens when a new one comes out. It is one that I think (like Dunnottar and Dakota Printer) the men will enjoy just as much as the women do. There is a lot of mystery, intrigue and adventure in it. Ooooh, but never fear, gals. Raul Escobar is a very dark-haired Latin gaucho, with a past so dark you want to get to the bottom of it.

One thing I might mention about the cover. It is done by Kim Blagg from PageFree Publishing. You know my covers are usually done by my good friend, Bonny Crow. Well, this has a very different feel to it. I love the fact that the shovel is the central focal point of the cover, as it is also very central in the storyline. Raul is trying to bury his past--so deep nobody will ever find it. Samantha Manchester, on the other hand, has come to the Pampas of Argentina for the express purpose of digging up her past to see if her grandmother's fantasy was real or make-believe. The new cover will be up on my website as soon as I get the .jpg from PageFree.

At any rate, it's the weekend coming. Make it a good one!
Janet